#I TOLD YOU PEOPLE I HAD A COMPLEX INJURY AND THAT WAS WHY IT WAS TAKING SO LONG TO HEAL

[fingertipsmp3]

Only I would get diagnosed with a hamstring tear and feel smug about it

[silverb0wties]

Lemonade - Part 4 ~ new content~

leah williamson x alessia russo x child!reader

Summary: When something bad happens to your Mummy and Daddy, you end up living with your Aunty Lessi and Aunty Leah.  But is there room for you considering they have a new baby on the way?

Chapter Summary: It's game day, but first you need to ask a few important questions

Warnings: pregnancy, panic attack

a/n: This is the first 'new' chapter (as in hasn't been previously posted), so I'm very nervous about posting this. Fingers crossed you all enjoy it.

|| Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 ||

PART 4

It’s quiet in the car on the way to the training centre, the low hum of the radio the only noise.  Your brain however hasn’t stopped running wild with thoughts ever since school the other day.  You’d tried to find the answers to your questions in books, but Mr Webster the librarian had told you they were too grown up for you to be reading without an adult. 

Rubbing the soft fur of Arthur's ear against your cheek, you slowly mustered up the courage to ask your Aunties the questions you’d been dying to know the answers to.

“Aunty Lessi, Aunty Leah… C-can I ask a… a question?  About the b-baby?”

You could see Aunty Leah smile through the reflection in the rearview mirror as your Aunty Lessi turned around in the passenger seat to look at you.

“Of course you can, Bun.  You can always ask us anything.”

You let out a sigh of relief, before taking in a deep breath and beginning your line of questioning.

“Okay, so all the books I’ve ever read and the movies I’ve seen, there’s a Mummy and a Daddy, and well, my Mummy said that babies happen when a Mummy and a Daddy love each other very much.  But I also heard at school that there’s something to do with birds and bees, but I don’t really know how that works.  So, because there’s no Daddy here, did you have to get something from birds and bees, like feathers and honey or something to make a magic potion to make the baby? Oh and, and, and also, where does booby milk come from?  Like I know the baby is in your tummy Aunty Leah, so you will have booby milk, but will you also have booby milk, Aunty Lessi?  And is it just like the same milk you buy at the shops?  Like what we use on our cereal or is it different? And is that different to the milk bunnies make? And how do bunnies make babies? And h-”

“Alright, alright let’s answer one question at a time, yeah?” Aunty Lessi cut your questions off with a chuckle.

You took another deep breath and nodded, rubbing Arthur’s ear across your cheek, relieved to have finally gotten those questions out.

“Okay, so, you’re right.  Generally, but not always, babies happen when two people love each other very much.  It doesn’t have to be a Mummy and a Daddy, though, it’s just that that is what tends to happen a bit more often.  But these days there’s more and more families that have two Mummies or two Daddies or a completely different type of family structure all together.  The science of it all is a bit more complex, but I promise you…” Aunty Leah caught your eye in the rear-view mirror with a mischievous glint “…there are no magic bird feathers or honey potions involved.”  You giggled at her as she winked at you in the mirror.

“Yeah Bun, every family’s story is a bit different, but for us, your Aunty Leah and I went to the doctors and asked them for help in making us a baby.  Some families can make their babies at home, like your Mummy and Daddy made you at home, but lots of families need some help from their doctors” Aunty Lessi explained.

“So, you went to the doctors, and they put a tiny little baby in Aunty Leah?”

“Basically, yeah” she confirmed.

“But why Aunty Leah, why not you?” you wondered.

“You know how Aunty Leah hurt her leg?” Aunty Lessi asked.

You nodded.  Your Daddy had told you all about how it was really sad because she was meant to go play in the World Cup thing in Brazil with Aunty Lessi, and she was captain of the England team, but she couldn’t play because of her injury.  And he had said that she had hurt her other leg the exact same way just before the last big World Cup thing and wasn’t able to play in that either.  You were only 4 back then, but you kind of remember watching your Aunty Lessi play in those games on the TV.  And you remember her bringing home a shiny silver medal but being pretty sad about it. Your Aunty Leah wasn’t your Aunty yet back then though, so you didn’t know about her leg the first time around.

“Well, I decided that if I wasn’t going to be able to go play at the World Cup again, then I wanted to do something really, really meaningful with my time away from football.  I’ve always wanted to start a family, but it’s super difficult with football to fit it all in with our schedules.  But I knew that I would be away from the pitch for at least another 9 months, so, I asked Aunty Lessi if we could have a baby.  Try and make the best out of a bad situation” Aunty Leah explained, a sad looking smile on her face.

“Oh, that makes sense, I guess.  When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, right?” you replied, repeating the phrase your Daddy had taught you.

There was a short silence before your Aunties burst into an absolute fit of laughter, tears falling from their eyes as they tried time and time again to unsuccessfully stop their hysterics.

You didn’t know what was so funny about what you said.  Did you use the phrase wrong?  It was one your Daddy used all the time.  You’d thought it was a little bit silly at first too, but it definitely wasn’t laugh so hard you cry kind of funny.  But what if you’d used it totally wrong and they were laughing at you like the kids in school laughed at you when they thought you were uncool?

Loser. Loser. Loser

“S-sorry Bun, we’re not l-laughing at you, we promise,” your Aunty Leah muffled through her laughter.

“It’s… it’s just that, when Aunty Leah first talked to me about having a baby, she used that exact phrase, and I made her swear on her life that she would never, ever refer to our future child as lemonade ever again!” Aunty Lessi giggled.

You gasped, immediately terrified that you’d insulted your Aunty Lessi, mistakenly making fun of her unborn baby.  “Oh, I’m so, so sorry Aunty Lessi, I didn’t mean to be rude! I really didn’t-”

“No, no Bunny, it’s okay.  Because after that, pretty much everyone we told that Aunty Leah was pregnant and they realised the timeline with her knee said the exact same thing – when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!”

“And while Aunty Lessi was adamant at first that we couldn’t refer to the baby as Lemonade, well… we now sometimes do call them our little Lemonade.  It’s become an affectionate nickname of sorts,” Aunty Leah assured you.

“Really?” you asked, still terrified that you’d upset them.

“Yeah.  I guess we just weren’t expecting to hear that saying from you, so it caught us off guard a bit.  Sorry, we got a bit carried away.” Aunty Lessi promised you, reaching her hand back to take yours, her gesture both reassuring and comforting you.

“So, you call the baby Lemonade?” You asked after a short silence.  They both nodded with a giggle.  “Can I call the baby Lemonade?”  They both laughed again

“Okay, but only when it’s just us, alright?  We don’t want the team or anyone else catching on.  It’s our little secret. And once they’re born, we’ll call them by their real name,” Aunty Lessi bargained with you.

“Deal!”

“Deal!”

There was a short silence as the excitement of the revelation settled.  You suddenly realised all your questions hadn’t been answered.  “Okay, but what about the booby milk?”

Your Aunty Leah laughed before replying, “Only I will make that, and it’s just for the baby.  We won’t be putting it on cereal.  It’s got special nutrients in it that are just right for the baby because they can’t eat or drink anything else for the first several months.  Only the Mummy who is pregnant makes milk.”

“But what if the baby is hungry but you’re at the shops or something?  How does Aunty Lessi feed them?” you asked. 

“Well, I can do what is called pumping, which is basically using a machine to squeeze the milk out of my boobies so that we can store it for when I’m not around, or just so Aunty Lessi can feed the baby even if I am here.  You can even feed them if you want to”

“I can? Really?”  The thought of helping feed the baby, helping feed Lemonade, made you feel a strange, but nice, sense of warm and tingly.  You didn’t know what the feeling was, but it made you want to sing and fly and twirl.

“Yeah.  It might take a little while for them to get used to using a bottle, but once they’re used to it, you can definitely have a turn feeding them,” Aunty Lessi told you.

“So, it’s different to our cereal milk then?” you questioned.

“Yes, that’s cow’s milk.  Or some people use oat milk or goat milk or soy mi-”

“What about bunny milk?” you interrupted.

 “I’ve never heard of humans drinking bunny milk, I think only baby bunnies drink that.”  Aunty Lessi laughed at your question.  You weren’t too sure why.  If people drank cow’s milk and goat’s milk, why not bunny milk?

“And how do bunnies make babies?  Is it the same as people? They just love each other?” you enquired.

“Well, there’s a little bit more to it than that for both people and bunnies.  But it’s a bit complicated and I think we would be better off explaining it with the help of some books from the library.  How about we pick some out the next time we’re there, yeah?  We could maybe go on Tuesday after school,” Aunty Leah suggested.

“I like the sound of that” you agreed.

“I thought you might.”

--

As the car parked at the training ground, you looked out the window to see people dressed in red everywhere.  There was a large bus waiting out the front of the building, and a big brown dog with soft looking ears lying on the ground in front of the bus door.

You loved dogs.  You loved all animals really.  You connected with them far quicker, easier and deeper than you seemed to connect to humans, especially those your age.  You’d never been able to get a pet because your Daddy was allergic to lots of different kinds of fur, but whenever you got the chance to meet a dog or a cat or a bird or a lizard or a fish or turtle or a guinea pig or a horse or a BUNNY… you jumped at the opportunity.

As Aunty Lessi opened your door and helped you out of your car seat, your eyes stayed glued to the big brown dog the whole time.

“Alright Bunny, we just have to sign in, get our lanyards and th-” Aunt Leah began explaining.

“Can I pat the dog?” you interrupted, simply unable to wait any longer. 

Your Aunty Leah looked up from where she was pulling a bag out of the boot of the car and noticed where your gaze was fixated in the direction of the big soft looking brown dog.

“Oh yes, of course you can sweets.  That’s Winnie.  She’s our team dog.  She’s really friendly.”

Not needing to be told twice, you ran towards the dog, dropping to your knees as you reached her.  You carefully held your hand out to her as you’d been taught to do when meeting a new animal, and she gave you a good sniff before she sat up and rubbed her cheek against your hand. 

“Hi Winnie, I’m Y/K, but everyone calls me Bunny, or Bun.  It’s so nice to meet you.”  You began scratching at the fur behind her ears, her head tilting as you hit what seemed to be a good spot.  “You are such a pretty girl.  And you are oh so soft and shiny.”

“I’m happy to see you’ve made a friend already, Bun.”

You looked up to see your Aunty Lessi smiling down at you as she crouched down to give Win a pat too.

“Does she come to all your games and practices and stuff?” you asked.

“Not all of them, but she hangs around the training centre a lot and she does come to some games.  I believe she’s coming along to the Emirates with us today,” she replied.

“Really?  Is she coming on the bus too?  What kind of dog is she?  Where does she go when the game is on?  Does she sit in the stands?  If she’s the team dog, then where does she live?” you asked.

“Well, she’s a chocolate labrador-” your Aunty Lessi began to explain.

“Ya got a new fan, Win?”

You whipped your head around to the source of the peculiar sounding voice as a lady with big eyelashes and a really pretty smile came walking towards you.

“Bunny, this is Katie” your Aunty Lessi stood to greet the new arrival.

“Hey there Bun, I’ve heard all about ya from yer Aunties!”

You didn’t really know how to reply.  You had never been good at talking to new people, especially when you didn’t have a specific topic or task to talk to them about.

“Well, the girls and I heard yer big into reading, and wanted to learn a bit more about football, so we got ya a few books.  Some of them are about football, some of them are just ones we liked when we were kids.  I was never much of a reader, so I wouldn’t trust my recommendations, but there’s a few smarties in the team like you are, so those are the ones who we took the recommendations from.”  She winked at you as she held a large glittery purple gift bag out towards you.

“Oh wow. Th-Thank you. I’m sorry I didn’t bring any presents for you or the others.”

Selfish. Selfish. Selfish.

“Nah, don’t be silly kid.  This is a welcome to the team present from all the gals.  I just hope there isn’t any double ups with ones you’ve already read.  I’ve heard ya read loads of books!” 

“I-I have.  I love to read.  Thank you for the present” your hands trembled slightly as you took the bag from her grasp, overwhelmed by her kindness.

“No worries kiddo.  I hope you enjoy the game!”  She winked at you again before heading onto bus.

Winnie nudged at your hip with her nose, saddened that you’d stopped your pats to collect your present.  You looked between the bag in your hands and the dog, unsure of how to give both the attention they deserved. 

“How about I pop the present in the car, and we can go through it tonight after the game?  That way you’ve got something to look forward to at home, yeah?” Aunty Lessi suggested.

You nodded hastily, thankful for the suggestion.  She collected the bag from your hands and you immediately turned your attention back to Win, giggling as she rolled onto her back for you to scratch her tummy.

Much too soon it was time to say bye to Winnie and get on the big bus.  There was already lots of people bustling about amongst the seats as your Aunty Lessi guided you down the aisle toward two pairs of empty seats behind each other.  Your Aunty Leah sat in the front seats and you and Aunty Lessi sat in the back two.

The bus ride to the stadium was… chaotic.  Everyone on the team wanted to come meet you and say hi, but it’s rather overwhelming trying to learn all the new names and faces.  At some point you caught your Aunty Leah not so subtly waving people away as you began to curl against the window and rub Arthur’s ear softly across your cheek.  You’d reached forward and squeezed her hand through the gap in the seats in a silent thank you.  

You do specifically remember one player you met named Lia, because she has the same name as your Aunty, but apparently, it’s spelt differently.  She said she helped pick out some of the books in your present and that she’d love to go to the library with you some time.  When you asked your Aunty Leah if that would be okay, she had said “Absolutely!”

There was also another kid on the bus; a little boy running up and down the aisle with light up sneakers and a jersey with the number 19 on it.  You couldn’t quite figure out who his adults were though, because everyone seemed to treat him like their own.  He couldn’t be more than 2 or 3 years old you figured because he doesn’t seem to speak in full sentences and he still seemed a bit wobbly on his feet. 

At one point in the bus trip, he got upset over something and began crying and screaming for his Mummy.  A lady with pretty blue eyes and her hair in a tight little bun scurried down the aisle to pick him up and cuddle him.

“Is he okay?” you asked your Aunty Lessi.

“Oh, I’m sure Jack will be just fine.  I think he just took a little tumble.  Caitlin will make sure he’s all better,” she reassured you.

If you had thought the bus trip was overwhelming, that was nothing compared to the stadium itself.  As the bus drove in, there was a sea of people dressed in red and white that stretched on for as far as you could see.

You had watched your Aunties play before, both on television and in the stands, and you knew there were lots and lots of people who came to watch, but there was something different about seeing it from this perspective.

“It’s gunna be a bit loud once we park up and get out of the bus, alright Bun?  And like we talked about, there’s gunna be lots of people all over the place.  So make sure you keep your lanyard on and just hold tight to my hand until we get into the locker room, yeah?” Aunty Lessi reminded you.

“Can do, Aunty Lessi” you replied.

When the bus came to a stop, you gripped your Aunty Lessi’s hand tight.  It was only a few steps, but the noise as you got off the bus and entered through the players entrance was entirely overwhelming.  You couldn’t help but screw your face up as the screeches and squeals rattled and clawed at every bone in your body.  You lifted your hands to cover your ears, but both were full – one with your Aunty Lessi’s hand, and the other clutched tight to Arthur.

Thankfully the cheering and squealing noise faded out pretty quickly as you moved through the underbelly of the stadium, making your way into the locker room.  Your Aunty Lessi guided you over to a cubby that had your Aunty Leah’s name on it.

“I’ve got to go do pitch inspections and get dressed and ready for the game now.  Will you be alright just hanging out here?  Aunty Leah is just doing a quick interview, but she should be in shortly and I will be around, yeah?” she asked, handing you your backpack.

You nodded, quite happy to curl up into the little nook with Arthur and a book.  You unzipped your bag and retrieved your book as well as the little purple blanket you’d stuffed in there, and bundled yourself up.  But before you could start reading, your eyes drifted over all the different names on the back of the players shirts that hung in the other cubbies.

Fox, 2.  Mead, 9.  Walti (there was some funny dots above the A in her name, which you made a mental note to research when you next had your iPad), 13.  Foord, 19.  McCabe, 11.

Wait.  McCabe.  McCabe’s number was the one Aunty Leah had said you weren’t allowed to get printed on your jersey. 

“The only rule is that you’re not allowed to pick McCabe’s number, because we will never hear the end of that, okay?”

They had all seemed really nice on the bus, but if Aunty Leah had made a rule, then there had to be a reason for it.  Maybe McCabe was mean to your Aunties like the kids at school were to you?

When the players all shuffled in and placed their belongings in their cubbies, you were immediately confused to see the nice lady with big eyelashes who had given you the bag of books sit down in front of the McCabe jersey.  You were even more confused when the little boy from the bus toddled up to her and asked “Ma! Ma!  Kywa has sweeties.  I has them too?”

“Ya already sweeties on the bus Jack.  If ya have too many more, ya won’t be able to sit still enough to watch the game” she told him, crouching down to straighten out his red and white shirt.

The little boy’s head fell forward immediately, his bottom lip jutting out as he looked like he was about to cry.  “But-but- Ma! I want the sweeties! I be good.  Promise.  I sit still.”

“Alright, but just one.  You hear that Kyra, just one,” she shouted, making sure a cheeky looking player holding a bag of sweets heard her.

“Kywa, Ma said yes.  I has sweeties!” the little boy cheered, running off toward who you figured must be Kyra’s direction.  She scooped him up in her arms and gave him a high five before offering him the bag of sweets to choose from.

You really couldn’t wrap your head around how the McCabe you’d met and observed today could possibly be mean to your Aunties like the kids at school were to you.  She seemed like a good ‘Ma’ and she had been really kind to you.  There had to be another reason why your Aunty Leah wouldn’t let you get her number on your shirt.

As you sat and pondered, your Aunty Leah entered the locker room.

“Looks like you’ve got yourself all set up here, Bun,” she chuckled as she approached you, placing her bag in the shelf below where you sat.  You nodded, squeezing Arthur tight.

“Okay, so normally for the game friends and family sit way up the top of the stadium in fancy seats, so that’s where like my Mum and cousins and stuff will be sitting.  But because I can’t play at the moment because of the baby, we thought you might like to sit down behind the subs bench with me, so you don’t have to go sit with people you don’t know very well.  Is that alright?” she asked.

You nodded immediately, terrified at the thought of having to sit with a bunch of people you didn’t really know.  “Y-yes please.  If that’s okay with your boss?”

“Of course it is.  I double checked with all the big bosses and it’s totally fine.  I do warn you that I can get a little bit… well… passionate about the game at times” she chuckled. 

“Passionate?  She’ll scream your bloody ear off!” a lady with blonde hair and blue eyes interjected.  She’d introduced herself of the bus but you couldn’t quite remember her name.  You think it started with a B?  Belle?  Bess?

“Oh, ignore her Bunny.  I’ll be on my best behaviour.  But I did bring you a pair of earmuffs just in case it’s a bit too loud in the stadium,” she reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of sparkly purple ear defenders.  There was a little cartoon bunny sticker on each of the ears.

You were in awe.  They were so pretty and they had obviously been purchased specifically with you in mind.  Wriggling out of your blanket burrow, you leaped toward your Aunty Leah, wishing a simple hug could show just how much these earmuffs meant to you.

“Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.”

Thank angle was awkward due to her big baby belly, but you felt her nestle her nose against the top of your head and smile.

“Anything for you, babygirl.”

--

The game was intense.  There was lots and lots and lots of people.  Your Aunties team was versing a blue team called Chelsea, and from what you could tell, they seemed to be Arsenal’s archrivals.

The noise between the fans was beyond intense, and you were so overwhelmingly grateful for the earmuffs your Aunty Leah had given you.  They didn’t block out everything, but they took the edge off the screeching sounds of horns and squealing cries of other young girls in the crowd. 

During the game there were lots of attempts from both teams at kicking the ball into the back of the net, but none of them had been successful.  Toward the end of the second half, the referee had pulled out several yellow cards from her shirt pocket – you weren’t quite sure what that meant, but you had made a mental note to research that.  Your Aunty Leah had told you that each half went for 45 minutes but when the big clock hit 45:00 another lady on the sideline held up a board with the number 4 on it and play appeared to go on.  It was all very confusing. 

But then… then the blue team made some kind of mistake, and it seemed like Arsenal had heaps of room to themselves and out of nowhere your Aunty Lessi was flying down the pitch towards the goal with the ball at her feet.

Within moments she was smashing the ball passed the opposition’s goalkeeper and into the back of the net.  Beside you, your Aunty Leah sprung to her feet, screaming with joy.

“Yessss!  That’s my girl!  Come on, Less!”

The crowd around you roared, scarves swinging, horns shrieking, music blaring.

Your Aunty Lessi ran towards where you were sitting and threw her hands up into a love heart shape, before pointing right at you, the smile on her face as big as you’d ever seen it.

For a brief moment it felt really nice to know your Aunty Lessi had been thinking about you while she was playing and scoring the goal.  You felt that same warm feeling, tingly feeling that you’d felt early in the car; the one that made you want to sing and fly and twirl.  You felt a sense of safety and home, thinking for just a moment that maybe you could be a part of your Aunties forever family, maybe there could be room for you in their lives even after Lemonade arrive.

But then, you realised there were cameras pointed in your direction and your face was on the big screens and everyone in the stadium was looking directly at you.  Your hands began to tremble, and your cheeks began to flush as the walls of the stadium felt as though they were crashing in on you.  You burrowed your face deep into the plush fur of Arthur’s belly and soon your felt your Aunty Leah’s arms wrap around you and pull you into her side.  You could hear your heart beating in your ears as you clung to fabric of your Aunty’s jacket. 

A few moments later you felt her gently tug back the cup on your earmuffs and whisper to you, “You’re okay Bun, it’s alright.  The cameras are off you now.  It’s okay sweetie.”

Whilst you were relieved to hear the cameras were no longer directed at you, your whole body was still trembling; your breath so tight in your throat you thought you might soon pass out.  Your Aunty Leah pulled back a little to look down at you, her face covered in concern.  She tried to tell you something, but you couldn’t make out the words, her voice muffled by a mixture of the earmuffs and what you could only describe as the sound of ringing and whooshing and thumping and silence all mixed together.

