#I know getting the time locked on the schedule is an eternal fight plus she has a baby and whatever the fuck else

[xenadd]

It takes me an hour to do my Hera make-up, and I am one poorly funded woman usually fucking around and chatting as I also CONTOUR.

GIRL, WE KNOW

[gaemkyuu]

The Future

Warnings: none!  A/N: This is the last part! I hope you’ve all enjoyed my mini series with my own character. I’m debating if I should add one last one with a child in the mix, but I want to know what you want! Send me a message or leave me a comment! Requests are open :) Disclaimer: This is a FICITONAL writing piece on Charlie Gillespie. In no way do I claim or declare that Charlie’s portrayal is accurate to real life. I do however, own Teagan Valencia :)

Masterlist *now taking requests ;)

The Teagan Valencia Series: The Meeting  / The Fight / The Proposal / The Present / The Recovery / The Future

The Future

“Teags? Baby you gotta get up now... Teags, come on. I can’t let you sleep in any more. Plus, breakfast is here and you need to eat before things get crazy” 

Teagan snuggled into her pillow a little more, groaning at Charlie’s soft voice that disturbed her slumber. She was never a morning person, but she knew today she had to be. After a solid year of planning, the countless hours she spent at Bridal expos with Savannah and her cousin and all the tedious decisions her and Charlie had to make, their day was here. She rolled over to face his side of the bed and opened her eyes, squinting at the sunlight and the beauty before her. Charlie was smiling, familiar twinkle in his eyes that she often saw when he was excited.

Today was the day!

“What’d you get us for breakfast?” he chuckled, kissing her on the nose, not surprised that she cared more about the food than getting up and getting ready for their big day. 

“Well, you’re going to have to put some clothes on and meet me on the balcony to see. You get five minutes” she groaned at his conditions and pulled the blanket over her head, not wanting to leave the warmth of the bed. Grabbing her phone off the nightstand, she saw that it was 7am and with a big sigh she got up and threw on a hoodie and sweats. She followed the scent of her nose into the living room of their hotel room, shivering a bit as she felt the cool air from the balcony come through. The view of the mountains from their balcony was breathtaking and adding Charlie while he softly played his guitar made it even better. Teagan wished that she could freeze time to just soak in this moment, capturing the image in her memory, but she knew they were on the clock now. She padded softly over to Charlie, kissing his lips quickly before taking a seat at their table for two. He had arranged the table with everything that was previously on the room service trolley, including the small arrangement of flowers in a slim glass vase at the center of their table.

“Well this is sure fancy! Thank god for room service, no?” she smiled lovingly at him as he rested his guitar on the side of the table. He grimaced at his placement and went to move his guitar to a more secure location, eventually deciding to run it into the suite, placing it on the couch. She giggled at his antics and as he hurried over back to her.

“I mean, seeing as we both love food and most people hate us when we’re hangry, I thought a nice, big, but healthy, eggs benny would be the perfect fuel for the start of our day” he smiled brightly, running his hand through his hair as she took a sip of coffee. He offered her both of his hands across the table and she placed her hands in his, both bowing their heads and saying a silent grace before beginning to eat their meals. As they sat and ate their breakfast together, they enjoyed the calmness of their environment briefly discussing what their respective schedules would be like that day. The two had made a point that they wanted to start their big day together. The entire event would be busy, but having a moment together to enjoy their last meal as an engaged couple was probably one of the best decisions they had made for their special occasion. However, this moment couldn’t last forever as Charlie’s phone started ringing and a loud knock at the door signaled the end of their breakfast. Charlie opened the door as he answered his phone, smiling at Savannah and Teagan’s cousin Michelle as his silent hello, continuing his conversation on the phone.

“It’s Wedding Day! Good morning our beautiful bride!” Teagan smiled at the excitement her two maids of honor had as they rushed in to give her big hugs. “You all ready for today?” Savannah asked, her giddiness radiating through her smile.

“Let’s do this!” Teagan smiled, getting up from her seat picking up the plates from their breakfast, the other two girls helping her. Charlie caught her waist after she put the dishes on the trolley and pulled her close as she giggled at the sudden action. He started to tickle and kiss her as she helplessly fought to get out of his grip. “Charlie! Come on! That tickles! No fair!”

“Just one last kiss as your fiancé?” he pouted, turning her around to face him. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, giving him a kiss, but he quickly deepened it. “I’m going to go to Owen’s room to get ready. Everything’s already over there. You gonna be okay getting ready here?”

“Leave her with us Charlie. We’ll take care of everything!” Michelle smiled, reassuring the groom. Charlie opened his mouth before Savannah interrupted him. “Call you if we need anything. We know!” and with one more quick peck and a hug, Charlie slid out the door. “Alright miss, you got 30 minutes to shower before the hairstylist, makeup artist and photographer arrive. The other girls will be over with snacks and sangria in about an hour! Hop to it!”

The next few hours were a blur. After Charlie left, Teagan did shower and get into her bridal robe for the rest of the morning. True to Savannah’s words, she was swept away to get her hair and make up done while the photographer took pictures of her getting ready. Teagan’s sister, Charlie’s sister Megan and Teagan’s childhood friend showed up right on schedule with her bridal gown and the other bridesmaid dresses. In a whirlwind of hairspray, powder and camera flashes, wine glasses were toasted, music played softly in the background and Teagan’s mother showed up to help her put her wedding dress on.

Meanwhile, Charlie was playing rock band in Owen’s suite with Jeremy and Charlie’s brothers, snacking and toasting the occasional alcoholic beverage to one another. Eventually the boys got ready and headed over to the ceremony location making sure everything was fine. Charlie was grateful that Teagan had suggested hiring a wedding planner and coordinator as he had no idea what still needed to get done. However, the planner had everything under control and simply used their muscles to help move a couple things around, eventually shooing them away to a small room as guests started arriving.

Teagan shared soft tears with her mother as she put on the finishing touches on her outfit, buttoning up the last buttons on her dress and placing the veil on her head. They both cried a little harder when her father entered the suit to see his daughter all dressed up. After a few teary moments and a touch up here and there, the group took a few photos and headed down to the lobby of the Fairmont Whistler where their limo awaited.

As the music at the ceremony began, Charlie took his cue, with the help of the planner that is, to head down the aisle with his parents at his side to the altar. As each couple walked down the aisle and lined up on either side of the altar, Charlie eagerly searched for his bride. He smiled and high fived their ring bearer and flower girl as they made it to the end of the aisle and into their seats and as the crowd rose, the music pausing for a moment, Charlie knew it was time. As the music played, his eyes lit up as his bride and soon to be wife appeared at the top of the aisle. Teagan locked eyes with him and held his gaze as she floated down, her parents at either side. For the both of them, it felt like an eternity had passed until Teagan arrived at the altar, the both of them hugging her parents and quickly taking their places in front of the officiant.

