#I must thank my brother who gave me the money to buy it since I never thought I would read it soon
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haru-chi · 1 year ago
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I finally got to buy and read the new chapter so
Some thoughts (spoilers) ahead:
I really loved Morio's story and the significant it holds on many front that worth digging deeper into more :)
Can we get more Seiji and Madara interaction please ?? IT'S GOLD !!!
Seiji : haha Mr. Cat you were like a hero just now.
Madara : On the other hand, you're not acting like yourself trying to save a stranger.
Or
Madara : if you're not after the treasure then why are you wandering around like an idiot.
Seiji : how rude, despite what it looks like I'm still doing my job as Kuro Misa.
hmmm Seiji made it sound like he's searching for this dangerous tool so NOT to fall into the hand of the wrong people than to use it for himself ?? "Once you watched a lot of things unfold before your eyes you realize how troublesome the magic tools can be"
So Shinobu collecting magic tools for their sentimental value or what's inside them to watch those feelings crush before her eyes ?? Or am I understanding this wrongly ?? ..... Shinobu dear if that's true then that's pretty twisted that I don't know how to describe it :)
Shinobu doesn't want Clara to learn about what she did here .. Clara is a big fan of Kuro Misa ... hmmmm .. something is fishy here BUT THEN WE DIDN'T GET ANYTHINH NEW ABOUT CLARA ... STILL A BIG MYSTERY !!
waaait !!! Is the magic tool Seiji searching for the creepy 6 eyed mask that appeared in Natori's cousin arc ??? THE PLOT HAS THICKEN!!! Oooh ooooooooh !!!!! (Need to process this cuz alot of ideas is popping into my head right now like no other)
So, Seiji confirmed that even if someone join the Matoba clan and they aren't related by blood they would still suffer from the Matoba curse unlike what we saw in Morio case ...
So is Matoba clan the only exception to the rule ? Or is this depending on the yokai itself ? Hmmmm interesting info this bit ...
Tanuma's smile and happiness that he talked to a Yokai and speaking to Natsume about it full of joy is bringing tears into my eyes ... how can you tell him afterward that this yokai was evil in the end T^T
While I thought that Seiji protect the picture for his sister's sake it turned out he did it because his father adores this picture !!! Seiji really love his father and I'm feeling things right now T^T
Seiji stop with those hits that I never saw coming .. I just can't you idiot and my head is having ideas that ... aaaa
And wait ... that also kinda prove that his father loved his sister too .... oh ... ummmm ... wait .... >> lost in thoughts and pain ><
WAS THAT PICTURE REIKO ???? AND SHE WAS HAVING A GENTLE SMILE ON HER FACE !!!
WAAAAAIT !!!
How am I supposed to process this info ??? What does it mean ?? How did it come here ?? Is it one of Morio belonging ?? Or is it a picture by a famous artist ?? is Natsume's grandpa an artist ?? Since this an auction related to exorcist does that further proof that Reiko or Natsume's grandpa related to this world ?? WAIT I HAVE MANY QUESTIONS THAT NEED ANSWERING TO BE MIDORIKAWA-SENSEI !!!!! DON'T END THIS ARC LIKE THAT PLEASE !!!!
I read this chapter while I'm not in my best of condition so I might understand some things wrongly since I wasn't too focused while reading (must reread it) but what a read full of emotions and info to process .... what is Midorikawa-sensei cooking exactly ?? the plot has thicken indeed.
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kharmii · 5 months ago
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(Where Dabi takes Geten out of his Meta Liberation Army bubble so he can observe some normal people)
Geten: Is the Meta Liberation Army handbook short on stock?
Clerk: Sorry, that's all we have... *sigh*
Geten: Get a larger stock and they will sell!
Clerk: Thank you for your suggestion.
Geten: There's still time to be patient until that glorious day comes.
It can't be helped; I must refrain from using my meta ability in public. (To Dabi) What did you buy?
Dabi: It's a secret.
Geten: Stop following me!
Dabi: It's a babysitting job. Give me the pocket money the bald CEO gave you.
Geten: Don't call him bald!
Dabi: Let's get something to eat.
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Geten: We'll go to the restaurant run by PLA soldiers and frequented by government officials that offers free all-you-can-eat meals to senior officials.
Dabi: That's so shitty.
(Dabi takes Geten to a popular fast-food burger joint instead)
Geten: -Looks messy
(Sign says 'Wo's Burgers')
Dabi: How can we talk about the future of society without knowing what's popular with our current society?
Worker: Welcome to Wo's. Can I take your order!
Random Girl: Hello, mom? The closing ceremony is over. Big brother is here too.
Random Older Boy: Which one is good?
Random Voice on Phone: Yes, I went to pick you up. I'll be back after lunch.
Random Younger Boy: No way.
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Boy: The red one!
Older Brother: Seriously?!?!?! It's spicy!
Boy: Yeah! Ta-bo is an adult at school.
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Dabi: Hey.
Geten: Ah... Ah, leave it to me.
Dabi: If you don't like it, burn it.
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Geten: Don't just kill future soldiers without permission.
Don't hold me back with haphazard slaughter. If you get in his way, I'll put an end to your life right here.
(Geten gets more worked up)
Geten: When the time comes, as much as you want to, just kill them if they need killing. Right now, you're definitely the one holding me back.
(Where Geten reveals how he can't connect with regular people from being sheltered and isolated by MLA ideology.....hints at affection for Dabi maybe)
Geten: It's possible to become attached to a single ant,
When they gather together, they're no different from the buildings that grow everywhere.
It's an unrealistic view, like watching them from the other side of a television or a window.
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Geten: ReDestro is passionate about society, which includes the general public.
Even if I think so, maybe I-I need to have a real, tangible experience of it.
Even if a large number of people were killed in front of you, you probably wouldn't feel any particular sympathy.
I think it puts a river between us.
The reason I stopped earlier was simply because that's what Re-Destro still wants.
Blue Flame, who are you?
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Dabi: You're so talkative. Are you an adolescent?
Everyone has a river around them, right?
So, let's build a bridge for the same cause or dream... No matter how many weird arguments you make, no matter how disgusting the logic.
You're just gonna fly off like a brain dead idiot anyway, so don't ask me.
Well...
Geten: It's impossible..
Dabi: If you cross, I'll give you a kiss.
Geten: What are you talking about?
Dabi: The story of the ice man who drowned miserably in the Sanzu River.
Geten: Every single time since a while ago.....!
Dabi: It's fine, kids should just act like kids and have a happy meal.
Geten: Stop treating me like a child!
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Geten: I don't approve, I don't approve....
*cough* *munch, munch, munch* *cough* *munch*
(Manages with mouth full) This simple food is the diet of the masses.
*breaks into a paroxysm of choking and coughing from food getting caught in his throat. It was so good he ate it too fast)
Dabi: (amused spewing vinegar) I don't understand hamster language. You are eating your hair. Wow, you look sloppy. Sheez....
*slaps him*
Did it hit you strange?
Geten: !?
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Geten at a high point observing Dabi speaking to another person.
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Geten: (creeping on Dabi in a dark alley) If we understood each other, there would have been a way for us to live together.
Are you pretending to be a self-sacrificing hero?
"You said things like 'light and shadow', 'we live in different worlds', 'fly freely', even though you were the one who made it impossible for me to fly.
That is.....
Is this your kind of love, Blue Flame?
Dabi: He talks so much. He won't stop talking. What a brat.
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Geten: Should I get Trumpet to look into finding a good plastic surgeon?
If you can live without using fire, you don't need me. But you do need me, right?
The two of us could retreat to the countryside.
I wish I could live modestly and peacefully.
Dabi: Get wet
Geten: Dry it yourself.
Dabi: Impossible.
Geten: (thinking) Our relationship continues to develop. What a sad man.
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Geten: (whispers an unintelligible endearment)
Dabi: Don't call me that, I'll kill you.
Geten: Is this name reserved for Hawks? Sorry about that.
Dabi: What, you don't even know your name? (Meaning the endearment is for Geten).
You're living a truly wonderful life, poor thing.
Geten: ? (Too dense to get it)
Huh? You're kidding!! How the hell do you know that!!!
Dabi: Pfff.....Let's go.
Geten: (confused, maybe because he doesn't actually know his real name, and Dabi claimed the endearment was his actual name).
Hey! There's more like this!
(Dabi pretends not to listen while Geten rants)
Re-Destro's.......apparently it was discovered in the notes he left behind! And then...! Anyway, there are even more touching scenes!
This is the worst! I don't believe it! Hey!