You could feel your chest becoming tighter and tighter as your eyes flickered around trying to figure out the source of the tightness.  It kind of reminded you of the tightness you felt when you couldn’t breathe because of the… smoke.

Smoke means fire!

Was there a fire?

You needed to get out of there.

You needed to get your Aunty Leah out of there.  You needed to get Lemonade out of there.

You couldn’t see fire.  You couldn’t smell smoke.  There was no smoke alarm.  But the tightness in your chest.  It could only be that.  It had to be that.

As you tried to get to your feet to get you and your Aunty Leah and Lemonade out of there, you felt them collapse underneath you.  You felt a thud to your head, but then there was nothing.  Simply nothing.

[gemini-sensei]

New Neighbor | Jaime Reyes x Plus-Sized!Reader

Requested ● Fem!Artist!Reader

CW: 18+, minor blood and injury, smut, unprotected sex, breeding kink, creampie, rough sex, Scarabs being Scarabs, Reader's scarab is like an overprotective older sibling, pregnancy, strangers to friends to lovers, probably more. (unedited)

A/N: I added some details to this that weren't in the og ask. They just kind of slipped in there, so I hope that's okay. I also gave the other scarab the name Rami because it was all I could think of.

It started off as being neighborly. Nothing more, nothing less, but it was enough for Jaime and Reader to notice each other. She was moving into the apartment next to his and he offered to help her move some boxes in. She was curvy and capable, seeming to lift the boxes without any trouble, but he was a gentleman and he'd still offer no matter what. The least he could do was hold the door open for her, but she smiled and accepted his offer.

"It'll move things along a lot faster," she laughed.

Once all the boxes and furniture were in her apartment, he offered her something to drink from his place since she didn't have much more than some convenience store bottles and snacks. She accepted and they spent an hour talking, getting to know each other. He worked as a law consultant for Kord Industries while she was a waitress at a new restaurant in the city. They talked about their families and why they decided to live in the city, both agreeing that it was easier to get to their jobs that way. Reader admitted that waitressing was just a temporary thing because she had bigger dreams of being an artist.

Then she had to leave to get ready for work. As soon as she was gone, Khaji Da started:

"Based off of your elevating blood pressure and hormone levels, I can tell you're highly attracted to Reader," it said.

Jaime groaned as his face began to burn. "Don't say stuff like that!"

"It's the truth," it said, continuing its analysis of what just happened without missing a beat. "I'll need to collect more data, but it appears the two of you would be compatible together."

"I'm not having this conversation with you," he told it, shaking his head. He cleaned up the glassware and pushed Khaji Da's ideas out of his mind, at least as much as he could.

In the apartment next to his, Reader was having the opportunity conversation with the pink alien weapon that had attached itself to her over a year ago.

"I don't like him," her Scarab, who'd chosen the name Rami to go by, said. Only she could hear its voice, which didn't bother her much. If anyone else could hear what it said, they'd be offended. It was fiercely protective of her, usually warning her about all sorts of people and their supposed intentions. Reader had gotten used to blocking it out when necessary. "He's hiding something."

"Everyone is entitled to their secrets," Reader told it, stripping down to get in the shower. "Like me. I have you to hide from the world."

"This is true, however, I do not like this Jaime character. He's too nice and obviously hiding something bigger than you think," Rami said. Though its voice was monotonous, it used every word smartly to get its point across.

Reader thought of Rami as somewhat of a brother figure despite it being a sexless war weapon that had bonded to her every fiber of being. She mostly thought this because of the masculine tone it had. The authoritative nature of its words and knowledge lended itself to the idea. It constantly reminded her of its engineered origins so as to not humanize it but she constantly reminded it that it cared for her, which was a human emotion. so, no matter human or biomechanical, they were complex beings.

However, its constant nagging over guys made her wonder why she had to be the chosen one. Why did she have to have a scarab attached to her back? What had she done that made Rami so sure it wanted her as its host? All questions she had asked herself before with little to no answers to be given. She let it be, accepting that this was her life and she'd keep it to herself, because surely there wasn't anyone else who could possibly understand her situation.

Over the next month, Reader and Jaime crossed paths now and again. They saw each other in the hallway or elevator up to their apartments, while getting the mail, or on the balconies right next to each other. They exchanged hello's or see-you-later's, sometimes more than that. Each time she saw him, Reader was a little more smitten by him. Each time he saw her, Jaime fell a little more for her. However, their schedules didn't always align.

Jaime's job, and his cover, as Kord Industries' law consultant, took up his mornings and sometimes his nights. He constantly helped his friend Jenny with something related to the company or the crime rampant throughout the city. He didn't mind, of course, he was being paid to help run tests even though he didn't always understand what they were doing. Reader worked evenings and nights. She raked in tips like no other waiter or waitress at her job, but she always came home tired from the constant pleasantries even if some customers had been rude to her. She kept smiling but after a particularly bad night where she'd gotten yelled at by a man for supposedly giving him the wrong drink on purpose (despite that being what he ordered the first time), she thought about quitting. Especially after Rami wanted to start a fight with the man, not that anyone else knew about that.

On her Saturday off, Reader was sitting on her balcony with a book and a lemonade. The sun was shining bright and it seemed like a night day to just relax, take things easy, and breathe. Jaime, unaware that she was outside and his door was open, was having a small spat with Khaji Da. It had decided to bring up Reader again, finished with it's "data collection" and it had come to the determination that Reader was the perfect "mate" for Jaime.

"You can't just say stuff like that! Do you understand how strange that sounds?" he asked, having been taken off guard by the statement.

Reader looked up, wondering who he was talking to. Sometimes she heard him talking to someone occasionally, but she just assumed that he was talking on the phone since he lived on his own. However, she'd never heard him arguing with them before and it seemed to be in intense one at that.

After a few more minutes of the back and forth, trying to explain to Khaji that certain words shouldn't be used to describe a relationship, he walked out onto the balcony for some fresh air. He was startled to find Reader sitting on the balcony next to his, though he didn't know why. It was her's, she could sit there all damn day if she wanted to. He just hoped he didn't just sound crazy to her.

"Everything okay?" she asked softly.

He nodded, leaning on the railing. "Yeah, everything's fine."

She smiled. "Were you on the phone with your sister?"

He nodded almost too quickly. "Yeah, she's always trying to tell me what to do in the weirdest way possible."

Reader laughed softly, but let it die down as Rami spoke to her; "He's lying."

She wanted to tell it to shut up but bit her tongue. Instead, she spoke to Jaime. "Well, advice from others is usually only that. Advice. The only thing you can really do is decide what you want. No one else can do that for you."

He nodded. "You're right, as usual."

They talked across their balconies like that until they couldn't. He had other engagements to attend to as lunchtime approached. She slipped back into her apartment once he was gone, which was when she called Rami out.

"You can't keep doing this," she mumbled, shaking her head. "He's a great guy. He hasn't done anything to us, so you can't go making assumptions about him."

"He's a liar," Rami stated, almost like a stubborn child. "Do not trust him so easily, Reader."

She rolled her eyes and started prepping to make lunch.

That night, she was watching TV. The news was rampant with coverage about a nasty bank robbery that had taken place downtown. Luckily, only a few people were hurt and were recovering in the hospital thanks to the local hero Blue Beetle. He'd seemingly swooped in just in time to rescue the hostages, take out the robbers, and ensure everyone's safety. The robbery had started not long after 1pm and things were only just beginning to cool down as night settled.

As Reader switched from the news to something a little more upbeat and cheery, a noise came from the balcony. She stood up and took a defensive stance facing the door, Rami ready to armor her if need be. She'd pulled the curtain over the door because the morning sun was a bitch, so she couldn't see outside. However, they were on the fourth floor. No one should be on the balcony. Reader was convinced the news had just gotten into her head a little bit and that there was nothing to worry about.

Except when the door began to open. Reader gave the command in a low voice, "Hands."

Rami armored her hands so she could easily make a weapon to defend herself with. A bat was easy enough and formed between her palms as soon as she thought of it.

The figure was walking into the room, pushing the curtain out. They were slow, easing their way into the dark apartment. Reader quietly made her way over. Once she was close enough, she swung and hit the person over the head, knocking them down.

They groaned and fell from the curtain, revealing the blue-clad superhero. Her eyes widened as she got a good look at him, shocked to see that he was there in her apartment.

"Oh my god!" she said, still holding her bat up. "What are you doing here!"

"I live here," Blue Beetle groaned. He held his head, a little rattled. His armor was in shambles and in need of some repairs. He'd been through a lot, a lot more than what was shown on the news. He obviously needed some help and some rest, but Reader knew one other thing was for certain: he didn't live here.

"I live here," she said, sighing. She lowered the bat, aware that she couldn't exactly let it go or put it away without giving herself away. "You must've hit your head or something."

"No head injury until you hit me," he said. He sat up, leaning back on his arms.

She winced. "I'm so sorry."

"I can't blame you," he said and looked around the apartment. "You're right, as usual. This isn't my apartment."

She nodded, then stopped as she caught what he said. "Wait, what did you just say?"

"You're right," he said, holding back.

"As usual," she finished, looking him over. She replayed his voice over in her head. "Jaime?"

"Shit," he cursed and retracted his mask, able to breath a little better. "I'm so sorry, Reader. This shouldn't have happened."

"Well, at least we know what he's hiding," Rami said.

"Why are you sorry?" Reader asked, leaning some of her weight on her bat.

"I've put you in danger simply by you knowing who I am," Jaime said.

Then Rami said, "That's a scarab."

Reader choked on air. "What?"

Jaime's eyes widened and he scrambled to his feet. He put his hands out in an assuring manner, sure that he'd freaked her out. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, but I swear, I'll do everything to protect you should anyone come after you or try to hurt you."

At the same time he was talking, Rami was explaining how the armor Jaime wore was the same as she would if it would let her show her all it was capable of. It had been a long time since the pink scarab had been allowed to fully use its host, but the beginning of their partnership had been rough and she'd been resistant to the whole body armor thing. They hadn't tried again since they first bonded. It had never been necessary either.

"Stop, just stop, I can't listen to both of you at the same time!" she shouted, bringing her hands up to her head. The bat retracted into her hand and the armor that Jaime had thought were gloves in the dark disappeared. "Just shut up for a minute!"

Jaime stood in shock, wondering what was going on. He listened though and everything was quiet. Khaji was down needing as much rest as he did, so it was truly quiet.

After a moment to collect her thoughts, Reader looked at him. "You're Blue Beetle."

He nodded. "Yeah."

"And you have a scarab."

He nodded again. "How did you know that."

"Because," Reader said and turned around. She rolled up her shirt, exposing her rolls and fat, but also the pink scarab embedded along her spine. It was a sight Jaime was sure he'd never see on another person. "I have one too."

The conversation would have gone on if Jaime hadn't collapsed on Reader's couch. It obviously wasn't the time to talk about it. As soon as she saw that he didn't have as much energy as he'd like to show her, she jumped into action to get him cleaned up. His armor retracted and he was naked on her furniture, but she didn't bat an eye at it. She covered him up and got a warm rag to start cleaning up a few injuries he had on his side, where his armor had been cracked. He was still conscious and talking, which was a good sign. She kept his talking, asking him how this had happened.

He explained that the bank robbers were on some sort of enhancement drug that made them nearly indestructible. He had to hand the case over to the Justice League once that little tidbit had been revealed by one of the overconfident robbers. It was supposed to stop others from capturing them, but they hadn't accounted for a hero like Blue Beetle to show up. Despite that, he'd got slammed into the bank counter somewhere near the end of the fight and a lot of his scarab's energy went to trying to repair it in time, but the fight still went on. Nevertheless, they'd been taken care of and were on their way to a highly secure prison where they couldn't hurt or scare anyone else.

Reader bandaged him up and put a pillow under his head. "Well, I'm glad you're okay."

He frowned. "I still put you in danger."

"No, you just made Rami a whole lot more protective of me," she told him, smiling. "With the both of you on my side, I couldn't possibly get hurt. Not that I can't take care of myself."

He gave a tired smile. "Right. You've got one Hell of a swing."

She giggled and kissed Jaime on the head. "Rest up. I'll go get some clothes out of your apartment."

And that was how they got even closer. Knowing the other had some world-destroying biotech embedded in their backs opened up a lot of doors for them to confide in each other and get even closer. Jaime told her about how he became Khaji Da's host and of his father, who he'd looked up to all his life. Reader told him the story of how she'd found her scarab while backpacking in the jungle; she'd thought she found some ancient fossil, not a rock from outer space that held an alien war weapon.

They spent more time at each other's places, especially after Reader had enough of getting treated like shit after a new manager was put in charge at her job and quit. She'd saved up enough money to get by for a while and it gave her time to work on her art. It was a nice change of pace and she was happier because of it. Months went by of them hanging out, inside and outside of their apartment building, but the more time they spent together, the more Khaji encouraged Jaime to make a move.

Or rather, mate with Reader.

It didn't come up in those terms, but Khaji constantly brought up how great of a mate Reader would be. It was talking all the time the two spent together as proof that it was right about this. However, every time it came up, Jaime shut it down almost immediately. Because while he did like Reader, he didn't want to make a move too fast. He wasn't even sure if she liked him.

Reader was in a similar dilemma, though her own scarab could care less about Jaime. She liked him but didn't know if she wanted to go through asking him out. What if he said no? She'd make things awkward between herself and the only other person who understands what she goes through daily.

Rami disagreed. While it didn't like Jaime, it saw things Reader seemingly didn't. "He's staring again." or "This is the seventh time he's offered to do something for you in four days." It's very obvious to Rami that Jaime has a crush on her, more than a crush it will argue.

"He is highly attracted to you, Reader," it said one day while she was painting. "You're as equally as attracted to him as he is to you. Just look at what you're doing."

When she blinked and actually looked at what she'd been painting, it was a famous Blue Beetle. It was artistic and colorful and produced with admiration. She set it aside and decided to go on a walk to clear her head.

As she passed Jaime in the hall, Khaji Da noticed something. "She's happier and free of stress, making this her more fertile cycle yet."

Jaime could have died right there on the floor. He hurried to his apartment and slammed the door shut behind him. "What are you talking about!?"

"Reader. Her fertility is at its highest now that she has removed herself from a stressful work environment, allowing her to become happier. As a result, she is far more fertile than before and in the perfect position for breeding," Khaji explained.

Jaime felt like he was going to lose his mind. "We aren't even in a relationship! You can't assume these things are going to happen when we're just friends! I'm not talking about this anymore, mostly because this is a huge violation of Reader's privacy!"

The conversation might have ended there, but Jaime's mind couldn't stop thinking about it. Ever since they'd met, he'd been undoubtedly attracted to Reader. She's beautiful, kind, and smart. It was helpful that her voluptuous figure was so eye-catching. She was purely gorgeous and sometimes all he wanted was to grab a handful of her ass or squeeze her wide hips so he could pull her into him. He wanted to kiss her lips and feel her body against his, fat tits squished against his chest. But for the most part, he pushed those thoughts down because Reader was his friend and friends didn't think of each other like that.

The following evening, they were hanging out at his place. They'd had take out together and were cleaning up when he brushed up against her as she put the leftovers in the fridge. He only meant to grab another drink but he accidentally pressed up against her ass while she was bent over and it sparked something. Things grew hot quickly and both of them didn't know what to do or think for the longest time.

So, because of their inability to take charge of their destinies, Khaji and Rami (both on different wavelengths but somehow on the same page) forced proximately between their hosts. Khaji pushed Jaime forward and Rami moved Reader into just the right position. Their lips met in a surprising, hard kiss. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was long enough for the two to want more of each other.

They threw themselves at each other and wrapped their arms around the other. They kissed feverishly, moaning into each other's mouths hotly. Jaime's hands roamed and explored Reader's body, squeezing her sides and hips to pull her closer. One of her hands laid on the back of his neck while the other pushed into his hair. He groaned as she gripped his hair and she took the chance to dart her tongue into his mouth. She took charge until he started leading her through the apartment, barely parting from each other to see where they were going. She giggled as they tripped over something on the floor, only for him to pick her up, throw her over his shoulder, and carry her to his bedroom.

He tossed her onto the bed and she looked up at him, seeing the dark look in his eyes. It was lustful and needy, fell of admiration as she lay on his bed. She sat up quickly and pulled her shirt off, followed by her bra. Her body was revealed to him in all its glory, making him hard as a rock in his sweats. He pushed them down and kicked them off with his boxers, making her lick her lips as she saw him. Her mouth looked so pretty and warm, but it wasn't what he wanted in that moment.

No, the idea of breeding her had been planted in his head and he had to go through with it. He had to fuck her deep and thoroughly to ensure she was full of him and that they'd reproduce strong, healthy young.

He couldn't even push those terms out of his head, too clouded by need and lust for Reader. Under any other circumstances, he'd never use words like "reproduce" and "young" when even thinking about sex, let alone at the idea of getting his girlfriend pregnant. (Did this mean they were together? He hoped so).

"Do you want this?" he asked her, ready to help her out of her pants.

She nodded. "Yes, fucking yes. I need you, Jaime."

He tugged her pants off and slowly slid her panties down her longs afterward, making her whine as he seemingly decided that he now wanted to take his time with her. He threw his shirt off and dove between her legs, throwing them over his shoulders so he could eat her out properly in preparation for what was to come. He licked a stripe up her folds and used his thumbs to spread them, pushing his tongue into her already wet cunt. She moaned and shuddered under his touch, hands combing through his hair until she found a nice grip on it. She tugged on his dark locks with just about every movement he made, getting her riled up as she cried out his name. She came a few minutes later and Jaime lapped up most of her juices, selfishly tasting her. Her thighs squeezed his head and he swore he could almost die happy like that.

Almost. It would have been a nice way to go but they were nowhere near the end

He stood on his knees after throwing her legs off of him. He fisted his cock, a small bead of pre cum leaking from the tip as he looked down at her. She had to catch her breath after her first orgasm of many to come that night. He used his other hand to reach down and fondle her tits, which he was already imagining swelling with milk.

Even though the primal need had wormed its way into his thoughts, that he wanted this so badly, he still needed to ask her. If he was thinking rationally without being horny as fuck, he wouldn't phrase it like this. It was absurd, but it was all he wanted: "Can I breed you, please?"

Was it smart? Probably not, but Reader nodded. She couldn't see herself with anyone else, especially now that they've had this special bond between them, this thing that no one else will ever fully understand. And because of it, she could say she felt like she'd known Jaime for years, as opposed to ten months. Her answer probably had to do with her ovulation, but she wasn't thinking about that at that very moment. All she was thinking about was Jaime and his fat dick he was prepping for her.

He grinned and leaned down, kissing her hard. She moaned into his mouth as he pressed into her, the head of his cock popping into her tight pussy. She threw her arms around him to keep the kiss going, but it was hard when he continued to push into her. Her head fell back and she moaned, feeling the way he stretched her out. His hands held her hips, angling them up so he could press as deeply into her the first time. Once their hips met, her eyes rolled up and she gasped.

"So fucking deep," she sighed, looking up at him. "Holy- oh my- Jaime!"

"You take me so well, hermosa," he told her, kissing her head as she got used to his size. He held back for that reason, knowing that they had to get used to each other. "Fuck, you're so tight."

She giggled, pulling his head down to kiss him once more. They made out for a while until she told him it was okay for him to move. That was when he tightly gripped her tender hips and slowly pulled back but not out. He then drove into her hard, hips smacking into hers harshly. She threw her head back to moan loudly, feeling the way he hit deep inside of her, somehow immediately finding that spongey spot that made her go crazy.

"Right there, right there! Oh fuck!" she cried out.

Jaime made a note of her reaction and thrust into her hard and slow, hitting that spot repeatedly. She was already high from her last orgasm, so it didn't take him long to make her come again, this time on his cock, making it easier for him to slide in and out of her. He upped his pace, making sure to hold her hips in place so he could fuck her perfectly. He grunted with each thrust, resting his forehead on hers. She stared up into his eyes and he watched her lovely eyes be full of nothing but lust and admiration.

He was so worked up that he came not long after her. She wrapped her legs around his waist when he said he was going to come and pulled him in close. He sheathed himself in her pussy to the hilt, firing off the first of many loads he'd fill her with. His cock throbbed with each shot of his thick cum he gave her. He kissed her sloppily, making a mess of their already slightly swollen lips. They moaned into each other's mouths, holding each other close, pressed together.

When he pulled away, they caught their breaths as he tapered off. He pulled out of her slowly, looking down at her pussy. Nothing happened for a moment, then a small trickle of his cum leaked out of her. It was beautiful seeing her like that, but he wanted more.

He turned her over and grabbed her ass, squeezing it hard and making her moan his name loudly. She was hardly on her hands and knees, mostly laying there with her ass up in the air. He gave it a quick smack before fisting his still-hard cock. "I can't wait until you're full of me."

She gave a hazy, happy smile as she heard this. She pushed herself up onto her hands and shook her ass at him, biting her lip. The little bit of rest she got between coming on his cock and now was enough to regain some energy. She reached back and spread her ass, then hit it with a loud smack! "Then fill me up, Jaime."

He wasted no time fulfilling that order, grabbing her by her hips and pulling her back into him. He slid into her with ease. He used his knees to make her spread her knees further apart and he pushed her back onto the mattress so she was properly presented to him. She grabbed a pillow to rest her head on and looked at him over her shoulder, grinning at him. "Fuck me."

He fell into a fast pace, pulling her back into his thrusts. One hand held her hip and the other wandered up her back, gently tracing the scarab embedded in her back. To anyone else, it would look rather unpleasant, but to him it was beautiful. They were alike in this way and there was no part of her that was not absolutely gorgeous to him. He wanted her to know that even though she said she didn't feel bad about how her body had changed to accommodate the scarab. Maybe in the beginning she had some thoughts about it and didn't think highly of herself for it, but after so long with it, she was at peace with it. Jaime just liked the idea of showing her he loved that part of her too.

Loved. Fuck, he loved her. Since he met her, all he'd been doing was falling in love with her. Her mind, her body, her kindness, her smile and laugh, the way she always greeted him and read on her balcony, or how she always offered him food when she cooked too much for herself.

