#I got hit in the face with a stray branch from how strong the winds are but tbh it’s preferable to how my body is dealing with the pollen

[katabay]

jonathan strange and mr norrell is hands down one of my favorite shows, but a little while ago I realized. that I’ve never actually. read the book.

like I loved the show so much I am absolutely fucking baffled that I never once thought ‘oh let’s check it out from the library and have a good time part 2’

& something about the weather lately (extremely windy) brought it to mind, so I checked it out from the library and I’m having a great time reading it so far 🥳

⭐ places I’m at! bsky / pixiv / pillowfort /cohost / cara.app / tip jar!

[crimsonophelia]

Can I request for a fluffy friends to lovers fic with Venti and a human gn reader? They’re good friends (but the reader doesn’t know his real identity) and when reader brings up their desire to see a wind wisp in real life Venti decides to surprise them by transforming into his true form and paying them a visit. The reader finds this mysterious little wind wisp at their doorstep and gets excited, takes care of it, and while feeding it apple slices starts talking about how their good friend Venti would love to see them - but oh, he’s less of a friend and more of a crush who I’ve loved for a long time… wait, where did the wisp go? Wait, Venti?! When did you get here?!

featuring: venti x gn!reader

warnings: none

published: june 30, 2021

form: imagine

a/n: thank you for sending this in—i need more venti requests, he’s my baby <3

you could tell that the drink was beginning to hit you hard when you felt your muscles go slack. it was your fourth pint of the night, and although you thought that you could hold your drink fairly well, you could never hold a candle to your bard friend’s seemingly bottomless appetite for wine. venti was on his seventh--or was it eighth?--mug of cider for the night, and was still fairly unfazed, if you consider his usual bumbling amiability to be his default. after a long day of working and whatever it was that venti did in the daytime, you two had decided to meet up at the angel’s share that evening for a drinking night between friends, and to catch up on life and whatever else goes on in the city of mondstadt. 

the night had begun with a mug per person, as you and venti caught up with each other. due to your duties at home, and his rather inconstant job as a traveling musician, it was oftentimes difficult for you and the bard to stay in touch--responsibilities always seemed to get in the way. so, naturally, you took advantage of every opportunity you could get to see venti, one-on-one, and simply talk. after knowing him for quite a while, he really was a delight to talk to, always full of witty riddles and forever knowing the right thing to say at the right time. venti really was quite remarkable. 

he also had the unique talent of contagious alcoholism; after having spent an hour or so drinking and chatting with him, you unwittingly started drinking more than your usual limit, absolutely carried away with whatever small conversation venti had you engaged with at the moment. the conversation had somehow strayed into the topic of myths and legends of mondstadt. venti was speaking of some strange conspiracies surrounding the origin of the anemo hypostasis up in the mountains, and as the alcohol began to break down your proper judgement, you began to go on and on about how you, as a child, dreamed of seeing an elusive wind wisp. 

you had heard stories about the boy revolutionary, armed with his bow and his words, accompanied by a little white wind wisp, leading mondstadt’s journey to freedom. the story had enchanted you when you were young, and clearly you still had not given up hope of meeting a similar wind wisp. perhaps it would bring you the same joy and power to change your life for the better, just like it did for the hero of old mondstadt. 

venti listened to your reminiscing closely, looking at you with a quizzical look of interest. your intoxicated state made it so that you didn’t notice the look on his face as if he was plotting something, but, to be fair, venti’s poker face was notable for its impregnability. the night ended with him having to walk you home, propping your arm over his shoulders so that you wouldn’t trip and fall on the cobblestone streets. the last thing you remembered was him tucking you into bed, and singing you one of his funny little songs.

the next morning, you woke with a pounding headache and the bright noon sun peeking through your shutters. archons, was it so late already? you pulled yourself out of bed, trying not to stumble, distracted by the pounding in your head. you had a long list of things to do today that you had to complete, and you severely regretted drinking so much and so late with that damned bard last night (though you could never really hate him--he was too adorable).

slipping on whatever clothing closest to your bed and sluggishly following through with your daily morning routine, you got ready to head out the door to water the carrots and potatoes in your backyard. as you pulled open the door, prepared to step out and face the piercing daylight, you caught yourself as you almost stepped on the little figure at your doorstep. lying there on its side, was a wind wisp. yes, just like the ones you had read about all your childhood and you had mused about endlessly last night. it had its little eyes shut, sleeping probably, its delicate little form curled up on the step. 

you were bewildered, partially at the coincidence of it all, but mostly by the rarity of what had occurred before your eyes. a wind wisp, something most people never even saw once in their lifetimes, suddenly showing up right at your doorstep after you had talked about your desire to meet one just the night before. crouching down, you scooped up its little body in your hands. the little thing began to wake, hands rubbing its eyes sleepily, as it made a chirping noise. it was ridiculously adorable. 

“hey there, little guy”, you cooed. “what are you doing here?”

as it began to regain consciousness, the wisp floated up off your hands, small gusts of air emitting from its form, and it flew up to nuzzle against your face. it felt like a warm breeze brushing against your cheek, and you heard it chirping in your ear. 

you giggled. “well aren’t you the cutest little thing!” you raised your hand to pet it, and it made a little gurgling noise, leaning into your touch. something about its mannerisms felt so familiar, almost like something you had known in a past life perhaps, but you couldn’t put a finger on it. its presence was just endlessly comforting, even though you had only known it for a few minutes. 

reaching into your pantry, you pulled out some apples you had picked the day before, and cut it into small slices. the wisp watched you eagerly as you went about your business, like it could understand everything you did. holding up a thin slice to the wisp, a little hole in its void of a face opened up and enveloped the slice whole. a little shocked but certainly entertained, you gave it an approving head pat. 

as the day went on, the little wisp continued to follow you throughout mondstadt as you ran your errands. you went outside, behind your house, to take care of the crops you were growing. as you watered your plants, the little wisp helped you disperse the water more efficiently, blowing a gentle wind from your watering can so that you didn’t have to walk as far to water the faraway plants. you go to pick some apples and sunsettias nearby, and the little fellow would fly up to the hard-to-reach fruits and throw himself against them to knock them loose from the branches, right where you could catch them. you worried a little bit whether he was hurting himself by doing so, but he appeared to be pleased just to assist you, and he certainly was not ashamed to take a few bites from the fruits of your shared labor at the end of the day. 

considering how efficiently your errands were completed today, of course all thanks to the helper you acquired that morning, you thought it would be nice to use the time you had in the late afternoon to take the wisp out for a picnic dinner at windrise to show your appreciation. gathering some of the fruit the both of you had collected, and some sandwiches you made, you placed it all in a little wicker basket and set off for the great tree with your companion upon your shoulder. 

upon arriving, you laid down a gingham blanket in the shade of the great tree of windrise, just a moments away from the ancient statue of barbatos. you felt like a child again, remembering the summers of carefree exploration, tunneling through the thickets in the forest, or catching frogs by the creek, or tumbling down the hills by the sea. and now, a wisp joined you, taking you back to the memories of those years, when life was much simpler.

you couldn’t help but to think of venti, the bard, the friend, who had brought you such comfort through difficult times, whose music, like the warm touch of the wisp, reminded you of home and the beauty that life could bring. your companion was now feasting comedically fast on the food you had brought along, swallowing up fruits whole, and chewing for several moments before helping itself to another. you chuckled and gave it a pat. “greedy little fellow, aren’t you?” you couldnt help but to think venti would have loved to meet the wind wisp, considering his love for nature and all sorts of fauna, and considering the small resemblance between himself and the creature.

“stick around for a bit and i might introduce you to my friend, the bard”, you told it, not really caring that it probably couldn’t understand you. “im actually not sure that we are friends, to be honest. these days we rarely see each other but...” you trailed off, distracted by the sound of the breeze through the branches. the wisp stopped eating and watched you intently. “well”, you began. “i sometimes find myself wishing him and i were more than friends. maybe not lovers, not right away but... i just know that dearly. i cannot be sure that he feels the same, but that is of no matter.” you pat the wisp’s little head again. “if i can make him happy, even just as friends, that is enough for me.”

out of nowhere, a strong wind blew past you, knocking over your wicker basket and sending it flying several feet away. agitated, you scrambled up to chase after it, finally grasping it before it could fly too far. you were perplexed—where in the world could such a strong wind have come from? the sky was clear, and there were no clouds obstructing the setting sun. how odd, you thought to yourself.

you turned around to bring the basket back to your sitting spot, but to your surprise, the wisp was gone. no, in its place was now your bard friend, venti, sitting there on the blanket like he had been there all along. how in the world did he get here without you noticing, and where in the world did the wisp go off to? you hurried over to venti, questioning, “since when did you get here?”

the bard smirked, and fiddled with his lyre that you just noticed he had brought along with him. he had that look on his face again, the one he wore whenever he had some sort of plot in mind.  “whatever do you mean, [y/n]?”, he replied amusedly. “i’ve been here all along.”

[the-faces-and-voices-in-my-head]

A Miracle in September

Alright, let me give you a short explanation for what will happen next.

I am not a writer and I will never see myself as a writer.

However, I might have some ideas hidden deep down and they happen to float when they grow bigger than my brain and my heart to take.

You guys are the best place to share whatever you will read with.

You are more than welcome to love it, hate it, or ignore it.

But of course, If It is up to me, I hope it gives you a happy moment.

@i-am-no-body Since it was your request to write something, I did it now let's share whatever reactions we get together XD

It was a windy day, the leaves and thin branches were moving with the wind proving how strong it was; sitting in his wheelchair, Levi Ackerman watched the scene quietly from the large window in his room.

It started as a beautiful day of the autumn season.

Levi's favorite season.

He was lost in his thoughts until a tiny persistent sound forced him back to reality. He pushed the wheelchair closer to the window where he saw a cat struggling to stay balanced on the edge of another close window to his.

-Tch! what an idiot!

The cat made this long heart-wrenching sound as if she was screaming for help, Levi lived on the fifth floor and if she fell, it would be a deadly fall for sure. Levi watched her for a moment then moved his wheelchair again to get one of his crutches that he often uses when he has to move longer than the usual distance he can walk.

He supported the crutch while pushing its wide end to where the scared cat stood. He thought he might create a bridge for her to reach to his window and he will take her inside; the cat didn't disappoint him, she started moving carefully walking on the crutch until she reached Levi's window and jumped into his lap.

Levi caught her with one hand, pulled the crutch back, and closed the window with the other hand.

-Here...I got you...Don't be scared.

The cat's heart was beating faster than usual even for her, Levi checked if she was injured anywhere then decided to start by feeding her.

-Wait here, I will make you a tasty lunch.

Levi has always been kind to animals, stray cats were his closest friends in his childhood so he didn't try to hide his love and kindness towards them as he has always done among humans.

Levi got up slowly and went towards the kitchen.

-Captain Levi!

Falco ran after Levi trying to help him in whatever he needed to walk for.

-Bring me a clean bowl Falco.

Not knowing what for, Falco brought a bowl to Levi, White milk filled the bowl while Falco watched in confusion: Captain...Are you hungry?

-Tch, do you think I drink milk from a bowl, brat?

Falco raised his hand in defense: No...no...I thought you are preparing cereals...they are usually put in milk.

-Ce...What?

-Falcoooo, I found a cute cat in captain Levi's room!

Levi was one who responded: Why are you in my room in the first place Gabi?

Gabi came with a wide happy smile on her face holding the cat excitedly: We wanted to check on you captain...we missed you and planned to spend the day with you.

Levi knew why...and he was grateful to the two brats whom he considered as a family ever since the nightmare ended.

He was aware what day tomorrow is but they came earlier than he expected them to come.

The doorbell rang and quiet knocks followed.

-MR ONYANKOPON IS HERE CAPTAIN LEVI!

Gabi's voice rang in the house while Levi was walking to the living room where Gabi took the cat.

-Falco, how do you survive this noisy one without going deaf?

Falco smiled shyly: I got used to her, captain.

And Levi knew more than anyone how to live with a loud cheerful one.

-Oh, where did you find this beautiful one, Levi?

-She was stuck like an idiot on the edge of a near window.

Onyankopon smiled and said: then you saved her right?

Levi's slightly blushing face answered for him.

Onyankopon continued: Once a hero, always a hero.

-Shut up smart hat!

Onyankopon laughed knowing how Levi reacts to compliments yet he never stopped expressing his admiration and gratitude to the man who saved the world despite everything he lost...and everyone.

The cat jumped from Gabi's arm to Levi's lap again ignoring the food.

-Oh? the cat already chose her owner Gabi!

-Well, this just gives me more reasons to stay with Captain Levi.

Levi stroked the white fur lovingly and talked to the cat: what? not hungry? or you didn't like it?

The cat returned the kind gesture by touching Levi's fingers with her paw then jumped again to where the bowl is and started drinking the milk in a graceful manner.

-Levi! The cat is well behaved! I thought she is going to make a mess!

Levi watched her silently but the admiration was obvious on his handsome face.

Gabi said: I will prepare the lunch then, come with me, Falco!

Falco's blushing cheeks explained what he wanted so the two men nodded in approval.

Onyankopon smiled and said: Ah that young love.

Levi didn't respond, verbally at least but he raised his hand and touched the stitches on his face nodding in agreement quietly.

Onyankopon knew how Levi felt.

It was the afternoon of the 4th of September.

In reality, it was a reminder of the unforgettable one they lost almost a year ago and in a better world, it would be almost her birthday.

Onyankopon closed his eyes for a moment and whispered: Happy Birthday Commander Hange...

As if she was called, the cat returned to Levi's lap again with a graceful jump but this time she climbed his chest and with her little paw touched the stitches on his face.

Both of the men were surprised and confused.

Levi's eye on this side was no longer able to serve him but he still felt the cat's careful touch, she traced the stitches carefully and gently as if she knew how delicate and important these stitches are.

The awkward silence lasted for almost a minute then the cat looked up as if she was seeing something on the ceiling.

She started to purr in satisfaction.

Levi was surprised by what she did but he enjoyed it nonetheless: you are such a weird ball of fur.

Onyankopon picked the topic: what are you going to call her?

Levi seemed surprised by the question.

He never considered keeping the cat.

-I didn't say I am keeping this furball.

-But she is so smart, clean and polite and she likes you a lot.

-She will make a mess sooner or later...You can keep her if you want.

-I am not the one being licked, touched, and loved by her sadly.

The cat was awake and listening, she flipped on her back in an adorable way touching Levi's sleeves with two paws.

-Hahahaha, Is she flirting now?

-If she is then she is an idiot.

Onyankopon shook his head without commenting on what Levi said, he learned that these words are signs of affection from Levi.

-Come on Levi, Pick a name.

-I don't have one...I will call her cat.

-Oh for god's sake Levi, she is a cat, I said a name.

-Why the hell do I need to call a cat with a name in the first place? I haven't lost my mind yet.

-It does not mean you lost your mind, it means that you care about your pet...Think of something related to her, her appearance, your feelings about her...anything she made you feel.

-Idiot...She is an idiot one so I will call her "Idiot"...Happy?

The cat hit Levi's hand lightly with her paw before biting it softly, almost tickled him.

Onyankopon didn't try to hold his laughter: See? She didn't like it, Levi.

Levi carried her and looked into her blue eyes.

It was exactly like the sea he saw for the first time with her...

That day...

He didn't show it but what he felt was pure joy.

Hange's beautiful face.

Her cheerful laugh.

Her curious comments.

He felt it all even if nobody noticed.

The sea for him was a reminder of the pure joy he once felt.

He hesitated before saying in a low unsure tone: How about...Joy?

Onyankopon answered immediately: I love it.

The cat seemed to like it too.

Gabi and Falco finished cooking and started serving the lunch.

The hours passed quickly.

They talked, joked, and laughed.

At 10 PM, Levi decided to go to sleep.

Falco and Gabi decided to stay in the other room Levi prepared for them.

Onyankopon shyly asked to stay and he was ok with sleeping on the big sofa if Levi accepted.

Levi didn't have the courage to disappoint them...and didn't want to do it.

He was grateful for this kind of love he got from all of them.

He knew how having a family may feel.

He knew how having a trustworthy friend can be.

Far from fears of loss, blood, and destruction, these feelings were different from what he experienced in his life and he wanted to cherish them even if he could not express them clearly.

After he closed the door of his room, he noticed that the cat sneaked in.

-Tch, I will not let you sleep on the bed.

The cat jumped on the near chair and stayed there.

Levi was prepared for a short fight, he was even considering giving in to the cat's desire if she insisted.

-Well, Good.

He started taking off his clothes to wear something more comfortable but he stopped abruptly when he heard a feminine voice: Are you sure you want to do that while I am sitting here?

He raised his head instantly towards the direction of the voice.

What he saw was almost a hallucination...

A woman he knew very well was sitting there where Joy was.

Levi needed a few seconds to speak: Ma!!!

She got up and sat beside him on the bed: I...I am not your mother but I thought you would love to see her face after all these years...was it a bad idea?

Levi didn't find the words.

He was sure that it was a dream.

He was sure that none of this was real.

But if it was a dream why isn't she in it?

-Are you thinking about the smiling woman with glasses?

Her kind smile matched his mother's.

He could finally speak: How do you know both of them? and...Who are you?

She kept the kind smile: You named me Joy.

-Then I am dreaming? or...Am I dying?

She touched his face like his mother did in an old dream of his and shook her head: Neither...It is just that I owe you.

The question didn't leave Levi's head but she answered it: some cats are not only mere cats, we live in this world disguising ourselves in forms, cats are our favorite since humans love it and respect it, they even worshipped them.

-So...You are not a cat?

-I know you are new to this world and the concept of miracles is not a familiar one to you but I am one of god's creatures, powerful enough to repay your kindness.

-Can you bring back the dead?

Levi asked without thinking then he felt a mix of shame and sadness.

-I don't think I need to go that far.

Levi's widened eyes asked before he did: what do you mean?

His mother's face smiled kindly: Cats can see spirits, I tried to make you notice when I played with her.

Levi repeated in a hopeful voice: Her?

She nodded: The cheerful one with glasses? Don't you know she has been by your side all the time?

Levi was surprised beyond words.

He asked her to watch over him.

She never abandoned him once.

Even in death...He was her priority.

-You named me joy and saved me when you could ignore me and now I know how I will pay my debt. She didn't wait for Levi's confused question and said: She tied herself to you with a string of fate, with every stitch, it held a wish and a prayer to the one your new friend spoke of.

She was desperate to keep you alive so she put all her hopes in these wishes and entrusted the mighty creator to keep you safe.

Levi knew she was speaking about Hange.

She continued: Her spirit never abandoned you so all I need to do is to give her a form that your human senses can feel and that...I can do.

Levi knew it was a dream yet he didn't try to wake up.

He was afraid to wake up.

The kind dear face of his mother gave him the same loving look he remembers and said: You are a very good man Levi Ackerman and If we crossed paths again in this life or the next ones, I will make sure to keep this friendship...

Now, remember what I will say, I spared a life of my nine lives to your beloved, she shall live for as long as you will, you are tied with a string of fate and never-ending love. You will be her connection to the world of living this time when your life ends, her connection ends, and if you gave up on loving her...

Levi interrupted her with all the feelings swelling in his heart: Never!

Joy smiled as if she knew already: Wait for her rebirth Levi Ackerman, I hope you will find the joy you once felt with her in your remaining years. I shall take my leave.

Before he could ask about what she meant, a strong wind engulfed both of them while Joy's voice rang for the last time: May your life be blessed both of you.

---------------------------------------

Levi woke up feeling a heavy weight on his chest but he didn't open his eyes yet. He had this dream and he wished he could never wake up. He truely hoped for that rebirth the mysterious being spoke of.

A faint touch played with his hair.

It was so soft....so kind.

A dear voice followed it: Wake up Levi...

His eyes opened slowly.

He thought he was still dreaming though.

She could never be here for real...could she?

-I missed you clean freak.

His heartbeats doubled maybe tripled even.

He could barely say: This is a dream...

She smiled as he has always remembered: tough luck Levi, I think you are stuck with me for another round.

Levi didn't find the words at this moment but he did the one thing he regretted not doing all the past years.

He hugged Hange as if he was trying to keep her inside his chest.

She was surprised by what he did but she hugged him even tighter.

-I have been stalking you all the time.

Levi's hot tears fell on her shoulder, she felt them but she didn't want to leave his arms yet, she continued: I am happy you made it alive out of that hell Levi, I am proud of you, I have always been.

His body shook briefly as he let go of his pain, longing, and sadness while Hange kept stroking his hair and his back softly and lovingly.

They didn't know how long they stayed this way.

They felt pure happiness.

They felt pure bliss that night.

Hange could finally take a good look at Levi's face.

-You are still so damn handsome, Levi.

His eyes were still wet as he stroked her cheek tenderly.

-Say something Levi...

He looked into her hazel brown eyes: Don't Go Hange!

Her heart fluttered as she responded: Didn't you hear that you are my lifeline? I am alive again as long as you live, as long as you want me to be.

-Do you mean that...You can't die before I die?

Hange looked surprised then said: well, I think she meant normal death but not accidents, maybe we should tr...

Levi grabbed Hange's hair longingly forcing her closer to him: Shut up four eyes...Shut up...This time you will never go anywhere without me and whatever the reason that may take your life, I will be by your side...I am not making the same mistake again...Got it?

She touched his forehead with hers and whispered: Got it.

The large clock outside announced the time.

Levi's door was opened by Gabi who was calling his name as she opened: Captain Levi who are you talking t...huh?

Hange got up spreading her arms: Gabiiiii!

Falco and Onyankopon were no different from Gabi.

Onyankopon was the one who noticed that the cat was nowhere to be seen: Levi...Is it somehow related to Joy?

Levi nodded: I might be still dreaming.

Falco who was crying and yet trying to soothe the crying Gabi as well said: I...I can see you Hange San, we can't be dreaming at the same time...you...you really are here...it is like Christmas Miracle.

Onyankopon was the one who answered: God does not need a month to give us a miracle Falco then he held both of Hange's hands and kissed them happily: It is a blessing and we can only be grateful we witnessed it.

It was 12:05 am after midnight, the 5th of September, and a rebirth of a never-dying connection and a never-ending love.

[stellartales]

Xiao | Call My Name — 02

Chapter 02  — Shadow in the Wind

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ©justgenshin 

DO NOT REPOST,  TRANSLATE OR USE ANY PARTS OF MY FICS IN ANY FORMS AND CLAIM THEM AS YOUR OWN.

My fics are kept within Tumblr (@savagetrickster​ @justgenshin​ — I am both.) and ao3 but if you do see my works elsewhere apart from these two platforms, please notify me.

Disclaimer: It’s pretty obvious from what you have read in 01 but just for clarification’s sake, this story will not be following the game script. But I will draw ideas and inspirations from there.

Words: 1,734

Night fell hours ago. The moon was hung in full view for all to admire but the feeble light it emitted could barely be seen among the drifting wispy clouds. 

The only thing that was keeping the room illuminated was the tender golden glow of the fire sitting in the two standing lamps. 

Like every night ever since Wangshu Inn received her, a figure, right when no one was around, once again emerged from the shadows. 

His piercing gaze —  the only thing he allowed himself to touch her with — was contradictingly gentle as he accessed her pale face and listened to her breathing.

The tension on his forehead relaxed in what seemed to be... relief, at the absence of the harsh, shallow breaths he heard her fight to take when he found her.

He didn’t like how his steady hands shook then, with a strange…uneasiness, almost like fear. 

