#I am still. gathering the pieces of me that this chapter left on the floor

[kurisus]

Chapter 108-2 thoughts

This was the most "IT'S SO OVER" "WE'RE SO BACK" chapter ever. Spoilers under the cut.

I am a leetol bit disappointed that Bishamon didn't really get to do anything this arc. She was unconscious for a majority of it, then woke up, went looking for Kazuma, and found him without like, needing to shake some people up. It is sweet how they finally got to have a proper conversation though. Their lack of communication has been a frustrating blind spot for both of them this entire story, so I'm glad they were able to come to peace with it.

I do wonder if Kazuma told her about being named by Yato, or if he dodged that fact, but I'm going to assume since we didn't get a live Bishamon reaction that he did tell her and she understood his reasoning.

"You are the only one who can save yourself" is kind of a strange statement out of context since this whole manga has been about overcoming trials with the help of the people who love you. But in context, Bishamon was saying that praying to a higher power is meaningless and individuals are the only ones capable of miracles. Kind of an atheistic message from a manga where a majority of the characters are Literal deities, but as an allegory for the world, I kinda dig it. Don't believe in miracles, make them happen with your own two hands and the people who love you.

Okay now I need to talk about Yukine this chapter. I Need To. His love for Hiyori and Yato had me pounding my fist on the ground. HE HELD HIYORI'S HAND. HE CLUNG TO YATO WHEN HE STARTED DISAPPEARING. HE DOESN'T WANT HIS DAD TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ADACHITOKA I AM JUST A GUY PLEASE HAVE MERCY ON MY FRAGILE HEART.

FATHER IS FINALLY DEAD SEND OUT THE CRABS. I'm glad his death was quiet and unceremonious, and not even Mizuchi was tempted by him.

It seems like the real Fujisaki was trying to say Father's name but couldn't quite recall it, so I'm thinking we'll get to hear it from Ebisu's mouth next chapter. Then again, we didn't get to hear Nana's real name either, so it may just stay as "ta" forever. Which is funny to think about as in like, "ta" for "bye." Bye bitch!

The pages of the trio + Nora all together and begging Hiyori to come back singlehandedly caused the most emotional damage. I know everyone else is freaking out about the Yatori CPR/kiss but I am just wishing the circumstances were more ideal for it. I will say it is pretty Kyoru of them to kiss while she's unconscious, though.

But, eh, her being alive was way more of a concern to me, so that was the reason I went ahead and read the official version early. I let out the BIGGEST sigh of relief when she woke up in the hospital.

Before I reflect more though, I wanted to say also I was pretty confused by Amaterasu's statement in the official translation, though fast-moon's helped clear it up. Hiyori didn't become a full shinki because she was named in the illusory dimension, and she was saved by the act of killing Father?

"You were carrying the ancient koto no ha with you as well" is the "you" referring to Father or Yato? Did Yato name Hiyori with the brush, or was she talking about Father having both on him?

Okay, so, reflections. Am I happy they temporary killed Hiyori? Still no. I would have preferred they damage her cord instead rather than way back when, when the wolves attacked her. Am I happy they brought her back? Obviously. It would be a bad ending if they left off on that, and I'm curious to see if/how much she'll remember in the final chapter.

Do I think Yato is dead? I sure hope not! This is also a death that would negate a whole lot of character development, and while I like the narrative parallel of her dying to save him so he dies to save her (esp considering how selfish he was at the start of the manga), I don't want Yukine to be left alone or with a baby Yato at the end of everything. I'm scared, because I think it's not off the table.

Am I happy with the ending? Remains to be seen, but while I have quibbles and hangups, it's not that much. It's not of the story-ruining variety for me, anymore. I kind of would have preferred a softer ending to the manga, for example. This entire story has had very high stakes for everyone involved, so they didn't need to up the ante with these constant main character death scares, imo. We were already quite deep in the shit. I also wish Hiyori had had more to do in the final arc before she saved the day by...dying.

But to say I didn't enjoy the journey of this arc would be a lie. It's been a long few years...almost 10 since I watched the anime, almost 9 since I read the manga, and mainly it'll be weird to say goodbye to this era of my life, and not have the monthly stress of chapters hanging over my head.

I was hoping Adachitoka would announce a new series, but it hasn't happened yet, and I'm not sure it will because they've been unable to commit to full chapters for a while now. Even before the hiatus in 2017, the chapters dropped from 45 pages to 40, and then we've been halfsies since 2018. Whatever caused Adachitoka to go on hiatus, it's been enough of an issue that they can't draw 45 pages on a monthly schedule anymore (and honestly, I don't blame them, as we all know mangaka schedules are brutal). Also, taking Alive into account, they've been drawing manga for 20 years. This might be their final story, or they might write another with an assistant. Either way, if they do something else, regardless of their role I'll definitely be checking it out!

So now that Hiyori has been undoomed from the narrative the wedding reread is back on. I'll be starting it soon here, all tagged with #Noragami reread and hopefully some of you will join me as well! Feel free to send me your thoughts on the chapter/the ending.

[ladykailitha]

The Hellfire Exotic Club Part 13

Do I mourn the fact that this isn't the last chapter because it's a spooky number? Yes, yes I do. But!

Have fun!

In this we have the renovation and reopening of the club, the trial of Robin's attacker, and Steve gives the performance of his life.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12

~

Construction of the new stage went smoothly with guardrails to keep the dancers from falling off and keeping the crowd from getting to handsy.

The chairs and tables were red leather and black metal fittings. The chair backs had the club logo in wrought iron. It was really cool. The wood floors where replaced by red and black tiles. The walls were painted with flames and the lighting was changed over to faux candles.

The whole vibe went from converted speakeasy to an actual Hellfire Club. When the second set of dressing rooms were finished; it would be the backup dancers on the right, because they had more costume changes to go through in a night and needed the bigger space for all their costumes and the Sins on the left.

Each Sin would have their own vanity and closet where they would have more room to change into their Sin costumes, because they tended to be more over the top. Well, all but Brian’s. Brian’s was his three piece suit, but he was a large guy, so he still needed all the space he could get.

When Steve asked where Eddie was getting all the money to do the renovations he merely grinned and tapped the side of his nose.

The truth was that Eddie had gone to Nancy’s boss and told him about her schemes. The man offered $300k to make the problem go away. Which Eddie happily took and then someone *Wayne cough cough* call in an anonymous tip to their main rival. It wasn’t Eddie’s fault that of the fifty odd people who were there that night decided to take justice in their own hands, was it?

He kept $100k of it back, and put the rest into updating the club. Upped all his insurances and made sure all his licenses would cover the bigger place, getting all his ducks in a row.

Opening night was packed to the gills, even for a Saturday night. Just like addicts needing their fix.

The three new dancers fit in seamlessly. Mason considered themselves to be non-binary so it was a bit of an adjustment getting use to the new pronouns but Eddie was proud to say he hadn’t hired a single fucking bigot among them as they all got used it. Admittedly, some quicker than others, but they all adjusted.

Steve really got along with Micaella, the new Wrath. Which privately Eddie thought was pretty hilarious considering how little he got along with Stella.

Eddie got up to the stage and pulled out a microphone. “I don’t usually do this public speaking bullshit. Singing, dancing, and playing in front of an audience is fine, it’s the talking that scares the hell out of me. Go figure.”

There were some polite chuckles.

“So why am I doing this you ask?” Eddie said, pacing back and forth on stage. “Well it’s because the club isn’t the only fresh face around here. Our Satan wasn’t given a proper introduction because we literally threw him into the deep end. So let’s give him a round of applause.”

A thunderous roar came and Steve blushed a deep red as he waved.

“I don’t stand for bullies no matter the form they take,” Eddie continued. “And when a couple of my dancers started to bully our Satan, I had to gather up the evidence I needed to make sure I fired the right people. So it pains my to say that Dagon, Leviathan and even our very own Wrath, Lamia, will no longer be preforming with us.”

There was some oohing and disgruntled mumbling on that one.

“When they endanger the life of fellow dancer,” Eddie said solemnly, “that’s line that needs to be drawn. So that’s why the guardrail was put up. It won’t interfere with your viewing pleasure. I checked.”

There was some appreciative rumbling and Eddie took that as a win.

“So to replace our little demons,” he continued, “we have Set and Kimaris. And to replace our Wrath, we proudly introduce Megera, the Fury!”

The three of them stepped forward, waving and bowing. Then they stepped back

“And to celebrate our grand return,” Eddie concluded, “we present Fairy Tails!”

There was some wolf whistling and stomping as the lights went down.

They did the fairy tales Seven Deadly Sins style and Ellie’s costumes were an absolute treat, coming off with a sultry ease.

The new additions fitting in so seamlessly that soon the audience had forgotten their counterparts in light of their new titillation.

Mason Clark was a non-binary black person whose Set was chaotic and fierce, the way they danced with Cheryl or Choronzon was electric. So much so Eddie was starting to think of changing her name to better fit the Egyptian god theme. He would just have find a really good that match their style. He was thinking Apothos or Ammit. Whichever one she liked the best.

Kyle had that sweet country boy look off the stage, cowboy boots and blue jeans. He had blue eyes and red hair. But once he got on stage all of that fell away and he was phenomenal. And if Eddie ever retired from dancing, he knew he would have his perfect replacement in Kyle. The man could move and move you in a style that was both rough and tender at the same time.

Eddie still wasn’t sure how managed it. Maybe rough wasn’t the right word. Raw. Raw was a better word. It was like he was showing you a side of himself reserved only for the stage. It was breathtaking.

The money flowed in as easily as it had before the two week closure, leaving Eddie, and by extension, Wayne feeling very relieved indeed.

So Wayne made the decision to go back to Hawkins, safe in the knowledge that Eddie now had everything under control.

~

Eddie sat in the back of the courtroom, squirming in his seat. He had never be in the gallery before, usually the defendant’s chair, so it was making him twitch.

Robin had given her testimony last week and now it was Steve turn. He wore a simple grey sweater vest over a long sleeved white button up and grey slacks. You wouldn’t have known from the look of him that he shook his ass on stage five nights a week.

The prosecutor was up first and got Steve to lay out the events of the day as plainly as he could remember them.

The defense lawyer stood up. He was slick man in a thousand dollar suit, diamond rings on almost every finger. The man screamed slime just from his appearance.

“Can you state your current employment?” the lawyer asked smugly.

“Objection!” the prosecutor cried, leaping to his feet.

“Goes toward the character of the witness,” the lawyer said.

“I’ll allow it,” the judge said dryly, waving his hand to the prosecutor’s visible displeasure.

“Hellfire Exotic Club.”

There was some twittering in the jury box but the gallery remained silent.

“And what do you do there?” the lawyer asked, standing up and walking around to the front of the table.

“I’m a dancer,” Steve said, with clenched jaw. His hands gripped the sides of the witness chair.

Eddie could tell it was taking every ounce of self-control for him not to rip this guy’s balls off. Which he was happily willing to do the job for Steve because this guy reminded him of his dad in all the worst ways.

“You strip,” the lawyer corrected, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

“Yes.”

The lawyer turned around and picked up a folder from the table and flipped through it for a moment. “It says that you were the lead dancer at the Indiana Ballet Company, is that correct?”

The room was tense as everyone waited to see where this was going. Eddie crossed his arms and leaned back in the seat, taking a desperate measure not to leap over the guardrail. Robin grabbed his knee and gave it a squeeze. He looked at her and she gave him a weak smile back.

“Yes, sir,” Steve agreed, leaning further into the microphone.

"And why did you leave the Indiana Ballet Company?" the lawyer asked, throwing the folder back on the table.

"Because I tore a muscle in my shoulder," Steve replied tersely.

The lawyer rolled his eyes. "You're a dancer, why would a shoulder injury make you quit?"

"Because a male danseur must be able to lift other dancers,” he said slowly as though he was talking to a small child. “Do you know how useless a danseur who can't lift is?"

"No."

"About as useless as this line of questions is in reference to my character as a witness,” Steve bit out. “Move it along."

There was some snickering among the prosecutor’s table.

“Mr. Harrington...” the judge warned, giving him the eye.

“May I say something really quick,” Steve asked the judge, looking over at him on the bench, “before this becomes a ‘gotcha’ moment?”

“Your honor!” the lawyer huffed. “This is most unusual!”

“I think he should have a say if it’s relevant to his character,” the prosecutor said, leaning back in his chair.

“And is it?” the judge asked Steve sternly.

“Yes, your honor.”

“I’ll allow it,” the judge said waving off the defense’s further objections.

“I only started working at the club because I was fired from the rec center,” Steve said, shyly. “The bills were piling up and I needed to make a lot of money fast.”

The courtroom was a still as a statue and as quiet as death at that proclamation.

The judge turned to the prosecutor. “Is this true?”

“It is your honor.”

“So let me get this straight, counselor,” the judge said angrily, “that the reason Mr. Harrington was working at the strip club in the first place is because he was fired from the rec center for reporting your client? Do I have that right?”

“I can’t attest to the cause of Mr. Harrington’s dismissal–”

The judge cut him off with a single glare. “Do I have that right?”

“Yes, your honor,” the lawyer hissed.

“So all his working at the strip club attests to is that his firing made him desperate,” the judge said. “As Mr. Harrington said, move this line of questioning along.”

The lawyer seethed but did as he was told. He tried to work every angle to get Steve to trip up but Steve was flawless on the stand.

Eddie was proud of him. So fucking proud.

Then it was time for closing remarks and Eddie really enjoyed the prosecutor’s.

“...Not only did this man brutalize a young woman for the sheer fact she was gay,” he said solemnly, “but their subsequent firing left them destitute and having to turn to working at a strip bar to make ends meet. The sins this man has enacted upon Robin Buckley is immeasurable and despicable.”

Steve was silently crying into his silk and lace handkerchief and Robin and Eddie held on from either side.

No one was surprised when the jury returned the verdict as guilty on all charges in less than twenty minutes.

As they walked away for a little celebration, Eddie turned to Steve, “So... you’re still going to work at the club, right?”

Robin and Steve shared a glance and then burst out laughing.

“Yeah, of course,” Steve said, stuffing the handkerchief into his pocket. “My mother is a complete bitch, but she absolutely is also one of the best lawyers in the state. I have seen her coach many a client on how to cry on command. Not a single fucking tear was genuine, let me tell you.”

Eddie’s shoulders sagged in relief. “That’s is so good to hear.”

“Now let’s call the crew and have them all meet us at Kincade’s for drinks and barbecue on me,” he replied with a grin. “We have some real celebrating to do!”

~

Part 14

Tag List: CLOSED

1- @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @zerokrox-blog @gloomysoup

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @cryptid-system

3- @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog

4- @irregular-child @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @forgottenkanji @garden-of-gay

5- @anne-bennett-cosplayer @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @littlewildflowerkitten @genderless-spoon

6- @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman

7- @counting-dollars-counting-stars @tinyplanet95 @ravenfrog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @lingeringmirth

8- @gutterflower77 @a-lovely-craziness @just-a-tiny-void @w1ll0wtr33 @beelze-the-bubkiss

9- @dreamercec @sadisticaltarts @too-much-tma-stuff @dolphincliffs @chameleonhair

10- @themoonagainstmers @novelnovella @micheledawn1975

[firelordsfirelady]

XI. Covered in Fire

Author: @firelordsfirelady

Imagine: When Y/N—a princess of one of the Water Tribes—is told she’s leaving her tribe, she never expects that she’s to be betrothed to the Fire Lord’s son, nor was she prepared to be exiled the very day she arrived at the Fire Nation. With her life in the hands of her new fiancée, how will life change for the princess? 

Pairing: Zuko x F!Reader

Trigger warnings: arranged marriage, feelings of fear, banishment, mentions of burns/abuse, frustration, violence, betrayal

Word Count: 2936

Destined to be Yin and Yang 

I own no rights to Avatar the Last Airbender or any of the characters/story. 

Author’s Notes

The characters as all aged up so Zuko’s banishment happens when he’s 16 

Keep in mind I am bringing a unique world with inspiration from ATLA in their characters, some of the events that happen, bending, etc. Not many things may align or occur with what happened in the show. It’s intended that way, so I hope you enjoy it regardless.

Y/N's look this chapter here.

Destined to be Yin and Yang Soundtrack (YouTube)

A set of knocks sounded on my door the next more and sent off a pounding in my head that led to the groan that left my mouth.

“Forgive me, but your presence is requested for tea at Uncle’s.” Zuko’s voice came from the other side of the door before I heard steps walk away. My head felt like I had hit it against a rock as the pounding made me close my eyes in pain. I slowly dragged myself out of bed and grabbed the first piece of fabric my hand grabbed in the darkness of my room. With how my head felt, I was thankful for the blanket covering the window and how it dimmed the light in there. I put on the dress before I threw my hair up in a bun and then left the room. I slowly walked down the hall as the soft pads of my leather shoes connecting with the floor sounded like thunder in my head. I grimaced as I knocked on Iroh’s door and Iroh opened the door to greet me.

“Good morning, Y/N.” His voice was horribly loud for my ears this morning, but his words stopped as he took in my appearance then a wide smile spread across his face. Looking over his shoulder, I saw Zuko standing with reddened cheeks as his fists clenched at his sides. Iroh’s laughter made me look at the older man with a grimace of confusion. I smoothed down the fabric of my dress as I looked down to find blood-red fabric greeting the cones in my eyes.

Of course, I would blindly put on Fire Nation colors. My cheeks felt aflame as I looked back up to the older man as he motioned for me to enter the room. Avoiding eye contact with Zuko, I happily sank into one of the cushions in front of a small table where a tea set rested. The tea smelled like the cure to my pounding head, so I carefully picked up the pot and poured myself a cup of the warm liquid. Carefully setting the teapot down, I tried to hide the grimace on my face as the soft sound caused my head to pound more.

“How do you feel this morning?” Zuko asked in a level tone as I closed my eyes and I slowly stirred some honey into my cup. The soft clinks of the spoon against the cup didn’t help soothe my head. Not able to tolerate the noise of the spoon anymore, I covered my ears and gently laid my head against the table’s surface.

“The sound of my own breathing is sending waves of pain through my head.” My voice was muffled as I spoke into the table. “The light is too bright in the dim-ass hallway.” I felt tears gathering in my eyes as the pain in my head was quickly becoming unbearable with my eyes, so I closed my eyes. “I really want to drink this cup of tea but I just cannot tolerate the sound of the spoon in the cup.” Fighting a sob towards the end, I took a deep breath in an effort to calm myself down. Neither one of them said anything and I took a few moments to calm down before I spoke again. “Are we still on our course for the Fire Nation?”

Silence greeted my question as I tried to recollect what happened last night. I couldn’t remember much of what happened after I brought Iroh and Zuko the cupcakes. My heart felt heavy in my chest as an ominous sensation danced over the hairs on my skin.

“He ran!” Zuko’s paroxysm of rage caused a yelp to leave my lips as his fist collided with the table next to him. “The world’s greatest warrior! And he ran. He’s a coward!” I tried to plug my ears to protect my head from the volume of his voice.

“I wouldn’t say that.” Iroh’s voice was soft enough for me to unplug my ears to hear him clearly. “I would just say the Avatar isn’t what either you or I were expecting.”

“I’m still the heir to the Fire Nation Throne--” Zuko’s volume was much quieter than before, and I felt some of the tension in my shoulders relax as a thought crossed my mind. Focusing on the honey and the tea, I hovered my hand over the cup and mixed the contents within before I lifted my head to take a sip.

Mixed to perfection. I took another sip as the pounding in my head slowly dulled as the warm liquid filled my stomach.

“It is precisely the reason why being in this remote corner of the world is an advantage.” Iroh’s soft words brought me back to the situation of the room. 

“So, where are we heading now?” I asked as I dared to open my eyes. Iroh was sitting with his legs crossed on the cushion across from me as he sipped on his own cup of tea. 

“We will be meeting with the Commander of an outpost nearby.” Zuko’s calm words seemed bitter as he turned away from me to look at the map on the wall.

“How long until we arrive?

“We will dock in a few hours.” I gave a nod as I relished in another sip of the tea before I bit my lip as I asked my next question.

“Is it okay if I stay on the ship?”

If I understood what Zuko said the other night, then I didn’t need to be going to outposts and meeting Commanders as his fiancée. Zuko looked over at me as he pondered what he wanted to say.

“If you are feeling alright, your presence would be preferred.” I couldn’t distinguish what his tone was trying to say, but he cleared his throat and continued in a level tone. “You are my betrothed, after all. You will need to know the business of the Fire Nation.” 

My mind couldn’t quite wrap my head around what Zuko meant by his words, but I finished my cup of tea before I gently set the cup down.

“I shall attend the next meeting then.” I stood up and bowed to the two men in the room as my head felt better than before, but I wanted to be in the silence of my room for a while. “I will await the news of the meeting.”

Leaving without another word, I quickly made the short journey to my room and shut the door before I collapsed onto the bed. Exhaustion quickly gave way to a dreamless rest as I suddenly opened my eyes at the sound of knocking on my door. 

“Yes?” I quietly answered as I wiped the sleep from my eyes.

“We have docked at the outpost.” Zuko’s voice came from the other side of the door. “Will you be accompanying us?” Slowly sitting up in the bed, I still felt the dull ache in my head and the pain in my chest. 

“I will attend the next one.” I kept my voice even as I moved to sit in the chair. “I’ll stay on the ship.” Zuko said nothing before I heard his footsteps walk away from the door.

A little while later, I was sitting in my room working on shading my firebender when the sound of hurrying footsteps came from down the hall. The door to my bedroom was flung open by several Fire Nation soldiers.

“Wha—“ Hands roughly grabbed my arms and dragged me out of my room. “What’s the meaning of this?” I asked as I tried to pull away from two men holding me.

“Silence, Waterbender.” One of the men harshly ordered, and I felt the color drain from my face.

This was not going to end well.

The men drug me through the streets of the small outpost before they brought me to a set of double doors. A sinking feeling developed in the pit of my stomach as the guards outside the room threw open the door to reveal Zuko and Iroh as they sat in two chairs in the middle of the room. The sound of the door opening drew the room’s occupants’ attention as I was roughly brought to my knees a few feet away from the Prince. Zuko’s eyes briefly flashed with anger as he saw me, and Iroh’s face twisted in concern. A stranger stood between us three, and my breath hitched as he turned around to reveal the stranger who had thrown the fireball at me. His eyes stared down at me with hatred and amusement as the guards holding me spoke.

“The interviews with the crew are complete. They said that this one right here is a Waterbender.” The word itself must’ve tasted bitter on the guard’s tongue as he tightened his grip on my bicep. I bit the inside of my cheek to prevent any signs of pain from showing on my face. I’m sure all the color has drained from my face as my heart pounds in my ears. Bravely, I focused letting my eyes convey defiance as the man smiled then humorlessly laughed. 

“You lost the Avatar because you picked up a Waterbender and she helped the Avatar escape.” The man’s words were full of humor as he laughed before my vision faded from impact with an object. If the guards weren’t holding me as tightly as they were, I would have fallen to the ground. The silence around me slowly faded into loud shouting. As my vision slowly came into focus, Zuko was standing face-to-face with the man.

“Do you want a burn to match?” Zuko sounded pissed.

“Are you challenging me to an Agni Kai?” Zhao teased.

“Agni Kai at sunset.” Zuko spat at the man. The two men holding me suddenly let me go and I barely caught myself before I hit the ground too hard. Iroh walked over and gently helped me stand up. 

“Too bad your father won’t be here to watch me humiliate you.” The man and his guards turned and left the room after he said his venomous words. Once the three of us were alone, Iroh calmly spoke to Zuko.

“An Agni Kai?” I watched Zuko’s face as his uncle spoke. “You remember what happened last time you fought a master.” Zuko’s fists clenched at the mention of the event.

“Let’s get Y/N back to the ship.” Zuko turned on his heel. “She needs to see the doctor.”

Iroh offered to help walk me back to the ship, but I declined as I forced myself to stand on my own two feet. The world spun for a moment before I centered myself and followed behind Zuko as he quickly left for the ship. The Prince’s steps were too quick for the state I was currently in, so I leisurely walked with Iroh to the boat.

“Iroh,” I asked as we walked. “Who was that guy?”

“He’s Commander Zhao. He is a bitter man who is always seeking to climb in the ranks of the Fire Nation.” Iroh’s tone was calm as he spoke to me. “He carries on the Fire Nation’s beliefs that fire is the superior element.” Iroh watched as Zuko’s figure slowly got farther away from us.

“I could see that hit you took from the Commander threw you for a loop.” Iroh’s voice was gentle as he spoke. “I think it upset Zuko because he exploded at Zhao.” I felt worry settle into my facial features.

Was Zuko in the Agni Kai because of me? I shook the arrogant thought from my head as I tried to quicken my steps to the boat.

After receiving clearance from the doctor, I stood next to Iroh in front of Zuko as he kneeled on one knee. The air of the Agni Kai field was hot with the heat of anger coming off the two men as they kneeled with their backs to each other. I swallowed the words in my throat as I gave Zuko a reassuring smile.

There was no doubt in my mind that Zuko would win.

“Remember the firebending basics, Prince Zuko.” Iroh coached him in a soft tone. 

“I’m not going to let him win.” Zuko stood and turned as the red cloth draped around his shoulders flew to the ground below him. Zhao did the same and a large bell was hit to signify the start of the battle. Iroh pulled me to the side to watch from a safe distance. The two men were of similar builds as their bodies were toned and evident of consistent training. A split moment of silence fell upon the field before Zuko let out a yell as he sent whirl after whirl of fire. The Commander effortlessly dodged Zuko’s attacks as Zuko panted from his effort. Zhao seemed to dance as he dodged and blocked Zuko’s fire blasts. Zhao sent Zuko a blast that was larger than any fire Zuko had sent Zhao’s way. Zuko looked slightly overwhelmed for a moment, which served to boast Zhao’s confidence as he got ready to attack again.

