#I HATE EVERYTHING I HATE THAT GIF I HATE THEM

[deliciousangelfestival]

The Imperfect Couple - 11

Character: politician!Bucky x ex-wife!reader

Summary: A separated couple must pretend to be happily married while the husband runs for Vice President, dealing with old issues and political pressures during his election campaign.

Warning: The couple's arguments could be triggering.

Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , Chapter 3 , Chapter 4 , Chapter 5 , Chapter 6 , Chapter 7 , Chapter 8 , Chapter 9 , Chapter 10 , Chapter 11 , Chapter 12 , -

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Thank you to everyone who has read this chapter. Leave a comment and Reblog, please. I'd love to hear your thoughts. ❤️

As Bucky stood in front of you, his expression calm, like everything was normal, a surge of anger rose within you. After everything that had just happened—after he spilled details of your private life to the press—you couldn’t believe he had the audacity to act like it meant nothing.

"You thought that telling the press about our marriage would magically make everyone stay quiet? That we’d just be OK?" Your voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade. You watched as his jaw tightened, but he didn’t answer.

"And now… you’re still keeping secrets." You shook your head, frustration and disbelief coursing through you. "Now it’s about Steve."

Bucky's eyes flickered with something—guilt, maybe. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke coldly, "About that. I will bring it to my grave."

His words hit you harder than any blow could have. You stepped closer, heart pounding in your chest, barely able to control the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside. "Your grave? That’s your answer?"

You laughed bitterly, though there was no humor in it. "How dare you stand there and act like that’s acceptable? How dare you think you can keep doing this—lying, manipulating, keeping me in the dark—just because you think you’re protecting me?"

Bucky’s eyes narrowed, but he stayed silent. That silence only fueled your anger further.

"You think I don’t know what you’re doing? You’re so used to pulling the strings, making decisions behind everyone’s back, and pretending like it’s all for the greater good. But you’re not saving anyone, Bucky. Least of all me." Your voice cracked, and you hated yourself for it—hated how much you still cared, despite everything.

He opened his mouth, but you didn’t let him speak.

"You think after everything I’ve been through with your family, with Steve, that I don’t deserve the truth? That I’m just supposed to trust you after everything you’ve done to me? After you let them destroy me?" Your voice rose, the pain spilling out of you like a flood that had been held back for far too long.

"You didn’t protect me then, and you’re not protecting me now. You're protecting yourself. Because you're scared. You're scared that once I know the whole truth, I’ll finally be done with you."

Bucky’s face was set in stone, but you could see the cracks forming. His silence was loud, deafening, but you weren’t done. You weren’t letting him get away with it this time.

"You think I’m stupid enough to believe that this—whatever this is—is love? You control everything. You manipulate everything around you so that you never have to feel like you’re losing. But you are, Bucky." You stepped back, your chest rising and falling with the weight of everything you were saying. "You’re losing me. Every secret you keep, every lie you tell, you’re pushing me further away."

For a long moment, neither of you spoke. The room felt too small, the air too thick. Bucky’s fists clenched at his sides, but still, he didn’t say a word.

"I’m glad I never got pregnant," you whispered, voice shaking. "I’m glad I never brought a child into this—into your mess. Because no child deserves to grow up with a father like you."

That was the final blow, and you saw it hit him like a punch to the gut. His eyes darkened, and for the first time, Bucky seemed truly shaken. But even then, he said nothing.

The silence between you stretched, unbearable, suffocating. You turned away from him, the weight of your words still hanging in the air, and walked out. Neither of you said anything as you left the room, but you both knew that something had broken between you—something that might never be fixed.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

As the door closed behind you, Bucky stood frozen, your words reverberating through his mind like the relentless echo of a nightmare. "I'm glad I never got pregnant."

That one sentence hit him harder than any punch he'd ever taken, harder than any bullet wound or battle scar. It was as if you had found the one part of him still vulnerable, still aching—the part he had tried so hard to protect—and you had driven a dagger straight into it.

The idea of building a family with you had always been his greatest hope, even if he had never said it out loud. He had pictured it in quiet moments, in the silence of the night when his thoughts wandered. A future with you—a family. The idea of you carrying his child, of starting something new and pure with you, had always been a flicker of light in the darkness that consumed him.

But now, that light was gone.

The bitterness of your words seeped into him, mixing with the sour taste of guilt that had been festering inside him for years. He clenched his fists, staring at the space where you had stood, feeling the weight of everything he had done—or failed to do—crushing down on him.

You’re losing me. Every secret you keep, every lie you tell, you’re pushing me further away.

He had never meant for it to be this way. He had convinced himself, again and again, that the lies, the manipulation, the control—it was all to protect you. To keep you safe from the chaos of his world. But in doing so, he had become the very thing that was destroying you. He was supposed to shield you, to be your safe haven, and yet here you were, crumbling before him because of his choices.

But you are, Bucky. You’re losing me.

The thought of losing you—of you walking away from him for good—was unbearable. He had always believed that no matter what happened, he could somehow fix things, that he could make you see that everything he did, he did out of love. But now, standing in the aftermath of your fury, he realized that he had underestimated just how deep the damage went.

The one dream that had kept him grounded—the thought of a family, a future with you—was now tainted. What was once a vision of hope and happiness now felt sour, like something spoiled and irreparable. The idea of a family with you, once so precious and sacred in his heart, now felt like a bitter reminder of all the ways he had failed you.

And the worst part? He knew it was his fault. He had driven you to this point, pushed you to the edge with his secrets and his selfishness. He had always told himself he was doing it for you, but now he saw the truth: it had been for him. He was terrified of losing control, terrified of losing you, and in trying to hold on too tightly, he had begun to suffocate the very thing he cherished most.

Bucky swallowed hard, the taste of regret sharp on his tongue. He had always been good at compartmentalizing his feelings, at shoving his pain deep down where it couldn’t touch him. But not this time. This time, there was no escaping the ache. The words you had thrown at him had hit their mark with deadly precision, and there was no denying the truth in them.

His Achilles' heel—his desire to build a family with you, to have a life with you—was now the source of his deepest pain. And as much as he wanted to believe he could fix it, that he could win you back, a cold, bitter part of him knew that it might be too late.

For the first time, Bucky felt something he hadn’t in a long time: true helplessness. The kind that gnawed at his chest, leaving a hollow ache behind.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

After the heated argument with Bucky, you retreated to your room, feeling the weight of the conversation bearing down on you. The tension between you two was suffocating, and you needed to escape—if only for a moment. Grabbing your phone, you called Greg.

“Is there an activity that doesn’t involve me being around Bucky?” you asked, your voice strained.

“After the recent debate, the two of you don’t have many joint schedules. You can pretty much do whatever you want,” Greg replied.

You sighed, staring at the ceiling. “What am I going to do?” you murmured to yourself, feeling utterly lost. Just then, your phone buzzed with a text from Hazel: ‘Can you babysit Nate for a while?’

A smile tugged at your lips, the tension momentarily lifting. Babysitting Nate felt like the perfect distraction. You quickly typed back: ‘Yes.’

An idea struck you. You decided to pick him up from school yourself, giving you something to occupy your mind. Arriving at the prestigious Catholic school, you were struck by its grandeur—stately brick buildings, perfectly manicured lawns, and an imposing church at the center of the campus. You shouldn’t have been surprised; of course, Nate would attend a place like this, surrounded by privilege and tradition.

As you walked through the campus, the sound of bells ringing faintly in the background, your eyes fell on the old church. Its large wooden doors stood open, inviting anyone seeking solace. You hadn’t set foot inside a church in years, and now, as you watched parents filtering in to pray, something stirred within you.

Your gaze shifted to a woman who emerged from a confessional booth, her face serene. She’d just finished her confession, and for some reason, that simple act gripped you. A sudden, overwhelming urge came over you.

Before you knew it, you were standing inside the dimly lit church, walking down the aisle toward the confessional. You hesitated for a moment, staring at the closed wooden door of the confessional booth, your heart pounding in your chest. Then, with a deep breath, you stepped inside and knelt down.

“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned,” you began, your voice shaky. “It’s been five years since my last confession.”

The priest’s gentle voice echoed through the screen. “Go on, child.”

You took a breath, gathering your thoughts. “I don’t even know where to start. The first thing I need to confess is what my ex-husband—no, my husband—has done to me. All this time, I thought I was free. I thought I’d divorced him, that I was my own person again. But it turns out he never finalized the papers. For five years, I’ve believed I was single. And now… now I find out I’m still married to him.” A bitter laugh escaped your lips. “Isn’t that just the cruelest joke?”

You could hear the priest listening in silence, giving you space to speak.

“The worst part is, he lied to me. He kept this truth from me for years, letting me live in ignorance. I feel like such a fool. And now… he’s forced me into this agreement. A contract, of sorts. One year, he says. One year, and then we’ll officially be divorced. I can’t forgive him for this, for manipulating me into this situation.”

Your hands balled into fists as you spoke, your voice trembling. “He’s changed. I don’t like it. He used to be someone I trusted, but now he’s nothing but a man pulling strings behind the scenes, controlling everything.”

The anger surged through you, but beneath it, something else was there—something you didn’t want to acknowledge.

“I hate myself for agreeing to help him, for pretending like everything’s fine when it’s not. I’m exhausted from lying to myself, from keeping up appearances just to spite his mother. And what’s worse… I still care about him. After everything he’s done, part of me still cares.”

The priest’s voice was calm, gentle. “Child, do you want to quit? To walk away from this?”

You sat there in silence for a moment, your heart heavy with indecision. “No,” you finally whispered, the word almost surprising you. “No, I don’t.”

A bitter laugh escaped your lips again. “It’s funny, Father. I’ve always had this strong instinct to run. Whenever I’ve felt like I needed to get out, to escape a situation, that instinct has never failed me. But now? Now I don’t understand. I could've run. I could've leave him, but…”

The priest’s voice cut through your rambling thoughts. “What feelings do you have now?”

You swallowed hard, the word slipping out before you could stop it. “Stay.”

The silence in the booth seemed to echo that single word. You could feel tears prickling at your eyes, the conflict inside you tearing you apart. “I don’t understand it. Every night, when I’m alone, I think about leaving him, and yet, something inside me tells me to stay. I don’t know why.”

The priest spoke softly, a sense of wisdom in his words. “There is a reason for everything, child. But the answer may not be clear to you yet. You must trust in God’s timing.”

“God’s timing,” you repeated, the words feeling foreign in your mouth.

“It’s no coincidence that you are here today,” the priest continued. “There is a purpose to everything, even when we cannot see it clearly. Trust that God is working in your life, even through your confusion and pain.”

“A purpose?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“Sometimes, we are placed in situations not for our own understanding, but to fulfill a greater plan. The burdens you carry now may reveal a deeper truth in time.”

You nodded, feeling a strange sense of calm wash over you, even as the conflict within you remained.

The priest offered a simple prayer for guidance and peace, his voice soft and steady.

You whispered, “Amen,” making the sign of the cross as tears silently streamed down your face.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

After confessing, you stepped out of the confessional booth, feeling an unexpected lightness in your shoulders, as though the weight you'd been carrying for years had been lifted, if only for a moment. A faint smile touched your lips, the tension easing. Then, you heard the bell ring—its echo followed by the excited chatter of children ready to go home.

You waited near the entrance, looking out for Nate, but as minutes passed, he still hadn’t appeared. A sense of worry started to creep in. You scanned the crowd of children, but there was no sign of him. Your footsteps quickened as you walked around, the knot in your stomach tightening.

Then, you heard it—a familiar giggle. You followed the sound and froze. Nate was hanging in midair, swinging by his arms as two tall boys, older than him, held him up at the playground.

And then you saw him. Steve Rogers.

You blinked in disbelief, dumbfounded. What is he doing here?

The two boys—tall, blonde, and strikingly familiar—were clearly the Rogers twins, Steve’s sons. Both carried a mix of Steve and Peggy's features, but Steve's strong genes dominated; their blonde hair and sharp jawlines were unmistakably his.

An unsettled feeling stirred in your chest. There was something about those twins that always made you uneasy, though you couldn't quite pinpoint why. And what were high school boys doing, playing with a first-year elementary kid?

“Aunty!” Nate’s cheerful voice snapped you out of your thoughts. He had noticed you before you could even call out to him. He wriggled free from the boys and sprinted toward you, his small arms reaching out.

Your heart swelled as he hugged you tightly. Compared to the rest of the Barnes family, being with Nate always felt like a breath of fresh air.

“I missed you,” Nate said, his face beaming up at you.

How could your heart not melt at that?

Before you could respond, the Rogers twins greeted you politely, “Hello, Mrs. Barnes.”

You smiled at them, though unease lingered. “Hi, William. Hi, Charles.”

“You still remember us?” William asked, his voice surprisingly mature.

“Of course. And both of you are so kind, playing with Nate,” you replied, though your eyes remained cautious.

“Well, our families are close partners,” Charles added, patting Nate gently on the head. “And our dad told us to be good role models for this champ.”

“Hehe,” Nate giggled, not fully understanding but clearly enjoying being called a champion.

“See you, buddy,” the twins said in unison, giving Nate a fist bump before heading toward their car.

Then Steve approached you, his expression a mix of surprise and something else, as if he hadn’t expected to see you here.

“Hey,” he greeted, his voice calm but with a hint of hesitation.

“Hey,” you replied, crossing your arms instinctively, keeping a certain distance.

Steve glanced at you and then down at Nate, who was busy looking through his backpack. “How are things with you and Bucky?”

Your lips curled into a wry smile. “Sinking ship.”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “Titanic?”

Before you could respond, Nate, ever the sharp listener, jumped in. “Titanic?” he repeated, drawing a laugh from Steve.

"He's a ray of sunshine." Steve chuckled softly and patted Nate’s head in that gentle, fatherly way that almost made you pause. It seemed that in your absence, Steve had grown closer to Nate, filling in a role you hadn’t even realized was vacant.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

As you sat in the car with Nate, the bond between you felt like a warmth you hadn’t experienced in a long time. Nate chatted excitedly beside you, his small hands gesturing animatedly as he talked about how happy he was to stay with you.

“Aunty, I missed you so much! It’s been forever,” he said, his smile infectious. “And guess what? I get to stay with Uncle Bucky too!”

Your heart ached a little at the mention of Bucky, but Nate’s joy overrode it, at least for the moment.

“Yeah?” you replied, brushing a hand through Nate’s hair. “That sounds fun.”

Nate nodded eagerly, and then you remembered the twins. “So, those boys—William and Charles—how do you know them?”

“Oh! I met them on my birthday,” Nate said with excitement. “They and Uncle Steve gave me huge presents. It was so cool!”

“Wow, that’s amazing,” you said, trying to match his enthusiasm.

“Yeah, since then, I’ve had two big brothers,” Nate added with a proud grin. “I always wanted a big brother—or a little brother—or even a little sister,” he said, his tone wistful. “I asked Mom, but she said no.”

He sighed, and you chuckled softly. The memory of meeting Hazel while she was pregnant came to mind. Back then, no one knew who Nate’s father was. Hazel had always kept her lips sealed, refusing to speak about it.

You recalled the heated arguments between Hazel and Caroline. Once, you overheard Hazel snapping, “I already continued the bloodline. I’ve done my duty. I don’t want to get married. Period.”

You had admired her strength, but it also made you realize just how complicated everything had become.

Thinking back, you realized you had never heard of Hazel being in a relationship. With her status and career, she could have any man she wanted. But why was she so close with the Rogers family? What made Steve and the twins come to play with Nate after school?

A curious thought crossed your mind. Could Steve and Hazel have… No, you shook your head, dispelling that notion. It was impossible.

But the curiosity clawed at you. You turned to Nate, your brow furrowed. “Do Uncle Steve and the twins always play with you?”

Nate nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! Uncle Steve stood beside me when the doctor injected me,” he said, lifting his sleeve to show you the sore spot on his arm. “Ouchie!”

You chuckled, leaning over to blow gently on the spot, making him giggle. The sound was infectious, yet it tugged at something deeper within you, a swell of guilt rising as you wished you had kept your curiosity in check. Your instincts were telling you something else entirely.

No matter how close family friends could be, it seemed unlikely that someone like Steve would take the time to accompany Nate for his vaccination. Unless…

Nate's eyes sparkled with excitement as he leaned closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. “Oh, and he bought me ice cream and pizza! This is a secret, Aunty.” He glanced around, making sure no one was eavesdropping, his expression filled with mischief.

You chuckled, unable to resist his infectious enthusiasm. “That sounds cool!”

Nate nodded vigorously, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet. “And the big brothers always ask me to watch them play basketball. They’re so cool!” He raised his arms, mimicking a jump shot, his little face lighting up with joy.

You smiled, “Sounds like a blast.”

“My favorite part is after the game,” he continued, his eyes wide with memory. “We always watch movies and eat caramel popcorn. It’s delicious!” He rubbed his belly dramatically, as if savoring the taste all over again.

“Does Uncle Steve also join in watching movies?” you asked, raising an eyebrow, hoping your instincts were wrong. Your heart raced slightly, and you felt a knot tightening in your stomach at the thought.

“Yes!” Nate replied, his enthusiasm unabated. He practically bounced with joy, his small fists clenched as he hopped in place.

You sighed, feeling a frustration bubbling up. Gosh, you hated your overactive imagination and your inability to suppress your investigative instincts.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

When you arrived home, Bucky was already there. As you stepped inside, he stood up, his expression shifting from surprise to something softer at the sight of you. But before he could speak, Nate rushed forward and hugged him tightly, the excitement radiating off the little boy.

“Uncle Bucky!” Nate exclaimed, squeezing him. Bucky’s face lit up with genuine happiness, and he leaned down, pressing a kiss to Nate's head.

“Hey there, champ,” Bucky replied, his voice warm and inviting.

“I have to wash my hands and feet first!” Nate announced, darting off toward the bathroom.

With Nate out of the room, the atmosphere shifted, leaving you and Bucky alone. An awkward tension settled between you, thick enough to cut with a knife. Bucky rubbed the back of his neck, the motion betraying his unease.

“Uhm…” he began, searching for words, his gaze flicking away as if he were weighing his options.

Before he could finish his thought, you interrupted, the words tumbling out before you could stop them. “What made you want to support a liar like Steve?”

His eyes widened, surprise mingling with a flicker of something else—was it defensiveness? Confusion? The air crackled with unspoken questions, and you felt the tension deepen, a mystery hanging between you, waiting to be unraveled.

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[pimpnchips]

Needed Me 2

Part 2

Natasha x Wife!Reader

Warnings: angst, slight smut, blow!job, slightly mean!

nat.

Summary: heated arguments with Natasha

Authors Note: I’m sorry it took me so fucking long to finish this, I'm okay! but I had major writers block and I wanted to make it good for you guys. I also wanted to put the daughter in here more.

Lena swung her head in your direction, "Mommy I want this one," she whined. The rack of stuffed animals sat on display as your daughter complained about how much she wanted the pink bunny.

"No baby, you remember what mama said."

Last night, Natasha talked to lena about behaving properly. Now that she's getting older you can't keep babying her and supplying all her wants after a tantrum or fit.

So Natasha decided on no extra things outside of the store list for a month so she can learn that you won't be able to get everything she asks for even if she decides on throwing a fit.

"Lena, no means no," scowls natasha. Carrying Mateo in his car seat with her left hand, "Pick her up detka — let's go."

You couldn't help but bite your lip at Natasha's authority

Seeing her do what she does best turned you on in so many ways you couldn't explain. You couldn't stay upset with her no matter how hard you 'tried'.

Heading to your shared bedroom last night, Natasha had a way with her words, instead of hate sex you made love.

You missed her warmth and her touch but there's nothing you miss more than how sexy she looked taking care of her family.

Yes, your wife is a lot of things but you know how deeply she cares for the three of you and if you didn't.. you wouldn't have taken her back.

-

You sighed in frustration, "I'm not trying to upset you baby"

"I never said you did," she muttered, gathering the clothes and putting them into the drawer across from you.

Which was a lie, you knew she was upset because you disagreed with her thoughts of not putting lena into school right now.

You brushed your fingers through her red hair trying your best to comfort her, "I understand there's a risk baby but I want her to have a normal child hood"

Natasha chuckles in disbelief,

"You understand nothing."

You scoff, "Natasha? She's my kid too so what don't I understand?" You started walking across the other side of the room away from her.

"Please, humor me." You sat down in the chair next to the open window, your hands slapping your knee as you sat down.

A blank stare on her face caused you to raise an eyebrow, bouncing your leg impatiently waiting for an answer.

It wasn't surprising that you and Natasha got into an argument today, it was always bound to happen. Sooner or later.

"You do shit like this all the time," she mumbles under her breath, trying to make it hard for you to hear.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Natasha?"

Your wife clutches the shirt in hand, more frustration clouding her eyes as she stares at you. She clearly didn't have an explanation, only acting on impulse.

"Am I the one who forged our divorce? If anybody does stupid shit it's you not me." You protest, rubbing your fingers on your temple.

But there's something about crawling under Natasha's skin that pumps you up. Toying with her is what got you here, having two of her kids and married to her for seven years.

She ignores your directed comment, "There's too many risks."

"She's not attending school and that's final," Natasha grumbled, her head was filled with your nagging comments.

"Nat -" you tried to reason with her.

"Don't" She growls, snapping her eyes up at you.

Your mouth clicks shut, "Sorry," you mumble. She knows how well you respond when she gets pissed off.

Sometimes you can't believe the effect Natasha has on you.

She knows your weaknesses and has no problem showing her mastery over you. Something you craved over the past few months, something a certain someone couldn't give you.

You haven't told Natasha, you figured if she ever found out a another woman came around the house, she'll probably kill the girl.

She's too possessive of you to share you with anyone else. It'll tear her ego down, make her seem like she doesn't have control anymore.

—

"What do you know about banana bread, bunny?" Natasha laughs, hearing your daughter talk about how much she loved the taste of the dessert at the dinner table.

Lena giggles with a wide smile, "Miss Maximoff always makes some for me and mommy" she grins, picking up her last nugget eating it innocently.

Fear was written across your faces as you avoided contact with your wife. Natasha furrows her eyebrows at you, mouthing something you couldn't quite pick up on.

You stood up, "Let's put you to bed baby."

Natasha stared daggers at you, continuing to watch you walk away but you tried your best to not turn around.

The anticipation of waiting for you to get back sent nat over the edge causing her to throw everything off her desk.

"Fuck!" she screamed.

You heard nat scream through the door as your hand hovered over the door nob. You took a short breath to get yourself together before entering.

The door shut behind you, Natasha turned around instantly averting all of her attention to you.

"Natasha"

Before you could finish your sentence, she already had her hand wrapped around your neck causing you to inhale shakily, "Please baby."

Your wife clenched her jaw, staring into your eyes making you feel small under her grasp.

"Did she fuck you?" For a moment you saw her eyes darken, her hands starting to grip tighter forcing you to answer her question with a quivering voice, "No"

She released her hand, slamming it on the wall beside you, "Don't fucking lie to me!"

Your eyes welled up with tears and your body shook at the sudden movement she made. You and Wanda didn't have anything special she was nice but she was too nice for you.

You needed something stronger, you wanted Natasha hence why you never went further than a kiss on the cheek. But in this moment something clicked in you.

You needed her.

You looked up at the red head, moving down onto your knees. You wanted Natasha to know that you were hers and no one else's.

"Get up," she gritted.

Ignoring her statement you unbuttoned her pants pulling it lower until her underwear came off. Her dick sprung free ready to be sucked by you.

After a long pause, she moved forward grabbing your head forcing her cock into your mouth. Your tongue sliding along her length as you bobbed your head up and down. She groaned, holding onto the wall, "She could never fill you up like this" she said between pants.

You locked eyes with your wife who was watching you with pure lust in her gaze. Natasha cleared her throat, cock twitching from her own thoughts.

"You don't deserve my cock, detka."

She smiles at the whimpers that escaped you. Her hips started to move and you moaned.

"You shouldn't be sucking dick like a slutty little whore"

Tearing your gaze away from the cock, which was dripping with pre cum, you stared straight into her piercing orbs.

"We didn't have sex, Natty." You whispered, voice mildly hoarse already.

Natasha's face was flushed, cock weeping precum still.

She hadn't realized how close she was to coming until you stopped. "I know.you wouldn't do that to me," was all she uttered as you moved to take her again.

Natasha groaned, every word dying on her lips as your mouth was back on her cock. "Oh...just like that detka... fuck your mouth takes me so well..." You glanced upwards, watching her throat bob as she tilted her head completely back. A low, husky moan left her lips as you swallowed.

The sound of your daughter's voice from down the hall made you pull back. Saliva and cum dripping down your face as Natasha groaned at the sight, painting your face with her milk-white cum.

She forced your mouth open with her hand, releasing the rest of her cum into your mouth. Seeing you drop to your knees for her and pleasing her needs without asking made her proud. It made her thirst for you more.

You quickly got off your knees in a hurry, rolling your eyes at your crazed wife for making a mess of your face while trying to get up.

"Put your dick in your pants before your daughter comes in here" you whispered by her ear, a demanding tone that surprised natasha.

Quickly walking to the bathroom to clean your face, the sound of your daughter's voice getting closer to the room startled Natasha as she buckled up her pants.

"Mama, where's mommy? I can't sleep" Her hair was all over her head, fingers rubbing her tired eyes.

You shouted from the bathroom, "Mommy's coming baby!"

You threw your face towel down, walking out of the bathroom being met with Natasha sitting on the bed with the little girl tracing her tattoos, her head on her mama's chest.

Lena looked up with a smile making your heartmelt at the sight. "Why was mama screaming earlier?" She questioned, tilting her head.

Natasha bursted into laughter, you quickly sent her a pointed look causing her to quiet down. You sighed at your daughters question, "Nothing love, I was helping her with something"

Lena was even more confused than before, it was written all over her face but she shrugged her shoulders letting it go.

Nat smiled at her confusions, leaning down to kiss the temple of her head.

You smiled at the interaction it made you realize no matter the fights or arguments you and Natasha will have she'll forever be here to love you and the kids.

And you'll always love Natasha.

Even if that meant you needed her more than she needed you.

Needed Me

Tags:

@starfire1008@viosblog112@dvrkhcld@ciao00000111 @ddreader04@twentyonetornmyheart @pancakefan7529@widowstingsposts @rosea-reginae @coxlong

[arlana-likes-to-write]

Happily Ever After

Next Part of Happily Never After

Warning: kidnapping, character death (not you), torture, mention of past abuse, cannon typical violence, angst with a happy ending, fluff, everyone needs a hug.

Word Count: 14.4K

Wanda was trying to keep calm and have a level head. It would do no one good if she were to have a breakdown. They were in the conference room waiting for Maria. Bucky was playing a round of Mario Party with her boys, and Natasha was pacing with her phone glued to her ear, speaking rapidly in Russian. She would have been able to understand her if her mind wasn’t spiraling. She picked up words like ‘mother’ and ‘missing’. She guessed the redhead was talking to Melina and updating her on your sudden disappearance.

Wanda began to bite her nails. If you were here, you would have grabbed her hand and stopped her. But you weren’t here. You were missing, and Wanda was freaking out.

The door opened, and Yelena walked in, followed by Maria and someone Wanda assumed was Steve. She’d only seen the man in pictures. “Boys,” Bucky paused the game. Why don’t we go to the cafeteria while the grown-ups talk?” Billy looked at the new additions and then back at Wanda.

“We aren’t leaving our mom,” Oh, Wanda loved his heart. Each day, he reminded her so much of Pietro. He always knew when something was bothering her.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” Wanda said. Go with your brother and Bucky. I’ll come find you when we are done.” Billy was quick to hug her tight, and Tommy joined in. She needed a hug much more than she realized. She watched them leave. She was a little hesitant not to have them in her sight, but she knew Bucky would protect them.

“Wanda,” Maria said once the door closed. It’s good to see you again. It’s unfortunate to meet like this.” It was a brief meeting between her and the agent. You were invited to a gala in the city, and you introduced her to Maria. “This is my partner, Steve Rogers,” Natasha got off the phone, and everyone sat down. We will find her, I promise.”

“So you can confirm she’s been taken,” Natasha said. Steve nodded.

“As soon as you called Maria, we pulled up Y/n’s phone records,” he put a laptop on the table so Natasha, Yelena, and Wanda could see it and hit play.

A woman stood on the side of the road next to a smoking car. She began to flag down a passing car with a wave of her hand. Wanda recognized your car, stopping behind it, and you got out. You spoke with the woman before going to the hood and opening it. A cloud of smoke circled you, and you waved the smoke out of your face.

It happened quickly. Two men appeared in the nearby alley while you were bent over to look at the engine. The woman you were helping had a pipe in her hand and hit you in the back of your head. Before your body hit the ground, the two men caught you and dragged you down the alley. Steve closed the laptop. “Our team is tracking the vehicle and facial recognition as we meet here.”

“Her parents,” Yelena said. Where are they? They have to be behind this.” Before Maria could answer, the door opened again, making Wanda jump.

“Vision,” Wanda stared at her ex-husband. “What are you doing here?”

“I am so sorry,” Sarah appeared behind the man. “I told him this was a closed meeting, but he was persistent.”

“It’s fine, Sarah,” Natasha said. Your secretary nodded but narrowed her eyes at Vision before she left.

“I am sorry for interrupting,” he sat down in an empty chair and loosed the tie around his neck. “When I listened to the voicemail from the school, I knew something was wrong. I know Y/n wouldn’t leave our sons at school.” Wanda was having trouble processing everything that was going on. She watched her girlfriend get attacked and dragged into a van. Now, her ex-husband was showing genuine care for you.

“You hate her,” Natasha bluntly said. When did you start caring for her?” It was a valid question, and Vision looked offended by the accusation.

“I never hated her. We came to an understanding. Look,” he shook his head. “It’s not important. Is her sudden disappearance related to the Order of Protection?”

“Order of Protection?” Wanda questioned. “What are you talking about?” His eyes jumped on everyone in the room, hoping someone knew what he was talking about. Everyone stared at him. He cleared his throat.

“At the boys’ birthday party, she asked me how hard it was to get an Order of Protection in New York,” he spoke slowly. The party was four days ago. You went all this time without telling her. Wanda knew you were holding more back, but she trusted you to come with her. “This hypothetical order of protection was going involve a family member.”

“It has to be her parents,” Yelena said. “But all they’ve done is call her, right?” Maria sighed. Oh, Wanda hated the sound of it.

“When we find our best friend, remind me to slap her,” Wanda smiled at her dry humor. “I think we all need to take a trip to headquarters. We can catch you up to speed there.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

A cup of water was forced to your lips, and you downed all of it. It was a relief for your dry throat. “Are you ready for some visitors?” You stayed quiet, knowing you had no choice in the matter. Tiffany opened the door. A man wearing a gray suit walked in, and his shaggy blonde hair was parted to the side. Black glasses rested on his face, which he took off and put into his suit pocket. A strange feeling started to bubble in your stomach. Was it in anxiety? Stress? Or recognition? The knock on your head was throbbing and making it difficult to think. He smiled as he spoke, “It’s an honor to be in your presence. My name is Alexander Pierce.”

“I know you,” you whispered. “You’re friends with Fury. You were at the gala when SHIELD was given a key to the city.” The man chuckled.

“I’m glad our men didn’t completely knock all your brain cells out,” Pierce walked behind you, but you kept your eyes trained on the ground. You were so tired. “Did our beautiful host tell you who we are?”

“HYDRA,” you answered. You figured it would be easier to comply. “I don’t understand what you want with me. I’m not an agent. If you want money, I can give it to you.” You felt his hands on your shoulders and squeezed them.

“I call it an unfortunate circumstance,” he said. SHIELD has something we want, and in exchange, they get you back. Simple.” So you were bait, used because of your connection with the man on top.

“Fury doesn’t make deals with terrorists,” Pierce chuckled, grabbed your throat, and forced your head back.

“I’ve been told he has a soft spot for you,” he squeezed your throat and cut off your air supply. “If he does not do exactly as I say, he’ll receive you in pieces at his doorstep,” you gasped for air as he removed his hand. “Get comfortable. We’ll see each other soon.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

“Oh, I’m going to fucking kill her,” Natasha paced. Maria explained the note that was left for you. Her team went through hours of security footage and found no one out of the ordinary. “I am going to kick her ass.” She stopped pacing and grabbed the back of the chair. Wanda, Natasha, and Yelena sat in a room at SHIELD’s headquarters while Vision took the twins home after much conviction on Wanda’s part. “Why didn’t she tell us? Why didn’t you tell me?” She asked Maria.

“I couldn’t, and she told me she would tell you.”

“She’s stubborn, sestra,” Yelena said. “I’ll be there to help kick her ass too. Wait until Mama finds out.” Wanda was ready to have words with you, too. But that anger was pushed down by fear and worry.

“What’s the next steps? How are you going to find her?” Wanda questioned.

“They took her alive,” Steve said. “That means they want something, so they’ll contact us,” It was meant to erasure her. They were lucky they didn’t find your body, but you were being used as a pawn, and Wanda hated that, too. There was a knock on the door, and it opened.

“Boss,” it was Clint. “Patrol officers found the car. Do you want me to take a team to investigate?” Maria nodded.

“Take Coulson and Wilson with you,” Clint saluted and smiled at Wanda as he left.

“We’ll update you as we learn more,” Maria continued. “The best thing you can do is go home.”

“And there has been no word from her parents,” Natasha said. Maria shook her head. “Do you not find that weird? She gets kidnapped, and no one can find them. They have to be involved.”

“I think they are as well, but until the team finds them, I can’t ask what they know,” Maria rubbed her temple. “Off the record, I think they are a piece of shit,” Wanda smiled. “Nat, we are-” Wanda’s phone began to ring, cutting off the agent.

“Sorry,” it was probably Billy or Tommy who was wondering when she would be home. She looked at the unknown number calling her. “I don’t know who this is,” she showed Maria and Steve her phone.

“Go have Darcy start the trace,” Steve said, leaving the room rather quickly. “Put it on speaker, stay calm, and before they make any demands, ask to speak with her,” Wanda nodded. Her hands shook, and she felt her throat tighten. Natasha sat down next to her, grabbing her hand. She answered her phone and placed a call on speaker.

“Hello,” she heard breathing on the other side. “Whose there?”

“Wanda Maximoff,” a man’s voice slowly said. A shiver went down her spine as he said her name. “You go by your maiden name, right? Since your divorce from Vision.” She glanced at Maria. Her face was pinched, her head tilted as if she was trying to figure out who was talking to her. It was unsettling how he knew her.

“Who are you?” The man laughed.

“Ask the SHIELD agent in front of you,” he said. “Who is it? Hill? Fury?” The agent gave her a quick nod.

“Hill,” she answered.

“Alexander Pierce,” Maria said. “I thought kidnapping was beneath you.”

“Desperate times come for desperate measures,” Pierce said. “SHIELD has something I want, and I feel like it’s an easy trade.” Wanda saw Maria’s jaw clench.

“I want to speak with her,” Wanda said. “Prove to us she’s still alive.” Natasha tightened the hold on Wanda’s hand, almost painful.

“Clever girl,” Pierce said. Wanda listened to his footsteps. The sound of a smack and your pained groan shattered Wanda’s already fragile heart. “You have a phone call.”

“W-Wanda?” You questioned. Your voice was soft and rough. It broke the dam. She felt the tears run down her cheeks.

“Hi, sweetheart,” Wanda’s voice shook. “How are you?” You chuckled.

“I’ve been better. I’m sorry I didn’t pick the boys up from school,” you somehow managed to make Wanda laugh.

“You are such an idiot,” she smiled. “I love you.” She had to say it. If she wasn’t going to talk to you again, she wanted that to be clear. She loved you so much.

“I lo-” You let out another pain whimpered and gasped for air. Natasha was surely going to break her hand.

“I will be calling Fury,” Pierce directed it to Maria. “I expect him to answer, or his precious flower will be returned to him in a box.” He hung up, and Natasha released the tight hold on Wanda’s hand. As a heavy silence filled the small conference room, Wanda stared at her phone. Slowly, she looked up and locked eyes with Maria. A part of her wished she hadn’t. She saw anger deep within Maria’s eyes. Wanda expected that emotion, but she saw the fear that froze her down to her core.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Wanda stood in the waiting area. After the phone call, Maria rushed to see if they could trace the call. Her team wasn’t so lucky. She walked into Fury’s office and slammed the door behind her. “Hey,” Natasha knelt in front of her. “Do you and the boys want to stay with us until they find her?” Yelena sat next to her in the empty chair.

“The boss would have our heads if we let anything happen to you,” the blonde teased, nudging her shoulder against Wanda’s. Natasha smiled.

“I like my head,” she smirked. “It’s my money maker.” Yelena scuffed.

“You are so stupid,” Wanda smiled, wiping her cheeks. She stopped crying but she felt the dry tears. Yelena and Natasha were good and she understood why they were such an important part of your life.

“I appreciate it, but-”

“Wands, please,” Natasha cut her off. “It will give me peace of mind knowing the three of you are safe while all this is going on,” How could Wanda say no to that? She hated being a burden, but they were family.

“Okay,” you nodded. “I’ll have to talk to Vision about it.”

“Hell, that funk of metal can join,” Wanda looked at her, tilting her head. Natasha shook her head. “Inside joke between the boss and I.” The redhead smiled sadly. Yelena stood up as Maria walked over to them. Her face was edge in a frown.

“I’m assigning agents to your family,” Maria told Wanda. She knew not to question that.

“Who is Alexander Pierce?” Wanda asked. The question had been burning on her tongue since the phone call ended. Maria placed her hands on her hips and glanced over her shoulder.

“I could get fired or thrown into the RAFT if they find out I told you this. Got it?” Everyone nodded. “A few years back, we learned that SHIELD was infiltrated by a terrorist group called HYDRA. It’s been in the works for years. Pierce used to have Fury’s job, then he was promoted to the secretary of the World Council,” she sighed. “We’ve been working to remove HYDRA, but it’s been slow work.”

“So HYDRA is using Y/n to get something you took from them,” Maria nodded. “Any idea what they want?” Yelena asked.

“Information, maybe a HYDRA agent we arrested,” Maria shrugged. “It could be anything.”

“Maria,” Wanda said slowly. How likely will Fury give them what they want?” Wanda watched the agent’s face whiten, but she shook it off.

“It won’t come to that. We’ll find her before that. " The agent’s choice not to answer her question was enough to convince Wanda how serious this was.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Maria sighed as she watched the trio leave. There was a weight that rested on her chest. Her friend was gone, kidnapped because of her job. The friend in her wanted to burn down the city until she found you and not worry about the consequences. But she was the Deputy Director of an agency under public scrutiny. Everything needed to be done by the book. She turned around, put on her mask to cover her true feelings, and joined her team. “What do we know?” She asked.

“A few months back, a car dealership was robbed, and 3 SUVs were taken,” Sharon said and pulled up pictures of the car Maria recognized from the security footage of your kidnapping. “It was whipped clean, but Darcy is going through it.”

“Tracing the call got us a borough but nothing exact,” Steve said, placing a picture of Staten Island on the screen. “We can increase police activity, but that is a lot of ground to cover.” It was a complete waste of resources. She knew HYDRA was good, but it seemed like they were looking for a specific needle in a mount of needles, which concluded they had nothing. Maria couldn’t say that to her team.

“Alright, Carter. I need you to get your hands on any footage of this van—traffic cameras, ATMs, and pictures from social media. An SUV doesn’t just disappear. Work with Barton and go over the initial robbery now that we know it was HYDRA.”

“On it, boss,” Sharon stood up to grab coffee and head to MTAC. Clint stayed in his seat, but she would get back to him shortly.

“Wilson, Coulson, we need to figure out what they want before they tell us. Go through every arrest we made and our team on the West Coast. Contact Van Dyne if you have any issues,” the two agents nodded and got to work. It was still in the early stages, but the longer you were gone, the less likely you were to be found alive.

“Hill, can we talk?” Clint motioned to the small kitchen. Maria nodded, and the two agents walked over. He started a new pot of coffee, and Maria knew they would need it. “I found something at the dump site.”

“And you chose not to tell the team?” Clint nodded. “Why?”

“Because I don’t think it’s important for the investigation,” he looked over his shoulder and fished a black jewelry box out of his pocket. “I’m guessing you knew about this.” Maria nodded. Of course, she did. You told Natasha that you bought it, and by best friend code, Natasha told Maria before you could tell her. She and Natasha had a bet on when you would ask her. “Like I said, it’s not very important to the investigation.” Maria took the small box and put it in her pocket.

“Thanks, Clint,”

“What are you going to do with it?” She wasn’t 100% sure.

“Keep it safe till we find her,” she smiled. The man nodded and joined the rest of the team. Her gut instinct was telling her to keep it safe so that when you returned, you could ask her, but the situation was complicated. Maria knew you well—not as well as Natasha, but she saw you as a sister. If anything were to happen to you, Maria knew you would want Wanda to have it. For now, it would be safe with her.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Honestly, Wanda was exhausted. She couldn’t imagine how you, Maria, and Natasha were feeling, but she was tired. All she wanted was to curl up in the safety of your bed with your arms around her, but that wasn’t possible.

After she left SHIELD, she drove to her apartment and your house to pack a bag for her and the boys. Now, she sat outside Vision’s house, gathering the energy to go inside. How was she going to tell Tommy and Billy? They were going to be heartbroken.

Sighing, she exited the car and walked to the front door. When she got to Natasha’s house, she needed a tall glass of wine. Wanda rang the doorbell, and Tiffany opened the door with a smile. “Wanda, hi, please come in,” Wanda fought, not to roll her eyes. I am so sorry about Y/n. If there is anything I can do, please let me know,” Wanda nodded.

“Where is Vision?” she asked. The last thing she wanted was to have a heart-to-heart with her ex-husband’s current girlfriend.

“In his office,” Without another word, she walked to the man’s office and knocked on the open door. Her ex-husband looked up from the file he was reading.

“Has there been an update?” She closed the door behind her and walked over to him.

“I received a phone call from the people that took her,” she stated.

“What do they want? If it’s money, I can help,” she shook her head and glanced at the door, ensuring it was closed.

“She’s being used as a bargaining chip. They want something SHIELD has,” Vision looked at her and then at the closed door behind her.

“Is this about HYDRA?” He whispered. Wanda sat down in the empty chair.

“How do you know about HYDRA?” The man glared at her.

“I work for the district attorney,” he deadpanned. “Of course, I know about it,” this time, Wanda did not stop herself from rolling her eyes. She was always amazed at how long she stayed with him. “If HYDRA has her, this is concerning.”

“What have you told the boys?” She asked.

“Nothing,” he said. “I wanted to wait for you. You were always better at breaking tough news to them,” she smiled.

“Natasha asked if I could take them and stay at her house. She offered a place for you, too,” Wanda almost laughed at the surprised look on his face. “Maria is assigning agents to you and us.”

“I don’t need protection,”

“It’s not up for debate, Vision,” Wanda snapped but sighed. “They knew my phone number. They knew I was at SHIELD when they called, so they had people watching. As much as I hate you sometimes,” the man chuckled. “I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“Careful Wands,” he smirked. “People might think you care about me.”

“You are a jackass,” she admitted, but she did care about him. He was a great partner in the beginning, but they grew apart. It happened. He gave her Billy and Tommy. “Let’s go tell the boys. Are they in their room?” He nodded and stood up. They walked to the boy’s room. She had no idea how to tell them. It was her job to protect them, to protect them from the evil in the world. But the evil in the world was after her family, and they had the right to know the truth.