“Paimon will stay with her, thanks lady boss!”

Voices outside of the door snapped his focus back. 

“Simply ‘Boss’ will do, Paimon.”

His piercing eyes flickered back down to her and widened almost instantly to the sight of his outstretched hand, which somehow between his absent thoughts had ended up merely inches away from her face. 

Flinching his hand away as if he was scalded, the figure in the room retreated from the bed and vanished into the darkness like the wind.

The moon was hung in full view for all to see but the feeble light it emitted could barely be seen among the drifting wispy clouds. 

The only thing that was keeping the room illuminated was the tender golden glow of the fire sitting in the two standing lamps. 

Just like how it was before, the room was left empty once more. As if he was never there in the first place.

Quiet movements behind her eyelids reciprocated to the gentle touch of a light breeze curling against her cheeks like doting caresses. 

The sense of weightlessness was beginning to lift from her as dainty songs of singing birds and the soft creaks of wood started growing into her consciousness. 

She could hear careful footsteps as well and felt more than saw a presence hovering near her, its warmth brushing against her skin until something damp was placed between her brows.

Her forehead clenched in a frown against the new sensation sitting on her face. Her fingers curled into something cushy and velvety as a weak groan left her lips. 

Light beyond her eyelids beckoned her to open her eyes and so she did, squinting against the intruding brightness until she could finally adjust to the light.

Her vision focused into clarity and was greeted by a familiar stranger. 

“You are...?” She blinked in puzzlement as she racked her brain for an answer. 

Confusion marred a frown between her brows at the Inn’s boss who was standing over her with a mild smile — the fog in her groggy mind made it hard to answer the vague sense of recognition nagging her.

“Verr Goldet. Boss of Wangshu Inn.” The lady filled in the blanks helpfully, “Nice to have you back with us, Lumine.”

Wangshu Inn? 

She tried to wrap her fuddled head around the new information as a memory of her running away from Dark Hilichurls with Paimon flashed past.

“Wait, but I was…” She was pretty sure she was a goner then. “How did—”

“You were out for so long, Lumine!” A floating little figure flew right up to her face before Verr Goldet could finish.

Lumine winced instantly to the sharp rise in volume. 

“Shhh…You-You’re so loud.” She felt her head throb.

Paimon let out a small gasp and her face fell with a sheepish look. 

“Oops sorry, Paimon is just excited ‘cause Paimon has been so worried...!”

“Sorry for worrying you, Paimon.” An apologetic smile sat weakly on her face. “But how long have I been sleeping?”

“And…” Her gaze shifted back to Verr Goldet, face scrunched in confusion “...how did I end up here?”

“Pretty long,” The lady boss merely nodded, “It’s been three days ever since Xiao-sama found and brought you to me.”

Xiao?

Her eyes widened. 

Then that voice she heard...

The thirst to answer all the questions in her head spurned her to sit up in one quick move, only to be greeted by a sharp jolt of pain in her leg. “—ah!” 

The giddiness swimming in her head made her see stars. 

“Easy there, Lumine,” Verr Goldet’s voice matched the gentle backrubs the hand on her back made. “Afterall, you just overcame quite an ordeal.”

“An ordeal?” She held her head. “What happened to me?”

“You were down with high fevers due to the poison from the thorns of a Yingxuē and thankfully, that toxin could be easily flushed out through perspiration.” 

“Ying…” The queasiness in her throat subsided. “...xuē?” 

Then it dawned on her. 

Oh right, it had totally slipped from her that her leg got injured all because of that bush and its stray branch. 

And that was when she heard him.

“But Xiao…” 

She still found it hard to believe — wasn’t that voice just a hallucination caused by the poison flooding her blood?

“Was he really there?”

Paimon nodded aggressively. “He was, he was!” 

There was a spark in her eyes, “Right after you fainted, he appeared out of nowhere, striking down from the sky like lightning and finished off the Hilichurls in one sweep of his polearm!”

There was admiration she’d never seen in Paimon for Xiao since she did not have a good impression of the adeptus previously. 

“...He was so fast Paimon could barely catch what happened!”

A chuckle turned her head back to the lady boss.

“That’s Xiao-sama for you,” Verr Goldet beamed, “He is afterall our mighty Guardian Yaksha; monsters are measly flies to the power of an adeptus.”

Lumine remained silent for a while. 

Strong gratitude resonated in her heart along with a nearly tangible ache of curiosity and wonder for the adeptus.

“Is he here?” 

A smile crept across Verr Goldet’s face. 

“If you know where to look.”

— as she made her way out the door, behind the opened door was a brilliant view of the sky.

“But…” A rush of wind blew through the door, “...whether or not you would find Xiao-sama, it will be all up to him.”

The lady boss's smile turned mysterious as she looked back at them.

The setting sun on the horizon waned in the gathering darkness of the approaching night. 

Guests residing in Wangshu Inn were mostly back from errands they had to run and settling down in the eateries the Inn had to offer. 

Of course, Paimon would never give food a miss especially when Verr Goldet just invited her for a second round of dinner. Somehow during the days when she laid in the room on the highest floor battling the poison in her body, the lady boss had grown familiar with Paimon’s huge appetite.

Verr Goldet offered her a second dinner as well but Lumine had other ideas. 

She had her fill in the room she woke up in and ordered a certain dish she insisted on paying, not wanting to be a freeloader but to no avail because— 

“Xiao-sama trusted us to take care of you so it would be rude not to honor his trust.”

—the lady boss insisted after leaving behind a tray of her dinner.

The simple white garb on her was loosely comfortable to move in, but the winding staircase up to the upper balcony proved to be a challenge when she had to limp on one leg with a crutch tucked under an armpit while holding onto a takeaway lunchbox.

It had been what felt like five minutes ever since she began climbing the stairs. The dressed wound on her leg throbbed every step she took; the struggle to move were evident in her harsh raspy breaths and the way the thin coat of sweat stuck her fringe to her forehead. 

Her other hand was clenched tight on the banister, knuckles white with effort.

And when she finally reached the top, she couldn’t help letting out a loud sigh of relief. 

Lumine squinted her eyes against a burst of wind from the gaping door as she hobbled out into the open. 

Her hair was blown back in the rushing wind and she could not hold back a shiver to the cool tickles of the ocean breeze.

“...Xiao?” She called out gingerly. 

There was nothing but the wind and the sweeps of the waves below. 

“It’s me, Lumine!” 

Her eyes wandered to the dark sky above her as she continued to limp forward. 

Her voice calling out to him kept scattering in the wind no matter how many times she tried or how loud she threw her voice into the wind.

Looking lost with sad eyes at the vast sky and the seemingly huge moon above, her voice grew weaker until there was no more.

Maybe this was how it is.  

Perhaps to him...

The hopeful glint in her gaze dimmed as she lowered her gaze to a cruel thought in her head.

...she was nothing but just a mere mortal. Simply an annoyance he had to grudgingly protect. 

— to make things worse, she didn’t even belong to this world.

Even so... 

Her shoulders squared; her resolve to thank him refused to let her give up. 

...just one last time. 

Then she would stop — this bitter promise sank her heart.

“Please Xiao," Lumine raised her gaze again,  "I know you’re out here. I’m sorry I’m back here again.” 

She hobbled forward.

“I know you told me to leave you alone but I just—thunk” She felt the leg of the crutch supporting her hit an uneven portion of the wooden floor beneath her feet.

Her crutch cluttered to the ground before she could adjust her grip.

A sharp gasp surged through her throat as she staggered forward.

The ground was rushing fast toward her, the box in her hand was slipping from her hand.

Horror sept into her widening eyes.

Oh no oh no, the almond tofu is going to—

Then as if materializing out of thin air, a firm hold appeared around her waist and tugged her up in one swift move against a warm, breathing wall that could talk—

“What are you doing?”

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—  published on 17.02.2021

[kylosgenesis]

Teardrops on Fire

Synopsis:

Steve Rogers is the last Alpha of the an almost extinct Lycan pack. With only less than 100 members left. Steve must produce an heir to ensure the species survival and reduce the chance of attacks from others. Omegas are rare, and betas have a hard time producing children. Steves reality is finally setting in as his obligation of producing an heir faces a major set back.

Reader is the last suitable omega to mate with Steve, due to the fear of her daughters fate in the pack, her mother kept her hidden from the pack after her own exile. Only her mother, and Bucky's family know of her existence. Bucky is Steve's right hand man, and the packs best warrior! He and the reader developed a friendship and bond over the years, but age forced them to become distant.

What happens when she presents and her first heat cycle comes? Her body is in excruciating pain and a strong fever quickly overcomes her body. Facing the fear of her daughters possible death, her mom calls on the only person who can save her at this point, Alpha Steve! Bucky and the alphas friendship will be tested. The reader will be faced with her love for Bucky or her duty to the pack.

Warnings: Mentions of death , A/B/O dynamics

Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/gennyzoe/playlist/7xFIhRFa8o2Ae4QJpD1Hp9?si=gWsZ__YOQdKCS81X21jZqw

Chapter 4: I found

Hours had gone by! Bucky was caught of guard with the smell of fire. Faint...but distinct enough he knew it wasn’t his imagination. The chilled air dragged a whiff of the combined scents of fog, smoke, and very faintly in the background... HER!

She was close! He could feel it! This wasn’t new territory to him, but he wondered how she’d ended up hours from her home. He followed the wind, blowing ashes by his face. Leaving a trail, that called to him as if nature was guiding him to her. All the odds were against her tonight, but the forest smelled safe! It was like it protect her from the evil of the elements.

After a couple of minutes on the trail, it hit him! The smell blew the air out of his lungs, he approached the small faded fire with caution. Not wanting to scare her off. As he got closer he noticed her small frame. She was attempting to stand up, but doing so knocked her directly into the fading red embers of where a fire used to be.

The world disappeared for him at that moment! It was her! Just him and her!

And she smelled delicious! Everything is his being screaming to make her his in this very spot, and vanish with her. Nobody to find them! As long as she was there, there was nothing he’d want in this life or another! She was the trophy and the torture, that cursed through him. To love, but never poses. How could he even be thinking of love right now? He hadn’t even looked into her eyes yet.

What if she hated him?

What if she didn’t recognize him?

How was he gonna explain what’s going on to her? She has to know what her body wants right now, what it’s craving for her to do! And how much he wishes to not crave her in the same way.

He bolted to her with all his might, and caught her calling frame. As her eyes slowly faded into unconsciousness, peace resonated in her eyes. He’d dreamed of those eyes for years! And as her body went limp on his arms all he could do was hold her close and pray for the strength to keep her alive and safe... from himself!

She opened her eyes as they adjusted to the moonlight above her. Her body was covered in a warm flannel, she didn’t recognize the source of it.She remembered the eyes she saw before losing consciousness.

Had it all been a dream?

She felt like her limbs were on fire! They responded to every bit of stimulation the flannel was rubbing upon her body. She realized it wasn’t the flannel that was causing her body to jolt up at the feeling of touch; It was that it smelled like an alpha. Her body was trying to absorb as much of him as it could! She was unconsciously reacting to him and granting him access to her.

Hearing a branch break from behind the forest bush, she sprung up as quickly as her body allowed her to react and grabbed a beach from her side.

“Who’s there?” She was in full alarm, she also noticed the fire she had started had been reignited, and was fully blazing and strong!

“What do you want from me? And for the love of... “

She noticed that the reason she had the flannel on was for her own modesty, because underneath the flannel she was as naked as she was brought into the world.

“ Why am I naked? ”

Bucky noticed her panic as he approached the camp again. He’d gone out to get some more firewood and clay to dress her wounds. He wasn't expecting for her to be so recovered.

“I’m sorry ... I didn’t mean to startle you! I'm here to help.”

He put his arms up, to show her he wasn’t a threat, dropping the contest of his arms to the ground! “I was just getting us some more fire, and you need something for your wound... it doesn’t look good!” he fixed his hair back with one of his free hands, a nervous habit he had kept since childhood.

She furrowed her brow, and took a swing of the branch startling him and forcing him to step back. ” I bet you would you know what wound need tending to?” She replied with a cocky attitude! She imagined he would’ve had to look at her body while he took her clothes off, but the realization that her body was not in display contrition made her blush for a moment.

Ignoring the heat rising to her cheeks, and the small pit of embarrassment in the pit of her stomach. She put on a brave face! As he got closer her body reacted to his presence.

He was tall! Always had been, but despite the fact she’s grown since he last saw her, he still sported a good foot above her. She lowered her stance and let go of her makeshift weapon.

Taking a step back, she tripped, and stumbled back. Bucky tried catching her, but before he could he lost his own footing and tackled her body to the ground.

There she was!

Looking like a goddess underneath him, in a flannel, with her little confused doe eyes! She didn’t even try to fight him off. They just stared at each other's eyes, for a small eternity that what theirs to have.

They could both see their changing features, the fire’s light shone on Bucky to reveal his dark black hair. There were messy strays surrounding his face, but the rest was neatly tucked behind his ears. Stubble framed his face, and his jaw was the jaw of a man. It was also an awkward time to notice how much muscle he’d gained in the last 10 years. His body was solid on top of her, even through his shirt, his body told his story! He was a man of work! His body was that of a man who did hard labor, a man who was outside for long periods of time. Which was something she could tell as she noticed the tan in his upper neck had begun fading as the weather grew colder.

His muscles responded to her stare in ways she couldn’t pinpoint!

He on the other hand noticed her delicate face, the way she had grown into her childhood innocence and beauty. Her frame was so small and breakable compared to him. He for a moment thought he could easily crush her, and tried to ease his weight to make it lighter on her.

Her hair was gorgeously long! It surrounded her like a halo, fit for her like an angel. And her eyes where large and expressive. He could’ve read those eyes a million ways years ago, but now! He couldn’t help but wonder what they were trying to say.

He couldn’t stop himself as the word slipped from his lips.

“Doll!”

He placed his knee between her legs and pushed on the palm of his hands in an effort to lift his body weight off of her.

“Don’t call me that! Haven’t heard that in a long time”... she wiggled under his body and pushed him off her “ that name used to be special to me”

She tried to stand up, but a dizzy spell forced her to remain seated on the ground. Looking at his hurt expression a few more seconds that she wanted to.

“ I really missed you!” Her eyes filled with tears that threatened to roll down her cheek as she tried to stare forward, but he would still read her pained face. “ When you caught me. I thought I was dying! ..and you weren't real”

“ Im sorry! Im so sorry! I shouldn’t have left you just like that!”

He sat down next to her frame, he noticed how her body was shivering, even close to the fire. Her smell was spiking up. He knew that once morning came he’d have to rush her to Steve as soon as possible! But for now, he just wanted to enjoy her! Just enjoy her own smell one last time.

“I never stopped thinking about you!” He lowered his face to the palms of his hands. It was there when she noticed. One of his hands wasn't quite his. It was a lusterly metal, but it still radiated his energy, and warmth.

“I'm sorry too! I shouldn't have interrupted whatever it is you guys do in the village...” she was guarded! Her body tensed up as she talked, a knife in her words ” a lowlife like me getting lost... that’s what it took for you to care again” the tears began to fall, a combination of her hormones, and now shock!

Her body was changing and she couldn’t do anything about it, and now the ghost of her former best friend was back. She didn’t know how to process. She was stronger than this! Why was her body dissolving her to her nature?

Bucky wanted to embrace her! To say so many things, but nothing felt like enough to him.

“Listen now it’s not the time for... ” as he stood up he heard her let out a pain filled grunt. Her hand reached out to grab his thigh, as she doubled over to the ground in pain.

He quickly reacted to her pain, and kneeled down next to where she now laid doubled over on the cold moist ground.

“No, no ,no , no listen to me doll... you have to pull through!” He positioned his body as comfortably as he could for her “ I can’t help you... I’m not supposed to...”

He’d made a mistake! He’d coated her in his smell from the moment he held her in his arms. Her body was screaming for an alpha and it was only going to get worse till an alpha helps her body respond to it’s needs.

From the little life she had a few minutes ago, this little omega at his feet was shaking, and frail!

“I’m sorry, doll…” he looked around in distress “please just stay with me! We have to make it till morning! Please just look at me...tell me you’re alright! “ he cradled her small body and held her close to him.

As a strong wave of her scent hit his nostrils, and a small seizure overcame her body.

Bucky knew what he had to do!

But he wanted to make sure he had well enough exhausted all of his options. It would be selfish of him not to admit he wanted to help her.

“ Bucky... am I gonna die? ” she looked up at him with pained eyes, she was suffering! He used his shirt to wipe down the trails of blood exiting her nose. He wanted to help her so badly! She was nuzzled up against his body, shivering and looking more lifeless by the moment.

Her body was rejecting her omega change!

Bucky knew the fever wasn’t a good sign! But with the seizures that were now overtaking her body every few minutes, it was confirmed to him that she was moments away from collapsing upon herself. An alpha made an omega stronger! It was in their nature!

She needed an alpha !

As he held her in the heart of the forest, illuminated by the light of the moonlight, he could see the teardrops of red leave her eyes. Tears the color of fire!

And when the moon was above then at its brightest, Bucky looked up at the sky, and then down at her “Im sorry doll! I'm about to let you down one more time... I hope you can forgive me one day” as he exposed her neck to him, her untouched mating gland on full display to him.He carefully extracted his canines, and like a soft kiss, he bit her!

He knew Steve wasn’t going to be happy, and quite frankly he was even more scared of her finding out he’d taken away her choice!

Tag list: @austynparksandpizza @nerdgirljen @exposition-belongs-somewhere @connie326 @patzammit @blessedwedgie

[theowhy]

[thiam] following footsteps

2.4k / g / oneshot

note: hello friends :’) long time no post, i just never have any free time these days. my writing brain cells are rusty but here’s a short thing that was meant to be a, uh, christmas fic but that i couldn’t wrangle into shape until now. it’s not terribly contingent on the christmas season and i hope it’s enjoyable even two months late lmao

The cold is the worst thing when Liam finally comes to. Everything bombards him at once: the bruising ache in his back, the smell of dirt and pine and damp clothes. But the cold—that chills him straight to his bones.

“Shit,” Liam says.

“‘Shit’ is right,” says Theo, a disembodied voice somewhere off to Liam’s left because Liam can’t even bear to open his eyes yet. He’d recognize Theo’s presence even if blind or dead.

How annoying. Though in this moment, it gives Liam a weary sense of comfort, knowing he’s not alone.

“What happened?” he groans, bringing a hand up to gingerly touch his temple where a headache currently pounds.

“You got your ass handed to you,” Theo says. He shifts, clothes rustling, a crunching sound beneath his feet.

Ice? Liam opens his eyes.

They were in the forest, he finally remembers. And sure enough, they’re surrounded by dark trees and a white landscape, grey clouds beyond them, a hard ground beneath. There are rocks, too: Theo must have found some kind of outcropping in the hills to shelter from the snow flurrying through the air. Had he dragged Liam under here after… whatever happened before he was out?

“Yes, I dragged you here,” Theo says, then rolls his eyes. “Don’t look at me like that, your face was obvious.”

Liam grimaces. “Did I get hit?”

“Thrown through a tree, actually.” There’s way too much pep in Theo’s voice when he says it. He points out away from them, towards a splintered tree stump in the distance. Its other half lies not far past it, slowly being buried beneath the snow. “That one.”

“Ouch.” Explains why Liam’s back is killing him. “What was it?”

“You don’t remember?”

“I got thrown through a tree, cut me some slack.” Liam gingerly moves to sit up and rub some warmth back into his arms.

“It was… I don’t even know how to describe it.” Theo frowns as he remembers. “I’ve never seen anything like it before. This big white ball of… energy. Ice. It got mad when it saw us and blew you into that tree. There’s been a snowstorm ever since.”

“Did you… kill it?” Liam asks apprehensively.

“Hell no, I grabbed you and hauled ass. You’re lucky it didn’t follow.”

“So it’s still out there? We have to tell the others.”

Theo wordlessly digs into his pocket and pulls out his phone. He taps the home button. The screen doesn’t light up.

Liam gapes. “Did you seriously bring an uncharged phone out into the middle of nowhere?”

“It’s not my fault you were out for an hour, okay?” Theo snarls. “We were supposed to take a quick look around and go back, I didn’t know some mythical snow spirit whatever the fuck was going to attack us. At least my phone is still in one piece.”

“What?” Dread sinks into Liam’s stomach. He digs into his back pocket, pulls out a mess of circuits and glass and dented metal. He squeaks, “Oh no.”

“Yeah, nice.” Theo sighs. “What is that, your second phone this year?”

“Third.” Liam buries his head in his hands. “My parents are going to kill me.”

It was hard enough convincing them to let him go on this trip to the mountains, where Scott and the rest of the pack had rented a cabin for the weekend. Ostensibly it was to investigate reports of sudden blizzards and extreme snowfall, something Deaton had thought concerning enough for them to check out. But in actuality, none of them expected it to be anything more than some random meteorological weirdness. Scott brought his Nintendo Switch and Mario Kart. Lydia brought wine.

But they’d hardly settled into the cabin before Scott suggested they take a look around before dark, just to get some work in before Mario Kart and chill. Figures Liam didn’t even get the chance to kick Theo’s butt at Mario Kart before the universe decided to screw him over and make his parents ground him forever. It’s not his fault his life suddenly became full of a whole lot more fighting than Liam ever expected, even into his senior year of high school.

“There’s no way I’m gonna try and find my way back in this blizzard,” Theo says, with the finality of a nail into a coffin. “So I suggest you get comfortable.”

Liam sighs, watches the white puff of his breath fade into the air. The wind howls in long, drawn out tones. His whole backside is wet from lying on the ground. His head still hurts.

“Yeah, real easy,” he mutters, pulling his knees up and wrapping his arms around them. First things first, try to get his body to stop shivering.

There’s quiet for a moment. Liam’s so preoccupied finding any vestiges of warmth in his body that he startles when something soft is pushed onto his head. He turns his gaze towards Theo.

Theo, whose beanie has now been placed on Liam’s head.

“It ain’t much, but take it,” Theo says, hardly more than a murmur, nearly lost to the sound of the wind. But Liam hears him.

“I’m fine,” he says.

Theo rolls his eyes. “Liam, just take it.”

“But what about you?”

“I can handle a little cold.” Theo crosses his arms tighter, breathes a big exhale that sends a shroud of white around him, thick as smoke. It hides him for a moment but fades away soon enough. His hair is mussed from tugging his beanie off. His nose and cheeks are red, and there are stray snowflakes on Theo’s shoulders, caught in strands of his hair.

It’s more than just a little cold. The beanie helps, in a small way; Theo had given what little he could. That matters, Liam thinks.

It must be that—along with instinctual, human need—that compels Liam to scoot closer until he’s pressed up against Theo’s side.

Theo goes rigid.

He doesn’t say anything. Neither does Liam.

Finally, Theo says, “What are you doing?”

“It’s cold,” Liam says simply. “You said get comfortable.”

“Comfortable does not mean sitting on top of me.”

“I’m not on top of you,” Liam scoffs. “We gotta huddle for warmth.”

“Sure, huddle. Not cuddle.” Theo pointedly scoots away. Liam follows. “Liam.”

“Theo, come on. I’m not dying out here.”

“I’m not dying out here, either,” Theo says, then shuts his mouth.

Liam laughs.

“Glad you find this funny,” Theo grumbles, but this close together, Liam can feel the way he relaxes, the way he presses in by one reluctantly given inch. But it’s something.