Dabi: *sighs*
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Art credit: yaoi, hrak (yaoi), My Hero Academia BL 3000+ bookmarks / (※注キャプション)荼ホ+外荼外の今までに描いた漫画 - pixiv
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dumbkatsu · 3 years ago
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Can you stay?
 As per popular demand, I am here to deliver a lovely scenario where Jun Wu decides to test mortals one last time.
Part 2
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Life to you was very mundane: You had your small business selling what you grew in the fields next to your humble house close to the forest. Your routine consisted of going to the city once a week to gain some money to buy the resources that you needed.
Today the city was a bit more chaotic than usual, which meant more customers. But today your usual selling spot wasn't having much movement. You sighed as you watched the people strolling the streets tending to their daily affairs until you noticed a ruckus forming at the end of the street and fast approaching.
 It was a carriage from the palace that was speeding up. Not paying any mind to the people circulating in the streets. Your eyes caught a kid who was mindlessly playing with the ants in the street. Your fight or flight instincts kicked in and you leaped to the child. The horses got spooked so the carriage stopped. Your face went pale as you predicted what would ensue: "You there! How dare you stop my carriage?! I should cut that pretty face of yours for making me fall for how abrupt it was!!" looking down you bowed and said, "Please forgive me, your highness this lowly one was careless when trying to get my brother from the street, It will not happen again." 
"Hmph, very well but you must repay me with something" 
"What do you wish your highness?" You dreaded the response. Voice slightly trembling. "I noticed that you were selling goods over there. I demand you give them to me as payment for your carelessness" "..." You were speechless. You hadn't sold anything yet since it was only morning and you have arrived a stick of incense ago. But you knew better than to buy a fight you couldn't win, so you accepted it and begrudgingly gave your stock away.
After the carriage went away you looked at the kid that was still in your arms, concealed from the carriage view. "Are you ok?" you inspected the boy's body for any wounds "I'm fine Jiejie, don't worry about me." he said as you looked around. Soon enough you found a gash in his right arm. It wasn't a deep wound but still needed to be treated. "I'm sorry for pushing you over like that. It seems I got a wound on your arm. Come with me I'll get you treated in the pharmacy" The child had a couple of bandages wrapped around his face, especially his eye, so your concern grew and you took the boy to your friend in the pharmacy "Jiejie, you are hurt too in your back, there's a rip and it's red" the boy said on your way to the pharmacy "Don't worry about me. It was just a scratch" You smiled.
After you arrived you told the old man to start treating the boy. After he was done he came to you "My child the boy told me you were hurt too. Let me see the wound" you showed your old friend the wound and he clicked his tongue in annoyance "Aiya... the ointment I needed to treat your wound ran out and I need some herbs that I was going to ask you to get them for me. I will still dress your wound. But I will need those herbs if I want that wound to heal properly" "Alright, thank you for letting me know. Can you get me a list of what you need?" "Certainly I'll be right back". After your friend gave you the list you went to check on the boy and bid him goodbye, as you started on your way home.
After you rested from your journey, you decided to take your bag with a small knife to cut the herbs you were tasked to retrieve and headed out to the forest.
Skipping close to noon you were almost done. You only needed a couple more berries that grew on the riverside. As you were observing the leaves floating in the wind you noticed a figure in front of a tree.
You approached it carefully and you started to notice that it was a person seemingly dressed as a soldier and it looked like he was passed out on the tree, clutching his stomach that seemed badly wounded. Your mind told you to leave him, you didn't know if he could harm you or if he could be trusted, as it could be a trap. But in the end, your compassion spoke louder and you somehow managed to drag him home, using his cape as a makeshift stretcher. And to be completely honest with yourself, even though this stranger was really badly bruised, he had really handsome features himself!! It might be foolish of you, but you wondered if this could be like one of those stories your mother used to tell you when you were younger.
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The sunlight hit his eyes. Disturbing him from a peaceful slumber. Faint sounds of chickens and cicadas were heard outside. He slowly opened his eyes and inspected his surroundings. He was currently in a simple comfy bed. his chest was wrapped and he had some patches of leaves on his arms. A small water basin was near the bed as well, with a small rag in it. He lifted himself up into a seated position with some difficulty observing further. He noticed some jars and small bottles as well as some clothes scattered and a bow near a box.
The sound of a creaking door and heavy footsteps were heard. Then a loud thud of something being dropped followed. The footsteps then became closer to the room. You peek through and your eyes widen. "Ah, you're awake! Are you feeling ok? Do you know your name or who you are?" you asked with a concerned tone, yet, he noticed,  your face had the gentlest of smiles. "I- My name is... Wu. Yes, my name is Wu" "Well I'm (Y/N) I was in the forest when I found you. You looked pretty beaten up so I took you here and took care of your wounds. You were in pretty bad shape, you also had a fever so you slept for 3 days."
A silence fell between the both of you "Thank you for your concern and hospitality but If I may be bold. Why did you take me in? I could have bad intentions, or not be a good person. What, don't tell me that you only took me in because of my looks?" He asked with a sly smirk. Your face instantly turning red you shook your face furiously "It's not like that! Who do you take me for?? I just saw you, and you looked like you needed help. That is all." you responded "Well then, I thank you with utmost sincerity my kind and fair xiaojie for saving me and giving me hospitality”.
 "Shameless" you quietly muttered turning your head to the side and feeling your face become warmer. You really weren't expecting that his eyes could be so enticing, nor that he could be this cheeky. After you quickly compose yourself you turned to him with a beaming smile "Well Wu I hope you are hungry because I'm going to cook supper so... I'll be right back!" " Ok, I'll go help" He tried to stand up but groaned in pain and came back on the bed. You rushed to him, adjusting his position so he would be comfortable "Don't strain yourself. It's alright, I'll handle the cooking. You just rest. You still need to heal." He looked down at your hand. Your soft touch lingering on his chest. He looked up to you and said with a straight face: "Your hands are cold". You looked down as well. Noticing your hands you quickly removed them and jumped to your feet bowing frantically  "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" and you scurried back to the kitchen.
 A small smile graced his face as his mind only thought about one thing:
"She's cute"
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slashingdisneypasta · 4 years ago
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Gotham Villains x Hotel Owner!Reader || Headcanons
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Explanation / Topic: You run one of the cities dingy hotels except this one, in all of its glory, is only ever visited by bad guys. Your hotel is well known as the place rogues hide away in when they're planning or they're just out of action for a while because you refuse to give up information to the police no matter what (Its proprietor-client confidentiality! Ha ha) and you're treat them fairly (Although- on the kinder side of course)
These are the many ways they show their gratitude, no matter how small.
Character involved: Most, if not all, of Fox Gotham's rogues. Except Ra's Al Ghul because he bores me. Nevertheless, not just the Legion Horrible's like the picture might lead you to believe- that's just the picture with the most villains that I could think of.
Warnings: Probably too much fluff. I'll make a sequel to this with the less-then-pretty, nitty grotty details of this hotel too probably XD
Barbara likes to invest every now and then, "Just making sure my affairs are in order baby- gotta make sure my hidey hole's still there when I need it." but she always adds a little something for you to buy yourself 'something pretty' (Since your style is SO plain, according to her but then again who isn't plain compared to her XD). This little something is always upwards of a hundred dollars. She's such a sugar mommy you cant convince me that she isn't-
Butch (Or Cyrus Gold, or Grundy. he has too many names) has made it clear that if you ever need help, you can always call him and he'll be there. Very gangsta about it. He's such a big, tough guy but such a softy on the inside XD When he had Grundy brain, he still had some kind of tracker in his mind like dogs do that took him 'home' (To your hotel), dragging Ed along with him. He gave you a big, bone crushing hug when he got there.
Dr Strange is not allowed in as he'll steal your guests and experiment on them.
You don't know Ecco too well yet and vice versa but when she turned up with Jeremiah and Jervis- you definitely appreciated her presence more then that of Jeremiah's. You were still sore over Jerome and didn't trust this new brother. Still, you complimented the bullet in Ecco's skull, saying it was pretty cool, and now she loves you XD When she's in the neighbourhood she occasionally likes to pop in and say hello; Spread a little chaos, you know the deal.
Honestly you probably new Bridgit long before Strange forcing upon her the heat resistance thing and her becoming Firefly. She of course didn't remember you but soon *warmed* up to you after you gave her one of the few rooms with a fireplace and easily forgave her when she accidentally set the couch in her room on fire (I mean its for sure not the worst thing that has happened within these walls- no worries). She has been known to go around lighting the fireplaces for you under the pretence of having fun (Which is true) but also so that you can worry about one less thing. Firefly is also one to come chat with you if she's bored.
