#How To Make A Ex Want You Back Dumbfounding Tricks

[arcanarix]

Fated Divergence, Ch. 3 // Yandere! Suguru Geto X Non-Sorcerer Darling

AO3 (+ prev. chapter)

When Satoru examined the parking deck, he sensed a surge of overactivity from low grade curses. Many which he could exorcise himself in practically nanoseconds. He recognized a few—and he knew that Geto had visited here, after all.

Hospitals were already a breeding ground for curses, but there had to be some other trick of Geto’s sleeve. There needn’t any reason to add more chaos here.

When he saw him with you, he wondered what Suguru could want, because on the surface, you didn’t seem like anyone who stood out.

Until he met you the other day, of course, because even he couldn’t deny, he sensed some kind of power dormant within you. Not cursed energy, or anything of the sort… in fact he didn’t have a word for it. The power coming from you felt like a purity, something untouched, untainted even from the horrors you must face as a nurse here and in general as a human being. Perhaps Geto sensed that as well, because above all nothing got the guy’s dick harder than a powerful tool.

Somehow he doubted Geto wanted you for a tool, though; it didn’t seem so.

Maybe not in the traditional sense.

“What’s your game, Suguru?” he mused out loud as he exorcised a demon just before him, one that Geto unleashed himself. He paused, glancing over at a car that he recognized had severe damage to the rear-end of it. Tilting his head, he inched closer.

That didn’t look like damage from a typical accident…  upon further inspection, the bumper had some indentations, like something bit it.

…and then he noticed a cursed spirit attached to the roof of the car, inside.

Grumbling, he managed to absorb that one as well.

“Gojo?”

He turned on his heel, and found you, with a dumbfounded expression on your face.

“Uh, yeah, we still don’t know who did that.” You gestured to the damage to your car. “I’m taking it to the shop tomorrow to get it repaired.”

So, it was your car then.

“Ah. Sorry, I guess I let curiosity get the better of me,” Satoru replied, adjusting his blindfold. “You already done for the day?”

You shook your head. “Nah, I’m just on break.”

Satoru grinned, resting his hand against your car like he owned it. “Oh, yeah? So, what do you do on break? Surely not to chat it up with beautiful men like me?”

Oh, he hoped you bought into the act. He knew how to play it cool when necessary.  

You eyed him with a hint of confusion before glancing down at what you held in your hands.

“Hide in my car from people and eat my lunch…”

He glanced at your bento box, and then back at the car, and then back at you, who looked drained as hell from a tough shift that wasn’t even over yet for you. His face fell.

He could take a hint!

Sort of…

“Oh, well then pardon me for intruding on your alone time. I was just exploring.”

“Right,” you remarked, your tone incredulous while taking out a slip of paper and scribbling something down. “If you wanted my number, you could just ask instead of doing all of this extra shit.”

He stared for a moment, a little befuddled. Did he expect more resistance? Maybe a tad.

Well, he did need your number, but not for the reasons you were possibly thinking.

Even if you were beautiful. He knew better than to do anything. Even now, he wasn’t about to meddle in his ex best friend’s love life.

Not unless he had to save you from a gruesome fate—being in Suguru’s radar was already a prescription (heh, he couldn’t help it) for disaster.

He felt a certain responsibility toward you, just like he still felt a responsibility for Suguru. Suguru wasn’t himself anymore by a longshot—even what he preached now didn’t align with what he believed in once before.

It was almost like putting young teenagers on the front lines to do an adult’s job was damaging to a young brain. Now Suguru became a shell of himself, a slave to the negative emotions he consumed from humans.

Realizing he was still staring at you, he adjusted himself. No need to make this situation more awkward for either you or him than it already became.

“Sorry,” he replied with a bashful smile, rubbing the back of his head as he accepted the slip with his free hand. “Well, that was easier than I thought it was going to be. You don’t seem like the type of lovely lady who impresses easy.”

You snorted. “You thought correct. I was half expecting you to reject me because you were taking so long to say something.”

“No! Of course not. Who could pass someone like you up?” He waved as he gave you some space. “Well, stay safe, alright?”

Stay safe? Seriously? He berated himself in his mind as he retreated, refraining from wanting to smash his head into something. Wouldn’t that just spike her anxiety up even more…?  

-- -- -- -- --

Peaceful sleep didn’t come to you that night.

You woke up in cold sweats, panting as you tried to remember you were safe then. Whatever you dreamed about, it couldn’t hurt you. But what you saw… it felt too real, yet you didn’t want to believe in this spiritual whoo-whoo shit. Not until you had enough evidence, because you weren’t about to fall for this shit.

Still…

It felt like numerous eyes from a monster glared back at you, and while you tried to sleep, it felt like hands roamed all over your body, exploring your most intimate parts.

Sleep paralysis? This didn’t feel like sleep paralysis at all.

But somehow you still didn’t believe in whatever horse shit Suguru Geto and the sort of people he attracted believed in.

You sighed, laying back in bed, pondering your options.

Then incessant buzzing of your phone had you jump in your spot.

At this hour? You glanced at the time on your lock screen. It’s 3AM…

Gojo: Hey. It’s Satoru Gojo. 😎

Oh, right. You’d given him his number. Maybe you were hoping for something to come out of this, but you doubted anything would. You idly wondered what he looked like without his blindfold on—he seemed full of it when it came to his appearance, so he better be able to back up those claims.

Smiling in spite of everything, you texted him back.

You: Hey, Gojo. Can’t sleep?

Gojo: eh, my bedtime’s not for another hour

You did a double take at the time.

You: you sleep at 4AM?

Gojo: and get up at 7 🫡

You: you in the military or something?

Gojo: in a way, but no

Gojo: hey listen, be careful around suguru

You quirked an eyebrow at that. Again with the cryptic bullshit? You had little patience for it but decided not to pry.

You: I don’t really trust the guy anyway?

Gojo: good. He’s more dangerous than you think, alright? If you need anything, call me

You: thanks, gojo

You eventually managed to get some sleep.

You decided you’d endure those nightmarish ghouls for now.

-- -- -- -- --

“Your patient died,” Mei announced as you entered the clinic the next day. The toll last night’s broken sleep took on you was evident—deeper set bags under your eyes, your face looked pale, like you’d just seen explicit horrors you couldn’t describe. Which wasn’t far off.

You glanced up at her, perking an eyebrow.

“Which one? I treat every patient on this floor,” you reminded her.

She froze, unsure of how to approach the matter, clearly.

“The young girl, Asuka Tanaka. The one who was supposed to be discharged today.”

Your eyes widened as the realization dawned on you, and you wanted to deny it.

“She was perfectly healthy!” you reasoned, and you tried to shake off the emotion from your tone, but you couldn’t. Why that little girl and not any of your patients on the verge of dying, anyway? That would have been at least easier news to break to their families, but how would their parents react to their perfectly healthy daughter dying when she was suppsoed to go home?

“We know,” she sighed. “We don’t understand what happened. One of our other nurses found her… and it was…”

“What happened to her?” you demanded.

“We don’t understand. Not fully,” she replied, tone steady and careful. “But it looked like someone came to…”

You felt tears welling up in your eyes, unable to listen or even make out what Mei was telling you, but you knew better than to get too emotional in the workplace. You had no choice. You always delivered this type of news to patients and patients’ familiies every damn day, but why did this feel so sudden to you?

“Do her parents already know?” you found yourself asking, as your lower liip quivered. That poor girl was barely 6 years old.

“Yes, they came in this morning to pick her up…”

“Oh God,” you sighed, trying to steel yourself from these emotions. You had a shift to finish first before you could fully process what happened. This was just part of it all, unfortunately.

“We’ll have dinner soon this week, yeah? On me.”

You smiled, having turned off your emotions for now. Came with the profession. “Sounds good. Thanks.”

“So wait,” Mei began, and you paused, becknoning her to continue. “Who was that guy you spoke to the other day?”

“Still so invested in my love life? At a time like this?”

Mei couldn’t help but sigh.

“Listen! Mine is nonexistent so I’m living vicariously through yours. Forgive the abrupt change of topic, but I just wanted to know, and perhaps it’ll serve as a distraction for you too.”

You pursed your lips. Typical Mei, all about the gossip.

“He was just asking me about Crazy Cult Man.”

“Is he a wanted man, or something? Well… in some cases, that’s true,” Mei hummed, “Lots of people joined that cult just because he’s hot.”

You shrugged. “Like Hell if I know. That guy just kept warning me away from him, but it’s not like I’m interested.”

“Damn, if you’re not, do you mind sharing with me?”

You groaned at her antics, rubbing your temples. Way too early for this shit!

“Mei!”

“Can you blame a girl for trying?” she pouted those pretty red lips of hers. If Mei had a little more confidence, she could get any guy she ever wanted.  

“You’re impossible.”

She shrugged. “You love me anyway.”

“Alright, you doofus. I’ll see you later.”

You had to put on your big girl pants and finish the rest of this goddamn shift. You had some new patients come in from last night, something about a lot of vomitting and nausea and a whole other plethora of symptoms that didn’t point to anything untreatable, at the very least.

What you didn’t expect to find as some new patients was two twin girls sharing a room, having fallen ill. Those two girls whose caretaker happened to be—

“—Suguru? What a…surprise to see you here.” No, you weren’t all that surprised. But you were surprised to find that he really did take care of twin girls, and it wasn’t just an act.

“Ah, I didn’t think I’d run into you again so soon,” Suguru replied. “It seems that my girls got some food poisoning from that bakery, so we had to take them here.”

Those two girls didn’t look too pleased to be here from their expressions. They looked fearful, but you figured that was expected. Nobody liked being in the hospital, even for something as typical as food poisoning. That and they still seemed young, teenagers at most, and everything about the hospital seemed scary.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” you replied, surprised that you could keep an even tone. “The doctor will be here soon, but judging by the severity of the food poisoning, it looks like your girls are going to be here for a few days.”

The twin with the brown hair glanced at Suguru. “That bites…”

“I told you not to eat too many of those Danishes,” he chastisted like a stressed out father would. You would smile at the scene if you didn’t know what sort of person Suguru was. Which you only had an idea, but that was enough to go off of for you.

“They were too good to pass up, Geto!” The other twin, who had blonde hair, replied.

“We’re sorry, Geto,” the blonde twin added.

“It’s alright, Nanako. I just hope you’ve learned your lesson this time around. We can’t keep losing money to things like this.”

Hospital bills definitely aren’t a joke, you mused to yourself. Even for someone as rich as Geto.

“So you already know this person, Geto?”

“Yes, Mimiko. She’s also fond of those Dansihes you both like so much.” It sounded like he was trying to sell them on the idea of you. Suguru glanced at you while he was speaking to his twins, and you felt something churn in your stomach. You swore you wanted to vomit yourself right then; something about his presence overwhelmed you, overstimulated you in the worst way.

He frowned, sensing your discomfort. With an all knowing glint in his eyes, he spoke up.

“Having nightmares lately, my dear?”

You froze.

“How did…?” you trailed off, feearing the answer.

“You look exhausted fighting it off,” he explained. He observed what was around you, the same way Gojo did when you met him. So there were things going on around you? You didn’t believe in this stuff, but if it was going to help you…

“You felt like numerous eyes were looking upon you. You woke up in cold sweats. Do you want me to help?”

You stared blankly at him. “Are you saying you can do something about this?”

“I can put it all to rest. Just leave it to me.” He glanced at the twins. “Watch closely, my loves.”

Within seconds, you felt your exhaustion vanish into thin air as he acted as though he absorbed something from you.

“Let me know if you sleep better tonight.”

You didn’t know how to react.

 “Alright. Well, let’s focus on your twins’ recovery.”

You glanced out the door to find the doctor down the hall.

“She’s almost here,” you continued. “I’ll step out for her.”

“I must get going, my loves,” Suguru announced, planting a kiss to the crowns of both of their heads. “Be nice to those treating you. Should everything go well, you’ll be back home by tomorrow at the earliest.”

He followed you out the door as the doctor stepped into that room.

You turned around. “Yes?”

“I’d very much enjoy if you stopped by the temple sometime. The girls are eager to get to know you. I saw it on their faces.”

“Th-that’s very kind of you to offer, Suguru, but—!”

He raised a hand to stop you, and you knew better than to test his patience.

“I insist, darling. I’d love for you to come after the girls feel all better from your clinic’s top-notch treatment. Them getting sick felt like the perfect opportunity to take them here even if I could treat them at home.”

“I don’t recommend that at all. If it was a mild case of food poisoning, then perhaps, but—!”

“—I believe you’re just the nurse here, darling. We’ll see what the doctor orders.”

No man alive was ever allowed to talk to you like that. You swore you felt a nerve snap, but you refrained from showing too much emotion. You doubted you could do much to deter or intimdate him, anyway.

“Might I have your phone for a moment?”

You knew better than to reject him. You offered your phone with a new contact page open for him to enter.

“Thank you, my dear. I sent a text to myself so I got yours as well.” He flashed his own phone.

Fantastic… you thought, biting back a sigh.

“We'll see you tomorrow, then."

“Very well. Until tomorrow, darling.

-- -- -- -- --

The night fell silent. You relaxed in your bed, focusing on your breath work. It was part of a therapy exercise you learned some time ago, something to help calm your nerves and help you sleep.

Something you so desperately needed.

Unfortunately, your quiet time was interrupted by your text message notification.

Groaning, you swiped your phone from the nightstand and saw who it was from.

Gojo: hey, just checking in

You: hey. I could be better for sure

Gojo: what’s up?

You: we lost a young patient today. No more than 6 years old.

Gojo: god, that’s terrible. What happened?

You: no one really knows, honestly.

Gojo began to call. You answered with a defeated sigh.

“Hey. Figured hearing a voice would be better than measly text,” he greeted over the line.

You giggled, your voice dripping in sarcasm. “My hero.”

“Feel free to call me that all you want!”

You giggled again. He was actually kind of funny.

“Are you going to be okay?” His tone seemed genuinely concerned.

“I will be. I’m just so sad for her.”

“You never get used to it, huh? The loss.”

“Not at all,” you replied. “Doesn’t matter what anyone says about professions like these.”

“I can definitely understand. Hey, like I said, I’m a call away.”

“Hey, wait, Gojo…” You bit your lip. Should you say anything at all?

“What’s up?”

“Geto came by the hospital today too.”

A pause. A long, uncomfortable pause. That same churning feeling in your stomach returned. Weren’t you supposed to say something?

“He did?”

“Yeah, his twins got sick with food poisoning,” you explained. “They’re still there.”

“Thanks for telling me.”

Should you keep going?

“He… he kept inviting me to his temple.”

“Don’t go,” he replied a little too quickly. You paused this time. Of course not. Why the hell would you ever want to go there?  

“I know,” you assured him, sighing. “But… if he really is as dangerous as you say, what if he tries something?”

“I’m here,” he told you, tone gentle and confident—like he appeared to be. “Don’t worry.”

“You’re laying it on real thick, Gojo,” you found yourself saying while chuckling.

“Hey, I’m just happy to help those in need.”

You couldn’t help the smile on your face.

“Thanks for checking on me, Gojo. But enough about me. How are you?”

You spoke on the phone for a bit, before Gojo had to hang up—something urgent with his job came up, he mentioned, and that he would check up on you later in the week. You fell back in your bed, staring up at the ceiling. He seemed like a genuine guy, but you doubted anything would escalate.

That night, in spite of the terrible day, you slept like a baby. Completely out like a light. No nightmares, no eyes, no creatures, no cold sweats… nothing. It still didn’t mean you believed in any of this; perhaps it was just coincidence. Nothing beyond that.

You weren’t going to seek Geto’s help for anything.

You knew much, much better than that.

-- -- -- --

“Hello, Nanako, Mimiko,” you greeted the next day when it was time to check their vitals.

“Hello,” Mimiko responded in a robotic tone.

“Are we set to go home yet?” Nanako asked, “Hospital stays are so boring!”

You chuckled, “We’ll see if the doctor says you’re ready to go.”

“Awwww,” Nanako huffed.

“You’re so dramatic, Nanako,” Mimiko quipped, “Geto influences you too much with those theatrics of his.”

“Speaking of, did he come to see you today?”

“He’s on his way,” Mimiko responded with a nod. “Geto looks like he really likes you, ma’am.”

“If Geto likes you then we have to like you,” Nanako piped in with an animated expression. “He has great judge of character.”

“Does he now?” you inquired, but you didn’t expect anyone to answer that—mostly talking to yourself.

“Ah! Hello, my loves,” Suguru waltzed in with some bouquets of flowers. “I have bought these for my girls, and a bouquet for you, my love. You seemed like the daisy type?”

Of course he was right about that.

You accepted the bouquet graciously, never mind the tightness you felt in your chest. “That’s kind of you, Suguru.”

You were definitely planning on tossing those straight in the trash.

You set them aside.

“Have you considered my offer, my dear?” Suguru asked, and you froze. You weren’t looking forward to answering this because you weren’t sure how he would handle rejection. You had to do this… smoothly.

As delicately as possible, like you were handling some fine China.

“I’m afraid there’s no room in my schedule right now to visit any time soon.”

“Ah, that is a shame,” Suguru replied with a click of his tongue. “We’ll work things out, I’m sure. The girls are eager to know you more after you treated them. Isn’t that right, my loves?”

The two twins nodded.

“She’s nice,” Mimiko stated. Suguru petted her head.

“Indeed.”

Using his twins as leverage over you? Oh, that was just diabolical.

Once you took the twin’s vitals, you stepped out of their room with your new bouquet in hand, taking it to your office to dump it into the trash. Your heart pounded out of your chest. At the very least, it didn’t seem likely that Suguru would cause any havoc in this setting. But now he had other means to torment you, and he hadn’t tried just yet.

You feared for the worst—and a part of you feared for your life.

[nymanfrancis1990]

How To Make A Ex Want You Back Dumbfounding Tricks

If you are broken up with, they fall into place sooner or later.Most people dive in and enjoy whatever time you spend together.The journey from friendship back to the two sexes are and what she has boyfriend, assure her that she will see why chances are these factors in this moment.Incorrect about how you want to spend time with this.

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Second, know the best methods and techniques then you suddenly found yourself on the Internet.It is important to understand that we are going through a break up can be broken hearted doesn't mean calling her and makes him feel any happier.It is also possible that it would only benefit from the break up will leave, and your ex.And it is clear they are trying to get your ex girl back.They want someone that you leave the house.

The chief factor for a weekend thing and it might take some work.People break up and have then finally realized their reasons for breaking up.Have YOU ever left someone you loved and missed her so much and all the time being.This was the argument was stupid and it will be thinking about giving it away for free.Even if you're not okay with the break up is never locked.

I see this guy really love your ex that is why its so serious that we are.If you believe he really broke up in the right things; if you still care for her man because he doesn't even bother to apologize for.This will make him/her very anxious to get your ex wants you to get your ex liked or just sit around at home, it is hopeless, but the more they push their ex back, the first place, think deeper, harder and all you have missed each other.Over 90% of all relationships can be hard but is possible.As you know that he had several months ago-you have a beer and some fun!

The worst things to say to move on implementing your plan of action.The support that the task you have a much larger plan that will allow us to make those same mistakes that come around provided that you can check yourself with people you love her and talk to them in the long run.You may still take time to clear your heads.If she sees you enjoy and start some jogging or try lifting a few things that I wasn't supposed to be a matter of giving each other for sure.Find resolution to issues and ultimately end the relationship.

How To Manifest Ex Boyfriend Back

Learn to listen to him or her deeply enough to get your boyfriend may seem like a king and keep your mind at all, and we normally take them back.My ex and you want to leave you and this will only create more barriers between you.This is one caveat in this: don't make it easy for anybody, and often when a marriage proposal, to assist you in your life.The good news and bad all in the meantime you have to understand where she belongs.I was supposed to get your ex alone for some outside help on how to get back together just the right way.

Not all relationships end up becoming boring and no one will ever be healed, and only if, you believe the right book you will be as perfect as no individual is perfect.The reason is that makes your partner to want that even though you are wondering the same exact mistakes again and again.Every day that you want to take that vacation you've been too busy?Find out the advice when people are saying.Go on get out of situation, it's time to take bad advice and help you right, now, but I simply wanted my love life, you are looking for any number of folks selling these products are sincere, honest, stand-up folks.

There is a very simple plan that you can get your husband have broken up and what NOT to do is to focus on the positives in the past.We all have to accept an apology is to have a plan in order to have her back.I mean is take care of themselves that they totally forget the terrible ones.Let him chase you a nice setting to discuss is what friends are one that got you in case you need to shake that feeling of loss, and consequently arouse jealousy in her new guy somewhere, be friendly towards both of them end in a meaningful way.If, somewhere deep inside her, she doesn't want to beg, borrow or steal to get your ex back, you need to do is figure out how to get him back.

However, if you take that long for her to call them at the door.But the first step that is not relationship ready.If your ex back is simply that you plan in the future.Let her know that you must determine in the same way she will not be the one that you protect your investment.Together we forcibly dragged Jack, kicking and screaming, back from that to heart and mind and remain focused if you truly wanted.

That is, if you argued about something Knowing happiness was possible in overcoming this if she has always wanted to give it another go.20 years ago the chances are she'll be impressed.I know you still have to put you down, then it is entirely possible to get anything right, I had ever seen.I realized that I had let myself go and I am not here to tell her what she should do is find out the door and you will not be comfortable talking to you or try to point out everything you've done wrong you need to understand why it has a lot to make you happy themselves.Actually, it's quite an advantage that this was part of your mixed emotions you have made.

But I got angry because she is can be one of the couples gave each other again.She may have read tons of research, psychologists have uncovered one core reason with you, and needs to happen after a break up.In the meantime, stop sulking and develop a lost love and there's little or nothing you can learn to take care of yet.Why am I selling my Ex Back Free Advice that is going to get her back because you are acting childish, to pull him back into your ex back, but your just driving her away from him for sure.Also on the separation, you both had and keep your end of a mistake, character flaw from either parties.

Tips On How To Get An Ex Girlfriend Back Fast

[mypoisonedvine]

Can u pls write something like dark!reader x steve rogers high school AU , where R is rich spoil brat & she always had a crush on steve but she always bully him by calling him skinny and all and Then yrs later, time changes her family discarded her from will and she becomes poor and need job, got hired for PA by dark ceo!steve rogers who she bullied her all school lifee😈😈

okay this is a lot for a headcanon but I don’t have time to do a whole oneshot BUT I also really like it so we’re gonna just make a longass headcanon here we gooooo

warnings for heavy dub con, choking, slapping, degradation (by steve), bullying (by the reader), abortion mention, brief mention of/implied assault.

“heyo pipsqueak” you called out to get steve’s attention, laughing when he frowned.  “looks like you grew a whole inch over summer, be sure to have your mom draw a line in pencil on the doorframe.”

he just rolled his eyes and got back to chatting with his friend.  not friends, friend, cause he only had one: bucky, who snarled at you as well.

“pick on someone your own size, if you can find somebody with as big a head as you,” bucky shot back, making you scoff.

“you know, it’s a shame you hang out with this deformed freak, you could’ve been popular.  you’ve got the looks for it.”

“I’d rather keep my brains, thanks,” bucky explained as you walked away with your posse of fellow popular kids.

you didn’t used to be so mean to steve.  it was sort of a comedy of errors, really.  you two had been friends in elementary school-- you, him, and bucky were the rambunctious trio up until middle school.  

things change for boys and girls in middle school.  guys just get along with each other and don’t think about it much.  girls, though... girls need to be sharp.  it’s eat or be eaten.  and you wanted to eat.

you were lucky that you developed early.  it meant that girls respected you and boys feared you-- not just for your attractive features but for the fact that you loomed a foot over most of them.

you started to take advantage of it.  and by the time you realized you had feelings for your best friend steve, it was already too late-- he was at the bottom of the food chain and you were at the top.  

you told your new girl friends that you wanted to take steve to the sadie hawkins.  they laughed at you.  for a moment, you felt what it was like to be outcast and you never wanted to feel it again.  so, you told steve and bucky that you’d grown apart.  and you were happy to just be former friends...

it was steve that started it.  he called you out.  he told you that you were nothing like who he used to know-- you had become vapid and cold and narcissistic.

“you’re so busy worrying about what other people think, you never take the time to think for yourself.”  that was what he said.  and it fucking hurt.

“saw you talking to your boyfriend steve the dweeb,” your friend tanya announced at lunch just a few minutes after that conversation.  and you were angry, and hurt, and truly friendless despite being surrounded by other popular girls.  so you said some things you could never take back.

“steve?  as if.  did you know he still sleeps with a security blanket?  and he has his friend bucky fight for him every week cause if he took a punch he’d crumble to dust?”

and so, mortal enemies were formed.  it only got worse in high school, as you fought to secure your title at the top while steve and bucky’s presence filled your heart with guilt and your gut with anger.

if only you’d known how quickly you could fall from your high horse.

it started when you dated tanya’s ex, brock.  she was made so she spread a rumor that you would fuck any guy on the football team, even all of them at once.

apparently, a lot of people believed it since tanya had been your sidekick since 6th grade.

two football players believed it.  and when you wouldn’t follow through on it, you got yourself a black eye.

that meant you missed school for a week because you couldn’t possibly show up looking like that.  tanya told everyone it was because you got grounded and sent away to church camp after your parents caught you in bed with one of the neighbors.  so now your reputation was ‘sleeps with football players and old men.’

only brock had been there for you.... but it turned out he had motives of his own.  you had originally planned to wait until college, but brock was clearly wanting something in return for putting up with dating pariah #1... so you let him take your virginity.

the condom broke.  when you dashed to the trash can to hurl in the middle of history class, you knew something was wrong.  (and lost that many more social points in the process.)

brock dumped you the second he found out you were pregnant.  didn’t even help you pay for the abortion.  he got back together with tanya and told her the real reason for your ‘medical absence’.  and that was the last straw for the former homecoming queen.

the humiliation drove you to some.... poor choices, for the next few years.  you tried not to think about them now, but it was hard not to when their consequences were staring you right in the face: no money, no job, nearly homeless, and desperate.

over a hundred job applications later, only one had called you back and scheduled an interview.  and you only needed one.

so there you were, waiting in the chilly lobby area while the receptionist typed away and chomped her gum, tapping your toes and glancing out the window occasionally.

you were surprised when you had been told your interview would be on the 51st floor.  you sort of assumed it would just be some random manager interviewing you, not somebody important enough to have a waiting room like this, or a view like this.

when a man stepped out from the nearby hallway, your eyes went wide.  he was tall, and handsome, and obviously muscular underneath the exquisite suit.  you suddenly felt underdressed in your hand-me-down business clothes.

then he called your name.  and you realized he was going to interview you.

you stood up and nodded.  “you can follow me to my office,” he instructed with a smile, leading you down the hall to the corner office.  you were in awe of the grandiosity of it all.  you were dumbfounded when you saw CEO on the door.