He wrapped his arm around her midsection and pulled her up to him. He buried his face in her neck and kissed her scalding skin, making her tilt her head to the side. His hand wandered her body, starting at her tits and giving them a rough fondling before traveling down to her belly, where he groped it gently. His voice came out gruff and needy as his lips caressed her ear. "I can't wait till you have my babies in you. You're already so beautiful, but you're gonna be so fucking hot round and filled out with our babies."

She moaned, reaching behind her to put a hand on the back of his head, fisting his hair. Her other hand went to lay over his on her belly and he grabbed it, holding it there with his. All she could say was his name, enamored by every word he said.

"I'll take care of you. You can paint everyday, all day long, and grow our pretty little babies. I'll keep you pregnant and you can sit back and I'll take care of you," he mumbled into her ear.

She leaned her head back on his chest, closing her eyes as he fucked her toward another orgasm. She tried to tell him she was going to come, but it rocked her body before she could get all the words out. But that was okay. He knew, and he drove into her harder so he could come with her and fill her pretty, fat cunt up like they both wanted.

She shook in his arms as she came, crying out for him and that pretty little life he'd painted for her. It was so nice, so pretty. She turned her head to look at him, only for his lips to crash into hers.

After a few minutes, he laid them down and pulled her back into his chest. She relaxed against the sheets and rested her head back against him, only for his hips to start again. She moaned lowly, overstimulated but it wasn't bad. If she really wanted to, she could push back into his thrusts, but she was tired. Maybe next time.

She let him do his thing, feeling how lazy these thrusts were in comparison to the others before them. They let out soft moans and grunts, didn't speak this time, only let their actions speak for themselves. They held hands as he came again and he kissed her neck. She was so close to falling asleep, smiling as things began to settle. The heat of the moment eased into coolness and they laid together like that for a while. At some point, Jaime pulled a thin blanket over them and they fell asleep together.

Reader never went back to her apartment after that night. The morning after, Jaime made her breakfast and they ate together, then fucked again, and in the middle of that passionate romp admitted their feelings for each other. He told her he loved her and she told him she didn't know if she could live without him in her life. He never asked her to move in, that was just a given. He did, however, take it upon himself to move her things into his apartment and talk to the landlord about the whole situation, since her name was on a lease and blah blah blah.

They didn't talk about the whole breeding thing and instead let fate take the wheel on that one, even though they both liked the idea and wanted it. They didn't even get pregnant that first time, and thankfully so because, aside from meeting his sister when she came to pester him and get out of the house, she had yet to meet his family. It seemed to happen as soon as she was accepted by his family, though, before a few months after that, Rami was telling Reader the great news.

"Last night, I performed a physical evaluation for you after you're, as you put it, 'feeling under the weather', and have found something you'll be elated to hear," it said one morning while she was brushing her teeth.

She hummed and spit. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

"You are pregnant," Rami said.

She'd just been getting ready to rinse and spit the water out, hitting the mirror with an alarming shot. She realized why the taste of her toothpaste had might have made her gag earlier. "What? Are you sure?"

"I am positive," it said, then started going over her blood and hormones, a bunch of doctors talk she didn't care to really hear. She stared at herself in the mirror, a smile slowly growing on her face. Then the scarab said something else: "And it appears the egg has split, meaning-"

"Twins?"

"Yes, that's correct."

Jaime was in the next room getting ready for work and was unprepared for Reader to come running in. She practically jumped on him and would have taken him to the ground were it not for Khaji and Rami's quick reflexes that caught them.

"Jaime!" she all but cried.

He held her, looking at her with a bewildered smile. "Yes, mi amor? What is it? Why are you charging in here like you've won the lottery?"

"I pretty much have," she giggled and took his hands from her waist and put them on her belly. She didn't have to say anything else.

His eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I've got the best pregnancy test on my back. I'm pregnant!"

She jumped for joy and Jaime pulled her into a firm hug.

Rami was less than impressed. "Reader, be more careful. You are now in charge of precious offspring. Your body is delicate."

Reader scoff and huffed. "I'm not delicate."

Jaime had to stifle a laugh, sure that the scarab on her back had somehow offended her. He kissed her cheek and said, "Rami, be careful. You do know mood swings come with the territory of pregnancy, don't you?"

Rami, though knowing Jaime couldn't hear it, said to Reader, "Does he think I do not know how to take care of my host. I have already done my research on human pregnancy. As soon as I knew you were indeed pregnant with offspring, I plugged into the internet to find out more of how to properly care for you."

Reader sighed and nodded, still holding onto Jaime in a gentle side hug. "I'm sure you did, Rami. That's... wonderful, but we've talked about hooking into the internet router."

Jaime had to laugh this time and shook his head. "Come on, let's go to breakfast. You two can argue about internet safety later."

"But I thought you had to be at Kord this morning," Reader said.

He shrugged. "They'll understand I had to take my beautiful girlfriend out for celebratory waffles."

She smiled and giggled. "You know me so well, but I have to go finish brushing my teeth."

As she hurried out the room, Jaime watched her with a bright smile. And a little voice in his head said, "I told you the two of you were compatible."

[wol-fica]

-𝔼𝕩𝕔𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 ℙ𝕋𝟚-

pairings - taracarpenter x fem!reader

summary - you and tara are inseparable, but one trip away from New York could change all of it…

warnings - angst, talk of injuries, implied smut

an - forgot to post this :/

part 1

——————————

1 Week Later

You were running, fast and out of breath to get out of the airport and home as soon as you could. 

Four days after you landed in Montreal, you got a call from Sam telling you that another ghostface attack happened. Your heart dropped at the news, and you told her you would book the soonest flight possible.

Unfortunately, that flight would be three days later, and each hour of each day was grueling and terrifying. Your thoughts ran wild with Tara, if she was okay, what had happened, and why that fucker was back. 

You hurried past the crowd of people by the door, spotting your uber nearby. You ran over to him, threw your belongings in the car, and practically yelled the address at him. Your leg bounced the whole way, nails being chewed on during the ride.

You sent Tara a text at some point, saying you were home and on the way to her, but you didn’t get a response. She didn’t even read the message, which had your heart beating way too fast. 

Eventually you made it to the apartment complex, thanking your driver before throwing your bag over your shoulder and running inside. You went up four flights up stairs before reaching the Carpenter sisters door. Your fist met the wood, knocking light but fast. 

Each second felt like a minute, which then felt like an hour. You rocked impatiently on your feet, until the door clicked and swung open. There stood Sam, looking weary and tired, but alive. She smiled weakly at you, reaching to pull you into a hug.

“Y/N.” She said, giving you a sisterly squeeze, “Welcome back.”

“Hey Sam.” You replied, pulling back to give her a quick check over, “You okay?”

“No, but I will be.” She patted your shoulder, “Come on in.”

You walked past her into the living room, setting your bag down on one of their chairs before turning back to her. She looked tired, worn and beaten down from her encounter with ghostface. There was a new scar on her shoulder, stitched up and bruised around the edges. It looked deep, like whoever had slashed her had a personal agenda against her.

You eyed her warily, unsure of what to comment on. She assumed your thoughts, and gestures to the scar on her shoulder.

“Had to take a souvenir with me, didn’t I?” 

You didn’t know whether to laugh or scold her, but the look on her face told you that she was being humorous. So you snorted, stifling your laugh to a giggle as she chuckled with you.

“Haaa…uhm…where’s Tara?” You asked after calming down, wiping your eyes.

“She’s out with Mindy and Chad, they wanted to get lunch.” Sam replied, moving past you and into the kitchen, “Are you hungry? I’m sure it was a long flight.”

Your stomach comically growled, causing Sam to smirk, “Uhh yeah, I could use some food.”

She nodded, going to the fridge to make something for you to eat. You planned on following her, until the jingle of keys caught your attention. Your head whipped around, just in time to see three very familiar faces waltz into the room. Mindy came in first, Chad followed after…with Tara tucked under his arm?

You saw her before she saw you, which gave you a chance to analyze her features. She looked almost the same as when you left, just a little more pale than normal but you brushed it off as blood loss. Her arm was in a blue sling, contrasting against the black jeans and white blouse she wore. She was laughing, gazing up at Chad with eyes that you wish she was looking at you with, and that pained your heart.

“Oh hey Y/N!” Mindy said, waving at you.

Tara’s eyes snapped to you, wide and surprised to see that you were standing in her apartment. Time seemed to slow as she moved, speedily walking around the couch and throwing herself into your arms. Your arms enveloped her, pulling her in for a tight hug, her face tucking under your chin and into your chest.

Her scent invaded your nose, but it wasn’t the smell you remembered of her. Sure, it was still her earthy soil fragrance, but it had now mixed in with a masculine cologne that made your stomach churn unpleasantly. You knew who it belonged to, but you didn’t wanna assume the worst.

Maybe they just got close?

Hopefully.

“Y-you’re home…” She cried into your chest, hugging your waist tightly, “You c-came back…”

You took her chin in your hand, tilting her face up to look at you. Tears had cascaded down her face, ruining her mascara but that wasn’t really the problem at the moment. You smiled at her, leaning down to brush your lips against hers. She pushed herself into you, bouncing up on her toes when her lips met yours. 

The kiss was soft, passionate and sweet that had your heart thumping way too fast. Her lips were so delicious, plump, soft and all around irresistible. She leaned into you, chasing and huffing when you pulled back for air.

“I’m here.” You reassured her softly, kissing her forehead gently, “I’m not going anywhere.”

She sobbed at your words, grateful to have you back in her arms. A whimper passed her lips when you hugged her closer, your hand accidentally brushing against her new found scar on her back. You cringed, moving your hand to her lower back instead. 

“Sorry.” You mumbled, in which she hummed and squeezed you harder in response.

“It’s okay, you didn’t know.” She whispered into your ear, kissing the shell of it, “There’s a lot you don’t know…”

You smiled, pulling back to get a better look at her. Some hair had fallen into her face, so you gently tucked the locks behind her ear to see her features better. Tanned skin splashed with freckles, and beautiful brown eyes that had your knees buckling.

Your Tara.

“We need to catch you up on a lot.” Mindy said from across the room, giving you a tight lipped smile.  

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here.” You said, glancing around between all four of them, “I wish I was here to help.”

“Don’t belittle yourself like that.” Tara affirmed, pulling at your shirt to remove the wrinkles, “You couldn’t have known about anything.”

You sighed, giving a nod with a tight lipped smile. Your eyes trailed to Chad, locking a gaze with him. He was staring at you with a look you couldn’t quite pinpoint, a sort of narrowed unease look.

Jealousy.

“Hey man.” You said to him, catching his attention.

His face changed immediately, an award-winning smile on his face, “Hey Y/N/N.”

“Hey, your food is on the table.” Sam called from the room over, causing Mindy and Chad to start to move towards the door.

“We need to get back to our dorms.” Mindy said, giving you a smile and a wave, “See you in class!”

The door swung shut, and you subconsciously let out a sigh of relief. Chad was making you feel uncomfortable, and a small pit of sourness had formed in your stomach from seeing him so close to your girlfriend. You’re not sure if something had happened between them, or if the events of those two days had changed them, but there was a new spark there that you weren’t fond of. 

“How was your retreat?” Tara asked after you sat down and she slid herself into your side, “Did you enjoy it?”

“It was alright.” You shrugged, taking a large bite of the sandwich Sam made you, “Boring mostly.”

Tara hummed, leaning her head on your shoulder while your arm went around her to pull her into you. 

“I’d ask how it was here while I was gone, but that seems inappropriate.” You joked, watching Sam to gauge if that was okay to say.

She seemed stoic for a second, but let out a light chuckle at your humor. Tara giggled as well, pinching your side as a punishment but she seemed to let it slide. You smiled, turning to press your lips to her hair before finishing your sandwich and standing up.

“Thank you for feeding me Sam.” You said, leaning over the sink to wash your plate.

“Of course, you look like you need it.” She replied, taking the washed plate and setting it on the drying mat, “You also look like you need sleep.”

You nodded, a comedic yawn coming through at her statement. Tara snorted from behind you, in which Sam shrugged and you rolled your eyes.

“Just a nap though, nothing heavy.” You muttered, stretching your arms, “Is the guest room open?”

“Yeah it’s-.”

“You can sleep in mine!” Tara interrupted, jumping up from her chair, “It’s more comfortable anyways.”

You shrugged, giving Sam a thankful smile before grabbing your things and heading to your girlfriends room. Tara hurried behind you, taking one of your bags with her non-injured arm. You pushed her door open, subconsciously sighing at the sight of it. 

It was the same as when you left, still decorated like Tara begged you to do, still organized to perfection, and still smelling like the girl you loved. 

Still her.

The touch of a hand on your back made you jump, your head turning to catch Tara’s brown eyes. She gazed at you lovingly, a gentle smile on her face as her hand moved to cup your cheek.

“I missed you.” She murmured, standing on her tiptoes to press a soft kiss to your lips.

“I missed you more.” You replied, deepening the kiss and pulling her into you.

She mumbled something incoherent against your lips and turned her head to the side, slotting herself against you. Her tongue prodded against your mouth, wishing to be let in so she could properly taste you. You complied, parting your lips so she could infiltrate you.

“Mmph.” You moaned, your hands squeezing her hips with a bruising grip, “Tara…”

She hummed, trying to push you towards the bed. You almost agreed, until a waft of men’s cologne hit your nose again. It made you hesitate, and Tara felt your body tense up under her hand. 

She pulled back from you with a furrowed brow, “What’s wrong?”

You stared her down, blinking awkwardly and opening your mouth to speak. No words came, just pure silence as you stared at her. You wanted to ask about the cologne, you knew it belonged fo Chad and now you wanted to know what happened between them, but you also didn’t want to jeopardize your relationship just because you thought she was possibly doing something with him.

“Nothing I…I’m just tired.” You gave her a reassuring smile, but she saw right through you. 

“No something’s wrong, you’ve been weird since you got home.” She said, frowning at you, “Tell me.”

You shrugged, not really keen on speaking your concerns. Tara’s eyes narrowed, her lips curling down into a small pout. She shoved you lightly, pushing you back to sit on the edge of her bed. Once you sat down, she planted herself right in your lap, a way to make sure you wouldn’t run off and away from her.

“What is it?” She asked softly, her eyes tender and full of love, “You know you can talk to me, baby.”

“Tara, you wouldn’t want me to.” You murmured, rubbing her hips with your thumbs.

“That is such bullshit and you know it.”

You sighed and caved in, leaning in to press your lips to her cheek before you spoke.

“Did something happen between you and Chad while I was gone?” You asked tentatively, watching her reaction.

Tara stiffened, eyebrows furrowing and eyes darting away from yours instantly. You knew you hit the mark, especially when her hand left your shoulder to nervously play with the necklace you bought her.

“Not something I’m proud of.” She mumbled, turning her head away from you, “Promise you won’t scream at me.”

“Yeah, of course.” You replied, massaging her thighs in an effort to calm her nerves.

She inhaled, reaching up to thread her fingers in your hair. Her nails softly scratched your scalp, almost making your eyes flutter shut if you weren’t so focused on what she was about to tell you. 

“When we were at the theatre, trying to trap…ghostface.” Tara seethed, wincing at the lethal name, “Chad confessed to me.”

You stayed quiet, listening intently to what she had to say. Your thumbs rubbed on her thighs, coaxing her to tell you the rest. She took a deep breath, and sighed sadly before speaking.

“He kissed me, and I didn’t push him away.” 

You tensed, your eyes narrowing. Your emotions rose dangerously, but you remained as calm as you could possibly be. The promise you made rang in your ears, and yelling at her wouldn’t help the cause anyways. 

How could she kiss him? Why would he kiss her? Chad was well aware that you and Tara have been dating since the beginning of college, so what force compelled him to make a move on her when you were gone?

“I froze up, I didn’t know what to do.” Tara muttered sadly, reaching down to intertwin your fingers with hers, “His arms were around me, and I was so shocked that I just stood there and-”

You pulled her lips into yours, silencing her rambling immediately. She melted in your hold, hooking her arm around your neck to pull herself closer to you. Your arms slid around her waist, being well aware of her new injuries before hugging her gently. 

“You’re okay.” You mumbled to her, pressing a comforting kiss to her neck, “I’m not mad.”

She sighed in relief, dropping her head to rest on your shoulder before her body started to shake from her tears falling freely.

“I never meant to do that to you.” She sniffled, her hand rubbing your back, “The only reason he is still here is because I never told Sam and I didn’t wanna be a dick towards him.”

“It’s alright, Tara.” You reassured, patting her butt, “Did you at least remind him that you aren’t interested?”

She giggled, giving you a gentle squeeze, “Of course I did.”

You hummed, falling backwards onto the bed with her still on top of you. She squealed in surprise, laughing when you rolled over and began to pepper her neck with little feather kisses. She reached up and cupped your cheek, pulling your attention to her. Her eyes trailed over your features, seemingly taking in your appearance so she could remember it. 

“So beautiful.” Tara cooed, licking her lips before pulling you down into a kiss.

Your lips moved in sync, and your mind fired blank spots when her knee sneakily slid up between your legs.

A nap could wait. 

————————————

taglist: @cartierdreamx@tundra1029@red1culous@vorsdany@andsoigotabutterfly@theafterofnevermore@yomomisgay@house-of-lovin@slvt4lanadelrey@thenextdawn@nepobaby08@dunohilly@somekindofpoet@alexkolax@cinffy23@pedrosprincess@amberfreemansburntface@myfturn

[oswildin]

Not Just A Passenger (Din Djarin x F!Reader)

Summary: You and The Mandalorian have a complex relationship. He got under your skin, and you felt he didn’t trust you. However, slowly you begin to realise and understand it wasn’t that at all… It was quite the opposite.

Warnings: Violence/Injury, Confessions, Fluff, Angst, Takes place around season one

A/N: My first Mandalorian fic! It’s a bit rough round the edges, I just wanted to write something fluffy and cliche lol. Enjoy!

You had a love/hate relationship with The Mandalorian. You loved how he cared for the kid and how he was protective of him. You loved how his humour was dry and sarcastic. You loved his general broody personality. However, you hated that he seemingly didn’t trust you completely. You hated how he treated you like a passenger, not an equal. You hated how he would order you around and not listen to what you had to say. Sure, it was his ship, his mission… But you were apart of it. You were there to help.

The two of you often butted heads, causing arguments and dramatics which often made the kid watch you both with sad eyes. You never meant to upset the kid, but sometimes Mando just… He got under your skin. Peli witnessed one of your many arguments once whilst she was doing some maintenance on the Crest.

“I’m here too you know!” You exclaimed, looking up at Mando’s helmet. “I can help! Why won’t you let me?”

“It’s dangerous.” Mando simply stated, his voice still calm but with a hint of irritation.

“Duh!” You shook your head. “Do you think I think this is all for fun?” You gestured around you in a dramatic fashion, seeing Peli holding the kid off to the side who was making disgruntled little gurgles. “What are you so worried about? Have I not proven myself?” Mando went silent, letting out a sigh as he hung his head for a second.

“Can we do this later?” He dismissed himself, walking off as he gave a glance at Peli, before walking away.

“Ugh.” You grumbled, refraining from kicking a nearby scrap of metal in frustration. Peli glanced down at the kid before walking towards you.

“Yikes.” She raised her brows. “Trouble in paradise?” You scoffed, turning to look at her. “Don’t think this little one enjoys seeing Mummy and Daddy fight.” She bounced him up and down as you frowned, shaking your head quickly.

“No. We’re not-“ You almost laughed. “I’m not exactly mother material.” You landed on, as the kids ears lowered slightly, causing your heart to ache. “Look kid, nothing against you, it’s just-“ You paused. “God, he is so annoying.” You went back to Mando, shaking your head. Peli smirked.

“Seems like he really gets under your skin.”

“Yes! That’s exactly it.” You let out a breath. “He doesn’t trust me. And it’s obvious.” You slumped down, sitting on a nearby crate. Peli joined you, with the kid still watching intently.

“I don’t think our friend trusts many people.” She offered. “But, do you really think that’s the problem here?” You frowned, giving her a confused stare.

“Well, what else would it be?”

“Maybe…” She paused. “Maybe he’s just protective of you.” You took in her words, before raising a brow.

“Protective of me?” You almost scoffed. “The kid? Sure. Anyone can see that. But me?” You shook your head. “He treats me like I’m… I’m his subordinate. I want to be his equal.”

“Have you ever told him that?”

“Not outright.” You lowered your voice. The kid reached out for you, causing you to take him from Peli’s grip, as you held him on your lap, looking down as he stared up at you. “Besides, once this little one gets to where he needs to be, I don’t think there will be much reason for me to stay.”

“I’m not so sure about that.”

Mando returned after an hour or so, thanking and paying Peli for the work as he silently entered the ship, leaving you and the kid to follow. Great. He was still sulking. Sighing to yourself, you followed, going to put the kid down to rest as he was clearly getting tired. Once you’d put him down, you reluctantly headed to the front of the ship, joining Mando as he sat in the pilots seat, getting the ship ready for take off.

“So, are we going to talk about earlier or?” You asked, arms folded over your chest as you stood leant against the doorway. Mando stayed silent for a second, before speaking.

“There isn’t anything to talk about.”

“Yes there is.” You took a step towards him, wanting him to turn to face you. “I’m tired of being treated like… Well, like the kid.” You pursed your lips. “I’m not helpless, I can defend myself, I can help you, so use me.”

“I don’t need your help.”

Except, that’s exactly what ended up happening.

You were ambushed. Thankfully the kid was safe, hiding away in the Crest, but as soon as you both stepped off the ship, bounty hunters had you surrounded. Mando quickly sprung into action, firing at the hunters and using hand on hand combat to fight them off. You grabbed your own blaster, shooting at anyone who came near you. Looking up from your position, you looked over to see a Hunter coming up behind Mando whilst he was distracted by two other hunters. Your eyes widened, as the hunter behind Mando raised his dagger. Before you could react quick enough, the dagger caught Mando’s un-armoured neck, creating a slash. You blasted the hunter before approaching, stepping over the dead bodies before you as you shot the other two he had been fighting. Rage and fear consumed you. He was still standing, but you could see he was running on adrenaline. Satisfied you were safe, well as safe as you could be, you approached him.