Fish Mooney obviously doesn't stay with you very often at all, because this lady can find better dwellings (As, no offense but your hotel is kiiiiinda dingy. What can you do about it, though? You house rogues and a lot of them don't have a lotta money) but she still absolutely appreciates what you do. She'll send bad guys that she does business with that have deeper pockets then your usual client, your way. She's also kind to you, which to me is even better honestly haha XD
Headhunter stays with you a lot when he's on business and often reminds you that you get a discount from him if you require his services. Hey, you keep him in milkshakes! He's gotta repay you somehow.
Okay, the twins. You knew Jerome first and got off to a bad start with Jeremiah due to that. Still, we aren't talking about relationships; We're talking about nice things. So moving on. Just assume that you warm up to the brainier twin.
These two are hard XD Cuz their 'good' and 'bad' sides kinda blur together as they're so unpredictable and don't really care about anyone.
Still, I can see Jerome being pretty light with you and valuing the fact that you can keep up with his banter- so he keeps you alive. You're basically his mother actually, despite the possible lack of age difference. Like, he wants to show you stuff he does and tell you about chaos he's created.
And Jeremiah honestly appreciates that you'll listen to his long speeches (You've gotten pretty good at just sitting and nodding your head and you've perfected the art of the well placed understanding noises like 'Hmm' and 'Ah!' and 'Oh dear' in your line of work)- so obviously, you're invaluable to him. Must keep you around. I mean, Ecco listens, but does she really understand? That is the question.
When he's around, Jervis is very polite and gracious. He'll duck into the kitchens after dinner and start helping you with the dishes and clear dining tables, he'll ask you how you are and mean it (Like, he'll stand there and discuss it with you), he'll try to keep Jerome from barging into your room in the early hours of the morning, etc. Just nice things like that ^^
Magpie tries not to steal from you... Haha XD Like, she'll pick up a pretty clock off a mantle piece and then go to leave with it... then realise that this is yours and go 'Oops!!' and put it back, giggling nervously.
... When she leaves you still find various items from other places in the hotel, in her room, but still. The fact that she tries is enough!
Mr Freeze is a pleasure to have around, of course!! He's quiet, he nods to you when he passes, and he's there to freeze assholes that harass you (And then take them outside so they don't melt all over your carpet). A respectful dude. He has frozen Jerome multiple times... particularly when Jervis has been unsuccessful in persuading him not to wake you up at 3 in the morning.
Ivy gets so happy whenever she sees you. Lots of hugs and telling you all about how she's been. Her energy is enough to cheer you up, and on your birthdays she always brings you a new plant that has meaning to her. Like, a sunflower for how kind you are, a Ficus for abundance, etc. Always in a pot of course, never dead. So of course, you have to take care of them but its a small price to pay for the sweetness ^^ And the not being murdered thing.
Like Mooney and Barbara, Oswald doesn't stay often due to having that mansion from his father but he remembers your kindness from when he would fall on hard times before that (And after the fact, too of course) and whenever he's making some kind of mafia deal he always ensures your and your hotels safety in the contract.
Pyg / Lazlo (I cant decide which name I like best XD) is just very polite, like Jervis. Gentlemen. Also his impressions- God. Have fun with that. He might just do your favourite Looney Tune character if he's in a good mood.
With Ed... look, if you even try with his riddles without being prompted, he'll do anything for you. It's well documented. I'm not sur about nice deeds, cuz Riddler's kind of a dick, but he'll for sure send you a birthday card every year! Christmas probably too ^^
Scarecrow: I will not spray you today. You: Gee thanks. // No but seriously, he's quiet about his gratitude but he is definitely once of the good ones ^^ Would absolutely take it upon himself to come save your ass if you got abducted.
Tabitha... well, you know how Headhunter will you get a discount if you want someone killed? Tabitha will do it for fucking free.
Hey, if you feed Victor (Zsasz), you have a friend for life. He will bring pizza and just hang out together. He is also willing to murder someone for you.
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yutahoes · 3 years ago
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All About You
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pairing: nerdy! Yuta Nakamoto x rich! bratty! Y/N (I hope I made justice) other characters: Johnny as your twin brother, Taeyong as your bestfriend word count: 4.2k words genre: fluff summary: He’s supposed to teach you Math, why is he teaching you to love? warnings: cursing, Y/N has a bad temper, cheating, cringe  Some scenes are inspired from ‘It Started with a Kiss’ 
a/n: Based on this ask. I’m sorry anon, this took such a long time to write. 😭 I just feel unmotivated to write and the week had been such a whirlwind of emotions. I’ve also been so busy, it’s so crazy. 
Also, this is my thank you post for reaching another milestone of this writing blog. I never expected that I’ll past 500 followers but now, it’s in 1.5k. Thank you for following me and reading my works. Please, don’t hesitate to give me feedback even if it’s good or bad. 😅  
"Y/N!" Your eyes shoot open at the sound, groaning when you realize that it was your brother shouting. "You'll be late for school." You hid your head under the pillow to shut down the noise coming from outside the room. "Your car is towed, have you forgotten about it?" Once again, you groaned. "If you don't come down after five minutes, you'll have to take the bus." 
Once again your eyes opened, raising your head. Five minutes? How will you get ready in five minutes? Your allowance is almost gone. You needed to go to school with Johnny or you might end up taking a bus. You were wearing your school uniform when you heard a car engine and saw Johnny leaving already. "Fuck!" You whispered to yourself before taking your bag and hurriedly ran down the stairs. 
"Fuck you, Johnny Seo!" You shouted in annoyance, dragging your school bag outside the gates of your large house while taking your phone out and calling your bestfriend. "Pay for my cab fee." 
“I don’t have any money left,” Taeyong whined. “Just take the bus.” He said before hanging out that pissed you off much more. 
You groaned in annoyance before walking to the bus stop. You will get scolded for being late again if you don’t take the bus. You just wished that no one is going to see you. 
Luckily, the bus isn’t that crowded but there’s only one seat available, beside a guy who had the same uniform as yours. How annoying.
The guy was focused on answering a worksheet, his name written above. Yuta Nakamoto. You heard that name before but instead of pondering over it, you decided to shrug it. You were thankful that he’s the only person from your school who is on the same bus as you or it will be really embarrassing. Once you walked to the gate of the school, you noticed the discipline director on the gates. Shit, you thought, you forgot your necktie. This has detention written all over it. This day is so unlucky. 
A piece of fabric can be felt on your neck followed by the same male student walking before you. The discipline director saw him and scolded him for not wearing a necktie that startled you. You glanced at the necktie hanging on your neck and hastily fixed it before getting inside the campus. Your eyes meeting with the same guy you were sitting next to earlier on the bus. Yuta Nakamoto. 
You shrug while passing him. It's his fault that he's punished like this. Why would he give his necktie to you? When you arrive at your locker, you exchange the worn-out necktie with the spare you have in your locker. "Hey, did you study for our Math exam?" Taeyong greeted that made you roll your eyes. He knew you never study for anything. 
"You know everyone in school, right?" He's such a social butterfly, everyone is his friend. You handed him the necktie, "Return this to Yuta Nakamoto."
"You know Yuta?" But you didn't answer him and started walking the opposite way to your first class in English. Johnny's eyes were on you as you entered the class you shared with him, raising your middle finger as you sat down on your chair and slept on the desk. 
The bell rang. English is done. Lifelessly, you walked to the other side of the building to attend your most loathed class of all. Math. 
Everyone was busy reading notes as you sat next to Taeyong. "Did you study?" You asked and he nodded, grinning. "Just open your paper." He groaned and you gave him a glare before the teacher came in with papers in his hand. He asked everyone to keep their notes and handed out the worksheets. 
Your head was aching at all the numbers and letters on the paper. Your eyes glanced at Taeyong's paper, lightly elbowing him to show his answer. The teacher passed your table and Taeyong lightly glanced at his paper then glared at you. 
"Let me see." You whispered when the teacher passed your table. He opened his paper, lightly glancing around as you try to copy what is written. Someone called for the teacher while you were busy copying the numbers from Taeyong's paper then someone called your name. 
"Copying, Ms. Y/N?" the teacher asked that made you turn to him. "Thank you for informing me, Mr. Nakamoto." Nakamoto? You lightly glanced at the guy in glasses next to the teacher. Of course, it’s him. 
You were brought to the detention room after class. An hour of doing nothing. What’s more annoying is the fact that you were given a failing grade in Math already. There’s nothing you can do but hiss in annoyance. 
When you got home, you had an earful from your grandfather about how you’re such a disappointment to your mom and even comparing you to the perfect Johnny. “Get Y/N a personal tutor.” the older commanded your twin brother, “Maybe she’ll stop cheating in exams.” 