Tommy was playing video games, a game you gifted them, and Billy was reading a book off your bookshelf. You meant the world to them, and Wanda’s heart was breaking. “Hi, Mom,” Billy said. “Do you know where Y/n is?” Tommy paused the game. Wanda sat down next to Tommy, and Vision next to Billy.

“Not yet, son, but the authorities are looking for her.” Tommy frowned.

“Something bad happened, right?” He asked. “She wouldn’t just leave us,” he looked at Billy, who nodded in agreement.

“Yes, something bad happened, but Maria and the SHIELD agents are doing everything possible to bring her home.” Wanda ran her hands through Tommy’s hair and rested it on the middle of his back.

“Why would someone take her?” Tommy asked. “What did she do?” Wanda sighed.

“The world is filled with evil people. Your father has faced some of them with his job. “Sometimes, we may never know the why,” Tommy rested his head on her shoulder, and Billy leaned into his father. It could have been for money or revenge.” The world wasn’t black and white. Wanda knew you were being used as leverage, but if Pierce thought Fury wronged him, it could be seen as revenge, too. Living in Slovakia during a civil war taught her a lot about perspective.

“I want her to come home,” Billy whispered.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

“That’s all we have,” Maria gave Fury an update. To put it lightly, the team had nothing, which wasn’t a surprise to Fury. HYDRA went under the radar for years. But he saw the frustration on his agents, especially those close to you. Maria dropped her professional stance and slumped down in the empty chair. “What the hell are we going to do, Nick?” She asked. “SHIELD doesn’t make deals with terrorists, but this is Y/N we are talking about,” Fury was furious with Pierce for using you to get to him. Pierce was his friend, the reason he sat as the director of SHIELD, and he knew how important you were to him.

“We’ll save her and stop Pierce,” was all Fury could offer the agent, whom he ‘adopted’ as well. “Go lead the team and take care of yourself,” she nodded and left his office. The man sighed. There was a crushing weight on top of his chest. He needed a few seconds to be alone.

He wasn’t a sentimental guy. His office had very few personal decorations and kept it that way for a reason: He never wanted anyone to know who he was close to. This provided it. Fury opened up a drawer in his desk and took out a bottle of whiskey. The glass bottle had a lighthouse engraved on it. It was a gift from you when you signed your first deal with your company. The whiskey was gone, but Fury kept the bottle.

He was so proud of you that day, even though he never told you. He hoped he hadn’t missed his chance.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Natasha was pouring a glass of wine for herself and Wanda while the mother of two settled the twins into the guest room. In times like this, Natasha was grateful she got a big house. Other times, it felt lonely. She heard Bucky before he saw him. The contrasting feeling of his arms wrapped around her waist. The woodsy smell of his cologne relaxed her even more. “A little early to be hitting the bottle,” she rolled her eyes at the teasing tone. “How are you, doll?” She was a mess because she could do nothing but wait. Everything was out of her control. She sipped the wine and looked out the window to see the SHIELD agent outside her home.

“When do you think Steve will be home?” She changed the topic of the conversation. She was not in the right headspace to talk about her feelings. Bucky sighed.

“Late. He probably won’t come home until Maria sends him home, or we go get him,” Natasha chuckled. That sounded right. The man was dedicated to his job, and you were the reason the three of them were together.

“Is that for me?” Wanda asked. Wordlessly, Natasha handed the glass to her. She sighed after she took a sip. “What can I make for dinner?”

“You don’t need to cook, Wanda. I was going to order takeout or something,” Wanda bit her lip.

“I need to do something to keep busy, or I’ll go insane. Please,” Natasha knew the feeling. She was two seconds away from going into the office to finish work, but she knew Bucky and Steve would not like that.

“The kitchen is yours, Wanda,” Bucky said. The mother of two gave him a grateful smile before going through the cabinets. Natasha was grateful she recently placed a grocery order. She sat on the island and watched Wanda move around the kitchen. The conversation flowed naturally, and it was meaningless. It was to just fill the silence.

Natasha understood how you fell for her so quickly. Even with the intense situation they all found themselves in, there was a calming presence about her. The Russian remembered the day you met Wanda. She was pissed you were late to the meeting, but her anger melted away when she saw the love-sick look on your face.

At first, she was worried. You recently ended your relationship with Sharon. Sharon wasn’t bad, but she wasn’t the person for you. You seemed to hide parts of yourself that you showed with Wanda.

“Why did you get in trouble?” Wanda asked for the water to boil. She was making a pasta dish, and it smelled amazing. Natasha found it unfair you both were good in the kitchen.

“Because I wouldn’t rat on her,” Natasha laughed. “Fury dragged us both back to the station. Oh, my mother was pissed. I was grounded for three weeks.” It was harder for Melina to punish you since you weren’t technically her kid, but she took away privileges when you were at their house. “Bad boys for life, you know?” Bucky chuckled with a slight shake of his head. He was leaning against the counter.

“I’m surprised you didn’t get into real trouble,” he said. “You are lucky Fury has a soft spot for Y/n.” Natasha rolled her eyes at the man. Fury saved your life. She was grateful for the man. Suddenly, the front door swung up. The sound startled her, and Wanda and Natasha jumped from her seat - the chair fell to the ground with a loud bang.

“James Barnes,” Melina snapped. “But that gun down,” Natasha stared at her parents, heart racing.

“What the fuck is your problem?” She snapped. Bucky put the gun that was hidden under the junk drawer away. She was unaware there was a gun there. “You can’t just barge in here with everything going on.”

“Why not?” Alexei closed the door with his foot, and Natasha cringed at the sound. The man’s hands were full of luggage. “The nice man gave me a badge,” he said, dropping a bag to hold up the lanyards. I feel like I am a secret agent like in American movies.” Natasha groaned but looked at Wanda when she giggled.

“Don’t encourage him,” she said. “It will only make it worse.” Natasha heard the pounding of feet coming down the stairs. Damn, her house was going through it. The twins jumped from the second to the last step.

“We heard yelling,” Tommy said. “And a loud bang.”

“Is everyone okay?” Natasha fixed her fallen chair as the boys walked over to their mother.

“We’re okay,” she said, placing her arms around them as they hugged each other. “Sorry for the scare.” Bucky was helping with the bags and bringing them to the guest suite.

“Meet my parents,” Natasha introduced them. “Alexei, Melina, this is Wanda and her sons, Billy and Tommy. " The twins managed to remove themselves from their mother and wave at the two new additions.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Wanda said with a smile. “I’ve heard great things.”

“We as well,” Melina said, pulling your girlfriend into a hug. Natasha saw the sudden contact, which surprised her. “Now, how can I help?”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Once dinner was eaten and the dishes were put away, Natasha watched Bucky add another log to the fire outside. Wanda and the twins were asleep, so Steve, her parents, Yelena, and Kate were left to enjoy the cooler weather. Natasha leaned further into Steve’s warmth. She missed him. Even though she knew he would instead be working, having everyone under the same roof gave her peace of mind. “I wish I could tell you more,” Natasha jumped back into the conversation as Bucky sat beside her—his flesh arm around both of them. “We don’t have anything solid,” Yelena huffed.

“That’s such bullshit,” Yelena said. “You just can’t tell us anything.” Kate squeezed Yelena’s leg. Steve sighed.

“I would about this,” he said. “The car was stolen from a dealership and whipped clean. Coulson and Carter are going through witness statements. It’s still in the early stages,” Natasha sighed and felt Steve’s lips on her forehead. She knew the team was doing everything they could, but still, it was killing her.

“We know you guys are doing your best,” Melina said. “We are just worried.”

“Trust me, I get it. I’ve never seen Maria or Fury this stress before.” Natasha couldn’t imagine the guilt Fury was dealing with.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Maria sent most of the team home. They’ve been racking their brains and staring at screens. Fresh eyes were needed for a case like this. She glanced over her computer to watch Fury work in silence, reviewing classified files that he and Pierce worked on. The man was quiet. To anybody else, they would assume it was normal. But Maria knew the man. The director was worried and ridden with guilt. Hell, he jumped when his phone started to ring. Maria wondered what was going through his head. “Fury,” he answered.

“Nick,” Pierce’s voice sent a deep rage through Maria. She never experienced this type of anger before. “It’s been a long time, old friend,” Fury rested his arms on his desk.

“I think you lost the right to call me friend,” Maria smiled. “Tell me what you want so I can tell you to go fuck yourself,” Pierce tisked.

“You have always been quick to anger,” he said. It was my only worry when appointing you to the director position.” Fury’s jaw clenched. “Say hello, little canary. " It was like a freight train ran over Maria. It had been years since she had heard that nickname.

“Hi, Nick,” you said. Maria watched Fury’s face soften. You were his soft spot. Maria heard the distinct sound of a gun’s safety turning off. “You know I needed a vacation, but this wasn’t what I had in mind.” God, you were an idiot. Only you would try to crack a joke in a severe situation. “Anyways, don’t give in, these no-good, backstabbing, cock eating terrorists,” the sound of someone hitting you and your pained groan caused Fury to flinch.

“Feisty,” Pierce laughed. He must have taken the phone off speaker because the sounds you were making faded. You were trying so hard to be quiet and muffle your screams. “Did you teach her that? You never respected your superiors.”

“What do you want, Pierce?”

“I knew she was the way to break you,” he must have called off your beating because Maria could no longer hear you. “I want Brock Rumlow released, and the tesseract returned to its rightful owner,” Maria’s stomach dropped. The tesseract was a massive power source that could power enhanced weapons.

“We need time,” Fury said, showing no emotion from the news. “Rumlow is a high-profile inmate.” It was purposeful, not to mention the tesseract.

“You have 72 hours to hand over Brock and the tesseract, or your little birdie will have her wings cut off.” Pierce hung up. There was a deafening silence in his office. Then Fury acted quickly. He picked up his phone and threw it against the wall. The device shattered on impact.

“Nick,” Maria said slowly.

“Hill, leave,” but she stayed. “Deputy Director that is an order,” he damned. She was never one to disobey, but she felt frozen, watching the normally calm and collected man fall apart. He closed his one good eye and let out a shaky breath. “Maria, please.” The agent nodded and stood up.

“Take care of yourself, Nick,” she said and left. The door closed behind her, and she leaned against the wooden door. “Dammit,” she whispered. This was bad. Really bad. If Pierce just asked for Rumlow, they could have justified the trade. But they could not get their hands back on the tesseract. World War 3 would be a better fate. “Fucking dammit.” Forgive us, bean. We are so sorry.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

You felt the blood dripping down your head, and there was a ringing in your ears. The muffled voices of Pierce hurt your head. Do you think he called for a doctor? Hands grabbed your chin and forced your head up. The sudden movement made you nauseous. “Awe, poor baby,” it was Tiffany.

“How-” you let out a shaky breath. “How did you know about the nickname?” You were a public figure. People were interested in who you were as your company was plastered all over the city. But there were some things you kept private, everything about your parents. Before your first deal, you made them sign NDAs. It was illegal for them to go to the press and try to tear you down.

That nickname, though—you hadn’t heard it in years. Your father called you that. Canaries represented freedom because they are independent spirits. It was a double-edged sword. On one hand, he saw you as extremely independent, but he saw it as disobedience.

Pierce smirked, “We had inside information. Would you like to see it?” You were slow to answer, you were forced to stand, and you were dragged out of the room. Maybe you should have noticed the hallways Pierce’s men dragged you down. But you were struggling to keep your eyes open and the contacts of your stomach in your stomach. There were a few left turns. Maybe a right. The place was massive. Even if you managed to escape the room they kept you in, your wounds kept you from running.

Pierce opened a door, and you were brought into a room with a glass plane on one side. The man flipped a switch, and you saw what was beyond the one-way window. Your parents. They were trapped just like you, but they lacked your injuries.

They looked older from the last time you saw them as the years of drinking and partying finally caught up to them.

“It’s a little sad actually,” Pierce said. You looked at the man, who was staring at your parents. “All we did was offer them some money, and they would not stop talking,” he sighed. “I guess you know where you stand with them. They did try to warn you.” You watched them through the glass. Your father paced the entire perimeter of their room while your mother sat on the mattress. You could tell she was annoyed with him but bit her tongue. There had to be multiple fights between them. Suddenly, Pierce taped on the glass, and the door on the other side opened.

“We told you everything,” your father told the man who walked in and closed the door behind him—a sinking feeling formed in your stomach. “We held up our end of the bargain. Give us our money.”

“Please let us go,” your mother said and stood up. “You don’t have to pay us.” Your father slapped her across the face. She recoiled in pain, but it was a sight you’ve seen so many times. You saw it coming before they did as the man reached behind his back and pulled out a pistol.

“Pierce don-” All it took was two bullets, and their bodies slumped to the ground. People who experience a near-death experience said their life flashed before their eyes. You could say the same when someone witnessed death so closely.

Your parents were not good people. They used and abused you for the better part of your life, but you never wished for their death. You wished for another warm hug from your father as the smell of pine and cigar smoke surrounded you. You wished for another kiss on your cheek from your mother that felt sticky due to the cheap stick she wore. You wanted one more birthday, one more Christmas. One more chance to be a family.

“Y-you,” you stuttered. “You killed them. Why?” You couldn’t tear your eyes away from the pool of blood that surrounded their heads.

“Because they were useless to me,” Pierce grabbed your chin and forced your eyes away to look at him. “Do you understand now? I dispose of things that aren’t useful. Understand?” You nodded. “Don’t mourn them,” he dropped his hand. “They never cared about you.”

That was the story everyone told you. They never cared about you. They only cared about your status and money. But once upon a time, you were daddy’s little girl and mommy’s perfect angel. Once upon a time, you were a family. Now that story was over, and their blood pooled on the concrete.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Wanda sipped her coffee as she watched Melina help Billy and Tommy with schoolwork. It was an easy agreement between Vision and her. The boys would be home-schooled until you were home, and the people behind your capture were caught. Even her job let her take time off. There was no way she was in the suitable head space to take orders from customers.

Bucky answered the doorbell and welcomed Maria into the house. “Melina,” the agent said. “It’s been too long.” Wanda watched the two embrace. I didn’t know you were in town.”

“They surprised us last night,” Bucky sighed. “I almost shot them,” he deadpanned. Wanda laughed with a shake of her head.

“So, a typical family gathering,” she patted the veteran on the back. “Is Natasha around? I have an update.” Tommy looked up from his homework, a hopeful look on his face.

“Did you find her?” Tommy asked. Maria looked at the twins with a smile.

“Not yet,” she said. “But we are working hard to bring her home safely.” Tommy deflated at the news. They moved into Natasha’s home office while Kate hung out with Billy and Tommy. “Her captures called last night and made their demands.”

“What do they want?” Yelena asked. Maria sighed.

“The release of an inmate and access to a very powerful weapon,” Wanda’s stomach sank. “He gave us 72 hours.” There was no need for her to say more. Wanda could fill in the blanks on her own.

“How likely is Fury to comply?” Melina questioned. Maria’s silence was enough of an answer.

“Maria, this is Y/n we are talking about. Are you telling me you and Fury are going to let some psychopath kill her?” Maria flinched at the accusation. Wanda watched the moment something inside of Maria snapped; the dam finally broke.

“Do you think I want this? Do you not believe me when I know how much she means to everyone in this room?” She asked. Her voice shook as she tried to keep her voice calm. “If I had it my way, I’d burn this city to the fucking ground to find her. But I know,” she pointed to herself. “What will happen if these fuckers get their hands back on the Tesseract and Rumlow.” She threw her arms to the side. “This isn’t easy for us, Nat. Believe me. I hate that we have to choose between one life and millions.” It was the classic trolley problem. Instead of a bay stander ready to intervene to choose what track to take, it was Fury. But he knew the one person on the track. It was you, someone he considered a daughter. Natasha’s tough exterior crumbled.

“Maria, I-” the agent held her hands to stop her.

“At the end of the day, it’s not our decision. National security is at risk, so we need approval from the World Council,” Maria sighed. “Fury is meeting with them while I’m here.”

“A prison transfer that big is not an easy task,” Melina added.

“Exactly what we told Pierce, but he knows how the system works. So we have time to come up with a plan. Darcy is tracing the phone calls. Hopefully, with two calls from him, it will help narrow the search,” Maria explained. “I need you all to have faith in me. I am doing everything I can to bring her home alive.”

“We do,” Wanda finally said. The agent looked at her. Maria’s fingers grazed her pant pocket, but her hand fell back to her side. It was such a small gesture that everyone missed it except Wanda, who raised her eyebrows in question.

“Wanda, can I speak to you? Alone.” Wanda nodded at Maria’s request and sat down on Natasha’s court. She watched the agent hug the redhead, whisper something, and close the door behind her. Maria sat down with a sigh.

“For what it’s worth,” Wanda spoke softly. “I don’t think she would want you to give them anything if it meant people would get hurt,” Maria chuckled.

“She said something along those lines when Pierce called. It was more like, ‘Don’t give into these no good, backstabbing, cock eating terrorists,’ Maria mimicked your voice so well it caused laughter to bubble out of Wanda. Maria smiled. “God, I want her home so bad.”

“Me too,” Wanda whispered, whipping away a tear running down her cheek. “What did you want to talk about?” Maria tapped her hands against her thighs. Wanda wasn’t going to push. Your friend was going through a lot. Finally, she put her hand in her pocket and pulled out a small black jewelry box. Wanda stared at it, her heart beating so fast she feared it would stop. “I’m flattered, Maria, but I’m spoken for,” it was a knee-jerk reaction to joke about it. Maria rolled her eyes and handed it to her.

“She would want you to have this if something were to happen to her,” she said. Her hands shook as she opened it and stared at the diamond ring. Where did Maria find this? How long have you had it? “Clint found it when he searched the car that was dumped. It must have fallen out of her pocket.”

The ring had a three-diamond stone that was cut in a pear shape. It was simple, but it was an eye-catcher and cost more than she made it a year. Her hands shook as she placed it on her finger. A perfect fit. It was no surprise to her that you knew her ring size. Now, she couldn’t help the tears that escaped her eyes and ran down her cheeks. Maria put her hand on her shoulder to offer support, and then her phone rang. She offered Wanda a smile and answered it.

“Hey Coulson, what do you got?” Wanda whipped the tears out of her eyes. A range of emotions passed through Maria’s eyes: anger, relief, and disbelief. “Yeah, send me the address. I’ll be right there.” She hung up.

“What is it?” Wanda asked. Maria slapped her phone against her hand.

“That was Phil. Patrol officers found two bodies,” the very little food in Wanda’s stomach began to turn. “It’s her parents.”

Delete Created with Sketch.

You weren’t sure how to feel. Everything felt numb, not even when the doctor came to disinfect your wounds; you felt nothing. You weren’t sure if you should feel anger or cry or be relieved that you were free from them. “Oh, come on,” Tiffany pushed herself off the wall and walked behind you. You felt her hands on your shoulder and squeezed them. Her touch burned against your skin. “Why mourn them when it is their fault?” She began to massage your shoulders. “Well, I guess it’s your fault too,” she continued when you stayed quiet. “Their last act of loving parents was to try to warn you,” you remembered Pierce saying the same thing.

“What-what do you mean?” You asked. Finally, she stopped touching you and stood in front of you, tilting your chin up.

“The phone calls,” she said. “If you answered them, they would have told you everything.”

“Who sent the note then?” Your brain was becoming less foggy. Tiffany smiled.

“That was me,” she said. “We were worried if you spoke to them, you would have believed them. The note was to make you believe it was another fabricated lie. Poor baby,” she cooed. “Just a dumb kid desperate for mommy and daddy’s love.” She dropped your head and heard her leave.

You hated this sinking feeling that surrounded you. There was so much guilt, and you hated it. You wanted to go home. You wanted to crawl into bed with Wanda’s arms around you. A few tears fell down your cheek, and a sob echoed in your chest. It felt good to finally cry.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

At this point in her career, Maria never visited crime scenes. She trusted her agents to follow protocol and report back to her. Still seeing the bodies of those that were killed due to the evilness in the world made Maria’s stomach twist into knots. Now, she was going to see the bodies of people she knew. That wasn’t going to be easy. Sighing, she stepped out of the safety of her car and onto the busy city sidewalk.

It was packed with reporters and regular citizens who hoped to get a glimpse of the action. Maria could never understand the public’s fascination with crime and death. Ignoring the questions from the reporters, she ducked under the yellow tap that the patrol officer held up for her. Phil met her, and once they were out of earshot from the crowd, he sighed. “Their fingerprints identified them, but we are waiting for you to make a positive ID.” Maria nodded.

“Any witnesses?” She asked.

“Two joggers found the bodies,” he pointed to where Sharon was talking to them. I’m having Wilson pull the camera footage, and Barton is talking to shop owners.” That’s good. Hopefully, someone saw something and wasn’t scared to say anything. They were in a populated part of the city—a perfect spot for joggers and tourists. It was a risky spot to dump two bodies. Someone had to see something.

Maria pulled on a pair of gloves from her pocket. Steve is taking pictures of the crime scene. “Shit,” Maria whispered when she got closer. It was them. A single gunshot to the forehead was the most likely the cause of death, but Strange would confirm it through the autopsy. “I never thought they’d die. They seemed immortal.”

“No sign of a struggle,” Steve said. Maria held up your father’s hand and saw no bruising. She held it while Steve took a picture. Their bodies were placed next to each other, arms at their side, and their hands were almost touching. Even after death, they were handled with care.

Shit. How was she going to tell you? Maria stood up and ignored the ache in her bones. She was getting too old for this. “Bag and tag everything,” she took off her gloves. “A clue has to be here to find what happened to them.”

“Sounds good, boss. " She took her phone out of her pocket and called Fury on her way to the car. He answered as soon as she was in the car.

“It’s them,” she pinched the bridge of her nose. “Single gunshot to the forehead. No defense wounds. Do you think it was Pierce?”

“Maybe,” he sighed. “He had someone else pull the trigger. There is no way he did it himself.”

“I understand killing them if they were no longer needed, but why dump their body in a public area? It’s like he wanted us to find them,” she leaned back in her seat, resting her free hand on the steering wheels.

“I think he wanted us too,” Fury said after a silence. “A reminder that anyone can be removed once they aren’t useful.” Great. Wonderful.

“The team is finishing up here. I’ll call the Romanoffs and have them meet me at headquarters.”

“Understood. See you soon,” Maria hung up and threw her phone into the passenger seat. She had to keep reminding herself that you were still useful, still a pawn in all of this, so Pierce wouldn’t kill you.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

“How’s dad?” Billy asked Tommy as he returned from the kitchen with two sports drinks. Tommy handed one to Billy and sat down. The game started up again.

“He’s okay,” Tommy answered. “He seems a little lonely. I told him he could come over, but he doesn’t want anyone to feel awkward.” Billy sighed. Natasha’s house was anything but lonely except for right now. Natasha, Melina, and Alexei had to go to SHIELD headquarters; they wouldn’t tell them why. Mom was taking a nap; Billy wasn’t blind to her cheeks being blotchy. Yelena was running your company, and Kate, sitting with them, left to take a business call. “Is Tiffany not at the house?” Tommy shook his head.

“I guess he hasn’t seen her since Mom told us what’s going on,” Tommy said. That was two days ago. “She texted him saying he’s caught up at work or something,” Billy frowned.

“It’s a little weird. Y/n gets kidnapped, and Tiffany low-key disappears.” Tommy was quiet but tilted his head. “And we did overhear her speaking on the phone in German. I don’t even know she spoke another language,” Tommy nodded.

“Oh yeah, I remember that. She bribed us with foot-long chocolate bars to keep it a secret,” Tommy suddenly paused the game. “Do you think Tiffany works for the people involved in the kidnapping?” Billy looked around; there was still no sign of Kate or Yelena. He stood up and grabbed Kate’s laptop; the Bishop Security logo moved across the screen.

“It wouldn’t hurt to do our investigation,” a smile grew on Tommy’s face.

“Who are you, and what have you done with my goody two-shoes brother?” Billy rolled his eyes.

“Shut up and help me,”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Yelena was hanging on by a thread. With you gone and Natasha processing your kidnapping poorly, the business fell to her. On any other day, she would have jumped for joy at getting this opportunity, but she was tired. The world continued to move even when Yelena wished it would. So when Tony called to give an update on production, she had to take it. “So Blondie, how are you? You holding everyone else together like you are with the company.” Yelena smirked and ignored the annoying nickname.

“Trying,” she sighed. “I had to watch Natasha flip on Maria.”

“I would have paid money to see that,” the man was such a playboy, even with a wife and daughter. “Any updates on the case?” Yelena closed her laptop. Only a select few outside those closest to you knew the truth. It was Monica’s job to spin the story with the press.

“They made their demands last night,” Yelena told him. I guess they want an inmate released and something called the tesseract.” Tony let out a long hiss and then got quiet. It was always odd when the man was quiet.

“Did you say tesseract?”

“Yes, why?” Yelena leaned back in her sister’s chair.

“I never thought I’d hear that again,” Tony sighed. “Loki and Thor found it in New Asgard. They called SHIELD because of how powerful it is. SHIELD called my team to run an analysis on it, but before we could get onto the plan, they called us off and told me they had a closer team,” Yelena frowned. “A year or two go by, and I get another call from them to look at it.” I know what will happen if they get their hands back the tesseract and Rumlow, as Maria said. Yelena could guess HYDRA stole it, and SHIELD got it back and captured Rumlow in the process. Now, you were a pawn in this massive chess game, a piece everyone sacrifices without hesitation.

“How powerful is it?” Yelena asked. “Be honest with me, Stark.” Again, Tony sighed, and she heard his own chair lean back.

“If it were to fall into the wrong hands, WWIII would be the end of all war,” he said. His tone sent a shiver down Yelena’s spine. “There won’t be an Earth to live on after.” Yeah, Yelena got the picture.

“Thanks Stark. Sorry, I asked,” the man chuckled.

“Keep me updated, Blondie.”

“And I told you to stop calling me that,” she hung up the phone but still heard his laughter. “Osel (jackass),” Yelena rubbed her temples. Shit. This was bad. Really, bad, and she understood why SHIELD was so hesitant to hand it over just to save you. Sighing, she stood up from Natasha’s desk and walked out of the office back to the living room. She heard the twins arguing before she saw them

“Tommy, let go!” Billy said. “You are going to break it.”

“You let go! You said you needed my help, and clearly, you don’t know what you are doing. " She rounded the corner and watched them fight over a laptop that belonged to her girlfriend. She saw the stickers on the top.

“What are you doing?” They jumped and dropped the laptop. Luckily, Tommy’s reflexes were fast, and he caught it before it hit the ground.

“We weren’t doing anything,” Billy smiled. Yelena narrowed her eyes and closed the distance. She held out her hand, and Tommy gave her the laptop. “If we tell the truth, how much trouble will we get in?”

“Depending on the reasoning for almost breaking Kate’s laptop,” the twins cringed, and Yelena heard Kate’s footsteps.

“What’s with all the yelling? And why are you holding my laptop?” Yelena gave it back to her.

“I was just about to find out,” Billy sighed.

“We want to help SHIELD find Y/n,” he admitted. Yelena’s tough exterior softened, and she sat beside the boy. “We had a theory and tried to use Bishop Securities to help.” Yelena sighed.

“I get you want to help,” the blonde said. “But why didn’t you tell us or another adult?” Tommy groaned and fell back onto the couch, his hands covering his face.

“Because you guys don’t tell us anything, why should we tell you?” It was a fair question. Yelena knew it was to protect them. They cared a lot about you, and it must be hard to always be in the dark. Kate sat next to Tommy.

“Tell us what you are thinking, and I can show you how to do it,” the brothers said, looking at each other in silence. Tommy nodded.

“We think our dad’s girlfriend is working with the people that took Y/n,” Yelena had to be honest; she was not expecting that. She knew they weren’t fond of her, but accusing her of being a terrorist was a little extreme. “Look, I know it sounds crazy-”

“It does,” Kate cut him off.

“But we have evidence,” Billy continued. “Our dad said she hasn’t been around a lot and is always at the house. Isn’t it weird that at the same time, something happens to Y/n, and Tiffany disappears?” It was weird but hardly evidence.

“And we overheard her talking in German on the phone,” Again noting that scream, ‘I’m part of a terrorist group hellbent on starting WWIII,’ “She bride us with chocolate bars not to tell anyone about it,” Even Yelena thought it was weird.

“You know,” Kate said slowly. “It wouldn’t hurt to look at all possible leads.”

“Even if it’s extremely illegal,” Yelena countered.

“It’s not illegal if you don’t get caught,” Kate smiled and opened her laptop. Yelena watched her girlfriend pull up the Bishop Security system. “Alright, what am I looking for?” She looked between the three of them. When no one answered, Yelena sighed. She was against this idea because Kate could get in trouble, but everyone was desperate for answers.

“Maria thinks the ransom note was dropped off on Tuesday,” Yelena said. “See if Tiffany was near the office on that day.” Kate nodded and typed away. The silence was tense. Finally, she moved the laptop to show the screen.

“Looks like Tiffany picked you guys up that day,” Sure enough, Tiffany walked into the office, and when she left, the twins were with her. She had no bag with her to hide the note.

“If she’s involved, she wouldn’t drop it off; it would be suspicious,” Billy said. “Can your system do a wider search? See if she met with anyone before picking us up.” Yelena and Kate looked at each other rather than at Billy. “Why? I read a lot of mystery books,” he shrugged.

“Nerd,” Tommy mumbled. Kate turned her laptop around again and began to search. It took longer than the first time, but Yelena caught it when Kate found something. Her eyebrows pinched together. It happened when she was working on something she didn’t understand. “What is it?” Slowly, Kate turned her laptop again.

The screen showed Tiffany meeting with a food delivery boy in an alley. Yelena recognized the logo as a regular spot from which the office ordered. There was no audio, but clear as day, Tiffany handed the man an envelope. She wore gloves so her fingerprints wouldn’t be on it. The man took it along with the stack of cash.

“Well,” Kate said. “That’s suspicious.”

“We were right,” Billy spoke slowly, trying to understand it.

“We were right,” Tommy repeated after his brother. “We were right!” They jumped up and down, chanting, ‘We were right.’ “Ooo,” Tommy cringed suddenly. “I don’t like that we were right.” Yelena chuckled and ruffled the boy’s hair.

“What is going on?” Wanda asked, walking down the stairs. The noise must have woke her up.

“Mom!” Billy yelled and ran over to her. He crashed into her and almost sent her flying back. “Get dressed! Get dressed! We have to hurry and go to SHIELD. We found information for the case!” Billy was shaking his mother from excitement.

“Billy-” Wanda sighed.

“It’s true,” Yelena stood up from the couch. The woman looked at Yelena, confused. Hell, Yelena was lost herself. Just moments ago, Maria was here and told them they had no leads. “I also would call Vision and tell him to meet us there. This may get messy.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Natasha was stuck on how to feel. On the one hand, you were free from the claws your parents had within you. On the other hand, your parents were murdered, and she was worried about how you would take that. No matter how often they hurt you, you were desperate for their love. She sat at Maria’s desk while she waited for Alexei and Melina. Legally, you were emancipated, but Alexei and Melina were listed as your emergency contacts on everything. Maria was going over the process of how to release your parents’ bodies.

The pictures on her friend’s desk were limited, but they were of important moments. One was at Maria’s graduation at the academy; you and Natasha were on either side of her. Another one was at the grand opening of your new company building. The picture was taken two seconds before Yelena sprayed the three of you with a bottle of champagne. It seemed the three of you were attached at the hip. Always helping one another, always celebrating with each other.

She glanced at her side to see Fury sit down next to her. “Are you here to yell at me too?” Natasha asked. Melina gave her a stern talk about how she spoke to Maria. She had enough quilt about it. The man shook his head. That was a relief. “How are you, Nick?” She asked him. Fury took the picture of you, Maria, Natasha, and Yelena in his hand. It was after you, Natasha, and Yelena signed a massive deal for the company. Maria took you all out to dinner and drinks after.

“Ready for all of this to be over,” Natasha learned early on that every word the man said was purposeful. He made sure not to mention you because he wasn’t sure how this would end. Natasha heard the distinct sound of her parents walking over to her. They tried to mask their true feelings, but their eyes gave them away. It was common for her family. No matter how much they tried to mask, it was impossible to hide. They were upset. Even though they hated what you had to endure at the hands of your parents, life was still lost.

“Ready to go home?” Melina asked. Natasha nodded. She was tired, but she had work to do. Yelena was meeting with Tony, and she needed to get an update on how that went.

Natasha stood up and pulled Maria into another hug. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I know I hurt you.” She felt Maria exhale slowly and pat her on the back.

“It’s okay,” it wasn’t, but Natasha knew Maria was dealing with a lot. She offered her friend one final squeeze and let her go. Her family took a few steps towards the door, accommodated by Maria, when Natasha heard running approaching them.

“I found her!” Darcy exclaimed. A simple three-word sentence made Natasha’s stomach flip. “I found her!” The scientist repeated and pushed a file into Maria’s hand. “When Strange was preparing the bodies, he found a clear and sticky substance on their forearms,” she took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. “I ran it through the mass spectrometer and got a hit,” she opened the file for Maria. “It’s called Cronium, a compound that absorbs and stores kinetic energy. Honestly, it’s amazing stuff-”

“The point?” Maria cut her off before a tangent could form.

“Right, sorry,” she began to smile. “This substance was produced in one factory that happened to be shut down in Staten Island. It’s called-”

“Nova Forge Industries,” Natasha gave herself whiplash on how fast she turned towards the sound of Kate’s voice. She was standing there with her Bishop Security laptop and wasn’t alone. Yelena, Wanda, the twins, and Vision were running to catch up with her. What was happening?

“Yes,” Darcy titled her head slightly. “How did you know that?”

“We found her too,” Natasha said, sure her heart was going to combust with how fast it was beating. “Do you have somewhere I can plug this in, too?” She smiled and held up her laptop. “You guys aren’t going to believe this.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Kate was right. Wanda couldn’t believe it, and neither could everyone else as she explained what she had found. With her and the twin’s help, the missing piece of the puzzle was found, and Wanda saw hope in Maria’s eyes. It was a whirlwind around Wanda as Maria called the agents to assemble a plan and gather a team where you held. Somehow, in the chaos, she found Vision sitting by himself. Wanda sighed and sat next to him. “You know I was planning on breaking it off,” he glanced at Wanda, then looked forward. “I know the boys, and you never liked her.” Wanda smiled sadly.

“Why did you stay with her then?” Vision sighed.

“It felt less lonely with her, especially when the boys were with you.” The man shrugged. “I approach you for advocating for me,” Wanda knew Vision wasn’t involved in this mess when Maria started to question him. Even if he hated you, the boys loved you too much for him to get involved in a plot to cause you harm.

“I think you’ve been through enough. If I could help you avoid an interrogation with a pissed-off Fury, I’ll play my part,” the man laughed as the twins walked over. They looked guilty. Wanda found them looking like this if they got in trouble at school or broke something in the house. “What’s wrong, boys?” Without a word, they hugged Vision. Their father wasn’t expecting the sudden hug, but Wanda watched the man sag in relief against them.

“We’re sorry, Dad,” Billy mumbled. Vision ended the hug to look at them.

“Why are you apologizing?” He asked.

“Because of us, Tiffany is going to be in a lot of trouble,” Tommy added. Wanda’s heart broke for them. They expected Vision to be mad at them.

“Oh, boys. We all would have found out sooner rather than later,” they still looked upset. “But I am so proud of you,” their faces lit up.

“You are?” Billy questioned.

“Of course I am!” He grabbed onto their forearms. “You both played an important part in the investigation and because of your intuition, they will bring her home.” Tommy looked at Wanda for confirmation. His eyes light up like a Christmas tree.

“She’s coming home?” Wanda nodded and took his hand.

“Yes, baby,” she smiled. “She’s coming home.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

It was the door almost flying off the hinges that forced you awake. It was hard to sleep in a chair you were chained to. Pierce was seething. His face was red, and smoke was coming out of his ears. “Tell her,” he said. More people filed into the room behind her. “Tell her what you told me.” Sleep still fogged your brain, but you made out Fury’s voice on the other end of the phone.

“Deal is off, Pierce. SHIELD does not negotiate with terrorists,” Good, you thought. You couldn’t imagine the lives lost if they complied. You hoped Wanda and Natasha could forgive them one day.

“I’ll kill her,” Pierce threatened. “Her head will show up at your front door.”

“I know,” Fury said. You heard the slight hitch in his voice. “And I hope she can forgive me. Maybe in the next life, we’ll meet at the lighthouse.” You kept your face calm even when your heart skipped.

“I’ll be waiting, Nick,” you whispered. Pierce hung up before he could respond. Suddenly, you were lifted from the chair and suspended in the air by chains.

“I’m going to enjoy this,” Pierce laughed. The lighthouse wasn’t a real place. It was a code word you and Fury made up. If you ever felt unsafe or needed to leave somewhere, you would text him lighthouse, and he would come. Only you and him knew the meaning behind the word. He was coming to save you. SHIELD knew where you were -all you had to do was survive

You felt the first hit to your ribs, then the second and the third. When the fourth hit came, you felt nothing. You dissociated, a trick you hadn’t done in years. When you were younger, your parents fought, and you hid away in your room. You were small for your age, so you’d hide underneath your bed and dream and float away. When you came back, the fight was over, and you’d climb out like nothing happened.

Float away. Float away. Dream and float away.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

“Faster, faster,” Tommy’s cheers made you run faster. Even though Wanda was going to yell at you for it being dangerous, you had a hard time saying no to the twins. You said yes right away when Tommy begged you to take him outside to play in the snow. You fished out the slid from storage and tied a robe to it. You pulled Tommy up and down the hill, and you were exhausted, but the sound of his laughter fueled you with energy.

“Children,” you stopped at the sound of Wanda’s voice. “Lunch is ready, and there is a hot chocolate.” Tommy jumped off the slide behind you. Wanda pushed her son away before he could get wet from the snow. You chuckled at their antics and walked over to your fiance.

“Do I get a kiss?” You asked, standing in front of her.

“Do you promise me you won’t get me wet?” You smirked at her but kept the suggestive comment to yourself. You had guests within hearing distance. Wordless, you nodded and quickly kissed her. Her lips were warm against yours. “You are cold,” she shivered. “Go get warm.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” you kissed her again and untied your boots to enter the cabin. The cabin was busy. A fire was roaring, and Christmas music was lightly playing. Billy was showing off his new game to Shuri and Kate. Natasha and Yelena were at the bar making Holiday cocktails - you knew it was terrible for them to make the drinks. Melina was in the kitchen, and you were pretty sure Alexei was with Steve and Bucky out front to see who could cut firewood the fastest. It was already so busy, but more people were on their way.

You quickly changed out of your winter clothes and hung them up to dry. Wanda yelled at you yesterday for leaving them on the ground. You were fixing your sweater while you exited your bedroom when a body ran into you. “There she is!” Maria lifted you by the waist and spun you around. “Can’t believe you finally grew a pair and got down on one knee.” Finally, she put you down, and you punched her in the stomach.

“You’re a dick,” you said and ignored her groan in pain. Natasha walked over to you and forced a drink in your hand.

“Don’t be a stick in the mud,” she squeezed your cheek. “We are celebrating you.” You groaned and pushed them away to find Wanda. She was in the kitchen with Pepper. You wrapped your arms around her and pulled you flush to your chest.

“Tasha and Ria are being mean to me,” you mumbled. Wanda looked over her shoulder with a fond smile on her face.

“My poor baby,” she cooed. “Do you want me to yell at them?” You nodded and buried your face in the crook of her neck. You stayed attached to her back while she finished her conversation with Pepper. You only let her go when she forced a plate into your hand.

You sat next to Fury, who was sipping on a small glass of whiskey. “It feels like old times,” you said to the man. “With everyone together.” The man nodded. You took a few bites of food but stopped and looked at him. “This is real, right, or is this all in my head?” Fury gave you a half smile.

“Not sure why it can’t be both,” you frowned at him, unsure what he meant. “This is all you want, right, kid? Your family together,” you nodded. “Then maybe this is a future you haven’t seen yet.”

“And I will see all of this one day,” the man shrugged and finished his drink.

“I guess that depends on you,” he stood up and fixed his coat. Are you strong enough to wait for us?” He left alone. Everything began to slow down and blur. Your family moved around you, but you couldn’t hear what they were saying. You were strong. You could withstand anything if it meant seeing them all again.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Soft hands cradled your face, and you repeatedly heard someone call your name. Your eyes fluttered open. “Ria,” you whispered. Your friend laughed, eyes glossing over with tears.

“Good, Pierce didn’t kill you before I got a chance to slap you around,” you saw Steve come in with metal cutters. Once he cut the metal chains, you fell into Maria. “To be fair, you have a list of people that are pissed at you.”

“Unbelievable,” you scuffed. “I get kidnapped, and people are mad at me.” You felt Maria’s lips on your forehead.

“Let’s get you home, bean.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

You heard movement next to you that caused you to wake up. Opening your eyes, it took a minute for your brain to connect the dots. They found you. You were safe in what looked like to be in a hospital with a SHIELD agent standing outside your door. “Sorry, kid, didn’t mean to wake you,” you turned your head to see Fury sitting next to you. “I figured this would be my only time to see you before the room was filled.” You smiled.

“I’m a popular girl; what can I say?” The man rolled his good eye at you. “You found me, pops,” you whispered, taking his hand. “I knew you would.” Fury shook his head.

“It’s my fault you were dragged into this mess.”

“You were doing your job, Nick. I would never be angry at you for that,” it was bad luck mixed with how greedy your parents were. “Pierce had my parents killed.” The man nodded.

“We found their bodies. One of the ways we found you,” he gave you a pained smile. “I am sorry,” you shrugged, unsure how to feel about their death. All the people in your life hated them. You knew the man next to you had strong feelings for them.

“It feels like I mourned their death years ago,” you admitted. “But watching it happen in front of me,” you sighed. “Fucking sucks.” Fury chuckled.

“Frankly, your parents were,” he paused. “Complicated people,” you chuckled and shook your head. “But as someone who has witnessed the death of people they care about. I wish you hadn’t seen that.” You fought back the tears and cleared your throat.

“It gets better, right?” You asked even though you were afraid of the answer. Fury nodded.

“Surround yourself with good people, and you’ve already done that, so that is half the battle,” he said, standing up and, to your surprise, kissing the side of your head. “I am so proud of you, kid.”

When you woke up again, Fury was gone, and Wanda was in the chair he was in. Your hand was in hers, and your eyes locked in on the ring on her finger. The ring you bought must have fallen out of our pocket when Pierce’s guys grabbed you. It slipped your mind that you had it when you went to pick up the twins. “This is not how I wanted to ask you,” she jumped from your voice. “I wanted it to be special, this grand gesture with the boys.” She laughed and squeezed your hand.

“How often do I tell you I don’t want big gestures or fancy gifts? I only want you,” she said. She chose you, not the money or the privilege that came with your job—just you.

“You’ll probably have to remind me a few times,” you smiled. Her green eyes, which you loved so much, began to fill with tears, and her lips started to shake. “Come here, baby,” she stood up from her chair and cradled your face. Her eyes scanned over your injuries. You felt her tears on your skin. “Baby, I’m okay. I’m okay,” you put your hand behind her head and pushed it to your shoulder. “Sh, it’s okay. I’m right here,” you felt her nod. “I’m right here,” you cooed over her quiet cries, and then you heard her mumble something. “What was that?” She pulled away to look at you, sitting in the corner of the bed.