Liam tugs the beanie more snugly onto his head, trying not to smile. Yeah. It’s something.

It doesn’t change the fact that they’re stuck out here until whichever happens first: the blizzard goes away (not looking likely), the pack finds them (even less likely, given that Liam hopes they have the wisdom to stay out of the blizzard, too), or God intervenes. Liam’s never had much luck with the last one.

So he takes in his surroundings instead. There isn’t much to see, really, besides trees, trees, and more trees. The occasional bush. Plenty of snow. And—

“Oh!” Liam says, sitting up straighter and pointing. “Mistletoe!”

Theo doesn’t even look and says, “Nice try, Liam. If you wanted to kiss, you could just ask.”

Liam sputters and shoves Theo hard on the shoulder, which hardly budges him. Theo smirks. “No, dude, ugh. Christmas was like a month ago, anyway. I mean there’s literally mistletoe growing on the trees.”

“Riveting,” Theo drawls, but humors Liam anyway. He looks out to where Liam’s pointing at a bushy mass growing in the branches of one of the trees ahead of them. “That it?”

“Yeah.” Liam squints. He can see its leaves rustling with the wind, how different they are from the leaves of the oak tree it rests in. “Phoradendron villosum. Pacific mistletoe. Don’t eat it.”

“I know that.”

“Did you know mistletoe is a parasite?”

“It’s poisonous, that doesn’t surprise me.” Theo looks mildly interested anyway, and Liam feels a small thrill of victory over it. It’s not often that he gets to share some biology knowledge that Theo doesn’t already know. “So why are people obsessed with hanging it in doorways and stuff?”

“Why do people do anything? Superstition. Folklore.” A particularly strong gust of wind sends a branch of the mistletoe flying. It lands in the snow a few feet ahead of them. “Some cultures saw it as a symbol of fertility. I guess the white berries remind them of—er.”

An awkward beat of silence.

Theo says, “I hope the snow kills us soon.”

Liam’s face burns. At least he feels a little less cold now.

He clears his throat. “Anyway… It’s also associated with protection from witches and demons and stuff.”

“I never took you for a mistletoe nerd.”

“I wrote a report about them in freshman bio. It was kind of interesting. Makes it a little less romantic to know they actually kill the trees they grow on.”

“How beautiful,” Theo says flatly. “You’re still a nerd, though.”

“Shut up.” Liam nudges his shoulder against Theo’s. The corner of Theo’s mouth tugs up just slightly.

Liam’s never done it before, kissed someone under the mistletoe. Hayden came and went too quickly for them to ever reach Christmas, and there hasn’t really been anyone since. There was never any time. And, more honestly, no one else has ever made him feel quite the same.

Well. Almost no one else.

But that’s only ever been a passing daydream, one that’s plagued him in random moments. On an elevator ride back down to the first floor of Beacon Hills Memorial. In the passenger seat of a truck. In sparse texts, shared late at night long after pack meetings have ended.

In a snowy forest, surrounded by no one else.

“Hey, Theo,” Liam says.

Theo grunts and turns towards him.

“What?” he says.

Liam presses their lips together. Theo stops breathing.

A kiss would describe it generously. Liam breathes when it becomes evidently clear that Theo won’t. That’s fine. Taking him by surprise is pretty nice. In any case, the kiss ends almost as soon as it began, and Liam pulls away from the corner of Theo’s mouth. The warmth lingers afterwards.

“W-What the hell was that for?” Theo stammers—Theo, stammering—and brings his hand up over his mouth.

“Mistletoe,” Liam says.

“You—idiot.” Theo brings his other hand up to cover his face, but it’s not enough to hide the red lingering at the tips of his ears. It’s a nice color. “You are so… You…”

“Yeah, you too,” Liam says, not bothering to suppress a grin.

Theo gives him a look through the gaps between his fingers, and Liam expects him to grind out another poorly executed insult when Theo drops his hands, his eyes widening, mouth falling slack.

“What?” Liam says.

Theo just grabs him by the shoulders and tugs him back, further into their little shelter.

“What?” Liam says again, more irately. He turns to look where Theo keeps gaping over Liam’s shoulder.

He finds a great, big ball of blue. Liam’s voice dies in his throat.

His first thought is of ball lightning, something he and Mason had spent one sleepover watching way too many videos of on YouTube. In truth, they didn’t care for the science of it rather than the fact that it looked super fucking cool. Just a sphere of pure energy and light, sweeping through open plains or swathes of sky. This doesn’t feel quite like that, but on the surface it seems the same: crackling, blue-white energy, swirling in a sphere that must be a meter wide, at least. Its core is opaque, like hard ice, and there’s a strange hum about it as it drifts closer to them.

It is frighteningly close. Theo draws an arm out across Liam, pushing him against the rocks at their back. But the sphere doesn’t attack them, doesn’t whip them with a sharp slice of wind like Liam was hit with earlier.

It only drifts over their hiding spot, passing by like an elk through the woods. Calm and constellated with flecks of ice and snow. Something about it feels as old as time itself.

Both of them hold their breaths as it passes. It disappears over them, drifting over the hill. The winds calm. The snowfall begins to diminish until it ceases completely.

It’s quiet.

They stay still for one, two, three heartbeats. Then Theo drops his arm. They both exhale.

“Holy shit,” Liam says, panting like he ran a marathon. “Was that it?”

“No, it was a different big blue ice ball,” Theo says. “Of course that was it.”

“That… was awesome.” Liam crawls out of their shelter to look around for any sign of it. It’s long gone, not even a trail left in its wake.

“I see you’ve already forgiven it for trying to kill you.”

“I don’t want to get thrown through a tree again, but it didn’t attack us this time. We probably spooked it earlier. And look, it stopped the blizzard.”

“You’re way too chipper for seeing something that unreal,” Theo says, following Liam out.

The newly returned sunlight falls over Theo’s shoulders, making him that much easier to see. Theo turns his face up to the sun. His damp hair curls at his temples.

Despite Theo’s griping, Liam can see the wonder in his eyes, the way they glow. He looks alive. Liam thinks about how the blood inside him and the blood inside Theo must be the same, despite everything.

Liam says, “Hey. Thanks.”

Theo frowns. “Why?”

“For saving me earlier.” And the time before that. And the time before that.

Theo scoffs, and where Liam usually sees shutters falling over his face, a mask piecing back together, now he sees a hint of a smile. Something brighter, underneath.

“Whatever,” Theo says, and snatches his beanie off Liam’s head so he can ruffle his hair aggressively.

“Dude!” Liam yelps. 

Theo laughs and whirls away, tearing through the snow in a direction Liam will have to trust is home.

There’s no hesitation at all before Liam chases after him.

--

note: big ice ball inspired by the leschach entite of ffxii. because..... im a nerd :p 

[charincharge]

Heyya!! The post acofas nessian fic was so lovely!!! If you don't mind i have a nessian prompt-"Are you warm enough?"😚

Okay, your wish is my command. Here’s a part 2 to that post-ACOFAS Nessian prompt from the other week. Hope you enjoy!

A cold wind stung Nesta’s face, rousing her from her deep slumber. Upon arriving home, she’d put away a bottle (or two) of wine, and passed out, but she’d thought she’d left the furnace on. The cold chill that ran up her spine led her to believe otherwise.

She wrapped her thin robe around her bare shoulders and went to turn up the heat, but upon opening her bedroom door was met with a blast of frost. She gasped, horrified at the scene in front of her. Her beautiful, perfect little cottage was destroyed. Somehow in the night, a tree had fallen onto her roof, collapsing part of it. A branch penetrated the window, leaving half her house open to the frigid winter air. Stupid mountains. Stupid storms.

Nesta shuddered and wondered how the hell she was going to get out of her house. As it was, it was destroyed with shards of glass and splinters and pine needles and dirt. She supposed she would have to be confined to her bedroom, which had somehow managed to escape damage, despite the state of the rest of the house. But all she wanted was her coffee. But, she was afraid to traverse the glass covered floors to attempt to make it to the kitchen.

Fuck it. She was confident she could make her way for one cup of her favorite caffeinated beverage. All the glass was by the far window. But upon taking one step onto the floor, she cried out in pain, as a stray shard sliced through the ball of her foot.

Blood dribbled onto the dark wooden floors as she hobbled back to her room. She hissed as she sat on her bed and raised her foot to rest over her good leg. Using the point of a needle, she was able to prod the tiny piece from her callused foot. Luckily, it wasn’t that deep of a cut and would heal quickly.

Before she had time to get dressed, she heard a loud bellow from her doorway. She felt his panic tug at her chest. She hated that she could feel how worried he was about her. She shouldn’t matter this much to anyone.

“Nesta?” Cassian called out. “Nesta, are you hurt?”

Nesta sighed as she heard his boots crunching over glass, approaching her room. He swung the door open, his eyes wild with fear, scanning her body for injury. She wrapped her robe tighter around her shoulders. She didn’t want him to see her this exposed. Morning Nesta was private. Not meant for public consumption.

“I thought I smelled blood,” he admitted, his eyes narrowing as they swept over her form again, and Nesta sighed and held her foot out.

“Just a nick. I’m fine.”

His relief was palpable as the tension unfurled in his chest, and she watched his shoulders relax.

“I’m fine,” she said again, and he averted his eyes, training them on the floor in front of her. “I was just about to get ready for training.”

“The snow hasn’t settled enough to train,” Cassian replied stiffly.

A blanket of silence hovered over them. Cassian refused to move, and Nesta refused to give him the satisfaction of continuing their conversation. If training wasn’t going to happen today, then he could just leave her alone. He seemed to sense her inner monologue – something he did all too frequently, which drove her to insanity. She could never tell what he was thinking, despite being acutely aware of what he was feeling. His brain was a mystery to her.

“The storm has let up for a few hours, but it’s supposed to carry on through the week.” He paused. “Maybe Emerie would let you stay with her…”

“I’m not going to impose on her,” Nesta snapped, and Cassian rolled his eyes at her. Nesta pretended not to notice.

“Well, you can’t stay here, sweetheart. You’ll freeze to death.”

She began to say that maybe she’d be fine with that, when Cassian cut her off.

“You’ll stay with me. You’re not imposing. And you’ll have your own room.” He looked around her sparsely decorated room. “Gather what you need for the night.”

Nesta knew better than to fight with him on this particular topic. The matter of her safety. He didn’t quite care about her comfort, but she knew the stubborn ass would come back in the middle of the storm to grab her things if she didn’t do it herself.

“Turn around,” she barked, venom thick on her tongue. She didn’t want him perusing her room as she clothed herself. She dropped the thin robe to the ground and pulled on a warm sweater and leggings and socks. She dug around in her drawers and stuffed a few things into a small bag.

A small smile curled on his lips as she shoved her feet into the new boots he’d gotten her. She refused to acknowledge it. Though she was grateful for them. Especially with the amount of snow that had accumulated overnight.

Without a word, he held out his hands for her to jump into, but Nesta ignored them.

“I can walk myself, you brute,” she snipped, and she pretended not to hear his exasperated sigh.

As Nesta’s boots crunched over a pile of broken glass, Cassian lifted her up from behind, scooping up her legs and cradling her against his chest.

“Put me down, asshole!” she seethed, but it was fruitless. Cassian’s wings flared, and they took off into the sky. She buried her face against his leathers, eyes closed tightly, not wanting to look. She still loathed flying.

Nesta didn’t know how long they’d been in the air when they began their descent. But it felt like forever. Her legs were shaky as they finally hit the ground.

She stood and took in the cabin in front of her. She realized she’d never actually seen where Cassian lived in the mountains. She’d actively refused to be in his space, but it looked like she had no other choice right now.

He led her in slowly, as if he was frightened of scaring her off. She stepped forward surely and held in her gasp at the inside of the house. It was… beautiful. Everything was rustic and homey, but somehow completely put together. She was shocked at the layered plush rugs and comfortable couches in the main room, dotted with throw pillows and blankets. What grown man had throw pillows? The space felt nothing like Cassian. But then again, how much did she really know about the Commander?

“Mor helped decorate,” Cassian said as way of explanation, and Nesta hummed lightly, taking in the panels of rich wood and art covered walls. It was so different from her sparse cabin. This felt grand in comparison. She hated everything about it.

Upstairs, he showed her both guest rooms, offering her choice of either one.

“My room is across the hall,” he said, clearly uncomfortable. “And the bathroom is at the end of the hall.”

He paused as he let Nesta choose her room. She chose the one closest to the stairs – easier to escape.

“Make yourself comfortable. There’s food in the fridge if you get hungry.” He paused. “I’ll be back tonight.” He walked down the stairs at a rapid pace, seeming eager to get somewhere. But with their training canceled, Nesta had no idea where he was off to. Curiosity got the better of her.

“Where are you going?”

He quirked his eyebrow and pulled his long hair up into a bun. “Your house isn’t going to fix itself, sweetheart.”

Before she could protest, he was out the door, leaving her alone.

Nesta was used to being solitary, but there was something strange about being in Cassian’s space alone. Every place she looked felt like she was somehow snooping into his business. She didn’t want to know about his business.

Instead, she wandered into the kitchen and started boiling water for coffee. There was no risk of finding something personal in the kitchen. And thanks to his giant tub of coffee grounds, she’d be caffeinated soon enough. Which was good because her head was starting to throb.

As the coffee brewed, she opened the refrigerator. Hoping he had something she could cobble together for breakfast that wasn’t salted or stewed meats. She was impressed with how well-stocked the refrigerator was. She pulled open a drawer and gasped at the piles of vegetables. Carrots and turnips and beets and spinach and cucumbers.

She chopped the vegetables up quickly and mixed them in with some eggs she found. How the hell did Cassian have eggs? And vegetables?

With her steaming cup of coffee and vegetable omelet, she settled into the couch and pulled out a well-worn book.

When Cassian returned, she was still in the same spot on the couch, and nearly finished with her reading, her stomach starting to grumble with hunger again. She looked up as the door swung open. Snowflakes dotted the top of his head, and she watched as he shook them out like a dog. He smelled of sweat and dirt, so Nesta barely acknowledged him when he let her know he’d be going upstairs to bathe.

It took her a full minute to realize that she would be able to hear him. Undressing. And washing himself. Upstairs.

She tried to ignore the sounds of unclacing leathers and splashing water, attempting to focus on the book in front of her. But the scene was a passionate night between a lady in waiting and the king’s most trusted advisor – an illicit affair with lots of mentions of strong muscles and flowing hair and fancy dresses being ripped to shreds. Nesta crossed her legs and exhaled slowly. It seemed her patience was being tried tonight. She shut the book and pressed her fingers against her temples, willing the ache that had started there to subside.

The ache traveled from her head, down her spine, pooling in her stomach. She ignored the gentle tug that told her to go upstairs, to join Cassian in the shower. Instead, she closed her book and breathed slowly, willing the amorous feelings to subside. She was in control. She didn’t have to listen to that gods forsaken thing.

As her feelings steadied, a strong wind whirled outside the house, and the lights flickered on and off. Nesta held her breath, waiting for the flickering to end, when the house was plunged into complete darkness.

“Shit!” she heard Cassian mumble upstairs. Nesta sat, frozen on the couch, as the flames of the furnace disappeared, leaving only a scattering of quickly cooling embers.

Cassian bounded down the stairs, wearing only a loose pair of pants, grumbling with annoyance as he pulled out a pack of matches and lit a long candle by the doorway. In the flickering glow of the candle, Nesta could see his long, wet hair dripping onto his bare shoulders and down his chest, and she shivered.

He must have heard it because his eyes flashed to her with concern. He tossed her a thick blanket from the other end of the couch, and she stared at the woolen fabric.

“Heat’s gonna be gone within an hour. You’re going to want that.”

He pulled a sweater over his head, punctuating his sentence – someone like Cassian ran extremely warm all the time, so if he was wearing a thick sweater it was bound to get cold fast, but Nesta felt like being stubborn. She refused to wrap the blanket around her shoulders, keeping it next to her. How dare he presume to know what she needed?

Cassian sighed as he lit another candle. And another, ignoring her until the room was consumed with the soft yellow of low flames. Nesta hated that she could sense his frustration as he made his way into the kitchen. It was tugging at her, like usual. Only stronger. Incessant and annoying, chafing at her until she threatened to explode.

“What?” she snapped.

Cassian opened the refrigerator and began pulling things out. “What’s what, sweetheart?” His voice was low and calm, but the feeling in her stomach was anything but. She knew he was pissed. If only he would say why.

Wind howled outside, sending a chill through the cabin. Nesta shivered again, and Cassian growled softly. “Put on the damn blanket, Nes.”

Ah. The source of his annoyance. Worry. Nesta hated it.

She didn’t want to, but he was right about the heat. It was quickly disappearing from the cabin, and she had very little meat on her bones to keep her warm. And at this point, she’d do most anything to have that annoying tug disappear. She reluctantly unfolded the blanket and wrapped it around her slight shoulders. She inhaled deeply, the smell of Cassian surrounding her tenfold. Smoke and cedar and burnt sugar. The tug in her stomach subsided, turning to a warm cocoon of relief.

Cassian dropped a tray in front of her, covered with bread, butter, cheese, sliced vegetables and a large bottle of liquor.

Cassian picked up the bottle, took a long swig and placed it back on the table. “Nature’s blanket.”

Nesta blinked and stared at the bottle. It was one she was intimately familiar with. One that had led to many poor decisions and fae males climbing into her bed for a quick release. Cassian’s nose flared as she leaned toward him, the memory of her arousal on the tip of her tongue.

“Think you can get me drunk enough to sleep with you? You could be the next on a very long list,” she cooed and watched Cassian’s face contort into one of fury. He refused to reply to her, his eyes going cold, shutting down.

He took a large step away from her and sat on the furthest chair from her, letting Nesta have the couch to herself. She smiled too sweetly in his direction, and she could hear him suppress another growl from his chest.

He ripped a piece of bread from the loaf and slathered it with butter and put a piece of cheese on top before taking a large, angry bite.

“Eat,” he said, and though his words were a harsh command, his tone was a gentle suggestion.

He pushed the bread towards her, but she went for the liquor instead. She knocked a large sip back, and she delighted in the way it burned down her throat and settled warmly in her stomach.

“If this storm holds you might be stuck here for a few nights,” Cassian said quietly, and Nesta stared at him, mid-bite.

“No,” she replied. She struggled to keep her voice calm.

“I cleaned up the glass, but the hole in the roof is going to be more than a day’s work.” He ran his hand through his long strands, and Nesta cringed away, not wanting to see the protectiveness in his gaze. “I secured a tarp, so it shouldn’t get worse, but…”

“But what?” Nesta glared. “Do you want a thank you? Thank you.”

She could feel Cassian’s ire rising in him, filling him with each of her rolled eyes and shrugs and snappy replies. He was almost reaching a breaking point with her. She was familiar with breaking.  

“But,” he began calmly. “I just want you to be prepared for the possibility that you might be here for a bit.”

A cold rage burned through Nesta at the idea of being trapped in this cabin. She could not stay here, in Cassian’s space, indefinitely. It was not an option. Unable to look at him, she brought her eyes to the ceiling to avoid his expression. As if spurred by her gaze, the flames on the candles surrounding them burned taller, the flames widening and towering until they practically licked the ceiling. The orange tips were consumed by the blue-grey center, becoming impossibly hot.

“Nesta!” a voice shouted, but it seemed far away. All she could hear was the crackling of fire. Flames swirling around her in a vortex of blue-grey heat.

Cassian touched her face, forcing her to look into his eyes. She hated the concern she saw there. Worry rolled off him in waves, tugging at her. As she exhaled nervously, the flames died down, returning to their former yellow-orange.

“Well, that was one way to keep the heat going,” Cassian chuckled, still kneeling between her legs. His laughter was relaxed but fear still lurked in his penetrating gaze. “You okay, sweetheart?” he asked, his thumbs swiping gently across her cheek.

Nesta stiffened and removed his hand. “Yes.”  

Cassian cleared his throat and pushed himself up to standing. He hovered over Nesta for a beat, his eyes darting around the room, deciding where to sit. He ultimately decided to stick with his original seat, the one furthest from her.

Nesta wrapped the blanket around her shoulders tighter, a sudden chill passing through her at the lack of Cassian’s body and the receding flames.

“Warm enough?” he asked, and Nesta nodded sharply.

Cassian sighed and propped his feet up on the low ottoman in front of him. “We’re still not going to talk about it, huh?”

And Nesta shook her head again. Her powers were becoming more uncontrollable, especially in his presence. It terrified them both. She could feel it, their bond tightening and pulling frantically every time her powers flared. But, fear she could handle. Obligatory love she could not.

Cassian stood suddenly. “Maybe tomorrow, then.”

His nerves were fraying just as much as hers. She knew he would do anything to protect her, but as long as she rejected him, there was only so long he could stand to be with her. Usually Nesta was the one to flee the premises, but not tonight, it seemed.

He walked up the stairs, leaving her alone without another word. Nesta took another long sip of the whiskey and let it burn.

~*~*~*~

tag list:

@df3ndyr @hizqueen4life  @maastrash @justgiu12 @aknymph @bamchickawowow @thewayshedreamed @strangeenemy @studyliketate @iammissstark​ @heirofthenightcourt @acourtofmarauders @cmoff1 @stardelia

[ijustwant2write]

Never Alone-Peter Parker x Male!Reader

(GIF credit to @starkissedtom​)

Tags: @amirahiddleston​​ @bloodorangemoonlight​​ @slowkib​

Requested by @slowkib : ‘Hi! Can I request peter Parker x male!reader in zombie apocalypse au? Like from the last of us?’

Characters: Peter Parker x Male!Reader, Avengers x Male!Reader

Meanings: (Y/N)=Your name

Warnings: Dystopian zombie future, guns, violence, mention of death, fighting, swearing, fluff

(A/N: I’ve never played ‘The Last of Us’, so I did my own thing with this)

                                        *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

My fingers traced over the empty shelves as I walked down the aisles in the grocery store. It was covered in dust after being bare for the past year. There was literally nothing left, not even any rotting food. A bang broke me out of my trance, making me clutch onto my gun and duck behind another shelf. No other noise came, and I knew that if any zombies were around, I would be able to hear something; I was too used to the dragging of their bodies, a low groaning sound, even heavy breathing. Taking a risk, I peeked around the corner of the shelf, into the main aisle, not seeing anything, not even a shadow.

“Hey!” Peter whispered beside me.

I jumped, but made no sound.“Peter! Why would you do that?!”

He was perched on top of the shelf, having obviously climbed down from the ceiling.“Sorry, but at least I was quiet!”

“Yeah, I guess.” I sighed, relaxing slightly.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing. Just living in the apocalypse, you know?” 

He silently jumped down beside me, joining me to sit on the floor.“We’ll get through this, we’ve got each other.”

I smiled as he held my hand.“But...I really don’t mean to be negative today, but I’m running out of positivity all together. This is never ending. I thought....I thought that maybe S.H.I.E.L.D or even the Avengers would be able to help with this. And I know you all did at first but once our resources ran out, and technology became vast, it just seems like the end is inevitable. Maybe the world is supposed to end like this, after everything we’ve done to it, or it’s supposed to start over again-”

“Stop thinking like that! We’ve got through this last year, right?”