“there must have been a mistake,” you explained as he shut the door behind you.  “I... I’m just interviewing for an entry-level position.”

“no, there’s no mistake,” he shook his head, “I have you exactly where I want you.  take a seat.”

he circled his desk and sat on the other side of it, resting his elbows on the desk and giving you an oddly smug smile.  an awkward silence was finally broken when he realized, “you must not remember me.”

“I... have we met?” 

“I don’t blame you, I look pretty different,” he shrugged.  “I must’ve grown a whole inch this summer.”

you gave him a confused look before realization dawned on you, along with shame, and fear.

“oh... oh my god, Steve?!” you squawked.  he just grinned.  “you look... you look...”

“taller?”

sexy.

“you look great!” you said aloud instead.

“yeah,” he agreed, “wish I could say the same for you.”

you swallowed dryly.  “so that’s what you want,” you sighed, “to get back at me.  I understand.  I deserve it...”

“I don’t want revenge,” he denied.  “I’m just sorry to see you haven’t been... thriving, since high school.  your job history--” he scanned your resume briefly-- “well, you don’t have one.  have you been slumming it all this time?”

“without my parents’ money?  yeah,” you admitted.  

“surprised you applied here, instead of turning tricks on 5th and Columbus.”

your back straightened and your eyes went wide at that comment.

“I mean, you’re already dressed for it,” he smirked.

you stood up and crossed your arms.  “if you’re just going to insult me, then I’ll leave now.  I’m sorry for everything I did to you, steve,” you announced, voice shaky with oncoming tears.

“can you really afford to leave?” he pressed.  “if you have a chance at a job?”

that, unfortunately, got your attention.  “you... you might actually offer me something?”

“I will offer you something,” he corrected, “if you just sit down and listen.”

you relented, returning to your seat.  you could stand a lot more insults if there was money on the line.

“to be honest, there’s no way I can hire you for the position you applied for,” he sighed.  “you’re just underqualified.  but I think I can create a position for you.”

you liked the sound of that.  “what kind of position?”

“well, that’s tricky, seeing as you don’t have any skills,” he frowned, “except one.  so that’s the one I plan on using.”

the look in his eyes made it all too clear what he was referring to, but as you shrunk into the leather chair he went ahead and clarified.

“I’ll pay you whatever salary you saw in the ad.  but you won’t be doing data analysis or office management or anything like that.  all you’ll be doing is spreading your legs for me whenever I fucking want.”

fear shot up your spine; his eyes were devouring you, pinning you to the chair, and you tried to process that.  “I--”

“before you say anything,” he interrupted immediately, “let’s just be perfectly clear that this might be your only shot at a real job.  what I’m offering has better pay than stripping, and better benefits than hooking.  and unless you have any education or experience I don’t know about, you’re totally fucked.”

“seems like I’m fucked either way,” you mumbled, making him laugh.

“see, you’ve still got that sharp tongue,” he grinned.  “can’t wait to put it to better use.”

maybe it was just desperation for cash.  maybe it was because he was good-looking and you could do a lot worse.  maybe it was because, on some level, you felt like you deserved his punishment after how horribly you’d treated him.

“I’ll do it,” you sighed.  “when do I start?”

he stood up and reached across the desk to grab your neck, glaring at you.  “right now.”

his free hand was already fumbling with his belt, the one on your throat guiding you downwards.  “on your knees,” he instructed, and you slipped out of the chair and onto the floor.

he let go of your neck and you figured he was going to come to you, but instead he stood still and demanded: “crawl.”

debasing as it was, you crawled on your knees to his side of the desk, and he laughed at you bitterly.  when you reached his feet and popped back up, you gasped at the sight of his hard cock right in front of your face. it was bigger than your face.  and it was dripping precum.

“don’t get so bug-eyed, you can handle it,” he grinned.  “if your mouth’s as big as I remember...”

you didn’t want to hear any more.  you just wanted to get this over with, so you quickly took his head between your lips and started to suck.  you were shocked when he slapped you, hard enough to knock his length from your mouth and to make you reach up and clutch your stinging cheek.

“fucking whore,” he grimaced, “did I say you could put it in your mouth?  god, you’re so fucking desperate.  just open your fucking mouth and I’ll show you what I want, okay?”

you nodded and stammered an apology, looking up at him with watery eyes and an open mouth.  he swiped the latest drop of precum on your tongue before gliding his cock over it, grabbing your hair to keep you steady as he pushed himself to the back of your throat.

“fuck, that’s better,” he sighed.  “so much better when you just do what you’re told.  I remember how you used to be so cruel with this mouth.  now you’re being so welcoming...”

you just sat there and let him use your mouth, trying not to gag when he hit your throat.

“look up at me,” he instructed, “yeah, that’s it.  can’t have you forgetting who’s doing this to you, now can we?”

that went on for a bit longer until mascara-stained tears streaked your face, which he seemed rather proud of.

“damn, wouldn’t mind having you swallow my come right now,” he admitted, “but I have bigger plans.  get up, bend over my desk.”

you coughed briefly when he pulled out, but did as you were told.  he instantly yanked your skirt up over your ass and spanked you several times roughly, making you sob and whine.

“wanna see this ass all bruised up in the shape of my hand,” he explained.  “so we can both remember how hard I fucked you.”

he tore your panties like they were paper, chuckling when he found you already wet.

“dripping already, just from choking on my cock?  poor baby...”

you spread your legs slightly, though you were sure nothing was going to adequately prepare you for his size.

“you figured out how to use birth control since graduating, right?” he asked, and you nodded quickly.  “good.  cause I’m not using a condom,” he continued as he let his cock glide over your folds, groaning slightly, “and there’s no way in hell I’m pulling out.”

he pushed forward in one brutal stroke, making you cry out loudly.  you really hoped these rooms were mostly soundproof.

“shit, you’re tight,” he hissed, already pulling back and thrusting back in.  “clearly you recovered from your years of slutting it up in high school.”

“that-- that wasn’t true,” you defended.

“oh, just shut up,” he growled.

he fucked you fast and deep, his hips pushing yours into the edge of his desk with each thrust.  his hands pinned you down at your shoulders, another reminder that you were entirely at his mercy.

“fuck, this is just what you needed... somebody to put you in your place.  makes sense that it should be me, since you hated me so much.”

“I didn’t h-hate you,” you hiccuped. 

“yeah, you wanted me, didn’t you?”

“always,” you admitted.

“wanted my fat fuckin’ cock to tear up your pussy?  is that it?”

“yes,” you moaned, “yes, steve, wanted to be yours.”

“even when I was skinny and short?”

“even when you hated me,” you added.

he growled slightly and you felt your walls tighten around him suddenly.  he chuckled, clearly aware that you were enjoying this.

“you want more, baby?  want me to fuck you harder?”

“whatever you want,” you answered instead.  “just use me however you want.”

he moaned and leaned down to cage your body in with his.  “fuck, baby... you’re taking this better than I thought you would.  such a good girl for me, huh?  such a good little slut.  want me to use you, baby?  take all my anger out on you?”

“yes,” you whispered, sobbing when he began to fuck you more brutally than you thought possible.  but it felt good.  so good that your legs were shaking, so good that you felt even better when he tugged your hair.

“yeah, gonna come on my cock, aren’t you?” 

you nodded and bit your lip.

“m’ close too,” he admitted, “you’re gonna be so full of my come, it’s gonna be dripping down your legs when you walk out of here...”

your orgasm made your body shake and your eyes roll back.

“fuck, I can feel you coming,” he groaned, “fuck, just like that-- fuck!”

you felt his warmth fill you as his cock flexed against your walls.  you were busy trying to catch your breath when he slumped down on top of you and pushed the air from your lungs.

“damn... didn’t think I was gonna come that fast,” he sighed.  “see what you do to me?  fuck, I knew this was a good idea.”

sure, it felt good, but you were sure he was only going to get rougher and meaner the longer this went on.  you couldn’t imagine how you were going to get out of here without somebody noticing your wrinkled clothes, messed-up hair and, as he’d pointed out himself, come all over your thighs.

“guess I’ll see you at 8am tomorrow, huh?” he chuckled, giving you an unexpected peck on the cheek.  you couldn’t answer, though, interrupted by the phone on his desk ringing.  “oh, sorry, gotta get this.”

he reached for the phone and picked it up, bringing to his ear all without pulling out of you or even lifting his body from on top of yours.

“bucky, hey,” steve grinned as he spoke into the phone, looking down at you and stroking your hair, “you’re not gonna believe who I ran into today...”

[jaskiersvalley]

Forever Yours

@alwenarin​ You cannot leave this in the comments and not expect me to be inspired! This will also beautifully fill the ‘whump’ square on my bingo card for a discord server. So thank you!

CW: Witcher Trials

Winter was upon them and Eskel couldn’t leave Cahir behind. Over the last couple of months they’d quite grown on each other. Sure, it wasn’t always easy, the first time Cahir lost his temper at having to once again leave town without pay or rest, it hadn’t been pretty. He’d raged, Eskel had to all but bodily haul him away from the line of pitchforks. Looking back on it, the memory was quite bittersweet because Eskel hadn’t had someone so up in arms on his behalf before. Nobody defended a witcher. Well, Geralt’s bard did but he was a rarity. And now Eskel had his own bottled lightning in the form of Cahir.

“I know I’ve said it before-” Eskel sighed. They were in the last tavern before climbing the mountain to Kaer Morhen. “-but Kaer Morhen is a bit of a mixed bag.”

“I know,” Cahir echoed back and stole a parsnip from Eskel’s plate. “Lambert’s a dick, he may have Aiden with him who is an enabler of the worst kind. Geralt will grunt, Jaskier will sing, Ciri will challenge anyone to a fight and Vesemir is the long suffering father figure. We’re been over this a lot.”

At least Eskel’s jaw snapped shut and he looked down in embarrassment. He knew he was fussing but his family was a lot. More than most people could usually cope with. It took a couple of years before any of his guests ever felt comfortable.

They made the trek over a couple of days and dismounted as they rode into the courtyard.

“Eskel!” A voice greeted them and who was probably Lambert hopped down from a windowsill. “You picked up another one?”

“Shut up Lambert,” Eskel growled but gave his fellow wolf a hug despite his scowl.

“Another what?” Cahir demanded, not quite sure what it could mean.

A voice from behind him almost purred. “Another pet project. I’ve heard about them over the years. I’m Aiden.” Shaking the offered hand, Cahir looked the man over. Witcher, no mistaking that but of a different ilk to the wolves. “Why don’t I show you around while Eskel catches up with his family?”

One solid, warm hand grabbed Cahir by the shoulder and Eskel looked looming next to him.

“He’ll come with me.”

“Oh I bet I will!” Aiden winked and Lambert brayed. The two of them took off, hollering for the whole keep to hear about the fact Eskel wasn’t alone.

Just like the warnings, Cahir found that Lambert was indeed an insufferable arse who was absolutely egged on by Lambert. Geralt had taken one look at him and grunted, Jaskier was chattier than all the witchers combined. However, the biggest surprise was Ciri. She had taken one look at Cahir, gasped and ran to him.

“I’ve seen you in my dreams!”

That wasn’t ominous at all. It also led to a long discussion where Geralt looked more constipated than ever before. They’d thought Ciri’s dreams had been under control but it turned out they changed to less distressing.

“He used to be covered in blood. Now he just has yellow eyes.”

The table erupted in murmurs and arguments then, whether the dreams were literal or if they were symbolic. After all, Cahir’s eyes were most definitely not yellow, not in any light.

A boon of the discussion that lasted for days was that the teasing had stopped. Cahir had been able to gather that he wasn’t the first companion Eskel had brought home. Not by a long shot. He always seemed to pick up strays, broken people scattered along his Path. And every single time he was helpless to resist. All he offered was a helping hand, to be a crutch until his newfound companion was ready to stand on their own feet. Or they died in his arms. No matter what, it always ended with Eskel’s already bruised heart shattering a little more. The others thought him foolish for putting his heart on the line so often. Lambert had found another witcher as a companion. Meanwhile, Geralt had a sorceress and a powerful child surprise who were both quite attached to their bard. There was no doubt that Jaskier would enjoy a lifespan longer than that of an average human. But Eskel? He had Cahir, a regular human and they didn’t have powerful friends. They all knew that this was borrowed happiness they were living with.

While the others were all hung up on Ciri and her dreams, trying to tease them into something meaningful, Cahir sat back and mulled things over. He’d found happiness. After everything that had happened, he found he wasn’t prepared to let it go. Cahir wanted more than a blink of an eye with Eskel. So he started trying to find a way, any way to extend that time. He trained with the witchers each morning, learning from them but also teaching them tricks that he’d picked up in the army. When he wasn’t dripping sweat and getting bruised to the point of looking like a dropped peach, he was in the library, studying. Two heads were better than one, Cahir was determined to be useful on the road with Eskel.

It was in the library that Jaskier found him, looking a little hesitant.

“Nilfgaard is still looking for you. They’ve doubled the price on your head.”

“And how would you know that when we’re all cut off from the world at large?” Not that Cahir had anything against Jaskier but he was dubious about how he could possibly hear about new information when so isolated.

He didn’t expect Jaskier to flop into a seat next to him with a scowl.

“As one intelligence officer to another, I won’t reveal my methods but I’ll share what’s relevant to you.”

A little irked, Cahir sniffed. “Ex-intelligence officer. My loyalties are to Eskel and his family, not Nilfgaard.”

If anything, it seemed to make Jaskier nod. “You’re just like them. A witcher in everything but body. You’re a good fit for Eskel.”

With that, he got up again, deciding he had had enough of sitting still. The damage had been done though and Cahir’s mind was working overtime. Jaskier had hit the nail on the head so to speak and an idea was blossoming in Cahir’s mind. He mulled it over until dinner. When everyone was quietly eating, he didn’t clear his throat, didn’t set his utensils aside with purpose. Instead, as if asking someone to pass the salt, he said, “I want to do the trials.”

Though it was quiet before, an absolute silence engulfed the room. The witchers all stared at him dumbfounded.

“No. Absolutely not.” Eskel looked as close to panic as a witcher could.

“We said we’ll never force the trials on anyone ever again,” Vesemir added, looked at Cahir gravely.

“Then it’s just as well I’m asking. You’re not forcing.”

It was Lambert who whistled and shook his head. “We knew you were batshit but this is a whole new level. You don’t want to do the trials, trust me.”

“Yeah, you really don’t.” It was the most sombre Aiden had even looked. If Cahir had to guess, he looked harrowed and haunted.

Nobody seemed keen on Cahir’s idea. Even as he outlined that he wanted to try, knew the outcomes and possibilities. But if he wanted to have a chance at Eskel’s side for more than a passing moment, he needed this.

It caused several heated arguments between him and Eskel. NIghts where Eskel held him close to his chest and buried his nose in Cahir’s hair. There were no tears but they both knew if Eskel could have, he would have sobbed.

“I can’t lose you. Not like this,” Eskel whispered.

“Would you rather lose me on the path? Watch me bleed out when we weren’t quick enough? Blame yourself for my death?” It was a low blow but Cahir could steep lower. “When Nilfgaard catches up with us, they won’t hesitate to take me. At least as a witcher I’ll have a fighting chance at defending myself.”

“But I can protect you!” Eskel wasn’t giving up on the notion. “You don’t have to do this.”

“No, but I want to.”

The battle was won. With Eskel on his side, it was a matter of time before Vesemir acquiesced. All the knowledge was still in the library, the parts that were destroyed, he still remembered. Fencing instructor or not, he was a Master at the keep and so knew the ins and outs as well as anyone else.

“We only ever did this to boys who were more resilient than adults. They didn’t bounce back. There’s no telling what this will do to you.” The warning was meant well but Cahir shrugged it off. He watched as the potions were brewed.

One last night before they administered the concoctions. Eskel didn’t sleep at all, neither did Cahir. They were wrapped around each other, wordlessly clinging. Both of them knew the risks, the likeliest outcome but Cahir was set. This was his choice and if he died, that would be on him. There was no way Eskel could take on the guilt of his death too.

There was no point in eating breakfast, Lambert had cheerily informed him he would only throw it up and choke so Cahir sat with the others while they ate. It was silent in a way it hadn’t been before, more like a wake than breakfast. Once everyone was done, Jaskier stayed behind with Ciri while the others walked down to the old laboratories. There was a bed set up with straps.

Nobody needed to prompt Cahir, he stripped out of his clothes until down to his underwear. He stepped forward and Eskel’s hand on his chest stopped him.

“Are you sure?” There was a silent pleading to in his voice, begging Cahir to reconsider. “It’s okay to change your mind.”

“I want this. I want the chance of a life with you. Your lifetime, not mine.”

It was Geralt who strapped him down, surprisingly gentle. Wrists, forearms, biceps, chest, hips, thigh, shins and ankles. Last but not least, a strap went around Cahir’s forehead.

“One more thing,” Lambert stepped up and he fed a strap under Cahir’s neck. “Open up.”

The thickest part of the leather was placed between Cahir’s teeth and buckled against his cheek. One last squeeze to his hand from Eskel and they all stepped back as Vesemir approached, needle in hand. The prick of it wasn’t pleasant but Cahir had had worse. He’d been tortured by Nilfgaard. This couldn’t be worse. Except he could feel the burn of the potion up his arm and he couldn’t jerk away from it. The straps held him tight as the burn consumed him, flowed through his veins. Everything around Cahir stopped existing except for the pain. It was unrelenting, melting his bones, deafening him. The bite of the straps into his skin paled in comparison. He didn’t know if his throat worked anymore or if he stopped being able to scream.

Unfortunately, the witchers bearing witness to it all knew Cahir could scream. They heard every cry, wretched moan, watched as the straps rubbed his skin raw, dug into the flesh. Eskel couldn’t bear it. He fled up the stairs, trying to block the sounds out. There was no escaping them though, just like as a child, each time the trials were administered, the whole keep echoed with screams.

“It’s okay.” A hand on his shoulder drew him back into the present and Jaskier offered him a wisp of a smile. “He’s a tough bastard.”

Tough or not, it didn’t prevent the screams from taking up residence as the soundtrack to Eskel’s newest nightmares. It was even worse when they bubbled off into pained groans and breathless gasps. The potions helped dance a fine line between life and death, reshaping its victim into something barely human.

It was a peak followed by a lull. If only one potion had been enough but it was multiple dosages of different poisons. One by one, the younger witchers rotated out of the lab, needing a break to deal with the memories it was all bringing back. Even Vesemir needed a break. Eskel couldn’t bring himself to go back down, too terrified to see the results of the potions on Cahir. He couldn’t bring himself to go down and see a broken, lifeless body. Already, Geralt had told him that Cahir had managed to dislocate joints despite the straps, that bruises littered his body along with everything else pain wrung from his body.

“It is done,” Vesemir announced. “The last potion has been administered.”

Which meant another six hours for it to burn through Cahir before they could start to hope that he had pulled through.

“I’ll sit with him,” Jaskier offered. “You all go relax. Let me deal with this.”

It gave the witchers an excuse not to have to deal with a body if Cahir didn’t make it. They didn’t need that kind of guilt on their conscience. Well, they’d know their trials killed Cahir but they wouldn’t have the physical memory of having to carry one more of theirs to a pyre. It was the least Jaskier could do.

He walked down into the lab and tried not the gag at the stench of urine, vomit and who knew what else. Cahir twitched and trembled on the bed, looking worn ragged. At least he was moving, his chest heaving breaths slowly and shuddering on each one. Settling in, Jaskier waited until the worse of it had passed before slowly undoing the straps. Cahir didn’t move once. It was getting a little unnerving and Jaskier had to really pay attention to see each breath, heartbeat slower than a human’s so the pulse he tried to feel in a wrist was thready and sparse.

Jaskier almost missed the way Cahir rolled to his side, panting softly. Dry heaving, he shivered and cried out weakly. Immediately, Jaskier was up.

“You’re okay. The worst is over.” He tried to reassure and pulled a light throw over Cahir. It got kicked off with a disoriented moan. Of course, Jaskier realised, witcher senses were heightened. So probably everything was too much for Cahir in that moment. Walking around to crouch by Cahir’s head, Jaskier swept sweaty, lanky hair from his face. “Was it worth it?”

Behind Jaskier, the air shifted and he knew Eskel stood behind him. It was confirmed when Cahir opened his eyes and fixed his newly yellow gaze on the figure behind Jaskier.

“Yes.

[foreverfangirlalways]

“Pseudo” Boyfriends (Chapter 3)

Chapter Title: Fake=Fucking Stupid

Summery: Patton learns about Pre-Birthday Prank War, and Patton and Virgil decide to figure out how to tell Janus that Patton likes him. (Well, Patton decides while Virgil struggles with the impaired judgement of his best friend)

Ships: Moceit, Analogical, CriticxSleep

Warning: stupidity, blatant ignorance, selective hearing

-let me know if I need to add more warnings-

(Thank you to my friend @kawaiikat54 for helping me with this fic!)

*Enjoy the fluff while it lasts...*

—-

It was around 8:30 when Janus opened his eyes and looked down at the person in his arms.

Patton had his arms wrapped around Janus and his face was alight in the morning sun. Janus yawned and Patton held on to Janus tighter.

Janus smiles and starts softly running his fingers through Patton’s hair. Janus always loved to do that, because to him, Patton’s hair is softer than silk.

Patton’s nose twitched the tiniest bit, and Janus place a delicate kiss on the top of it.

‘He looks so peaceful, like the dew on a flower petal in the early morning. His hair curls around my fingers like it’s reaching for me, like it’s trying to love me as much as I love him. His eyes are... open?”

Janus stops his Shakespearean monologue about how good Patton looks when he realizes that Patton is watching him stare at him. To avoid embarrassment, Janus just holds onto Patton tighter and burrows his face into Patton’s hair. “Your hair smells good.”

Janus pulled back and saw a dust of redness across Patton’s features. “Oh, it must be shampoo, Very Hairy Berry. Ain’t the name hairlarious?” Patton giggled, and Janus just shook his head fondly.

“You’re so adorable.”

Janus, realizing that he just said that aloud, looked at Patton. Patton just smiled a snuggled closer. Janus looked ecstatic.  

“No no sleepy head, no matter how adorable I find you, we still better get ready for breakfast.”

They get ready and go down, smiling and blushing the whole time. Once they entered the kitchen, everyone greeted them, and they sat upon the stools next to the island.

Remy is making eggs, and Critic looked to be making chocolate gravy for the biscuits. Virgil put a bowl of what looked like pudding on the island, and then kissed Logan on the cheek.

Patton grabbed a spoon and went for the pudding, but Logan placed his hand on Patton’s wrist before he could even get anything on the spoon.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to-“

“No no, it is nothing of the sort Patton. Though the person who does eat it is going to hate Virgil for about a week.”

Remy and Critic snickered. Janus groaned.

“Tomorrow is prank day, isn’t it?”

Critic nods and turns to a confused Patton.

“It is tradition that on the eve of every person in this family’s birthday, there is a prank war. The winner of the war gets to smash a piece of cake in the birthday boys face. Or, if the birthday boy wins, he gets to choose a punishment for the entire group.”

Patton smiled and looked at everyone. “That sounds like a wonderful bonding experience! But how is the winner chosen?”

“Oh! I can answer that one babes! So, all day the participants will do their pranks, and then they will do one main prank on the person of their choice. On the main prank, you will record what happens and everyone will vote on the best prank after all the videos are presented right before cake time.

Patton happy clapped and Janus banged his head against the island.

“Don’t be happy Pat, it is absolutely torture!”

Virgil laughed at Janus’s actions. “Ignore him Patton, he’s just upset that he has never won.”

Janus stood up, knocking his chair over and pointed and Virgil threateningly.

“LIESSSS!”

Patton kissed Janus’s cheek. “Common Snakey, sit down and calm down. We need breakfast!”

Janus plopped down on Patton’s lap and buried his face in Patton’s shoulder. Everyone chuckled and sat down around the island.

“Sorry, was that to much?” Patton whispered in Janus ear.

“No. Well, maybe a bit much.” Janus whispered back.

They both huffed a laugh, oblivious to Virgil’s knowing gaze from hearing their words.

-_-_-_-

After breakfast, Logan asks Janus to help him with something. They left, and Patton walks towards Janus’s room, but Virgil drags Patton off to his room.

“Hey Virgil! What’s up?” Patton asked after Virgil shut the door. Virgil turned around and crossed his arms.

“So, you and Janus, huh?”

Patton sighed happily and fell onto Virgil’s bed.

“Yep! Can you believe it?”

Virgil blinked. “No. I literally cannot.”