You were annoyed. It’s a one-time event. This is your first time copying from Taeyong since you really didn’t know about the Math exam. Why are they all acting like you’re a serious offender? This is all that guy’s fault for snitching on you. 
The next day was more annoying because you came face to face with Nakamoto Yuta, the snitch, who even had the guts to sit in front of you. “He will be your tutor,” Johnny claimed that made you wide-eyed. He’s kidding. “Grandpa already agreed to it. He said if you pass Math, you’ll get back your car.” You glared before sighing. You needed the car back, going on the bus is a hassle and Johnny isn’t even helping you at all. 
Even if you hated and wanted to ruin this guy’s life, he’s your only choice to getting what you want. 
From your usual seat, you were always transferred to sit beside Yuta as per your grandfather’s wishes. If he’s this influential in school, why are you even bothering to study? Yuta is always with you every class and you were annoyed at how he seemed like a bodyguard, making sure that you attend classes, rather than a tutor. He’s quiet, you have to give him that. Always buried in his books. You believe he doesn’t even know your name. 
That was until you pushed all his buttons. 
It’s not because you’re dumb but school is unmotivating for you so you never put in any effort into your subjects especially Math. “You got this wrong again, Y/N.” Yuta exclaimed while pointing at your answer. Wow, he knew your name. “I’ve been explaining this for hours. Are you stupid?” 
“What did you call me?” 
“Stupid,” he said while looking straight at you. “Even a second-grader would know how to multiply numbers.” You hissed before taking the paper and started answering the question properly. Yuta chuckled when you returned the paper to him, checking your answer. “You have such a bad temper.” 
“Piss me off more and you might get the worst temper ever.” You warned but he only smirked that annoyed you more. “Annoying loser!” you muttered under your breath. 
"That's the reason why you don't have any friends." He really is here to annoy you, isn't he? And you have a friend, Lee Taeyong. Pissed off, you pulled the first thing you saw from him, his glasses, then threw them on the ground before stepping on them. 
Johnny's booming voice can be heard in the library and you know, you're in deep trouble already. 
------
"You broke your tutor's glasses?" your grandfather asked, voice rising. You rolled your eyes, poking the beef on your plate before cutting it so small. “Apologize to him tomorrow.” 
You stared at him in surprise. You? Apologize? To that nerd? He started it! “I won’t, just buy him new glasses.” 
“I already did,” Johnny whispered, drinking his juice. 
“See?” You smiled cheekily, “Problem solved.” 
The older man sighed before dropping down his utensils that startled your twin brother. “You’re hopeless, Y/N.” He claimed while glaring at you. “If you don’t apologize to Mr. Nakamoto, I’ll cut off your allowance in half. And we’ll pretend that the discussion about your car didn’t happen.” What? You gasped but he only stood up, making Johnny sigh. 
“Y/N, please be nice to Yuta. He’s been through a lot.”   
-------
You have no choice but to wake up extra early and come to school with Johnny. You were napping on your desk when you felt a thud beside you. Yuta is here. “Is that really Yuta?” You overheard your classmates asked that made you curious. When you raise your head to look at him, you were startled at his shining, glassy eyes staring at you as well. Before you could say anything, a female classmate called his name. “Yuta, do you want to eat tteokbokki with us later?” 
You sighed before taking out your book, tapping a pencil on the cover. “Yeah sure,” Yuta claimed and you inwardly smile, no tutor lesson today. “Do you want to come, Y/N?” The girls were looking uncomfortable so you just shook your head, claiming that tteokbokki is disgusting which made Yuta roll his eyes. “Then I’ll just come to your place later for the tutor session.” A groan escaped your lips. What the hell? 
It was late afternoon when the maid called for you, saying that Yuta is looking for you. Johnny welcomed him and even claimed that he asked the maids to prepare the garden for the session. You were seated in front of him, looking uninterested, books sprawled in front of you as a tower of cupcakes and tea was on another table. “Your house is on another level. Must be nice living in a house like this.” 
You smirked before trying to substitute x with the equation. “It’s nice because I’m always alone.” 
“Why?” He asked, “Johnny seemed so cool. Your grandfather, I met him once, he looks kind.” 
You giggled, multiplying both sides of the equation. “I’m not like them.” You whispered. “I’m stupid and I have such a bad temper.” You focused on the numbers in front of you.
“I’m sorry, Y/N,” Yuta whispered, putting down his pen. “That was insensitive of me to say those things and I understand why you hate me.” You lightly glance at him. What’s with the turn of events? You should be apologizing for breaking his glasses. “But I want to be your friend, Y/N.” 
“My friend?” 
“I don’t have lunch plans. Whenever Taeyong or Johnny leaves you during lunch, I want to sit beside you.” You only stared in curiosity. What is he saying? “Let’s be friends, Y/N.” He held out his hand and you saw your grandfather watching the two of you from afar with a smile on his face. Hastily, you took his hand and shook it, smiling at him. Maybe your grandfather will return your allowance to normal. 
The maid went out with a large bowl which made Yuta smile while thanking her. “I brought tteokbokki. Do you want some?” He asked but you shook your head, giving him a disgusted look. “Just try one.” He poked one tteok covered in orange sauce, showing it to you. “Just say ah.”  
How weird. But you opened your mouth to taste this almighty tteokbokki he loved. It was so chewy in your mouth, the taste of spiciness and sweetness playing in your mouth. “How was it?” 
“Disgusting.” 
You didn’t realize how lonely it is to eat alone if not for Yuta. Whenever Taeyong would eat lunch quickly because of council duties or Johnny with his radio show, Yuta would always sit beside you and offer you dessert. He would ask you if you have trouble understanding something in class when you’re seated next to each other in almost all classes you have. 
“Maybe they’re dating.” You overheard in class once, female classmates looking at you who just entered the room. “Why would Yuta reject you if not?” She was talking to a girl seated in front, touching her hair.  
Another girl came to your table. “Are you and Yuta dating?” 
What? You and Yuta? A chuckle escaped your lips. “Of course not, who would fall in love with that nerd?” You saw how the girl seated glared at you followed by a thump beside you. Yuta laid his head on the desk and the girl scrambled back to her seat just as the teacher came. You shrugged. 
During lunchtime, Taeyong immediately left for a meeting in the council. But unlike any other day, Yuta didn’t sit beside you. It was weird. He was consistent these past few days. Why would he suddenly change? But once again, you shrugged. It’s not even lonely to sit alone. 
You waited the whole afternoon for him to come to your tutor session but he's a no-show which startled you. He never misses a day even if he has part-time jobs to do. And you need him now because tomorrow is your exams in Math, the make and break of your car. 
From Taeyong, you found out that he works part-time in a coffee shop near the school. He looked startled when you came in, even ordering a lot since you'll be studying. Yuta only laughed before taking your order. 
The cake looks unappetizing after you kept poking your fork in it, annoyed at how you cannot understand the equation. Why are there letters in Math? It should just be numbers. "You're substituting it wrong," Yuta mumbled before placing his tray on the table and taking your extra pencil. He leaned closer to write on your paper but your gaze was on him. 
You've been seated next to each other but this is the first time you saw him this close. He's handsome. A boyish charm that you cannot see in anyone else. When he turned to look at you, you blinked in surprise. He's so handsome. His red lips, the high nose, his glassy eyes. "Did you get it?" 
A heavy breath followed by a shake of head, to return your focus to the equation and not the image of Yuta. "How did you get this answer?" You asked, looking at the answer which is way different than yours. Are you getting stupider? 
He sighed heavily then glanced at his wristwatch. "Wait for me. I'll just finish my shift." And you nodded. That was your goal all along. 
But instead of doing some practice exercises, you were focused on Yuta serving drinks. He looks like an invisible person in school but a really charming man outside. Whenever he looks at you, you look away from him and pretend to be busy in your workbook. Why are you so worked up because of him? This is crazy! Yuta is making you crazy. 
He's a nerd. He's annoying. He's such a know-it-all. "Yuta doesn't like you, Y/N." you whispered to yourself then gasped when you realized you said it out loud. To your annoyance, Yuta just passed by your side with an empty tray. Did he hear that? You hope not. 
It was the fifth equation when Yuta sat in front of you, yawning and stretching his arms. He was done with the job and had some break before he had to go to the gas station for his second part-time job. "You have a lot of jobs." You claimed while he checked your work. "Do you need that much money?" 
"I have to pay for my tuition." 
"Why would you go to a private academy if you can't even pay for it?" 