Just like that, the ceremony began without a hitch and it went perfectly. They completed wedding Traditions in the Filipino culture for Teagan’s family, with a few clumsy moments with Charlie. Teagan had insisted that if Charlie was uncomfortable with the traditions, they could leave it out of the ceremony no problem, but Charlie always loved learning about her culture and thought it would make the ceremony that much more special to include it. When it came time for the vows, Owen passed Charlie a folded up piece of paper and with a deep breath he prepared to read it. But for a moment he paused, reading over the first few lines and then crumpled it up, shoving it into his pant pocket, the crowd laughing at his actions.

“I wish I had the perfect words to describe how much I love you or how amazing of a person you are, but there simply aren’t. I am eternally grateful for how much you have impacted my life. Before you, I was a chaotic mess that would be running around from thing to thing. I mean, I’m still a chaotic thing that runs around from thing to thing, but I now have someone following me, supporting me, reeling me in when I’ve gone off the deep end and occasionally engaging in the chaos with me. I remember feeling like absolute shit when I spilled coffee on you that day, but you were so kind and forgiving. You’ve never met me with anger and you’ve always shifted your life around for me. I knew what commitment was, but I didn’t understand until what it was until you came into my life. I’d always be off on some adventure, doing whatever it is that I wanted and I never knew that I wanted, needed, someone in my life until I left you in Canada after asking you to be my girlfriend. I know I don’t have the best timing, and I eat weird food that make my breath smell weird, but I vow to love you, cherish you and be with you even after life decides to separate us. There is no one else in this lifetime for me, other than you. Mahal na Mahal Kita” Teagan smiled and used the Kleenex Savannah had given her to blot away the tears, as Michelle passed her a neatly folded paper.

“I wish I was as good at winging it, but I’m not so I’m going to read mine” the crowd chuckled at her comment as she took a deep breath, steadying herself before reading. “Monsieur Gillespie, je t’aime. From the moment you spilled coffee on me, I knew that fate had brought you into my life for a reason. At first, I thought you were put into my life to force me to live a little and take a break from my life, but I was so wrong. It wasn’t until I was going through therapy, that I realized why you were a part of my life. I’ve always loved everything about you, from your adventurous side to your caring gentle side and yes, even your chaotic side that, at times, makes me want to kill you. But I didn’t know how much I needed you until I faced the biggest adversity I had ever faced in my life. Throughout my entire recovery process, and as I still recover from the trauma, time and time again you have shown me that I am worthy of love.” her voice cracked and she had to take a few deep breaths before continuing. “Even though I felt broken, ashamed and disgusted with myself, you continued to do whatever it took to help me feel like me again. Had you not been with me through the whole ordeal, I don’t think I would be standing here today, marrying you, as the happiest woman in the world. I vow to love you with every ounce of my being and I commit an eternity to loving you and supporting you. Il n’y a rien dans le monde qui peut enlever mon amour pour toi. Je t’aimerai aujourd'hui, demain, la semaine prochaine, pendant les mois qui suivent et toutes les années après ça.” As she finished, Charlie wiped away a tear that managed to escape his eyes and held her hand tightly.

In this moment, there was nothing that could take away the peace that befell both of their hearts as they vowed to spend their lives loving one another unconditionally. They exchanged their rings, sealed their commitment to one another with an “I do” and were officially pronounced Husband and Wife. As they walked up the aisle to  the main lobby area of the Nikita Lake Lodge, they giggled and stole a few kisses here and there before being joined by a photographer and starting their two hour photoshoot. Teagan’s parents interrupted their photos briefly to bring the two a snack and coffee from the Tim Hortons down the road, which the newly wed couple were grateful for.

As the reception drew nearer, the couple were ushered into the limo with the rest of their bridal party and were welcomed by Teagan’s hairstylist and make-up artist for touch ups. Everyone was quickly ushered into a small waiting room away from the main reception hall and they indulged in hot hors d’oeuvres and champagne, awaiting for their time to enter the reception. If Charlie and Teagan could have it their way, they would’ve celebrated like this for the rest of the evening, but they knew that there would be cries of outrage without a reception from both family and friends.

As the night drew on, they dined on delicious food supplied by the hotel caterers, occasionally interrupted by the clinking of glasses to steal a kiss from one another. They shared their first dance as a couple and Teagan smashed a mini cupcake in Charlie’s face when they cut their cake, but their favorite part was the toasts. Savannah kept her composure, while Michelle did not as both girls gushed over the newly wed couple and the memories they shared with the both of them. Owen went completely off script but Jeremy was there to help him get back on track for the both of them to deliver a great speech that had everyone doubling over in laughter, but also tearing up at the end. When the couple said their Thank yous, and wrapped up for the night, the part they had been looking forward to the most had finally arrived.

The dance floor, unlike most weddings, was full with people the entire night. Everyone had the time of their lives dancing and the newly weds were occasionally interrupted by their guests who wanted to wish them well and say their goodbyes. Owen did his signature Flash Dance jump with Charlie and Jeremy, while Maddie, Jadah and Savannah killed it when Beyoncé came on. Charlie and Teagan were honestly the happiest they had been in a long time, but the night had to wrap up eventually, and as much as they tried to help and clean up the reception, their bridal party forced them to go back to their suite.

Upon entering their suite, they were shocked to see that the entire place had been cleaned, as a  bottle of champagne on ice and a plate of chocolate dipped strawberries welcomed them on the counter. Teagan munched on the strawberries as Charlie popped the champagne pouring them a small amount in the champagne flutes. The tired, but happy, couple sat on the couch cuddling and sipping champagne in a comfortable silence, hand intertwined. As Teagan gave a big yawn, Charlie couldn’t help but smile before a yawn overcame him as well. 

“I really don’t know how couples have the energy to have sex on their wedding night. Like honeymoon I get, but man this was a long day!” Charlie burst out laughing at Teagan’s tired observation and kissed her on the forehead as he got up from the couch. He extended his hands out to her, offering her to help her up from the couch, knowing that a wedding dress wasn’t always the easiest to move around in. Charlie helped Teagan out of her dress, kissing her back softly as he undid every button sending shivers up her spine. When she was out of her dress, she quickly picked it up and hung it on the hanger it originally came with as Charlie undressed to his boxers and climbed in bed. As he flicked on the light of their bedside table and plugged their phones in, Teagan shut the main bedroom lights off and crawled into bed with her husband.

“So how does it feel to be Mrs. Gillespie?” Charlie wiggled his eyebrows at her, pulling her closer to him. She pondered for a moment, already knowing an answer, but knowing her fake hesitation would catch Charlie off guard. His smile faltered for a second, a little confused.