“You got this Zuko.” I whispered to myself as I watched the scene unfold in front of me. I saw Iroh glance at me out of my peripheral.

“Basics, Zuko!” Iroh yelled as a reminder. “Break his root!” My heart raced as Zuko blocked three shots Zhao fired at him, but the fourth one sent Zuko flying backward. I looked at Iroh who shook his head as I shifted the weight on my feet.

I knew the rules of the Agni Kai, but I wanted to help Zuko. Zhao pursued and moved to burn Zuko. Zuko’s face twisted in fear before Zuko spun on his hands and used his feet to dispel the fire from the Commander and swipe the Commander’s leg out from him. Zhao fell to the ground with a heavy thud as Zuko stood in an offensive stance. His golden eyes shone with confidence as he kicked fire at the Commander, sending the older man scattering backward as Zuko persisted with the attack. Zuko sent fire kick after kick towards the Commander until the man with the sideburns fell and rolled onto his back

“Do it.” The Commander taunted Zuko as the Prince stood victoriously over the older firebender. Zuko sent a fireball towards the left side of the ground next to the general. As Zuko stood there, I found myself admiring the young prince as he stood above the older man. He could have easily given the Commander the burn mark Zuko had promised him, but he stood triumphantly and looked as calm as a cucumber. 

“Your father raised a coward,” Zhao remarked bitterly after he did not receive the burn he was expecting. I balled my fist at the Commander’s words, but I looked at Zuko as he calmly spoke.

“Next time you get in my way, I promise I won’t hold back.” Zuko turned to walk away from the older man as he lay on the ground. I smiled with pride as Zuko walked towards his uncle and me.

As Zuko walked towards us, we walked towards him as I watched the Commander stand up. I saw his shoulders tense before he let out a yell. In the blink of an eye, I summoned a large wave of water to intersect the large blast of fire Zhao sent toward the Prince with my hand before I caught the foot of the Commander. The air of the battlefield stilled as I narrowed my eyes at the surprised face of the Commander before I sent him flying back with a wave of water. As the Commander collided and slid along the floor a few feet away from me, I straightened my posture and smoothed the soft red material of my dress as I heard Iroh exclaim from behind me.

“No, Prince Zuko, do not taint your victory!” I narrowed my eyes at the Commander as he lay on the ground in a puddle of water. His eyes seethed with anger as he looked at me as I audaciously stood in my place.

“This is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat?” The words left my mouth evenly as I spoke to the man. “Coward.” I turned on my heel and walked back over to Zuko and his uncle before I added. “Even in exile, Zuko is more honorable than you.” Zuko’s eyes met mine as his golden orbs tried to convey a message to me.

What’s that look for? I simply smiled at the Prince as I turned to look at Iroh as he spoke.

“Thanks again for the tea. It was delicious.” The three of us turned around and left through the large doors of the Agni Kai battlegrounds. The walk back to the ship was quiet and, as we arrived back to the ship, I quickly bowed to Zuko when he turned around to look at me.

“Forgive me, but I am still not fully recovered from all of the recent excitement.” My head was starting to pound stronger now that adrenaline wasn’t pumping through my veins. “I just need to rest.”

“Yes, please rest easy, Princess.” Iroh said as he turned to bow to me, but I gave the older man a disapproving look.

“I hate that name.” Placing my hands on my hips, I sighed as I smiled at the older man. “If anyone shall need me, you know where I’ll be.”

Without waiting for a reply, I quickly made my way to my room.

Tag List @chevysstuffs @puttyly @ginger24880 @night-fall-moon @junieshohoho @0kauy @coolgirl458 @hypnoticbeing @angelruinz @preeyansha @playboygeniusphilanthropist @ssonniiu  @chi-ara @hagridshaircare @stell404  @kyo-kyo1 @herondale-lightworm @simonsbluee @nadlx33333 @nerdisthenewcool

[thesapphictimelady]

Ad Astra Per Aspera Chapter 5

Word count: 1.8K

TW: Implied domestic and verbal abuse

A/N: This is not proofread at all and I am slightly drunk so please excuse any typos and formatting errors! I hope you all love it and please comment! Tell me what you like and dislike! I have no idea what’s gonna happen next so I’m also open to ideas! The next thing I write will not be a part of this series but I hope you all will love it just as much!

“Is that-”

“Jenny.” Cassie whispered, “Yeah,”

“How did she-”

“I don’t know,” Cassie said, “I didn’t tell her where I moved to. I don’t know how she found me.”

Melissa gently embraced the shaking girl, “It’s okay. Listen, I’m gonna go to your apartment and grab you some clothes. And then…and then you can stay at my place until we sort this out.”

“Ms. Schemmenti I couldn’t impose-”

“You aren’t. It’s gonna be okay, Cassiopeia. We’ll sort this out.”

“I-I should call the cops-”

“No,” Melissa cut in, “Nothing good ever came from getting them involved. I’ll take care of it. I’m gonna have Barb take you to my house while I get your stuff,”

“No!” Cassie said, “I-I want to come with you.”

“Hon, are you sure? We don’t know if she’s still there or not.”

“Please?”

Melissa sighed, wiping a stray tear from the young woman’s cheek, “Okay. Okay, you can come. Let me go make our excuses with Ava.”

“Won’t we get in trouble for leaving early?”

“It’s a teacher workday. Things are more relaxed. Besides, Ava doesn’t care if we’re here or not. Get your stuff together and make a list of what you want to grab so we can be in and out quickly.”

Cassie nodded and the older woman left the room, her heeled boots clicking on the floor. She looked down at her phone and shuddered, quickly closing the photo and powering her phone off. Cassie stood and grabbed a piece of construction paper and a colored pencil from one of the shelves to start making a list of things to grab.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Barbara said, leaning on the doorframe, “Is everything okay? Melissa looked a bit ruffled when she passed my classroom.”

“Yeah, everything’s fine!” Cassie said quickly, “She just went to talk to Ava! She’ll be back.”

Barbara stepped into the room and lowered her voice, “Are you sure you’re okay? Your hands are shaking.”

“I-” Cassie paused and bit her lip, “It’s…it’s complicated. But Ms. Schemmenti is very kind and she’s helping me out.”

“Well, I’m glad Melissa is there for you. She seems to have developed a soft spot for you! If you ever need anything else, Gerald and I are happy to help.”

“I couldn’t possibly ask-”

“You aren’t asking, I’m offering. Really, Cassiopeia, you deserve love and kindness,” Barbara stepped forward and wrapped the younger woman into a hug.

Cassie froze and then the floodgates opened and she was sobbing into Barb’s shoulder.

“I’m just so scared, Mrs. Howard!” she sobbed.

“Oh, sweetheart, it’ll be okay! Melissa and I are going to take care of you!”

“Hey kid, you got your list…” Melissa trailed off as she entered the room and saw Cassiopeia wrapped in Barb’s arms, “What happened?”

“I hugged her and she just broke down. She says she’s scared.”

Melissa crossed the room quickly, picking up Cassie’s phone to make sure there wasn’t anything from Jenny. Once she was satisfied, she started gathering their things into her arms.

“Cassiopeia and I are leaving early. Something came up.”

“Melissa, is there something you want to tell me?” Barbara said, eyeing her over the top of Cassie’s head.

“I think it’s better you didn’t know,” Melissa said, gently coaxing Cassie out of Barbara’s embrace, “I don’t think you’d approve.”

“Melissa Schemmenti…” Barb started.

“Drop it Barb. Listen, I’ll call you tonight, okay? You can be mad at me all ya want but just trust me.”

Cassie sniffled and wiped her eyes, “Bye, Mrs. Howard.”

Barbara’s expression softened and she smiled sadly at her, “Bye, sweetheart. I’ll see you on Monday. And my offer still stands, okay? I’m a phone call away.”

Cassiopeia nodded and let Melissa guide her out of the classroom, down the hall, and out of the building.

“Do any of these cars belong to Jenny?” Melissa asked, pulling into a parking spot.

Cassie looked around and shook her head, “I don’t recognize any of them.”

“You got your list?”

Cassie held it up and Melissa grabbed it out of her hand and unbuckled, reaching behind her seat and pulling out a baseball bat.

“Stay here, I’ll go get everything.”

“Okay first, no, I’m coming with you. And second, WHY do you have a baseball bat in your car? And…please tell me that’s rust.”

“Yeah…rust. Let’s go with that,” Melissa said, making a mental note to wash her baseball bats later, “Are you sure you want to go inside?”

“Ms. Schemmenti, I haven’t unpacked anything. Even I don’t know where half of this stuff is. It’ll be easier if I come with.”

“Fine. Okay, but give me the keys. I’m going in first.”

Cassie dug her keys out of her bag and handed them over. Together, they walked up to the front door, which stood slightly ajar.

“Guess I don’t need these,” Melissa tossed the keys to Cassie, readied her bat and pushed the door the rest of the way open with her boot.

The apartment was quiet and dark. Melissa flicked the lights on and grimaced. All the glass in the apartment had been smashed and littered around and the words “Worthless Bitch” were carved into the wall and doused in red paint. Cassie pushed in front of her and grabbed a duffel bag, dumping the contents on the floor and walking around the room, careful to avoid the glass.

Melissa lowered her bat cautiously once she was sure no one was inside and went to the kitchen to grab the groceries she had left there. Her pizza dough sat untouched but she tossed it in the trash can just to be safe.

“She wouldn’t have poisoned that,” Cassie said softly, shoving a blanket into her duffel, “It’s not her style.”

“Not mine either,” Melissa muttered, going to help Cassie, “You don’t need a blanket kid. What, you think I’m gonna make ya sleep on the floor?”

Cassie blushed, “I-I didn’t know where I’d be sleeping,”

“I have a guest room. You just need clothes and toiletries. I’ve got everything else.”

Cassie paused and looked up at the redhead, “How long…”

“As long as you need to,” Melissa said, grabbing some random clothing items from a box, “I don’t care if it’s a day or a month. You’re not living here until Jenny is taken care of.”

“Taken care of? What is this, The Sopranos?” Cassie joked.

“Until she leaves town,” Melissa said, “Or until we find you a new apartment.”

“I can’t afford anything else…”

“Then I’ll help you. I’m gonna keep ya safe, kid. I’ll always catch you, remember?”

Cassie smiled softly and zipped her duffel bag, “Thank you, Ms. Schemmenti.”

“Cassiopeia, call me Melissa,”

“Thank you, Melissa.”

“You’re welcome. Now get back in the car. I’ll lock up.”

“Hey,” Melissa said, parking the car in her driveway, “Are you doing okay? I mean, your apartment…”

“Think I’ll get my security deposit back?” Cassie joked.

“Kid…”

“I’m okay, Melissa. It’s not the first time she’s done something like that. It’s better to just let her throw her tantrum. I’m less likely to get hurt that way.”

“Cassiopeia, this…you know this isn’t okay, right?”

Cassie shrugged, fiddling with the strap of her duffel bag, “It’s the way it’s always been,”

“That doesn’t make it okay though!”

“Can we please go inside? I-It’s been a long day.”

Melissa sighed and lead the younger woman up to the house.

“Melissa, this is…wow, your house is gorgeous!”

“It’s nothing really,” Melissa said, dropping her keys into a bowl and locking the door.

Cassie laughed, “I haven’t seen a plastic covered couch in years!”

“Yeah well, sometimes people spill and it’s easier to clean!” Melissa said defensively, taking the duffel bag out of Cassie’s hands, “Let me show you the guest room. It’s…it’s a little messy right now. I’ll change the sheets before you go to bed.”

The two women climbed the stairs, Cassie smiling at the family photos lining the walls. Melissa pushed open a door and set down the duffel bag.

“I’ll be right back,” she said, walking further down the hall to open a closet and retrieve fresh sheets.

Cassie set to work stripping the bed and then helped the older woman remake it, tucking the sheets in tightly.

“My room is right down the hall,” Melissa said, pulling her hair into a ponytail, “If you need anything tonight, and i mean anything, just come wake me up.”

“I’m not going to…”

“Kid, I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t mean it. Anything.” Cassie nodded, unzipping her duffel bag to retrieve something to sleep in. It was still light out, but the two women had hardly slept the night before.

“Bathroom is right next door,” Melissa said before closing the door so Cassie could change.

Once she had changed into a tank top and shorts, she took her bag of toiletries to the bathroom and set to work removing all of the makeup she had put on that morning. All the concealer on her neck was wiped clean and she winced slightly when she touched the bruises there.

Melissa knocked on the door softly, “Hon, I just wanted to let you know I’m heading to bed. I didn’t actually sleep at all last night. The doors are all locked and if you need ANYTHING, you come and wake me up.”

Cassiopeia opened the door and Melissa winced at the sight of the bruises on her neck.

“Thank you, Melissa. It means a lot that you’re letting me stay here.”

“Of course. If you get cold, there’s more blankets in the closet at the end of the hall. G’night.”

Melissa headed into her room, closing the door behind her and Cassie headed into the guest room, flipping off the lights and climbing into the bed.

An hour later, sleep was still not coming. She didn’t want to admit it, but after finding out that Jenny had found her, she was terrified. She tossed and turned, she practiced all of her breathing exercises, but the panic attack that had been brewing all evening was closing in on her.

Biting back a sob, she threw back the blankets and curled up on the cold wood floor, trying to ground herself. She knew she was safe, she knew Jenny didn’t know where she was now, yet her brain was still in overdrive.

Another hour of silent sobs passed and she finally decided enough was enough. She crept out of her room and down the hall to Melissa’s room. Slowly, she pushed the door open and tiptoed into the room.

The redhead was snoring softly and Cassie didn’t want to wake her. Instead she climbed into bed with her and laid her head on the pillows. They smelled like vanilla and the faint menthol scent that had lingered in Melissa’s car and…

Cassie frowned, feeling under the pillow and then snorted out a laugh.

“Do you really keep a baseball bat under your pillow?”

Melissa rolled over and hummed sleepily, “What you mean you don’t?”

[icarusdescending7]

Aquamarine - Chapter 2

Ao3 | First Chapter | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Your fiancé died seven years ago, and you joined the military in his wake to fill the void his death put on you. Now, you work with the 141 for an assignment, hunting associates of their enemies.

Their Lieutenant, however, given you an uneasy feeling. You have a vague sense of familiarity with him, but from where?

-☆-☆-☆-☆-☆-☆-

You busied yourself unpacking your items and putting them away. When your items got put away after you left, whoever packed it all messed your entire system up. You were meticulously sorting your socks and underwear.

“Sing to me… I don’t want to wake up on…” You hummed, grabbing a stack of socks in each hand and placing them in a drawer. You walked around the bed, grabbing a pile of shirts. “Deep in the cell of my heart… I really want to…” One by one, a shirt found its place on a hanger. Then each pair of pants, and each belt. “There is a better world… well, there must be…”

You sighed and placed your hands on your hips, looking around the room. The box Ghost had brought in was sitting by the door still, thrown haphazardly to the ground during his earlier fit. You walked over to it and picked it up, only to hear a soft rattle. Glass. The sound made your heart drop, and you put the box down and dug into it, panicking. When you got to the source, you picked up several small splinters as shards of crystal dug into your fingers. You pulled out two large chunks, your fingers prickling drops of blood.

In your hands sat broken pieces of a crystal jewelry dish. The last gift Simon ever gave you, in a dozen pieces. Your heart clenched in grief. It wasn’t as bad as the pain of losing him, but it felt like a piece of him was gone. Just like that. It wasn’t the only thing of your memories you'd kept, but it was still a memory. Your hands dripped small streams of blood as you held the shards in your hands, trying to see where the pieces fit together again. Tears stung at the corners of your eyes.

~

You hummed to yourself as you did the dishes, preparing for your boyfriend's arrival the next day, making sure the house was clean. As you did, you heard the clicking of your front door locks as the tumblers came undone. Heavy footsteps came after the door opened and closed, then a deep sigh and the sound of boots getting tossed into the pile of shoes by the door.

“Simon!” You’d shouted from the kitchen, the sound of a faucet turning off and soft steps padding across the floor. “You’re back early!” You said as you rounded the corner, holding your arms out to hug him. He smelled of fuel and gunpowder, and his face was still covered in traces of face paint.

His arms gathered around you, a chuckle shaking his chest. “Hey, sweetheart. Yeah, we finished up and got sent home early.” He kissed the top of your head, holding you against him for a moment before gently pushing you back. “Hold on, I got you something. ”He said as he dropped down, shrugging his bag off his shoulders and digging around it before pulling out a thick wad of fabric.

“Oh?” You questioned, “What is it?” You held your hands out, waiting for him to unravel the fabric and give you the item. He turned away for a moment, some clunking being heard before the soft ring of crystal was heard. A small smile crept to your lips, and he turned back around, placing the item gingerly in your hands. A small, crystal butterfly-shaped jewelry dish. “Oh, Simon. This is beautiful.” You whispered, holding the piece up to the light in awe. It sparkled so prettily, the rays reflecting out into the small entryway and lighting the space. “Thank you, I love it.” You leaned in and kissed him.

You looked at him after a moment, putting the pieces together again. You quickly stood up and went to put it on a shelf with all the other crystal pieces he’d brought you. You turned around as he approached you, encircling his arms around you again. “I’m glad you like it, love.” He murmured into your hair, “I really am.” He pulled away, grabbed his bag, and shuffled off to your shared room.

You smiled, watching him walk away, then turned back to the shelf, admiring the newest addition to your collection.

~

You were drawn back into reality, staring at the pieces of the dish in your hand. They’d all been stained red and you quickly gathered your senses, grabbing a t-shirt to put all the pieces in before leaving the room to go pick the shards out of your hands and bandage them.

You found yourself at the kitchen table with a pair of tweezers, wincing as each shard plucked from your skin, letting blood run more freely. You placed all of them on a napkin, planning to keep all of them in hopes that one day you could put it back together.

“Och, that looks painful, lass.” Soap's voice pierced the silence. “Need help with that?” He asked, sitting at the table next to you. “How’d you get this mess on you?”

You jumped at the sound, looking up at him with bleary eyes. “Christ, Soap. You scared me.” You sighed, “Yeah, this sucks. I’m trying to preserve all the pieces if I can help it.” You handed him the tweezers, sliding your hand to him. You winced as he pulled out the last few slivers in your left hand before searching your right.

“Any reason for holding onto bloodied glass?” He asked, wincing as he pulled a rather long sliver from your palm. “Something like that ring? I don’t see any other reason for it.”

“Yeah, exactly like the ring, actually.” you huffed, now having a moment to think about the situation. “Ghost dropped one of my boxes on my floor pretty roughly, and shattered a crystal dish inside it.” He looked up at you for a moment, plucking more slivers. “Before you say anything, I would’ve noticed if it was broken before he had it. The sound is… distinct.” You sighed.

“Quick to shuffle the blame, huh?” He remarked. “I dinnae blame you. He was in a shit mood from the moment you arrived. Can’t figure out why, either.” He placed the tweezers down and shone his phone's flashlight over your palms. “I saw the way he glared at you, too. Sorry for assuming you two’d get along… I think that's all of ‘em.” He shrugged, putting your hand down. “Go wash them and I’ll help you bandage up.”

You got up, moving to the sink to rinse the dried blood from your hands, wincing as the soap stung the open slices. He came around with a roll of gauze and tape, wrapping everything with practiced hands. He finished and went to clean up but left your shards.

“Thanks, Soap. Appreciate it.” You gathered the pieces in a bag, taking them back to your room.

You sighed as you looked at the mess before you, sat in the box. You grabbed a paper towel and did your best to pull out all the glass before pulling anything else out. By the time you got everything cleaned up, there were speckles of both wet and dry blood on your clothes and the floor. You ignored it all for now, bagging the glass and tucking it away in an empty drawer.

Deciding to take a break, you went outside for a bit, watching as the last of the sun dipped below the horizon. In the dark, you felt the most at home. The peace of it made you and all of your vulnerabilities hidden like there was none to judge the flaws in you, the gaping wounds in your soul that you would never admit were there were finally hidden.

Your eyes closed, and your mind tried to focus on the sounds of the world around you. Tires treading on asphalt, the distant murmur of people, crickets chirping in the grass, trees rustling in the breeze. The night was cool, and it cleared your head normally. But Simon stayed.

~

Simon's phone buzzed in his pocket as he walked hand-in-hand with you through the park. He pulled it out to peek at the message, mentally cursing. ‘Shit. I thought I’d had more time…’ He put the phone away and turned to look at you. You were so radiant in the evening sun. The sun highlighted your features, and he thought he couldn’t fall any more in love. He sighed, looking around for somewhere pretty, and then he saw it. The spot where he confessed his love for you. It was far from people, empty, and overlooked the river which ran clear today. He tugged you in that direction, the walk growing more peaceful as you moved away from the crowds.

“This is where you said you loved me.” You whispered, leaning against him, holding his hand with both of yours. “It’s just as pretty now as it ever was,” You looked up at him, his brown eyes shining golden as the sun blazed in them, his pretty blonde hair getting tousled slightly in the wind. “So are you.”

He smiled at your compliment, eyes crinkling as he took in a deep breath. “The same could be said for you, sweetheart.” He turned to you, holding you close before pulling away and sitting on the bench. He patted the spot next to him, which you took with grace. “Not just skin deep either. You’re the sweetest, best thing to happen to me. The radiant sun in my world of darkness.” His arm came around and settled on your shoulder. His mind was racing, trying to recall the words he’d practiced so many times in the mirror.

“Sweetheart, look at me, won’t you?” He asked, turning to you as you looked up at him. A smile curled his lips slightly. “There you are. Ah, I’d planned on doing this later, but I got called in.” He winced at the face you made, sadness creeping across your features. “But, that’s not going to stop me.” He sighed, dropping to one knee in front of you.

“I had this grand speech planned, and a nice dinner and an evening under the stars… But I’ll try and keep it short.” He paused, gaining his composure and taking your hand. “I love you. So fucking much. With you, I feel like I need nothin’ else in this world. I look at you and I think ‘There’s no way I can fall more in with this person.’ but somehow I always do. Every time I look into your eyes, I see a future with you where I’m here all the time. A future where I can hold you in my arms every night without worrying I’ll be whisked off to some deadly region of the world.” He paused as you looked away, watching as the trees around you both began to glow- fireflies. A few of them flew towards you two, making the moment more magical. “I… I don’t have a ring for you. But I can’t leave you here by yourself knowing that we’ve been together for four years, and I still haven't asked you to be my forever.”

You cut him off, “Si… Simon. I would’ve been your forever even if you weren't…” You cut yourself off. “I’m sorry, please, go on.”

He smiled. “Sweetheart, will…” His voice became shaky, nervous despite your prior words. “Will you marry me?”

[barbieb0y]

okay. i finished the 2.0/floor it! to the golden city event story. thoughts/ramble under the cut bc spoilers

i feel like. the plot is kinda all over the place ?? it starts off with this legers dude wanting to meet with j for "a slice of that new age market pie" which means .... what exactly? am i just dumb?? i still dont get what he wanted from j that has to do with the new age market and/or manus vindicslay. i'd appreciate it if someone can explain to my dumbass. but then, understandably so, the j gang sees legers and his cronies as a threat to haight street. and then it leads to ... j wanting to visit his sister paulina/polly at the foundation

i feel like there couldve been a better lead-up to this other than "man we shouldve left like polly did but now we gotta deal with some baddies". like idk it feels abrupt to just cut to them visiting the foundation. but then theyre like oh polly couldnt have died bc her hand doesnt match this old pic we have of her and it's kinda silly and they raise a commotion and bla bla bla the foundation chases after them bc of it (i find it funny how thats how they get the foundation in on the bigger problem thats brewing underneath everything). matilda is tasked with catching the men and then through matilda's diviner skills, they confirm that polly's dead. manus vindicslay comes to stir shit up again so matilda's like okay fine i'll help you guys

fast forward they stumble upon the underground market blah blah blah mercuria is evil ⁉️ except i actually. dont understand what her role is here. like at first i thought that might be the point of her character bc she never stays in one place so she never stays in one role but idk. for someone who seems to be so important in this event, her motivations are unclear. but anyway

i dont understand the whole "oh we planned this all along" think they pulled either like??? what. did they plan exactly? the ambush and j faking a death and working alongside legers?? none of this was explained properly right??? or am i dumb???? ngl when i was playing through that scene i was like "are they expecting the audience to be smart enough to piece everything together?" my mind started to wonder like if they pulled a persona 5 and have a whole scene explaining their plan, would that be underestimating their audience? MAN IDK BUT THEY DIDNT SAY SHIT ABOUT THIS PLAN UNTIL THAT SCENE PLAYED. i definitely related to matilda in that moment 😭😭😭

but anyway what i liked and not-confusing about this event is the characterization of the characters (aside from mercuria). everyone feels consistent, from j all the way to eternity. im glad the quality of the character writing is still intact at least, for the most part

the character dynamics are also quite well-written, especially between j and polly. it's as heart-wrenching as i expected it to be. thinking about it actively gives me emotional damage. the fact that it took me more than a dozen chapters for me to realize that j sees polly in matilda. seeing his friendships is also heartwarming and it showcases j's personality quite well. his dynamic with pioneer is also cute. theres always something funny coming out of their dialogue when they interact

the setting is an interesting choice, it's enlightening to see how it impacts the worldview of the characters and their motivations. the poverty, disease, crime, and neglect of it all. the new age market is intriguing is a nice choice to get a lot of people of different backgrounds and stuff to gather in one place. not much to say beyond that

tldr: i dont know what the hell happened story-wise but it Happened but i truly love all the characters in it and how they interact with each other and their environment. this event story brought me Massive Pain™️, especially when paulina is on screen

not my fave event (which may be surprising bc j is in this event, i know), rayashki takes the cake for that, but i would be lying if i said i dislike this event. in fact, it's made me want to cry a few times. if it wasnt for the confusing pacing, i wouldve been more moved

[joonslfttiddie]

Home

Chapter 45: Piece of Happiness...