Yuta put down your workbook, showing the mistakes and where you missed the question. "My parents met in that academy so it means a lot to my mom for me to graduate in the same alma mater as her." They did? Then Yuta might be rich. "My dad is filthy rich. She got pregnant but his parents don't want the child. My mom left him." 
"That's just tragic."
Yuta smiled. "You know, it’s the typical rich boy - poor girl love story. It will just end that way." You glanced at him before pursing your lips. "Just try finishing three questions. It's the exams tomorrow, you need rest." Once again, he yawned. "And I have to walk you back home."
You stopped after one equation seeing how he almost fell asleep while waiting for you. He might be tired and you don't want him to be late for the next job. You promised you'll do the remaining exercises at home and show him tomorrow then hailed a cab so he won't have to walk you home. Just to be sure, you promised to message him when you arrive home. 
But you never did. Never messaged him, never answered the remaining problems. All that's running in your mind is him. Yuta Nakamoto. He's not bad yet he's not great either. But something about him is piquing your curiosity. Something about him makes you want to be closer to him. 
"Aish!" you shouted. You should be studying. 
--------
You were surprised when the girls were left inside the room and the guys were brought outside for the test. You cannot copy from Yuta. Maybe it was your grandfather’s plan. Surprisingly, the questions aren’t as hard as you thought they would be. Or maybe you just got smarter. The studying to distract your mind from thinking about Yuta has paid off. 
Taeyong sighed heavily while seated in front of you during lunch. “I think I’ll fail the exams.” You glance at him in surprise. Do you have a different question as him? You asked him the first question which you remember clearly and you had a debate on what the right answer is. When you showed him the solution, Taeyong just whined in defeat. “Wow, you’re teaching me Math now.” he claimed before tapping his chin. “Should I get Yuta as a tutor as well?” 
“You can’t.” You raised your voice at him. “Yuta is mine.” 
Taeyong snickered. “Speaking of him, did you know that he was sleeping while taking the exam?” That took your attention. “I don’t even know if he finished the questions. He’s just out of it.” Now, you’re worried. What happened to him? Why did he just sleep when he’s taking exams? 
“How were the exams?” Yuta asked when you met in the library but you only stared at him. “Is it hard?” 
You shook your head. “Did you finish your exam?” He chuckled while nodding, asking if it was Taeyong who told you. “You finished everything?” 
Again, he nodded. “Don’t worry. I just didn’t get enough sleep last night.” You asked him why but he just smiled. “The exams are now done. We’ll just have to wait if you pass to get your car back.” 
You nodded. “You want a ride?” 
Yuta shook his head, smiling at you. “I’ll have to resign as your tutor, Y/N.” You stared at him in surprise. Wait, why? “I’ll have to take a new job…”
“My grandfather can pay you.” But Yuta shook his head. “Why do you need that much money anyway? Are you dating someone?” He smirked before leaning his back on the chair. He didn’t say anything but the smile in his eyes was enough proof to know that he is indeed dating someone. 
Nakamoto Yuta? The nerd? Someone actually had the nerve to ask him out? Someone actually raced you to ask him out. 
You passed by the tteokbokki shop and ordered some of Yuta’s favorite food. It does taste weird, but addicting. You poked one tteok and put it in your mouth, munching on it with a lot of annoyance. Why doesn’t it taste good now? It tastes good when Yuta was feeding you one. You just wasted money on this food. 
You were annoyed. At Yuta. At this girl. He seemed friendly with everyone, it’s annoying. You sat beside Taeyong in class which surprised your friend. “You broke up with Yuta?” he teased that made you roll your eyes. “I thought he’s yours.” You stepped on his foot, earning a yelp from him which made the whole class look at the two of you, even Yuta. 
When the results came out, you rushed to see if Yuta is still the first-rank student. You were worried the whole time when you found out he slept in class. What if he lost the top rank? He lost his scholarship? You grasped your hands together, wishing that he’ll remain in his spot. When you opened your eyes, in front of the rank one student, you beamed at the sight of his name. Yuta Nakamoto. 
He’s still the rank one even if he slept during the exams. Yuta is really amazing. 
Your phone rang and you answered it without even looking at the caller ID, “Where are you?” Yuta. “Did you see your rank?” Wait, what? “I don’t think your grandfather…” A crowd of students came and you almost lost your balance if not for someone who caught you. Him. “Hey.” 
“Hey,” you called then glanced at your phone. You were just talking to each other. “My rank?” 
He smiled. “Twelfth.” You almost ran to the part of the bulletin board that has the top 10-20 rank list. On the twelfth rank is your name, three spots higher than your twin brother and seven spots higher than your bestfriend. You felt a hand on your shoulder and you turned to hug the grinning Yuta. “You did it, Y/N.” He whispered against your ear, “I’m proud of you.”  
You lightly glanced at him. The first person who told you that he’s proud of you. Now, you had an answer to yourself on why Yuta is someone you cannot shake off. He is the first person who believed in you. 
“I’ll treat you to tteokbokki.” Yuta glanced at you in surprise before you took his hand. 
The old woman greeted you and Yuta was surprised when you greeted her back. “We should eat something you like. I’ll treat you.” But you shook your head, licking the sauce from your fingers. “When did you start eating tteokbokki?” 
You shrugged then dipped the tteok to the red sauce. “Why were you on the first bulletin board? Do you think you’ll get the top rank?” A light kick from you under the table made him wince. 
“I thought you might lose your scholarship.” You claimed before eating tteokbokki again. "You were distracted during the exam so I was worried." He stared at you in surprise before smiling. "Shouldn't you stop all these part-time jobs if you want to keep your scholarship?" 
"I lost the gas station gig," he confessed, poking his fork on the tteokbokki. "I'm worried that you didn't come home that night so I skipped work. Johnny told me that you did when I came to your house but I can't sleep that night." 
That night? You were thinking about him that night. "Eomma said someone might be thinking about me." Shit! "But I guess I'm just worried about you." He's what? "But don't mind it." He shrugged before eating the tteokbokki. 
"You were worried?" 
He rolled his eyes, looking at you deadpan. "Of course. What if you fail your exam? Your grandfather's payment will all go to waste." You just munched on the tteokbokki, chewing loudly. "You're enjoying the tteokbokki so much. I thought it's disgusting." 
You shook your head, stuffing your mouth with the chewy tteok. "When did I say that?" 
Yuta chuckled, wiping your sauce-clad finger with tissue. "You're really charming, aren't you?" You rolled your eyes. Why is he shaking you like this? He's already dating another girl. "Just let me save a little more money before asking you out on a date, hmm?" 
What? You choke on the chewy rice cake, coughing at his statement. Ask you out on a date? "I don't want us to be like my parents' story so I need to work hard to at least reach halfway to your world." He munched on the tteokbokki but your eyes remained on him. "Please wait for me before I can take you out officially." 
Is that why he resigned as your tutor? How did this turn into this? "How are you so sure that I'll wait for you?" 
"You said so yourself, I'm yours." He chuckled and you mentally killed Lee Taeyong. "And I do like you." Shit! He did heard you back in the coffee shop. This is so embarrassing. "Even if you don't like me romantically, just let me take you out on one date." 
"Sure." You claimed, "Since you sound so desperate and I'm such a nice girl to reject you." 
Yuta chuckled. "Of course you are." 
“Yuta.”
“Hmm?”
“Treat me to ice cream after this.”
The guy nodded that made you smirk to yourself. This nerd isn’t so bad at all.  
107 notes · View notes
justalost4girl · 3 years ago
Text
" If anything can go wrong, it will."
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Good night!! (Here it's still night :p )
A few weeks ago I said I would do a oneshot Lorraine Broughton x F! Reader, but it got too big so I decided to follow the initial idea and turn it into a mini series. I have two chapters written and I'm going to post them here and in Ao3, I think there will be 3 or 4 chapters in total, but I'm not sure yet.
English is not my first language, so all mistakes are mine.
Enjoy!!
warnings: mention of violence, R cursing, forgery of documents (?)
Words: 4573
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1989
Berlin, East Side
You feel in your bones, when you wake up, the consequences of last night and think that the famous Murphy's Law decided to test you. On this side of the wall few things go right, but having an order in your head two days after joining STASI's wanted list proves that nothing is so bad it can't get any worse. Courtesy of a dumb customer who messed with the wrong people and thought revealing where you find your customers would be enough information to escape death. The Local Gang (or Angels, as they call themselves) loves to eliminate competition from the market.
Now he's dead and you have to deal with the STASI AND the Local Gang (you refuse to call them Angels).