“Honestly? Pretty fuckin great!” He laughed at her response, kissing her on the lips. “How does it feel to be married to me?” Charlie paused a moment, eyes twinkling and grinning at her.

“Pretty. Fuckin. Great” 

[gingerpeachtae]

Concentric [21]

masterlist

Words: 4.7k

Genres: fantasy!AU, angst, fluff, enemies to lovers, eventual smut

Warnings: n/a

Summary: You had been ready for the end of the semester. You had been ready to spend time away from your best friend, Jimin, and finally move on from the feelings you harbored. Yet, after your friend was forced to reveal a secret, you found yourself in a new world that was chock full of magic, war, and wonder. So, here you were, basically thrown into your own fantasy novel, with your best friend on one side, and six male warriors on the other.

A/N: I am so sorry my update schedule has been wack recently but here ya’ll go! Engoy and i hope you all had a peachy start to the new year! 💙

Amarok bit back a scream as the searing pain bore deeper into his mind, the sound making his wolves whimper and whine from where they laid in the corner of the tent.

It felt like his head was being split; a scorching dagger buried to the hilt and dragged about, burning and destroying his brain. It was leaving him gasping for air and blinded by the dark spots appearing behind his eyes.

“You are too late.” His master seethed, his voice so guttural and raspy it filled the emptiness of the tent like a shriek. “They unlocked the key.”

Amarok’s vision continued to grow darker, the black spots in his vision expanding with every heartbeat.

“Do you know what this means?” Uzjuk spat out.

Choking on a mix between a sob and a groan, Amarok dug his fingers into his scalp while forcing out an answer. “They… know… where…”

“Yes,” Uzjuk hissed. “She will have told them where I am entering this world from. Where I first met you and set you on your true path.”

The pain was becoming too much. It was too dark. Too hot. Too intense. A scream began to rip its way out from Amarok’s throat, but before it could claw its way out, his master released his grip on the male’s mind with a tsk.

Amarok heaved on the ground as he slowly eased the tight grasp he had on his hair. Bracing himself on one hand and one forearm, he breathed laboriously as his wolves came to his side and nudged him with their wet noses.

“So weak,” his master growled in disgust.

Sweat trailed down the side of the male’s face as he pushed his wolves away with a curse under his breath. When they tried to come to his side once more, Amarok shoved them back more forcefully and yelled at them to get out. The canines’ ears pressed flat against their skulls as they bowed their heads and slunked out of the tent’s flap. Struggling to his feet, Amarok whispered an apology for his behavior to the god. The dark smoke that was his master swirled around his form, disturbing the air and causing the few lit candles to flicker dangerously and threaten to go out.

“Attacking the palace will have to wait now.” Uzjuk croaked out in anger, the darkness inside the tent pulsating to show his disappointment. “First thing in the morning, change course to the cave.”

“Yes, master.”

“You must get there before she does. She cannot be allowed to touch the rift.”

“Yes, master.”

“Be sure to kill them all. And make the key watch before slitting his throat. Make him listen to their screams, see their blood.”

The male’s lips twisted into a smile. “Yes, master.”

Then, without another word, Uzjuk and his smoke vanished, and Amarok sagged to his knees.

Clenching his fists, he breathed out between his teeth. “I’ll kill them all.”

“So like…” You momentarily paused as you leaned back into Jungkook’s chest, pursing your lips and raising your brows at the other Saeni around you. “If he’s the god of pain and darkness then their sex life was probably kinky as hell. Just saying.”

You and the other Saeni were meeting to decide what the best course of action was for dealing with Uzjuk and his rift into Illain. Not much progress had been made though; there was simply too much shock still lingering from the sudden interaction with the mother goddess to be making such big decisions. Of course, comments like the one you just made were not helping either.

The corner of your lips lifted in amusement as Namjoon pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation while the others blinked at you astoundingly. Close to your ear, you heard Jungkook release a light snort, no doubt rolling his eyes at your statement.

“You just witnessed me being possessed by the mother goddess herself and her detailing how we need to close off her psycho ex-lover’s entry into Illain before he kills us and basically throws the entire world into eternal darkness and their sex life is what you’re focused on!?” Jimin looked at you across the group in disbelief, his brown eyes going wide.

You laughed. “Oh, come on! There’s no way you could be in a relationship with the god of pain and not be into BDSM.” You leaned forward a bit and threw a hand out toward the white-haired Saeni sitting close by.  “That’s like looking at Hobi’s outfit and saying he couldn’t be a bondage and knife play enthusiast.”

The evening sunlight reflected off the spy’s plentiful knives as he coughed into his hand, shifted his body, and looked into the distance with squinty eyes. In other words, blatantly avoiding eye contact with the mint-haired magic user next to him. You swear you saw a hint of flush creeping up his neck too.

Better take a freaking note, Mr. Sparkle Hands. You’re welcome for this information.

With a satisfied smirk dancing on your face, you went back to resting against your boyfriend’s chest, whose quiet laughter vibrated into your body, as Jimin took a deep breath and slowly ran a hand through his hair while thumping his head back against the trunk of his father’s draeva. Jiae brought her small hand up to his knee and began rubbing her thumb back and forth soothingly while Tae innocently looked between you and his apricot-haired brother before asking what knife play meant.

You struggled to withhold a giggle at Jimin’s tired face as Mingi’s hazel eyes also grew curious and he shifted closer to hear the half-Saeni’s answer. Meanwhile, Namjoon and Jin just groaned and dropped their heads in frustration at how the meeting they called for had fallen so off-topic. Beside them, Chungah was watching the events unfold impassively, simply keeping an eye on the lilac-haired princess and waiting for a decision to be made.

As you watched the female guard apathetically observe Jiae and her surroundings you recalled when she had finally come out from her oh-so pleasant interrogating inside the temple a little while after everything had happened. She had tensed up as she listened to Mingi explain what had occurred, and although her steeled eyes had softened just a smidge when Illai’s name was mentioned, all she did was ask about Jiae when the male guard finished telling the story. After confirming that no harm came to the princess and that she was alright, the female just nodded and fell back into her usual silence.

You blinked a few times as you left the recent memory and returned to the present, and as your eyes refocused on your surroundings, you realized that you had been staring at Chungha while thinking. Her gaze locked with yours and she lifted a brow lazily in disinterested questioning. You threw her a quick smile but all she did was hum lowly before returning her eyes to the princess.

I know she’s on our side and all but damn her cold silence can be so intimidating. You shuddered slightly as you moved your gaze back to the others.