💜Fic Pairing: OT7 x OFC

💜AU/Genre: Reverse Harem/Polyfidelity/Ghosts/AMBW

💜Warnings: Smut/Adult Language/Adult Content

💜Rating: MA

💜Word Count: 4,175

A/N:

Compersion (noun): A feeling of joy when a loved one invests in and takes pleasure from another romantic or sexual relationship. The opposite of jealousy and typically is used in reference to nontraditional or polyamorous relationships.

Yoongi's POV

"No, I'm okay for now. Y'all go ahead. I'm almost done," I tell Tia when she asks if I'd like to come down while she prepares dinner. Don't get me wrong, I am definitely starving but I really want to get this bed done so that she and the guys can rest comfortably tonight. My guys bring up the last few boards, and I send them home for the evening after thanking them for their hard work. Once I'm done nailing the last slat board down, I start to assemble the drawers that will serve as storage in the footboard. When they are complete, I install them on the drawer slides, opening and closing them several times to make sure they have smooth movement. This sprawling bed is equivalent to two king size beds put together, taking up the entirety of one wall, only leaving room for the night stands to fit snuggly between it and the adjacent walls. Thankfully, there is more room in the bedroom, almost like a whole other bedroom is attached. This place is incredible, from the high ceilings, to the gold sconces, beautiful color palette, to the awe-inspiring floor plan.

The way that I've built this bed allows for a platform feel with no need for a box spring to support their current mattress and the new one that was delivered yesterday, being able to rest on the slats. I am a man that knows my limitations and realize that there is no way that I'll be able to get this mattress on the frame or bring the one from the garage up alone. When I'm finished cleaning up my mess and gathering my tools, I head downstairs to ask the guys for help. My foot hits the bottom stair when I overhear their cheerful conversations and joyful laughter. It's a sound that I wish could be bottled up and saved for later, I imagine that this is what heaven sounds like. I drop my things onto the floor after rounding the staircase and head into the kitchen. As if waiting for me to join them, they all greet me with such excitement and so much love.

"Yoongi, come join us," Jimin offers, reaching for my hand while Jungkook reaches for the other.

"Are you finally done? We've been waiting so long," Taehyung adds.

"Yeah, I just finished up and was actually coming down to ask for a hand or two putting the mattresses on."

"That can wait. Come. Sit," Namjoon says.

"You really should eat something. You haven't eaten all day," Tia mentions, putting me on blast.

"WHAT?!" The guys all speak in unison, clearly upset that I've not had a meal.

"No, I did. I had a few tangerines, some water, and-," I say nervously rubbing the back of my neck. I don't even get to finish my sentence before multiple hands are pulling me to sit at the table.

"Why haven't you had a proper meal," Hoseok asks with a frown. "You have to make sure you don't miss meals so that you won't get sick. Here," he says as he places a plate of spaghetti in front of me, grabs my hand, and slides a utensil into it. Even though I love this bunch, it is still awkward to have everyone's focus on me, worrying over me. Before it gets too uncomfortable, everyone goes back to what they were doing as if on cue. Some are bringing food to the table while others are bringing more dinnerware and utensils, napkins, and taking drink orders. They are all busy doing this or that, except for Hoseok, who hasn't left my side since I sat down.

Once everyone's task is done, they come to join us, sitting comfortably around the table. The sound of dishes clinking, more conversations, and laughter fill the space. This is not something I'm used to being that I live alone. Even my dog, Holly, is with my parents as I've been too busy to properly care for him, too swamped with jobs.

"Wow, everything looks delicious and this spaghetti is the best I've had," I compliment before digging in for another bite.

"I'm glad you like it! It's a simple meal but is still one of my favorites," Tia tells me.

"It really is so good. Here, try this too," Namjoon says, placing pieces of steak on my plate.

"Me, too," Taehyung says, wanting Namjoon to share with him as well and he does as Taehyung reaches over to put a piece of fried chicken on my plate next to the steak tips. "Here. You don't have any chicken."

"Sorry about all the random sides. I know they don't really match but we wanted to make sure there was enough for everyone," Tia says. "Speaking of which, who wants to do the grocery run tomorrow?"

Jungkook and Taehyung volunteer, then Jungkook asks, "You coming, Yoongi?"

Even though I understand what this relationship is and its logistics, I'm still caught off guard by the question.

"Huh?" I ask for clarification while almost choking on my drink.

"My bad, I just thought..." he trails off, looking around at the others seemingly afraid that he's made a mistake.

"We didn't get a chance to talk about the next step," Tia tells everyone. "So, we talked about our relationship, things that the rest of us have experienced, and the things that have led up to this point. I didn't get a chance, however, to get your opinion on living arrangements. Of course, we all want you to stay with us, but what is going to make you the most comfortable is what matters."

She is sitting directly in front of me, peering at me while everyone else goes back to their meals. It's like they know how to treat me, understanding that I get uncomfortable under pressure, without me having to say a word. When she offers to speak with me privately, I find my courage and decide to talk as a collective.

"Is that truly something you all want? I really don't want to intrude or be in the way."

"You wouldn't be," Namjoon says, and goes into further details regarding accommodations. "We all have a separate bedroom outside of Tia's, though we don't sleep there, preferring to cozy up together in Tia's bed."

"Our bed," Tia corrects him with a sly grin.

"My bad. Yes, our bed," he says, giving her hand a squeeze. "Our clothes and other belongings are in those bedrooms, though."

"There are, also, bathrooms upstairs that we've used if the main one is occupied. There is another in the basement as well as a couple more bedrooms," Jimin explains.

"So, the bed was built so that we could all fit but there is plenty of space around here and things for you to do if you ever need some alone time," says Jungkook.

"We are in no way trying to talk you into doing something you're not comfortable with, but I think I can speak for everyone when I say we would be thrilled to have you here," Taehyung says, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"Have you decided what you want to do, Hobi?" Jimin asks Hoseok, taking some of the heat off of me.

"I have. Actually, I mentioned to Tia earlier that I would love to stay if you all would have me," he answers. "I would just need to tie up the loose ends back home which will be easy since the lease on my apartment will be up this month. I can probably get that done tomorrow."

"Nice!" Namjoon begins, followed by similar sentiments from the others.

"What are you thinking?" Hoseok asks me.

"I don't know. It's all happening so fast. I told Tia earlier, it all seems too good to be true. Do you guys never get jealous of each other? Is everyone dating each other? I have so many questions right now."

They speak more in detail and patiently answer any of my additional questions. I do, really, want to stay but I also value my time alone, being more introverted than the others. The lease on my apartment ends this month as well, so the timing would be perfect. It's just so much happening at once. Tia is so patient with me and shares more of the knowledge she has acquired regarding polyamorous relationships.

"Polyamory, of course, is being in a relationship with multiple, consenting individuals at one time. Being that there are seven of us now, we are considered a polycule. You guys are not required to do anything you don't want to, including dating or being physical with each other. The guys are used to and understand the pull that brings more love into the house. Correct me if I'm wrong guys, but they seem to experience compersion seeing me meet new people."

"Absolutely! She is so damn cute when I watch her with the other guys or meeting new people. Her joy brings me so much joy," Taehyung confirms and the others agree with various hums and nods.

"So, Tia is like an anchor, being our 'home' of sorts. She is the reason we are all here and is our primary priority," Jimin adds. "There are rules that we choose to abide by," he says while pointing to the other men, "and that is that the relationship is closed. We have no desire to find love or other romantic relationships outside of this polycule. Did I use that word right?"

When Tia nods, his eyes disappear when he smiles with pride. Taehyung winks at him as if congratulating his feat. They are so fucking adorable.

"So, these guys have decided to be my nesting partners," Tia says with air quotes, "who will live here with me. We will share our lives fully, from living arrangements to finances."

"No pressure. I get it if you need to think about it a bit more," Jungkook comforts me. "And solo poly is an option, right, Noona?"

"Of course. You can choose to live independently to come and go as you please."

The way that my true feelings burst out of my mouth is borderline scary, both because it seemed to pop involuntary and because I'm saying it aloud, "I want to!" Fuck, that was loud. I pause for a moment to compose myself. They have not given me any reason to keep this hypothetical wall up and I must admit, I've never felt this secure in a romantic relationship before. "I want to stay, too."

"Yay!" Tia practically jumps from her chair and skips around the table to me. Standing behind my chair, she drapes herself over my shoulders to take my face into her hands, freckling one side of my face with kisses before she kisses my lips. I hear Jungkook and Namjoon whoop loudly while Jimin and Taehyung clap their hands with excitement. Hoseok gently places his hand on my thigh under the table before I take it into my own hand. They sure have the ability to make a man feel wanted, and I've never been more certain of a decision in my life. I guess I'm home, sweet home.

Hoseok's POV

Meeting Yoongi was like looking into Tia's eyes for the first time; comfortable, loving, and magnetic. The grip on my heart is like a vice and the lust I have for them burns, scorching my body from within. I'm not saying that I love him more than the other guys, but it is definitely different. I could have orgasmed just from touching his hand earlier, the feelings so overwhelming and intense. I'm so glad that he's decided to stay with us. I was afraid for a moment that he was going to decline.

After dinner, I volunteer to do the dishes which are in a hot, soapy bath that Taehyung prepared. Even though Tia mentioned that he did the dishes this morning, he still offers to stay and help me while the others do their own thing.

"You really don't have to help me. Tia said that you've done the dishes today already. I just want to help out, you know? Earn my keep around here," I say jokingly but also meaning it wholeheartedly.

"No worries. I want to. Doing the dishes is therapeutic for me, plus, I get to spend some one-on-one time with you. I can't turn that down."

Not me blushing, now knowing that Taehyung has been wanting to spend time with me.

"Yes, it does seem like we haven't really been alone. I'm sure it's because I just joined you all and was in the introduction stage. Do you usually get to spend time with the other guys?"

"Yes, we all get to spend quality time together. Me and JK play video games and I watch movies in the theater with Jimin. Earlier, I was able to chill with Namjoon in the library," Taehyung shares.

Curiosity eats at me and I can't help but question him, "Do you guys ever-?"

"Ever what? Are you asking if we have sex?"

"W-well," his directness along with his deep voice and piercing stare makes me feel bashful under his gaze. "Yes. Do you guys have sex? Are you attracted to the other men?"

"No, we've not had sex but we are intimate when we're with Tia. I am, absolutely, attracted to the others and you. You are all so beautiful, how could I not be? There is no rule saying that we can't be together if we want, it just hasn't happened yet."

We finish up our chore while speaking about this and that. The conversation is comfortable like talking to an old friend. I rinse the last of the dishes that he then places into the dishwasher. We wipe down the countertops and stove, then sweep the floor as this is what 'cleaning the kitchen' consists of, Taehyung mentions Tia's statement from a previous conversation.

"She's super chill and doesn't ask for much, but I notice that her mood can change a bit if things aren't clean. I think clutter makes her feel overwhelmed and frazzled. That's another reason I don't mind cleaning; I want to do my part to keep her happy. She's been through so much and deserves to live a soft life."

I'm falling in love with the look in his eyes as he's mentioning Tia and I want him to be just as happy as she is. I consciously vow to make sure that I also do my part to keep that expression on all of their faces.

Jimin's POV

I am the type of person that observes, clocks things, but keeps it all to myself until others are ready to express themselves. So when I see Hoseok reach over to rest Yoongi's thigh, I look at Tia. She saw it too, judging by the knowing smirk on her face and that twinkle of mischief in her eye. I wonder what is going on between them and when she looks over at me, I raise a questioning brow to which she smiles fully.

When we finish our meals and clear the table of its dishes, Hoseok and Taehyung stay behind to clean the kitchen, Jungkook goes upstairs to shower, and Namjoon takes Yoongi on a tour of his new home. I am so excited that there will be more people to share my love with, but right now, I need to talk to Tia.

"Come here," I whisper to her and lead her down the stairs into the basement.

"What? Boy, what are you doing?"

"Well, there are a couple of things I'm curious about," I confess once we make it to the bottom of the stairs, while rubbing the back of my neck, suddenly nervous to bring this up. I really don't want to make things weird or disrupt the peace we have in this house. At the same time, she is the love of my life and I've decided to dedicate my life to her and the fellas. I should be able to be my true self and be honest with them all. "Fuck, I'm gonna grab a drink. Would you like something?"

"Honestly, I've been craving some red wine," she mentions while making her way to the theater area, taking a seat on one of the comfy chairs. "I don't know if I've developed an aversion to it after being poisoned, but I'm afraid to drink it. Does that make sense?"

"That makes perfect sense," I say while making my way to the bar area. "I'll pour you a glass from one of the bottles I brought from my house if you want."

"Yes, let's try that. If it's coming from you, I know I'll be fine."

"I figured you'd be reluctant to drink anything from the cellar. I hope you don't mind, but I threw all of the wine bottles and liquor bottles that looked tampered with away. Also any bottles that looked like they could be easily contaminated. I did bring all of the bottles I've been saving from home and I plan on replacing the ones I tossed."

"I don't mind at all. I'm touched to know that you thought about me and wanted to make sure I felt safe. You are so stinking sweet and I love you so much."

I round the corner with two glasses and the bottle of wine, nearly prancing from the affection she's expressed for me.

"Awww, babe. I love you, too!" It's not the first time I've heard it, but it makes me giddy just the same. I lean over to kiss her glossy lips before I take my seat next to her and open the bottle. "Here you go," I say and hand her the stemless glass. My heart warms when I watch her take a sniff of the liquid and close her eyes before bringing it to her plump lips. Watching her savor the drink as it washes over her tongue is damn near orgasmic and I'm trying not to drool at the sight.

"Oh my God, Jimin. This is so good and it's been so long, I could cry," she says jokingly but there is some truth behind her eyes.

"I'm glad you like it. I know how you love a good red wine so I can imagine it being tough being afraid to drink it. I'm glad I could bring you a little piece of happiness."

"A little piece? Just you being here fills my heart with so much joy," she says and leans over for another kiss.

Fuck! I want her so bad right now. Her lips, her skin is so fucking soft! Oh shit, I hope she doesn't notice.

I swear that she could just breathe in my direction and my dick would stand to salute her. I really hope she doesn't realize there's a bulge in my pants from just a little kiss. I've gotta stay focused as there are things I want to talk to her about. Taking a swig from my own glass, I think of the best way to approach the topic.

"I wanted to talk to you about last night. When we were watching that shit movie Jungkook picked, I noticed that you were a bit out of it. Your expression looked troubled, pissed even, and for some reason I feel like you're hiding something from us, like there is something you're purposely keeping from us."

"I can't sit here and say that's not true, Jiminie. There are things that I've seen in visions that I'm trying to prevent from happening. Please trust me on this and know that I will tell you all eventually, just not right now. I promise."

"I trust you baby, with all my heart. I just don't want you to struggle or suffer alone. That's what we're here for; to love you, care for you, and lessen your stress the best we can. If that means something as small as me sitting here so that you can vent, I'll do that."

"Jimin, baby, I really do appreciate you being concerned but just know that everything will be okay. I've seen things, heartbreaking things, and the only way I can stop those things from happening is to remain silent about this; at least for now. I hope you understand, in no way am I trying to be secretive," she rambles, trying to explain herself.

"Babe. Babe...shhh. I get it. You don't have to explain yourself. If this is the process you have to take, then do that. I am not questioning your honesty, I'm just worried about you," I say, placing my glass next to my feet before turning my whole body to face her, cupping my hand around hers which are still wrapped around her glass. "You don't have to share anything that you're not comfortable with, whether it pertains to your visions, your knowledge, or anything else. And with that being said," I pause a moment, looking down at our hands. "You saw it, too, earlier."

"Why, whatever do you mean?"

I look back into her eyes, amused at her trying to skate around my statement.

"You know exactly what I mean. So, is that a thing or...?"

"Hey, it's not my business to tell but I will say that I've seen that they both will be very happy here with us."

"So, you knew Yoongi would decide to stay?"

She just smiles, remaining tight-lipped, before saying, "I would hate to spoil the ending for you", then winks before kissing me one last time. I don't consider myself nosy or a gossip, so the information, or lack thereof, that she's provided will have to do. As long as they are happy, I'm fine with anything and honestly I'm just taken aback being that we've not experienced another couple within our relationship. If I'm being truly honest with myself, I've had similar thoughts. I know I could have just talked to her about it but all of this still feels weird to me. I wonder if she's seen things about me. About my desires.

Tia's POV

Yes. I saw it, but way before Jimin did. When I looked into Yoongi's eyes, I saw that he will experience a beautiful love with Hoseok. While the love we share is strong and the love they have for the others is undeniable, their love will be something special. I am over the moon and so excited to be able to experience it with them. I think by answering Jimin the way I did, it will provide privacy for Hoseok and Yoongi while also answering the questions that rest unasked beneath his eyes. I have not seen what lies ahead for him, but I can feel his hunger as well as his uncertainty. I want to maintain the trust amongst us all, allowing us to feel secure and safe to be our authentic selves. And I will do the same for Mr. Sassy Pants if he decides to date within our relationship.

Jimin has my heart and I don't think he realizes how big of a gesture and how much he touched my heart by cleaning out the wine cellar. While it may have been a small act in his mind, for me it means so much more. As a mental health professional, I can definitely see signs of PTSD within myself from my experience with those brothers, but knowing that my men care so much for me and are attentive enough to recognize and want to combat the symptoms melts me.

I've not spoken to the guys about my past before meeting them, only focusing on our present and future, but I've not had a partner to care for me or treat me so tenderly before. And if I'm being sincere, it is taking some getting used to.

I can understand what Yoongi meant when he said that this all seems too good to be true. If I hadn't seen glimpses of our future, I would be skeptical, too, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I guess my ancestors know me better than I know myself and knew that I would need to see at least a peek of the intimacy and love we will experience for each other. Even when I have my moments of doubt or possible self-sabotaging actions, a comfort comes over me that allows me to lean into the love the guys are providing instead of pushing them away out of fear of getting hurt. Every time they kiss me,all of my doubts and worries disappear, being replaced with excitement and anticipation for our many days to come.

A/N:

Thank you so much to @downbad4yoongi for beta reading this chapter!

[luna-is-lost]

UNDERWELCOMED

CHAPTER 13

Sir POV:

A fleet of great men and women lost in a signal day…

15 of our best hounds lost; 5 no longer able to serve…

All because of him…

So, “WHY WAS I SPARED!”

I scream staring into the mirror, which shatters as my fist collides with it, knowing we need to get him back…

Sans’ POV:

…This is probably fine…

Papyrus is lying unconscious on Snowdin’s floor, Flowey is most likely watching still, and I have no clue what to do now that Pap remembers.

‘Maybe start with healing that crack in his skull’ Yelled the analytical part of my brain, but I was still frozen in shock.

After a few seconds I gather my self and begin to evaluate the situation. Papyrus looks okay, provided the exception of the small crack in his skull (it could be easily healed, Papyrus had always been stronger than him), a few marks from the thorns of Flowey’s vines, and a small fracture in his left arm… Papyrus will be fine. Papyrus is ALWAYS fine, he has to be… ‘Cause I’m not sure how to do this without him… He’s my little brother, so I’ll do what’s needed to protect him. That’s my duty, always has been.

I gather Papyrus the best I can into an almost hug and prepare to teleport… I’m going to feel horrible tomorrow with all this used magic, but Papyrus is worth it. He’s always worth it.

Undyne’s POV:

A bright blue flash appears and out comes the silhouette of the skeleton brothers. “Sans? Where were you…?” My question is lost to the wind as Papyrus drops from the arms of a dizzy-looking Sans. I run up to them and throw Papyrus over my shoulder (rather easily I might add) as I grab Sans’ shoulders to help him steady out. “ ran into a certain flower that really makes my anger ‘bloom’. heh… oh… and pap needs some help with…” He trails off as he gestures to the rather pained skeleton on my shoulder (who happens to be my best friend, and if I find who did this I WILL TAKE REVENGE), looking kinda sad. “Let’s get HIM healed and YOU some food, not to be rude, but you look awful.” I chuckle as I (not so) gently lay Pap on a floor mat, and apologize to said sleeping skeleton when he winces. “yeah… prob’ly for the best…” Sans yawns as he walks to the kitchen-ish area, though it isn’t much. One day, when the humans accept us, we can have the wonderful thing the surface offers, but for now, we need to work to get our prize. We WILL Win. We have to… I am DETERMINED to make it work.

“Papyrus?” I nudge my friend in an attempt to wake him up. It’s weird to think that not long ago I had no idea he was capable of doing that, but I feel more and more like Papyrus is part of something MUCH bigger than anyone thought… Maybe he is…

“…owie…” Papyrus’ broken voice responds. “Can you eat something so you can heal?” “Mmhm…” He sits himself up with a tired groan and a worried look on his face. “I-Is… Sans A-Alright?…” As if he was called on, Sans appears right next to Papyrus. With another yawn; seriously, how tried can one monster be? He hands him some sort of canned fruit and a piece of monster candy, before settling down next to him, leaning against his brother’s shoulder for support. “Okay, NOW, tell me what happened!” “really it was nothin’ “ Sans gives me no helpful information while Papyrus shivers and grips his skull painfully. “Are you okay Papyrus!?/you okay paps!?” Sans and I ask him simultaneously. His eye sockets are wide as he repeats, “I R-Remember…” “WHAT EXACTLY DOES HE REMEMBER?!” I yell out but Sans is already falling asleep… What happened…

Sir’s POV:

The tracking device on the giant skeletal monster was going haywire earlier. Appearing from an undisclosed location to Mt. Ebbot in seconds… That should be physically impossible… Maybe monsters are more powerful than we thought. Even Papyrus rose high in military ranks swiftly. Actually, he did in three weeks what take humans 25 years… He became a general… If Papyrus and his race are similar, there’s no way we can win this… They’re to powerful to destroy. So not only is our government’s power and the country’s military strength in danger, but they could easily overpower or destroy us. Destroy everything… There would be nothing we could say or do. They’d win… Unless…

…we destroyed their order…

…we destroyed their king…

Papyrus’ POV:

Sans… The King… Undyne… The Royal Guard… The Web Of Lies… Muffet… The Machine… The Army… The Underground… Humans… SOULS… The Human Frisk… Death… Resets… Timelines… Flowey… Manipulation… Loneliness… Forgettable… Useless… Dust… …👎︎☼︎📬︎ ☝︎♋︎���︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎…

How do flowers talk. Why did he hide. Why did she lie? Why didn’t they live? Can I trust him? Did he mean to? Why did he disappear? Will the world go back? How can silence scream? Why does it hurt…

I wanted them back. I wanted to remember… But the memories bring more questions, bring more pain. I wanted this… WHY DOES IT HURT SO MUCH! … I just wanted to remember… It hurts… Why?…

I feel tears stream down my face as I begin to shake… Why does it have to hurt?… I don’t think I like this very much…

“U-Undyne…?” I catch the captain’s attention in a second. “Papyrus! Are you alright?!” “I T-Think?…” I try to sit up, but Undyne shakes her head in disapproval as she sits next to me. “So… uh… are you feeling any better?” “A l-little?…” She smiles and compliments my strength. “If you’re feeling up to it, could you tell me what you remember?” “E-Everything… M-My Childhood, The Royal Guard, The Base I W-Was Kept At… You and S-Sans and Everyone Else T-Too…” She looks shocked for a moment then she just smiles. … The Human… “Papyrus? Is something wrong?” “No… J-Just… I M-Miss My Friend…” She looks down sadly. “Yeah, a lot of monsters are missing or dus- on vacation” “I…” I sigh. What’s the point of talking about the human if it will make Undyne sad? My friends deserve the world, my brother does too, despite being lazy and slightly self deprecative… “Undyne” “Yeah?” “I T-Think Everything Is Going T-To Be Alright, We J-Just Need To Believe!” Right?…

CHAPTER 14 COMING SOON-ISH

[feyres-divorce-lawyer]

@looseleaflettuce did ya miss me😏

QUEUE THE LIVE REACTIONS

Bodies of the people, all of them, men, women, and children, lay drained of blood and petrified with fear throughout the village. Killed and tossed aside. Left to rot on the soil they once called home. Our friends and families, people we spent our lives with.

Cusp Of The Mend | Ch. 2 ~ Pg. 23

i blame the parents

There, in the middle of the small village, my sister’s head lying far away from her body

Cusp Of The Mend | Ch. 2 ~ Pg. 24

NOOOOOOOOO. WHYYY

Ra’jem welcomed the endless void of death.

Cusp Of The Mend | Ch. 2 ~ Pg. 24

she lived. she died. she became a vampire. she died again. rip bbg

But two humans do step into the center, not seeing me crouched next to my sister while the two of them, sobs shaking their small frames, gather up the bodies of their families and friends.

Cusp Of The Mend | Ch. 2 ~ Pg. 25

damn kinda feel bad

The fear, filling their veins and dripping its scent from their skin, wafting across the space towards me.

Cusp Of The Mend | Ch. 2 ~ Pg. 26

love how this is written. vivid

Solweh had gone to her for his facial tattooing

Cusp Of The Mend | Ch. 2 ~ Pg. 27

ooohhh what culture is this

They took our lives to fuel their own

Cusp Of The Mend | Ch. 2 ~ Pg. 29

dickheads

No light seeps through

Cusp Of The Mend | Ch. 2 ~ Pg. 30

hmmm i feel this is symbolic for something. later on perhaps

a nest of bats overhead

Cusp Of The Mend | Ch. 2 ~ Pg. 30

@mossytrashcan sage look, bats spotted!

Here, I am no threat. I fear for what my brothers might be doing, but I can only hope that if they are causing more carnage and destruction as they did at that village, they get what is coming to them. A death just like Ra’jem’s. Permanent.