The local fucking gang that sent a team of idiots to break into your favorite bar and made you run out the back door before meeting a customer who was going to pay well. The local fucking gang who must be pissed that you shot the six dumbest members you've ever had to face in your life. No really fatal shots, but of course that won't matter as they do business with the KGB.
Sometimes you want to ignore the rules you've made for yourself, especially "never kill someone unless it's in defense of yourself or someone you love", but you think killing six agents who don't have the ability to set up an ambush of success would be a great waste of bullets. Now you know you're going to have to leave town soon and you have no idea how to break the news to your brother/partner, how do you honorably abandon a war before it's over?
Damn Murphy's Law
You know you need to sort this out, but you refuse to stay in bed crying over what's already written and decide to leave the wonderful Egyptian linen sheets you got from your favorite client last month to face the world and it's impossible to face the world without a good amount of coffee. After a quick shower with a cup of Blue Mountain in hand, your newest addiction, you sit in a robe in a nice armchair, look out the window at dying Berlin and thank heaven for the comfortable life you've earned by working with one of the greatest smugglers on this side of the wall, perhaps from all over Germany. Some desperate customers offer you valuable items from them in exchange for passports and unlike your idiot “brother”, you don't have a rule about only receiving cash. Almost everything here comes from gifts, from the sofa, pictures, bags, clothes and even some books on your shelf. You don't even remember buying that cup, or the coffee set, for gods' sake.
If he saw you now he'd complain about being soft with customers and say something about how items aren't a bargaining chip in the real world, you'd get into a tiresome discussion about enjoying the finer things in life and how bills don't compare in the importance of yours. silver chain with moon pendant that was once an amulet for more than three generations for a French family.
At the end of the day, Merkel has a large information network and an office that takes up half the block, where she keeps as much money as she has secrets, and you have a house decorated by other people where each object symbolizes someone you've helped.
Four walls don't make a house
The thought takes away some of the almost peace you feel and you decide to finish your coffee before it gets cold.
After a quick glance at the calendar you remember about the march that will take place in Alexanderplatz square and decide to go scream for Germany one last time, hopefully you'll be able to hide long enough to see the fall of the damn wall that divides this country. It's not your country, not really, you don't even like to remember how you got here, but the experiences you gained wouldn't be exchanged for anything, not even for an original Van Gogh. Also, Merkel asked you to go and bring a black umbrella, the reason was not explained and you didn't feel like asking, sometimes you think Gordon Merkel is not his name, but how to judge the man who is your only family in this end of the world? You smile when you remember that he shouldn't have an umbrella with a story as cool as his and decide to piss him off for it.
Your phone rings, and you notice you've lost track of time. Merkel was helping a blonde woman named L, he didn't give you more details other than a few stories about how she was a perfect and dangerous assassin that you should keep your distance, as few people know how to deal with her. You thought he overreacted, but you had to take over some business from him while she was in town. She seemed important considering the way he told you about her and you knew better than to deny help to the person who always supported you and declared himself a brother, you trusted him because not even the best agent in the world could fake so much sincerity and affection in claiming this title for himself.
You reach out, pick up the phone, and decide to answer it. “Hey little sister, how are you out there? I called to say that everything is fine for dinner today, but there was a mishap and the wine ran out, bring the best Bordeaux you have, I'll return the courtesy as soon as possible." A code, of course.
He needs your services ASAP. Wine is a passport, Bordeaux means two elements, courtesy involves a child.
You can combine business with pleasure "Hi brother. I'm looking forward to today, I'll take the best wine I have, don't worry. I already know how you can thank me. I need to clean the house and go to the office first, but I'll be there on time. wait for me." you say in a voice that oozes normalcy, you never know when someone's listening on the phone especially now that you're a fugitive, disgraced customer. Your body sinks into the armchair noticing the oncoming cloud of worry
Merkel now knows you need his help, as cleaning the house means getting away and going to the office shows you're in a hurry.
"Alright, do you want me to send the driver?" He asks like he's not freaking out and offering the bloody job of one of his mercenaries
“No, bro, thanks, I know the way.” You say as if you really have an escape plan besides getting a fake passport, emergency backpack and all the money you can find.
“See you later, don't forget the wine. Are you sure you don't want the driver?" You wonder if he has forgotten that knowing the way literally means everything is fine
“Relax, see you later” It takes a few seconds for him to hang up and you can hear his sigh.
He will be SO pissed.
You put the phone down as you get up to gather the passport forgery materials and put them in a briefcase. Your cookbook is already there along with some banknotes from different countries. As you pick up the black backpack of standard clothes and accessories that always waited for you in the corner of the door, you decide to wear the first jacket you bought, the dark blue jeans, the combat boots you got from a skinhead, the wristwatch you bought. you got for your brother's birthday, thick leather gloves and a thin white shirt that matches the rest of your outfit. After all, if you can die when you open the door, then die well dressed. Be sure to keep the Colt 1911 around your waist and the Russian dagger around your ankle, after yesterday you never know, Your pocket watch with the coat of arms of the Brazilian imperial family indicates that 15 minutes have passed since Merkel's phone call
You take one last look at the house you've been so proud of in recent years, snap a photo with the Polaroid you've won, and, with a bittersweet smile, close the door. One day when the wall comes down, the government changes and your face is forgotten, you can come back here, until then you will have to make do with the photo album you keep in your backpack and this photo.
Putting on your sunglasses, you arrive on the street and decide to take a taxi on the other corner, make sure you look around before leaving your home, no one knows your address, but you can't be sure the local gang is so stupid to the point of not following you after last night.
Getting a taxi was relatively easy. Neil, the driver, thanks to the boots, mistook you for a revolutionary and talked for 10 minutes about how he hoped he could take down the wall with his bare hands, you thought it was cool, but as you passed the big river that was just a few blocks away from the your brother's office, you couldn't hear a word from him.
A sign signaling that the river was closed to visitors made your eyes fill with tears. You used to go there when the day was bad, spread a blanket in a corner and watch the stars, or just laugh at the distinct reflection the water made of the moon and stars. Merkel accompanied you on anniversaries, justifying them as bonding experiences. After some freaks started swimming in the river and executions increased, STASI took over and you replaced the dark water for the restaurant's bright lights. But seeing it tightly closed gave him a feeling of anguish and rancor. You would silently curse the wall builders for the rest of the trip.
Neil seemed to notice but didn't comment on it, you thanked him, wiped your tears and left a good tip as you descended a block away from your final destination. This time you didn't need to look around because even though Merkel was super busy, he made sure to leave some security close to where your landing place was.
A tall man dressed in a red T-shirt approached you and hugged you as if he hadn't seen you in a long time. You've known him since the beginning of last year, when he arrived at Merkel's office begging for a job, and from the first moment the way he turned grief over his brother's death into a thirst for revolution made you admire the young man. The two of you walked through the great gate hand in hand as you asked about his life with genuine interest, and Klaus increasingly believed in Merkel's theory about you having such a pure heart that you didn't care about motivation or the number of lives they took, your explanation of the judgment not being your responsibility, crossed the man's head before he escorted you to the main office.
You thanked him with a smile, opened the door and stood in front of the table in the windowless room, where your brother was already waiting for you.
"What the hell happened? Are you okay? I was about to send J to get you, please tell me what happened"—he said hurriedly as he got up and pointed at the couch for you to sit on. J was one of the most dangerous women in the building and you were grateful for not wasting her time.
Putting your backpack and umbrella aside, you answered:
"I'll explain later, little brother, now let me help you. You need passports urgently, don't you?" Yes, you were stalling and postponing the conversation. He'd call you an idiot for going out on the street right after you got on the wanted list, and he'd feel guilty when he found out why you didn't tell him. Merkel wasn't going to understand that her fear of failing him was no one's fault but yourself.
Your sentence seemed to give him some responsibility back, but still, as he held out a glass of water for you, his eyes met yours with a glint that warned that this conversation was far from over.
"Yeah, I really do, but don't think I'm going to forget about it. Let's talk when this is all over. Even if it's the last thing I do today."
You accepted the glass with a bit of trepidation and stood up towards the large center table while opening the briefcase with the supplies you were going to need, if Merkel noticed the bills he didn't say anything. Once at the table, you made two passports for mother and daughter in record time. According to the clock, 10 minutes passed, faster than a car, this deserves a celebration. It would have been six if Merkel hadn't been so curious to make you waste time pulling your watch out of your pocket just for him to analyze.
Everything was going well and there was only one last detail for mother and daughter to be taken by one Percival to the other side of the wall. Percival, according to Merkel, was strange and fickle. Unreliable and extremely dangerous, you should also keep your distance from him, as this man had crucial contacts on both sides of the wall.