While Jimin deeply sighed in defeat and hastily explained to the curious Saeni what knife play entailed, you smiled while watching Yoongi scoot closer to Hobi, give him a nudge, and ask why his face was suddenly flushing. The kiela’s spy immediately started denying it though, arguing that it was just the darkening sunlight on his skin.

“Is that something you like?” Jungkook suddenly breathed into your ear.

“Huh?”

“He wrapped his arms around your torso and tugged you even more against him so that he could whisper in a deep, breathy tone. “Knife play. Is that something you’re into, sweetheart?”

Biting your lip, you smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“I would. That’s why I’m asking.” You could feel Jungkook bare his teeth and you shivered as he nipped at your earlobe.

“Oh my goddess, okay, before Kook and Y/N literally start making out in front of us can we please figure this out?” Namjoon half-yelled, his voice dripping with stress.

Instantly, Jungkook moved away from your head and you sheepishly looked at the leader of the kiela as heat rushed up to your face. You and your boyfriend murmured out a shy apology and the yellow-eyed male let out an exhale.

“No, I’m sorry. I’m just… I don’t know what to do.” Namjoon looked at you both with apprehension filling his features and Jin raised his hand to squeeze his brother’s shoulder.

“Didn’t Illai say she would guide Chim in his mind? Let’s just use that, find that damned thing, close it, and call it a day.” Yoongi piped up as you heard a low rumble of thunder in the distance.

A cool wind blew in and rustled the leaves, and as you looked toward the horizon, you could see heavy, dark clouds starting to roll in. No doubt it would be raining soon.

Jimin tugged at his hair once before bumping his palm against his forehead. “I haven’t heard or felt anything from her yet so I’m not sure exactly how the whole guiding me thing is gonna go.”

“Plus, Illai said that Uzjuk would have felt her presence and likely move his forces to protect the rift. Even if we move fast, I don’t know if we could move fast enough to get there first,” Jiae added.

Both Mingi and Chungha scoffed before telling the lilac-haired female that there would be no ‘we’ in her situation, that she would be going back to the palace.

Jiae’s pale blue eyes narrowed. “What?”

Your best friend grabbed her hand from his knee and looked into her eyes as softly as he could. “They’re right. You need to go back.”

Her mouth dropped open and you could see her trying to find the words to fight as her gaze flitted around the group.

You sent her a sympathetic look, feeling for her. You knew what it was like to want to go and to have someone say you couldn’t. But… this time you agreed with her guards. It would have been different if she knew how to fight or had been training like you, but she hadn’t. Going would only get her or someone else killed.

Sensing how everyone else must also be agreeing with Mingi, Chungha, and Jimin, her posture drooped and she hung her head as another rumble of thunder traveled across the sky. “I know. I know you’re right and I understand why, but that means I’ll be doing nothing while you all are in danger.”

“Not necessarily.” Jungkook spoke up clearly. “You can inform your father about what’s going on and have him send help. Like you said, there’s no way we will get to the rift before the draikensu so we’re going to need backup and a lot of it.”

The kiela voiced their agreement and you saw Chungha even give a curt nod of her head in approval. As the Saeni began discussing different scenarios of the unavoidable skirmish with Uzjuk and his little draikensu followers, you absentmindedly trailed your fingertips across Jungkook’s forearm while watching the approaching storm clouds.

“We don’t even know how many draikensu there are.” Tae sighed while adjusting his headband.

Yoongi picked up a stick by his foot and began drawing shapes in the ground, his elbow bumping into Hobi occasionally. “That won’t be an issue if we get there before them, but on the likely chance we don’t, then we scout it out, I send out location and number of enemies to the palace magic users, and we wait for our backup.”

Sounds like a plan to me babey.

“And if by Exia’s sake we do get there first, we rush in and take care of business like we always do.” Jin added as he gave a small fist pump of victory.

Tae cheered quietly and pumped his fist too, the action making your heart melt.

“Hyungs none of this matters if we aren’t able to find the fucking rift.” Jungkook muttered as another gust of chilly wind picked up.

Hobi groaned in response while Namjoon looked into Jungkook’s eyes. “Illai will come through. The mother goddess won’t let us down.”

Giving Jungkook’s arm a reassuring pat, you affirmed the leader’s words by saying that maybe you all needed to get moving a bit before the goddess could figure out the necessary route to the rift.

Jimin smiled at you as he tapped his fingers against his thigh. “Like when a GPS doesn’t know what the fuck is going on when you’re coming out of a parking garage and you have to drive a little for it to route correctly.”

“Exactly!” You laughed, tipping your head back onto Jungkook’s shoulder. “It’s always so annoying when it does that.”

“You do realize you just called the mother goddess annoying, right? I don’t know what any of that other stuff was, but you definitely just did that.” The male behind you chuckled.

You stiffened as you realized you did just inadvertently called Illai annoying and you meekly whispered an apology to the goddess if she was listening.

Let’s hope her ego doesn’t get wounded as easily as Zeus because I would prefer to not get struck by lightening during this incoming storm.

“Princess…” Mingi abruptly said in a tentative tone.

Everyone fell silent and the only noise was the tree limbs swaying, the birds and bugs chirping, and the distant rolls of thunder.

The hazel-eyes guard cleared his throat and continued in a hesitant voice. “It’s my sworn duty to protect you but… but I wish to go with the kiela. To the rift. They’re going to need every fighter they can get, and I know Chungha is more than enough to keep you safe, so please allow me to-”

“You can go.” Jiae interrupted him softly with a tiny smile, making the male perk up. “But only if you promise to keep an eye on Chim for me.”

You saw Jimin’s jaw tick and he huffed that he didn’t need a guard.

“The future of Illain and therefore my future safety relies on you closing the rift so think of it as an extension of protecting me. Plus, you don’t have a say because Mingi is my guard, so he listens to me, not you.”

Hell yeah, you go girl. You mentally applauded Jiae as your best friend just huffed again and began to aggressively pout.

Mingi, on the other hand, whispered a thank you to the princess and she acknowledged him as the group fell back into a quiet contemplation.

The wind picked up yet again, causing the leaves to shake, Tae’s feather earring to whip around, and everyone’s hair to be rustled. You snuggled further into the male holding you, humming in content at his warmth. Sneaking a glance back at the burgundy head, you saw that he had a serious expression as he thought of possible outcomes of the confrontation with the draikensu, though his eyes softened as he noticed you looking at him. He lifted one hand from where it was wrapped around your torso to rest lightly against your cheek. Smoothing his thumb across your cheekbone, his face relaxed even more as his green eyes drank you in.

“What?” You whispered with a smile.