Cusp Of The Mend | Ch. 2 ~ Pg. 31

eh no more deaths pls. it’s not their fault luna☹️

A breath of a sigh heaves out of my mummified body, ready to hand myself over to the sweet release of death. But it never comes. While my body dies, my mind continues to live, keeping me aware and awake for every last second of my never ending agony. As the bugs and snakes and lizards crawl around the dirt floor, drinking out of the shallow puddle near my head. Going on with their lives.

Cusp Of The Mend | Ch. 2 ~ Pg. 31-32

yea desiccation’s a bitch. sorry to inform you vampires can’t starve to death

that I somehow just knew was created by my brother

Cusp Of The Mend | Ch. 2 ~ Pg. 34

oh wait i missed that! how did bro make another vamp when he just became one. tryhard

Doomed to be trapped inside of my body in the back of this cave. Withered into a shell of what I used to be.

Cusp Of The Mend | Ch. 2 ~ Pg. 34

yo how long has it been

Fully aware as the sound of footsteps start to echo through the cave,

Cusp Of The Mend | Ch. 2 ~ Pg. 35

archer???👀

The door opens before he touches the entryway. A fire springs to life in the brick fireplace

Cusp Of The Mend | Ch. 2 ~ Pg. 38

WITCH🫵🏾

Review Time!

I did not expect you to kill off Ra’jem so quickly🤧 But her quick demise is a nice contrast to Luna’s slow self-inflicted desiccation. That subtle piece of world building with the waterfall vampire! Many questions: How are vampires made in this? The Ma’ye’s aren’t an Original situation cuz Ra’jem died so easily but now that time has passed are they harder to kill than their sires? Also, are I’jam and Solweh hybrids too or is it only Luna that kept her witch powers? Moving on, really love how the only piece of dialogue in this was Luna telling unknown person to go, even though they’re the first source…. food, for a lack of a better word, she’s been near in probably centuries. Still think that no light seeps through line is gonna be important later on, but I’ll just read and see. Next up: Chapter 3 ~ Reawakening♥️

[thefriendlyghvst]

melancholia // jjk nanami kento

⚠️ WARNING: JJK MANGA SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️

a/n: this is not accurate to the manga HAHAHA if that's what you're expecting i am so sorry. i also wrote this before the release of the newer chapters, so yeah, not accurate at all.

enjoy!! xx

- nur

*****

"wake up, angel," smooth and soothing, your husband called you to wake up from your sleep.

"five more minutes," you mumbled at him, turning over to face his side of the bed.

he chuckled. "we don't have five more minutes, baby,"

your eyes were still closed as you smiled at him and reached over, only for your hand to fall flat against the surface of the mattress, the spot where nanami was supposed to occupy, empty and cold. you wanted to peel your eyes open and get up to find him, but the sinking feeling in your chest was screaming at you to go back to sleep. to go back to where he actually was. in your head.

soon, the sinking feeling in your chest turned into a lump in your throat and you sat up, fully awake now. your eyes were already open and teary.

we don't have five more minutes.

he was right. you didn't have anymore time with each other. he was gone forever, and you had to live with that for the rest of your life. the lump in your throat turned into choked sobs, and you cried and cried until you grew tired again.

this was how you spent your nights ever since the news reached you that that nanami kento was not coming back from shibuya to you alive. he wasn't even coming back to you in one piece. they had gathered what they could, and for at least an hour, fought you off when you tried to see him. yuuji, mostly, held you back and the kid alone was supposed to be strong enough, but even he had lost someone dear to him, so he had ijichi's help. they didn't want you to see the state your husband was in, claiming that you wouldn't be able to take it.

"please let me in, he's my husband!" you screamed and tried to push through the both of them.

the tears flowed down your cheeks in hot streams, burning your eyes. the feeling in your heart was indescribable. it really felt like someone had ripped it out and stabbed it a million times, and then did a terrible job at sewing it back in your chest. you knew you wouldn't be able to handle looking at his lifeless body, but you had to. you couldn't believe nanami - your nanami, was gone forever.

"please," you sobbed.

you looked at yuuji in the eye, and the kid let you through. and how you wish he held onto you so much harder and dragged you home instead.

when you finally saw him, you felt all the colour drain from your face. ieiri did not expect you to be able to come in, and immediately ran in front of you to cover him up with a blanket. or what's left of him. you grabbed onto her hand to stop her, gripping so hard that from the corner of your eye you could see the doctor wince.

the man that was once your husband, your lover, your knight in shining armour, was now nothing but dust and broken bones, and his lower half. nanami didn't deserve this. you didn't deserve this. no one deserves to go like this. or see the love of their life end up like this.

the wind was knocked out of you. you couldn't breathe and the room began to spin. you let go of ieiri's arm and took half a step closer, before your knees buckled and you fell onto the cold tiled floor. you heard a blood-curdling scream and only realised it was coming from you when your throat felt like it was being ripped out. ieiri was holding onto you, also on the floor as footsteps rushed over and you were being held by another pair of arms. yuuji cradled you as shoko stood to cover up nanami's remains.

the doctor and young sorcerer did not say anything and let you grieve, screaming and crying. you sobbed into yuuji's shoulder as he continued to hold your shaking body in his arms.

"i'm so sorry. i'm sorry y/n-sensei. i'm sorry, i'm sorry, i'm so sorry," the boy whispered into your hair, apologising profusely.

you wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault, that it wasn't his sin. he was just a kid, and just like nanami, you treated him as your own kid brother, or even as a son. you wanted to tell him that it was okay, that as much as you didn't believe it, things were going to be alright. no words could come out of your mouth, so you opted to grab his hand and squeeze it in your grip. you hoped that he could get the message, blinking through your tears.

time seemed to slow, but yuuji stayed glued to your side for what felt like hours. he helped you off the floor when you had no more tears left to shed, holding onto you so you did not fall since the both of you had been sitting on the floor in the same position for longer than an hour. you told ieiri to do what had to be done, and that you will sign all the legal documents later.

when you somewhat regained yourself, you gently peeled off itadori's hand from your arm and managed a smile at him. you told him you'd go home and freshen up a little before the funeral, even though that wasn't your plan at all. you were going to find who did this, and make sure the fucker regrets ever being brought into this world. cursed spirit or not.

and then you would join kento and be with him forever, just as you promised each other. in life, and in death.

"sensei, you're a good liar, but i've been around you and nanami-san for long enough to know your tells," he said softly, sadness in his voice.

he insisted on following you home, refusing to leave your side in case you did anything stupid. you declined, lying again and hoping he believed you this time. you even begged him, fresh tears streaming down your cheeks. you were frustrated, and desperate. you couldn't just let nanami go like this.

please let me do this, itadori. you thought.

"sensei, please. i can't lose you too," and you felt your heart shatter all over again.

it had been almost a year since that day, and though you think you're improving during the day, the nights just seem to get harder for you. every night you would dream of him and wake up crying, and you would cry about him even before you went to sleep. some nights you didn't sleep at all, not willing to see him in your dreams and wake up disappointed and depressed all over again.

in the morning, you'd miss him. you would miss tying his tie for him as he got ready. you'd miss his tender kisses and light touches, his scent, and his cooking. you would miss every part of him for every part and every second of your day. the apartment home that was once filled with your laughter and his warmth was now deafeningly silent and cold. with every passing hour, you would miss the man you vowed to love forever even more, and every time you did, the wedding band on your left finger would remind you of its weight.

you would kiss it softly, thinking that the sudden weight was nanami's reminder that he was with you, always. in life and in death.

you woke up tired. your sleep was restless, and the sound of the morning traffic outside of the window when the sun rose did not let you sleep in this morning. it was bright and sunny, and birds flew over your window as soon as you opened your eyes, chirping happily.

you sighed while rubbing your eyes and sitting up. they were puffy and your nose was red, you realised as soon as you saw yourself in the mirror. you had gotten up to take a shower and start your day. the sight of your reflection almost made you want to laugh, in a pathetic and dejected way.

why did he have to leave me like this?

you shook your head and washed your face, then stepped into the shower once you picked out some new clothes to wear. when you felt better and slightly refreshed, you decided to go and pay your late husband a visit. you stepped out of the bathroom and sighed again, a sinking feeling planting itself into your chest.

your outfit was simple. you had picked out a white long sleeved a-line sundress that reached just below your knees, pairing it with a silver watch that nanami had bought for you as a birthday gift a few years ago and the silver chain that held his wedding ring and a heart shaped locket that had his initial engraved. you had that done a week ago for your anniversary.

with a small exhale, you gathered your things in your purse, spritz some perfume on your neck and wrists, and put on your shoes. you opted for a pair of flats since you would walk around a lot today. you had taken a month break when you thought it would not get better for you, and wanted to go back to work soon. with your keys in your hands, you glanced at your watch to look at the time. 10.30am. the flower shop down the street could already be open, so you quickly left and locked the door behind you.

-

the columbarium was quiet, breeze gently swaying the leaves that hung over its walls and the potted plants beside it. you slowly approached the row that held nanami's urn, a familiar feeling bubbling in your chest, where your heart ached the closer you stepped towards it. you shifted the bouquet of flowers in your hand to the other, bringing two fingers to your lips, kissing them, and then pressing them to the glass surface that protected your husband's ashes and the photo of the both of you that was placed beside it.

"hi, my love," you whispered, letting your hand fall back to your side.

"how have you been?" you asked, to no one in particular. "i brought you flowers... and your favourite bread from that bakery you liked,"

you knew there wasn't going to be a response, but you kept talking anyway. you didn't want to think that he was actually gone, so you stood there and talked to the picture of you and your husband. you knew you probably shouldn't, but you figured it would help you cope. at least for the time being.

"it's been tough. i'm sorry it took me so long to come and see you,"

silence.

"i miss you so much, kento," you paused, your voice getting impossibly softer as you whispered.

a lump was beginning to form in your throat as it got harder for you to speak. your voice broke as you tried again, tears streaming down and staining your cheeks.

"everyday. more than you think, more than you would ever know," your voice was thin as you tried not to crumble.

you opened the glass with the key you were given and gently placed the flowers you bought on top of the ones already there, not taking them out since the flowers still looked pretty fresh. someone else must have been here, you thought.

when you closed and locked the small door again, you felt a breeze behind you and a familiar scent overtook your senses. then, you felt two strong arms wrap around your waist. you sighed, the tears threatening to fall again as you felt yourself relax into his embrace. there was no mistake, you could recognise this man by touch alone.

"all dressed up for me, sweetheart?" you heard him whisper in your hair, his chin resting gently on your shoulder.

"kento," you sigh out his name, trying not to cry again.

"oh no, baby, shh," he cooed. "don't cry,"

he soothed you, lifting his head and brushing his lips against your temple. you kept quiet, not daring to move. you were afraid he was going to be gone again if you did. you felt him sway both your bodies side to side a little and you let yourself follow his movements, quietly enjoying his presence. his chin was back on your shoulder, his nose buried into the crook of your neck as you stood there.

"you look so beautiful, princess," he complimented softly, his lips brushing your neck as he spoke. "my y/n,"

"nanami," you began. "come back to me, please,"

you turned around to face him, gathering the courage to look at your husband in the eye. you thought you would see him burnt on one side of his face, or that he'd be gone, but he remained. in front of you he stood, handsome and perfect as ever.

he was still holding onto your waist, keeping your body close to him as he gazed at you. the look on his face was a mixture of everything. his eyes showed nothing but pure love and fondness, but his eyebrows were furrowed in regret, and a small, sad smile settled on his lips. he was wearing a white dress-shirt, similar to the ones he used to wear when he was alive, and his hair, dirty blonde, was neatly styled in his signature side part. he wasn't wearing his glasses, but you didn't care. you got to see your nanami again, and that was enough.

your eyes blurred with tears as you swallowed, the lump in your throat making the simple action hurt. the ache you felt in your chest was almost unbearable as you reached up to touch nanami's face. he smiled wider a little at you, his gaze soft as he leaned into your touch. you choked on a sob when you felt him lean his forehead against yours.

"i'm sorry for breaking my promise, y/n," he muttered, his eyes closed. "i'm so sorry, my love,"

the tears did not stop flowing. your eyes and cheeks burned with the heat they left, but you couldn't stop crying. nanami embraced you completely, engulfing you in his arms and his familiar scent. though you wished you could cry out in agony, you stifled your sobs. you missed him so damn much, it was killing you on the inside. when nanami died, it felt like a part of you went with him. your whole world, your happy little world filled with hopes and dreams, crashing down and destroyed in one moment.

the two of you pulled away after a moment, taking each other in. he studied your features, the same way he used to do when you did his tie for him in the mornings, the same way he used to do when you spoke and he listened, the same way he used to do all the time, as if trying to memorise every inch of your face.

you just wanted your husband back.

"my beautiful, beautiful, y/n," he declared quietly as he cupped your cheek in his hands.

"thank you for coming to me, my sweetheart. i love you," he uttered as he leaned in to place a kiss on your forehead.

you didn't feel his soft lips press themselves onto your skin, but felt another gentle breeze blow past as you heard a voice say your name.

"y/n sensei?"

your eyes opened and you found yourself still facing the picture of you and nanami beside his urn. your heart sank again, but your hand subconsciously reached up to play with kento's ring and locket on your necklace. you planted a kiss on your own wedding band as an 'i love you too' before you turned around to face the owner of the voice that called you.

yuuji stood a few feet away from you, hands clasped together in front of him. in the few days you haven't seen him since he last checked on you, the kid seemed to look much older. your heart ached for him, too.

he was taking care of you all the time, but who was looking after this poor kid? he has been through so much more than all of your problems combined. with a warm smile, you opened your arms for him and he ran up to you for a hug.

the younger boy paid his respects to both nanami and his grandfather while you waited outside after paying your own respects to mr. itadori. your dress swayed with the gentle wind, the open columbarium's natural light and wind keeping the plants that decorated the place alive. birds flew ahead in the sunny blue sky, and the clouds moved in line with the earth's steady rotation. you inhaled and exhaled deeply, again playing with your necklace.

"i'm done," yuuji's voice said from behind you.

you turned around and smiled at him. with an arm around his shoulder - or the best of it you could do since he was slightly taller than you, the two of you walked out of the place together to head back.

"have you eaten?" you asked the teenager who was clad in his uniform.

he shook his head and you frowned, quickly rummaging through the bag of fresh bread that you bought so that you could pass him a sandwich. he refused to take it at first, but accepted it anyway when he saw how insistent you were.

you watched him munch happily on the sandwich, thinking, you knew he missed your husband too, and you vowed to yourself you'd protect him, the same way nanami had. it was your turn to take care of him, come what may.

nanami smiled to himself as he watched the two of you walk out of the place with smiles on your faces, talking and laughing with each other. it was nice to see you smile again, and he knew that you were both going to be okay in each other's good hands. he sighed.

i'll see you next time, my love. the both of you thought at the same time.

-

masterlist

[dumbfloweralive]

The salvation of humanity

Chapter 6: A piece of art.

Warning : death mention, blood, mention of PTSD, nightmare.

You stumble through the door leading inside the principal house where every meeting happens. The dog run inside first, happy to see the others, as you lead Dream to the main room. Small maps were upholstering the walls, while the biggest lied on the table at the centre of it. A small fire reside in the chimney. Graham and Elisabeth stand at the top of the table. Oscar was beside him and Edith was on the opposite. They were looking at the map, speaking. The rest of the group was around the room, gathered in small groups.

You step closer to them, and Elisabeth seemed to be the first to notice you around the table. Her smile grew wider and she came closer. 

“It is so good to see you back” she said, taking you in his arms. You hugged her back, muttering a “good to see you too” before letting go of her. 

“And you must be Dream, pleasure to meet you” she continued, moving to Dream offering a hug that he declined politely.

“The pleasure is shared” he said, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of hugging her, which make you laugh a little. Dream noticed you making fun of him and moved his head in a sign of disapprobation. Which would've made you laugh harder if it weren’t for a pair of arms grabbing you and raising you from the floor.

It was Graham. 

“Will the minimoys gave me the pleasure to say hello and introduce me to her new friends” he said referring to Dream while he put you back on the floor.

What an odd habit, Dream thought. 

“ I am not that small” you said in defence, pointing your finger at Graham the moment he let you down.

Graham was young, in his thirty, charismatic, Dream could discern a strong British accent from the men.

He was working in the military before all this. That probably what made him the best to take the role as leader in the beginning. 

Dream faced Graham, standing next to you. 

“ I am Dream” he said. 

“Well, welcome Dream.”  Graham opens his arms wildly as for emphasizing the “welcome”

Dream muttered a thank you, before Graham gather everyone around the map. 

That would be some kind of meeting. You signed for Dream to follow you, and you took your place beside Oscar, Dream standing by your side, close to you. Oscar was next to Graham. 

The meeting begun. The most important people of the town were here, especially those who left on supplies run, to establish their next target. You gave them hint on where were the best place and spot, and the place to avoid, as you always did when you get back here. 

Dream stay silent, waiting patiently for the moment they will take about the place you two needed to go. 

“Y/N i’ve heard you wanted to find the group of magician” Graham said after the usual debrief. 

“Exactly, we tried reaching for them but didn’t succeed.” 

He nodded. Everyone were now waiting for the orders. Graham made a move toward one of the new people who had arrived, Thomas, you think, and he went to take a map out of the wall before handing it to Graham.  He put the map on the bigger one and started, pointing the place where the town were. Near London. 

“This is where we are.” he started. 

 Then, he moved from south to north before stopping close from Liverpool.

“Last time we had contact with them, we located their group here, around Liverpool, fifty miles from it. “

That was far from here. 

“It is far from here” Oscar said, and you turned to him.

You nodded, acquiescing. But you had your idea. A good one. 

You turn toward Dream. Everyone was arguing on the best option and not wanting you to go, if you could bring other people with you. Oscar unhappy to see you going this far but still defending your capacity to succeed. 

“ We could use the pacifier” you told, quietly to Dream. 

He lean forward to you

“What is it?” he asked. 

You observe everyone around you and continue.

“The last train still on tracks, it passes through all England, once a day. It’s been a while since i last saw it and i don’t know if it's still working” you pointed toward the map, and get closer to Dream, to a point you could feel his breath on your hair.

“If we go to Oxford, we could catch the train here, it’s hard to get it and not totally safe, but it will buy us some time” 

As you turned toward him to say it, you noticed how closed you were now, only separated by inches, and he was staring deep in your eyes. You felt your heart skipped a beat. Those pretty eyes he had, so deep, like they contain the whole universe inside.

“If you think this is the best idea, i’ll follow you.” he said, still holding your gaze.

He was so beautiful, you thought, the world around you two seems to disappear as you stared at him. The words left your lips before anything else could stop you from saying them, as it did before.

“You are beautiful.” you said to him, in a whisper again. 

Dream hold your gaze, but he felt struck by your words, by the sincerity in them. It was as if he gets a slap, but a soft and gentle one. He hadn’t heard a compliment for a long time, and somehow, your words warmed his heart. 

He did felt touch deprived ever since he was in the cage but never act on them, ignoring and letting his feeling and thought beside, forgetting, despising them. But, as you had spoked this word, Dream felt the urge to be hold, to hold, to get more compliment. He felt the urge to be held by you, or to hold you, perhaps even to feel your touch on him, he didn’t know. 

Dream had forgotten how it was to be worship.

 “I know you’re not going to like my idea, but” you said out loud. 

Breaking eye contact with Dream, you turn toward everyone. Dream felt fluster by the lack of your contact.

“We should use the pacifier.” 

Silence lingered in the room, and you take a look at Oscar, seeking for his approval. 

“No” Graham said.

“It’s far too dangerous, we don’t even know if it's still working, you don’t even know which scoundrel you could fumble into.” Graham argued again.

“It would be safer, and even if there is danger inside, it would be more predictable than outside.” 

“The pacifier is governed by rules.” you continue. 

A flow of plea come, both for and against the idea. The room filled with debate. No one wanted you to put yourself in danger. 

“She’s right” a voice said, and the room went quiet. 

Oscar, who had stayed silent since the beginning of the dispute, had finally spoked. You turned to him, and he was staring at you.

“I am not pleased with this, but she is right.” he continued and laid a hand on your shoulder.

“If she said she can do it, she can.”

Dream saw pride in Oscar’s eyes, like a proud dad supporting their child. 

Silence lingered once again in the room. The fire crackles in the chimney. 

“What do you need?” Graham ask in a sight. 

You gave him a small smile as a “Thank You”. 

“I won’t need anything, i am good on everything.” 

He nodded, and the meeting continued, speaking about different stuff the community needed. 

Soon after, you leave the house with Dream. The dog was having fun with the kid outside.

“We should leave this afternoon, get some rest before going.” you told Dream, still by your side. He was observing the children.

Looking at them, anyone could think it’s a normal day of autumn, a weekend even. No monster outside, just kids playing mindlessly. 

Oscar joined you, and you moved to his house to get everything packed. You spent the few hours left helping, spending time with your loved one, learning about the new people. Having dinner with everyone before it was time to leave. 

And the time to leave come fast. With your backpack on your back, you were checking the spot with Graham before leaving, getting a new talkie-walkie. Smaller one. 

Oscar came to you before leaving, holding you close. He wasn’t happy that you leave that quickly.

“ You take care kid.” he whispered to you, looking directly at Dream, reminding him silently of the talk they had. 

Dream was an endless, but even now, he felt threatened by his warning. 

Oscar step back and kissed your forehead before putting both his hands on your cheek.

“I am proud of you, never forget that.” he said before leaning his forehead against yours as he always did when you two had to leave each other.

“I know your father would be proud too.” he said this time, even lower. 

Your eyes filled with small tears at his words, and you smiled at him.

“Thank you” you said in a whisper.

Oscar step away once again and smiled at you, his eyes watering too.

“Go before i changed my mind and force you to stay.” he said in a laugh. 

“Alright, i’ll see you soon, promise.” you told me.

“You better keep your promise” he said.

A soft laugh left your lips as you turned away from him, waving at him one last time. You could feel your heart ripped apart as you leave him once again, like every time you leave.

Everyone wishes you good luck, petting the dog, saying, in their one way, goodbye.

And you passed the doors, walking away as the town the people you loved lived in disappeared on the horizon. 

With Graham, you had prepared the path to take, giving you the place safe to stay at night. You arrived to the first stop just before night, after a safe journey. It was in a small town. Not the calmest, but you knew they had a place that was safe for the night. They had given you the indication, now it was time to find the door with a cross on it. 

It was supposed to be on the left part of the town, on a building with two floors. You were quick to find it. The place was cleaned from any zombies and mutant. The flat was on the last floor, with a good views outside. Dream and you enter the flat, and you locked up the door. Now the two of you were on a safe place for the night. 

Everything useful was inside, woods for the fire, blanket, camping stove, food. That was your idea, to create a few places to camp for the runners when they were outside, so they could have everything they need for the night outside, to be safe. 

Dream and you barely talk, except for the exchange of task. He had taken once again the first shift, and you had insisted on him to wake you up this time, so he could get rest too.

You were sleeping on the couch, blanket over your bodies, the dog in your arms. Dream was outside, on the balcony watching for any threat, contemplating the skies and the stars, it felt good to see them ever since he came out of this cage, he felt freedom while looking at them.  

It was around midnight, Dream felt something coming, something bad, it wasn’t any monster nor human with bad intention, no. It was a nightmare. Dream could feel it, lingering in the air, and he turned toward you, watching your figure asleep on the couch. He closed his eyes, focusing on your mind. Soon, he finds himself in your nightmare. 

He could see long corridors, lockers, backpack, children, happy children. It was a school. Suddenly, everything turned dark and he heard screams. The children disappear, the conversation filling the place faded away. It was silent. Dream moved inside the corridor, seeing movement at the end of it. He fumbled on zombies running around the place, noticing blood covering the walls. Corpses with ribs open, missing limbs rested on the floor. The light of the neon above him flashed, and he covered his eyes, dazzled by the sudden brightness. 

He kept walking forward, climbing over the corpses, walking in the puddle of blood, occasionally crossing the path of zombies. Then he finally saw you. Way much younger. You were covering the door of a room, probably to stop the zombie to get you and the student you were with. He could hear a scream. 

Once the door was shielded, you told the people you were with to run, and you came to his direction, running with your classmate, he thought. He saw you passed him, without you noticing his presence.

He kept following you. 

It wasn’t just a nightmare, it was a memory. 

He saw you holding the hand of one of the girls. Blood was running alongside her arms, she probably got hurt. After what felt like an eternity for you, you had found a room that seems to be safe for your friend, and you went inside putting furniture over the doors. Dream was inside the room, he recognized what was a classroom. 

He kept observing what scene was going on in front him, watching as everyone were catching their breath, crying for some. Then he looked at you. You were one of those to cry, holding the blond girl in your arm, caressing her hair as a puddle of blood form around you two. He heard you whispering : “You’re going to be okay” to the girl. 

He came closer to you and observe more carefully the scene. As he did, he noticed a bite on the girl shoulder. 

You take a step back, breaking the embrace and holding her face in your hands. Her face was cold, blood starting running from her noise but, you kept repeating those words “You’re going to be okay” more for you than for her. 

“I am sorry, i am so sorry” the girl say between sob.

Then, she whispered something, Dream couldn’t hear it, but from the face you made, it must have been something terrifying. The girl started convulsing, blood dripping from her mouth. You were holding her against you, crying. Then she stopped moving. Everyone had stopped moving and were looking in your direction. She had died. You stood there, unable to move, to process what just happened, still holding her corps in your arm.

At Dream surprises she started moving again, first slowly, but her movement grew stronger, like the zombies outside. The people around started freaking out while Dream come even closer to you, watching you closely. You pulled something out of your pocket, Dream didn’t notice what, and you stick it under her jaw, and she stops every movement. Dream could see your eyes go livid. 

You left your head to him and for the first since he was here, you seemed to notice is presence. 

