#I miraculously found a blue stone. it reminded me of you too

[tumefaismal]

In the wilderness

You're my star

Wherever you are

[scarletwritesshit]

⚰️ Luocha x Sunday ⚰️ Tangled in a Devil's Deal

An ashen-blue dove was entangled in thorned vines, pinned firmly against the wall. His hands and legs were tightly bound, eliminating any chance of a successful struggle. The vines wrapped around the entirety of his body, piercing every inch of his flesh with the slightest twitch of a nerve. He could not allow himself to move, not to struggle, not to readjust, lest he wanted his flesh to be sliced further.

His wings were rendered as worthless as the rest of his limbs, regardless of his movement ability. They had long since been clipped, and the feathers of his that were spared were ruffled beyond useless.

The dove was left to bleed out and die nailed to the wall by the thorns of his sin. His brief time of flight had concluded, and his heart was torn open dripping blood onto the stone floor. Robes that were once white with purity were now stained red as an eternal reminder of his fall.

His head slumped, sides of his face being scraped and cut open as it dangled. The bleeding heart dove could no longer muster the strength to keep his head up.

After his fall from grace, the only path left for him to traverse was the slow and bloody journey towards death.

In a miraculous twist of events, the attention of a wandering merchant was piqued when his white boots were stained with the splashes from the blood puddles. Luocha, this man claimed to be called, possessed the most interesting traits of long blond hair and a dastardly smug demeanor, something perhaps too familiar to an angel such as him. The healer’s garbs were nothing more than a deception, for the devil walked amongst him clad in holy white. And on a Sunday, nonetheless.

Luocha spun his golden cross necklace around his fingers and looked up at the Halovian nailed onto death’s door.

"Little birdie, you’ve found yourself in an awfully compromising position," Luocha said.

"What? Come to laugh at an angel’s fall from grace?" Sunday spat, blood rolling from the corner of his mouth.

"Laugh? I find no humor in your situation. Rather, I see this as an opportunity."

"An opportunity for what? Defiling what’s left of me with your devilish hands?"

Luocha caught the cross charm in the palm of his hand. "Quite the opposite, actually. I’m here to help you take flight once again and heal the wounds that taint your body"

"...Heal?"

"Indeed. For nothing more than a small price, of course."

"You would ask a man with a value of zero to repay you?" Sunday asked, baffled.

"Don’t let such lies escape your lips," Luocha said, reaching out the tip of his rapier to prod up Sunday’s chin. "I’m not here for what you have, but rather, what you are."

Sunday drearily looked at Luocha with what little strength he could muster.

"You’re the closest anyone has come to true Aeonhood," Luocha said, gently stroking the lid of his coffin with his free hand, "and I have a task suited to only someone of such caliber."

"You see an Aeon in this dead dove?"

"I see a dove that has yet to take flight… one that still hasn’t realized his potential."

Luocha swung his rapier aside, scraping Sunday’s throat as he allowed his head to droop once more.

"All I ask is for you to strike a deal with me to amend your wounds.”

"So I was right. You want to defile me and what my existence once stood for."

"Don’t be hasty, darling. I haven’t even had a moment to explain myself. My intentions are the exact opposite of what you presume, as I only desire to allow you to rise once again."

Sunday’s head perked up a little and he looked at Luocha with wide eyes.

"Alas, to make my sacrifice worthwhile, I need you to do my bidding for a short time," Luocha said, running his fingers along the coffin lid. "I have a… friend here, and I need an Aeon’s power to bring her back."

Sunday scoffed and fell completely silent.

"What happened to wanting to make everyone happy? Allowing yourself to die here when I am offering up my hand is the most selfish course of action you could possibly take.”

"That dream is dead, you devil," Sunday snapped with the last of his energy.

`"Little dove, why do you close your eyes to the sensible truth in front of you? Think of those who still depend on you. Think of Robin."

Right. Her. If Sunday had any reason to desperately free himself of those thorns, it would be for his beloved sister Robin. If he allowed himself to fall here, he had no other way to guarantee that this bastard wouldn’t say something to Robin that she was better off not hearing.

At the mention of her name, his wings began to flutter, and Luocha took great delight in seeing this.

"Ah. I knew that had to be enticing to you," Luocha said.

He put his palm on the coffin and it began to emit a strange green light. The vines entangled around Sunday mimicked this effect, and their hold on him gradually loosened. The thorns withdrew from his flesh, leaving now-dried bloody lacerations open across his body. With his body weak from the hefty blood loss, Sunday was rendered unable to brace himself for a fall, and so he accepted his fate of crashing into the ground once the last of the vines holding him up slithered back.

His fall was unexpectedly gentle, as Luocha held out his arm and caught the pale angel. Luocha’s grace was short lived, as he tossed Sunday down onto the ground with his back slumped against the wall.

"But before I can trust your loyalty to the deal, come forth and bow before me."

Sunday could not muster the strength to push himself forward onto his hands.

"I said bow."

Luocha grabbed his rapier once more and nudged Sunday down by the back of his head. Unable to reach out his hands to steady himself, Sunday bowed down supporting his body with his arms while Luocha kept him firmly in place with his rapier pointed at his throat.

"A soul for a soul is a fair exchange, wouldn’t you agree, little dove?" Luocha said, prodding his throat.

"Ngh…I have just...one request before I can agree to being in your service," Sunday coughed.

"I gave you life, what more could you possibly ask for?"

"...I beg of you, do not allow my sister to see how far I have fallen."

"Perhaps...if I am feeling a bit generous, I’ll spare her the pathetic sight of her brother kneeling to me in submission."

[skeletwinsauaskbox]

HERE ARE SOME GREAT NOTES FROM ME!!!:

SNOW WHITE IS GREAT FOR A FIRST ANIMATED FEATURE, BUT OVERALL, I JUST FOUND IT TOO... SLOW? BUT A CLASSIC IS A CLASSIC NONETHELESS!!! AND I LIKE WATCHING IT WITH SANS, SO IT GETS A COOL RATING!!

PINOCCHIO IS CUTE, BUT KIND OF SCARY SOMETIMES. ACTUALLY, I DON'T REMEMBER MUCH OF IT BEYOND THE SCARY SCENES. NEVER MIND, IT'S SCARY!!! BUT I LIKE SCARY!!

BOTH FANTASIAS ARE AMAZING, BUT THERE ARE OTHER MOVIES I ENJOY MORE.

I DON'T REMEMBER MUCH OF DUMBO, HONESTLY. I STILL REMEMBER LIKING IT, THOUGH!

BAMBI IS CUTE, BUT VERY SAD. I HAVE THIS FUZZY MEMORY OF CRYING INTO SANS' SHOULDER WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, AND WE WERE WATCHING THIS FILM. I ALSO REMEMBER BEING WRAPPED UP IN FLUFFY BLANKETS... AND...

I REMEMBER MICKEY AND THE BEANSTALK AND A REALLY WEIRD SEQUENCE IN THE THREE CABILLEROS! I JUST DON'T REMEMBER ENOUGH!!! DANG IT!!!

ICHABOD AND MR TOAD WAS... CREEPY. I STILL LIKED IT, BUT I HAVEN'T REWATCHED IT. N-NOT BECAUSE I WAS SCARED OR ANYTHING! NO! I J-JUST... THOUGHT OTHER MOVIES WERE... BETTER.

CINDERELLA IS A LOT LIKE SNOW WHITE! A CUTE FAIRY TALE, BUT I FOUND IT JUST TOO SLOW!!! I ACTUALLY FELL ASLEEP WATCHING IT ONCE!!! NYEH HEH!!!

ALICE IN WONDERLAND IS AMAZING!!! THE CHESHIRE CAT REMINDED ME OF SOMEONE, THOUGH...

I DON'T LIKE PETER PAN. I THINK IT'S TOO WEIRD FOR MY LIKING. CAPTAIN HOOK WAS FUN, THOUGH!!!

LADY AND THE TRAMP'S SPAGHETTI SCENE WAS MIRACULOUS!!! IT WAS ALSO JUST A CUTE MOVIE ABOUT DOGS IN GENERAL!!! WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE?

SLEEPING BEAUTY, AGAIN... TOO SLOW. BUT I LIKED THE THREE FAIRIES, THEY WERE REALLY FUNNY!! AND THE DRAGON AT THE END? WOWIE!!! IT KEPT MY ATTENTION MUCH BETTER THAN THE OTHER TWO PRINCESS FILMS!!!

SOMETIMES I STILL WONDER HOW THOSE TWO WEIRD FLESHY MONSTERS COULD AFFORD TO TAKE CARE OF 101 DALMATIANS. IT HAUNTS ME. OTHER THAN THAT, AN ADORABLE MOVIE!!!

WIZARD DUELS!! I REMEMBER THAT!!! I REMEMBER PLAYING WIZARD DUELS WITH SANS WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER BECAUSE OF THE SWORD IN THE STONE!!! GOOD TIMES.

I HATED THE JUNGLE BOOK AS A KID BECAUSE SANS INSISTED ON WATCHING IT OVER... AND OVER... AND OVER... AND OVER... BUT NOW I LIKE IT!!! AND NOW THE SONGS ARE STUCK IN MY HEAD AGAIN. GREAT.

ROBIN HOOD WAS ONE OF MY FAVOURITES AS A KID, BUT I HAVEN'T WATCHED IT RECENTLY. I THINK IT'LL STILL HOLD UP, THOUGH!!!

THE WINNIE THE POOH FILMS WERE REALLY CUTE!!! I REMEMBER WATCHING THE FIRST ONE BEFORE GOING TO SLEEP AS A CHILD!!!

THE RESCUERS WERE CUTE. DON'T REMEMBER MUCH OF IT.

THE FOX AND THE HOUND MADE ME CRY AND I WILL NEVER FORGIVE IT FOR THAT!!!!!

I DIDN'T ACTUALLY THINK THE HORNED KING WAS SCARY AT ALL. I JUST LIKED HIM BECAUSE HE WAS A SKELETON. UM... WHAT ELSE HAPPENED IN THE BLACK CAULDRON? I THINK THERE WAS THIS WEIRD CREATURE WITH A QUACKY VOICE????

THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE IS COOL AND UNDERRATED!!! GO WATCH IT!!!

WHY SHOULD I WORRY... WHY SHOULD I CARE... I ONLY REMEMBERED OLIVER AND COMPANY BECAUSE SANS KEPT SINGING THAT SONG TO HIMSELF WHILE HE FIXED MY SCARF. I LIKED THAT FILM! I THINK.

A DISNEY PRINCESS MOVIE THAT WASN'T TOO SLOW FOR ME?! SIGN!!! ME!!! UP!!! THE LITTLE MERMAID'S SONGS MADE ME WANT TO STOMP MY FEET AND FLAP MY HANDS!!! THAT'S HOW YOU KNOW IT'S GOOD!!!

AHH, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST... A CLASSIC. I LOVED IT! WHAT ELSE CAN I ADD? I LIKED THE OBJECTS! THEY WERE FUNNY! THE LOVE STORY IS ADORABLE! IT NEVER FAILS TO MELT MY NONEXISTENT SKELETON HEART!

ALADDIN IS MY FAVOURITE DISNEY FILM EVER!!! I EVEN REMEMBER USING BLUE MAGIC TO MAKE THE LIVING ROOM CARPET FLY WHEN I WAS YOUNGER!!! BUT, UM... APPARENTLY THAT DESTROYS VASES. AND... TVS. DON'T USE BLUE MAGIC TO MAKE YOUR CARPET FLY INDOORS!!!

THE LION KING MADE ME CRY TOO!!! BUT THIS TIME, I FORGIVE IT, BECAUSE THE STORY AND SONGS WERE REALLY GOOD. IT'S NOT MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE LIKE ALADDIN, BUT I STILL ADORE IT!!!

HUNCHBACK IS SAD AND FUNNY AND SAD AND FUNNY AND SAD AND FUNNY AND-

I LOVE GREEK MYTHOLOGY, AND I ESPECIALLY LOVED HADES IN HERCULES!!! I JUST WISH I COULD WATCH IT WITH SANS WITHOUT HIM CONSTANTLY SNARKING ABOUT IT, THOUGH...

MULAN INSPIRED ME!!! IT REALLY DID!!! PERHAPS ONE DAY I'LL BE A GREAT WARRIOR TOO!!!

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I THOUGHT TARZAN AND GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE WERE THE SAME GUY, AND I WAS REALLY CONFUSED WHEN TARZAN DIDN'T CRASH INTO TREES CONSTANTLY THROUGHOUT THE FILM. IT'S STILL REALLY GOOD, THOUGH!!!

THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.

ATLANTIS AND TREASURE PLANET WERE REALLY COOL AND FUN ADVENTURES AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM!!!

LILO AND STITCH IS CUTE!!! IT'S REALLY CUTE!!! I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!! BECAUSE IT'S CUTE!!!

I DON'T REMEMBER MUCH ABOUT BROTHER BEAR!! I JUST REMEMBER THAT IT MADE ME CRY!! AND THAT'S ENOUGH FOR ME!!

HOME ON THE RANGE WAS WEIRD. THE VILLAIN WAS FUNNY, BUT IT'S... WEIRD.

I DO NOT WISH TO TALK ABOUT CHICKEN LITTLE.

MEET THE ROBINSONS MADE SANS REALLY HAPPY WHEN WE FIRST WATCHED IT, AND THAT'S ENOUGH FOR ME TO LIKE IT TOO!!!

I ACTUALLY REALLY LIKED BOLT!!! SURE, THERE'S A LOT MORE GREATER DISNEY FILMS, BUT I LOVE SUPERHEROES, SO I LIKE THE FILM!!!

I DON'T KNOW WHY... BUT I FEEL A SPECIAL CONNECTION TO TIANA.

TANGLED WAS FUN AND BEAUTIFUL AND CHARMING AND AAAAAAAAAA!!!

WRECK IT RALPH WAS GREAT!!! I LOVED THE STORY AND THE MESSAGE AND HOW VANELLOPE KIND OF REMINDED ME OF MYSELF WHEN I WAS A KID-

SANS AND I WATCHED FROZEN TOGETHER, AND I LOVED THE SONGS SO MUCH THAT I SANG THEM EVERY DAY UNTIL SANS GOT TIRED OF IT AND STARTED PLAYING FART NOISES OVER MY BEAUTIFUL SINGING. THE SONGS ANNOY SANS, AND I SEE THAT AS A BONE-US.

A LITTLE FUN FACT!!! IN-UNIVERSE, BIG HERO 6 WAS THE LATEST DISNEY FILM TO HAVE COME OUT!!! I AM ACTUALLY BREAKING THE META NARRATIVE FOR THIS RANKING, BECAUSE CANONICALLY, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY DISNEY MOVIES FROM THIS ONE ONWARDS!!! THE REST ARE PURELY HYPOTHETICAL OPINIONS IF I SO HAPPEN TO WATCH THEM!!! SO ANY OPINIONS BEYOND THIS POINT IS CURRENTLY NON-CANON!!! YAY!!! (ANYWAY, BIG HERO 6 WAS THE ONLY MOVIE TO MAKE ME AND SANS CRY AT THE SAME TIME. GOOD JOB!)

ZOOTOPIA IS A REALLY COOL COP STORY!!! I LOVE COP STORIES AND COOL MYSTERIES AND BIG TWISTS!!! I JUST WISH THE TWIST WAS A LITTLE BETTER...

I WOULD WATCH MOANA ALL NIGHT IF I COULD!!! WAIT. I HAVE INSOMNIA. I COULD!!! NYEH HEH HEH!!! WELL, I KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO DO TONIGHT!!!

FROZEN II WASN'T AS GOOD AT THE FIRST, BUT IT STILL TUGGED AT THE NONEXISTENT HEARTSTRINGS!! HOW HEART WRENCHING!!!

I WISH TO DO THE SAME THING WITH ENCANTO AS I DID WITH FROZEN!!! AS IN, SING THE SONGS OVER AND OVER UNTIL SANS GETS SICK OF IT AND STARTS HITTING ME WITH PILLOWS TO SHUT ME UP. IT TAKES A LOT TO WEAR DOWN HIS PATIENCE, BUT I CAN PULL IT OFF!!!

WISH WAS... UHH... OKAY??? BUT IT COULD'VE BEEN BETTER. REALLY, IT... IT COULD'VE BEEN BETTER.

NO SPOILERS FOR MOANA 2!!!

[paintball-writes]

Commissioner Gordon to the Rescue!

Paris, Eiffel Tower, 4:34 AM

" Ladybug we can't keep this going! We need help! " a bee -striped heroine's voice is heard from a distance. Abeille .

" While that is true, who is going to help us? The justice league already called us a joke." someone says followed by a sharpening sound. Tatsu .

" Why don't don't we ask Batman? He's the most reasonable one" a calm voice reasons supporting his girlfriend's idea. Serpent .

" Yes, but how are we going to call Batman without ending up in asylum? Bailing ya outta there is hard work ya know?" the spotted armoured heroin asks. Ladybug.

" She's right guys" the quick witted fox hero chimes in. Reynard.

"Why don't we broadcast worldwide news that if Justice League doesn't show up in Paris within 24 hours we'll destroy the world" the usually quiet turtle cladded hero asks. Shellder.

"Yeah right! That way we'll have even more charges." Serpent says glaring at Shellder.

"Hey LB don't you know a police officer there? Afterall you are from there." Abeille asks the once street kid.

"Yes, Bug. You know the old guy. Maybe we can ask for his help." Tatsu asks her girlfriend.

"That's a nice idea. The Commissioner does have contact with Batman! Oooh then we might get to use the Bat Signal! Oh my Kwami, what if he doesn't recognise me?" Ladybug asks.

"He will recognise you Bug!" Shellder chimes in.

"The Bat Signal is real!" Reynard exclaims.

"That's out of the point. Don't get distracted!" Tatsu scolds.

"Ladybug, do you trust him enough to reveal your identity? Cause if you don't he won't believe you either." Serpent reasons.

"I guess. After all he saved my life multiple times." Ladybug answers unsurely.

"Ladybug there's no 'I guess' it's either Yes or No." Serpent says sternly.

"Then I do. I trust him." Ladybug answers firmly.

"Alright then, Yes it is." Abeille says.

"To Gotham we go!" and Reynard jumps off. Returns a minute later. "So, when exactly are we going and where?" he then asks.

"Now, Luks call Jagged and inform him. I'm sure he'll cover for us. Kalki if you may?" Ladybug asks.

"Of course Great guardian, but till Serpent finishes the call can you tell how and when have you been to Gotham?"

"Oh that, I was a street kid with my brother back then. We used to steal for a living. Jason took care of both of us. I was just three when we started living on the streets. Jay was eight. There were a few warehouses where all the street kids lived together. Commissioner Gordon came disguised as an old man and gave the kids blankets. He also anonymously left food for kids. When I figured out that was him I asked him why he didn't report us to the CPS. He answered Kid I know the CPS gives you Pipsqueaks shitty homes. Don't think about it. When I was seven I was kidnapped by Scarecrow. For testing some toxins. He threw me out saying I wasn't good enough. So somehow I found myself in Paris. Without my brother." Ladybug says with tears in her eyes.

"I called Dad and he said Okay because the Sandboy akuma was hard. Five hours particularly, all of your guardians think we're having a sleepover." Serpent says breaking everyone out of their stupor.

"LB, Can I use Kalki this time? Please?" Reynard asks.

"Fine, Here." She says giggling.

Gotham, Police station, 10:52 PM

Gordon POV

The shift is almost over yet I can't help but feel something interesting is about to happen.

Suddenly a blue portal appears. I take out my gun for defence.

"Woah, Woah no need for a gun. We come in peace." The one dressed like a fox answers.

"Who are you? Clarify your purpose!"

"We're heroes of Paris. We come to ask for your help." The one with a katana answers.

"Heroes? In Paris? Since when? I'd say it was a joke, But the portal proves it. Why wasn't the Justice league informed?"

"Slow down a bit, 3 years, Justice league laughed on us, to specify Green Lantern." Striped one? Answers.

"A...Alright, But how can I trust you, For all you could be joker's goons."

"You can trust us, If you don't, you know her you can trust us." The one with harp points to a spotted Ladybug?..

"Okaay, What're your names?"

"Official Introduction Time!" The flute one answers.

"The name's Reynard, Paris's Residential Fox Hero! Fox to meet you!"

"Or Nathaniel Kutzberg"

"The name's Abeille, Bow down Peasants!"

"AKA Chloe Bourgeois"

"I am Serpent, The most Responsible one."

"Or Luka Stone."

"I'm Shellder, Pleasure to meet you."

"Or Marc Anciel"

"Tatsu, Nice to meet you Commissioner, Kagami Trusugi"

"I... I'm Marinette Todd, Hi Commissioner"

"Dear Lord Mari is that really you? What do need my help for?"

"We need to come in Contact with the bats, And can you help me find my brother?"

"Sure Mari, But about your brother you see, He's a Bat too..."

"What?! Seriously?"

Bat Signal, Gotham, 11:13 PM

Red Hood's POV

"Alright we're here Gordon, What's the problem?" Big B asks in his Batman voice.

"We have visitors Batman, They're looking for you." Commiss says. Who in the world would look for Batman?

One by one Teens dressed as animals come out from dark. Drat everyone's just as confused as me.

"Alright who're you playing dress up? Ya know that's dangerous." I ask voicing everyone's curiosity. Suddenly a blue blob attaches to me and starts Giggling.

"Jay-Jay it's me" My eyes start to sting. Only one person calls me that.

"P-Pixie?" I ask unsurely. Pixie nods her head.

"Pixie-Pop it's really you!" I say once i register what's going on.

"I'm never leaving you again Squirt. You're alright! Remind me not to let you alone on streets again, Leave it to Mari for a recipe for trouble!" I tighten my hold on her.

"Hood who's this? Why are they all dressed up?" B. Yeah I forgot he was there as well.

"B, This is Marinette, my little sister. Although I do not know why she and those kids are dressed up."

"Allow me to explain, There's been a super villian in Paris for three years now. These kids are the Heroes there. They came to me First cause they didn't want to get arrested. Green Lantern called them a joke. I know you'd shoo them off, but Bats I saw a Portal open. They came through it. And Jason, Your sister's the team leader!" Gordon explains.

"What! That bitch let me at him! troubling my sister for no good !I, Jason Todd will Skin him"

"Hood! No names at the Field!" Demon Spawn says.

"Relax, She knows."

"Elaborate" B says.

Batcave, Gotham, 8:56 AM

"Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth!" Red robin exclaims.

"Ha! Take that Chat! I was right!" Ladybug says.

"Red robin can you do research on one Lila Rossi? She's probably working for him." Abeille says.

Batcave, Gotham, 11:12 AM

"Guys! Emergency meeting!" Red Robin Shouts.

"Lila Rossi wanted psycopath in 3 different countries!"

College Dupont, Paris, 11: 34 AM (Next Day)

"You bitch why did you file a fake report against Lila!" Alya barks out at Marinette.

"My daughter did no such thing." That wasn't Tom Dupain. There stood in all Glory Bruce Wayne himself.

"Yo-Your Daughter?" Alya asks

"Yes, my adoptive daughter, Jason todd-wayne's biological sister."

"Hey Alya don't shoot the messenger, I filed the evidence on behalf of ladybug and her team!"

"What do you mean? Multimouse isn't supposed to be active!" Agreste says.

"Oh, I didn't know that! I mean how do you think your miraculous was taken Chat Noir?"

Gasps were heard.

"It was you!"

"Yes. Now son of a bitch outta my way!"

"What do you mean?"

"Haven't you heard Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth."

Andre's Ice Cream, Paris, 12:13 PM

"Well that went better than we thought, right Babe?" Kagami asks her girlfriend.

"Sure did Gami!" Marinette repies.

[helloblobbyblobfish]

Sasquatch and candies

It was supposed to be a simple mission. A bunch of artifacts had been stolen from a rich mogul's collection. Some of them were supernatural in nature, according to the men of letters' sources.

So Sam and Dean went on the trail the thieves left on their wake in Texas. There, money was stolen from inside the vault with no traces of breaking or entering. An old mask amongst the stolen loot was used to enter women's rooms by a serial killer in the 1960's.

Interrogating witnesses, they learned a man and his two female companions were so beautiful they did everything they asked. Venus's perfume, though lost since the days of Giacomo Casanova.

A man was shot by a guy wearing a cowboy hat, and burst into flames? Allowing his weaver to shoot spells was only one of the many rumored abilities of the sundance kid's hat.

Sam was getting suspicious. "Okay, so. They know what the artifacts are able to do, but they broke the glass protections to access them and shot the guards with normal bullets? Even centuries-old organizations weren't sure of the nature of some of those! And we found nothing about the mundane jewels. Oh, and"

"Sam! I'm driving!"