He just continued to look at you until another breeze sent some strands of your hair floating into your face. Chuckling, he gently brushed them back. Then his peridot eyes flickered down to your lips briefly before he leaned into capture them in a peck. Warm tingles surged within you as he pulled away, a smile teasing at the edge of his mouth. With an appeased sigh, you went to face forward again, but caught sight of Juufa’s temple out of the corner of your eye which made you pause.

After a few heartbeats, you tore your gaze from the ancient structure and looked at the Saeni around you.

Pursing your lips, you called out to nobody in particular. “Hey so, uh… what the hell are we gonna do about the draikensu we have locked up?”

All murmuring conversations ceased as their eyes swiveled to you and began shifting back and forth between you and the temple. You heard Jungkook mumble out a curse and Jin shook his fists with a tiny, aggravated yell.

Namjoon closed his eyes as if needing to collect himself before throwing his hands into the air. “Well, fuck. Anyone have any ideas?”

You stared into the fire as the wood snapped and embers glowed, mesmerized by the orange flames. After giving your tummy a pat, which was nice and full from Jin’s dinner, you stretched your arms high over your head as you released a small groan. Next to you, Tae yawned and cupped his face in his palms as he also stared into the fire. Blowing a raspberry, you stood up and grabbed a fresh log of wood before squatting and gently maneuvering it onto the burning pile in a way that wouldn’t smother the flames. Once it was properly added to the fire, you quickly threw your arm over your face and backed away while coughing, eyes burning from the heat and flames. When you reached a safe distance, you turned and listened to the rain falling. The muted pitter patter of droplets hitting thousands of leaves outside of Yoongi’s magic shield combined with the sound of a crackling fire made you feel soothed and calm.

Turning again, you faced the almost setting sun with a long exhale. You were supposed to go back to the cliff with Jungkook tonight to watch the sunset, but you didn’t think it was going to happen. The thought made you a little glum since this was your last night at the temple. First thing in the morning, you, the kiela, and Mingi would be heading out to find the rift while Jiae and Chungha made their way back to the palace.

Because of that, Jungkook and Yoongi had joined Chungha with interrogating the driakensu one final time to see if he would say anything that could be useful. You had offered to help them too, but Jungkook had pulled you aside and told you that he was uncomfortable with you being near the draikensu and he didn’t know if he would be able to control himself if the male made comments toward you again. And as much as Jungkook believed the male deserved to die for hurting you, he didn’t want to kill an unarmed person who’s been locked up. You understood where he was coming from and since he talked to you about it rather than exploding like he had in the past, you stayed outside with Tae. At first, the two of you listened to Namjoon, Jin, Hobi, and Mingi discuss strategies as you all sat around the fire, but you both quickly grew bored of that and started playing dumb human games like I Spy with My Little Eye to keep yourselves entertained. It would have been much more fun with more than two people, cough cough Jimin and Jiae, but it was their last night together, so neither you or Tae wanted to interrupt whatever it was they were doing.

Glancing from the steadily falling sun to the temple, you wondered if they had gotten any information out of the draikensu. He hadn’t said anything even with Chungha interrogating him, so you doubted he would say anything now, but at the same time, Jungkook and Yoongi could be just as terrifying and deadly so maybe they would be able to get something out of the asshole’s mouth if all three of them were together. Regardless if they did or not, though, it had been decided that Yoongi would put the male under a sleeping spell that would last 24 hours, and they would untie his bounds so he would be free to go when he awoke. You all would be long gone by that time anyway so there was no reason to keep him restrained and have him die alone in an ancient temple.

Expelling a puff of air, you returned to your spot next to Tae and resumed your silent fire stare down. Fighting off a yawn, you gave your cheek a light smack and pinched your wrist to try to wake yourself up. It had been such a long and eventful day and now that everything had settled down you were really starting to get tired. But you didn’t want to sleep until Jungkook came back.

Five minutes and a handful of yawns later, you were seriously contemplating just grabbing an equally as snoozy Tae and dragging him over to your sleeping mats. The slowly darkening sky and repetitive crackling and snapping of the fire wasn’t helping you stay awake either. You were just about to pinch yourself again when you heard your name called.

Inhaling and whipping your body around, you saw the one person you had been waiting for exiting from the temple and jogging over. Behind him, Yoongi was walking over at a much less rushed pace. Smiling you opened your arms to your boyfriend, and he didn’t even slow down as he pulled you up from the ground and smooshed you into a hug. Your surprise was fast to change into giggles and you wrapped your legs around his waist as he spun you around and nuzzled into the crook of your neck.

“Ugh, you two act like it’s been weeks since you last saw each other when it’s only been like an hour,” Yoongi grumbled, though his pink eyes held fondness.

Setting you back down, Jungkook whined at his hyung, informing Yoongi that an hour was more than enough time to start missing his girl.

You had to bite your lip hard to keep yourself from grinning like an idiot when you heard him say that while Yoongi just rolled his eyes as he made his way toward the other Saeni and plopped down by Hobi. Tae, however, made a noise reminiscent of high-pitched, dying groan as he clutched at his heart and pretended to wipe away tears.

Rolling your eyes at his antics, you grabbed Jungkook’s hand and pulled him to sit down next to you.

“Any luck?” Jin called over from the other side of the fire.

Yoongi shook his head and explained that the draikensu wouldn’t break so he went ahead and put him under.

“Chungha stayed behind to undo the rope,” Jungkook said as he played with your hand in his lap.

The males across the fire nodded and went back to their conversation as the male beside you let out a long, sad sigh.

You twisted to poke his thigh with your free hand. “What’s wrong?”

He continued to look down at your hand as he said, “I promised you I’d take you to the cliff tonight and I even had hyung help me set up some stuff, but then everything with Chim hyung happened and now Ilto’s crying so hard and I’m just… I’m sorry.”

You nudged him with your shoulder. “Awww, it’s alright, it’s not your fault. Besides, we can still kinda watch the sunset from here.”

“I know, but… you were so excited, so I’m sorry.”

“For Exia’s sake, would you stop apologizing!?” You laughed lightly and nudged him harder so he would look at you. “It’s okay. I promise.”

You could hear Tae making more dying noises, but you chose to ignore them in favor of smiling at your boyfriend, who continued to pout.

Sticking your tongue out at him, you teased, “You’re such a big baby sometimes.”

Instantly, his demeanor changed, and he started protesting that he was, in fact, not a baby.

Giving yourself a mental pat on the back, you laughed at how worked up he was getting when Yoongi interrupted his “I’m a big boy not a baby rant.”

“Why does it matter if Ilto’s crying?”

Jungkook quirked a brow at his brother. “Uh, because everything is going to be wet now hyung.”

“I could tell she was going to cry earlier so I put a shield over everything. You literally watched me do it, dumbass.” The magic user rolled his petal pink eyes as Jungkook straightened.