He felt ejected from the nightmare and open his eyes on your figure lying on the couch. Dream turned his head, watching outside, when he heard movement from the couch. He looked in your direction and saw your back facing him, you were sitting on the couch, breathless. You turned to him, catching his eyes on you. 

You took a sip of water before joining him outside, needing fresh air.  

“Nightmare?” he asked.

He knew.

“What happen?” 

He knew. 

“Just the usual stuff.” you said, sitting next to him.

He knew.

“Sometime it’s Elisabeth or Graham, most of the time Oscar or the dog, some night it’s…” but you didn’t finish, thinking of her.

He knew. He knew, but couldn’t say a thing. 

You looked tired, he noticed, watching you as your head rested on the railing of the balcony, and you looked at the stars. Then you turned to him and watch him, catching his pretty eyes on you again. 

“Go to sleep Dream, i won’t return to bed, i’ll take it from here.” you told him, but he didn’t move. 

“I am not tired, i can stay.”  he answered back. 

God, his voice was so sweet. You hummed in answer, and stay like this, eyes shifting between the night sky and Dream face, admiring his beauty. 

Dream wondered after the few days he had spent on earth since he got out, the thing he had witnessed, the nightmare you had, how could humanity keep up this much. How human could live like this when everything on earth was lost, when the dead were walking the earth as the first threat for them, tearing them apart. How, after all the destruction he had witnessed, they could gather and laugh together like nothing was happening as he has seen this morning at the town. Like nothing but the living matters, even when everything was against the living. 

“Why do you keep fighting so hard, even when your life could end in just a second?” he asked you.

You took a second to answer back, thinking of the reason.

“ Well, i guess in the first place, i am doing this for the people i love and care for. I mean, even if the biggest part of humanity is dead now, there are still living people, good people, so i fight for them.” you answered, toying with your fingers.

“And i guess it is hope that keeps us alive despite everything. We hoped to stay alive, some of us are still alive. We hoped to find a place safe to stay, to build a new life together, and we find it we built that life we wanted.”

Dream was watching you, thinking about your word. 

“Yes, definitely hopes, that’s what has been keeping us alive. All of us now, most of us at least, are hoping for a better tomorrow. A better world.”

Hope. 

Hope could defeat an army of dead. Life always wins if there is hope.

Dream nodded and hold your gaze, waiting for anything you could say again. But, nothing come. 

After some time : 

“I think i know why you don’t want to sleep.”

Dream felt curious about it. About your theories. 

“ Are you scared of your nightmare? The nightmare you could have?” you asked.

And Dream finds it sweet. The ruler of the nightmare realm, scared of nightmare. He laughs, a small one, but you find it so adorable. 

“ You can laugh all you want but i learn that, when we go through something traumatic our brain made us relive the event, so we could get use to it, to help us, it’s a symptom from PTSD. Some nightmares are actually here to help us and that’s cool”

That shock Dream a little, finally someone who understood the proper meaning of nightmare, who didn’t despise them. 

“ Therefore, i think you don’t want to relive what happen to you, not in your mind nor your nightmare.” 

Touché, Dream thought. You stayed quiet, once again, too afraid to push too far. 

“Perhaps” 

You lean against the wall, pulling your legs to your chest, searching for warm.  

“Scar, they heal” you said, and Dream looked at you confused.

“Come on, it’s a quote from Kung fu panda, you got to know this?” 

“No i do not” he answered back.

You let out a small laugh.

“ You are an enigma Dream. You know nothing, John Snow” you said, quoting once again a part of your favourite TV show. But once again, he didn’t seem to know anything.

Dream turned to you, his eyes questioning you.

“Who is this John Snow” he asked. And if it weren’t night, if you weren’t the target of an unhuman beast, you could laugh even harder.

 “ Come on, from Games of throne. No? Oh, We will watch it. Once we are done with our quest and if you want to stay a bit, we’ll watch together the best chef d’oeuvre of the cinema.”

And this time, you could swear you heard him laugh. 

Silence stand for a while, only disturb by the few zombies and the winds. You felt good by his side, without even knowing why, wishing for him to stay long time. 

“The point is, it doesn’t matter how bad we get hurt, in the end it gets better, we get better.”

Dream had to admit, you had a point. In the end, all the pain and anger he felt for is imprisonment, one day, they’ll be gone. He knew that, had noticed it through all his long life but, he had always left aside his feelings, never reaching for anyone. He knew the pain would go away, but a reminder was welcome. 

You stayed silent for the rest of the night, enjoying each other presence. Enjoying the pretty night sky. Enjoying the peace because, in the morning, the peace will be gone.

And the morning come by quickly, too quickly for you. You had wished you two could have stayed for hours again like this. But it was time to move again, so you moved.

The usual stuff happened on the road, zombie, mutant. Nothing too dramatic. Dream and you had talk about your plan for the moment you will arrive at the magician place. You had made jokes, which didn’t make Dream laugh. The usual for the past few days.

Until, while walking, you saw a small cottage, near the place you two should sleep at night according to Graham plan. Instead of sleeping there, you will spend the night here, in this sweet place. 

You jump of happiness seeing the place and the dog mirrored your action, jumping by your side. 

It looked like your dream house. 

“Hang on boy, inspection first” you told the dog as he sat in front of you waving his tails.

The dog loved inspection. Mostly because he would be the one to attack zombies if there were any. 

You approach the door and kicked it open. 

“Look for” you said and the dog run inside the house searching everywhere. 

Dream stood by your side, waiting for the dog too. He would not admit it, but he did grow fund of the dog. Surely because he did believe him, mostly because he loved Dream petting and Dream loved petting him. 

The two of you heard one bark, and you run inside, gun ready to shot. You whistle and the dog bark again, so you could find him faster in the house. He had found something.

You saw him in a room with big windows and a desk in front of them, inside, laid a zombie, crawling on the floor, missing one of his leg, therefore, not really vigorous. 

“ Good boy” you said, petting the dog on his head while putting your gun back in its place. 

You use the knife for that one, not wanting to waste any bullet. Then, you took your time, looking at the room you stood with Dream and the dog. 

The windows as you saw first were gigantic, the light of the end of afternoon seem to be glowing into the place, they were some old plant, some had overgrown and covered the floor, others were dead. It was majestic.

You moved to look around the other rooms. Each one of them were pretty. 

“See this Dream? This is my perfect house” you told him, excitation filling your voice. 

Dream looked around after looking at your eyes full of wonder and happiness. To him, it looked small compared to what used to look like his kingdom. The same way, it was splendid compared to the place he had spent a century in. 

“It’s a sweet home” he said.

The two of you walked around the place, checking one last time, before condemning all the issue except for one, only locked from the inside. 

You used water to refresh yourself, splashing your face and Dream did the same. The night settled rather quickly, and you organized the place for the night and dinner. Dream and you sat side by side on the floor, facing the fireplace, back leaning against the sofa. The dog laid just in front of it. 

Dream’s mind played again the moment you had whispered to him, saying he was beautiful. He wished silently to hear this again. He longed for your sweet words and touch. Dream even hoped secretly for you to hold him, to feel your touch against him, and so, without knowing if it was only because of the lack of physical contact he had felt over the century or just by your own presence. Because you had saved him. He didn’t know, barely acknowledging those feelings, he couldn’t, not after what humanity did to him.

Small droplet of water start falling against the window, filling the place with the sweet sound of rain. 

You closed your eyes and enjoy the peace of the moment. Lately, any moment you had to spend with Dream seemed to be peaceful. You had noticed you liked his presence. The way he spoke, his sweet voice was reassuring, he smelled so good despite all the dirt and mud you walked all the day, he was so fine. The fact, he didn’t know any film or show, and you wanted to show him all the best one. He looked so lost in this world, totally unable to understand, and the only thing you wanted to do was to protect him at all cost. Because behind his word and action of godlike, you could sense fear, grieve, anger. You could feel his struggle to trust people, to trust you and who could blame him, after everything he probably went through. It was all the same emotions you felt before helping him escape from this glass prison. The only thing was now, they felt stronger.  

Dream shifted in his position, you opened your eyes and stared at him. He was looking at  you, and you stumble under his gaze, pretty blue eyes, those eyes, they always seem to shift in their colour patterns. The warm light of the fire dance on his figure while you kept holding his gaze. It felt so intimate. 

If gods were real, you had no doubt Dream would be one of them. But they weren’t, Dream was just lost in his mind. 

Because if he was a god, how could he have stayed trapped in this cave? If Gods existed, they would have saved him, they should have. 

You leaned your head against the sofa and kept looking at him, you're all body shifting toward him. 

He spoke in a whisper, as if he was afraid to break the calm.

“What if we don’t find my sand in this place?” 

You could feel slight tremors in his voice.

“What if we don’t find any of my tools? Humanity will be doom” he continued

You were right. He was lost. But you didn’t want to argue, to let him closed up to you.

“You will find what you look for. And, even if you don’t, if you are truly a God, why would you need tools Dream?.” you said, also in a whisper.

He wished your words were true. But he put his power inside those artefacts.  Now without them, he had no idea how to use his power, to be as powerful as he used to be. 

He wished he could trust you that you would bring the answer to him.

You saw doubt in his eyes. All you get as an answer was a deep humming. You didn’t really like seeing him like this, but, once again, you feared he would close himself from you. So, instead of advice, you decide to opt for comfort. 

Shifting slightly from your position, you raise your hand to him and start caressing the side of his head, letting your hand move from the top to the end of it, slowly, repeating the movement each time.

“It will be fine.” you said.

“You’re going to be okay, Dream” you whispered to him, repeating the words as if they were a prayer.

Dream felt warm insinuating in his chest, he felt safe. God's be damned, he wanted you close, to lean on your touch, to let himself, for the first time in a century, feel safe, getting touched, speak to someone. But he couldn’t stop his mind to think of a “what if”. What if you betrayed him and leave with the tools. What if you were mocking him. You didn’t even believe him when he said he is lord Morpheus, King of the dreaming, an Endless. Even refusing to call him by his name, his title. He wasn’t even powerful enough to clearly surround your thought. 

Dream tried. He really tried to trust you. But after all, his fear wins over, and he backed away from your touch, though he regretted this movement, the lack of contact. 

Your heart broke as he back away from you, rising to his feet and walking away, outside, in the rain. What could you have done wrong this time? Saying nothing yet, once again, he pushed you away. How could you blame him? You’ve only known each other's for a few days, but still, it was an odd meeting, in which, under odd circumstances, could let him understand you wouldn’t hurt him.

You let him go. Giving him the space he needed. The dog rose his head as he heard the door opening, ready to leave if he was asked to. Then, he turned his head to you, before coming closer asking for cuddles, probably feeling the tension remaining in the room. He let his head fall abruptly on your laps and pushed a long yawn. Truly, sometime, you thought he could understand everything you were saying and that, right now, he was judging you.

“Stop judging.” you told in a whisper. Your eyes fall shut once again, and you let your head fall down on the sofa.

After some time, you noticed the rain had stopped, and you looked outside. Dream was still in the garden looking at the stars, his raven by his side on his shoulder. You told the dog to move and the two of you join them in the backyard. As you approach, the raven flew away. 

There was a full moon. Now, the sky was cleared from any clouds. The light of the moon shine over the earth. And you stood next to Dream, admiring the stars, even if all you wanted to admire was him. How could you feel attracted to someone so fast?

Time passes. 

“The moon is beautiful tonight.” he said. 

And you turned to him. Watching over him. The light of the moon illuminating his features. His pretty face, staring at the sky still. Utterly beautiful, and it catches you every time. But tonight, under the night sky, his beauty felt different, unreal perhaps. He reminded you of the art you found in the museum. 

Ethereal beauty.

“You look like a piece of art” you told him, in a whisper.

This time, he turned to you. His eyes falling on you. This time it was softer. Every time, you had held his gaze, proud, this time as you still hold his gaze, he could see shyness in your eyes. 

His heart warms again, and he couldn’t fight the feeling away. Dream was struck once again by your words, he loved the sincerity you always had in them. He wanted to lay against you again.

And he smiled. Not a small smile as he did already. A real one, genuine one. The corner of his lips smirking at you. And you smiled back softly at him. 

He lean forward to you. His nose only inches away from yours.

“You’re too kind, my little human.”

You adored him.

Hello everyone ! Here the next part, hope your gonna love that part 🤞 as usual, let me know if there is anything wrong, to give advice, I'll be happy to heard about it.

Have a great day ! Love you all 🤎

[tomtenadia]

Thicker than blood - 29

Hello!!! So, here I am with another chapter. I promise that this chapter and then 30 and then the really horrible part is over. So hang tight! CW: Aelin is in a bad place and she has almost given up on everything, so yeah, her thoughts are quite dark.

I am coming.

Aelin had felt that. It had been clear through the bond. His voice brushing her mind gently.

She opened her eyes and only saw darkness and the horrible stench of blood. How many humans had she killed? How many had she turned? She was helping Maeve build her army and the idea was driving her crazy. She was tired. Erawan had kept pumping her blood with whatever toxic juice he fancied that day. Her body was on fire and she was constantly sick. All the humans she drank were not A+ and her body rejected them but they were so jacked up with drugs that she kept drinking no matter the pain. If she ever made it out alive it would be very hard to kick the addiction. This time it was bad and in the last few days she had given up. A part of her had begged for death. She was so damn tired.

I am coming.

His voice again.

Why would he bother? She was such a mess that no one deserved to take care of someone like her. But a part of her, a tiny part that was still trying to hope for the best, wished he was there already. Hoped to scent again pine and snow and fall asleep at the feeling of being at home.

A sob escaped her mouth. She missed him. Gods, she missed him so much…

She was sobbing hard when Erawan opened her cell “come on pet, we have another session ready for you.”

Aelin tucked away the thoughts of her mate in her heart and pushed emotions aside ready for another session of torture.

*

Rhoe had tried to contact Rowan for days now. He had left voicemails, texts, call after call got unanswered. After three days like that he had decided to take his car and pay the man a visit.

He arrived at the house and saw all the lights were off. It was evening, maybe Rowan had gone to work. He very much hoped so. Lysandra had admitted she had a spare key that Rowan had given her when Aelin was staying at his place and was unwell. She had felt bad at betraying Rowan’s trust that way but Rhoe had convinced her that it was important.

He opened the house and stepped in and switched on the lights and once in the living room he saw a sea of maps sprawled on the floor. The man crouched down and had a look at all the notes and satellite photos. Rowan had been trying to find Aelin. 

A sense of guilt hit him. That should have been his job, but he had been so busy with Darrow that he had let one of his men in charge of it. Gods, he had abandoned his daughter once more. How could Aelin ever forgive him? He was about to stand up when he spotted a mark on a map. Rowan had added a note saying that it was a fitting location. Rhoe grabbed the paper and then a noise startled him. Rowan’s mobile was abandoned on the table and a man called Gavriel was calling.

Rhoe picked up the phone and answered.

“Damn it Rowan, about time. Where are you? We were expecting you at work three days ago. Lorcan said that you have been reinstated.”

Rhoe listened in silence “Rowan is not here at the moment.”

“Who are you?” Asked the man on the other side of the line.

“Rhoe Galathynius. I think Rowan has left on a mission.”

Silence.

“He is going to do something stupid.”

“Leave it to me.”

Rhoe hung up the phone and went back gathering all the info his son in law had pieced together. The location he had chosen was so deep in the mountains that there was no vehicle access. Had he been hiking this whole time? Frantically he grabbed his phone and made some calls and a few minutes later he locked the door of the house behind him and left.

*

Lorcan walked to his office and once inside he collapsed exhausted on his chair and ran a hand through his long hair. A deep sigh left him.

He was in his dress mess uniform. Interim mayor Darrow had organised in record time a memorial for all the humans and vampire victims that had lost their lives in the recent months. The attendance had been very high and the main square in front of the main government building had been packed. Police and his unit had been patrolling for fear of a possible attack from Maeve. But that fear had not stopped all the citizens from taking the streets and pay their respects. Rhoe Galathynius had joined the ceremony a little later and Lorcan was surprised at seeing the man late.

Darrow and Rhoe had then taken the time to explain to the population that change was coming. They were both running for mayor, and the plan got a roaring approval from the vampires who were aware that they finally had some representation. They wanted the two species to coexist peacefully like in other parts of Erilea. 

Rhoe had then stated that he was converting the now abandoned deviation centres, in venues to help people with addictions but with a program that was not as brutal as the previous one. He explained that his wife was planning on creating a foundation to look after these structures and allow vampires to have a second chance. Lorcan thought about some of the guys in his unit. They had gone from criminals to agents and although he agreed that the program had been brutal it had worked. He admitted to himself that perhaps a gentler approach was needed.

He closed his eyes for a second and when he opened them Gavriel was standing in front of him.

“Rowan is gone, I thought you allowed him back.”

Lorcan groaned. Since the jail incident they had not talked and he doubted his friend wanted anything to do with him.

“I have no idea where he is.”

Gavriel’s hand landed on his desk “I haven’t heard from him in ages and when he finally picks up it’s Rhoe Galathynius. Something is brewing.”

“He will come back after he clears his head,” he added coldly “since he married that woman he has lost it.”

Gavriel growled “That woman makes him happy.” He stood back and left the room slamming the door hard.

His hand ran through his hair once more and a ragged breath left his lungs. He had to apologise to Rowan and get his friend back in his unit. It was all falling apart and he needed his friend at his side.

*

Maeve was sitting comfortably in her studio with a newspaper in her hands. The front page was plastered with the news of the riots that had ended the tenure of the mayor and the rebellions in the deviation centre. But as she perused the articles there was no more news of Aelin being a junkie. It had lasted for a day and then it had disappeared. At the memorial, Rhoe had gathered supporters instead of losing them after the harsh interview released. Maeve groaned in frustration. She had failed at undermining the man and now he had put his name down to ran as mayor with Darrow. 

In a burst of anger she balled up the newspaper and shouted for one of her guards to call for Erawan.

The man arrived a few minutes later.

“You called?”

“How is our pet doing?”

The man smirked “I have been increasing the doses of spiked blood and she is feeding now from all the humans I place in a cell, but she is not ready yet.”

Maeve looked at him with curiosity.

“For our plan to work she needs to be on the verge of slipping, but I can’t seem to push her that far.”

“I need her to transform in a wild animal. I need my niece to slip.”

“I am trying,” he snarled back.

“Rhoe and Darrow are having a rally soon. I need to be able to unleash Aelin on the crowd and have her kill humans in front of her dear father. That will definitely destroy the support for him.”

The man nodded.

“I thought all the modifications were meant to make her more prone to relapsing and slip.”

“Yes,” he nodded “But somehow she is resisting.”

“Fix this.”

He bowed and left the room.

Maeve called a few of her men and told them to keep attacking humans. If Rhoe thought he had won, he had a surprise coming for him.

*

Aedion had finally managed to go back to his lab in the huge mansion after the police had released it back to the Galathynius. Rhoe had been staying there from time to time when he had meeting in town with Darrow but Evalin had decided to stay in the mountains and the man had been happy at the idea. At least he knew his wife was safe. 

He had missed having a professional lab. The one is his house was okay for very small jobs. He needed state of the art machines and the Galathynius had it.

Aedion was still dead set in creating a type of synthetic blood that Aelin could tolerate. He used her golden blood as a template and started working from it. 

Lysandra had told him that creating golden blood in a lab would help humans too. But alas that experiment had failed. Humans could not tolerate synthetic blood so the dream of solving the chronic shortage of blood for transfusions had remained a dream.

He was busy at work when he heard footsteps approaching. He turned and saw Rhoe dressed up in mountain gear.

“How does it feel being back here?”

“I missed having a real lab at my disposal.”

The man chuckled “Aedion, I am going on a mission for a while.”

Aedion stared at him in confusion.

“Rowan is going after Aelin. I was in his flat and saw maps. I think he found the location and I can’t let him deal with this on his own.”

“That is dangerous.”

“I need to save Aelin.”

Aedion nodded. Rhoe had been hard at work since Aelin was taken. It had destroyed him making that horrible interview but it had helped to keep Maeve at bay. As long as he was back for the rally with Darrow. They had to win the public in the last stretch of the campaign.

“Save her, please.”

The man nodded “You and Lys go and keep company to Evalin from time to time.”

Aedion nodded.

“We will come back with Aelin.”

Aedion really wanted to believe the man in front of him.

*

Gavriel and his unit were patrolling the streets at night. After Rowan’s disappearance Lorcan had placed him in charge. It did not matter that Hamel had been deposed. Maeve and her minions were still a threat so Lorcan had ordered the paranormal unit to continue patrol as if nothing had happened. Slowly some clubs had started reopening and a few more people flocked again back to the old customs although the streets were not as busy as before. People apparently were still wary and knew that the danger was not over just yet. Gavriel loved that they were being cautious. 

He was walking with Fenrys when they reached the Vaults. The club was boarded shut and still had the police tapes to mark it as a crime scene.

Gavriel paused and stared at the flowers and cards that citizens had deposited in front of the place. The images of that night forever etched in his mind.

“All those life destroyed…” was Fenrys’ comment. His voice low and deep with grief. He had not gone inside but he was on the streets and had watched the paramedics carry away all those humans. It made him want to bring Hamel back from the dead and inflict an even bigger punishment.

Darrow had slowly removed all the bans that the previous mayor had inflicted and stopped the need for vampires to submit to blood tests every two days. He had called it the firsts step into creating a new bridge towards the two species co existing together once more. The decision had gained him a great success among both species. Ansel had gone back to work in the deviation centre and was helping dismantle the hellsite. She then had asked Evalin Galathynius to take part in her initiative and the woman had been ecstatic.

“Any news from Rowan?”

Gavriel shook his head “I just hope he is fine. I don’t want to imagine what is passing through his head right now.”

Fen was about to speak but down the road they heard screams and they ran and once at the spot they saw a man attacking a young woman and drinking from her.

The two men ran in her aid and while Fen looked after the victim, Gavriel neutralised the man pretty quickly. A newborn. 

“Fen, a newbie, there might be more around.”

Fenrys called paramedics and a police van to take the vampire away. With the transition they were trying to decide what to do with people they arrested, so for now they were taken to HQ and booked in.

Once the paramedics arrived, Fenrys let the young woman in their care and joined his partner “This is Maeve. The bitch needs to die soon too.”

Gavriel sighed and looked away “Soon.”

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@rowaelinismyotp​ @swankii-art-teacher​ @whimsicallyreading @elentiyawhitethorn​ @aelin-bitch-queen @bruiseonthefaceofhumanity  @mis-lil-red @thegreyj​ @sailorsassley @leiawritesstories​ @clairec79 @morganofthewildfire​ @sv0430 @heartless--aromantic @autumnbabylon @rowanaelinn​ @backtobl4ck​ @susumaus98  @gracie-rosee @mybloodrunsblue @tanvee1231 @avenrebekah @whoever-you-choose-to-love  @theywillnotsingforme @universallytreepost @black-daisy-water @goddess-aelin @whispers-in-the-darkest-heart @lovely-dove-zee @athena127​

[abronzeagegod]

Untitled YA Novel Chapter 10: Practical Learning

First Chapter || More

9:54 AM local time

Untouched Horizons, House Dinchdrast, Si Yátz

After a long day and all the stress that came with it, the boys slept for a long time. Their new neighbor Hira tried to sleep but she was consumed with a burning curiosity for the notes that she had received from Alt.

When her phone beeped with the delivery of the materials, she found that she was awake and there was no going back to sleep. All of the things were direct historical records, the kind of thing she always read about but never managed to get her hands on documents themselves.

The zlilfian people were fastidious record keepers. Usually it was dull things like the accounts and ledgers of crop harvests and taxes and population counts and breeding rights. But these were accounts and even court records for some things that happened thousands of years ago. It was too good a chance for Hira to pass up reading them.

She read through as much as she could in her room, but the bed she was on was softer than the one in the barracks and wound up falling asleep while reading. And she wanted to see if she could get print outs, actual paper to read off of.

As she collected herself to head out, getting changed with the loaner clothing that was provided for her, she briefly had a moment of panic that she was going to miss morning drills with Rafe, again.

But after a moment, the panic subsided, only to be replaced with sadness and despair.

Hira left her room with the sadness still hanging over her, so she went to go find something to eat. And hopefully some chocolate.

She gathered up her stuff and left her room only to find Justin and Mike a moment later, clearly lost, trying to get into a locked cleaning closet.

“You know where the cafeteria is?” Mike asked. “We’ve been wandering around for an hour.”

“Yeah,” Hira responded. “Follow me.”

“I told you that wasn’t the elevator,” Justin muttered to Mike.

The boys followed Hira back down to the first floor cafeteria.

She didn’t speak much to the boys, who felt like she was mad at them for some reason.

When they got to the wide open room, she went off to a station off in the corner. When she returned she set down two cups of hot chocolate for herself. Just as she did, another zlilfian came by with a stack of papers for her.

They exchanged a few quick words in their language. 

Justin and Mike went to try and find something to eat. They recognized only a few things, mostly from what they ate last night. There were oranges, some kiwis, a couple of kinds of bread, and a few bagel shaped things that didn’t seem to have the same coloring as the bagels that the humans were used to. Mike was more adventurous than Justin was.

They sat down at Hira’s table which was now covered in papers.

She nodded at them as they sat and continued to drink her first hot chocolate.

“What are you reading?” Justin asked. “Looks like historical records?”

“Yes. These are the things that the human who attacked me was after. This is all to see if there are clues as to what they are after for me to find.”

“What could they want from the historical records?” he asked.

“I brought you some food,” Mike interrupted as he slid a plate that he had picked up and loaded up with food over to her.

“Thank you,” she said as she picked at some of the stuff he got. It was the good stuff too. Mike had excellent taste. Turning back to Justin she said, “That’s exactly something to figure out, which I am attempting.”

“What could have possibly happened in the year 100 that requires breaking into your… barracks to look up?” Mike asked as he read a piece of paper close to him.

“That’s the First Mayan Collapse,” Hira said through a mouthful of fruit. “It’s when Untouched Horizons first investigated something that they thought was related to the Silence.”