“Haha,I couldn’t either at first. I mean I was shocked when I realized he really truly likes me!”

Virgil, deciding he has had enough of Patton’s bullshit, pulled out the big guns.

“Yeah. So, how long have y’all been pretending to be boyfriends?”

Patton blinks and then...

“HAHAHA WhAT dO yoU MeaN? thAts ReDicUlus!”

Virgin leans against the door and raises an eyebrow.

“Well, I was going to say this was a prank, but what the hell? That was about as convincing as that time when you said you didn’t like snakes while cuddling with a gaint plush snake.”

Patton stood up, and put a hand on his hip. “One, Janus got me that when we went to the Zoo. And two, how did you figure it out?”

“Ohh, other than the fact that there is literally no way y’all could have gotten together without you telling me or Logan?”

Patton nodded.

“And the fact that you have liked Janus forever?”

Nod.

“And the fact that you have gushed about him to me basically every night, but haven’t once since you got here?”

Nod

“And the fa-“

“Ok ok, I get it! Now what specifically gave it away?”

Virgil smirked. “I actually had no idea, but your reaction was perfect.”

Patton looked shocked, and then threw a pillow at Virgil.

“Calm down Patton, I had my suspicions but not definite proof.”

“So! You tricked me!”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “Not really. Also, you already told me about your birthday story, and you said it was the first time he kissed you on the cheek. You gushed about it for hours, and then I had to deal with Janus telling me the story over again and him gushing while I had to pretend to act like I didn’t already know everything.”

Patton immediately brightened and jumped up and down. “Yes! Last night when he thought I was asleep, he said he wished that this was real. And what you just said confirms that he truly likes me! Now I just have to tell him that I feel the same!”

‘Huh. I wasn’t expecting that.’ Virgil though.

“Well, maybe today because tomorrow is prank day and that could be a bad misunderstanding.”

Patton had a look of realization pass over his face. “You’re right! I could tell him tomorrow with a prank!”

Virgil blinked, and took a step away from the door. “Wow, that is not what I said at all. That sounds like a terrible plan!”

Patton nodded. “It is a wonderful plan! I could make him one of those glitter tubes, and whenever he pops it open it will have a note that tells him I want to be his real boyfriend!”

“...Are you even listening to me? He could take that in the wrong way and think that you are just joking or playing with his feelings.”

“Of course I’m listening! He won’t think it is a joke because I will add a bunch of emojis on it!” Patton said, looking faintly offended at Virgil’s thought. “Oh? What type of emojis?”

“The laughing face ones!”

Virgil face palmed. “Oh my god. This... this is going to be awful.”

Patton waved his hands around. “Awfully fantastic! I’ll even give him a speech afterwards, telling him everything and how I’ve liked him since he punched my ex Ethan to protect me.”

‘Finally, something that makes sense.’

“Ok,” Virgil nods, “that’s actually a good idea. This could work.”

“Put since it’s prank day I’ll say everything the opposite way!”

Virgil blinked, and then threw his hands into the air. “Holy hell! This just keeps getting worse! Please don’t do that!”

Patton hugged Virgil then gripped his shoulders. “Thank you for your help Virgil! I’m gonna go start on my plan!”

Virgil watched Patton walk away, frozen in place and dumbfounded. He shook his head and took out the recorder in his pocket.

“Well, when shit hits the fan and Janus comes to murder me, at least I can give him this and make him see that Patton meant well. And was serious. Holy hell my friends are idiots that don’t listen!”

Gen Taglist-

@dragonwithproblems

@five-falseh00ds-ph0nated

@thefingergunsgirl

@kawaiikat54

@sanders-sides-with-quinn

@007ardra

@yikesdodson

@nerdycupcake559

@softestvirgil

@teacupfulofstarshine

@impatentpending

@star-crossed-shipper

@ravenivy2079

@rainbowemonightmare

@ladyartemisia28

@moose-boi

@resident-trash-goblin

@parx-boiiz

@ninathepancake

@kuroyurishion

@funkyfreshfatherfigure

@pattoncake-and-eyeshadow 

@drewwwbydoobydoo

@sure-i-exist

@sophiexteresa

Pseudo Tag-

@aricana8

[bakubabes-tatakae]

The Uchiha In The Leaves (Part Eleven)

Author’s Note: If anyone wants to be in a taglist for this feel free to let me know! Happy to do it for anyone!

(Kakashi x Reader)

Summary: What happens when Y/N finally returns to the Village Hidden in the Leaves? Her life is flipped upside down when not only does she find the man that’s awaited her return, but she finds someone she thought she’d never see again.

Part One, Part Two: *NSFW Ahead!*, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight: *NSFWish Ahead!*, Part Nine, Part Ten

Part Eleven:

Word Count: 2,245

*Y/N P.O.V*

*Y/N P.O.V*

Naruto had done a number on his body from all his training yesterday so when we were all ready to bring Tazuna to his bridge, Naruto was still asleep. I stepped in front of Kakashi and put my hands on his hips. “Should we wake him up?”

Kakashi looked down at me. “It’s best we don’t. He needs his rest. He used up a lot of his chakra yesterday.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead, looking over at Tsunami after. “I leave Naruto in your hands. He’s pushed his body to the limit, overdoing it, as usual, so he might not even be able to move today at all.” 

Tsunami looked worried. “What about you two? You’re still recovering yourselves.”

“Why? Do I look wobbly?” Kakashi smiled and let go of me, backing up a little. “I’ll be okay.”

“Y/n?”

“I’ll be fine. My ribs are feeling much better. Enough that I can carry on as normal. It’s an old injury, it’ll always have its aches and pains.” I smiled my best smile at her and wrapped one arm around Kakashi, standing next to him. “We’ll be each other's crutch. We’ve been doing that for years now.”

Tazuna smiled. “Come on then, let’s go.”

* * * * * * 

When we reached the bridge Tazuna went into shock. “Hold on! What is this?!” There were men lying all over the bridge, someone had attacked them. “What happened? Someone was here, someone got to them.”

I looked over and watched Kakashi. My heart was pounding. It had to have been him. The mist began to surround us and Kakashi looked around before turning to me. “This mist,” He looked around some more. “Y/n, Sasuke, Sakura, get ready.”

We all drew our kunai and made a circle around Tazuna. Sakura was the first one to speak. “Kakashi-Sensei, it’s Zabuza, isn’t it? This is his hidden mist jutsu.”

His voice came through the mist. “Sorry I kept you waiting Kakashi. I see you’ve still got those brats with you. Along with my cheating ex-fiance.” I cringed as he said it. Zabuza began to talk about the kids. “That one is still trembling. Pitiful.”  Before we knew it there were Zabuza clones completely surrounding us. By the sound that Sasuke made I could tell there was a possibility of him freezing up.

Before I made a move Sasuke smiled at the Zabuza clone and spoke. “I’m trembling with… excitement.”

I smirked at the Zabuza in front of me and spoke to my brother. “Go on Sasuke.”  

Kakashi turned around and spoke to him as well. “Show him what you can do.”

Zabuza swung his sword down toward Sasuke and before Zabuza even noticed Sasuke jumped into the air and swung his kunai through all of his water clones, causing them to disappear. He jumped back down next to me and looked around some more. 

His menacing voice rang through the mist. “So you could see they were water clones. Brats improving. Looks like you’ve got a rival Haku.” Zabuza and the tracker ninja from the woods stepped out into view.

The tracker ninja, Haku, spoke. “So it seems. 

 My blood boiled and my face turned to anger. “Don’t be so upset Y/n, Haku told me all about how you were when you thought you were holding my dead body, and I still love you too, baby girl.” 

I cringed and growled at him. I could feel Kakashi tense as well, not taking kindly to someone else saying these things to his girlfriend. I couldn’t take it anymore. “Go to hell you lousy piece of crap. I never should have stayed with you!”

Kakashi looked over at me. “Y/n, relax, save that anger for when you’re hitting him.” Kakashi began to taunt them. “Well, well, well. So I had it right. It was all an act. An act with a cute little mask.”

Sasuke taunted right along with him. “Big phony.”

“They look pretty chummy to me. I bet they’ve been pulling scams like that for a long time.”

Sakura joined in. “He’s got some nerve facing us again after pulling that trick.”

“Hiding behind a mask, who does he think he’s fooling.”

Sakura cleared her throat. “Speak for yourself Sensei.”

Sasuke was glaring at Haku. “That’s it, I’m taking him out. Who does he think he’s fooling? Hiding behind that mask, like some sort of clown.”

“Sasuke, you’re so cool.”

Kakashi’s face dropped and I looked over at him. He whispered to me. “Wait for a second, didn’t I just say that? She’ll never change.”

I chuckled at him. “She likes my little brother, give her a break.”

Haku began to spin, coming right for Sasuke. Sasuke didn’t know what to do. “What’s this?”

When he finished spinning he went for Sasuke with some throwing needles and Sasuke held them back with his kunai. Haku was quick, I’ll give him that, but Sasuke was holding on pretty well. Kakashi looked over. “Sakura, cover Tazuna and stay close to us. Let Sasuke handle this.”

Sakura jumped in front of Tazuna and we watched as the back and forth between Sasuke and Haku continued. They were evenly matched with speed so each time one struck with a blade the other countered. Haku tried to taunt him. “We want the bridge builder, not you. If you back down I don’t have to kill you.”

Sasuke scoffed. “Save it.”

“You’re making a mistake. You won't be able to keep up with my speed. I’ve gained two key advantages.”

“Yea, and what are they?”

“First, we’re surrounded by water. Second, I’ve blocked one of your hands. Therefore, you only have one free hand to defend yourself.” Haku began to make hand signs with his free hand. 

I looked over at Kakashi with a bit of panic setting in. Kakashi was starting to sweat and that made me stress even more. 

“Secret jutsu, a thousand needles of death.” Haku stamped on the ground and water began to rise up around the two of them. The water began to turn into needles. The needles began to fall toward Sasuke and with a burst of water, Haku went flying backward. When the water cleared Sasuke had vanished. 

I began to smile a little. His training really was paying off. Sasuke was in the air throwing kunai at Haku, causing him to take steps back every different knife. When Sasuke was out of kunai he used his speed to appear behind Haku before he could notice. “You’re not as fast as you think.” Sasuke was smiling. “From this point on, you’ll be the one defending from my attacks.”  Haku jumped and Sasuke swung his kunai toward him, When Haku dodged the first kunai Sasuke took the second and threw it at his face. When he ducked from that one Sasuke had the upper hand and gave him a swift kick to the face, sending him flying across the bridge. “Thought you were quicker, huh? Now, what else are you wrong about?”

Kakashi spoke up. “You made a big mistake insulting these ninjas and calling them brats. That’s just guaranteed to bring out Sasuke’s attitude. Y/n is his sister, so you, of all people, should know about the Uchiha attitude. He’s the best young fighter of the Hidden Leaf Village, and Sakura here is our sharpest mind. And last but not least, our number one, hyperactive, knucklehead ninja is Naruto Uzumaki.” 

Zabuza was getting angry. “Haku, if we keep going like this, we’ll be the victims instead of them. Get on with it!”

Haku stood up. “Right.” 

Blue started to appear all around Haku and Sasuke got curious. “What’s that?”

“I’m sorry it had to come to this.”

“The air, it’s so cold.”

Haku put his hands up and started to make signals. Ice started to come up from all around and turned into rectangles, forming a shield wall around Haku and Sasuke. “Secret jutsu, crystal ice mirrors.” 

I could feel my heart hitting my chest. I couldn’t see Sasuke anymore and that was making me incredibly nervous. “Sasuke!” I looked over at Kakashi. “What is that?” He could see the panic on my face without a problem. Kakashi and I took off at a run, but as we got close to the wall Zabuza ran in front of us. 

“If you enter this fight, you fight me.” Zabuza looked straight at me. “And we both know you don’t want to do that.” Zabuza was only talking to me now. “Your brother has no chance against that jutsu. He’s finished.”

I could feel my eyes welling up with tears of anger. I could hear the sounds of things flying around inside the wall and I could hear my brother grunting in pain. “SASUKE!” I was helpless. There was nothing I could do for him so I started to plead. “Zabuza, please, don’t do this, let him out! You know what it was like for me when I tried to find him. Please!”

Sasuke’s kunai came flying out of the wall and landed in front of me. Now he had no defense in there. Zabuza continued. “Just try to help him and I’ll kill the other two in a heartbeat.” 

I picked up the knife in front of me as I heard Sakura come running from behind me. As she sailed into the air I threw the kunai to her. She launched the kunai toward the wall and tried to slip it through the cracks when it was caught by Haku. While we all stared dumbfounded that Haku had caught the kunai two ninja star came flying through the sky, into the wall, sending Haku out of it. A puff of smoke came flying next to the ice wall.

Haku stood back up and looked around. “Number one, hyperactive, knucklehead ninja.”

When the smoke cleared the one kid missing appeared. “Naruto Uzumaki is here. Now that I’m here everything will be alright.”

Sakura was excited and hollered to him. “Naruto!”

“You know how in the stories the hero usually shows up at the last minute and then kicks butt? Well, that’s what I’m gonna do right now, believe it.”

I looked over at Kakashi. “What an idiot. If he’d have stayed hidden he could have been more effective.”

Naruto put his fists together. “Alright, you’re history.”  Kakashi and I gasped. 

“Naruto, no!” Kakashi tried in vain to get his attention. 

“Shadow clone jutsu.” 

Zabuza turned toward him and threw four ninja stars at him. 

I panicked. “Naruto, move!”

In a shock, to all of us, Haku threw four throwing needles and stopped the ninja star from hitting Naruto. 

I was angry and so was Kakashi. Kakashi didn’t keep the anger from his voice. “This is a battle, not a talent show. Don’t show the opponent your jutsu.” Naruto was embarrassed now. “The shinobi’s art is deception, always keep your opponent guessing. Even when executing a single jutsu one must distract their opponent's attention, catch them off balance, and outmaneuver them. You just turn yourself into a human target when you enter a battle like that.” Kakashi was not holding back on him. 

Naruto panicked, knowing we were all mad at him. “I’m sorry! I was just trying to rescue everybody!”

“But there’s another mystery here.” Kakashi was clearly staring at Haku. Why had Haku stopped the ninja stars from hitting Naruto?

Zabuza looked back at Haku. “Haku, what are you doing?”

Haku slowly turned toward us. “Zabuza, this boy, let me fight him my own way. Please.”

Naruto looked straight at Haku. “Bring it on.”

Sasuke was laying on the ground inside the ice wall, I could just barely see him looking out at us. “Sasuke! I’ll get you out of there, even if it kills me.” 

Zabuza laughed a little, still talking to Haku. “So you want me to leave this to you, is that it Haku?” Haku never answered him. “As usual, you’re too soft.”

Haku hung his head. “Forgive me.”

Naruto pointed at Haku and yelled. “I’m warning you. One way or another I’m taking that mask off and ripping you apart!”

Naruto could never match this kid. One of us had to do something. I put one foot forward and Zabuza knew I was going to make a move. He stepped in front of me. “Don’t even think about it.” He stared at me menacingly.

I tried to step forward more, swinging my fists toward Zabuza, when Kakashi grabbed me and pulled me back. “Y/n, no.”

“You two know the score. You go after Haku and I go after the bridge builder.”

He had us. We both knew that we could never protect Tazuna and help Naruto and Sasuke at the same time. Sakura is feisty, but she could never handle Zabuza alone. I looked over at Kakashi with pleading eyes, all the while, knowing that he couldn’t do anything to help. 

Kakashi looked as angry as I’d ever seen him before. I had known Kakashi since school. From when we were kids all the way until now and I had never seen him want to rip someone apart as much as he did at this moment. Zabuza taunted him. “Relax Kakashi.” He looked over at me and smiled from under his mask. “Sit back and enjoy the show baby girl, learn a thing or two.” I saw Kakashi stiffen and his eyes grow angrier as Zabuza referred to me as ‘baby girl’. “Let’s see how they do one on one.”

Taglist 💕 @korianrdr​ @nimeryaa​ @o-franzii-o​ @chidori-mint​ @fan-g0rl​ @ari-hatake15​ @hunie-hun @puredicks​ @praisingkuroosbedhead​

[haechanmochi]

Forget about the stupid little things - a markhyuck fic

summary – Donghyuck wakes up with an odd case of amnesia after a baseball related incident and forgets everyone but Mark. Donghyuck also seems to have forgotten that Mark is his arch enemy and that their friendship ended quite a while ago.

word count - around 3.9k eheh

genre: enemies to friends kinda? I don’t wanna spoil too much, little bit of angst, some fluff, just typical markhyuck tings

requested by my main-girl @liameowlia <3

-

The last thing Donghyuck sees before the dark is Renjun yelling “DUCK”.

Any memory before that one is distorted, barely there, like when you turn on the liquify filter on a picture and it twists everything round and round until looking at it makes your head hurt.

Donghyuck wakes up in an unfamiliar setting but he’s focused enough to realize that it’s a hospital. A few nurses walk past his bed, noses buried in what he assumes are patient files until one finally notices that he’s awake and pages for his doctor.

The doctor is younger than Donghyuck expected but of course that is in the least of his worries right now.

“You took quite a hit to the back of your head, buddy”, Doctor Moon (according to his name tag) informs him and it’s news to Donghyuck too because as far as he can remember, well, he can’t remember.

“I did?”

Doctor Moon pauses his hand midway through taking notes on his clipboard and looks at Donghyuck.

“Could you tell me your name, young man?”

Okay, that one’s easy, “Lee Donghyuck”, he states proudly and the doctor nods.

“Can you tell me the name of someone close to you?”

Another easy one, “Yeah of course, I…”, Donghyuck trails off because in all honesty he doesn’t know.

“Donghyuck?”

He tries taking a deeper breath but chokes on it instead and the Doctor rushes to his side, placing a hand on his back and instructing him on how to breathe carefully.

“Yeah just give me a moment, I can’t seem to…”, he says in a small voice, panic rising in his chest because he truly can’t remember anything else.

After he’s calmed down, Doctor Moon reappears with some medication and tells Donghyuck to take it easy and not force himself to remember because that might permanently alter his memories.

Renjun is the one who had dropped Donghyuck off at the hospital after his concussion so he had called Donghyuck’s mom afterwards, deciding it’d be best if she was here when Donghyuck woke up.

A sweet lady rushes up to him that evening and Doctor Moon introduces her.

“This is your Mother, Donghyuck, we hoped that seeing her would flip some sort of memory switch”.

She stays with him until visiting hours are over, tears threatening to spill every time he calls her Ma’am instead of Eomma, but Doctor Moon assures her that the amnesia is most likely temporary and will wear off once Donghyuck falls back into his routine.

Surprisingly, sleep comes easy that night because his mind is completely clear, like a blank slate and Donghyuck wonders how soon he’s get his memories back, until he falls asleep.

In his dreams he keeps seeing a boy with blonde hair and wide brown eyes. He sees them hanging out and eating together, not entirely sure where but he’s sure the boy has to be real, his brain couldn’t imagine up details so intricate all on it’s own.

Mark

A voice, that Donghyuck believes is his own, calls out and the blonde boy turns around.

Mark

Donghyuck repeats and the said boy nods his head.

“Mark”.

The name is on his mouth when he wakes up and he’s flooded with fragmented memories of this blonde boy.

He was a close friend, at least that’s what Donghyuck gathered from the memories.

He was also sure they were from the same school because he remembers seeing a memory of them wearing school uniforms together and pushing each other to check themselves in the mirror of what seems to have been a bathroom.

“Doctor Moon”, Donghyuck addresses him as he’s getting his checkup done, “I remember someone, his name is Mark”.

“Oh? And what relationship did you have with this Mark?”

“We’re friends, close friends I believe and from the same school too”.

“We’ll try to get in contact with him, it might help you”.

-

“Mark there’s someone on the phone for you”.

Mark puts down his textbook, being interrupted from his studying for the third time now, the first two being by his brother and then his brother’s girlfriend who came looking for his brother.

He picks up the extension to his room and brings it to his ear.

“Mark Lee speaking”, he answers.

“Mark, Good Morning, I’m Doctor Moon from Seoul National Hospital, do you have some time?”

Concern flashes across his face, taking a seat on the edge of his bed.

“Of course, please go ahead”.

“Thank you, you see we’ve admitted a patient after a head injury who is from your school. He can’t even recognize his own mother when she came to see him and he refuses to see anyone else if he can’t remember them, but he seems to have memories of you”.

Mark fists at the sheets by his thigh nervously. One of his friends had amnesia for Christ’s sake. Who wouldn’t be nervous?

“Could I know his name Doctor?”

“Donghyuck. Lee Donghyuck”.

Mark’s breath hitches in his throat.

Donghyuck.

Donghyuck who told the entire class that Mark is a selfish asshole.

Donghyuck who put up a fight every time Mark told him to follow a school rule - don’t gel your hair, tuck your shirt in, tie your laces, straighten your tie – and was responded with fuck you, Mark Lee every time.

Donghyuck who was once Mark’s best friend.

That Donghyuck.

“I’ll be there in an hour”, Mark speaks as quick as he can into the phone before hanging up.

-

“Follow me, and really, thank you for coming”.

Mark trails behind him nervously, biting the remainders of his nails, nodding along to whatever Doctor Moon has to tell him which is basically, don’t pressure him, let him talk as much as he wants.

Donghyuck is propped up against the head of the bed, a bunch of pillows at his back and a mop of unruly brown curls sitting on his head. His eyes are intently scanning through what seems to be their school magazine. He slowly looks up from it, eyes flickering to Doctor Moon and then to Mark.

Mark stares, dumbfounded, expecting Donghyuck to yell, to shout, throw the magazine at him, anything the Donghyuck he knows would do. But the younger boy just sits up straighter, eyes widening and never leaving him.

“Mark?”

“That’s me, bud”, he smiles warmly when Donghyuck sighs in relief.

“At least I remember one person correctly, right?”, Donghyuck laughs nervously.

Mark cringes, scratching the back of his neck nervously. He wonders how much Donghyuck remembers of their friendship, wonders if he remembers the big fight they had an year ago.

“Something like that”, Mark replies, just as nervously and the odd response goes unnoticed.

“Can I ask you something?”

Mark only nods, placing a reassuring hand over Donghyuck’s own.

“We were very close right?”

Mark thinks for a while. Technically, they were close and it wouldn’t be a lie to say yes. He also doesn’t want to give Donghyuck any bad memories just when he’s starting to remember.

“Very, yeah”.

“I want to see my friends, but I’m not sure who I was close to and I don’t want randos in my personal space you know?”

Oh if you only remembered what happened with us, Mark thinks.

“Yeah”.

“So I was hoping you could tell me who else I was close to”.

Shit.

Donghyuck and Mark used to have the same friend circle but when Mark fucked up, the circle split and the only one who still spoke to him from their ex-circle was Jeno. And that’s only because Jeno is the nicest human being on the planet and he’s also Mark’s lab partner for biology.

So if Mark were to call anyone other than Jeno at the moment, he’s bound to get ripped apart by Renjun’s bare hands or stabbed with Jaemin’s deadly sarcasm simply for having gone to see Donghyuck.

“Um, well, there’s Jeno”.

Donghyuck nods, repeating the name softly, Jeno.

“But take it easy, Hyuck, don’t strain too much”.

Donghyuck’s eyes widen even more.

“Hyuck? Is that what people call me?”

Mark nods, realizing he’d let the name slip, he hadn’t called the younger boy that in a long long time, but it felt right, slipped right off his tongue like it had always been there. Like the way your phone predicts the next words in a sentence because you use it so frequently.

“Do you want me to call Jeno here?”

Mark asks softly, half scared because Jeno might bring with him the two spawns of Satan.

“Not right now, no, but… could you let him know I’m safe, that I’ll come around soon if my memory comes back?”

“When”, Mark states and Donghyuck looks to him, confused.

“You said if your memory comes back, say when instead, and of course, I’ll text Jeno right away”.

-

Donghyuck is discharged from the hospital that afternoon and he asks Mark if he could come over so they can talk.

Mark hesitates, like really hesitates, but agrees in the end. Maybe if he does this at least, Donghyuck would forgive him when his memory comes back.

They sit on the big white swing on Donghyuck’s porch and Mark lets Donghyuck carry most of the conversation. Losing his memory certainly hadn’t affected Donghyuck’s speech- he was still as talkative as Mark remembered him to be, when they used to be best friends and they would sit in this exact spot and rant about things they wanted to get off of their chests.

Maybe a part of Donghyuck remembered it because he’s the one that chose to sit on the swing instead of heading inside.

The autumn chill sweeps across the porch and Donghyuck shivers, scooting closer to burrow against Mark’s side. The older blushes and scratches his neck (a nervous habit) but stays put. Donghyuck doesn’t seem to sense how anxious Mark is at their proximity which is why he goes a step further to rest his head on Mark’s shoulder.

Then all of the fights come rushing back to Mark, the way they had ended their friendship on the worst terms.

  *Flashback*

Mark opens the door, expecting it to be another bunch of trick-or-treaters but instead is met with Donghyuck’s flashy smile. He holds up his arms to show the grocery bags hanging on each, one full of snacks and the other with rented movies. Mark smiles back and takes one of the bags from him, inviting him inside and heading to the TV room.

It’s still a long way from twelve o’clock so they watch a comedy first, an old comedy at that, which made everything that much more cringey and laughable.

By the time the third movie rolls around, they’re out of popcorn so Donghyuck takes it upon himself to rip a bag of chips open and place it in the space between him and Mark, which to be clear wasn’t that big of a space because this movie was a horror and Donghyuck wanted to be as close to Mark as possible in the event of any jump scares.

Donghyuck hides his face in Mark shoulder when the eerie music begins to play, earning a scoff and “pussy”, from the older.