“Ask me,” it took a moment to figure out what she meant, but you smiled.

“I love you, Wanda Maximoff. You are the love of my life and the best thing to ever happen to me,” more tears started to fall down her cheeks. “I can not imagine a world without you, Billy, and Tommy not in it. So, will you marry me?”

“Yes,” she whispered. Yes, yes!” She connected your lips together. This kiss was salty from her tears, but you missed the feeling of her lips against yours. You desperately wanted to deepen the kiss, but you were recovering from your injuries and in a hospital. Someone cleared their throat, and Wanda pulled away. She giggled at the pout on your face.

“I apologize for interrupting,” of course, it was Vision being a cock block. He smirked at the two of you. “But I have two kids that want to see you,” you smiled, and Wanda sat down, her hand still tight in yours.

“Yeah, they can come in.” Vision took a step to the side and the twins came running to your free side. They spoke a million miles a minute, even when Wanda told them to take deep breaths. But they were so excited to see you, you didn’t care you couldn’t understand them. You were grateful you were able to see them again.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

You were a little tired. The ceremony was over, you danced with Wanda, Alexei, and Fury, and now your guests enjoyed the food and music. You sat at the sweetheart’s table while looking around the area. Clint’s kids were dancing with Alexei, Tommy and Billy were helping Morgan get food, and even Vision talked with Carol. This group was your family- this crazy, chaotic bunch. You smiled as Natasha tried to stop Yelena from getting more alcohol. You almost missed this; it was nearly taken from you.

Your time with HYDRA happened two years ago. In those years, you overcame the physical injuries, struggled with the mental ones, and took your company to new heights. Wanda quit her job at the diner and moved into your house. You even promoted Yelena to co-CEO. Everyone spoke highly about her when everything was going on. So you had more time to spend with Wanda and the twins. Life was going good. “Where’s the new wife?” Melina asked, taking her spot.

“Changing,” you sipped on your drink. Maria and Kate helped her get out of her dress and into a jumpsuit. “Are you enjoying the day?” The woman rolled her eyes.

“I feel as if I should be asking you that,” you chuckled and took another sip. You weren’t 100% sure what was in it, as Natasha made it. “Are you having a good day?” You nodded.

“I am,” you answered simply, and she waited for you to continue. “I’m just taking all this in,” you smiled at her. “All of this was almost taken from me.” Melina nodded.

“Do you remember the first time we met?” Of course, you remembered. It was your father’s weekend per the custody agreement. The man was drunk on the couch, and you snuck out of the house. In your defense, you thought the house was empty. You’ve been watching it all day; no one left or entered. You were bored, so you climbed over their fence and opened the window to their living room. You weren’t expecting to come face to face with a hunting rifle and a woman holding it.

You thought she was going to kill you or, worse, call the cops and have you arrested. Oddly enough, she put the gun down and offered you food. It was a warm meal you ate all week. You devoured it, and your neighbor thought you were going to choke. After you finished, she let you leave out the front door, and if you needed anything, you could come to her door and not the window.

The next weekend, you were at your father’s; you spent it with the Romanoffs instead. It was the happiest you’ve been. “I told Wanda that story, and she said she was surprised you didn’t shoot me,” the woman chuckled.

“I was surprised you dared to break into my home,” you smiled. You weren’t going to take anything. At your age, you liked to do stupid things to prove that you could do it. The woman took your hand. “You have done a lot of growing, but you will always be my little petard (firecracker). You found your family. I am so proud.”

“I always had a family—you, Alexei, Natasha, and Yelena. It just got a little bigger because of you. " You could never thank them enough. You paid off their house, got rid of Yelena’s student debt, and bought Alexei and Melina a new car. Still, it never felt like enough. “Thank you, mama.”

Your wedding wasn’t traditional. Wanda walked down the aisle, and the twins handed her off before taking their seat next to Vision. Alexei and Melina walked you down. Fury married you and Wanda. Melina smiled and kissed your cheek. You heard footsteps walking over to you. “Hi, Melina,” Wanda said. Oh, please keep sitting,” she added as the woman stood up from her spot.

“It is fine,” Melina smiled. “I have to remind Alexei that there is a drink limit.” You tilt your head to the side and look at Wanda.

“We didn’t put a drink limit,” you said.

“He has one, and I set it,” you laughed as Melina walked over to Wanda. She gave her a hug and whispered something in her ear. Your wife nodded, and Melina kissed her cheek and walked over to Alexei. Wanda sat back down in her seat, and you immediately kissed her.

“I missed you,” you mumbled against her lips. Wanda laughed and shook her head.

“I was gone for more than 10 minutes,” you pouted.

“So sorry I missed my wife,” her cheeks blushed. Wanda was your wife. You’d never get tired of calling her that. “What did Melina say to you?” She took your drink and sipped on it.

“That’s disgusting,” she cringed. “Natasha made that for you, didn’t she?” you nodded and smiled when you took another sip. “I guess I’ll have to thank her later,” she winked at you, and it was your turn for your body to heat up. You pinched her side. “Melina told me to make sure I keep your heart good,” you glanced at the woman who smiled at you. You took Wanda’s hand and kissed the ring on her finger.

“I love you,” you said. “You are one of the reasons my heart is good and why I want to keep it good.”

“You are,” Wanda paused, and you waited for her to gather her words. Unbelievable. I thank my lucky stars that I ran into you at the coffee shop. " You laughed and kissed the ring again. Footsteps rapidly ran over to the table.

“You promised you’d play a round of corn hole with us,” Tommy said. You playfully rolled your eyes.

“We have to play before you get too drunk!” Billy added on with a smile. Your jaw dropped, and Wanda covered your mouth as she laughed.

“Who says I’m getting drunk?” Billy rolled his eyes.

“1, it’s your wedding.”

“And 2,” Tommy wrapped his arms around your neck. “We saw Natasha make that drink. I’ll be surprised if you’ll be standing when you are done with it.” His laughter hurt your ears, but it was a sound you loved.

“You little shit,” you said and stood up. You were able to maneuver Tommy onto your shoulder. The boys’ laughter continued as you walked over to the small area where you had lawn games.

“Dad claimed you to be on his team, which I find very unfair,” you dropped Tommy back onto his feet. He shook his head.

“We’ll take turns,” you ruffled Tommy’s hair, and he ran over to Vision. Billy stood by your side. “Are you having fun so far?” you asked him. He nodded, but you saw that he was in deep thought. “What is it, bud?” Suddenly, his body slammed into yours for a hug.

“I’m glad you are part of our family,” he whispered. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” you said, and Billy ran to the empty corn hold board. Once upon a time, you dreamed of a family like this. Now you had it, and you would not let it go.

[hidden-poet]

Poison: part 1

Summary: Coriolanus always hated Sejanus Plinth. He had everything that Coriolanus should of had; money, influence, and you.

Warnings: Coryo being de-lu-lu, unrequited love, Reader insert, dark!Coriolanus snow, dead dove to not eat

Word count:

AN: This is only half (maybe a quarter) The other part is coming soon. I just figured I better feed you before you start unfollowing. Life has been fucking bananas recently.

unedited so tell me if i abandoned a sentence half-way through.

Coriolanus has always hated Sejanus Plinth. Even from a young age.

Sejanus took Coriolanus' lack of harassment as a sign of friendship, and not a sign of total indifference. It bothered Coriolanus greatly, until the day it had a use. 

It ironically never made Coriolanus hate him more, the day his illusionary friendship gave him access to you. 

You were always in the same class at the Academy. Coriolanus had tried to be friends with you, but you seemed indifferent to him. You never wanted to study together, or eat together. You always had other plans for the weekend. 

Coriolanus had thought that you were hesitant to date before finishing school. It wasn’t just him that you ignored but nearly the whole cohort. The plan was fine by him. He had to focus on the Plinth prize, having you now could cause him to lose focus. 

But then you started dating Sejanus. He could have died the day you walked into school hanging off Sejanus’s arm. He always knew you had ideas. You were outspoken in class. But, Sejanus was delusional, you were just kind. Now he was poisoning you with radical ideas that left you an outcast. 

Coriolanus always defended you in social settings when your name was brought up in a negative light. All money, no brains, people would often say. It wasn’t true. Your heart was too big, and your brain, perhaps, a little small. 

He tried to shield you from being the topic of conversation amongst his friends. But you seemed to always want to be center stage.

You were loyal, it was one of the things he loved most about you. But when you stood by Sejanus when he spouted his idiotic beliefs, Coriolanus wanted to shake your shoulders until you saw sense. 

The more you damage your reputation now, the harder Coriolanus will have to work to get it back when you’re with him. And make no mistake, one day you would be with him.

Until then, he wished you would sit down and shut up. But you followed Sejanus around like a lost pup. Doing the same idiotic things, and speaking the same idiotic language. 

He would expect the same loyalty at a future date. But for now being a distant friend worked best for his goals. Reaping day was fast approaching, he never would have secured his top 24 place if all his attention had been on you. 

—------------

It was reaping day. By the end of the day, he was sure to have the prize and the girl. He had worked so incredibly hard for the grades. Never missed school, even when he was sick. Stayed late at the library, woke up early to revise. 

This was the moment his life changed. 

He would prove his worth to you. The plinth prize would be a nice opening to a conversation, you would offer your congratulations. You had to, it would be rude not to. Then he would take you out to dinner to celebrate and you would realise he’s the man you’ve been looking for. 

You were not one of the 24 top students. Coriolanus was glad. He wasn’t sure that he could challenge you. 

You arrive on the arm of Sejanus. Coriolanus watches as you greet his parents. They loved you, or perhaps the social status you bring. Either way, his mother gives you a big kiss, and his father engulfs you in his wide arms,

“Would you look at that? Who would have thought she would go for Plinth” Fetus comments. 

“Who else? The bleeding hearts of the Capitol. Who else would take them?”, Arachne jeered. 

It wound Coriolanus further up. It was already a stressful day, Arachne need not add to it.

He, he would take you, he thought.

But he couldn’t say that. Not yet. Not with your name still attached in the mud with Sejanus. 

Instead, Coriolanus jumped to your defense, “y/n is nothing like him”.

“Whatever you say. All i know is if I have to hear how immoral the games are again i’ll-”

Festus quiets as you and Sejanus draw near. It looked like Sejanus was half dragging you along, leading you by your arm that was hooked with his.

“Serjanus, you made  it to the Reaping for once”, he redirected. 

“And you made it to graduation. We are all surprised”. 

You giggle at Sejanus’s jap, and Coriolanus couldn’t help but smile along with you. 

“And Y/N, you’re here too. What an honor”, Festus tries to claw his way out of embarrassment at your expense. 

Coriolanus did not like that way Festus was talking to you. If he was your man, he wouldn’t allow it. 

“What lovely earrings”, Arachne comments with an underlying disinterest shown by her eye fluttering around the room, and her drink making its way to her mouth, mid-sentence. 

“Thank you”, you returned, but your voice was tight, and unfriendly, “They were a gift from Serjanus”. 

“Aren’t we lucky”, she mocks. 

Coriolanus never had an issue with Arachne before but now he hated her with a passion. You weren’t lucky, you deserved every nice thing in the world. Sejanus just so happens to be the one giving you them, while Coriolanus is stuck in poverty. But that all changes when they make the announcement today. 

“And Coriolanus”, she continues in the same obnoxious tone, “That’s a snazzy shirt. What are those buttons? Tesserae?”. 

He feels his face heat up from embarrassment. Arachne Crane was now his single worst enemy. 

His face and posture remain unaffected, as he looks down surprised, and twists the button up to his face. 

“Hmm, that’s why they remind me of the maids bathroom”. It would be no good to deny it. Better to play it off. Remind people of the Snow’s standing. 

He freezes when you reach out for a button and inspect it. 

“I like it. It’s pretty”, you kindly offer. 

He protected your name behind backs, and you defended his in public. It was written in the stars, you belonged to him, and him to you. 

He couldn’t get his thank you out before the music rang.

It signals the start of the ceremony. Coriolanus reaches out to touch your shoulder as you turn, his eyes staring at the glistening rubies in your ears. One day he would buy you better, more expensive rubies. 

Everyone turns to take their seats. You follow Sejanus to his, and Coriolanus follows closely behind you. If you stopped even for a second you would collide straight into him. 

Sejanus puts his bag down, before turning to you. 

“Good luck”, you whisper to him, reaching up on your toes to place a small kiss on his lips. 

“Thank you” Coriolanus whispers under his breath, pretending it was for him. 

Serjanus says nothing to you. Just looks at you with his usual sad eyes. It felt like a knife in Coriolanus' side when he bent down to place another kiss on your expecting lips. 

You go back to your seat, and the men take theirs. 

“Look Coriolanus, I know you have high hopes for this, but there is no prize today. Not anymore”, Sejanus fakes sympathy in his voice, “I am sorry”. 

“What” Coriolanus croaks. 

God, this couldn’t be happening. Not after everything he had done. Was it all for nothing? All his sacrifice to amount to more shame? How could he tell Tigres? Grandma’am would throw herself from the penthouse.

Coriolanus himself wanted to die when Dean Highbottom announced his tribute. That girl was never going to win. It was sabotage. Highbottom made his final play. 

When the ceremony ended, Coriolanus felt frozen in his spot. Serjanus felt the same. While everyone else went off to join the feast, they both stood frozen in front of their chairs. 

From the corner of his eye he could see you push your way through the crowd of people over to where the men stood. As soon as you were in reach your arms flung out to Sejanus.

“Baby, I am so sorry”, you console, “everything is going to be okay”.

Everything was not going to be okay. How was he going to turn that girl into a victor? She was mentally unstable, underfed. No brains, or strength that he could work with. 

He wanted nothing more than to feel your arms around him, but they were wrapped around Serjanus. 

“He was my classmate, y/n”, Sejanus broke. 

You shake your head, joining him in his sorrow. 

“My father brought him for me. I know it”, Sejanus barks. 

Coriolanus watches as your lips press to his arm. His heart twist. That should be his arm. The plinth prize should have been his money. 

He storms off, unable to watch you as you console the wrong man. 

He forces nice as he makes his way through the crowd to the back entrance. All he needed was fresh air, and sit in his emotions. Then he could form a plan to make that girl a winner. 

When he got there, he found his head was empty of everything but panic. Tigres was counting on him bringing the Plinth money home. Where would they live? Could they delay the taxes until Coriolanus won the Hunger games? How could they ask for an extension without giving away the Snow’s misfortune. 

His head hit the brick pillar when he heard high heels echoing down the quiet corridor. Quickly standing tall again, he leans forward and is met with pleasant surprise when he saw you coming towards him. 

“Y/n, are you okay?”, Coriolanus asked. It was the first time in a long time that he hadn’t seen Sejanus by your side.

“I came to ask you that”, you return. You worrying about him made his heart flutter.

“I’ve been better”, he admits, “That girl won’t win”. 

“None of them ever win”, you protest, 

“Here, before it’s all gone”, you offer him a plate of food which he accepts gratefully. 

He regrets skipping breakfast this morning even if it was boiled potato. 

“Where is Serjanus?”, he asks. He was beginning to think Sejanus had super glued you together. 

“He’s gone. He couldn’t bear looking at his father”. You are quiet while Coriolanus eats. You stare at the wall in front of you in contemplation. 

“He’s not going to be able to train that boy. He couldn’t even talk about it”, you looked upset. 

Your eyes watered, but your voice was angry. 

Serjanus got pick of the litter. If he couldn’t make that boy a winner, than he didn’t deserve to win. 

“Spectacles? They want children dying to be some sort of game?”, you continue. 

Coriolanus closes his eyes. After the day he has had the last thing he wants is to hear your misguided viewpoint on the games. 

“Whinging about it won’t change the fact”, he sighed. 

Any other time he would have pretended to agree, but the eviction notice laying on the kitchen table hung in his mind. 

“It’s unfair to you too. You would have won if they played fair. You deserved to win”, you say softly after a moment. 

“Thank you”, his voice matched your soft tone in earnest appreciation of your sympathy for all he was robbed. 

A louder voice broke the moment of connection. 

“Y/N as lovely as always” it rang through the empty hallway. 

“Dean Highbottom”, you greet. 

“Would you mind terribly leaving me to talk to our star pupil?”, Highbottom offers you a kind smile for consideration. 

You shake your head no, much to Coriolanus' disappointment. 

“I was just leaving” you comment. 

Coriolanus reaches out, taking your arm in his hold, “wait, I’ll see you home”. 

Coriolanus had received a sword from Festus for his birthday, which he promptly returned for cash. He had planned to save it for the next birthday party he was invited to, but it was worth it to have a few minutes alone without Serjanus hovering near. 

“Serjanus sent me a car. I’ll see you at school tomorrow”. You give his arm a tap before going back into the ceremony hall to make your way to the front entrance. 

“Dean” you nod as you walk past him. 

Nothing but your heels on the concrete are heard until the heavy slam of a door cuts them off. 

Dean Highbottom was waiting for you to leave before talking. He started almost simultaneously with the door closing again. 

“Best friends girl, hey? Here I was thinking you wouldn’t get anymore like your father’.

“My father?” Coriolanus questioned. 

“Oh, Yes. He and I were once best friends too. You both like to take things that aren’t yours”.

“I haven’t taken anything”, Coriolanus said defensively. 

“Hm, but you will, won’t you? When the first opportunity arises”.

It was true. He often hoped that Serjanus would make a mistake that would leave an opportunity to swoop in. Perfect Serjanus never did. 

“But what’s stopping you now?” Highbottom provoked, “Worried that she has district values, but Capitol taste?”.

It stuck a cord in Coriolanus that he tried to cover. Dean Highbottom grinned knowing it too. 

“Beautiful earrings she was wearing, maybe Tigres could make her a dress out of another one of your fathers old shirts?”. 

Dread pooled in Coriolanus’s stomach. He tried so incredibly hard to maintain appearances. If Highbottom knew, who else? Was everyone laughing at the Snows behind his back? 

“What exactly are you implying? I wanted to honor my father by wearing his shirt”. 

Highbottom scoffs at the lie. 

“Prideful. Another trait of your fathers”. Highbottom steps forward to Coriolanus, hands clasped together in an air of superiority. 

“I know the Snow’s don’t have a pot to piss in. I know that you’ve had your poor little heart broken by Miss Y/N’s interest in Serjanus, and I know you don’t stand a chance at the Plinth prize you so covet”. 

Coriolanus felt like throwing up the few bites of food he had. The Dean reveled in the young boy's misery. Coriolanus had never seen him smile outside of a morphline high. 

“Good luck with that little songbird of yours” he taunted as he walked away. 

Coriolanus swallowed the lump in his throat. It wasn’t over, just a minor bump in the road. The district 12 girl didn’t have to be special. Coriolanus was smart enough to make a victor out of nobody. 

He would find a way to win. After all, Snow lands on top. 

—---------------------------------------

The trip to the train station was a good place to start. At least Coriolanus found out that Lucy-Gray was a performer like him. 

He could work with a performer. Highbottom, said himself, winning is only one consideration of the prize. 

Getting thrown in with the tributes, and having his image cast out on Capitol television was not the plan, but he could twist it in his favor. 

His ankle had wedged between two rocks as he fell, slowing him down as he made his way to class. If it wasn’t the only class that he sat next to you, he would have skipped it now that the plinth prize didn’t concern grades. 

It was his favorite class, even if Dean Highbottom taught it. Normally, the classrooms sat students in groups of two. You, of course, always chose Serjanus. Leaving Coriolanus with Clemmie. But Highbottoms class required an open field of student contributions, meaning that Serjanus could have one side, and Coriolanus could have the other. 

It was almost over by the time Coriolanus got there, but he wouldn’t give it up. 

“Your little excursion was in violation of about five different Academy rules, Mr Snow. Chief amongst them, endangering a Capitol student”, Highbottom dralled from his seat. 

He could see you in the stands, and began climbing them to reach you as quickly as he could with his sore ankle. 

“What, who?”. The accusation almost stopped him in his tracks, but you had shifted your school bag to empty a seat for him. 

“You”, answered Highbottom, “I am moving for the Gamemakers to disqualify you as a mentor immediately”. 

He finally reaches you only to see you holding Serjanus’s hand under the table. 

“Coriolanus, are you okay?”, he heard you whisper as he sat down next to you. 

“Fine”, he acknowledged with a soft smile before returning to his argument with Highbottom. 

“You said we had to get our tributes to preform, not stay away”, Coriolanus quipped. 

“I’ll add insubordination as well”. Coriolanus rolled his eyes at the comment.

‘Holding her hand, Coryo?” Arachne chimed in. Coriolanus' blood turned cold. He was hoping that you wouldn’t find out. You hated Lucky Flickerman so he counted on you missing his nightly recap, but he had not counted on Arachne spewing her poison. 

“You make it look like we are one and the same with those animals”. 

“Coriolanus didn't show anyone anything they didn’t already know”. 

The only good thing about Serjanus jumping to defend Coriolanus was that he let go of your hand to do so. 

“Deep down people already know that winning a war ten years ago doesn’t justify the games”, Serjanus remarks. 

“Snow fell down in the cage, but it landed on…” Dr Gauls sing-songy voice was heard at the top of the auditorium. It was a welcomed change that took the focus off Coriolanus. 

“Stage”, he finished for her. He felt you take a sharp breath next to him. He wanted to reach out in comfort but Dean Highbottom had his eyes sharply trained on Coriolanus. 

“You’re good at games. Maybe one day you’ll be a gamemaker like me”. Dr Gaul stood tall, and scary above the students. Still in her lab coat, and frizzy hair. One of the few people in the Capitol to not care about appearances. Or maybe, she uses her intimidating appearance to her advantage. 

“If the games continue at all”, Highbottom announced. 

‘Oh, they’ll continue with performances like Mr Snow’s”. 

“Serjanus is right. People are waking up to the fact that the games are nothing more than a brutish display of power”. The sound of your voice speaking up against Dr Gaul made Coriolanus’s heart beat faster. He reaches out to take your knee in a tight holding. Trying to tell you to shut up. 

“What a pair you two make. Tell me what are the games for?” Dr Gaul asks mockingly. 

Coriolanus spoke in your place. Trying to shield you from Dr Gauls focus. 

“They’re to punish the districts for their uprising. To commemorate the end of the-”

“Commemorate the-dull-dull-dull”, Dr Gaul interrupts, “why not drop bombs? Cancel food shipments? Why games?”. 

“Shouldn’t we be asking ourselves whether they are right in the first place?” Serjanus jumps right back in as soon as Coriolanus had settled the waves. 

“Problem with my games?”Dr Gauls eyes went back to you as you sat up straighter in your seat. 

“Punishing children who had nothing to do with the war protects no one”, you seeth. 

Coriolanus’s hand remains on your knee. You had made no attempt to brush him off. Maybe, you found a comfort in his touch, as he found a comfort in yours, Coriolanus thinks. 

“How fortunate Y/n that you were not chosen as one of the 24. Serjanus may need your support as he completes his mentoring assignment. A crying shoulder is still a shoulder to cry on”. 

You jump up from your seat, and Coriolanus follows to protect you from the line of fire. 

“Dean Highbottom is wrong. My classmate too” he gets out before you, “Maybe Sejanus and Y/n is onto something here. You saw those kids at the zoo, they just wanted to get to know Lucy-Gray. We should make the stakes personal. Allow the Capitol to view them as human”. 

“Who would watch the games if they care about what happens to the tributes?”, Dr Gual questioned. 

You sat back down with the question. Deflated by the betrayal. 

“Everyone” Corilanus answers looking at you, “If they thought that the tribute they cared about stood a chance”. 

His eyes flicker back to Dr Gual as he spoke to find that she was engaged with what he had to say. 

“People need someone to root for and against. We need them to invest. And if we bend a few Capitol laws, we could even have them place bets’, Coriolanus continued. 

“You wouldn’t even bet on your tribute”, you snapped from your chair. 

You were right with the little money he did have he wouldn’t be wasting it on the long-shot of lucy-gray, but he had to show you he valued her like you wanted him too. 

“Look I know Lucy-Gray may not win in the arena”, he spoke to you but you remained stoic, looking at the chair in front of you. Impressing you was long gone, his attention went back to Dr Gaul who held his future in her hands. 

“But I would bet the Plinth Prize that she can win people’s attention. I just need a chance”. 

Dr Gaul soaked up his suggestion. All he needed now was her approval. 

“I want you, and Y/n to write up these thoughts tonight on how we can see tributes as human and use it to boost ratings. With your mind for business, and her for”, Dr Gaul sucks her teeth, trying to find a fitting word, “theatrics. You’ll make quite the team”.  

You shook your head no but Coriolanus was thrilled at the opportunity to complete an assignment with you. He was sure all he needed was some time alone with you to break you free from Sejanus. 

“Wait”, Clemmisa spoke up, “Coriolanus, and I do all our assignments together. Y/n and Sejanus are classpartners they should do the assignment together. And Coriolanus, and I will do ours”.

Coriolanus had always valued Clemmisa due to her intelligence and hard working attitude but now he wished for something terrible to happen to her. 

“You and Coriolanus will have to do it alone. Y/N and I want nothing to do with it” Sejanus spat. 

His hand reached out to cover the knee that Coriolanus had previously touched. 

Dr Gaul laughed. “Far be it for me to break up the love birds”. 

The bell rang ending the class. You were the first to leave. Not taking your textbooks or bag. Sejanus ran out after you, but Coriolanus knew the importance of composure. 

Dr Gaul watched as Coriolanus packed up your books for you but he acts as if he doesn’t notice. 

When he is forced to look up as he turns down the steps, she is still watching him with a sly smile. 

He finds you in the cafeteria, speaking angrily to Sejanus who lets you vent. 

Your eyes speak of your anger as he approaches to sit down. 

“I got your books for you”, Coriolanus tried to start small. 

“Shouldn’t you be more worried about exploiting that poor girl?”, you snap as the books are placed in front of you. 

“Exploiting? You think they’ll give those kids a scrap  if we don’t give them a reason to do it? We can change the game. Give them a chance, or at least give them a less painful experience before death”. Coriolanus snaps back. 

Sejanus drops the fork he was holding, using his hand to instead rub the bottom of his face. You reach out to the back of his shoulders and run your fingernails across in comfort.

“He was my classmate back in two”, Sejanus explains. 

“I am sorry”, Coriolanus says, although he doesn’t mean it. 

Marcus was strong. Tall with a muscular build. He could be a winner. Coriolanus was stuck with the runt of the group. She was no killer. Small, under fed. She would be the undoing of the Snow family. 

“My father brought him for me, you know? Just so he could show me that I could never go back to 2”.

“It’s not your fault”, you console, but Sejanus seemed annoyed at your attempt.

He laughs bitterly in your face, “Oh I know. I am so blameless I am choking on it”. 

Coriolanus felt his eye twitch. If he had you, he would never even think of speaking to you that way. How could Sejanus not know that you were above him? Above everyone. 

Coriolanus would only speak to you kindly. Only sounds of praise would leave his lips to you. 

Sejanus was unworthy to even look in your direction, yet all you did was stare at him. 

Coriolanus was about to reprimand him, but Sejanus continued to speak, stealing Coriolanus’ spotlight.  

“I hate to think of him like this,” Sejanus uttered. 

Coriolanus was a man of action. Sejanus spoke of his disappointment, but Coriolanus already had multiple plans to best play his hand. He takes your napkin from your tray, and food from Sejanus’s plate to show you this. 

“So do something about it”, Coriolanus demands. 

—----------------

When you asked to go with Coriolanus to the Zoo, he was surprised. 

It was less surprising when you met him at the entrance with a large picnic basket, and Sejanus hand.

“Coryo”, Sejanus greeted in a tone that made Coriolanus skin crawl. 

“Sejanus, Y/n”, Ciriolanus grits through his teeth. 

“We brought food for everyone”, you say, lifting up your basket to show. 

“I am sure that would be appreciated”

Coriolanus watches you as you go to the fence with a careful eye. 

A male tribute comes closer to your outstretched hand and takes the sandwich offered. 

He doesn’t move away choosing to tear into his food like an animal under your stare. 

“Y/n, get away from the fence”, Coriolanus demands. 

You roll your eyes, but do take a step back from the fence line. So Coriolanus turns his attention back to Lucy-Gray. 

“That your girl?”, Lucy-Gray asks, tearing into her own food. 

Coriolanus swallowed the lump in his throat. He so desperately wanted to say yes, but Sejanus was near, and PDA prone. 

“It’s complicated”, he says instead. 

“Yeah, it's complicated back home too. She seems nice though”. 

“Look”, Coriolanus redirects in a harsh tone, “We need to think about your strategy for the games. I might be able to get the audience to send you gifts in the arena. Food, water, things to keep you going. You just have to try singing again. Win people over.”

“I don’t sing when I am told. I sing when I have something to say.”

His only hope of winning the games was slipping through his fingers. Overlapping with Sejanus calling for Marcus on the other side. 

Coriolanus sighs deeply, his hand tightening around the bars. 

“Besides, what's the point? I’ve seen your area there’s nowhere to hide”, she continued. 

His eyes burn in his skull. He was trying to help her. She had one thing going for her, and she refused to do it. All she had to do was play puppet for Coriolanus and he would ensure her survival, for the sake of his own. 

“The guards say you get money if you get more people to watch, and you say you want to help me. Which is it?”, Lucy-gray asks. 

“Both”, Coriolanus answers. 

There were only two criteria for the test.  Getting people engaged, and keeping your tribute alive. 

His eyes turned trying to find you. He was sure just one look at you and he would be grounded again. You had a calming effect on him that he loved. 

When they find you, it only deepens his rage. You were back on the fence, loading Reaper with sandwiches and plums. He could reach out and harm you at any given second. 

He storms over to where you were explaining what was on the sandwich, and snatches you back from the collar of your uniform jacket. 

He leads you backwards to his spot in front of Lucy-gray. Only letting you go when you were safely positioned next to him. He wanted to reach out and hold your hand to keep you in place, but there were too many eyes for such a display. 

His hands are shoved in his pocket to stop him from doing so. 

“Well, who must this be”, Lucy-gray exclaimed with more enthusiasm than normal for a woman in her position. 

You straighten your jacket, giving Coriolanus a dead glare before turning your attention to Lucy-gray. 

“y/n” you reach through the bars to shake Lucy-Grays hand, and Coriolanus felt no need to interfere. He knew she would never hurt you. He wasn’t sure how he was going to get her to hurt the people planning to kill her. 

“Pleasure”, Lucy-Gray returns. 

‘I am so sorry they are doing this to you”, you offer, “it isn’t right. If there’s anything I can do”.

“You could give me one of those sandwiches. Jessup, and I haven’t eaten since the train”.

“Oh, of course”. 

Lucy-gray calls for Jessup as you hand out the sandwiches and plums to them. 

“If there’s one thing I learned back in twelve, it’s that hunger is a weapon”, Lucy-gray nods to her left, “Your friend there sure knows it”. 

In unison with Coriolanus you turn to see Archure tormenting her tribute with a bottle of soda. 

“She is not our friend. She is poison with perfect teeth”, Coriolanus snorts. 

You laugh and he feels a swell of pride go through him. 

“I’ll continue handing these out” you say, lifting the basket of food up, “I’ll see you soon Lucy-gray”. 

His tribute nods back with a friendly smile. 

“Stay away from the fence”, Coriolanus demands again. 

“Yep” you dismiss. 

“She seems nice”, Lucy-Grey comments. 

Coriolanus sucks his teeth in response, “She’s perfect”. 

“No one is perfect, but she’s too nice to be Capitol. That’s for sure”. 

They both watch as you continue handing out more food between the fence. You took his warning and remained at a safe distance. It was no more than feeding the animals at the zoo, and you were safe so Coriolanus turned his attention back to lucy-grey. 

“Well, she is perfect, and she is Capitol”. The mere thought of you being suggested to be anything otherwise almost made Coriolanus pray for Lucy-greys downfall in the arena. But he needed her to stay alive so he could carve out a comfortable future for you both. 

He eyes scan for you to see you nearing Achane. Your face twists up, ready to scold her. It happens in a flash, her tribute grabs Achane by her neck scarf, and smashes the bottle into a jagged end. 

His fear is caught in his throat. His mind screamed for you to move away but he couldn’t make the sound. 

The bottle enters the throat of Achane and his fight response returns, while yours remains frozen. 

“NO, no, no” Coriolanus panics,sure you would be the next victim. 

He races over, tugging at your waist to bring you down, and throwing his body over yours. He could feel you breathing, which meant you were still alive. 

The sound of gunfire, and the pressure of the bullets as they shot through the air had him hunking down on you. Pressing you between the ground and him as hard as he could. 

His head presses against the side of yours, he only lifts it to see the dead tribute slumped against the fence. 

Your body shook under his from the fright. He got to be your big protector while Sejanus stood frozen on the other side of the cage. 

When the Peacekeepers came, Coriolanus didn’t need much persuading to vacate the premises. When they neared enough to cause the other alive tributes to back away from the fence, Corioanus stood up, and pulled you off the ground. 

He made careful efforts to keep you faced away from the dead tribute, shielding your eyes with his hand, and keeping your head pressed against his shoulder as you were escorted out. 

The Peacekeepers leave you outside of the gates. It was late afternoon, approaching night. The sky had very little light, and no one was around. 

He sits you next to him on the curb, allowing you to cry into him. He holds you protectively still. One hand cradled your head into him, and the other weaved itself around your frame. 

Despite the circumstances, he was enjoying himself. Your hands were wrapped around his waist, almost in fear that he would tear himself from you. 

As if he would ever pass up an opportunity to act more than friends. 

Testing the limits, he turned his head so his lips were pressed onto your forehead. He wish he had the courage to place a gentle kiss, but he was sure you would react poorly. 

You were loyal to a fault to Sejanus. You would take it as a sign of disrespect to your relationship. And Coriolanus supposed that would be the way he intended it. 

He heard Sejanus’s footsteps before his voice calling out for you. 

You shoot your head up almost as if it was a command, but don’t move your body out of coriolanus’s hold. 

“Are you alright?” Sejanus asks, crouching down in front of you. His hand reaches out to be gently placed on your arms. Coriolanus doesn't release his hold, bringing you instinctively closer. 

“No thanks to you”, Coriolanus snaps, “what were you thinking letting her do this?”. 

The fault lies entirely on Sejanus. He should have stopped your foolish thoughts, not encouraged them. He could have got you killed. 

“Sejanus, Achane’s dead”, you sob. 

Corionaus hated that you witnessed such a thing. Even during the dark days you were sheltered. Now you were mixed up with a district boy who only knew violence, and stupidity. 

Yet, you flung yourself out of Coriolanus’s hold and into Sejanus’s waiting arms. 

He holds you in a similar fashion to Coriolanus, while Coriolanus sits on the dirty curb watching. 

“Thank you, Coryo. For getting her out of there”, Sejanus says. 

Somehow Sejanus had forged his way back to hero. You clung around his neck, digging your face into his crook. 

It should be Coriolanus. But he’ll go home with an empty stomach and wallet, and a broken heart. A district animal had snatched his girl from his fingertips. 

Hastily, Coriolanus rises from the curb, straightening his ruined jacket, and peering down at the couple. 

“Just get her home”, Coriolanus remarks. 

He leaves into the fleeting sky, feeling a see-saw of emotions. On one hand he had got to hold you for what must have been at least ten minutes, and there was one less tribute for his tribute to compete with. 

On the other hand, tonight you would stay with Sejanus, and the dead tribute may lead to some disastrous ramifications. 

By the time he reached his ruined home, he only thought of you in Sejanus’s bed. Your parents wouldn’t let him stay in the house, no matter how rich. They hated the districts more than anyone. Your parents will be so relieved when you bring him home. When he would retire to your room, they wouldn’t bat an eye. They might even offer a ‘goodnight, son’.

As he held Tigres upon delivering the news of the zoo, he thought again back to the curbside. You didn’t pull away immediately to Sejanus. You were hesitant, almost. Some part of you must know you belong to him. 

Tigres pulls back from him, halting her tears as Grandma’am called them to the table to ask what happened. 

Grandma’am took the news of the death easier than Tigres, who Coriolanus was still comforting. 

“This is how it begins. The war” Grandma’am gasps. 

“It was Sejanus’ fault. He let them get too close to the tributes. Mine too. I had my eye on y/n, but I should have looked out for Arachne too”. 

“That girl’s lucky that your little songbird didn’t peck out her eyes too! Dizzy girl, running around with that district boy” Grandma’am yelled. 

Coriolanus feels as Tigres shift. He moves his arm from across the back of her chair to up to her shoulder. 

“Sejanus, Grandma’am”, Tigres reminds. 

“What does it matter? They are all savages, one and all. They will use you, you must use them”, 

Her words resonate with Coriolanus who mentally maps out his essay to Dr Gual. When he gets to his room, he lays down on the bed and presses his hardest pillow against his side. 

He writes on a piece of old wood, imaging you pressed against him as you recovered from your day. 

part 2 coming soon! (Maybe)

[pearlsdefenseattorny]

since we're all talking about SU again, i want to say my perspective of pearlrose neither condemns their relationship as toxic or upholds it as ideal. i think that stance is surprisingly uncommon. theyre a comfy mix between Meant for Each Other, and Coercive Doomed Incommunicative Mess, and the middle ground ive settled on is that despite powerful mutual love, they never fully understood each other nor could they provide what the other really Needed in a comitted relationship. i LOVE them together. not just becuz theyre sweet and cute and sexy but becuz, like most of SU's relationships, theres a huge well of depth to dip into. much of it is sad. the tragedy of pearlrose isn't that Rose didnt love Pearl (bonkers take) or Greg showed up and ruined everything (double bonkers) or Pearl had to move on from her evil abusive ex (triple bonkers), but that neither of them could wade that swamp of trauma and shared history and feelings to SEE the other clearly and accept her. THATS sad. not your weird half-baked surface level heteronormative take which boils Rose to down to a caricature and Pearl to a victim.

Rose is a really sad character. PD was a deeply empathetic individual in a society which criminalized empathy, stamped down compassion, and rewarded and fostered exploitation and dehumanization of those hierarchically beneath you. i am totally willing and happy to hash out all her sins (gag order, abandoning spinel, bubbling bismuth, lying..) but not until we aknowledge the humility and good character revealed in establishing the rebellion itself, emancipating pearl, and so on... homegirl never even knew what mutual respect was LIKE before greg becuz in rebecca sugars own words, he was the ONLY one who demanded to be treated like a real person. i think she said "everyone else had either been above or below her."

Rose was set up for moral failure! she didnt stand a chance (and neither did pearl😬) but she made the boldest, most humbling, most *dangerous* move of playing both sides then at last ceding power and we need to give her credit. the biggest failure of the movie was hammering into the audience's head how awful she was. she was so complicated. she was so sad. she hated herself. she loved everyone. she tried so hard. she LOVED pearl. you werent always good Rose Quartz but they could never make me hate you

[kksverse]

Winters Touch

A/N: So I am not entirely sure about this work. I hate literally everything I create but please let me know if you like this and I will continue with this plotline!

I also have this posted on ao3

masterlist

Summary:

Soulmate AU where the name of your soulmate is seared into the skin above your heart when you first make eye contact with them.

Reader discovers that Bucky Barnes is her soulmate when he is the Winter Solider.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word Count: 1393

Chapter 1 - Seared Names

You felt the sun shining down on you as you walked out onto the busy street. Working for a prestigious law firm in downtown D.C had its perks but getting out during peak traffic hour was not one of them. The street was bustling with many different characters all getting off of work from white collars to the barista from your local coffee shop. You watched as she smiled and jogged to a man across the street holding flowers and brightly smiling back at her, which you assumed to be her soulmate. 

It was rare for someone to be in a relationship with someone that wasn’t their soulmate. Whether it be their soulmate rejected them or they simply did not have one, which was even rarer. Your heart ached at the sight of the pair in front of you. 

At the age of 26, you were constantly met with worried looks from your family about the fact that you haven’t found your soulmate yet. As much as you try to console them that you’re fine it has been harder to ignore the aching pain and emptiness in your heart that you wake up to every day. You shook your head slightly to rid that thought as you passed the couple. You barely made it past the coffee shop when the world exploded.

Your ears were ringing so loud you couldn’t hear the gunshots around you but you felt them as they hit the street beside you. Gasping you threw yourself into the side of the car to protect yourself from the shower of bullets. Your heart was in your throat as you screwed your eyes shut bracing for the impact of one of the bullets that slammed into the car you were pressed into. Suddenly you heard the crashing of metal beside you, your head twisting so fast to the sound you didn’t have a chance to recognize the metal disc before it was picked up and thrown across the street nor the man who threw it. 

Your heart was beating so fast you were convinced that if a bullet wasn’t the cause of your death a heart attack would be. Suddenly the street was eerily silent as the rain of fire ceased. You slowly looked over the car to see what had happened. You saw two men standing still staring at each other, one dressed in typical street clothes while the other was dressed head to toe in combat gear with one arm completely made of metal. Your world stilled when he locked eyes with you. You felt a burning on your chest and your heart stopped. You knew what was now seared onto the skin above your heart. His name. Your soulmate. 

You watched as he completely stopped, knowing he could feel the same burn on his chest. His face softened as his eyes stayed glued onto your as the other man spoke to him. 

“Bucky, it's me” the man pleaded, desperation in his voice. 

Bucky, your soulmate’s name is Bucky

Reality slammed into you as you watched him turn his gaze to the man. His face hardened as he looked at him with no emotion in his eyes. 

“Who is Bucky?” he growled as he lifted up the gun towards the other man with you in his sight line. 

The other man turned towards you and ran to you holding up the metal disc in front of both of you to block the line of fire. You recognized the metal as the shield of Captain America, you barely had time to process the fact that the man shielding you from your soulmate was Steve Rogers. 

You braced yourself for the sound of the gunshots. You waited for a minute and were only met with a deafening silence. You waited as Steve looked above the shield for the sign of Bucky. You slowly stood up and were met with the sight of a deserted street. You let out a heavy breath as the shock of your soulmate being the one who did this. 

Nearby buildings were decimated, shattered glass lining the pavements. Bullet holes lined every car on the street and your heart shattered when you heard the groans of the injured behind you. 

“Are you alright Ma'am?” You heard Steve speak. 

You didn’t look up at him as your shaking fingers slowly unbutton your shirt to look at the skin below your collarbone. You heard a sharp gasp beside you as you uncovered the name now permanently seared onto your body. 

James Buchanan Barnes 

You looked up to find Steve staring at you with disbelief, his face heavy with emotion. You held back the choking sob stuck in your throat as he looked at you with pity in his eyes. 

“You’re his” he said breathlessly as his eyes switched quickly between the mark and your eyes like he didn’t know if you were actually in front of him. 

You swallowed uncomfortably as you buttoned up your shirt a tear rolling down your face. Quickly wiping your tears from your face you tried and failed at regaining your composure. 

“You’re Captain America” you said with a sad smile trying desperately to cut through the tension. Even more so trying to get him to stop looking at you like your world just shattered in front of you. 

He stifled a humorless laugh as he looked up at you, his shield resting causally at his side. 

“I am” he gave you a light smile watching you carefully like he didn’t know if you were going to break down crying any second. 

Pulling your hair out of your face and tucking the loose parts over your ears, trying to look somewhat presentable in front of the avenger. You could laugh at yourself for worrying about what you look like after a day like this. 

Steve reached out to lightly touch your arm. 

“Please, can we go somewhere and talk about this? I need to explain everything” his voice coated with the same desperation as when he talked to Bucky. Or James you suppose. 