“Wait, so-”

“Yes, everything should still be dry. Now hurry up and take your girl there before you miss the damn sunset.”

Before you could think, Jungkook hauled your ass to your feet and started running, dragging you behind him. As you concentrated on not tripping at the speed Jungkook was forcing you to move at, you noticed a blue glow flaring up behind you.

“So you don’t get wet on the way!” Yoongi called after you both.

“Thanks, hyung!” Jungkook yelled back, not breaking a stride.

He must’ve put a shield over both of our heads… thank you, you kind sir!

“Come on!” Jungkook urged you faster as you began dashing through the trees.

“I can’t run as fast as you, you buttmuncher!”

With an impatient noise, your boyfriend stopped suddenly and hoisted you over his shoulders then took off running again, this time at a faster pace as you shrieked and laughed and did your best to keep your head from bouncing around.

Within minutes, you arrived at the same cliff he had taken you to before. As he stepped out form the trees, you had expected your jaw to drop again because of the spectacular view, but this time your mouth was open because of what was waiting for you at the edge of the cliff.

Jungkook gently placed you on your feet and nervously stepped away to gauge your reaction as you slowly walked forward through the rain. You took in the pillows and blankets laying on top of what looked like a fluffy mattress pad, providing cushion and comfort from the rocky ground. In the middle was a hollowed-out rock holding a bundle of your favorite flowers, and next to them was a stunning crystal roughly the size of your palm.

With your mouth agape, you blinked and looked back to Jungkook who was fidgeting and rubbing the back of his neck.

“You did all this for me?” You asked in absolute shock.

“Um, y-yeah, with hyung’s help. We had that stuff in Yoongi’s magic locker thing I’ve told you about, and I overheard you tell Tae those are your favorite flowers a while ago…”

Your heart swelled and you couldn’t help yourself from rushing over to the boy and tackling him into a big hug.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!”

“You don’t have to pretend to like it if you don’t.”

You leaned back slightly with a frown and you could see that anxious nerves were still eating away at him, so you moved your hands to hold his face and stare straight into his peridot eyes. “I. Love. It. Thank you, Kookie.”

Then, you pulled him in for a kiss.

Luckily that seemed to do the trick because you could feel him relax as he cradled your head and kissed you back. As always, his mouth felt like heaven and sin combined and your head started to go dizzy. You really wouldn’t have minded staying just like that all night, but you reluctantly separated yourself, winked, and skipped back to the little set up he made.

After taking off your shoes, you nestled yourself into the blankets and pillows, noting how soft and squishy they were as you called back for him. “Hurry up or I’m gonna have to watch this awesome, rainy sunset all by myself!”

In mere seconds, he was beside you, bundling up and tugging you close. You smiled to yourself as you inhaled the scent you could never get enough of and wrapped your arm around his stomach. Your heart was pounding, and you felt so light, so so utterly light and happy as he planted a soft kiss to the top of your head. Then you both settled in and watched as the cloudy sky turned an array of colors, all mingling and intertwining in the sky as rain continued to steadily drop all around you.

previous [20] — next [22]

taglist: @cookied-dreams @apurpledheart @james-herondale023 @lorengarcia-yut @kittycuptea @toddsgirl27 @a-feeling-of-euphoria @treatpeoplewithkindnesshoe @kthdior @taigaajin​ @lylanie12​ @kassandravictoria​ @namjoonsslutakakoreanmanswhore​ @xionysus​ @jihoonspout​

[pumpkinpatchdrabbles]

Missing You - Part Two - James “Bucky” Barnes/Reader

Part One | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five

As promised Mystery Man returns the following morning, looking just as haggard as when he left.  Clad in a dark blue hoodie and a simple pair of dark denim jeans, he greets you with a lopsided grin.  He’s lost the hairband during his absence, those enviable brunette locks taunting you in both length and visible softness.  What you wouldn’t give just to run your fingers through them once...

“Hey, Doll.”  Hesitation resonates in his voice, uncertainty reflected in those clear blue eyes as they roam your face.  Searching them for...something.  

Acceptance, you think, recalling the awkward note the two of you had parted on just a few hours ago.  With a wave of a hand you beckon him closer, returning his greeting with one of your own.  And though your smile is clumsy, Mystery Man doesn’t seem to care.  His entire being takes on a more relaxed stance.  The once nervous expression slipping into something more pleasant as he enters the room.

And as it turns out, he didn’t come here alone.  Trailing after him is a doctor—Dr. Mary Belo, according to the ID clipped to the lapels of her coat.  You didn’t see her at first, the poor thing eclipsed by the towering stature of the man who entered first.

“How are you feeling today?”  While Mystery Man reclaims the bedside chair for himself, the doctor remains standing.  Her attention divided between double-checking the work of the nurse who had woken you that morning to do a basic check-up and the tablet balanced precariously on her left arm.

“A little bit sore, but otherwise fine.”  Whether it was due to the medication or your own body finally overcoming the trauma it had gone through, the once constant ache in your neck had passed some time ago.  Leaving you with just the pain of your broken right arm and bruised side to contend with.

Dr. Belo taps away at the screen of her device, nodding along at your response.  She takes a moment, noting down a few more readings, before focusing all of her attention on you.  Brown eyes full of warmth, the comforting touch of her hand resting upon your shoulder. “If you feel up to it, I’d like to run a few tests.  Just to make sure we don’t overlook anything.”

“As long as it’s nothing too strenuous, I’m all yours.”  The sooner you can get out of here and back to your every day life, the better. Sitting around doing nothing for hours on end could be entertaining for only so long.

The ‘test’, it turns out, are nothing more than a series of almost random questions.  From simple everyday things (‘what’s one plus one?’, ‘can you recite the alphabet?’, ‘what city are we in?’), to your name and date of birth.  You think it somewhat odd, but answer them regardless.  Noting that on occasion, when it came to the more personal inquiries, Dr. Belo would glance over at Mystery Man.  Who for the most part sits there at your side, quiet but attentive.  A slight nod of his head would often follow your responses, to which the doctor would look down and check something off on her tablet.

“So far, so good.”  Seated on a mobile stool she had pulled over from the other side of the room, Dr. Belo rests the tablet face up in her lap.  Displaying what you assumed was a detailed chart of all the information she had compiled of you thus far.   “I just have one more question ask: What year it is?”

“The year?”

“Yes. Can you do that for me?”

“It’s 2015.”  To your left, Mystery Man goes tense.  It was a subtle motion—a slight tick of his jaw, the straightening of his shoulders.  Facing you with a wide-eyed stare of shock for just a moment before looking away.  Had you said something wrong?  Even the doctor who had been all smiles and praise up until now seemed to take on a more serious expression.  