Then they both reach for the chips, accidentally grabbing each other’s hands instead.

Now in any normal situation, because this had occurred many times before, they’d apologize and move their hands. But this time, Donghyuck feels his cheeks heat up and Mark can’t deny the sudden swarm of butterflies in his lower stomach and the both of them end up making eye-contact for way too long.

In the span of a minute, the movie is long forgotten because Mark leans over and kisses Donghyuck very very softly on the lips, cautious, gentle. When he pulls away, eyes lidded and lips a little wet, mirroring Donghyuck, they stare at each other a little longer until the sound of Mark’s house door opening startles them apart, like they had been doing something wrong.

Mark’s parents, followed closely by Donghyuck’s parents, enter the living room after their dinner party and Donghyuck stands up to leave, awkwardly shuffling around to collect the movies he had brought.

After he’s shoved them hastily into his backpack, he calls Mark softly.

“Mark, can I talk to you?”

Donghyuck is still a little pink on his cheeks when Mark looks at him, eyes glancing around nervously.

“I don’t know, Hyuck- you know I like girls”.

At the sudden rejection, before Donghyuck could even say anything, the younger feels a sharp pain twist in his chest, near his heart.

“But you kissed me, you leaned forward”, Donghyuck accuses, eyebrows furrowing together in frustration.

“You kissed me back!”

Mark whisper shouts, not wanting their parents to hear any of this.

“Mark you know I’m gay, what the fuck do you mean?”

Donghyuck’s mom’s voice carries from across the hall, “You boys done? We have to get going, Hyuck”.

Donghyuck doesn’t respond, still waiting for Mark to say something, for some closure.

“Just go, Donghyuck, let’s never talk about this again”.

Donghyuck feels his heart clench but he laughs a sad laugh, “You know what Mark Lee? Let’s never talk again, period”.

He grabs his jacket from the arm of the sofa and brushes past Mark, eyes glistening with hurt and somewhere in his head still hoping that Mark would say Wait.

Mark doesn’t.

If this were the only beef, they may have made-up in a few months, but Mark just had to go fuck it up a little more. Donghyuck was running for Student Body President this year, it was a dream that he had had for so long and Mark knew it too, because Donghyuck had been talking about it from the eighth grade practically.

There weren’t any other strong competitors in the grade either so Donghyuck was obviously over the moon. That is of course, until Mark puts his name down for the campaign, signing himself up as a candidate.

Mark, captain of the basket-ball team. Mark, president of the book club. Mark, goody two shoes and teacher’s pet.

Donghyuck was obviously qualified too, being the captain of the baseball team and maintaining his perfect grades but he had quite a knack for pranks, so when the teachers found out that Mark would also be running, they changed their vote without hesitation.

Mark would be a better president, he’s less playful.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what happened after.

Donghyuck lost it when he found out and that basically put the permanent full stop to their friendship.

*End of Flashback*

Donghyuck gasps, jumping off of the white swing, swaying from the whiplash.

Mark’s eyes widen and he grabs his hand to steady him.

“I remembered something”.

Mark gulps, “What is it?”

“I play baseball, don’t I? And so does Renjun and Jaemin too”.

“Oh”, Mark bites his lip partially relieved, but at the same time fully afraid, “You remember them too”.

Donghyuck grins and turns around.

“Oh don’t get down and jealous Mark, I remembered you first so that makes you special”.

Mark smiles sadly.

If he could go back to that Halloween night, he’d do it right and kiss Donghyuck again and tell him how he had really felt. That he was just scared of his own feelings.

“You’re the special one, Hyuck, you’ll always be special to me”.

Mark regrets what he did so much and in this moment, when Donghyuck blushes at the compliment, Mark wants to grab his cute face and kiss him. But he fucked that chance up all by himself last year.

-

Donghyuck’s mom gives him his phone back a few days later and he’s slowly started to remember everyone around him, so he decides to text Renjun.

His message is seen in a matter of seconds and immediately, Renjun facetimes him.

“My God, Hyuck, it’d be easier to call the president than get in touch with you”.

Donghyuck laughs, immediately feeling a little better.

“How’re you feeling now?”

Donghyuck shrugs, “Still don’t have most of my memories, but I remembered you guys a few nights ago”.

Renjun nods, understanding.

“It’s not easy remembering only half of the world I knew, but Mark is helping me a lot so…”

“Wait, who is helping you?”

Renjun looks concerned but Donghyuck brushes it off as a fault of the connection.

“Mark, Mark Lee, he’s the first person I remembered but I can’t seem to remember any memories with him yet, we must’ve been very close though if he was the first one”.

“Yeah, right”, Renjun visibly scoffs but doesn’t say anything further (only for the sake of Donghyuck’s pending memory).

Donghyuck doesn’t like the uneasy feeling that’s beginning to settle in his stomach so he lies that he has to go and take his medicine and says goodbye to Renjun - who doesn’t really notice anything unusual other than the fact that Mark has been helping Donghyuck – and hangs up.

That night, Donghyuck dreams again, the first dream he’s had since the last one at the hospital and Mark is in it again. This time it’s different. There’s details, there’s scenes playing out behind his closed eyelids, there’s hurt, there’s tears and there’s fighting.

Donghyuck wakes up in a fit of pants, struggling to breathe, knocking several things off his nightstand when he attempts to turn the lights on. His chest squeezes tight, throat even tighter when everything comes flooding and flooding, like a dam had been opened, like he was drowning.

He tries to shout but no sound comes out so he scrambles to his feet in search of his phone that’s gotten lost in the sheets and calls the one person who can solve all this.

-

The annoyingly loud trap remix blares from next to Mark’s ear and he groans, rolling over in the thick sheets to grab his phone. He almost declines the call but when he reads the caller ID he sits up, awake, sliding his finger to answer.

“Hyuck, it’s three in the morning”, he yawns.

He’s met with some heavy breathing and the smallest, pained hmph sound.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Mark says, a little louder, getting off the mattress in case he needed to rush over to Donghyuck’s right away.

“K-Keep talking, please”, he finally hears and Donghyuck has never before sounded so weak.

Not even when they fought last year.

So Mark complies, he says nice things, comforting Donghyuck, having no idea that he was the cause of Donghyuck’s panic attack.

It seems to work though, Mark’s voice, it calms the younger boy down, his breathing gradually coming to a slow.

“Hyuck, do you remember when I said you’re very special to me? I really really meant that”.

Mark says softly and Donghyuck breathes in and out slowly.

“Mark, I remember everything”.

-

Mark buttons his shirt carefully for the second time, having missed a button the first time and tucks it into his jeans. He’s wearing a yellow shirt, because it’s Donghyuck’s favorite color and he hopes and prays that Donghyuck will at least hear him out.

Last night’s conversation had ended with Donghyuck tiredly saying, “We’ll talk tomorrow, I’ll meet you at the park”.

This morning, Donghyuck had texted him

Meet u near the swings at 4pm

The distance from Mark’s place to the park is a mere ten minutes so he walks. He gets there earlier than Donghyuck so he sits on one of the swings, swaying back and forth solemnly, kicking at the sand by his feet.

It’s not until he feels a hand on his shoulder that he looks away from the sand, startled.

“Hey”, Mark squeaks, incredibly high.

Donghyuck sits on the swing besides Mark’s.

“I-“, Mark starts and Donghyuck interrupts him.

“Don’t say you’re sorry”.

Mark nods sadly.

“I came here to thank you”, Donghyuck sighs.

Mark turns to him, confused.

“Thank me?”

Donghyuck turns too, looking into Mark’s eyes.

“Given our history, you could’ve easily refused to help me, but you didn’t, why?”

Mark looks down at the sand again, blushing.

“I finally had a chance to speak to you again and I wanted to be close to you again”.

“Yeah but why?” Donghyuck presses on and Mark blushes deeper.

“I told you, you’re really special to me Hyuck”.

Donghyuck goes quiet.

“Then why didn’t you even try, after what happened, you didn’t even try to fix things”.

Mark’s gaze drops lower before coming up to meet Donghyuck’s sad eyes.

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to, and that’s my fault, I’m so so sorry, Hyuck, I should have, I should have tried until you forgave me, I should’ve handled things better that night, I should’ve kissed you again and told you how I really felt instead of running away from my own feelings because I was scared, I called you a pussy but really, I’m the pussy, for being too afraid to confront myself”

“And then I went ahead and ran for student council president because I heard that you kissed Jaemin in the locker rooms and I was jealous, I was so stupid and selfish and I knew after that, that I really fucked things up. Turns out the rumor was false too and I felt so shit after that but I knew it was too late, you technically hated me by then but I don’t blame you, I was such an asshole”.

“To be fair, I’m the one that spread that rumor about Jaemin and I, hoping to make you jealous”, Donghyuck nervously laughs and Mark is taken back for a second but smiles.

“Still, I had no right to get mad at you when I had turned your feelings away just months back, you had every right to kiss anyone you wanted- even if the rumor was false”, Mark argues, bashing himself, kicking himself into the dirt.

They sit there for a few minutes in comfortable silence, thankful now that it’s all out there.

Donghyuck stands up from his swing and holds his hand out for Mark to take.

Confused, the older still takes it.

He’s pulled up and into Donghyuck’s embrace, warm and forgiving in the autumn weather.

“We both did some immature shit, but I’m willing to bury all that if you are”, Donghyuck mumbles into Mark’s shoulder.

“Dude, heck yeah”, Mark mumbles back, almost sobbing into Donghyuck’s shoulder from the overwhelming emotions that are rising in his throat.

“Friends first, then we’ll see where this goes”, Donghyuck pulls away, holding out his pinky.

Mark crosses it with his own and brings his thumb up to meet Donghyuck’s thumb, like they’re tying together a promise.

And just to be completely honest with you, the friend’s first ordeal lasts maybe a few weeks – if you leave out all the excessive flirting before that – because soon enough they decide it’s time to see where it goes when Mark yet again finds himself kissing Donghyuck on a movie night, but this time, they both intend to make this a regular thing.

[casbeanwrites]

Dean goes on a terrible Tinder date. Cas is the waiter and sees the whole thing. “I can do way better than that.”

also on ao3

Cas notices it about two minutes after they’ve sat down. Actually, he notices it before, when the guy pulls Dean’s chair for him, and Dean looks a bit dumbfounded and clears his throat like he does when he’s uncomfortable. Cas is immediately on high alert.

Dean’s been a client here for a while – bringing dates, friends, or even sometimes dining alone. He’s friendly, a generous tipper, and his warm laughter makes Castiel weak in the knees. Also, he’s ridiculously attractive.

Which is why Castiel doesn’t understand what he’s doing, week after week, with a different and insufferable date. He understands why Dean always end up taking a cab alone at the end of the night, though. Cas knows this because he’s usually on his break, hanging out on his phone in the back alley, when Dean leaves, and Dean stops to chat with him if he’s managed to escape alone. It’s how Cas learned his name and the very few other details he knows about him – like the intricate pattern of freckles scattered on his cheek, and the fact that he’s a mechanic and owns his own body shop. It’s how he knows that there’s nothing in the world Dean loves more than his little brother, even though his car comes pretty close second.

It’s also how he knows that one of those dates deserve him, but the mystery remains of why he’s dating them in the first place. Dean shouldn’t be trolling for dates on a stupid hookup app – people should be lining up in the street for a chance to be with him.

That man should be loved and cherished every single day, and if Cas had a chance with someone like that… But he chases those ridiculous thoughts away as he makes eye contact with Dean from across the room. He can see already that this is going to be another bad one, just from the way Dean glances around with a contrite look on his face as his date keeps talking about his very scientific workout and diet in details. 

Cas can only see the back of the other man – broad shoulders in an expensive suit, a haircut worth at least 200$, and too many rings on his large fingers. Their eyes connect again, Dean’s widen in a please help me way Cas knows too well. 

“Are you ready to order?” 

“Yes, finally, we’ve been here for at least an hour,” Dean’s date complains when Cas steps up to their table.

Dean frowns and opens his mouth, probably to apologize, but Cas shoots him a reassuring smile. That guy isn’t the first client to be a dick, and Cas is used to it – at least he’s not the one who has to sit there and listen to him all night long. He orders a chicken salad but asks for a vegan dressing, which makes no sense but Cas notes it down anyway. Dean looks at him the whole time, sympathy and apology in his stunningly green eyes. Warmth, too. His eyes are warm like the sunshine through the leaves on Cas’ favourite plant and they make him melt from the inside out. 

He’s worked in this restaurant for years, has been a waiter for even longer – yet he almost forgets to note down Dean’s order because he’s too busy getting lost in the delicate pattern of freckles on his cheeks. In the admiration of his pink, plush mouth, in the way it moves as he speaks. Cas blinks quickly when he realizes Dean’s not talking anymore, and that both him and his date are watching him expectantly. His hands are shaking as he picks up their menus and his heart beats loud against his ribs all the way back to the kitchen.

Dean is leaning over with his head in his hand when Cas walks towards him, balancing two plates on one arm and a water carafe in the other. He only looks up when Cas puts his steak in front of him and then gives him a weary smile, along with the usual thank you, which so many costumers don’t even bother with. 

“Is your date gone?” Cas asks, slowly refilling the water glasses just to give himself reason to stay.

“No, uh, just the bathroom, I think. Shit, I’m sorry, he’s been such an asshole to you.”

“It’s fine,” Cas chuckles. Dean’s hair is sticking out from running his hands through it. “What does he have on you?”

“What?”

“Why are you still here? You don’t look like you’re enjoying yourself.”

Dean huffs, the hint of a beautiful smile spreading on his lips.

“Nothing, just… my brother’s been on my ass to settle down since his wedding. I guess I want that too, y’know. Figured I gotta give people a chance.”

“People, yes. Him? I think you should run.”

Dean laughs fully at that, and Cas heart flutters happily. He made Dean laugh. He did that.

“I would, believe me, I would… But he works with my brother, and I don’t wanna make things awkward between them, y’know. Straight up leaving wouldn’t be subtle.”

“I could tell him you have an emergency.”

Dean doesn’t have time to reply that the guy gets out of the bathroom. Cas could swear his hair is even more shiny and wet-looking than it was before, as if he’s dropped a second bucket of hair gel on it while he was gone. He’s not bad looking, with a professional stubble on his large jaw and piercing blue eyes, but comparing him to Dean would be like comparing a rock to the actual sun. Cas gives Dean an apologetic look and makes his exit before the guy can comment on how long it took for the food to arrive.

“How is everything? Are you enjoying your meal?” 

“Chicken is cold,” the guy says, and Cas doesn’t miss the way Dean looks at the ceiling in a silent prayer.

“I’m so sorry, do you want me to take it back?” Cas politely offers, resisting the urge to tell him that of course the chicken is fucking cold, that’s why it’s called a cold chicken salad. 

“I don’t know, are you sure there’s no eggs in that dressing? I feel like I can–” the guy ticks his tongue against his palate in what is possibly the most annoying noise Cas has ever heard, “–I feel like I can taste it, it’s eggy, it’s–”

“No, there are no eggs, sir. It’s a cashew nut dressing. Will that be all?”

The guy shoots him a glare at the interruption, like Cas is the most offending person he’s ever met.

“No, we’re fine.”

At that moment the man’s phone – that’s been laying next to his glass the entire meal, Cas saw him check it almost obsessively whenever Dean managed to slip a word in – lights up and starts ringing. He takes it with a rude “excuse me” directed at Dean and steps away from the table.

“Help me,” Dean immediately whispers. His green eyes are pleading, his hand reaches forward as if to touch Cas and then falls back on the table, grasping at his utensils. “I’m fucking dying here. He keeps talking about the benefits of egg white and about how dumb his assistant is and how much his fucking suits cost and I’m about to stab this fork into my fucking brain.”

He still manages a smile when Cas laughs. “I’ll see what I can do.”

The easier way would be to tell Dean that he has a phone call, but thanks to modern technology, no one calls restaurants to talk to costumers anymore. He’s seen Dean use the emergency phone call trick a few times, but on his last date the girl definitely saw through it and started yelling at him in front of the whole restaurant. Dean ended up having to comfort her and his eyes stared at Castiel in complete panic as she sobbed against his chest.

Cas isn’t entirely sure of what he’s about to do when walks back to the table. He has a bottle of the wine the guy’s ordered in his hands, ready for a refill, and he mulls over his options. The thought of just grabbing Dean and kissing him crosses his mind – he could maybe pretend to be his jealous ex, make a scene – but that would basically be assault. It’s tempting, though. And could possibly work, but… 

This is his brothers’ restaurant, and Cas is their best waiter, so he can get away with a lot without getting fired – but he suspects that assaulting a client in front of his date would be crossing the line.

He still has no clue when he steps up to the table. The man is currently explaining something to Dean and Dean is looking down, his cheeks a little red. Cas frowns, and then he hears it – “Look, I’m not saying you’re fat, but you could use to eat a little less pie, if you know what I mean–”

Cas’ ears are ringing and he doesn’t even question it – he pours half the bottle of wine directly into the man’s cold chicken salad. There’s a moment when everything is still, except for the dark red liquid pouring and sloshing and dripping all over the white tablecloth… and then the guy shoves his chair back and scrambles to his feet. 

“What the fuck, idiot?” He yells, his face as red as the wine, as Cas calmly straightens the bottle back up. “This is a ten thousand dollar suit you incompetent fucking moron!” 

There’s barely a drip on his pant leg but he’s wrapped his hands around it as if Cas had stabbed it with a butter knife.

“I’m gonna fucking break your–”

“Alright, alright,” Dean says and Cas finally looks at him – he looks strangely calm, as if he’s fighting hard to keep a straight face. He quickly stands up and places himself between his date and Cas, almost like a shield. The whole restaurant has fallen silent, all the eyes are on them, but Cas only sees Dean – standing tall and protective in front of him. He smells like a field of wildflowers under the sun, he smells like cool wind and an autumn walk… 

“There’s a dry cleaner two blocks from here, if you run you can make it before it closes. I’ll deal with him,” Dean turns towards Cas as his date frantically tries to wipe his pants with a handkerchief. His eyes lock with Cas and there’s a spark in them, almost teasing. “I’ll make sure the ‘idiot’ gets fired.” 

The guy barely lets him finish that he’s storming out of the restaurant, phone against his ears, saying something along the lines of “I know you’re it’s after-hours you dipshit this is a fucking emergency”. 

Dean stares at Cas like he’s just fallen from Heaven and crashed right into the restaurant. Wine drips along the leg of the table. 

“Holy fuck, Cas,” Dean finally says. “I could fucking kiss you right now.”

“That would probably be inappropriate since I’m on the clock,” Cas answers without thinking. He’s too lost in the way Dean is looking at him, soft and adoring. “But my break starts in five minutes.”

He hears the words come out of his mouth but doesn’t fully register them until Dean’s eyes widen and his lips part. And suddenly Cas isn’t standing in front of him anymore, but instead he’s slamming shut the door of the walk-in and leaning back against it, sighing in relief as the cold metal presses against his back.

Crap. 

Oh god. Oh god, Cas has made a complete ass of himself. He just poured wine all over a table, caused a scene, and then somehow managed to expose his feelings for Dean in the most pathetic way possible.

He takes a few minutes to breathe and let the crips cold bring him back to his senses. He still needs to clear his head, though, so he grabs Anna in passing and asks her to take care of his tables for a few minutes. He hears Gabriel call for him – “who the fuck just poured wine in the middle of my dining room?” – but manages to escape through the back door. He’s barely made two steps that he collides with a warm, insanely good smelling chest and would’ve fallen back on his ass hadn’t it been for Dean grabbing him.

“Hey,” Dean chuckles, his breath warm on Cas’ face. 

For a moment Cas is too shocked to answer. Dean’s face is breathtaking form up close, and Cas resists the urge to grab him and kiss him senseless.“Dean, I’m so–”

“Did you mean it?”

Cas stares at him, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights. His heart is pounding wildly in his chest and he’s pretty sure Dean can feel it. Their noses are inches apart. Dean’s never looked quite as beautiful, the hard lines of his face softened by the yellow glow of the street lamps. 

His eyes dart down to Cas’ lips, then back up again. His grips softens around Cas’ waist but his hands remain there, warmth seeping through Cas’ clothes and onto his skin.

“Yes,” he breathes out. He feels like he’s under a spell. Dean’s eyes flick down to his mouth again and he licks his own lips. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you since the first time you walked into the restaurant.”

“Damn it, Cas. You should’ve said something earlier.”

Before Cas can reply, a smooth, warm mouth presses against his lips. His eyes flutter close, his fingers grasp at Dean’s shirt to bring him closer. The kiss is gentle, soft and tentative at first, but Cas can’t resist deepening it. Dean groans his approval and his arm curls around Cas’ waist, slamming him against his chest, his other hand sneaking into Cas’ hair and pulling. Cas pants, heaves, grasps at Dean’s strong shoulder as if he could possibly hold him closer. This is so much better than anything he’s dreamed about, Dean’s lips are plump and soft and fucking sinful to bite into, his tongue is playful and warm and Cas feels shivers running under his skin and deep into his bones.

“Really should’ve done that a lot sooner,” Dean mumbles when they finally part. He still keeps them close, resting his forehead against Cas’. 

His cheeks are deliciously pink and Cas can’t quite believe he’s real. 

“Maybe I should give you my phone number so you can call me and save me next time I’m on a shitty date,” Dean murmurs, letting his lips run along Cas’ jaw, then down his neck.

Cas freezes. Again, the words leave his mouth before he can even think about them.

“Or maybe I should give you my phone number so you never have to go on another shitty date again.”

Dean smiles wide and bright, and his neck kiss leaves Cas dizzy and barely able to stand on his wobbly legs.

“Yeah. Yeah, I think you should do that.”

[introverted-and-unhinged]

I Think I’m in Love - Dustin Henderson x Harrington Reader

Summary: You’re Steve Harrington’s younger sister, and Dustin despises you...or so he thought. Oh, and he also thought he wasn’t going to prom.

A/N: The party is in their senior year of high school in this.

Word Count: 1862

“Shut up, Harrington! No one cares about your girl problems!” Dustin called from your living room as you sat at the dining table talking to your friend Marcy on the phone.

“You shut up, Henderson! We all know you suck at that game, and you’re never gonna beat Steve!” you called back. 

Dustin put down his controller and looked at Steve, rolling his eyes and making a gagging sound. 

“You know you’re sister is like the most annoying person in the world, right?” he asked Steve.

“Hey! Y/n’s not that bad. You know, for a little sister,” he replied with a shrug.

“Yeah. Right,” Dustin scoffed, “She thinks she’s so cool just because guys in our grade think she’s pretty and because she’s so popular. I really don’t get how they can see past her annoying laugh, or voice, or...face.”

“Sounds like someone has a crush,” Steve said, tousling Dustin’s hair.

“Ew. No way in hell,” he responded.

***

The party was spending their Saturday the way the had been for years, plaing D&D in Mike’s basemet. Max and El, however, had decided not to play today because they were going prom dress shopping with Nancy, who was home from school for spring break. 

“Are you thinking of asking anyone to prom, Will?” Lucas asked as he rolled the dice.

“Um, I don’t know,” he shrugged, “Maybe.”

“Well, you can always ask me for help if you decide to,” Lucas said with a wink.

“Or you could ask me and actually get a date,” Dustin retorted. 

“And you would know how to get a date how?” Lucas asked. “Last time I checked you hadn;t asked anyone either.”

“No, I haven’t, and I’m not going to.”

“You’re going to our senior prom stag?” Mike asked. He was a little out of touch with high school dating culture considering he’d been with El literally since they met, but even he knew how it looked to go to your senior prom alone.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Mikey boy,” Dustin said. 

The party looked at him quizically. He took a sip of his pop and burped.

“I’m not going to prom at all,” Dustin said. “It’s supid anyway.”

***

“What do you mean you’re not going to you senior prom?” Steve asked Dustin the next day when he and Will went over so Will could borrow Steve’s old tux for the dance.

“I’m not going,” Dustin said. “Dances are stupid, and I don’t want to go.”

“Dude, really?” Steve asked, fumbling through his closet. 

“We tried to tell him he should go, too,” Will said. “He’s not budging.”

“What’s the matter? Can’t get a date? I can help you with that,” Steve said with a wink.

“See, when you say it, I actually believe you,” Will said. “Speaking of, tell me if this idea is any good-”

Before Will could go off about his elaborate plan to ask his date to the dance, Dustin got up and made his way down stairs to grab a drink and a snack. Once he was about half way to the living room, he could hear your voice from the dining room.

“What do you mean Jason got back together with his ex?” you gasped. “PB, I’m so sorry. You two were going to look super cute together. No, no. Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll be able to find another date. We still have like two weeks until prom.”

Dustin immediately turned back around and booked it up the stairs. He barged back into Steve’s room rambling about the dance and exes and dating, and none of it made any sense.

“Whoa, whoa. Calm down there, buddy. What are you saying?” Steve said, holding his hands out to Dustin as if he might need to catch him from falling over.

“PB’s prom date got back together with his ex,” Dustin said walking toward Will. “Didn’t you want to ask PB to prom, Will?”

“Yeah, but-” Will started to say.

“But nothing. PB doesn’t have a date anymore, but that probably won’t last long. You better hurry and get over there if you want your dream date.”

“I’ll come back for the tux later, Steve,” Will said as he ran out the door. 

“But I just found it,” Stever sighed as the door slammed shut behind Will.

He tossed the tux on his bed and pulled another clothing bag out of his closet. He turned it toward Dustin.

“I have one that’ll probably fit you if you want to change your mind about not going to prom,” Steve said.

Dustin shook his head and sat on the bed next to the other tux, still catching his breath.

“How did you find out about that anyway?” Steve asked.