“Maybe it’s just a thing to try and figure out how they’ll respond to this,” Justin said before pausing for a long moment, “attack.”

“That’s exactly my thought,” Hira said. “You should try that one, the small green one. It’s my favorite. Very sweet, a little tart, and the texture is very pleasing. It is similar to your… gello, I think it’s called?”

“Jello,” Mike said as he took some and immediately started to spread it on some of his toast.”

“What about this stuff from… two hundred BCE?” Justin asked after tasting some of the fruit Hira had grabbed first. It was extremely sweet and a little tangy. It was interesting, unlike anything else he’d had to compare it to.

“That? I do not know,” Hira said. “It’s a time that I haven’t read very much about so I don’t know what the big events are. There’s a bunch of stuff about a political party that I’ve never heard of.”

Justin grabbed the paper he was reading and read out loud, “The Home Party commissioned a large boat, possibly the biggest wooden ship ever built, as part of a recovery mission.”

“Recovering what?” Mike asked. He had taken to his old standby of trying a single bite of everything and then moving on to combining them to see what new and strange combinations he could create.

“I don’t know,” Hira said after a long moment of thought.

“On the bright side that’s something we have in common,” Justin said as he kept reading.

“What is that?” Hira asked back, suspicious of what the commonality could possibly be.

“Our politicians suck too.”

Hira let out a low hum that was mirrored by her wings.

“What’s it like to fly?” Mike asked between a particularly unpleasant bite of a fruit combination and a much better one.

Hira paused for a long moment, she couldn’t think of a good answer. “I suppose it is like what you must feel when you swim. Freedom of direction. Something we were made to do.”

Mike nodded sagely as he turned his full attention back to his food and trying to combine things into fun, different tastes.

Hira finished off one hot chocolate and returned to her notes.

Justin wasn’t paying attention to either of the two at the table. He was trying to look over all the pages, trying to figure out what was going on and how his dad was wrapped up in it. No answers were forth-coming, and the world around him seemed to go strangely quiet.

“It’s quiet,” he said, he knew he said it. But he couldn’t hear the words.

The Silence was here.

Justin tapped Mike on the shoulder who looked up at him. His friend clapped hard in front of him. No sound came out. It was the only thing he could think to do. He did the same to Hira.

Both of them looked scared, desperately looking around everywhere trying to find the source. All they saw were what appeared to be the usual zlilfian crowds going about their lunchtime business.

A moment later an explosion rocked the cafeteria. The outer wall exploded inward, no sound accompanied it, but the wave of pressure and dust and debris sure did.

Mike immediately shoved Justin and Hira down, below the table.

After a few seconds of silence and settling dust, the attack began.

Peeking up over the edge of the table, the group saw a few zlilfians moving in and fighting with the dazed others, still stunned by the explosion.

Then in walked a man, human, with a close kept beard and brown hair. Bradford Frost. It had to be him.

Justin tapped both of his companions and pointed out the man. He could feel Mike tense next to him. However, Hira wasn’t looking at Frost. She spotted Rafe moving through the attack like she was still asleep.

She leapt up and went to Rafe, to do… she hadn’t decided what she was going to do if she was honest.

Justin tried to stop her, but Hira was gone before he could do anything. Mike looked like he wanted to jump u p and help, but Justin held him back. He pointed towards the kitchen vigorously, but Mike looked at him in confusion. Using the little bit of sign language the two managed to learn, he signed “go over there”.

Mike suddenly caught on and nodded.

Justin held up three fingers. Then two.

Then one.

The two boys stood up and immediately ran straight for the kitchen. A zlilfian got in front of Mike to try and stop them, and he didn’t hesitate to punch them right in the head.

Justin could see Mike yelling, “Sorry!” even if he didn’t hear the sound of the apology.

The two boys made it into the kitchen and ducked behind the buffet line.

Mike made a gesture that Justin didn’t realize but must have been a “what now” gesture. He tentatively picked up a sharp knife, but Justin vehemently shook his head. He had an idea, he just needed ingredients. And hoped that the zlilfians had the same safety codes that humans do.

Meanwhile, Hira had pushed by and flew by more than a few of her fellow zlilfians on her way to Rafe.

She got to her partner, and stood in front of her. But Rafe didn’t stop, or even slow down. She drew her dlondzhii and advanced on Hira.

The first swing went wide and Hira ducked under it. Rafe didn’t stop her attack. Nothing about this was right. Hira’s friend, really her only friend, was attacking her. But the body language was all wrong. Rafe didn’t look quite right. She looked like a sad puppet, being controlled by something bigger than her and without the power to stop herself, or really be aware of what was going on.

Hira dodged every attack Rafe was trying to hit her with. She had to do something to snap Rafe out of it, she just couldn’t think of anything to do!

Another blow came right at Hira’s head, and this time it looked like it was going to connect. In a decision that Hira wasn’t conscious of actually making, she dived right at Rafe.

The two boys were tearing the kitchen apart in a frenzy. Justin needed a few very specific things, and he knew very little about zlilfian cooking methods, or even their language. But what he did know was building things, breaking things, and accidentally starting fires.

Mike held up a package and frantically waved his arm at Justin to get his attention. He pointed it at it.

Justin nodded and gave him a thumbs up.

Mike went to put it in the pile of stuff that they had collected already.

Justin pulled open a cabinet and found exactly what he needed: a fire extinguisher.

He grabbed the red device and turned around to run back towards the ongoing battle.

Instead he came face to face with a zlilfian that looked like it was about to attack him. He hadn’t gotten used to their features or mannerisms yet, but this one clearly looked ready to attack. Frozen in place, Justin didn’t know what to do.

Mike knew exactly what to do.

He threw the nearest thing at hand, which was a cutting board, right at Justin’s attacker. The large piece of wood smacked into the zlilfian a few moments before Mike followed, slamming his body into the person attacking his friend.

That snapped Justin out of his shock and he ran towards the buffet line and pulled the safety release on the fire extinguisher and pulled.

Instead of a spray of cold smoke, there was a thick foaming liquid.

“There goes plan A,” Justin said to himself.

He was hoping for more smoke screen, like he so often saw in movies. But that didn’t work out how he wanted. His thought was that if sound was a problem, then take away the attackers’ vision too and it would really hamper them. And he knew that zlilfians weren’t the same as bees, but he did know that smoke had a stunning effect on bees, so maybe if he was lucky that was translate.

Time for plan B. Justin was going to have to make his own smoke.

Mike was busy defending him from the attacking zlilfian, so that meant he had to work on his own. And fast.

Justin got to work opening the various ingredients he had found in the kitchen. He really hoped this worked. And didn’t burn the entire building down.

He kept the fire extinguisher close by, just in case.

Hira tackled Rafe to the ground. She managed to duck under Rafe’s attack and eliminated her reach advantage. But now she was in a wrestling match with a girl that was bigger, stronger, and a more disciplined fighter than her. Hira could only hope that her scrappy nature was enough to keep her conscious this time around.

They landed hard on the ground and Hira tried to take advantage of bing on top to sting Rafe. She hoped to use the same tactic that Rafe had used against her and knock her friend out. Maybe that way she’d snap out of it.

Unfortunately, she missed. Rafe was the better fight, even as controlled as she was, and rolled out of the way. Now she was trying to pin Hira under her. But Hira fought her off, kicking at her with all her might. She wanted to save Rafe, but she wasn’t against hurting her a little bit. Especially since Rafe had stung her twice.

Each time she connected with a blow against her friend, Hira desperately hoped that this would be the thing that would snap Rafe out of it. But nothing was working, and they were rolling around on the floor fighting each other.

Some small part of Hira’s brain wept at how sad this situation was. She was fighting Rafe. But there was nothing else she could do but fight.

Justin was good at a few things in life. And chemistry was one of them. He did his own research outside of class, and more than a few experiments at home that got him in trouble with his dad. This was one of those things.

There are certain things that simply should not be burned, set on fire, or in this case, put in a hot thing of frying oil. Thank god that zlilfians also like their foods fried.

Justin grabbed a heavy pan and hit the valve on the back of the frier. Most times he would say that the temperature control unit was extremely important, now was not one of those times. He needed smoke and he needed it fast. Thankfully he learned his mistake when messing around with the home doughnut kit he got a few years back for making Christmas doughnuts and almost burned the house down. Justin just wanted it to be faster and more efficient.

Once the two fryers were screaming hot, Justin did the other thing you’re never supposed to do with a fryer: add things that were not designed to be fried. The correct, or incorrect, combination of ingredients would create quite a mess, and hopefully a smoky one.

Now all he could do would be to wait, and stand by with the fire extinguisher just in case.

Within moments, smoke started to fill the kitchen. The zlilfian that Mike was fighting started to retreat from the oily, dark smoke that Justin was successfully producing in great quantities.

Hira smelled the smoke before she saw it. Immediately she felt dazed and saw Rafe in front of her stumble as the smoke hit her too. For a split second, Rafe seemed to be coming out of whatever controlling haze was over her.

She moved to reach out to Rafe, but the human Bradford Frost touched her first.

Rafe settled back into the dull stupor of control by the Silence. And they were leaving.

Feeling like her chance at saving her friend was slipping from her, Hira tried to chase them down.

But the smoke was getting too thick, she felt her movements starting to slow down. She wasn’t going to let that stop her. Hire was going after Rafe, no matter what.

She tried and she tried to keep pushing forward, but after a moment it was clear that they were gone. She wanted to just settle in and go to sleep, but the enemy was flying away.

Justin heard Mike coughing and that’s when he knew that his plan had worked. Mostly.

He tried to move to shut down everything to stop the smoke, but Mike grabbed his arm to try and pull him away from the kitchen.

Justin ripped himself out of Mike’s grasp, “I’ve got to shut it off!”

“Oh, I can hear you,” Mike yelled. “At least stay down! Grab a towel and put it over your mouth!”

Justin nodded and awkwardly crab-walked over to his improvised smoke machines and quickly shut them off. He found a large cooking tray and covered the friers as best as he could. With this kind of thing, he knew that you had to smother it.

With that done, he quickly left the kitchen and followed Mike to what he hoped was safety.

i have a kofi

find me on pillowfort

[reidsaurora]

Part Ten: "You Have To" ~ S. Reid

Summary: Two weeks had passed since the incident at Bennington's, and Spencer and Imogen hadn't spoken since then. However, on day fourteen, an important piece of mail arrives explaining to Spencer why that is.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Imogen Sterren (bipolar!OC)

Word Count: 1,186 (she short 🤩)

Content Warning: very mild swearing, a couple mentions of the sanitarium, a mild mention of manic and depressive episodes, overall just really angsty

Genre: Angst. lots of Angst.

Extra Notes: no one talk to me about how short this chapter is

Based On the Song: Soon You'll Get Better by Taylor Swift

Originally Written: 01/02/2023

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"Soon You'll Get Better" series masterlist can be found here!

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥." - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐫𝐢𝐬

Two weeks. Fourteen days. Three-hundred and thirty-six hours. Twenty-thousand, one-hundred and sixty minutes.

That's how long it had been since Spencer had last seen Imogen.

Every night, he sat in his now half-empty bed, on the right side, almost like he was waiting for Imogen to climb into the left side. He'd wait up, phone in hand, waiting until the clock struck seven.

After a week, he'd started calling her. Though, every night, he'd be met with the same response. "I'm sorry, Dr. Reid. Imogen isn't feeling well."

On the fourteenth night, he hadn't even had the strength to move from his couch to his bedroom. He couldn't. Not when Imogen wasn't hiding behind that door, ready to greet him with open arms.

A knock startled him as he stared at his safe spot, a small patch of green paint that had been seemingly impossible to cover up with the new paint color. "Spencer," a familiar voice as sweet as candy called through the front door, "it's Penelope. I come bearing gifts."

Spencer forced himself to move from the couch, not even bothering to pick up his blanket—one his mother had knitted him, of course—as it landed on the hardwood floor. He trudged over to the door, wiping his tear-stained cheeks as he unlocked it. "Yeah?" he said, nearly in a whisper.

Penelope held out her hand, a wide smile spreading across her face as she handed him the envelope. "It's from Imogen."

She didn't have to say it. He already knew. From the signature brown envelope she always used to the curls on the crosses of her t's, he knew it was her.

Penelope could tell Spencer was hesitant to open the letter. Still, she cleared her throat awkwardly before asking, "Would you like me to come in?"

He didn't say anything, instead opting for a nod of the head. He shuffled toward the sofa, Penelope following behind him after closing the door. She placed the rest of his mail on the coffee table before taking a few steps forward. "There's the rest of it. I'll go make us some tea while you sort through it, OK?"

He nodded again before picking up the stack of envelopes. A letter from his cable company, a late Christmas card from his primary care physician's office, the newest edition of Mercury Monthly a.k.a. his favorite astronomy magazine... and then there was the letter from Imogen. The sagebrush on the stamp stared at him, a sudden wave of homesickness hitting him like a ton of bricks.

He looked over to the kitchen, making sure Penelope was distracted with her tea-making before opening the letter.

"Dear Spencer,

I am afraid that with this letter, I come bearing bad news. If you're reading this, that means I'm moving facilities and will no longer be able to see you.

These last few months have been heaven for me, and I gathered as much that it was the same for you. You will never know how much it meant—and still means—to me that you pushed yourself well out of your comfort zone to check on me that first night. I've known ever since we played Margery Kempe trivia that I've loved you, and Christmas only further solidified it for me.

I'm afraid I have to go for a while, but I will never forget you. I will never forget that sweet, innocent, and strong man that held my hand through both manic ups and depressive downs—even from 2,423 miles away.

I love you, Spencer. I will continue to love you, whether or not we reunite someday. I know you will do the same. You have to.

Love you, bye. - Imogen 𖤐"

Spencer had barely gotten past the greeting of the letter before tears poured from his eyes, sobs wracking his body. He fell back onto the couch, grabbing his knit blanket and clinging to it like his life was dependent on it.

Penelope couldn't help but hear. She quickly turned off the burner before scurrying over to the couch, attempting to wrap her arms around Spencer. "Hey, boy wonder, what's wrong?" she cooed, pulling him up into her chest.

"S-she's gone," he choked out. "Imogen's gone."

"Gone?" Penelope worried what he might mean by that. "Where's she gone off to?"

He shook his head, wiping a few stray tears with the back of his hoodie sleeve. "She di-didn't say. She just s-said she'd be going away for a-a while. A-And that she c-can't talk to me."

The blonde wrapped her arms even tighter around him, leaving a soft kiss atop those curls she was so often jealous of. "He's a guy, how does he get such beautiful hair but has no haircare routine?" she'd asked herself so many times.

They stayed there like that for quite some time. He sobbed into Penelope's shoulder, secretly hoping he hadn't covered her favorite blouse in his snot and tears. Penelope's arm was wrapped around his back, the other petting his hair gently as her way of saying, "Let it all out, sugar. Just let it all out."

By the time he'd finished crying, Penelope had cried along with him. Sure, it could've just been that she always cried when she saw other people crying, but she believed it was because Spencer was her little brother. In her mind, it was like if Spencer was the moon, she was his Saturn. If he was the hot cocoa, she was the mini marshmallows. Or—her personal favorite analogy—if Spencer was the taco, she was the Tuesday.

She stayed there, arms wrapped around him, comforting him the way no one else ever had, until he'd finally willed himself to shed his last tear a couple hours later.

Spencer wiped his cheeks one last time before forcing himself off of Penelope, knowing if he didn't, he'd cling to her all night.

"Thank you," he managed to whisper. "For everything. For helping me through this—this whole thing, not even just tonight. Hell, I'm even thankful you picked up my mail for me," he chuckled.

"Sure thing, Spencer," she told him, followed by a closed-lip smile. "You gonna be OK?"

"Yeah," he said, pinching one last tear away from the end of his nose. "I actually have somewhere I need to be tonight."

She nodded understandingly, stepping toward the door. "Hey, we're here for you. The whole team's been worried about you. I know you took an emergency leave of absence, but we're all ready for you to come back when you're ready, OK?"

He gave her one last nod before grabbing his coat and hat from the coat rack. He locked the door behind himself, letting out a sigh as he walked toward the stairwell.

He knew he'd have to get over Imogen. He knew he'd have to forget her. But today? Today was not that day. He knew neither tomorrow, nor the day after that, would be that day either. But he did know one thing: even if he had to forget Imogen, it didn't mean he had stop to loving her.

"𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞. 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧. 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐦 𝐈 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨?" - 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐆𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭

AAAAHHH, WE'RE GETTING SO CLOSE TO THE END AND I'M GETTING ALL EMOTIONAL ABOUT IT 😭😭

anyway yeah, this chapter was super short but i couldn't think of like filler material to put but also i didn't wanna use filler material and make it boring so this is what you get instead 🤣

anyway, i hope you're all enjoying what i keep calling "the nitty-gritty" of sygb. i'll see you all next week!!! 💛💖

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[dre6ming]

The delicate beginning rush

Chapter VI ~ my darling

Masterlist

Chapter V ~ torn

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Pairing: Austin Butler x fem singer/actress reader

Warning: age gap, mentions of poor mental health, depression, anxiety, mentions of abuse, talks of toxic relationships, divorce, fluff, angst, cursing. That’s all I hope :))

Plot: after a horrible article makes the headlines you find yourself back in a place where you judge your every move. Your crush on Austin only seems to grow as does your liking towards Joshua.

Word count: ~6500

Disclaimer: everything I write is fake. Except for the songs I mention.

I see it as soon as I wake up. The bad habit of waking up and checking my phone, giving my team no time to hide this from me. I stare at the screen of my phone with blurry eyes, the big red letters screaming at me.

"19 and taking hearts left and right"

The title reads and I could lie and say it's unexpected for a piece like this to be written, but it's not. I knew, I always did, but I guess I never anticipated how sharp and evil their words would be. Bringing up my parents divorce, saying dating is some coping mechanism, because they left me? Pulling up those pictures of me, balling my eyes out on the street. That day being one of the worst days of my life and they had the audacity to photograph it and now use it to justify my serial dating behavior? I know this is the price I pay for the job I chose, but sometimes the price feels higher than the reward.

With shaky hands I wipe my face, or try to, then turning my phone off I get up to go in the shower. The warm water engulfs me, my tears mixing with it. Each sob that shakes my body, makes my muscles contract painfully and I struggle to wash myself, as I feel like my legs might give out at any minute. I let out a scream so loud and sharp I scare myself and fall on the shower floor, clutching my head in my hands.

I need to get out, I need to breathe, I can't breathe. I'm stuck. I need out. I need...

Gathering up my strength, I get up, turning off the shower and ignoring the pain in my knees, which are sure to have bruises on them later. Using a warm towel to dry myself and then hurriedly putting on some clothes. Comfort being my goal I choose in oversized dark blue sweat suit. Staring at the clock, it's only 7:45 am, I woke up way too early, because of all the turmoil I faced in my sleep, caught between dreaming of Austin or Joshua. I'm supposed to be going to a fitting today, for the Oscars, also Jack expects me in the studio, but I can't. I don't want to see or talk to anyone right now. So I don't. My phone is turned off, it's too early for Matt to be here, my parents don't live here and don't care, it's easy for me to avoid people, so that's what I do.

Taking my bag, I make my way out of the apartment, after feeding Simba and William, no need for them to suffer just cause I do. Putting on sunglasses and hiding my hair as best as I can in a beanie, I walk out of the building, the cold air of the early morning hitting my cheeks. Behind my glasses my salty tears are still flowing. New York is busy as ever and I'm happy for it. The crowd occupied with whatever they have going on, so no one pays any attention to me, it's comforting, but I can't hope for it to last. I like to think about myself as one of those celebes who knows exactly how to work their private life, while keeping people entertained, I don't push fans away and I usually don't mind paparazzi, but then again, I wasn't an Oscar nominee before, nor was I lunching with famous men. I'm growing with my career and I arouse more excitement now I guess.

I'm walking like a crazy person, almost running, my feet carry me unconsciously down the street. Looking down at the watch on my wrist I see it's now 8:15am if I keep at this pace I'll be at the Chanel studio in about an hour, sure I'll be all sweaty and gross, but I don't care, at least I'm showing up. Showing up is the best I can do now. I try not to think about how everyone must be freaking out right now, calling my phone. By now Matt probably got to the apartment and is frantically searching for me, scared something bad might have happened.

I sigh annoyed that I didn't think to take time and text him that I'll go to the fitting by myself. I hate worrying people, but then again that's not healthy, because I often think if the worse were to come and that dark part of my brain took over, then I'd fail all of them, but I should be thinking about failing myself. It's my life and it has very little meaning to me, all I care is to be here for the people that I know care and my therapist has been struggling to drill into my brain that I should stop thinking of others and how my life affects them, but rather about myself and how I affect myself. Easier said than done. Guess I'll have to squeeze a session in today or tomorrow morning, because I know I'm not ok and I would like to know why. Because I can't accept the fact that, that article has me twisted like this, it has to be something more as well. It's not fair for my brain to fail me like this.

Lost in the spiral of my mind, I don't even acknowledge I got to my destination, until I'm looking up at the tall glass building. When I walk in I see Levis, coming out of the elevator, talking on the phone, worried, but when his eyes meet mine he visibly relaxes, murmuring some words into the phone and ending the call. "(Y/n), what the hell? Matt was frenetic, what happened?" I roll my eyes at him and go past him, to get inside the elevator, but he grabs my arm and keeps me in place. "Sweet pea, tell me? You know you're like my daughter, what's wrong?" I only shake my head, not really willing to talk about what's got me so twisted. With a defeated sigh, he understands and let's me go. I'm silent for the elevator ride and for most part of the fitting, only making the effort to talk when really necessary.

I catch a glimpse of myself in the tall mirrors and I have to force myself not to gasp. I look so tired. If Timmy or Roxanne would see me right now they would freak out and maybe they should. Sighing I turn around and show the stylist where I want modifications to be made. The whole process goes by in a haze, I'm not really here, my body is, but my mind?.... Well definitely somewhere else.

All that keeps going through my mind is : Are they right? Am I playing? But then again I know the truth, I know Austin is just a friend and so is Joshua. Sure I wrote Austin a whole song about wishing on dandelions for his love, but he's still just a friend. Ugh god I sound crazy, maybe I am. "So what do you think?" One of the stylists asks me, but I'm unable to actually formulate an opinion, so I smile and nod. I like it, do I think it's amazing? Not really. Does it age me a decade? Yes. But I do look beautiful and professional in the dark blue plaid pants, that are so wide legged they look like a skirt and the halter top white shirt, completes the look nicely. "Yeah, you can't go wrong with a classic!" I mutter and they go on to take the measurements needed for further alterations.

Happy to be out of playing dress up, I sink into the seat of the car, burying myself in the huge sweater I have on. Matt doesn't look at me, he just greets me politely as always. I know I scared him, disappearing like that on him. I don't think anyone on the outside could really understand how much the people working around me are like family to me, so them worrying for me is beyond a professional care.

I'm feeling a bit better now, but definitely not ready to go and finish 'Dandelions', Austin's song can wait. Instead I think I'll try to bring him a song I started a while ago.

I greet Jack with a tight hug and go to sit down at the piano. "So I've been thinking, about a lot lately, all these fittings and photo shoots, they have me hyper fixing on things." Jack listens as I play the piano, "Ok, so are we talking-" "Body image" he nods, closing his eyes to listen to the soft melody I'm playing. "She just want to be, beautiful" I sing "She goes, unnoticed she knows, no limits" I sigh and keep playing struggling to keep my voice steady. "She prays to be, sculpted by the sculptor." The rhythm of the song picks up now and Jack goes over to his computer snapping his fingers to the melody, adding it over the piano. "Oh she don't see, the light that's shining. Deeper then the eyes can find it. Maybe she's blind?" I shake my head. "Maybe we have made her blind?" He suggests and I sing it that way.

"So to all the girls that's hurting, let me be your mirror, help you see a little be clearer" I write that verse down, smiling at the almost complete song, for hours now we've been throwing lines at each other. I usually write my songs alone, but this felt right to be done like this, I trust him to know exactly what I want to say. "That's beautiful, I'm thinking for the end we can have you and a choir sing and you could be saying 'No better you than the you that you are, No better life than the life we're living' , but right at the end we quiet down the music and you go with the chorus again one last time, on your own" I like that idea, putting on the headphones and going to sing into the mic.

We get most of the song done, but we have to see about that choir and we still have a lot in production to do, but I'm confident, "Scars to your beautiful" will be a song able to touch many people, not just girls, because we unfortunately live in a society where molds and labels are frequently used. I haven't always been the kindest to myself, my body, my craft, my mind. I'm my worts critic, but that's normal, my therapist says. I didn't expect this morning to go in the studio with one line that came to me in a flash and from there to build a whole song. I kind of wanted to finish "Idontwanttobeyouanymore" , but I think I'll keep that for my sessions with Finneas, it feels like a song for him, maybe I could ask Billie to feature and do vocals? I write that idea down in my journal and closing it, I discard it in my bag, occupying myself with looking out the window at the fast moving city as Matt drives me back home.

When I get to my apartment everything is the same as I left it. I hate it. I used to come back home and mom would've cooked something, or cleaned something, maybe dad had built some new furniture or he was loudly watching tv in the kitchen, or they were both on the balcony smoking. I miss them, but then I remember those were the good simple times I missed. They're divorce was long coming, just like that source for the magazine said. My parents had a toxic relationship and they used to hurt each other a lot and me as well. They were also codependent on each other, so it took a lot of pushing for my mom to finally file for divorce. My dad, a smart manipulative man, who loves me truly, but who holds no respect for my mother, had his claws deep into her and he was abusive towards her, both verbally and physically, though the latter was not as often. As you can see it's safe to assume my dad blames me for the divorce, but so does my mom. They think I'm spoiled and unrealistic, living in a fake world with an imaginary career.