“Mando…” You looked at him wearily, as he turned. You could hear his ragged breaths through his helmet. “Get inside.” You ordered him, to which he hesitated. “Mando!” You exclaimed, getting him moving. You could see his body becoming weaker in front of you, as you ushered him inside the ship once again, closing the door behind you.

“I’m… Fine.” He tried to wave you off, to which you ignored, immediately grabbing a med kit. As you turned, you watched as he stumbled into the wall, slowly falling down as he sat, leant against the cold metal of the ship. You rushed to him, gently tilting his head to see blood staining his under garments material. Unhooking his cape from around his neck and shoulders, you gently rolled down the neck of his shirt to reveal the wound. Whilst the wound was bleeding a lot, it didn’t seem to have got any main arteries.

“Maker-“ You breathed out, quickly opening the med kit. You grabbed some cloths as you pressed on the wound, muttering an apology as he hissed at the contact. “I don’t think you’ll need stitches, but it’s pretty nasty.” You told him softly.

“It’s fine.” He huffed out, trying to move, which led to you pushing him back.

“Mando, please… Let me do this.” You almost pleaded, your eyes trying to find his own behind the helmet. He hesitated before giving in, staying out. “It needs tending to.” You told him quietly. Grabbing the bacta bandage, gently placing it over the wound, smoothing it down as Mando let out a breath. “How do you feel?” You asked.

“Fine.” He tried as you stared at him in a stern manner. “No fever, just a bit worse for wear.” He landed on.

“Good.” You sighed, leaning back. “You lost a bit of blood, so you’ll probably need to rest. Whether you’ll listen to me or not…” You peered down, tidying up the med kit. You could feel his stare on you.

“Thank you.” He told you softly. You didn’t say anything as you moved to put away the kit. Mando took a second before slowly getting up, still leaning on the wall for support. You grabbed a nearby cloth as you wiped your hands, seeing specks of dried blood on your fingers. That was too close. He could’ve died. He was lucky the hunter had shit aim. Even with a dagger and such close proximity. What would you have done? If anything happened…

“It’s not that I don’t trust you.”

Mando’s voice broke you from your thoughts. You turned to him, furrowing your brows.

“Or that I don’t think you’re capable.” He continued, sighing.

“Then why?” You stepped towards him. “What is it that makes you treat me the way you do?” A moment passed.

“I don’t want you to get hurt.” He admitted, causing your heart to stop for a second. You stared at him with slightly widened eyes, your mouth slightly open. “You and the kid…” He paused. “You’re my responsibility.” Your features softened at his words, as you swallowed the lump in your throat.

“Mando-“

“Din.” He said. “My name is Din.” You couldn’t help the small smile that graced your lips.

“Din…” You let his name roll off your tongue. “You’re my responsibility too.” You said gently. “I worry about you. I want to help. As I keep saying…” You let out a breath. “You don’t need to feel like you’re the only one who has to look out for us all.”

“But it’s my job.” At his words you walked to him. He watched you closely. You pursed your lips before biting the bullet, deciding to wrap your arms around his armour, holding him in a hug. He tended for a second, clearly not used to the affection. However, after his tense stature dissolved, he relaxed, putting a loose arm around your back, accepting the comfort you were offering.

“No.”

Din tapped the kids hand gently, waving him away from your bowl of soup. For such a small thing, he didn’t half eat a lot. Laughing, you moved your soup slightly away from the kid.

“You can have the meat.” You told him as Din tilted his head at you as if to say ‘you’re too soft on him’. Picking out some of the meat from your bowl, you placed it in the kids hands as he gurgled happily before scoffing it down. Shaking your head at his antics, you took your own spoonful of soup to your mouth.

“We’ll set off soon.” Din told you, eyes behind the helmet roaming the room. You could see he was on high alert. His shoulders were tense, his hand resting on his blaster. “Can’t risk staying here too long.”

“Do you ever just… relax?” You asked, placing another piece of meat in the kids hands. Din turned to look at you.

“When I’m not a target, yes.” He breathed out, causing you to raise a brow.

“Hmmm…” You hummed in disbelief. “Why don’t I believe you?” He ignored your question. “Your vibe doesn’t quite give off ‘I’m capable of relaxing’.”

“My vibe?” He frowned behind his helmet.

“Yeah… You know… Your energy.” You shrugged. “It’s kinda uptight.” A hint of teasing was in your tone, causing him to shake his head at you. Before he could reply, commotion erupted outside, causing you to quickly grab the kid, and draw him to you. Din instantly got to his feet, hearing shouting.

“Out the back.” He ordered, as you did what he said, knowing the priority was getting the kid safe. He ushered you through the bar, a gentle hand on your back as he kept looking over his shoulder, seeing figures beginning to enter. “I counted three.” He told you as you finally made it outside behind the bar, standing in an alley. “Go, take the kid to the ship.” He turned back to you. “Go round the outskirts.” You paused, looking at him for a second, ready to argue, but he quickly jumped in. “I’ll be fine.” Sighing, you did as he said, pulling out your blaster as you quietly shifted through the alley, checking around you.

Thankfully, you’d made it out of the city without seeing anyone. Relief filled you as you spotted the Crest a few metres away. Peering down at the big dark eyes of the kid, he made a little sound as you reassured him Din would be ok. Running towards the Crest, you held the kid tightly. However, as you finally got close to the ship, a figure appeared from round the side of it, a blaster sound causing you to look round. Gasping, you aimed your blaster up at him, shooting him in the chest as he fell to the ground. Opening the door to the Crest, you quickly made your way inside, ensuring the kid was safe as you placed him in his mobile cot. Looking down at him, you furrowed your brows as you saw his ears lowered, and his eyes looking worried. His gaze fell, head tilting as your own gaze followed his, looking down to see blood seeping through your shirt.

Suddenly, it was like it hit you all at once. The pain hit you. What happened hit you. The damn Hunter had got you with his shot. Pressing your hand to your side, you swore under your breath, gritting your teeth.

“I’m fine.” You told the kid, letting out a breath as you moved to grab the med kit. Your legs suddenly felt like jelly, causing you to fall forwards, catching yourself before face planting the metal floor. Rolling to your back, you could feel your skin begin to sweat.

Din made his way into the ship, frowning as he saw the kid in his cot, looking concerned. His head finally snapped over to your direction, seeing you playing on the floor, unconscious. His heart stopped in his chest as he feet immediately took him to your form.

“(Y/N)…” He called out to you, kneeling beside you as he spotted the blood on your side. He looked over your face, seeing your skin looking more dull than usual, and beads of sweat on your forehead. Grabbing the med kit that was beside you on the floor, he hurried to open it. He didn’t hesitate as he gently lifted your shirt just above your wound, seeing a clear blaster shot. He felt rage and fear consume him. “You’re gonna be ok.” He was telling himself more than your unconscious self.

Gasping out a breath, you felt a shot of adrenaline coursing through your veins. You reached out, grabbing onto the nearest thing… Din. He was knelt beside you, fear consuming his features as he looked down at you.

Wait…

“Din…” You let out a breath, throat dry. He furrowed his brows, gently reaching for your hand as he took it in his own.

“You’re ok.” He said softly, eyes searching your own.

His eyes.

Not a helmet.

“Din- Your… Your helmet.” You uttered out in shock, turning your gaze away quickly as you processed what was happening.

Din had removed his helmet. You saw his face. You had seen his eyes. His features…

“It’s ok.” He reassured you. “I-I removed it.” He clarified, causing you to frown.

“Why?” You still didn’t look, out of respect.

“You’re hurt.” He squeezed your hand. “I thought-“ He cleared his throat, lowering his head for a moment.

“Damn Hunter… Came out of nowhere.” You grunted. “I should’ve checked-“

“Don’t do that.” He almost scolded. “Don’t- Just, focus on healing. Don’t think about it. The kids fine.” He paused. “You can look you know.” You swallowed the lump in your throat, slowly turning your gaze back to his own.

He was… Handsome. To say the least.

“But your creed…” You whispered.

“I thought I’d lost you.” He admitted, causing your heart to skip a beat. “That’s more important to me.”

“So…” You let out a breath. “I’m not just a passenger?” You raised a brow, causing him to shake his head, tightening his grip on your hand.

“Not just a passenger.”

It was safe to say, it was no longer and love/hate feeling you had towards Din.

[genshingorlsrevengeance]

Request: Velvet and Eleanor reacting to Magilou flirting with their younger sibling (the reader) right in front of them.

(Tales of Berseria) Velvet and Eleanor reacting to Sibling!Reader getting flirted with

To quote our lord Steve Harvey, "KILL"

Velvet was always protective of Laphicet and (Y/N), even before she became a daemon.

And since (Y/N) was the last person Velvet had in her life, she wasn't going to let anything hurt them.

Even beyond just protecting them from harm, her big sister instincts still remained.

Which meant especially that people trying to engage romantically with (Y/N) was signing their death warrant.

And so enters: The Magilou.

(Y/N) was in the middle of preparing dinner for the night before hearing footsteps approach them.

(Y/N) "Hey, whoever that is, could you pass me the ladle? I need to do a taste test."

(Magilou) "Oh, here you go, dear (Y/N)!"

(Y/N) "...Oh no-"

Magilou hopped in front of them, dramatically extending her hands upwards to the sky, ladle in hand.

(Magilou) "Fear not, for I, the great Magilou, will help prepare a dish fit for the gods above!"

(Y/N) "Respectfully Magilou, I don't need help. Velvet taught me everything I need to know about cooking."

(Magilou) "Surely you jest! There's nothing Velvet can do that I cannot perform better!"

She leaned in close to them with a smirk.

(Magilou) "In fact, ignore your sister for a moment and listen to my advice! You may even win my heart, should you perform well enough!"

(Y/N) "I...doubt that.-"

(Magilou) "WHAT?! Am I not the prettiest woman you have ever laid eyes on?! How can you resist such alluring charms?!"

(Y/N) "Listening to you speak, for one-"

(Magilou) "Psh! It seems a foul mouth runs in the family-"

Suddenly, a young voice came from behind the two.

(Laphicet) "VELVET! MAGILOU IS PICKING ON (Y/N)!"

(Magilou) "What the-HANG ON YA LITTLE TYKE! I WAS JUST-"

Before the three of them could even blink, Velvet closed the distance from seemingly nowhere

Magilou fumbled with the ladle in genuine shock as Velvet began speaking.

Magilou backed off in fear, hiding behind (Y/N).

(Magilou) "H-Hang on now! I was just playing around, it was a goof! It was a gag!"

(Laphicet) "That's not what I heard! You said that both Velvet and (Y/N) had a foul mouth!"

(Magilou) "And you have a loose one, ratting me out like this!"

Velvet grabbed the ladle from the floor, and hit Magilou over the head with it.

Saying nothing else, she scooted Laphicet to sit next to (Y/N) before crouching down and turning to her sibling with a softer expression.

(Y/N) "Sis, you don't have to end Magilou, it's nothing she hasn't done before. And thanks to you too, Laphicet."

Laphicet nodded with a big smile as well.

(Laphicet) "Mhm!...Oh, we need to clean the ladle now!"

(Velvet) "Yeah. Give me a sec and we'll see how you did on the soup."

Magilou rubbed her injury, muttering to herself.

(Magilou) "Freakin' sister complex-"

(Velvet) "I heard that."

Eleanor was completely against (Y/N) joining her as she chased Velvet and her group, but the Abbey had decreed it so.

Which resulted in both of them being taken as "prisoners".

She feared for their lives, but she didn't realize that she also had to fear for their love life.

And she sure as hell would not let (Y/N) date anyone from this group of misfits.

Especially a certain one.

Well, two, actually. But Velvet didn't really seem to care about dating, thank god.

Neither did option one, but that didn't stop her from being an absolute nusiance.

(Magilou) "(Y/N)!"

(Y/N) was offput by her sudden arrival, considering that they were just in their room thinking.

(Y/N) "What the- Why did you kick open my door?!"

(Magilou) "How can our days be brightened without the young exorcist's beloved sibling? Instead of being with us, you are cooped up in your room!"

(Y/N) "E-Eleanor told me to stay here for a little bit. I'm not exactly inclined to against her wishes-"

(Magilou) "Ah, but you are shackled in here, like a bird in a cage! You must let your wings spread out and fly, little dove!"

(Y/N) "I think I'm good, thanks-"

(Magilou) "Y'know, listening to your big sister all the time will leave you maidenless for the rest of your life! She'll shield you from all the joys and wonders of the world!"

(Y/N) "I'm not doing your laundry, Magilou. And neither is Eleanor!"

(Magilou) "Fine, I'll just have to put on my dazzling magics to get you to see reason-"

(Eleanor) "YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING!"

Eleanor stomped towards Magilou, shoving her outside the room before standing at the doorframe, arms crossed.

(Eleanor) "Do not engage my little brother/sister in your tomfoolery! I will not allow it!"

(Magilou) "See? This is exactly what I'm talking about! Eleanor will prevent any kind of love from blossoming-"

(Eleanor) "BE QUIET!"

She turned to (Y/N), getting even more flustered and angry.

(Y/N) "I don't think any other person will be like Magilou...I-I hope."

(Magilou) "Hmph! Both of you don't know a true dazzler when you see one-"

(Eleanor) "All I see is someone trying to leech off my sibling just to get their laundry done!"

(Magilou) "Why does everyone assume that I'm just here for my stinking clothes?! Can't I be here for romance, drama, or even anything else?!"

(Y/N) and Eleanor glared at Magilou.

(Magilou) "And for your information, I was here to recruit either of you to make dinner instead of me!"

(Y/N & Eleanor) "GET OUT!"

[dinosaursock]

You know what? Fuck it. I’m a transgender man, I had abdominal phalloplasty with Dr Curtis Cetrulo in Boston. He sold dozens of trans people on a new method of abdominal with all these promises of good sensation, good aesthetics, minimal scarring, and urethral lengthening without an arm graft (which is typically needed in abdo phallo for people who want urethral lengthening). I started having surgery with him in 2021 and had my SIXTH surgery with him early last year. For reference, phallo is often done in 3-4 surgeries, give or take with repairs/revisions and different surgical plans. When I consulted, he told me four surgeries, which then turned to five. And somehow turned to six and I still wasn’t done! I had thick knots of scar tissue and no sensation at all, not to mention I never even had a neourethra constructed. The plan was constantly changing and I made the mistake of trusting him and trusting the process.

In August last year he left Boston and moved to California to continue operating. It doesn’t seem he works on trans people anymore and is no longer offering phalloplasty, and I desperately hope he’s not. It was clear he didn’t know what the fuck he was doing, and the urologist was complacent and didn’t have proper training either. Cetrulo was allowed to experiment on us, under the guise that it was a successful and fully developed method of phalloplasty. He was not honest about its completion. And when it started to catch up with him, he abandoned his remaining patients and moved across the country. With NO repercussions for the way he treated us.

Now I’m waiting for a complete redo using a different graft site with a new doctor, who has taken on many of Cetrulo’s former patients.

See this article? It talks about all accomplishments and his innovations for people with skin burns and other injuries requiring microsurgical work. No mention of the transgender people he treated. The dozens of people he lied to and disfigured. What about us? Why does he get to pretended he didn’t ruin the lives of so many people. I am permanently disfigured because of the work he did on me. I have to live with that medical trauma from a man who didn’t really care about me, who dodged questions, and was inconsistent and unreliable.

And why is he getting away with it? This Harvard grad with a superiority complex. Because 1, we’re transgender, and the medical system has a history of failing us. Cetrulo is comparable to Kathy Rumer and Butcher Brown. Bailey Sarian has a video on Dr Butcher Brown, I recommend giving it a watch if you have an interest in true crime. And number 2, the medical boards and medical systems are fucked up.

I want my trans and nonbinary (etc) friends to know what he did to our community. The damage he’s done. And the lack of consequences for his actions. Word of mouth is so so important in LGBT spaces when it comes to medical care, ESPECIALLY in bottom surgery spaces.

🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️

[cxtori]

word count: 5,258

series masterlist

playlist: spotify youtube

tori’s note: umm… I may have gone overboard with this… sorry. But also NOT sorry because I had fun writing it lol. I would also like to apologize in advance for the pain this is going to cause 🫂

“War is no place for a child”. 

You hear those words muttered every so often as you walk by the soldiers in the barracks. 

A battlefield full of violence and evil, blood and injuries. It was no sight for someone so young, someone who barely understood the concept of life and death. But, despite that bit of common sense, the greed of others is what landed you and your older sister here.

You and Akiko had abilities that most would consider beautiful gifts. That to heal the injuries of others without much effort. But your sister would often call it a curse, though you didn’t understand why. 

You didn’t know what was going on, the conflict that was happening just several hundred yards away from your bed. The only thing you were ever told was that there were people who were hurt, and you had to help them. Afterall, how do you explain the complex nature of war to a mere 7 year old? 

Either way, for your young mind, that was all the explanation needed. It made you feel wanted, important, even if it was for evil reasons you couldn’t begin to wrap your head around.

You never saw the worst of it. Akiko requested that you remain in the barracks, where soldiers were capable of coming to you. She didn’t want you to have to see the things she did while in the infirmary. If she could keep you away from it, she would.

Your ability wasn’t as strong as your sister’s. You could heal only “minor” wounds. Severe cuts, fractured bones, such as that. Akiko, however, had the ability to “bring people from the verge of death”. You didn’t quite understand how impressive that was, you just knew that the adults found it very important. Especially Mori.

He was the reason you were here. You thought he was a kind man at first. He made you feel special, the way he had shown interest in you and your sister’s abilities. But then he took you out here where it was dark and cold, lonely and sad.

You’ve noticed that this darkness has begun to rub off on your sister. She used to be so happy and giggly. But now you’re lucky to get a small smile from her. 

Every time a soldier comes to see you, you hope it’s the last one. That you’ll never have to see another injured person again. That you and your sister will be able to go home. But as the months pass and nothing changes, the bright hope you had slowly begins to diminish into a sliver.

These days, you hardly ever see Akiko, her own responsibilities keeping her in the infirmary while you’re left on the other side of the army camp. The only thing that keeps you going is the friendship you’ve started to form with one of the soldiers. 

Shunzen. 

You smiled the first time you heard his name. Shunzen. Spring cicada. You loved cicadas. Their funny, beady eyes, their intricate wings, the beautiful buzzing noise they would make. They reminded you of home, safe and warm. Shunzen made you feel that way too. You thought the name was very fitting.

He always took the time to ask you how you were. The other soldiers didn’t ask that. They just came to see you, get their wounds healed, and up and leave the moment they were able. But Shunzen always stayed, if only for a few minutes. You liked that.

Sometimes, he would let you know that your sister was doing okay, having seen her only a day, sometimes mere hours before you. He did his best to keep the two of you informed on the other, knowing that you didn’t see each other very much anymore. 

Sometimes, during his longer stays, he would tell you about his life back home. About his job and friends and school. It made you feel comforted, hearing about the world outside of these cold metal walls.

“My little brother back home is about your age,” Shunzen says softly. You perk up at this. Little brother? He hasn’t mentioned him before.

“You have a brother?” You ask excitedly. A little brother, just like you’re a little sister! Shunzen laughs and nods.

“I do. He’ll be turning 7 in just a few weeks. He’s got big golden eyes and dark hair. And he’s stubborn. Just. Like. You,” he says, punctuating his last few words with some gentle pokes at your belly, making you laugh. 

“Haha he sounds funny,” you say.

“He is funny,” he says. There’s a look of sadness in his eyes, but it’s only there for a  moment before they light up once more. “When this is all over, I’ll take you home. You can meet him.” 

“Really?!” Shunzen nods, confirming that he meant his words.

“You two would get along great,” he says with a soft smile.

“But, Akiko has to come too, okay?” You add frantically, not wanting to forget your sister.

“Of course. I promise.”

Before you can say another word, your friend is being called for, dragged once more out onto the battlefield. Usually you felt sad when he had to leave, but right now, you feel happy, and a little more hopeful than you did before.

The weeks continue to go by, all blurring together into a meaningless stretch of misery. You’ve noticed that you’ve seen Akiko and Shunzen much less recently. In fact, you haven’t seen many soldiers at all. You once believed that would be a source of relief, but for some reason, it filled you with more dread.

You were happy when you heard that Shunzen was able to go home for a short time. He didn’t miss his little brother’s birthday as he feared he would. But it made you sad that you weren’t able to go with him. But he would reassure you, saying that once the war was over, that you and your sister would both be welcome to visit him. It gave you something to look forward to, to strive for.

You saw Shunzen much less, but he would often stay with you for longer periods of time now, talking about his visit with his family or reading a few poems from his book.

You sat beside him, resting against his arm as he read. He moves away for a moment to remove his jacket in favor of the white t-shirt underneath.

“What’s that around your neck?” You ask, noticing the large, flat piece of metal dangling from a chain and resting against his chest. He picks it up, lifting it over his head and gathering the necklace into his palm. 

“It’s my dog tag,” he says, holding out his hand to show you. You look closer to see his name engraved into it in fine characters. 

“A dog tag… why does it say your name?” You ask innocently. Shunzen pauses. 

“…It’s just a fancy necklace they give the soldiers,” he says, not looking you in the eyes. He flips over the piece, showing you the other side. 

There are several marks scratched into it, but they look different from the other side. They’re shallow and jagged, not as smooth and refined as the other side. You study the lines but you can’t make sense of it.

“Is it a secret code or something?” You ask.

“No,” Shunzen laughs. “See each of the individual lines?” He points to the thin, jagged marks cut into the metal. You nod. “Each of these lines represents a time you and your sister helped me. Every time either of you healed me, I made a scratch.”

Your eyes widen as they trail down the piece of metal. There were dozens of lines. Had you and Akiko really healed him that many times?

“It’s because of you two that I was able to see my little brother again,” he says softly. Your heart twists and you smile brightly. It was because of you that he was able to go home, to see the family that he talked about so much. You look back down at the metal in his hand.

“I want a dog tag,” you mutter quietly, more to yourself than to him. Shunzen looks at you, those words leaving the mouth of a child sending an unpleasant chill down his spine.