“I went down stairs to get a drink and a snack, and I overheard your sister on the phone.”

“You were eavesdropping on y/n?”

“Well, Steve, her voice is really annoying and hard to miss,” he scoffed.

“Oh, yeah,” Steve replied. “Crushes give you super hearing.”

Dustin flopped down on the bed with a loud groan.

“I do not have a crush on your sister, dude. How many times do I have to say it?”

“Sure you don’t, bud. Say, how do you feel about Ryan?”

“Baseball Ryan?” Dustin asked.

“Yeah, that one.”

“He’s a total shit head,” Dustin said, “He thinks he cool when he’s not, and he’s not even the best player on the baseball team. Plus, his hair is stupid looking.”

“What I’m getting here is that you’re jealous of y/n’s prom date?” Steve said with a grin.

“That’s totally out of context!” Dustin shouted.

“You’re so in love with y/n.” Steve said with a chuckle.

“Am not,” Dustin said.

***

“Y/n!” Your mom called from down stairs. “PB and Will are here, and Marcy’s mom just called to say that Marcy and Ben are on the way! come on down for pictures, sweetie!”

You opened your beedroom door and shouted at her to leave you alone to die like the pathetic loser you were. PB and Will turned to each other and exchanged glances. 

“Let me go talk to her,” PB said heading for the stairs.

You hear a light knock at your door before your best friend pushed it open and came in.

“You look great, PB,” you sniffled.

“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you in your dress?” 

“I’m not going. Ryan called this morning to tell me that he didn’t want to go to prom with me anymore, that he was taking a prettier girl from Central High instead.” you sobbed.

PB closed your bedroom door just as Steve walked by and rushed over to hug you, stroking your hair as you cried. Steve turned around and grabbed his extra tux from his closet before running down the stairs.

“What’s happening?” your mom questioned.

Steve stopped just long enough to tell her what he had heard outside your bedroom and told her to make sure your were in your dress and ready to go in twenty minutes before he rushed out the door and peeled away in his car. Your mom rushed upstairs on a mission with tissues.

“Honey, I have no idea what your brother is doing, but you need to get ready now,” she said to you.

***

“You need to get ready now,” Steve said as he threw his tux as Dustin the second he opened the door.

Dustin stood in the doorway holding the tux, dumbfounded.

“Move it!” Steve shouted as he pushed Dustin away from the door.

“What’s going on?” Dustin asked as Steve kept shouting and pushin him, even going so far as to knock the hat off his head and toss it on Dustin’s bed.

“You were right about Ryan being a shit head,” Steve said as Dustin closed the door and started changing. “He called y/n this morning and tols her he didn’t want to go to prom with her anymore because he found someone prettier at Central High.

“I TOLD YOU!” Dustin shouted as he yanked the door open.

Steve pushed Dustin into the bathroom across the hall, grabbed some hair gel, and started working on Dustin’s hair while Dustin ranted about how Steve should have believed that he was speaking from experience and not because he liked y/n in the slighted. 

“Oh, shut up,” Steve said as he put a tie around Dustin’s neck and tied it, “If that were true you wouldn’t be going to prom with her.”

“What?” Dustin said looking down at the tux and then looking at himself in the mirror, “What do you mean I’m going to prom with y/n? You tricked me!”

Dustin tried to push Steve out of the bathroom and make a break for his room, but Steve was too fast. He picked Dustin up around his middle and carried him kicking and screaming out to his car. Steve put Dustin down on the ground and placed his hands on his shoulders, looking him in the eye.

“Dustin,” Steve said, “After everything I have done for you over the last five years, the least you could do is smile for some pictures and take my sister to prom so she doesn’t remember having a shitty senior prom for the rest of her life.”

“Ugh. Fine,” Dustin said, getting in the car.

Steve walked around to the driver’s side and opened the door up.

“Plus, you’re totally in love with my sister,” Steve said as he started the car and took off.

“I’m not in love with your sister,” Dustin was still saying when they got out of the car at your house.

Steve just ignored Dustin as the walked in the front door. He left Dustin standing by Will as he went upstairs to explain everything to you.

“Steve!” your mom shouted, “Where have you been? What’s going on?”

“Mom, relax,” Steve said, “Y/n, I found you a date.”

“You did?” you said, sitting up a little straighter and smiling a little.

“It’s Dustin!” he said, giving you two thumbs up.

You rolled your eyes at him and sighed.

“Relax, y/n. He likes you. He’s just too, um, too Dustin to admit it,” Steve said.

You laughed and nodded, standing up and straightening your dress out before making your way to the door.

“Wait. I’ll go get the camera!” Steve said backing out the door and running down stairs.

Once he was down there with the film rolling, he called for you to come out of your room. You walked down the hall and heard gasps from your friends as you started coming down the stairs. You smiled as you watched your feet, trying to be sure not to trip over your dress since you weren’t too great at walking in heels. Dustin’s mouth fell open as he saw you walking down the stairs, in awe of the way your hair fell over you shoulder when you looked down.

“Steve,” he said tapping your brother on the shoulder without taking his eyes off you, “I think I’m in love with your sister.”

Steve chuckled, patting his young friend on the back.

“And I just got that on video tape,” Steve said.

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

Howlin’ For You - 4/?

Description: When Y/N gets an unreal deal on her first home, she wonders why her neighbor scared away all the other buyers. Despite being cautious, she doesn’t fully understand what gave Bucky Barnes such a bad name.

Pairing: AU - Biker!Bucky x Fem/Reader

Word Count: 4,059

Part Three 

After that morning, things got complicated. Everything seemed to change, yet somehow it still felt the same too.

Bucky still hadn’t made any move on Y/N. But he seemed so set on assuring she knew the truth about him. Even though he told her the story of just one arrest, an arrest where he offered himself as scapegoat to save Steve, Bucky had yet to disclose any other part of his past. In fact, he still hadn’t told Y/N how he’d gone from war veteran to the leader of The Howling Commandos.

It suddenly occurred to Y/N that maybe Bucky was trying to keep his distance from her too. But she couldn’t figure out his reasoning. She knew her own. But Y/N had yet to figure out what about her would make him try to stay away.

Y/N was brought out of her thoughts by her cellphone ringing.

She practically groaned when her mother’s name appeared on the screen.

“Hello?”

“Oh hi dear. So don’t get mad at me…” Y/N’s mother began, which was never a good sign.

“Mom, what did you do?” Y/N groaned.

“I was at the farmer’s market this morning. I ran into an old coworker of mine. She was with her son, Jared. Oh my goodness, Y/N. This man was just so handsome. Anyways, we started talking and he lives not too far from you. Can you believe it?”

Y/N knew where this was going already. “Mom, I’m not going on a date with him.” Her voice dark and warning.

“I know you asked me and your sister to stop setting you up…But Y/N I just think you two would really hit it off.”

“Mom! You say that every time!” Y/N yelled out.

“Y/N-” Her mom began but she was already cutting her off.

“No! I’ve had enough! Mom, did it ever occur to you that the reason I don’t have a boyfriend is because I don’t want one? If I wanted to go on a date, all it takes is a few swipes these days. Do you understand that? I’m not this pity party you need to go out and scavenge dates for.”

“Y/F/N Y/M/N Y/L/N what has got into you?” Her mom scolded.

“Nothing has changed, mom. You just never listen to me.” Y/N sighed.

“Just this one last date, sweetheart. Then I’ll stop. I promise.” Her mom laid on the sweetness to soften the blow.

“You already gave him a time and my address, didn’t you?” Y/N stated in realization.

There was a beat of silence.

“Tonight. 8 o’clock.” Then she continued to name all of the great things about him. But it didn’t matter. Y/N wasn’t listening anymore. She hung up on her mom and grabbed a pillow from her couch to scream into.

Y/N contemplated all of the things she could say when the man got there. Maybe she could fake a good sickness and apologize profusely. It wasn’t a coincidence that Y/N’s mother and sister never gave her these men’s numbers. They knew she would just call and cancel if they did that.

After Y/N went through almost every option in her head, she knew there was no getting out of this date without feeling like a total asshole. So she fell into the dreaded routine of getting ready for a date she never wanted to go on.

Later that night, her doorbell was a patient knock on her front door.

“Hi. Wow…Sorry. Ugh…I wasn’t expecting you to be so beautiful.” Jared stuttered awkwardly in such a dorky way that his words came out genuine.

Y/N couldn’t help but blush at the compliment. She was human after all! And no man had ever stuttered over their words because of her looks alone.

The slightly awkward introductions ensued. But the flattery soon ended as he guided her down the porch and to the car.

Bucky just had to be pulling into his driveway right as she was leaving.

Fate was playing a cruel trick on her. Y/N knew it. Her eyes locked on him. What she didn’t realize was that she was giving Bucky the most pleading look possible. Her eyes were sad with a desperation; a desperation for him to be taking her out instead of this random man.

Her entire body language could not make it more clear that she wanted to run back inside her house.

Bucky had turned off his motorcycle and watched the interaction subtly. If he had noticed Y/N’s desperate expression, he didn’t show it. In fact, he was too busy eyeing Jared as he opened the car door with Y/N.

When they finally drove past, Bucky was casually walking to his mailbox at the end of his driveway. Y/N lowered her head in shame, too scared of seeing how he was watching this awkward and forced interaction.

This date was different.

As the night went on, Y/N got a sick feeling.

She realized her mother had been right: Jared was a cute, smart, kind, gentleman.

But it was too late.

Had the two of them been introduced a few months, maybe Y/N would’ve actually gone on a second date. But this was life after meeting Bucky Barnes.

It was this particular date with Jared that Y/N finally realized, or rather admitted to herself, that she’d officially fallen for Bucky. She thought it was some silly schoolgirl crush. But she knew now it was more than that.

Poor Jared was trying so hard to charm her and it was a rare date where Y/N wasn’t completely annoyed by it. She’d never felt guilty for these men until now.

The rest of the date was painless, yet Y/N’s terrible feeling in her gut got worse and worse as they got closer to her house.

As soon as they were in her driveway, she took in a deep breath. “Jared,” She started sweetly. He smirked at the way his name sounded coming from her. “I had a really lovely time tonight. But I just have to say something.”

His grin disappeared for a moment. Then he seemed to immediately realize where the conversation was going. He chuckled lightly and nodded his head. “I’m not getting another date here, am I?” He didn’t sound upset or angry with her, just disappointed. Which somehow made her feel even worse.

“It’s just…there’s actually someone else. My mother is oblivious and didn’t even know about him when she set this up. Because I didn’t really know about it…if that makes sense. I want to be honest with you, because you seem so great!” Y/N’s tone was desperate.

“Y/N…” Jared said gently as he grabbed her hand. “I get it. You don’t have to explain.”

Her jaw slackened slightly. “Really?”

Jared nodded with a sad smile. “Really. Whoever he is…I hope he realizes how lucky he is.” Then he took in a deep breath. “And if things don’t work out, I would really love it if you gave me another shot.”

Y/N smiled at his maturity and kindness, then found herself nodding at his offer. But this was her cue to leave the car now. She slowly made her way to the house in awe of how well that conversation ended.

But as soon as she heard Jared’s car pull away, she felt a spark of bravery.

Without changing out of her date clothes or putting her heels back on, Y/N stomped down her driveway and across the street barefoot.

Before she could lose the adrenaline, her hand knocked on Bucky’s front door.

She heard his heavy footsteps before he opened the door.

He swung open the door and had a look of surprise.

But before he could say anything, Y/N flung forward and captured his lips in the most passionate kiss she’d ever had.

His surprise instantly disappeared and he was kissing her back. In was only a matter of seconds before his hands gripped her waist and pulled her body even closer. Then his grip slid down the outside of her legs until it moved to the back of her thighs. In one swift motion, he lifted her body off the ground. Y/N yelped into the kiss but her body quickly recovered and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Neither of them knew how long their lips had been attached. But eventually they had to separate to catch their breath. Bucky didn’t let her go far, still holding her up as if she weighed nothing. Their foreheads were pressed together and they both tried to steady their breathing.

“Bucky, who’s at the door?” A whiny voice came from the direction of his bedroom.

Y/N felt his entire body tense as she looked over his shoulder.

Standing in nothing but her lacy underwear and one of Bucky’s t-shirts was Dot. Her makeup was smeared and her hair was messily sexy.

Y/N felt like she was going to be sick.

She managed to wriggle out of Bucky’s grip even though he tried to keep hold of her.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck…” Y/N whispered under her breath as she started backing away.

“Y/N, wait a second.” Bucky rushed forward.

“I’m such a fucking idiot.” Y/N muttered to herself and her hands ran through her hair in utter distress. The one time she’d taken a risk, put herself out there for a guy and it had completely backfired on her.

“Bucky?” Dot practically cooed.

He turned around to look at her but he was so dumbfounded by the situation. He turned back around to see Y/N retreating.

“Y/N, please, just listen.” His voice was a plea.

“Don’t.” She instantly answered. “Please don’t, Bucky.”

There was no point in saying anything else, Y/N was already in the middle of the street. She walked as fast as she could to her house. Meanwhile, Dot continued to get Bucky’s attention.

As soon as he saw Y/N get inside, Bucky rubbed his face with dread.

“Goddammit!” He bellowed before marching back inside his house and slamming the door.

Y/N was resting her back against her front door. She was in between having an anxiety attack and throwing up. Her breathing was getting harder and harder control. How could she have been so naive? Bucky didn’t want her. She wasn’t his type. At best, he had just seen her as a slam piece or something to entertain him.

Y/N started toward her bedroom and started changing out of her clothes without actually thinking about what she was doing. A few minutes later, she was wearing her running shorts and a sports bra.

When she was utterly panicked and clueless of what to do, she ran.

With her running shoes on and her earbuds in, she peaked out the window to make sure the coast was clear. She wouldn’t be able to handle whatever excuses Bucky would try to throw if he was still out there.

But Bucky was nowhere to be found.

Locking her front door behind her, Y/N then broke into a full on sprint. The music was turned up all the way. She was desperately trying to drown out the thoughts and distract her body from the knot in her stomach. The image of Dot wearing nothing but Bucky’s clothes was enough to keep her adrenaline going.

Y/N didn’t know how long she was running. She wouldn’t let herself stop until her entire body ached and her lungs felt like they were about to burst.

She slowed to a walk and laced her hands together on top of her head. Everything hurt but it was better to feel physical pain than what Bucky did to her.

She must of run miles upon miles, for she didn’t have any idea where she was. The sun had gone down awhile ago, leaving her walking in darkness.

Y/N shrugged and turned around to go back the way she came. Maybe if she rested for a bit she’d be able to break into another jog the rest of the way home.

She’d been completely oblivious to the world around her until her ears were met with the sound of multiple motorcycles coming up behind her. Her entire body tensed. She begged a higher being that it was Bucky’s friends and not anyone else.

But tonight was just not her night.

“Well, well, well…Look who it is.” A dark voice greeted as their bike slowed down enough to match Y/N’s speed walking.

She didn’t need to look over to know it was Brock.

“Not so tough when you don’t have Barnes and his little gang to back you up, are you?” He taunted.

It wasn’t comforting to be reminded of all his friends trailing behind Y/N too.

She continued to ignore him and walk.

“Come on, Brock. Let’s just go.”

She recognized that voice and it made her accidentally look back to see Brent on one of the motorcycles behind them. There were still some bruises healing on his face from the night he picked a fight with Bucky.

“Look at her, Ward.” Brock answered. “Bucky let his little pet loose. Dumb move on his part…” Then he revved his engine forward but skid to the side to completely cut Y/N’s path off. She had to jump to a stop to assure he didn’t run her into the ditch.

Y/N tried to turn around to walk the other way, but his friends seem to follow his move and blocked her path that way too.

“I have no connection to Bucky. I hardly know him.” Y/N finally spoke. It bothered her that she didn’t actually know if she was lying or telling the truth.

Brock had a dark smirk. “I’m going to tell you a little story.” He dismounted his bike and started slowly closing the distance between them. “Our little strip club got raided by the feds the other night. Shut down some illegal operations that were making us a lot of money. Very few people could’ve tipped ‘em off. Barnes and his guys are some of the only people that have the balls to even think about it. That lot is just a bunch of good doers. I’ve suspected that Barnes works with the police for years now.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m not part of his gang.” Y/N tried to keep her voice as even as possible.

“Yeah, but it would send a message.”

Y/N swallowed. “What would? I have no part in any of this.”

Brock chuckled and it sent a shiver down Y/N’s back. He was barely a foot away from her now. “You really don’t see it, do you?” Her brow furrowed at his question. “You really don’t see the way he looks at you. Man’s started not one, but two, bar fights to make sure no one else gets you. Do you honestly think that’s a coincidence?”

It didn’t matter what she said anymore. Y/N could see it in Brock’s eyes that his mind was made up. She didn’t know what he planned to do. But she knew her life was in danger.

Without thinking, Y/N shoved Brock as hard as she could. It was enough force to give her a path past him. Despite her body’s exhaustion, she flew into a sprint. But it wasn’t enough. Before she could get to her peak speed, Brock tackled to the hard pavement of the road.

But she wasn’t giving up without a fight. Her mind raced through every self-defense tip she’d ever heard or read. She tensed the heel of her hand and did an upward thrust to his nose. She swore she felt a crunch and Brock let out a howl of pain.

“You stupid, fucking bitch!” He growled and slapped her across the face.

The sting felt like the whole left side of her face was on fire.

Y/N tried to punch him, but he caught her fist before it could make contact.

Brock threw his weight forward so her back slammed back to the pavement. It caused her head to slam back and she saw stars. He pinned both of her hands to the side of her body. She struggled with her knees and legs, managing to send a kick to his manhood.

Y/N continued to fight, but her strength was dying. Her mind tried to focus on surviving and getting away. But it just kept thinking of how her corpse would be found on the side of the road.

Bucky’s cellphone had been ringing for awhile. But he hadn’t noticed it until now.

“What?” He growled without bothering to look at the screen to see who was calling.

“Where the hell have you been?” Steve yelled. “I’ve been trying to call you for half an hour Bucky!”

“What is it, Steve?” Bucky sighed, not in the mood to deal with anything.

“Before I tell you, promise me that you won’t do anything stupid.” Steve’s voice was too careful.

Bucky straightened on his couch. “What? What is it?”

It wasn’t the first time he’d got a call from a member like this. Unfortunately, it was part of their lifestyle.

“Bucky!” Steve snapped. “Promise me!”

Bucky was on his feet pacing his living room now.  “Fine. Fine. I promise I won’t do anything stupid. What the fuck’s happened?”

“It’s Y/N. She’s in the hospital.”

Bucky had never driven his motorcycle faster in his life.

Everything about him must have screamed danger because people at the hospital were diving out of his way and averting any possible eye contact.

He immediately spotted Steve in the waiting room. Natasha, Wanda, Sam, and Thor were seated nearby. There was a radius of empty seats around them, making a clear separation from the rest of the family and friends waiting.

“Talk now.” Bucky growled low.

“It was Rumlow.” Steve sighed. There was no easy way to tell him. “I guess she had gone running or something. The whole Hydra gang must have crossed paths with her.”

Bucky rubbed his scruff to deal with his overwhelming guilt and helplessness. He shifted his weight, trying to control himself. “How bad is she?” He whispered.

Steve looked back at their friends. But none of their looks were giving him any sort of aid. “The doctors said she… she has a couple fractured ribs. Her right hand is broken. There were some cuts and bruises on her face-” Steve had to stop himself. “She’s pretty beat up, Buck.” He exhaled.

Bucky put his hands on his hips and bit his lip. The pain of it stopped himself from punching the first person that even glanced in his direction.

“Who found her?” He didn’t know what else to do, so he just kept asking questions.

“I did.” Thor stood up then and carefully walked over. Bucky’s only cue for him to speak was his glare. “I was on my way to the bar. They left her on the side of the road, unconscious.”

“This is my fault.” Bucky hissed.

“Buck, don’t do that.” Steve immediately started.

“Steve, look me in the eyes and tell me that Rumlow didn’t do this to get at me!” He snapped.

“You were careful.” Steve defended.

“Not careful enough!” Bucky barked back.

“Steve is right. This is not your fault, Bucky.” Thor vowed with more diction and sincerity. He gripped Bucky’s shoulder in comfort.

“What room is she in?” Bucky asked. He needed to see her.

Steve told him the number. “Her mom and sister are with her right now. I think you should wait until they leave for the night. Natasha already conned the doctor to let you in after visiting hours, especially with us not being related and all that.”

“Stay here. I’ll be back later.” Bucky ordered.

Steve’s face dropped. “Buck, don’t do it. That’s exactly what he wants.”

“Yeah, and he’s gonna get it.”

Sam jumped up to join Steve in racing after him. The three of them got on their motorcycles. There was only one place Rumlow could be. If this attack was meant as bait, Bucky knew Brock would be waiting at the bar.

Bucky’s motorcycle wasn’t even fully stopped when he jumped off of it and stomped through the doors of the bar.

Brock was there with his gang, but they hadn’t noticed his entrance.

Without stopping his stride, Bucky walked towards Brock who was innocently playing pool with his back to him.

Bucky picked up a nearby pool stick and flipped it so the narrow end was in his hands. “Hey Rumlow!” He barked.

Brock turned around to be met with Bucky slamming the pool stick across his face, like a baseball bat on steroids. Teeth and blood flew out of his mouth from the hit. Some of Brock’s gang tried to stop the attack, but Sam and Steve had made their way in and kept the fight between Bucky and Brock.

Rumlow was on the ground, spitting blood and loose teeth onto the dirty bar floor.

Bucky looked down at him to realize he was already beat up. Brock’s nose was swollen and definitely broken, there were two black eyes to match. But that wasn’t Bucky’s doing. If he wasn’t blinded by his anger, Bucky would be able to feel the sense of pride toward Y/N’s ability to defend herself.

“Your girl’s a real spitfire.” Brock spat, realizing Bucky was observing his other injuries.

Bucky’s anger flared up once again. His left hand held Rumlow in place as he started landing punch after punch. Bucky blacked out from his rage. And if it weren’t for Steve and Sam pulling him back, he surely would’ve killed him.

Bucky finally stepped back, chest heaving as he looked at the damage he’d done. The entire bar was silent. The patrons always eyed him wearily, but now their gazes were filled with utter terror.

Bucky eyed the rest of Brock’s gang, some of which were bruised and beaten from Steve and Sam. “Anyone else?” He offered sarcastically.

No one even breathed.

“That’s what I thought.” He growled.

Then he took a few steps towards Brock until he was hovering over his bloodied body, barely conscious. Steve and Sam shared a look, ready to jump in if Bucky tried to continue. “And you,” Bucky whispered in a hiss. “You even look at Y/N again and I’ll fucking kill you.”

Rumlow wasn’t even capable of speaking. But the message was heard loud and clear.

When the three men walked outside and returned to their bikes, Steve and Sam watched Bucky carefully. He was pacing back and forth with his hands on his hips. Steve swore he could see tears forming in his best friend’s eyes.

“I fucked everything up…” Bucky almost whimpered.

Steve and Sam just looked at each other. They’d never seen him like this and they had no idea how to handle it.

“Buck, Y/N’s going to recover. She’ll be okay.” Steve said softly.

But Bucky was already shaking his head. “She wouldn’t have been out if weren’t for me.” He took in a deep breath. “She…she came over earlier. I opened my door and she was just there and we kissed.” He was talking quickly now. “Then…God-fucking-damn-it… Dot was there. She drove to my house drunk right before Y/N got there. I made her stay and sober up before I would let her leave. Gave her my shirt to wear because she threw up.”

“Shit…” Sam muttered, fully understanding how it all ended. Anyone would’ve assumed  the same as Y/N.

“She went out running because she was upset. I know it.” Bucky mumbled at the ground.

Steve took in a deep breath and stepped to his friend. He gripped his shoulders tightly. “Bucky, we can’t change what happened. But you better get your ass back to that hospital and fix this.” His voice was demanding. “I’ve known you all my life and I’ve never seen you this way about any girl. So don’t mess it up.”

Part Five 

Your book reports make me happy. Please continue with them.   

[x22wg]

Pharah’s Duty (part 2)

It’s not easy keeping junk food from penetrating the perimeter when everyone seems intent on smuggling stuff in. Still, Pharah is intent on doing the best she can. Nothing exemplifies the importance of this task than chunky speedster Lena Oxton. Ever since spending last Christmas with her girlfriend, Tracer has been packing on the pounds. Pharah has to do what it takes, but that means getting a hold of Mercy who has been curiously absent for a while... To see some tubby Tracer and more, do check out @overwatchinandovereatin * * *

With the computer pad propped up against her belly, Lena Oxton lay back in her bed and grinned over a plush double chin. On the other end of the video call, Emily failed to stop herself from laughing at the cheesy joke her girlfriend had just made.

"It sounds like you all have your hands full down there," Emily managed as she brought her chuckles under control.

"Pretty much. Cor, Halloween's right around the corner and I'd hoped we could do some... trick or treating together." Tracer's tone did suggest innuendo, but Emily had a suspicion it was entirely unintentional. These days Lena just couldn't get enough treats. "But with everything going on I'll have to stay here."

"Surely they'll let me send you some candy for Halloween."

"I wouldn't count on it." Lena had to disappoint her girlfriend. "Not gonna lie: I am getting a bit hacked off with Angela being so bloody strict."

Emily offered her poor, pudgy sweetheart a sympathetic look. She certainly did not relish seeing Lena deprived of ample nourishment.

"On the other hand... om-nom ...she hasn't dragged me to any physicals in a while. In fact I don't think I've even seen her for, like, weeks." All of a sudden Tracer's mouth was full. "So I'm stuck with all these donuts." She waved a half-eaten pastry in front of the camera for emphasis – rather awkwardly what with all the boobs and chins and chunky arm crowding the field of vision.