"He must have fewer contacts than you", you would answer
If a loud noise didn't break the silence
The annoying noise of the door creaking made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and you almost missed the last signature, it made your body vibrate with irritation and your eyes follow to the offensive source of the sound. A tall man with short hair and blue eyes was holding the doorknob with a military posture and before you could release your anger and explain something about how people shouldn't be violent inside Merkel's office you noticed he was accompanied by a woman.
AND WHAT A WOMAN!
Your eyes connected to a pair of fierce, intent green eyes, surrounded by a pale skin tone and hair so blond it looked like snow. The barely perceptible frown showed she was surprised to find someone other than Merkel there, yet she looked ready for a battle. You looked into her eyes again and nodded in acknowledgment, this must be L, the woman he was talking about.
She looked at you suspiciously, but also as if she could see into your soul, and what must have been frightening, you found endearing. A few stories of murders orchestrated by her crossed your mind, but all you could imagine is how beautiful she must be when she's mad.
They say green eyes darken when we're high on adrenaline, does that happen to her?
Her analysis of the intriguing blonde ends when she notices that the man accompanying her has raised his voice and from his furious expression, it's not the first time he's repeated the question. You interrupt him before you hear him and make sure to direct the ghost of anger before him:
"Have you lost your mind? Who walks into the office without knocking? Surely you should be here asking about passports, but if it weren't for my experience and steady hands, they would be in the trash by now. Learn to be civilized. You're under two paws not four, so act human and not animal" you say in an explosive but articulate tone to make sure he understands what you say. Sometimes when you speak fast, you are betrayed by faulty diction. Not today. Today you want this man to feel every fiber of irritation that went through his body.
Hearing Merkel holding a nervous laugh, you try to relax, but judging by the cold, almost murderous look of the man in the doorway, you've definitely gotten yourself in trouble. Looking at the organized clothes, you notice it's an old police uniform, probably taken by your brother, and unless Merkel has hired new employees, you've never seen it around here. His eyes snap back to his and something inside you warns that this must be Percival. He probably wants to kill you.
Damn Murphy's Law
A brief silence settles in the room and you shake off the fear and turn away, refusing to play the glaring game with a man who almost spoils your art. On other days you might look at him at a party, but today you want to make him swallow the ink on the stamp in his hands and invite the blonde to dinner
And it's her voice that breaks the silence.
You're flipping through the two passports for failures when she says
"Sorry, miss. My friend is an unprecedented idiot. Shall I close the door and knock again? Perhaps your highness too--"
You turn her body towards her when you hear the slightest hint of irony in her tone and interrupt her with a fake smile as you look into her eyes.
"It's not necessary, I accept your apology, Miss. I always said that Merkel should have someone armed at the door to remind everyone of the need to knock on the door. Anyone who didn't knock would lose his mind as the law of my reign says. Perhaps I should start. for him, since the top head is the last thing he wears lately" you joke look at Merkel who doesn't seem offended by the statement, shrugging you look at those blue eyes again and say "the passports are ready. Let's get out of here."
You close the passports, reach for your backpack and umbrella and start moving towards the door, both agents let you lead the way and judging by the blonde's expression, she's not used to being interrupted, nor is she used to seeing someone talking like that with Merkel, but today it was acceptable. You really think she's adorable, but you know better than to let someone make fun of you, especially in front of your brother who wouldn't let you forget about it. Either she doesn't care, or she's a great actress. Anyway, that idiot is still by her side and you refuse to be the reason for his possible laugh.
Her friend probably didn't have the same acting classes and his resemblance to the local gang members, like he's going to kill you in the blink of an eye in a cowardly way, is almost frightening. If Merkel hadn't said L is a woman, you'd be scared. It makes you shiver a little and look for Merkel, but he's not following you. Looking over his shoulder you see him putting a few more piles of dollars and euros into your briefcase. With a snap of your fingers you get his attention and before you walk out the door, you hear the briefcase click closing.
Once out of the room, you look around and realize that nothing has really changed, all faces are familiar, except for three people: a couple talking to a child. After a brief analysis you find yourself facing the passport clients, mother and daughter. The man doesn't look older than 60 and has kind eyes, almost as if he doesn't live on this side of the wall.
They don't seem to notice you
Your observation is interrupted by Merkel's loud, proud voice, right behind you. Here it comes
"This is Elizabeth Loyd and Percival, two trusted clients. Elizabeth and Percival, this is my little sister, she will be on the march today, if you need anything in the future you can talk to her."
Hearing her name, you notice that Merkel really wasn't creative at all. Who would use the initial letter of a surname as a symbol? Anyone who heard the stories about L and met a loyde who knows a Merkel would make the connection. As you turn around, you swallow your nervousness and try to put on your best smile as you say your name to them. The blonde woman who finally has a name, Elizabeth, leans closer, her eyes never leaving yours, and you wonder if she can feel the jumble of emotions that is unraveling inside you.
She smiles a smile that makes you sure she does and reaches out and greets you with a firm grip, if she noticed the sweat on your hands, she didn't let on. She also looks a little more comfortable.
Maybe because she noticed you said her real name, idiot.
You hate yourself for one second and the next you want to be without gloves because it feels soft and warm.
The man, Percival, comes next and looks at you suspiciously and the smile fades from your face, you wonder if no one else can smell the strong smell he gives off, a smell of cheap whiskey and arrogance. Still, he holds out his hand and this time you thank the gods for the gloves. Make sure you don't bow your head or fail in your posture. He still looks at you like you killed his son. Useless even to pretend, for God's sake.
Merkel watches the exchange from afar and nods to Elizabeth, she responds and Percival walks away looking uneasy. You look around uncomprehendingly, feel a little left out, and wonder which computer must have Tetris installed.
You would kill for a distraction right now.
Going out on the street in a crowded march while being chased by two groups still makes you sick.
Your brother approaches and extends his hands around you. You've missed him for the past few weeks. He still wears the perfume you gave him for his birthday and it makes you sink deeper into the hug. You know he's going to be mad when he finds out what happened so you enjoy as much affection as you can
"Little sister, in addition to our conversation I need to tell you something" his voice is low in tone and you doubt you would understand the words if you weren't so close to him "but I can't do that until the march is over. Meet me at usual table at the restaurant where we celebrate our achievements, It's very important"
His even low voice is charged with strong emotion and you are genuinely worried, Merkel has never been like this before.
"I'll do it, brother, I promise. Whatever it is, we can work it out together" you say with all the certainty you can muster in your voice, because you need him to understand that this is true.
You feel eyes on you and as you look up you notice that Elizabeth keeps an eye on your exchange with Merkel while talking to the little girl's father, from the distance she probably can't understand anything and you don't know if she celebrates or cares with so much attention received. A little further away is a Percival who pretends to be busy with the coat he's wearing. He also pays attention to your exchange, but his talent for discretion is as effective as his ability to open doors.
Your eyes return to the concentrated blue eyes that are in front of you and Merkel speaks in an almost inaudible way:
"When I whistle, I need you to raise your open umbrella and stay alert. The three people we're going to cross are very important, nothing can go wrong. But if it does, I'll be at the restaurant, whatever happens find me there."
Noticing the proximity of Percival and Elizabeth, you place your hand on your brother's shoulder and smile as you speak a little louder:
"Don't worry man, it's always a pleasure to help you. I'll leave my briefcase here, then meet you to get it. Good march."
Merkel shows that she understands his strange move and smiles, you greet some friends of his that you haven't seen in a while and as you head towards the exit, you meet a pair of deep green eyes. Elizabeth is gleaming in the cold lights that are refracted by the mosaic of the gate, she looks into your eyes, ever alert, looks at the object in your hands and nods her head with a half smile, do you think the guard's idea black rain was hers.
As you wave back, you can feel that a pair of eyes haven't left your back since the moment of your brother's embrace, as the old man is saying goodbye to the family, you know who they belong to and decide not to look for them. If the STASI, KGB or local gang find you, he doesn't own the pair of eyes you want to remember before you die.
Taking a deep breath, you walk through the gate and blend into the crowd.
..........................................................................................................................
After leaving Merkel's office block, you take a hat out of your backpack and wear your sunglasses as you look around, not that a local gang member is here but because if he sees you in disguise he will ask a series of questions and he has enough problems already, plus STASI must be monitoring this area and the last thing you want is to be arrested. You decide to tuck your coat into your backpack to change your look, and while internally debating your ability to ignore the cold, your eyes catch the almost snowy blond hair in the crowd.