You looked at him with a sad smile as you crouched down to gather your bag. 

“What is there to talk about? He didn’t want me” you spoke softly the words stabbing you as you said them. Your brain couldn’t even process the fact that your soulmate injured people and tried to kill you. But despite this you didn’t know if you could’ve left him like he left you. You hated yourself for it. 

“That wasn’t him. Please you have to believe me, that wasn't Bucky” Steve pleaded with you almost sounding like he was trying to convince himself as well. 

“When we were young all he ever talked about was you. He would constantly guess what you were doing right in that moment, what you looked like, if you would like dogs or cats more” Steve continued, his face lighting up with the memories that he and Bucky shared. 

You didn’t know you were crying until you felt the tears roll down your neck. 

“You were all he ever thought. He would never leave you. Please, just let me try to fix this” Steve grabbed your hand in his as he spoke. 

You were grounded in place at the thought of the man Steve described as your soulmate. As Bucky. That he ached for his soulmate as much as you longed for him. You felt like you could hardly breathe at the thought of a happy life with him. 

You silently nodded. Watching as Steve’s face softened with relief. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a flip phone and handed it to you as a gesture for your number. You bristled at the old technology as you typed in your number and handed it back to him. 

“Please call me for anything at all. Even if you just need someone to talk to” Steve spoke in a genuine almost pleading tone. You smiled softly at him clutching your bag to stop him from noticing how hard your hands were shaking.

“Thank you” you spoke softly 

Steve nodded and didn’t try to stop you as you walked past him on shaky legs. With him out of earsight, you let out a heavy sob. Your heavy heart and the name on your skin kept you company as you walked home.

[callieisto]

☆ Kinktober Day 4: Aphrodisiac! ☆

(fem!reader)

Sam hated witches.

They were nearly impossible to deal with, mischievous, and most of the time, they had no real idea what they were getting themselves into. But the ones that did know were the ones Sam hated the most. Because they did stuff like this.

This older grandma-type had seen you and Sam when you came to interview her about some teenagers disappearing, and then claiming they spent three weeks in the woods as actual animals- squirrels and deer and rabbits. Due to what they claimed was a witch, and what the police claimed to be hallucinogenic mushrooms (or something.)

She decided you needed a little push in the right direction, and had drugged the two of you with an aphrodisiac in the tea she offered. Too bad the kids had managed to describe her only a few hours later. Dean had shot her in the head before she could really tell them what it did beyond the whole 'making you really horny' thing. The spell, drug, whatever it was, had taken its sweet time kicking in. He thought it would be okay. All three of you did.

A town over, after the burning and the burying and the ruining of spell ingredients, it had hit him in the car- and you moments later. He managed to tell Dean to pull into a motel and splurge for three rooms- because no way was he going to share with his brother, and no way was he going to share with you.

You were just- Well, you were... you were something to him, something sweet and perfect and entirely untouchable. Besides, even seeing you right now might cause his heart to burst, because you raise his resting heart rate by like twenty BPM just by existing around him, and he can already feel his heart thundering against his ribs. He's sweatier than he's ever been in his life, naked on the edge of his bed in the motel room with a hand around his dick.

He's trying to jerk off to this terrible cable porn, but he keeps imagining you between his legs, your eyes fluttering so pretty as you lick up the underside of his dick, over that vein at the tip that makes him shudder, and-

He cums with a little strangled gasp and a whimper, not expecting his release to creep up on him like that. He pants, eyeing the spot where the cum soaks into the rug. He thinks 'god, finally', because maybe that would make everything better.

But he's still hard as a rock. And his head is still foggy. And if he's hearing things right, there's a timid little knocking sound at his door, but that might also be a hallucination due to his brain leaking out of his ears. He's so hot. He feels like he's melting.

The knock comes again, louder this time. Sam clears his head enough to tug on his boxers as he stumbles towards the door, still a little shaky from his orgasm. He looks through the peephole, and...

Shit.

It's you.

He opens the door slightly. He just stares at you- you're wrapped in a bathrobe, you're squirming under his gaze, you're sweaty and you look weaker than he's ever seen you. You're so perfect. So beautiful.

"Hey," He croaks out, voice hoarse. "How are you holding up?"

He's never wanted to kiss you more in his entire life.

Instead, he opens the door all the way and ushers you inside. The idea of anyone else seeing you looking like this makes him feel an emotion he doesn't quite want to deal with, and the door closes and locks behind you. He offers you a weak little smile.

"It's, um, it's worse than I thought it would be." You manage, shrugging as you sit down on the edge of his bed. He winces internally when you cast your eyes towards the cum staining the carpet. You don't say anything.

"Yeah, it's... not great." He manages, running a hand through his hair. "I tried to do some research on it when we got here, but, uh..."

"You got too horny to think?" You offered, laughing weakly. Sam nodded with a breathless chuckle.

"Yeah, um- sorry about the porn. On the tv." He said awkwardly, moving to turn it off. "I thought it would help, but it really didn't."

"It's okay." You whispered, smiling as he turned to you. "I don't think there's really anything that could help."

"I can think of something." Sam says with a laugh, shaking his head.

"Yeah?" And you tilt your head and flutter your eyelashes. His mind goes blank, just a little. He swallows dryly.

"... Yeah."

Sam swears he has no idea what happened. It's like everything blurred together, and suddenly he was on top of you, kissing the air straight out of your lungs. And his body stopped hurting. And the fog cleared a little bit.

"Fuck," He rumbles against your lips. "Fuck, you taste so good."

You moan all sweet into his mouth and he gets dizzy, if he wasn't already hard, he would've been, because you're just so soft and so fucking wet-

He's rutting his cock against your pussy, and fumbling with the tie of your bathrobe. It falls away, and something cracks in his head because his tip catches at your entrance and the moan he lets out is guttural. He feels wild, he feels hungry, and he wants to fill you up with cum until it leaks out around him.

"Shh, shh," He hushes breathlessly, because you're mewling and it's so cute he might die. "Shh, I've got you, d-doesn't it feel better? You want me to make you feel better?"

You nod, lightly knocking your forehead against his, and he laughs softly. "Sam," you whine, and your hands come up to curl around the base of his neck. "Need you, please..."

"I'm here," He coos, sweet and soft. "I'm here, angel, I've got you." He pushes in, slowly, kissing all over your face as he does. Once he's settled, he takes a moment to pull back and drink you in. You're so pretty, so impossibly pretty, and softer than any girl he's ever been with before.

He thrusts, just a little, shallowly, and the noise you make is almost enough to have him cumming right then and there. He breathes out weakly, thumb sliding through your folds to find your clit. He fumbles, a little- sue him for being nervous- but finds it eventually, rubbing it slowly as he bottoms out in you over and over again.

You're whining, squirming, and- holy shit- you've cum already, just so sweet and sensitive for him, tensing and crying out and he has half a mind to thank the witch profusely because he never would've dared to touch you if this hadn't happened.

"You're so pretty." He breathes, and his voice breaks when he thrusts back in. He's trying so hard not to cum right then and there. "God, oh god, I want to fill you up so bad. Wanna see you dripping with it, oh god."

"Pleasepleaseplease," you beg. "Please, Sammy, want it, need it-" And with that, Sam's mind fucking shatters. He registers that he cums again, register that you cum again, and he's still fucking hungry, wants to stay like this forever.

He keeps going, working both of you through another orgasm, whimpering breathless little moans of your name, babbling about how good you feel, his head dropping into the curve where your neck meets your shoulder, and he whines like a dog.

The rest of the night is a blur. At some point, he thinks the aphrodisiac wears off, but his memory blots out a little ways before that. Waking up in the morning, he's still in bed, and you're tucked into his chest. His head is spinning. He sits up, and you mumble sleepily, and his heart clenches in his chest.

"Good morning." He whispers, kissing over your face. When he gets a little giggly smile from you, he smiles back.

And then he pulls out. A little flood of cum follows.

And Sam has officially been ruined, because he's going to have to ask Dean for Plan B and he's never going to live it down- but also, he's had you, he's never going to let you go, because you're just so perfect.

He'd endure a lifetime of teasing for you.

☆ taglist!

@adhd-introvert

[alvojake]

Destructive Nature | S.JY

「prompt」 : self-destruction 「pairing」 : jake x fem!reader 「word count」 : 0.8k

「synopsis」 : everything was going great with jake; he was nothing like your past boyfriends. he was sweet, caring, attentive, a gentleman… and that’s what you hated most because there was no way anyone was like that all of the time. so you did the only thing you knew… ruin it before it ruins you.

「genre」 : angst

「warnings」 : cussing, self-destructive tendencies, argument, crying, lmk if I missed anything!!

「notes」 : okay, so this sucks ass, like severely... but I wrote it last minute and completely lost where I was initially going with this one; day four will be better, I promise

masterlist ─ navi. ─ angstober list

You don’t know why you always picked fights with Jake; you had absolutely no reason to do so. Jake had been a fantastic boyfriend to you for the past year or so. However, it was starting to feel a little too comfortable for you.

There was always the nagging voice in the back of your head that would always tell you that something bad was going to happen or that Jake was only really with you because he felt bad. You had always managed to push those thoughts away and live with Jake happily.

Then it all went crashing downhill.

First, it was the little things; you started to suspect that he was cheating when he was gone for just a little too long at night. To, you started to pick fights about the smallest things, the laundry not folded the way you wanted, the dishes in the sink, small messes in the living room that Jake would forget about when he was gaming, anything that you could possibly fight over. Then you started to give Jake the cold shoulder, especially when he would ask you to go out with him, always claiming that you were ‘too tired’.

You wanted to bash yourself over the head for doing all of this because you loved Jake so much. However, when you started to see that he wasn’t going to turn out like your exes you wanted to run, you didn’t think that this was real. That it was all just merely a dream, a farce.

So you started doing what you did best… destroying it all. 

Including yourself.

“Y/n, I don’t understand what’s happening with you here lately.” Jake huffed, running his fingers through his hair, trying his best to keep his voice steady even if you were making it nearly impossible.

“Oh, so I have an issue now?” You scoffed, turning your body as a small laugh escaped your lips.

Jake looked at you with wide eyes, “No. That’s not–”

“Save it, Jake, actually…” All of the hairs on your body as you realized what you were getting ready to say, and you screamed at yourself internally to not say it, but it didn’t stand a fighting chance. “This isn’t working anymore.”

Jake felt his heart stop as those few words fell from your parted lips, his eyes boring into yours, trying to find any semblance that you were just messing around, as cruel as it may be. But you weren’t, and he could tell.

“What? No, y/n, you can’t just say that! We can talk this out, okay?” He started to walk towards you but stopped short when you shot him a glare, “Y/n… we love each other, we can figure–”

“I don’t.” Those words fell from your lips before you could even get the chance to stop them, causing your heart to sink. The pain that fell over Jake’s face made you want to dig a hole and bury yourself in the dirt. It was an expression that you wished you never would have to see, but you knew it was inevitable.

This wasn’t ever meant to last, no matter how much either of you wanted it to.

After a beat of silence, Jake spoke up, his hands balled into tight fists at his sides, “What?”

Swallowing thickly, you tried your best to keep the tears at bay and maintain a neutral expression: “I’ve lost feelings for you, Jake.” 

It was then that you could have sworn that you had utterly broken a man who deserved not even an ounce of it. You wanted so badly to just take all of what you had said back and apologize to him, promising him that it would never happen again. But you couldn’t. You couldn’t swallow your pride or even try to fix things because you needed to ruin this before it eventually ruined you.

“What?” Jake repeated the same word like a broken record, tears spilling down his flushed cheeks like waterfalls.

You knew that if you stood there any longer, you would cave, and that couldn’t happen, so you started to walk away. You didn’t get very far before you felt his hand wrap around your wrist, gently tugging you until you turned to face him.

“Please tell me this is just some sick joke, y/n. That this past year meant nothing to you.” His voice cracked, eyes endlessly searching for a sign that this was just a stupid nightmare,

“I’m sorry, Jake.” 

But it wasn’t a nightmare, at least not one that you have while you sleep and that disappears the moment you wake up. No, this was one that, no matter how much you wish you could wake up, you just couldn’t.

With a heavy heart, you slip out of his grasp and flee the apartment, leaving Jake to stare at the spot where you once were standing. Wondering how everything went wrong in such a short amount of time.

@alvojake | Do not steal, plagiarise, translate, or repost any of my work

𝖉𝖎𝖘𝖈𝖑𝖆𝖎𝖒𝖊𝖗 : ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ɴᴏ ᴡᴀʏ ᴀ ᴛʀᴜᴇ ʀᴇᴘʀᴇꜱᴇɴᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ᴀɴʏ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀꜱ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱ ᴘᴜʀᴇʟʏ ꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ ꜱᴇʀɪᴏᴜꜱʟʏ.

[thecameronchronicles]

Enough

TW: mentions of kidnapping, torture, blackmail, and violence against a female character. Heavy angst. No smut.

*REQUESTED*

@rafemothetfuckingcameron

Request: rafe and Y/N are in a great relationship, but ward hates her and doesnt like her hanging around with his son or daughter her best friend sarah. y/n leaves early one morning to go to work and ward kidnaps her and tortures her to stay away from his family. kiara texts sarah to say y/n didnt come into work. sarah asks rafe where y/n is. rafe gets worried. middle part up to you. Rafe, sarah, kie save y/n from ward. thx

A/N: changed it a bit, hope that's okay!

SUMMARY: Your boyfriend, Rafe enlisted the help of Kie and Sarah to find you. They aren't prepared for what they find.

Enough

You can barely walk. Your chest feels both too tight to inhale and too heavy to exhale. Your skin burns from the layer broken and bleeding. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Still, you could walk into the Killdare County Police Station and you know any statement you make will be flipped to make you the guilty party. So instead, you manage the distance home, walking inside well after your broken curfew two days prior, without a parental worry as it has been drowned in Valium and Vodka.

It aches to move and yet you can't stand the sight of the blood splattered clothes or dirt beneath your nails. Any makeup that you had on has since been cried off and you long for your own bed.

Only everything feels tainted. You feel like you still have eyes on you as well as a threat hanging over your head.

Why are you doing this?

Because you aren't good enough. Not for my son. To be friends with my Sarah. Or to take my name. You're all the same and I won't let you take what's mine.

I just want to be with Rafe.

If you don't stay away from him, I'll make sure he stays away from you. I'll send him off somewhere so far away you won't even be able to Google him.

New tears fill your eyes as you climb beneath the shower's waterfall. You brace on the wall and see the blood color the water at your feet a rose hue until it is all washed in all but your memory.

You don't sleep tonight or the ones that follow as you ignore those you love to keep them safe.

KIE: don't make me text Rafe, Y/N. Everyone is worried about you. Call me!

SARAH: Rafe is even more unhinged than usual. Did you two get in a fight or something?

RAFE: Baby? Babe! ANSWER YOUR DAMN PHONE!

You can't pay for the foundation to cover what Ward did to you in the same way you can't face your friends. You feel sullied and it makes Ward's words true. You feel undeserving and close yourself away hoping if the bruises fade so will the overwhelming heavy that is slowly crushing your esteem.

"OPEN UP!" Rafe demands as you leap up from your bed and see him at your window. You sprint for the fact you can't let your parents find him here because of Ward hates you it is nothing compared to the loaded shotgun your father has waiting for Rafe.

"Rafe-" He climbs inside, pacing with his fingers through his hair.

"Why the fuck haven't you called baby? I have been everywhere and then I thought maybe you just didn't wanna see me anymore and it made me crazy." He rubs his eye with the ball of his hand. "And then Kie tells me you haven't been at work and I know you're the responsible one between us so something had to be wrong and-" Hearing you sniffle calls his eyes to you.

"Baby?" He sees you cover your face with your long sleeves. "What...what happened?" His brutality dissolves to only care as your face is between his hands. He gently rubs your cheeks until slowing all admiration as you wince against him.

"What happened, baby?"

"Please Rafe, I need you to go."

"My girl is black and fucking blue, I'm not going anywhere!"

You look over your shoulder towards the hallway where your parent's door is only a few down from yours.

"Please, Rafe."

"Did he do this?"

"No!"

"Then tell me. Nobody hurts you and gets away with it! Nobody..." He pushes his forehead against yours and footfalls down the hallway drive your hands against Rafe's chest.

"Please Rafe, I need you to go." He climbs back out the window, waiting for a explanation. "And don't come back." Your words stun him as you cry yourself to sleep. Your heart has forever been intertwined with Rafe and now it feels like it was untethered from the roots and blended until left in ruins.

You are sick.

You are tired.

You feel desolate.

A FEW DAYS LATER

Rafe comes into The Wreck as Kie rolls her eyes.

"I know she doesn't want to talk to me but I need to see her. When is her break?"

"She didn't come in today."

"Again?" Rafe sighs. "Who hurt her around, Kie?" Kiara's eyes widen, surprise validating this is the first she's heard of this.

"I don't know what you're talking about...Is she okay? Was it one of your meatheads?"

"Nobody would hurt her. Everyone loves Y/N."

"Everyone?" Her brows raise.

"What do you mean? Spit it out, Kie..."

"Maybe there's someone she tries to impress that no matter how hard she tries, is never enough for? A specific paternal figure?"

"What?" He glares.

"Your dad, Rafe. Your father is horrible to her." His eyes fall and his fists form.

"You-"

"What are you doing?"

"Shit!" He hits the surface of the bar, drawing attention he ignores. Sarah comes in with intrigue to the scene.

"Where are you going?"

"To get Y/N..."

"You found her?" Sarah asks with hope as Kie is already tearing off her apron.

"No. But I know Dad rented a boat this morning and said he had a meeting..."

"And?" Sarah sighs.

"What meeting of Dad's do you ever remember him getting up at four in the morning, packing gloves, and without taking you or Rose?"

"You think he took her?! But why?"

"We're wasting time! Let's go?" Kiara pulls them outside where Sarah's car is waiting. They speed through town and get to Tannyhill to find the boat and all evidence of Ward, gone.

"Where is he, Rose?" Sarah asks as her stepmother sips on her mimosa and looks towards the dock behind the plantation.

"It's for the best, honey. Just let them talk."

When Sarah realizes her pleas are silent, she goes to Wheezie instead. Her younger sister having heard a conversation with a memorable address pays off as she kisses her on the head and they travel to the private docks. Enlisting JJ to help as a diversion, they get inside with his dramatics, until they come to an empty dock.

"What are we doing here?" Rafe asks in frustration, "They aren't here!"

"Waiting for a ride." Sarah waves as if signaling for rescue as a beat up tin can for a boat comes to dock.

"It looks-" John B glares as JJ finally joins the group.

"Is it too late to toss him overboard? I hear Kooks make good chum..." JJ mutters loudly as he is ignored, although Kie smirks at his comment.

"It's for Y/N." Sarah reminds everyone as they set for the water.

"Where are we going?"

"It can't be too hard to find them... Dad has a flare for the-"

"There!" Sarah calls as a large yacht is spilled sideways, taking on water.

"Y/N!" Rafe calls to you as you keep your head just above the surface of the flooding cabin. Hands bound to the fixed railing, your calls are drowned out by the sounds around you.

"Sarah! KIE!" You hear John B before the sound of water being stroked comes towards you. The threat of water comes beneath your nose as you take a deep breath and wonder what will be the reason for your end.

The water or your broken heart.

"Got her!" JJ calls as Rafe tears him out of the way and dives into the narrow passage to free you. Using his own pocket knife, he cuts the plastic ties used by his father before he takes you in his arms.

"We have to get away from this boat. When she sinks, she's taking us with her!" Kie exclaims as Rafe doesn't let you go for even a second as you rest against his chest, sputtering water and tears.

"Rafe..." You choke.

"Shhhh baby, it's okay. You're safe."

"But Ward..."

"I know. He won't get away with this." Sarah interrupts. "We'll make sure if it." You take comfort in the conviction of your friends, knowing you can trust them.

"I'm sorry Rafe. I was trying to protect you. He said I wasn't good enough and I-" Rafe silences you with a quiet kiss that is a way to stabilize himself to not react in anger. You feel the tension leave his body as your hand comes behind his neck.

"Can we make a no pogue-on-kook macking rule?" JJ winces as Sarah and John B both say "no!" in unison.

"You are good enough. You are enough, Y/N. I'm never going to let you question that again, baby. But right now, just focus on this." He tugs you against his chest and you agree. You feel enough in his arms, surrounded by your blending of friends, and the serenity of your home makijg a beautiful sunset backdrop as you sail on.

Whatever is to come you know you'll endure together.

And that, for you, is enough.

MASTERLIST

[riofann]

7. tempestuous

Tempestuous: characterized by strong and turbulent or conflicting emotion.

Previous Chapter

Trigger Warning: Violence, mentions of SA

Saturday December 5, 2020 

As much as you hate to admit it, Rio was right as soon as Cure relaunched it didn’t take 3 months before you found yourself busy with the bar. You were hoping it would be a flop. You didn’t like the fact that people were so eager to come back. It was as if Gracie meant nothing to them all they wanted was the food and drinks. 

“Fuck you!” you feel the rage spilling over 

He scoffs “Fuck me?!” “Why am I collateral damage for whenever shit goes wrong?” He sighs “You're not” 

“So then why does it keep happening? What happened this year? What happened last year? Why am I bearing the brunt for shit I don’t even ask to be involved in?” “You're a boss, you know that sometimes..” 

You slap him with all the strength you can muster “Gracie is dead because of him”  You point to Alejandro “and you want to talk about being a boss?” he had told you to stop by the warehouse tonight “Are you done?” he asks

“No Fuck you!” You say shoving him causing him to stumble back a little, when you go to push him away again he grabs onto your arms “What do you want from me?! Have I not given you everything?” “Chill out Y/N!” he raises his voice holding onto your arms

 “Why is Alejandro here?” You ask him, struggling against his strong grip

“He’s here because he works for me now”

“At what expense?” “You don’t dictate who i work with” You nod “so its not a partnership then, it’s never been one” 

“It is” 

“So why is he here? I don't want to work with him, do you know what he used to do to me?" he just scowls at you "I can’t sleep because of him and you employed him?!” 

“I told you I’m taking care of it so chill” 

“NO! Fuck you Rio, I can’t believe I was stupid enough” You pause  “Why not just kill me?" you ask voice breaking "Why are we even pretending here?” 

“Why you asking so many questions? Stop overreacting” 

“Fuck you I’m not overreacting!” you maneuver your way out of his grip “What did he tell you that you’re so eager to work with him?” You turn to face Alejandro “What did you say to him huh? Told him how big your dick is? Tell him how you can’t wait to feel his lips around it? Did you shove it in his face?” 

“Chinga tu....” before he finished you punched him he laughs “hit like a girl“ You continue punching him the men go to stop you but Rio stops them from rushing to you 

“What did he tell you?” You ask Rio out of breath

With a bloody mouth Alejandro speaks “that’s for me to know carino” you punch him once more and he falls to the ground “chinga” you stomp on his head knocking him out ultimately 

You chuckle cynically "I'm fucking stupid" you speak to yourself. Rio says nothing. You pick up your purse and walk away.

Tuesday December 15, 2020 

“Where’s Rio?” You ask gripping the bag tighter 

“Sorry carino, boss is busy you now have to work with me” he smiles showing his two gold canine teeth 

“I’m not” you say getting up 

“OYE! Where you going? You owe us money loca!” 

“Nope I owe Rio money if he wants it, he knows where to find me” you say defiantly getting in your car

Thursday December 17, 2020 

“Glad you made it back home darling” he speaks as he takes a sip of beer after your shower

“Oh you’re home!” You smile sarcastically although he did break in after you got in for the night “Can you just knock? I’ll let you in just fucking knock” 

“Where’s my money?” “Oh you know where that is, Mick is very aware of the layout of my home” “Y/N” “Go get it” you look at him with a confused look “isn’t that why you’re here?” He sighs “Why did I have to cut my trip short?” “Why you asking soo many questions?” You throw back at him pointing to the time he wasn’t responding to you over Alejandro 

“Just because you wanna throw a tantrum” he speaks

“It’s not a tantrum” 

“No? Then what is it mama?” he stands up and walks to you “You refusing to give Alejandro the money” You throw your hands up “I told you I’m not working with him, someone needs his listening ears” you tap your ears “Well you’re gonna have to” “Looks like you’re gonna be making a lot of house calls. I would give you a house key but seems like my door is always open for you” “Y/N” “Christopher

“You gon have to work with him” 

“I’m not”

“This ain't up for debate!"

“I’m not debating you,” you scoff at the thought “I’m telling you. You do not get to pull this shit with me and expect me to just sit there and be happy about it. So you have 2 options get someone else to pick up the money or kill me and get someone else to do this shit” Mick walks back with the duffle bag “Oh look Mick got the money get the fuck out of my house!” 

He pauses to look at you before leaving 

Thursday January 7, 2021 

Y/N: Where are you? 

Rio: Tied up 

Y/N: I’m going home 

Rio: It’s a one time thing, just deal with it for today 

Y/N: One too many 

“OY! QUE TAL WHERE THE FUCK YOU GOIN?” he screams at you as you walk away 

“Home” He catches up to you “No no no mi novia” blocking your path

“Fuck you!” you say moving around him  

He grabs your arm “I tried” 

“Let GO!” you demand He turns to face his friends making light of the situation “Esa mujer, puta!” He struggles with you and some time during the struggle you get slapped. You pause for a second before unleashing on him there's some commotion people are trying to pull you off of him 

He laughs proudly “you fucking bitch you think you’ll ever run anything you’re nothing but his perrito you're no boss acting like you can do shit you...” you kick him, he groans in pain falling to the floor 

“Pinche puta!” The other men say with their hands in the air you had reached in your purse and pulled out your gun

Alejandro looks up to you “What are you gonna do shoot me?” 

“Yes” you say calmly before aiming and pulling the trigger 

Sunday January 10, 2021 

“You called?” You say to Rio as you stand by the door of his office. He puts a finger up and continues to talk on the phone. You step into the office, closing the door behind you. You take in the environment; it's not what you expected, it was even better than your office. The tones of green, mahogany, and black complimented the exposed red brick. You take a seat by the chair on the opposite side of the desk as he finishes the conversation. 

“Soooo” you begin after the call ends 

He puts up a finger again, not looking at you but down at his phone. You huff in response and pull out your phone to keep you busy. 

“What happened?” He asks when he is done

“Here’s your money” you say placing the duffle bag on  his desk 

He doesn’t glance at it, his glare dead set on you “What happened Y/N?”  he asks again 

“We fought and I shot him” you state matter of factly 

“That's not the story I got” 

You open your hands as you shrug “Well seeing that you have no care when it comes to me why should I bother convincing you otherwise? You were never gonna believe me anyway” you pause “it is what it is huh?” 

He sighs “This isn’t a joke Y/N” 

“I told you I didn’t want to work with him” 

“And I told you I’m working on it!” 

“Yea you say that but...” 

He cuts you off “You can’t just go around shooting people point blank”

You roll your eyes in annoyance “He’s not dead, don't be dramatic” 

He bangs the table “Listen to me! This isn’t a game!” he lectures 

You scoff “so what you called me into your office to reprimand me? Is that it? I got called to the office?” you mock 

“No, I called you to ta...”

You stand up abruptly “Fuck this I’m done, there's your fucking money”  you say standing up and walking away 

“Get back here!” He bellows 

“NO FUCK YOU RIO!”

You can hear the chair wheels squeaking followed by the sound of it hitting the wall behind. The stomping of his boots walking up to you echo in the room. The very short walk to his desk was now a very long walk to the door. Your heart races, you can’t hear anything besides your heart and Rio’s boots thumping on the floor quickly approaching you. It feels so intense that all the other noise, the TV, the chatting outside, the low mediation music ceases to exist. You feel like your heart is going to explode from your chest. You just need to get to the door. As soon as you reach for the knob he pulls you back roughly with no care to you falling, stumbling, tripping nothing.

There's a pain radiating from your left arm “LET” before you can finish he has pulled you closer you can feel the air passing through his nostrils 

“Chill. the. fuck. out!”  he grits out, his glare is so intense you can see the vein popping out on his forehead. You look up at him going to rebuttal “I told you I was taking care of it and that's what the fuck I'm doing!” 

You feel yourself getting emotional “I told you...” 

“I know what the fuck you said, but that don’t mean you go around shooting people Y/N! Throwing a fucking tantrum!” 

You pull your arm only for him to grip tighter and pull you impossibly closer. The glare itself makes you stop struggling “Stop calling it a tantrum!” 

“Then stop acting like a child!” 

You try to push him off “NO! I TOLD YOU I DIDN'T WANT TO WORK WITH HIM!” you try another tactic, if you knew anything about Rio he hated people being in his business

He jerks you abrasively away from the door walking you to the middle of the room as you stumble to keep up “OW RIO! LET ME FUCKING GO! WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBL...” 

“Be quiet” he commands authoritatively

“I..”

“NO! STOP TALKING!” He booms; it feels like the bass in his tone vibrates through you. You stand shocked speechless at what just happened. You’ve seen him angry when he was convinced you stole his money and this was giving you flashbacks. You stand reserved chest rising up and down rapidly as your lungs try to take in as much air as possible. 

With a hushed tone he says “You painting a fucking target on your back, did you stop to think what this means for you now?”

Still in an argumentative mood you taunt “I had a target on my back the moment I started working with you! It doesn’t matter now does it?! Nooo so long as Rio gets his money! Fuck me fuck everything that has happened, he is loyal to no one but his fucking family and money." You snicker bitterly "What they say about the Serraño's is written in stone.”  

He doesn't say anything just looks at you with a deep scowl after a minute he says “I’m trying to protect you."

You go to pull away “I’m not asking you to do that” He doesn’t say anything and just waits for you to give up “I’m not asking you to do that Rio” you stress

He loosens his grip but not enough for you to get out of it “I’m trying to protect you Y/N listen to me” “By having me work with the man that killed Gracie? That burned me? That put out a hit on you? On Marcu...”

He cuts you off “There’s shit that you don’t understand and I'm not going to explain. Listen to me this is my last fucking warning, chill. the fuck.out!” and with that he lets go bumping your shoulder on his way back to his desk 

You stand there watching him return to his desk before turning to leave

Authors Note: Please leave your feedback, again please don't steal. Only repost, like, or give credit.

XOXO Rose

Taglist:

@katymae12344, @yinmaggiorebass , @flirtyjen, @wnbweasley, @meadows5, @ffenthusiastt, @rio-reid-whoreee, @belezaya, @meera10, @aunicornmademedoit, @stilestotherescue,

[solar-wing]

⚣ Heroes of You and Me 💧

⚣🌊 A/N → The way you people get series and 20k+ fics out of me needs to be studied. How was a request SUPPOSED to be a one-shot, turn into a whole multi-part fic. Maybe I didn't feel like cramming over 20k words into one fic again. (and look how that went). But lemme me tell you something, cause I warned yall how I feel about writing for IRL characters. If Sky's actor who's name I won't specify for fear of his pr team getting a ping from this and showing it to him ever posts a reaction of him reading THIS or ANY fanfiction, this and ME will disappear off the face of the earth. I am not above going into hiding and living off the land. anyways, enjoy! MUAH 😘 WARNINGS: Slight Canon Divergence | Emotional Angst | Growing Curiosity and Feelings | Slow-Burn (fuck yall cause I hate slow burns but also still love you) | Jealousy |

⚣🌊 Summary → Magic, monsters, and bad decisions—The new fairies just wanted a peaceful first day considering how much everything had changed for them recently, but now they're dodging Burned Ones, losing magical rings, and trying not to die. Welcome to the Otherworld. What else could go wrong? Wait...don't ask that.

⚣🌊 Words → 26.6K

REBLOGS & replies are greatly appreciated, please! 💛

⚣ ENJOY 🌊

Sky made his way through the steel gates that led him into the courtyard of Alfea College, the late morning sun casting warm rays across the stone pathways. The campus was alive with the hustle of move-in day, the energy palpable as students reunited, chatted, and navigated their way to their respective dorms. Sky slung his duffel bag over his shoulder, taking a moment to breathe in the familiar scent of fresh-cut grass and the distant hum of chatter.

As he surveyed the scene, a familiar sense of unease settled in his chest—a mix of unresolved tensions from last year and the pressure of the responsibilities awaiting him this year. He pushed those thoughts aside, focusing instead on the task at hand: getting through another year at Alfea.

‘Another year’, he thought, his gaze sweeping over the bustling scene before him. Despite the familiar surroundings, there was a tight knot of tension in his chest, a lingering unease that he couldn’t quite shake. It could be the anticipation of his new role as a squad captain, which Silva had been kind enough to only inform him about a couple of weeks before the start of the school year. Whatever it was, he pushed it to the back of his mind and focused on the task at hand.

As he walked though the courtyard though, Sky couldn’t help but notice the contrasting scenes around him. All the smiling faces of friends reuniting after a whole three months apart, animatedly talking to each other about their vacations and showing pictures and funny videos on their phones. Then, there were those who weren’t talking to anyone, but taking every moment they could to take a ‘aesthetic’ photo so they could update their Insta stories. That was his generation for you.

Just as Sky started making his way toward the Specialist hall, a few familiar voices called out to him.

"Sky! There he is, our fearless leader!" Timmy’s voice rang out, pulling Sky from his thoughts. He turned to see a group of his old friends waving him over, their faces lit up with excitement.

Sky couldn’t help but smile as he approached them, his unease momentarily lifting. "Hey, guys," he greeted, offering a firm handshake to each of them. "Good to see you."

"Good to see you too, man," Brandon said, grinning widely. "We were just saying how we were wondering when you’d show up. Thought maybe you’d decided to bail on us."

Sky chuckled, shaking his head. "Bail? You know me better than that. Just taking my time this morning."

While they were catching up, Sky’s attention was momentarily drawn away from the conversation as his eyes scanned the courtyard. It was instinctual, almost reflexive—years of training had taught him to be aware of his surroundings at all times. But what caught his eye this time wasn’t a potential threat; it was another student, possibly a Specialist judging by their build, looking very lost.

Without thinking, Sky patted Brandon on the shoulder, interrupting their conversation. "Hold on a sec," he said, his focus shifting entirely to the struggling student.

He started to make his way toward the guy, acting on an impulse of empathy and something else he couldn’t name. He remembered his first day at Alfea, the mix of excitement and nervousness, and how a small gesture of help could make all the difference. As he approached, he was about to call out when he saw someone else reach the guy first—Sam Harvey, an Earth fairy and one of Professor Harvey’s kids.

“Hey, you must be Y/N. I’m Sam,” the Earth fairy greeted with a warm smile, holding his hand out for introduction.

“Nice to meet you, and yep, that’s me. I’m guessing you're the one Headmistress Dowling assigned to show me around?”

As Sky slowed his approach, the realization that his assumption was wrong—that the guy was indeed not a Specialist but a fairy—stopped him in his tracks. He couldn’t quite place why he felt a twinge of disappointment, but it was clear Sam had things under control. Just as he was about to turn back to his friends, something else caught his eye—a flash of ginger hair, standing in the middle of the courtyard with her bags. She also looked lost, her gaze scanning the courtyard as if she was waiting for someone.

When no one seemed to come, she grabbed her bags and started walking toward the Specialist Hall.

Sky hesitated for a moment, torn between going back to his friends and helping the girl who looked like she was struggling. The decision came easily enough—his natural instinct to help others always overrode everything else. He quickly started toward the girl, his strides purposeful but not hurried.

As he approached her, Sky noticed the way she was carrying herself—there was a certain determination in her step, but it was undercut by the uncertainty in her eyes as she glanced around. She didn’t seem to notice him at first, too focused on trying to figure out her way.

He didn’t quite know how to stop her and offer his help, so he just went with the first thing that came to mind.

“Wow, you are so lost,” he said, falling into step next to her.

Observational.

“I’m impressed with your confidence in the face of complete ignorance.”

Tactful…maybe?

“The issue is, you’re overcommitted. I mean, you’re essentially running.”

Yeah, there’s no word for this one. Maybe an ice cream truck will fall from the sky and save him. His only hope at this point.

“And now that I’m here, you can’t give me the satisfaction of turning around—”

Of course, throughout this entire questionable interaction, the specialist failed to notice her brows furrowing and the even more tense aura of her body language. Men…

“I don’t need help,” she interjected, saving everyone from witnessing a train wreck. A true hero, this girl is. “But thanks.”

“I don’t remember offering it,” he said with a slightly amused breath. “So presumptuous, you must be a fairy.”

“I am a fairy,” she responded, reluctantly continuing the dialogue while still trying to find where she was supposed to go.

As their conversation continued, neither noticed the approaching figure from behind or the eyes watching them from a distance. As Sky was pointing to the fairy hall, Riven, another Specialist and old friend of Sky’s, walked up to his friend from behind, surprising him.

“Quit perving on the first years,” Riven said with his usual condescending tone.

Sky, used to his friend's antics, wasn’t phased by it but did turn to acknowledge him.

“Riv, just give me one second. Yeah?”

“Why? You gonna chase her?” Riven asked, leaning to the side to look past him.

Sky turned his head to see that indeed, the girl had taken off, heading right for the fairy hall. He let out a disappointed sigh, though it wasn’t as bad as the one he felt earlier, which he was still confused about.

“Nope,” he replied before his friend tackled him with a hug. The two boys laughed and caught up while meeting up with the other Specialists and making their way over to the training grounds by the pond.

Sky and Riven made their way to the training grounds by the pond, the sounds of their laughter fading as they approached the more serious atmosphere of the Specialist area. The training grounds were a familiar sight, with well-worn paths leading to various stations where students practiced everything from hand-to-hand combat to more specialized weapons training.

As they entered the area, Silva, the head of the Specialists, was already there, barking orders at a group of first-year students who were fumbling through a basic drill. His sharp eyes caught sight of Sky and Riven, and he gave a nod of acknowledgment before turning his attention back to the recruits.

“Looks like the newbies are getting a warm welcome,” Riven commented, his tone laced with sarcasm as he watched a particularly nervous student nearly drop his weapon.

“Silva’s always had a way of making sure everyone knows what’s expected,” Sky replied, his gaze shifting to the group. “We were all in their shoes once.”

“Yeah, but some of us didn’t look like we were about to wet ourselves,” Riven shot back with a smirk.

Sky chuckled, but his focus was already shifting. He had a responsibility to these students now, not just as a fellow Specialist but as their squad captain. The weight of it settled more heavily on his shoulders with each passing moment, but he knew better than to let it show.

“Let’s get warmed up,” Sky suggested, nodding towards the sparring rings where a few other upperclassmen were already engaged in drills.

Riven raised an eyebrow, clearly catching on to Sky’s shift in tone. “You’re all business today, aren’t you?”

“Just focused,” Sky replied, his voice steady. “It’s going to be a long year.”

Riven shrugged, though he didn’t argue. “Alright, let’s see if you’ve still got it, Captain.”

Did anyone else catch that foreshadowing? Why did that feel like foreshadowing? Uh uh, nope. Take it back, take it back right now!

As Silva continued to give introductory speeches and expectations to the first-years, the rest of the returning Specialists were all warming up, getting back into rhythm after what felt like a long summer. The familiar sounds of weapons clashing, feet shuffling against the ground, and the occasional grunt of effort filled the air, creating a symphony of discipline and focus.

Sky took a deep breath, letting the energy of the training grounds settle over him. This was where he thrived—in the midst of the action, surrounded by the familiar rhythm of drills and the unspoken camaraderie among his fellow Specialists. The weight of his new role as squad captain was still there, but it felt more manageable now, woven into the fabric of his responsibilities.

Riven, on the other hand, seemed content to stretch out the pre-drill banter for as long as possible. He gave Sky a sidelong glance, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. “So, Captain, any big plans for how you’re going to whip these new recruits into shape?”

Sky rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “You know Silva’s got that covered. I’m just here to make sure they don’t trip over their own feet too much.”

“Good luck with that,” Riven quipped, his tone light, though his eyes flicked over to the first-years with a more serious glint. “Looks like we’ve got a few who might need a miracle to make it through the first week.”

While they continued sparring with each other, Riven found moments to keep teasing Sky—not only about his new role but also about the ginger-haired girl he caught him with in the courtyard. A joke about Sky being smitten after one chat, and another about how gingers are amazing shags.

Classy, Riven. Classy.

But, of course, Sky, ever the romantic, couldn’t help but feel there was something about her. Yet, his mind couldn’t seem to stay away from the fairy he had been approaching before Sam stepped in.

After their last spar ended with Sky knocking Riven on his butt, they decided to call it. Well, more like Riven decided to skip the rest of the session to go have a smoke in the woods, asking Sky to distract his ‘aggro father figure’ so he didn’t get caught—and thus expelled.

Again, very classy, Riven. Please note the extreme sarcasm.

Though he hadn’t planned to, Sky ended up doing exactly as Riven asked when Silva pulled him into an impromptu spar, using him as an example of what first-years could become, legacy admissions or not, if they showed up and did the work. But then, one of the students had to chuckle, and now they were all getting a vivid story about how Silva lost his father to a Burned One when he was only ten years old.

No one could imagine what it was like for a 10-year-old boy to watch the light and life drain from his father’s body—then to be the one to put their parent down, knowing it was either them or you. A few of the students bowed their heads, trying not to appear affected or ‘weak’ on their first day. But it was understandable why they would be.

Burned Ones had been part of the Otherworld for as long as anyone could remember. They were creatures with humanoid figures that moved faster than a car and were just as ruthless as wild animals. Their charred and blackened appearances looked as if they had just walked out of a raging fire, somehow still alive, but burnt to a crisp, with cracks that glowed like embers, revealing the fiery torment that raged within them. Their limbs were long and skeletal, their fingers ending in claws sharp enough to tear through flesh and bone. But it was their faces that truly terrified—hollowed, with sunken eyes that glowed with a sickly, menacing light, and mouths filled with jagged teeth, ever ready to rend and consume.

The Burned Ones were more than just monsters—they were the stuff of nightmares, their very existence etched into the collective fear of society. Some said they were the remnants of an ancient curse, while others believed they were born from dark magic, a spell that left them behind as twisted remnants of the souls consumed by it. Their appearance haunted the minds of those who dared to venture too close to the shadowed places they roamed.

In every village, town, and city across the realms, the story of the Burned Ones had been passed down through generations. It was a tale told with hushed voices around campfires, a warning to the young and old alike. The Burned Ones were said to be the vengeful spirits of those who had fallen to the darkest depths of magic, their bodies scorched and twisted by the flames of their own corruption. They were symbols of dark times, death, and destruction—a reminder of the consequences of straying too far into the forbidden realms of the magical world. Parents would tell their children to behave, to stay within the bounds of what was known and safe, lest they suffer the same fate as those who became like the ones they feared.

As Silva so beautifully (or questionably and concerningly) put it to Dane, the first-year Specialist who dared chuckle, “Be thankful you’ve never seen a Burned One. But if you do, pray that it kills you, so the ones you love will not have to.”

The other first-years all looked a bit put off—nervous, terrified, or finding something far off to focus on instead. It was clear Silva’s story had shaken them. Dane, who had initially met Silva's gaze with unflinching defiance, now held a stance that communicated fear despite his best efforts to hide it.

Was it a bit extreme? Maybe. But it was also unnecessary.

No one has seen a Burned One in years. Yeah, they’ve got the protective barrier, but if the last sighting was more than a decade ago, then what’s all the fuss about?

Just as Silva finished his tale, a scream echoed from the forest, cutting through the tension like a knife. Riven.