"And Venus' perfume is supposed to make you irrésistible, not look like the person most desired. Texts explicitly say it changes what the smelling person's tastes are! And why do we still have no images 5 towns in! And it's very suspicious that most of those lost artifacts were found and/or bought by a guy we have no pictures of either in less than a year! Dean, I think it's a trap."

"And knowing is winning half the battle! Look, they use an EMT bomb each time they are near cameras."

"Except the exact time where a hat would cover the guy's face!" Still, he seemed familiar, but the brother had met too many people for him to be certain. Still, Sam was feeling worried.

Unaware of his brother's inner thoughts, Dean patted his knee to calm him. "Don't worry. Probably words-of-mouth written down and passed as facts. And yes, they wanted to show off that cowboy time. So we should prepare for a trap. But I think they're getting cocky. So, no problemo."

At the next town, Sam went to buy a motel room for the night, while Dean went to check the hospital, hit by a wave of miraculous healings. The staff of Asclepius, probably. It also means bad things happening soon to the doctors.

As he drops their bags in the cheap room, Sam hears the door lock behind him. Then, a voice comes from the bed.

"Hey, sweetheart. Fooled you with the female illusions? I'm getting really good at those."

"Tricks- Gabriel? You?" The archangel snaps his fingers, and Sam is suddenly unable to move his lips. The trickster rises up from the bed. He was wearing very tight dark jeans, a light green shirt under a brown leather jacket and his hair was slicked back.

Castiel's asshole uncle smirks. "Don't worry about Dean, darling." The TV set in the room turns on. It shows Dean on a hospital bed, spanked by "I have some interesting material on Deanny's kinks. Think I should tell them to his angel?"

Sam can suddenly speak. "I don't want to think about my brother's fantasies about Dr. Sexy, you" And back to the closed lips. "Hon, don't be like this. See, I planned all of this to get you all alone so I could woo you. You always were more fun than your brother. And then, you took care of me after Asmodeus, and, well." His smug demeanor notably falters as he scratches his head and looks away.

Sam gives him the most unimpressed stare he can muster. Gabriel is annoyed. "Yeah, yeah. And I guess unlike your brother, you don't swing both ways''. Sam notices a necklace with a blue hexagon stone surrounded by colorful circles. It reminds him of something. Another of the artifacts. Something about another stone? He isn't in the best position to think.

He realizes he can speak again and his captor looks at him, expecting an answer. Sam tries to turn on the charm. "Sorry, Gab." The dark look he receives as an answer is telling. "Are you… going to use the perfume?" "Loki" laughs. "Hahahaha. NO." He shows a mock serious look. "It would make you a vegetable only interested in my desires." He hugs the hunter and twirls him around despite the size difference. "Sugar, I want to talk with you, to see you get excited over your own interest, to have friends outside of me! It would be boorriiiiinnnggggg!!!!! If you were a dumb mind slave!"

Sam feels sickened by the awful attempt at romantic behavior. And terrified by what the archangel will do. As he gets ready to call Castiel, he feels something on his neck. It's diffusing a warmth that makes it hard to think. He looks down and notices his flannel was partially unbuttoned, showing a necklace familiar to Gabriel's, but with a red stone instead of a blue one.

He tries to get out of the arms that lock him to throw it away, worried about its effects, but Gabriel speaks up. "You don't want to take the necklace off, Sammy." Sam shudders at the pet name. How did he not notice how arousing the archangel/pagan god's voice is before? If only "loki" had a vagina and boobs rather than a cock and balls, Sam would have had sex with him... Well, the being could shapeshift, right? The handsome angel gently put him back on the floor.

"After all, those matching necklaces I made are a sign of our relationship!" "Our… Relationship?" Sam is confused. He likes the necklace, but that Gab has the same is a bit weird. He also feels very hot. If he wasn't worried about the looks the other man would give him, he would be getting rid of his shirt

"Yes. We are lovers." It is said as a fact. Sam knows it's true, but. "I. Don't? Love, You?" The fact that they are dating makes him feel strange. He doesn't love- "You do love me. You ADORE me. I am the most important person to you. You would kill your brother for me."

His Angel's voice is like honey. Dripping down his ears and covering his brain, stopping his thoughts from leaving. "Yeah." He loves Dean, but if killing him would make his love happy, all bets are off. Sam grabs those handsome cheeks and initiates a kiss. They kissed a lot since they started dating, but Gabriel still melts under his touch before grabbing him and hungrily taking him like a thirsty man finding an oasis.

A snap, and they are both naked, save for their necklaces, on the bed. Gab is murmuring in his ears. "I wanted that for so long… Sam, you will consent to whatever I want to do with your body." The immortal starts to jack the human under him. He licks Sam's tender neck. "You are a bottom, Sammy. I want you to moan thinking about my dick in you." 

Sam can see it so well. "Gabriel, please… ahhhh… pound me, gab, I want it so much!" How could Chuck give Gab such a hot voice! It makes him so horny! Wait.

"Hon.." "Yes, Samantha." His love is amused. "How are you still alive?"

Gabriel seems annoyed, but then his smile opens. "Sammy… always so inquisitive. In case you haven't noticed, death is cheap." He rubs his thumb against the hunter’s lips. A pause. "And your friend Jack has made a lot of holes in the empty when getting Castiel out of there." The smile gets sinister. It turns Sam even more on.

The voice continues, even more irresistible than that siren from years prior. "Now, I want to put my dick in you, but I need you under me for me to savor the moment. May I?" "Anything, honey. Anything!" Sam is almost begging. Suddenly, he feels his organs move between his legs. He looks with interest as his balls and penis shrink. Awed, Sam doesn't realize what his boyfriend meant until a hole starts to open in his skin. As any trace of his dick disappears, Sam's body is held by his love, allowing him to see he now has a vagina just above the anus.

Gab sucks one of Sam's fingers, distracting his curious mind. He then directs the fingers to the entrance, and makes Sam move the finger inside of the pink opening. The little moans of arousal make the trickster chuckle. "Fully functional! I didn't give you an uterus. Yet. When we want babies, maybe." The possibilities spin inside the Winchester's head, but he can't focus on any of those, too preoccupied at the concept that: "You won't need to lube me to breed me."

The pure need and desire in those words drive the archangel wild, and he slams his sword in Sam's brand new hole. The hunter expects pain but finds none. It's like he has the exact size to really feel the above-average lance but not be stretched by it. He then laughs when he realizes his pussy was made by the man above him, who must have made it exactly to proportions. And then, Sam can't think, because the demigod snaps his fingers, and it's like the penis is penetrating his vulva but also his ass and masterfully hitting his prostate on both sides.

"Oh! FUCK! Gabriel!!! HOT fucker!"  Tears are running down Sam's cheek as he devolves into screaming, moaning flesh. His archangel creates an apple he shoves into Sam's mouth. "Please, this isn't a love motel, Sam. Do you want me to call you a whore?" Sam chokes, before being distracted by another thrust of the angelic being's penis.

A snap, and the apple is now a ball gag. Sam slaps the torso above him repeatedly. "No gag?" A nod. A snap. Sam kisses the mouth above him to hide his moans.

As Sam lets their months separate to breathe, Gabriel takes the opportunity to bite his neck and start sucking.

The hunter scratches his angel to keep control. "How… will I explain… it.. to Dean?" "You don't want to talk about me?" Gabby pouts and twists his nipples. Sam feels like an idiot. "Oh, right. And if he doesn't accept you, the Winchesters are going solo." He can see his certainty shocks the archangel a little, even if it's well-hidden.

The archangel growls, and takes on Dean's look. It's only an illusion, as Sam feels Gabriel's host underneath, but Sam slaps him. "No incest play! Becky would have too much fun if she ever heard!" His boyfriend chuckles, but accepts to back off and dispels the glamor. "My apologies." Suddenly, there is the feeling of a third penis. "You're… oh, oh god, forgiven… but, please, nooo… can't hold it!"

Sam orgasm. "Already?" The archangel gently pouts. "Do you want me to make you horny again or do I cum?" Sam laughs. "You angels cum on command?" Realizing it's a dare, the son of god grins. "Of course." As he says it, Sam can fill the warm "divine" sperms entering his hole.

The archangel speaks up, suddenly grave. "Do you love me?" "More than anything." The archangel seems pensive. He looks at the TV screen. Dean is now sleeping on the bed. "Do you care about your brother?" "Kind of. But you're the only one I need."

Looking guilty, Sam's love makes a long silence. Sam's vagina is magically cleaned and he is poking at the growing dick. It's bigger and thicker than before. Trying to lighten the mood, the hunter states: "You know? I just could have wrapped my legs around you while you fucked me. I would have stayed below you."

He is stopped by a deep kiss that makes him turn to jelly. Weirdly enough, he feels like he can think again clearly for an instant, and the next, the necklace around his neck is diffusing a sense of sleepiness inside of him. Unable to think, Sam let his master rub his thumb against his cheeks. The master snaps his fingers, and they are both clothed once more.

"Sam, I want you to scale down your love for me. I am the love of your life, but you won't remember what we did together today. You are going to go back to the same codependent tendencies you and your brother share. You just found that pendant and found it cool. Now, go to sleep."

-

Sam wakes up when Dean opens the door. He must have been tired by the case, if he went to sleep fully clothed.

He notices stains of something on his pants as he rises up. Damn it. Gabriel's dead. Why can't he forget him?

He feels the cord of the necklace he bought yesterday brushing against his neck. For some reason, it reminded him of Him.

Dean looks terrible, the younger Winchester realizes. "What happened?" His brother blushes. "Nothing, Sammy. Nothing." Sam is about to push for more infos, but he suddenly feels an urge to drop it. He feels warmth coming from that odd stone. He looks at it. Maybe it's worth investigating later, but he doesn't feel the need to take it off. 

They go to sleep. Having already slept, Sam takes some time to go under and has to listen to Dean having a dream about Dr. Sexy. He sighs. Dean should just ask Castiel to put on a lab coat and get done with it.

As sleep comes to him, he smells a strange odor of candies. It reminds me of his lost love, so he slumbers with a smile on his face.

[kyleys-empty-mind-shit]

i don’t love you (like i did yesterday)

genre(s): angst. pure angst. lots of hurt but no comfort

fandom: miraculous ladybug

rating: g・t・r

word count: 1.2k

warning(s): none, like one use of fuck i think

things to know: y/n (your name) ⟢ e/c (your eye colour)

For a while now, you’d noticed him pulling away. 

At the beginning of your relationship it seemed that, when possible, Luka always wanted to be with you. He was by your side when you were walking down the street; holding your hand when you were sitting on the couch watching rom-coms. Of course you hadn’t minded, as you’d wanted to always be with him too. He was charming, thoughtful, kind, gentle: everything you’d ever wanted in a partner.

But as of late– the last couple of months or so– you had noticed him pulling away. 

At first it was little things, like forgetting to send good morning or good night texts, which he’d done every morning and every night since the beginning of your relationship up until a few weeks ago.

Then he’d stopped inviting you to hang out at the ship. He wasn’t sending you songs that reminded you of him, or chords he’d devised just for how you made him feel. Whenever you’d text him, asking him if he wanted to hang out, there was always something else going on.

Your heart was hurting, and you couldn’t stop your brain from thinking that maybe you’d done something to make him not want to be around you anymore. You found yourself digging a hole of doubt, your tendency to overthink coming into play more often than not. 

What was it that you had done? You’d spent days retracing your steps, trying to think back to what you could’ve possibly said or done. The realization didn't hit you until after you had spent countless nights crying yourself to sleep; who said it was anything you’d done? You had run through all the possible scenarios, and none of them led back to you messing up. 

You knew you needed to talk to Luka.

 Because as much as it hurt your heart to say it to yourself, this–  whatever it was– wasn’t a relationship anymore.

—xXx—

That morning, as soon as you’d woken up, you’d texted Luka to meet you outside of the Louvre, making sure to add that it was non-negotiable. You hardly bothered to throw on an outfit, feeling as though your efforts would be wasted. Slipping into your shoes, you took your time going down the stairs of your family’s home. 

Now here you are, wringing your hands in front of the glass pyramid, waiting for your boyfriend to show up.

Your mind is swirling with a plethora of possible ways this could go, most of them terrible. One even includes abduction by aliens.

“‘Luka,’” you mutter to yourself as you begin practicing what you’re going to say. “‘Why have you been acting so weird?’ No, that’s dumb. ‘Is everything okay?’ Dumber. Fuck.”

“Y/n!” 

You whip around to find Luka approaching you. He wears black skinny jeans and his favourite hoodie over a white top. 

He gives you a dampened smile, shoving his hands into the pockets of the faded blue zip up.

The sight of him makes your chest tightened. You kick yourself for still feeling like this, still feeling that same want you felt at the beginning of your relationship. You take a deep breath, the feeling like you're choking on air kicking in, a stone starting to settle in the pit of your stomach. As he walks closer to you with an expectant look in his eyes, you want to shrivel, to disintegrate on spot, your gaze meeting Luka’s cerulean one. 

“So what’s going on, Luka?” you say, finding that you have to bite your tongue from blurting out all your doubts, worries, and frustrations. 

“What do you mean?” he quirks a brow.

You were never planning on being hostile with him when you planned out this conversation. You knew he was a good person and that he would never hurt you, so why did you feel anger rising in your throat like an oily snake? “What do I mean? Come on. Why have you been so distant lately?”

He looks at his feet, nudging at the ground. How could he not see this?

“y/n,” he murmurs. “I just . . . I tried, you know? I tried to keep feeling things for you, because I never wanted to hurt you. You of all people don’t deserve it,” he says. He brings a hand up, gesturing to you. He breathes out a long but measured sigh. “But I don’t– I don’t . . .”

“You don’t . . . what?” you start, but your mouth falls open as you realize what he’s trying to say. 

All of the sudden, a huge lump rises in your throat, like barbed wire threatening to pierce your skin if you speak. What he was saying made sense, was rational even, but that didn't stop the wave of dread crashing over you. 

He was what you wanted, what you had been trying to keep so badly for what seemed like months now, but you knew what was coming. The way he couldn’t quite meet your eyes told you all you needed to know. 

The corners of your eyes sting and you fight the urge to let any tears spill over your cheeks.

“I don’t love you anymore.” he breathes, confirming what you’d just figured out. 

There it is. 

There’s a part of you that wants to scream, and punch and kick something. Another part of you wants to let your knees give out then crumble to the ground in tears. 

But you swallow hard, nodding once. 

“Okay,” you monotone, but you can hear the ever so slight break in your voice and you hope to god Luka doesn’t. 

“Y/n,” he sighs, stepping toward you. you shake your head, taking a quick step back. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“No, I get it. I do,” you laugh sardonically. You’re not mad, you remind yourself. At least you try to convince yourself that you're not. “It's not like I didn't see it coming,” you reason as you wipe your eyes with your forearm. “It just, um,” your voice cracks, fading as your throat tightens, ripping away your ability to speak without crying even more. “It hurts?” you say, almost questioning yourself. 

It was like everything you wanted was standing right in front of you, literally within your grasp, yet there was a glass wall preventing you from reaching out and taking what you so badly wanted to be yours. Like in the movies, things were coming back in bursts, the memories of you and him trying not to get caught kissing when he came to pick you up after ditching school, the dinners with your parents and him, the deafening laughter sounding off the streets when you both got caught in the rain, soaking you to the bone. 

You couldn’t stop him from leaving. You knew that. But that was the worst part, wasn’t it? Knowing what was coming but not being able to keep it from happening? 

Luka takes a step forward with this look in his eyes: looking at you as if you were a kicked puppy or something. He makes a move to hug you, but you take a step back.

“Luka don’t,” you whisper almost inaudibly. “don’t make it any harder than it already is.”

“I’m sorry, y/n.” he says again.

“Yeah I know,” you say. “You already said that.” 

You take a deep breath, gathering your composure. “Luka, you’re a good person. I hope you’re happy, I do,” you say earnestly, trying your best to keep up a smile. “But don’t stand here trying to comfort me. Not like this. Not now.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this, y/n,” he says. “I never thought it would. I uh, I really thought we’d make it.”

“Mhm,” you nodded, your watery smile breaking for a moment. “So did I.”

[sassyduckqueen]

The Price of A Wish

Villain Luka au done! It was fun to write and surprisingly no Lila salt in this lol Anyway hope you enjoy it :D

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

Tears rolled down Luka's cheeks as he just stared blankly at the wall. He was sat on a bed in the small room of the Orphanage that he and his sister had been moved to after his father's arrest five months ago. Not even a week later, his mother fell sick and ended up in a coma which she hadn't woken up from. Luckily, Juleka and him hadn't been split up and he had a plan in motion.  As soon as he turned eighteen, he would get custody of Juleka and they would change their names and leave Paris forever, However, she began to show signs of schizophrenia, claiming that this world wasn't real. She had been drugged up to her eyeballs and babbled about the "real" world. Luka had tried to calm her down and tried to tell her that she was sick but she insisted she wasn't. Over the last few months, she just got worst. She told him a bad cat had made a wish and how a bug needed to save the world but he didn't understand what she meant. However, that no longer mattered because Juleka was gone. A week ago, she had managed to escape and had gone missing. Luka had tried to find her but he couldn't. Every day he looked for her but never found her. Today had been no difference at first. However, he had seen a crowd gathered around the Eiffel tower. Curiosity got the better of him and he walked over. He regretted it. Lying on the floor and in a puddle of blood was Juleka. He screamed and broke through the crowd, rushing to her side. The police had grabbed him because he could reach her as he screamed her name. They took him aside and he told them who she was. That was six hours ago but as if that wasn't bad enough, he got even worse news. The hospital had declared Anarka dead and switched her off life support. In less then a week, he had gone from having a loving family to losing everyone. His mother and sister were dead and his father was locked away in a secure prison after been arrested for terrorism. Luka didn't understand it. Jagged wasn't a perfect man but he was definitely not a terrorist. He was a rockstar for crying out loud or at least that what he believed... but apparently, he was the man who was the supervillain Hawkmoth. Luka didn't want to admit it. He really didn't but the evidence was there and Jagged had admitted it himself. As a result, Luka lost everything. His friends turned their backs on him, saying they couldn't be friends with the son of a supervillain and his grandfather, the only living relative he had left, refused to adopt him for the same reason after his mother's death. It's how he ended up here with Juleka but part of him wondered that if Jagged been the supervillain was part of the reason why Juleka killed herself, though she insisted he wasn't. Either way, it didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. It didn't matter that he was eighteen in a month's time or that he was alone. It didn't matter that his friends were gone and he had no family. Nothing mattered anymore and it would never matter again. Someone knocked on the door as he continued to stare. It opened and a woman walked in, frowning a little as she saw him. She didn't want him there but he had no where else to go. However, seeing him just staring with tear stains on his cheeks made her heart hurt a little. He didn't even acknowledge her as she walked over, holding a parcel.

  "Luka..." She stated, hoping for some reaction. Nothing. He didn't even blink. He just stared at the wall. He hadn't eaten or moved from that spot since he got brought back by the police. "You have a parcel..."

  Again, nothing so she sighed and put it on his bed before walking out and closing the door behind her. Luka slowly moved his head and looked over at it before picking it up. He tore off the paper and opened it, revealing two hexagon shaped boxes. Once again, curiosity got the better of him and he opened one of them, causing a purple ball of light to appear. He dropped the box as he stared at it before it formed a small butterfly like creature. He glanced down at the box and picked it up, seeing a butterfly shaped brooch inside. He looked up at the little creature and blinked.

"What are you?" He asked in an emotionless voice.

  "My name is Nooroo," It replied quietly. "I'm the kwami of transmission and I grant the power to create superpowered heroes..."

  "Heroes," Luka stated bitterly. "There are no heroes,"

  Nooroo looked at him as he put the box on the side and went back to staring at the wall.

  "M-Master?" He asked, causing Luka to glance at him. "A-Are you ok?"

  Luka blinked in surprise. No one had asked him that. Not when his father got arrested, not when his mother fell ill or when his sister killed herself. No one cared about him but this little creature was asking. He sat up and cupped him in his hands.

  "No... I'm not ok, Nooroo," He answered as his eyes filled with tears. "But thank you for asking me. You're the only person who has... and please don't call me Master. My name is Luka,"

  "Luka..." Nooroo repeated before gasping. "As in Luka Couffaine?!"

  "You... know me?" Luka asked, confused. Nooroo nodded. "How do you know me?"

  "You were Silencer, Truth and Viperion," He answered, making Luka blink. Silencer, Truth and Viperion.... why didn't they sound so familiar? "My old master Hawkmoth made you into Silencer and Truth... which I'm sorry about,"

  "My father made me into them?! What about Viperion?" He asked, wondering if this could get any worst. However, Nooroo looked confused. "Nooroo?"

  "Viperion was your hero name... but Gabriel Agreste is your father?!" Nooroo gasped, surprising Luka as well as himself. He shouldn't have been able to say his name but he had been able to. Did that mean he was no longer under the Agreste family's control?

  "No... my father is Jagged Stone. He was arrested for been hawkmoth and admitted to it," He explained, shocking Nooroo, who began to mumble. "But... Nooroo, are you saying Jagged wasn't Hawkmoth?"

  "He wasn't Hawkmoth," Nooroo gasped. "Duusu can confirm that too,"

  "Duusu?" Luka asked before grabbing the other box and opening it. A blue light burst free and moved around before a peacock like creature appeared. It stretched and looked at him.

  "Hello, new master!" It chirped, making Luka blink. "I'm Duusu, the kwami of emotion!! I can grant the power to make senticreatures!!"

  "Ok but I need to know something," He stated, making Duusu blink at him. "Who was Hawkmoth?"

  "Oh, well that was Gabriel Agreste and his assistant, Nathalie, was my master. She became Mayura. Oh and Hawkmoth became Shadow Moth when he merged me and Nooroo!"

  "... My father is innocent!" Luka gasped, standing up. "We can clear his name and I can live with him!"

  "Luka," Nooroo stated, making Luka look at him. "We can't,"

  "Why not?"

  "Because he admitted it," Nooroo explained, causing Luka to stare at him. 

  "But you can tell them he isn't!" He gasped before frowning as Nooroo and Duusu looked guilty. Like they knew something he didn't. "Nooroo? Duusu? What aren't you telling me?"

  "Something doesn't feel right," Duusu whispered, looking around fearfully. "This world feels..."

  "Wrong," Nooroo added in, making Luka frown before he fluttered over and lifted Luka's wrist. "You're not wearing your miraculous..."

  "My what?"

  "The snake miraculous. It was entrusted to you by Ladybug," Nooroo replied, making Luka frown. What is a miraculous? And who is Ladybug? "You... don't know what I mean do you?"

  "I don't..." Luka replied, frowning. "Who is Ladybug? What's a miraculous?"

  Nooroo sighed and turned to Duusu, who was playing with their flippers.

  "It must be the wish..." She gasped, worried. "But surely, Hawkmoth didn't win? I'm sure he was defeated,"

  "Gabriel was... maybe someone else made a wish...." Nooroo gasped, looking down before shaking his head. "We need to restore his memories,"

  "My memories?" Luka asked but before he could say something else, Nooroo and Duusu flew over to him and placed their hands on the side of his head. His eyes glazed over in purple as his mind began to flood with images. He reminded his time as Viperion, as Truth and as Silencer. He reminded his mother's akumatization and his sister's. He remembered Heroes day and seeing Hawkmoth on TV. And that was definitely not his father. His mind filled with all of the experiences he had forgotten. Kitty Sections, Been a hero, Miracle Queen, playing his violin in front of a crowd, making friends with Kagami and Marc and Marinette. He had forgotten Marinette. Tears filled his eyes as he remembered the love he held for her and how she loved him but then a new memory surfaced and it was the worst. Rage filled him as he saw Adrien Agreste overpower Ladybug and take her earrings, revealing Marinette. He broke free from the akuma and when to reset his timer but the akuma grabbed him as Adrien stated that he could fix the world now, his mother would be ok and his father would be free from been Hawkmoth. He had the nerve to smile as he said they could finally be a family again and that he and his lady would be together forever. Marinette begged him not to but Adrien ignored her, stating he would take away all of her burdens. They could finally be together like they were meant to be... but she was with Luka. She was his girlfriend and Adrien intended to steal her but worst then that, he intended to make a wish to bring his mother back and to free his father from been hawkmoth. Marinette begged him still, telling him a price would be paid but then Adrien said something that hurt everyone. He stated that he didn't care. Luka screamed as he watched Adrien combine the two miraculous and make his wish before a light engulfed him and everyone in the room. He gasped as Nooroo and Duusu pulled away, tears rolling down his cheek. "He... Adrien... He betrayed us..."