I pick up my phone from where I left it on my bed and turn it on, notifications flooding my screen. I delete the unimportant ones, reply to some emails and text back a few people, leaving the best for last. I open the group chat with Timmy and Roxanne, reading over their texts, they were both going crazy over my ghosting of them. With a shaky breath I start tipping.

Me:

Sorry guys, was busy in the studio. Had an early fitting for the Oscars as well

RoxiBear🐻:

Girl you had us worried. Everything ok? I saw that garbage article.

Me:

Yeah I'm ok, I guess. I don't know.

Timmy💝:

Don't lie!

Me:

I don't know what you want to hear. None of what they said was true.

RoxiBear🐻:

I'm with Tim on this one, don't lie.

Me:

Idk what to say. Yeah I was alone w/ Austin and then w/ Joshua, but nothing happened. I don't think

Timmy💝:

You don't think?

RoxiBear🐻:

What does that mean?

Sighing I decide this is too much to be carried over text, so I FaceTime them. They both answer in an instant, Timmy seeming tired, already lying in bed and Roxanne waiting at the airport for her flight home. "So I took Austin out, to show him New York, but that was that. I'm not making moves on him" I roll my eyes at the stupid assumption. "And with Joshua, I think it was a date? He did give me this, that was true" I lift up my right hand and they gasp at the sight of the bracelet. "Definitely a date, girl and that looks so gorgeous, it's your style" Roxanne says, and Tim is quick to chime in. "Yeah I can confirm the dude likes you, he skipped flowers and went straight to the rocks." I laugh, brushing a hand through my hair. "I guess what bothered me most was them using those pictures of me and saying that I'm doing this because of the divorce, it's just. If I wanted it discussed over media I would've streamed it." They laugh a bit at that, but return to their serious demeanors. "Hon' I wish I was there to hug you!" Timmy says, sticking out his bottom lip. "I will, in a few hours, I'm taking my Uber straight to your place, so let the front desk know I'm coming." Roxanne says, before she drops her phone, making us all giggle. "Shit, gotta go, how can I be at the airport early and still get late on my flight, fuck me! Bye, love you!" She waves quickly, ending the call, leaving just me and Timmy.

His knowing eyes watch me through the screen, but I know I have to cut this short, the dark circles under both of our eyes, prove that we need more sleep. "I hate to cut this short- " he breaks to yawn and as on cue I do the same. "-but I have early call time tomorrow. I just want you to know, that I'm with you no matter who you want?" This makes the hair on the back of my neck stick up. "What?" I ask almost scared of the answer. "Sweet dumpling, yesterday when we talked you had this light in your voice, now call me crazy and tell me that I'm wrong, but I do think that hanging out with Austin did it or maybe it was the anticipation of the date with Joshua? I don't know, but sis, you sounded alive, for the first time in months. So, and I know Roxi, would agree, have your fun, turn a blind eye to all the gossip. Dating isn't bad, neither is making new friends, so whichever you decide Austin and Joshua are, I think you shouldn't overthink it." Smiling at him I dry my now damp cheeks, I don't know why I'm surprised he said these things, he's always been there and he's never judged me just like never judged him. "But I don't even know, what this is? Not Austin, not Joshua. I'm just, I don't understand. I've never-"

I can't find the right words to say, the matter is still very new and unknown to me. I think I like Austin, I mean there's definitely a lot to like, but then there are those things that should stop me, like the age gap and the girlfriend, doesn't matter that the relationship is fake, it still exists. And then there's Joshua, didn't write a song for him and I barely spoke to him, but he's sweet and does make my heart beat faster. Ugh I don't know what this is. Am I living a teenage drama show? Am I in a love triangle? No, I'm not, cause I'm not sure either of them like me the way I like them. "(Y/n)?! Still there?" Timmy waved his hand in front of the camera and I blink to bring myself back to this reality. "Yeah, no I'm here, I'm just..." letting the words fly in the air, I watch as Timmy looks at me a little worried. "Sweet sœr, I hope you know Matt called me, I was scared. Are you having those thoughts again?"

I look away, shy about my past, but knowing full well I have no reason to be, I look back at him. He's talking about the thoughts that inspired "everything I wanted". Back before the divorce, when I was still filming for Reconstructing Amelia, I was slowly sliding in a dark place, being in constant conflict with my parents, feeling alone, useless, stupid, meaningless. My life meant little to nothing to me back then, I had gotten so wrapped up in those dark corners of my mind, I don't know that I actually ever thought of doing anything to myself, but I was definitely thinking that if something bad were to happen I'd be ok with it. I made myself think it's ok to feel like that, but it's not, no matter what, your life should mean something to you. I am now in a stable place, my life means something to me, not much more than it used to, I'm still working on it, it's a long process. "No, double B, I'm not, I'm just tired and sick of everything. I wrote a beautiful song today, but you should sleep now, you look tired."

A smile creeps up on his lips, his white shiny teeth showing up. "Please tell me if that changes, I'll be there in a second." Shaking my head, I wipe some of my tears away. "I will, sleep well, sweet dreams!" We wave at each other and then end the call. I sigh throwing my phone on the bed and splay on top of the sheets, starting at the ceiling. With my eyes closed I can once again take myself back to that night, when we danced, drunk or red Shiraz wine, swaying to the sound of 'Are you lonesome tonight'. Humming to myself, I get up and change into my purple silk pajamas. Lost in thought I almost miss the phone buzzing. Answering the call without looking who it is first. As I pick it up and look at the screen, the fact that is yet another FaceTime call is obvious and mess of blonde hair is showing up on the screen.

"Hey there!" The breath gets caught in the back of my throat as I lock eyes with Austin through the screen. "Austin..." he chuckles at my dumbfounded face, almost like him FaceTiming me out of the blue is just as normal as drinking water. "Yeah, I just wanted to see how you were? Been thinking of you and I read that pice of shit of an article. I wanted to make sure you're fine" I'm still a bit confused about this whole interaction, not really sure if it's real or if sometime between talking to Timmy and changing I fell asleep, so now this is all a dream. A beautiful dream. I also try not to read too much into him saying he's been thinking of me. "(Y/n)?" Austin's voice grows concerned as I seem to be just a frozen image on his screen, unmoving and definitely not breathing.

Shaking myself up, I push some of my hair behind my ears. "Sorry, yeah, no. I'm, well, you know , right, I'm -" I'm fucking rambling nonsense. He licks his lips, catching the bottom one with his top teeth, the flesh turning white, as it's released from the tight bite. I swallow thickly, trying to gather myself up. Taking a deep breath. "Sorry, I'm tired. The article, was-" I pause searching for the right thoughts. "A misogynistic piece of shit." He finishes for me making me giggle. "Yes, that exactly." He seems to be happy that he's managed to make me smile, a pleased look on his face. "Busy day?" He asks and I nod.

"Fitting for the Oscars, then I was in the studio until a few hours ago." Austin hums low, that sound vibrating through me like electric current. "Anything I can hear?" The question catches me a bit off guard. "I get it if I have to wait with the rest till the album is complete and out, but I like hearing you sing." And this right here is what I meant when I said, I liked the way he played his game, because he's a master at making me fold. The blush that rose into my cheeks, a scarlet shade, painting my skin. "Wait here!" He laughs as I prop my phone up on my pillows and jump off the bed, to run into the living room and get my guitar.

"Ok, I'm back" I say jumping on the mattress, placing the guitar in my lap. "I can see!" He snickers, making me blush one more time. The soft pads of my fingers, brush the rough strings of the guitar, the simple cord progression filling the room with a beautiful slow sound. "Ok so this song is not done. I'm waiting for Finneas to come to New York next week and finish it." Austin nods, turning over in bed to lay on his side, one hand tucked under his head. Sleepy blue eyes staring at me. "Don't be that way, fall apart twice a day, I just wish you could feel what you say" I sing, harmonizing the words. "Show never tell, but I know you too well, Got a mood that you wish you could sell." Sighing I keep going, preparing myself for the dark and twisted chorus. "If teardrops could be bottled, there'd be swimming pools filled by models. Told a tight dress is what makes you... a whore" closing my eyes, I push back my feelings. "If 'I love you' was a promise, would you break it if you're honest? Tell the mirror what you know she's heard before"

"I don't want to be you anymore..." this is how far I've gotten to writing this one. Opening my eyes again, I look at Austin, but I'm not able to read anything about what he's thinking. "That was so beautiful." A relieved sound escapes my lips and I lick them before talking again. "Thank you, it's not really about runway models, I meant models, like, the people you look up to." He nods "Yeah I get that's it's about the pressure you're under when you're supposed to be some example for the world" blinking stupidly at him, I feel the kick of my heart against my chest, like a punch coming from the inside.

Placing my right hand on top of my heart, I massage slow circles into the muscles there, over my silk top. I see something in Austin's eyes change and if I didn't know any better I'd say it's jealousy? But that can't be it.

Looking down at the place where my hand rests on my chest, you can clearly see the bracelet Joshua gave me, but that upsetting him makes little to no sense, he clears his throat before speaking. "Did I get it right?" He asks, a tint of knowing in his tone. With a big smile on my face, I nod. Austin seems fairly pleased with getting the meaning of my song right.

In the silence that falls between us for a few seconds, my stomach growls and I pray he didn't hear it, but he did. "Did you eat today?" He asks and I try to hide my face in my shoulder, knowing how red it must be. It's embarrassing for my body to betray me like this. "No, I didn't have time" he sits up on his bed, ruffing up his curly hair. God how soft it look, I wish I could touch it.

"Go eat, it's not healthy to not eat." Sighing I look at my lap, running a list of everything I have in my fridge. There's plenty of food, but none of it sounds appetizing and I'd have to cook it, which I hate. "I'm not that hungry." As I say that, my stomach makes a point to growl again. "I think your body betrays you here." He says giggling. The sound of his soft laugh, bringing a smile to my face. "I'd have to cook, not my forte, I'll eat tomorrow." I try to reason, but it's clear he won't have it.

Austin stands up from his bed, confusing me a bit about where this is going. "Well I'm hungry as well, so why do we cook together?" He raises a brown at me, biting his lip in waiting for an answer, but he's already up and walking to his kitchen. I laugh and also drag myself off of the bed, to make my way into the kitchen. "Ok I'll trust you." He smiles from ear to ear, walking quickly through his house.

When the both of us are in the kitchen, I place my phone down, prompting it up on the counter against a jar of cat treats. "Let's make French toast? It's not hard." I shake my head before he gets a chance to defend the choice of food. "Ok not that, let's see..." he looks through his fridge and pulls out a cartoon of eggs. "Scrambled eggs?" Austin questions. "Yeah, that we can make." I say, going over to my fridge to get everything out.

After I lay everything out in front of me, looking at Austin expecting, waiting for me to tell me what to do, even though I actually know how to make eggs. "Ok put the pan on the stove, medium heat" I do as he says, following his steps, like I've never done this before, hoping he won't see through my little lie. "After it's warmed up, add butter and crack the eggs in it." Carefully I add butter into the pan and swirl it around to coat it evenly, then I crack two eggs and discard of their shells into the bin. "Good girl" I get goosebumps all over and it's a good thing I have my back to the phone cause I know that if he were to see my face right now, he'd catch me and my little crush. "Use the spatula to mix the eggs in the pan and break them into smaller pieces."

With a shaky hand I grab the spatula and do as instructed, staring into the pan, like it'll give me an answer, like those eggs would arrange themselves into a sentence and say: you're not dreaming, he likes you too. Suddenly I feel an itch all over my skin, like I miss something and when I realize what it is, it hits me like a train. Because it's his touch. I miss him. The way he swayed with me in my living room, like we had no worry in the world. "Show me." Austin demands and in a robotic stance I take the phone and turn the camera towards the pan. "You're a natural, add salt and pepper." I put the phone down, adding the seasoning as he said.

After a few minutes our virtual cooking class ends and we are sitting each at our table, in different states, looking at each other through a phone. "So when are you coming to LA for the Verity interview?" He asks eating some food. Putting some food into my mouth as well and chewing it carefully, I skim through my schedule into my brain. "Hm so today it the 28th, Oscars are on March 12th, I should be there on the 15th" I nod double confirming the information I just gave. "You'll have to come over, have dinner, I'll make you pizza in my stone oven, I bought this house especially for it, my ex's had one and in the beginning of quarantine I got addicted to it."

"Yeah I know, you told me you once cooked 20 pizzas in a day." I interrupt and he laughs drinking some water, leaving me staring at his Adam's apple moving up and down. "Yeah I guess I did, so are you coming?" Eating some more food into, I try not to seems so desperate about seeing him, so I struggle to be casual. "Sure, I will." Austin seems happy with the answer. "Great it's settled, I promise you, I'll cook you the best pizza you've ever had."

"Could you actually teach me how to make it? You're a good teacher." I ask. Austin seems a bit surprised at my request, but a wide smirk quickly appears on his face as he scratches his chin. " 'Course I'll teach you, we'll make it all, from the dough to the very end" I raise my brows at him, shocked at the extent of his love for cooking. "Hm ok then it's only fair I find something to teach you." I get up from the table and move over to the sink to rinse the plate and pan and put them into the dishwasher, cleaning after myself. "How about crochet?" He suggests, the fact that he remembered it is a hobby of mine, making my heart skip a beat. "Sure, I'll do it." I say drying my hands on a towel, folding it and placing it back in its place afterwards.

Taking the phone in hand and walking back into my room, I plop down onto the bed. "Was that a twilight poster I just saw?" Austin asks, a deep color flushing my cheeks. "Maybe" I bite my lip to stop my smile from getting too big and turn the camera around to show him my poster wall. "Wow, marvel, Disney, twilight, lady Gaga, Madonna, you've got all the goods." Austin's amazed tone makes me laugh. "Well what can I say, I like the things I like and I love posters, let me show you this one." I get up and take him over to the opposite wall to show him the huge poster I have of Elvis singing dressed in the leather suit, for the '68 comeback show. "I have that suit." Turning the camera quickly around so he could see my surprised face, I search his face for a hint that this is a lie, no way he just casually confessed to stealing such a piece.

"I'll show it to you when you come over, I have the movie replica of course, but still, it's beautiful." His raspy voice sounds so angelic, I could listen to it nonstop. "I can't wait for you to show me." I say jumping back on the bed. "You didn't show me your room, when I was over Saturday." Austin points out, pouting like a little child. "It escaped my mind, I guess" I try to play it cool, but he can probably see right through me, as he laughs. "I'm sure it did." A wide smirk stretching on his face.

I turn on my side in bed and put the phone down on some pillows, so he can see me without me having to hold the phone up. "So how about you, any interesting work in the future?" He shakes his head rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands. "Not for the moment, just press, but then I start working on Dune 2, in late August, so I guess that one will be exciting." I knew that, Timmy told me he was casted for a role in that movie, but I try to hide the fact that that was already known information for me. "Hm means you'll get to know Tim plenty." I conclude. "Yeah, I guess I will. Though I'm not sure he likes me, that much." I shrug my shoulders, knowing that's only half true. "It's my fault though, I kind of, you know"

"Dated his ex?" I finish for him, as he nods. Austin's lips stretch out in a thin line, he seems fairly embarrassed by the fact that I knew about him and Lily-Rose. "Well Timmy will get over it." Relieved he lets out a breath that gets caught in his lungs midway, following my next words. "If you are on your best behavior" I push my lips together trying to hold my laughter in, but failing miserably as a fit of laughter shakes my body and he follows suit joining me. "Your laughter is so beautiful." I stop laughing and look at him wide eyed, he seems just as surprised as me, that those words came out of his mouth. Austin moves his mouth open and closed like he's trying to say something, but nothing comes out and I'm holding my breath, scared that if I were to breathe right now, this whole moment would vanish. "Thank you." I whisper, placing the backs of my hands on my cheeks, feeling how hot the flesh is burning.

Neither of us knows how to move on from what just happened, but we have to bounce back. He has a girlfriend and I'm, well, I guess I'm just me. William jumps up on the bed and comes to snuggle close to me, getting in the camera view. A wide grin shows up on my face as I pet the cats fur and it immediately starts purring. "Hey there good boy." Austin says, as William turns his small head towards my phone, sniffing at the screen, before burying his face in my neck, making me giggle at feeling of his wet nose against my warm skin. "He likes me" Austin states proudly, smiling from ear to ear. Just then a yawn goes past my lips and in true lady fashion I cover my mouth with my hand.

"You're tired and I'm keeping you up." He says sounding disappointed. It's then that I look at the time and see it's now almost midnight, means I should probably get back to sleep as I have yet another early morning tomorrow. "It's fine-" "Oh god I'm so stupid, it must be midnight in New York right now, I'm so sorry." He interrupts me, apologizing for not taking into account the three hours difference. The way he seems so upset with himself, raises a new feeling within me, again a very unknown, very warm feeling, indescribable by all means. "You should be sleeping" now Austin's voice sounds almost scolding, like he's somewhat directing the loosing track of time on me as well. I feel small and bring my knees up to my chest, caging William in between my torso and legs. "I'm sorry, it's my fault, I should have thought about time difference." Austin sighs, dragging a hand over his face. "I just, I don't know, I got home and picked up the phone, calling without thinking."

"It's ok Austin, no harm was done, plus if it weren't for you, I probably would've gone to sleep without eating." The features on his face don't soften, if anything they grow more stern. "I'll take that win, but you should know that's not ok, you should be eating!" He seems to be slowly relaxing and coming back to his jovial stance. "Anyway guess it's time I let you sleep. Sweet dreams, my darling!" He puts three fingers up to his lips, kissing then and blowing the kiss to me. My heart starts racing and my cheeks flush a deep burgundy color. "Goodnight Austin!" I say and end the call with a small wave.

After the call is ended, I shift on my back and hold the device close to my heart. "My darling" I whisper, as if the words were a sacred spell. He called me darling and he called me his. The ceiling is spinning and I feel light headed. I can feel the irregular thud of my heart against my breast bone and I struggle to get my breathing back to normal. I feel like I'm flying. Is this how having a crush feels like? Like you're drunk? Not that I've ever been drunk, but I've been tipsy in the past and it feels like that, only stronger.

Closing my eyes I dive back into my memory of his soft lips against my cheek, the way it felt as the little wet spot left behind dried. I go back to his flaming hands on my waist, missing the weight of them. I remember the way my cheek rested so perfectly against his chest as he held me close, like we were two puzzle pieces, designed to fit together.

I'm woken up from all my dreaming as the phone vibrates against my chest, my excitement picking up, thinking it might be Austin. The notification is not from him, but it still has the power to get me to blush even harder, if that were possible. Joshua's name shines on the screen and I open the text.

🎶Joshua🎶:

Hi, sorry for not calling today as I promised and sorry for the late hour, I just got back to my hotel from a gig.

Me:

No worries, I don't mind the hour.

🎶Joshua🎶:

Let me make it up to you. Are you free tomorrow?

Me:

Sure, I think I can manage some free time around noon.

🎶Joshua🎶:

Perfect, how about a walk in Central Park?

Me:

That's my favorite place in the city.

🎶Joshua🎶:

Ha lucky me, seems like I guessed right and you'll be sharing that secret place with me after all. I count on you for a tour💟

Me:

You've got it. Good guess by the way. Hope your gig went well. Did you have fun?

🎶Joshua🎶:

Yes!!! it was amazing, I love playing in front of my fans. I have another one Thursday night, you should come.

Me:

Hmm 🤔 sure I'll be there.

🎶Joshua🎶:

Ok I'll sing my best! I should let you sleep now. Have a nice sleep, honey💟

Me:

I'm 100% sure you'll do great. Get some sleep as well, it's late. Gn💟

I lock my phone and place it on my nightstand, trying the relax enough, so that I could get some well deserved sleep, but I'm wide awake. Wide awake thinking of how my mind keeps circling back to every pet name Austin and Joshua use with me, struggling to convince myself they are just verbal ticks and not a real signs of affection.

Pushing my face harder against the pillows, I count my breaths, slowly coming down to sleep. But before I fall into complete darkness a flash of color splashes in front of my eyes, it's blue, a shiny Egyptian blue - his eyes.

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[fictioninmyblood]

Chapter 1

Wake The Beast

Summary: A hidden Omega, even to herself, is revealed at the arrival of the Asgardians; unsure of how to navigate through this drastic change, she stumbles her way into the arms of the Alpha that lit her soul ablaze. Heimdall finds that upon touching the soil of Midgard, the Alpha he long thought was buried and mummified within, takes the reigns; unable to fight the gathered strength of his beast that has forcefully slept for well over a millennium, Heimdall will now know what it’s like to be at the mercy of his Alpha, and his Alpha will learn what it’s to be like at the mercy of an omega, his omega.

WARNING: 18+ themes, Minors DNI, cussin, slight smut, a/b/o theme

A/N: The Asgardians from the ship that were killed after Ragnorok wasn’t murdered and made it to safety on Earth with Heimdall and Thor aboard. I’m not going to follow the plot from Marvel other than to maintain my own.

A/N: Y/N is Sam and Sarah’s first cousin, but there is about a 10-15 year age gap.

Heimdall was thoroughly enjoying a first-hand view of the Upstate New York Stark facility Thor was splitting his time between with New Asgard. Although the sight allowed him to see every possible future as their conceivability changed with every choice being made helping him locate Thor many times when he was here, it could not give him this. The wonder, the newness, the fragile probability that it could all come crumbling down in a blink when it took far longer to build, it was all so captivating. For all their infancy, humans were still beautiful creatures just like any other being of the universe, willing to push the limits of their perceived capabilities. Though they had much to learn there was so much they had already broken the surface of.

Thor landed behind him as he stood marveling at Stark’s creation and all that went into building it and potentially will be put into destroying it. 

“You have been getting better and better at controlling your speed and impact I see.”

“Heimdall! You always seem to see me coming, even before I decide to,” Thor greeted him with a brotherly embrace.

“It is quite a task to turn off thousands of years of servitude young king.”

“Please! We talked about this king business and I do not wish to revisit the conversation again. I am but a protector of the living whether it be my kin or the keepers of this land, no different than you.”

“As you wish, but again I stress, it’s hard to turn off.”

—-

On his way back from cleaning up, Thor ran into Sam. Though it seemed he had just arrived, Sam was in a rush to leave, briefly greeting Thor on his way out and vaguely acknowledging the man Thor wanted to introduce him to, Sam breezed past a confused Heimdall whose expression turned primitive as soon as they bumped past each other, boarding the elevator with a mumbled “sorry my man”.

Watching this all play out in front of him, Thor could see exactly when the eyes of a piece of Heimdall that had long been made to heel reappeared. His Alpha was no longer compliant with the mental cage Heimdall had long ago forged, now he wanted out and he wanted to get to the source of the smell wafting from Sam’s clothes. He could smell the change in his friend as he turned his nose into the air, catching the sudden potency of Heimdall’s scent. More than anything, Thor could feel him. Now that something or someone had roused the most primal part of Heimdall without true duty to center his focus, it was like an explosion was encased in his body. It brought Thor to his knees, but it completely knocked Heimdall out once Sam had left the floor and took the scent with him. 

When Heimdall opened his eyes to a concerned Thor, he knew his future was irreversibly changed. He found his omega.

“We have to go with Sam, now!” Heimdall yelled before he jumped up and sprinted after him.

—--

One year earlier.

Heimdall was exhausted after the battle with Hela, watching his homeland destroyed, and surviving space with the remaining refugees. It took all of his foresight to navigate their people around death at the hands of Thanos, but the Allfathers seemed to be on his side.

He was the first off the ship, making sure to be the bridge between his brethren and the keepers of the midgardians, the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. If Thor had not personally embraced a few members - Sam turned to Heimdall for a hug as well, feeling like he already knew the guardian from the countless stories Thor told before he went to assist in helping everyone off and get set up - Heimdall’s skeptikism of the juxtaposed groups wouldn’tve abated even in the slightest. Seeing the evil that held S.H.I.E.L.D. captive, Heimdall made sure that no Asgardian citizen would be left without an Avenger or his king nearby. 

While he was ushering two young children who were now orphaned into a medical tent, Sam rushed past him with supplies in tow, apologizing for the brief contact. Heimdall didn’t even notice he’d stopped moving until the children tugged on his hands towards the nurse that was beckoning them to her station. After he made sure they were going to be okay and Thor checked to see if he had seen a nurse for wound treatment for the third time, he sat down on a cot not too far from them. 

Unconsciously still searching for whatever stopped him in his tracks, Heimdall’s gaze wandered aimlessly and his foresight became blurred. It wasn’t until Thor split from Sam to come sit in the tent with Heimdall that the guardian had refocused on the present.

Thor sensed something had been thrown off balance with Heimdall as soon as they had walked off the ship, but couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. Heimdall’s closed off and defensive demeanor didn’t exactly assist in flushing out exactly what was wrong, but he was sure a hint wasn’t too far off.

After the throneless king and kingless guardian were sure every citizen was checked, fed, and provided temporary lodgings on the cots in the auditorium like room, Thor and Heimdall finally lay down themselves, closest to the main entrance. It took no time for Thor to succumb to slumber, however Heimdall was struggling to settle himself. He had felt the nameless shift within himself when he first touched the soil, but the commotion of getting everyone taken care of pushed it to the back of his mind.

Now that he was left in the deafening silence, all he could do was search his mind for answers to this sudden agitation. Though it took much longer than usual, he eventually dosed off, maintaining his uncomfortability throughout the dream. When the guardian jolted awake in a cold sweat only a few hours after finally falling asleep, all he could remember were two sets of unfamiliar eyes. If he thought hard enough, he could swear they had been the eyes of his beast and its twin soul, but that was impossible. 

Long ago when he pledged his life to protect the throne he had to undergo a strenuous ritual that essentially caged his alpha, stripping away the urge to fulfill any rampant desires and needs. Yes, he still felt his alpha fight for the first two hundred years or so, but that was well over a millenia ago. He has lived too long with the silence of himself to really believe that his alpha had the strength to break free and claim what was his all of a sudden.