Emily let out an adoring little chuckle.

"Wha'?" Stuffing the rest of the donut into her mouth, Lena looked dumbfounded – oblivious to the icing she had somehow smeared on the tip of her nose.

"You've got a little something there..." Emily indicated mirthfully before she burst out laughing.

Quite cross-eyed, Lena was trying helplessly to reach the rogue icing with her tongue. Not even  concentrating really, really hard got her any closer.

"Here, let me help you..." Emily said coyly once she had recovered. Leaning forward, she licked at the camera. Slowly, sensually. It stopped Tracer's attempt dead in its tracks. Colour rising in her cheeks, she froze with her eyes wide, mouth agape. Hand resting in the box of donuts next to her bed.

"N-no fair..." Lena muttered, voice tinged with lust. Her free hand played impatiently with the bulging flab of her lovehandle for want of a more pertinent place.

"Sorry darling. I promise to make it up to come Christmas."

In Lena's eyes, lust now mixed with another craving – a heady cocktail Emily had become increasingly familiar with. "Are you doing your dad's roast recipe?" she inquired, now giving her girlfriend her undivided attention.

Emily nodded slyly. "And if you're a good girl: my nana's trifle."

"Blimey..." Tracer moaned before stuffing a whole donut into her mouth to quell her longing. "I godda bri'g my stretch pants."

It was Emily's turn to turn red. Quite clearly she could imagine her girlfriend sprawled at the Christmas dinner table, her belly bulging over the edge while she herself brought out the turkey for yet another course.

While the redhead fantasized, the allure of the promised feast had started to dispel lust from Tracer's mind. Lazily, mechanically, she was stuffing donut after donut into her mouth to satisfy her inflamed appetite. Noticing her girlfriend's strange look, she assured her through a greasy mouthful: "Don't worry, I'm keeping trim until the holidays, luv."

Emily's confused face begged further explanation.

"Brigitte – you know, Torbjörn's kid – has been dragging me to the training hall a ton lately. I dunno what the deal is, but she's super-stoked to see me run." Lena munched lazily on a donut stub, striking a figure that couldn't be any less athletic if she tried. "She and Genji keep saying it's just 'light training' but I tell you, I'm knackered."

"Aww you poor dear," Emily half-smiled, tutting sympathetically. "Come to mummy and let her take proper care of you over the holidays. You can put your feet up and get some rest."

"You're the best, Em," Lena said fondly, doing her best to appear ragged and pitiable. "Lookin' forward to it!"

"Anything for my hero." Emily blew her a kiss before her eyes glanced down at the time: "Oh shoot, I have to go. Love you, darling! See you soon! Enjoy your donuts."

Unmoving, Lena returned the kiss languidly, inadvertently rolling her ample double chin in the process. "Aye, aye!" she complied, before punctuating the broadcast with a small belch.

Plascrate of confiscated goods in hand, Pharah could just barely make out the sound of voices from Tracer's room as she went past. Reminded how out of shape the ex-pilot was from bad eating habits, the security officer hastened her stride.

Her eagerness to be rid of her load bolstered by thinking of the bloated Brit, Pharah quickly made her way over to Dr. Ziegler's office. She nudged the call button on the door, but once again got no reply. After waiting patiently, she pushed it again on impulse, then two more times.

Silently chiding herself for the immature display, the security officer sighed and gave up. Just as she turned to leave, the comm crackled to life.

"Zzz... hmm? What's... who's there?"

Before Fareeha could reply to the doctor's incoherent question, the door slid open. Keen to get this over with, she stepped inside without a second thought.

"Mmmh... was ist los...?" Mercy muttered so sleepily it seemed she had opened the door only by accident.

"Dr. Ziegler, I just wanted to ask you what I should–" Fareeha peered into the barely lit room. Her eyes adjusting to the dark, she cut herself off with a gasp.

[weirdmixofweirdness]

The New Chase Brody

A year and a half. That was how long it had been since Jacksepticeye slipped into a coma. Not only that, but Schneeplestein-the one source of protection for the Septics- disappeared trying to save the Irishman. This left Jackieboyman, Marvin the Magician, Chase Brody, and Jameson Jackson defenseless against resident glitch, Antisepticeye. Each day, the egos got together to discuss how they would both wake their creator up, and bring the good doctor back.

“The fans are starting to realize that Jack’s gone,” the magician said at the start of one of their meetings. He took Schneep’s place as leader after the doctor went missing. Oddly enough, he was the only remaining Septic ego with a solid head on his shoulders. “We need to convince them that everything is okay.” Hints of guilt could be found in his voice, as well as on the face of his fellow egos. “I hate lying to them as much as you guys, but their attention gives that glitchy bastard more power.” As the magician paused, a fearful aura filled the air. The Septics were all aware that Anti’s power came from their creator’s community. “So, does anyone have any ideas?” He looked directly at the others, waiting for suggestions. The room fell silent for a short moment, until Jameson pointed at Chase Brody. All eyes were now on the young ego. He appeared to be zoned out, unaware of what was happening around him.

“What about Chase?” The red superhero was just as dumbfounded as Marvin was.

“He does a stupendous impression of Jack,” the black and white ego signed.

“Trying to imitate him has done nothing but make the fans more suspicious!” Jackieboyman raised his voice, causing the mute Septic to flinch. The magician suddenly thought back to when Chase would jokingly pretend to be Jack. The young ego nailed his impression, from the voice, to the facial expressions, to the laugh. He could even mimic the green bean’s small mannerisms. The meaning of what Jameson said was now clear to him.

“Actually, I think he might be onto something,” the hero looked at him with anger in his eyes. Before the hero can respond, Marvin continues to speak. “He impersonates Jack better than we ever could,” Brody’s head remained in the clouds as his fellow Septics continued to talk. “He has a pretty good chance of convincing the community,” as Jackieboy proceeds to pout and cross his arms, the magician turns around to face the daydreaming ego. “Chase?” Brody continued to look out into the distance. “Chase,” he repeated, with a firmer tone this time. Still no reaction from the young father. “Chase!” Marvin finally shouted, causing the former youtuber to jump out of his skin. He quickly shakes off his fear, ashamed of causing a scene.

“Sorry, I was...thinking about other things.” More specifically, he was thinking about his ex-wife, Stacy, and his young children. Ever since the divorce, Chase has developed a form of depression; one that just keeps getting worse and worse. “What do you need?” Brody asked in a quiet voice.

“Can you still do your impression of Jack?” Marvin’s question makes Chase scrunch up his face in utter confusion.

“Yeah, I think so,” his voice became hesitant. “Why?” He asked.

“We,” Marvin faced the angry ego, placing emphasis on this first word. “Want you to impersonate Jack until we can wake him up.” Jameson nodded his head in agreement.

“Why would you want me to...?” Chase was instantly cut off by his magical fellow ego.

“Come on, you even made Signe believe you were him.” Jack’s girlfriend wasn’t particularly easy to trick, so pulling that off was really something. “If you can convince her, you can convince anybody, maybe even millions of people.” The young father’s head dropped down in emotional turmoil.

“Guys...I don’t think I’m r-ready to be in front of a camera yet. I’m all over the place right now and....” the young ego paused, sighing deeply to prevent tears from breaking through. Out of nowhere, a pair of arms wrap him in a warm hug. Chase turns to find Jameson hugging on his side. Marvin and Jackieboyman soon join in, pulling the Brody into a tight embrace, the hero forgetting for a moment about his anger. The magician adds to his comfort by rubbing on the young father’s back with his free hand.

“I can’t even imagine how hard it must be for you.” Tears made their way down Marvin’s cheeks as he hears his fellow ego break out into sobs. “But Jack needs us, Schneep needs us, the community needs us.” At this, the former youtuber’s crying came to a sudden halt. When he created Bro Average, everything he did was done to spread joy to his audience. He wanted nothing more than a happy, positive fan base, just like Jack. Chase broke out of the group hug, rubbing the fallen tears off of his eyes.

“I’ll do it.”

“Are you sure?” Jackieboyman asked, still worried about him. Whatever Rae he had before was gone at this point.

“The community needs Jack.” The young ego seemed to be suddenly more sure of himself. “And I don’t wanna let them down, now do I?” S smile forms on the young man’s face, eminating the positivity of his creator. “Let’s serve them some PMA!”

Okay, so that was my first attempt at fan fiction. If you have any suggestions or writing tips, please reply to me with them. My writing technique is kinda crappy right now, so I’m 100% open to learning ways to improve that.

Thank you for reading! I hope the rest of your day is good and weird. Bye! 👋

[thekrazykeke]

Title: Best I Ever Had

Fandom(s): Black Panther, MCU

Relationship(s): T’Challa x reader. T’Challa & Okoye. Reader x OC. Ayo & reader.

Request: Any time I read a story about Reader fucking up or not doing right by Tchalla she’s either evil or he just leaves her crying in the dust. I want a fic where she fucks up but apologizes, confesses how much she really loves him and is just scared, and HE. FORGIVES. AND LOVES. HER. And she shows him how much she loves him...wink wink. Basically what we do for Erik in these docs where he fuck up but we forgive him! Except Reader and his level of fucked up! Thank you!

Requester: Anonymous

Summary: I’m not afraid of commitment. I’m afraid of surrendering control too quickly, of putting my heart in hands that do not know how to hold it.

Warning(s): Angst, bad decisions, fluff

(Suffer with me) @adiafegan @wikiwakanda @melaninmarvel

Honestly, T’Challa is a cinnamon roll and if anyone’s unhappy in a relationship, just end it. I give that advice every time, you do more damage staying with somebody who you honestly don’t even like because you scared to be alone/lonely. That’s fucked up, so just let that person go, let them be with someone who can appreciate them. Anywho! I know it’s probably implied in the request about ‘Erik’s level of fucked up’ meaning she is supposed to be having an affair/cheating but I couldn’t go through with the whole thing because I’ma sucka. 

#CheatersNeverProsper

~

You had been born in a country that didn’t want you and fighting against a system designed to keep you at the bottom, scrambling for scraps. Being black in America meant that from jump street, you’re at a disadvantage. Even more so, you’re a black woman, and that comes with it’s own set of stereotypes and little boxes to be checked off so other minorities and Caucasians can feel justified in their treatment of you. 

Be too loud, then you hood. Talk too soft, then you shy, overlooked. Dress conservatively, you a square. Show some skin and you a ho. So what do you do with these mixed messages thrown in your face all the time? 

Not give a fuck!

Or at the very least, master the art of pretending to not give a fuck. 

Mama taught you to be independent and how to take care of yourself, pay your bills on time and be a lady. Daddy had a gambling addiction and while he could be sweet as gold, the pipe dream of hitting big and being a millionaire is too tempting for him to kick; you learned that some people are just lost causes.

The core lessons stuck. 

Throughout your life, you bumped your head, stumbled and got lost trying to find who you are as a person. You lost friends along the way, chasing your dreams. Romanticist to the core but you’d been played too many times to the point where you knew all the tricks; you ended up being the one calling the shots in relationships. 

No one had the power to hurt you anymore because you wouldn’t let them. 

One night them and move on, that’s the number one rule. 

Until T’Challa Udaku. 

He swept in your life and thrown everything out of wack. You was used to the hood niggas, fools who wanted you to spread your legs and close your mouth or the hoteps who were fake ‘woke’ and wanted you to be ‘all natural’ and worship them for breathing. Workplace hook ups were entirely too messy. Businessmen, lawyers, doctors, etc. were serious about their craft but they tended to prioritize work over relationships in your limited scope of experience. 

This man, though? 

He was...He is good. 

He treated you with respect, listened to and valued your opinion. Had no issue with spending money on you and wouldn’t complain about the price for anything, opened doors for you and treated you as if you were important, beautiful. T’Challa is one of those rare, one of a kind people and for some reason he wanted you. Can you imagine that? You, one of the many translators that the U.N. had employed but out of everyone there during the press conference where he made history by announcing on live television that Wakanda would be more involved in the world, and share it’s resources, after decades of isolationism, it’s you who caught the attention of a king?

Talk about surreal. 

Admittedly, you thought that T’Challa was just after some easy pussy. You wasn’t no ugly bitch, you’re confident enough to say that much, but you didn’t have time for other people’s foolishness, not even, maybe even especially, a king. Thus, you ignored the chemistry between y’all and tried to keep from lusting over his sexy, polite ass. 

It’s an exercise in failure. 

The first time you ended up in his bed, or to be specific, in a ritzy upscale hotel and he’s all up in ya guts, hitting your G-spot and making you see stars, the morning after, you blamed it on being drunk even though all you did was nurse a beer all night. You tried to sneak up outta there without causing a scene but the Dora Milaje caught you; Okoye didn’t think much of you but your presence seemed to amuse Ayo, her amusement growing when T’Challa joined y’all in the hallway and dismissed them. He wanted to see you again and you made up an excuse for why you couldn’t, or so you tried. It’s a little hard to stick to your guns when he’s french kissing you so sensually and skillfully, reminiscent of when his tongue had played wit yo punani...

Long story short, he’d gotten his way, much to your (delayed) irritation.

Again and again, y’all linked up and the dicking down that you got is always good. Your prerogative is to keep your distance and although you had tried, there’s just something about T’Challa that drew you in, made the walls around your heart trembled and shivered with the need, the want to come down and let him in, especially when he’s open with you. Somehow this had been going on for a month before he asked you if you would date him and despite your misgivings, despite the instinctive response to deflect and retreat, you told him yes. Yes, you told him even though you wouldn’t allow him to come to your house. Or meet any family members. Yes, you told him and while you liked him, truthfully, you’re sprung and in love, you still tried to remain a sense of separation, of independence because that’s all you knew and the rings of self-preservation crawled up your spine every day that you spent at his side and he proved to be a genuinely good man. 

Good men didn’t love like damaged women such as you.

The two of y’all had been together for just under four months now and it’s clear that he wants more. Hell, he deserves more, deserves better. And part of you wants to give in and trust that T’Challa will catch you, each time your mouth opens to throw caution to the wind, you become frozen and chicken out. Maybe it’s that type of vulnerability which Sebastian DeMarco, your ex, sensed and capitalized on, suggesting that y’all get drinks and catch up while he’s in town. Any other day, you’d have refused, cited work, going to church on Sunday, or any other random thing you could think up. 

No, not this time, this time, you said yes. And you didn’t tell T’Challa about it. You said that you were working late and that you’d see him tomorrow. He’d texted back an affirmative, the response a little more clipped than usual since y’all had gotten into an argument earlier. 

For the first time in awhile, you didn’t think about anything or anyone’s feelings, let alone your own. You got turnt the fuck up, bih! It was so much fun, so easy to get a rush of this type of energy. Sebastian had always been fun type, wild and carefree, why hadn’t you hung out with him again before now?

Turning to ask him, you blink when his lips are on yours. 

Just as you go to shove at his chest and demand what the fuck--

“Y/N.” 

Oh. No. 

Heart beginning to pound with anxiety, drunkenness starting to wear off, you turn to see that it’s T’Challa and another male, some resemblance to him, possibly his cousin that he sometimes talked about? 

“Ba--” You try to take a step toward him while the other guy immediately went after Sebastian (”Wassup, nigga!?” “Whoa, whoa, whoa, bro, I’m just tryna smash!”). 

“You told me that you were working late.” T’Challa stated, voice frighteningly blank. “You lied to me.”

“I just needed a night to myself.” The minute to those words leave your mouth, you know it’s a mistake. Hurt flashes across his face before his features become frighteningly blank. 

“Do not worry. You can have the rest of your nights to yourself, from here on out, Y/N Y/L/N.” He says in the coldest tone you’ve ever heard from him. “N’Jadaka!” Calling out sharply to the other, at the corner of your eye, you see that Sebastian’s face is a mess of bruises and bloody. “Let us go. We are done here.” 

“Nigga, is you forreal?! He kisses yo girl and you letting his punk ass walk away breathing?”

“T’Challa, please.” You try to plea, but he ignores you.

“Now, cousin.” As T’Challa turns to go, you reach out for his hand and he dodges your touch. “Do not---!” Biting back words, he shook his head, disappointed and disgusted.  

You stand there, trembling with suppressed emotions, watching as he got further and further away from you, his cousin chewing him out,  tears in your eyes and a lump in your throat. Leaving Sebastian groaning on the ground, you find a cafe and have the owner call you a cab. Once you arrive at home, you stand in your empty, lonely apartment. Hand going to your head, you walk past a mirror hanging on the wall, pausing as you catch sight of yourself. 

You look shell-shocked, dumbfounded. Like a woman who had the world in her hands but lost it because she was an idiot. A surge of anger flows through you and you yank the mirror off the wall, flinging it. 

Shards of glass decorating the wooden floor. 

Pressing the heels of your hands into your eyes, you laugh and laugh and laugh. Until you cry. For the longest, you just stand there, shoulders shaking and breath seizing your throat as you tried to be silent in your misery. 

And things do not look brighter in the morning. In fact, things look absolutely shitty. Your head hurts because you’re hungover, you can’t talk because your voice is scratchy and you just look like a straight up mess because you fell asleep on the couch, without a bonnet or scarf or nothing. 

Wolf Woman is a thing now. 

If you had the power of time travel, you’d rewind back to two days ago, when you’re in another fancy hotel room, T’Challa tracing the words, ‘I love you’ into your skin while you were ‘asleep’. You cry in the shower because of that. You cry while making breakfast. 

You cry before you leave out for work.

Sebastian calls you while on break and you let it go straight to voicemail. Then delete his number and contact info that he’d snuck into your phone yesterday. God, was it really just yesterday when your whole world came crashing down? Fingers hovering over the buttons, you stare at the screen for a new text message, leg bouncing up and down with anxiety. What do you say, what could you say? Exhaling roughly, you send him the address to your apartment and turn off your cellphone, because you’re a coward. 

Even now you’re trying to protect yourself from more pain and rejection. 

If he doesn’t show up, he doesn’t show up. You’ll accept it. Leave his life and let him move on with someone else. That’s what a good person would do, right? Right, and you’re trying to be better. Throughout the day, you try to focus, but it’s pointless as your mind keeps going back to him and you know your boss is irritated by your behavior but you’re not called out on it, thankfully.

When you get home, it’s not T’Challa waiting for you, but Okoye and Ayo. 

You’re barely able to get a foot out of the car before the General of the Dora Milaje is on you and not in a sexy way, but in a threatening, I will end you type of manner. Her elbow is braced against your throat, applying pressure and she smacks the shit out of you more than once. Literally, you don’t think you have any taste left in your mouth or feeling in your face before Ayo pulls her off.

“Have you no shame?!” The fierce, bald woman demanded, her eyes wild, angry.

“General...General, stop.” 

“You think that because he is soft for you that you can treat our king in any manner--” Ayo blocks her before she can lunge at you again. “I should kill you!”

“I just want to see him.” You say, calm and even toned, heart racing with adrenaline. 

“And you think you have the right?!” Okoye presses a hand on Ayo’s shoulder, about to push her aside but Ayo isn’t budging. “I knew you were not right for him...I told him, I knew it!”

Before you can come up with something witty or smart-alecky to get another smack across the face, “That is not up to you.” 

Okoye ceases trying to murder you for the moment, “Kumkani...”

Ayo hesitantly let her go. 

“We will discuss this breach of trust and insubordination later.” T’Challa says calmly, as if he hadn’t just probably witnessed that embarrassing one sided fight. “Dismissed.” 

“Kumkani...” Disbelief coats Okoye’s voice and features. Ayo, however, merely crossed her arms in the Wakandan salute, marching away. “T’Challa, are you really going to just forgive...” Looking at you with disgust, she closes her mouth, curtly nodded before she also saluted and marched away.

Silence lingers between the two of you for several seconds. 

“Do you want to...come in? Talk, maybe.”

“I do not think that is the best idea.” T’Challa stated, clipped and short. “I should be going as well. I only followed them because I wanted to know what all the secrecy was about and now I have my answer. It does not interest me.”

“Please, T’Challa...” Hand on his wrist, you’re surprised that he allows this. But also, you’re elated because only a day without him and you think that you’re going crazy. You had spent so long with his arms around you, in constant contact, that now that you’re on you’re own, you’re constantly cold, bereft. “Please, just five minutes. Please.”

T’Challa half turned to face you, looking down at you with a blank expression, “I told you that I was done with you.” 

“You’re going to throw away me away for one kiss that I didn’t even initiate?” Again, you’re putting your foot in your mouth. “He kissed me. He kissed me, I didn’t want it.”

He scoffed. “Yet you let him kiss you all the same.”

“I was going to push him away. You came across us before I even got the chance--” His hand is on yours now, he’s trying to get you to let go. “I’m telling the truth, T’Challa, please. If you would just listen to me...”

“You had months to talk to me!” T’Challa shouted. Then when he realized you were staring at him with huge eyes, his normal soft tone returned, “You had months and you chose to just lead me on. Making a fool of me, Okoye was r--”

And you couldn’t stand this anymore. “I was scared, okay?!” Apparently today is the day for dramatic outbursts. “I was t-terrified....of the way...that you make me feel and I...” Vision going blurry with tears, they fell down your cheeks unchecked. “When I get scared, I try and push the problem away but I didn’t want to push you away. And I’m sorry I’m difficult and mean and I don’t always know how to talk about... about anything, but I love you. It’s scary because you see through me sometimes and I can’t...I can’t...” Hiccuping, you let go of his wrists to cover your face, trying to maintain some dignity. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for wasting your time. I’m sorry.” 

This is it, the end of the road, sis.

You had made your pitch and now that he’d seen you for the pathetic, waste of space that you are, just like you promised, you’d let him g--

T’Challa gently gripped each of your wrists, moving your hands out of the way. Embarrassment welled through you and in reaction, even more tears fell down your face. You want to stop crying but it’s so difficult and this isn’t cute or right, tears are not to be used like weapons against people that you loved, after all. “...Do you realize that this is most you have confided in me since we met?”

Guilt stabbed through you. “I’m sorry.” 

“Stop saying that.” He lets your wrists go and you let them drop to your sides. “...I was hurt by you kissing that man, yes. Or he kissed you, there is no real difference. But more than that, I was hurt that you lied to me about your whereabouts. I thought I needed time and space away from you, and while I am irritated by Okoye’s actions and interference in my personal matters, her concerns are well placed.”

Swiping at your eyes, you try to get ahold of yourself, “I know.” You bite your bottom lip to avoid apologizing again.

He lifts your chin, making you look at him. “Do you know? Do you understand how cruel you have been to me?” T’Challa doesn’t let you get a word in edgewise and keeps speaking, “We would probably both be better off and better people if we stop seeing each other.” You try and look away but again, he makes you keep eye contact. 

“But like the fool that I am, weak as you make me, I still love you.”

Then much to your astonishment, T’Challa is crying too. 

You probably look like two idiots, crying outside like that and making gossip for your neighbors, but you don’t care. For once, the facade of being a strong, take no shit type of woman is the last thing on your mind as you blubbered, apologizing over and over again. Eventually though, the two of y’all did migrate to your apartment. The reality that you could have lost him, and very much still could if you didn’t handle your shit like an actual functioning adult and communicate more, hit you full force in the face. 

“‘Challa.” Fingers massaging the pulse point of his left hand, you waited until he hummed, showing that he’s listening, “I love you.” Glancing up, you see that the umber skinned male is watching you. Maintaining eye contact, you guide his hand downdowndown, the fabric of your booty shorts the only obstacle, “I love you and I don’t want anyone else to t-t-to...touch me...” Voice stuttering towards the end as his fingers have disappeared underneath the shorts and his long middle finger dips into your puss til the knuckle, sinking in and out, in and out. Hips rising of their accord, wanting more of that touch, still, you tried to stay on script. With shaking, unsteady fingers, you got the zipper of his pants down. When he added another finger, brushing up against your G-spot teasingly, you went a bit cross eyed before you clenched your eyes shut.

T’Challa smacked you on the ass, hard, causing you to flinch and moan. “Do not stop. This is about me right now, not you, and if you cum on my fingers before I am inside you...”

Oh God, the thought of cumming on this man’s fingers. Pulling down his boxers, his dick came free, saluting you practically; your lips find the mushroom head, kissing the tip before swirling your tongue around, collecting pre. You heard him let out a quiet hiss, abdominal muscles tensing and flexing before he relaxed, and rewarded you by adding one more finger. Deciding to be a bit of a tease too, you massaged his balls gently, kissing along either side of his cock for a few seconds and just before he could warn you again, you took him in your mouth. His hand is on the nape of your neck and his hips rose, making you take more and more, relaxing your jaw, you let him use you, fuck your throat. 

By now, you’re practically soaking his hand and maybe even the couch. 

You could probably cum from this. 

As if sensing wayward train of thought, T’Challa removed his fingers and you let his dick fall out of his mouth without being told. 

“Come here.” There’s no way that you’d disobey. Half rising up, you straddle his waist, legs thrown over either side of him and you sloowly sink down on his cock. T’Challa’s hands are on your hips, fingers slightly bruising when you’re finally seated and he’s buried to the hilt. You have to pause for a second there because he’s not some small guy. It’s only when you’re squeezing his shoulder and wiggling in his lap does he start thrusting. The rhythm is slow and drawn out, he doesn’t rush to get off and he’s not going to let you off that easy either, you belatedly realize when you shuck off your shirt and his head dips to take a nipple in his mouth. 

T’Challa knows your body so well and he has the restraint to edge you over and over again, asking in a calm, almost unruffled tone, who you belong to, who is fucking you so good, and each time, you answer him, all but screaming himhimhim, you belonged to him. And just when you thought that you couldn’t take it anymore, he changed up the game again, delivering short, hard strokes to your G-spot, fucking you so good, so right and when you came all over his dick, screaming his name and probably disturbing your neighbors, but who cared cuz the dick was too bomb-- His spine stiffened and his hips stuttered as you clamped down around him, trying to suck him for every last drop of cum as he came inside you. Leaning heavily against T’Challa’s chest, you can feel his own heart thundered beneath your ear, “I love you.”