My head fell back as I scoffed.“That’s the thing. It’s only been a year but it feels like forever! I’m tired all the time. We’re constantly on the run, we’re never able to settle anywhere because zombies somehow come crawling along. We’ve had to kill so many of them. We have to take turns taking watch, but even if I’m able to sleep, my body won’t let me. I’m too tense all the time. I have plaguing nightmares that I’ll wake up and you won’t be there, you’ll be laying there dead. And we’ve been trying to find the Avengers all this time, but we’re not even close!”

I hunched up into a ball, hiding my face in my knees as I wrapped my arms around them, my shoulders shaking as I started to cry. Peter instantly hugged me, holding on tightly.

“I’m always going to be here. I’m going to protect you. Even if I wasn’t Spider-Man, because that has been a big bonus, I would still protect you from the zombies. I know this is nothing like The Walking Dead, or any comic we’ve read. But it’s amazing that we’ve survived, just the two of us. We can’t focus on the loss, we have to keep moving and think about the future. They’ve got to be alive, they’re the Avengers!”

“I know. I hate that we’re by ourselves, we’re not even adults! I don’t want to live like this. I want to be back in school. I want to be stuck in a maths class again. I want to be a normal teenager.”

“Well,” Peter tilted my face up to look at him, he was smiling,“it wasn’t exactly normal to begin with. You’re dating Spider-Man.”

I chuckled, wiping the tears off my cheeks.“Yeah, besides that, I want to go back to the way things were.”

He kissed my forehead.“I know. But if we keep thinking like that, we won’t get very far, will we? Yeah, the world has turned to shit, but I wouldn’t want to be stuck with anyone else.”

“You’re so cringey.”

“No, I’m just truthful. Come on, the area is clear, we can keep moving.”

Luckily, as we continued to walk to the next city, we didn’t encounter anymore zombies. We would sometimes goes days without seeing them, maybe the odd stray, but these were the times we tried to keep ourselves calm and reserved. Obviously our guard was always up, they could be around any corner, mostly when we got into towns or big cities. Our objective was to track down the Avengers, or anyone who was part of S.H.I.E.L.D. Our family and friends were gone, they were our last hope. It was impossible to think of a future with just the two of us like this. Although being with Peter was perfect, I had imagined a more cosy lifestyle together (as cosy as you could get being with a superhero), not battling zombies like I had seen on the TV. Oh, I missed TV.

Peter gasped, pushing me back into a tree. He had spotted something up ahead, and it was a big problem for us. He kept close to me, keeping an eye on the zombies.

“How many?” I whispered.

“Uh, th-there’s a group of them. Maybe...twenty I think.”

“OK, that’s not too bad. Usual tactic?”

“Wait, there’s more of them. I don’t know where they’re coming from, or why they’re here. There’s no one here to eat.”

“Except us.”

“Yeah, but something must have dragged them out here.”

“So what do we do?” 

“We’ll do what we usually do, we can’t wait them out or get around them.”

“Alright, let’s do this. I love you.”

“I love you too.” 

We quickly kissed before he climbed up the tree, preparing the swing and distract them, before I would go in and shoot them. It wasn’t the best idea, but it’s all we had. At first, Peter’s suit was able to use all it’s gadgets, until it was so battered and it had gone ages without an upgrade, that it was useless. It was just Peter’s webbing now. I waited for him to get the group webbed together, making them stuck as they struggled in the trap. I was about to start shooting at them when I saw more approaching. Peter was about to do the same thing when a zombie grabbed his leg as he swung past. He was thrown off, sending him tumbling onto the ground, landing at the feet of the new group. Was was drawing them near here?!

“Peter!” I yelled out.

Leaving the webbed zombies, I saved my ammunition to shoot at the ones near Peter. He scrambled away from them as I took my shots, trying to web them up as well. But more and more kept coming. We were in the middle of the woods, what had attracted them?

“(Y/N), we need to get out of here!” Peter shouted as the zombies started to close in.

“How?!”

“I could swing up and-”

“They’ll grab at us before we could get away!”

“Well what do you suggest?”

Before I could answer, the sound of some sort of aircraft echoed out. There hadn’t been any noise like that since...well, since the start of all of this. It also caught the attention of the zombies, giving us a chance to shoot our way out. Once out of the crowd, Peter scooped me up in his arms, swinging into a tree to ensure they couldn’t get to us. However, we found ourselves clinging onto the branches as the plane started descending, the engines making a lot of wind and shaking the entire forest.

“The quinjet! They’re here!” I barely heard Peter say.

“The what?!”

Because the tree was shielding us, it meant we couldn’t see what was going on before us. The trees stopped and calmed their rustling as the plane landed, before mechanical noises echoed out. But we heard people, they were all shouting at each other, going over the plan, grunts sounding out as they fought. Something flew past us, I saw flashes of red and yellow, and I knew exactly who it was.

“I’m going to help, stay here!” Peter said, not giving me a chance to stop him as he jumped out of the tree.

I shakily moved my position in the tree, trying to get to a better angle to see what was going on. A huge smile spread across my face, even a gasp came out of me as I saw the Avengers fighting off the swarms. They had found us! They had found Peter and were here to get us out of this mess! Shocked by the whole idea of escaping, I was suddenly brought back to reality as I heard a groan from someone close by. My eyes darted around, trying to find the person who may be struggling. It was Captain America, who found himself surrounded. He was trying not to get bit, but needed to fight his way out. Taking a deep breath to calm my shakes, I aimed my gun at one of the zombies. I wasn’t an amazing shooter, but I had improved over the year, and had faith I could help kill some of these monsters. 

I shot at two of them, managing to hit their heads. The super soldier’s head whipped up to where the bullets could have come from, nodding at me once he saw me hidden in the tree. I continued shooting, trying my best to help. I wasn’t going to be the damsel hidden away. It as amazing to see them fighting up close, they were so strong, so brave. I was always petrified whenever we had to face zombies.

It was over in minutes, zombies were an easy enemy for them to defeat. Everyone was catching their breaths, exchanging hugs with Peter. We’d been lost for over a year, but we were finally saved. This didn’t mean our happy ending was here, the world was still a shit hole, but it was one step closer. Once Peter had been embraced by everyone, he looked up to me, quickly climbing up the tree to help me down. I was suddenly nervous, it was like meeting his family all over again...although he had always called them that anyway, so it was.

“Guys,” Peter breathed, still tired from fighting,“this is my boyfriend, (Y/N).”

“H-hi.” I nervously stuttered.

“It’s been just you two? For how long?” Tony Stark (!) asked.

We nodded as Peter spoke.“For about a year. We tried saving everyone but...but we couldn’t.”

“You two did everything you could, I just know it.” Black Widow reassured us.“And it’s amazing that you’ve been smart enough to last this long. Not a lot of people out there.”

“Where have you guys been?” 

“S.H.I.E.L.D had a plan all along. As soon as they found out about the people stupidly experimenting with all of this, they made a backup. We were called in, tried to save as many people as we could. But, as you probably know, technology has been scarce, even for them. We’ve had a few cut backs, hence why it’s taken us so long to find you.” Captain America explained.

“You’re here now.” I piped up.“That’s all that matters. We’ve also been trying to find you.”

“Is everyone there? Dr Strange? Wanda? Ant-Man?” Peter asked.

They nodded. Mr Stark placed his hand on Peter’s shoulder.“They’re all there. We’re going to rebuild this world, because we’re the Avengers.”

Peter grinned.“We’ll avenge it.”

Tony rolled his eyes.“Yeah, that’s, that’s what I was getting at kid. Come on you two, you look like you’re in need of a good meal...or three.”

We followed them onto the quinjet eagerly, holding each others hands the whole time. As we put on our seat belts, we glanced at each other, a sudden overwhelming feeling hitting both of us. We were no longer alone. We were with the safest people we could be. Peter was reunited with his family, we were going somewhere where we wouldn’t have to lose sleep over our safety, and we could eat properly. And we were still alive, and still together.

“We did it. We found them.” I chuckled, my heart racing rapidly.

He squeezed my hand.“Yeah, we did. I’m so happy that I’ve still got you.”

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too. Everyone is going to love you.”

“I forgot that there’s more to meet.”

“Don’t worry, I have a good feeling about all of this.”

[iwritesickfic]

13, 15, and/or 30 for the fall prompts (:

thanks for sending!! i have some fresh ocs, cam and seamus. hope you enjoy :)

rain - fevers - candles

Just as Seamus thinks the surprises are over for the night, he hears a knocking at the door. At first he’s positive it’s just a branch hitting the side of the house or something - this storm has been building all day and it’s just about reached its peak. Or what he hopes is its peak. The rain is falling in sheets, and the wind’s been strong enough to bring down a few telephone poles. At least that’s Seamus’s assumption.

The power’s been out for about an hour, and he’s not exactly holding his breath for it to come back on. They live in the middle of nowhere as it is, and with a storm like this they probably won’t send techs to fix it until the weather’s cleared up.

So at first, he ignores the knocking, busying himself trying to keep the wood stove burning. But it doesn’t let up. After a while, even though he’s still pretty sure it’s only a stray branch, he walks to the door, bracing himself for the influx of wind and rain. There’s someone standing there, which is a shock in itself, and Seamus can’t make out who it is until there’s a crack of lightning.

“Cam?” How and why is his boyfriend, who’s supposed to be 150 miles away at grad school, on his front porch? He’s shivering so bad he can’t really form a sentence, and Seamus finally realizes it’s better this conversation doesn’t happen half-outside. He pulls the smaller man inside and goes to flip on the light before he remembers the current situation. The candles he has set up provide a modest amount of light, but definitely less than he prefers. He turns his attention back to his boyfriend. “What are you doing here?” He asks, but he’s still shivering too hard to speak. He guides him over to the wood stove and sits him down. It gives off the most light in the house, and also happens to be the one source of warmth.

Gently, he starts to strip the soaked clothing off his trembling frame. His jacket is heavy with rain, and it’s clear it hasn’t done much to keep anything underneath dry. His flannel - which Seamus recognizes as one of his own Cam must’ve borrowed - and the t shirt underneath are plastered to his skin. He slides off his glasses - they’re so wet they’re probably no help anyway, and if he’s going to strip him they’ll just get in the way.

The flickering light of the candles is caught in the water that still clings to him, and if Seamus weren’t so concerned he’d probably appreciate the small beauty of it.

He pauses, smoothing some of the damp hair off his forehead and searches his face for some kind of meaning.

“What are you doing here?” He’s still shivering, and Seamus wonders if he’s high on something. His eyes are glassy and he only looks half awake.

“M’s-s-orry Sh-ay,” he manages to get out and Seamus feels his heart drop into his stomach. What could that possibly mean? He takes a deep breath and goes back to peeling the soaked flannel and t shirt off of him. Wordlessly, he moves on to his shoes, then his socks, then his jeans, until he’s left in just boxers, which are also somehow damp. He seems to be catching his breath, and by the time Seamus comes back with a dry towel and a change of clothes, he seems able to get a breath in and out.

He sits down in front of him and puts his hands on his shoulders.

“Cam. Why are you here?” He still looks sort of disoriented, and Seamus is sure this must be some kind of drug induced disaster.

“My car broke down,” he says, still shivering, but that doesn’t explain much.

“Ok, but why are you up here? You’re supposed to be in the city, yeah?”

“Was having a shitty weekend. Wanted to see you.” The worry abates somewhat but it still leaves the question of why he’s acting so strange.

“Did you...take anything? Smoke something?” Cam shakes his head, looking genuinely confused. Seamus sighs, and smoothes another bit of hair off his forehead. He frowns. Was he imagining it or did he feel hot? He presses his palm against his forehead and sighs. Now that he’s mostly dry it’s obvious. He’s absolutely burning up. “You’re running a fever, babe.”

“I’m sorry,” he mumbles, and Seamus pulls him closer so he’s pressed against his chest, the towel falling off his shoulders. This close he can hear the illness with each breath. Feel the way his ribcage shudders. “M’really sorry Shay.”

“Shh, no, it’s alright. You just scared me, that’s all.” Cam lets out a shaky breath, clinging to him like a lifeline. “How long have you been out in the rain?”

“Dunno. My car broke down. By Cedar Street.” Doing some quick math it’s hard to know for sure, but with that intersection about a 10 minute drive away that’s at least an hour of walking. God. An hour in the freezing rain with a chest cold and a fever. It must’ve been pretty high too, because Seamus is pretty sure Cam wouldn’t make the choice to walk an hour in the rain if he was in his right mind. “Why’s it so dark in here?”

Seamus isn’t sure whether it’s comedic or worrying he didn’t notice until now.

“Power’s out.” Cam sighs, and coughs against Seamus’s chest, desperate and wet. Seamus rubs his back, he can feel all the muscles straining with each cough. “You’re just feeling awful, hm?”

“Mm,” he hums, and Seamus kisses his forehead. “M’sorry, I wanted this to be romantic.” There’s real hurt in his voice, and Seamus pulls back so he can look him in the eyes.

“This is extremely romantic.” Cam has the same exhausted, dazed look, so Seamus tries a little harder. “We’ve got candles, a fireplace, you’re practically naked - it’s perfect. What could be better?” That draws a little smile from him, and Seamus is pleased. They sit there for a while longer, Cam curled against his chest, still trembling. “You must’ve missed me a lot.” Seamus says, and he feels Cam nod. He holds him a little tighter, then pulls back, carefully putting his glasses back on for him and fussing with his hair for a moment before giving him a little kiss. “Alright, let’s take this romantic night into the bedroom.”

[project-ohagi]

Katsuki Bakugou x Reader

Buy me a coffee!! <3

The boy propelled himself towards you with an explosive temperament and a huge axe to grind. That move was his infamous Blast Rush Turbo, which you had seen in action so many times before. This time, though, it seemed as if he was showing off slightly (that thought made you grin). However, you had never managed to go one-on-one with him; he always appeared to cling - rather aggressively, might I add - to Kirishima. So, when he uprooted you from your comfortable position on the dorm couch, you had briefly pondered over your last words. You acknowledged your ability to beat him in a fight, of course, but Boom Boom Man could be rather unpredictable at times. Once you snapped back into reality (not quite like the Avengers), you deflected and dodged his attacks with ease. In fact, you ended up pretty bored, yawning throughout the entire confrontation. Apparently, this angered the blonde, as you heard a distinct animalistic growl, before swiftly having to run for cover. He had a habit of shouting out the names of his moves, like so many other heroes (not very clever), so you soon understood this particular attack as his AP Shot: Auto-Cannon. It sent off rapid-fire explosions, which threw you off for no more than a moment.

"Come on, Ground Zero." You yelled in mock-encouragement. "Watching paint dry is more interesting than seeing you try to fight. I can't look after you all evening, you know - I have errands of my own to run."

The response you received was less than amicable. "Fuck you! You're not my fucking carer!"

You sighed. "I really wish that was true."

The impact hit you all at once, completely knocking you off your feet and shaking the very foundations under them. A slew of profanities abandoned his lips, as he readied one of his most dangerous attacks: Howitzer Impact. Your (h/c) locks whipped past your face as the wind appeared to be kicked up, sending everything from tree branches to stray litter flying at you. The curtain closed on his assault, and although he remained mobile, you could see the weariness tugging at his features. He would die before he gave up, though - that was just the sort of person he was; far too prideful to ever surrender. You darted forwards, aiming for his weak points. Your quirk, Self-Detonation, was similar to his, yet it was your whole body that could explode. You had good technique, however, which allowed you to win almost every battle. Just as you were about to trigger your quirk, you felt a pair of strong arms wrapping themselves around your waist. You struggled, torn between winning and not exactly wanting to hurt the boy too much. After all, you had developed quite the infatuation with him over the months, despite his foul mouth, arrogance and mistreatment of a certain shared classmate.

As he lifted you up, you took a minute to admire his muscles. You felt like Gou from Free! He walked a couple of paces, and then deposited you (with the utmost fury) back on to the ground, apparently attempting to break your back.

Frowning, you muttered, "I was dumped."

Before he had the opportunity to move even a metre away, you grabbed his ankle tightly. He didn't have time to realise his mistake, because you activated your quirk, almost charring his leg. You winced a bit, but dragged him down with you nonetheless. Once he was momentarily overwhelmed, you flipped him over, so that he was practically kissing the ground. You did this harshly, smashing his face into the concrete. You twisted his arms behind his back, one knee perched on his spine. This made him very angry indeed, and he wriggled with all his might, endeavouring to release himself. He had no qualms with hurting you, obviously, but one false move and he would be toast. Quite literally.

"Are you going to apologise?" You asked, lips now incredibly, and uncomfortably, close to his ear.

"Fuck no." He breathed, still incredibly irritated. "Why the hell should I?!"

Grabbing a fistful of his spiky blonde hair, you yanked him backwards (ouch), subsequently proceeding to smash his face back into the concrete. You did this a few more times, and you were willing to do it until he got the message - he was an asshole, and needed a lesson in how to behave. Glancing down at him with mischievous (e/c) eyes, you contemplated smacking his behind, just for a laugh. Although, he would definitely kill you when he had the chance. You tried weighing up the options, all while Bakugou was straining against you and grinding his teeth. You didn't get too far in your musings, however, because a few minutes later, you heard the call of one of your classmates. The two of you must have been out for far longer than you had expected, if someone was so concerned they went looking. It turned out to be Kaminari, 1-A's Pikachu and human charger. As he broke into the clearing, he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Uh...what are you guys doing?" He quizzed, his expression one of confusion and amusement.

Smiling at him, you simply replied with, "Welcome to anger management. Are you here for a class?"

[Word Count: 880]

[raphycraft]

The Bridge in the Birch

Notes: Hi! this is my first fic in a long time tbh, I haven't written in a while and this was just kind of for fun, as most fics are, but I am not looking for any critique on this fic, I'm not looking to improve just sing my mlm heart out lol. Anyway!! this is my little fic about Steve and Alex meeting for the first time in mc, I headcanon Alex as a dude mostly so Alex is a dude in this fic as well as Steve, just wanted to write that outside the tags as well because I don't want people to get confused when they’re expecting a woman presenting or lady Alex! likes and reblogs are greatly appreciated! This is a one-shot but I plan to write more little one-shots with the same Steve and Alex : )

Wordcount:  5860

Tags: mlm, gay romance, men loving men, he him Alex, he him Steve, minecraft fanfiction, slowburn, romance , vanilla mc fic

The Bridge in the Birch

He strode across the plains, following the stream downhill,  it was a dim day with not much to do. Finding himself humming the beat of that one disc, what was it called? The label had 'Mall' written lazily and smeared across the vinyl disc, he remembered. Reminiscing the confused excitement of finding something entirely new while also having no idea what it was. He spent days building something to play it, something he had seen in a village once, a jukebox, it was called. The day he got it working, he tumbled around his room. Stepping easily and shaking his head with pace, back and forth to the soothing beat of the melody. It was something entirely new, something he had never even seen before. And it was really great.

Running his tawny and worn fingers through his dust, brown hair, he sighed back to reality. Weight of the world falling upon his laboured shoulders again, it must have only been 20 or 30 times before that tune became monotonous and drab? yes? Just another thing in the world to become boring, the thrill of the world around him was slowly and ever so slightly becoming less and less every day. Even now, taking an evening walk with a diamond sword concealed in the sheath was ludicrous, but normal for him. But despite the nagging drab of the world, it kept going, and soon enough Steve would have to head back home soon, as dusk approached and the sun melted away into the horizon. But he continued, it wasn't like too much harm could be done to the entirely armoured individual. 

The stream now began to widen out, following the dirt and grass through to the birch woodland and growth not too far ahead. Steves heavy boots began to sink slightly into the muddy frays of the upcoming river. He strayed away slightly to avoid having to clean that mess when he returned later. As the moon began to rise above the hills and mounds of the beyond, the shimmer of the diamond armour was more apparent, traces of light swirling the seams and bolts of Steves armour, the plum shimmering form of the character heading into the heavy shrub and thicket. Birch trunks surrounded him, he lit a torch, fiercely grinding the coal ore against the frayed wooden stick. Burning brightly, the flame burst into life and swallowed the emerging darkness around Steve, whipping and lashing at the trees and shrub around it, Steve always managed to sway and manoeuvre it well enough to avoid any little forest fires. A mistake sorely made too many times when he first woke up in this abyss, empty world.

The sun was still swirling and melding against the rust and rouge sky still, barely visible as the transition formed between the two lights in the sky, watching the two supposedly shift and the sky reform never got old, it was one of the only things that never became annoying, or drab, or like a nagging feeling of time passing for Steve, he craned his head upwards steadily, as he followed the light he held out in front of him into the forest. He decided he would follow the river around the birch thicket, he knew this area well but hadn't usually ventured past the broad and sunk river, all the way from the small stream in the plains, the body of water travelled down the lands and formed larger and greater till the birch thicket approached, it formed deep here and had never occurred to Steve go beyond the water.

It was then Steve let his head fall to the area in front of him again, fanning the smouldering flame in his hands to reignite the fiesty flame, his eyes squinting desperately at a moving form in the approaching shrub, the glow of a lantern was sparkling against the light of steves torch, he almost dropped the stick at his own feet, bewildered at the sight, a light source? There was no village, he knew that for sure, no lanterns or lights he had left himself, he had walked this route a thousand times when he needed to clear his thoughts, only his thoughts were racing faster than ever before. 

Did a villager leave this lantern here or something? he thought as he approached, gently reaching up to touch the lantern hanging from its rusted chain, attached to the birch branch above him, just to check it was real. The smouldering heat of the flame hitting the glass was real, and he could feel it, he almost rang back his dishevelled hand out of absolute confusion and bewilderment. No? villagers are not known to wander away from their towns, they can barely hold up themselves without a golem. He couldn't imagine a villager wandering out here to place a lantern in the trees. Then what? he turned rapidly, looking for an answer, something to follow this mysterious amber light. There he spotted it, another lamp, and what looked like to be a structure over the river past the dark and bundling trees and shrub. He jogged hurriedly, confused and hoping for answers, but also excited, it wasn't like a structure he had ever seen before, it was something entirely new. 

Approaching the structure he slowed, apprehensively standing behind the protection of a birch tree, he gasped to himself as he gazed upon the small bridge crossing the river, it had been about a week or so from which he last walked this way, it must have been created in that time, it was nothing like the other structures, that had always existed before his time, this one was absolutely new. 

The wood posts were oak and held strong and clearly new, stripped and held up by fences, nothing was damaged or weak, it was definitely recent, Steve knew that new intoxicating smell of cut wood. There were large stone brick posts forced into the shingle and clay in the riverbed, they held well and the flow of water dashed around the structure intruding its body continuing around the lowland and around to the plains again. There were planks and trapdoors placed and nailed above the wooden posts as a shelter to the bridge, with lanterns hanging down from the roof of the structure. He approached wearily from behind the birch trunk, noticing there had been fresh daisies, oxies and tulips planted, the soil around them fresh and bumpy in the grass. He began to slow as he stepped toward the fresh hold of the bridge, the stone steps late and unfamiliar to him, someone had built this he thought, stepping onto the first ledge of the step.

The sounds of logs falling and colliding as they hid the floor echoed out the forest, Steve whipped his head up instantly, no longer heavy and weighed by his thoughts (and his helmet) fixed in place by shock and disorientation, torpidly lifting his arms to lift the helmet from his crown as his eyes laid upon the figure in front of him.

Their face was pale with awe, their face basking in the light of the bustling lanterns. Squash fray hair pulled to the side in a messy and rushed ponytail, tousled with the wind gently pulling their hair from side to side, their iron boots shining in the emerging moonlight above, they had a ruffled sage shirt, tucked into their bronze and tight belt, their trousers clearly too big for them, hanging by the belt and collecting at the collar of their boots. Steve letting his eyes fall to the logs surrounding their feet, finally reacting to the clonk and clobber initiating his surprise.