“What’s the last thing that you remember?”  The way she looked at you when she spoke, concern and worry reflected in equal parts, you were certain that hadn’t been the answer Dr. Belo had wanted.  So you sit there, anxious, trying to recall everything you did the day before.

“I remember being in my apartment?  I was getting ready for bed, texting Nat when—oh god Nat!”  Realization strikes quick like lightning, and you’re fighting to sit up.  It looks more like wild flailing, given your injured arm and bandaged side, yet no one could say you didn’t try.  Worried for your safety and well-being, Mystery Man leans in.  A large, strong hand resting light on your good shoulder.  “I was supposed to meet her today!  Does she know I’m here?”

“Calm down, it’s all right.”  Dr. Belo replies, voice steady and soothing.  At some point she moved in as well, leaning against the railing of your bed.  Ready to hold you down as well if the need arose.  “We...informed Miss Romanoff of your condition upon arrival.  Would you like us to call her in?”

“—no. No, that’s all right.”  As much as seeing her would have made you feel better, the thought of interrupting her already busy schedule was the last thing you wanted.  Easing back against the pillows, you were already thinking about how to make it up to Nat.  A simple ‘I’m so sorry’ text probably wouldn’t cut it. Maybe you could bribe her forgiveness with a batch of those cookies she liked so much...

Assured that you were no longer a danger to yourself Dr. Belo sits back down, reaching for the tablet she had set down nearby.  Typing away at the screen, her attention shifts between you and the device.  “What about how you got here?  Do you remember what happened?”

“...All I remember is going to sleep and when I woke up, I was already here.” Panic comes creeping in, clawing at the back of your mind.  Leaving you dizzy against the starting signs of what was sure to be one monster-sized headache by the end of day.  Desperate to recall something—anything—about what could have brought you here, you miss Dr. Belo excusing herself from the room.  

The cool touch of metal fingers under your chin is what pulls you back to the present.  And the discovery that only yourself and Mystery Man now occupy the room.  He guides you to look at him, brows furrowed together in deep concern as he holds your gaze.

“Do you remember me, at least?”

What follows is an uncomfortable silence that stretches for a near eternity.  Tensions so high, you could almost feel yourself drowning in it.  He waits patiently for an answer, hoping against all odds that his instincts were wrong.  Yet when you look at him, eyes devoid of any sort of recognition, he already knows what you’re going to say.

“I’m sorry.  I...don’t.”

And in that moment, Bucky’s entire world goes cold.

[anangelicday-mrwolf]

Wolfsbane : Noblesse Fanfic (post-ending)

(previous chapter)

Chapter 13 – The Past

Click.

Takio could not take his eyes off the door, until it automatically shut tight, its locks securely latched. In reality, he was picturing the person in bed beyond the door. As always.

And her last words were unchanged.

Takio, I’m okay. Don’t worry about me. Just make sure you’re safe. Okay?

It was a euphemism pleading him not to take part in life-threatening experiments. Nevertheless, Takio could not help steeling his mind and body in order to sign up for more demanding experiments. Greater power was a must in order to protect her.

He ultimately resolved to volunteer for this new project on enhancing modified bodies, scheduled to commence in a few days. He was semi-absentmindedly dragging his feet across the corridor, until he heard voices nudging the corners of his ears.

He was at a quarantine sector accommodating test subjects that could prospectively become agents. And he could see several test subjects standing in a circle at a space just outside the hallway of cabins, big enough to house a couple of people for a chit-chat. Feeling no need to join them, Takio was about to round up the corner towards the hallway.

...Teira, was it?

But then the name he will never miss regardless of time and place forced a U-turn on his feet. He kept himself hidden, however, to first find out for what reason were they uttering her name.

His sense of hearing had been heightened thanks to the latest experiment he participated in. And to his fury, the contents of their conversation set fire on his ears and bowels.

“Heard she’s basically a talking corpse, so fragile she can’t even rise from bed without her brother.”

“Huh. And he calls her a sister? More like a burden of flesh and bones.”

“Agreed. Now that brother of hers will be made slave to the Union forever because of her.”

“If I were him, I’d rather kill her behind everyone’s back, pretending there was an accident.”

“But then the Union wouldn’t let him get away with it. Even if it were an accident, they’ll punish him for failing to safeguard an asset, albeit useless.”

“Oh. You’re right. Then it’d be up to that girl to use her head and do the right thing.”

“Damn you’re right. If I were her, I would’ve killed myself already. There’s no reason to stick to such rubbish life, let alone be an eternal shackle to one’s bro...”

At that point Takio could experience for first time in his life the world in red due to wrath. After a sensation of bloody cloud berserkly enveloping his sight, Takio found himself confronting the test subjects, all of them wearing alarm in their huge eyes.

“Take it back. And apologize. Now.”

“W-what the... Wait, are you that brother?”

“I heard the only thing not-so-wasteful with that girl is her face, and I gotta admit – same could be said of you. And, uh... That’s a compliment, by the way.”

The men were flickering their eyes from side to side and yammering incoherently, sweating like ice out in the open, presumably ethical enough to be ashamed upon caught red-handed in the middle of backbiting.

Of course, that was not at all good enough to quench Takio’s anger. He was evidently willing to simply hammer whatever he saw with his gun, if he happened to be holding one.

Yet, Takio registered a tad late that he was mistaken as well. There is no way people so casually discussing burden and suicide would be nice and apologize or take back what they said.

“Uh... So, looks like you heard what we said.”

“So shouldn’t you be the one to apologize?”

“Did your mom tell you to eavesdrop on others?”

“You should’ve just walked away. What gives you the right to glare at us like that?”

They were seemingly acting shameless because they had nothing to hide from the person who overhead everything. In fact, they looked prepared to engage in a fight if required. And Takio had already pledged not to back down once it happens.

“How could you talk about courtesy after slandering someone’s family to commit suicide? This isn’t even about courtesy; it’s about basic morale.”

“So what?”

“It’s the truth. Don’t be so melodramatic about it.”

“Listen to this, boys. Looks like it’s in their blood. The brother’s snooping around and demanding an apology for talking about plain fact, and the sister insists on living like a weed, without even realizing what kind of pain she is for her brother.”

“S-say what?!”

“Then what else did you expect? Her very existence is a chain to your throat, but she has no intention of ending her own life. And the Union has to waste resources, both human and inorganic, to keep her alive.”

“You have any idea how many productive things the Union could do for manpower and resources allocated for your sister? If I were here, I wouldn’t even wait for the night to just bite out my tongue and kill myse... Aack!!!!”

Without waiting for the man to finish his words, Takio launched his fist in a deadly aim towards his jaw.