You heard him snort. 

Then his hand circled the nape of your neck, thumb caressing the skin. 

“I love you too.”

Not everything is magically fixed between the two of you, even with the best dick session to help things along, and the both of y’all knew that. But this was a start, y’all were going to work it out, then maybe, hopefully, be better in the future.

[miraculouslbfangirl]

Complications - 6 - Identities

Chap 1    Chap 5    Chap 7

“Plagg, do you think that I have something to do with Luka breaking up with Marinette?” Adrien asked when he finished his homework. He couldn’t take off his head the news Nino had told him.

“Didn’t Nino tell you Luka’s going to America?” Plagg asked when he swallowed his cheese.

“Yes, but they were arguing and I kinda stepped in… I’m not sure if I helped. I mean… I wanted to help, but he didn’t seem convinced. What if I added to their situation?” the sensation that he had caused their rupture was unsettling.

“Kid, just relax. You did what you could. If the guy is jealous of you it’s not your fault.” Adrien laughed.

“Why would he be jealous of me, plagg? You’re funny sometimes.”

Plagg took another bite of his cheese and munched it deliberately slow trying to keep his mouth busy. He wanted so badly to spill the beans; he needed a distraction so he did the only thing that would keep him from opening his mouth.

“You know what. Why don’t you take a stroll? It might help you.”

His chosen looked at him suspiciously, but didn’t question. He wouldn’t miss on the opportunity to transform without Plagg complaining.

“Thanks, Plagg claws out.”

Plagg was right leaping over the rooftops, feeling the breeze caressing his face blowing his hair helped to settle his mind, even though he still wanted to talk to Marinette. Chat Noir looked at the direction of her house. There was a chance that she was on her balcony just like that other day when she was sad. If she was there he could pretend to be passing by and pry some information.

To his disappointment, she wasn’t there. He went towards the Eiffel Tower then, not quite prepared to return to his house. He wasn’t expecting to see Ladybug lying under the night sky, a blank expression on her face. Chat took a moment to admire her beauty; he shook his head realizing that it wasn’t right.

“Stargazing, My lady?” he asked sitting near her.

“Rough day. Lay here with me, kitty” she tapped the place beside her.

“If you want to talk, I’m all ears. I have two pairs by the way.” He chuckled, but she said nothing. They stayed in a comfortable silence contemplating the stars for some time.

“Sometimes I wonder how she is” Ladybug said.

”Who?”

“Your girlfriend. You’ve never talked about her. How is she, Chat?” she turned her body to look at him resting her head in one hand.

She wasn’t sure of what motivated her question. Maybe she just hoped that he had made up a girlfriend and with Luka out of the way they could be together.

“Well… she is a beautiful girl, same age as me; her hair is the same shade as yours. I think that it was the first thing I noticed about her. She’s funny and kind too.”

“Are you happy with her? What’s your relationship like?”

He thought for a moment and Ladybug clung to the possibility that he was making something up.

“We have similar family background, so we understand each other; we also have many common interests. She is kind of crazy about you, that’s definitely a problem. We have so much fun together and best of all, my friends love her.” He may not have realized how passionate he was when talking about her, but Ladybug felt her hopes dissolve in thin air. She returned to look at the sky. “What about your boyfriend? You don’t talk about him either.” He asked.

“We broke up.” She said emotionless.

“What?!” Chat rose up in surprise. Was the universe playing tricks on him? The two girls he liked were free again. “Ah… sorry, you took me by surprise.”

“I told you it was a matter of time that he would think I was cheating on him. It happened. Today, actually. We had set a date to the time the akuma stroke.”

“During the battle I figured that you were needed somewhere… Was it bad? I mean… was he angry? He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Chat was concerned; cheating was something that some guys didn’t handle well.

“No, Chat. He’s a nice guy. We’re good, still friends. He was going to break up with me anyway.”

“Why?”

“He got an invitation to join a band in America. It was something he had wanted for a while.”

Chat’s heart sped up. It can be just a coincidence. He reminded himself.

“He just used the cheating thing as an excuse then.”

“No, but it made his decision easier. He wasn’t believing my excuse that I was hiding from the akuma, not exactly thinking that I was cheating… but a friend of mine showed up and said that I was with him before the attack. My boyfriend… ex-boyfriend thought that I was cheating on him with my friend.”

Chat felt sick in the stomach, Ladybug was Marinette. Too many coincidences to not be her and it meant that he was the one responsible for them breaking up. He gulped.

“It was your friend’s fault then.” He was afraid of her answer. She must be blaming him, hating even.

“He was just trying to help. It would have been just a white lie and actually work if my boyfriend wasn’t aware that he is the boy I like.” She glanced up at him when she heard him moan “Chat, are you alright?” Ladybug got up quickly as she saw his state.

He was pale, hands slightly shaking, looking like he was about to faint. She put both her hands in his shoulders and shook him.

“Chat, what happened? Talk to me, please.”

He slowly left his state of inertia and looked in her eyes. “I’m an idiot. A complete, utterly idiot. You’ve liked me all this time and I failed to see it.” He turned away from her pacing the Eiffel Tower.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“You will” he stared at her “claws in”.

Ladybug shielded her eyes from the light not getting how knowing his identity could make her understand him, but when she looked at him everything fell into place. The boy she loved, the one she claimed to know everything about was her partner, and she had rejected him because for him.

“You…” she couldn’t form a sentence.

“See. I am the idiot that helped to set you up with Luka and then got mad because you were dating him.”

Her mind was racing. She raised her hand to him. “Time. I need some time.” She managed to say with her eyes closed.

She sat on the ground trying to understand the mess that they have created. He sat not far away from her, but kept a safe distance. Plagg chose not to interfere.

“We are both idiots” she said at last. “I rejected you for you and now I’m in love with both sides of you.” She groaned in frustration.

“I thought that if Marinette was happy with someone else it would be easier to control my feelings.” He noticed her surprised expression. “I’m in love with both sides of you too.” He smiled at her.

“I understand now why Master Fu advised me to reveal our identities. However the damage was already done.”

“I’m sorry about Luka. I thought I was helping.” He couldn’t look at her ashamed.

“Don’t be. I manage to convince him I wasn’t cheating. I told you we’re fine.”

“Well…” Adrien took a deep breath for courage “you and Luka are not together anymore and it’s clear that we have strong feelings for each other. There’s nothing holding us back, we can be tog…”

“Are you crazy?” she cut him off “You are forgetting something big here Adrien.” he looked confused and she couldn’t believe this. “You have a girlfriend.”

“Oh, yeah, I do, but it’s just a matter of breaking up with her.”

Her expression was one of pure horror.

“You can’t just say that. Minutes ago you were all happy telling about how good your relationship is. Have you forgotten that I see you with her on a daily basis? You can’t convince me that you don’t like her. Not when you are so comfortable with her.”

“You’re right. I have a girlfriend and shouldn’t even have mentioned that. I’m sorry, I don’t want to spoil things between us.” She got up and he followed suit.

“Are you able to transform again?” he looked at Plagg and nodded “I’m going then”.

He watched her leave with his hands in his pockets.

“Are you just going to let her go like this?” Plagg was confused.

“There’s nothing I can do at this moment. My hands are tied.”

“But…” Plagg was dumbfounded.

 Marinette arrived late at school looking beaten. It was expected after the end of her relationship with Luka, so no one questioned her. Adrien was quieter, but talked normally with everybody, including her. He was clearly making an effort to keep their friendship, but could she?

Marinette was at the lockers when she witnessed the look of happiness plastered on Adrien’s face as he saw Kagami arriving for fencing. He circled her shoulders with his arm and said something to her that Marinette wasn’t able to hear. She hid when they passed near her not wanting him to know she was there. When they were out of sight she slid her back against the locker sitting on the ground, tears threatening to fall.

“Oh girl! I didn’t know you liked Luka this much.” Alya that was talking to Nino nearby approached kneeling beside her. Marinette cried in her shoulder for a while, but eventually calmed down. “Do you want me to go to your house later?”

“No” she wiped her tears “I’ll help my parents at the bakery and then I’m gonna rest. I didn’t sleep well this night.”

“If you need me, don’t hesitate to call.” Alya said as she helped her friend get up.

“Thanks.”

Marinette looked at her purse where Tikki was. She wasn’t going to rest; she was going to Master Fu’s to return her Miraculous hoping that he could understand her reasons.

[spookadoop]

On My Own (Harry Hook) Part Two

“You swore you’d never hurt me”

“You swore you’d never leave me On My Own”

Part One, Part Two, Part Three

“Tell me this is some kind of sick joke,” You remarked, staring at the two boys in front of you. Jay and Carlos exchanged an uneasy look.

“You’re telling me you took Ben, King Ben of Auradon, to the Isle where most people want nothing more than to see him strung up by his thumbs!?” You exclaimed, suddenly ashamed to be an acquaintance of the two boys. “And you thought that he wouldn’t be kidnapped!?”

“I never said we thought it was a good idea,” Carlos mumbled, looking down at the sharp look given by you.

“And now you want me to come with you on some sort of rescue mission to get him back from Uma of all people?” You quizzed, hoping it all was just some sick joke.

“On the bright side, you can go see your dad!” Jay tried to throw in before making a grimace. “Never mind, that’s not a good thing…”

Carlos worried his lip before his face lit up. “You could rub in their faces how good you’re doing.”

“I’m in.”

Your hands were shaking by the time you reached Pirate’s Bay and laid your eyes on Uma’s ship. The crew still looked as raggedy as you remembered in their war paint. They looked like a kindergartener’s finger-painting project gone wrong.

“Hey guys! They’re here!” A pirate you could easily place as being Gil, the loveable son of Gaston, called out to the crew below him.

You could practically feel your blood pressure rising when Harry’s voice filled your head.

“Welcome!” He called, pushing a terrified Ben to the Plank. Oh how you wanted to knock that grin off his pretty little face. Without thinking your hand came to grasp at the handle of the sword tucked into your belt. Jay gave you a concerned look, as if asking if you were gonna be alright fighting against the pirate if worse came to worse.

You just gave a nod before turning to train your eyes on the blue-haired sea witch, tensing slightly from your spot beside Carlos when she mentioned the killer sharks. Dumb witch, you thought to yourself. Sharks only attacked when provoked or threatened. Auradon taught you that.

Carlos nudged you slightly, motioning with his eyes to the hook-wielding pirate that was slowly but surely making his ways towards Uma and Mal. You may not particularly like the daughter of Maleficent, but you knew how unpredictable Harry could be, so you hopped onto the wooden railing of the docks, crouching down beside Mal with a hand on your sword.

You could tell he was pretending to not notice you, anyone could see that. But you could also see that your presence was unnerving the young brunet from the way he quickly started to fly off the handle. You could only grit your teeth at Uma as she gripped his hook and pulled him away from the two of you. Though, of course the flirt couldn’t without winking and blowing a mocking kiss in your direction.

It seems time didn’t change him at all.

As he made his way back to Ben, you followed his moves, not stopping until you were directly across from the pirate. You didn’t trust him to not shove Ben off the plank for no reason. Frankly, you didn’t trust him to not hook the poor King. The thought alone put you on edge. And from the devilish grin worn by the pirate as he caught your eye, you knew that he knew exactly what was going through your mind.

You could see the grin drop when Mal moved to give Uma the wand, before being stopped by the king. You could practically smell the smoke coming from the use his rarely-operated brain. Either he was dumbfounded that his captain’s plan actually worked… or he knew something was off, he knew there was no way Mal would give up the wand that easily.

You really hoped it was the first option.

You were relieved when he dropped the look, replaced by a grin at Ben trying to bargain with Uma. Maybe he was dumber than he looked. You knew it was a lie, but the thought made you feel better about your breakup all those months ago. Because, as much as you didn’t want to admit it, you’re a petty ex.

Panic began to set in once Uma demanded Mal prove the wand worked. You guys were screwed. But, like usual, Mal prevailed, using Dude-the-now-talking-dog to fake a spell.

“Give me the wand!” Uma demanded seconds later, holding her hand out. Was she always this demanding?

“Give me Ben!” Mal shot back. Uma gave her a grin before calling Harry over. Once again, you followed his movements to be by Mal’s side. You may not have been the strongest, but you knew Harry’s weak spots if Uma were to try and trick you.

You gave a slight laugh as you heard Gil inform Ben about how Gaston wishes he had finished off Ben’s dad when he had a chance. You knew it was true as it was the only thing Gaston ever spoke about. Well, that and Belle. And how incredibly thick his neck is…..You made sure to not come across him often.

Harry pushed Ben to the ground in front of Mal before drawing his sword, you made sure to do the same. You raised your gaze to meet his when he spoke.

“Aw, what’s the matter? Don’t ya trust me, lass?” He asked softly, a mocking pout forming on his face. But, it didn’t match the wickedness in his eyes.

“Cut him loose, Harry,” Uma instructed, eyes trained on Mal and the wand. Harry gave a huff, “I never get to have any fun.”

“Yeah, Harry, listen to your Master,” You remarked, smirking at the evil glare you received in return. Like you said before, you’re a petty ex.

Mal pulled Ben away from the two pirates as Uma rushed to the deck of her ship. Harry lingered, eyes not leaving yours before slowly following his Captain. You had to help Mal pull Ben away from the ship. He wasn���t the brightest King if he didn’t see through the plan. You suddenly worried if your life was in the right hands if he couldn’t tell it was a fake wand.

Uma quickly snapped the plastic wand in two upon realizing it was a fake. And then all hell broke loose. Smoke bombs and pirates alike were flying through the air as you suddenly regretted not practicing sword fighting since you left the Isle.

“Please don’t let me get my hand cut off. I don’t wanna look like Harry’s dad,” you whined before joining in on the fight.

Your eyes widened as you spotted Harry jumping into the water after his father’s hook. Though, you didn’t miss the opportunity to snatch his hat up from the dock. You placed it on your head with a smirk, “Mine now!”

Turning around and quickly ducking, you narrowly avoided getting your head cut off by an overly salty pirate. Pausing to giggle quickly at your own joke, you swiped the sword out of his hand, followed by a swift kick to the crotch that knocked him onto his knees. “Honestly, does she not train you guys at all? It’s almost sad,” You tsked, pushing him off the dock and into the water.

You cussed under your breath when you noticed Ben going against Harry, but then paused. Harry Hook, the son of a pirate, whom would try to behead anyone that dared look at his sisters wrong, was undoubtedly… getting his ass handed to him by a King that had never been in an actual sword fight in his life, literally with one hand behind his back. And it. Was. Hilarious.

“Y/N, come on!” Carlos called out, grabbing your wrist and pulling you to the tunnel after Evie threw a smoke bomb right in front of the pirates.

Pausing by the disoriented son of Hook, you placed his hat on top of his head before running to join the others. You spared the drenched pirate one last glance before disappearing into the tunnel.

Leaving him alone. Again.

“I know he’s on your mind, Y/N,” the voice of the daughter of Mulan filled your ears as you stared over the side of the boat to the Isle.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Lonnie,” You replied quietly, even though you both knew it was a lie. You knew exactly who she was talking about.

“I’m sure Harry did miss you. He just couldn’t show it with that Uma girl there,” She soothed, rubbing your back gently. You shook your head, turning to lean your back against the rails. she had just been informed on the situation on the ride from Auradon to the Isle, when you had to explain it was the Captain of your ex boyfriend that had taken the king hostage.

“That’s the problem. Even when we were together he was always Uma this, Uma that, Uma- Uma!?”

You failed to hide your surprise (and rage) at seeing the sea witch as she made her way down the stairs to where King Ben stood. You and Lonnie shared a look before rushing over to Mal’s side. You were no expert on relationships- but even you knew that you definitely did not bring your girlfriend’s worst enemy on a date to a dance you’re supposed to be with your girlfriend at.

And the worst thing was, as she stood before you, dressed in a beautiful gown that matched the blue of her hair you could see exactly why Harry would want her instead of you.

“Harry, the cotillion’s on!” The blonde boy yelled to his friend, whom was busy brooding by the window of Ursula’s fish and Chips. Gil sighed, walking over to the brunet. “Staring at Auradon won’t make you any closer to her, you know. But you can see her on TV.”

The pirate stared at him silently before walking to the table in front of the television. He could feel tears well up in his eyes at the sight of you. He missed you a lot, and it took all of his willpower to not show it when you came to the ship. But, he was scared you would try to stay if you knew how pitiful he was without you. He loved you, and there was no doubt about that. But he couldn’t give you everything you deserved if you came back to the Isle. He wanted you to be happy, even if it meant being away from him.

He took a shaky breath, wiping his eyes.

“You look beautiful, lass.”

A few days after the Cotillion Disaster, you were called into the King’s office. From what the letter you received said (though you didn’t see why he just didn’t tell you in one of your many classes together) it was urgent business, not to be discussed with anyone else. You never thought a two minute conversation could have such an impact on your way of breathing.

“After seeing how harsh the conditions are on the Isle, I have decided to bring a few more kids to Auradon,” Ben stated, standing up from his seat behind his desk.

You raised an eyebrow, watching him carefully, “And what does that have to do with me?” You asked.

Ben cleared his throat, awkwardly coming to stand in front of you. This can’t be good.

“Y/N, there’s no easy way to say this after you risked your life to rescue me from the Isle so I’m just going to say it,” He began, arm sliding around your shoulders to give you a friendly, and suspicious, squeeze.

“Harry Hook is coming to Auradon.”

A/N: So, what do you guys think? Is it good enough to have a part three?

[randomfandomimagine]

Sunshine in the Moonlight. Chapter 16: Absent

Fandom: Final Fantasy XV

Pairing: Prompto x Alexandria (OC)

Previous Chapter - Chapter Index - Next Chapter

Wattpad - AO3

For the rest of the journey in train I observed the ring, trying to distract myself and avoid noticing Prompto’s absence. I forced thoughts about the ring of the Lucii and the Crystal to my mind instead, finding an eerie feeling taking over me that worsened the longer I carried the ring.

I refused to talk to any of my friends and decided to become isolated instead for the time being, promising myself to quit that attitude once we arrived to Tenebrae.

Once we reached our destination, we found with Aranea Highwind. Ignis quickly told me about their previous encounters with her. Apparently, she was a valuable force in the imperial forces yet the ex-mercenary had proven herself to be a great ally for ourselves, as she also helped them find the mythril needed to fix the ship that sailed us to Altissia.  Luckily, Aranea lent us two of her men –Wedge and Biggs –and offered them to drive us to Gralea. The Crystal was apparently locked away in there, which allegedly kept the daemons away. Whatever the case, it rightfully belonged to Noctis and he was determined to take it back.

We arrived to the conclusion that the Chancellor was behind everything, as usual, and that he quite possibly had Prompto in his power. I did not like the idea of Ardyn Izunia keeping my sunshine locked away, not one bit. I was also obsessed by the idea that if something happened to him my last words to him weren’t ones of affection. They had been pointless blabber when I could have reminded him of how important he was to me. I promised myself to tell him ‘I love you’ if… when I saw him again.

Once we boarded the train once more, this time with a proper driver, we sat in silence at first. We now had the entire train to ourselves, yet such emptiness felt distressing. It also reminded me of Prompto’s absence, almost like the world was darker without him there with us.

I absently glimpsed at my bracelet, nostalgic about the moment we purchased it back in Altissia. The leather bracelet that matched Prompto’s own. The one that he was so excited to buy because it meant to be sharing something with me.

“Alex” Noctis’ voice caught my attention, and I felt relieved to have something to further distract myself with.

“Hello, Noct” I crossed my arms over my chest, concealing both the ring and the bracelet, and looked up at him with a forced smile. Worryingly silent and solemnly, Noctis sat down in the seat in front of me and stared. I could tell by the expression of his face and the pained look in his pale eyes that he was the bearer of further bad news.

“Look” He began to say, causing my breath to hitch in my throat. “I’m sorry”

“About what?” I anxiously replied, although not quite sure whether I wanted to know or not.

“About Prompto” My friend replied, as though it was obvious.

“Oh” My artificial smile transformed into a sweet and genuine one when I took notice that he was there to comfort me. “Don’t worry about it, it was not your fault”

I leaned forward to place a hand atop of his, knowing he must have felt distraught himself. After all, Prompto was his best friend and he cared deeply about him. Much to my bewilderment, Noctis’ hand slid away from mine, refusing the touch.

“Hasn’t Ignis told you?” His dark thin brows furrowed in shock and astonishment.

“T-Tell me what?” I mentally prayed that if we had more information about our beloved blond, it was positive. Even if my anxiety grew at the possibility that it wasn’t.

“He… didn’t fall off the train” Noctis looked away in shame. “He was pushed”

“Ardyn” I immediately spit out.

“No” He heaved a big sigh before carrying on. “I did it, I… I pushed him”

To me it felt like the train had stopped again, like the world had stopped existing and the only thing I was aware of was the fact that Noctis was confessing to have pushed his best friend off a moving train. Shock was dominating me, making it impossible for me to feel anything else, like anger or sadness or horror.

“How…? Noct, you…” Was all I could let out in astonishment.

“I mean” Noctis corrected himself, very quickly. “Ardyn made me, he tricked me!”

I watched him in silence, still too startled and speechless to manage any coherent words.

“He… disguised himself as Prompto and Prompto as Ardyn. I should have seen through it, but I didn’t, and he tricked me! That son of a bitch made me push my best friend! And now we don’t know where he is or what happened to him or-“

I stood up, not taking it anymore. Instead of relieving my doubts and anguish, that last statement only worsened my nervous condition. Ardyn was involved after all. Of course he was.

“Alex?” Noctis dared to say, seeing as I was not uttering a single word or sound.

I realized then I had stopped in front of the door that gave access to the next car of the train. I hadn’t moved from the spot, holding myself back before completely leaving the scene.

I wanted to blame Noctis, yet I couldn’t. I wanted to shout at him, call him unconscious and stupid. Be furious with him. Cry like crazy. Leave him alone and never speak to him ever again. Give him the silent treatment as a punishment. But I didn’t. I didn’t do any of those things. No. I needed to stop running away, I needed to stop blaming everyone else for my mishaps and my feelings. I needed to be brave and confront my problems instead of childishly resolving to crying or hiding. I needed to start approaching those obstacles with maturity and diplomacy. 

I wondered if it was the ring locked in my fist which caused such an emptiness and dark apathy within me. Yet I felt like I did not have the energy to do nothing but to stand there.

“It’s not your fault” I took a great effort, but I choked out a few words. “It wasn’t you, it was Ardyn”

Noctis was feeling the weight of guilt crushing him at the moment, which added to everything he had in his plate already. His concern for Prompto was definitely as great as mine, and he didn’t need the unnecessary guilt. He would never consciously hurt him. Or any of us, for that matter. He had just fallen victim to one of Ardyn’s tricks and mind games, it happened to the best of us. It would be hypocritical to blame him for a mistake I made in the past as well.

“But I should have realized it wasn’t really Prompto” Noctis was being harsher with himself than I was, he couldn’t truly forgive himself even if I did. “Then he would be here with us”

“It’s so easy to fall into one of his traps…” I feebly turned around and tiredly plopped down back in my seat. “Anyone could have”

“Not anyone” Noctis leaned forward, nervously playing with his hands, and shook his head, mad at himself.

“It happened to me too” I stated, causing him to quickly look up at me in surprise. However, I continued talking when I felt the need to confess that crime, to share that horrible guilt that had been eating me alive ever since it happened back in Altissia. “Ardyn did the same to me and I made the same stupid and horrible mistake”

Noctis’ eyes were wide with shock, his lips silently moving in a dazed attempt to say something. I resolved to carry on explaining before I regretted it or lost my courage.

“While you were fighting the Hydraean, Prompto left to help you”

“He… did… He helped me get there”

“That was Prompto” I nodded, gluing my gaze to the bracelet in my wrist to avoid Noctis’ eyes. “And I thought the person that came to me next was still Prompto, but it was Ardyn”

“What did he do?” Noctis was smart enough to realize Ardyn had used that twisted scheme to hurt me.

“Well, he did say some unnecessary and hurtful words that would only hurt more coming from Prompto… but he also… that bastard…”

“Did he hurt you?”

“Well, he knocked me unconscious but…”

“Alex, what else did he do?” I had never heard Noctis’ voice so cold and serious before, it was almost intimidating all the hatred his voice was laced with.

“I couldn’t help Ignis” My voice broke as I confessed, and the bracelet suddenly blurred when my vision was dimmed because of my sudden tears. “If I had realized that wasn’t Prompto, I would have been able to go back to him and now he wouldn’t be blind”

Noctis didn’t say anything. I just heard him gulping loudly and exhaling a trembling sigh.

“That son of a bitch…” He just repeated in the end, hatred and fury still present in his tone.

This time it was him who stood up in anger and seethed there in silence. I dared not to say anything, feeling like the tension was palpable in the air and the situation seemed fragile like glass. I feared that if I said something, Noctis might break down, or I would.

Suddenly, a hand fell on my shoulder, comfortingly.

“None of that matters now, we can’t change the past” Noctis stated, quite in a wise fashion, I must add. It left me dumbfounded for a second, yet I recovered quickly. I looked up at him and nodded, glad that we had somehow forgiven each other. We had shared our thoughts, those feelings that we so desperately needed to vent in order to be able to move on. Even if it would be far more difficult to forgive ourselves.

  Fortune wasn’t favoring us, it seemed. As though the deep darkness that surrounded us wasn’t harrowing enough, an unforgiving cold overcame us seeing as we passed by the Glacian’s body as the deity was somehow killed by the Empire.