"Uh, let, let me get that". Steve had no idea how he could so casually create such a regular response to such a world-changing matter, but it was his reaction, to just respond in such a way that was almost more absurd than the life-changing event of meeting another person that he had just experienced. He scrambled over the bridge, leaving his helmet on the stone pillar of the bridge on his side. Boots thumping heavily against the plank to the other side, realising he had never even been to this side of the river, he couldn't even comprehend there had been another person here.

The individual stood back in confusion, almost aghast at the situation. As he lent down, he came closer to the person, they had a fray stubble on their chin, misshapenly shaved by the looks of it, and blemish and brown freckles peppered their skin all over, tracing their hands and nose, down their neck and onto their collar, of which he noticed now the sage shirt hung loosely off of their shoulders, they were very scrawny, and their hands were thin and bony, they had leathery gloves with the fingers cut off, and he could even see their fingers were freckly. The palms of the gloves worn and discoloured with time, muddy and frayed at the fingertips. Steve collected the logs around their muddy iron boots and slowly raised to meet with the figure, although he couldn't because here he found he was a good head and a half smaller than the person in front of him, he had estimated. 

"h-here" Steve awkwardly and abrasively held out the logs in his arms, towards the person in front of him.

"I, thanks, I guess" they took the logs from Steve and stood holding them for a moment, in distraction and a strange inability to continue this strange, strange, interaction. 

"Are you the only one?" they asked, with an almost laughable bluntness, their voice was low but gentle, a stark contrast to Steves deep and gruff tone.

"Well, I thought I was. But uh, you, you're here, unless your not human and-"

"I'm human, I think." They cut in, realising that they were both in the same predicament they looked into each other's eyes for a moment, trying to sort and find an answer to this scenario without a single word. Steves wide, clear aqua eyes swirled and looked into the cloudy, tired chartreuse eyes of the person in front of him craning his head slightly to lock gazes.

"My name is Alexander, Alex for short"

"My name is Steve"

The two finally let go of their curious stares, and under the approaching night sky, the stars peering down excitedly on the two Alex gave Steve an apprehensive smile. Steve warily responded with a beaming smirk. They each awkwardly smiled at each other again for another moment, Steves hands awkwardly pinned to his sides, neither had any idea what to do, something was telling Steve to hug him, tell him how happy and excited he was to meet him, how he had wished he crossed this river long ago. And something inside of Alex felt the same, Alex swallowed his hold on his discontent and excitement all at the same time and opened his mouth to speak again.

"Well I, its dark now, so I should be heading home." He blurted in a flustered manner. Tightening his hold on the logs, almost rushing to just run to his comfy, familiar home. Turning on one foot he spun towards the direction he had come.

"Do you want to meet here tomorrow? I just, I've never met a person before and I feel like we could really use each-"

"midday, 12, when the sun hits the 2nd quarter of the clock" Alex scurried off, in apprehension and a clear awkward fear of heaving to deal with this entirely new scenario. He strode as confidently as one could in this sort of ordeal, away from his newly-built bridge he had been so proud of only a few hours ago, remembering he had needed to add extra support to some of the posts, only to have this happen. "You didn't even finish it” he muttered in frustration to himself. Unlike Steve, Alex was a man who preferred his own company, something that seemed to sort itself out nicely in such a world as this, he had become accustomed to talking to his own self as a form of interaction, and had never even considered another person. The only people he knew were the South Village and they never really spoke on the same terms but understood each other well enough. He turned abruptly at this thought to gaze back at the person he now knew as Steve, Steve had excitedly run back from his side of the bridge into the shrub, torch in hand away to the side of the river Alex had never really been before. He turned back and headed into the plains beyond, there his small cabin stood. Away from the village but close enough to see the gentle lamps in the far distance as the darkness of the night entirely fell over the world. Alex dropped the logs and let them hit the small wood porch in absolute exhaustion. His body heavy and anxious he kicked off the large and stumpy boots to the side of his door, leaning over to one of the lamps hanging from his porch cover, opening the small glass panel to light it up as it spat and sprung inside of its cage, it burst bright and heavy as Alex scorched a piece of coal against the small flame. Reaching back to his door he stared at the flame for a moment, still not able to comprehend what had just happened. He quietly pushed the squeaky hinges open and closed the handle just as the sound of rattling bones and light steps emerged from the treeline. Locking the small bolt on his door he sighed with such release he hadn't felt in months, he leaned up against the wooden door and let himself slump against it and idly removed his tattered gloves.

"Your not the only one, Alex" he stared at his own hands for a moment. He clenched them softly in a strange confusion he did not even understand himself, and lifted his heavy body from the wooden floor and into the next room, almost throwing himself onto the bed, not even thinking about his muddy clothes staining the sheets he kicked off the dirty worn trousers over the side of the red sheets and pulled the thin and meagre covers over himself. Laying his head into the worn and handstitched pillow, holding it in fear he might lose it if he let go. The worn and tired bags around his eyes bettered him at that moment, and he fell asleep clutching bedsheets warming himself into the cool night. 

The sun poured into the dark and sombre room, Steve rolling over as the light fell onto his figure and lit his shadow up in the amber morning. The birds singing from the windowsill outside, their shadows dancing and halting in front of the window. The figure grumpily held his eyes shut in a desperate attempt to resist his awakening, he pulled the grey covers over his messy tangled hair, he had almost escaped the clutches of the morning when a heavy bark and howl rung from outside of his bedroom doors. A repeated howling and scratching fell on the oak doors. Steve growled with a low hunger and opened his eyes to the noise. "shut up Panda" he begged as he blinked the sleep out of his eyes. rolling onto his side towards the loud and bright window. Sunlight glaring and life peering from the rays that entered his gloomy tired room. He had pondered as to why he hadn't closed the curtains before he fell asleep last night, and then it hit him that it had been a deliberate action. He sat up with a purpose as the events that unfolded the previous night were found in his sleepy memory, he had left them open on purpose so he wouldn't sleep late! He swung his legs over the side of the bed and gasped as they hit the cold floorboards. 'Worst part of the morning' he thought as he stretched and strained his muscles to wake them up. The howling and scratching had yet to slow from behind the double doors, He rose and shuffled over to the doors, swinging them open from the force on the other side. 

"Good morning, Panda" He tried to resist and curb his beaming smile as his wolf and friend, sat excitedly at the door in the landing, and burst in the second it had the opportunity. "You're excited this morning arent you, do you know where I'm off to today?" he crossed his sturdy and wiry arms behind his head to stretch again, Panda leaping onto the covers, circling a good spot to sit while she listened to Steve contemplate about all the decisions he had to make before going out. Steve cracked his knuckles while trying to rearrange all the bundling thoughts in his head properly. "The clock!" he declared to himself, well himself and Panda. He knew he had one hanging around somewhere, he had used it countless times before but never found much need to carry it now, it wasn't like he ever had to remember a time to meet someone. Until now. He rushed down to the landing, pottering down the oak steps, holding the bannister as he sped into his living area and into the crafting room. Here he had piles of boxes, rows of chests and drawers filled with miscellaneous items he needed from time to time. Where would he even keep such a thing? he thought about it for a moment before realising he often didn't organise much in here anyway, so it's not like it fit into a category. He started opening every latch on the chests, barrels, boxes and draws and swinging open their lids and doors. Rummaging through every pointless possession he had from his countless journeys. Eventually, in the box filled with odd nicknacks, an eye of ender, an empty glass bottle, an old treasure map and under it all was the tattered and scratched clock, its glass cracked to the left of its circular clock face. He stared at it for a moment, almost needing how to remember how the thing worked. The small dials and arrows confused the still half asleep individual, he stared a moment longer before exclaiming in panic, it was not long until the hand struck the 2nd quarter. 

He paced himself upstairs back into his room, pulling the old and large nightshirt haphazardly off of his body, throwing it into the washbin next too the door. He swung open his large set of drawers, finding his clothes. he grabbed the blue shirt and pulled it over his scarred and unshaven torso, lunging arms as fast as he could into the sleeves of the thing, falling back onto the bed almost, he pulled up his casual and well-cut denim jeans, making sure the pockets weren't sticking out, he stumbled over to the small mirror on his desk. Looking into the musty glass (he remembered at this moment he had to clean it at some point) he saw the reflection of his swarthy skin and the thick beard on his face, he contemplated shaving but remembered he didn't have much time and didn't want to make Alex feel like this was anything more than a curious meeting. He caressed the hair on his face for a moment and grabbed his comb to tidy up his messy hair. It was coarse and dark and the light reflected on it with a sharp hazel glow. Harshly pulling the wooden tool into the front of his hair trying to calm it, he pulled his cheeks trying to check for any marks, it was then he realised how dirty his hands were. 

Steves's hands were shabby and timeworn, he often did hard manual labour and had to learn how to hold a sword of such size somehow. He turned and gazed at the dusted and wrinkly knuckles that belonged to him, and met his eyes with his right hand, which had an old bandage fitted around his palm and wrist so it bore less damage and he got less burn on that particular hand. It occurred to him he hadn't properly cleaned his hands or replaced the bandage in days. And head into the washroom to the right of his room to clean off before he left. Unravelling the bandage, it was dirty and mucky underneath. He dove his hands into the bucket of water and tried to scrub any dirt from under his nails as best he could. He found more bandage in the draw besides the bucket and wrapped his right hand up again before running out just in time he thought. Kissing Panda on the forehead goodbye and promising he would let her run outside later. As he approached the bottom of the stairs he locked eyes with the armour stand at the door, the hallway beaming with light reflecting off of its arctic blue shining form. He smirked before deciding he didn't need it and picking up his axe and leather strap, strapping the axe to his back and pulling the strap over one shoulder across his torso, he didn't wanna scare Alex right?

Swinging open the large oak doors by their iron handle, he breathed in the fresh and crisp air of the dreamy sunny morning, almost jogging with the clock in hand, trying to find a good pace to make it on time. After a few minutes, he could see the birch forest in the distance, beyond the plains and mounds. He smiled as he approached the thicket once again, now the environment radiated with serenity and bursting sunlight peered through the trees at him, he tried to remember exactly what spot the bridge had been at, aimlessly following the river and the sound of the water rushing until he spotted the structure through the bushes. 

Alex had sat expectantly for some time now, under the shade of the bridge on the luminous and clear day, the lamps had gone out on the bridge but they were not needed under this brilliant sun. He tampered with the unravelled wove of the basket he had brought, keeping it close to him while fidgeting with its worn and old handle. The stick basket held a bundle of goodies: sweet bread, cookies, a slice of pie for each of the boys, cut apples, and some various slices and cuts of pork. "That'll go off if he's not here soon" the individual revised to himself in a fussy tone. He pulled a small gold pocket watch from his pocket, swaying the small device to try and read the dial with the sun reflecting on the clean shimmering glass frame.  

"Alex!" Steve called from beyond some of the trees, Alex shut the golden watch surprised, and stood to greet the other man, brushing off the dust from his baggy trousers he greeted Steve with a  shy smile the stared at each other again for a moment, Steve saw that Alex did not look as nearly as dishevelled as the night before. His hair was tidy and in a soft plait on his right shoulder, fringe set to the side behind his ear in a tidy fashion, and the small fluff on his chin was now cleaned to an even stubble around his face. "Hi! sorry if I'm late, I don't usually use this clock, to be honest with you" Alex peered down to the messy, rough silver clock that steve held in his palm, scratched and cracked at the glass. 

"Maybe because it isn't saying the right time" he pointed timidly with a chuckle, "the hand isn't placed correctly, " he corrected the smaller but more robust man, Steves face flustered with a cherry-pink before huffing about some dodgy merchant, Alex smiled in comfort for the first time that morning, trying to contain a giggle under his grin, before sitting on the side of the bridge he came from, basket in front of him, Steve following the motion with an embarrassed shy smile.

Alex, not sure how to continue the interaction, simple opened the latch of the basket and began to take out the small cloth bundles filled with treats and food, Steve reminding himself at the sight of his low rumbling hunger earlier. 

"Wow shit, if I knew you were bringing stuff I would have brought you something nice" He peered as Alex silently handed him a cookie. 

"Don't worry about it, I had nothing to do all morning anyway" He peered up to meet eyes with Steve "do you want a sandwich? I've got pork".

"Yeah thanks, I, so you've never met another person right?"

"No, I haven't, well not like you, there are the villagers"

Steve piped up at this mention "Oh so you've been to a village? yeah, they're strange, no matter how hard I try I just can't understand completely? you know? It's like their language is off-limits to my brain"

"I lived in one all my life and still couldn't seem to understand entirely their language, but I guess it's impossible"

"You were raised in a village?" Alex perked his head up from cutting the bread, almost slicing such a horrendously uneven piece off right there with the dagger as Steve asked his question. "Well yeah?" he gave Steve an unsure look, "where else would I come from? A good 4 years at least. When I woke up, had no idea where I was, they had found me on the outskirts of the village and apparently, the golem carried me there. They looked after me as best as they could I suppose."

Steve bored his eyes into Alex a moment while trying to figure out what he had just said, "4 years..." he pondered "are you sure it was 4? I woke up in the woods I'd say closer to 5 years ago. I was like a newborn basically. I had no clue what I was, or who I was, I just remember waking up and wandering around. Eventually, I started to try and make tools to survive after nearly dying on the first night of my life." he chuckled at this as if it was some simple remark.

"You woke up in the forest? shit, I, I got it lucky then I guess. I guess it could have been 5 years, it was only till half a year later I started properly taking note of the days passing." he tried to remember as he passed the smaller man a pork sandwich. 

The two sat in silence for a moment as they took their first bite each, Steve ripped into the sandwich, clearly excited to shove the entire thing in his mouth, it seemed to Alex. Alex momentarily watched, before taking a small bite into his, uptight at the thought of eating in front of another person, but then again, judging by the way steve was eating he didn't seem to care who was looking, which definitely took some of the anxious weight off of Alex's shoulders. 

"So do you think," he swallowed "we might have woken up at the same time? and never have even known?"

"Well I think so" Steve expressed as best as he could with a full mouth, "we both said 4 or 5 years, and I've never met anyone else so I don't really have any experience about how people are made in this world"

"I can't believe I'm, not the only one" Alex raised his gaze longingly, suddenly the tension raised again as they were pulled back into the stark reality of this meeting, they were both meeting the only other person (as far as they knew) in the entire world that was like them. Steve finally gulped down his mouthful and gave Alex a pining look, that feeling of needing to hug Alex and tell him how glad he came to him, and the same feeling began to bubble inside of Alex too. Steve didn't hold down this feeling this time and smiled with such joy as he practically leapt over to Alex, holding him in an embrace. Alex squealed with such surprise it sent his face into a bundle of blushing nerves. And wearily returned the embrace and wrapped his spindly arms around the large and hardy man. 

The thinner man's mind raced with so many different bursts of thoughts. At every moment his brain was observing something else he loved about the man, something he had not entirely noticed before, the feeling of his skin, his weight, his presence, the way his hair was heavy and felt nice on his face, how his beard felt rough as it brushed against him. His face was soft, but his arms were heavy and blemished with age, it was textured, and he was quite fuzzy, arm hair bustling and his hands were worn and old, completely changed by labour, the way his large and burly figure wrapped around him like a ragdoll, he was large and muscular, but was tender in the way he moved. As Alec returned the embrace and wrapped his spindly arms around the sturdy torso of the shorter man. Steves hug grasped with such beaming joy as Alex wrapped into his cradle. He was soft and seemed to sink into Steves embrace, his face was blemished and his eyes held a wisened age Steve couldn't quite pinpoint. His expression was often cloudy and even if Steve couldn't see it, he could feel the lax and affectionate feelings radiate from Alex in his arms.  Alex was fragile, it felt weird to consider him in such a way, but he just felt fragile and tense for a moment too long before easing into the snuggling arms of Steve. Steves’s heart bustled as Alex tenderly nuzzled his head into the crook of Steves’s neck, almost in such a manner where he wanted it to go unnoticed. 

As the two parted, after a silent adoring moment in each other’s arms, Steve chuckled at the frays of Alex’s hair straying and floating in the dazed air surrounding them, he noticed his face was faint with pink but didn’t bring it up, he was more focused on chuckling at the sight of the messy nest of hair he had created. ‘it’s easy to ruin’ he thought, which led him onto considering how long Alex had spent neatly placing his hair just to see him. 

“What? What are you laughing at?” Alex exclaimed to the silent forest, he had turned his head with haste to compose himself for a moment. 

“Sorry,” Steve hollered, from what was previously light and a hearty chuckle. “Your hair is just so messy” He leaned over to flick the lock of auburn hair away from Alex’s eyes gingerly. 

Alex’s face hardened with a chill embarrassment. He was so jarred by the confidence of Steve, from the moment they met he had been the one to initiate any conversation or real interaction, if Steve had not been so casual about their first meet, he would have turned on his heel and ran with his tail between his legs, he was sure of it. But he hadn’t, he was sitting here now, blushing and trying to tame his hair while the burly figure chuckled and hollered at his expense in such a soft cheer it was rattling the mind of the introvert with such discord he could only sit there and stare for a moment. 

“Sorry for that” Steve realised the weight of the embarrassment, looking at his almost locked face for a moment longer, his giggle dying down into a concerned raise of eyebrows. “It’s just been a lot meeting you, It was instinct, if that, makes sense”. 

“No no no, I get it” Alex finally shook the introverted daze and responded, “It wasn’t bad just, unexpected.” 

“You don’t get a lot of company, do you?”

“Do either of us?”

Steve timidly smiled at the former again, “Well you don’t need me for the company do you? I visit villages a lot, merchants are commonly by my place; they’re always spotting the chimney smoke and the noise, and well, I have a dog too. I don’t like being alone too long, reminds me of when I first woke up.”

Alex’s mouth as he was listening turned up into a silent ‘o’ as Steve listed on. “ Ooooh, here’s the thing, I prefer to be alone, I don’t know, I guess it just worked out, like, I never thought anyone else but I existed anyway so, I feel pretty indifferent about it”.

“Well, have you ever thought if you’d like company? If you haven’t thought about it before.”

Alex pondered a moment genuinely before cheekily smiling at Steve “aw, you want my company that bad?” 

Now it was Steves turn to be stunned, Alex had just shot a sly remark his way, uncommon but hilarious. The two laughed together a moment. Softly smiling at each other and simply appreciating one another’s presence. The sky was bundling with clouds and the sun still shot through where it could with great luxury, but the heat started to dissipate into mild weather. The two sitting on the bridge, eating, talking about trivial things. Finally, after hours the cheery pair realised how dark it was getting, the clouds swelling and the sun finally retiring, dipping beneath the hills. Rain rapidly began to drip and pour. Steve and Alex scrambled to collect the picnic and put it in its basket as the water leaked and snuck through the gaps, slits and cracks of the thin wooden roof of the bridge. “God I’m a shit builder” Alex blurted, the static of the pouring rain interrupting him while trying to desperately cover his not-so-tidy hair. Steve finally finished lumping all of the remains of food into the woven basket, handing it to Alex as the snapping thunder began above them.

“This got messy quick” Steve shouted over the thunder

“You don’t say,” Alex took the basket in a firm grip, afraid it might slip out from under his grasp.

They looked into each other’s eyes for about the millionth time today, still in wonder, feeling like the void they had opened up wasn't nearly as satisfied as they had expected. Their fingers brustling against one another as Steve passed the basket to Alex's smooth and soft palms. The tight grip over it barely defines the cracks in his fingers and palms. 

“I’ll come to check in tomorrow?”

“Sure” they smiled.

Steve beamed as his beard began to deflate and his hair fell over his eyes. The rain showering over the man, with his top clinging to his skin, he turned with hesitance as they waved their goodbyes and he ran off with a fast pace, searching for refuge from the rain. Alex weakly grinned to himself as he ran through the trees, holding the basket over his head to keep it from wetting further. Finding himself on his damp and rainy porch, he didn’t bother to light the flame in the lantern and entered the squeaky spruce door.

[winterune]

Under the Sakura Bloom

A Persona 5 Fanfiction

Something I wrote for @shuannweek Day 3 prompt: Cherry Blossom/Rose

Word count: 2730

A/N: This is probably weird. I don’t know what I’m doing here. I liked the idea, but I’m not sure how it turned out. Not many shuann scenes, just a little at the end. Been sitting on this one for weeks now, but I decided to stop editing the heck out of it and just post it so I can move on from it ^^; Probably could’ve written this better. I may rewrite this in the future, if I’m not procrastinating too much

Also available on AO3. 

~*~*~*~*~

The door to the rooftop swung shut. His eyes lingered on it for a few more seconds, waiting to see if it would open again, but it didn’t, and Ryuji Sakamoto didn’t return. Ren sighed, leaning back against the stacks of unused tables abandoned on the school’s roof and stared up at the deep orange sky. But the glass and concrete obstructed his view and the comfort it had always managed to give him was nowhere to be seen. Ren’s lips pressed into a frown.

Back home, he could look at it as far as the eye could see.

Back home...

He caught himself, his heart clenching tight at the thought of his home. They got rid of you for being a pain in the ass, Sojiro had said, and maybe he was right. Ren could imagine the look his guardian would make and the deep scowl he would find on that solemn face. His homeroom teacher had said that Sojiro had sounded angry when she called him. Of course he would be. Not even a day went by and Ren was already making trouble for himself.

Silent glances and hushed whispers from the moment he stepped inside the school.

I heard you got a criminal record, Ryuji had said. Everyone’s talking about it.

Ren scoffed.

Of course they would have known. Of course rumors would have started. What did he expect—that the situation here might be different from how it had been at home?

The judging stares and the silent treatment, culminating in his expulsion from school. As though he had always been the delinquent problem child the indictment made him out to be.

Ren fisted his hands on his sides. A pain in the ass, indeed.

Far above him, a bird black against the sky flew, its wings flapping strongly against the gust of wind. He expected to hear a chirp or a squawk, like how he would hear the birds did at home.

Home, huh?

LeBlanc was his home now. The cluttered, dusty attic was his room. It felt weird to say that he was going home but it wouldn’t be to his house. He wouldn’t find his mother waiting for him, or his father with his cold, calculating stare.

Overhead, the bird zoomed silently past without so much as a glance toward him. It would have been nice if he had wings like those.

***

Ren stared at the ground, at the concrete pavement beneath his feet and his shadow stretching in front of him. The sun hot on his back, he took one step in front of the other, hands in his pockets, his bag slung over one shoulder. After all that had happened, he didn’t feel comfortable looking at the people around him. The bangs of his hair made it possible to hide his eyes and if he made himself small enough, insignificant enough, no one would notice him. Right?

But even as he wandered through the not-so-crowded sidewalk, expertly dodging the people going to-and-fro, someone still managed to bump into his shoulder, hard, and it made him stop.

“Watch where you’re going, kid!” the man snapped—a thirty-some-year-old, dressed in a sweatshirt and baggy old pants. Ren almost muttered an apology, but the alcohol scent made him pause and he glanced at the man over the rim of his glasses.

The man’s face was red, and he was slightly unbalanced on his feet. Still, he seemed sober enough to make eye contact with Ren and the glare the man sent him was enough to make any other person freeze.

Drinking in daylight, huh, Ren scoffed.