It’s always fucking Riven…

The tension from the training grounds lingered in the air, following Sky as he headed back toward his dorm in the Specialists' Hall with his friend, who was a bit more shaken up than he’d liked to admit, yet still trying to act as if he was fine. Whatever he saw was enough to spark a wildfire of rumors, spreading to every corner of Alfea, and it wasn’t long before the news traveled to the heart of the school—the Headmistress’s office.

Y/N stood outside Headmistress Farah Dowling’s office, the cool stone walls of Alfea surrounding him like a protective barrier. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the meeting ahead. His thoughts were a whirlwind, full of the uncertainties that had plagued him since the decision to come to this school, and even before that.

The office door creaked open as Y/N hesitated, a warm voice beckoning him inside.

“Come in, Y/N,” the Headmistress called, her tone gentle yet authoritative.

Y/N stepped into the office, taking in the room’s comforting atmosphere. Shelves lined with ancient tomes and magical artifacts adorned the walls, while the large stained glass window behind Farah’s desk let in the soft, natural light of the morning sun. Farah herself sat behind her desk, her expression calm, yet her eyes held a depth that made Y/N feel as though she could see straight through to the core of him.

“Please, have a seat,” she offered, gesturing to the chair across from her.

Y/N nodded, moving to sit down, his movements slightly stiff from nerves. As he got settled in the seat, waiting for the Headmistress to begin, the weight of everything hit him hard. He thought about Sam, his new roommate and mentor, and how, despite his helpfulness, Y/N still felt like a fish out of water. Sam had been kind and welcoming, showing him around and making sure he didn’t get lost, but there was still an overwhelming sense of unfamiliarity.

His thoughts drifted to the other students he’d seen around campus—their easy smiles, their confident strides. They all seemed to belong here, like they’d been doing this their whole lives. Y/N, on the other hand, felt like he was constantly on the verge of tripping over his own feet. What if they found out he didn’t belong here? What if they discovered he was just an outsider pretending to be something he wasn’t?

He remembered walking past the training grounds, seeing a few students already practicing. Their movements were fluid, confident, like they were born with swords in their hands. Strangely enough, it reminded him of home for a moment, but then, he remembered these guys were using swords, not guns, and once again, he felt out of place. He could control water, sure, but combat? Strategy? He’d only ever learned those things from his dad, and even then, they were more about survival than thriving in a place like this.

But he was here now, and there was no turning back. He had to make this work. He had to prove—to himself more than anyone—that he could belong here, that he could make something of himself at Alfea.

The silence stretched for a moment as the Headmistress sorted through files before finally speaking, breaking the deafening quiet.

“How was your trip? Painless, I hope?” she asked.

Y/N went to respond, though his words seemed to get caught in his mouth, thinking back to the ‘convenient’ location Miss Dowling had instructed for him and his father to travel to. Close enough to where they resided, but far enough to hide from any prying eyes.

Y/N forced a smile, though it felt hollow. “It was... fine,” he replied, his voice betraying the turmoil just beneath the surface. The journey to Alfea had been anything but painless—not in the physical sense, but in the emotional weight it carried. The memory of his father standing in the middle of the clearing while he traveled through the magical gateway Miss Dowling had set up for him lingered in his mind. The man who had raised him, taught him everything he knew, and kept him and his secrets safe, had watched him leave. It felt a little too surreal and heart-aching for Y/N’s taste.

It was like the feeling of being left behind, only this time around, he was the one leaving and not the one being left. And he wasn’t sure he knew how to cope with that.

Of course, his dad, tough as nails, didn’t shed any tears, but it was still clear as day how hard it was on him too, seeing Y/N step through that gateway, giving him a soldier’s salute as a final goodbye before the doorway closed behind him.

As much as Y/N wanted to be here—needed to be here—the thought of leaving his father behind gnawed at him. His dad had been his anchor, his rock, and now he was an unknown number of miles away, alone. Y/N’s chest tightened with the familiar pang of guilt, the same guilt that had clung to him since the day he’d agreed to come to Alfea.

He remembered the look in his father’s eyes as they said their goodbyes—a mixture of pride, worry, and something else that Y/N couldn’t quite place. It was as if his father knew this was the right thing to do, but it didn’t make it any easier for either of them. The memory of his dad’s last words echoed in his mind: “You’ve got this, kid. I’ll be here when you come home.”

Got what, though? Y/N didn’t even know what he was supposed to be ready for. All he knew was that he had to learn control—real control—over his powers before they controlled him. He could still remember the floodwater rushing through the halls, the panic in his father’s eyes as he tried to contain the situation. And the fear—Y/N’s own fear that he could have hurt someone, that he could have hurt his dad.

Yeah, so much for painless.

Y/N took a deep breath, forcing a more convincing smile onto his face as he looked up at Farah. “It was definitely an experience,” he said, trying to infuse some lightness into his voice. “The, uh, magical gateway was a nice touch. Makes traveling feel a bit more... grand.”

Farah smiled gently, but Y/N could see the understanding in her eyes. She wasn’t fooled by his attempt at humor, and it made him feel a strange mix of comfort and vulnerability.

“I’m glad the journey went smoothly,” Farah replied, her tone warm but measured. “I know leaving home is never easy, especially under such... unusual circumstances.”

Y/N nodded, his smile fading slightly as he looked down at his hands, which were clenched in his lap. “Yeah, it’s been... a lot,” he admitted, his voice quieter now. “I’ve never been away from home or at least my dad like this. And with everything that happened, it’s hard not to feel...”

“Out of place?” Farah offered gently.

Y/N looked up at her, surprised by how easily she seemed to understand. He nodded slowly. “Yeah. Like I’m in over my head.”

Farah leaned forward slightly, her gaze steady and reassuring. “It’s perfectly normal to feel that way, Y/N. Alfea is a place of learning, but it’s also a place of growth. You’re not expected to have all the answers right now, or to have everything figured out. That’s why you’re here—to learn, to grow, and to discover your own path.”

Y/N swallowed hard, her words hitting closer to home than he expected. He wanted to believe her, wanted to feel like he could find his place here. But the weight of his powers, the fear of what he could do if he lost control again, was a constant shadow hanging over him.

“I just don’t want to let anyone down,” he confessed, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

Farah’s expression softened even more, and she reached out, resting her hand lightly on his. “You won’t, Y/N. I can see the strength in you, even if you can’t see it yourself yet. It’s okay to be afraid, but don’t let that fear hold you back. You’re here because you have potential, and we’re going to help you reach it and refine it.”

Y/N felt a lump form in his throat, and he nodded, unable to find the words to respond. Farah’s kindness, her unwavering belief in him, was something he wasn’t used to. It made him want to try, to push through the fear and doubt, if only to prove her right.

“Thank you, Headmistress,” he managed to say, his voice thick with emotion.

Farah gave his hand a gentle squeeze before letting go. “You’re welcome, Y/N. You can think of Alfea as your new home. You have people here who want to help you, who want to see you succeed. Don’t be afraid to lean on them when you need to.”

Another moment of silence passed between them, with Y/N rubbing his hands up and down his legs to stir his nerves.

“I trust Sam has been treating you well, yes?” Farah asked.

Y/N hesitated for a moment, then nodded again. “Yeah, he’s been great. Really helpful, showing me around and making sure I don’t get lost.”

Farah smiled at that, a hint of amusement in her eyes. “I’m glad to hear that. Sam is one of our most dependable students. He’s Professor Harvery’s son who you’ll meet when taking your potions, botany, and natural magics courses. I figured he’d be a good fit to help you adjust.”

Y/N offered a small smile in return. “He’s definitely made things easier. It’s just... a lot to take in, you know?”

“I can imagine,” Farah replied, her expression softening. “It’s a big change, but you’re handling it well. And remember, you have people like Sam—and me—here to support you.”

Y/N nodded, feeling a bit of the tension in his chest ease. “Thanks, Headmistress. That means a lot.”

Farah gave him an encouraging smile before leaning back in her chair. “Now, let’s talk about what you can expect this year.”

Y/N straightened up slightly, eager to shift the conversation toward something more concrete. “Yeah, I’ve been wondering about classes and... well, everything really. I want to make sure I’m prepared.”

Farah nodded, understanding the unspoken concerns in his words. “Of course. Your schedule has been tailored to help you develop your skills while also giving you a solid foundation in the broader aspects of magical education. You’ll start with the basics, learning how to use your magic slowly, but safely in a controlled environment. And, to reiterate as I did with the student I had right before you, when I say slowly, I do mean it. Magic can be dangerous and I don’t want you to cause yourself any harm in trying to prove something. But, I do believe you’ll find the subjects we have laid out for you not only challenging but also rewarding.”

Y/N listened intently, absorbing the information. He appreciated the Headmistress’s approach—firm but understanding. It was clear that she valued safety and caution, which was something Y/N could respect, especially given his own fears about his powers.

Farah continued, “You’ve already demonstrated a remarkable degree of mastery for someone your age. That’s not something we see often, especially with powers as complex as yours.”

Y/N blinked in surprise, not expecting the compliment. “Thank you. My dad... he’s been a big help. He helped me learn how to control my powers enough from a young age to hide them for obvious reasons,” Y/N nervously laughed, but Farah’s warm smile kept him at ease. “He used a lot of techniques he learned from the military. Breathing exercises, disciplinary lessons, staying calm under pressure... it’s all pretty much drilled into me. No pun intended.”

Farah’s eyes softened with understanding. “Your father sounds like a wise man. It’s clear he’s done an excellent job helping you harness your abilities. Water fairies like yourself often have been known to struggle with control, given the fluid and ever-changing nature of water itself. But you’ve managed to find a balance.”

Y/N looked down at his hands, which had finally unclenched. The memories of his father’s training sessions flashed through his mind—hours spent practicing, focusing, and learning to control the water that flowed through him like second nature. “He just wanted to make sure I didn’t put anyone... or myself at risk.”

“And he succeeded,” Farah smiled warmly, a sense of reassurance in her gaze. “You’ll also have regular meetings with me to discuss your progress and address any concerns. And you can always reach out if you need help with anything.”

Y/N was about to respond when the door to the office burst open, startling both of them. A Specialist student, out of breath and with a look of urgency on his face, stood in the doorway. Farah immediately tensed, her calm demeanor shifting to one of alertness.

“Headmistress, I’m sorry to interrupt, but there’s been an incident in the forest,” the student panted. “ Professor Silva asked me to inform you immediately.”

Farah’s eyes narrowed slightly, her mind clearly processing the information quickly. She rose from her seat, her authority evident in the way she carried herself.

“What happened?” she asked, her voice steady but laced with concern.

“I’m not sure, but Mr. Silva said it was urgent and asked for you and Professor Harvey to come quickly. In the forest near the training grounds.”

Farah’s expression grew more serious as she turned to Y/N. “Y/N, we’ll have to continue this conversation later. For now, I need you to stay in the main building and avoid the forest. I’ll have Sam meet you to help you get settled into your dorm.”

Y/N stood up as Farah did, the tension in the room palpable. He felt a strange mix of anxiety and curiosity at the mention of the incident in the forest, but he knew better than to pry.

“Yes, Headmistress,” Y/N replied, his voice steady despite the unease settling in his chest, his discipline from living on a military base immediately kicking in as a response to the headmistress’s authoritative tone.

Farah nodded, offering him a reassuring smile despite the urgency in her eyes. “Good. I’m sure everything will be fine, but it’s best to be cautious. Stay close to the main building and try to relax for the rest of the day.”

Well, that was a bit ironic considering she looked anything but relaxed herself.

As she grabbed her coat from the stand near the door, Y/N couldn’t help but notice the subtle shift in her demeanor. Gone was the gentle, nurturing headmistress; in her place stood a leader, focused and ready to handle whatever was waiting in the forest. The transformation was striking, and for a moment, Y/N felt a mix of admiration and a touch of intimidation. It was a reminder that, beneath the warmth, Farah Dowling was a woman who commanded respect and authority in a world that demanded both.

Y/N nodded, offering a small, appreciative smile. “I will. Thank you, Headmistress.”

Farah gave him one last nod before slipping out of the office, her coat billowing slightly as she moved with purpose down the corridor. The door clicked shut behind her, leaving Y/N alone in the quiet office.

As Farah left the room, Y/N lingered for a moment, feeling the weight of the conversation settle over him. The urgency of the situation in the forest hung in the air, but there was something else, too—a sense of unease that he couldn’t quite shake. He knew he had to follow the headmistress’s instructions, but the curiosity gnawed at him. What could be so urgent that it pulled her away from their meeting?

Y/N let out a slow breath, reminding himself that it wasn’t his place to get involved, not yet anyway. He was still the new kid here, barely even unpacked, and already there was so much to take in. His thoughts flicked back to Sam, who had been nothing but helpful since his arrival. Maybe if he found Sam, he could get some guidance on what to do next, or at the very least, some company to distract him from the whirlwind of emotions he was feeling.

He glanced at the door, knowing he should probably try to find his way back to his dorm. But without Sam around to guide him, it felt like navigating a maze. He couldn’t remember the exact turns they’d taken earlier, and the thought of wandering aimlessly through the hallways didn’t exactly appeal to him.

After a brief moment of indecision, Y/N decided it might be worth exploring a bit. If he could find his way back to the dorm on his own, it would be a small victory—proof that he was capable of figuring things out here, even without someone holding his hand.

“Alright,” he muttered to himself, stepping out into the hallway. “Time to see if I can actually find my way around this place.”

He took a deep breath and started down the corridor, hoping he’d get lucky and run into someone familiar—or at the very least, a sign pointing him in the right direction.

“Who actually saw the Shepherd’s body?” Terra, an Earth Fairy and Sam’s sister, asked as she held her beverage, talking with two of her freshly acquainted suitemates, Aisha and Musa. Her usual bright tone was tinged with unease, the curiosity and morbid speculation threading through the conversation like a dark undercurrent. “Maybe he was just old. People get old, die. We all die.”

“That old-age decapitation really sneaks up on you,” Musa quipped, a dry laugh escaping her as they lingered near the snack table at the orientation party. The lively atmosphere clashed with the darker topic swirling around the room, the buzz of gossip overshadowing the usual excitement of the new school year.

The air felt thick with rumors. The discovery of the Shepherd’s body, mutilated and left in the forest just outside the magical barrier, had set the school abuzz. Headmistress Dowling had tried to keep things under wraps, hoping to prevent a panic, but apparently, she didn’t hope hard enough. The news had spread faster than wildfire, twisting through the student body and growing more sinister with each retelling.

“Happened to my nan right in the middle of Bingo,” Aisha added with a grin, clutching a churro stick as she joined the dark humor. “Just... thwop, thwop, thwop. Down the table.” She mimed a head rolling off, her satirical tone not helping much to veil the subtle tension beneath still.

Musa laughed, a sharp burst of sound that cut through the unease for the earth fairy, though she remained quiet. As they continued their conversation, it was in this moment that Y/N strolled into the party. He glanced around, taking in the lively scene, but the undercurrent of tension still being unmistakable. He wasn’t immune to the rumors either; whispers about the dead Shepherd had reached him not long after he left his meeting with the Headmistress.

As his eyes scanned the room, he spotted Sam standing on the other side of the room closer to another beverage table, chatting with a few other students. Y/N weaved through the crowd, nodding to a few faces he recognized from his earlier tour around campus, but feeling that familiar sense of being an outsider in a crowd where everyone else seemed to belong.

“Y/N!” Sam called out as soon as he spotted him, waving him over. “There you are! Glad you made it.”

Y/N offered a small smile, grateful for the warmth in Sam’s greeting, even if the unease from the ongoing gossip lingered in his mind.

“Yeah,” Y/N responded with a small smile, though his thoughts were elsewhere. “Got a bit lost coming from the Headmistress’ office but I made it. I was gonna go back to the dorm but I’d figured I’d check it out.”

"Good call. Everyone's here tonight." Sam gestured around at the buzzing party, cups in hand, snacks being passed, though there was still a murmur beneath it all—a sense of unease they couldn’t quite shake off.

Just then, Terra approached, her expression somewhere between cheerful and overwhelmed, as if she didn’t know where to go. Which, was a bit weird considering both her and Sam practically grew up around Alfea. Her warm demeanor returned quickly, though, as she saw her brother standing with Y/N. Sam immediately gestured toward her as she approached.

"Y/N, meet my sister, Terra. Terra, this is Y/N, my new roommate.”

Y/N extended his hand with a polite smile. “Hey. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too!” Terra responded brightly, shaking his hand with enthusiasm. “Sam’s told me a bit about you. I hope he hasn’t scared you off yet.”

Y/N chuckled lightly. “Nah, not yet. He’s been a good guide.”

“Good,” Terra said, still holding onto a friendly smile. “I know Alfea can be a bit overwhelming at first. Especially with... you know, everything going on.”

There was an unspoken understanding between them—everyone knew what she was referring to. Y/N gave a slight nod, sensing the weight of what had happened in the forest still hanging over the party. Even though Terra was trying to keep things light, he could tell she wasn’t as carefree as she appeared.

“Everything alright, Terra?” Sam asked sensing his sister’s somewhat tense and despondent mood.

Terra looked a little caught off guard at the question, trying to keep her cheerful demeanor up, but both Sam and Y/N could see through it.

“Oh, I’m good. Just a little early roommate drama, but nothing to worry about. Joys of having five girls in one space.”

Sam raised a brow, a knowing smile playing at his lips. “You mean to tell me you’ve already started trouble? And here I was thinking it’d take at least a week before you drove someone mad.”

Y/N noticed how Terra tensed at the jab. On the surface, it was harmless, the kind of playful sibling banter Y/N had seen between others plenty of times. But something about the way Terra’s smile faltered—how her fingers tightened just a bit around the rim of her glass—hinted at a deeper insecurity. He couldn’t quite place it, but it was as if she was trying too hard to brush it off. Maybe it was the pressure of being likable, of wanting to fit in with her new roommates, that made her so self-conscious.

From what Y/N could tell, Terra seemed like the type who wanted to go out of her way to please everyone around her. That kind of eagerness could easily come across as overbearing to the wrong people. He had seen it before—people who bent over backward to make others happy but ended up standing on shaky ground themselves. Maybe her need to fit in made her more vulnerable to criticism or, worse, outright rejection.

He could see Sam pick up on the shift as well, though his smile remained teasing. "Isn’t Stella in your suite?" Sam asked suddenly, his tone seemingly casual but loaded with implication. Y/N didn’t miss the way Terra’s face fell for just a second—too brief to be obvious to anyone who wasn’t looking for it. The name "Stella" alone seemed to strike a deeper chord.

Y/N's curiosity piqued. He hadn’t met everyone at the school yet, and the way Terra reacted made him wonder who exactly this Stella was. He could sense there was something more to the question, something beneath the surface that Terra wasn’t saying.

“Stella?” Y/N asked, tilting his head slightly. “Who’s that?”

Terra hesitated, glancing between Y/N and Sam before finally answering. “Stella’s... well, she’s the Crown Princess of Solaria. You know, the realm that Alfea’s in.”

Y/N’s brows raised at that. “A princess? Seriously?”

Terra nodded, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Yeah, seriously. She’s... well, she’s royalty, so she’s got that whole ‘above-it-all’ vibe, I guess. She’s in my suite with Aisha, Musa, and Bloom.”

Y/N could sense there was more she wasn’t saying—maybe something about the way Stella acted, or the dynamic between the roommates. Still, he didn’t press. “Sounds intense,” he said instead, trying to keep things light.

“You could say that.” Terra let out a soft laugh, though it sounded a little forced. Her eyes flickered for a moment, as if debating whether to continue. “She’s kind of... used to getting her way, I guess.” Terra hesitated, her gaze briefly shifting to the side before she added, “And then, there’s her history with Sky…”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Terra’s expression shifted, her eyes widening slightly as if she realized she’d said too much. She bit her lip, clearly regretting bringing it up, and quickly glanced at Y/N, gauging his reaction.

Y/N blinked, intrigued by the new information. He didn’t know who Sky was, but judging by the way Terra said it, it seemed like a complicated situation. “Sky?”

“Yeah, Sky’s a Specialist,” Sam chimed in, filling the gap. “Top of the class, actually. He’s… well, kind of Alfea’s golden boy. Everyone looks up to him.” Sam’s expression shifted slightly, as if even he had mixed feelings about the guy.

Y/N nodded slowly, processing the new information. A princess and the top Specialist—there was definitely more to unpack there, but he decided to leave it for another time. Instead, he turned back to Terra, offering her a small, encouraging smile. “Well, it seems like you’re holding your own, right? Can’t be easy.”

Terra seemed to relax a little at that, her smile becoming a bit more genuine. “Thank you, I appreciate that. It’s just... new, you know?”

“Oh yeah,” Y/N said with a chuckle, thinking about his own recent arrival. “I definitely know a thing or two about being new.”

Terra’s mood seemed to lift at that, her smile growing a little brighter. Sam, noticing the shift in his sister’s demeanor, seemed pleased to see her returning to her usual cheerful self.

“Well, since you are new, and I’m positive Sam didn’t show you nearly enough of Alfea for you to know your way around,” Terra began, her voice taking on a teasing lilt, “why don’t I give you a proper tour? We can explore a bit more of the party. There’s so much you haven’t seen yet.”

Sam shot her a mock-offended look. “Hey! I think I did a pretty decent job as a tour guide, thank you very much.”

Terra raised an eyebrow, her expression dripping with playful skepticism. She turned to Y/N, clearly setting up her next move. “How many times have you gotten lost already?”

“Twice,” Y/N admitted, flashing a sheepish grin. Sam immediately threw his hands up in exaggerated frustration, his face contorting into a look of mock betrayal.

“See?” Terra smirked triumphantly, turning back to Sam before looking at Y/N. “I rest my case.”

Y/N chuckled, shooting an apologetic glance toward his roommate. “Sorry, Sam.”

Sam clutched at his chest as if wounded, putting on a show of hurt. “Go on then, leave me behind. Abandon your proper tour guide. I’ll just be here… wallowing.”

Terra shook her head, clearly amused, as she gently tugged Y/N along. “You’ll be fine, drama queen.”

Y/N gave Sam an apologetic wave, mouthing ‘Sorry’ again as they moved further into the crowd, Sam waving him off with a faux-injured expression that quickly turned into a playful grin.

Sam watched as Terra tugged Y/N further into the crowd. “Just don’t let her talk your ear off about plants,” Sam called after them. “I’ve heard it all before.”

“Oh, shut up!” Terra threw back at her brother, laughing now.

Across the party, Sky stood casually by a pillar, his eyes scanning the crowd of new and returning students as they mingled and introduced themselves to one another. Though his posture was relaxed, his mind was far from idle—people-watching was something of a habit at these events, and tonight was no exception.

Yet, despite the throng of lively faces, his gaze kept drifting back to a familiar figure: the new arrival he’d seen earlier. He couldn’t quite place why, but something about this fairy had captured his attention. As he watched them walk off with Terra, a flicker of curiosity tugged at him.

Before Sky could think too much about it, a voice snapped him out of his quiet observation.

“This is a lot of people,” came the familiar voice of the red-haired fairy he had tried to assist earlier.

Sky’s head snapped around, his gaze falling on the fairy who’s name he learned to be Bloom. A smile pulled at his lips as she approached, chuckling softly.

“What? You don’t have parties in California?” Sky played along, pretending not to remember their earlier conversation. There was something playful in the way he said it, but his focus remained split—part of his mind still on the new fairy and his curious departure with Terra.

“Oh, he remembers!” Bloom quipped back, her own smile matching his as she tugged her jacket a little closer.

“Oh, impressed?” Sky chuckled, his tone light as he tried to push thoughts of Y/N out of his head, if only for a moment. He offered Bloom a soft smile, though there was an undeniable flicker of distraction in his eyes.

For a brief moment, there was a comfortable silence between them, the hum of the party surrounding them like background noise. But Sky’s attention was tugged back to Bloom as she gestured to the crowd.

“Where can I go that’s the opposite… of this?” Bloom asked, her voice lowering as her gaze flicked toward the noisy party. “What’s outside?”

Sky blinked, her question catching him off guard. “What, beyond the Barrier?” he asked, incredulity creeping into his tone. His mind raced slightly, trying to figure out if she was serious.

“Mm-hmm,” Bloom responded with a nod, her curiosity clearly piqued.

Sky couldn’t help but smirk. “Well, depending on rumors, wolves, bears… or something much scarier.”

He expected that to be enough to dissuade her, but Bloom didn’t even flinch.

“But no people?” she asked, cutting straight to the point. Her gaze flicked back to him, searching for an answer.

Sky hesitated, his posture stiffening slightly as the weight of his concern settled over him. “Um…” He didn’t really want to let her go out there alone, especially with the tension in the air since the discovery in the forest. Was it his place to offer?

“Perfect, thanks,” Bloom nodded quickly, turning to leave without a second thought.

“Wait,” Sky blurted out, stepping forward and stopping her without actually touching her. “At the risk of, um... mansplaining, it is dangerous outside right now. You probably shouldn’t go alone.”

Bloom’s eyes narrowed slightly, her lips curving into a smirk as she threw back, “Are you offering to escort me?”

Sky’s smile turned slightly sheepish. He hadn’t meant it as an invitation, not really. But as she said it, the words hung in the air between them, and he couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt that this interaction had gone in a direction he hadn’t anticipated.

“Is that what this is? It’s not the worst pickup line,” Bloom scoffed, her chuckle half-masked by something deeper, though her amusement was clear.

“It wasn’t a line,” Sky said, raising a brow, his voice casual but firm. “Trust me?”

Bloom’s expression softened, though she wasn’t quite ready to let her guard down. “Hm. I just met you, but maybe one day I will.”

They locked eyes for a brief moment, a quiet pause settling between them. Sky’s gaze lingered on Bloom, but in the back of his mind, an unspoken curiosity remained—one that drew him back to the quiet stranger who had caught his attention earlier that day. Why his attention and focus kept seeming to rush back to this stranger who he hadn’t even properly met was a bit perplexing but nothing he felt he needed to dissect.

But even if he wanted to, he couldn’t dwell on it any further, as another familiar voice broke through the moment.

“Hey, Sky. Can we talk?” Stella’s voice was light, but there was an edge to it, something demanding his attention.

Sky tore his gaze away from Bloom, his expression shifting as he turned to face Stella. His shoulders stiffened slightly, a hint of frustration creeping in. He glanced back at Bloom, only to see her taking the opportunity to slip away.

Bloom didn’t waste a second, skedaddling into the crowd, leaving Sky standing there with a faint sense of disappointment—and maybe even a little agitation. He sighed, watching her disappear from sight as Stella stepped closer. And while his attention should’ve been fully on Stella by now, part of him still lingered elsewhere, in thoughts of Y/N.

With a slight exasperated breath, he stepped over to face the Princess of Solaria, taking the orange beverage she held out for him in silence with no reaction, though he didn’t drink it, rather opting to wait for her to speak. He could already feel the tension that always seemed to follow their interactions.

"I haven't seen you all day," Stella commented, her tone light but with an underlying edge, something Sky recognized all too well.

“Summer, Stella. All summer,” Sky replied, his voice carrying an exasperated note as he let out a breath. His expression reflected the weariness of someone who had dealt with this dynamic for far too long.

Stella tilted her head, a carefully controlled smile playing on her lips. “You know that girl you were talking to? Bloom? Yeah, she’s my suitemate.” Her words were laced with a mixture of casual observation and thinly veiled warning, though she tried to play it cool.

Sky’s brow furrowed slightly as he met her gaze. “So, what does that mean, Stel? That I can’t talk to her?” He knew where this conversation was heading, but he wasn’t interested in playing along.

“I didn’t say that,” Stella quickly retorted, her voice deceptively sweet, though Sky could feel the tension building beneath her words.

He stared at her for a beat, then sighed, pushing the conversation to the point. “What are you saying, specifically?” His tone sharpened, a touch of sarcasm creeping in. “I’d hate to make you upset. I know what happens when you get upset.”

Their exchange was attracting a few curious glances from the nearby students, a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by either of them. Sky’s gaze flicked toward the onlookers briefly before returning to Stella.

Stella’s smile wavered just for a second, a flash of something like vulnerability crossing her features before she masked it. “I’m sure you’ll do the right thing,” she said, her voice steady but tight.

Sky held her gaze for a moment longer, then handed back the glass without taking a sip. “I always do,” he replied, slipping one hand into his brown leather jacket before turning to walk off, the weight of the interaction already tiring him.

Stella took the glass back begrudgingly, her grip tightening around it as she noticed the eyes of the crowd still lingering on them. She shot them a sharp look, raising her chin in defiance.

"Enjoy the show?" she snapped, her words laced with irritation before she stormed off, leaving the onlookers to exchange glances in her wake.

But as Stella strode away, her focus on Bloom was more than a little misdirected. Sure, she noticed the subtle sparks between Sky and the new girl, and that definitely stung. But, in reality, Bloom wasn’t the one who posed the real threat to her carefully constructed world—not yet, at least. Though bunking just beyond the wall, the redhead was only the start of Stella's concerns.

Because, whether she realized it or not, and whether Sky did either, there was another fairy lingering quietly in the background. One who was already starting to occupy space in the blonde Specialist’s mind, even if no one had caught on just yet. And for now, that particular fairy was flying completely under Stella's radar.

The sun was gradually sinking toward the horizon, its warm light fading as the moon began to ascend into the night sky. Terra had managed to show Y/N far more of the school than Sam had, and with each new landmark or shortcut, Y/N felt his anxiety ease a little more. Navigating the sprawling grounds of Alfea didn’t seem as daunting now, and the prospect of finding his classes in the morning felt less like a challenge and more like something he could manage.

He appreciated Terra's extensive tour. While Sam’s earth magic allowed him to phase through walls and take unconventional routes, the paths he’d shown Y/N earlier hadn’t exactly been practical for someone without those abilities. But Terra's guidance had been a lifesaver, giving Y/N the confidence he needed to feel a little more at ease in this new environment. And it didn’t hurt that he could now say he had another friend beyond just his roommate.

As they made their way back towards the main area where the orientation party was still in full swing, Y/N felt a quiet sense of accomplishment. He’d spent the day getting to know the school and making connections—small victories that meant a lot after such a whirlwind arrival.

When they reached the party, Y/N paused, looking back toward the lively crowd. “I think I’m going to step outside for a bit,” he said, turning to Terra with a small smile. “I need to call my dad, let him know I’m okay and made it through without any major disasters.”

Terra nodded, understanding. “Yeah, sure! It was good getting to hang out with you, hopefully we’ll have classes together. Maybe Sam and I’ll make an earth fairy out of you yet Or at least I can, Sam’s not that reliable..” She grinned, her teasing light-hearted.

Y/N chuckled. “Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Still got to master my own magic first.” With a wave, he stepped away from the party, grateful for a moment of quiet outside.

As he walked off, Terra’s gaze shifted across the canteen, catching sight of Riven. The cocky Specialist was in the middle of harassing what looked like a freshman. Her smile faded, irritation flashing in her eyes. “Great,” she muttered to herself, moving towards the scene, ready to intervene.

Y/N stepped out into the quiet evening, the crisp night air brushing against his skin as he moved away from the hum of the party. The noise, the whispers, and the pressing weight of new expectations faded into the background, replaced by the stillness of the night. Above him, the stars were beginning to dot the inky sky, and the moon hung like a soft lantern, casting a gentle glow across the grounds.

Under the soft glow of the moon, Y/N felt a quiet sense of peace settle over him, a kind of stillness that seemed to resonate deep within his core. The world around him grew quieter, and yet, at the same time, he felt more alive, more in tune with everything—especially the water that flowed in the nearby river. The moon's silver light washed over the landscape, but it also seemed to wash over him, sharpening his senses, making him more aware of the subtle hum of magic pulsing through his veins.

There was always something about the moon that brought him a heightened sense of awareness. Its gentle, luminous presence had a way of amplifying his connection to water, as if the tides within him swelled and receded in perfect harmony with the celestial body above. The longer he stood under its glow, the more he could feel his magic stir, stronger and more defined, like a calm current just waiting to be guided.

It was during these moments that Y/N felt most like himself—connected, powerful, but also grounded. The pull of the moon acted like an anchor, steadying him in ways that the chaotic energy of the day never could. There was an unspoken bond between him and the water, one that felt even more profound when the moon was present, as though its light illuminated not only the world around him but also the depths of his own potential.

Now, sitting on the bench near the edge of the courtyard, Y/N felt that same pull from the moon overhead. The familiar hum of his magic stirred within him, quieter now but still present, like the tide waiting to rise. He glanced up at the bright object, a small, wistful smile tugging at his lips. It reminded him of home, of those nights by the lake, and of the man who had always stood by his side.

A soft pang of longing settled in his chest, and he pulled out his phone. After a few taps, he called his dad.

The phone rang a few times before his dad’s gruff but warm voice answered, “Y/N, about time you called. Thought I was gonna have to send a whole squad in after you.”

Y/N chuckled softly, leaning back on the bench. “Sorry, Dad. It’s been crazy since I got here and it’s a lot to take in. Alfea is huge. You wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had.”

His dad’s voice softened with a note of humor. “Let me guess—got lost, tried to play it cool, but couldn’t figure out which building was which?”

Y/N laughed. “Twice. Sam’s shortcuts aren’t exactly... beginner-friendly. Luckily, his sister Terra gave me a proper tour.”

His dad hummed, the sound low and steady, a quiet comfort even from miles away. "Good. I’m glad you’re finding your way," he said, his voice warm but soon shifting to the no-nonsense tone Y/N had grown up with. "Did Miss Dowling go over the curriculum with you? What’s it gonna be like for drills and practices?” His tone sharpened, slipping into that familiar edge of military discipline, a reminder that beneath the caring father was a man who had spent years in service, accustomed to strict routines and rigid expectations.

Y/N leaned back on the bench, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. His dad’s voice always carried that familiar weight, even in casual conversations—like there was an invisible checklist in his mind, keeping everything measured and focused. "Yeah, we went over it. The curriculum's solid," Y/N replied, trying to keep things light, though he knew his dad would pick apart every detail. "It’s a lot of basics at first—control exercises, learning how to use magic slowly and safely, all that. They’re big on precision and making sure no one gets ahead of themselves too fast. Miss Dowling made it pretty clear that we’re gonna be challenged, but nothing I can’t handle." He paused for a second, remembering something she’d mentioned in passing about her own military background. “Honestly, I think you’d get along with her. She’s definitely no-nonsense—reminds me of you."

He paused, running his hand through his hair, still feeling the weight of the headmistress’s words from earlier. "I’ll have regular check-ins with her too—y’know, to keep track of how I’m doing. She’s real big on making sure we don’t try to prove something and end up hurting ourselves. So, yeah, lots of discipline, lots of control. But it sounds like I’ll be able to figure it out." His tone was casual, but beneath the surface, he knew it was going to be intense—and his dad would expect nothing less than him excelling at it.

“As they should be,” his dad said, though his tone was a bit lighter than usual. “It’s your first day, but don’t get too comfortable. I’m sure you’ve got a leg up on thosen other slackers with what I’ve already taught you, so make sure you’re putting it to good use. Don’t just go through the motions because it’s new. Take it seriously from the start.”

Y/N nodded, feeling that familiar tug of expectation settle in. “Yeah, I know, Dad. I’m not slacking. Miss Dowling’s big on safety and control, and trust me, she’s not about to let anyone take it easy. She’s got this whole ‘slow but steady’ approach with magic, so I’m sure I’ll get plenty of practice.” He chuckled softly, then added, “Seriously, I think you and Dowling would get along great. She’s got a military background too, so she’s all about discipline.”

His dad hummed approvingly on the other end. “Good. Sounds like you’re in the right hands then. Just make sure you keep your focus and set the tone early. That’s how you get ahead.” Even though it wasn’t a drill-sergeant tone, the message was clear: the groundwork Y/N laid now would shape the rest of his time at Alfea.

Y/N smiled softly, the weight of those words familiar but not suffocating—not yet, anyway. His dad had always pushed him, but there was pride behind it. And while the pressure was always there, it felt less about being perfect and more about becoming something better than he was the day before.

Y/N leaned back on the bench, the cool night air grounding him as he listened to the comforting sound of his dad’s voice on the other end. He glanced up at the moon, its light reflecting off the nearby river. "Actually, I’ve already seen some pretty cool stuff here, magic-wise. My roommate, Sam—he’s an Earth fairy, and get this—he can literally walk through solid objects. Like, I’m talking full-on phase through walls, no big deal." He chuckled, the memory of Sam casually disappearing through their dorm room wall earlier still fresh. "And then there’s the girls who use magic to take selfies. I mean, honestly, not as surprising as you’d think, but still, the Otherworld is wild. It’s different here... and kind of the same, in weird ways."

There was a pause, and Y/N could almost hear his dad raising an eyebrow on the other end. "Sounds like you’re adjusting," his dad remarked, amusement slipping into his tone. "Learning any new tricks yourself? Besides dodging magical selfies, I mean."

Y/N grinned, though the question struck a deeper chord than he wanted to admit. "Not yet," he said, his tone light but laced with something heavier beneath it. "They’re big on control here—real slow and steady. Apparently, it’s all about mastering the basics, making sure we don’t accidentally blow up half the school or anything." He let out a small chuckle, but the humor in his voice felt forced, more like a shield than anything else. "Which, you know... kinda makes sense, considering... well, let’s just say that’s the main reason I’m even here."

There was a beat of silence. Y/N’s words hung in the air, his attempt at joking about it doing little to cover the weight of what he’d left unsaid. The memory of that one night—the water flooding in, his dad’s panic—flashed through his mind like a vivid dream he couldn’t fully wake up from. But instead of letting the pain sink in, he threw up his usual defense—a half-smile, a shrug, and a quick change of subject.

His dad was quiet for a moment, the weight of that shared memory hanging heavy between them. "You’ve come a long way since then, Y/N," he said, his voice softer, more careful. "But I get it. Even when you were a kid, you had this way of diving headfirst into chaos and somehow, just barely, pulling yourself out of it. And yeah, it probably felt easier back then, knowing I was always there to catch you if things went south. That safety net, right? But you're stronger now. You’ve learned to handle it on your own. You don’t need me right next to you to pull you back. You’ve got this under control."

Y/N swallowed the lump forming in his throat. He didn’t want to admit how much he missed the reassurance of having his dad right beside him. "Yeah, I guess. It just feels different now. Like, what if I mess up, and there’s no one around to stop it? What if I hurt someone?" His voice wavered slightly, betraying the insecurities that had been bubbling under the surface since he arrived at Alfea.

"Hey," his dad interrupted, that firm yet comforting tone snapping Y/N out of his spiral. "I know it's new, and it’s scary being out there on your own, but you’ve got this. You’ve got the discipline, the training—you’ve always been able to pull yourself together, no matter what. And even if I’m not there physically, I’m always with you. I’m in your head, telling you to keep your feet grounded, your mind sharp. You’ve got more in you than you think."

Y/N smiled softly, his heart swelling with gratitude. "Thanks, Dad. I just... it’s good to hear you say that." There was a long pause, the sound of crickets filling the space between them as the moon continued to rise higher in the sky.

"Good. Now, just to check, you’re not letting any boys distract you from all that hard work, are you?" His dad’s tone took on a teasing edge, a small chuckle filtering through the phone.

Y/N snorted, rolling his eyes even though no one could see him. "Dad, seriously?"

"I mean it! I’ve got to make sure no one’s catching your eye and pulling you off your game. Any eye candy running around there?"

Y/N couldn’t help but laugh at his dad’s playful concern. "The only boy I’ve heard about that’s worth looking at is this Sky guy. Apparently, he’s the golden boy around here, but from what I’ve heard, that’s a mess I definitely don’t want to get involved in."

"Oh really? Sounds like someone’s been doing their homework." His dad’s voice was light, but Y/N could hear the smirk in it. "So, Sky, huh? What’s the deal there?"

Y/N shrugged, his tone casual. "I dunno, something about his ex-girlfriend, drama, whatever. Definitely not something I’m about to jump into on day one." He chuckled, leaning back again as he looked up at the stars. "Besides, I’ve got enough to deal with just figuring out where all my classes are."

"Smart man," his dad replied with a chuckle, but there was a familiar edge to his tone. "Keep your head on straight. Boys can wait until you're the top water fairy in that school, right? And just so we’re clear," his voice dropped an octave, that serious military dad tone slipping through the humor, "if any of those boys give you trouble... well, you know where to find me. I don’t care how far Alfea is."

Y/N smirked, knowing his dad was half-joking—emphasis on half. "Yeah, I’m not about to test that."

"Still can’t believe my son’s a fairy,” his dad muttered, the teasing tone unmistakable.

“Careful, old man,” Y/N shot back with a grin. “Talk like that, and you’ll end up cancelled.”

A loud scoff echoed through the phone. “Cancelled? Please. Your generation’s full of a bunch of soft pussies. Ain’t no-one canceling me.”

As time passed, their conversation flowed easily, with Y/N filling his dad in on his new dorm, mentioning Terra’s bubbly personality, Sam’s easygoing nature, and a few of the other students he’d come across. His dad listened patiently, offering his usual dry comments or a chuckle here and there. But mostly, he let Y/N ramble on, giving him the space to talk through everything that had been building up inside. It was comforting, like a piece of home grounding him in the unfamiliar world of Alfea.

Y/N leaned back, glancing up at the sky again. The moon had climbed even higher, casting a cool glow that bathed the courtyard in silvery light. The gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze and the distant trickle of the river were the only sounds that filled the space around him now, making the night feel even more serene. It was almost too peaceful, in contrast to the emotions still swirling in his chest.

“I should probably let you go,” Y/N finally said, the reluctance clear in his voice. “I don’t want to keep you up.”

His dad’s tone softened, that rare moment of vulnerability slipping through. “You’re not keeping me up, kid. I’m glad we got to talk. And remember, if anything goes sideways or you need anything, I’m just a call away. You’re not in this alone.”

Y/N swallowed the lump forming in his throat, grateful for the reassurance but wishing he didn’t feel so far away. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll be alright... I miss you though.”

“I miss you too, Y/N. But you’re doing great. You’re where you need to be. Keep your head straight, and don’t let anything distract you from that.”

Y/N smiled softly, the familiar comfort of his dad’s words settling over him like a blanket. “I won’t. Talk to you soon?”

“Always.”

“Cool, love you dad.”

“Love you to, kid.”

With that, they said their goodbyes, Y/N holding onto the phone for a moment longer after the call ended, as if keeping the connection alive just a little longer. The night seemed quieter now, and despite the warmth in his chest from the conversation, there was still a restlessness lingering under his skin.

As Y/N stood up, slipping his phone into his pocket, his attention was drawn to movement in the distance. Two girls were making their way back from the forest toward the school—one with bright ginger hair pulled into a ponytail, the other with braids tied up and still in athletic swimwear. He recognized them from earlier in the day. Their voices were raised, the sharp tone of their argument carrying faintly on the wind, though the exact words were lost to him. Still, the tension between them was palpable, enough to make Y/N pause for a moment, curiosity and some small concern bubbling up inside him.

He watched them for a brief moment, before letting out a sigh, deciding he didn’t even want to know what that was about. Whatever was going on between them, it wasn’t his place. Not tonight. He had enough to process without diving into someone else’s problems.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair as the weight of the day settled over him. There was still too much swirling around in his mind, and the emotional pull from talking to his dad hadn’t fully left him. Needing more space to clear his thoughts, he let his magic guide him. The familiar tug in his chest pointed him toward the nearby river, the soft hum of the water beckoning him with its soothing energy.