  He let out a scream and just began to destroy almost everything in his path, trashing the room before he finally sunk down to his knees and sobbed. Nooroo and Duusu flew over, hugging him.

  "H-His wish... it was for his mother, his father and for Marinette to forget wasn't it?" He asked, looking up at them as they nodded. "Is that why my mother is dead, my father in jail and my sister driven mad from memories of the real world?"

  "I'm afraid so," Nooroo replied, looking down. "A price must be paid for the wish to come true... Adrien got his family back but you lost yours,"

  Luka shook from the tears and anger before he stood up, making the two kwamis look at him.

  "Can it be undone?" He asked in a cold voice. Nooroo slowly nodded. "How?"

  "You would need the miraculous of the ladybug and the black cat. The kwamis could reverse the wish and restore the world to just before it was made," He explained, making Luka nod. "But we don't know where it is. They're properly with the guardian who may or may not be in Paris. That's why Hawkmoth created supervillains. He wanted to force them out,"

  "Then we'll do the same," Luka declared, making Nooroo and Duusu gasp before he looked at them. "But I won't force you... I'm not Hawkmoth,"

  Duusu looked at Nooroo, who bit his lip. Part of him didn't want to be used by a villain again but they could also fix the world back to how it was. It wasn't fair that Luka lost everything so Adrien could regain what he had lost. That was cruel and not a solution. It was just passing on his pain to someone else.

  "We will help you..." Nooroo declared, making Luka nod and whisper thank you. "But what about Adrien?"

  "Well... it will take awhile to get the miraculous right?" Luka asked, smirking as they nodded. "Then I'll use that time to torment him. This is his fault after all,"

  He picked up the pins and put them on.

  "Now... how do I transform?"

  Six Month Later

  "Don't be bemused, it's just the news," Nadja Chamack stated as she smiled at the camera. She was stood outside of a parade celebrating one year of been free from Hawkmoth. "It's been exactly one year since Jagged Stone was arrested and found guilty of been Hawkmoth and since our heroes retired. Earlier in the week, a fluke happened where Miss Bourgeois once again somehow ended up Akumatized but this seems to be a one time thing. Experts have theorized that it might have been a stray akuma that Hawkmoth left behind but luckily new heroes Harlequin and Kuro Neko turned up and saved the day. However, one does wonder what happened to the original Ladybug and Chat Noir-"

  A huge roar suddenly echoed, cutting her off before a beast of a creature landed on the balloon of Ladybug, making Nadja and the film crew look over. It resembled a giant snake that seemed to be themed around the snake hero.

  "Um is this part of the parade?" She asked as the figure jumped down from it and stood up straight. He didn't look like part of the show either. He was tall and had a blue hooded cape that faded into peacock green. It also resembled a peacock's tail. Under his hood, Nadja could make out blue and purple hair. His skin was a cold shade of blue and he wore a purple and black butterfly mask. His shirt was a dark purple and his waistcoat was a lighter purple that resembled butterfly wings. His pants were a midnight blue and his boots were black combat boots. His eyes were the worst though. They were pink with lilac  sclera but they were completely void like he had no soul. In his hand was a cane and attached to his hip was a feathered fan. He spun his cane down as his cape flapped in the wind.

  "People of Paris!! Listen carefully!! Queen Wasp wasn't a fluke or a stray akuma from Hawkmoth! She was merely a test run for me!" He shouted, causing everyone to film him. "I am Aglais, Hawkmoth's successor!! Harlequin, Kuro Neko! Give me your miraculous and bring me Adrien Agreste! Do this and I'll ensure the safety of Paris! You have five minutes to give into my demands or I'll make Paris wish they only had to deal with Hawkmoth again,"

  "Nadja Chamack here and first on the scene! A new supervillain calling himself has just turned up, threatening Paris if the miraculous of the ladybug and black cat aren't delivered to him, along with teenage heartthrob Adrien Agreste!" She gasped as Aglais stroked the snake's neck. He knew five minutes wasn't enough time and he knew that the heroes wouldn't give in to his demands but that was the point. He smirked as the two heroes landed on the building opposite as the cameras filmed.

  "No Agreste I see!" He shouted back as the two heroes jumped over to him. "Pity. I didn't want to terrorize anyone,"

  "Surrender your miraculous and you won't have to," Harlequin stated, holding out his hand. "You don't have to do this,"

  "Cute," He chuckled, smirking. "But I do. Agreste needs to pay for his misdeeds. Basilisk, you know what to do,"

  The snake hissed and jumped over the heroes, making them look at it as it fell to the ground. Kuro Neko rolled her eyes as they turned to the villain.

  "Your pet just killed itself," She stated, making Aglais smile a little. "You lost your advantage,"

  "Did I?" He asked, tilting his head to the side as they heard a cracking noise. "Unlike my predecessor, I have a much more creativity mind. Did you know senticreatures can grow and evolve?"

  "Senticreatures?" Kuro Neko asked before her eyes flicked down to his brooches. She gasped and turned back to Basilisk who had been growing and reforming. "He has the peacock miraculous!"

  People began to scream as Basilisk tripled in size, roaring out.

  "A sentimonster!" Harlequin gasped.

  "No, it's a senticreature," Aglais corrected, making them growl. "And the nightmare is just beginning!! Hydra! Attack!!"

  Hydra growled and began to fire beams at people, freezing them in place and causing more people to panic and scream as Aglais laughed like a maniac. The two heroes jumped down and started to fight it. They managed to cut off it's head but to their horror, two more grew back, allowing it to attack them and freeze more people.

  "Another interesting fact! I can create more than one senticreature. Monarch!!! Come to me!!" He declared as a large butterfly flew over. He jumped up and landed on it. "You see... while I planned all of this, I made sure to learn all that I could about my miraculous. Something Hawkmoth didn't do. And as a result, I learnt how to do things he couldn't! Such as creating a swarm of akumas!!"

  "What?!" Harlequin gasped as Aglais lifted his cane, causing a humming sound to echo before a swarm of akumas descended on them and the crowd. They entered items of the frozen victims and panicked people, turning them into villains.

  "Capture the heroes!" He ordered, causing the villains and Hydra rushed at them. Aglais smirked as the heroes to fight them. With them distracted, he directed his butterfly over to one of the tv stations helicopters. He stepped inside and smirking as the passagers shook in fear. "Now for the one person who can get me what I want! Come here!!!"

  He roughly grabbed the camera man as he filmed and smirked at it.

  "Agreste!! Calling Adrien Agreste!!!" He laughed, holding him. "I know you're watching, Adrien so I have a deal for you! Meet me where it all began and I'll spare Paris!! You have six hours to do this and if you don't.... well, I think you can imagine what I'm gonna do to Paris if you refuse my demands. Oh and bring Marinette with you!! She deserves to know what kind of monster she is with! See you soon, Kitty Cat!!!"

  He shoved the camera man back against the seat and jumped back on his butterfly before it flew off with him looking down at the battle. Harlequin and Kuro Neko were doing well but he couldn't let them win. He opened the connection with a sentimonster as he stared at them.

  "Rosier, time to grow," He ordered, causing a number of vines to suddenly burst through the roads, wrapping around anyone that wasn't akumatized. A number of large flowers appeared and began to shake, creating a pink smog to appear. Those who weren't akumatized or captured began to fall down asleep, including the heroes. More vines and flowers burst through, wrapping around the heroes and dragging them inside two large roses. The petals wrapped around them and pulled them underground as Aglais smirked. "Capture Adrien's friends as well. I want him to know what he did,"

  Rosier grew more large roses before capturing the rest of Miss Bustier's class, dragging them underground as well. With the parade in chaos, supervillains running around and the heroes captured, Aglais laughed and opened a connection to every villain he had created.

  "Descend on Agreste manor!" He declared, pointing his cane in his direction. The arm of villains headed towards there with Hydra following as Aglais placed his cane onto his back and moved so he was sat on the butterfly, flying it towards the manor. It was where it all began after all.

  ~Adrien's POV~

  "Are you sure about this Adrien?" Marinette asked as he walked into the manor. He turned to her and gave her a soft smile. "We shouldn't give in to a villain's demands,"

  "It will be ok, mi'lady," He stated, taking her hand in his. "I promise. Remember me and you against the world,"

  "Of course," She smiled, having no idea what that once meant to her. Now it was just part of her relationship with Adrien. She linked their fingers and followed him inside. The two of them walked through the empty manor. Adrien couldn't help but worry for his father and mother as they had lived there, meaning that they were in direct danger. He let go of Marinette's hand and rushed to his father's office, pushing open the doors. He was hoping to that his father was in there, designing with his mother but he wasn't. Marinette caught up to him before placing her hand on his shoulder as he began to release the seriousness of the situation. He glanced over to his mother's portrait and gasped as he saw a massive hole in where Hawkmoth's secret lift was. He walked over to it, followed by Marinette and saw a staircase made from vines going down into darkness. Taking a deep breathe, the two of them walked down into the butterfly garden. Marinette gasped as she looked around. It made sense that this garden belonged to Hawkmoth but why was it underneath Agreste Manor? That made no sense. "Adrien, where are we?"

  "Father's butterfly garden," He replied, looking around. He had hope that he would never find himself here again. It was a place that he never wanted to see again but it was almost exactly the same as the last time he saw it. Only this time instead of one casket in the middle, there was two and there were huge roses and vines everywhere. Adrien frowned and subconsciously stroked his ring, wishing he had kept his miraculous now. A hissing noise made him and Marinette gasp as Hydra came out from the shadows before Monarch fluttered down towards the caskets. Marinette instantly grabbed onto his arm as a number of akumatized villains walked out of the shadows before a black rose burst from the ground and opened up, revealing Aglais sat on it like a throne. "I'm here so let my family go,"

  "All in good time, Adrien," Aglais replied, standing up. Vines moved over and turned into stairs as he walked down them. "But first... let's catch up,"

  "Catch up?" Adrien asked, confused. He didn't know this villain. "Why would I want to catch up with you? I don't even know you,"

  "Oh but you do," Aglais replied, walking over to them. "You and I go way back, Adrien. In fact, we use to be on the same side... until you decided to betray everyone,"

  "I.. I don't know what you're talking about," He answered, failing to notice the vine slipping around his ankle and getting closer to his wrists. "And I don't know you! I don't get what you want with me. I haven't done anything to you!"

  "You haven't done anything to me?" Aglais repeated, making Adrien look at him in slightly annoyance before Aglais began to laugh. "Adrien, Adrien... if only that was true..."

  "What?" Adrien gasped, not expecting that answer. "I'm not lying! I didn't do anything-"

  "You are the reason why my family are gone!" Aglais suddenly roared, causing the vines to suddenly wrap around Adrien like a snake. Marinette gasped and stepped back in fear as they tightened around him, cutting into him and causing him to gasp in pain. "Painful, isn't it Adrien? Well, that is nothing compared to the pain you have caused me,"

  A vine moved down to Aglais, causing him to stroke it.

  "Do you know what it's like to lose the people you love?" He asked, glancing over to him before Adrien cried out in pain. Physically, he wasn't injured but it felt like someone had reached into his chest and tore out his heart before crushing it. "It felt like that, Adrien and it was all because of you!"

  "How did I-"

  "You took everything from me when you made that damn wish!" Aglais screamed, shocking Adrien. No one should have known about that wish apart from him. "That's right, Kitty Cat. I remember the world before this one,"

  "H-How?"

  "Nooroo and Duusu restored my memories," He replied, walking over to him. "But... I am nothing but a fair man so I will give you a chance to prove to me that you don't deserve to be punished. I will ask you two questions and you answer them..."

  "Fine. I'll answer your questions but you have to answer mine too," Adrien replied, making Aglais smile coldly.

  "I forgot how much the little kitty likes to play with his games," He teased. "But very well, I'll play your game. We both get two questions. If you answer mine correctly and I'll let your family go,"

  "You will?" Adrien asked, hoping to distract him until Ladybug and Chat Noir got there. It was one of the things about this new world that he was beginning to regret. When he shaped it, he gave the miraculous to someone else. He thought they would never appear again because there was no hawkmoth in this world. Well, Hawkmoth had existed but he had made sure his father didn't get arrested for it. Aglais chuckled and pressed his cane against Adrien's neck. The expression on his face was unreadable as Adrien nervously looked around.

  "How cute.... You think Harlequin and Kuro Neko will save you?" He asked, smirking. "They won't. I already captured them,"

  Two giant roses burst from the ground and unwrapped showing the two heroes asleep inside. Adrien frowned to himself. That wasn't suppose to happen.

  "They weren't the same as the originals," Aglais sighed. "First question...

  "Wait what do I get if you answer my questions correctly,"

  "My real identity," He grinned, making Adrien frown. "So did you know about the price when you made the wish?"

  "I... I didn't..." Adrien lied, causing Aglais to narrow his eyes. He wouldn't know he was lying... right? "I swear I had no idea,"

  "Liar," He snarled, clicking his fingers. The vines tightened, cutting into his skin and causing him to scream and gasp for more air. Marinette gasped in fear as she watched but made no move to help him. Adrien, however, just assumed she was scared. "Really, Adrien. I knew you were dumb but you should know better then to lie to an empath,"

  "E-Empath?!" He gasped, making him chuckle. "You're an empath?"

  "A natural gift but it's amplified by my miraculous," Aglais replied, flicking the butterfly lightly. "Now for question number two and don't lie this time..."

  "Wait but I didn't ask my first question!"

  "Actually you just did," Aglais replied, smirking. "Now for my second question... did you think of anyone but yourself when you decide to make the wish?"

  "I t-thought about my family and mi'lady," He replied, making Aglais narrow his eyes again. "I'm telling the truth!"

  "I know," He replied before hitting him with his cane. Adrien coughed up blood from the hit. "You are a selfish bastard, Agreste. You only thought of yourself and your family. You didn't think about what Ladybug wanted or what price would be paid. You didn't care that she didn't love you or want to be with you. You had to erase her memory just to make her love you but that's not even the worst thing you did. No, the worst part is you took everything from me! The girl I love, my mother, my father and my sister! All of my friends turned against me. My own grandfather wants nothing to do with me and it's all because of you! All of my pain can be traced back to you!!"

  He stopped shouting and smoothed down his waistcoat.

  "Looks like I win the game," He muttered, making Adrien gasp. "Now for your punishment,"

  "Wait!!" Adrien gasped, making him look at him. "I still have a question! How did my wish affect you?!"

  "You really want to know?" Aglais asked, glaring at him. Adrien nodded. He knew about the price but he thought it would affect some random person on the other side of the world. Not someone in Paris. Part of him began to wonder if he knew who Aglais really was. The only person he could think could be him was Luka since his sister had killed herself recently but it couldn't be because of him and his wish. "Fine. I'll tell you. You wished for your mother to wake up so someone's mother had to go in a coma instead! And guess who's mother it was?! Mine! Of course then you wished for your father to be free from been Hawkmoth?! So my father took his place! He's in a secure prison for a crime he never did! And the last part of your wish? The part where you wished for your lady to forget everything but you so she would only love you! Well, someone else had to remember and that someone was my sister! It drove her mad, Adrien. It drove so mad that she threw herself of the Eiffel tower!! Because she couldn't deal with the burden of knowing that this world wasn't natural!"

  Adrien was speechless. He had no idea that his wish would cause this but Aglais wasn't done.

  "I remember how Ladybug begged you not to do it but you did anyway. You betrayed her and you betrayed me!" He snarled, making Adrien look at him. "I really believed you were my friend and instead you steal my girl, my life and my family! You are responsible for the pain I have suffered in this world and all because you decided to make a wish at the expense of others. You must be so proud of yourself, Adrien,"

  "I did it for my family!" He screamed suddenly, causing Marinette to gasp in shock. "I did it for her and if you were in my position, you would do the same thing! That's exactly what you're gonna do!"

  "Oh, no, Adrien. I'm going to make a wish," Aglais replied, smirking. "I am going to undo it but first... I just want you to know that your little life isn't perfect,"

  He held out his hand, causing Marinette to walk over to him. She took his hand and he smiled at her. 

  "She... you..." Adrien gasped in surprise. "She has been working with you?!"

  "No, Adrien..." He replied as another rose burst through the ground and opened, revealing the real Marinette asleep inside. She looked so peaceful as she slept. "I got to her months ago, Adrien and replaced her with Nettie here. She was the first senticreature I created when I got my miraculous,"

  Nettie looked over at him with an emotionless expression.

  "And you didn't even notice," He stated, making Adrien blink. "So much for loving your lady hm?"

  "You bastard!"

  "Yes but only because you made me this way," He replied, turning on his heel and walking over. "Now it's time to undo all of this... I hope you enjoyed what little freedom you had, Adrien, because it is over now,"

  He plucked the ring and earrings from Harlequin and Kuro Neko, turning them back into Kagami and Marc before he walked into the centre and put on their miraculous, causing Tikki and Plagg to manifest. Adrien flinched as Plagg glared at him with hatred before turning to Aglais.

  "The wish comes-" Tikki started but he shook his head.

  "No, I don't want to make a wish," He stated, making her blink. "I want to undo it. I have gathered everyone who was there when it made and we're in the same place where it originally happened.... so please... undo it..."

  "If that's what you want," Plagg replied before the two of them spun around together and merged, becoming one kwami. It had three eyes and was black and white in coloring.

  "I am Null," It stated. "Tell me your wish,"

  "I don't wish for anything," He stated, causing Null to stare at him. "Instead, I ask you to undo Adrien's wish..."

  "Is that what you want?"

  "Yes," Aglais answered, nodding.

  "Very well," Null replied before glowing. Adrien screamed as the light consumed him and fell forward as he dropped the two miraculous. Marinette was reaching out to him, along with the other miraculous holders but they were completely still, like time wasn't moving. Aglais was gone and Viperion stood in his place, looking angry. All of them looked black and white before Null finally appeared in front of him. "Your wish has been undone,"

  "No! Please!" He gasped but Null disappeared and everyone began to move again. He looked up at Marinette as she moved over to him. He went to say something but to his surprise, she punched him and grabbed the miraculous from him as Viperion freed himself from the akuma and grabbed his arms, restraining him. "No! Let me go!"

  "How dare you betray me like that?!" She screamed, tears in her eyes. "How dare you?!"

  "I was just trying to save my family!" He screamed back but his mind flashed back to the previous world. "I didn't know it would cause so much pain! I'm sorry!"

  Marinette narrowed her eyes.

  "Sorry isn't good enough," She declared, ripping the butterfly miraculous of him as well. "As guardian of the miraculous, I hereby revoke the miraculous of the black cat and the butterfly from you,"

  "No! Please, mi'lady!" He cried, begging her. "I did it for us!"

  "There is no us!" She screamed, making him blink in surprise. "There never was! I never loved you and I never will! I'm with Luka! Not you!!"

  "B-But we're-" She punched him, knocking him out before he could say anything more. When he woke up, he found himself in a small cell. However, small rose vines appeared in the walls, making him gasp before a butterfly appeared in his cuffs.

  "Hello, Adrien..." Aglais' voice muttered, making his blood run cold before nothing but pain raided his body. His nightmare wasn't over yet. In fact, it never would be. Not for him.

[goodgirlofglory]

Three times Steve defended you, and one time you defended him / One-shot

Pairing: Steve Rogers x reader

Word count: 5,5k

Warnings: 18+ content, Explicit sexual content, Explicit language, light descriptions of smut, light descriptions of injuries, light descriptions of violence, some description of blood, kind of slow burn but not really at all.

Summary: Three times during your initiation into the Avengers agents program where Steve came to your aid and defended you, and one time you defended Steve. Along the way you find each other. 

Author’s note: This one has been a personal pleasure to write. I love thinking of Steve and Y/N as having a hank for banter with each other, at the same time as they appreciate and admire each other. I’m just a real sucker for respect, y’all<3 (Not been proofread by anyone but me, so all mistakes are mine)

Part 1

Fire was raining down around you, the blood pumping in your ears as fear and adrenaline coursed through your body. 

You had told them it was far too early to bring you on a mission, but Steve had insisted after you’d done so well in training, quickly climbing the ranks despite being just a recruit. 

Besides, this should have only been an intelligence gathering mission, in stealth, during a time of which no goons were supposed to be on the drug cartel base.  

Clearly not, you thought as you crouched behind a pillar, bullets chipping away at the stone. 

You could hear the fighting around you, but panic clouded your mind in a hazy fog so you couldn’t pinpoint where, your body stiff as you curled in on yourself. 

This was all wrong. You were going to die on this hellish mission, and more horrifyingly, disappoint Steve, who’d put his trust in you. 

Actual tears blurred your sight as you clutched the gun in your hand. 

“There’s one left, he’s coming towards you, Y/N,” you heard Steve call through your earpiece

Then, through your tears you saw a figure peer around the corner, gun in hand. 

You knew you needed to shoot him, but your body didn’t obey you. 

You heard your name shouted as the goon pointed his gun toward you and the ear thrumming sound of the gunshot jolted your body. Your eyes shut tightly as you saw your life flash before you. 

But the pain you expected didn’t come, and instead you heard the distinct zing of Captain America’s shield flying through the air. A few grunts followed before you tentatively opened your eyes. 

The goon lay sprawled on the floor, lifeless, and before you Steve was kneeling, dressed in the stealth suit that made his baby blue eyes pop. He was looking at you with worried eyes.

“Y/N, are you alright?” he asked, breathing hard.

You nodded, about to answer when you noticed the bullet hole in his suit. Your hands shot out in panic, forcefully groping at his abdomen, going to apply pressure. 

Oh no, oh no, oh no, not that

“Oh my god, Captain, no, no, no,” you rambled, thoughts racing, eyes wide. 

He gently took your hands in his and caught your wild eyes with his, gentle and calm.

“Don’t worry. Bulletproof, remember,” he said, nodding calmly, and you nodded furiously, your mind trying to calm itself through your panic. 

He smiled fondly at you, and you noticed how everything was silent around you, the fighting finally over. Then it hit you.

“Steve, you took the bullet for me!? You shouldn’t, you idiot! I-I’m just a recruit, I..” you rushed out, guilt screaming inside your head. If Captain America died on some pointless mission protecting you, some no-name recruit, you would never forgive yourself. 

He was chuckling now, your hands still in his. 

“Hey, hey, hey, it’s okay. I think I know what I’m doing, I’ve been doing this for a while, ya’know,” he said, not sharing any of your worry, but looking profusely amused by it. 

“Plus, I was the one who pressed you into this mission. I am responsible for you,” he added seriously, and your stomach flipped at the words. You tried to swallow the fluttering of butterflies.

He was your mentor and your trainer, nothing more, but his words still lingered on your mind for days.

Part 2

The earth-shattering explosion ripped you from your dreams of baby blue eyes, and a split second later, the floor gave out under you. 

It took a moment to remember who the hell and where the hell you were.

It was in the middle of the night, and you’d been sleeping peacefully in the recruits lodging area of the compound, in the room you shared with four other girls. 

You fell down, the floor crumbling and falling with you. The bed hit the floor beneath your level with a thud that had your head whipping backwards painfully. You had fallen down into the recruit sparring gym, empty at night. 

The wooden bed split in half with a loud shriek, and you slumped down the crack, only cushioned by the mattress, your cover having been blown away by the force of the explosion. 

Another searing jolt of pain shot through you as a heavy piece of concrete landed on your leg, and you screamed in pain. Above you, you heard your roommates shout your name, but the rumbling of the building verging on collapse was overwhelming and deafening. 

“GET AWAY! GET OUT!” you shouted up at your friends, tears in your eyes now. 

They disappeared and you tried with bloody hands to move the boulder. It wouldn’t bunch even a bit. Around you the whole building shook and rumbled. You could feel that it wasn’t long until it would crumble.

You realized you were stuck, bleeding and about to be crushed by a thousand tons of concrete.

“Y/N!” you heard a familiar voice from above shout.

Looking up at the hole in the ceiling above, you saw Steve standing, his shield on his arm. 

You weakly protested as he jumped down, landing on the bed beside you, carefully avoiding the boulder pinning your ankle. 

You could feel your mind blurring over in pain and shock, barely registering as Steve knelt down close, a warm and steady hand on your shoulder.

“Stay with me, Y/N, I’m gonna get you out of here,” he assured you hurriedly, his voice the most worried you’d ever heard him. 

“Steve,” you sobbed, trying to reach out to him. He grabbed your hand in his, and in a move that was so surprising it snapped you back to consciousness, he kissed it. It was quick, barely there and kinda panicked, but you were sure he did it. 

The deafening rumble of the building dying snapped you back to urgency.

“I’m sorry, this is gonna hurt,” he said as he released your hand and reached down to the boulder squeezing your leg. He heaved it off, and a scream ripped itself from your lungs. 