He would have forgiven him, would have ducked his head and walked away, had the man not come quick and grabbed the lapels of his uniform, pulling it taut. “Did you just laugh at me?!”

He was too loud; some of the people around them had stopped to look. Ren scowled, meeting the man’s glare with one of his own. “Get your hands off me,” he muttered.

The man paused, followed by a sneer. “Cheeky brat,” he seethed, tightening his grip on Ren. “Aren’t you supposed to apologize when you did some wrong?” Ren gritted his teeth but refrained from rolling his eyes. “Didn’t your mother teach you some manners?”

Didn’t your mother teach you?

Ren was tempted to talk back, to lash out and fight, because it had been his fault for bumping into Ren. But the stares and whispers from the people around them made him stop and Ren noticed the two policemen patrolling the street. They hadn’t seen them yet, but they would, if Ren drew this out longer than needed be. With that thought firmly lodging itself in his mind, he slowly felt his anger draining out, and he hung limp from the man’s hold.

It wasn’t worth it. It wasn’t worth picking a fight with a random drunk. It wasn’t worth coming to the police station and having Sojiro come to pick him up. It wasn’t worth being pulled out from his probation only to be sent to juvie for some stupid mishap after only one day.

Ren looked down at the ground and quietly bobbed his head with a mutter of an apology. He felt the man’s stare for a few more moments, before the man let him go and shoved him aside. “Kids these days,” the man muttered under his breath. Ren heard a disdainful sniff and a scoff before the man turned on his heels and went on his way.

He lifted his head and stared hard at that retreating back as it slowly disappeared into the crowd. But the whispers pulled his attention back to the present and, noticing their scorn, Ren wished he’d worn a jacket with a hood on to escape them. Of course, everything would be the kid’s fault for getting in the adults’ way.

He quickly ducked his head and continued on his way to the subway.

***

Rebel’s soul.

Ren was about to turn around a corner when a deep familiar voice made him pause. He looked around, but no one seemed to be talking to him.

I am the rebel’s soul that resides within you.

It took a moment to realize that the voice was in his head—the voice he had heard in that castle, rising to the surface from the back of his mind. The conversation he had had with Ryuji on the rooftop came back to him. The castle, the monsters, and…his teacher, dressed in nothing but his underwear and a long furry red cape like something that came out of a comic book or video game. Ryuji had tried to convince himself that it was only a dream, but was it really?

Ren reached up to a sore spot on his temple. It still smarted from the hit he had taken by one of those armored guards. There was that weird cat, too, talking and walking on two legs.

And then…Persona, was it?

Ren took his hand out of his pocket and stared at his palm, clenching and unclenching it slowly. There had been a dagger there. He remembered the feel of the leather hilt, the fluid movement his body had made.

Arsene.

It had been a brief moment, but a surge of power he had never known before had coursed through his body. It had made him feel as though nothing was impossible. As though for once, he could actually help someone.

“Persona, huh?” Ren murmured, curling his fingers into a fist.

A sudden strong gust of wind broke through his reverie, flapping his hair and clothes. It moved upward, and as Ren shielded his eyes, a sweet scent he hadn’t noticed before teased his senses. Ren looked up and caught his breath in his throat. Sakura trees lined the street, their long branches spreading far and high, creating an arching canopy over the entire length of the street, making it seem as though he was inside a tunnel of cherry blossoms.

He didn’t remember this street. Had he made a wrong turn somewhere? But even as a part of him was telling him that he shouldn’t dally any longer, Ren was rooted to the spot, his gaze entranced by the dancing pink flowers on the wind. Countless petals had broken free from their branches and Ren watched as they slowly rained down all around him.

Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t taken the time to stop and see them this year—the flower-viewing festival. A stray petal fell into his line of sight and Ren caught it in his palm. Fragile; transient; these flowers never lasted long, yet when they bloomed, they always looked so grand and spectacular.

His lips parted into a small smile.

Maybe he would keep it and press it as a memento of his first day at school.

Putting the sakura petal in his pocket, Ren was about to turn around and leave when a figure a few ways ahead of him caught his attention. She was standing straight, looking up at the trees, her face in profile. There was no mistaking it—that twin-tailed blonde hair. Not when he had been sitting behind her all throughout the rest of their class. Not when she had made such an impression on him that morning when they were taking shelter from the rain.

And just like that morning, time seemed to stop.

Takamaki, was it? He thought he had heard the girls whisper that name.

Sakura petals rained down all around her, but she didn’t seem to notice them. Her lips were drawn, and her jaw was set, her eyes hard as they stared up at the flowers above her. She had that faraway look, as though she wasn’t seeing what was in front of her at all.

Ren found himself wondering what her eyes perceived that he could not—what thoughts occupied her head, what sorts of feelings resided in her heart. A facade. That was what it looked like. A deep-seated pain hiding behind that brave face. It was a feeling he knew all too well.

As though noticing someone watching her, Takamaki looked his way and their eyes met. A second seemed to last an eternity and the momentary surprise he caught on her face was quickly replaced by a frown. Not so much as an exchange of greeting. Ren watched her turn on her heels and walk away.

There was an urge to follow her, and talk to her, and listen to her. But Ren’s feet would not move and as he stared at her receding back, he wished for that power to help right then and there.

~*~

“Hm? What’s this?”

Ann had come to LeBlanc to hang out with him in his room. They had borrowed an action-clip movie from the rental shop in Shibuya and had just finished watching it. She was supposed to go home, and Ren was supposed to take her to the station, but the heavy clouds that had gathered since early in the day finally broke and rain was pouring fast and hard, like a thick silver sheet, pounding against rooftops and pavements. His attic window would rattle once in a while from the storm raging outside.

Ren was lying on his bed, scrolling through his phone, when Ann picked up a notebook while scouring his shelf. A plain brown notebook he had gotten from Sojiro, and Ann had opened it to the very first page. A single flower petal lay there, the color a faded pink, pressed flat.

Heat spread up his face so fast as an internal alarm glared bright red in his head. “That’s—”

“I didn’t know you press flowers, Ren,” she was saying, but Ren had leaped from his bed and snatched the book from her hands, closing it shut and hiding it behind his back.

In the span of a moment, Ann’s look of surprise quickly turned to confusion and then to curiosity. She grinned, her hand darting behind him, trying to take the book back, but Ren was faster, and he immediately held it high out of her reach.

“Oh, come on! You’re making me curious.”

“It’s nothing,” Ren dodged her question.

“If it’s nothing, then you can at least let me see it.”

“It’s just a flower,” he tried to say.

“Right. So what’s the big deal?” Ann asked, standing back with hands on her hips. “It’s not like it’s a memento of a first love or something, right?”

A joke. That was a joke, and Ren knew that, but that hit too close to home that Ren instinctively looked away. He immediately regretted that decision when he noticed the shock registering on her face. “It is?”

“No, wait, Ann, that’s not—”

The deep scowl on her face was enough to tell him just how annoyed she was. Of course she would be upset. She was his girlfriend and yet he just told her that he had kept something to remember his first love—which wasn't entirely wrong either, because that first love was…

Ren looked away. “It’s not what you think,” he muttered.

“Yeah?” Arms crossed, the hard stare she was giving him was unforgiving.

“It’s just…I mean—” Ren fidgeted. Did he really have to tell her about it?

Ren met her glaring eyes, gulping nervously at the decision he was making. He slowly brought the book down. “It’s the journal Sojiro gave me,” he muttered. “For my probation.”

Now that he thought about it, why the hell did he even stick the flower in a book he would have to return to Sojiro someday? He hadn’t written any embarrassing passages in it, right? That would have been the stupidest thing he had ever done.

Ren held his breath and opened the book to the very first page. The pressed sakura petal lay there. Other than that, it was devoid of any weird scribble—thank God! Just a date at the top and a short description:

Monday, April 11th, first day of school. An accident made me late. Got scolded by the homeroom teacher and Sojiro. But I saw the sakura, so that’s something.

So much had happened that day, and judging from the barely legible writing, he had probably been too tired to write a proper entry. Not that he could say anything about the Palace he had accidentally gotten in with Ryuji. But…he silently patted himself on the back for not talking about how Ann Takamaki had occupied most of his thoughts for the rest of that day.

“First day of school?” Ann read the entry. She looked up at him with a frown. “Hey, you said it was your first love!”

He never actually said it, but—

“You sound disappointed,” he said.

A pause, and Ren saw her cheeks turning pink. She cleared her throat and looked away, suddenly finding interest in another book on the shelf. Ren stared at her back and when the thought slipped into his mind, he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“Were you hoping it’d be you?”

Ann’s hand, which was poised to grab one of the books from its place, stilled. Ren could almost hear her words before she even said them herself: “So what if I was?”

He snorted a laugh before he could stop himself, making Ann whip her head at him with a pout and a glare. “Sorry, sorry, it’s just…” his voice trailed off.

Just like how the sky had been a balm to his wounds, looking at the sakura petal in his journal would soothe his mind, when too many things were going on in his life and too many thoughts occupied his head. Because it reminded him of that moment—that brief encounter under the sakura bloom, when a new resolution formed in his heart. Ren doubted Ann remembered it. She would probably never know how seeing her there had made a difference in his life.

He looked at the journal, then held it out to her. “Do you wanna read it?”

Ann looked up at him, eyes widening in surprise. “What? Really?”

Ren nodded, feeling his face split into a grin. “A warning, though—it’s boring, since I keep most of our phantom thieving out of it.

That elicited a sweet laughter from her. “Well, I’d still be interested with or without the phantom thieving.”

~ END ~

[howdoib]

Ectober Day 1: Shatter

This is a day late. Gonna have some misgendering, angst, and a bit of pain here; read at your own risk. I'm sorry humans.

Math class was boring. Obviously it was nice that he could get halfway through the class without being pulled away but what did it matter if everything seemed to be in a code he never had a chance to learn. This is ok he asserted, his jaw set solid, I have a teacher here to help me. His hand darted through the air, pushing past his own hesitance and reaching for the skies. 

And the teacher paused. She sighed.

"No Danny, you may not go to the restroom." Her tired voice heavy laden with surrender as she turned back to writing notes on the board. 

Danny's mouth opened, silently writhing in contrition and his hand slowly plummeted back down to earth. That's not the right response! A couple of kids laughed, turning to chatter slightly. His mouth closed. No! I want to, I need to be able to do this.

"Actually miss," Absently his hand rubbed his neck, "I was wondering if you could explain this?"

"I explained them yesterday. The day you missed." Her voice quivering with irritation, "Maybe if you showed up to class you wouldn't be so confused."

The class erupted into oohs and chuckles as she turned yet again to the board. Danny slumped further in his chair. This doesn't make any sense tough! I can't- I can't do this. They won't help me. His shoulders squared again.

"I'm glad you taught it yesterday," he shot back, his voice only slightly quavering "But I was hoping I could learn what it meant today?"

She started laughing, her face twisting slightly. "No I don't think you will. I really don't. You're never even here, you've breached the point where coming to school is even worth it. I'm not going to stall an entire lesson just because you like skipping class."

Once more the class exploded in on itself. Everyone was laughing, joking, chattering back and forth. Danny's heart skipped a beat abd his mouth opened again. This isn't a fight; she's on my side. Yet it didn't feel like it. It didn't feel like it at all. His shoulders sagged downwards and his head bowed down towards the desk. He could feel eyes focusing on him. Everything felt like it was imploding, the air biting him and his own body crushing his heart, his lungs. Why am I even here? Shivers breached his spine and a ghostly plume breached his mouth. 

He raised his hand again.

In the most defeated voice she replied. "What Danny."

His voice shook. "May I go to the restroom?"

"If you leave I'm calling security." Without even turning from the board.

His legs slowly slid around and he stood up, bag in hand. Giggles bred themselves into gossip as he walked silently to the front. The teacher didn't even turn. And, his throat bobbing and choking, he marched out the door. 

He stood there in the silent halls for a moment feet heavy and oh-so light in their numbness. Until without feeling, he made his way to the restroom to change. The halls were so quiet and empty feeling with only the occasional lonely student or patrolling teacher. 

"Where do you think you're going?" 

The chill of the halls became a burning inferno.

"To the bathroom." He said.

Without even turning he already knew it was George, the oldest and by far most lenient and friendly security guard. Danny heard him sigh. George was surely very disappointed; after all, everyone has their limits. Please just let me get past just this once. Just once. 

George sighed. "You and I both know that's not what's happening here kid." Danny didn't need to turn to see the reluctance in his face.

"Why don't we head up to the security office and talk about it?" 

Danny really really truly did not want that at all. What he wanted was to fight this ghost as fast as he could and not miss another class. To finally get everything under control. But he turned anyways; the old guard's face looked grieved, like he was hoping that this kid would take this treasured olive branch. Like this was his last chance on a chain of many before.

"Ok." 

George turned away, no longer facing him, beckoning for Danny to follow. His sense went off again, more insistent. His ears twitched at sounds just barely in range of hearing. It sounded like screams. George wasn't looking. He had to do this. Someone could be hurt. With his heart twisting in his chest and his stomach weighed down with rocks he let himself fade away.

The sky was clear and cold when he broke through the building. It bit his face. His head head felt on fire. Someone was in danger he had to-has to help. Sharp dust hit his face and stray wind streamed through his nose as he dove forward. 

His ears pounded and head burned. Green. There was green! He slid to a halt. It was Spectra. Fuck. This is just fucking fantastic.

"Spectra!" His voice rose a sarcastic octave- hand reaching to his mouth in fake shock "How are you??! Oh My God have I missed you."

Sharp claws thunked behind him.

"Wow it looks like you missed me too." The witty tone cracked halfway through and his eyes didn't quite crinkle as he smiled; he locked eyes with Spectra- daring her to point it out.

That was a mistake. He was slammed against the pavement as Bertrand with his black tail lashing pounced him. A claw went through his wrist. It burned.

"... Bertrand…" he gritted out "I guess everyone does want to be a cat."

There was no reaction.

"... Pickin up on that feline craze…?"

His voice seemed too high. "Cause a cat's the o-"

He gasped out. His side was bleeding.

"Ah yes, very witty remarks. I wonder if you feel quite so strong as you seem. " Spectra purred. Her rasping voice taunted his ears, her shadowy form curling about like a cloud of biting acid.

He felt his lip tremble. The pit in his stomach seemed deeper. I can't let her- She'll know. She always has. I just- What beat her through your obviously superior skill? Run away? Invisible and untouchable? I just-

"A cat got your tongue? No sharp retort?" Her voice lowed "I would've thought you'd fight harder-"

"... Technically a cat doesn't have my tongue.." Danny gasped out. Chest heaving and arms straining as he squirmed to get away from Bertrand.

"Perhaps that could be arranged. Where would you be after that little ghost child? Pray tell just what good are you then? A silent hero?" She cooed, "The town's great protector?" Her grin widened, laughing, mocking, "You can't even protect yourself."

"I can!" His voice shot back desperately.

"Really?" She tutted. "Do it now!?" Her eyes wide in false amazement. 

Danny struggled against the claws. His stomach spun. The air was choking him. They were laughing.

He opened his mouth. He didn't have anything to say. The pit in his stomach twisted. His eyes were stinging. No she's- She was right. There's no proof of that. Isn't there? Right now. No, jaw clenching and teeth grinding, people needed him.

His arms strained once more against Bertrand. The claw sunk deeper. Everything froze. 

"I was wondering," her voice set in mockong curiosity, "How exactly this heroing thing has turned out for you. Have people managed to forgive your…" her eyes glanced across him, nose wrinkling in disgust "... Flaws."

His face froze. "I don't know what your talking about."

"Oh of course, of course," dramatically swooping her voice, her laughing voice. "What flaws could you possibly have?"

Danny felt his gut drop. She knows. His stomach twisted tighter. Arms shook. I-

"Is it that you're not a boy? Not a ghost either. Certainly oh certainly not a boy. "Isn't that right Desmonda?" She gasped, drawing her hand to her mouth.

Then pit in his stomach shattered. His breathe drew clear again. Air rushed past his nose. He was laughing now.

"You.." Turning intangible he pushed himself through the pavement, beneath and away from the sharpened claws, "Didn't even get my deadname right!"

And with that he brought up the thermos, silencing her and Bertrand for about… Well, however long until he emptied the thermos. Maybe I should just leave them there forever. 

He flew back to the school. The security guard would be mad, he knew. There was another detention in his future. Tomorrow he might secure his binder too tight and just maybe cry in the mirror. But for now. The lunch bell had just rang and He needed to tell Tucker and Sam about how Spectra said the dumbest shit ever. The next? It could wait. Just for a bit.

[kldubois]

Lessons in Looking 11/?

Title: A Chilly Dip

Words: 1439

TW: child in peril

The cold is the first thing she feels when she hits the water and for a second it stops her. She can’t think, can’t move, doesn’t want to because the water saps her strength, bites through the skin. But then she remembers why she’s jumped in: a young boy, maybe seven or eight fell in and couldn’t swim against the current. Marla was there with her, so was Nate, but he was in the middle of explaining something about his research and Evie reacted quicker. It must be her training with Chuck. That training doesn’t help much in the water, though. It’s a few seconds of thinking to keep pushing herself forward until the adrenaline kicks in and she swims without thought of the cold and rushing water.

The boy fights her when she grabs hold of him. He kicks her in the chest and she chokes on water as she gasps for air. When she grabs for him again, she catches him so that his back is against her chest. It makes breathing harder and without her arms, she has to kick more with her feet to keep their combined weight afloat. He kicks and flails his arms, catching her, scratching and bruising where he hits.

She has to get back. They’re already floating further downstream, the rushing water pushing them quickly. Before joining the company and training with Chuck, she wasn’t very strong. She might’ve been able to do a few push-ups and perhaps half a pull-up but now she has more upper body strength; Chuck wrote her up a strict regimen.

Evie shifts the boy in her arms; his kicking and arms flailing is slowing, which means that she can’t dally in working to get them out of the water. With one arm secure around his chest, she uses the other to swim back to shore, kicking with as much strength as she has. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Marla and Nate and some other people that might be police and paramedics. She keeps their shoes in her line of sight, swimming against the current to reach them.

Halfway there, her muscles are burning. Every stroke brings her just a little closer, but it still seems so far away and it takes so long for just this short bit. She thinks she doesn’t have the energy to keep going forward. But then she hears, faintly, her friends calling to her, encouraging her to keep moving and she feels how limp the boy has gotten. Has he lost consciousness? Is he still breathing? Is he even alive? She has to get him to safety. She has to keep going.

So, she does. She forces her burning muscles and her cold body to move, to keep kicking and swimming towards the edge where her friends and safety are.

When she gets there, fighting the current with a grip on a branch, she works to hand off the boy, who is indeed unconscious, which makes grabbing hold of him difficult, especially in the wet clothes that weigh him down. Once the boy is secure, one of the police officers reaches out to grab hold of her, grasping at her wrist when she finds herself taken away by a sudden burst of water.

Taken by surprise and overcome with exhaustion, Evie finds herself tumbling in the water. She goes under often despite kicking and flailing to reach the surface. Quickly, she doesn’t know which way is up and stops the effort of swimming to anything in the hopes that her body will naturally rise to the surface. Besides, she wants to conserve the energy she has for when the current isn’t so strong. In the meantime, the water knocks her into rocks and branches, scratching and bruising her as she struggles to catch her breath in the chaotic movement.

As sudden as it starts, it seems, it’s over when she’s slammed against a large branch that’s fallen into the river, the top ending about halfway across. It takes what little air was in her lungs out. Her back ignites in pain and her vision goes black when her head smacks the branch. Faintly, she hears yelling but she can do nothing about it, reeling from the hit as she is. Cold and hurting, taking her next breath, forcing her lungs to expand and her mouth to gasp for air, is hard enough, taking all of her concentration. She doesn’t see the man sitting preciously above her under he’s reaching to tie a rope around her waist. It’s awkward and she tries to help but she’s more a hindrance. He gets the rope secured around her, the tightness digging into her already aching chest. Then she’s being pulled, against the current.

At this point, she doesn’t feel the water or the cold. She doesn’t even quite realize that she’s being dragged out of the water until she is. Then it’s a flurry of activity as she coughs and tries to catch her breath. She’s quickly stripped of her outer layers, down to her underwear and wrapped in a thick blanket. One of them carries her to the back of an ambulance where Marla and Nate just manage to jump in before the doors close to keep the cold and wind out. There, the paramedic puts a pulse ox meter on her finger, checks her pulse, and puts a nasal cannula on her to ease her breathing.

She hisses as the paramedic prods her chest and back. He pushes too hard on one developing bruise and Evie starts, pulling away as she curls on her side.

“St…st’p,” she mutters.

“I have to make sure there’s no serious injuries, ma’am,” the paramedic says.

“N… not. F… fine.”

“No, you’re not,” Nate says. “You’ve got some bad cuts and scrapes, not to mention the bruising that looks like it’s starting to develop.”

“H…had to do… it.”

“Of course you did,” Marla says with surprising gentleness given the situation. “Now, would you be a good girl for me and let the paramedic take a look at you. You’ve probably broken something.”

“Though’ ‘bou’ it. H… had to do it.” Evie’s voice is weak with exhaustion and pain.

“I know and right now, you need to let the paramedics get a look at you. I’m not upset.”

“Not m… mad?” At the surprise in Evie’s voice, Marla wonders if she gets too mad, too often to make her friend fear her anger about injuries.

“No, but you do need to get looked at. You’ve got some bad bruises. There might be some broken bones, too. Okay?”

“Okay.” Evie nods and gently turns onto her back so the paramedic can resume his examination. It hurts despite his attempts to be careful. There’s bruising on her back and abdomen as well as cuts and scrapes on every bit of exposed skin. Wrapped in the blanket, she’s a little warmer, but the chill is still present.

“Alright, I’m going to secure you so we can take off. Your body temp is a bit low and with all of your coughing as the bruising, the doctors in the ER are going to want to get a closer look to make sure that you’re okay,” the paramedic says. “You two coming along?” He looks to Marla and Nate.

“Can we,” Nate asks at the same time that Marla says, “Yes.”

“Yes, you can. Just make sure that you stay out of the way.”

“Will do,” Nate says. The paramedic starts securing Evie to the gurney, though she doesn’t notice much having been hit with another coughing fit. By the time they’re taking off, the fit is over and she’s exhausted. The chills and coughing are taking what little energy she had. Marla sees her misery and pulls up the blanket while the paramedic is recording some notes.

“You’ll be fine,” Marla says quietly, brushing some stray hairs off of Evie’s face.

“C…cold.” Evie wants to get back on her side, but the straps have her secured on her back.

“Do you have another blanket,” Marla asks the paramedic. He glances at Evie quickly and then turns to pull a blanket from one of the cabinets.

“This one is heated, but I’m only putting it on a low setting. Warming you up too quickly could be dangerous.” He unfolds the blanket and messes with a switch before replacing her old blanket with this one. Immediately, she feels the warmth and lets out a small moan of content. Marla chuckles lightly at the sight and settles back on the bench next to Nate for the rest of the ride.

[scottishhellhound]

Saturday morning found Aislinn pounding on the front door of Drake’s home. It was a large solid oak affair, framed by two thin, fogged glass windows. She peered into one, willing the window clear so she could see inside, not that it did, but she could hope. Her incessant pounding produced no answer. There was no movement in the house at all. Not even Drake’s ‘guardians’ seemed to be home, which was the most troubling part. Ash and Willow never left home. Not wanting to stray far from their garden.