Y/N took one last glance at the retreating figures before turning in the opposite direction, heading toward the river’s edge. The water called to him, and tonight, he needed that quiet connection more than anything.

“No, you shouldn’t have been out there.”

Bloom’s words, sharp and filled with frustration, echoed as she and Aisha ascended one of the stairways in Alfea’s grand halls. Bloom turned, her body tense, facing Aisha who looked back with an incredulous expression.

“Is that American for ‘sorry I almost set you on fire’?” Aisha shot back, her voice edged with sarcasm. Her arms crossed over her chest as she took a step closer, challenging Bloom's deflection. “You were a runaway train with no idea what you were doing.”

“Which is why I was out there alone—trying to figure it out.” Bloom's tone held the weight of exhaustion as she stormed up the stairs, not wanting to hear another lecture. Her steps were quick and purposeful, as if she could walk away from the guilt building in her chest. Aisha followed closely behind, her eyes narrowing.

“Brilliant idea.” Aisha muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm, though there was an undercurrent of concern she didn’t bother to hide.

Bloom stopped abruptly, turning toward Aisha with a tired expression. She waved her arms out, a gesture of frustration and defeat. “I’m not like the rest of you. I didn’t grow up here. I don’t have fairy parents. I’ve done magic once in my life and it was...” she trailed off, unable to even finish the thought. Her words hung in the air, weighted with emotion.

Aisha, unfazed, raised an eyebrow. “What? Terrible? I’m shocked. I flooded my entire secondary school after I failed a math test. Taps, sprinklers, toilets... Have you ever waded through human poo? I have. Not pleasant. Sometimes being a fairy means you have to deal with shit.”

The hallway they stood in felt quieter now as Bloom sighed and sat on one of the benches nearby. The weight of her confession bore down on her, and her shoulders slumped slightly. Her voice came out quieter this time, less defensive. “So my... mom and I don’t really get along.” There was a small, almost bitter chuckle that followed. “I know. It’s a shocker. I’m not... exactly the ideal daughter for her. She’d love a cheerleader, and I’m whatever the opposite of a cheerleader is.”

Aisha stayed quiet, sensing there was more Bloom wanted to say. And after a moment of silence, Bloom’s eyes darkened with a memory she wished she could forget. She leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees, her hands clasped tightly together as if holding herself together. She described a vivid memory of her mother instructing her father to remove her bedroom door after a heated argument. The punishment had felt unfair, extreme even, and the anger had built up inside Bloom, festering. 

“That night, I… couldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, the rage just kept building. Then it happened.”

Aisha leaned in, listening intently as Bloom continued. She spoke of the first time she’d tapped into her magic, unknowingly igniting a fire that blazed a trail from her room to her parents' bedroom. “It was almost like the fire had a life of its own... I don’t remember how long I let it burn. I just remember their screams.”

Her voice cracked as she described the scene—the sight of her parents huddled in the corner of their bedroom, her father desperately trying to shield her mother from the flames that engulfed the room. “My mom...was covered in third-degree burns…’cause of me. Every night after that, I… I snuck out. I was so scared I’d hurt them again that I slept in this creepy-ass warehouse near my house. Until Miss Dowling found me.” There was a bitter chuckle mixed with a sniffle, her hands wiping away the tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes.

Aisha, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke, her voice softer than before. “All right. Fire story beats shit story. You win.”

A faint smile broke through Bloom’s pained expression, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She looked down at her hands, the weight of her past still pressing on her shoulders. Aisha stood and walked toward the ledge that overlooked the canteen below, her expression thoughtful, as though piecing together Bloom’s story in her mind.

“And your parents had no idea it was you?” Aisha’s voice was steady, but there was a hint of disbelief.

Bloom shook her head slowly, the disbelief mirrored in her own voice. “I don’t know how distant my fairy ancestors are, but... the most mystical thing my parents believe in is knocking on wood.”

Aisha was quiet for a moment, her mind turning over the pieces of the puzzle before her. “It’s just... odd,” she began cautiously. “You drew on a great deal of magic without even trying. It’s hard to believe you’re from a dormant bloodline. Is there any chance you’re adopted?”

Bloom chuckled softly, shaking her head. “No. No, I... No, I’ve heard the story of my birth a million times. ‘Miracle baby.’ I had a heart defect in the womb, but a day after I was born, it was gone.”

Aisha’s expression shifted, her eyes widening slightly, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Oh God. You... You’re a changeling.”

“What’s that?” Bloom asked, her confusion deepening. “Aisha, what’s a changeling?”

Aisha slowly sat down next to her, the weight of her words sinking in. “A changeling is a fairy baby that’s switched with a human one at birth.”

“Wait, what?” Bloom's voice cracked slightly, her confusion turning into shock.

“It’s barbaric,” Aisha said quietly. “It barely happens anymore.”

“That’s not possible.” Bloom was adamant, shaking her head.

“You’re clearly very powerful, Bloom,” Aisha pointed out. “You have to be pure-blooded.”

Bloom slowly rose out of her seat, her voice following suit. “I would know if my parents weren’t my parents, Aisha. Why would you even say that?”

“I’m just trying to help,” Aisha replied, her tone cautious, but her intent sincere.

“Well, you’re not.” She stormed off, her footsteps echoing in the hallway as she passed Musa, who had just arrived.

As she passed, Musa approached them, her eyes flicking between the two. “What the hell did you tell her?” she asked, eyeing Aisha with confusion.

“The truth,” Aisha said standing as well as she slowly approached the mind fairy, still staring after Bloom. “Because someone’s been lying to her.”

The dim glow of the evening light filtered through the stained glass windows of Headmistress Dowling's office, casting long, soft shadows across the room. She sat at her desk, a steaming cup of tea in her hands, its gentle aroma filling the quiet space. Her gaze was distant, her thoughts clearly elsewhere as she took a slow, deliberate sip. The warmth of the tea was comforting, but even that couldn't ease the weight pressing on her mind.

After a moment, Dowling set the cup down gently on its saucer, the faint clink barely audible. Her eyes flicked toward the door across the room, sensing a disturbance, though none had entered. With a subtle movement of her hand, the door silently swung shut, closing the space off to the world beyond.

She exhaled quietly, her expression unreadable, before turning her attention to the far side of the room. The ornate bookshelf that lined the wall appeared ordinary to any unsuspecting observer, but as her hand raised slightly, the wood seemed to shift, the books trembling momentarily as the shelf retracted into the wall, revealing a hidden passageway behind it.

Without hesitation, Dowling rose from her chair and moved toward the secret entrance, her steps soundless on the floor. The passage yawned open, dark and shadowed, as she stepped inside, her figure disappearing from view. The bookshelf slid back into place seamlessly, leaving the office as still and untouched as it had been moments before, save for the faint swirl of steam rising from the now-abandoned cup of tea.

The sun disappeared below the horizon, taking its golden, orange, and pinkish-purple hues with it. The moon now sat comfortably in the night sky, casting long shadows across Alfea’s combat arena. The air was thick with the scent of fresh grass and the distant hum of students winding down from their day. In this quiet, secluded part of the academy grounds, only the steady, rhythmic sound of breathing could be heard—evidence of someone deep in training.

Sky had needed to clear his head. After the party and that tense conversation with Stella, he'd come out to the training grounds to blow off some steam. He hadn’t planned on being out here so late, but training was what he knew best—what gave him clarity when everything else felt chaotic.

As Alfea’s newest Specialist Squad Leader and the son of Andreas, Sky was no stranger to pressure. Even in his second year, the expectations placed on him by Silva, his peers, and the legacy of his father were enough to weigh down even the strongest. And now, the added worry of a possible Burned One sighting made the stress all the more suffocating.

He moved with practiced precision through the drills, each strike and parry sharper than the last. But no matter how many times he tried to lose himself in the rhythm, his thoughts circled back to the burdens he carried. The responsibilities of leadership, the looming threat of the Burned Ones, and the unresolved tension with Stella—everything felt heavy, like a weight pressing down on him.

And then there was that fairy.

Sky couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something about them kept gnawing at the edges of his thoughts. Maybe it was the way they moved—calm and controlled, but with a kind of unrefined intensity that suggested more power than they even realized. Or maybe it was the way they carried themselves, like they were used to keeping people at arm’s length, though not out of arrogance—more like they were afraid of letting anyone get too close.

It was different from anyone else he’d met. And that look...like they were holding back something deep, something that pulled Sky in even when he should’ve been focused on other things. He’d seen that intensity in their eyes—focused, yet almost searching for something or someone, like a puzzle they were trying to piece together, but couldn’t quite crack.

It was enough to make him pause, to make him wonder if he was reading too much into it. But every time the thought crept in, it wouldn’t leave.

He shook his head, trying to push the feeling away. There was too much going on, too much at stake, to get distracted. But still… his mind kept drifting back, wondering what it was about them that made it so hard to just look away.

Sky paused, sheathing his sword as he took a moment to breathe. His chest rose and fell with the effort, but even the burn in his muscles did little to quiet the storm inside. He sat down on the edge of the raised platform, staring out at the open field, hoping the stillness would help center him.

That’s when he heard it—the faint sound of splashing water, barely distinguishable from the natural hum of the nearby river. It wasn’t much, just enough to make him pause. He stood up, scanning the area, listening intently. The sound of rushing water grew more distinct, and along with it, a faint rustle of leaves. Sky’s instincts kicked in, and his focus sharpened.

Curiosity got the better of him, and Sky followed the sound, moving quietly through the trees that bordered the field. As he approached the riverbank, he noticed muddied footprints cutting through the overgrowth, disappearing into the forest. Someone had been here recently.

He crouched down, inspecting the footprints. They were fresh, still damp, meaning whoever made them hadn’t passed by long before he arrived. A trail led toward the river where the shimmering Barrier of Alfea’s protective force field could be seen in the distance.

Sky knew he should probably report this to Silva or even Headmistress Dowling. It wasn’t a good idea for anyone to be out here alone, especially this close to the Barrier after what had happened in the forest. But something made him hesitate—whether it was a need to prove himself or just an unconscious draw to see what lay ahead, Sky couldn’t say. But whatever it was, he decided to follow the trail himself.

He stepped into the thickening trees, the sounds of the forest growing louder around him—rustling leaves, the distant chirping of insects, and the constant, rhythmic flow of water. The further he went, the more the noise seemed to focus on the river. And as he reached the treeline, stepping into the clearing by the water’s edge, his eyes widened at the sight before him.

Standing near the river was the same water fairy from earlier. Sky recognized him immediately—the way he moved was unmistakable. The fairy’s back was to him, seemingly unaware of Sky’s presence as he practiced his magic, manipulating the water with a grace and precision that was mesmerizing to watch.

Sky’s first instinct was to turn back. They were still within the Barrier, and it wasn’t uncommon for students to seek solitude near the river to practice. Privacy was something Sky valued too, and he understood the need to escape the buzz of Alfea life. But something about the way the water fairy moved held him in place.

There was a seamless blend of power and precision in the way he controlled the water, sending it twisting and spiraling through the air. The fluid motions were almost hypnotic, each arc of water bending and shifting under the fairy’s control before solidifying into sharp, crystalline shapes. A spear, a shield, and then, just as quickly, back to water again.

Sky had always found water magic fascinating, but watching this guy work was something else entirely. There was no hesitation, no faltering. Every movement was deliberate, calculated, with the water responding as if it were an extension of his body. It was clear that he wasn’t just practicing; he was refining combat techniques in a way that was both deadly and beautiful.

Sky found himself captivated, his eyes following every motion, every subtle shift in the fairy’s form. There was a discipline to his movements, a quiet intensity that spoke of years of training. He couldn’t help but admire the control and focus it must have taken to reach this level of mastery. And yet, as much as he was drawn to the magic, he found his attention shifting to the fairy himself.

The water fairy was lean, his athletic frame moving with a dancer-like precision. Sky’s gaze lingered on the way his muscles flexed beneath his shirt, the fabric clinging to him as he commanded the water. There was a calmness in the way he stood, a poise that made every movement seem effortless, deliberate.

Sky shook his head slightly, forcing himself to focus. He wasn’t sure why he felt so drawn to this guy—someone he didn’t even know. But the sense of ease and quiet confidence the fairy exuded was hard to ignore.

As he was about to turn back, his boot caught a branch, the snap of wood echoing through the clearing. Sky winced as the sound broke the stillness, and the fairy immediately turned to face him, his cerulean glowing eyes narrowing with a mix of surprise and wariness.

Four ice weapons materialized in the air, hovering around the fairy in a defensive stance, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. The blue glow of his magic shimmered in the moonlight, casting an ethereal glow around him.

Sky froze, his hand instinctively moving toward the hilt of his sword, but something stopped him. Despite the threat of the ice weapons, there was no malice in the fairy’s gaze. Sky felt an odd sense of trust, like the fairy wouldn’t actually harm him.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” the fairy said, his voice calm and composed. With a flick of his wrist, the ice weapons dissolved back into water, falling harmlessly into the river. “I wasn’t expecting anyone else to be out here.”

Sky let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, his body relaxing slightly as the immediate threat dissipated. He managed a small, reassuring smile. “No, it’s my fault,” he replied, his voice steadying. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I was just… curious.”

The fairy’s expression softened, though his eyes still held a hint of wariness. “Curious?” he echoed, his tone inviting Sky to explain.

“Yeah, I just—” Sky gestured toward the path he had taken. “I saw footprints leading here and wanted to make sure no one was in trouble, being so close to the Barrier and all. You’re new, right? First year at Alfea?”

The fairy’s expression softened, a nervous smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, first year—first day, actually. It’s been a lot to take in, especially with all the rumors about that body found in the forest. I mean, it was probably just a random animal attack, right? But people seem really on edge, even with the Barrier in place.” He glanced at the river, his tone shifting. “I just needed a break—get some peace and quiet. The river seemed like a safe spot. Calm, secure, no distractions. A chance to relax and clear my head.”

Sky nodded, understanding the logic. "Makes sense," he agreed, though there was still a flicker of concern behind his casual tone. "But, you know, being out here alone... it’s not exactly safe."

The fairy’s brow furrowed slightly, picking up on the shift in Sky’s demeanor. "What do you mean? It’s probably just a wild animal, right?"

Sky hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “You really don’t know what everyone’s been saying? About the possibility of it being a Burned One?”

Y/N’s confusion deepened, his brow tightening. “A Burned One? No, I’ve... never heard of that.”

Sky’s surprise was evident as he raised an eyebrow. “Wait, you don’t know what Burned Ones are? Aren’t you from the Otherworld?”

Y/N chuckled softly, the sound almost masking the guarded edge in his tone. "No, not at all. I’m from Hawaii."

Sky blinked, processing the unexpected answer. "Hawaii? You’re from the First World?"

“Yeah,” Y/N replied, his grin more cautious now, though still carrying a trace of humor. “I’m guessing not a lot of people from around here know what or where that is. You’d be surprised, but Sam and Terra actually knew about it. Figured most people here wouldn’t, though, considering how secretive everything’s supposed to be.”

Sky’s smile widened at that. “Hawaii, huh?” His mind immediately drew a parallel to earlier that day, when Bloom had told him she was from California. Another First Worlder. He hadn’t realized how many non-magical realm students Alfea attracted, but it was starting to make him wonder how many more were out there, hidden in plain sight.

“Yep,” Y/N confirmed with a nod, though his gaze briefly flickered away, as if there was more he wasn’t ready to dive into. “I’ve known I was magical since I was a kid—my dad helped me figure out how to control it. But, honestly? I had no idea a place like this even existed. When Miss Dowling first told me about it, I thought she was punking me. I was half expecting to end up in some knock-off Hogwarts amusement park, not... well, here.” He chuckled lightly, the humor genuine, but there was a thread of unease woven beneath the words. “Coming here’s been... a pretty big leap.”

Sky could sense that Y/N was holding something back, like there was a part of his story he wasn’t ready to share. But he didn’t press. Instead, he matched Y/N’s energy with an easy chuckle of his own. “Yeah, I can imagine the culture shock. Seems like we’re getting more and more First Worlders these days.”

Y/N’s smile faltered for a brief second, his guard still up, though he quickly recovered. “Yeah... something like that.”

There was an unspoken tension between them—Y/N was giving Sky pieces of his story, but not the whole picture. And Sky, for all his curiosity, could tell that pushing too hard wasn’t the way to go. Not yet.

The fairy gave a slight shrug, his lips twitching into a small, guarded smile. “Anyway, I’ve got enough of a handle on my magic to be able to take care of myself," he replied, his voice steady, though still carrying that subtle edge of uncertainty, like he wasn’t quite convinced. "And from what I’ve heard, that Barrier is supposed to be impenetrable, right? Should be more than enough to keep us safe. I’m not too worried."

Sky raised an eyebrow, his expression somewhere between playful and cautious. “Supposed to be, yeah,” he echoed, the tone light but carrying a hint of skepticism. “But you know, the rumors swirling around aren’t exactly about stray animals. Burned Ones aren’t your average woodland creatures.”

Y/N’s brow furrowed, his expression caught somewhere between confusion and curiosity. “Still don’t really know what those are, but... sure,” he admitted with a shrug, trying to play it off casually, though a hint of unease lingered in his voice.

Sky couldn’t help but smile at the fairy’s self-assuredness. There was something infectious about the way he spoke, a quiet confidence that made it hard to look away. The specialist shifted his stance slightly, crossing his arms over his chest, trying to maintain an air of casualness. His own expression softened as he took in the guy in front of him—something about him drew Sky in, even if he couldn’t quite put his finger on why.

“Still,” Sky added, a hint of playfulness creeping into his tone, “it never hurts to have someone around who knows what to expect and knows their way around combat. You know, just in case that Barrier isn’t as foolproof as they say.”

The fairy raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eyes. “Confident, aren’t we?” he quipped, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Let me guess... Specialist, right?”

Sky chuckled, feeling more at ease as the energy between them started to feel less tense and more comfortable, even natural. It felt as if they were simply falling into a rhythm that neither had expected but both were enjoying.

“You got me,” Sky admitted with a grin, feeling a warmth spread through him that had nothing to do with the fading sunlight. “I guess I can’t help but be a little protective.”

“And what makes you think I need protection?” Y/N asked, his eyes narrowing slightly in playful challenge. Then, he paused for a second, as if piecing together the puzzle. His gaze flicked over Sky—blond hair, confident stance, and the slight swagger that came with his title. “Hmm,” Y/N tilted his head, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. “I’m gonna go out on a limb here and guess you’re the golden boy I’ve been hearing so much about. Sky, right?”

Sky blinked, surprised but intrigued. He hadn’t expected to be recognized, especially out here, and he certainly hadn’t anticipated Y/N’s keen observation. “That’s right,” he said, a hint of curiosity in his voice. “What exactly have you been hearing about me?”

Y/N shrugged, his smirk widening just a bit. “Oh, you know, just that you’re Alfea’s newest squad leader, the one everyone seems to look up to. Plus, it’s hard not to notice when your name’s on just about everyone’s lips today.”

Sky chuckled again, though there was a trace of modesty in his response. “Well, I guess my reputation precedes me,” he said with a grin, but his expression turned a bit more serious as he added, “But you might want to rethink the whole ‘no protection needed’ thing. This place has its dangers, even with a Barrier.”

Sky watched the fairy carefully, his curiosity growing with each passing second. There was something about the way Y/N spoke, a quiet confidence, but also a guardedness, that intrigued him. He hadn’t expected the conversation to take this turn, but it wasn’t unwelcome. In fact, Sky found himself wanting to know more.

“Maybe,” Y/N said with a casual shrug, though his voice carried a darker edge. “It’s not like I’ve been wandering around without a clue. When it comes to magic… let’s just say I’m probably more of a threat to others—and myself—than anything out here could be to me.” His eyes flickered briefly, a subtle tension beneath the surface. “I can handle myself, and I’m definitely not looking for trouble.”

Sky tilted his head, a playful smirk tugging at his lips, but the flicker of curiosity in his eyes gave away that he’d picked up on the deeper meaning behind Y/N’s words. “Maybe you’re not looking for trouble,” he said, his tone casual yet pointed, “but that doesn’t mean trouble’s not out there looking for you.”

Y/N huffed softly, amusement flickering in his eyes as he narrowed them in a playful challenge. “And what makes you think I’m the type that needs rescuing?”

Sky’s grin widened, leaning into the teasing banter. “I don’t know… maybe it’s just my hero complex kicking in.”

Y/N let out a light laugh, the sound easy and carefree, a contrast to the tension that had been hanging between them earlier. “Hero complex, huh?” he teased back, his smirk growing. “And here I was told you Specialists were all about strategy and precision.”

Sky chuckled lightly at Y/N's retort, their easy banter creating a surprising warmth between them. But as the playful atmosphere settled, a silence followed. They exchanged a few lingering glances—curious from Sky, and slightly more guarded from Y/N. There was something in the fairy’s expression, a subtle nervousness, that made Sky feel as though Y/N wasn’t used to being watched so intently.

After a moment, Sky cleared his throat, breaking the quiet. “It’s getting late, and we’ve got classes in the morning. Probably best we both head back to the dorms.”

Y/N gave a slight nod, though he couldn’t resist another jab. “You’re really serious about that hero complex, huh?”

Sky grinned, unable to stop himself from playing along. “You’d be surprised how serious I am about it.”

The tension between them dissolved into a more comfortable camaraderie as Sky offered a small gesture toward the direction of the dorms. “Come on, I’ll walk with you.”

They began their walk back through the forest, the sounds of the river fading behind them, replaced by the quiet rustle of leaves and the distant hum of Alfea. Sky and Y/N moved in step with each other, their conversation light, touching on the campus, the upcoming classes, and the expectations looming over them both. There was a natural flow to their interaction that felt almost... easy.

When they reached the Fairy Hall, Sky hesitated for a moment before flashing Y/N a genuine smile. “Well, here you are. Fairy Hall, safe and sound.”

Y/N chuckled softly, rolling his eyes at Sky’s mock-seriousness. “Guess you weren’t kidding about that hero complex.”

With a final grin, Sky offered a casual wave before turning to head toward the Specialist Hall. “See you around, first-year.”

Y/N watched him disappear into the distance before turning to make his way inside. But as he took a step forward, something caught his eye—a figure slipping out from the shadows near the edge of the courtyard. He paused, narrowing his gaze, trying to make out the person’s features.

It was a girl, the same one he saw earlier walking back with that swimmer looking girl towards the school when they were seemingly arguing. She was still wearing the same clothes, her ginger hair pulled into a ponytail, and she was walking away from the halls, heading toward the forest. 

She wasn’t far enough yet that Y/N couldn’t spot the nervous twitch in her hands, like she was fidgeting with something. As she stepped into the moonlight, something golden caught his eye—small, shiny, like some type of jewelry that was faintly glowing with a trace of magic.

Y/N felt a twinge of unease. He didn’t know why, but something about the way she moved, the way her fingers fidgeted with the golden object, tugged at his instincts. He stood there for a moment, battling in his mind with what to do.

Clearly, she wasn’t heading for the dorms. Something in Y/N’s gut twisted, a nagging instinct that screamed at him to follow her, while his brain—not to be outdone—was urging him to run straight to Miss Dowling and let her handle it. There was the smart choice, and then there was… well, the choice Y/N usually made.

Naturally, he didn’t choose smart.

With a quiet huff, he slipped after her, his footsteps light as he shadowed her path towards the trees. His curiosity—and maybe a touch of concern—grew with every step. She was heading toward the Barrier. Toward the forest. And for reasons he couldn’t fully explain, that only made the gnawing feeling in his gut tighten. Quickening his pace, he stayed far enough back to not alert her, but close enough to see what she was up to. Because apparently, tonight, he was committed to bad decisions.

Aisha and Musa entered the Winx suite, their footsteps quiet as the tension between them grew. Stella was sprawled on the couch, taking selfies, the glow from her magical light casting her face in soft, flattering shadows.

"She's blanking my texts," Aisha said, her frustration laced with a hint of worry.

Musa’s eyes narrowed, her voice sharp with sarcasm as she glanced at Stella. "Strange. I wonder if it's because she poured her heart out to you and you called her a freak?"

Her comment hung in the air, heavy with accusation, but Stella remained unmoved, still engrossed in her phone. Aisha’s lips tightened as she tried to keep her cool.

"Have you seen Bloom?" Aisha asked, directing her question to Stella.

"Not recently," Stella replied dismissively, barely sparing Aisha a glance as she focused on her screen.

Musa wasn’t convinced. Her gaze intensified, the light in her irises turning a faint purple glow as her expression darkened with suspicion. Stella, sensing Musa’s scrutiny, snapped her fingers, dispelling the magical light she had been using for her selfies. She finally looked up, defensive and annoyed.

"Yes?" Stella’s voice held a challenging edge.

"Your face looks so calm, yet you're racked with guilt," Musa said, her eyes never leaving Stella.

"You're a mind fairy," Aisha added, her voice taking on a sharper tone.

Before the tension could deepen, Terra stepped into the room, oblivious to the building atmosphere. She glanced between them, catching the subtle hostility in the air.

"A mind fairy? What's your connection? Memory, thoughts—" Terra started, her curiosity piqued.

"Not a great time," Musa interrupted, cutting her off.

Terra frowned, sensing something off. "Is everything OK?"

Stella’s fingers danced across her phone, ignoring the mounting tension.

"Not really," Aisha said, her frustration seeping through. "I'm looking for Bloom. For some reason, Stella's feeling guilty about it."

At that, Stella’s eyes flicked up, her annoyance flashing before she masked it with indifference. She rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Could everyone save the drama for drama club?" Stella quipped.

Terra wasn’t having it. "Wasn't she talking to Sky?" she asked, her tone firm.

"And?" Stella replied, a coy smile tugging at her lips.

"And I know what happened to the last person who was 'talking to Sky.' I was here last year, remember," Terra said, her voice rising slightly, as if placing air quotes around the words.

Stella scoffed in response, turning back to her phone with a petulant smile, clearly dismissing the concern.

"Stella, where's Bloom?" Terra’s expression hardened, her tone leaving no room for games.

Stella glanced up through her lashes, realizing she had no way out. There was no escaping the questions now. Sighing, she dropped her phone into her lap, her face reflecting both guilt and defiance.

"She was feeling homesick, so I did a nice thing and I lent her my ring so that she could go back to the First World," Stella admitted, though her tone carried an air of justification, as if she hadn’t done anything wrong.

As they spoke, deep in the forest, far beyond the Barrier protecting Alfea, Bloom hurried through the dense trees, her steps quick and purposeful. The moonlight barely filtered through the canopy, casting a ghostly pallor over the cemetery ahead of her. The air was thick with moisture, the weight of the night pressing down on her as she neared an ancient mausoleum covered in vines and decay.

"Doesn't it only work outside the Barrier?" Terra asked, concern clear in her voice.

"Yes, and there's a gateway in the old cemetery," Stella replied, still acting as if this was all completely normal.

Bloom paused before the weathered stone structure, glancing over her shoulder to ensure she was alone. Behind her, Y/N kept his distance, careful not to be noticed. His instincts were on high alert, something in his gut screaming that whatever she was about to do, he needed to be there.

With a shaky breath, Bloom reached out and pressed her hand—Stella’s ring shimmering in the moonlight—against the cold stone of the mausoleum’s door. A soft glow pulsed from the ring, spreading out like liquid gold until it covered the entire surface. The door creaked open with a slow groan, revealing the darkness inside. Y/N held his breath, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched her disappear inside.

"That's deep in the forest, Stella," Terra pressed, her voice taking on a more serious, worried tone. “You know what’s out there, right?”

Inside the mausoleum, Bloom found herself stepping into what looked like an old, abandoned warehouse—the same one where she’d hidden before Miss Dowling had discovered her. The air was thick with dust, carrying the stale scent of decay and neglect. Every corner felt eerily still, the kind of quiet that pressed down on you, almost suffocating in its heaviness. She glanced around briefly, memories flickering at the edges of her mind, before making her way to the main door. When she stepped outside, the familiar warmth of the California air washed over her, a stark contrast to the cold atmosphere inside.

Unnoticed, Y/N slipped into the warehouse behind her. His eyes swept over the unfamiliar space, the faint tension in the air alerting him to how far they’d ventured. It wasn’t until he followed her through the main door and felt the warm breeze on his skin that he realized, with a sharp pang of surprise, that they weren’t in the Otherworld anymore. This was somewhere else entirely.

Judging by the scenery—the dry hills, the faint scent of salt in the air—Y/N guessed they were somewhere on the West Coast. Probably California. But he didn’t have time to play detective because, despite growing up with a military dad who drilled him in endurance, Bloom was already a good half-mile down the road. He huffed, picking up his pace with a ragged breath escaping from at his lips. Seriously, how was she outpacing him like this?

As Y/N rushed to catch up with her, his mind raced just as fast as his legs. This clearly wasn’t just a casual stroll—she had a destination, and whatever it was, it must have been important with the way she was moving.

Back at the Winx suite, the tension in the air thickened. Just as Terra was about to ask Stella another question, a knock sounded on the door, sharp and urgent. Terra called out, “Come in!” The door creaked open, revealing Sam standing there, looking unusually anxious. His eyes darted around the room, his usual calm demeanor noticeably shaken. 

“Terra, have you seen Y/N?” Sam asked, his voice tinged with worry. “He hasn’t come back to our dorm, and I’ve been looking for him everywhere.”

Terra frowned, exchanging concerned glances with Aisha and Musa. “No, I haven’t seen him since the party,” she said slowly. “He said he was going outside to call his dad.”

Sam’s jaw clenched, and he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “He’s not answering his phone either. I’ve checked every spot I showed him today and even more but I can’t find him anywhere. He’s just... gone.”

Musa, who had been quietly observing the exchange, tilted her head slightly, her sharp gaze flicking to Sam. For a brief moment, something flickered in her expression—interest, curiosity—but the weight of the situation kept her silent.

“I’m sorry, but who is Y/N?” Aisha interjected, her brow furrowing in confusion.

Sam glanced at her, then sighed, running a hand through his dark-brown hair again. “Y/N’s a first-year fairy, from the First World. Miss Dowling assigned me to mentor and guide him since he’s still getting used to everything here and we’re rooming together. He’s from the First World, Hawaii I think, and he said he’s known about his magic for awhile, but the Otherworld is completely new and—well, kind of a shock for him. But he’s smart. Quick learner.”

Before Sam could continue, Terra spoke up, her tone reflecting her growing concern, “The last time I saw him was at the party. He never came back though. I thought maybe he just needed some air, but if he hasn’t come back, I don’t know where he might have gone.”

Aisha nodded, absorbing the information while Terra’s frown deepened. “So, we’ve got a homesick Bloom who’s probably wandering around somewhere in the First World, hopefully not setting things on fire, and a first-year fairy also from the First World who’s gone missing as well? Perfect.”

Terra’s concern deepened. “I don’t believe Y/N would just go off somewhere without telling someone.”

Stella, who had also been silent as she sat in her guilt, put down her phone again, raising an eyebrow. “Missing? You sure he didn’t just... take a walk to be alone or something?”

Sam shook his head, clearly unsettled. “He’d at least tell me where he was going if he was. I’m telling you, something’s wrong. But, what’s this about your suitemate missing somewhere in the FIrst World to?”

Aisha and Musa exchanged a brief, uneasy glance before Aisha cleared her throat. “It’s... kind of a long story,” she started, her gaze flicking toward Stella, her words slow and deliberate. “But Bloom was feeling homesick. I think she wanted to go home to see her parents.”

Sam frowned, crossing his arms as he took in the information, but it was clear he wasn’t getting the full picture. “And how exactly did she manage to do that? Isn’t the Barrier supposed to prevent anyone from leaving like that?”

Musa’s eyes landed on Stella, her expression unyielding. “She had a little help,” she said pointedly, causing Stella to shift uncomfortably on the couch.

Sam’s eyes darkened, clearly picking up on the accusatory tone in the room. “Help from who?” he asked, his voice growing more intense.

Aisha sighed, still clearly upset but staying as calm as possible. “Stella lent Bloom her gateway ring, so she could go back to the First World.”

Sam’s expression hardened, his jaw clenched. “She’s beyond the Barrier? Alone?” His voice was laced with disbelief, mixed with a rising tide of anger. His eyes darted between the girls before settling back on Stella. “Do you even realize how dangerous that is?”

Stella opened her mouth to respond but closed it again, not entirely sure what to say in her defense. Her face reflected a mix of guilt and frustration, but Sam wasn’t waiting for an answer. He was already pacing, his thoughts spiraling.

Aisha, seeing the worry etched on Sam’s face, quickly put together the pieces. “Wait,” she said, her voice becoming more thoughtful. “Bloom and Y/N… they’re both from the First World, right?”

Sam stopped mid-pace, his eyes snapping toward Aisha. “Yeah, they are. Why?”

“It just seems like more than a coincidence, don’t you think?” Aisha said, her brows furrowing. “They’re both from the First World, both entirely new to the Otherworld, both personally assigned mentors by Miss Dowling... and now they’re both missing.”

Musa leaned against the wall, her arms crossed as she considered Aisha’s words. “You’re right. It feels off. Too much of a coincidence for my taste.”

Sam’s concern deepened, his frustration palpable as he clenched his fists at his sides. “And now they’re both out there, somewhere, probably with no idea of the danger they’re walking into.”

Stella, clearly uncomfortable with the weight of the situation she had unintentionally caused, looked down at her hands, the guilt catching up to her. She wasn’t used to feeling this much responsibility, and it was starting to weigh on her more than she let on.

Aisha continued, her voice growing more urgent as she pieced it together. “Could it be possible Y/N might’ve followed Bloom, especially if he noticed something was off? They could both be in the First World right now, but neither of them have a way to get back.”

Sam nodded, his expression tight with concern. “It’s definitely possible,” he said, the tension in his voice unmistakable. “Y/N gives off that selfless, 'help others first' vibe. He’s the type of guy who’d follow someone if he thought they were in trouble, even if he didn’t know them well. I mean, we’ve only spent one day together, but I could already tell—given what’s he’s shared with me about where he grew up and his dad. If he thought Bloom was in trouble, no way he’d just let her go off alone.”

Aisha nodded firmly. “Then, we need to get ahead of this before it gets worse. We’ll have to tell Miss Dowling, let her know what’s going on. They’re not just two students wandering off—they’re basically fresh prey for whatever is out there beyond the Barrier.”

Sam, his frustration now mixing with fear, glared at Stella. “You had better hope nothing happens to them. This is more than just playing with magic.”

Stella, for once, had nothing to say. She looked away, her face stiff with the realization of what she had set into motion.

Y/N hurried to catch up to Bloom, his steps light but determined. His breath was shallow as he finally spotted her, standing at the corner of a white picket fence, her figure bathed in the soft glow of streetlights. She was motionless, her gaze fixed through a large dining room window. Y/N followed her line of sight, his heart clenching when he saw a couple inside—a man and a woman seated at the dinner table. He didn’t need to guess who they were. He already knew: her parents.

She was talking to them, but not directly. Instead, she held her phone close to her ear, her voice trembling as she spoke.

"Um... What if I... What if I... like, made a mistake?" Bloom's voice was faint, just above a whisper, but Y/N could hear the weight of her words as if they carried the burden of years of doubt.

Even though the phone wasn't on speaker, the soft, distant voices of her parents carried to Y/N's ears. The words were unclear at times, but the emotions behind them—concern, love, reassurance—were unmistakable.

"You're too special for here," her mother’s voice, faint but firm, echoed through the phone. "It's not who you are."

"What if you don't know who I am?" Bloom's voice cracked, her vulnerability clear in the way she clutched the phone tighter, her other hand trembling by her side.

Y/N, from his place of hiding, felt his own chest tighten. He knew this feeling. The uncertainty. The loneliness of being misunderstood by the people who were supposed to know you best. He wanted to look away, to stop intruding on this private moment, but something rooted him to the spot. Everything she said mirrored his own struggles with his father—always trying to live up to expectations, always feeling like he had to hide parts of himself.

Inside the house, Bloom’s mother rubbed her arms absentmindedly, and Y/N caught a glimpse of red marks, faint but unmistakable, like burns. He put two and two together, watching as Bloom’s expression faltered—guilt flooding her features. Whatever had happened, Y/N could feel the heaviness of it through his magic, and he knew, somehow, that it had been her doing.

"No, you're right. Alfea's where I belong now," Bloom said, her voice barely holding it together.

"Bloom, listen to me," her mother continued, her tone softer now. "Whatever you're going through, I know it sucks, but I also know you can handle it. I always knew your path wouldn't be like everyone else's."

Y/N’s breath hitched as Bloom let out a teary chuckle, fighting to keep herself together.

"Not like mine or your father's. That's hard. But at the end of it, I can't wait to see who you become."

Her father's voice chimed in then, warm and supportive. "We love you, Bloom."

Through sniffles and quiet sobs, Bloom replied, "I love you too."

The call ended, leaving a hollow silence in the air. Bloom stood there, her shoulders trembling as soft sobs escaped her. Y/N’s heart clenched painfully. He knew this moment wasn’t for him, wasn’t meant for anyone else. Slowly, he took a step back, ready to retreat and give her the privacy she so desperately needed. But as he turned, his foot made a faint sound against the gravel, and Bloom whipped around, her tear-streaked face locking onto him.

The call ended, leaving a hollow silence in the air. Bloom stood there, her shoulders trembling as soft sobs escaped her. Y/N’s heart clenched painfully. He knew this moment wasn’t for him, wasn’t meant for anyone else. Slowly, he stepped back, retreating into the shadows. The weight of her sorrow hung heavy in the air, pulling at him, but he knew she needed this moment alone. He needed to give her space, just like he had craved so many times himself.

He moved quietly, making sure his steps were soundless against the gravel. His pulse echoed in his ears as he carefully distanced himself from the corner of the fence, slipping further into the darkness of the street. With every step he took away from Bloom, the cool night air seemed to grow thicker, almost pressing down on him with the weight of everything he had just witnessed.

But still, he kept moving, his eyes never leaving her until the distance between them was enough to cloak him in the safety of anonymity. He let out a quiet breath, turning back towards the direction of the warehouse. His mind raced with thoughts and emotions, unsure of what exactly he had just seen but knowing, deep down, that it resonated with him in ways he wasn’t quite ready to acknowledge.

Y/N made his way back to the warehouse, the chill of the night air doing little to calm the whirlwind of thoughts running through his mind. His feet felt heavy, as though they carried the weight of everything he had just witnessed. Bloom’s words still echoed in his head, the vulnerability in her voice striking a chord deep within him. It was a moment he hadn’t expected to stumble upon, and it left him feeling raw, exposed in a way he hadn’t anticipated.

As he reached the entrance of the warehouse, the shadows inside seemed deeper than before, the quiet of the space pressing in on him. Y/N took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair as he glanced around, trying to piece together what his next move would be. The golden shimmer from Stella’s ring earlier had disappeared, and now the doorway to the Otherworld was sealed shut.

"Great," he muttered under his breath, glancing at the door. "No way back. Now what?"

The silence of the warehouse felt oppressive, like it was swallowing him whole. He walked deeper into the space, his eyes scanning the empty room as he tried to figure out how Bloom had opened the passage in the first place. His fingers absentmindedly traced the edge of the doorframe where the gateway had once shimmered. There had to be something, some way to open it again.

But nothing happened. No golden light. No subtle hum of magic.

Y/N cursed under his breath, frustration bubbling to the surface. He felt stuck—both literally and figuratively. Trapped between two worlds and unsure of where he really belonged in either of them. He pressed his back against the wall, sliding down until he was sitting on the cold, hard floor. His head fell back against the brick, his eyes closing as he let out a long, tired sigh.

Y/N didn’t have time to rest, though. Just as he settled down, trying to figure out how to get back to the Otherworld, he heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps. His eyes snapped open, heart pounding. Oh, shit. Was it Bloom? Or worse… someone from this world who wasn’t supposed to know about magic?

The door creaked open, and in walked Bloom, her expression a wild mix of confusion, suspicion, and the look of someone who was two bad decisions away from a breakdown as she immediately spotted him considering he was sitting in the most obvious space.

Y/N froze, like a deer caught in headlights, his mind going into full panic mode. Oh double shit.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked, her voice sharp but laced with exhaustion, as if she didn’t have the energy to be fully angry yet.

Y/N pushed himself to his feet, his hands raised in a gesture of peace. "I can explain," he started, though he wasn’t entirely sure how he was going to explain any of this. He knew how it looked—him lurking around in the shadows after following her all the way from Alfea.

Her eyes locked onto him like laser beams, the glare making him feel as though he’d just been caught red-handed stealing cookies from a grandma’s cookie jar.

"Who the hell are you?" Bloom demanded, her voice sharp but tired, like she just didn’t have the energy to deal with whatever circus this was about to become.

Y/N scrambled to his feet, hands shooting up in the universal gesture of ‘Please don’t murder me.’ "I can explain!" he blurted, though let’s be real—he had no explanation. None. He looked around frantically, as if the walls might suddenly provide some magical excuse for why he was creeping around like a weirdo.

Bloom crossed her arms, her eyebrow raised to the ceiling as she stepped closer, inspecting him like he was some deranged squirrel that had wandered into her personal space. "You’ve got about ten seconds before I call the cops," she warned, her patience thinner than a thread holding up a bad decision.

“Uh, uh... okay!” Y/N stammered, trying not to look like the world’s worst stalker. “So, funny story, really—uh, you see, I, um...” He took a deep breath, his eyes darting around the room as his brain short-circuited. “...I’m not a serial killer!”

Bloom’s arms tightened, not amused in the slightest.

“No, wait! That came out wrong,” Y/N flailed, realizing how insane he must’ve sounded. “Look, I’m a student at Alfea—like, for real! I swear! First-year! Magic! Totally not creepy!” He motioned wildly to his face like that somehow made him look more trustworthy. “I just... saw you leave and thought you might need help? Maybe?”

Bloom’s glare didn’t waver. "So your bright idea was to follow me... to another world... in the middle of the night... alone?"

Y/N blinked, taking a step back. “Okay, in hindsight I can see how that may not have been the most reasonable decision on my part. But I swear, I had good intentions!”

Bloom rolled her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose like she was done with life. “Wow, congratulations. You’re not a serial killer. Gold star for you.”

Y/N took a deep breath, his posture softening as he realized his flailing explanations weren’t getting him anywhere. Time to try another approach. Something less chaotic and maybe a little more… honest.

“Look,” he said, dropping his hands and glancing away, his voice quieter now, more serious. “I know how this looks. Trust me, I get it. But I’m not here to cause trouble. I just—” He hesitated, searching for the right words, something that wouldn’t make him sound like an idiot or, worse, a stalker. “I overheard a little bit of what you were going through... back there with your parents.”

Bloom’s defensive stance didn’t drop, but her eyes flickered with surprise. He pressed on, knowing he had to tread carefully.

“I didn’t mean to listen,” he continued, his tone softer. “I really didn’t. I just... well, I could relate to what you were saying.” He swallowed, feeling that familiar knot in his stomach tighten. “I’ve gone through something similar with my dad.”

Bloom’s expression shifted slightly, a tiny crack in her hard exterior, though she still didn’t move. Y/N took it as a sign to keep going.

“I think we’ve got more in common than you realize,” Y/N began, his voice softer now, stepping forward just a little. “You and me… We’ve both grown up with this, haven’t we? Magic.” He paused, studying her face as she absorbed his words. “The only difference is, I’ve known about mine since I was a kid. I’m guessing you just discovered yours.”

Bloom’s eyes flickered, but she didn’t respond, her guard still up.