He was quickly on you again, dragging you by the arm from where you lay squeezed between the two pieces of your cracked bed. 

You wrapped your arm around his broad shoulder, noticing for the first time that he was shirtless, only wearing a pair of grey joggers and his shield, barefoot. He wrapped a strong arm around your waist, his body a soothing, warm presence against yours. 

“Hold on,” he shouted as the ceiling cracked open, and then he was jumping through the window to your right, glass shattering around you. 

You hurled through the chill, night air, Steve landing gracefully on his feet on the ground, one story below where you’d jumped out. Your feet dangling in the air, he held you close to his body as he ran across the lawn, and you heard the building crashing down behind you, the noise getting alarmingly close. 

He threw a look back before stopping to a halt. Disposing you on the ground, you landed on your ass, looking up at his standing form. Behind him you saw a dust cloud charge at you. He kneeled down, holding his shield above his head as he curled you in against him with an arm around your shoulders. 

He was shielding you with his naked upper body as the cloud enveloped you, and deep in your chest, through the shock and fear, astonishment and a whole lot of admiration bloomed.

You curled into his embrace, putting both hands up to support the shield as stray rocks and debris hit it. 

You stayed like that for a while as the building settled in a collapsed ruin behind you, the dust cloud slowly dissolving. Your faces were so close, panting at each other, chests heaving. You remembered suddenly, you were only wearing a tiny tank top and panties, and despite the situation literally being a life or death matter, you blushed. 

Steve put down his shield, throwing it on the ground as his arm released its grip around your shoulder. 

You locked eyes with him, and in that moment he was everything. Tears of gratitude spilled forward as his hands held your shoulders, your own hands spread out on his naked chest, feeling his heart hammer against his ribcage. 

“You saved me,” you whispered, “thank you. I don’t know how to thank you, Steve, you saved my life, ” you continued, whimpering. 

“Are you alright? We need to get that leg looked at immediately,” he said, averting his eyes slightly, the tips of his ears pink. But that’s probably due to the exploding building, you reminded yourself. 

As soon as he said it, the pain in your leg shot to the front of your brain, and you looked down to find a long, bleeding gash along the front of your ankle. You tried to move it and a startled, pained cry left your mouth.

Steve flinched at the sound, before quickly scooping you up, one arm under your knees and the other under your shoulder. You moaned in pain as he got to his feet.

“Your shield,” you said weakly as he started walking towards the compound again.

“It’s not important,” he said without a beat, catching your eyes in an intense look that had your heart fluttering.

You later found out Bruce Banner’s Hulk had caught him off guard as he’d worked in the lab two stories under the gym, which had led to the entire wing of recruit lodgings collapsing. There had been no casualties, though, miraculously - you and Steve being the closest.

Again he had saved your life, ridiculously risking his own in the process. You had thanked him over and over as they wheeled you into surgery, grabbing his hand and kissing it like he had yours, hoping he understood how grateful you were. 

Your friends giggled as they huddled around your hospital bed. It was your eighth day in the med bay.

“You know he came straight to our room, right?” Helena said, giving you a giddy smirk. 

“Oh come on, he was certainly checking on everybody,” you dismissed. 

“No no, Dean said he saw him sprinting up the hall, barely even telling people to get out before he reached our room,” Sandy corrected, and the girls giggled again.

You were blushing profusely, trying so hard to fight the thought that Captain America, Steve Rogers had come specifically to check on you once there was danger. You were kind of a special protegé, as you’d earned the privilege of sparring with him one on one, but he had been nothing but professional towards you. Suffice to say, you didn’t feel like that justified him coming for you and only you in times of danger. 

“Yeah, and I saw how he threw himself down that hole to you. Like nothing else mattered,” Cindy added dramatically. 

“You guys, stop it, now you’re just hyping the story up to something it wasn’t,” you tried, but you were giggling with them. “Our room was at the end of the hall, closest to the lab. He probably just figured that was the part that would collapse first,” you added, forcing yourself to believe it.

“Oh well, I don’t know, he’s been here every day since you were admitted, right?” Sandy pushed, and now you were the one giggling, glancing at the flowers in the corner that he’d brought you the day before.

“Yes,” you admitted, “so you better scatter, for he usually comes around this time,” you told them pointedly, swatting Helena’s ass. 

They kissed you on the cheek before skipping from the room, but you heard them greet “Captain” up the hallway. 

Your heart fluttered as Steve Rogers appeared around the corner, smiling fondly as he let himself in.

Part 3

The music was loud, the room cheery and filled with talk and laughter. 

Your recruitment was finally over, and you were officially agents-in-training, which was cause for a huge, fucking party.

Everyone was there, including several members of the Avengers. Natasha was sipping on a beer in the corner, surrounded by a crowd listening intently to a story she was telling. 

Sam was playing pool across the room, crushing every guy that tried him on. 

But most importantly, Steve was there, wearing a ridiculously gorgeous blue button up, the two buttons on the top undone, making your mind raise with promiscuity. You had finally bitten the bullet and admitted your feelings. To yourself, that was, and no one else. 

Your eyes met three times over the crowd before he finally came over. 

“Good evening,” he greeted you cheerfully.

“Hi,” you answered, suddenly all hot and bothered. 

“Great party,” he said as he took a stand next to you, looking out on the sea of happy partiers, drunk off their asses. 

“Yeah, I’m surprised you’re here. Isn’t Golden Girls having a rerun tonight?” you teased. 

He looked at you with playful annoyance. 

“Yeah, and I suppose it’s past your bedtime, young lady,” he answered and you threw your head back in a surprised laughter, not expecting him to banter back. 

He was looking at you with a fond smile when your laughter turned to a giggle. A moment passed as you looked at each other, and you felt yourself glowing under his gaze. 

“Did you get my flowers?” he asked then, and you blushed at his abruptness. You’d been nervous about bringing it up. 

“Yeah, and you really don’t need to keep sending those. It’s been a while since I got out from the med bay now,” you said, trying not to reveal how flustered you were. 

“I know, I know. I just seem to keep getting you in trouble,” he said, looking down at the beer in his hand. 

“Steve, you’re the one who’s always saving me from trouble,” you said, putting your hand on his wrist to catch his attention again, “I hope you know how grateful I am,” you added, trying to convey how genuine you were. 

His eyes met yours with such emotion, your breath caught in your throat. The room suddenly felt empty, the music fading to a lull.

You swore he inclined his head slightly before you abruptly removed your hand, straightening yourself. He snapped back to himself, clearing his throat awkwardly before looking around. You did as well, relieved when you saw no eyes on you. You did miss Natasha's knowing eyes peek at the two of you from the corner of the room. 

“Excuse me,” you murmured as you stepped away, flustered, your heart hammering in your chest.

You found the balcony out from the party empty, the cold autumn air cooling your suddenly flushed skin. 

Was he about to kiss you?!

You stood by the railing, enjoying the fresh air when you heard someone come out on the balcony. Your heart skipped a beat. 

“What do we have here?” a slurring voice shouted, and your eyes rolled into the back of your head when you realized it was Jason, a fellow recruit from your year; mediocre fighter, arrogant asshat. 

“And how are you tonight, Jason?” you asked, not bothering to mask your annoyance at his presence. 

“Checking out the meat, sweetcheeks,” he answered, smugness dripping from his voice. 

Before you managed to turn around and give him your best death stare, a hand reached up your bare thigh, pushing the flimsy black fabric of your minidress up. You yelped and spun around, smacking his hand away. 

“Oh, don’t be like that, pretty girl. I know you were checking me out earlier,” he said, pouting sarcastically as he moved to pin you against the railing. 

You squirmed at his intrusion into your personal space, mild shock settling like a sting in your chest. His breath stunk of booze, the rest of him of sweat and a nauseating amount of body spray.

“Jason, back off. I don’t know what you think you saw, but I’m not interested,” you tried to tell him authoritatively, but you sounded so small. This had never happened to you before, and your head swam with thoughts about what you should do. 

“Then why are you looking so sexy tonight, teasing me in this little dress,” he said with a sneer, ignoring your discomfort completely. 

You were about to lash out when a hand on his shoulder had him pausing, his hands trying to pull yours away from where they were covering your chest. 

“She said back off,” you heard Steve say, and the tone of his voice told you he wasn’t pleased. 

Jason chuckled bitterly, turning on stumbling feet to look up at Steve, towering above him with a scowl on his face. His expression sent a cold shiver down your spine. You had never seen him this angry before. 

“Why don’t you back off and let a brother get some,” Jason answered, seemingly stupidly unaware of the deathly aura emitting from Steve’s looming form. 

“I’m only going to say this once: Get lost or you’re out,” Steve said, stare cold as ice, tone dead serious. 

Jason seemed to get it then, and with a pathetic huff, he scurried away. 

“Whatever,” you heard him mutter as he entered the party again. A few eyes from inside were on you, paying attention to the perceived standoff happening between a simple recruit and THE Captain America. Over you. 

You released the breath you were holding as soon as the door slid closed behind Jason, and Steve’s expression softened to one of mild concern. 

“You okay?” he asked, and you could barely look in his eyes as you collected yourself. 

“Yeah. Thanks, Steve. I could have taken him though,” you tried to lie. Steve let you keep the lie. 

“I don’t doubt it, but somehow it didn’t feel right that you should,” he said gravely. 

“Maybe, but that’s life,” you stated. 

“Well, not when I’m around,” he answered after a moment, and you lifted your eyes to his. They shone with something akin to protection, and you felt warm again under his gaze. 

“You wanna get back to the party?” he asked, breaking the building tension. The air seemed so intense between you two tonight, sizzling with something new. 

“No, actually, I think I wanna turn in. Kinda tired,” you excused, but really you were burning inside from a new found hunger for Steve you knew you couldn’t keep in check much longer. 

He nodded, biting his lip slightly. 

“Walk you back to your room? I don't like the way Jason looked at you,” he said, voice heavy with suspicion, and before you could think, you nodded. 

You were sort of panicking as you trekked the empty hallways together. Everyone had seen you leave together, and you were sweating bullets as you walked in silence, Steve’s broad figure a sizzling presence to your left. 

He kept the smalltalk sweet and light, and you knew you were being irrationally nervous. 

Outside your new dormroom, the tension grew thick again. 

You bit your lip, looking up at Steve as he bid you goodnight with a charming smile. 

“Eh, Steve,” you called out as he turned to walk away. 

He turned back with a quizzical look.

You stepped up to him, and he seemed acutely aware of your presence as you came close, your hands landing tentatively on his forearms as they hung at his side. 

“What’re you…?” he started, but trailed off when he looked into your eyes. 

You inclined your head slightly, not even knowing what you were doing anymore. 

He inclined his head just the tiniest bit in response, and then you were both leaning in. 

Your lips met in a gentle, tiny kiss, your eyes falling shut as the breath was stolen from your lungs. 

He was actually kissing you.

Slowly, so slowly, his hands reached up to cup your face, and then we was deepening the kiss, pulling you flush against him. 

A small sound escaped you as his tongue swept into your mouth, mingling eagerly with your own. He pulled his lips away suddenly, but kept your face in his hands as his eyes scanned yours. 

“Is this alright?” he asked intently, but he was panting, and his eyes were blown so far there was only a small rim of light blue around the pools of black. 

“Yes. God, Steve, yes,” you panted, hands coming up to clutch the shirt on either side of his torso, twisting the fabric with desperate hands. “You have no idea how much I’ve thought about this,” you added despite embarrassment burning on your face at the confession.

“Glad I’m not the only one,” he chuckled against your lips.

He was back on you in a split second, and you stumbled into your room in a fierce liplock. You suddenly remembered what a mess you’d left your room in earlier as you’d tried on everything you owned before the party. Plus, you still lived with four other girls, but they were thankfully still at the party, and judging by your knowledge of them, they probably would be for hours still. 

You straddled Steve’s lap hurriedly when you’d led him to your bed, and he kissed his way down your neck as you fumbled to undo his shirt, longing for his bare skin. The last time you’d felt it, a building had fallen on your ass, so you hadn’t really taken the time to relish it, though it had been at the back of your mind ever since. 

He fucked you sweetly that night, and then roughly, and then sweetly again as you took a shower, going down on you as he knelt between your legs. 

You’d never felt such pleasure before, Steve plucking orgasm after orgasm from your body with deft fingers and a wicked tongue, before his honest to god thick as fuck cock fucked you raw. He sounded like a god when he groaned his release. You were sprawled out limp on the bed by the time he pulled his clothes back on with a quirk in his step, looking at his watch a bit nervously. 

“Should probably get out of your hair before your girlfriends return,” he said, bending over your spent form, giving you a sweet peck on the lips. You gripped his hand as he straightened, and pulled him down again to devour his lips with your own possessively. He hummed appreciatively in response.

“What if I told you I never want you to leave?” you asked against his lips, knowing you were pushing your luck. 

“Then your poor friends would never get any sleep, and neither would you, missy,” he said matter-of-factly, booping your nose with his finger as he tore himself from your grip. Your core clenched at the notion. 

Then he looked at you, and you could see the wheels turning in his brain. 

“What?” you asked. 

He glanced at the door before he sat on the edge of the bed, a hand coming up to lovingly stroke your cheek. You hummed at the touch. 

“Are you sure about this? It isn’t forbidden, so we won’t get in trouble. But I’m afraid the rumours can be pretty bad around here. It won’t exactly be easy,” he said mournfully, and you knew he expected a rejection. 

You sat up and grabbed his hand in yours. 

“Fuck what anybody else says. I’m sure, Steve. I adore you, and I want you by my side from this day on,” you said. The shining, relieved devotion in Steve’s eyes was all you needed to be sure of your choice. Not that there ever was a choice. 

You’d go to the ends of the earth for the man.

Your phone buzzed on your nightstand, and you peeked over at it. 

“Coming back now. You better get loverboy outta there ;)” the text message from Helena read. The girls were gonna have a field day with this.

“Except for now. The girls are coming back, you better go,” you said as you pecked him once on the lips before pushing him off the bed. 

He huffed an amused laughter, looking back over his shoulder one last time as he slipped from the room.

Part 4

“Hey, what did you just say?” you called out at him as he sauntered away.

“Y/N, don’t, it’s not worth it,” Steve said tiredly, trying with a gentle arm to turn you away.

You swatted softly at his hand and looked in his eyes. You were fuming, and his grave expression only fueled your fury. You could see Jason’s words had gotten to him, and that made you see red.

“Steve, I won’t let him talk to you that way,” you said lowly before taking a few steps forward. 

“Why don’t you repeat yourself, Jason. We all know how much you like to hear yourself talk,” you called at him. He paused. Of course he would, you knew which buttons to push. 

There had gathered a crowd around you now, mostly recruits from your own year, but also some from the year below, plus an odd officer here and there. In the far distance you spotted Natasha Romanoff sipping on a coffee mug as she leaned on a pillar. 

He turned around with that ugly smirk. “I’m not sure you can handle it, Y/N,” he called back. 

“No, come on, I wanna hear you say it again.“

He started sauntering back, arrogant ass fuming with cockiness. 

“I said; the old man goes for the recruit. That’s what happens when the only pussy he could get is a hundred years old and dead,” he repeated, puncturing every word with a tone he would use for a child, seething with his arrogance. 

“I’d rather have an old man than a boy, Jason. Funny how you come down on Captain Rogers when you haven’t gotten laid one, single time since we started. How many of us are there? 3000? Well, it does make sense, I mean, look at you,” you said, hearing the crowd around you gasp and “oooh” quietly. 

Oh, you were just getting started. 

A flicker of self-doubt flashed behind his eyes and you revelled, adrenaline flooding your system. In truth, Jason was a pretty easy target. Just tackle his weak masculinity and give him a taste of his own medicine, and he would crumble easily. 

“But that’s not why no one likes you, Jason. It’s because you act like a child. A child who hasn’t gotten his candy, and is throwing a tantrum in the grocery store for everyone to see. And it’s not that we don’t feel bad for you either, Jason. We pity you in fact, as we witness you embarrassing yourself and your mother,” you stated calm and slow, walking up to him, standing a few inches away now. 

He tried to speak up, but you easily interrupted him.

“And I get it, it must feel kinda bad to realise no one respects you. Not your peers, not your superiors, not even those inferior to you. Because we all see through this display for failing masculinity,” you continued, gesturing to him vaguely.

He was about a foot taller than you, but had steadily shrunk in on himself as a mortified panic settled in his eyes, fists clenching at his side. 

You stepped to the side and stretched out an arm towards Steve, who stood where you’d left him, brows furrowed, arms crossed over his chest, a neutral expression of his face.

“That is a man, Jason, and quite frankly, the opposite of everything you are. Now I know you suffer from the extreme lack of balls, but I actually had no idea you lacked brains also. Because if you had the cognitive ability above a fucking cockroach, you would see that man as the ally and mentor he so gladly offers to be - not that you deserve it -  and you wouldn’t be in this situation.” You patted his shoulder twice with your hand before stepping away. 

Your senses tingled suddenly, and you dodged the swing of his arm as it came from the left. The crowd around you gasped. 

Oh no, he didn’t. Did he really think he could take you on after having trained personally with Captain fucking America? He wouldn't catch you off guard again… 

You spun around, dodged his right arm, and gave him a clear slap across the cheek with a flat hand. The smack was crisp, making the crowd around you draw in a collective breath. He grunted and swung again, keeping up the same, predictable move. You dodged easily, spun around him and gave him another slap, this time on his ass. The crowd laughed. He gave a pathetic roar before spinning and lunging on you. You bowed and flipped him easily using your back, and he landed with a hard dunk on the concrete floor of the hallway. Getting up to his knees, you gave him a closed fist punch across the face for your own enjoyment (you knew Steve would reprimand you later for being unnecessarily callous). 

That’ll do it for now, you thought as you quickly immobilized him by tripping him over on his stomach on the floor, straddling his ass and pinning his arms on his back. He groaned in frustration as you kept him in the tight grip, not relenting. The crowd around you cheered, and peering over your shoulder you could see the clear amusement shining in Steve’s eyes, along with his pride. You almost giggled. 

Bending down, you whispered in Jason's ear.

“Cause if you keep up this little class-act caveman thing, this is all you’re gonna see for the rest of your life. Disgust on the faces of the women in your life, and pity on the men’s. Now kindly fuck off, Jason, I’m tired of looking at your face.”

You let him go and he grunted weakly at you. 

Deciding this was your mic drop, you returned to Steve and you fell into step as you resumed your walk up the hallway. Steve let you lead in your victory as the crowd kept cheering loudly behind you. It was exhilarating, but what felt best was knowing you had defended Steve for once.  

As you rounded the corner at the other end, Steve abruptly and quickly pushed you up against the wall, his mouth attacking yours. You yelped into his mouth, but melted into his body as it pinned you to the wall. He pushed his thigh between yours and you felt the rock hard bulge in his pants press against your belly. He was frantic as his hands roamed your body, possessive and hungry. 

You broke the kiss in amazement, seeing his lust blown eyes. 

“Did you like that?” you asked, and you knew you had the most doofy smile on your face. 

“That was amazing,” Steve said, panting a bit from his kiss. “I had to fight myself to not take you then and there, God, you’re so fucking sexy when you’re fiesty,” he said, admiration and lust clear in his voice and you bit your lip as his words sent sharp sparks of arousal down below. 

“You know I was right. He’s a man-child, and a dick, and has nothing on you,” you said, needing to know Steve wouldn’t take what he said to heart.

“I mean, there’s a reason I didn’t break it off. The guy has had it coming for a long time, I’m just glad I got to watch,” he chuckled, and you laughed with him, still pinned between his body and the wall, your hands running up his back. 

“And because it was me, right?” you asked teasingly, a hand coming down to cup the prominent tent in his pants. 

“Yes, but strictly for pedagogical reasons. I needed to see if you’ve mastered the tricks I’ve taught you,” he said, trying to be nonchalant and failing as the last words ended in a groan. You were moving your hand steadily over the bulge now, eliciting soft pants from the man. 

“I want your feedback on some tricks in the bedroom, Captain Rogers. Could you oblige me?” you asked, giving his chin a lithe kiss. 

He groaned deep in his chest, and for a split second you actually got nervous someone would find you if he kept those noises up. 

“Lead the way,” he whispered against your lips. 

You did, almost running. 

Author’s note: God, this one cheers me up. It was exhilarating to be able to live out my childhood dream of beating up bullies through this text lmao. Sorry if your name’s Jason lol<3

[princess-of-the-corner]

Ok, so I remember Dragon coming up with a Chloe DP au, and for some reason that combined in my head with your post about Vlad and the rich kids and the S4 spoilers so... imagine Chloe at Vlad’s party during a ghost attack, feeling depressed and useless and generally just thinking about being replaced. somehow she ends up in Vlad’s lair, self reflecting in front of the portal when it gets hit by a power surge. Most of the class just sees her being carried out to the ambulance, but 2 know better

Me: “I need to work on all my other fics.”

Also me: “Time to work on several pages of Chloé half dying!!! And another bootleg version of one of Dragon’s AUs!”

Vlad and Danny are on kinda friendly terms in this mostly because I wanted to write them snarking at each other. 

Chloé was glad to get out of Paris for a while. A decision her father had made after, well. Certain incidents. Making her feel unsafe in Paris. So she was sent away to a place without Hawkmoth or Akumas.

Smoothing out the skirt of her pale yellow, nearly white, dress, she contemplated the place she ended up.

She would have been prepared for New York. But of course Audrey said she was too "Unexceptional" yet. But as Audrey had to go on a business trip to meet other rich business people at some fancy party, Chloé's dad convinced her to take her to this place. 

Not that business parties full of other rich people were something she really wanted to deal with. They were usually too condescending at best. A few of them could be creepy. Giving her looks that made her want to take a shower for a year. 

It was almost enough to make her want to stay in Paris. But the one thing that made her decide it wouldn't be too bad was who was hosting the party. 

Don't get her wrong. Vlad Masters definitely gave off some strange and downright intimidating vibes. But the few times Chloé had met him at events like this, he was one of the few adults who seemed to respect her, despite her age. And he only used his threatening vibes on any of the other men looking at her. 

That said, Chloé wasn't expecting much conversation with Vlad. They didn't usually talk much anyway, just polite conversation common at these things. And as Audrey was currently attempting to engage with him, almost as if she were blocking Chloé from getting near, it was unlikely she would.

"If you're going to commit a murder could you wait another twenty minutes? I have a bet going."

Chloé jumped, realizing someone was speaking to her. When she found who, her initial instinct was to glare. Blue eyes and black hair making her think of someone else. 

However, as she took in the rest of the context, she found someone new. And male. A boy about her age. 

"Who are you?" Chloé asked. 

"Head of security," the boy said. 

It was obviously a joke, from his tone and lopsided grin. And Chloé almost laughed at the idea of a teenager being any kind of security. 

But she noticed the way he stood, the way he analyzed her. It reminded her of Adrien, in a way. Seemingly all smiles and laid back, but far more capable than he looks. 

There was something else about him too. It actually reminded her of Vlad. The general vibes he gave off. But Vlad felt more… firey. Heat under his skin, waiting for the temper to snap. This boy felt more cold. Not emotionally, but like a snowfall that could quickly engulf you in a blizzard. 

"I think a name would be better," Chloé said. 

"Call me Danny then," the boy said, offering a hand. 

"Chloé Bourgeois," she replied, politely taking it. "So, judging by the fact that you didn't give me your last name, you don't want me guessing who you're connected to."

"You probably wouldn't know them," he said. "My family's known for their studies on the paranormal. They're scientists. And not really the kind for this kind of party."

"But you are?" She raised an eyebrow. 

"Absolutely not," he said. "But hey. Vlad's trying to buy his way to an apology by giving me money if I hang out and make sure nothing spooks the guests. Other than him, of course. Might as well put it in my college fund. So, you actually planning a murder or not?"

That almost made her laugh. A small smile on her face, Chloé's gaze drifted across the room to her mother. 

"No murder yet," Chloé said. "If I do kill someone, it'll be the local supervillain back in Paris."

"Heard something about that," Danny said. "My parents keep debating on checking it out. It's obviously paranormal and magical, but they specialize in Ghosts."

"Are they the Ghostbusters?" She did actually laugh at that one. 

"Something like that," he chuckled. 

All of a sudden, Danny stiffened up. It had to be a trick of the light, but she could've sworn a mist came out of his mouth. He frowned, looking around carefully. 

"Sorry, I have to go," Danny said. "A disturbance in the garden. See you around."

"Yeah, see you," Chloé sighed. 

As he ran off through the crowd, Chloé wondered how he knew about the "disturbance". Maybe he was actually part of the security team and had an earpiece in? 

Brushing the thought off, Chloé grabbed a drink from a passing waiter. Then she headed the opposite direction.