The other test subjects naturally jumped in, and not long after a not-so-vast space was full of heavy muddled sounds of punching and struggling and indignant voices.

Alas, not even a lion can withstand mauling from a pack of hyenas. Takio might have impressed Union researchers with noteworthy results in body modification, but his upper hand was gone the moment the test subjects clutched his arms so they could freely batter him.

Yet he did not lose his ground, in spite of merciless fists boring through his belly and face. He swore he was not going anywhere, hell or heaven included, until he made sure he murdered these swines.

Just then, the wind took a rapid turn.

“Ugh!!”

“Argh!!”

His arms were released without notice, and the test subjects were hurled towards the wall, producing thudding noises that were by no means insignificant.

“Skirmish among test subjects is absolutely forbidden, and those who break the rule, particularly those who cause damage serious enough to hinder missions or make future experiments impossible, will be accordingly penalized by the Union’s rules. No exceptions. And I thought it’s mandatory for all test subjects to memorize this upon their orientation.”

Takio’s ears perked up at a voice he had never heard before, as sharp as a blade about to eject itself from its sheath. Peaceful and poised on the surface, but preternaturally penetrative under.

What fascinated him was the fact that the stranger was a woman, which was unusual since all test subjects are sheltered and trained according to sex, before they are enlisted as official agents. Which signified this stranger was either an agent with her bachelor’s degree in completing body modifications or a researcher who would have nothing to do with field work.

Takio wondered for a second if he was about to face Dr. Aris, whom he had never seen before, but he retracted the conjecture as soon as he checked her profile. He was smart enough to know that someone who would have spent her entire time awake handling test tubes and papers in labs would never possess such unrelenting presence or piercing eyes.

“B-but...”

“He started all this...! He was the one who threw his fist at us, so...!”

It was so obvious that this woman was powerful and pissed enough to pummel them just with her eyes. Intimidated even before deliberating who could she be, the test subjects pointed at Takio in synchronization.

“Don’t play innocent. It won’t work on me. I’ve got eyes. And ears. And please don’t tell me you had no idea you’d get punched in the face. If you really had no idea, I should run straight to the researchers in charge of your experiments to tell them to perform thorough check-up on your brains. It’s only natural for him to get mad. He just heard you losers insulting his sister.”

“But... We never asked him to eavesdrop on us...!”

“Whether somebody eavesdrops or not, it’s far from appropriate to verbalize something you cannot speak in the said person’s face.”

Words as fiery as her hair ruthlessly hit the men’s eardrums. In the meantime, they held their hands and kept their eyes on their toes. Takio could not even make a breathing sound either, as he watched the scene in live.

No one has ever taken his side under the Union’s roof, save for his sister.

However, Takio could see what would come for him. He started a physical fight with test subjects. The personnel in charge of him would learn of this, and he will be punished correspondingly. After all, the bodies of test subjects were defined as assets of the Union.

That was what he thought, until the woman said, “Now beat it. I’d hate to waste my time reporting to my bosses about some fatheads I doubt are equipped with basic human logics. But if this ever happens again, you will take responsibility for the future offense, plus the stupidity you conducted just now.”

Takio, along with the other test subjects, opened his eyes wide and gawked at the woman giving them unanticipated warning.

“Do I have to reiterate myself to make you idiots hit the road?”

Her facial features implied so severely that annoyance does serve as a legitimate excuse for homicide within the Union, and the test subjects promptly fled.

She did not even wait to see their butts rendered missing, and without further ado she flicked her red hair to exit the corridor as well.

“Wait...! Ma’am...!”

Takio hurriedly called, but it did not stall her footsteps. Slightly fazed, Takio had to hop to catch up to her.

“Uh, thank you. For helping me out.”

“...Like hell I did. I wasn’t helping you. I was annoyed at them.”

Takio wanted to add couple more words, including another thank-you. But she made it explicit that she will make him pay if he keeps her stuck in her spot any longer, because of which he had to give up on the idea. Nevertheless, he could not help asking for one last time.

“If it does not concern you, may I ask for your name...?”

“Forget about it. There’s nothing my name can do for you in this place. If you have time and energy to waste for pointless stuff, you should rather spare it for your surroundings. That way you would keep yourself alive.”

Takio attended to his savior, his lips well-zipped.

“The topmost priority in Union is survival. Survive. Save anything else for later, after you make sure you’ll stay alive. Don’t you forget it.”

She clicked away, with Takio gaping at her back, marveling at how puzzling yet profound her comment was, from someone who did not want to waste her time.

*****

Takio was still standing, just like he did back then, as he reminisced. Unlike that day, he was waiting for Yuigi to retrieve herself from confusion and memories.

“...That was you?”

“...Yes.”

“So you’re trying to repay me for what I did back then.”

“...Basically.”

“...So what are you going to do now?”

Takio was feigning an automatic reply bot so far, his mind yet floating in the sea of memoirs, and he lifted his head at her inquiry to find Yuigi staring at him.

“I appreciate that you took me out of that tank, but what are you gonna do with me now?”

Takio could only seal his mouth at her question.

‘...Now what?’

He realized he had never once thought about what to do with her once she awakened. As he rescued her, and as he waited for her to wake up, the only thing he had in mind was saving her.

Yuigi’s eyes were muddy with suspicion, and Takio could not even bring himself to make up an impromptu of a reason. He was now endeavoring to make himself appear not lost for words, when a sound that would be emitted only from the stomach of a human being deprived of food for a full week echoed exactly from Yuigi’s seat in an enormous RUMBLE.

After an awfully awkward silence, Yuigi lowered her eyes at her tummy, as if she would give anything if only she could pound her own body without embarrassing herself any further.

Takio held back his laughter by chastising himself that the fate of this safehouse (a.k.a. a property of a certain blonde human obsessed with welfare of his own belongings) lies on his lips. He then turned his body, thankful for the fact that he got something to occupy himself with.

“I knew a single meal wouldn’t be enough, so allow me to fetch some more. And let us take time to discuss this matter.”

Despite his own words, Takio had no idea what to do from here on. For now, all he could do was directing himself towards the fridge.

(next chapter)

First of all, I have a news - I finally managed to recover my USB drive that contains my fic! I checked the files, and it turned out I wouldn’t have to update my past episodes, thank heavens. :D

About the part that says Takio has never seen Aris before, I am aware that Aris was pretending to be his so-called sister Teira. But at this time Takio had no idea that Teira is actually Aris, so I hope there’s no confusion on this matter. :)

And some of you might have questioned why Yuigi would be at a quarantine section for test subjects that haven’t been made agents yet. Actually, there is more to this “past” between Takio and Yuigi that I made up, but it isn’t time yet to reveal what really lies at the base of their past. So I hope you’d stay tuned to find out what it is!