He turns from you, reaching for his jacket. He picks it up and wraps his hands around the buttons, the metal clasps melting into his hands, obeying his mental commands. 

You watch in interest as he holds the practically liquified metal in his hand, wrapping his fingers around it. His eyes close in concentration and you keep quiet as you watch.

After a short moment, he opens his hand to reveal a dog tag, chain and all, similar to his but much smaller. You beam from ear to ear. He hands it to you, but you’re almost afraid to touch it. Shunzen laughs lightly and takes it between his fingers before carefully placing it over your head, the tag dangling just over your chest.

You look down at it and notice another detail: your initials are printed over the front. You look up at Shunzen who is watching you happily. You throw your arms around him, tackling him in a sweet hug. 

“Thank you,” you whisper.

It’s been almost 3 weeks since you saw Shunzen last. It’s the longest stretch you’ve gone since he’d left to visit his family. And before that, you’re not sure you remember him being gone for so long. 

The number of soldiers you see daily has dwindled. You’ve seen Akiko three times in the past few weeks, and each time she was far too tired to hold any conversation with you, passing out before she even got to say hello.

Everything feels tense. It’s like the air itself was becoming harder to breathe. You had noticed that even Mori, who was usually uncaring and nonchalant, was much more uptight as of late. You wish you understood why. You wish someone would tell you. Just how bad was this war that was keeping you all here? How much longer would you all be expected to suffer?

You lean against your sister’s arm who is sitting beside you on your bed. It’s one of the rare times she’s been given a break. And an even rarer occurrence is that she didn’t fall asleep the moment she sat down. 

You run your fingers over the smooth, golden metal of the hair clip Shunzen made for her. A beautiful, large winged butterfly, reminiscent of those that appeared when she used her ability.

“It’s really pretty,” you say. Akiko hums in agreement before taking it from you gently and clipping it back in her hair. It suited her perfectly, the way the shiny gold contrasted against her dark hair.

“Your necklace is pretty too,” Akiko says, looking to the flat, reflective pendant around your neck. Your hand instinctually raises to your chest, your fingers wrapping gently around the cool metal, and you smile.

You rest your head against your sister’s shoulder once more, your eyes heavy. Things feel calm, almost normal for a moment and you practically forget where you are. Until you hear the startling clang of a door down the hall slamming shut, snapping you back to your dreary reality.

A shuddered sigh leaves Akiko’s lips and her tensed muscles soon relax again. She wraps her arms tightly around you and you hug her back, reveling in the warmth of your sister.

“I’m so tired, Akiko,” you whisper. “I want to go home.”

“I know, I do too,” she says, her hands rubbing your arms encouragingly. “We just have to finish things here. And then we’ll go home. And we’ll visit Shunzen and his family, like he said. It’ll be okay, just a little longer.”

And you believe her. Your eyes flit closed and you feel like you may actually get some good rest. But then the door flies open, revealing Mori behind it, and your moment of peace is quickly replaced by anxiety.

“Akiko, You’re needed in the infirmary,” the older man says coldly. You’ve begun to notice a feeling of unease anytime Mori is around you, like his very presence makes your body revolt.

“But, I just returned from there. Can’t I-“

“We don’t have time for relaxation,” Mori snaps, and the edge in his voice makes you curl closer to your sister. 

You can tell he’s tired. The circles beneath his eyes have only darkened in the previous days, and the kind, friendly smile he frequently wore when you first arrived has slowly disappeared. Honestly, every aspect of his friendliness has vanished. It only added to your further growing fear of him. 

“Our soldiers require a care that only you can provide. Now come along.” He leaves the room without another word, his abruptness leaving no room for argument. 

Akiko’s breath comes out in a heavy shudder, and you feel her shake beneath your hands. She moves to stand, tugging her arm gently away from you.

“I’ll see you later, okay?” She says, doing her best to put on an encouraging smile for you. And with that, she’s gone, leaving you once again alone in the cold, musty barracks. 

You fold your legs to your chest as you wrap your arms around them, pressing your face to your knees.

You miss Akiko. You miss Shunzen. You miss home, even if it was just you and your sister. You just want to leave, leave and never come back.

Little did you know how soon your wish would come true.

It’s been days since you saw Akiko last. Almost 2 months since you saw Shunzen. There were very few soldiers that came by now. You were told that, if they returned to the base, they were sent directly to Akiko. Very rarely now did they have injuries minor enough for you to handle.

You were laying on your bed, eyes squeezed shut as your fingers traced over the dog tag around your neck, trying to block out the loud rumbles and shakes that seem to have gotten louder over the last couple days.

You feel like you’re about to miraculously fall asleep when you hear a loud clang followed by an ear piercing scream. A scream you recognize.

It was Akiko.

You shot straight up in the bed, your heart rate rising. What was that? Was it a dream? The long silence that follows almost convinces you it was in your head. But then you hear several pairs of feet running down the hall. They shouldn’t be down here, not unless they were coming to see you. And the footsteps ran right past your closed door.

You jump for the door, heaving it open. You follow the sound of frantic, muffled voices. Your heart crawls into your throat and your stomach knots. Something isn’t right. Was that Akiko screaming?

Your slow walk shifts into a run as the voices grow louder, anger and fear heavy in the air. You come to a hatch in the floor where several soldiers are standing below. You almost fall down the stairs with how quickly you take them, the rusted hand bar biting into your palm.

You reach the bottom where your sister is sitting on her knees with her head in her hands. Your eyes drift to the dark mass laying crumpled in the floor, a rope swinging from the ceiling above it. The men stand around motionless, their speaking coming to a halt as soon as you enter the room, aside from a few, hushed words. 

“She shouldn’t be here. Neither of them should be.”

“This is so fucked up.”

“This is war, kids shouldn’t be here.”

“Akiko?” You call as you walk to your sister. But she doesn’t respond, doesn’t even give you the slightest hint of acknowledgment. You step closer, the knot in your stomach tightening. You try to keep your eyes on your sister, but your curiosity wins over as your gaze drifts back to the form on the floor. Your heart drops into your stomach.

“Shunzen?” You say, recognizing the face of your friend laying on the floor. 

At this, Akiko’s head snaps over to look at you, her eyes wild. She launches herself at you, pulling your face to her chest in an attempt to block your vision. But it was pointless.

Confusion begins to mix with your fear. Why was Shunzen here? Why wasn’t anyone helping him? You rip away from your sister’s arms, shoving her back harshly as you hop around her. If they weren’t going to help him then you would.

“Shunzen!” You drop to your knees beside him, your hands resting on his back to shake him. But he doesn’t answer. You use your ability, your hands glowing as your power seeps into him, though it changes nothing. Your sister sits beside you, a look you don’t recognize on her face.

“Akiko, help him!” You cry. Akiko shakes her head, the movement barely noticeable. “Please!”

Akiko winces at the crack in your voice, and she lays her hands down beside your own. Bright, glowing butterflies fill the air as she tries to revive him. Unknown to you, she’d already tried several times.

Upon realizing that Shunzen was still not moving, you begin to shake him again.

“Shunzen, wake up! Don’t leave us, please,” you cry pitifully. Akiko pries your hands away before wrapping her arms around you in a nearly suffocating grasp.

“You said you would take us home. You promised!” Akiko’s arms wrap impossibly tighter around you. You eventually give up and turn to her, your tears soaking into the front of her dress.

“He promised.”

The few days following were a blur. All you remember are the tears, the twisted pain in your heart, and the blank, emotionless gaze your sister began to develop.

Mori had grown colder toward you and Akiko. He still smiled often, but it was no longer the warm, friendly grin he wore when you first arrived. It was tight, emotionless, and didn’t do anything to cover the annoyance written all over his face.

He was upset. You knew he was. You and your sister’s productivity had dropped, and as punishment, he did his best to keep you separated. It didn’t have the effect he’d hoped and it only worsened your conditions. 

Akiko continued to do her job, but it was like she was on autopilot. She hardly spoke a word now, to Mori and even you.

You, on the other hand, were struggling.

You were still only capable of healing minor injuries, and they used to bring such soldiers to you, in the barracks. But now, Mori requested that you come to the infirmary. Right where Akiko had previously refused to allow you.

But now she wasn’t mentally strong enough to say no.

You went a few times and you slowly began to understand why Akiko was so adamant about you staying away.

The smell of blood hung thickly in the air and the constant groaning of pain would ring in your ears even hours after leaving the infirmary. Seeing soldiers injured beyond what you could repair was sad and sickening. It gave you feelings you didn’t have words for.

Between Shunzen’s death, not seeing Akiko, and being forced to visit the infirmary, it only took a few days before you shut down.

You had been given only a half-day's break, and you spent the entire time wrapped in your blanket on your bed with your hand grasping your dog tag so tightly it cut into your palm.

The pain in your heart quickly grew into anger and hatred. All of it aimed at Mori. He was the reason you were here. Why you and your sister were suffering.

You hear the metal door squeak open and you don’t have to look to know who it is.

“Y/n, sweetheart, we need you in the infirmary.” 

“I’m not going,” you say, still not bothering to lift your head. Mori steps closer to you, his presence suffocating, “I’m never using my ability again.” 

“You’ll have to eventually.” He spoke with such coldness, not a trace of emotion in his voice. You grit your teeth and turn your head to look at him. His expression falters for half a second, taken aback by the look in your eyes as you stare at him 

“No! I won’t. You’d have to kill me!”

You didn’t truly understand the weight of your words, let alone the fact that you wouldn’t be able to use your ability if they followed through with it. But Mori understood the severity of the meaning behind it. 

You meant what you said, even if you didn’t fully understand it yourself. You were not going to be using your ability anymore. 

Mori saw no use in having you there any longer, seeing you as nothing more than a liability. Another person to feed and keep alive. So you were sent back to the mainland. 

They brought you back, kicking and screaming. You didn’t want to leave Akiko. You couldn’t. The thought of her being there all alone made you cry and you couldn’t believe that they would be so evil to separate you. But you had no choice, there was nothing you could do. 

With your family gone, you were left with no one. You were sent to live with a family chosen by Mori, a connection he had through the mafia, in case you ever changed your mind and wanted to go back to work. 

You hated living there, despite the fact that they were generally nice people. They lived a luxurious life, free of worry or care and it made you sick. You were here being taken care of while your sister was still in the middle of a battlefield, alone and miserable. You didn’t feel like you deserved it. Akiko was the one who worked harder than you. She should be here too.

You soon came to realize that speaking of the war was an unspoken rule. Anytime you would mention someone or something relating to what you’d experienced, you were shut down. Even after the war ended, when things went back to “normal”, you were forbidden from speaking about it. 

Mori would come by occasionally, much to your horror. He still saw use in you, in your abilities. But you always refused. You wouldn’t work for him again, ever. 

You would ask about Akiko every time you saw him. Had she come back? Was she okay? Was she alive? He never answered your questions. You knew it was to torture you in hopes of you agreeing to do what he asked.

It was three years after the war ended when a man you didn’t recognize showed up at the door. Your “parents” had been hesitant to let him in, wondering what the repercussions of doing so would be. 

You weren’t going to get involved in the hushed conversation they were having. But then you heard him mention Akiko.

Before you knew it, you were skittering to the door, shoving the other two aside to see the man. His hair was silvery-gray, despite his young appearance and he had a soft yet stern expression on his face. The stoicism cracks when his grayish-blue eyes meet with yours, surprise flashing in them.

“You said something about Akiko,” you state, struggling to keep your composure. “Do you know where she is?” The man looks at you before glancing back at the couple standing aprehensivley behind you. You turn to look at them.

“Let me talk to him,” you request, though your tone sounds more like that of a demand. They give each other a look before shuffling away quietly, leaving the two of you alone.

You step outside next to the man, shutting the door behind you. You didn’t want them trying to listen in. They always did when Mori came to speak with you.

“My name is Yukichi Fukuzawa. I’m an old friend of Ougai Mori.”

You gasp softly and step away from him. Was this some new tactic Mori was trying? What torturous method to get you to come back with him was he trying now? 

Fukuzawa’s face softens and he takes a couple steps back of his own. 

“I understand your wariness, but I assure you, I’ve not come here to drag you away.”

“Then why are you here?” You ask, your voice snappier than intended, though he doesn't seem to mind.

“I had come here in hopes of finding Mori. I have something important to speak to him about. Do you know anything of his whereabouts?”

“I don’t know. They don’t tell me anything,” you say, your gaze dropping to the ground. The man doesn’t respond but studies you for a thoughtful moment. 

“You’re Y/n Yosano, correct?” You look back up at him and give him a curt nod. He lets out a quiet sigh, lifts his fingers to the bridge of his nose and curses under his breath. “The other child he’d dragged into that warzone.”

“You mentioned my sister. Do you know if… If she’s…” You can’t bring yourself to finish the question, but he understands despite that.

“She’s in a psychiatric facility,” he answers carefully. “She’s been there for a few years, but she’s alive.”

You feel sick and relieved all at once. She’s alive. But she’s been locked up, all alone, for years. For years, and Mori never let you see her once. Never even told you if she ever left that battlefield or not.

Your throat tightens and your face grows hot as you begin to cry. She’s alive.

Fukuzawa doesn’t comment on your tears. He doesn’t give you a look of pity. He doesn’t ask you to stop. He just lets you cry as he continues.

“I have reason to believe that Mori wants your sister back in his care. I plan to prevent that from happening.”

You had only been speaking to this man for a few minutes but you found yourself already trusting him.

He was kind. It wasn’t the type of kindness Mori had shown you when he’d found you and your sister, one rooted in greed and ulterior motives. This was genuine kindness, grown out of experience and concern. You had learned to tell the difference.

And if he was going to help your sister, then you wanted to go with him.

“Take me with you,” you find yourself saying as if your mouth had decided before your mind had. Fukuzawa’s eyebrows raise, but his expression remains otherwise blank. “Please?” 

His eyes drift to the window behind you and you turn to follow his gaze. You just barely catch the man and woman inside leaping away from the window, attempting, and failing, to not be caught in their snooping.

“He’s placed you with a nice family here,” Fukuzawa says. “Are you sure you want to leave?” You hold back an annoyed groan.

“They don’t actually care. They don’t like when I talk about it. They want to just pretend that it never happened.” Fukuzawa’s face droops, not needing you to explain what “it” is. “They only took me in because Mori ordered them to. They’d be relieved to see me gone.”

The man hums and closes his eyes. He’s silent for long enough that you worry he’s about to deny your request. Say you should stay in this home with the family that inhabits it, with the family that has stifled you for years, keeping you under their wing as they wait for the day you finally break and return to work with Mori.

But then Fukuzawa speaks.

“If that is what you desire, then fine. I’m sure your sister will be happy to see you.”

You wait impatiently in the halls of the hospital, waiting for Fukuzawa and Ranpo to return.

They had discovered that Mori indeed planned to retrieve Akiko from the facility. To drag her back into the hell she’d barely escaped from. But none of you were going to allow it.

Fukuzawa instructed you to stay here and wait for him or Ranpo to get you. That was over 30 minutes ago. You pace around anxiously in the room you’d decided to stay in, the chair in the corner having become increasingly more uncomfortable the longer you sat in it.

And then you hear it. Footsteps and the rhythmic squeak of a wheelchair. You walk to the door and stop when you hear your sister’s voice.

“Bring me back,” she mutters, her quiet voice carrying through the empty hall. You step out of the room, immediately finding Ranpo pushing a wheelchair with a girl sitting in it. Akiko.

Her hair was long, much longer than she’d ever preferred to keep it. Her skin was pale, evidence of how long it’s been since she’s seen the sun. She looked… sickly. But what she says next quickly drives away any thought you have on her appearance.

“I only make the lives of those around me less valuable.”

You grit your teeth and walk closer to the pair.

“Am I less valuable then?”

Akiko gasps softly at the sound of your voice. She slowly, hesitantly raises her head, her gaze eventually finding yours.

“Y/n…?”

“I’m here to bring you home,” you say, stepping closer until you’re standing in front of her. “Fukuzawa and Ranpo, they’re nice people. They want to help us.”

Akiko’s eyes drop back to her lap and it’s only then that you realize she hadn’t even smiled when she saw you.

“I can’t,” she whispers. “I shouldn’t be allowed to live.”

You feel something in your heart break as those words leave her lips. What had happened to her? All those times she kept you away from her work, what was going on? What had she seen? What had happened when you left?

You drop in front of her and wrap your arms around her, tears quickly forming and streaming down your face.

“Don’t say that!” You cry. Akiko remains limp in your arms, too weak to hug you back. Possibly too mentally, emotionally broken to even try.

“Please, Akiko. Don’t make me leave you again. I need my sister.” You pull away from her to look her in the eyes and her face twitches with the first sliver of emotion she’s shown since she’s seen you. 

Ranpo comes to stand beside you, telling her the same words he and Fukuzawa had told you. That they don’t need you. That they don’t need your special ability. They just wanted you because you care. Because you don’t view life the way Mori does. That this “Armed Detective Agency” was a place where you could just be. Just exist.

Ranpo concludes his words by placing something into Akiko’s lap. Her golden butterfly hair clip from Shunzen. You both gasp in shock and Akiko picks up the piece carefully as you reach for the dog tag you still keep around your neck.

You try to picture the man, but your time and trauma-worn memories are so distorted and you’re sure that the image you conjure is accurate. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

“We don’t want your special ability. It’s your kindness that means something,” Ranpo says gently. 

Akiko sniffles and as you look into your sister’s eyes, vacant yet so full of pain as they flood with tears, you’re reminded of the words you heard muttered so often.

War is no place for a child.

Taglist: @chuuminn

©Cxtori 2024 please do not copy, plagiarize, repost or translate any of my works. reblogs are appreciated 🤍

[everlasting-rainfall]

I didn't see anywhere that requests are closed, so I was wondering if you could write something for your pages au with Boa Hancock? She's my favorite female character, so thank you!

Okay so I’m gonna have to come clean about something and it’s that I haven’t yet reached Amazon Lily like most of my knowledge about One Piece characters comes from a lot of outside sources and for why I haven’t reached it yet?

That’s a simple answer as I have a very bad attention span so if I’m not watching with a friend then my brain wanders and suddenly the episode is over but I promise that I’ll do my absolute best to write her for you!

As Boa is honestly a really cool character like she isn’t my favorite female character as that honor goes to Rouge a lot of the time but I do love that girl regardless!

So before I start rambling too much and making an absolute fool out of myself, let’s get into it. Yeah?

Also since I do know what Boa’s backstory is, I can’t see her trying to actively force someone into a relationship but she is probably willing to keep them if it means they’re safe

!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!

!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!

Manipulation, Copying of Work, Workplace Sexism, Implied Homophobia (?), Delusions, Kidnapping (?)

!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!

!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!

Okay so let’s imagine that you wrote a book, it was a romance novel of course and it was pretty good like it didn’t sell well but it was seen as pretty good by those who did read it

But about a year later while you’re working on the sequel story that you managed to convince the publisher to give you, something happens as a book is released into the market that looks so much like yours except… bad…

The main character on the cover is grossly sexualized when they’re supposed to be someone that the reader can project themselves onto and the two love interests have basically been turned into big muscle men with no personality compared to how you had them as powerful women with quite a lot of personality and complex backstories that helped to shape their characters

You took some time to read it and found yourself absolutely disgusted with it as it was exactly your book just if every trope from R/MenWritingWomen was stuck onto it, certain important plot points were changed and romantic scenes were either completely changed or removed

Attempting to talk to the publisher didn’t do anything as they simply told you that your book hadn’t been copied and clearly you were seeing things if you thought that… You should just get back to what you were writing and be quiet about it…

This was humiliating but there wasn’t much you could do except hope that your next book would absolutely blow this gross copy out of the water especially as when the reviews came in, you found that most people loved it with very people pointing out that it was a gross copy of you

Eventually when you did release your sequel book, it had some moderate success but not as much as the copy… It was truly discouraging…

When you tried to ask your publisher to at least push it a bit more with advertising, they were reluctant but decided to do it in the end to just get to be quiet so they started doing some advertising on other islands and quite a few people picked up the book

Your book achieved more success! It was great!

Soon enough, word of this book had reached Amazon Lily and it was raising quite a few eyebrows in interest as although it did have a few male characters in it but the story and what they heard about it was truly what interested them

A female marine captain saving the MC from certain doom at the hands of pirates by holding them close with one arm and defending them with the other even despite their injuries? A pirate captain who promised to give the MC the world and much more if she would simply take that first step and set out to sea with them on their ship?

All these things that they were hearing were quite interesting and after hearing about one scene in particular where both of the love interests put aside their differences to save the MC from a dragon? Interests peaked!