She wanted some time alone. It had been nice, talking to Danny. But the party was still overwhelming. She might be out of Paris, which meant less stares and whispers. But still too much interaction for her liking lately. 

Chloé headed out of the main ballroom. Few paid attention to her. Those that did were quickly dragged back to their conversations. 

As she wandered the halls, Chloé wondered if she could get lost in here. If her mother would notice. Maybe she could just. Not go home and just secretly live in Vlad's mansion. 

A tempting idea, if she could figure out how to do it. But for now, she settled for exploring. 

There was a library. Very nice. Bookshelves along every wall, except for a spot for a fireplace. Comfortable chairs and a couch to read on. 

She looked through the bookshelves. It seemed well stocked, despite the impossibility of ever reading them all. Most were nonfiction, texts on various subjects. A few seemed to be typical fiction, though Chloé didn't inspect those too close lest she judge Vlad's collection of trashy romance novels. 

What intrigued her was one large shelf, right across from the fireplace. These books actually looked well-used. Texts on the paranormal. Hadn't Danny said something about that? Between this and the familiarity with Vlad, perhaps it was a family-friend situation.

Dragging a finger along the spines of the books, she picked one at random. Pure curiosity more than actual interest. 

The book was soon dropped and forgotten when the shelf slid open to reveal a doorway. 

Now that had her curious and interested. 

A look over her shoulder at the door, and Chloé was in the new room. No, a new hall of stairs. Descending down stone steps. 

She was suddenly worried she would find some sort of kinky dungeon type place. Perhaps she should quit while she was ahead. 

It was the buzzing in her fingertips that made the decision for her. Something… familiar. 

It wasn't like the buzzing she felt near an Akuma, or near someone using a Miraculous. No, this felt more like Vlad. Like Danny. Whatever she was feeling from them, there was more of it down here. 

Eventually the stairway opened to a room. It looked like a laboratory of some kind. Weapons and tools of shiny metal and magenta accents lined the walls. There were a few that traded magenta for green, but not as if two people consistently shared a space. More like one occasionally left objects behind. 

The one thing in the room that was overwhelmingly green and not magenta was against one wall. 

It almost looked like a doorway of sorts. Or a Magic Portal, really. Swirls of green that she couldn't see into. And if she hadn't spent the last year and a half being attacked by Magical Supervillains and becoming a Hero herself, she would've assumed it was just a large tv screen embedded in the wall for aesthetics. 

The reminder of her time as a Hero brought back some bitter memories. 

She might not have been the best person, but she was a good Hero. Chloé would have gladly continued being Queen Bee, despite the risks, because she had felt like she finally found a purpose. But Ladybug told her no, she couldn't have the Miraculous anymore. For her safety of course. 

What a joke. Not only had Chloé been in more danger without it, as there was no way she could defend herself against Hawkmoth. But the other Heroes were still active, even with their identities known. 

With a sigh, Chloé attempted to distract herself. Walking around the room and investigating the weapons around the lab. They were strange. She wasn't a gun expert, but these didn't look normal. Not regular guns that shoot bullets. 

Were they alien weaponry? That didn't seem right. Chloé wasn't an expert, having never met an alien(as far as she was aware). But the weapons seemed very based on Earth designs, their sizes intended for average Human use. Maybe weapons for Humans to use on nonhumam creatures. 

Whatever it was, Chloé was now a bit curious. What did Vlad get up to when he wasn't hosting business parties like this? Did he perhaps moonlight as a superhero? With that Danny kid as the Robin to his Batman? Perhaps she should stay. Be the Jason Todd of the family. Though with less dying.

She almost laughed at the idea. But as a crack of thunder rang through the mansion, loud enough to be heard from this basement laboratory, she jumped, instinctively spinning around to look for an attack.

A second crack of thunder, and all the lights went dark.

Chloé was not afraid of the dark. She never had been, even as a child. 

But she was afraid now. Because this wasn't a normal blackout. In a mansion like this, there would be emergency generators. They didn't kick in, which meant this was likely something else. 

Amity Park was different from Paris. No Hawkmoth. No Akumas. But that didn't mean there was no danger. 

And the thing Chloé had become afraid of, after so many Akuma attacks and even Hawkmoth himself coming to her home, her room, and confronting her. The thing she was afraid of was being unable to fight back. 

Her breath began to quicken, the only noise she could hear in the dark room. Heart hammering in her chest, Chloé tried to calm herself down. This wasn't Paris. Whoever or whatever it was wasn't after her. 

But what if it was? What if this person had decided she would make a good target? What if Hawkmoth had followed her, hoping to get revenge for failing him as Miracle Queen? What if it was someone else, furious about what she had involuntarily done, knowing that if something happened here, Ladybug's Miraculous Cure would be too late?

Hands trembling, Chloé remembered the weapons on the wall. It wasn't her Miraculous, but it was something. She refused to go down without a fight. 

The only problem was that, in her panic, she had gotten turned around she couldn't remember which was she was facing. 

Blindly choosing a direction, Chloé kept a hand out in front of her, slowly moving it back and forth hoping she'd hit a wall. Her ragged breathing and the click of her heels on the floor being the only sounds. A good sign, she hoped. 

Her hand hit something. A wall, she thought. Somewhere to her left. Keeping her hand flat against it, she hoped to follow it until she found the weapon rack again. 

She kept walking, barely noting how the sound of her footsteps changed from heels-on-tile to heels-on-metal. Had the floor been metal? She couldn't remember. The stairs up had been stone so obviously she was still in the lab. 

The lights suddenly came back on, the blackout over. Yet Chloé wasn't nearly as blinded as she should have been by the sudden brightness. It was coming from behind her. Had she somehow found a different hallway out of the lab?

As she turned to head back to something familiar, a different brightness flickered on. But she was completely unaware, as all she could focus on was pain. 

Burning, crackling under her skin. Through every inch of her. Worse than anything she had ever felt, as Civilian, Hero, or Akuma. 

The pain began to subside. Not going away, but no longer the intense agony. Just an ache, but as if she had run a marathon around Paris without being transformed. Her throat still burned the worst though. Had she been screaming? She couldn't remember doing so, but it seemed likely given the pain.

Stumbling forward, she managed to find herself back in the lab. Yet her vision was blurry. So blurry, in fact, that when she looked down her white dress appeared black. 

The pain and exhaustion was too much for her. Pitching forward, everything went dark again.

--------

The next thing Chloé knew, she was somewhere soft. Everything still hurt, which made her not want to move. But she could hear two male voices arguing. 

"You should let me explain it to her."

"You will confuse and scare her with your morbid humor."

"And you'll just freak her out!"

"I have more experience in this."

"Not in explaining it!"

"I explained it to Danielle."

"And I explained it to everyone else because you had to be a fruitloop!"

"Are you still using that insult?"

"It still fits."

Registering that she should probably see what's goin on, Chloé went to get up. 

Her right arm must've slipped off whatever she was laying on, as she almost immediately slammed back down. The feeling that had her jolting upright instead of trying again to be slow, was that it felt like something hit the inside of her arm?!

Inspecting the limb, she didn't find anything wrong with it. It was there. No burns or bruises. The worst thing was a chipped manicure. 

As her gaze went further up her arm to her shoulder, she noticed something. A discoloration in her skin. It was hard to see, having to look nearly straight down and only being able to see what skin was showing. But there were thin lines across her shoulders and chest. She couldn't tell how far they went up her neck, or how much further they extended under her dress. 

The lines looked almost like lightning. It was then that she remembered the lab. The pain. But she swallowed down her fear.

"Well say goodbye to swimsuit season," Chloé muttered, her voice still a little shaky and her throat still raw. 

"Perhaps your humor will be helpful after all," one of the voices from earlier mused. 

Chloé jumped, having completely forgot that there were people in the room. One was Vlad, the other was the "head of security" kid. Danny, wasn't it? 

"What happened?" Chloé asked.

"You received quite a shock," Vlad replied. 

"Oh, and my humor is too much for her," Danny glared.

"Kind of used to puns in horrifying situations," Chloé said. "One of my best friends loves making puns to deflect dealing with things."

And okay yes she also did that. But she was not going to tell them that. Even if the looks they gave each other probably meant they guessed as much. 

"Where am I?" Chloé asked, looking around. 

"One of the guest rooms," Vlad explained. 

"Not a hospital?" She asked. 

"A hospital isn't quite equipped to handle… this," he said. 

"One of the guests was a doctor who did a general checkup," Danny said. "She was sure you probably just fainted from low blood sugar or something."

"And… and my mother?" Chloé asked. 

"She is back at her hotel," Vlad said, visibly bristling. "I may not be father of the year, but her lack of concern is appalling."

The exasperated look Danny gave him said there was a long story there. Chloé wasn't sure she wanted to hear it right now.

"So why would a hospital be bad?" Chloé asked instead. 

"That is quite a story," Vlad said. "Do you know what you were messing with in the laboratory?"

"I know it had weapons," she said. "Then the lights went out and I tried to find my way around."

"I think that makes her smarter than both of us," Danny said.

"I didn't enter an unstable device on a dare," Vlad glared. “I knew what I was doing.”

"You stuck your face right up to a prototype device not knowing if it was stable or not," he retorted. "You're lucky you only half died.".

Vlad glared at him again. Chloé could have sworn he man's eyes flashed red. It was more than just a trick of the light. 

He said a hospital wasn't a good situation for her now. He implied that he'd had something similar happen to him. And those books on the paranormal, leading to a lab… 

Vlad wasn't Human. At least not anymore. Danny wasn't either, most likely. And Chloé realized, with mounting horror, that she probably wasn't either.

Once more she focused on her hands. What… was she now? Chloé flipped through her knowledge of the paranormal. It couldn't be a Vampire or Werewolf. She didn't get bit or infected with anything. Most other creatures she could remember Humans becoming had very specific circumstances or longer processes. 

Then, she recalled something Danny had said. His family deals with Ghosts. 

As if to confirm her suspicions, her hands flickered out of existence. An involuntary whimper escaping her throat. 

"I… I'm dead, aren't I?" Chloé asked. 

"Only half way," Danny said. 

"That is nowhere as reassuring as you think it is," Vlad said. 

This time it was Danny's turn to glare. But his eyes flashed a green color instead of red. 

Meanwhile, Chloé was having a crisis. She died. She fucking died. But she was still here. 

She was vaguely aware of their voices. Both males had come closer, sitting beside her on the bed. She knew one, or maybe both of them, was telling her to breathe. To focus. 

She tried to focus on how strange it was, sitting between them. One burning, one freezing. Was that related to… This? 

It helped ground her. Remind her that she wasn't alone. 

"That's right," Danny said. "You're not alone in this. Which is already better than what we got."

"You could have had a mentor," Vlad said. 

"But you were still evil back then," he smirked.

Oh boy oh boy. This was going to get oh so complicated. 

[guqin-and-flute]

I love the Yanli/JGY verse so so much, so in the hopes that a prompt might help there be more of it: JGY, being a very observant genius and all, figures out Something Is Up with WWX's core, and since what A-Li wants is to take care of Her People, and because what A-Li wants, JGY will make sure she gets, he and Yanli work together to deal with it?

[Ahhh thank you so much!! Well, THIS went off in a direction I didn’t expect, but thank you THANK you for the fascinating prompt! TW for: canon-typical alcohol use, mention of an injury, heavily implied offscreen self harm, but for a very specific reason? It’s not for self injury/mental health reasons]

[First post in Yaoli/Peony to Lotus!verse]

Wei Wuxian stared moodily out at the sunset drenched lake, sprawled on one of the docks with a jug of liquor cupped in his hand, listening to the cicadas drone far off in the trees, the crickets sing in the grass, the frogs croak in the reeds, the people far across the lake shout and laugh. Everything was so noisy. The clamor used to be such a comfort--and to most of him, it still was, filling him with the warmth of soup and long days in the sun. But there was a new ball of darkness that had tightened a cage around his heart. That sometimes sang in his veins. Reminded him that, in the Burial Mounds, there were only moments of silence and of screaming and that both were equally dangerous. 

Reminded him of the unnatural quiet that lived at his core, now. Sometimes, the pitch of the insects would rise to such an edge that it would become too human, become something he had once heard in the darkness. Or uttered himself.

He splashed the alcohol into his mouth, reveling in the burn. At least it wasn’t night quite yet, the last vestiges of bruised purple-blue light clinging to the tops of the trees, brightened by the heavy moon. There were footsteps on the dock behind him, approaching light and even and he paused without turning. Then relaxed.

Jin Guangyao stopped next to him at the edge of the pier, clasped his hands behind his back and looked out at the moon that was held in a thousand little cups of the lily pads, tiny silver coins tucked beneath the lotuses. Wei Wuxian glanced up at him, saw the pleasant, directionless neutrality on his face and sat up with a grunt, leaning his elbows on his knees. He liked the man and his presence--had even grown quite fond of him over the many months he’d lived with them, but right now, he’d rather be alone with the frogs and his drink. He opened his mouth to greet him, but Jin Guangyao spoke first. “I was in the kitchen, just now, and,” he clucked his tongue against his teeth despairingly and turned his arm out with a grimace. “I cut myself by accident. I managed to focus some energy to keep it from bleeding too heavily but I have to admit that I don’t have the same schooling as you all do. It isn’t completely….”

Frowning, Wei Wuxian quickly got to his feet, taking the proffered arm in his hands with a sympathetic hiss between his teeth as he studied the wound. It was indeed not very deep, an irregular crescent on the side of his wrist, but his sleeve cuff had bloody blotches on it and the skin around it was stained with more blood than just this would have produced. “Yowch. Jin-xiong, we should get this cleaned. I can wake the doctor--or where’s shijie--”

“Actually, I was hoping that you could help me, Wuxian.”

It was Wei Wuxian’s turn to grimace. “I don’t know all that much about medicine, I wouldn’t leave this to me.”

Jin Guangyao’s smile managed to be at once anxious and reassuring as he looked away from his injury, finally, and up into his face. “I would think all you needed to do was channel some spiritual energy into it, right?”

The bottom dropped out of Wei Wuxian’s stomach, but he managed to hide the sudden queasiness behind a throwaway smile. “Ah, I’ve never been very good at that--Lan Zhan is much better. If only he were here, eh? Listen, I’ll go get--”

Jin Guangyao’s face fell into a gentle pleading. “Please, it’s so embarrassing; I don’t want anyone knowing I can’t handle a knife properly. We can handle this here, can’t we?”

“Look--”

Jin Guangyao sucked in a quick, protesting breath, but only gazed at him imploringly, eyes round and mouth twisted in discomfort. Wei Wuxian groaned and spun on his heel, dropping back to the dock with a thump beside his jug. “Ah, so particular. If you're so picky, you must not really be so close to dying, huh?” His insides writhed like snakes, his skin alive like a storm on the horizon. He wanted to leave. He wanted to dive into the water and let the silk of it swipe away all the restlessness. Stop forcing it, Guangyao….

For a moment, there was silence above him, then the soft rustle of clothing. Then, Jin Guangyao spoke in a voice very unlike the one he had just used, even and conversational and light. “I have not been able to verify any reports that say Baoshan Sanren's mountain is in Yiling. It's miraculous that you were able to recall so faithfully something from so young an age.”

At this, a surge of cold flooded Wei Wuxian, quickening his heart, tightening his chest and his fingers on the neck of the liquor jug as he looked up at him sharply. “Jin-xiong.”

Jin Guangyao looked down at him with a mild smile. Except Wei Wuxian hadn't had anything to say--he had just wanted him to stop. This wide eyed man was slyer than he had ever given him credit for, damn him. Did he…? Was he…? Fuck. Fuck.

“There has also never been a report of someone recovering after being tortured by Core Melting Hand,” he continued in that same friendly, casual tone and the liquor soaked stone that was Wei Wuxian’s stomach officially plummeted with a sick swoop. 

Fuck.

“...Have you told Jiang Cheng?”

“About?”

Wei Wuxian curled a half-scowl and clicked his tongue against his teeth. He was unable to look him in the eye, though he kept him in the corner of his gaze. “You know what.”

“I haven't anything to tell. I'm only mentioning a few interesting details from my studies.”

“Is that so,” Wei Wuxian said, sullenly, flopping back onto his elbows, jaw cocked mulishly even as his fingers flexed and tapped the rough wood beneath him. “So why were you studying it, then?”

Jin Guangyao sighed breezily, rolling his neck once as if to loosen it. “Because you are troubled. Because A-Li worries. Because I have an eye for patterns. Because we are family.” He let that rest a moment before looking down at him once more, eyebrows slightly raised, mouth in the barest of smiles. “Are we not?” 

“We are,” he grunted reluctantly. “Though now I regret letting someone so nosy under my roof.”

Jin Guangyao hummed a single, polite laugh in acknowledgement of the non-truth of the statement and allowed the silence to lie a few moments more. And while Wei Wuxian might be a habitual chatterbox, he surely wasn't going to help the conversation he desperately didn't want to have. “I’ve considered it, you know,” Jin Guangyao continued, suddenly, turning back to look out across the lake. “Telling someone. A-Li, Jiang Wanyin. But I thought it best to not...surprise you. Given the state of things.”

Wei Wuxian found his fingers wrapped around Chenqing stuck through his belt, the edge digging into his palm like the slow bite of an implacable serpent as his racing heart sped dangerously. That seeping ache spreading….“Meaning?”

“Wei Wuxian,” his tone was gentle reproval. “You cannot tell me you don't see how A-Li is affected by all this.” 

With an effort, he peeled his hand away from the flute, batting down the prickling, caged anger. Cornered. Trapped. He heaved a sigh and sprawled further on the deck, propping his head up on his hand, squirming as if to get comfortable--more to allow the restless energy some outlet and trying to convince this man that this was simply...what? A misunderstanding? Not that big of a deal? Jin Guangyao was proving even now, in front of his eyes, that he was not in any way stupid. “I suppose I should be grateful that she has a husband who dotes on her so,” Wei Wuxian grumbled. “But does it have to be at my expense?”

“I don't know,” he countered lightly. “Does it?”

Wei Wuxian scoffed in exaggerated, dismissive disgust, but said nothing, his stomach roiling. As the silence lengthened, the restlessness grew, the nervous energy was crawling through his limbs like bugs. Why now? This was supposed to have lasted for years. No one else had looked that closely. No one else considered that there might be a reason beyond his own arrogance, his own blind bullheadedness that would lead him to dance with corpses and amulets that tore him up inside. Why did he need to look closer? 

Of all the people to see him, why did it have to be him, why couldn’t it have been--? 

He snapped off that line of thinking and leaned over, aggressively swishing his hand through the water, splashing it onto lily pads, up the struts of the dock, soaking his bracers. It was still warm from the heat of the day. “And so what are you going to do, then, Jin Guangyao? Because this feels an awful lot like a threat,” he demanded, all at once flipping over and sitting up with a scowl, staring at his calm face. “I don't appreciate being manipulated. Bad things tend to happen.”

“This also feels an awful lot like a threat.” When Jin Guangyao smiled back down at him, nothing noticeable in his face had changed and by all rights should still be classified as pleasant, dimples and all. But there was something--maybe the eyes--that all at once had a weight that was not there a moment ago. And maybe a warning. “Are we threatening each other? I wasn't under the impression that's what we were doing.” 

For a moment, Wei Wuxian’s hackles fully rose, that restless darkness housed in his chest eagerly shifting to press against the back of his gaze. No one can make you do what you don't wish to, anymore. There is no one who can force you ever again. There is nothing you cannot do. 

As if in response to these private thoughts, Jin Guangyao tilted his head, just so, smile still perfectly affixed, growing no wider and no sharper but now ever so slightly wrong for the length it sustained its unwavering stretch. For the briefest moment, Wei Wuxian’s fingers flexed.

But no. No.

He let out his breath, shoved that darkness back and away, roughly. This wasn't the Burial Mounds where the heat of that rage kept him alive. This wasn't the Sunshot Campaign where such darkness could be harnessed to help. This was wounding. This was danger. 

Those things didn't belong in Lotus Pier. 

Anger always felt better than fear, but that didn't mean that he had to choose it. Nothing made him turn into a fox gnawing off it's own leg in a trap in a panic. Maybe this was a mercy killing. Maybe this was even...a rescue. He rubbed his face with his palms, letting the tension fully seep out of him until he let himself wilt to the side and sprawl across Jin Guangyao's feet. “Jie-fuuuu. Jin-xioooong, why do you torture me with this? Can't you just leave well enough alone?”

Jin Guangyao huffed out a quiet, amused breath above him and the tension bled out of the night, leaving it cool and sticky once more. Crouching down, the edges of his robe brushing over Wei Wuxian's prostrate form, Jin Guangyao laid a hand on his shoulder. "If it was well enough, don't you think I would?"

"Ugh. You’re terrible."

“Mm,” he merely agreed, indulgently.

Wei Wuxian scoffed and closed his eyes, breathing in the wet, green scent of the lake. He did not want to do this. Not tonight and not any night. “Do we have to do this now?”

Jin Guangyao sighed. “I'm telling you this so you have time to prepare and have some control. But I am not going to keep this from A-Li and she will not keep it from Jiang Wanyin.  I wanted to be…considerate.” The mildly thoughtful tone in his voice sort of seemed to imply that there were times he had not been considerate which Wei Wuxian found hard to picture. 

He had never seen Jin Guangyao anything but patient and elegant, courteous and nonthreatening. Though, he corrected, thinking of that tacit warning he had just seen in his gaze, maybe that was not entirely true. Maybe this was something he could watch for. If not directed at him and his own, it might even be fun, this unassuming man that had the presence of someone you could fit into your pocket with ease. Perhaps he was a bit sharper than he seemed, in all respects. “I’m drunk. I don’t want to do it now.”

“You’re not drunk,” Jin Guangyao said, easily, a smile in his voice. “It would take something much stronger to get you drunk. Right now, you are numbing. That is well enough. For now. If not tonight, when?”

“I don’t know, I don’t plan things!”

“Perhaps you should. I think you would find the alternative quite unpleasant.” His tone was nothing but knowing sympathy, but the words were quite firm in their message. 

“Fuck. Fuck fuck fuckity fuck.”

“Mm. If you say so.”

Wei Wuxian opened his eyes to glare up at him, his pale face sideways and framed by the stars winking on overhead. His expression was understanding and benevolent and there was no more hint of darkness in his eyes, this man who was outmaneuvering him with annoying deftness. “Don’t be funny. I’m suffering.”

His polite smile grew real and crinkled his eyes at the corners. “I wouldn’t dare.”

Wei Wuxian heaved a huge sigh, and then again for good measure. “I hate this,” he said, voice smaller than he had intended, staring up past his brother-in-law’s face into the vast darkness of the sky. “I hate this.” The anger and restlessness was gone, leaving his throat to swell and his eyes to prickle with helplessness and the brutal fucking unfairness of it all. 

Jin Guangyao was silent for a while, eyes hooded and face still, before he fully settled himself on the dock arranging his dark purple robes just so around him, allowing his feet to still be Wei Wuxian’s cushion. “I would imagine so.” 

The frogs shrilled their chorus around them as Wei Wuxian sniffed and swiped at the few tears that escaped his eyes, making a run down his cheeks for his ears as he lay, absorbing the thick night air. Jin Guangyao sat beside him, quietly, hands folded in his lap. 

“Jiang Cheng is going to hate me,” Wei Wuxian said, finally, voice rough.

Jin Guangyao shook his head, slowly. “Be incensed; yes. Hurt; yes. Feel inadequate and insecure and violated; yes. But Jiang Wanyin does not hate you. Could not, for this. A-Li and I...we will help.”

“I don’t know what the hell to say.”

“I find, if you forgive my immodesty, that I can be very good with words.”

“...I think I’d like that.”

Jin Guangyao smiled. “Whatever you need, Wei Wuxian.”

After a few minutes of frog and cicada and cricket thick silence, Wei Wuxian all of a sudden looked back up at him. “Did you really slice your damn arm open just to prove a point?”

This seemed to startle a laugh out of him and he shook his sleeve back and glanced down at the wound with mild consideration, turning it this way and that. “To confirm a theory, but I suppose the spirit is the same.”

“You aren’t really bad with knives, are you?”

His eyes still on his arm, that smile grew just a bit more sharp and just a bit more knowing. “No. I’m not.”