Even when he had fallen asleep again, waking to a nervous Thor while realizing he had been growling in his sleep, the guardian refused to believe. The young king never had a chance to even address it for Heimdall had brushed him off before he could open his mouth.

The longer he went without rectifying his discomfort, the worse his aggression and solitude became. Instead of settling in New Asgard with the rest of his peers, Heimdall chose to roam the forests of this world, checking in once every few weeks with Thor or Tony. He refused to ever verbally address his behaviour, but both he and Thor knew that he was searching. For what? He was going to find out soon enough.

~

Y/N was washing dishes as Sarah helped the boys with their homework when she started to sweat and a sharp pain cut through her abdomen, causing her to drop the dish in her hand. She tried to wave Sarah off, thinking it was a one-off pms cramp hinting at her approaching cycle, but was quickly brought to her knees when another wave of pain shot from her abdomen to her pussy.

“It can’t be.” Y/N said, too scared to acknowledge the possibility.

Sarah sent the boys to play by the docks and wrapped her arms around Y/N. As soon as Sarah looked into Y/N’s eyes, she knew. Despite all the doctors they ever visited telling Y/N that she would never present if she ever surpassed 21 without doing so, here they were 5 years later, getting the surprise of a lifetime.

“I think it’s finally happening.” said Sarah with a hesitant smile.

“No. It’s impossible. No one presents this late,” Y/N replied with tears in her eyes, “right?”

As soon as she grasped the counter to lift herself up, a stronger wave went through her. Unable to move past the pain, Y/N collapsed to the floor, curling into a fetal position. With each wave of pain, the volume of her sobs grew. Sarah picked up her cell and called Sam, hoping he’d get here in time. If an alpha didn’t get here soon, Y/N was going to die.

Thankfully Sam was already in the Quinjet heading back to the Stark compound from assisting the Asgardian people get settled in a Shield compound. He had Natasha drop him at Sarah’s 10 minutes after she called him. He had no clue what he was walking into, but whatever it was had Y/N screaming in the background and Sarah running over her words trying to explain what was going on. 

As soon as he stepped off the quinjet he simultaneously smelled and heard Y/N. She was an omega. Oh god, she’s an omega, he thought before sprinting from the field to the house. Sarah was holding Y/N, trying to get her to drink a safflower tea she made to help with the pain.

Y/N was barely able to unclench her jaw to drink the tea when she smelled Sam walk into the house. It momentarily confused her to be able to smell him so strongly, but the thought left as soon as another cramp hit. When she looked up and saw him, a tortured whine left her throat, but her body immediately started to relax. Thank God for small miracles.

“Sarah, can you start setting up a nest in her room please?” Sam said as he took off his jacket, laying all of his things on the living room couch before approaching Y/N.

“Never thought you’d be the one to give Sarah a heart attack Y/N/N.” he said with a smirk.

Y/N let out a pained laugh, unable to ignore the irony of the situation.

“I’m going to pick you up now and you are going to keep your negative weight comments to yourself cause this ain’t the time. Ok?”

Y/N nodded, too far gone in her heat to argue with an alpha, especially when he used that voice. I guess it now made sense why she had to fight so hard to disobey their commanding tones before.

Thanks to his time with the Avengers and her lack of fight this time around, it was smooth sailing from the floor into his arms, unlike the jerky sneak attacks he used to submit her to.

By the time he made it to her room, Sarah had successfully formed a nest on Y/N’s bed and was spraying it down with her favorite scent for sleeping. He pulled her desk chair to the side of the bed and placed Y/N in the center, holding her hand.

Y/N’s pain was manageable until the second he removed her from against him. As soon as she hit the sheets, it was as if her pain meter turned back up to high.

“Please alpha, please. I can’t. Hurts too much.” Y/N said, full-on sobbing again.

Sam’s alpha couldn’t handle an omega, especially one he loved, to be in such pain. Despite his hesitance to intrude on such a sacred space as an omega’s nest, he climbed in after her. Y/N buried her nose into Sam’s chest, unknowingly taking in the remnants of the scent of the alpha that caused her to present. It wasn’t quite right because she could still smell Sam, but it was still 10x better than any scent she’d ever gotten a whiff of before.

It only took a few minutes of rubbing her back for Y/N to fall asleep, but Sam daren’t move for fear of waking her back into this nightmare.

Sarah was bringing up the tea from earlier and Sam’s incessantly ringing phone.

“Here, somebody under the name Dr. Angry keeps calling you.”

“Thanks Sarah. Before you go, quick question.”

“Sure. What’s up?”

“Were there any signs these last few days that she was going to present?”

“No. It happened so fast. One second she’s washing the dishes while I’m helping the boys with homework and the next my good baking dish is shattered on the floor and she’s curled over. I wasn’t even sure until she looked at me. How could this have happened? Every doctor we’ve ever been to said that she’d never present, never belong to a pack outside of the one she was born into. What changed?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

“Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“What are we going to do when she goes into heat and you’re not here to help with the pain? What are we going to do when you’re not here period and a desperate alpha tries to take her? I’m a lone widowed omega with two boys too young to help.”

“Sarah, take a deep breath. I don’t know how we’re going to get through this, but we will. I’m going to start by calling Bruce back.”

“Who?”

“Dr. Angry.”

“Oh ok. How can he help?”

“Well, there’s not much that man doesn’t know and what he doesn’t, he goes out and learns it.”

“Ok, if you say so. Hey, Sam?”

“Yeah, Sarah?”

“You think she’s going to be okay? She just accepted being unmateable this past year and now? What was supposed to be a gradual experience has hit her all at once.”

Sam looked at their little cousin who, for all intents and purposes, has been their little sister for the last 15 years.

“I know she is. Remember when she first came to live with us?”

“Yea, she was always fighting the biggest boys in her class. I could never get her to come home without blood on her clothes. Mom and I were always reprimanding her and you and dad encouraging her.”

“Right. She’s a fighter, always has been always will be.”

“And trust me, she hasn’t changed one bit since.”

“Exactly,” Sam said as he began rubbing Y/N’s back again when she started to whine in her sleep, “and you wanna know what I think?”

“What?”

“I think that the creator and biology decided that she didn’t need to be vulnerable until the alpha meant for her was ready and available to be her strength. She needs an alpha who will accept and respect her will to fight and not break it.”

“What makes you say that?”

“You know better than me that omegas are at risk of being taken advantage of from the moment they present until they are mated. With the increase in wars and violence, more and more alphas are desperate to claim any omega even if they don’t want to be and not many people protect an omega’s right to choose. No matter how much of a fighter she is, she would never have been able to deny an alpha’s command or her biology, not in the end. I think our girl was meant to have the type of claim you and mom got. Not just any alpha, but a true alpha with the discipline to care more about her needs than his. An alpha who will truly love, care, appreciate, and protect their omega with every fiber of their being.”

By the time Sam had finished his hopes for Y/N, Sarah was a puddle of tears.

“You know for all your goofing around, it’s often hard to remember that you’re the empath of this family. You never did know how to hide that part of yourself around her.”

“Well, she did wear her pain like a badge of honor back then and I could never ignore a damsel in distress.”

“Hence your budding relationship with the Winter soldier?” Sarah said with slight judgment in her voice and a raise of her eyebrow.

“We’ve had this conversation many times over the last few years and even you don’t believe Bucky is that man anymore. You have to let our first encounter go.”

“Yeah yeah yeah. I’ll tell you the same thing I’ve told you since you called to tell us you were going on the run with America’s poster boy. If he so much as lays another finger on your head violently he’s gonna have to deal with me.”

“There’ll be no need for that. Is there anything to eat? It’s been a long day and I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

“I’m about to go make some spaghetti. It’ll be done in like 45 minutes.”

“Cool, I’m gonna talk to Banner.”

—--

A few moments before Heimdall and Thor arrived at the compound.

“What do you mean she’s started her heat?! It’s not due for another 6 weeks!” Sam yelled into his phone as he frantically texted Natasha and started packing the go-bag he just emptied.

“I know. The wait between is getting shorter and shorter and the pain is getting worse and worse. This is exactly what I was afraid of, she could die if you don’t get here in time.”

“I’m moving as quickly as I can. I had just washed off the mission when you called.”

“I know, Sam, but this isn't working anymore. We need to find a way to convince her to come live on the compound with you. Stark’s offer still stands, right?”

“You’re right and yes, it’s a standing offer. I have a feeling she’s going to force my hand on this, you remember how she reacted the last few times we brought it up.”

“I don’t care about her feelings anymore. She’s a ticking time bomb and nothing I do helps anymore. She’s built a tolerance to every remedy I know and there are new alphas in town that have taken notice of her unclaimed omega status and have been asking around about her. I’m at my wit’s end!”

“Deep breaths Sarah, deep breaths. I’m walking out of the compound now. I’ll shoot you a text when I’m getting ready to land. Okay?”

“Okay, and Sam?” Y/N let out an otherworldly wail at that moment.

“I’ll break the sound barrier if I have to.”

He rushed through the compound accidentally running into multiple people including the god of thunder and his oddly familiar friend.

Natasha had just finished the preflight check and was walking back to the building when Sam practically sprinted onto the tarmac.

“Woah, where’s the fire?” she asked.

“Louisiana. It’s Y/N.”

“Again? So soon?”

“Yeah, and I’m worried her and Sarah might be in danger. There are unfamiliar alphas in town.”

“I’m coming with you then.”

“Usually I’d argue with you, but I think I might need the help this time.”

“Good.”

Heimdall busted out of the building with Thor hot on his heels and sprinted straight into the quinjet, strapping in and not so patiently waiting for the others to do the same.

As he passed Natasha and Sam he said, “We need to go now, our window is closing by the second.”

Once Natasha had leveled out the plane, Sam finally voiced his confusion.

“I’m grateful for your assistance, but how do you know we’re running out of time and why are you interested in tagging along?”

It took everything in Heimdall not to growl at Sam. His logical mind knew what type of person he was, having briefly met when they landed on Midgard and hearing many stories of Thor’s sir Falcon stories, but his alpha was on high alert. This man has his omega’s scent on him. The scent that has been haunting his dreams for the last year.

Thor spoke up for him, sensing the battle within him. “If I had to guess Sir Falcon, whoever’s scent you wear is his omega and she is in imminent danger.”

“That answers the why. What about how?” Sam asked

“Heimdall has acute senses. He can hear, see, smell, and feel far more than most beings in the universe. His ability also allows him to see all possible outcomes of any being in the universe’s actions. The more he focuses, the more he sees.” 

Heimdall looked up finally, glancing over the room before he locked eyes with Sam.

“I saw the end of me. I saw my soul leave this earth before I could ever hear my name from her lips or hold her in my arms. If we don’t get there in time…it will destroy me.” Heimdall gruffly said, eyes tearing up despite his unwillingness to release the tears that held the pain and worry crushing him.

“All of that from a scent?”

“That is what happens when you deny and cage your alpha for more than a millenia, especially one with skills such as mine. The second we get a whiff or the moment we lay eyes on our true mates, whatever chains and cages we placed to keep them docile are immediately broken and our focus is lasered onto them. I landed on this planet unbound to duty and the first scent I smelled was hers through your embrace.”

“Hmm. Is that true?” Sam let out as he stroked his face in contemplation.

“It’s as true as the skin that covers my bones and the blood that pumps through my heart.”

“If so, then how come this is the first time I’m hearing about it.”

“It is not the first time. I have been struggling since that first fateful night, plagued with haunting dreams and twisted nightmares, but I refused to even acknowledge the possibility that an omega could be the cause. Since her scent was covered by the commotion when we first landed and every time I have smelled her since has been through secondary or tertiary contact leaving me and my senses to grasp at straws, I was never able to find the source. Also, it did not exactly aide my search that you hug just about everyone. Today was the first opportunity I had to truly take in her scent from your clothes. I didn’t want to voice an issue I wasn’t sure of.”

“Is that so?”

“It is the only explanation for why I was never able to see her clearly until today. Who is she to you anyway? Your clothes are practically drenched in her.” Heimdall asked more aggressively than intended.

“No need to get riled up, she’s my little sister,” Sam said, to which Heimdall merely grunted in response. “You know who’s the threat?”

“They rode roaring bicycles and wore matching black jackets with different names on the back. I’ve never encountered humans like them before so I do not know their status.”

Sam sighed and rubbed his face. “Leave it to Y/N to attract as much danger as possible by simply existing. Any chance we can go faster Nat?”

“Only if you all strap back in and hold onto your bootstraps.”

“You heard the lady, buckle up.”

—--

Sarah heard the rumbling of motorcycles coming down her driveway and prayed that Sam brought backup. It seems those alphas that were asking around found them and as luck would have it they were part of an MC.

She told the boys to hide with Y/N before she grabbed her father’s trusty shotgun and walked onto the porch ready to defend her family.

“You’re trespassing,” she spoke from her porch when they lined their bikes up in front of her house, the president and enforcer of the club getting off their bikes to approach.

The president said, “Whatever happened to that good ol’ southern hospitality I’ve been hearing about?” He spat tobacco-filled saliva onto the grass as he tilted his head to scan her and his posse dismounted their bikes. “Don’t you want to introduce us to that sweet little omega you’ve been hiding? And if you don’t make a fuss, I’ll even find an Alpha for a lonely cute little thing like you.”

Sarah cocked the gun and pointed it at them. “That’s far enough.”

Natasha quickly pulled off to the side of the house and landed as smoothly as could be expected. Everyone quickly unloaded and lined themselves up between Sarah and the MC, Sam and Heimdall practically rushing her. 

“Well boys, looks like some of the Avengers are here to spoil our fun. Let’s not overstay our welcome.” the president said as he indicated to his MC to leave, spitting out some more tobacco before mounting his bike. They left in a cloud of dust and exhaust.

Sarah leaned more towards Sam, eyeing the unknown alpha during such a vulnerable moment.

“Sarah, this is Heimdall. There’s no time to explain so don’t argue. Take him to Y/N,” Sam said as he took the shotgun from her and took up post on the porch. “We’ll stay out here.”

“You sure? I fear she’s been far worse far longer than today than she’s ever let on.”

Sam and Heimdall seemed to share a whole conversation in one look. “I don’t think we’ll find better hands to place her in.”

Thor and Natasha switched between patrolling the grounds and standing watch out front. No matter how much they cared for Y/N/N, she was still an unmated Omega in a distressed heat and they were alphas, biology told them to go and care for her, mate her. And with Heimdall as her mate? Neither were willing to put their lives at risk until their scents stopped suffocating the air around the house.

—---

Heimdall was quiet as he followed Sarah through the house. Never had he felt such a mixture of emotion, excited butterflies in his belly paired with anxiety and fear gripping his chest and throat at not being a good enough Alpha for her. 

As they were nearing the top of the stairs, the boys came bursting out of her room.

“I thought I told you to wait until I came and got you.”

“We know, but Aunt Y/N/N’s starting to bleed mom and I think she passed out. We didn’t know what to do!”

Heimdall pushed past them, in a panic to soothe his mate back into the land of the living. 

“It’s okay, you did good. Go downstairs with your Uncle Sam, he’s on the front porch.”

Y/N was shivering in a puddle of sweat and slick in the middle of her nest, the blood the boys were talking about just starting to turn the room from sickly sweet to a pungent sour. Sarah ran a bath in the bathroom across the hall and grabbed a change of sheets, placing them on her desk. Heimdall crouched to Y/N’s side to gently push the stray curls out of her face, wiping the sweat on her face and neck away with a nearby T-shirt. Y/N whimpered at the contact, but simply sighed in response, too far gone to move or really respond.

“Hey there Omega, I’m here now. Not gonna ever leave your side.” Heimdall continued to care for her as they waited for the tub to be filled, trying to soothe her with his words and light touches. “Such a strong omega, waiting patiently for me, trying not to burden an Alpha that’s not your claim. Only my omega would deny herself any relief to try and be a help over a hinderance, huh?”

Sarah watched Heimdall look after Y/N for a few minutes, too stricken by the reality that Sam’s words from the year prior were far more true than either of them realized. Their little sis was getting the exact type of Alpha she needed. “Hey, the tub is nearly full. If you get her cleaned up, I’ll change the sheets.”

Heimdall grunted and gently scooped Y/N into his arms, cradling her to his chest. Following the sound of running water, he went into the bathroom and sat her on top of the toilet. Having barely been conscious until Heimdall lifted her from the bed, Y/N was having trouble focusing on anything other than her omega’s response to the unfamiliar alpha in charge of her care, not even her thoughts. Every reaction was pure primitive muscle memory, as if her body knew what was best, now in control of her feelings and actions.

Turning off the water and testing the temperature before tenderly removing her sleep shirt and shorts, Heimdall gingerly scooped Y/N into his arms again, making a mental note to get rid of the blood left behind. However, when he went to place her into the water she clung to his shirt and yowled, refusing to part from his grasp.

“I promise you’ll feel much better when you’re all cleaned up little one, you just have to let me put you down.” Again he tried with the same reaction. Wanting to hurry up and get to the part where they get acquainted Heimdall let his Alpha voice seep in a little, not wanting to frighten her. “Come now omega, this tub is too small for the two of us. The sooner you go in, the sooner I can hold you again. Now be good and let me bathe you.”

Y/N whined, but let Heimdall place her in the tub, still refusing to let him go, but conceding to only having contact with his arm.

After making the bed Sarah checked on the couple again, placing a set of clothes and a glass of water on the counter. Although Heimdall had tried to stop her, she cleaned off the toilet as well and made sure to reprimand Heimdall for trying to do anything other than directly care for Y/N, stating that “the only fingers you will be lifting in this house will be to take care of our girl,” Feeling that Y/N was indeed in good hands, Sarah joined the boys on the porch.

Heimdall made her drink the entire glass of water before he started to bathe her, gently wiping away a day’s worth of grime. He hadn’t noticed when he started, but he was humming an old lullaby long buried in his memory. By the time he was finished, they were both far more relaxed. Y/N had stopped shivering and bleeding, and the frantic panic that had been choking Heimdall since he heard she was bleeding had loosened its hold.

Y/N was still uncomfortable and fatigued, but no longer felt as if she was knocking on death’s door. The crippling pain in her core had subsided to a throb, but the second Heimdall smoothly lifted her out of the tub and placed her on the counter to dry her off, the throb roared to an intense ache that settled at the base of her core and the tip of her clit. Her body wanted her alpha and now.

Finally having the mental capacity, she looked over the Alpha in charge of her care, Y/N cocked her head back, meeting golden lava eyes that lit her ablaze from head to toe.

Heimdall smirked at her dazed expression, no doubt mirroring it with one of his own. Holding her face in his hands, stroking her cheeks he said, “Hi, Omega.”

Y/N sighed into his embrace. “Hi, Alpha.” To which Heimdall gave her a forehead kiss.

Heimdall shucked off his jacket, placing it on the counter, followed by his shirt which he slid onto her. Y/N’s eyes got wide at the sudden display of his chiseled chest and had to fight everything in her nature to keep herself from preening.

Suddenly unsure of his decision to bypass the clothes Sarah left behind, Heimdall said, “I hope its okay with you that you sleep in my shirt. I thought it would help even though it’s a little wet.”

Y/N nodded and hummed her assent, smirking at the now nervous god. “It’s perfect.”

Heimdall nodded and scooped her into his arms again and walked back to her room, gently laying her in the center of her freshly made bed. He tried reforming a comfortable nest with the leftover pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals strewn about her room. Y/N whined the entire time until he felt there was enough soft material. 

“Alpha please, need you.”

“Alright, little one. Let me just grab my jacket. You need as much comfort as possible.”

Y/N let loose a long whine of “Alpha” until Heindall returned with his jacket in hand. She watched him puzzle about where to put the jacket and how he was going to fit on her bed with her for about 15 seconds before she grabbed his hand and yanked him down. Startled by the sudden display of strength and need, Heimdall just barely was able to stop himself from crushing Y/N entirely, moving to her side.

After he had been squirming around on the bed trying to get comfortable for what Y/N deemed too long, but what was probably only a few more seconds, she pushed him to lay down on his back so that she could straddle him and finger his locs and chest hair while she listened to the strange beat of his heart. Still holding his jacket in hand, Heimdall laid it on them before pulling the covers up.

He had gone back to rubbing her skin soothingly on her thighs and lower back while humming the same tune from earlier, creating a bubble of contentment for them both. They laid like that long enough for Heimdall to think Y/N had fallen asleep from her slow steady breaths when she subtly started wiggling against him. Determined to take things as slow as he could muster, Heimdall had already decided that they would not engage in intercourse before he got to know and earn the trust of the soul behind the omega. Although it pained him, he stilled her movements by grasping her hips.

Unfortunately for him, now that his omega had a little strength and energy, she was determined to get the relief she sought, refusing to keep still. She even resorted to begging directly into his ear, hoping his Alpha would break completely free and give them what they both needed.

“Please Alpha, please. Need you. Make it stop, hurts so bad, please make it stop,” she whined and pouted, continuing her wiggling assault. It took every ounce of self-control to hold his Alpha at bay.

Heimdall started purring, hoping the vibration would soothe her burning desire, but quickly realized that if either was going to get to sleep, he was going to have to step a toe over the line he had drew. Thankful he ignored the clothes Sarah brought, Heimdall brought his dominant hand to her core, gathering her slick and finding his way to her clit. Y/N mewled at the contact, relieved to finally get some real alleviation, even if it wasn’t exactly what she wanted.

Scared of hurting her Heimdall was as gentle as he could be, lightly rubbing her clit with his thumb while he allowed his fingers to tease her dripping hole. He watched every facial expression, memorizing how each graze of his fingers elicited a different one. Never had he been in the presence of a more exquisit being and he wanted to make sure that he would be an expert in his Omega’s pleasure, for that was all she deserved.

After he pulled two orgasms with her trying to ride his hand for more pressure and Heimdall pulling back to give her only what he deemed necessary, he finally plunged two of his thick fingers into her sopping pussy. He curled them until she made a noise that signaled he’d found what he was looking for and then he went to town massaging that exact spot, refusing to move from it. 

All Y/N could do was take the pleasure he gave. Unlike her previous partners who gave into her every demand, subliminal or verbal, Heimdall refused to take her lead. Everytime she moved to get the exact spark of pleasure she was looking for he returned her back to his pace and position. It was maddening, but it was absolutely divine how he seemed to know her body better than her. After the first orgasm she stopped making an effort to fuck herself on his fingers and let him give what he wished.

Four more orgasms later and she could no longer fight the call of sleep, too exhausted by the day’s events. The last thing she saw before succumbing to the bliss of peaceful slumber was Heimdall looking directly into her eyes and cleaning his hand off as if he hadn’t eaten since arriving to Earth. After he was satisfied he got every drop, Heimdall hunkered down a little further on the bed, not wanting a crick in his neck, and did his best not move too much more. It wasn’t too much longer before he followed her to dream land.

—--

After Thor and Natasha checked the perimeter a few times they decided it was safe to venture closer to the house, noticing how much less suffocating both Y/N and Heimdall’s scents were. Sam was telling Sarah and the boys as much about Heimdall as he could, considering they only officially just met and the majority of his knowledge was from Thor’s stories. He was glad Thor had walked over because then maybe he could shed some more light and put the boys at ease. Strangely enough and despite her initial skeptikism when they first arrived, Sarah had walked out of the house more relaxed than he’s seen her in at least a year.

Noting the lightness that filled the air as the Alpha pair walked up the steps, she figured it was safe enough to usher everyone inside, doing just that. She urged Sam, Thor, and Natasha to the kitchen to eat some leftovers, thankful she had decided to make chili, before she followed the boys upstairs to tuck them in. When she returned, her chili pot and cornbread pan were nearly empty and all she heard was scraping against empty bowls.

Sam noticed her first, taking this opportunity to ask the question that had been weighing on him since she returned to the porch. “How come you’re so calm now?”

“What do you mean?” Sarah asked.

“Well you looked ready to murder Heimdall for having the audacity to even step onto the porch when we arrived, but the second you came outside you were far more relaxed than I’ve seen you since this all started. Hell, maybe even longer.”

“Easy. Remember that conversation we had the first night? About why it had taken so long for her to present?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you remember what you told me?”

“The gist of it.”

“Well I’m pretty sure you were right after watching him care for her and while doing so it was almost like getting a glimpse of both the past and the future.”

“What do you mean?” Sam asked.

“Remember how I used to stay up to watch mom and dad at night and you used to come get me before I could get caught?”

“Sure do. I got in trouble instead a few times.”

Sarah rolled her eys and continued. “Well, I got a flash of that and then it morphed into Y/N and what did you say his name was again, Heimdall right?” Sam nodded “I saw a flash of them in a similar setting around the same age. And you wouldn’t believe me if I told you, but it was as if my alpha came up behind me while I was watching them and told me we could trust him with her.”

Sam’s eyes widened at the last part, knowing how difficult it was for Sarah to bring up her deceased mate. “After talking with him on our way here my doubts were mostly washed away, but if I ever needed a stamp of approval that was it.”

“Me too Sammy, me too.” she said, sniffling in an effort to hold back all of the emotion bombarding her. “Don’t forget to set your guests up on the spare beds, I’m calling it a night.”

“Okay, sweet dreams Sarah, love you little sis.”

“Love you too bighead.”

“Have the most pleasant of dreams lady Sarah, we appreciate the meal you prepared.” Thor said.

“Yeah, you kick ass in more than one department. You must share this recipe tomorrow.” Natasha added.

Sarah smiled weakly, “We’ll see. I have a feeling that all of our agendas are going to cater to making sure Y/N actually listens to what’s best for her for a change so yawl hurry up and get some sleep.”

Natasha responded with a “you got it” before the three of them cleaned the kitchen and turned in.

Sam laid in bed trying to conjure the images Sarah had described before sleep took him as well.

Chapter 2