A conversation she had had with James at school a few days prior had eased her fears at the time, but she was kicking herself for not checking on her friend sooner. James had mentioned seeing their fight in the hall, and had suggested that maybe Drake was still cross with her or he was sick. She’d accepted the first suggestion, and ignored the second, since Drake never got sick. It also wouldn’t be the first time she and Drake had gone a few days without speaking to one another after an argument.

Now though, seeing the house so empty and still, brought back the initial worry she had had tenfold.

Aislinn was supposed to be meeting James and Diana at Diana’s house, to work on a project for Science. She had called before leaving her house, letting them know that she had wanted to stop by Drake’s first, to see if he was all right. So she had a few moments to take a look around. See what she could see.

After waiting a few more moments with still no answer to her knocking, Aislinn turned from the door and jumped off the porch. Her blue backpack thumping against her back. She spun back around to look up at the house, lush green grass soft under her shoed feet. Drake’s home was two stories high, done in brick along the bottom two feet of the house, and white stucco everywhere else. There was one large bay window in front, closed off by curtains, that she knew was the living room. Further down from those were two smaller windows which belonged to two of the four bedrooms. Their curtains were also drawn. Another concern.

Aislinn glanced up and down the street, ensuring the coast was clear before moving back toward the front door. She crouched down, so she was eye level with the lock, and taking another quick look, brought her hand up and placed it flat against the lock. A moment of concentration, then a flash of light and a sharp crack of electricity. Lightning jumped from her palm to the lock, blasting it apart.

The heavy door swung inwards on silent, well-oiled hinges, revealing a dark and empty living room. No signs of life. Just silence. Like a graveyard after twilight.

[[MORE]]

She stood and walked through the door, feet quiet and hands loose at her side. There was a thin layer of undisturbed dust on every visible surface and object in the house, and Aislinn dragged her finger along a table as she passed by. 'No one's been here for at least a week!'

A quick walk through of both levels of the house confirmed her fear. Dust everywhere, beds not slept in in days, house clean, but unlived in. The eerie quiet of the house made the hairs along Aislinn’s arms and neck stand on end. She moved through the house as quick as she dared. Checking every room for any signs of what might have happened to the homes occupants.

Finding nothing inside, she made her way to the back yard, to see if she could find any clues there. As she pushed open the back door, green eyes widened in horror as she took in the once immaculate garden.

'Great Mother Gaia... what in Olympus' name happened here?'

Deep, thin furrows trenched the ground, as if slashed by a blade, and several scorch and burn marks marred the lush garden. Splashes of silver blood on green leaves and colourful petals drew her eye around the decimated yard.

But most damning of all, were the two empty mounds of soil, at opposite sides of the garden, where two trees once stood tall and proud.

An ash and a willow tree.

'Shitshitshitshit!'

She ran back into the house, making for the front door.

The missing trees at least meant that Ash and Willow were still alive. j

Just no longer here.

The damage to the back yard indicated a fight, which going by his absence, Drake had very obviously lost. As she walked through the house, her mind racing with worry for her friend, she took another quick look at everything, making sure she hadn’t missed a vital clue.

She'd need any detail, no matter how trivial, if it came to calling her father. She hoped that it wouldn't have to go further than her next step.

She came to a sudden halt as she stepped back onto Drake’s front porch, forgetting to close the door, as she was thrown right back to Monday morning.

The once lush green neighbourhood was now dead and gray. Ground dried and cracked, as if it had faced a ten year drought. Trees like skeletons, white and dead, lined the street. No leaves graced their branches, and none littered the ground. It was as if they had never existed to begin with.

Her eyes widened further, as in the distance she could see a thick, miasmic fog rolling in, covering the street. It engulfed cars and hid the ground from sight, as if it were a living, breathing entity, intent in swallowing the world whole.

She reached into her back pocket and pulled out her phone, flipping it open and hitting the number ‘1’, before bringing the phone to her ear. It rang twice before someone picked up the other end.

“Hello?”

Aislinn sighed in relief as her mother’s voice drifted over the phone. Tone soft, but Irish accent much thicker than Aislinn’s own.

“Mum, I need you t’do me a favour.” Aislinn’s voice was tight with concealed panic. A fact that her mother picked up on.

“Is everything okay sweetheart?”

“I don’t know yet, I’m goin’ to try and find out. I need you and Mark to stay inside today.” She begged, her voice hitched and panicked. “Lock the doors, close the curtains, and don’t go anywhere ‘til I call you back and give you the all-clear. Okay?”

“Aislinn, what’s going –”

“Please mum! I need you to do this for me.” Fear had her voice cracking, and she had to fight to keep the lightning gathered in her opposite hand from arching across and destroying her phone.

Her mother’s voice cut across the phone, quiet and soothing. A mother calming her child from a nightmare. “Okay sweetie. Call me soon to let me know you’re okay? I love you.”

Aislinn heaved a sigh of relief, not for the first time thankful that her mother was so understanding, and accepting, of her rather unorthodox heritage. “Thank you. I’ll call you back soon. Love you too.”

She flipped her phone shut and slipped it back into her pocket, quickly getting back to her original plan.

Aislinn stepped off the porch and into the fog that was now swirling around her knees, covering the street in a blanket of dismal gray, dampening all sound. She took careful steps on what used to be Drake’s front lawn, skimming her feet across the dirt, seeking out soft ground. Something she could draw in.

She rubbed her laurel wreath and winged pendant again as she searched, hoping to find what she sought. She needed answers.

Fast.

Hermes was her best shot. He knew everything there was to know about anything.

Aislinn stumbled when her foot went from hard, unforgiving stone, to a softer almost clay like surface. Smiling in victory she reached up to the tree she had stopped next to and snapped off a branch.

Crouching down next to the tree, hand feeling along the ground, she cleared a patch of the soft clay, big enough for the image she needed to draw. The butchered Caduceus symbol, while messy would serve its purpose. She pulled her back pack off and ripped the zipper open. Yelping when the skin of her finger caught on the teeth in her haste, blood welling along the wound. Sticking the digit in her mouth, she searched with the opposite hand, crowing triumph when she found what she was looking for.

She removed her hand, a bottle of bright blue sport drink clenched in it. Biting the lid with her teeth, she pulled it open, and turned back to her drawing. Holding the bottle above it, she squeezed out as much as she could. It wasn’t the greatest offering, but it would do. She dropped the now half empty bottle back into her bag and closed her eyes.

“Swift-footed Hermes, son of thundering Zeus, and Maia, daughter of Atlas. Your sister calls now for your aid.” She shook her head as she stood, hating the formalities. She took a steadying breath before continuing. “Hermes, Adelphos, please. I need your help, I don’t know what’s goin’ on. Drakon is missin’. I haven’t heard from him in days. His backyard looks like a war-zone. I am freaking out here!”

Silence followed her words. No leaves shaking in the wind. No bird song flitting through the air.

No cars.

No sounds.

No life.

Aislinn’s hand opened and closed, as if seeking something to hold for reassurance, the silence pressing on her like a physical weight. Her breath started coming shorter and shorter, panting as she tried to fight back the overwhelming fear she could feel creeping up her spine. A skeletal hand dancing along her skin.

Before the silence could press in on her further, she heard a soft sound approaching where she stood. The sound growing louder as it came closer.

She crouched a little into the mist, hiding her hands, and the lightning she gathered there, below the thick, swirling grey fog.

The sound of wing beats filled her ears and she sighed in relief, rolling her shoulders, shedding the feeling of dread from her skin like a cloak. The lightning vanished from her hands, and she stood straight and tall, turning to smile at the approaching god.

Hermes – god of thieves, merchants, and travellers – landed with a silent grace and a teasing grin, golden-brown eyes dancing with merriment.

“Thank fuck!” She threw grateful arms around Hermes shoulders, hiding her face in his neck briefly, taking a moment to centre herself. Strong arms wrapped around her, helping to calm her racing heartbeat, and still her mind.

Though not as panicked as she had been, her words still came out in a tumble. “Hermes, the world’s gone crazy. I don’t know what’s goin’ on. Drake’s missin’. Ash and Willow too. There was some kinda fight –”

Hermes placed his hands on Aislinn’s slim shoulders, stopping her mid-sentence, pushing her back a step so he could see her better. “Easy, Aislinn. Take a breath, and start from the beginning. Starting with why you’re in the Underworld unaccompanied.”

Aislinn blinked up at her taller brother. “Why I’m what? The Underworld? Hermes, I’m not in the Underworld.” She shrugged his hands off and gestured around them. “I’m in- we’re in the Upper Realm.”

Hermes raised one eyebrow at her, casting a quick look around them. “Fog, petrified trees, the chilling damp of an abandoned grave-yard? Sure seems like the Underworld to me.” He placed his hands on his hips, head tilting to the side as he watched Aislinn’s mouth drop open in disbelief.

Aislinn tugged on her hair, pulling the red strands taut, as she counted backwards from ten. First in Latin.

Then Russian.

It only helped a little.

“Why,” her words were slow and careful, as if explaining something to a small child. “Would I call you, of all people, to the Underworld for help, when I’m usually down here visitin’ those who have the power to do somethin’ in that realm? Just think about that for one second, Hermes. Go on. I’ll wait.” She crossed her arms across her chest and tapped one foot in her annoyance.

The god glared at the shorter demi-goddess, warm honey coloured eyes flashing a deep, harsh gold for half a moment. “Watch your tone with me, girl. I’m a brother that loves you, but don’t let that fact let you believe I’ll let slights slide.”

“Come on, Hermes! When have I ever called you in a panic? Look around you.” She gestured at the area they were standing in. The petrified trees, the desolate ground that was scarcely visible through the soup like fog. She grabbed the god’s shoulders and turned him around, so he was now facing the house that had been at his back. “This is Drake’s fuckin’ front yard. In the UPPER realm!”

Hermes paused, taking the time to look at his surroundings with more scrutiny. He turned a slow circle, taking everything in. “What in Kronos’ name…” Wide eyes landed on Aislinn after completing his inspection.

“You think this is bad, this isn’t even the real reason I called you. Check out the back yard. I’ll wait here.”

Hermes raised a hand and a portal of black nothingness swirled into existence. Staying inky and black until it solidified. Aislinn watched as Drake’s back yard came in to view on the other side of the portal. Hermes stepped through, eyes already going wide as the Door swirled closed behind him.

Aislinn took a moment to breathe, letting her eyes close and her chin drop to her chest. Relieved that she might have reliable, divine help. She didn’t have to deal with this alone. A part of her wished she didn’t have to deal with it at all.

When she opened her eyes, she had to blink several times to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. The fog was dissipating, the ground beneath her feet becoming more visible by the second, and grass returning, shoots of green sprouting out of the ground before her eyes. The bark of the tree next to her was returning to life. The stone like bark becoming brown again, leaves sprouting from the branches faster than she could count. Between one breath and the next the world was becoming right again.

Not even ten seconds had passed, when she heard her name being called in the distance. But not from the yard behind her.

Her head shot up fast enough that her neck cracked. Eyes widened as all the blood drained from her face, at the sight of the last two people she wanted to see right now.

Diana and James.

Diana. Her mortal best friend, who doesn’t know Aislinn isn’t human.

And James. An unclaimed demi-god.

Fuck.

[magicalsalamander]

Aurelius Part 5

Pairing: BTS Namjoon  ⇆ Reader

Genre: Werewolf | Fluff | Angst | Smut [later] |

Summary: When the daughter of the secretary for the Minister for Wolf and Canine relations is the last living member of her clan, she must find a way to avenge her family. She must find a way to put an end to the hunters whose sole purpose is to cleanse the world of werewolves. The golden one hasn’t forgotten. Will she be able to get the revenge she needs?

Words: 8.7 K

Warnings: Rated Mature; explicit themes.

A/N:  Orig post: 08|09| 2018; Updated intro 12|12|19. Part of the KLF Universe.

⇽ Prev | Masterlist | Next [Final]⇾

The brown, matted fur tapped against his calves, thick water droplets dripped off the split ends of his pelt cloak. It puddled behind him as he took powerful steps forward. His whistling echoed in the empty hallway, soft like sing-song birds chirping, to the tune of twisted nerve. He had a pep in his step with each change in his tone and tempo. He ran his trembling, bandaged hand through his hair shucking the stringy fringe out of his eyes. The pitch kept inclining reaching a near chord ripping pitch as he approached the iron cage prison door. The bottom bars were rusted, as it feed off the water that pooled around the door. He gripped the coarse edge of the handle and dramatically unjammed it out its lock.

The clanking of the heavy bars sliding across eachother shook the walls rattling the heavy, industrial chains that were attached from the ceiling to handcuffs on my wrist. The feet of chain kept me in a grid lock kneeling position as my body was kept taunt. The rope methodically tied around my thighs and calves secured me into place; the twine dug into old scars over my pants as it burned with the small movements. The Hunter about to throw another punch my way skidded to a stop and stepped back greeted the person with a ceremonial shout. I coughed recovering from the last infliction and lifted my head to the newest visitor. My shoulders ached from being held in an over arm tie for who knows how long. Everything hurt...so much, it hurt so much.

The dull, cobblestone walls echoed the sound of his boots treading through water that was still dripping from my figure. I looked up at the man who brought me here, Jared, and growled. He chuckled waving his beaten hand at me, purposely pausing with an all too happy tone, “Only got me a bit baby girl, but look at you, all tied up. Weren’t you warned to not mess with the Hunters?”

I didn’t give him the satisfaction knowing that my kind feared the name. I didn’t want to give him that hand over me, us. I’d bite his hand a thousand times over, even if I ended up in the same position, before I gave him that satisfaction. I remained smug and just stared at him.

He grew frustrated with the lack of a reaction, “Do you not know of the HUNTERS!” He enunciated each syllable, finishing with scream until the veins in his neck turned purple. When I didn’t answer him still he paced around the room, turning his back to me until he snapped and lunged at me. His eyes were that of a savage Neanderthal as he repeatedly kicking me. My knees scrapped against the flooring as I swung back but I came back like a boomerang because of the chains on the force of his kicks. The wind was knocked out of my lungs and I grunted trying to breathe again, his steel toe boots were like a knife jabbing into my ribs. I suppressed the grunts and whines the best I could, trying to prolong the effect of pain as long as possible.

The sweat dripping down my temple mixed with the water dripping beneath me. I spat a mix of saliva and blood at him, “I only know murderers and savages that go by that name.”

He grabbed my hair forcing my head back so I looked directly into his lunatic eyes. He jerked my head to the side as he looked for something on my neck. He shifted my head to the other side to observe my collarbone, my pathetic clothing wasn’t concealing much, or anything thing at all. “The bitch doesn’t have a mate, there’s no claim marking. She’s all alone. Oh, how sad puppy, you we’re out there all alone. A rogue no one cares about if she were to disappear. A waste of space.” He roughly let go of my head tossing me out of his grip.

My head bobbed down, dizziness settled in or catching up from holding my breath. I looked down at the floor. Something I didn’t think he could physically hit, but he tore into it and left it raw and bare in front of me. My heart. Namjoon. We weren’t bonded, and I left the Kim family behind me. I really was alone.

In the reflection in a puddle underneath me I saw someone in the background walk across the room. I swallowed back the taste of iron, clearing my clouded sense of smell. I picked up the pungent smell of death that I hadn’t noticed earlier, yet the life energy that was attached to it was familiar. My eyes followed and narrowed at the man who was torturing me before the other caveman came in. He stopped and stood over the out of place table, his broad back was facing me. The pelt that I felt a connection to hung over his shoulders was old, yet the man at the table was an overgrown teenager at most.

Jared caught on that I was staring at the man at the table. “We got a special treat for you.”

The kid turned around, so I could watch him slide the syringe into the vial, pulling up the thick black liquid. He handed the syringe to Jared, and he held it up to the single flood light, flicking it with his index. “This solution here, it’s going to force you to shift. We’re going to skin you and I’ll carry your pelt around on my shoulders along with the rest of my collection.” Once he was satisfied with his taunting he looked at me smiling whole heartedly, “Surprise.”

His menacing eyes locked on my neck as he stepped towards me, the other four men in the room circled around him to watch the spectacle. I jerked back, the ropes dug into my legs and the chain whipped above me as I fought to move away, “No, don’t! Don’t do it, don’t do this! NOOOOO—AHHH!”

Namjoon stumbled on the uneven ground, the fight between the human side and the wolf was pulling his energy in all different directions. His eyes opaque in glitching obsidian as he was fought off the shift. He needed to go after Aure. He needed to bring back his mate. Fur grew at his knuckles and along his spine, his nails elongated with his fangs into a non-fictional, medieval version of a werewolf. He clumsily sprinted after Aure, groans and pleads of her name fell past his bloody lips, “Aure!”  

The bonsho was tolling, his internal roaring sounding at the gate of the underworld. He could see Aure’s figure in blips in front of him, “Aure! Come back!” The trees were rustling about him and his sensitive ears were ringing at the amount of sounds that were becoming overwhelming. He kept moving forward without paying attention, just relying on his wolf to follow the scent of his mate. His foot caught on dead roots that snaked unevenly from its dead stump and he crashed, skidding along the dry soil until he hit a solid tree. His pants caught on in his downfall ripping as he was yanked forward by his beastly momentum. He growled at himself, he knew he was being reckless, but he didn’t care what happened to him. He hunched on all fours, his spine curled like a lycanthrope, yet still man and continued running.

Namjoon couldn’t see her anymore, his heart was banging continuously to those at whatever gate asking them to hear his pleas. He doesn’t want to lose her, his mate, his everything. He shouldn’t have cupped his hands around the frightened bird in his hands. He should have opened his hands, but by closing his hands thinking he was protecting her he realized it was like magic trick and she disappeared when he was too late.

The broken edges of the shrubbery and stray branches scratched against his face, but he kept running forward. The fog was picking up as he approached the hurtling river, the constant sound of unsettled water was deafening. Fog swirled like a tornado around his limbs as he raced like a bullet. He pushed through shrubbery and ended up at an empty shoreline. Namjoon skidded to a stop at the edge of the water. Why did his wolf lead him here? He looked around sniffling insistently, but her scent “ended” here. In fact, it was dancing everywhere along the water, but it was localized here. Her scent was mixing in with the layer of fog and moisture in the air.

Namjoon couldn’t feel her presence nearby. He sloshed and dove forth into the water when he couldn’t find her on the shore. What if she was in the water? What if she went down the river? What…if she drowned? The fog was messing with his senses and emotions; the lucid scent was making him angry. He thrashed in the water when he kept turning up empty. He was growing restless. He fell to his knees and let his head fall back in a roar, his tears were mixing in with the fresh water below.

The daughter had been found, but she slipped through his fingers. It was all his fault.

He trudged back to the edge of the shore and lunged at the first tree within his line of sight. He balled up his fist and let it swing with all his strength. The tree splintered upon impact, denting as his fist repeatedly met the warping wood. Wood chips fell at his feet and he didn’t stop until the tree physically began tipping over and broke. He panted heavily the fur around his knuckles and skin tore open. He rested his head against the broken stump, “What do I do? What am I supposed to do!” What would Mama Luna tell him when he comes home without Aure. He couldn’t come home without Aure, it wasn’t home…it wouldn’t be home without her anymore. What would his father say…what would his pack say? An Alpha never gives up, he’s been raised to never give up.

His nose tingled again, that sweetness, her scent wafted strongly from the river. He whipped around, his eyes searching for her, but it still looked the same. He stumbled forth, feet curving around the rocks on the shore. He searched on the floor for the strong source of her scent. His eyes caught onto the gentle flowing of a white cloth stuck to a branch jammed between rocks. He immediately grabbed it and brought it up to his nose. It was a piece of her shirt. His eyes filtered red, he couldn’t give up, “I’m not giving up. I’m not ever giving up on you Aure.”

However, finding her was something he couldn’t do alone, he needed his pack.

He let the shift take over, chomping down on the piece of clothing in his mouth and ran back towards the pack house. He ran faster than he had ever ran in his life, pushing the beast to its limits to cut any more losses in time.

He saw the lights from the outside porch flicker between the trees. He howled from the depth of his bowels. He howled in alarm until he reached the edge of the forest and the lights in almost every window turned on. He stood in the center of the field, shifting back into his human form, he tore off his shirt since it hung in shreds at his waist in ruins. His panted as the back door opened and members of the pack poured out. Eleven, tall, muscular men stood at attention in front of the of worried lot in formation. His father found way through the crowd, “Move! Son! Son, what’s wrong?”

Mama Luna stepped up her white mumu dress, “I don’t see Aure. Where is—Where’s Aure?”

He turned his face away in shame from his grandmother, “I-I…lost her. I—We need to get her back. I need help getting her back!” He held up the tattered piece of her shirt to show everyone.

Aviva gasped and stepped forward taking the piece of fabric, she choked on tears and turned to Mama Luna, “It-it’s Aure’s. This is the shirt I gave her.” She ran into Mama Luna’s open embrace, crying into her shoulder. Even Seojun, who stood amongst the eleven, face dipped in despair like the rest. They had all grown close to her in some form or respected her at least. They all felt the sense of lost.

Alpha Kim voice grew stern, “What happened?”

Namjoon looked around at the faces of his cousins, their mates, grandmother, and his father. “It doesn’t matter. Right now, we need to find her. We need to send patrols out and contact the other packs if she is in their borders. The last place I saw her was at the river, her scent fades out there. We need to move now!”

Alpha Kim turned to the pack, “You heard your Alpha, divide up and move out! Keep the line of communication open!”

Without hesitation the wolves began stripping of their clothing and shifted, striking up secondary formation. They ritually howled to the moon, asking the Moon goddess to look over them and bless them with safe travels and…to protect their Luna.

Namjoon turned back to the forest, the moon making the crystalizing sweat on his broad chest glimmer. He had his eyes focused on a single goal, he was to lead, he had to find his Luna. He had to bring Aure back, “Aure, I’m coming.”

The sliding glass door slammed open a panting, half-awake mate called out, “Wait! Alpha Kim, the phone…it’s the Hunters”

The piece of fabric that was being treasured in Aviva’s hand slipped through her fingers and fluttered down onto the grass.

The Hunters.

“NOOO!” Jared snapped his bandaged hand around my neck, encasing his soft fingers around my throat. He tightened his grip until I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t protest. The glint in his eye was swirling cynically as he overpowered me. He readjusted his fingers around the syringe so his thumb was on the depressor ready for injection. He raised his fist to plummet the syringe in my neck, “Say goodbye.”

I closed my eyes, breathing in my last breath and I used it to hum the song that brought me comfort.

The metal cage door fiercely slammed open rattling the cobblestone, “Jared! Put that down and let her go!” The grip around my throat loosened as Jared stood up right at the commanding voice to address the newcomer. The other four behind us suddenly bowed deeply bringing a hand across their chest, tapping it to stand up again and in sync shouted, “AWOO!”

I coughed and greedily sucking in air, catching my breath again.

“You fuckin’ leave the house, your daughter and wife, for this!” The husky voice screamed at the barbaric animal.

My eyes nearly exploded, I looked up and sought out the voice directly of…Papa’s. He looked nothing like the sweet old man sitting on the couch with his granddaughter. Anger rolled off his figure like tar and he looked like he just climbed out bed.

Jared yelled back at his father, “Pops, this won’t take long. This bitch was out on her own. She’s nothing more than a disgusting dog, why do you care so much?”