[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

Satisfied, Part 49

First

Previous

Next

~~~

Marinette chewed on the inside of her cheek anxiously as her watch beeped to indicate that the Gala was starting. She gave Chloe about thirty minutes to enjoy herself and then sent the text behind her back. It didn’t matter if anything she said was legible, Chloe would understand.

The alleyway was completely silent as she waited for the familiar sound of a text tone. She looked up at the sky. The stars overhead twinkled. It was a perfect, cloudless Christmas night... and she was going to be spending it in an alley, then in a warehouse, then attempting to prevent a massacre. How fun. She should be enjoying her time with her boyfriend, dancing at a Gala, but apparently it wasn’t meant to be.

She drummed her fingers across the brick behind her, her irritation spiking. All that work on an outfit for herself and Chloe only for them to get about thirty minutes of use total. Man, if only she could have gotten the bunny miraculous from future Alix. That would have been a good thing to know ahead of time.

Ding!

She was pulled from her stupor and sighed, mouthing the words. Kaalki sprang to her glasses and she felt the familiar rush of energy as she transformed.

And, with that, she was off into the night. Her hand dipped down into her pocket to brush the miraculi she’d brought along. She had a plan, she reminded herself, it just all needed to work out. All she needed was a bit of luck --.

Ah. She was screwed.

Her boots clicked on the rooftops as she made her way through town.

The receiver in her ear beeped and she touched her hand to it.

“Ready, Mari?” Said Jason.

“Not really.” A grin broke across her face despite the circumstances. “If we’re all dying tonight I’m gonna be honest.”

“Don’t say that! You need to be more optimistic!” Said Dick.

She snickered. “Mmmm, fine. Either way, I’ve kinda known you guys’ identities for a while. You Waynes really aren’t as slick as you think you are.”

She used the stunned silence as a chance to turn down the volume on her comm. She’d need it.

There was a chorus of people yelling some form of ‘wait what?!’ and ‘how?!’ and, even with her volume on the lowest setting, she still winced and brought a hand up to her ear.

“I’ll explain later.”

If she could.

But, hey, Dick said to be more optimistic and she could at least keep morale up by pretending like she thought everything would work out.

She hummed lightly as the henchmen came into view. She leaned over the side of the rooftop, watching them wander around aimlessly in search of her. She pressed a hand to her comm. “Right, I’m gonna deafen.”

Everyone mumbled their ‘goodbye’s and ‘good luck’s. She smiled and changed her setting.

Her feet hit the ground and waved to the henchmen. “Right, right, I’m here.”

She doubted they would tranquilize her this time, considering they’d want her in her best shape to keep her portals. So, she beamed as they walked towards her.

She let them force the bag over her head and raised her eyebrow as they led her through the streets on foot. Maybe they were just tired, but that didn’t mean that the tiny difference in routine didn’t give her an extra little dose of anxiety about the whole situation.

But then they pulled the bag off her head and she was in a warehouse. And Harley tackled her in a hug as usual. Everything was fine. She barely even wheezed when she hit the floor, used to this by now. She grinned and hugged back.

“So, is there anything we need to do before we head out?” She asked, resting her head back against the cold stone. Harley had moved off of her by that point but, hey, she was tired and she didn’t want to get up.

“Nothing in particular,” said Riddler, scrolling through his phone idly like always.

She smiled at him. “Cool, I got you something.”

He raised his eyebrows. “What?”

“Guess.”

He broke into a grin and turned around in his chair to face her. “Do I get any hints?”

“Only that you wouldn’t need any to solve this kind of puzzle.”

He seemed to think for a while, then rested his head on the top of his chair. “It has to fit in your pockets even with your hands in there, so… a rubix cube?”

She tossed him a Megaminx magic cube. “Close enough.”

He caught it and started fidgeting with it, a smile on his face.

Harley pouted. “I can’t believe he got a gift. I’m your favorite!”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Well, he always looks bored. If you were bored all the time I’d give you something, too.”

“Ha! You didn’t say I wasn’t your favorite!” Said Harley, grinning as she pumped her fist in the air.

She rolled her eyes and rested her head on an arm. Her eyes flickered around calmly and she came to realize that everyone was still in the middle of the room. “Where’s Joker?”

“He’ll be here soon,” said Penguin, a hint of distaste in his tone. “He’s busy with his hair.”

Her shoulders relaxed and she allowed herself to close her eyes. “I’ve always wondered if he just woke up like that or not. Y’know, with the chemicals and all.”

She felt someone come over and lay their head on her stomach and she peeked an eye open to see who it was and then closed her eyes again. Catwoman. Cool.

She rested an arm over her lazily. “You really are like a cat, huh?” She teased.

“Hey, sweetheart, promise me something?” She heard the woman mumble.

“Sure,” she said, sobering a little at the serious tone.

“We all agreed that, if things don’t go well, you aren’t allowed to come save us.”

She frowned. “Um… what?”

“You’re a kid. You need to promise that, if we start getting captured, you have to run. Or portal, whatever. Don’t try and save us. Get out. Okay?”

Tears threatened to come to Marinette’s eyes. Man, couldn’t they all just be terrible people to their cores? She wanted to just put them in jail like she did any other random criminal she stumbled across with Damian, but they just had to be nice to her.

“Okay,” she whispered, her voice tight. “I promise.”

She felt her nod. Or, maybe, she was just burying her face further in her stomach. Either way, Catwoman must have heard because she didn’t press the issue further.

She didn’t even realize she had fallen asleep until she was nudged awake. And by ‘nudged awake’ I mean she was kicked in the shoulder so hard it probably would have broken if she wasn’t in costume. Nonetheless, she still cursed and brought a hand over to cradle it. “Ow? What the hell was...?”

She opened her eyes to see Joker standing over her and her voice faltered. She fought the urge to scramble away in fear, her eyes flickering over his mask. “Uh… Joker, sir, your… face is upside down…”

“It’ll be a great punchline, trust me.”

She nodded slowly and pushed herself up.  “Portal time, I’m guessing?”

“If you wouldn’t mind,” said Penguin.

Everyone lined up so she wouldn’t have to make a super wide portal so early on. She was second to last, between Harley and Joker, and she could feel him staring at the back of her head. Her skin crawled.

She took a deep breath. Right. This was going to work out. She just had to… be optimistic.

Damn. If only it was as easy as Dick made it seem. She steeled her nerves.

“Right, good luck, everyone!” She chirped.

She opened a portal at the front and everyone filed through.

She closed the portal behind herself and they made their way through the house. The heels of their shoes clicked against the stone floors as they slipped through the halls. But this was quickly drowned out by the sound of people chattering.

She chewed on the inside of her cheek anxiously as they stepped out into the courtyard. It was always weird when a silence came over a room, because it was never all at once. Silence rippled through the courtyard until the only sound she could hear was her own heartbeat.

And then the screaming started.

Marinette closed her eyes and opened the portals on either side of the manor, blocking the gates. People stopped running to watch the blue portals stretch over the wrought iron. A few brave souls tested the portals to see what would happen and then came back out the other side.

The Rogues went to work, darting through the crowd in search of children. She saw Catwoman climb up a wall with inhuman speed and begin to use a lasso to pull kids out of danger.

Hey! Wait a minute! Marinette’s hands found their way to her waist and she cursed. Fine. She didn’t need a weapon, not as NightMare.

Unable to do much else, she settled for running around and grabbing kids like everyone else. She would grab as many as she could carry, vault over the wall, set them down and apologize profusely, then jump back over for more. She didn’t want to go quickly, she needed the bats to have a bit of time to give plausible deniability, but she was kinda on a time crunch...

Her eyes wandered over people, searching wildly for a familiar red suit. Honestly, why were there so many people in bright red? It’s really not a flattering color and -- there!

She found Chloe hiding out in a corner, probably waiting for the bats, and rushed over. Her gaze flicked over her hairline. She’d smashed her bug. Good.

Marinette grinned and dug into her pockets and held up the bee miraculous. “Tradesies?”

Chloe’s eyes widened and Marinette fastened the pin to the girl’s hair, then pulled the earrings off of her.

“This matches your outfit way better, anyways,” she chirped, giving a tiny wink before putting on her earrings. It felt great to have them again. She grinned. “Tikki, Kaalki, unify!”

“Good luck, right?”

She grinned. “Of course, Queenie.”

They pressed a kiss to each other’s cheeks and darted off in different directions.

Marinette couldn’t show up as a mix of Ladybug and NightMare, and she needed to keep the portals up, but that didn’t mean that she could just sit around doing nothing at all. She settled for jumping onto the roof and yoyo-ing a few people to safety when no one was paying attention.

She felt someone behind her and whipped around, her hand coming up to punch them, only for them to dodge.

She relaxed when she saw it was only Tim. “Sorry.”

“No, no, it’s my fault for just standing there! That was creepy.”

She giggled. “It’s fine, sweetie.”

She felt his fingers interlock with hers and a tiny smile made its way across her face, only to fall as they looked out over the sea of people.

The Rogues were nearly out of kids to take to safety, it seemed. Chloe was on the outer edges, shuffling along and attempting to get as many people out as possible without being spotted.

Their grips tightened on each other’s hands. It was starting to hurt but neither of them were eager to let go just yet.

She swallowed thickly. “How much longer?”

“We’re waiting until they get the kids out, since they’re already doing it for us.”

She nodded slightly.

And then they heard gunfire. Their eyes flicked back down to see Penguin shooting people with an umbrella. It might have been a comical sight if he wasn’t mowing down people at an alarming rate.

She felt Tim’s grip slacken on her hand and held tighter. He paused and she reached out, taking his face in her hands and pressing a short kiss to his lips.

“Good luck,” she murmured.

“One of us has to have it,” he whispered jokingly.

She gave a quiet laugh and let go. He gave her a tiny wink before hopping down.

She surveyed the battlefield, trying to ignore the pools of red and concentrate solely on the vigilantes and Rogues. It was about one-on-one, but the bats did slightly outnumber the Rogues.

Didn’t mean much when they were refusing to kill anyone, though.

She bit down on the inside of her cheek.

Just a few more minutes, she only had to wait a few more minutes…

~~~

Me: oh the Gala stuff will probably be like 3-4k words max so i’ll just have it all in one chapter

Also me: takes 2k words to get through the first part alone

~

Taglist

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<3

[p-artsypants]

I Do...I Guess (2)

Mushroom Rock

Ao3 | FF.net

--

The chocobo eater was a great team building exercise, though Yuna’s new Aeon did a lot of the leg work. 

What was the name again? Ifeert? Oh well, Hot Dog it would be to Tidus. 

Zanarkand was really missing out on those Chocobos though. They were fun to ride, and pretty easy to handle...though they were a little smelly. 

Of course, Tidus tried to imagine riding one around back home, among the motorcycles and the cars...and thought that maybe the chocobos were fine here in Spira. 

The birds allowed for much quicker travel of the High Road, and they made it to the crusaders blockade before lunch. 

“A blockade?” Wakka wondered aloud. “But how else are we supposed to get to Djose?” 

“I’m sorry folks,” one of the nearby crusaders explained. “The road will be closed off during our operation. We’re very sorry for the inconvenience.” 

“We have to get through,” argued Lulu. “This is Summoner Yuna, and you are hindering her pilgrimage.” 

“I’m sorry. Summoner or not, I have strict orders not to let anyone pass.” 

It was then that Wakka made the startling discovery. “Hey, there’s Al Bhed here.” 

“The Al Bhed and the Crusaders are teaming up?” Asked Yuna. 

Wakka frowned. “What kind of operation needs the Al Bhed a part of it?” 

“I find myself asking the same question.” A wispy voice interrupted. 

The party turned to see Maester Seymour joining the fray. He seemed none too bothered by the presence of those so-called heathens. 

He almost looked excited. 

“Lady Yuna? Is there something the matter?” 

Tidus felt an uncomfortable crawling sensation in his veins. This blue haired clown really made his skin crawl. Jealousy, the others might say. But no, he could read those sleazy bedroom eyes from a mile away. 

How old was this dude anyway? Should he be allowed to look at Yuna like that? 

Why did he care? He wondered. He was a guardian now, so obviously he was watching out for her. 

And a pending marriage proposal, his subconscious reminded him politely. He had managed to forget about that all morning. 

“We need to get through to continue my pilgrimage,” Yuna said simply. 

Tidus really admired that she didn’t try any persuasion at that moment. No beating her enchanting mismatched eyes, or pitching her voice up like so many girls had done to him.

She didn’t even say please. 

“I’ll take care of it.” Seymour smiled. 

Tidus mimed a gagging motion at Kimahri, but the joke was wasted on the stoic ronso. 

Miraculously, Seymour did take care of it. They were waved on almost immediately, much to the chagrin of Dona, who was asked to stay back. 

They were prompted forward, down the Mushroom Rock trail, to the beach and the command post, where everything was going down. 

The Mi’ihen Highroad was lush with greens. A perfect day with ideal blue skies, with happy chocobos fluttering around. 

But the closer they got to the operation, the grayer the sky, the drier the ground, and the more fierce the fiends. 

Yuna shivered slightly as they entered a valley. 

“You okay, Yuna?” Tidus asked. 

“Oh, yes. Just got a chill up my spine.” She came a little closer to him and admitted. “I don’t know why, but I got a sense of dread all of a sudden.” 

“What’s the operation all about, anyway?” 

“I’m not sure. But I suppose we’ll find out more when we reach the command post.” 

They found out plenty when they crested the hill and found a half a dozen machina canons all lined up and pointed out to sea. 

The horror on his teammates faces proved that whatever was going on was likely very heretical. 

“What are all these Machina doing here?” Asked Wakka. 

A crusader answered. “We Crusaders and Al Bhed share the same dream. To be rid of Sin forever! And if we can take the burden away from the summoners, we’re going to try!” 

It was a noble cause, Tidus thought. He had seen the devastation that Sin was capable of. Were these little canons good enough?” 

They were explained the situation. A huge canon sat on the cliff side, easily big enough to wipe out a city if they weren’t careful. And there was an army on the beach, ready to fight and distract with swords. 

He hoped this would all work, maybe then Yuna could stop her journey. 

Maybe Sin would come to shore and he would go home, and then he wouldn’t have to come up with an answer for Yuna’s marriage proposal. 

He felt like maybe all these things were unlikely, and that only the worst was to come. 

The army was still preparing, and there was no sign of Sin, though the bait was set and waiting. 

Tidus spotted a familiar merchant standing back, behind the cliff wall. 

“O’aka, right?” 

“Ah, so my name is catching on, eh?” 

“Well...maybe. We rode in the boat over from Kilika, remember?” 

“Oh yes. I never forget a face! You lent me a pretty penny, and for that, I’m grateful. Are you after anything? I have a special rate because of the operation.” 

“Do you...have any rings?” 

“Rings? Ah yes, all sorts of magic wards. And they’re pretty too!” 

Tidus had been given an allowance for such an occasion. 

O’aka displayed his tray of jewelry, with about a dozen different choices on it. Golds and silvers, with all sorts of jewels. 

“What about this one?” He pointed to a silver and blue one, with a very intricate design. 

“Excellent choice! A real heavy hitter! Stone, water, fire, and lightning proof, and it's blessed!” 

“How much?” 

“For you my friend, only 9999!” 

Tidus opened and closed his mouth in shock. “Uhhh...” 

“What are you doing?” Auron asked, coming up behind him. 

He yelped in surprise, and then tried to school his expression into something that didn’t look like he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Uhh...just looking at rings.” 

“For Yuna?” 

O’aka’s eyes widened. “For Lady Summoner Yuna? My my, how interesting!” 

“Mind your own business!” Tidus scolded with a blush. 

“So you decided to say yes?” Auron asked. 

“Not...completely. I’m still thinking things through...I just want to be prepared. You know? I thought, maybe having it would help me think.”

“A wise decision.” Auron took out a sack of Gil and handed it to O’aka, then took the ring, and a thicker, plainer band. “You get one too.” 

“Oh. Right.” For now, Tidus just pocketed them, and decided to concentrate on the mission. 

A mission that was doomed to fail, according to Maester Seymour and Kinoc. 

“Let them keep dreaming.” They said. It was almost an admission to a genocide. 

Everybody here, crusaders, Al Bhed, and a few Yevonites, they were all fighting for peace. For calm. 

And yet, these ‘Holy Men’ had laughed behind their backs. 

Tidus had nothing against the temples. Faith and prayer were vital in keeping hope in such a dismal world. But these Maesters smelled heavily of nepotism and flagrant thirst for power. 

In Zanarkand, such men would find places of power. In government, in business, on boards and councils. But of the religions back home, he thought of them as pious and self sacrificing. 

Not whatever these two men were. 

How many others were like this? How many others were willing to sacrifice people? 

Why wasn’t anyone speaking up? 

They shouldn’t have come. They should have stayed at the blockade, or gone back to stay another night at the Travel Agency. 

But no. Now Tidus was in the water, rapidly chasing down his old man. The beach was littered with bodies and shrapnel of destroyed Machina. The operation had failed catastrophically, and yet, all he could do was swim on, chasing. 

He wouldn’t let this opportunity pass him by. 

But Sin was gone. Just as Jecht had vanished from his life, so had the beast once again. Giving no answers, leaving more questions, and leaving oblivion it's wake. 

How long had he been passed out for? Minutes? Hours? He wasn’t sure. The wet sand pressed against his back as he washed ashore. All his chasing and he was back. 

“There you are! You good, brudda?” Wakka hurried to him and pulled him to his feet. 

“Yeah. Just...I just fell.” 

And he had. He had been up top fighting that Sinspawn before he fell below. So it wasn’t a complete lie. He just didn’t want to explain to Wakka that he had tried to chase down the biggest menace on Spira because of a childhood grudge. 

“Where’s Yuna?” He asked instead. 

“Talking to Maester Seymour.” He pointed up towards the ridge. Yuna stood there, head bowed as Maester Seymour stood too close, speaking to her. 

“I gotta go.” 

“I don’t know man, seems like a private conversation.” 

“Like I care!” Tidus staggered to his feet and hurried over to her. He stood below the ridge, just out of sight, but not out of earshot. 

“…so you mustn’t cry.” Seymour preached. “You must be a beacon of light to Spira, you must be strong for these survivors.”

“I know,” Yuna said, in a tender voice. “But some of these people were my friends, and I want to grieve their loss.” 

“Yuna, being a summoner means removing your emotions from those around you. You can care, but not too much. You know that, right?” 

Tidus wanted to grab that cretin by the robes and push him into the sea. Maybe Sin would come back and swallow him. Was that too much to ask?

“I understand. Thank you, Maester Seymour.” 

The man patted her head, like she was a dog, and moved on. 

Yuna stood there for a moment, just staring at the ground. 

“Yuna?” Tidus spoke behind her. 

She turned, and saw him just below her on the ridge. She nodded with resolve and sat down on the edge. “Will you help me down?” 

He held his arms up for her, and she took hold of his shoulders. She slid down, to stand with him, keeping her eyes locked with his. “Thank you.” 

“Anytime. You okay?”

She just nodded. Then added, “I have a sending to do.” 

So he let her go, and watched as she began her dance. 

A dance devoid of joy, of fun, of merriment. It was still graceful, and haunting, but the tightness in her face contrasted with the fluid movement in her body. 

Sobs and wailing filled the air, as survivors of the massacre witnessed their friends and family rise as Pyreflies into the air.

If it was up to him, she’d stop dancing. So she could stop hiding her sorrows. 

Her strength did amaze him, though. He watched as she danced up and down that beach, long after the sun had set. She wouldn’t allow one soul to not be sent. They already suffered, they didn’t need to remain as fiends. 

Long after Seymour and Kinoc left, long after the other guardians set up camp, Tidus still followed Yuna down the beach. All the way to the other end, before she collapsed in exhaustion. 

“Yuna?” He asked softly. 

“I just need a moment,” she breathed.

She sprawled out on the sand, and Tidus wondered if she cared about it getting in her hair. 

She looked exhausted. Her lips pulled into a tight line, and her eyes were shut hard. 

“Why did this have to happen?” She asked aloud, mostly hypothetical, but loud enough for him to hear. 

“Because people were sick of Sin. And death was a better alternative to sitting and twiddling their thumbs.” 

She sighed. “My mind knows that, but my heart...”

He sat in the sand beside her, just a hands length away. “You know, it’s okay to cry.” 

She shook her head.

“Even I let out a few tears back there, and most of these people were complete strangers. You knew some of them.”

“I have to be strong. Summoners are a pillar of strength to the people of Spira.”

“So I heard,” he shrugged. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t ever cry.” 

“I don’t want to.” She protested. “I want my journey to be full of laughter, and you’ve been so good about helping with that. Don’t tell me to cry.” 

“Fine. I’m not going to make you cry. Just...sometimes, being happy isn’t possible. Then it’s the best to just be less sad.” 

Yuna turned to look at him, but didn’t say anything. 

“Maybe I don’t know anything about Yevon, or hardly anything about life. But I think grief is when you love too much, and you can’t give it. I think if I saw a summoner cry from loss, I would feel better. My future, my world, is in the hands of someone who loves.” 

Yuna hummed softly, garnering his attention. She had streaks on her cheeks, but he politely chose not to mention it. “What happened here was a tragedy, but for a moment, everyone was United and working together, and I thought it was really beautiful. So maybe it was bad...but not all bad.” 

“Feel better?” 

“Yeah...not happy, but less sad.” She sat up, dusting the sand from her clothes. She admired the stars above and the crashing of waves before pushing to stand. “We should get back soon, before they worry.” 

“We will,” Tidus assured. “But I want to ask you something first.” 

“Alright?” 

With resolve he hadn’t felt in a while, he took the ring out of his pocket, and got down on one knee. “You know, it might feel like weird timing, but I want to help.” 

“Tidus?” 

He held the ring up to her. “Yuna, will you marry me?” 

She just stared at him for a long time. 

“I know you asked me, but back home, it’s kind of tradition for the guy to ask. Hope you don’t mind?” 

“So...you’re accepting my proposal?” 

“Only if you accept mine.” 

She laughed, a genuine smile breaking out on her face. “Alright. I accept!” 

He smiled too, and pushed to his feet. Then he held out for her hand and slipped the ring on for her. 

“I never thought I’d propose to a girl I wasn’t dating.” He joked. 

“Already getting cold feet?” 

He shook his head, before gathering her into a hug. 

Yuna was startled for only a moment, before snuggling into his arms. 

“Whatever you need, you come to me, okay?” He asked. “If you need to laugh, or cry, or a hug. I’m your man.” 

Yuna smiled into the embrace. “Yes, you are my man.”

[cakejots]

Unstained, Chapter 2

After certain events that happened in the day, Chat Noir revealed to Ladybug that he knows who she is under the mask. Her reactions astounded him. After certain events that happened in the night, Ladybug unveiled to Chat Noir why she can’t do what he asked of her. His reactions astonished her.

Rating: T, Words: 6938. Chapters: 4/4

Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4

Read on AO3

“So, are you going to take my Miraculous away?”

“I suppose.”

Chat immediately stiffened his relaxed posture and whipped his head to look at her, moon-eyed. “You—”

“But, if that’s supposed to happen, I wouldn’t be here talking to you as Ladybug, would I?” Ladybug finally faced him with a small smile hanging on her lips.

Seeing her smile, Chat felt even more perplexed than he already was. “What do you mean?”

“I know who you are, Adrien.”

Adrien didn’t think his day would get any crazier, but it just did. “C-come again?”

“Adrien, that’s you under that mask. Marinette, that’s me under this mask. And I’m not going to take away your Miraculous, silly,” Ladybug, Marinette, teased. She seemed to be genuinely enjoying his reactions to all these.

“Sorry, but this is a lot to take in, I need a moment.” Adrien pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes to internalise this new information that Ladybu—Marinette just dropped on him.

“Take all the time you need, Minou. We have time. But—”

“But we need to move if there’s an Akuma attack,” he recited.

“You know me so well, but patrols rarely have those, so you’re good.” Her attention was now back to the glittery sky above.

Silence, until…

“My lady? M-Marinette? Argh, I don’t even know which to use now! This is all so new to me,” he whined and pulled his hair while making distressed faces.

“You can use whichever you want Chaton, we are still the same person under the masks,” she giggled.

“I’ve got a few questions if you don’t mind?” He asked with hope in his eyes.

“Of course not, go ahead.”

He started to fidget. “How did you find out?”

“Well, it wasn’t like I actively sought out your identity or anything. It just happened, to the point I simply couldn’t ignore it any longer,” she stated.

Chat was looking at her curiously. But he was listening attentively and signalling for her to go on, and she did.

“Wow this is such a long list, where do I even begin?” She mused.

“Start from your earliest memories of it?” He suggested.

“That’s a good idea. Remember when there was a design competition for bowler hats and your father—”

Chat gagged.

“—got to decide which is the winning piece you’ll wear for your next photoshoot?” Ladybug raised an eyebrow.

Chat’s eyes widened with realisation and nodded. “It was the first time we fought Mr Pigeon.”

“Yeah. And Chat Noir was sneezing non-stop due to the allergies he had against feathers. Guess who I found that had the same allergies after we defeated the Akuma?”

Chat blushed.