“In all that time,” Y/N continued, “I’ve made a lot of mistakes. More than I can count, honestly. And I’m guessing you’ve made some too, right? It’s kind of impossible not to, with magic like this.” He looked down briefly, running a hand through his hair, remembering the weight of his own guilt. “I saw the burns on your mom’s arms,” he said gently. “And, trust me, I get it. That guilt? That feeling like everything you touch breaks, or worse? I’ve been there.”

Bloom’s expression wavered, something flickering in her eyes as she listened.

“I’ve screwed up a lot, uh... Bloom, right?” Y/N said, his voice carrying a mix of vulnerability and regret. “I froze an entire military base, in Hawaii of all places. You can imagine how easy it was trying to explain that to people. I  even almost drowned my dad, who acts like he’s fine, but I can still see him get tense when I’m near large sources of water. I’ve hurt people. People I care about. And it makes you feel like... like you’re dangerous. Like you can’t trust yourself anymore.”

Bloom’s posture softened, her arms loosening as she shifted her weight. For a moment, her expression flickered between exhaustion and curiosity, like she wasn’t sure whether to keep her guard up or let it drop.

“You almost drowned your dad?” she asked quietly, her voice losing some of its earlier edge. There was a strange mix of disbelief and understanding in her tone, like she was processing the idea of someone else living through a situation so close to her own.

Y/N let out a breath, relieved that she hadn’t immediately told him to get lost. “Yeah. I mean, it was an accident, obviously. But... that doesn’t really make it any easier, you know? The people who care about you say they’re fine, but deep down, you can see the way they look at you differently. Like they’re afraid.”

Bloom’s eyes flickered with recognition, and for the first time since their strange, chaotic encounter, she looked at him like he might actually understand what she was going through. She hugged her arms closer to her body, glancing toward the back of the warehouse.

After a beat of silence, she nodded toward one of the side rooms. "Come on. I’ve got a room set up through there. It’s probably better to stay here for now then risk walking back throught the forest. We can figure out the rest in the morning."

Y/N nodded, grateful for the chance before following her, the two of them moving toward the backroms with the grimy windows, likely spaces utlitzed as office rooms in the warehouse. The room was sparse—an old mattress, a few blankets, and some personal belongings scattered around. It wasn’t much, but it was clear this had been her sanctuary for a while, a place to escape from everything.

Bloom sat down on the edge of the mattress, letting out a long sigh. Y/N hovered near the doorway, still a little unsure of where he stood in all this, but feeling that at least the immediate threat of being kicked out had passed.

The room was quiet, the kind of stillness that made Y/N’s skin prickle with unease. He watched as Bloom settled on the edge of the mattress, her hands resting limply in her lap. She hadn’t fully relaxed, though. Her shoulders were still tense, her eyes darting around the sparse space as if she were expecting something—maybe trouble, maybe just more bad news. Y/N shifted uncomfortably, staying near the doorway as if keeping his distance would somehow make this situation less awkward.

For a few long moments, neither of them spoke. The tension hung in the air like a thick fog, both of them sitting with their own thoughts. The silence wasn’t necessarily hostile, but it wasn’t comfortable either. It was like they were both waiting for the other to make a move, to break whatever this strange, shared moment had become.

Bloom kept her eyes downcast, staring at the floor in front of her. Y/N wasn’t sure if she was processing everything or just trying to avoid any more conversation, but he figured it was best to give her some space. His mind was racing with everything they had both just confessed. He wasn’t sure what to say next, afraid to say the wrong thing and make it worse.

After what felt like an eternity, Bloom finally broke the silence, her voice low but not as sharp as before. “So... how’d you end up in the Otherworld?” she asked, glancing up at him, her expression curious but guarded.

Y/N blinked, a little caught off guard by the sudden question. He stepped further into the room, leaning against the wall as he thought about how to answer. “It’s kind of a long story,” he said with a dry chuckle, trying to ease the tension.

Bloom raised an eyebrow, giving him a look that clearly said, I’ve got time.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ve known I was magical since I was a kid,” he began, his voice quieter now, more reflective. “My dad—he’s not magical, but we found out about my powers early on and he helped me keep them a secret. Tried to help me learn how to control them. But... well, things didn’t always go smoothly.”

Y/N chuckled bitterly, his gaze dropping to his hands as if the weight of his memories pressed down on him. “I did well for the most part, but... there were always these little moments when I lost it,” he started, his voice softening, laden with regret. “We pretty much figured out early on that my magic was influenced by my emotions, but we didn’t realize how much—how intense it could get.”

He paused, taking a shaky breath, the memories clearly weighing on him. His fingers twitched as he remembered that day. “One day, I found out my dad was getting deployed overseas for something really dangerous. And I just... I lost it. I mean, what’s a 16-year-old kid with magic he barely knows how to control supposed to do? Stop the government from sending his dad into a war zone?" Y/N’s voice cracked slightly, the bitterness in his tone deepening. "I couldn’t calm down. No matter how hard I tried, the anger and frustration just kept building, and I couldn’t control it. Next thing anybody knew, every pipe, faucet, and drain on the base started spitting out more water than they probably even held.” He swallowed hard, his shoulders slumping as he relived the chaos he had caused.

Across from him, Bloom remained silent, her expression softening with empathy. She knew all too well the feeling of emotions spiraling out of control, of your magic becoming something terrifying when you needed it to stop the most.

Y/N’s eyes were distant, as if he was back in that room, reliving every moment. “That wasn’t even the worst of it,” he continued, his voice thick with emotion. “When my dad realized what was happening, he tried to calm me down, like he always did. But I was so upset—at the situation, at myself for what I was doing—that I couldn’t get a grip on anything, least of all my magic.” His voice wavered slightly, a tremble beneath his words.

Bloom’s heart clenched as she listened, knowing that feeling of panic, that moment when everything slips through your fingers no matter how much you want it to stop. She watched him closely, seeing the guilt etched into every line of his face.

Y/N’s gaze flickered to Bloom’s for just a second before he looked away again, his voice quieter now. “The room we were in filled up with water faster than either of us could react. It didn’t affect me—my magic just doesn’t, I guess—but it affected him.” His breath hitched, and he swallowed hard. “He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t get out. I was drowning my dad, and I couldn’t stop.”

For a moment, the silence between them was palpable, the weight of Y/N’s words hanging heavy in the air. Bloom could feel the knot forming in her own chest, the suffocating pressure of guilt that Y/N clearly carried with him. She had felt it herself, every time she thought of her mom’s burns, every time she thought of what her fire had done.

“I got a grip—barely—and stopped the water before it was too late,” Y/N continued, his voice strained. “But after that... things between me and my dad were never the same. It wasn’t his fault, really. He didn’t blame me, but I could see it in his eyes—he didn’t trust me anymore. And honestly? I didn’t trust myself.”

Y/N ran a hand through his hair, letting out a shaky breath as he leaned back against the wall. “That’s when Miss Dowling showed up. My dad knew I couldn’t stay at the base—it was too risky. People were paranoid, on edge, waiting for something else to go wrong. I mean, the base in Hawaii nearly froze over like it had been hit by a winter storm straight out of Michigan. One more slip-up, one more incident, and people would start connecting the dots. If they figured out I was the one behind it all… my life would've been turned completely upside down.” He let out a small, humorless laugh, glancing up to meet Bloom’s gaze. “I didn’t exactly fit into the normal world. And it wasn’t like I had a guidebook for being... whatever this is. Alfea became my only choice.”

His voice trailed off, leaving the room in a thick, heavy silence. For a moment, neither of them spoke, both lost in their own thoughts.

Bloom shifted slightly, her arms wrapped around her knees as she looked at him with understanding in her eyes. “I know what that’s like,” she said quietly, her voice soft but steady. “Hurting people you care about because you can’t control it. That guilt... it doesn’t really go away, does it?”

Y/N’s eyes met hers, and for the first time, he saw that she wasn’t just listening—she understood. Truly. It was like she could feel every ounce of his pain because she had carried it herself.

Bloom’s gaze softened further, her voice carrying a fragile weight. “My mom... those burns... I didn’t mean to hurt her, but I did. And I can’t ever take that back.” She swallowed, her voice wavering just slightly. “It’s not just the guilt—it’s the fear. That constant feeling like you might hurt someone again if you’re not careful.”

Y/N nodded, the weight of Bloom's confession settling between them like a thick, shared burden. He could feel the truth of her words, the way they echoed his own experience. It wasn't just about losing control—it was the fact that, unlike everyone else around them, they didn’t grow up in a world that understood magic. The other students at Alfea, as reckless as some of them were, had grown up with people who knew what magic was, people who could teach them how to control it, guide them, and, more importantly, who could understand and forgive their mistakes because they had made those same mistakes themselves. They had families who knew the risks, mentors who had lived through it all, seen the dangers firsthand. The Otherworld wasn’t new or strange to them—it was home.

But for Bloom and Y/N, it was different. Magic had blindsided their lives. Y/N’s dad didn’t know what to do when his son froze an entire base or nearly drowned him. He barely understood the power his son carried, and once he saw just a fraction of it, the fear in his eyes was enough to change everything between them. It wasn’t the kind of fear that came from misunderstanding—it was the fear of seeing something dangerous in someone you love and realizing you have no idea how to protect them or yourself from it. The same fear that Y/N could see in Bloom's eyes when she talked about her mom’s burns. That kind of shift in perspective cut deeper than any physical wound, because it wasn’t just about fear—it was about losing the trust of the people who mattered most, and knowing that no matter what you did, that trust might never come back.

Y/N shifted slightly, the silence between them heavy but not uncomfortable. He glanced over at Bloom, her eyes downcast as she wrapped her arms tighter around her knees. She looked smaller than before, like the weight of her own story had pressed her into herself. His gaze softened, and after a moment, he broke the silence.

“So... what about you?” Y/N asked quietly, his voice low and steady. “I think I put together bits and pieces, but... what’s your story?”

Bloom glanced up at him, her eyes searching his for a second as if weighing whether or not to trust him. She sighed, running a hand through her fiery hair, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly, though her guard wasn’t completely down.

“There's not much to tell,” Bloom began, her voice softer now, a little less guarded. “I grew up in California. Suburbs, you know? My parents are... well, they’re great. Normal. Loving. But they don’t know anything about magic. I didn’t even know until a few months ago.”

Y/N listened quietly, noticing the way her voice wavered just a bit. He didn’t push her—he knew better than anyone how hard it was to relive those moments. Bloom’s eyes remained fixed on the floor, like she was trying to make sense of her own words before speaking them aloud.

Bloom shifted slightly on the mattress, her fingers fidgeting with a stray thread from the blanket. "It started with a fight," she continued, her voice soft but steady. "My mom and I... we don’t really see eye to eye. She’s always been the type who had this image of what her perfect daughter should be—cheerleader, top of her class, the whole thing. And I’m just... not that." Bloom gave a small, bitter laugh, shaking her head as if she couldn’t believe it herself.

Y/N stayed silent, sensing there was more to the story.

"One night, things got really bad between us. I was furious, and I couldn’t calm down." She paused, her hands tightening around the edge of the blanket. "And that’s when it happened. The fire... it just started. It was like everything I was feeling inside was too much, and it just—"

She broke off, swallowing hard, her eyes glossing over with unshed tears. "I didn’t mean to... but the fire spread to their room. My mom... she got burned, really badly." Bloom’s voice trembled with guilt, and she quickly wiped at her eyes, trying to push the tears away. "I could hear them screaming. I wanted to stop it, but I didn’t know how."

The weight of her words hung in the air, thick with the shared understanding between them. Y/N’s heart ached in his chest as he watched her struggle with the memory. He knew that kind of guilt—the kind that stuck with you, that didn’t go away no matter how much time passed.

"They don’t even know it was me," Bloom whispered, her voice barely audible now. "They don’t know what I am... what I did." She finally looked up at Y/N, her eyes filled with a pain that mirrored his own. "I slept in this warehouse for weeks after that. I was terrified I’d hurt them again, that I couldn’t control it. I’d sneak out at night and stay here until... Miss Dowling found me."

Y/N’s brow furrowed as he listened, his heart heavy with the weight of her words. He knew exactly what she meant—the fear, the uncertainty, the crushing realization that no matter how hard you tried, your magic always seemed to have a mind of its own.

“I get it,” he said, his voice sincere. “It’s terrifying. Not knowing when or how it’ll come out again... but also knowing it’s there, waiting.”

Bloom nodded, her gaze distant, lost in thought. “It’s why I came back here tonight. I thought maybe seeing my parents... maybe being here again would help me figure it out. But I don’t belong here anymore, and I don’t know if I ever did.”

Y/N, still leaning against the wall, raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. “Wait, how did you even get here? I mean... it’s not like there’s a direct flight between the Otherworld and California.”

Bloom blinked, coming back to the moment. “Oh, right... Stella,” she said, her tone holding a hint of reluctance. “She gave me her gateway ring. It opens a portal back to the First World.”

Y/N’s eyes widened slightly. “Wait—she just handed it over?”

“Well, not exactly,” Bloom muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. “It was more like I was desperate, and Stella... she understood that. So, yeah, she lent it to me. Honestly, I think it was more of a ‘get out of her hair’ type of thing.” She shrugged, but Y/N could hear the gratitude in her voice, buried beneath the layers of frustration.

Y/N let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “A gateway ring... That explains a lot.” He glanced at her, studying her face for a moment before speaking again. “But you don’t think you belong here? You really think that?”

Bloom hesitated, her gaze falling to her hands. “I don’t know where I belong,” she admitted, her voice soft, almost fragile. “I thought this place... home... would give me some answers, but it’s just made me realize how far away from normal my life has gotten.”

Y/N opened his mouth to respond, but something caught his attention. A faint noise, barely perceptible, coming from outside. It was a soft rustling sound, like leaves being disturbed in the distance, but in the stillness of the warehouse, it felt louder than it should’ve been.

He paused, his body tensing slightly as his eyes darted toward the window. “Did you hear that?”

Bloom furrowed her brow, glancing in the same direction but not seeming overly concerned. “What? I didn’t hear anything.”

Y/N hesitated, his instincts on high alert for a moment before he forced himself to relax. “Never mind. Probably just the wind.”

Y/N had barely relaxed when he noticed something unsettling. It was faint at first, a shadow that didn’t quite belong. His eyes flickered to the wall, where an unfamiliar silhouette moved, just beyond the confines of the room. It wasn’t his, nor was it Bloom’s, and there was no way it could be coming from anything else in the sparsely furnished space.

He straightened up slowly, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. As the shadow shifted again, Y/N felt his heart rate spike, his body instinctively tensing.

Bloom, still sitting on the edge of the mattress, noticed his change in demeanor. She turned, her eyebrows furrowing. “What’s wrong?”

Y/N didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he slowly rose from his sitting position on the floor, standing up on his legs at a snail’s space while looking through  the grimy window above and behind Bloom, peering out into the open space of the warehouse. His breath caught in his throat.

“Y/N?” Bloom asked, more urgently this time, standing up from the mattress herself. She followed his gaze, turning  closer to the window to see through it’s blinds what had petrified him in fear.. The moment her eyes locked onto the scene outside, a gasp escaped her lips.

In the dim light of the warehouse, just a few feet from them, stood a creature that seemed like it had crawled out of their worst nightmares. It was tall and emaciated, with skin that looked like charred, cracked stone. Its long, skeletal limbs hung loosely at its sides, while its head twitched unnervingly, eyes glowing with an ominous red light. The faint shimmer of molten cracks ran down its entire body, giving off the impression that it was a living, breathing furnace that had cooled too soon. The creature’s entire form seemed to absorb the surrounding shadows, blending in with the darkened warehouse as if it were part of the gloom itself.

Its head snapped toward them with a disturbing speed the moment Bloom locked eyes on it, the glowing embers of its gaze fixating on them like a predator that had just spotted its prey.

"Shit!" Y/N cursed, stumbling backward, his heart hammering in his chest as the creature’s burning eyes seemed to pierce straight through the window. Bloom let out a panicked gasp, jumping back in fright, her hands shaking as she stumbled into Y/N.

As she scrambled, her suddenly sweaty hands lost grip of something—Stella’s ring. In the shock of the moment, her grip faltered, and before she knew it, the ring slipped from her grasp, clattering loudly as it fell through one of the metal grates on the floor.

Both of them froze for a moment, eyes wide, as they watched the ring disappear through the grate with a soft metallic clink.

Y/N blinked, staring at the grate in disbelief. "Seriously?" he muttered, his voice laced with sarcastic exasperation. "Of all the times to drop the only thing that can get us out of here."

Bloom looked mortified, her eyes darting between Y/N and the grate. "I didn’t mean to!" she hissed, her voice barely above a whisper as she frantically glanced back toward the window.

The creature was still standing in the open warehouse, its eerie eyes locked on their hiding spot, its head tilting slightly as if trying to pinpoint their exact location.

Y/N shot Bloom a pointed look before his gaze turned back towards the monster on the other side of the wall. "And this is exactly why you people never survive in horror films."

Sky pushed the door to his dorm room open with a weary sigh, his whole body dripping wet from the shower. The towel wrapped around his waist clung to his hips, while droplets of water slid down his skin and into the messy strands of his blonde hair. His muscles ached from the day's training, but his mind raced with a different kind of exhaustion—one tied to the growing web of tension he couldn't quite shake.

As he stepped inside, his eyes widened in surprise. There, sitting on his bed in the soft glow of the bedside lamp, was Stella. She leaned casually on the edge of the mattress, her long legs crossed, and her blonde waves tumbled over her shoulders. The subtle shimmer of her top sparkled in the dim light, catching his attention for a fleeting moment. Her expression, though playful on the surface, had a hint of something more—vulnerability, uncertainty. She watched him, her head slightly tilted, her lips parted as if she had been waiting for him to speak first.

Sky let out a frustrated sigh, his hand brushing through his damp hair. He made his way to the dresser, pulling open a drawer to grab some dry clothes.

"You can't be in here, Stel," he muttered, keeping his back to her as he fished for a his trousers. "If Silva finds out..."

Before he could finish the thought, he felt her presence behind him, warm and close. Stella rose from the bed, stepping softly until her body was pressed against his back. Her hand ghosted over his bare skin, making his muscles tense at the unexpected touch. She leaned into him, her voice a soft whisper against his ear.

"I'll leave before the sun comes up," she murmured, her lips brushing against his shoulder in a delicate kiss. Her fingers traced down the length of his arm, drawing shivers in their wake.

Sky’s jaw clenched as he stepped away from her, turning to face her with a mix of frustration and weariness. "You can't pull this shit, Stel... You broke up with me."

Stella's once-confident demeanor crumbled at his words. She stepped back slightly, her arms dropping to her sides. The glimmer in her eyes dimmed as she looked at him, now appearing smaller, more fragile.

"No, I know," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Sky shook his head, exasperation creeping into his tone. "I didn't hear from you all summer, and then I say two words to a first year?"

"I said I know, OK?" Stella cut in, her voice trembling now, her mask of indifference shattered. "I'm sorry."

Her eyes met his, filled with regret, and Sky’s chest tightened. He wasn’t sure if it was anger, confusion, or something more complicated swirling inside of him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't just another one of her games.

"What are you doing here?" His voice softened, searching her face for answers.

Stella hesitated, her gaze falling to the floor before she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "I got jealous."

Sky’s brows furrowed in disbelief, and before he could respond, she spoke again, quicker this time, as though she was anticipating his reaction.

"Yeah, I know I'm not allowed to, but I did. And I did something really stupid." Her voice cracked slightly as she spoke. "Now they all think I'm a monster."

Sky’s expression softened at that, and for a moment, his heart ached for her. "Oh, Stel..." he started, but she cut him off.

"No, please," she pleaded, her eyes glistening with desperation. "I can't sleep in there, Sky. In a room where everybody hates me." She swallowed hard, her voice trembling with vulnerability. "Please. Tonight, can I just stay with you? Next to someone who doesn't... hate me."

The room was silent, the weight of her words hanging in the air between them. Sky’s gaze softened, and his shoulders dropped as the tension drained from his posture. He could see it now—the cracks in her usually perfect facade, the fear hiding behind her bravado.

"You're better than you think you are, Stella," he said quietly, his voice steady but gentle. "Other people can't see that if you don't."

Bloom and Y/N hit the ground hard, their backs pressed up against the cold concrete wall as their breaths came out in panicked, shallow gasps. The creature's distorted growls echoed throughout the warehouse, sending a chill down Bloom's spine. Her chest heaved, panic clear in her eyes as she whispered in a strained voice, barely able to control her fear.

“What the hell is that thing?” she hissed in a frantic whisper, her hands clutching the edge of the broken concrete behind her.

Y/N's heart was pounding so fast he thought it might burst from his chest. His eyes stayed locked on the ground, too terrified to look up in case the creature’s gaze might catch him through the darkened corners. “I don’t know,” he muttered, his voice shaky, “but it had to have followed us... from the gateway. Guess I wasn’t the only one doing the following tonight.”

They both held their breath, the silence of the warehouse stretching out unbearably. Seconds dragged on like hours, and for a moment, it felt like the creature had moved on. The air around them was thick with tension, each heartbeat deafening in the quiet space.

Then, the silence shattered. Glass exploded above their heads, spraying shards everywhere as the monster’s twisted, clawed hand burst through the window with a snarl. Its guttural growl reverberated through the space as its fingers clawed wildly, searching for flesh.

Bloom screamed, her body instinctively jerking away from the reaching claws. “Shit, shit, shit!” Y/N cursed, scrambling to his feet as they dodged the creature’s grasp, scrambling across the floor. He tried to summon his magic, but his fingers trembled too much. His mind was a chaotic mess, panic overriding any focus he had.

He clenched his fists, his jaw tight as he whispered through gritted teeth, “The one time I need you to flare up and lose control and nothing? Magic is such an ironic, cold-hearted bitch.”

Bloom grabbed his arm, yanking him toward a narrow corridor where a metal gate led into the crawl spaces under the warehouse. “This way!” she shouted, pulling him along as the monster roared behind them, trying to break through the window and wall  as they descended into the tight space. Bloom softly shutting the floor gate in hopes of not letting alerting it to their location.

Her hopes and prayers were not answered.

Their breaths were ragged as they crawled, the clanging sound of the monster’s claws against the metal grate sending vibrations through their bones. The confined space felt suffocating, but it was their only escape. The pipes lining the walls hissed with steam, their warmth contrasting sharply with the cold terror clinging to their skin.

Then Bloom spotted it—Stella’s ring. It glinted just a few feet ahead, on the other side of another metal gate. "There it is!" she cried out, her voice filled with desperation.

She crawled toward the gate, her fingers reaching through a small hole to grasp the ring. But it was just out of reach, her fingertips barely grazing the surface. “Come on, come on,” she whispered to herself, stretching as far as her arm would allow, her voice growing more frantic. “Please, please, please…”

Suddenly, a deafening roar filled the space as the monster crashed through the opposite end, barreling toward them. Its grotesque form moved faster than Bloom had anticipated. Her heart jumped into her throat, panic flooding her senses.

“It’s too late!” Y/N shouted, his hand grabbing her arm, yanking her back just as the creature's claws swiped toward where she had been. The monster's hand snatched the ring from the ground, and with a viscious snarl, it clutched it tightly in its grotesque fist.

Y/N’s mind raced, searching for any sliver of magic he could control. His fingers twitched, and he focused on the hissing steam escaping from the pipes. With a burst of adrenaline, he manipulated the steam, using it to form a scorching barrier that erupted between them and the monster. The creature shrieked in agony as the steam obscured its vision, giving them precious seconds to escape.

“Go, go, go!” Bloom urged, pulling Y/N forward as they crawled through the narrow path, their bodies barely fitting through the tight spaces.

They burst through another gate, kicking it open just as the creature roared behind them, its footsteps growing fainter as they ran back into the main space of the warehouse. Both of them were out of breath, their bodies trembling from the adrenaline coursing through them. They made a break for it, desperate to get away.

As they ran, they nearly crashed into Miss Dowling, who stood waiting for them at the entrance. Her calm, composed presence was a stark contrast to their frantic energy. "Don't stop now," she commanded, her voice steady but firm.

She pointed toward the door where they had entered from the Otherworld. The gateway shimmered open again, casting a faint golden light.

Bloom and Y/N didn’t need to be told twice. They sprinted for the door, their lungs burning as they crossed the threshold. Miss Dowling stayed behind, and with a wave of her hand, she sealed the portal behind them, cutting off the terrifying sight of the monster charging down the stairs after them while she dealt with it.

Once they were back in the First World, both Bloom and Y/N collapsed onto the grass outside the mausoleum, their chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath. Their hearts pounded so loudly it was hard to hear anything else. For a moment, they lay there in stunned silence, the cool night air hitting their sweat-covered skin.

“Are you guys OK?” A sudden voice startled them both, causing Bloom to gasp and Y/N to let out a yelp. They looked up to see Aisha, Musa, Terra, and Sam standing in front of them, their faces etched with concern.

"Yeah," Bloom gasped, trying to compose herself. "Yeah, yeah, I think so."

Y/N, still catching his breath, shot them a bewildered look. “Speak for yourself. I’m over here still trying not to piss my pants. What the hell was that thing?”

Terra frowned thoughtfully, her voice calm but grim. “I’m pretty sure it’s called a Burned One.”

Y/N’s eyes widened in shock, the pieces of his earlier conversation with Sky falling into place. “That’s a Burned One?” he exclaimed, incredulous. “What the fuck? No wonder everyone here is shitting their pants.”

Despite the tension in the air, the others couldn’t help but laugh at Y/N’s outburst, even Bloom managing a small smile.

“I like him,” Musa said with a grin, nudging Terra lightly.

Sam stepped forward, pulling Y/N into a tight hug. “Your first day and you’ve already gone and probably gotten me banned from the mentor roster for life. Don’t do that again.”

Y/N winced, patting his friend on the back. “Sorry, man. I just saw her walking alone and didn’t want something to happen to her out here by herself.” He glanced around warily. “Now I see why everyone’s so freaked about going beyond the Barrier.”

A tense silence followed until Bloom’s eyes widened with a sudden, dawning realization. Her stomach dropped, and her breath caught in her throat. "Wait... where’s Stella?"

The others exchanged confused glances, not understanding the urgency in her voice. Aisha tilted her head, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"She’s at school. Why?" Aisha asked, clearly not following Bloom’s line of thinking.

Y/N, still catching his breath, turned to look at Bloom. His expression shifted from confusion to grim understanding, his face paling as the pieces started falling into place. The heavy weight of what had just transpired settled between them, thick and suffocating.

Bloom’s eyes were wide, a sinking feeling gnawing at her insides as the memory flashed before her—the twisted monster, its grotesque hand swiping at her hand in the crawlspace before Y/N pulled her back. This was not going to be easy to explain to the Princess in the morning.

"That thing just took her ring."

To be continued...

☀️ | Prince Sky Masterlist | ☀️

☀️ | Masterlists | ☀️

[chuubian]

Kinktober week one:

Under the table

Tags Toji x fem reader, semi-public sex, mean and controlling Toji, fingering, unprotected sex (pls be safe), breeding kink, biting, unrealistic sex, MDNI

A/N I started a bit last minute so i cant do many but i dont write smut alot so i hope this is okay 😭😭

Your waitress was so sweet. Too sweet, really. Toji was a force to be reckoned with, not bothering with formalities or even talking like a regular human being. As soon as you were seated in the booth, he slipped right in beside you. You knew the drill. No speaking to waitstaff by yourself. He orders everything for you. As the server walks away, Toji's large hand rests on your knee- squeezing gently.

“Don't make a sound.”

The command shoots through your body and etches itself into your brain. Everything he says and does is permanently branded into your soul. It's like you were made to follow him. Toji’s thick fingers travel up slowly, teasing you, gently playing with the hem of your skirt. But you knew better. He wasn't nice for no reason.

Pushing his hand away shyly, you pull back down your skirt— attempting to keep your dignity.

“Toji… not here…”

You whisper softly, there's no reason people around need to know what's happening. Toji isn't amused. He lets out a low grunt. His fingers dig into the flesh of your inner thigh cruelly.

“Don't argue. Remember your place.”

A breath hitches in your throat and you don't want to fight back any more, but this is wrong. Your hands find their place in the fabric of his black shirt, curling. He chuckles at your reaction, fingers tapping at your inner thigh.

“But-“

He cuts you off.

“I told you to shut up. Are you trying to disobey me? Do I have to punish you?”

You cower under the intense aura radiating off him. Toji takes it as his chance. Firm fingers brush against the thin fabric of your panties— he easily finds your clit, focusing on drawing quick little circles over the sensitive bud. Sparks of pleasure flash behind your eyes, making your body tremble.

“T-toji…”

A large hand slides down your hair and settles on your shoulder, squeezing sternly in warning.

“Quiet.”

Your legs are weak. Thighs quivering, you try to hold back the urge to snap them shut. If you did, Toji would just pry them apart again.

It's embarrassing— having him act so unrestrained in public. He's shameless. What if people see? You could get arrested for this. It's not an empty restaurant by any means, it wouldn't be unthinkable.

A low buzzing sensation covers your entire body, settling over your skin. His touch doesn't let up. Your hips twitch uncontrollably against his fingers. It's like your body is not your own. He's playing you like a fiddle.

Wetness is soaking through your underwear, surely already dripping down onto the seat. It's all too much. Your head is spinning, thoughts turning muddy and nebulous. God. Where were you again?

The next thing you know, a strong arm is wrapping around your waist, dragging you out of your seat, and towards the bathroom.

"Come with me."

A gruff voice cuts through the daze and speaks directly at you. The door barely shuts before Toji is pushing your shirt up over your head. His calloused fingers leave trails of fire across your back and waist— making sure to torment you by nipping at all the sensitive spots hidden throughout your body.

His arms tighten around you. His lips trail up your spine and settle on sucking at the spot behind your ear. His breath brushes over your skin. It's warm. Too warm. Your heart is beating out of your chest and a wave of nausea suddenly hits you. Oh you're gonna get heatstroke for sure.

Toji wastes no time, pulling your panties halfway down, not bothering with stupid things like being gentle or kind.

“Fucking hate these. Why do you even wear them? you don't need them.”

He hikes up your skirt, revealing your bare ass to the freezing cold bathroom air.

“As long as you're with me, you better not wear this shit ever again.”

Goosebumps rise over your arms and legs as Toji runs a finger down your wet cunt. A surprised gasp spills past your lips. Toji takes it as his cue, sinking in a thick finger.

“Fuck…”

An embarrassing squelching sound fills the air. You hide your face in your arms, legs shaking and struggling to hold up.

“Hah… You're so easy to rile up baby. So wet, just for me.”

You can practically hear the sleazy smile plastered on his stupid smug face. The edges of your vision start to blur— your body is refusing to work, focusing only on the way Toji expertly manipulates your anatomy for his own benefit. He knows exactly what he's doing. He's the Devil.

He's greedy. Hardly any time has passed before he's gliding his finger out of your pussy, and tugging the waistband of his sweatpants down eagerly. The fat head of his cock slaps against his solid abs, leaving behind a small dribble of precum on his tummy. His hand— wet with your juices— travels back down to your hip, squeezing roughly.

“Toji..!”

You whine out. He's taking too long. It's not like you were the one who asked for this, it was all his stupid idea anyways and he was still refusing to hurry up. His hand raises up high in the air and comes back down hard before you can process what's happening. Your ass burns— a red hand is definitely going to imprint itself on your skin, branding you as his, even if only for a few minutes.

“Yeah, yeah I get it. Shut up.”

He drags your hips back, pressing his cock against your needy cunt. But he's being so mean. He refuses to push in just yet, content with just grinding himself against you.

“Fuck… what if I just do this huh? Get myself off and leave you all needy and helpless.”

A loud groan rips itself out of your lungs. He can't. He wouldn't. Right?

“Please… Toji…”

A strong grip clutches onto your hair, pulling at the threads harshly. You cry out loudly, your scalp pulses and aches.

“Shut up. I won't say it again.”

With that, he plunges his thick cock in mercilessly— stretching you open. No prep and minimal foreplay doesn't seem to be something that bothers Toji as he buries himself inside as deeply as he can. you swear you can feel him in your stomach.

“Ughn… So tight… Fuck.”

He grunts into your ear and nuzzles at your throat, pulling at you until your back is pressed against his strong, still-clothed chest. You're thankful for it. Your legs would not have lasted much longer.

Slowly, he drags his hips back until only the tip is left inside. You choke out a needy whine. Weakly, you attempt to smack his arm— to get him moving. But he refuses to. Instead, he tightens his grip around you and laughs.

“Hurry.”

You barely get the full word out before he's slamming back in. It burns so good. You choke out a mewl, eyes fluttering shut. Your entire lower half aches, and your back feels like it's going to rip itself apart. The only thing holding you together is Toji.

“Agh… you're gonna be the death of me.”

No time is wasted before he starts thrusting inside you violently. His hips ram into the soft flesh of your ass, and his cock is carving out a spot for itself— causing delicious friction against your gummy walls. You're stretched beyond belief. Even after so many times you still can't get used to it.

“O-oh god…”

His hold on you tightens.

“That's not my name.”

Rocking your hips back against him, Toji groans loudly in your ear. The drag of skin on skin is heavenly. Echoing in the empty bathroom is the sound of pleasure— of pure bliss. The blunt head of his cock hits your cervix, creating ripples of indescribable pleasure through you. You can't think or speak. Everything comes out in incoherent babbles.

“Nghh… T-toji… h-hahh.. mmm..”

He doesn't slow down, if anything it encourages him more.

“That's it, just let go. Don't think.”

Nothing else matters at this point. Not the people waiting outside, who have probably all heard your cries of ecstasy. And certainly not the eventual soreness that will come with letting Toji use you. You can feel your brain turning off, your thoughts becoming a distant haze. Tojis dick is literally making you dumb.

Drool drips out of your lips and down your chin in thick dollops. You don't bother cleaning it. Your pussy pulsates around Tojis cock, trying to squeeze everything out of him. It's practically sucking him in. His thrusts get more desperate— slamming in harder and faster.

“Take it. I'm gonna breed you. Get you pregnant.”

Those words only made you want him more. You’re sure your ass is a deep red, almost purple color by now— abused by Toji's unintentionally violent expression of affection.

“Please… g-give it to me..”

With one last push, he buries himself in as deep as he can, biting at the junction between your neck and shoulder. Your pussy squeezes around him as you’re sent careening into your orgasm. Your hands grab onto anything they can, nails digging into his skin hard— it's sure to leave crescent shaped indents. Hot ropes of cum spill into you, filling you just like Toji wants.

When you finally regain the ability to think again, you shakily get up. Your legs can hardly hold up and you're a sweaty disheveled mess. A shiver runs up your spine as you feel his cum dripping down your thigh. Toji snorts. How is this funny to him?

"This is your fault, you know? You should be helping me, not watching."

You turn to glare at him. He holds his hands up in defeat.

"I know I know, it's just funny seeing you like this."

Strong hands help hold you up— gently cleaning you up and getting you dressed again. Your clothes feel dirty now. There's nothing visible on them, but they were on the floor just a few minutes ago. Toji's fingers gently rub against your lower stomach as he leads you out of the bathroom again. He doesn't bother going back to the table, or paying for the drinks you ordered, instead leading you out of the restaurant and back home.

[persevereforahappyending]

No Man's Land |4|

Pairing: Sam Carpenter x Reader

Summary: Sam can’t help but be drawn to the cute stranger from her gym, even if everything about them makes them the perfect suspect, just when Ghostface has returned.

Warnings: None

Word Count: 2.3k+

Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Sam crossed her legs, trying to stop the bouncing of her foot, but it was no use. She just as quickly uncrossed them, so her foot was bouncing on the ground again. Her fists were clenched together, and her eyes hadn’t left the stained tile floor of the hospital waiting room. She tried focusing on the stain, silently debating if the brownish color was coffee or blood. She had been sitting in the waiting room since they brought you in, she wasn’t sure how long it had been.

“What were you thinking!” Tara’s voice came, making Sam’s head snap up. “A note!” She held up the little sticky note that Sam and written. “Went to gym, be back soon,” Tara read the note Sam had written, crumpling it up after she finished.

“I didn’t want you to worry,” Sam tried to defend.

“Then a text!”  Tara threw her arms in the air. “Ghostface attacked,” Tara held up her phone, reading the quick text Sam had sent. “Headed to hospital.” Tara aggressively dropped her phone back down at her side. “What the fuck! I thought we were supposed to be staying safe! And together!”

“Yeah,” Chad said, flopping down into the seat beside her. “Running off alone in the middle of the night is the opposite of that,” Chad gave her what she could only describe as a big brother look.

Sam could only roll her eyes. “I just needed to clear my head,” Sam sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“What happened?” Mindy asked, taking the seat across from her. Tara continued to stare down at Sam, shaking her head and her arms crossed. It wasn’t often Sam was on the other end of that look. Sam was usually the one giving that look to Tara and occasionally the twins. She was beginning to understand what Tara meant every time she talked about Sam hovering and being overprotective.

“Y/N was attacked.”

“What?” Tara asked with a furrowed brow.

“Oh no,” Chad whispered, bringing a hand to his heart. Sam scrunched her eyebrows, Chad seemed to have gotten really attached to you after just one conversation, she wondered what the two of you could have possibly talked about.

“They saved my life,” Sam continued. “I was down, and they came out of nowhere.”

Mindy furrowed her brow, crossing her arms as she leaned back further in her chair. “Why were they there?” she questioned.

Sam could only shrug. “Sometimes they like to work out late.” Sam had been surprised to see you, not just because you jumped in to save her life without a second thought but because she didn’t think anyone else was in the gym at the time, there had been no vehicles in the parking lot. Mindy only let out a hum at her response though.

“What?” Chad questioned.

Mindy looked at everyone but kept flicking a glance at Sam. Sam raised an eyebrow as she waited to hear whatever Mindy had to say. “Don’t you think it’s suspicious?” Mindy questioned. “This mysterious person Sam likes suddenly shows up the same time as Ghostface?” Everyone sucked in a breath as they took in what Mindy was saying. “It can’t be a coincidence.”

Sam frowned; she didn’t necessarily disagree with Mindy as much as she hated to admit it. It was oddly coincidental that you of all people showed up just the moment Sam needed you. For all they knew this was all a ploy to get them to drop their guard down around you, to let you in and then you’d help whoever Ghostface was take them down.

“Looks like we’re about to find out,” Tara mumbled.

Sam looked up to see the doctor walking towards them. She was instantly on her feet to meet the doctor when he got to their side. “Your friend is in room 582, they are clear, and you are free to take them home,” the doctor said.

“Thank you,” Sam said, giving a grateful smile to the man.

They all made their way to your room. When they got there Sam saw the door was ajar. “Wait here,” she whispered to the others. Tara frowned but Sam didn’t wait for Tara to argue back before she pushed the door open and stepped into the room.

Sam froze in the doorway when she saw you. You were standing by the bed, pulling down your shirt. Her eyes widened at the exposed skin she saw before it got covered by your shirt. There were several scars on your back, your side, and front, your body seemed to be littered with them. Several of them were knife wounds, Sam could recognize them instantly, she had some of her own after all. There were others she didn’t recognize but looked eerily similar to bullet wounds, but she had only seen those a handful of times before.

Her eyes couldn’t help but linger on the fresh stab wound, newly stitched up. It was a large wound, just under your ribs. Sam sucked in a breath, it was her fault you had a new wound, that you were stabbed. Just a little higher and you could have died, Sam could have been the reason you died.

Before Sam could say anything, she was pushed further into the room as the others piled in behind her. You whipped around when you heard them all stumbling in. “Guess patient confidentiality isn’t a thing anymore,” you mumbled. You sat down on the edge of the hospital bed as you looked at Sam and the others.

“We’re sorry,” Sam said. “We just-”

“Why were you at the gym?” Mindy asked, cutting Sam off. Sam suppressed a sigh, if they wanted to get answers from you, jumping right into questioning was probably not the best idea.

You tilted your head, narrowing your eyes at Mindy. “To work out,” you said. “That’s what one tends to do at the gym.”

“After midnight?” Mindy crossed her arms.

“Less likely to be disturbed,” you shrugged. You were answering their questions but giving them nothing, Sam couldn’t blame you for being so guarded.

“So, right place right time?”

“Not exactly the way I’d describe it.” You stared at Mindy, but your face gave away no emotion. “Considering I was stabbed.”

Mindy let out something between a hum and a scoff. “How convenient.”

“If you have something to say,” you said calmly. “Say it.” Sam wasn’t sure how you could remain so calm when you were being questioned by people you didn’t even know.

“Why’d you do it? Why risk your life for someone you don’t even know?”

“So, just because I don’t know Sam means I should let her die?”

Sam started to nod, seeing your logic when she froze. Her head, along with the others, all snapped up towards you. “How did you know her name?”

You rolled your eyes and looked at the group. Sam furrowed her brow as she realized you weren’t looking at all of them but one of them specifically. She heard someone let out a hiss and turned around to see Chad with a guilty look. “Yeah,” he said, holding up a hand. “It came up in our conversation.”

Sam glared at Chad. She knew he got your name, but she hadn’t imagined he gave you, her name. He had somehow neglected to mention that little fact when he was telling everyone about his very short time getting to know you.

“Whatever,” Mindy said, waving it off. “Do you make it a habit of throwing yourself into danger?”

“I make it a habit of not turning my back when someone needs help,” you said simply.

“Guys,” Sam finally spoke up. “Give us a minute.” She nodded towards the door. Mindy looked at her, clearly wanting to question you more but Chad grabbed her and led her out of the room, followed by Tara.

“I’m sorry,” Sam whispered. “You were just stabbed, the last thing you need is a bunch of people questioning you.”

You just shrugged; it was like none of this phased you. “You were attacked,” you said. “Of course they’d be suspicious.”

Sam nodded, you were taking everything very well, though you had yet to question them, had yet to demand answers. You hadn’t even asked why a masked psycho was trying to kill Sam. She wasn’t sure if you were that uninterested or if it was because you already knew the answer.

You stood up from the bed, barely wincing as you did so. Sam saw you eye your jacket that was next to her, she grabbed it and held it out to you. You silently reached out, taking the jacket from her. You shrugged on the jacket and moved towards the door, stopping next to Sam. “Thanks,” you whispered softly.

“You got stabbed saving me,” Sam whispered back. “I’m pretty sure I should be thanking you.” You just shrugged and pushed past Sam out the door.

Sam barely had time to process what she was doing before she followed after you. She wasn’t fully sure why, maybe it was because you saved her life, but she wanted to keep you close. It wasn’t just because she liked you, she felt responsible now, you were caught up in her mess whether you realized it or not. Even if the two of you had never talked until a few minutes ago she knew Ghostface wouldn’t just let you go, you were a target now.

“Wait!” Sam called, running to catch up with you, assuming the others would be trailing behind. “We aren’t done yet.”

You lightly chuckled to yourself and gave a little shake of your head. “I am,” you said without even bothering to turn around.

Sam suppressed a groan; she should have known you would be incredibly difficult. The two of you had talked for only a few minutes but you had told them nothing. Sam couldn’t say she was surprised you were a person of few words. You barely spoke to people at the gym, it didn’t seem like you talked much to your friends either, it wasn’t a surprise you didn’t want to talk to Sam, she is the reason you got stabbed after all.

“Gale Weathers,” Sam heard a voice she knew all too well say. “Channel Four.” Sam slowed down when she saw you come to a stop. She came around your side to see Gale standing in front of you, blocking your path to the front door. “Care to answer some questions about surviving a Ghostface attack?” Gale held her microphone out towards you.