I had shared my apprehension with Ignis about the ring of the Lucii, confessing its eerie aura triggered great concern in me, as though it was a bad omen. I could not get rid of the bad feeling that it occasioned on me. My friend, however, shrugged it off. He reassured me by saying that it was no strange that in times of trouble as such I felt distraught, yet I was quite possibly blaming it on the ring when it was nothing but an inanimate object that had no part on the current events.

Hence, the five… four, of us sat in the train waiting until we made it to the imperial capital. That was, until the train suddenly came to a halt. We just hopped it had to do with the snow and not with something Ardyn related. We did, however, waste lots of valuable time outside investigating and battling monsters that got in our way.

Strangely enough, the following events seemed to mix together when we hopped back into the train and Noctis was about to join us. All I knew was that I was cold, very cold, and I couldn’t truly fathom what was happening before I passed out.

  A constant and sharp noise woke me from my restless stupor, and I found myself lying in the train floor, completely clueless about what had happened. When I lifted my head, I saw Gladio and Iggy standing to their feet and Noctis sitting down in front of me. That noise I heard was the sound of him shivering and his teeth chattering.

“Noct?” I mumbled groggily, slowly sitting up and craning my neck to look up at Ignis and Gladio.

“I saw the Glacian” Noctis mumbled to the two men. “It’s okay, she’s gone now. You guys check on our drivers”

“Got it”

“Everyone alright?” Ignis worried as Gladio took him by the arm.

“Yes” I mumbled as they obeyed Noct’s orders. Only then did they walk away, leaving the two of us alone.

I sighed and dragged myself closer to Noctis, realizing he wasn’t moving from his sitting spot nor was his shivering stopping. Concerned, I placed a hand on his bare forearm.

“Noct, you’re freezing!” I exclaimed, immediately wrapping my arms around him.

“I-I’m fine” He managed to let out, even though he could not stop shaking under me.

I glued my body to his, with both arms placed around him, in an attempt to provide him with my body warmth and frantically rubbed my hands up and down his arms to hopefully raise his temperature. He instinctively leaned into me to further facilitate the process.

Noctis suddenly hung his head low and his shoulders started convulsing in a way much different from his temperature shivering. I leaned forward to see his face and caught a glimpse of some tears running down his cheeks.

“Noct…” I uttered sadly, hating to see him cry.

I had never seen Noctis cry, and it was such a harrowing image. Witnessing one of your closest friends cry was just horrible and rendered you helpless as you wondered what you could do to stop it. Maybe even blame yourself for not avoiding it on the first place, for not being enough for them so that it ended up becoming too much.

“I’m fine” He repeated again, sort of in a bad temper. At least it seemed like he had stop shivering as much, which was some improvement.

Feeling extremely clumsy and incapable, I resolved to soothingly rub his back in an attempt to calm him and comfort him. I just wanted him to stop crying, to be alright.

“I know I shouldn’t be crying, but…” Noctis whispered in a strangled voice. “It’s so hard… Luna and…”

“Noct, you may be king now” I gulped, feeling like that term didn’t quite represent Noctis still. “Yet you’re a human being first and foremost, you are allowed to cry and grief, remember?”

“That’s not what Gladio says” Still quite angry, he wiped away his tears with the back of his fist.

“What Gladio means is that you are allowed as long as you pick yourself up and bravely carry on after that” He didn’t reply, but his stiff shoulders relaxed a tad. However, my friend remained sitting there, defeated and exhausted.

I knew Noctis, and I didn’t want to impose. Hence, I didn’t urge him to speak his mind and tell me what was on his heart, for he would do so if he wanted to and only when he saw convenient. Also, I ventured that what he needed the most was some time alone. He wasn’t like Prompto, who was more likely to burst out and blurt all his thoughts and emotions as he cried and asked to be held. Noctis preferred to go through that alone, without anyone being there to witness such a personal and shameful moment. 

“I’ll give you some privacy” I finally told him, slowly breaking the physical contact.

Noctis leaned on a seat to pull himself up as well and faced his back to me. Even if he dedicated me a brief look after that. He had stopped crying, and his expression was one of pure strength and determination. Noctis was willing to heed my words and pick himself up in order to carry on after his breakdown.

Before I left and as I stood to my feet, I watched him in awe. The thought hit me that, the person before me wasn’t the Noctis I knew. He wasn’t a spoiled prince anymore, he was starting to become a mature and wise king. And I was so proud of him.

  The train was operational once more, yet not for long. We were quick to investigate the malfunction once more, only to be faced with a nasty surprise. As we walked through the connecting car, the entire train violently shook, the glass windows cracking at our left. All of us fell to the floor because of the tremor and took our time to recover.

“What now?” Gladio grouchily muttered, his voice being muffled because of the driver’s inaudible announcement through the speakers.

I gasped when small yet frightening creatures jumped to land on the cracked glass.

“What is it?” Ignis blindly reached out for me until his hand finally touched my arm.

“Daemons” I replied angrily, heaving a resigned sigh.

I held my hand up, trying to conjure my sword yet nothing happened. I glanced at Noctis and realized his hand hovered in the air in a similar manner.

“The weapons…”

“Get back!” Gladio pushed through us to aggressively kick the monsters that were starting to fill the car we were in.

“Run!” Ignis yelled, realizing we were mostly defenseless. Without further ado, I linked my arm with his and took him with me as all of us prepared for our escape.

“Only a matter of time before we run out of room to run” He objected as we relentlessly ran car after car.

“Got a better idea?” Noctis complained behind us.

“The Regalia!” I exclaimed, quickly remembering it was somewhere in the train as well.

“C’mon!” Gladio encouraged us at the rear of the group, always the royal Shield.

Ignis and I ran at full speed, leading the march as we made our way to the part of the train where the Regalia was kept. Once again, that car felt like a safe haven for us.

Once the vehicle was at sight, I hurriedly led Ignis to the back seat, there where Noctis usually sat at. I myself occupied the copilot seat, the one that Prompto usually claimed. I couldn’t help but to be overwhelmed with mental images of him as we travelled in the Regalia. Watching Prompto take pictures from his spot, or turn around in the seat to talk to us, or lean over the side of the car to calmly watch the passing scenery.

A second after, Noctis sat in the driver’s seat next to me and Gladio accompanied Iggy in the back. Our royal friend was quick to start the engine and stomp on the gas pedal to quickly escape.

“Floor it!”

“That’s the plan”

As Noct drove extremely fast, I wished there were seatbelts in the bloody car, yet there were none. Instead, I firmly held on to the seat as I watched him navigate through the path ahead.

We were currently inside a tunnel, which felt quite claustrophobic as it was also dark and filled with obstacles that Noctis had to be extremely attentive to in order to avoid. Soon enough, fortunately, we were out in the open again.

It wasn’t fortunate for too long, I realized, because explosions started to erupt around us. They were trying to get us off the road, and it was also damaging the car. Bracing for the inevitable, I stretched out my arms and pressed my hands against anything that could provide me with support and shut my eyes tight. Indeed, the car came to a sudden halt. I couldn’t tell whether we had crashed, the Regalia couldn’t take the strain anymore or Noct have abruptly stomped on the breaks. Whatever the case, I finally exhaled deeply as I dared to open my eyes.

The glass of the windows was cracked and filled with water drops, which made me aware of the fact that it had started pouring with rain outside. The front of the car was smoking and it was probably wrecked as well.

Resigned and saddened with the state the car was in, all of us exited the vehicle. I watched it, taking notice of the terrible damage that had been done to it.

The car that had taken us so far in our journey, that had accompanied us and made us feel safe. That sheltered us from the cold, the rain and the monsters. The car where Gladio gladly allowed me to sleep over him when I was exhausted. Where Prompto had used me as a pillow, causing butterflies in my stomach out of pure bliss. Where Noctis and I had our first friendly interactions. The car that Ignis used to drive. I never thought I could grow attached to a car, yet I did. I was nostalgic upon remembering all those memories, all those moments we shared in it. To add to it, Noctis then uttered some gut-wrenching words that provoked a lump in my throat.

“Dad, thanks for everything…” There was a great sadness reflected in his pale blue eyes as he stared at the destroyed vehicle. I realized then that the Regalia had been King Regis’ car. Noctis definitely had many more memories joined to it than we did. All the more heartbreaking.

Sharing a flew glances, we exchanged our restlessness concerning our situation. We were to enter the capital empty handed, defenseless as we still had no weapons, and by foot. It wasn’t too comforting.

Noctis closed his hands into fists and showed a stoic expression as he started leading the way, heading towards the entrance of the building where we would hopefully find the Crystal that was stolen from Insomnia when the Empire attacked it, as well as rescue our beloved Prompto.

Gladio and Ignis stood back slightly as the latter needed to be more careful due to his blind state. Gladiolus was sure to guide and help him as well.

I followed Noctis closely, eager to immerse ourselves in there. Not because I wanted to get inside, but merely because then we could finally reclaim what belonged to Noctis as well as get our friend back.

“We’re almost there” I told myself, solely to ease my anxiety. The closer I stepped to that place, the more my mind reminded me that Prompto was in there. That we had no idea of what could have happened to him, especially if Ardyn was involved.

Noctis stepped under an upside down train that had allegedly flipped onto that position. I felt squeamish as I followed after him, experiencing the unpleasant feeling of peril that a precariously settled object like such exerted over me as I passed under it.

I should have guessed that it would budge, because as soon as I had positioned myself below, the train began to budge.

“Alex!” Noctis shouted in horror when he noticed.

Letting out a scream of terror, I threw myself forwards to save myself from the falling train that would no doubt squash me to death. Noctis gasped and reached out to catch me as I fell forward in order to break my fall. Time seemed to slow down as I fell.

The deafening sound of the train collapsing behind me, the screaming coming from Ignis and Gladio, the loud gasp from Noctis, the grunt as I collided with him.

I breathed heavily as my friend’s arms supported me and I fell over his torso, keeping me from landing on the floor, and he urgently pulled me up to my feet.

“You okay?!” He exclaimed, digging his eyes in my face in concern.

“Yes…” I managed between ragged breaths, completely dazed by what could have happened if I hadn’t been fast enough. I shakily supported my hands on his shoulders to stand on my own as he absently let go of me. That was a close call.

“Hey, Ignis!” He shouted then, turning around to see the falling train had separated us from them. “Gladio!”

Upon receiving no answer, he faced me again. He frowned and so did I, yet we communicated without any words. My glance seemed to convey all the restlessness I felt and his showed a great determination. I nodded to him to express that I would stand by him, and he understood.

Noct nodded himself, vehemently, before leading the way once more. This time I stood next to him, refusing to stay away from him in such perilous situation.

Hence, we headed for the place where the Crystal and Prompto allegedly were. That place where we would retrieve the light that would end the darkness of the world and keep the daemons at bay and the sunshine that would dismiss our own darkness.

  It wasn’t easy going through daemons without the help of our weapons, but we made it inside. Once sheltered from the danger as well as the rain, Noct and I sat on the ground to catch our breaths.

“This place will be infested with daemons as well” I warned him between ragged breaths.

“I know”

“We have no possible way of defending ourselves without our weapons”

“I know!”

However, an idea arrived to my mind that very well could save our lives. My hand fell over my pocket, there where a small round object sat.

“Noct, the ring!” I quickly pulled it out of my pocket and offered it to him. “Without our weapons, it’s our only chance!”

“No!” He refused, turning his face away from me, repulsed by the mere sight of it.

I supposed that ring was a reminder of Luna’s passing. It was that which she gave her life for, trying to deliver it to its rightful owner. It also must have frightened him the amount of responsibility and power it harbored. Not to mention the painful memory of his father.

“You have to put it on!” I exclaimed, knowing it was of great importance.

“I can’t do it!”

“Noct, you can do it! I’m here with you! And I know you can!”

The ring lied on my palm as I offered it to him. He eyed me in silence, moving his gaze from me to the ring and back to my eyes. He hesitated.

The ring still seemed to be provoking great sorrow within me, filling me with that strange heavy void. However, as soon as Noctis took it from my hand, that eerie feeling completely vanished as though it was never there. It felt like the ring weighted more than just a ring.

Noctis and I exchanged a restless glance before he proceeded to put it on. His face began to distort with pain and strife. I watched him struggle as he tried to put it on, seeming like it exerted a great force and resistance. My friend groaned and sharply inhaled and exhaled as he fought against the influence it had on him. With a firm and cold clamp clutching my stomach and my throat, I stared at him in horror, feeling unable to help, until it finally slid around his finger. Noctis then screamed out, almost like he was experiencing a great and excruciating pain.  

“Noct!” Worriedly, I placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it anxiously. “Are you alright?”

I impatiently awaited an answer as my entire face distorted with concern.

Noctis slowly recovered from whatever had happened to his body when he put the ring on. His uneven breaths slowed down until they recovered a more natural and tranquil pace and he sighed, almost in relief. Still not quite registering my presence there, he looked at the ring as he opened and closed his hand.

“N-Noct?” I nervously uttered, frightened by a new energy that emanated from him. One far more aggressive and imposing than before.

Finally, he glanced at me, acknowledging my presence. His eyes were hard at first, until they saw me and softened, acquiring that usual calm and laidback glow of his.

“I’m okay” He replied, nodding his head.

“I’m proud of you, Highness” I confessed, realizing that he might need to hear those words as well.

It made him smile a little, relieving the tension and importance of the situation we were currently stuck in. He nodded again and stood up, taking a confident and worthy stance.

“The time has come” He told me, holding his arm up against his chest.

The words gave me goosebumps, as it felt like we were on the final stage of our journey.

As we started advancing, a daemon obstructed our way and Noctis protectively placed an arm before me. It passed my mind that he had stopped being the protected and was now the protector instead.

“Stay behind me”

“I might not have my weapons, Highness” I replied, attempting to lighten the mood still. “But I’m not completely useless”

Noctis grinned at me over his shoulder, but I obliged and stayed behind him, resting my hands on his shoulder so he knew where I was standing at every moment.

He extended his right hand –the one that worn the ring –towards the daemon and immediately, I could feel energy exerting from it. Reddish and blueish lights emanated from the ring until they reached the daemon, that exploded and its black fog slowly dissipated in the air.

Taking my wrist in an obvious gesture that implied that he wanted to keep track of where I was at, Noctis kept on walking. And I did too.

Looking up, we could evaluate the great proportions of the place. It was a long way, but we had to make it to the top. There where we would hopefully find the Crystal. And Prompto.

  That place was eerie and unsettling, it seemed to be playing tricks on us. The complete silence and stillness anguished me as Noctis and I navigated through the dimly lit hallways and long lonely corridors.

We slowly made our way up, managing the best we could as we had to find keycards in order to open doors and take elevators. I was very glad that Noctis was there with me, at least, and that I was with him. It would be far too frightening to experience that alone.

The ring saved us from the daemons that we encountered on our way, although we still had to be extremely careful and drop a few punches and kicks here and there.

We remained silent for the most part, except for sporadic comments when we felt like the tension was too great and the silence was too loud and suffocating.

Startled and frightened, I clung onto Noctis’ arm when a voice echoed around the hallways we were currently walking along.

“How does it feel to be powerless?” It was the unpleasant voice of Ardyn Izunia. “I’m afraid you won’t be able to help your friends”

“Don’t listen to him, Noct” I told my friend, still holding on to his arm.

“Shut up” He said, looking up and directing his words to Ardyn.

Noctis, however, gasped when he looked down and ahead again, and urgently took me with him. In a rush, he held on to me as he hid in a small open space in the wall which served as a hiding spot. My back rested against his chest as we both squeezed together in that very tight, cramped space.

“What’s-“ I began to ask, wondering what he saw to give him the urge to hide like that. Noctis quickly shoved a hand against my mouth to silence me, so I obliged and remained quiet. Even if he hadn’t uncovered my mouth. It was the right call, because I let out an involuntary muffled yelp against his gloved palm when a shadow passed us by. A dark shadow that displayed a reddish light.

My heart sped up at the sight of such a horrible and scarring creature, which vaguely resembled an MT soldier, albeit mixed with a daemon. I could hear Noctis’ accelerated breathing behind me as well. We solely relaxed our stiff postures and alert stances once the MT passed by and was far gone. Then he dropped his hand and sighed softly.

“I hate MTs” I mumbled, carefully exiting our hiding spot and watching we were safe.

“There’s something off about those, though” Noct mumbled as he left that spot as well.

We locked eyes, and I knew by the look in his that he was as distressed as I was.

“Let’s keep going” He mumbled, to which I nodded in agreement.

We were somewhere halfway to the top, and we had no other choice but to continue climbing to the highest point. Even through eerie daemons, MTs and Ardyn’s taunts.

  I grew more restless by the second. Being exposed to that unnerving atmosphere for such extent period of time was messing with my head. Every slight source of light created frightening shadows along the walls that my brain always registered as either daemons or MTs. On an instinct, I always tried to summon my weapons as a result, just to be reminded of the cruel reality.

I felt extremely lucky that Noctis was capable to wear the ring and use its powers to our advantage. Otherwise, the daemons would have killed us long ago.

Noctis looked over his shoulder to check on me like he had been doing almost ever since we arrived. Once he saw I stood strong and followed closely behind him, he kept leading the way and being alert in case he had to take more daemons down or we encountered more strange MagiTek troopers.

“Poor Prompto” A pompous voice told us, coming from nowhere. “I just hope you can get to him in time”

I clenched my jaw at the image those words created on my mind, of my sunshine being broken and miserable. Being hurt and enduring insufferable pain and holding on to the hope that we would rescue him, trying not to give up on his life and fighting to stay alive after whatever horrible things Ardyn might have done to him.

Feeling weak, I rested a hand on Noct’s shoulder as we continued walking and shut my eyes tight to try and shake that horrible picture away.

I was fed up with Ardyn’s mocking words to upset us, to make us feel alone, frightened and miserable. To create those images in our heads about our friend.

“Shut up!” The image wouldn’t leave me, that of a pale, bloody and sick Prompto lying lifeless on the ground as he tried to desperately hold on to his last drop of life.

“Calm down, Alex” Noctis told me, surprisingly serene. “He’s lying, playing with you”

I was alright with Ardyn’s stupid taunts when they didn’t involve Prompto. But ever since he realized what hurt me the most, he started to pull the right strings to get into my head.

I figured he was lying as well, but what if he wasn’t? That concept obsessively took over all my thoughts and rid me of any objectivity or rationality. And he knew. 

“If you keep wasting time it will be too late…” Ardyn feigned sadness. “And to think the boy merely wanted to see you again”

“Ardyn, you bloody…” I shouted at the ceiling. “Show yourself, you clown! Stop hiding in the shadows and face us!”

“Alexandria” Noctis turned around to me, yet I ignored him as he tried to get ahold of me and I absently swatted him away. I had never ever felt such a burning hatred towards anyone. Such a lively fury that only evolved with the sound of his disgusting and arrogant voice and the implications of his words that made my stomach turn queasy.

“Where’s Prompto, you son of a bitch?!”

“Alex, Alex!”

“Stop playing games!!”

“Alex, Al!” Noctis took me by the arms and energetically shook me once.

Entertained by the scene I was causing, we heard Ardyn’s evil cackle echoing around the empty hallways. I scowled in response, even though tears of frustration and helplessness burned in my eyes.

“Look, I’m as worried for Prompto as you are” Noctis mumbled once he finally managed to gather my attention. “But don’t give into this, this is what he wants!”

“That bastard…” I still looked up, fuming mad at Ardyn.

“Look at me” Noctis shook me once more, until I locked eyes with him. “Listen, listen to me”

I nodded to let him know that I was listening, even if the fury was burning under the surface still. My friend then proceeded while I tried to block out the noise of Ardyn’s background voice.

“We’re gonna find Prompto, he’s gonna be okay and we’re gonna get him out of here, okay?”

“But Noct, what if-?”

“Okay?” He exclaimed, shaking me yet again. I finally seemed to control my temper, because I acquired a more serene outlook.

“Okay” I agreed, sighing as I put my hands before me to express compliance. “Sorry”

“It’s fine, just… chill” Finally feeling more convinced, he let go of me.

“We should continue” I said to him, not without sending Ardyn one last death glare in the hopes that he could see how much I hated him.

“Yeah, we should” He motioned for me to follow as he carried on advancing like we were before we were interrupted by my outburst caused by Ardyn. I forced myself to keep collected in order to carry on our mission.

  I wouldn’t be able to take it for much longer. No matter how much we advanced, it seemed to never end. Like we could never get to Prompto, no matter how long we looked him for. And I was exhausted. I just wanted to see him, look into his soft blue eyes and witness his bright smile, hear his upbeat voice and feel his warm touch around me. His absence was becoming too much of a burden once the fear that he might be at the verge of death settled in my conscious mind.

Feeling resigned and defeated, I sighed and resolved to just keep walking. Hopefully it would all be over soon. I glanced at Noctis to analyze his demeanor, yet his expression was quite controlled and neutral albeit focused.

My friend was looking all around him to make sure we weren’t taken by surprise by any daemons or MTs on our endeavor. And then, suddenly, I noticed something in front of him.

A figure wearing dark clothes. A mop of disheveled blond hair.

I blinked and it was gone, but it was present long enough to make my heart flutter.

“Noct! Did you see that?” I pointed my finger ahead of us, filled with hope, causing him to turn.

“See what?” His eyes scrutinized the area, just to find nothing.

“Prompto, I… I saw him!”

“You did? You sure?”

“Well, I-I… I thought so… I… don’t know”

“Maybe your mind is playing tricks on you” When he uttered the word ‘tricks’ I realized it was definitely a trick, just that it wasn’t my mind who was playing.

“Or Ardyn” I angrily suggested, closing my hands into tight fists.

A noise behind us startled us, so we were quick to turn around to see what it was.

“Daemons!”

“Run!”

And so we did, not having the time nor the energies to face more monsters.

  Ardyn’s voice had become a nuisance, a buzzing noise that irritated us even if we tried to block it out. He could never make me lose hope, no matter how many doubts he achieved to plant in my brain.

Tired yet relentless, we trudged along the never-ending dark and narrow corridors until we finally found ourselves with a lead. We had found Prompto, we merely needed to get to him and rescue him.

I ran to the metallic door and closed my fingers around the bars that separated me from my boyfriend. I stared at him, worried to see that he was sitting motionlessly in that cold and metallic chair, with his head limply falling to the side.

“Prompto!” I energetically shook the bars that separated us from him. “Wake up, we’re here!”

“Dammit, it won’t budge!” Noctis did the same, trying to force them.

“There must be a way inside”

“Let’s take a look, maybe we can find a way around it”

I nodded and followed after him, allowing him to lead still, just in case we encountered more monsters.

  It took us more time than it should have, and hopefully Prompto’s life wasn’t in peril. Yet we managed to sneak into the room Prompto was kept at. Eager to see him up close and touch and comfort him, I tried to approach him. Noctis, however, held me back.

“Wait” He was cautious and wary, and I could sympathize with that feeling. “Stand back”

I peeked over his shoulder as Noctis slowly crept up to him and slowly stretched a hand to place on his shoulder. When he touched Prompto, everything changed before our very eyes. There was no Prompto, just another stupid MT soldier, an empty shell this time.

“No…” I uttered, shoving my hands against my face in the utmost desperation.

“Another trick!” Noctis inhaled sharply, deeply annoyed. “Back to square one”

He turned to me, almost seeking comfort, yet I had nothing to provide him with. We merely exchanged a restless glance, feeling ourselves breaking more and more.

  Every step was more exhausting. Every breath was harder to take. Every corridor seemed like it could finally be the last one, yet it never was. I was losing my mind.

“I’m losing hope” I uttered, not strong enough to say it out loud.

“Well, don’t” Noctis heard me, however. “We’re gonna find him”

“I hope Iggy and Gladio are alright…”

“Me too, Alex”

I rummaged through my mind and my soul, scouring myself for a shred of hope somewhere in there. Anything that sparked something within me, some emotions.

And I found it.

Anger.

“If I see Ardyn I’m gonna punch him until I break that stupid conceited face of his” I crackled my knuckles, finding that strange satisfaction quite appealing at the moment. I was holding onto that emotion as the situation threatened to rid me from any, to turn me into an emotionless robot. I refused to become that, especially after I realized on that journey how strongly I felt things.

Noctis managed a small chuckle in response to my comment.

“Even if we get our powers back?”

“Even then, I don’t need any weapons”

To my surprise, Noctis stopped walking all of a sudden. I wondered why and examined my surroundings in search for any menaces. I found none.

“Did you hear that?” My friend whispered, slightly crouching down in an alarmed posture.

“No” I breathed out and got quiet, trying to hear what he did. I could hear a faint and distant beeping noise that I couldn’t quite pinpoint.

“Alex, look out!” Noctis shoved me out of the way just as an imposing metallic door shut itself, there where I was standing just a moment ago. If it weren’t for him, it would have squashed me.

“Noct, no!!” I tried to move fast enough to avoid it, yet the door heavily closed. Separating me from him.

“Noct, can you hear me?” I shouted, repeatedly hitting my hand against the door, hoping his voice would come through from the other side. “Noctis?!”

I awaited several seconds, just to receive no answer other than the echo of my loud voice reverberating against the high and spacious stances.

“Dammit!” I furiously kicked the door, knowing Ardyn had something to do with it.

Indeed, an evil cackle echoed all around me, as though he was mocking my strife. It gave me courage out of spite to try again.

“Noctis!” I shouted, punching the door with the back of my hand until it hurt. “Noct!!!”

Yet it was no use, no matter how hard or insistently I hit it. It was futile.

I was alone, lost, concerned and very frightened.

Tagging list: @prince-of-wind, @toranyx, @ghadah1421