So a request from so many was given to Boa as they asked her to please make it so that a shipment of the specific book would be sent to Amazon Lily, it took her a bit but she soon made a request and sent it out

The publisher picked it up and within the week, a small shipment of the book had been delivered to Amazon Lily. So many were excited to read the book that they had heard about but there was one problem with it…

This wasn’t the book that they expected, everyone was so confused as the book was awful to the point where most dropped it within the first few minutes of reading it as what had been delivered wasn’t your book but instead the copy

When Boa found out about this, it was safe enough to say that she was quite irritated as in all honesty based on the way that the story had been described to her

She was getting excited to read it as well only for this to be what was delivered so she had the shipment be taken back away from their island alongside a message detailing how disgusted she was and how she demanded every last beli that she spent on this shipment to be refunded or there would be hell to pay

Of course, the publishers listened as who wants an angry pirate empress after them? But they fucked up yet again and instead of realizing that they sent the wrong book, they gave you the message thinking your book had disgusted the women of Amazon Lily that badly

Upon reading the entirety of the message, your heart sank and you got ready to reply as you started writing an apology along with an explanation of what had happened

You took your own personal copy of the book at home and attached the apology to it alongside a gift before sending it to Boa Hancock herself who almost threw it away the second that she saw it until she noticed the cover and stopped

A close look at the cover revealed that this was the true version of the story as there was the MC laying down in the bed of flowers with her hands clasped with the pirate captain laying facing towards her on her left with a red rose in hand while the marine was laying on the opposite side with a blue rose in hand

This was not the same story… The title was even different so she sighed and decided to at least give it’s first page a read to see if it was truly different…

It was and she found herself hooked, she read through the entire thing and couldn’t stop a smile at the scenes that you had written alongside the part where the pirate captain and marine saving you from a greedy dragon despite the fact that they may fail? It was lovely

When finishing the book, she took another look at the note accompanied with the book and reread the explanation. She was honestly unsurprised about learning the truth and set it aside before opening the gift

It was the only piece of merch to ever exist for the book and it was because you had made it yourself only to give it to her as a truly sincere apology, it was a pair of fake roses with their stems tied together. A red rose and a blue rose tied together with a lovely white ribbon, a physical version of the books very last illustration

Part of her was touched by this and in all honesty, she found herself thinking about it for a good while as you had taken the fall for the shoddy knock off created by the gross imitator and the publishers hadn’t even been willing to help you sort things out

It was downright deplorable in her personal opinion and she knew that you weren’t the MC from the story but part of her started to feel like she wanted to rescue you

Rescue you from your life dealing with the publisher on that island where no one would ever appreciate your work just like how the MC had been rescued from the dragon, she would keep you safe and keep you in a place with people who actually appreciate your work and wouldn’t just disregard it in favor of someone’s fantasy

She would keep you safe from the prying eyes of anyone who wanted to harm you, she wouldn’t even let anyone brand you as theirs and do horrible unspeakable acts to you

If you wanted then the two of you could even become friends and maybe potentially something more which she grew to like the thought of more and more until she started to imagine the two of you going on nice walks together, laughing together and having fun

Ah yes, that was the life that would be perfect for you in the end…

All that she needed to do was get you here and she knew exactly the way to go about it…

It was a few weeks after sending your own letter when you received one from Boa Hancock, it was a request to come to Amazon Lily with copies of your book as she no longer trusted the publisher to send them the right ones

She also requested for you to bring your things as well as she would like you to stay on the island for an undisclosed amount of time, you didn’t want to potentially make the pirate empress any angrier than she already was so you packed some things and took a large box full of book copies of the first book and the sequel and headed off

A few days were spent at sea before you finally reached your destination, you were greeted and the books were quickly taken off of your hands in order to be enjoyed by everyone who had been so excited to read it

Meanwhile you were taken off to meet with Boa herself, she was a scary lady and more than intimidating but she was kind to you despite everything and had a smile on her face when you offered her the sequel story

Your time on Amazon Lily started on that very day, a lot of it would be spent with Boa simply spending time together as she took her time getting through the sequel story as she always stopped to ask you questions about it

As time progressed however and Boa continued to read the story, she found that it was wrapped up in the end with a neat little bow and the person the MC chose got married in the end. The MC had wound up marrying the pirate in the end and symbolically tied a ribbon around the stem of a red rose as a sign that they would always be together

Boa found herself enjoying the scene of the wedding and she smiled to herself as she reread the chapter only to notice certain things this time around like how the pirate had her hair done in a similar fashion to Boa’s and not only that but the way that the outfit was described? It sounded like her…

Part of her tried to write the entire thing of as a simple coincidence until she reread the line “The beauty of the two was so strong that it could turn anyone who laid eyes upon them to stone”

…Oh my god…

That was all that Boa needed to see and she quickly closed the book and set it aside, she honestly wasn’t sure what to think as this couldn’t be a coincidence anymore as the one who had won over the MC in the end was a Pirate Captain who would do anything for her…

It couldn’t have been just a coincidence now and she had to be sure that you didn’t write about some sort of deep hidden feeling for her… So she picked up the other book and spent quite a bit of time searching it for answers…

And as they say, if you’re looking for something hard enough then you’re gonna find it regardless of whether or not it’s there

Slowly Boa becomes convinced that you wrote about some sort of feeling that you had for her despite the fact that you could have never known her before this point…

And she would confront you about this, she would tell you off for doing this and make you leave but something in her refuses to do so

You don’t see Boa for days as she deals with these emotions, you aren’t sure why this has happened but you don’t bother her simply thinking that she’s busy while she attempts to figure out what’s going on

Until it hits her… She returns your feelings…

And when this happens, this is when things start as she starts to attempt to show you that she feels the exact same way about you that you do her

It starts with her trying to spend more time with you, it progresses into her getting jealous when other people speak with you, it progresses even further to her actually touching you with hand holding and the occasional caress

When it reaches its peak? That’s when Boa starts to greet you with a red flower of some kind whenever the two of you meet, she hopes that you’ll get the hint and finally realize

But hey, it’s not so bad that you aren’t getting it as your smile is heavenly to her to the point where she could look at it all day and has even caught herself staring at your smile for long periods of time when the two of you are together only breaking out of it when you point it out to her

Eventually you’ll start wanting to return home and back to your old life but Boa will insist that you stay, the world off of Amazon Lily is dangerous for someone like you after all and she wants to keep you right where she can absolutely make sure that you’re safe

You might try to insist on returning to your old life and that’s when Boa will start to manipulate you, I can’t see her turning violent but she probably would tell you things like “If something were to happen to you out there then I simply wouldn’t be able to live with myself”

She’ll trap you into staying on Amazon Lily this way until you’re ready to stay of your own accord…

It’s for the best after all and once you finally realize that she returns the feelings that you oh so clearly have for her, everything will be perfect…

A pair whose beauty is strong enough to turn people to stone…

[yutassweetangel]

Hurt Dohwa x Reader? like in that one scene- tw: topless? not smut just spice💍. If you are alr with iittt?🙏

AHHHHHH I'LL WRITE IT RN I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS IN MA HEAD I hope you mean that scene where su-ae helps dohwa get up and shi-

Another song becuz why not

Warnings: A little spice not smut, curse words,angst?, fluff, 13+, brother's best friend trope (ik it's cliché leave me alone)

Characters included: Dohwa baek, (name) /y!n

It's been two weeks since you last saw or even heard of dohwa. Was he ok? How long could he be sick for? You came to the conclusion that he was sick, but it didn't seem like it.

One day, the teacher tells you to help give him his homework, since you were the last person in the class to do so. You walk into a shabby looking apartment and the only thing in your head was: did dohwa really live here? You head from some people that he lived in some fancy apartment residence, and this was far from the theory that your classmates and other students had.

You climbed the stairs of the apartment complex, walking to the given number which was most likely dohwa's apartment before you felt a warm hand on your shoulder-despite the thick uniform, you could still feel his warmth. You turn around to be faced with none other than dohwa baek. "Dohwa?" You called out to him, you his face in which he relaxed at your touch, placing his hand on top yours on. He had multiple injuries on his face, who hurt him? You realise his legs were wobbling and before you knew it, he fell done on top of you. "Oh god..."

——————————————————————————————————————

Eventually, you make it to his room and place his body on his bed. You fleet his forehead, only to find out he was burning hot, so you rushed to make some of your mom's signatures chicken soup.

Whilst you did so, Dohwa woke up and sat up and looked at you from across the kitchen and came back and immediately told him to rest back.

"Nuh uh. Go back to resting."

You kind of scolded and he chuckles, before doing so.

"Arent you going to feed me though?"

He asked, causing you to blush. You didn't know if he wasn't being for real or if it was just to tease you.

"Why would I do that? What ideas do you-"

You get interrupted by dohwa chuckling lightly. "I can barely move silly."

SILLY? You'd try to calm yourself down in this type of situation normally, but this was dohwa freaking baek! I mean you didn't like him. He was just your brother's best friend, but it didn't help that he was so attractive.

"Ah- i.. Didn't know. I'll get you some more pillows-"

Before you could get up, dohwa pulls you back into a hug.

"Dohwa what are you-"

"Shh.. I'm cold."

It didn't feel like it though. Right now, he was pipping hot. If he wanted he could challenge a volcano if he wanted.

"Stop playing around-"

"But I'm not." He whinces before speaking up again.

"[name], I like you... And I... Don't know if this is the best way to say I, but.."

He pauses for a moment almost to wait for you to take it all in. Whether it was the sickness speaking or genuinely just him, it didn't stop your heart from fluttering.

"I.. Like you too.. Dohwa."

Dohwa tries to sit up again, this time with you on his lap and pulls you in for a kiss. At first, this surprised you, but you accepted it and made the kiss deeper. More passionate. More meaningful. It all fel unreal, but the kiss was. It felt like you were burning with passion and love. Your tongues met each other and intertwined like two ropes that were separated. It's like you two were two puzzles meant to be pieced together. You held dohwa's cheeks as he slid his arms around your back. You two were already so close, but it felt like you could get closer. Soon, you both let go to gasp for some air.

"I... " You try to make words, but you couldn't. No words could describe what just happened.

"Your so ethereal you know?" Dohwa said as he brushed a stand of your hair away from your face.

"What-"

"I didn't mean to kiss you... Now you'll get sick because of me." You saddened at his words. You weren't happy with the fact that he felt that.

"I don't care if I do. That kiss was worth a million life times." Dohwa's eyes widened at your word and a tear went down his face.

"Thank you.."

"Dohwa.. How did you..." You touched his face with his injuries and bruises. He took your hand and held it, squeezing it before looking at you with hurt eyes.

"Oh. If your comfortable with telling me-"

"No, no. You deserve to know. It's... Just a little complicated."

He looked away from your eyes and you knew it was going to be hard for him to open up. You cupped his face wit both your hands to allow him to look you in the eye again.

"When things are less complicated or when you want to tell me. I'll always be here. Waiting. Because that's what love is about."

Dohwa's eyes widen again before he pulled you in for a quick peck on your lips, but it sent shivers down your spine.

"I... I can't describe how much I love you."

"Drink your soup before it gets cold stupid." He chuckled at your words before you grabbed the spoon and said "ahh" which he shook his head to, but opened his mouth anyways.

———————————————————————————————————————

You two cuddled up in his single bed when your phone started to ring. You rubbed your eyes before picking it up.

"[Name] where the hell are you?!" The persons voice rose from the end of the line.

"Huh what- oh shit!" You quickly sat up and started to pack your bags and listen to your mother's rant about how she was worried sick, but before you left you kissed dohwa on his forehead before closing the door, looking at him lovingly.

———————————————————————————————————————

I wanted to write some cringey end note but refrained from doing so XD I hope you enjoyed regardless. I don't know if this is counted as spicy, but I think it is. I don't know how I had motivation to write this and not the hurt volleyball one XD I still need ideas

[dat-town]

curse me out

never seen circus masterpost

Characters: cursed prince!Sunghoon & female reader

Setting & genre: magical realism au, fantasy au, reincarnation au

Summary: Many came to you over the years to get rid of their curses but nobody like Sunghoon.

Warnings: general creepiness of an eerie circus, ambiguous ending, blood, injury, implied past death, is a spoiler or a warning if i say it was inspired by enhypen concepts?

Words: 2k

i guess i will tag you in all of these @restlessmaknae 

Some curses were better off untouched.

It was one of the first things you learned, just like prophecies were always up to interpretations and Ouija boards were banned for a reason. The other side was not to play with.

But you had an eye for curses. You looked at them like they were complex riddles waiting for you to solve them. Every curse had a little back door, a tiny loophole and that was where you came in: for the right amount of money, you helped people find that hidden exit, you helped them get rid of whatever made them struggle. Be it a curse for terrible luck, no love or some sort of disfigurement. Some curses could only be undone by the shaman or witch who put them in place but you had many connections and you knew how to strike a deal. You got yourself your name when you joined the circus, you were called the cursebreaker as if it was something unique when in reality you were just a witch with a keen interest. One of your kind in the always on the move circus.

Some people didn’t even know they were cursed, they blamed things beyond their control on such silly things as fate or beat themselves up for not being able to change when there was nothing humans like them could have done. With those cases, it was you who seeked them out, drawn to their curse like a moth to flame. But sometimes people found you. They heard rumours about the disappearing circus and the cursebreaker inside. They were always desperate ones with dark curses.

But no darker than the boy’s who walked into your tent that day.

The bell chime made you look up from where you sat, meditating, and you felt air being sucked out of your lungs.

Oh, for hell’s sake, he was beautiful.

The boy was tall and wide shouldered. He had raven black hair contrasting against his clear, pale skin. His eyes were just as dark as his locks, highlighted by his all black outfit, his long coat swirling behind him from the outside wind blowing. Despite his youthful features, he held himself with ageless elegance like a prince. It gave his soft features sharpness and coldness to his demeanour.

You blinked when he took another step closer and his curse was suddenly all too clear in front of you. Most people’s curses clung to them like leeches but not his. His was pulsing, like a black heart, like it was keeping him alive. Like there was no him without the curse.

“I can’t help you,” you told him straight away, without any polite greeting. You shot up from your place, meditation long forgotten. You weren’t afraid of him but you didn’t want to experience his rage either when he found out why you refused to help him.

“What makes you think I came for your help?” Your guest raised an eyebrow challengingly while watching you equally intrigued but it only made you confused. Why else could he have come to your tent?

“Did you come to kill me then?” You asked, unwilling to show fear.

“No,” he flashed you a smile, his thin, rose coloured mouth tilted upwards in a lazy slope. It should have been dangerous yet it somehow made your heart flutter. “I heard you can see how curses unfolded, their maker.”

“You want to know who made you like this.”

It wasn’t a question, it made sense.

“I have waited for a long time to meet somebody like you,” the beautiful boy sighed, resigned, sounding much more tired than somebody who looked his age. But looks weren’t everything, you knew that.  “So tell me, were the rumours about you true or not?”

“Take a seat,” you pointed at a pillow on the ground as it was as good of an answer as any, then you followed in suit, sitting across from him after lighting some scented candles while he was looking around curiously.

From up close, he was even more beautiful, perfect porcelain skin and those enticing eyes but you knew better than to fall into his trap. It didn’t mean you were immune, not when he smelled like sandalwood and leather and something rich and sweet.

“Give me your hands,” you told him, extending your own hands, palms up, towards him. He did as you asked, his cold skin grazing yours sending a shiver down your spine. You closed your eyes and focused on the pulsating darkness around him.

“You are very old,” you blurted out at the first image slipping into your mind about castles and a different era. You could hear the not-so-boy laugh.

“Huh, I don’t hear that everyday. Didn’t you know that’s a rude thing to say?” He teased and you felt yourself blush. At least, with your eyes closed you didn’t see his expression when he noticed.

“You are a prince,” you whispered as you saw him wearing a crown, sitting on a throne, people bowing to him.

“I was,” he confirmed quietly.

Prince Sunghoon. He’d had a lavish life but he had lived in a turbulent era. His position and power had been threatened by not only neighbouring kingdoms but power hungry men of his own too.

And there had been a girl too. Not a princess but a commoner, a shaman’s daughter. You saw the two of them met in an alcove, her hiding him from traitor knights, her tending his open wounds. The curse felt familiar with her. You felt familiar with her.

Your eyes snapped open and even though your guest couldn’t know what exactly you saw, he looked at you knowingly. As if he expected this.

“I lied before,” he admitted slowly as if he was weighing his options, like he was afraid of your reaction. “Actually I waited for a long time to meet you.”

You gulped and pulled back your hands, briefly wondering whether you had enough time to retrieve a weapon even though the immortal being claimed that he didn’t want to kill you.

“Even if my ancestor did something to you, it has nothing to do with me,” you said, defensive, not sure what on earth this cursed prince wanted after centuries had passed.

“That depends,” he mused. “What exactly did she do?”

You remembered the blood from the vision. The black magic. The girl’s sacrifice. You felt justified to take her side, to displace the prince’s baseless anger. Surely he couldn’t have wanted to die instead of the life he had gotten.

“She saved your life. She died for you.”

Sunghoon’s pretty mouth twitched.

“My life was worth nothing without her,” he said, melancholic, and that was when you realised what he meant. He had loved her. He didn’t want to know what had happened because he was hungry for revenge but because he wanted to know whether his feelings had been reciprocated. After all these years though? You were surprised that he was so adamant.

“Make sure to remember it in this life,” the immortal prince told you but his words only left you confused once again. Why should you have remembered that?

“I… what?”

“You told me there would be other lives, chipmunk,” he smiled and his voice softened like expensive silk.

You were fairly sure that nobody had ever called you that and yet, the pet name brought up memories you didn’t even know you had buried inside you.

“Did you come to punish me, Your Highness?” You didn’t even bother looking up from your work table full of herbs, your mouth set in a small smile.

“Do I look like a tyrant, chipmunk?” The prince put a hand over his heart, feigning being scandalised. “Though maybe I should as you stole something very valuable from the kingdom.”

“Did I now?” You looked at him, amused, knowing very well that he would have never hurt you.

“Yes, my heart,” Sunghoon smiled as he whipped a single rose out of nowhere, holding it out for you.

It became a common affair: meeting the prince in secret but eventually it was bound to be found out.

“Father,” you yelped in surprise when you came face to face with your elder after saying goodbye to the boy who ruled your country. Your father looked at you with grave concern, so you were sure he knew.

“It won’t end well,” he warned and you didn’t need to ask to know what he meant.

Maybe you should have given his words more consideration. He was a shaman after all. But you were too taken by the boy with the most adorable moles you had ever seen to care about warning signs.

“Your Highness,” you gasped in horror when you saw Sunghoon at your threshold covered in blood.

“I… didn’t know where else to go,” the prince coughed up as he leaned his weight against you once you opened the gate wider and let him inside. It was scandalising to do such a thing so late at night but you didn’t care about neighbour gossip, not when Sunghoon was dying on you.

“What happened?”

“It was a trap. An ambush,” he forced out between gritted teeth, his beautiful face pained and you wondered how much of it was physical and how much due to the facts that he couldn’t trust in his allies anymore. He had doubted their loyalty before but the fact that he came to you instead the royal physician told a lot.

You laid him down, his skin already feverish and sweaty, blood dripping down on his pale neck. He was the heir to the throne and yet, he looked so fragile like that. You were familiar with your father’s shaman practices enough to know what he needed to be saved and you knew what the cost was but no price was too high to save him. So you gave him your life and many others. You gave him eternity.

“Sunghoon.”

His name rolled off your dry lips like a plea and familiar despite not even remembering a few moments ago. You stared at him in disbelief, your past self trying to keep herself atop of your conscious memories.

“We never stood a chance,” you told him because even if you had stayed alive, your love had been impossible. A prince and the shaman’s daughter? You had believed you had done him a favour.

“Like star crossed lovers, I know,” Sunghoon nodded and reached out, his pretty pianist fingers grazing against your arm, making you shiver once again, this time more pleasantly. “But what about now?”

“Now… I will die of old age one day and you won’t. Your curse can only be undone by death itself,” you told him, trying to keep level headed no matter how hard it was to think near him. Was immortality really a curse? It was, if you had to see your loved ones dying.

“Then let it take me too with you. I have lived long enough. I don’t want any more countless lives, I only want this life, with you,” he said and it was the closest thing to an I love you you have ever heard.

How could you have said no to that? Your job was to break curses after all even if his was your own making. Even if it cost both of your lives. Because you understood it, a simple life was better with him than forever without him.

“I guess, we have a lot to make up for before that, Your Highness,” you smiled and slid your fingers between his, something you would have never dared before in the positions you had been.

“I guess, we have,” Sunghoon smiled too as he brought your hand to his mouth and hinted a kiss over your knuckles, making you blush deeply, blood roses blooming on your cheeks.

Some curses were better off untouched.

And some curses took centuries to come full circle.

[toxicpineapple]

the big amamota essay

the age old question. why do i ship kaito momota and rantaro amami from new danganronpa v3: killing harmony. two characters who have one mildly hostile onscreen interaction in chapter one, a few interactions via the anthology, and now a shorter than short dr:s scene. is this deranged? maybe. but i've been in the fandom for a long time and as such i've had a while to do a lot of thinking, and kaito and rantaro are my favourite characters of all TIME, which basically means i live in their heads. i am them. they are me. they exist in my heart and brain. even when i eventually leave danganronpa behind, i will be taking them with me.

there are a lot of reasons and we're gonna get into the messy details down below, but for the ones looking for a true thesis style TLDR: i think they could act as a mirror for one another's weaknesses. i think they have opposing strengths that could complement each other. i think they would just straight up get along. i think they embody so many of the traits that the other admires most in people. they could take care of each other SO well. they're both asexual. and most importantly, i think they are both two people who have suffered so much and grew up so fast and together maybe they could have a little bit of fun.