“But it wasn’t enough of an evidence to give away that you’re Chat Noir. After all, plenty of people are allergic to feathers.” He nodded. “Next, was when as Chat Noir, you worked with Marinette to take down Evillustrator.”

“Oh! So that’s your secret mission. How did I expose myself? I’m pretty different in and out of the mask.”

“Indeed you are. Thing is, no one knew Marinette and Chat Noir worked together that night. Yet, Adrien-you approached Marinette-me and asked what I thought about Chat Noir.”

“Please tell me there’s no more of my reckless behaviour that could possibly scream Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir,” he grimaced.

“You’ll be surprised,” she winked. And he groaned.

“Those two might have been coincidences, but not this next one. Does ‘Tom Style: Booyah!’ remind you of anything?”

“Wow I really need to stop being so careless, who would have thought!” Chat was hiding his face behind his hands.

Ladybug started listing more. “There’s also that time where Jagged Stone tried being a baker on a reality show, and basically flashed my room full of Adrien’s photos on national TV. And you were acting all smug about it the next day, very Chat-like might I add. And our train ride to London, Chat Noir—”

“Okay, okay, I get it. I leave tons of clues, sheesh.”

It was quiet again and Ladybug went back to admiring the many glimmers that hung above. Ladybug sensed a change in the mood surrounding them and hoped that he wouldn’t ask what she thinks he’d ask.

“So, how long have you known?”

And there it was. “You know how long, Adrien,” as if pleading him to drop the questioning.

“Yeah, but do you know since when?”

“S-since the first year we got our Miraculouses,” she confirmed, hugging her knees.

“Is there a reason why you didn’t tell me in the first instance possible?” He asked gently.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Adrien. I do, I really do, but Master Fu said… he said our identities must remain a secret.” Ladybug tried to reason with him.

“I know you do, and I have no doubt about that. And Master Fu did say that, didn’t he? But you still knew about Rena Rouge and Carapace.”

“They were needed for our battles, and you knew about Queen Bee.” But her determination was wearing thin, and she knew she wasn’t making any sense.

“And so did you.”

Ladybug kept quiet and was looking at everything else but Chat.

“Marinette, if identities were so important, Master Fu would have made sure you didn’t know about Rena Rouge’s and Carapace’s, you know that.” Adrien's voice was really soft, the softest it has been the whole day. “Queen Bee was an unfortunate case that the whole of Paris knows.”

She still wasn’t looking at him.

“Marinette, is there something you’re hiding?” Chat shifted towards her.

And yet, she didn’t utter a single word.

“My lady?” He had begun to hold her as he witnessed her eyes welling up.

She wiped her tears with the back of her hands, but they continued falling.

He looked at her earnestly before he went ahead to wipe her tears with his thumb, mindful of his claws. Chat then placed a hand at the back of her head, and pulled her into his embrace, rubbing circles on her back. He figured that if she didn’t want to talk about it, the least he could do was calm her down.

“I-I’m guessing that you figured out my identity this afternoon? When y-you were almost akumatised?” She started.

Ladybug felt a nod at her shoulder, and she continued.

She heaved a deep sigh and wrapped her arms around him. “In… in another timeline, we knew each other’s identities in the first year we got our Miraculouses. And we were in love.”

Chat went rigid with his ministrations.

“I… I don’t really know the details, but it… it was our love that destroyed the world.”

He felt a vicious chill spread through his core. Chat pulled back to look at Ladybug, eyes conveying desperation that this where it stopped, that it couldn’t possibly get any worse than this.

Ladybug held his gaze for a while before looking up. “This moon above us, it’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

Chat didn’t know where this was going, but he looked up nonetheless. The moon was indeed very pretty, gleaming brightly against the clear blue-black sky that made sure all focus was on it.

“In that timeline, this very same moon was split into half," she paused. "By you. Akumatised you.”

Chat whipped his head back down to her, gaze wavering as a feeling of disorientation blanketed him.

Ladybug fiercely pulled him back into her embrace, instantly regretting the way she had delivered the news to him. “Do you see it now?” She wept. “The reason why I was so hesitant to reveal myself to you?" She gripped on him firmly, afraid that he'd run away.

Chat’s vision had turned blurry, and he squeezed her. “Then why did you reveal yourself now? If you knew this was going to happen.”

“I… I figure the reveal was going to happen sooner or later, and y-you were akumatised because of something entirely different. And honestly, I am so exhausted about everything.”

They basked in the silence together, sniffling and trying to stop their tears from flowing.

“So what are we going to do now?” Chat whispered.

“I really don’t know, I’m just glad that you didn’t get akumatised and I didn’t have to fight you.” She hugged him tighter than what he thought was possible.

Chat slowly pried himself away from her to look at her. With his hand at the back of her head, he pulled it forward and kissed her forehead. She froze.

“Adrien, what are you doing?”

“I love you.” Ladybug opened her mouth but he cut her to it. “You’re always thinking about others even while going through hell all by yourself. You’ve been through so much. I’m so sorry for not being there for you, and I thank you for sharing this with me, Marinette. I love you, so, so much. For being so brave, for being all that you are.”

Her tears flowed down her face like a river escaping a dam, comparable to the speed of her thoughts running through her mind. All the ‘could haves’ she might have experienced with Adrien if it wasn’t for her fears. And the possible devastation that may happen if she went ahead with what her alternate self did.

“Adrien, I don’t know if you know this, but I love you too, romantically. Ever since the first day we’ve met. But...”

To say that didn’t break his heart would have been the joke of the century, but…

“I understand Marinette,” he smiled weakly, “but please stop pushing me away. Even if not romantically, I want to be there for you every step of the way.”

“I’m doing fine Adrien...” She looked away.

Adrien felt disheartened. But he didn’t want to give up, not yet, never. He cupped her face to look at him.

“Marinette, you’ve been waiting all this time, haven’t you?” Marinette didn’t think Adrien’s voice could go even softer than before, but it did. “Since 3 years ago, for someone to save you from this helplessness, for someone to share this burden with you. Let me be that person for you.”

Marinette sometimes could perfectly explain what she saw in Chat. His desire to lighten up other people’s day, his unyielding trust in her, among many many others. But other times, she wasn’t able to, because it was indefinable. It’s just the way he was able to take her to places where no one else could. Maybe, it's time she finally let go of all the burdens she has had and shared them with someone, with her kitty.

“I’ll always be here, my lady.”

She raised her arms to hold his face in her hands—

“I am so sorry.”

—and pressed her lips onto his.

[sugarmaplewings-fics]

Deep Blue Fantasy Part Four

Pairing: Merman!Tamaki Amajiki x fem!reader

Warnings: None

{Pt. 1}  {Pt. 2}  {Pt. 3}  {Pt. 4}  {Pt. 5}  {Pt. 6}  {Pt. 7}

くコ:彡くコ:彡くコ:彡くコ:彡

Tamaki followed you out of his room, keeping close to your side in case he stumbled. You were both alone in the hall, your footsteps echoing off the high stone walls. Tamaki marveled at the architecture, noting how intricately placed each stone brick was.

He'd been to various parts of the merpeople empire, witnessing incredible underwater palaces, but he was used to the simpler practice of living in caves or small houses formed from the muck on the seafloor. Tamaki loved seeing the attention to detail in each of your walls; windows perfectly spaced and letting the sunlight warmly spread across the floor. He couldn't help but wonder if all human homes looked like this, but a part of him figured they didn't.

His mind also began to question why you lived in a place like this, and had what you called a handmaiden like Brianne. Were you important in some way? Was it your father? You had mentioned him a few times. Maybe you happened to be from a very rich family. Tamaki felt a slight lump form in his throat. Of course, he had to fall for someone who seemed to be more and more out of his league with every new piece of information he found out about her.

Just what was a princess? Tamaki felt like he might have heard the term before, maybe in some kind of legend or story, but he couldn't remember where. The not-knowing nagged at the back of his brain, but he was determined not to ask in case he insulted you.

You led him through a big room with a large table, guiding him towards a door in the wall, which was nearly hidden against the cool tones of stone. The door swung open, and Tamaki found himself looking down at a flight of steps leading down into a warmly lit room.

You showed him the rail, letting him cling to it as you assisted in making your way down the small number of steps. Miraculously, Tamaki survived, and he felt very proud of himself for not tumbling down the stone stairs on his first try at them.

You confidently strode around a bend and excitedly led him towards a burly man who was washing dishes in the sink with his back turned to the two of you.

"Gabriel!" you called out. "There's someone I'd like you to meet!"

The man turned. He looked to be about in his forties and sported a brunet mustache, his eyes twinkling when he caught sight of Tamaki.

You pulled him closer to the new man, beaming excitedly. "Tamaki, this is Gabriel, our cook. He's very very sweet. I'm sure you'll also be interested to hear that he was the one who rescued you off the beach."

"Please tell me you didn't go there on purpose? The water there is dangerous." Gabriel's voice was gruff yet somehow smooth, words reverberating in his chest. Tamaki allowed the sound to resonate in his mind for a minute, savoring how it sounded so different from the women he'd heard before. It vaguely reminded him of the lower pitches of whale song he'd hear when the large mammals would migrate north in the spring and summer; when the waters would warm and the currents would slow.

He barely had time to nod before you jumped in at his silence. "He's a castaway. Apparently his boat went down out at sea and he happened to wash onto our shores." You turned and grinned at him. "You're not a complete idiot after all."

"I knew I didn't recognize him," Gabriel said, looking into Tamaki's face and making him go back to being generally uncomfortable. "It's rare for me not to know a fellow islander. I see pretty much everyone when I go off to market. Feeling better, son?"

He placed the back of his large hand over Tamaki's forehead, making him elicit a small squeak as he shied away. His touch was warm and gentle, but such factors were canceled at the fact Tamaki had never met him before.

"Jumpy thing, aren't ya?" Gabriel straightened, apology quickly flashing in his eyes. "Still shook up? You were in pretty rough condition. Must have taken a blow to the head on one of those rocks. But you weren't too bloodied up, thankfully. I've seen so much worse come of those that venture into the cold, dark sea . . . ." His voice trailed off, gazing at nothing as it looked as though his mind traveled to places unseen or heard.

You placed a hand on his solid arm, catching his eyes with yours as you gently pulled him out of his daze. "Hey," you softly crooned.

"Sorry, Princess. Got . . . distracted." He abruptly straightened and shook his head. "I'm glad we found you as soon as we did. Any longer and you woulda frozen to death. You really have (Y/N) to thank, here, for finding you."

You bashfully lowered your gaze and shrugged, toeing the stone floor. "Without you, I would never have been able to get him all the way back here."

"A team effort, then." Gabriel slid back into a grin and winked at Tamaki. "You best get plenty of rest. Did you enjoy the stew?"

Tamaki nodded. "Thank you," he said, trying to keep his voice above a mumble. "It was really good."

Gabriel squinted at him, suddenly confused. "What?"

Tamaki frowned and looked back up at him, opening his mouth to repeat himself before remembering the necklace that still hung around his neck under his shirt.

You'll be able to speak to the first human that touches you, so make sure it's her.

This must be what Nejire meant. Gabriel couldn't understand him. Tamaki briefly wondered what the man had heard come from his mouth, hoping it wasn't too embarrassing before you jumped in again.

"You ate it so fast!" you giggled. "Which reminds me. Gabe, could you get him another cup of water? I think he's still thirsty."

"Of course." Your friend pulled another metal cup from the sink behind him, giving it an extra rinse in the water of the basin before filling it with clean water from a pump. He handed it to Tamaki who gratefully took it and began to take small sips from the mug, enjoying the newfound taste of fresh water. "So where are you from?"

Tamaki faltered mid-sip, mind starting to spin. Should he lie? He didn't know what to say. How should he keep his secret? Gabriel couldn't understand a word he said but you could. Even if he told the truth, the name of his empire would be very difficult to translate. He was sure even you would have a hard time figuring out what he meant.

Tamaki just tried for a mildly distressed hum and shrugged his shoulders, going back to swallowing some water.

You and Gabriel shared a glance that went unnoticed by Tamaki's eyes, hidden from view behind the rim of his cup. "Were you . . . a pirate?" you spoke up, trying to work out his history.

Pirates . . . . The term was vaguely familiar to him. Maybe he'd seen it in one of the children's' story scrolls at the library. He hesitantly shook his head, trying to stay hidden behind his drink.

"Just a sailor that lived out at sea?" Gabriel asked, his voice suspicious yet equally hesitant.

Tamaki decided this would be the best one to roll with, finally peeking out and nodding his head.

"Sure are quiet . . . ." the man softly muttered, lightly stroking his chin as he studied Tamaki's face. "Are you mute or something?"

Mute?

"He was talking just fine before," you said, resting a gentle hand on Tamaki's shoulder. "Do you need to go lie down again? It's been a long day."

Tamaki shook his head. He wanted to spend time with you. Just maybe you alone, without other people who might hear whatever nonsense came out of his enchanted mouth.

"He staying here?" Gabriel asked, relaxing his stance only fractionally.

"Yeah, in one of the guest chambers. We're waiting for the ships to the mainland to come back."

"That'll be some time," the man mused. "Oh well. If you ever need anything, you can always ask." This was directed at Tamaki. "And if you ever try anything funny—" a steely glint arose in Gabriel's eyes, making the boy gulp, "—you'll have to deal with me."

You smirked and caught Tamaki's gaze, mockingly giving him a sharp nod. Everyone in the room could agree that Gabriel was not a man to be messed with.

"Thank you, Gabe," you said, nudging Tamaki so he would know it was time to start moving again.

"No problem, Princess." Gabriel turned and went back to his work. He lifted something out of the basin that caught Tamaki's eye. It was a sponge. What was he doing with one of those?

Tamaki glanced at you, but before he could even think to try to subtly whisper something in your ear so Gabriel couldn't hear him, you pulled him back to the stairs. After a short moment of collecting his legs, Tamaki soon found that climbing stairs was much easier than going down them. He couldn't help but feel proud of himself for reaching the top of the landing.

"Yay!" you congratulated him when you were both standing together at the top. "You're really getting the hang of things!"

Tamaki blushed and smiled at the floor, nearly melting in the glow of your smile. How were you always so vibrant? You tapped him on the shoulder, making him look up to see that you had raised up a hand, level with your shoulder.

"High five?" you asked, giving your palm a little shake.

Tamaki hesitantly lifted his hand to press against yours, confused.

You giggled. "Do you not high five out at sea?"

"No," Tamaki answered truthfully. "What is it?"

You demonstrated on yourself, clapping one of your hands to the awaiting other. "Like that, except this hand is supposed to be yours."

You held out your hand again in the same manner, and Tamaki gently slapped his against yours.

"See, you learned something new today!" you beamed.

Actually, Tamaki thought, I've learned so many things today. I can barely keep up.

"Come on." You started walking and Tamaki hurried to keep up. "There are still some people I want you to meet."

The two of you didn't speak for a few moments, traveling together in companionable silence.

Finally, you broke it, making Tamaki look up at your pensive face. "Why didn't you want to talk with Gabe?" you asked, steps echoing off the walls of the cool hallway.

"I, um—" Tamaki tried to think of a good answer. He finally alighted on a half-truth. What could be better? "I get . . . really nervous around people and it's like I can't function," he admitted, keeping his eyes cast down. "It's mostly just around strangers I don't know very well."

"You're not like that around me," you said. "You talk just fine."

"Yeah, but you're just so—" Tamaki stopped himself before he could say any more. He didn't want to go too fast. He wanted your affections to be as much your choice as his were for you.

"I'm so what?"

"Uh, nice, I guess."

"Gabriel is really nice." Your voice remained soft and nonaccusatory. "He may look a little intimidating, but once you get to know him, he's a real sweetie."

Tamaki silently reeled at the idea he might have accidentally insulted your friend. "I didn't mean he wasn't! It's just that . . . I feel different when I'm around you." He dared look into your face.

Your expression was slightly flustered, yet you had undeniably been flattered by his words. Who was this boy? You had to wonder. Why was he so . . . strange?

The two of you remained quiet on your way through the halls. You had Tamaki meet a few more people who worked at your father's chateau before leading him outside. You gleefully threw off your flats, letting your toes sink into the plush grass beneath them.

Still barefoot, Tamaki followed after you, discovering the new sensation of sun-warmed grass tickling his ankles. He watched as you twirled around in the light, skirts flowing around your skilled, graceful legs. Someday, Tamaki promised himself, he would be able to have that much control over his new limbs. He imagined himself joining you, bouncing around almost as weightlessly as if you were underwater.

You came back and pulled him over to a small patch of flowers. Tamaki had never seen anything like them, and he hesitantly reached out a hand to brush the tips of his fingers over their soft petals.

A small creature burst into flight near his hands, making Tamaki jump back. It didn't look like a bird, and yet, its wings carried its tiny body effortlessly through the air. It was a light yellow, starkly showing up against the green grass behind it. It alighted on Tamaki's arm, making him freeze in apprehension, watching as little antennae brushed against the cloth of his sleeve.

"What is it?" Tamaki scarcely dared to breathe.

You laughed aloud behind him, carefully settling down beside him so as not to frighten it away. "That's a butterfly."

"Woah."

The two of you observed it wander over his appendage until a light breeze prompted it to flutter off.

You noticed Tamaki's face as he watched the insect leave. His eyes practically had stars in them as he looked after it, and you couldn't help but appreciate for the first time just how blue they were. At first, you had thought they were just kind of black, but now, in the setting sun, you could make out each sapphire hue. They reminded you of the ocean, and intrigued you just as much.

He really was handsome. You admired the way his blue-black hair fell between his eyes, following it with your own eyes to the little tufts that spiked up in the back. His ears poked out of the falling locks, and you noticed with curiosity that they were somewhat pointed. The urge to reach up and touch them struck you, but you fought it, stilling your hand so it remained in the grass. You went back to his eyes, and they met yours, heat suddenly growing on both your cheeks.

"So, uh," you began, finally reaching up your hand to place on the back of your neck. "Were you born on the sea or something?"

"Why do you ask?"

You smiled sheepishly, dropping your gaze to the dirt. "I guess you're just so . . . intrigued with all this. It's like you look at the world with so much wonder as though you've never seen anything like it before."

"I haven't."

You looked back up to him. "You've never been on land?"

Tamaki blew out his cheeks, trying to decide yet again how to answer. "Not really."

Your eyes widened. "How—?"

Tamaki abruptly stood. "I-I can't tell you. I want to, but now isn't a good time." His eyes contained fear and maybe regret, wincing as your face fell into confusion.

"Are you in trouble or something?" you asked. "If there's someone bothering you, I am capable of placing you under my protection—"

"I-it's not like that." Tamaki hated the way his voice shook. He wanted to tell you who he was, what he was, but now just wasn't the time.

When?

"I promise," he said, shakily offering his hand to you. "I will tell you."

You looked at his hand dubiously. "I have my safety to worry for as well," you told him, glancing from his expecting fingers and back to his eyes. "Tamaki, I know I've just met you, but I want to be able to call you my friend."

His heart melted at your words. Friendship was a start. Could you like him as a friend already? "You have my honor," he said, and you finally placed your hand in his. "I will never do anything to hurt you."

You nodded, now standing. "When can you tell me?" you asked, dropping his hand. "I want to know more about you."

He chewed his lip, already missing the moment of contact you had briefly shared. "You consider me your friend?" he asked, hesitantly.

"I would like to."

"Tomorrow then. I would really like to get to know you too."

"May I ask what the purpose is of keeping this secret?"

Tamaki winced. "I don't want you to think differently of me."

You gently placed your hand on his shoulder. "I won't judge you. I'm not like that. As long as you're a genuinely good person, I don't care where you grew up."

Tamaki almost spilled his guts out to you right then and there, but a voice interrupted him in his tracks.

"Princess! There you are!" Brianne stepped out of the doorway. "You should do some studying before dinner. You know your father wants you to keep up with that."

You smiled, giving a light eye roll. "Coming."

"Hurry up," she called over her shoulder as she turned to go back inside. "You've already missed quite some time running around with this boy all afternoon."

Tamaki blushed, embarrassed at her reference to him.

"Wanna come with me?" you asked Tamaki. "You can keep me company."

"Sure."

"Can you read?"

"Yes."

...

It turned out, Tamaki couldn't read.

At least, not whatever script you showed him. He was used to a different, swirling type of print the merpeople used to write.

The two of you had settled in your study, and you had handed him a small stack of books for him to skim through while you did some work of your own, an ink pen in hand, occasionally jotting something down onto a sheet of parchment.

Tamaki thumbed through the bound pages, amazed at what was possible in the dry air. He tried to make sense of some of the words before him, but he remained clueless.

He found some drawings featured in one of the books, this one appeared to be on the creature from earlier you had called a butterfly. He delicately traced his hand over the ink, studying the anatomy of the insect's wings and small body pictured before him. Every few pages there was another drawing, and he would look it over. He hadn't even thought to wonder about how many different species there were. It struck him that you and he were like that; different species, but so tantalizingly similar all the same.

Finally Brianne called you down for dinner and the two of you ate alone together at the big table. You made conversation on what you had been studying, talking a bit about human history. Tamaki was deeply intrigued, hanging on every word and occasionally interrupting you with a question.

When you were both done, you walked him back toward his room. "Would you like a bath?" you asked him. "I can ask Brianne to draw you one. It might feel nice."

"Uh . . . sure, if it's not too much trouble." Tamaki had no idea what it was that you were talking about, but he was curious all the same.

"Not at all." You beamed up at him.

If a week ago someone had told Tamaki that he would be on the receiving end of so many of your beautiful smiles in one day, he'd have thought they'd spent too much time in the sun. You were so beautiful to him, and he wanted nothing more than to stay by your side forever.

Forever . . . that was a long time. And he now only had twenty-nine days left. He hoped he could come up with something soon. Maybe Mirio would help him again. You would wait for him, right? After you found out he wasn't a human?

You let him in his room and ducked out again to go find your handmaiden. Tamaki stood alone in his room, glancing toward the dark window. In the dim candlelight of the chamber, he saw something in the glass. He took a few steps closer and saw . . . himself.

He had seen his reflection before. One of his fellow townspeople had found a human mirror in a sunken shipwreck. Everyone had gathered around, curiously peering into the reflective glass. The window before him didn't work so well, but he was still able to make out just how much he'd changed.

His cheeks looked rosier and less pale than they had once been. His pupils were smaller, eyes not as big. His nose protruded from his face more, but not in an obnoxious way. Gills no longer lined his neck, and the small frills behind his ears were missing, although he had figured out both of these facts much before seeing it for himself. His teeth were flat like yours and his lips had filled out slightly, no longer just barely visible outside his mouth. He looked perfectly human, although he noticed his ears were still pointy, but they had always been that way. Even among the merpeople, they had been a little odd.

He heard his door click and swing open, making him turn around and see Brianne standing in the doorway.

"Come along, now," she said. "It was Tamaki, right?"

He nodded, following her into the hall. She led him into a room that held a large white basin, filled nearly to the brim with steaming water.

"Do you want me to take your clothes?" Brianne asked from behind him.

Tamaki thought for a moment, trying to decide how to respond. He cringed, remembering that if he tried to speak, she wouldn't understand him. He finally nodded, looking down to his shirt. Now to get it off . . . .

His fingers fumbled with the buttons, only made more shaky with Brianne standing there, watching him. A small part of him wished that it could be you instead. Not for any impure reason. He simply felt more comfortable around you. Adding to the fact he couldn't answer her or even begin to explain why, he couldn't help but feel horribly awkward around your friend.

He finally worked out three buttons and attempted to slide it off over his head. Now holding it, he handed it off to Brianne, who took it and draped it over her arm. Tamaki then started with the tie around his waist, finding it much easier to undo and tugging his pants down around his ankles.

Averting her eyes, Brianne took them from him as well and swiftly whisked out of the room, shutting the door tight behind her. Tamaki stepped over the rim, letting his toe dip into the water. He found it comfortably warm and fully submerged his foot, repeating the action with the other leg. He slid down, the warm water unfamiliarly soothing his muscles.

It was a strange sensation to be wet again. The idea of taking off the necklace and letting his tail come back floated hazily into his mind, but he decided against it. He vividly remembered the excruciating pain of transforming between species and decided that taking it off would only happen when absolutely necessary. Besides, what if Brianne walked in and saw? That would be a horrible way to be outed.

Now came the question of what he was supposed to do.

Tamaki shifted down, letting his head sink underwater. He briefly wondered how long he could hold his breath, now that he only had a slightly larger pair of lungs. The temperature made his eyes sting so he shut them tight, letting a dark silence press around him.

He already missed you. He wanted to keep talking to you. Your conversation at dinner had been so enrapturing to him, his mind couldn't help but go back to what you had said. It amazed him that two species could live on the same planet together for so long and yet have such contrasting, separate histories from each other.