Two more people came into the room following Papa like a cabinet. The first thing that caught my eye was the huge blade hanging in the holster on one of the Hunter’s hip. I narrowed my eyes, the shape of it was obnoxious, he was obviously compensating for something. The same man noticed me staring and walked over to me like a child walking up to a candy store. While the others were distracted he whispered to me, “Oh, little puppy are you scared?”

I cringed, all my hair stood at attention as his words echo in my mind reawakening a suppressed face, a suppressed fear. I remembered exactly who this man was, what that knife had done to me. He was the one who cut me, marked me with the H and poured the boiling water over my back. He was the physical embodiment of my scars.

I heard the unsheathing of his knife from the holster as the blade scratched the leather. He squatted down behind me, his warm breath tickling my ear as he crudely chuckled. I held myself stable despite my gut churning in nausea. He ran a finger down my spine as he continued to whisper, “Such a pretty puppy.” I growled deep in my chest violently jerking away from him. Anger flashed over him, “Behave bitch!” He grabbed at my already forsaken shirt and ripped it leaving my back exposed. The group turned towards us, Papa’s eyes widened as our eyes met for the first time. I kept my lips tight as I stared at him, never breaking eye contact. There was that look again that I saw in Nana’s eyes, but I was still unwavered. The man behind me whistled, “Well I’ll be damned pretty pup, you got a mangled up back. I mean look at these knife…marks—.” He paused tilting his head, he then rounded about me to my front and ripped one the ties around my thigh and tore open my pants until it was bare flesh. I still kept my eyes locked on Papa’s as he watched what this monster was doing. “Holy shit! That’s…my signature. I know my H when I see one…You?” He looked up to my stoic face studying it intently, my eyes glimmer rich rose gold back at him. He huffed in disbelief, “Why didn’t I see it sooner. I remember those eyes. Just like your fathers, wow, just wow, you’re alive!”

He stood up and yanked the pelt off the young man and tossed it at my feet, “Say hello to your pops.” My eyes broke from Papa’s and stared at the pelt before me partially in the water. I felt tears brimming in my eyes, how cruel, how cruel could these people get? He chuckled noticing my distraught disposition. He crouched before me again, stepping on the pelt with his muddy boots, “You’re going to be joining him soon.”

That was the straw that broke the camels back. How dare they desecrate the body of my father! How dare they treat me like this! I lunged forth, my lower half no longer restrained and sunk my fangs into his bicep and dug in deep until I was sure my teeth clanked against bone. The room was filled with deafening screams. I was ripped off him in an instant, the teen was screaming, “Dad!”

I spit out the man’s tainted blood at his face. The man retaliated by lunged at me punching me like I was a rag doll. The pain was instant as he swung right across my face, then my chest and residual areas he felt were neglected. He spat drool in my face as if he was a snake spitting venom, “Daughter like father.”

I laughed. He’s right. I’m like my father, a fighter. I won’t give up, especially not in his presence.

The son pulled his father back away from me. I must’ve hit a major artery and the man was paling fast as I watched him being drug out. They rushed out of the room whining like piglets; nearly everyone filtered out of the room to help except for Papa, Jared and two hunters. I was far worse off, but the wolf in me made me stronger than these pathetic people who claimed themselves humans.

Funny how the giants fall when they step on rose thorns.

Papa rushed towards me, done with this petty game, but the remaining Hunters held him back upon a single finger raise command from Jared. The game just became more interesting for Jared.

Jared cooed, “You’ve grown soft old man. You’ve already taken this bitch’s father. What’s stopping us from taking her life too? She should die.”

Papa roughly jerked out of the low-level Hunters grasps and came toe to toe with his son, “Don’t you dare speak to me that way. You know I didn’t send that command, I did not kill them, I didn’t want any of this, whatever the Hunters have become. That traitor who’s in line now, he destroyed the name of the Hunters. We Hunters are the peace keepers of the supernatural, not murders.”

I whipped my head up, mouth going dry. The man who…

Jared scoffed, “Your weak politics made us weak, no one respected us because of you! You bring shame to The Hunters.”

 Papa tried, “No, Jared, you have it wrong. You don’t have to do this. Think for yourself!”

Jared commanded the room turning away from his father to face me, “Chain him up too.”

Papa’s eyes narrowed, the look of betrayal crossed his eyes at his own flesh and blood. A look I knew very well. The two Hunters grabbed Papa again, but Papa struck back like lightening. He raised his elbow and smashed it against a guy’s temple, knocking him out cold. The other Hunter released Papa and rushed over to Jared in attempt to protect his superior. Papa pulled out a pistol from his back pocket and pointed it at them. “The both of you are going to walk out of this room and leave like nothing ever happened. Are we clear?”

Jared sneered, “Put the gun down old man. Don’t disappoint Mom, Pops.”

Papa without blinking his eyes angled the gun at the hooligan’s foot and shot. My ears rung and body deathly rigor as the bang ricocheted off the walls. I came back to my senses when I noticed Jared didn’t sneer back, he was losing his machoism as his father pointed the gun directly at him. Papa spoke softly, “Go tell that Head Hunter of yours that you love and respect so much, that I’m not letting this shit pass. Go whine to him, because you ain’t my son.”

When the man that had his foot shot off starts drooling and panting through his slobbering lips Jared looked over to me, “This isn’t over. I’m not done with you yet.”

The two of them limped out of the room, leaving me alone with Papa. He kept the gun facing the door until the footsteps were far enough. My heart was racing realizing we were alone. The words from earlier that were almost in passing coming back like a cement truck. Papa was the leader of the Hunters. I squirmed in my spot, the chains above me rattling, despite the pain that radiated throughout my body as I moved. I’m finally feeling the effects of the abuse on my body. I whined as I squirm away from Papa, I put my knees over my father’s pelt and dragged it with me.

Papa spoke softly, “Aure, calm down. I’m not going to hurt you…never again. I should have never hurt you. I did it to protect you. I know I’m asking a lot but trust me here…yank down on the chain.”

I stuttered, “What?”

He pointed his eyes and raised the gun up again and I yanked my hands towards me, obeying immediately. He aimed gun and shot at the chain three times. I flinched at the ugly sounds and the chain snapped. My cuffed hands fell into my lap. My hands were free but the cuffs still hung around my wrist with a chain link fringes. My nerves lit up as blood was rushing back into my limbs. He walked over to me, pocketing his gun and helped me up. I groaned and whined when he touched bruising flesh and my legs burned from kneeling so long. He murmured, “Whoa there, its going to be okay kiddo, I got you.”

He adjusted my clothing and brushed the hair out of my face, “Aure, look, there’s so much I should say to you, but we gotta get you out of here. I’ll take you home. I’m not good with this whole comforting thing, but Nana can take care of that.”

I pulled out of his embrace finding my footing, “No, I won’t go with you back there. I found a pack. I have…a family.”

“Oh,” he nodded in understanding. “I’ll bring you to there then, I’ll take you home.” There was an awkward pause, unspoken words hanging in the air, “Come on, let’s go.”

He took my hand, but I stopped him, “Not without my father.”

He nodded and let me stumble over to pick up my father’s pelt. We walked out of the room into the hallway, the cobblestone theme still continued out here. He pulled me along to follow him, I grunted at his surprisingly fast pace. It was hard to keep up when my ribs were edging at me. “Come on Aure, we’re almost there.” We turned around a corner and a brigade of men blocked off the hallway.

“Will, you look who it is! The dishonorable Ex-Head Hunter, Sir you’ve come back to visit…and you have a prisoner with you.” A tall man with numerous pelts hanging off his shoulders like a coat rack stood at the center. Jared stood directly behind the man, he really did tattle tale on his father.

God, the smell of death was overwhelming.

“Stand down Head Hunter, you will let me pass by.” Papa stood in front of me slightly.

The man chuckled, “Oh you will pass by, but not with her.” The man pointed to me. Papa’s hand tightened around mine.

“No.” Papa voice was firm. He may be old, but the vigor was still there in him.

“Suit yourself.” The men started inching forward. I looked behind us, and the wall of people started closing in. I looked at Papa and underneath his stoic face I could smell the fear. I had to think fast. If I shifted I would be better off, my wounds would hold up better and I’d be able to fight off some of these guys. We were being corner, I whispered to Papa, “I’m going to shift and take theses guys on, I’m going to mow forward. I need you to defend me, can you handle some of these guys?”

He harshly whispered back, “No, you’re too injured as is, I’m going to shot and they should back off. You can escape.”

I nearly rolled my eyes, I’m not letting history repeat itself, “Look, we need to save all the bullets we can. I’m going to shift, and I need you to trust me.” I knew these people were strong…in numbers, but if I cut them down that would give us an upper hand. I had my eyes locked on the Head hunter. I tightened the strings of the pelt around my shoulders and counted down, “3…2…1!” I couldn’t let myself be taken so easily.

I let the shift take over, the chains followed me still and weighed heavy around my wrist. I ran straight for the five men lined like a brigade at the other end. I crashed into the other end and whipped my chains around striking anyone it would land on. The odds were hopeless, but my chain was able to reach farther than my limbs. I took out two in one swing. I heard gunshots from behind me as Papa manned the other end. When I found an opening, I barked back to Papa.

“They’re getting away!” One of the men shouted in our direction.

I wasn’t large, but I could support Papa’s weight. I crouched down and tugged on his shirt. We could get away faster this way. He understood and got on and held on tight. I sprinted, an abused chain clanked against the floor and broke off serving its purpose. He gave me directions to turn at different corners, the Hunters were hot on our trail. We made it out through a back entryway, I noticed we were somewhere in the woods. None of the trees or scents from the area around me were familiar.

Papa’s truck was parked not too far off, he shouted, “Get to the truck!” I sprinted off towards the vehicle, but just before we made it gun shot rung out. I halted to a stop as the tires whined as the wheels depressurized. My fear was rekindled tenfold, my body shouting at itself move, move, please move! Papa pointed ahead, “Keep going Aure!” I kept sprinting into the tree line, even if his weight was starting to become heavy I kept going. We had to get away.

“Moon goddess, if you are real, please, let us get away.” I chanted to myself to distract myself from the demons behind me. Twigs and unkept shrubbery broke underneath me as I raced past through the fog. I could hear my heart in my ears and Papa’s panting grunts whenever I hit bumpy terrain. The shouts were still very near. Hunters were emerging and keeping up besides us. I changing up our direction each time I’d catch someone in my peripheral.  

I whimpered as I heard the whizzing of arrows overhead; the sound was more unnerving than the actual devices. I tried flattening, but that only slowed me down as the arrows zinged by. I heard Papa grunt and withhold a scream before I notice an arrow flying overhead and log itself into a tree. His grip tightens around my mane. I was terrified of what was to come if I did slow. I made a split-second decision and picked up speed, the worse thing to do would be to stop.

I came to a clearing and the Hunters were already standing at the other end. It was like I was being funneled here, I never escaped I played right into their hands. I veered to a stop, snarling as I realized I was surrounded. I angled my body in such a way that Papa would be the best covered from any attacks.

The head hunter stepped out of the crowd of at least twenty individuals. He loaded his gun with purple bullets and cocked it back, “Enough, it’s over pup. There’s nowhere left to run. Let’s put you out of your misery.”

He hiked up the gun onto his shoulder and readied the trigger. I waited for the shot, but it never came. I hesitantly opened my eyes as the Head Hunter lowered the gun, then I felt it—them. In my hazy state of mind, I felt their presence tingling in my bones.

Massive silhouettes emerged from the rolling fog and wild, red eyes reflected at me. I could recognize those eyes anywhere, they belonged to Namjoon. The big wolves took light with Namjoon in the center as the number of wolves seemed to go infinitely in triangle formation from him, the epicenter. Alpha Kim was to his right, equally as large, and daunting. The two shifted into their human forms, but the feral look was still in their eyes. Namjoon whispered my name, but my sensitive ears caught it as we stared back at eachother.

Namjoon wanted to run to me, but he knew any sudden moves could mean an end. He looked me over for the briefest second and anger filled him seeing the bruises, the wet blood and the chain around my wrist. He looked at the sardonic man with contempt, but that word was too light for the weight that Namjoon felt. The guy was now in his terrain, these woods were his, and he was going to show them it was rightfully so.

I remained still in this no man land between the two clans.

Namjoon growled, the hair on his back raised, “You!”

The Head Hunter laughed, “Such eloquent words from you Namjoon.”

Alpha Kim tried to reason, “You have taken and hurt one of our own, a Luna at that. You’ve broken constitutional law Head Hunter.”

Head Hunter bellowed in laughter, “Fuck the law! Fuck the Charter! The law oppressed us and belittled us, why should I respect it. I’m done and tired of dealing with you filthy dogs and your law-abiding ways. I’m glad you’ve finally shown up, now you can collect her after were done, if you live that is. Watch me end you all here tonight! Hunters, AWOOOO!!”

The Head Hunter raised his gun to me again, “I’m starting with this one.”

The whole pack howled as Namjoon shifted back with a sickening fast cracking and adjusting of bone that carried a near heathen roar. How dare he try to harm his mate!! His massive figure sprinted forth, snarling, drool slipping from him gums. He jumped over Papa and I, eclipsing the Moon above, and crashed into the enemy. Furious that someone had hurt his mate, someone had dared to hurt me!

I was reminded of the rumors of the strength and ferocity of the Kim family. Why they were the leaders of the packs of this Nation. The war had begun, a perfect pandemonium.

It all was so sudden, blurs of furs and men tumbled together. I saw jaws of men and beast alike snapping at one another. I sprinted out of the eye of the storm, I had to get Papa out of the way and somewhere safe. I dodged strikes and blows until I could see a safe spot. I crouched down to let Papa off, setting him against a wide tree. I knew despite the strength he showed, he was at his maximum. He truly put himself on the line—for me. I nudged him with my muzzle when I noticed his eyes drooping. I didn’t want him to fall asleep on me. Papa looked at me, truly looked at me for the first time, the scars, patches, all of it. He reached up and scratched my head lovingly. He hissed when he hyperextended his injured shoulder to pet me. When he pulled his hand back it was covered in my wet blood. I whimpered at the reality. The gentle moment was fleeting, reminding me that in fact, everything wasn’t alright.

I heard panting behind us and I whipped around to look at the person that had followed us. Jared stood there with his hunter knife out in his bandaged hand, “I told you I’d be back.”

I limped into guarding position over Papa. Jared continued to slowly step towards us, so I pulled at the strings and untightened the knot of my father’s pelt cloak and let it settle over Papa’s lap. I stepped forward the cold night air hitting my patchy pelt, but my body was running like a furnace as it was healing itself. I tucked my tail between my legs and showed my fangs in a snarl. I didn’t want to fight. Papa coughed, “Jared. Stop, just stop!”

Jared screamed, “Stay out of this old man!”

Jared pulled out a vial of wolfsbane and doused his knife in it. It dripped off the sharp edge like syrup. It felt like I was watching it in slow motion as the thick globs rolled off in oversaturation. My pupils dilated in fear, he really wasn’t going to stop for anything until he got what he wanted. My hearing rung out and I heard the voice in the back of my head again, “Trust me Aure, let me help you. I need you to believe in the Moon. Believe in her.” I shook my head, but the words kept ringing louder and louder, “Believe! You have to believe!”

I closed my eyes succumbing to the assured comforting voice, and I hummed the song again. I let myself believe. When I opened my eyes again Jared faltered in his aggressive steps. My eyes were burning a near cooper, my body felt lighter, I felt like I was walking on moonlight. There was no fear, no irreconcilable smirk on my muzzle. I am a Luna.

 He twirled the knife around in his hand before he sprinted for me. I jumped for it, letting him crash into a tree. I had no intention of killing him, that is not who I am. I am not a murder, I’m not them. There is no pleasure in pain of others suffering. I let him glide about me, I wanted to wear him out and conserve my energy. After a few minutes he was panting and slashing his knife about in desperation and I hadn’t even lifted a paw yet. I allowed him to get close, and I used my shoulder to knock him against a tree. He tried taking jabs at my throat, screaming in my face.  He was sweating profusely, his bandage hand was red, but he didn’t stop charging at me with his jaw wide open. I didn’t anticipate his two step my chain swing coming up short and he chomped down hard on my ear. I howled and knocked my thick skull against his inebriating him senseless. He stumbled, and I took the chance pinned him to the ground.

 His back ached from the harsh impact, his arms no longer felt taunt as they should, while his lower half became unresponsive from overuse. He still waved the knife at me splattering his face in specks of purple poison, but I knocked it out of his hand and the blade sunk down into the ground by his temple. He jerked about for his knife, growling at me in frustration. He arched his neck and bit onto the blade of the knife and tugged it out of the ground. His tongue refused the taste of wolfsbane as he bit on his knife and spit up letting the drool roll down his cheeks.

I loomed over his body growling him into submission. I needed him to submit. I wasn’t going to hurt him.

Papa choked, “Jared, please!” It broke my heart hearing the weak strain in Papa’s voice.

Jared kept growling back at me, unwilling to give up, unwilling to see that he was only hurting himself. I leaned down eye to eye, tooth to tooth and growled back. He kept going until his voice was thinning out. I pulled back and smashed my forehead against his temple knocking him out cold. I made sure I didn’t hurt him too much and I bit onto his shirt and dragged him near his father.

I felt a sudden rush of deep set anger and I knew that wasn’t from me, it was Namjoon. It was as if the mere thought of Namjoon summoned him as my eyes instantly attached to him and Alpha Kim fighting off a heap of men. Namjoon was head to toe with the Head Hunter. The ferocity emitting from him in that frozen second of a standoff was numbing before they were back at eachothers throats. Namjoon dodged the edge of the sword in one fluid motion. The enemy swerved with an immediate counter attack. The Head Hunters eyes were menacing, hooded with anger, rage, making his features undistinguishably to a human. He raised his sword and the clash of steel with the soil blanketed Joon in a wave of dust. The force of the strength of the plunge vibration resonated even reached my ears. It was unfair, four extra sets of hands tried to seize Namjoon as they all cave into him like ants.

I lunged forward, unthinking of the consequences, jumping into the heart of it all. I jumped onto the back of a Hunter and the guy shouted, “What the hell!” I let my body fall backwards and his body came tumbling with as I barrel rolled and flung him off with my hind legs. The thud that followed rewarded me with groans and no movement. I had the decency to feel guilty. I moved on to the next, determined to help as much as I could, even if my instincts were telling me to flee.

I heard the sick sound of flesh ripping. I felt like I was gutted when the howl echoed in my ears. I turned around, my eyes set on a single being as I channeled the Moon one last time. With my jaw open and pushed the Head Hunter off Namjoon.

I knocked the knife out of his hand and we both tumbled through the fog. He crawled back onto all fours and landed punches across me as I nipped at him. I was losing energy fast. My head was hurting unbearably as I couldn’t keep up with his vicious fist. He stood up picking up his sword and laughed when I struggled to get back up, my muscles were beyond exhausted, “Not so strong now are you!”

I heavily panted, my body shifted back into my human form without any effort. I was panting as the Head Hunter stood above me. I crossed my arm over my chest as my clothing barely covering anything. “I don’t always need strength to win,” with my free hand I clenched my fist and scooped up the soil and pelted it at him. I took the window and attempted to swipe the knife out of his hand using the chain as an extension. I miscalculated the distance between us and he wrapped his hand around my waist tightly and slammed my back against his front. The syrupy blade was brought to my neck and everyone around us stopped.

Namjoon stumbled into our radius, the cut from his knife wasn’t deep but the wolfsbane left a sting. He barked ready to throw away the moral half of himself and let the nasty rumors come to life. The Head Hunter brought the knife closer to my throat in threat. His stomach was swimming as he saw the amount of blood caked and dried on different places of my body. The swelling and bruising on the different parts of my body.

Yet, I still decided to stand tall. I swallowed hard feeling the realistic threat as it chipped away at the peach fuzz on my neck. I whined out, “N-Namjoon, just do it.”

The Head Hunter tightened his grip around my waist, “Cry out, it’ll make it all the more sweeter.” Namjoon’s eyes widened as the fog settled and he saw Papa standing behind the Head Hunter with one arm holding his bleeding shoulder, the pelt hanging over his shoulder while his other hand had a gun raised and shot without hesitation.

The world seemed to quite in that second, Papa mocked, “Like taking candy from a baby.”

The Head Hunter jolted with the incredible force, screaming as he let go of me to save himself. I stumbled forth and collapsed onto my knees. Namjoon shifted and ran up to me collecting me in his arms pulling away me at a safer distance. Alpha Kim lunged forth and yelled out commands, “Detain him, don’t let anyone escape!”

The Hunters who once seemed valiant for their caused backed away, their leader had fallen. The other members of the pack circled around them and they all backed themselves into a tight circle.

Namjoon trembling hands cupped my dirty face as tears streamed down his face, “I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I’m so sorry for the way I reacted. I didn’t mean any of it. It wasn’t about you. It was—God, I’m so glad I found you.” His lips settled between my brows as he murmured his apologizes and he peppered kisses after each sentence.

I pulled away from him taking his cheeks between my palms, “Namjoon, it’s okay, I’m sorry too.”

I pulled away when I heard someone collapse to the floor, “Papa!” I rushed over to Papa settled his head in my lap keep his head elevated. He needed treatment and soon. “Namjoon, please, we need to help him.”

Namjoon looked over his shoulder, no questions asked, “You three take him to the pack house, one of you run ahead and warn Mama Luna that more will be arriving.”

I brushed the hair out of his face, “They’re going to take care of you Papa, I promise.”

He smiled lazily at me, “I never got to tell you this, but I’m really happy that I had you for a daughter. I’m just an old fool.”

I felt tears welling up in my eyes, “Don’t say things like that. I’ll see you soon. I have to hear Nana scold you.”

He laughed and winced at the pain. He handed me back the pelt with a squeeze of his hand over mine, “He’d be so proud of you.”

The members were gentle as they picked him up and took him away. Seojun smiled at me, his face was bruising and scratched, “Don’t worry Luna, we’ll take care of him.”

Namjoon squatted down and with little to no effort broke the chain around my wrist and helped me off the ground. My weak legs were unstable, the amount of pain I was in was beginning to feel unrealistic. But being surrounded by the scent and feeling of him again stated something deeper in me. He was here. He came to save me.

“What do we do now Alpha?” One of the members called out to Namjoon, although he expected his father to respond, the Alpha was looking to him to answer. Namjoon and I stood in front of the pack, everyone was alive standing proud, he turned to address them, “The injured will also be escorted back with someone. I want the stronger one’s half in front and in the back. Get back safe, that is my priority. Everyone fought well, the police will deal with the rest of them. Let’s move.”

The Head Hunter was manhandled as he was jerked to his feet and forced to walk behind Alpha Kim.

Namjoon pulled me closer, his gaze softened as adoration filled his teary eyes. It was indescribable the way my heart sang. The way my wolf was singing in delight. He leaned down and pressed his chapped lips against mine for a brief chaste kiss. He rested his forehead against mine, “Y/N, Aure, I’m never letting go. Never.” I nodded and whined when he caressed my temple. I was beginning to feel drowsy, my mind was swimming. He could see the haze in my eyes and cupped my face lightly with his trembling hands, “Oh God, I’m sorry, it’s okay. Stay with me Aure, we’re going to get you back home. Stay with me now.”

He shifted and let me drape across his back. I avoided putting pressure on certain areas, but the morphine of being in Namjoon’s presence made it all bearable. I clutched onto his hackle with my father’s pelt safely tucked to me. He lifted up and began trotting back home.

I’m coming back home.

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