You looked down at the microphone and back up at Gale. Sam held here breath as she waited to see what you would say or do. “No,” you said and walked right past Gale.

Sam couldn’t help but smirk at the way Gale opened and closed her mouth. She slowly brought the microphone back towards herself and flipped the switch to turn it off. “You just don’t know when to quit, do you?” Sam asked, masking her face again.

Gale rolled her eyes and stepped closer to Sam. “I’m just following the story,” Gale said with a shrug.

Sam just scoffed; it was such a typical Gale Weathers response.  She opened her mouth to say something back but stopped when she saw detective Bailey walking through the doors. She furrowed her brow and stepped past Gale, making Gale follow her gaze.

“Y/N Y/LN,” Bailey said, raising his hand to stop you in your tracks. Once again you looked down, this time at Bailey’s hand in front of you. When you looked back up at Bailey you seemed even more annoyed than when Gale had stopped you. “Mind if we have a few words?”

“Yes,” you replied with your one-word response again.

Sam couldn’t blame you for being annoyed. She could only imagine what you were going through, it was late, you were stabbed, then Sam and her friends interrogated you, then Gale stopped you, and now Bailey was stopping you. Sam assumed you only wanted to go home, probably just wanted to rest in an actual bed.

You moved to walk past Bailey when he grabbed your arm and held you in place. You glanced to the side, looking down at Bailey’s hand on you. “I’m going to need you to come down to the station,” Bailey said. “I’m not asking.”

Sam saw the way your jaw clenched but you didn’t say anything more, you just nodded. Bailey kept his hand on your arm as he led you out the front of the hospital. Sam and Gale followed behind watching him put you in the back of his police car.

“You really know how to pick ’em,” Gale mumbled.

Sam shot her a glare. She turned around to see Tara and the twins standing there. Sam rubbed her eyes, her plan worked, she was officially tired. “Go back to the apartment,” Sam said.

“What about you?” Tara asked, stepping forward. Sam sighed and looked back to where she could see Bailey’s car still making its way down the street. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Sam turned back to her sister. “I’m the reason they’re in this mess.”

“Then I’m going with you.”

“No-”

“It’s not up for discussion.” Tara crossed her arms.

“Fine,” Sam rolled her eyes.

Tara tossed her keys to Mindy and Chad, telling them to go back to the apartment and wait for them. They all agreed to keep each other updated and text each other regularly so they all knew each other was okay. Then Sam and Tara flagged down a cab and made their way to the police station. She didn’t have a plan, but she was beating herself up, if it wasn’t for her, you wouldn’t have been stabbed and you wouldn’t be on your way to be questioned right now.

Taglist: @thatshyboy1998 @artrizzler19 @btay3115

[bronx-bomber87]

Happy Wednesday wonderful readers :) Holy hell can’t believe we're at the finale already. Granted only ten eps but still haha They really made these ten eps count. Can only wonder what a full season would’ve been like. But we can’t live in that realm. This finale minus the Monica crap didn’t care about was real good for our ship.

Also SO excited I got to mainly use pretty gifs from our wonderful gif makers in this one. They create them for us to use and I'm forever grateful. I love that I have the option to use my own if I need it. But much rather use these beautiful gifs if I can help it. First one in awhile been able to. Also proud of myself for getting this out right before my road trip. Moving to another state is a struggle. You hate all your belongings towards the end lol Also with Tumblr being a dick and erasing my edits twice.... But here it is despite all that . Let’s get started.

6x10 Escape Plan

For the sake of GIF space, and wanting to focus on the Chenford in this ep, I'm not going to do GIFs of her UC mission. I will do a quick rundown of what went down. Lucy’s priority is to get evidence linking Blair to Monica. They end up getting that link through Blair herself because of Nolan. Lucy finds out about the hit at the laundromat Monica is paying Batista for though. She is offing a former ally cause she's the absolute worst. Lucy is no longer needed as a Nanny after this with the family taking off.

They've decided to go to ground after this. Lucy is convinced it'll be easy to collar them though. Which leads us to this fantastic little moment. Lucy folds into the OP since she isn’t needed as a UC anymore. Tim does not take his eyes off her from the moment she enters the scene. It’s unreal. Be more in love with her Timothy I dare you. Look at that man above. This mini moment is so soft. The wording, the heart eyes, and how Angela is looking between them.

She knows they’re still in love with each other. Anyone with eyes can see that. It literally pours out of these two without them even noticing. Angela sure notices hehe She is the fandom in this moment watching this exchange. Melissa and Eric are damn treasure to make such a mini moment so soft and perfect. Got me squeeing to death over here. You can see he’s much happier with her apart of this OP. It’s so lovely. Brief but beautiful. Love our ship.

This scene is the second best of the episode. It’s the first time they’ve really had alone time together since the breakup. Now this isn’t the adult convo they need to have here. BUT this is a HUGE development in terms of communication. Especially from Tim. He’s the one to start and share. He’s grown so much I could cry. This conversation just shows how far he’s come and he is respecting Lucy’s boundaries in the process of this convo.

He’s opening up to her but also doing it on her terms. He doesn’t want to dump his feelings all over her. Because he lost that right when he broke them up. What he is doing is being vulnerable so Lucy knows what an impact she’s made on him. It’s a massive massive growth scene for Tim. It starts out with him sharing he took her advice about therapy. Lucy looks closed off as she should be at first. Saying and?

Tim makes a crack about her being a blackmailing psychopath. Because the jokes help him be vulnerable with her. We all know how much he hates to be that even with Lucy. So this is such good progress for him. Lucy lets him know that’s not normal what happened to him lol I've had two and that most definitely has not happened to me haha You can tell she’s excited he’s gone and doesn’t want him to sour on it cause of Blair. This convo alone proves how much it’s done for him so she wants him to know that. Always watching out for him, no matter what I love it. *happy sigh*

It's fascinating to watch Lucy soften the more he speaks about it. She remains cautious, and rightfully so. But she is intently listening and absorbing everything he’s saying. Tim letting her know the irony was she was a good therapist. And she was there was no doubt about that. She got him to go and I’ll be forever grateful to her for that. After being in therapy and having it continually make my life better I so relate with his replies.

How she opened doors to things he didn’t even know was there. You can see he is pensive but lighter as he says this. When you unearth stuff and give it room to breathe. Process what it is. You feel so much better. For me always starts out with this uneasy pressure and fire in my belly. The anxiety and uncomfortableness of it.

Then by the time we’re done dissecting it that feeling is gone and I feel noticeably lighter. Guarantee you was the same for him. You can tell by how he talks about it. Look at how Lucy is looking at him as he speaks. She can sense it too. Gah it’s so good. She is so impressed and proud of him. Look at her face in the first two gifs. It says it all to me. Melissa, like Eric, has a remarkable ability to convey so much emotion through her eyes. Why we have a super couple everyone. Our actors who portray them are superb.

Tim goes on to say now those confessions are being dissected. Up in the cloud for some FBI IT guy to come un-encrypt them. I hate that so much for him. No doubt the confessions he had were very raw and vulnerable. To have them exposed has to be so violating. I know I would be feeling incredibly violated if mine were leaked. It’s supposed to be a safe space to work your crap out. Be emotional, vulnerable, and talk your feelings out. Which is so hard for our boy.

Wish we could've seen his sessions. But they didn't have time with ten eps. Maybe S7? Tim continuing on to say how they’re going to be analyzed for evidentiary value. I hate that so much. Tim is putting a light spin on it. But we know deep down how much that bothers him. If they were in a better spot or even together he would voice that. But they’re not there yet. Lucy looks at him with a soft smile though. One betraying her feelings for this man. Telling him she’s sorry. Because she really is. Last thing she'd ever want for him.

Lucy then asks if he said anything revealing about her? Because of course he did. There’s no way in hell that man didn’t talk about her. She was one of the main reasons he sought out therapy. But there’s nothing to be done about what he revealed at this point. What’s done is done as they say. His joke had me cracking up so very much. I know it was misinterpreted by some. Wondering if he was deflecting.

He was not. He clearly said intimate and personal things in his sessions. Like I said earlier supposed to be a safe space to do so. But given where they are right now. The fact that this is their first real convo in almost four episodes he keeps it light. Maybe someday when they’re back together they can dip their toe back in but that time is not now. As I said in the very beginning of this scene. He is respecting her boundaries in this moment.

Doing this for couple reasons. One making light of it because he’s feeling vulnerable in this moment. Two he wants to lighten the mood because this is a serious subject. I wanna cry at how much he’s grown to even be vulnerable enough to share this with her. Her reply reminded me of 5x21 when she asked Tim if he missed her? It’s so cute and such a light hearted way to end this scene. This scene represents significant growth for him and for their relationship. They’re on the road to slowly healing and I’m here for it.

The hit was pops off. Tim sees one of the guys taking a truck to escape. He pursues him alone and jumps in back. Luckily his wife sees this and takes off after her man. Doesn’t waste anytime going after him. I love it sfm. When the chips are down they are just there for each other. I’ll forever love how fiercely protective they are of one another. Makes my heart swell with shippy happiness. Angela joins Lucy in the pursuit of Tim.

We watch as Lucy is having a panic attack watching Tim struggle. He is losing the battle quickly and she cannot just sit there and let him get hurt or worse. The love of her life is being demolished in this fight. She physically can’t stand it and tells Angela to take the wheel. Angela is floored by her determination to get to him. If you weren’t already impressed with the BAMF Lucy Chen has become. You will be now. Look at how she jumps onto that truck.

The music once again perfection as the scene unfolds. She is fueled by the need to protect her person and some adrenaline to go along with it. I love Tim’s face when she appears. So thankful she is there because he was NOT I repeat not winning. He was upside down so quickly. It’s why Lucy is there saving him. They immediately fall back into the well oiled machine they are in the field. Taking down this guy together. Always say they look like poetry in motion at work this scene is continual proof of that.

I love the looks they share in the cab. Tim’s far more telling than hers. Looks like he’s falling in love with her all over again For the second episode in a row. Floored by the cop she’s become. How amazing she was to make that jump and save his ass. He is forever in awe of this woman in front of him. Saying so much with just a look there Timothy. You are at work put those heart eyes away haha Actually don’t I love it so much. You can see the utter reverence in his eyes for her. Does my shippy soul good to see it.

The look Tim gives her outside the truck is EVERYTHING. She just risked her life to save him. That man is in shock. After everything he did. The fact that she would risk her life for him like that.... He can't believe it. That’s the face of a man astonished by the woman standing before him. She did it because she still loves you my silly goober of a man. But we will get there I’m sure of it. Like I said earlier this is a slow healing and I’m ready for the ride. I really am.

So much is being said with these looks and no words are even spoken. That’s the beauty of our ship right here. That silent communication only they have. How they can convey so much with just a look. God I love this ship. There’s a reason they’ve had a stranglehold on me for years. Tim cannot take his eyes off the woman in front of him. I love it so much.

T.O. Tim would’ve lost his mind at her action. In love Tim can’t stop being in awe of her for it. I can’t get over how he is looking at her. It’s so telling. Lucy is reciprocating will a look of her own. Their instinct to reach out to each other but they hold back. *sigh*. Such a an incredible fight scene. Our ship got back to back finales with bad ass fight scenes. I love watching them in the field. That’s where their roots begin. Why I love it so much.

We start off the glorious elevator scene. (And fantastic song in the background. Can't praise the music department enough.)We get back to back goodies in this space too. The scene we’re about to embark on is beautifully done. Eric and Melissa doing what they do best. Knocking it out of the park with their skills and chemistry. I love Tim’s 'Lucy smile' being in full force as she walks up to him. *happy sigh* That man could not be more in love with her if he tried. Lucy isn’t holding back with the heart eyes when he’s not looking either. Her being the one to crack the joke is precious. Lightening the vibe instantly.

Making a crack about his injury. Her way of showing she cares without it getting too personal. Because they just aren’t there yet and ya know that’s ok. This is going to be a slow burn to reconciliation. I’m actually pretty excited about it. Tim returns her affections with a joke of his own. Saying slacker is his middle name haha Ever the gentlemen let’s Lucy go on first. They settle into the elevator with some charged energy. Lucy retreats into the back of it. Not ready to be standing that close to him yet.

Wanting to keep whatever this interaction may be brief. She’s still hurting and it shows. Also, knowing the magnetic pull of theirs too strong for her to tempt fate by being closer to him. Tim feels this too as he settles in. Doesn’t push it. His spatial awareness around her remains considerate. Stays out of her bubble for the most part. The growth train with Tim continues. I’m floored by this scene everyone. Just floored. Also proud and astonished by this man. Opening up to not once but TWICE in the same episode.

Let us delve into this wonderful scene with how Tim opens it up. His back to her still. Respecting this physical boundary she has set up. I wanna start by saying watch Lucy in the background as he speaks. He only slightly turns his body so he can’t fully see it. The look of apprehension present? Yes. She is like a wounded animal, not sure if she can trust the man in front of her fully. But she cannot for the life of her keep the love and reverence out of her eyes. She does it the entire scene.

Just because she can’t trust him yet doesn’t mean she isn’t still madly in love this man. Her actions in the OP proving as much. Tim leads off with her saving his life. Blatantly stating she saved his life. Who are you and what have you done with Tim Bradford? Lucy deflects because she doesn’t know how to handle this new Tim. One who is graciously giving her credit. Lucy is feeling vulnerable herself and pushing it away. Telling Tim he had him. Honey, you don’t jump onto a moving truck out another vehicle in motion if he had him lol

Tim refuses to take ANY credit for this. Telling her basically how fucked he was in that moment. Reminding her of his predicament. Letting her know how much he DID NOT have him. He knows he screwed up in his approach and she saved him from his mistake. The growth here makes me wanna cry. They are happy tears don’t worry. The more I go through this season the more I’m glad we had this all happen. I know you must think I’m crazy for saying that. But it’s true.

Can you imagine S1 Tim acknowledging his mistake and showing gratitude to Lucy for saving him? Hell, even S5 Tim, who is madly in love with her, couldn’t share the credit in 5x05 for her saving his life in the pilot. This is a much different Tim Bradford we are looking at folks. Despite all the crap with Dr. London he has grown. Their fallout brought him to a place where he could. To the point where he is thanking her for saving him. No bravado. No tough Tim. Just vulnerability plain and simple. Not only that but sincere gratitude.

Lucy can see the vulnerability he is displaying to her. She can feel how sincere his words are because she knows this man. Back in 6x09 she asked John how he sounded. Because she can determine everything about where is by the tone of his voice. Lucy can’t even see his face really but can tell how sincere he is being by his voice.

That’s why we get this incredibly soft look from her. Heart eyes galore as she tells him ‘You’re welcome.’ As I stated earlier she may not trust him right now. But god is she is so in love with this man. It’s written all over how she is staring at him as she replies above.

Getting me all in my shippy feels and igniting my excitement. I have no doubt Tim feels she doesn’t love him anymore. If he turned around and saw her revealing look of love he would know. But he doesn’t. Being respectful of her space in this moment he keeps his back turned.

It’s here we see Tim internalizing everything. Gathering up the courage to turn around and tell her what’s been on his heart. Something I’m sure has been rattling around in his head since he started therapy. Their hug in this very elevator likely intensified these feelings even more. The kindness and empathy she showed him. Even though he felt unworthy of it. It stirred something up in him. Realizing again what he once had that he so hastily threw away. Once again Eric be killing me with his expressiveness. Tim finds the courage to turn around and speak his peace.

We watch him be vulnerable and open up to her for the third time in this ep. Second time just in this moment. Once I was shocked and proud enough. But three all together? I’m damn right giddy at this point. He starts off STRONG. Admitting he knows he ruined everything. This is HUGE. Finally admitting fault to her. The fact that he knows this and is acknowledging it. *screams into a pillow* It's everything we've waited for. It’s an incredible start to this part. So many were mad at him in 6x07. It wasn’t fair or just to Tim. He needed time to get here. Lucy may need her own therapy and growth. But is little more evolved in the emotional game than Tim.

Also it's WHY he needed therapy in the first place. Wasn’t fair to expect that out the gate for him pre-therapy. You don’t get his character if that’s what you expected IMO. Sorry if that’s harsh but it’s true. It’s what makes this scene even more satisfying. To watch him make the journey to this moment with her. To let her know he screwed up royally. That he wouldn’t have blamed her for turning on him. He made it easy to. This second line showing he still has growth to do. To get to the place where he knows Lucy love him through anything. But he’s a WIP as we all are lol

Lucy isn’t sure she is ready for this conversation. We can see that she struggles to even make eye contact with him. Like I said earlier, she’s having a hard time trusting him, let alone accepting this newer side of Tim. It’s a lot for her to take in post OP. She’s also still harboring a lot of anger towards him. You can see it percolating all over her expression. Tears forming in her eyes. Threatening to fall at any second. Melissa out here trying kill me with her amazing acting.

That anger is ever present and hasn't really had a chance to breathe or surface at all. I mentioned in 6x09 that she hadn't really dealt with the trauma of their breakup fully. Her reaction above is proof of that. This is why she’s letting him know he doesn’t have to do this. Because, deep down, this is what she’s wanted, but she isn’t sure she is actually ready for it. She hasn't sorted through her own feelings and anger fully about all this. Fingers crossed s7 does that or she is there by then. Also Lucy is trying to give Tim an out he is REFUSING to take with her reply.

Tim isn’t going to let this moment pass by without saying this. He is trying to repair them with something he should’ve done long ago. Communication. Honest communication with her. It’s on his heart to do this and nothing is stopping him. It’s here he says a line that makes us all swoon. Makes us all wanna kiss him for. Also, it's making me incredibly emotional in the process. He’s just so god damn sincere it’s making my heart ache in the best way. Letting her know she will never know how much he appreciates her kindness.

Because to Tim he felt so unworthy of it. He felt that way before they broke up. Her continuing to be the same caring empathetic person to him afterwards? Blowing his mind. Also reminding him of this incredible person he let slip through his fingers. It’s an epiphany he’s having here in this moment. What he’s really thanking her for is far more than just the truck and their elevator hug.

She’s shown him her kindness and big heart since the start of their relationship. When he was a dumpster fire and all she could see was his good heart. The man that was beneath all the damage. Lucy has been a constant source of joy, positivity and love in his life. He would be remiss not to thank her for all that she has done for him. This is extending for their whole relationship IMO. His words holding extra meaning in that regard. Thanking her for their entire relationship.

This next part is friggin EVERYTHING. This is Tim acknowledging he took her choice and voice away in 6x06. He is giving her all the say in this moment. Letting her know he will spend the rest of his life trying to pay her back. Which makes my heart happy on so many levels. Wanting to EARN his spot back at her side. Not just waltzing back in. He wants to demonstrate his commitment and win back his place in her life. Gah it’s so good.

I can't wait to see what does for his small doses in s7. Also, there’s something so beautiful about Lucy just being Lucy that reminds him why he fell in love with her in the first place. About what he has lost as well. Knowing this incredible person needs to be earned back. He then follows it up with whatever small doses she allows. Which is now on HER terms. He’s giving Lucy her voice and choice back.

Things he robbed her of in their breakup. Took away her agency when he did these things. Beautiful thing is he recognizes this and is letting her know. Not only does he have a lot to make up for, but if she allows him to, it’ll be fully on her terms and say. You’re dead inside if you weren’t tearing up in this moment. I was a mess. Also If you can’t see the enormous amount of growth this moment represents I can’t help you lol

Lucy’s guarded but softened look says everything. How she is longing to let him back in but can’t just yet. Almost like how a rescue animal would react. The need to want to trust is there. But it hasn’t been rebuilt yet. She is hesitant to truly trust in it. Lucy is floored by the man standing in front of her though. The myriad of emotions coursing through her is reflected above. Just look at her eyes alone. It’s here we can see her soften a little. Defrost a bit. She’s not there yet but she will be. We all love Lucy for her loving and forgiving heart. I don’t see why she wouldn’t let him back in if he continues this growth. This desire to make things right between them.

Working on himself to be better. Regaining his place in her life. Something he wants so badly but realizes he needs to earn back. There is a great quote from Ted Lasso that fits perfectly here. "I hope that either all of us or none of us are judged by the actions of our weakest moments. But rather by the strength we show when and if we're ever given a second chance." I remember there being a small faction of people being nasty about Tim still. How they never wanted Lucy to forgive him. It was those same people who were terrible about his mental health crisis too. Showing their emotional immaturity once again. Made my blood boil.

I avoided the Chenford tag because couldn't take the outrageous takes they were spewing. Here is what I have to say to those people. One. I hope you never make a mistake in your life then. Because the way you want this man to be treated is with zero empathy or compassion. I highly doubt you'd want that for yourself. Second refer to the quote above. No one should be defined by the actions of their weakest moments. That's not who Lucy Chen is. There is no way she would hold this against someone she loves forever. Tim is going to earn her back I guarantee you that. He is going to show strength when given that second chance. Mark my words.

Tim gives her the sweetest Lucy smile before he turns back around. Feeling better having shared a piece of himself with her. Proud of himself for being vulnerable with her even though scared him to death. Written all over his face in the second gif. But he couldn't let her leave that elevator without letting her know he was going to put the work in. Going to try and fix what he so hastily broke.

It’s once again how Lucy is looking at him when he turns back around that gets me. That longing to reach out to him but keeping herself from doing as such. Keeping herself rooted to that wall in an effort to stop herself from reaching out like she longs to. If you were wondering if she was still in love with him look at her. That is the face of a woman who is still so in love with the man before her.

Tim tops it off with bidding her good night. Nothing more nothing less. He said what he needed to say. It’s up to Lucy to accept it or ignore it completely. It’s her prerogative either way. Which is the impression he wanted to leave her with. Lucy keeping that longing but questioning look up as she follows him out below. We can see her starting to see the change in him as she does. First he tells her he's gone to therapy and now this. I saw a something the other day it said 'An apology isn't one if there isn't changed behavior.' Tim is exhibiting changed behavior here.

Lucy is feeling torn between staying mad or starting to heal. Wanting desperately to believe in his words. That is written all over her face as she exits the elevator. We see her face change into a small smile at the end. It's not in this gif but she does. This was the start to healing everyone. Also was the perfect way to end the season for them IMO. Why you ask? Because it didn’t need to more than this. Anything more would be been a disservice to this SL they created. Would’ve made breaking them up pointless. It had to have a purpose and this was it. Growth. Also this scene is a promise for s7.

I know some wanted a frantic hook up but it wasn't right to do so. They are not ready to be back together yet. Both have a lot of work to do before we get there. How they ended them for the season was *chefs kiss* It ended with Tim acknowledging the wrong he had done and what he’s going to do to make it up. That’s what makes s7 so exciting. I think he will continue therapy. I really do. I also think we’re about to see a determined Tim driven in his quest to make amends. Get to see a side of him we haven’t seen before and that excites me to no end.

Because Lucy Chen brings out the best in this man. And s7 is going to reflect that. As much as this season ripped my heart out. Truly I haven’t been this devastated by a couple in half a decade at least. If not a little more tbh. But rewatching this and having a better insight to it. I’m glad they did this. We all love Lucy rebuilding him and loving him into a better version of himself. Don’t get me wrong I love that. She changed his life dramatically for the better. Thing is she was his safety blanket emotionally.

I said this back in 6x07 that it was Tim’s journey to go on not Lucy’s. It was his problem to fix. She couldn’t fix what was wrong inside him. Only therapy and putting in the work was going to get that done. Their breakup was an eventuality without Tim growing. When they get back together (which they will) we will be grateful for the painful growth this season gave them. Said this before. Rather have them evolve snd grow as characters than be puddle deep like Bailian.

We’re going to get a stronger and even better version of Chenford in s7. Better version of them as characters as well. I cannot wait for the slow burn of their reconciliation. Going to make all the hurt worth it. Because it wouldn’t be right or realistic to rush them back together. I’m ready for the slow burn of s7. I really am. It's going to make when they get back together all the more sweet. I’ll be excited when we lose our minds collectively when it does. Also enjoying the journey it’ll take to get us there. I might do minis for s7 too. I’ll post something when we get closer to that if that’s someone people want.

Until then remember our ship is the best ship on this show. They’ll find their way back to each other. When they do it’s going to make it all worth it ❤️ Also the link above is for the song in the elevator. Whoever is in charge if music is truly gifted at what they do. Every song was lyrically perfect or just musically apt for the moment it was in. Thank you to everyone once again for the likes, comments (please leave comments haha I love them sfm) Reblogs they make all The effort so worth it. Shall see you all in s7 :)

~~~~

Side notes-Non Chenford

More creepy waking up with Bailian. I don’t get get them as a couple. I really don’t. Like watching paint dry.

Loved Aaron's mic drop of a moment with Dr. London. Well done sir. Shall miss you. Come and visit eh? Maybe for a wedding...

[ellieslittleburrow]

The reader is Jensen's 15-16 year old daughter whose mother abandoned her when she was a baby. When Jensen marries Danneel, Danneel becomes a mother to her. However, in the present day, she worries that she will be abandoned by Danneel and begins to have nightmares. The reader then explains this concern to her mother and father or uncle Jared.

Warnings : family fight, fear of abandonment.

A/N : when given multiple choices, choose all of them hehe. Enjoiiiiiiiiiii ❣️

-------

"Mornin' honey!"

Danneel, is she really abandoning you or are you just obsessing over the idea?..Not sure.

For the past few week

"Uncle Jared-Hii-It's been a while!" Real enthusiasm fills your voice and Jared spreads his arms wide for you to jump into.

"I've been swamped with work, how've you been, honey?"

How i've been? The words somehow snap back to your own reality, and all that enthusiasm almost fully melts, until your dad spoke.

"What about me, why do i not get a hug?" He continues. "You know that these days, i talk to her a lot less than i do when i'm elsewhere in the world. Comes morning and wooosh." He swings his hand like a bat. "She's gone." Your dad grabs ahold of your head and ruffles your hair, causing you to roll your eyes, hauling your head away with more force than you would've liked.

"Maybe she's got a new boooooyfriend or someone that she needs to spend time with, huh." Jared smirks, saving you from what was to come.

You tug your hands into your pocket. "Childish. And maybe she does." You raise your eyebrows. "And today's no different-"

"uh-"

Your uncle's eyes turn wide, and you slowly step back. "Sorry uncle Jared." You shrug your shoulders, turning on your heels.

"But-i had so many plans for us."

"Sooooorry." And as you wave them goodbye and close the door behind you, your heart stings. You miss your uncle to death, it's been a while since the last you saw him, and whenever you do, it's the best day ever for you. You watch movies, tell stories, ask for advice, cook.

But you can't do that today, that thing with Danneel hangs heavy in your heart and you feel that- it'll be too obvious, in your eyes, in your voice, everything. So you halfheartedly choose to go. Whatever, right? Uncle Jared can come back another day.

---

Back in your neighborhood, you snoop around the house, looking for your uncle's car, which turns out not to be there. You exhale a breath. Good. Now you can enter the house-small talk-pretend like you have to call your best friend and fly away.

But when as you opened the door to the house, laughter and noise fill the room, causing your heart to sink to your chest.

"Oh-finally. I'm honored to finally be good enough for her." You recognize your father's sarcastic tone and all you can do is puff. As you round a corner to the kitchen, you force a smile, readying yourself to pretend.

"Hi, honey." Danneel smiles and you smile back at her.

"Hey! Uncle Jared-where's your car?" You go straight to the point, surprising everyone and given the looks on your parents faces, it's not the good kind of surprise.

"it-uhhhh...it-your dad drove me here."

"Oh." You say. "Okay." The words are so blank you find yourself crossing your arms over your chest. Who are you protecting yourself from? Yourself?

"What's it with you these days, kid?" Your father takes on a slightly aggressive tone, one you hear very rarely, causing you to step back a discreet bit. "You don't spend time with us anymore, you don't eat with us-" He pauses for an aggressive second. "Don't think we didn't notice you staying up all night."

You sigh and gradually, your thoughts are louder than external noise. You would do all those things, it's not like you hate them. But-but-it's your mom. It's Danneel. She might be on her way out of your life, and how's that going to affect you? Has she thought about what that would do to you? She might be leaving. She might leave at any moment, in fact, she might be thinking about that right now.

"You know we work-right." Your father's bitter voice yanks you back to life and you realize-your eyes are stinging.

"Danneel could be gone for months and this is what you do about it-"

Those words burn at your soul, casting a even more worried look on your face.

"Jensen, calm down." Danneel butts in but that worry had already melted into anger.

"OH I BET SHE CAN'T WAIT TO LEAVE. JUST LIKE THE OTHER ONE DID."

A mixture of your name-in a growling raging voice- and a gasp coming from Danneel is all you hear as you sprint upstairs to your room. You kick the door closed and sit on the bed. What have i done what have i done-She deserved it-She will leave-but what if-

"Sweetie-"

A gasp fills the room as fear sets in.

"it's uncle Jared. I'm coming in, okay?"

Your shoulders slouch in relief. And as soon as your uncle enters the room, tears start streaming down your face.

As Jared sits beside you, he places his hand on your back, swinging left and right in the gentlest manner. "What...What was that all about, y/n?" He sounds hesitant but he proceeds. "You know all that wasn't true, none of it-"

You shrug. Because you don't know!!!! You don't know if it's true or not. "I just...I....I-" You burst into tears. "I don't know anything, uncle Jared, i don't know anything anymore."

"Well...Would you be willing to discuss your not knowing with your mom and dad?"

You shrug, leaning back on the bed to snatch a pillow and bring it over your thighs and in the meantime, your uncle leaves the room and a few moments later, your parents are there.

You lower your head down in shame. "It's not that i'm staying up all night, dad..I just can't sleep." You start just as they come in the room.

"Well-is that why you're actin-"

"NO."

"Then wh-what was that, baby?" Your dad seems to have calmed down. And you thank god for that.

You'd shrug once more but that wouldn't do much this time, so you breathe in and speak. "I....I'm scared." You bring the pillow to your chest.

"Of what?"

"Mo-Danneel...leaving"

Danneel sighs before you get to finish your sentence. "Where'd you get this from, honey? Why would you think that?"

Why would i think that? You scoff. "Well-" You whip your head to the side, locking eyes. "My real mom left, why wouldn't you?"

Danneel jerks her head back in surprise, replying with a finger to her eyebrow-to calm herself down. "Honey-Uh-Honey i would never." A thread of pain runs through her voice. And swiftly, she steps off the bed and kneels in front of you. You startle but-You don't show it.

"I wouldn't do that to you-Look me in the eyes, y/n" she commands in the softest tone and your eyes meet hers. "I love you I love you. I would never be able to live without you honey i would nnnnever."

Tears pool at your eyes again and you're in no state of mind to control yourself. "You mean that?" You ask, sniffing to stop the snot from running down your nose.

"I absolutely do!" Her voice is unshakably certain, resulting in the emergence of a tiny smile on your face. "I'm staying here- i'm not going anywhere. I promise you." She rests her hand on top of yours. "Okay?!"

You need a moment to let it all sink in, so you just keep quiet.

"Okay?" But Danneel breaks the silence, insisting on an answer.

And you do believe her-It's not like you don't! You very much do. So you do answer.

"Okay."

-------

Hope you peeps enjoyed this! See ya 🥀🥀🥀🖤🖤🖤

[staawberru]

Yandere psychologist x reader pls

Male Yandere psychologist x gn reader

hiiiii thank you so much for your request you didn’t specify a gender so I just went with gender neutral! 2.7k words

You're not crazy, you’ve never been crazy. then why are you here, a crazy house. This is where actual crazy people live, not you! Your normal your normal your normal oops you accidentally pulled your hair out again.

   “[last name]!” You hear the shrill voice of your nurse, as she rushes in. Ms Becky was a nice old lady, well nice enough. She had a short brown bob that was graying, and brown eyes covered by her big glasses. She wore the typical uniform containing a long tight skirt and a blouse. 

  “Now why would you do that, I thought you were getting better,” she scolded and she wrote something down, probably to your psychologist. You scowl, you don’t like him, even though everyone else does. There's just something off about him. Especially the way he looks at you, like a pervert. She finished writing the note and looked up at you.

   “Stay still, I’m gettin your breakfast,” she walks out, you hear her heels click on the floor till you can’t. You smile finally, some peace. You go to your bed, and as you were about to pull out your secret diary you hear the door open. It was probably Ms Becky with your food. You look at your pillow like you weren’t about to pull your most prized possession. 

   “[name]!” You hear the cheerful voice of your psychologist speak out. Your mood immediately worsens. It’s Dr. Haynes your number one opp (see you know slang how can you be crazy?) dr Haynes was A darker man with shorter brown hair. He has foresty green eyes and he always wore a brown suit. he’s done everything to worsen your stay. First he took your phone and then made it so you can’t be around anyone else. Like what kind of person does that? 

  “What are you doing?” He said and walked to you, stopping when he saw your hair on the floor. He frowned.

  “[name],” he sounded disappointed. You glare at your pillow, you don’t need his pity. 

   “Do you want to talk about it,” he asks. You lose it the way his voice sounded so smooth and pitiful. It makes you seethe,  I mean how dare he? Treating you like a child grr. He walks up and pats your back and honestly it’s the last straw. You turn around as fast as you can and try to punch him keyword try. You try to punch, slap and bite, you try to do anything to him but it doesn’t work. He grabs your hands and holds them above your head. You can still kick so you do that, kicking him if he ever tries to get close. But unfortunately it doesn’t work you don’t know how but he’s pinned you to the bed. You cringe, him this close is gross.

   “Ah! Dr Haynes I was looking for you, oh what happened?” Ms Becky asked worriedly. 

  “It’s nothing, this little thing just decided to attack me,” he smiled looking at you.          “Can you get the sedative so they can get their nap time?” Little thing? Little thing?!! You're not little, you're big and strong! This angers you more as you go back to trying to fight. You were about to try to kick him again even if he’s holding your leg down but stopped. wait nap time oh no that could only mean one thing being sedated! You hate being sedated, it leaves you powerless, weak and unable to stop him if he tries anything, and you're pretty sure he will try something. You struggle to get out of his hold now you don’t want to sleep, you don’t want to be here. 

   “Stop! let me go!” you yelp, as you start to wiggle out of his grasp. He may be stronger than you but you were smaller and you were going to use that to your advantage. So you do just that, you escape from under him, well your top half, you manage to get your arms free in the struggle and you start to push him off you. You try and free your legs but it doesn’t work so you resort to pulling his hair to hopefully get a reaction, but he’s been oddly quiet, and unmoving. He lets go, and you scurry over to the other side of the small room. You pant your arms hurt now from how hard he was holding on to them. Dr Haynes was looking forward. You couldn’t see his face but you were sure he was fuming. But that didn’t bother you. All you know is you won, you won against this strong doctor, I mean aren’t doctors nerds, why is he strong? And as you relish in your victory Ms Becky comes in concerned, I mean who can blame her? Imagine coming in a room to see your boss roughed up with some of his hair missing knowing he was trying to subdue a patient. You know how this looks, it paints you as a villain and him as the victim, but it was honestly the other way around! You were just protecting yourself! Honest! 

   “Oh my goodness Dr Haynes are you ok?” She asked disturbed. He looked up at her with claw marks you don’t remember putting on his face, he was bleeding. It was disgusting, but even more disgusting knowing the fact that people would see that and think, ‘[name] did that they’re a monster!’ So you do the only thing you can think of to run, your adrenaline is still high so you run, you run and hide in the closet. The closet is dark but that doesn’t bother you. you're used to the dark, you like the dark. The dark helps you think. Think about your ruined life stuck in this god awful place. It helps you think about Dr Haynes.

   Dr Haynes was your doctor the day you stepped foot in this hell. You remember the receptionist that signed you in saying ‘oh! You have Dr Haynes your luck! He’s a sweetheart’ and she couldn’t be farther from the truth. He was wicked the moment you first met. You remember walking into the room and seeing him at this chair smiling expectantly like he’d known you would listen to him. The way he looked at you like he knew everything about you. The way he looked at your face still red from crying. He patted the chair next to him.

   “Welcome [name],” he had said smiling. “I assume you don’t know why you're here?” His grin widened. You glare

    “Of course I don’t! I’m not crazy!” you yell and grab his shoulders, shaking them a little. You’d assume he would realize you are not crazy and let you out but no. for someone who practically lives with crazy people he doesn’t realize. He even laughed when you told him, laughed! He's probably the crazy one if anything. 

   “They all say that,” his creepy grin continues to grow. All you want to do is rip his eyes out for looking at you like that, maybe claw off his regretful pretty face. But he’s beneath you, now all you have to do is be as quiet as a mouse in hopes he won’t find you.

    You can hear the sound of the speaker ring “we have a patient lose, repeat we have a patient lose. Be careful they are dangerous be careful they are dangerous. If you see a patient running around please contact dr Haynes. Thank you!” You dangerous? Maybe you were. The feeling of being feared was great. You liked the way Ms Becky looked at you, you loved the sight of Dr Haynes bloody maybe you were crazy. No you can’t feel that way, you just can’t. If you think like that then that would mean he’s right. You hate proving people right. Anyways you stay in the closet as quiet as possible. you hear multiple footsteps and voices talk, they don’t know you’re here so they talk about the latest drama. Like apparently the new nurse slept with her patient. And they talk about how Much they like Dr. Haynes ' new haircut. You never notice these things solely because you would rather put a gun to your head then stare at him more than what’s necessary. 

    The day was passing by fast, you're surprised you haven’t been found like really surprised. But you were in the janitors closet which means soon you would be found, but you have a plan! As soon as the janitor opens the door you will rush out and towards the front door only because it’s closest. You have no concept of time but you’ve heard a lot less talking you knew it was getting later. You were back to spacing out until you heard the door rattle you perk up and lift your head from your knees and bump your head on a shelf you swear was a few inches taller. You mumble out a quiet curse and the rattling stops. Fuck did he hear you, was he going to call dr Haynes you bite your lip but after an antagonizing moment he goes back to opening the door. And quickly after the door finally opens and you bolt. You know these halls like the back of your hand thanks to your countless escape attempts.

    You push past the janitor. You were surprisingly strong in that moment but you assume it was just the adrenaline. The janitor was shocked he tried to run after you but was slow. It was working though there was basically no one to get in your way, no one. You rush past the patient rooms past the offices and you pass the receptionist desk. You see her face twist to one of horror. you turn your head to her and smirk. you are finally free, you can’t wait to explore the world again, you can’t wait to get a job, pay bills, (this is probably the only time someone was excited to pay bills) and live for yourself. Make your own decisions about your life and for god's sake you're never going to listen to another man again. You turn your head back to the front and see Dr Haynes standing at the door angrily. Now it’s your turn for your face to twist into horror. Why is he here? You try to stop to turn around but the socks you wore stopped friction from even getting a word in. So you tumble into his arm and with that your freedom tumbles too. 

   “Are you done with your little tantrum,” he mocks. You feel your eyes tear up, you were going to cry god damn it you were going to cry in front of your worst enemy. The tears start to fall out of your eyes. To save yourself from some embarrassment you try and cover your eyes. Dr Haynes seemed to take notice of your crying because he gave you a hug, And you hugged him back. You hug your worst enemy and cry your frustrations out, all of it. Your frustration about him, your life, your family for signing you up to this place. You just ugly cry on this man’s white dress shirt. 

   “Shhh it’s ok [name] shh,” he southes . “Shh, let's get you to sleep,” he Pets your head. And for the first time in your life you listen to him, maybe because you were cramped in a room unable to sleep, or the fact you didn’t sleep last night out of fear of him walking in and seeing you in such a vulnerable position, but you sleep. You sleep all of your problems away. But you know when you wake up you have to face them just not right now.

-

You woke up feeling blissful, but for some reason you're still tired you don’t know why. You rub your eyes and yawn. Your eyes are still red from crying and your head hurts. You couldn’t ask for pills to make it better dang you Dr Haynes so you just have to sit in pain. Well it doesn’t have to be boring you concluded, and how do you cure boredom in a hell like this? Write your diary! You push your sleepiness and your rouring headache away and dig under your pillow for it. Odd it’s not there, you furrow your eyebrows. there is no reason it shouldn’t be there, wait , maybe in your sleep you pushed it off the bed. You look at the floor, nothing you check under your bed, still nothing. You were getting freaked out now. Where the fuck is your diary. You pull at your hair you don’t care if you get in trouble this is your only bit of privacy left and it’s gone you chew on your lip.

   “[last name] stop! Do you want me to get Dr Haynes?” Ms Becky called out. Dr Haynes… he did this he took your diary when you where asleep that, that, that, that fucker. You start to kick your feet on the floor, then you start to kick your feet on the wall. This shocked Ms Becky and she rushed in trying to help you in any way she could. This angered you, you don’t know why you're blaming her but she had to sit and watch him take it. You glare and push Ms Becky and she toppled over. You hear her yell out in pain, but this doesn’t stop you. You run out of the room and towards Dr Haynes office to smack some sense into him. 

  You reach his room and it is cracked open. You peek inside to see him typing on his computer. It was now or never, you rushed into the room and Dr Haynes looked up.

   “Oh [name] what a pleasant surprise,” He smiled. This erked you do no end. He was trying to ack all innocent like he didn’t take something so precious from you.

   “ I know you took it,” you say glaring.

   “Took what?” He said.

   “ my diary,” you moved closer.

   “Oh! This old thing,” he pulled my diary out form this desk drawer. 

   “Yes that!” You yell out and rush towards it. Dr Haynes stands up moving the journal out of your reach. 

  “ give it back,” you demand. You see his smirk increase.

  “ I read it, you seem to really hate this place, and me,” he said.

  “Of course I hate this place! I’ve been locked in here for years and everyone thinks I’m crazy. But I’m not, I've never been crazy, I never will be crazy, I’m normal, I’m normal, I’m normal,” you rant. 

  “Wrong,” he stated.

  “ what?” 

  “ I know your not crazy,” he smiled.

  “What,” this time the what was more aggressive and assertive. 

  “I’ve known for years you’re not crazy, I mean who put you in this place?” He said 

  “My parents,” you said weakly. Who did put you here? You always assumed it was your parents since they never visited But now you are not sure. Dr Haynes smiled. 

  “You bastard, what did you do?” you try to claw at his face.

   “ sit down and I will tell you.” You glare but sit slowly.

   “Good,” he smiled. All you want to do is rip his eyes out. 

   “So one day I’m out getting groceries and I see this beautiful person lost, they’re looking around for the evils of this world. So of course I have to help them, and now you’re here.” 

   “So you saw me and decided to kidnap me?” You yell and stand up. 

   “Didn’t kidnap you,” he stated. Just then Ms Becky ran in the room rambling.

   “Dr Haynes, they’re crazy, crazy I tell you! It was like a demon came over them; they were kicking and punching things! They pushed me.” It didn’t Take a genius to tell Ms Becky was talking about me. “You were right about them, they do belong in solitary.” What solitary? You can’t go there, you'll be completely isolated! You looked at Dr Haynes, why would he want to put you there? Ms Becky looked at you mad but ignored you nonetheless. 

  “Do you have the papers that say there’s a threat?” Dr Haynes says.

   “No not yet but I’ll get on it,” Ms Becky replied. As soon as she left you look at Dr Haynes.

   “ why would you want me to be in solitary?” You ask quietly. 

   “To have you all to myself of course,” he smiled. “Besides you are becoming a liability to the hospital, we really need to stop you before you actually hurt somebody.” Were you becoming a threat? Were you becoming a liability? Were you crazy?