He came back up, wiping some of the water from his eyes and glancing around. He noticed that on the rim of the tub sat a sponge. The second one he'd seen today.

He picked it up, finding it squishier than he'd expected. What were you doing with so many of them?

Hundreds of years ago, merpeople had seen male dolphins exchange sponges with female dolphins as a mating gift. It had become tradition to do the same; a male merman presenting a sea sponge to a mermaid he was interested in.

Tamaki blushed, thinking of you. How would you react to him giving it to you? Would it mean anything if you already knew of having it in this room?

How different could she be from the mermaids back home? Mirio's voice sounded in his mind.

From what he'd seen today, very, but maybe this could be something you had in common with him.

He toyed with it, squeezing it between his fingers. Maybe you would appreciate the gesture. He set it back on the rim of the tub, sinking back down into the water.

He let his mind wander, briefly stressing over things he would have to do in the future. The most pressing one was telling you about what he was. Tamaki spent the next several minutes rehearsing in his brain, trying to picture your reactions to various confessions he came up with. He scarcely noticed the water cooling around him as time passed.

Eventually, Brianne opened the door, preceded by a rapid knock before swinging it open. She laid out a different shirt, a pair of pants, and another rectangular strip of cloth before leaving again. Tamaki stood, trying to shake off as much water as he could, planting his feet on the cool stone below. With his skin still glistening with water, it was difficult for Tamaki to pull on his clothes, but he eventually managed. Pacing back over to the tub, Tamaki swiped the sponge that balanced delicately on the rim. He shoved it into his pants pocket and stepped out into the hallway where a waiting Brianne stood silently by the door. She gave his still-dripping hair an odd look but, all the same, led him back to his room.

He flopped into his bed, tiredness finally beginning to settle within his bones. In the dying light of a candle, Tamaki drifted off to sleep, hoping against all things that he would still be here by tomorrow night.

...

To be continued . . . .

くコ:彡くコ:彡くコ:彡くコ:彡

[Part Five]

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[finallyaniguana]

Watch The Eyes: Honesty to an Extent [11]

[10]     masterpost     ao3     [12]

"I'm sorry I couldn't make yours too, Adrien," she looked over at him, still standing in the doorway.

He clicked the door shut.

"That's okay, Mari. You know how my père is. Can't have the face of his company repping another designer. Especially one no one knows the identity of yet," he winked.

Her face warmed with pride. She was making a name for MDC in the entertainment industry, mostly doing tour pieces here and there for Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale. Those outfits were starting to get recognition by designers wanting to recruit the new up and coming talent.

After she was done showing off Marinette's hard work, Alya cleared her throat and looked at the designer meaningfully.

Marinette met her gaze, standing a little taller as if in challenge. Alya quirked an eyebrow, meaning the behavior did not go unnoticed. There was a solid ten seconds of staring before Nino cleared his throat too, trying to end the silent stand off.

Just as quiet as the stare down started, Marinette conceded, agreeing to share her news with the boys with a nod.

"I just recently found out I have a soulmate," she said matter of factly.

If Nino had been drinking something, he would have choked. Adrien was rather convincing pretending he didn't already know.

"What?! This is huge!" Nino exclaimed, excited for his childhood friend. "How did you find out?"

Alya glared down at her.

"On my birthday-"

Nino interrupted.

"But that was two weeks ago!"

Adrien shushed him, ignoring Alya's squint, imploring Marinette to go on.

"I switched bodies with him."

The boys thought for a second before Adrien spoke.

"I think I've heard of that... it's super rare," he said with the last of the awe summoned from the first time she told him.

"That would definitely explain why you don't have any marks or anything. Wow. I can't believe it, Mari. Congratulations," Nino said.

"So," Alya prompted. "What's the next step to finding him?"

Marinette scrunched up her nose at Alya's questioning. She sighed.

"Well, all the information I could find on this bond says I should meet them this year. I don't have to go find him or anything like that," she offered.

"Anything else?" she asked innocently.

"He does not have blue eyes." 'They're green.'

Alya looked confused before frowning at her and raising her eyebrows.

Marinette sighed again.

"He is from the United States. So, I will most likely meet him here. In Gotham. Since, you know, I don't have any other trips planned."

Nino stood stock still, his eyes blown wide.

"So soon?" he croaked out.

Alya nodded with a wicked smile.

"Which means Marinette has to leave the hotel everyday looking like the absolute goddess she is! We are watching out for our girl these next few weeks. He is going to love her!" the reporter said with conviction.

Marinette was grateful to have such... passionate friends. But there was the whole "secret identity" issue to work past. That was something she hadn't even told Adrien about. She didn't want to betray his trust before she ever had it. There was no telling whether or not 'Robin' would be accepting of her as an addition to his life. He wouldn't be the first to reject their soulmate and probably not the last. It was always sad when that happened. She didn't want that to be her, so she was going to do every she could to earn the vigilante's trust.

"He should recognize any of you. It happened right before "we" all walked to the park," Marinette informed them.

"Hold up, hold up. We were with you? How did we not notice something was up?" Nino looked shocked.

"He must be a good actor?" Adrien supplied.

Nino looked as though his mind had been blown. Alya jumped up and down and started animatedly explaining her plan for success to the two boys. Marinette just sat shaking her head.

"There is a boy out there who knows all of our lovely faces except Marinette's! Do not let him go unnoticed!"

Their little group eventually parted ways after listening to nearly a half an hour of Alya instructing the two boys on how to watch out for her best friend to make sure her meeting with her soulmate was perfect. Unfortunately, neither Alya or Marinette could answer any of Nino's questions; Alya, because she didn't have the answers and Marinette because she was pretending to not have answers. Adrien elected to keep his mouth shut, lest Alya become suspicious of his extensive knowledge of this bond.

Back in the hallway, the taller of the two let out one last warning.

"If you don't walk out of that room tomorrow in your absolute best. I am turning you around and picking for you."

Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Please, Alya, I doubt I'm going to be meeting my soulmate on a tour of Wayne Enterprises," she laughed.

"Better safe than sorry, babe. Goodnight!" Alya shut her door with a click.

MDC stared at the door her friend disappeared through, suddenly apprehensive knowing Lila was on the other side. She was probably going to ask about the dress. Alya shouldn't say anything. She knew what secrets she was supposed to keep. But it still worried her. She unlocked her own door and disappeared through it, the hallway now quiet.

"I'm glad Alya wasn't too mad at me, huh, Tikki," she said at last.

"Of course she wouldn't be too mad, Marinette! She's your best friend!" Tikki said back encouragingly.

As she got ready for bed, she finished unpacking the rest of her things, including the unfinished skirt and bodice of her gala dress, which she carefully hung in the closet.

"Tikki... have you seen my phone charger?" Marinette asked.

The little goddess blinked at her before shaking her head. The teen then proceeded to drop her face into her hands.

"Of course," she groaned around her fingers. "It's already almost 11 o'clock, so I don't think I'll be able to borrow from Alya."

Tikki flew over, patting her holder on the cheek.

"It's official, Tikki," she abandoned her face's perch in her hands in favor of staring deadpan at the ceiling. "I'm the disaster."

It was unclear to Tikki whether she should laugh or continue to comfort the girl. She she did both.

"It's not a big deal Marinette. We'll just get one tomorrow. I over heard Mlle. Bustier and Richard saying there is room on the schedule to look around Gotham for a bit. The safer parts of Gotham of course!" she giggled.

Marinette smiled gratefully at the little fairy before finishing up her routine, save plugging in her phone. She did set an alarm though, in hopes that what little battery she had left would last through the night.

Marinette laid out an outfit she was sure Alya wouldn't turn away. While packing, she had to resist the urge to pack much darker colors instead of her trademark pinks. She was going to tour Wayne Enterprises in a floral print grey skirt that ended a little above the knee paired with a soft pink sweater to match the flowers. She also set aside black tights and a pair of boot socks to complete it. Her comfortable black boots would be good for the amount of walking her class was sure to be going the next day. Nodding her head, satisfied, she turned her head to Tikki.

"What do you think? Good?"

Tikki smiled and nodded.

She laid it all out over the armchair in the corner. Stretching, she climbed under the covers of the full size bed. It was not near as comfortable as sleeping in her room, but it certainly exceeded expectations. She clicked off the bedside lamp she had been using.

Tikki settled down on the pillow next to the girl's head.

"Goodnight, Marinette."

"Goodnight, Tikki."

That night, Marinette had difficulty sleeping. All she could do was stare at the ceiling, straight as a board, thinking. She was suddenly uncomfortable in her usual sprawled out position that she usually slept in. Her mind was going a million miles a minute, running through every possibility for error and coming up with a contingency plan for every one. At three am, frustrated and tired, Marinette got up, leaving Tikki sleeping soundly on her pillow. She slipped on her flats, grabbing her room key and sketchbook on the way to the door. If she wasn't going to sleep, she might as well do something productive. Tiptoeing out into the hall, Marinette glanced around the dim passage.

The building was an eerie quiet. It reminded Marinette of the silence when an akuma is nowhere to be seen, but certainly nearby.

Perhaps it was because she was already tense about her soulmate, or maybe it was because she knew what lurked in Gotham's dark.

'You may not rest now, there are monsters nearby.'

She snorted and rolled her eyes at the bad joke she made to herself.

She wasn't dumb. In addition to her research on Bruce Wayne, the scholarship provider, she also tried to learn as much as she could about his city. Dangerous even during the daytime. Even more dangerous at night. Villains attacking every other day.

It used to be like that in Paris before Hawkmoth started taking fairly long breathers in between each attack.

The main difference was Gotham's heroes didn't have superpowers to protect them. No miraculous cure to bring back those caught up in the attack. If one of them lost their life out there... there was no coming back from it (presumably). That only increased her apprehension about meeting her elusive soulmate. Every day he put on a mask and jumped off a building. Being a vigilante is by no means safe. What if one day he goes out and never comes back and Marinette never gets the chance to meet him? She wasn't sure she could handle that.

She was sure footed down the hall way, evenly stepping where she was sure she wouldn't make any noise. The stealth was unexpected but involuntary, something in her encouraging her to blend into the shadows and not be seen. Her feet were moving of their own volition away from her room, no set course in mind. Marinette supposed she would wander the hotel until she found something of worth to bring out her creativity.

She found herself standing at a set of sliding glass doors leading to a balcony. Looking out, the city lights twinkling in the hazy blackness before her. No matter how creepy she thought Gotham looked in the day time, it was much worse at night. Beautiful in its own way but still creepy. But it was somehow refreshing to the unrelenting cheer and positivity The City of Lights instilled. Gotham had no such luxury and accepted as a whole its role in the world. It was a hub for crime.

Eyes unblinking, Marinette stared out over the city her soulmate lived in. Batman's city. She opened her sketch book to a new page and began to put down her ideas. A charcoal grey suit sewn with metallic silver accents. Sharp lines made way into a flowing dress beside it, halter with a low cut v neckline. The skirt of the dress carefully stitched with gold and silver beads for stars in a wide scatter at the bottom, following a line up to one side of the halter strap growing closer and closer together the higher you went.

An unexpected light flashed ahead of her in the night. The sky was lit up with a powerful spot that could only mean one thing. Batman was needed. Marinette waited, completely still.

Far in the distance, she saw them. Bounding over rooftops as if someone would catch them if they fell. Of course it was too dark and much too far away to see who was out there. He could be out there. A less observant person would have missed them all together, but after years of fighting akumas, she was adept at noticing the small things.

Suddenly overwhelmed, Marinette shut her sketchbook with a satisfying smack before turning on her heel and heading back down the hall the way she came. It was a wonder she hadn’t gotten herself lost. The hallways were even quieter than before, as though the walls themselves could witness her inner turmoil. She was hiding it well. All her emotions were carefully tucked away behind a neutral mask. Can't show weakness.

Back in her own hallway, she was startled out of her stupor by a figure standing there. Lila.

Marinette had no idea how Lila knew she would be awake or walking around. She was just standing there, hands behind her back, lifting herself up on her toes then back down again. She had her hair tied up in a neat sock bun.

'Ha. You look weird without your sausages.'

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lila snarled.

"Oh, did I say that out loud? Terribly rude of me," she gave the taller girl a tired smirk before attempting to walk on past her.

Lila put out her arms to prevent Mari from moving any further forward.

'End this.'

Marinette blinked that unexpected thought away. Aggression wasn't the answer.

"Where were you, Mari, sweetie? I was worried you'd gotten kidnapped by a villain or something!"

"Ugh. You wish. Excuse me, I'd like to return to my room."

Everything about this girl brought out the worst in the usually sweet designer.

"It really would be a shame if Mlle. Bustier found out her class president was wandering the halls at night. Come now, Marinette, you know that's against the rules."

She rolled her eyes at the weak threat. There wasn't much Lila could do to her, but if she thought this would make her trip even a degree worse, she would do it.

"How would you know I was wandering the halls unless you were too?" she asked lightly.

The liar's expression soured.

"You aren’t going to ruin this trip for me, so I’m going to give you one last chance. It wouldn't hurt to just play along, would it? It's not like you have any proof. It's your word against mine and who would believe a nobody like you?" Lila taunted.

"Move."

"How do you want to go down? As the worst class president in history? Worst friend in history? I can make that happen. Just keep up your little charade and it won't be a problem."

Marinette's frown deepened.

"I'm not the one playing charades. You are. And you look ridiculous."

Lila scoffed with disdain at the insult.

"I wouldn't even bother getting up tomorrow. You and your little trashy designs aren't going to impress anyone. That's probably why you don't have a soulmate. Nobody would be able to put up with your self righteous crap," Lila sniffed.

Marinette stood straight, staring past the Italian and down the hallway. Her eyes narrowed the more she spoke.

"How much do you think it will take to make Alya hate you? Would you like to find out? I can start on that tomo-"

"Stop speaking."

She looked into the girl's contempt filled olive green eyes.

"I'm not some little girl who you can intimidate, Rossi. I would suggest backing off before you end up regretting your actions."

She brushed past the girl, leaving her struck frozen in the hallway. She had no idea where that burst of angry confidence came from. She only hoped it would help and not hurt whatever came next.

@vixen-uchiha @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @violatiger8 @mochinek0 @constancetruggle @yamadochie @seraphichana @captainmac6 @nataladriana9 @iggy-of-fans @riarkle-felinettelove @luciferge @mystery-5-5 @mellownieice @northernbluetongue @imanerddealwith @ayuchan07 @poshplumcot @annabellabrookes @legendaryneckjudgestudent @chez-pezeater @friedchickening @da-tasuky @crazylittlemunchkin @g-arya @i-like-fairytail-and-stuff @witchbitch1998 @theatreandcomicfreak @lysslovsanime @zalladane @tbehartoo @goggles-mcgee @tumbling-down-hills-and-stuff @kanamexzeroyaoifangirl @melicmusicmagic @reichi-vogart @ladybug-182 @chaosace @mariae2900 @vivilakitty @xxmadamjinxx @akbtch @7701deathlyhalfbloodprincess @elspethshadow @danielslilangel @tinyterror333 @maynora @anjuschiffer @creator-josie @thecatnipmademedoit @jessigurl-design @allolale @caffeine-theory @zerotosiki @draco-kasai @schrodingers25 @cassiejaydee @synnesstra @oscarwilde-hellyeah @valeks-princess @winter-gardenflower @novicevoice @cadencehood @sassy-spocko @rogueptoridactyl @dast218 @kae690 @thequestionablyhuman @18-fandoms-unite-08 @beaversuenightly @graduatedmelon @dur55 @gaylord1027 @fertileleaf @bamagirl513 @kurogaya913 @littleblue5mcdork @completelypeccable @sassydepression @resignedcatservant @batmans-attic @linnyalou @shreky-boi @actual-disaster-human @kandi-pie @gingersnapnoir @disneyfoxuniverse @souleateralicestein @kand-roo

so I figured out the reason my tag list was getting capped is because I was using mobile. so I decided not to be a dumb dumb anymore and will do my best to update from my computer instead. im working on a masterlist so stay tuned for that. I hope you enjoyed!

[gentlemanoftimetravel]

Mos Miraculous Prompt #4

The Liar Duo 1

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It was a day like every other. Marinette walked to school alone. Since Lila joined her class more frequently her friendships faded slowly away. Luckily for her, her next new classmate did instantly disliked the Italian girl and sided with Marinette.

She smiled. Despite the loss of her so-called friends, she found in Félix a more reliable source and a dearest friend. Screw everyone else, she won’t let them take away her happiness. Again. Thanks to Félix she found other friends in different classes, better friends even.

As she approached the stairs of her school she instantly knew something was up. The entrance buzzed with excitement and chatter. People wispers to each other and pointed toward a spot outside of her view. She took a few steps upward and was greeted by Félix.

“Hey Netta! Do you know what’s going on? Cloude told me there would be a new student, but that could barely be the reason for all of this.” He gestured around.

“I don’t know Fé.” She shrugged. “Honestly? I didn’t even know there would be someone new.”

“Then let’s find out!” He looped his arm around hers and they walked together inside.

Inside the schoolyard at least half of the students circled around a girl their age. Within hearing range Marinette could finally understand some of that chatter.

“Dude! I can’t believe it! You’re our beloved real everyday Ladybug!” chimed a voice that sounded suspicious like Nino.

“Woah. You’re even prettier as a civilian.” Definitely Rose.

“Awesome.” mumbled Juleka.

“I will challenge ...” “No, I will ...” same competition as always from Alix and Kim.

“Girl! I can’t believe it! Thank you to introducing me to your best friend Ladybug. Oh thank you Lila! You’re the best! Really!” She saw Alya sling an arm around Lila’s shoulder. Then she turned to the new girl. “Hey Leyla, can I get an interview with you? The Ladyblog is, thanks to your best friend Lila, already a sensation. But an interview with the real deal, that would be just awesome! Just imagine how popular my bl.. I mean how much more popular you and Lila will get. Lunch’s definitely on me!”

Marinette blinked rapidly. What the hell did she just hear? That can’t be true, she must be in one of her nightmares. Sadly, as Félix nudges her side, she realised that that was, in fact, very real. She grasped his hand and dragged him closer to the center of the crowd. She definitely need to get a look at that so-called Ladybug.

Halfway through she stopped like she hit a wall. The girl, in between Lila and Alya, looked almost exactly like her. Almost. Her hair was dark blue with hints of black and her eyes a darker blue with hints of purple, just like a plum. And she was missing the freckles that scattered across Marinette’s nose and cheeks. Her hair, longer than Marinette’s, were styled in similar Pigtails but not exactly the same, they’re not under but slightly behind her ears and instead of red ribbons she wore black ones. Marinette’s gaze trailed down. That Leyla girl wore a neck holder dress, from neck to waist in red which faded to black at her hips. Black dots above, red ones beneath. And there are the polka dotted flats. Her eyes trailed up again and searched for earrings. Polka dotted earrings. Seriously? Did neither of them hear of camouflage mode? How could neither of them see that she was not the real Ladybug?

“Marinette? Hey, Earth to Marinette!” Felix waved his hand in front of her face.

Marinette snapped out of her daze. “Félix, she’s a liar, just like Lila. I can’t believe neither of them notice that there is something fishy about this all!”

“I know dear. You’re the real hero. My hero.” With that Félix bend down and placed a kiss on her cheek. “But now come on, let us go to our classroom. Schools about to start.”

The hole day felt like tourture. Unfortunately Leyla was the new student in her class. Her classmates can’t stop brag about 'Ladybug', even Ms. Bustier thanked her for saving her and her students. Lila and Leyla, whose bathing in the attention, spinning one new story over another. Félix couldn’t take it any longer. He raised a hand.

“Ms Bustier? Can Marinette and I go into the Library to study? We need to finish our Science Projekt.”

“Sure, sure. Do whatever you want. Leyla tell me again about that one time you and Lila saved Jagged Stones kitten. That was so heroic from you!”

Félix rasend an eyebrow at that answer and looked at Marinette. He wispernd: “Is she serious? She didn’t even answer properly! We can do whatever we want, we could even leave school now! Remind me why I haven’t switched classes jet.”

“Because you love me and you would never leave me behind in a class full of morons. By the way, I love you too Fé!” She gave him a quick kiss and smiled at him. “Now let’s go!”

As the two of them stand up, ready to leave class Chloé raised her hand. “Ms Bustier, can I please go with them?”

“Sure Chloé.” Ms Bustier waved her hand and was already again deep in the story of the two Liars.

Marinette and Félix both raised her eyebrows but Chloé simply shrugged and pointed with her head towards the door. The trio walked out and closed the classroom door.

“Spill Chloé, why would you want to come with us?” Félix asked.

“Because I knew, that you’re the only other ones of that bunch of morons are who knew that Lila and Leyla are liars. Even Sabrina ditched me and called me jealous because Lila is Ladybugs best friend and not me. That’s ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! Me and jealous, pah!”

Marinette looked at Félix and they communicated through their looks. As Félix nodded in defeat, Marinette turned to Chloé. “Do you want to hang out with us? We got permission to 'do whatever we want' from our teacher.”

Chloés face lit up and an enormous smile spread across it. “Yes! I would love to! How about Lunch? There’s this new restaurant that I wanted to go to with Sabrina, but now that she’s not a friend anymore, I will go with my new friends! Come on friends, I call the Limo!” With that said, Chloé walked with confidence ahead of the pair.

Marinette’s jaw dropped somewhere during that speech. With disbelieve in her eyes she turned to Félix and saw a smirk on his face. “She’s still the same old Chloé! If I hadn’t heard it with my own ears I would never believed that, I thought she chanced due to Adrien’s pushiness.”

Félix walked after Chloé and Marinette suddenly stood alone. What just happened? She only wanted to be nice to Chloé and expected a harsh answer, but she never would have guessed this outcome. She shook her head and followed them. That could be interesting.

~~~

Just as the three of them vanished in Chloé's Limo, Adrien's car pulled over. He’s late again due to a photo shoot. He rushed out and flight the stairs into the building. Wouldn’t he be in a rush and actually looked back, he would have seen his three classmates together and would have queationed that. But he didn’t and maybe, just maybe, that sealed his fate.

He stopped before his classroom to catch his breath. He needed to talk to Marinette and Félix about Lila. The two really need to stop try to out Lila, nothing good will come from this.

Only now he realised that his classroom buzzed with chatter and squeales. That’s odd. He opened the door and saw a new student flanked from Lila and Alya in the middle of the room. The chatter died down and his classmates all stared at him. Lila’s the thirst one to speak again.

“Hello Adrien. May I introduce you to my best friend Leyla? She just joined our class today. Oh and by the way, she’s Ladybug!”

Adrien’s eyes widened with realisation and instantly his eyes found Leyla's. Sadly he didn’t seem to notice the little victory smirk on Lila’s face. He scanned her up and down, her hair and eyes are slightly different and she’s a little taller than his Lady, but his hair and eyes changed during his transformation, so he guessed it happened to her too.

He made a curtesy and took Leyla’s Hand in his and placed a kiss on her knuggels. “Hello beautiful, I’m Adrien Agreste. Nice to meet you!”

Leyla gasped and chuckled. “Hello Adrien. I’m Leyla Bugiardo. Nice to meet you too.”

“Even your Name sounds beautiful and fit your profession so well Ladybug! Bug could be your nickname, if you like?” Adrien felt a lovesick grin appear on his face. His mind slipped one little detail, Ladybug would never reveal her identity. But why should he remember, he finally found his Lady!

Plagg squirmed in his shirt pocket. Not so happy about that progress.

Lila’s smirk widened. Jackpot! Adrien’s now head over heals for Leyla and now he will gladly help her get Félix. Two flies with one swatter.

Alya’s a little torn apart, she knew that Marinette loved Adrien and that that development would break her heart, but on the other side she deserved what comes for her after she’s been so mean to Lila. That Marinette’s already over Adrien and happily dating Félix, never crossed her mind. Why indeed, she hadn’t talked to her supposed Bestie in months.

The rest of the class looked happy at that development. Why not? Everyone knew that Adrien loves Ladybug and Leyla seemed so nice and a perfect match for him.

What could go wrong there?

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[Ch. 1] [Ch. 2] [Ch. 3] [Ch. 4] [Ch. 5] [Ch. 6] [Ch. 7]

Originally I wanted to write more into this chapter. But I just found that Cliffhanger a good opportunity to end that chapter. What could go wrong?

I suck at coming up with Surnames, so Bugiardo is Italian for liar. You’re welcome. Did you get that pun with her names profession?

Hey @miraculous-of-salt, thank you for that prompt. I was in a writers block with my Cinderella AU and had no idea what to write. But now I have fun writing this and I’m sure my other fic will continue soon.