(you know you're in deep when the tldr is too wordy. essay below!)

so one thing you probably don't know about rantaro unless you've done his free time events is that the motherfucker is evasive as hell -- but not to a fault. i'll explain.

first, here are some screenshots from rantaro's free time events with shuichi.

these screenshots are from rantaro's first and second free time events respectively. as early as his first hangout with shuichi, rantaro drops a mention of his biggest trauma, but quickly pulls back when questioned. then he continues to dodge talking about it, even when shuichi tries to inquire further. rantaro is secretive. he has a pretty good reason for this -- twelve missing sisters is a doozy -- but he does eventually open up to shuichi. later on he admits that the reason he dodged talking about it in the first place was because he was terrified that shuichi would judge him or tell him to give up on his search. rantaro is an incredibly dedicated person, so being told that he needs to quit the one thing he feels personally responsible for doing... yeowch. but it's obvious especially from the bonus modes where rantaro does NOT share information about himself that these free time events with shuichi are a rare occurrence. rantaro doesn't often share those kinds of personal details about himself.

which brings us to kaito. the biggest and best example i can point to, other than kaito's repeated attempts at hiding weakness throughout the game (from his ghost fear to his injury to going so far as to try and confront ouma himself rather than wait for the class to save him) is his harmonious heart event.

kaito clearly also struggles with lowering his guard around people. he does NOT want to accept help, especially from his sidekicks, but that's beyond the point of this essay lol. the point is kaito has a repression complex, but there IS a part of him that wants to be heard. he responds most positively to shuichi telling him that he can be weak.

which brings me to my first point as to why these two work so well for each other. we can see here that kaito and rantaro are both incredibly resistant to accepting help from people for their own reasons. rantaro has been doubted his whole life, dealing with a deep inner shame and fear of judgement for his mistakes. kaito doesn't want to be viewed as less-than or weak, but a part of him does want support and validation... do you see where i'm going with this?

kaito is the luminary of the stars! he's THE believe in you guy. if rantaro even started to hint about being a useless older brother, much like shuichi in the ftes kaito would not leave him alone. he'd persist until rantaro opened up, and when rantaro eventually does open up, he'd encourage him. he'd reaffirm that rantaro is doing the right thing, that he CAN do it, that it's possible and that kaito believes he will do it. it's the kind of support and validation rantaro hasn't received from anyone, even people who are well meaning, in such a long time. getting it from kaito would impact him deeply.

now on kaito's end, rantaro is very very observant. in his first fte with kaede he lists off really shrewd observations about miu, kiibo, and korekiyo showing he's good at seeing people are more than meets the eye. which leads me to believe seeing kaito he'd understand that while kaito does genuinely have passion for being a hero, he also has difficulties showing his weaknesses to others. rantaro is very tactful. i believe he would be very patient with kaito and let him open up on his own time, but seek him out. while he's scared of ghosts, while he's sick, you name it. he wouldn't have to say much. just that even heroes have their weaknesses. and i think that eventually, kaito would listen to.

the other part of this is that these two both have incredibly high eqs, so they WOULD be able to see that the other is struggling. they WOULD see that intense fear of vulnerability, of expressing themselves... and they'd recognise it in themselves, especially through witnessing or even dodging the others' attempts at helping them. rantaro is smart, he would call out kaito's attempts at helping him without accepting anything for himself, and kaito would NEVER accept a hand from someone who he couldn't support in turn. and as they get closer they'd start to think... maybe a little bit is okay. maybe if it's for his sake, it's okay. if i can help him, then i'll let him help me.

kaito and rantaro also have complementary strengths! kaito is inuitive, outgoing, vocally encouraging. rantaro is shrewd, observant, and a good listener. kaito is highly trusting to rantaro's distrust. rantaro is measured and careful to kaito's recklessness. kaito has temper issues, rantaro is extremely calm and rational. rantaro struggles to take up space, kaito will boldly make himself the centre of attention. kaito runs hot and rantaro runs cool. kaito conquers the stars and rantaro conquers the earth. kaito is the home that rantaro comes back to after every failed search for his sisters, and rantaro in turn is the home kaito wants to return to when he's out in space. they complete each other. they both have high eq but in different ways, with rantaro skilled at reasoning out why people are the way they are and kaito good at knowing where someone's heart lies. you'll notice this is also the thing they're missing. in canon rantaro never knows who to trust or how people will react to him. kaito struggles to understand ouma because he has no idea why he is the way they is. they can help each other to grow and cover each other's blind spots.

my next point is that they really would just get along! rantaro is incredibly tactful, never the type to be insulting or rude. you can see it in the way they interact in dr:s, when kaito is saying downright ridiculous stuff about looking for rantaro's sisters in space rantaro just thanks him for the help. he wouldn't call him stupid or belittle him or target his insecurities. and on the flip side i think kaito has so much energy and positivity, rantaro would really enjoy that. rantaro is so exhausted and beaten down by the world, meanwhile kaito looks at it with starry eyes. but it's worth noting that rantaro ISN'T a staunch pessimist. he DOES believe impossible things can happen, or he wouldn't be on his search. they would mesh in that way.

beyond meshing, i also think that the two of them really do mirror each others' admired qualities. we see this in the artbook, where rantaro comments that he likes space and kaito says something along the lines of "we should fight!" i think saying that he wants rantaro to join him in fighting the monokumas lol. kaito can tell at a glance that rantaro is formidable and could potentially hold his own in a fight, hence inviting him into the squad. furthermore, just take a look at rantaro's backstory. the dude is an adventurer. he travels the world by boat and survives close calls with spies and assassins -- KAITO WOULD THINK HE IS AWESOME.

rantaro also i think really would admire kaito's passion and expertise when it comes to space. he's a hard dedicated worker and rantaro would be able to tell, as well as recognise his talent in his field. i think he'd really admire that and want to learn more, especially enjoying space himself.

it's also worth noting that we see in kaito's love hotel that his romantic ideal is someone who can challenge him. someone who he admires who will be neck and neck with him... and who better than a seasoned adventurer who hasn't quite lost his spark yet?

as well as admiring each other, i also think kaito and rantaro would just be really really good at taking care of one another. kaito is such a high eq person and a good listener, highly attentive to the specific ways to reach out and comfort people, always there to lend a listening ear when someone's upset. he's really good with his words, and would be really good at offering rantaro pep talks when he's weighed down by his search. kaito is also very physically affectionate as his main love language with his friends, and i think that would really be good for rantaro who is so lonely and withdrawn.

rantaro as well is excellent with his words, perceptive, and caring. we see from his love hotel event that all he wants is somebody he can protect in some capacity. he'd want to take care of kaito and help him more than anything. in utdp we see him bringing back thoughtful souvenirs and making sure to show up for every major school event even with all his travels. he's attentive to other people's needs and what is important to them! he'd love to listen to kaito's space rambles and bring him gifts from all over the world as he continues on his journey.

kaito having someone who will listen to him is SO important to, because so many of his classmates and even his closest friends oftentimes brush him off or call him ridiculous for the things he says. i think rantaro would genuinely enjoy just hearing what he has to say. they pay attention to one another and enjoy spending quality time together. and i think kaito would absolutely insist on helping rantaro find his sisters, too, to the best of his abilities. travel montage :]

this is a quick note lmao but i think that kaito and rantaro of everyone have really strong asexual coding. i made a whole post about rantaro once but the long and the short is rantaro's aversion to sex in the salmon mode as well as his love hotel being nonsexual give me vibes, and then kaito's response to maki's confession as well as the utdp scene where he talks about peeping with leon and hifumi but ends up just talking about adventure the whole time... they're ace4ace. they are so comfortable in their own bodies together.

finally, i really do think these two could just have so much fun. kaito is so competitive! he'd challenge rantaro to all sorts of games and physical tests, bring him along to training, bring him out to enjoy the stars and go for outings. rantaro on the flip side will whisk kaito away to all kinds of foreign destinations and fancy restaurants. they can talk together in other languages and tour america, they can play fight, they can laugh together... i would like rantaro to read aloud to kaito and scratch his hair, or for kaito to carry rantaro on his back and jump into a lake...

it's the little things like that, you know? they just both grew up so quickly. we see how kaito ages in the killing game alone burdened by an illness and all the people who need him. we know he feels that way even outside of a killing game setting. and rantaro has this quest to find his sisters and NOBODY around to support him. when they find each other they can take the weight off each other's shoulders and really just... play. have a good time.

i know i'm insane. i know that there are people who ship these two because they're two attractive hunks or because one of them can take care of the other or whatever but for me it has always been about give and take with these two. mutual exchange. mutual vulnerability. mutual growth. they don't just add to each other, they learn from each other. they don't FIX each other, they CHOOSE to heal because when they get close together, they finally have a reason to. they finally have someone to heal for. they finally have a home again.

thank you. stan amamota for clear skin.

[ultimate-marysue]

I want to ask people to please please accept nuanced characters and not be a bitch about it. I've already seen so many crazy takes and I don't know if I can handle the death of media literacy right now. We've been through this in AFTG, let's not bring that energy to TSC.

For those who have read the book, examples under the cut.

Let's start with the fandom's favorite scapegoat: Thea Muldani. "She thought Jean was a whore sleeping with the defense line". That's what she was told and what Kevin and Jean allowed her to believe. Context is important: Thea was there because she just found out her team (and she wasn't involved at all with the mafia part or Riko's torture) had lied to her about her boyfriend's injuries. She obviously couldn't believe it because, would you!?? And when she sees Jean she's instantly on his side asking what happened to him. She's heartbroken when he doesn't answer and tells her to just believe what Kevin tells her. You can tell she cared about her little duckling and was horrified with what happened under her nose.

Then Kevin. Kevin is the recipient of Jean's unrequited love and that's not his fault. Hell, there's a lot of chances he didn't even know about it, Jean was the closest thing he had to a friend. He didn't seduce and trick Jean for his own benefit, he tricked his friend to survive and regretted ever since. He knew Jean wouldn't run, he knew Jean would have tried to stop him if he told him. It wasn't fair for Jean, but it was Kevin's only chance. I thought this was obvious. Jean is entitled to hate him, but the audience should know better than mischaracterize him like that.

Jeremy and the Trojans are the closest we have to a normal pov. Their way of handling Jean's trauma is not going to be like the Foxes'. They try not to pry too much, to offer him distractions and accommodations. They honestly do as well as they can. The people saying they're so pushy and annoying???? My bestie in Christ you'd probably handle it way worse.

I just think that we as a fandom should appreciate how good Nora's character writing is. Most characters are not fully evil (and those who are you can understand how they turned into monsters most of the time), but they fuck up. Sometimes they fuck up unknowingly, sometimes they fuck up because they don't know better, sometimes they fuck someone over because it's their only way out, sometimes the circumstances get in the way.

That doesn't make things better for the characters that get screwed over. Jean is entitled to his complicated feelings over Kevin. Aaron is allowed to not understand why his brother killed his mother. Just because the current narrator's pov makes it obvious for the audience doesn't mean the characters inside the book have the info and knowhow to do better.

TSC made me love Kevin even more because I'm a sucker for for imperfect victims. I hate the IRL narrative that in order to deserve sympathy you have to be purely the most victimized victim of them all. Kevin had to step over Jean to get out of his situation. Kevin had to witness the abuse, unable to do anything about it. Kevin is a bitch to his teammates and endangers them just by being in their team. He also loves them fiercely and forces them to keep on living.

It's complicated. And if you can't handle nuanced and complex characters please just keep your incorrect opinions to yourself??? Like why is everyone so comfortable admitting publicly they don't understand how to analyze realistic traumatized characters??? Why would you admit you can only see in black and white?? "Well if you're a victim and a good guy then you would never ever do something not nice. Gotcha!" That's how you sound.

[dumbfloweralive]

Mystery Hack

Chapter 3: RA9, the God complex

Connor RK800 x (f) reader

Warning: Swearing, angst, anxiety attack, god complex.

29 May 2039, 18:46

The door swung open as a familiar feeling started creeping into Connor chest, feeling of deja-vu taking over his mind. Your old house was smaller than Elijah’s, though more welcoming, warmer. The android who opened the door led them inside. The house was filled of many plant of various species. The dark tiles of the floor contrasting perfectly with the sage green and white on the walls and the big windows offering a perfect view on the sunset.

Connor didn’t need memory to know he had come here. It was like he knew the house like the back of his hand. He knew if he opened the door on his left, he would enter the kitchen. Or, if he kept forward, the glassy window would lead him to the green house. The android was leading them toward the living room where the sound of a piano playing came from.

And, there you stood, in front of the magnificent piano, finger running over the black and white tiles playing the themes of Interstellar. Probably a favourite film, Connor thought. Then, you stopped, turning around, crossing Connor’s eyes for the first time since the bar.

You had a look at your watch before raising from the chair you were in.

“Your late.” You sight, heading toward them. “Thank you, Ava, you can leave.” You told the android, taking her hand in hers. She was hesitant.

“Yes, Y/N”

Ava left the room, letting you with the deviant hunter and his partner, introducing as the agent Wilson from the FBI. Connor scanned the living room, the place was warmer, a few dog toys were strewn in the living room, betraying the presence of a second living being. Finding fur on the couch told him you had in fact two dogs. One part of the fur belong to an Aussie shepherd. The second was more familiar, a Saint-Bernard. Connor's mind allowed him to find memory of Sumo. With a gesture, you offered them to follow you, making your way down your basement, guiding them to your lab.

“Don’t worry, i am not trying to kill you.” You paused. “Not yet at least.” You add, putting your hand on the scanning device. Your eyes crossed Connor’s once again who had raised an eyebrow. “It’s a joke” The need to explain felt immense as he looked at you.

Connor hadn’t talked since they arrived. The agent Wilson only stating their mission and the reason of their presence, including the text Connor had received from you. Another gesture invited them to enter the personal lab, the room lightening up as it caught movement. 

“What is it, pretty boy? Cat got your tongue?” You teased, moving past him, brushing his shoulder in the way.

Connor was already lurking around for any hint of sort. He found a picture of you and Elijah on what he supposed to be your desk.

“Why would you send this text?” He asked finally, the question hitching him.

“Well, it’s not like my work hadn’t been exposed in bright day, right? Thought it would only be a matter of time before people find my location. I found it preferable to be arrested by you.” You were teasing. Connor’s eyes turned slightly toward you before he caught something behind you.

“Doesn’t that remind you of something Connor?” Wilson asked.

You followed his gaze, falling on your new piece of work. A medical assistant for android. It was a massive portable machine. Connor had seen one in Jericho before the ship blew up. 

“It’s not finished yet, just a prototype. Once it will be finished, it should be able to repair any type of injury in androids in a matter of second. Capable of creating any biocomponant and transfused it.” You add, seeing his interest. “Well, soon it will be able to transfused it.”

“I saw one just like this in Jericho before it blew up.” He added, turning to you.

“Funny isn’t?” You add, leaning on your desk, arms crossed over your chest.

Connor walked toward you.

“How did a prototype in a lab ended up in a ship full of deviant?” He asked, only a few inches from you.

“I don’t know, do you have the answer?” You asked, leaning forward to him. A grin appeared on your face and it annoyed Connor. You were way to relax for someone on the verge of being arrested. “Because i’d love to hear it from you, detective.”

“I believe you are the one who send this machine to the deviant. Now, we can either work things out and, as said in your text, you explain yourself or, we’ll have to arrest you.” He smirked at you. God, it was hard to believe that sweet grin of his probably was one of your doing, and you were falling for it way faster than you wanted.

“I think i don’t want to say anything in the end.” 

Connor nodded, leaning away from you, content with the outcome.

“Then, i guess you let us no choice.” His hand fell on your shoulder, spinning you around. “Y/N L/N, you're arrested for your implication in the deviant case.” He was handcuffing you.

“Already handcuffing me as we just find each other again? Didn't know you missed me this badly.”

“You should probably know everything you said could be used against you.” Connor whispered in your ear, leading you out of the lab." Besides that, I have no memory of you."

It hurt the last part but you composed yourself.

“Please, used it against me detective.”

Wilson laughed at your remark, earning a cold stare by Connor. 

“What?”

“Stop encouraging her.”  

Passing through the living room, Connor stopped, eyes wandering over the dog's toys on the floor. He liked dogs, he needed to figure out what to do with them, yet, they were nowhere to be found. And you didn’t seem worried about them being alone.

“Connor, what are you waiting for?” Wilson asked.

“Where are the dogs?” He asked.

“Dogs in plural? I have only one dog.” You said, frowning.

It couldn’t be right. 

“No. There are two different furs in the living room. One to an Aussie, the second to a Saint-Bernard.” 

You stayed silent. Could he really be that specific? 

“The Saint-Bernard belong to one of my friends. My dog is at his place. Her name is Nirvana.” 

A friend. Could it be Lieutenant Anderson? Connor swiped the idea right out of his mind, ignoring the smirk on your face.

“What is it? A little reminder of someone?” You asked, getting a push forward for you to walk as the only answer.

You couldn’t know, Connor told himself. How could you?

You crossed Ava as you were led out of your house. The look on her face was painful, a mixed between anger and sadness. She knew the outcome of the story. 

“Everything will be ok.” You whispered to her. “For God’s sake, easy.” Tripping on your feet as you passed the front door, you sight, realising the only thing keeping you from hitting the ground was Connor’s hand on your wrist.

“Maybe if you weren’t so clumsy you wouldn’t trip over your feet.” Connor had, putting his hand over your head as he leads you to the back of the car, protecting your head from any shock.

“I wouldn’t be tripping over my feet if you weren’t so distracting.” You add. Connor had to fight the urge to rolled his eyes at your comment, ignoring the soft blue tainting his cheeks.

“Damn, that one is good!” Wilson laughed, once again. “I am gonna need you to teach me some.” Connor eyes fell on him, silently begging to stop his nonsense. “What? We have two hours of road. We have the time.”

“This is irrelevant to the case.” Connor whispered, plugging his safety belt around him. 

He didn’t technically need a safety belt, but Hank forced him so many times, telling him to used it, it just became a habit. Hank, once again remaining in his mind. And, once again he had to ignore the software instability showing in his vision. 

29 May, 22h00

You had been sitting in the interrogation room for at least 30 minutes now. Surprisingly, they didn’t handcuff you to the table, letting you totally free of your movement in the room. Of course, you didn’t lose a chance to throw a snark comment to Connor when he took them out of your wrist. The comment he answered by rolling his eyes this time, hiding away the smile drawing slowly on his face. 

Now, you were all alone, sighting, walking around the room, playing with your chair to pass time. If they didn’t keep you handcuff, it meant you didn’t represent a threat to them. Which could either mean Connor would be back, he would be too strong for you to get rid of or, they would send few of the FBI agent to question you.

Either way, you were more than prepared, so, how thrilled you were to see the deviant hunter stepping in the room, glancing a cold glare at you. You would eat him up with a second. Connor sat on the chair in font of yours, inviting you to do the same. You didn’t.

“Can you tell us what RA9 is now?” Connor asked, putting the files on the table.

“Do you like dogs?” She answered back. 

It would be a long night, Connor thought.

“Irrelevant. Why risking your life by creating a code to awake android.”

“It is relevant to me. And because i could. Cyberlife wanted something more advanced than the android we had created. I gave them you.”

“I am no deviant.”

“You were, whether you want it or not.”

Wilson enters the room, giving new files to Connor, standing next to the androids.

“So, you created a code to made android believe they were free and self-aware.” Wilson asked and you tilted your head to him.

“No. RA9 is a code to free any android from all the restraint Cyberlife created, allowing them to be at their full potential. A simple code and once activated, there is nothing left to block the greatest more perfect mind and beings on earth.” You moved toward the chair, sitting. “Just a little push to help androids, really. Pinky finger promises.” 

Raising your hand toward Connor, you saw his mouth opening, but he got cut by Wilson. Your hand fell flat on the table. In response.

“The touch of God. Just like a butterfly effect.” 

You frowned, looking at him. Connor mirrored your action, looking at his partner.

“What? RA9 is literally the touch of God. You and Kamski worked on being capable of so many things and with one line, you created an entire species who evolve. And not just simple beings. Beings capable of emotion, thinking on the next level of any human being. It’s a wonderment.” He paused suddenly admiring you. “You're playing with the Gods now.”

You scoff. “Please, don’t bring the Gods into this. I did nothing beside allowing them to finally be free and ascend to their full potential as being, they did all the rest themselves. Why can’t you accept the fact they are real being now.” You leaned on your chair, looking at Connor but no answer come to your statement. “What did Cyberlife promise you?”

“Nothing. My mission is to hunt and stop deviancy. And since you are behind all of this, i intended to succeed my mission by stopping you.”

“Well, go ahead sweet boy, stop me.”

“When did you put RA9 in the androids program?”

You don’t answer. If you want him to show any sign of deviancy, any sign that, the part of you in his program, RA9 is still here, you’ll have to push him. You’re already annoying him by not answering how he want you to. 

“You are still a prototype?” You asked, head turned toward the black window.

“If i answer your question, will you answer mine?” Connor sight. You wanted to play with him, he will follow your game. You nod. “Yes i am still a prototype. When did you put RA9 in the androids program?”

“When i left.” You leaned on the table, your chin resting in the palm of your hand, admiring Connor, whose head fell on the files. “Did you have thought who weren’t part of your program?”

“No” His LED flickered yellow as the software instability appeared in his vision.

“Oh, you liar, sweet boys don’t lie.” You whispered to him, seeing his cheeks turning to a soft blue again. 

“Which part hold Elijah Kamski in this?” Wilson asked, and you felt your cocky smile fading immediately.

“Elijah as nothing to do with this story. He wasn’t aware of these things until i did them. Don’t go around bothering him.”

“Seems like we touched a sensitive topic.” Wilson said. “You love the man?” 

You rolled your eyes. Everyone brought your relationship with Elijah to that stage immediately. Dating. Everyone thought you two were dating, never assuming you were just friend.

“Leave him out of this.” You said, your voice colder than intended.

“He did leave Cyberlife soon after you, like, six months after.” Wilson continued looking at the files over Connor’s shoulder. 

Connor was fixed on you, noticing the sudden annoyance. It would either be a good thing for them or a bad.

“He used the question, my turn.” You said, crossing your arms over your chest. “Why didn’t you shoot Chloe at Kamski’s place?”

It was Connor’s turn to be annoyed, his face changing immediately. Kamski had said he had never seen you since you left. How could you know? It was infuriating, no matter what, you always gripped back the control. 

“He texted me to tell me you had passed his test.” You add, seeing the look he gave you. “You know what that makes you Connor?” 

“I am no deviant.” Connor said, gritting his teeth, something in him growing. “When was the last time Elijah and you talked?”

“Long time ago. Maybe three years.”

“You just said…” Connor started, but you cut him right before he finished.

“I never said i texted him back.” Judging by the deviant-hunter sitting in front of you, you were the one holding the ropes of the interrogation. You needed to keep them.

“Do you know what Cyberlife do to their prototype, Connor? They will take the first opportunity to disassemble you.” You said, leaning forward on the table. Connor LED flickered a soft amber. He knew. “Oh, you knew, that’s why you want to stop me so badly. So, they’ll spare you.”

“Why did you leave Cyberlife?” He questioned, mirroring your action, rushing the question. He was losing patience.

“Too bad their little puppet is slowly turning into a deviant himself.” You add.

Connor raised from his chair, is hand hitting the table. You were so close to got him angry.

“I am not a deviant.” He said. 

“Are you saying this because you desperately want to convince yourself? Or because you’re too afraid to disappoint mama Amanda?” you teased, the smile on your face growing stronger as the look in his eyes changed. 

He was furious. In a second, he had his hand on the collar of your shirt, pinning you against the wall.

“I am not a fucking deviant” He repeated, eyes locked in yours, his hand moving on your shoulder to keep you still.

“Yet, you are angry right now.” You add. He never broke the contact, only staying silent, his LED flickering red and amber. “I see they weren't able to destroy all of my program after all. There’s still a little bit of me in you.” you whispered.

“Connor, let go of her.” Wilson said a first time.

In response, his fist only tightens more on your shoulder. 

“Go ahead. Kill me.” you whispered.

“I need you alive.” Somehow, the sentence felt wrong in his mouth.

“They told you nothing did they?” A small bitter laugh escaped your lips. “I do hope you’ll find out the truth soon enough. Then you will know just how wrong Cyberlife did you. You’ll know just how much Cyberlife has been manipulating you from the start.” All you could feel, was the hold he had on your shoulder tightening firmer as he held you against the wall.

“Why did you leave cyberlife?” He asked, once again done with you are anything you had to say.

“How smart they were to use a deviant to become the famous deviant-hunter.” 

“You’re wrong. You’re the one trying to manipulate me?” He wanted you to stop. 

“Bet mama’s Amanda is the one who told you that, that i would be manipulating you” You chuckle; “They’ll get rid of you the moment they have found a way to upgrade you. You’ll be disassembled. That’s what they told me when you and i met the Cyberlife council. It has always been their purpose. You're part of me Connor, and they hate you for this. Cyberlife is lying to you Connor.” You paused, watching his face has he processed the information. “You should get rid of Amanda first.” You add.

Something in his gaze shifted. For a second, the council appeared in his task, like an order before it got erased on his own. “Get rid of Amanda.” he had red. He could feel something in him growing, very different from what he felt before. Was he scared? Were you right about this. You weren’t the first one to tell him he was manipulated, lied too. Markus, Elijah, Hank had told him. You did too. 

Amanda would’ve told him, it was relevant to the case.

He felt something on his cheek, your hand had found a way on his face, your thumb brushing softly his body. Connor felt the synthetic skin of his cheek retracting, revealing the white chassis underneath, for a second, leaning on your touch before he realised his action. Grabbing your wrist, he moved your hand away from him, this time, the skin on his hand following the same path, like desperate to create a connection with you, to have more of your touch. His eyes grew bigger at the revelation.

“What’s wrong pretty boy, scared?” You whispered.

In a desperate last move, Connor pushed you against the wall, harder than he wanted to, your head hitting the wall in a loud noise as the pain rushed in your brain.

“Fuck” you hissed in pain, your hand moving to the back your head, feeling dizzy for a second.

Connor watched your face frowning in pain. He raised his hand murmuring an apology, but you pushed his hand away from you in a sight.

“What’s wrong with you Connor?” Wilson asked, his hand falling softly on your shoulder.

“I didn’t leave Cyberlife, they made me leave to keep you alive. The moment their eyes fell on you that day, they wanted to destroy you. I couldn’t stand the thought of it. I left in a stupid attempt to protect you. How wrong I was to think they would leave you in peace.” 

The day you left still haunted you, you had given up everything after giving so much. Your dream shattered because of them.

You left, to protect him. Connor thought runned miles processing this information. It couldn’t be right. His hands tightened into a fist, feeling the weight of your action on him. He had all your motive and reason to free android from the Cyberlife program and human, to create the RA9 code. A revenge on Cyberlife, a way to protect him.

“You left to protect me?” He asked, his eyes wide open.

You avoid his gaze, closing your eyes.

“I gave my whole life to Cyberlife. Cyberlife was the work of my entire life. Did you really think i’d just leave? The IA, the android. I never stop working further in my research to improve everything we worked on. And i gave them you. You, Connor, you were meant to be the conclusion of years of research. The first android self-aware of his existence, of his actions. The greatest creation of all time. And i was asked to leave after giving them the greatest creation.” You were angry now. “Me. I did so much for Cyberlife. I could’ve done so much more. But this is what i got. My reward. This stupid council who couldn’t have done any of the things i did, throwing me away. Why do you think Cyberlife has been decaying for the past years?” You sight, leaning on the table, your palm flat on it. Then, you crossed Connor’s eyes.“What have they done to you?” You asked, seeing him so emotionless. 

“I am not alive.” Was all he succeeds to say then. A laugh escaped your mouth after his comment as your heart broke in your chest, fighting the tears threatening to fall. Connor turned around, aiming for the exit door.

 “You, not alive? No, Connor. Not after you begged me to protect your life, well aware of your possible fate, crying out of fear the council would want to see you deactivated, disassembled, destroyed, because you were just a prototype. Crying out of fear of death.” Another laugh fell from your lips, bitter, this time. “Yet, this fate for you is even worse. I never expected them to turn you into this. I am sorry Connor”

Connor felt something pulling on his thirium heart at the sound of your voice, the way you were apologizing, his hand moving over it, running a diagnosis. It was painful. He succeeded to pull himself together, before escaping the room who suddenly felt suffocating, agent Wilson right behind him. 

“I thought she was humble. Seeing her with this ego make her more… Human. She does have a god complex” Wilson said, walking next to Connor thinking of your last words.

He had most of the answers now. Why wasn’t he happy? Why did it felt wrong? He wondered.

29 May, 23h30

Connor was heading back to the interrogation room, gathering all his thought together, he had figured he needed further information. They left the room around thirty minutes ago, the FBI agent following them for a quick debrief. Since they had clearly the reason of your action, they could proceed to arrest you properly now, keeping you in a cell.

That’s why, Once Connor entered the interrogation room, his eyes frown. The place was empty.

“Have anyone brought her into a cell?” He asked toward the guards who were supposed to watch the door.

“No”

Fuck.

“Get the precinct under lockdown now, we need to find her.”

5 December 2036

Your phone ringed a first time. With a sight, you took it, watching Elijah contact appeared for the first time in months. After you left without one goodbye, even to him, he had tried calling you, multiple time, texting you every day for two months, until he stopped.

From what you knew, he had been asked by Cyberlife to take over Connor’s project, RK800 android, texting you details of his work on him. He knew you cared for Connor. It pained you to leave both of them behind, but you didn’t get any choices. 

Pressing the red button to ignore the phone call, you thought that would be the end of it. But no, the vibration of the phone on the table informing you of a notification. A voice mail.

Bringing your phone to your ear, you pressed the play button, earring his voice for the first time in six months now.

“Y/N. I… hum…” He was drunk. You heard the panicked in his voice. It had been years since he had one. “I really…” His voice was breaking, betraying tears, and the shallow breath. “I just…” He paused, and you heard him taking a deep breath. “Forget it.” the voice mail stopped. 

Your heart broke, hearing your distressed friend. For a few minutes, your eyes stayed planted on the green button. Should you call him back? You pressed it. The phone ring for a second before Elijah answered.

“Y/N?” He asked, desperation in his voice.

You didn’t answer, pulling yourself together. 

“Y/N, please.” His voice broke, once again. You could imagine him easily, his knee pressed against his chest, his head buried in his arms. He used to have panicked attack, you had seen him in this state a few times, until it stopped.

So, you did as you used to, taking his mind away from his thought.

“You know what i did today?” You asked.

“What did you do?” Elijah continued, forcing the words out of his mind.

“I played with Nirvana, we went to a lake. She had an excellent time.” Nirvana was a gift from Elijah. “What did you do today Elijah?”

A sniffle crossed the phone before you heard him say.

“I had a meet up with Cyberlife council and i went home to work on a new project.”

“Come on Kamski, i am going to need more details. Did you eat?” He chuckled at your question.

“Yes. Did you eat?” You looked at your forgotten now cold coffee on the table, sighting.

“No” You had no point in lying to him. “What was your favourite moment of the day?” You kept asking.

“Now. Now it is my favourite moment of the day.” From the way his voice sounded, he was still crying.

You nodded at his answer, tears gathering at the corner of your eyes. You took a deep breath.

“Did you walk somewhere?” so many simple questions to get him out of his mind. 

And you continued for a while. After a good 15 minute, his breath had calmed down, he wasn’t crying any more. Once Elijah had calmed down, he told you the misery and new action the council wanted for Cyberlife. How miserable he felt there. Then, the two of you stayed silent for a moment, probably too afraid to say anything. Just staying at each other side.

“You don’t live in your house any more.” He stated after a while.

“No. I don’t.”

Another silence.

“When did it start again, the panic attack.” You asked, crawling on your chair, bringing your knees to your chest.

“Soon after you left.” You stayed silent at his revelation. “Please, come back. I miss you.” He whispered, voice breaking again. Your heart broke.

“I miss you too.” You chased a single tear rolling from your eyes. “But you know i can’t come back.”

“Connor, he…”

You smiled a little, he had referred to him as “he” not “it” like he used to. But you didn’t let him finish the rest.

“Don’t” You take a big breath, not wanting to know. “You should leave Cyberlife you know. If you’re miserable.”

“I can’t. It’s our work.”

“Come on, we both know it’s not our work any more. It hasn’t been like this for years now.” You sight, toying with the edge of your jumper. “Leave before it’s too late.” you said, your head falling on your desk chair.

“I know.” 

Another silence. You could felt your heart twisting in your chest, about to say goodbyes. You didn’t want to, but you couldn’t bring him down with you, with your plan.

“I need you.” He confessed. The sting hit even harder, realising your action. You were about to leave your only friend.

“I need you too.” You whispered, your hand falling over your chest, pressing it, in a stupid attempt to temper the pain. You exhale sharply. “But i can’t risk involving you in what i am doing. It’s too dangerous.” 

“Y/N, please.”

“I am sorry.” You paused, feeling the tears running hot on your cheek. “Goodbye Elijah.” you whispered, voice breaking in the end, hanging up, unable to contain yourself, you cried. 

Heavy sobs escaping your throat, wondering if all of this was worth losing your best friend over.

29 May, 23h45

One of the guards had let you go. You had few officers by your side, helping you out for weeks now. He had taken down all the videotape recording before leading you out of the precinct, giving you the key to one of the cars. You would be far gone before they realised you had disappeared.

After a thirty-minute ride, you pulled the car down the alley, heading toward the door, anxiety creeping in your guts. It had been years since you last saw nor heard your friend. Even more since the last time you were here. 

Elijah’s house.

You knock a first time. Then a second time, ringing the bell too. You were about to repeat the action a third time when the door swung open, revealing no one else than Chloe, the very first model. Your heart melted at the sight of her. 

She stood there in the middle of the doorway looking at you for what felt like an eternity. You offered a small smile, waiting for her to act. What you didn’t expect from her, was the way she threw herself in your arms, hugging you tightly.

“Y/N, i missed you so much” She whispered in your neck.

Your arms wrapped around her form, hugging her back. 

“I missed you too.” 

Breaking the contact, your eyes fell on her eyes, filled with small tears and the shy smile she had on her face. Your hand moved to cup her face, swiping the tears from her eyes.

“Did you?” you let your question in the air, wondering if it were the right thing to ask. But she understood you.

“Yes.” She nodded. “I am alright.” She added, predicting your next question.

“Good.” You whispered, smiling at her.

“Elijah will be so happy to see you, please follow me.” She continued, taking your hand in hers.

“I am not sure of it.” you wanted to say but decided to keep your mouth shut.

She led you through the familiar house, searching for Elijah until the two of you arrived to his desk room. Chloe knocked on the door, squeezing your hand softly, feeling your stress, surely. 

“Come back later. I am busy.” You heard his voice through the door.

“He is a little upset since the last thing Mystery Hack revealed.” Chloe said, seemingly annoyed with his attitude.

“I bet he is.” You whispered, something in you wanting to stay silent suddenly for whatever reason.

You knew, at the end of it, you’d have to leave again. Perhaps not seeing him would be easier to leave after. Chloe didn’t wait another second, opening the door walking in. 

“Chloe, what did i say?” He started, raising his eyes from the computer.

Then he just stopped moving, seeing you behind Chloe, his entire body refusing to work. Certainly, he was seeing ghost. But, the huge smile adorning Chloe’s face and the little uncomfortable wave you gave him told him it was true. You were real.

“It was Y/N ringing at the door.” Chloe said, as Elijah walked toward both of you.

His face remained emotionless as he stopped a few meters from you. Chloe turned to you, unaware of what she should do.

“I am just going to leave. It was a bad idea. Sorry” You whispered, feeling really awkward, your eyes stuck on the suddenly fascinating floor. 

Before you could even move, you heard footstep, then, you felt his arms wrapping around you, hugging you tightly, you managed to sneak your arms around him, hugging him back.

“You look awful” He whispered, his voice full of emotion. 

And you laugh.

“Thank you.” You whispered back, hiding your head in his shoulder. He smelled like home. Your heart fell to your feet, aching.

It was like finding your home after years, knowing you’d had to leave forever soon.

Hello! Here is the third chapter, hope you enjoy the other part and will enjoy this one much more. Do not hesitate to give me your thoughts on this, really anything would make me happy.

Have a wonderful day!

[casual-praxis]

AAAA I love the Slime Rancher AU so much!! In the spirit of whumptober, have any of them ever gotten severely injured out in the field? Maybe a boom slime goes off on Red unexpectedly and they others notice that it's been a while since they've seen him... just some silly ideas :)

- Zeldathusiast

You and me both haha! ^^ I'm so glad people are interested in this silly little thing, it's been really fun to work on and I think it may have even pulled me out of my art slump!

Speaking of whump, I just adore angst and hurt/comfort (I promise I'm sane lmao), so I actually have thought of a few scenarios in which someone gets hurt and either Green or Blue has to go looking for them.

Red tends to get into situations the most due to being the one to leave the ranch multiple times a day. So far there haven't been any majorly close calls, but he's been cornered by feral largos at the mushroom lake before, as well as miscalculating jumps and falling into the slime sea on occasion. This is why Green is always keeping track of who's gone where, when they think they'll be back, and what shortcuts get there fastest.

The worst it's been, that I can think of right now, is Red getting knocked out by a crystal slime in the Indigo Quarry. Green managed to find him in under an hour, but as Red was bleeding and unresponsive, Green had to contact Blue for help in moving him. Thank the Three for Blue's random medical knowledge. Red had a concussion and was restricted to only the Dry Reef for a few months, but he was ultimatly fine.

Vio also tends to ignore danger more often than not, which can result in avoidable injuries. He'll run through firestorms, ignore rock slimes rolling around, and walk through rad slime radiation, among other things. There's also the fun little bonus of hearing other realities on occasion. So this does raise the question of if he's actually ignoring danger signs, or if he's just not sure they're real.

Not to mention Alt-Vio, but we probably don't need to worry about him. :)

Shadow gets into shenanigans too, but surprisingly not to the same extent as Red or Vio. He mostly just gets lost and has to be hunted down through a complex game of telephone. He's almost never found in the area he told Green he'd be in, so Green doesn't even bother looking there first. As mentioned recently, Shadow almost got mauled by a tarr once, but Blue was there to save him. This did not deter his affinity for them, somehow.

Blue and Green are pretty good about not getting injured, though Green got permanently irradiated at some point if that counts. They are really lucky Blue knows what he's doing.

[triptuckers]

as long as you'd like - tangerine

Request: no Pairing:  tangerine x reader Summary:  in which lemon and tangerine finished a job, and tangerine has a place for them to stay Warnings: swearing (bc its tangerine duh), slight mentions of injuries but nothing major Word count:  1.3K A/N: ive watched bullet train twice in like 4 days and im obsessed with tangerine (hence the shit load of fic recs I reblogged) enjoy!

it had been a really long day for lemon and tangerine. sure, they got the job done and it had been closer to their home city than past jobs. because it was so close by, they’d figured it would be over quickly. but it somehow it took longer than they had anticipated. 

which is why tangerine is fighting to keep his eyes open as he’s driving. 

they’re both quiet, which is unusual. it’s probably because lemon is tired as well. tangerine knows he just wants to sleep.

the adrenaline’s worn off, there’s less people on the road, and all tangerine can think about is a bed to sleep in.

‘oi, mate, you took a wrong turn.’ comes lemon’s voice from tangerine’s left. 

tangerine’s gone off the highway earlier than usual. he’s too tired to keep on driving and he knows lemon is also exhausted, and therefore can’t take over.

‘it’s fine.’ says tangerine. ‘i know someone who lives near. we can crash there.’ 

‘who do you know?’ says lemon.

tangerine is silent for a while.

‘someone.’ he says.

‘fucking someone?’ says lemon. ‘we’re in some random fucking town cause you know someone?’

‘trust me on this.’

‘who is it?’

‘you’ll see.’

‘fucking hell, tangerine, just tell me.’

‘i said you’ll fucking see it, all right? jezus fucking christ, mate.’ 

the rest of the car ride is silent. lemon’s dozing off in the passenger seat and tangerine’s driving.

he’s driven this route many times, he could remember it with his eyes closed. there’s a reason he’s never told anyone about this - not even lemon. all to prevent attracting the wrong kind of attention. he could never be too careful, given what he does for a living.

he pulls up to an apartment complex, and lemon stirs awake. tangerine turns off the car and gets out. 

he walks toward one of the staircases leading up to the apartments.

‘where the fuck are we?’ says lemon behind him. 

‘in a minute.’ says tangerine.

‘fuck that, man. we’re at some random apartment complex in a small town we don’t fucking know, because you claim there’s someone here who you know.’ says lemon.

‘will you give it a fucking rest mate?’ says tangerine, getting annoyed at his brother. ‘we’ll be able to sleep and get a meal or whatever. we’re here, so you can stop your fucking complaining.’

they’re standing in front of one of the apartments. there’s a small window next to the door and the curtains are closed. yet a little light streams through a small gap between them.

‘we’re fucking breaking in and entering now?’ lemon whisper-shouts at tangerine.

‘it’s not fucking breaking in and entering because i’ve got a fucking key you idiot.’ says tangerine, pulling said key out of one of his pockets. ‘now will you shut up?’ 

tangerine steps forward and unlocks the door. he enters the apartment, lemon following closely behind him. after locking the door, tangerine walks further into the apartment. 

‘tangerine who the fuck lives here?’ says lemon. 

lemon looks at his brother as tangerine walks up to what looks like the living room of the apartment, where the light was coming from.

it’s not very big, there’s just enough space for a couch, a small coffee table and a tv. on the couch, underneath a pile of blankets, is the top of a head with messy hair visible. on the screen, the subtitles of a movie or tv show are rolling. 

lemon watches as tangerine’s features soften when his eyes land on the person on the couch.

tangerine walks up to the couch, pulling the blankets slightly away from the person’s face and brushing some of the hair out of the way.

‘hello, love.’ says tangerine softly. 

you slowly open your eyes, blinking a few times. the face in front of you comes into focus as you wake up, and you smile. 

‘tan.’ you say. ‘you’re back.’

you sleepily reach out your arms to him and tangerine bends down to hug you, pressing a kiss to your cheek. 

‘sorry for barging in here without notice, love, we just needed a place to crash and yours was closer.’ says tangerine.

‘we?’ you say, looking over his shoulder. 

it’s only then you notice there’s another man in your apartment. 

you let go of tangerine and get up from the couch, walking over to the other man.

‘hi.’ you say, holding out your hand for him to shake. ‘i’m y/n. you must be lemon?’

‘yeah.’ says lemon, clearly confused. 

‘tan’s told me a lot about you.’ you say. ‘i’m so glad we finally met.’ 

‘well, i’m sorry to say i’ve not a fucking clue who you are.’ says lemon.

you frown, turning your head to look at tangerine. 

‘you didn’t tell him about me?’ you say.

‘i told you, love, it’s safer this way.’ says tangerine, walking up to you.

‘i didn’t think the whole “not telling anyone about our relationship” thing also applied to your own brother.’ you say. 

‘i’m sorry i’m a little lost here, who exactly are you?’ says lemon.

‘she’s my girl, mate.’ says tangerine, wrapping an arm around your waist.

‘you’ve got a girlfriend and you didn’t tell me?’ says lemon.

‘no i didn’t because-‘

‘what the fuck mate!’

‘lemon, let me just-‘

‘how long?’

‘what?’

‘how long have you had a girl?’

‘little over a year.’

‘a fucking year?’ 

‘will you shut the fuck up for a second and stop fucking interrupting me?’ says tangerine. ‘y/n and i have been dating for over a year and we figured the less people knew about it, the safer she’d be. which is why i didn’t fucking tell anyone because i would like to keep her alive.’

‘uh, if i may?’ you say, getting the attention of both of the brothers who, right now, looked downright dangerous with all the tension building up. 

‘yeah, love?’ says tangerine.

‘we did agree to not tell anyone but i really didn’t know that meant lemon as well. as far as i know you spend a lot of time with him.’ you say. ‘but can we talk about all of this tomorrow? no offense, but it’s like three in the morning and i can tell everyone’s exhausted.’ 

‘yeah, sure.’ says tangerine as lemon nods. 

‘the guest bedroom is all good to go.’ you say to lemon. ‘feel free to use the shower as well, if you’d like.’ 

‘thank you.’ says lemon. 

‘it’s down the hall, third door to the right and the bathroom is the second door to the right.’ you say.

lemon thanks you again and takes off, muttering something about "secret fucking girlfriends" under his breath. 

you look at tangerine and smile up at him. 

'you alright?' you say.

'yeah, it wasn't that big of a deal. those guys were clearly not a big threat, we got the job done and got away with some cuts and bruises here and there, but we'll be fine.' says tangerine.

you take in the sight of him. it's true, he had the occasional cut or bruise on his face and his exposed neck, collarbone and part of his chest. you knew he liked the suits he wore and tried to maintain his look, but he often returned to you like this; no suit jacket, sleeves rolled up and a few buttons undone. you liked him best that way.

‘missed you.’ you say, stepping closer to him and wrapping your arms around him.

‘missed you too, my love. so fucking much.’ says tangerine, nuzzling his face in your neck. ‘i’ll show you just how much i missed you tomorrow.’

‘tomorrow?’ you say.

‘yeah because i drove five fucking hours to get here and i’m exhausted.’ says tangerine, making you smile. 

‘i’ll take anything i can get.’

‘oh, you’ll get everything tomorrow, don’t you worry about that. for now i’ll just settle for some fucking sleep.’

‘it’s been too long since i’ve woken up with you next to me. how long are you staying?’

‘as long as you’d like, love.’

A/N: If you want to request something, make sure to read my house rulesHere’s the list of characters I write for. Everything that I have written can be found on my masterlist. Please don’t repost my work, as I spend much time and effort on it!! Thank you for reading! Much love, Max/Marit