This signals that they are already on the march and you decide to get a little closer to them, but make sure you do this without drawing attention to yourself since the nasty man is still there. Elizabeth is on your diagonal absorbing all the extraneous details that might be a possible threat, she seems so focused on the job of passing the owner's gentle eyes in a safe way that it makes you wonder how important he is and if she's noticed you.
A few meters later a familiar noise floats through the march and you open the umbrella almost instantly, as do other protesters.
Out of the corner of your eye you can see Percival taking the man's family across and sometime later Elizabeth does the same. You notice that her posture has changed and when she decides to stop for a better look, the crowd drags her and you can no longer locate her.
Her feet continue forward and as some signs are raised by the protesters, you try to find your brother. Unsuccessfully. You decide to trust their ability and hope that you can meet him again at the restaurant.
You also want Elizabeth to be okay.
Continuing on the march, after two or three long blocks you notice the familiar silhouette of one of the STASI bosses, he is watching the crowd as if looking for someone, but he doesn't seem to notice you. You notice observers on top of buildings and decide to leave the streets. Whether it's the Local Gang, KGB or STASI itself you don't know and decide you don't want to know.
Your brain tries to design routes to escape and your body mimics the movements of the closest protesters so as not to draw attention to you, but when some agents in black point in your direction and make space in the crowd, you run between people to seek shelter in somewhere you know and at every step you are sure that the day will be worse than you thought.
Damn Murphy's Law
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comm-caribou · 2 years ago
Text
Chapter Sixteen: Wonderful
Word Count: 3.8k
Warnings: Battle trauma, PTSD, panic attacks, major death, dismemberment, angst (let me know if I missed any!)
————
It had been awhile since Fang took a shower. He didn’t like the vulnerability of it, nor the way his body looked now.
Still, he felt the water would clear his head.
He had removed his arm. Even though the doctor and nurses all promised it was waterproof, he didn’t want to risk breaking it.
Juliette would end up buying him a new one without questioning it. He knew this fact all too well.
Everyone else was in bed, so he was all alone.
He always found it weird that the showers were in stalls rather than an open floor plan.
We all look the same. Why waste money putting up these walls?
He turned on the water, getting off the rest of his clothes before testing the water, making sure it was lukewarm.
He stepped under the water, letting it run over his face and scarred body.
Maybe it was so troopers like me could disappear.
****
Juliette held Cooper’s helmet in her hands, looking at the splotchy designs closer.
“I never realized they were hands,” Juliette said tracing tiny fingers on the side of his helmet. “You painted them for the little girl who named you.”
Cooper sat at her desk, flipping though her sketchbooks, “she wanted me to pick her up, so I did. Her mother told her I’m a clone trooper, but she just keep merging the two words.”
She placed her hand over a hand, “they’re so small. How old was she?”
“Three.” Cooper paused on a page, “is that Fang?”
Juliette looked over, “yeah, I doodled a bunch of you.”
“Why did you draw him so small and cu-“ Cooper did a double take, “is that grumpy one suppose to be me?”
“It’s not suppose to look realistic,” Juliette giggled, “they’re just little doodles.”
Cooper chuckled a little, “hmm, that must be Keks then.”
She drew the Corporal hugging a cookie bigger than him.
“And that’s Mirage.”
She drew the ARC standing proud showing off his hair, adding sparkles around his head for emphasis.
“Boomerang.”
The medic was wrapped in bandages, arms extended out like a mummy.
“Coyote.”
The blue eyed trooper was wrapped in his blanket happily eating noodles like at dinner that night.
“That’s Tracks and Goose.”
The silver haired pilot was holding something over Goose’s head just out of his mustached, shorter brother’s reach.
“And that must be Hardwire.”
The Commander was simply just standing hands folded behind his back, looking all authoritative, but she gave him a little smile.
“That’s what I got so far,” Juliette said, “I got some ideas for the rest of pilots.”
Cooper set her sketchbook down on the desk, “you’re very talented.”
“Thank you,” she said, but something was still bothering her.
The Sergeant lazily spun in her chair, staring up at her ceiling.
“Cooper, not that I’m not grateful you’re here,” Juliette treaded carefully, “why didn’t you just shut the door and keep walking?”
Cooper’s dark eyes shifted to her, “because you were crying. I couldn’t just walk away knowing you were in here crying over something my brother probably said. No offense, but Fang is kind of impulsive, so whatever he said you shouldn’t take to heart.”
“He was mad I went off to find those missing troops and took on a Wampa,” Juliette hugged her knees. “I thought that’s what I’m suppose to do. Keep you all safe, I mean.”
“I guess that is part of your job,” Cooper agreed, “but I guess we’re just not use to a General who treats us like you do. Our last one certainly didn’t.”
Juliette only heard mentions and whispers of her predecessor, and it was nothing nice.
The Jedi who cost Fang his arm, Coyote his squad, Tracks his voice, and Hardwire his face, Juliette studied Cooper’s relaxed face. I wonder… would Cooper tell me?
“Cooper, what exactly did the Jedi do to you all?” Juliette asked.
Cooper turned to her, “has no one told you?”
“I didn’t think it was something Hardwire would want to talk about,” Juliette admitted, “and I tried asking Fang once, but he turned it to talking about a rock cave he once saw.”
Cooper nodded thoughtfully, “I guess, the best I can say is, this Jedi didn’t like clones. Specifically, individualized clones. He wanted us to be exactly alike.”
“That’s so stupid,” Juliette shook her head disgusted.
“I know,” Cooper agreed, “he claims he was weeding out imperfects, to make the army stronger.”
“I think your individuality makes you stronger,” Juliette said, “I like that none of you are alike.”
“I appreciate that,” Cooper smiled. “I need to get to bed, and as do you. Who knows what our next mission will be.”
“Thank you, Sergeant,” Juliette said, “I appreciate you visiting me.”
“I know,” he said smugly. “Goodnight, General.”
He left her.
She was alone again.
She got up, and went to her desk.
Looking at the open sketchbook, her eyes were drawn to her little doodle of Fang.
It was just a cute little version of him in a heart.
She flipped to the next page, and sat down as she began sketching out Cosmos.
****
While the men were use to waking up suddenly, it had been awhile since it was an alarm.
The noise dragged Keks and his brothers out of their restless sleep, and they all went scrambling in organized chaos to prepare for the new trouble that plagued their lives.
“What’s going on?” Mirage turned to Cooper, already on his holo pad.
“We’ve been requested for immediate aid,” Cooper stated. “Hopefully everyone including the General got some sleep.”
“She had a big day,” Keks laughed, “I’m sure she fell asleep right in Fang’s arms.”
Cooper gave him a look.
Keks chocked it up to Cooper just being grumpy, and carried on to get his weapons.
When he saw Fang heading to the hanger alone without Juliette or Coyote, that raised more questions in his mind.
****
She checked her gauntlets, making sure the safety was activated as she stood next to Hardwire.
The last of the men scrambled onto the gunships, and they boarded.
“You know who General Grievous is, correct?” Hardwire quietly asked her.
“He’s a Jedi Hunter,” she stated, “basically Count Dooku’s most feared lackey.”
“And he should never be faced alone,” Hardwire said it like an order. “He killed our first General.”
Juliette understood, but still felt annoyed.
I was trained to fight since I could walk, she thought. A Jedi hunter doesn’t scare me.
Hardwire put on a holo projection, and began explaining the plan of how they were going to be aiding the 41st Elite Corps until General Luminara returned.
Their mission wasn’t suppose to involve danger, which is why the Jedi Master let them go alone.
The idea of ever leaving her men alone—even with minimal risks—was something Juliette couldn’t fathom. Not only because she wanted to protect them from the cruel galaxy, because she couldn’t picture living her life without them in it.
Even if it meant having Mirage tailing her.
She could feel the presence of his hand, already hovering behind her back ready to catch her if she fell.
She turned her head slightly, catching Fang in the corner of her visor. The usually sweet trooper was stiff, rigid, like he was ready to snap at any second.
Maybe when they got back to base, she’d find a moment alone with just him. She’d hold Fang close and assure him he’s enough, that she’s still right here, and she wasn’t going to disappear on him despite how much he hurt her when he left earlier that night.
The booming of explosives brought her back to reality, reminding her she’s in a battle zone as they touched down.
Hardwire turned to her, “stay with me, we have to get to Commander Gree.”
She looked for Fang again, but he was gone.
Mirage’s hand pressed on her lower back, “one foot in front of the other, General.”
She stepped off, and followed Hardwire despite the pull of the men’s cries of anguish as they were shot down by countless droids.
****
Wherever Coyote went, Fang went.
It seemed his former squad leader was following Keks, Mick, and Buck.
He would ask what the Corporal’s plan was, but the comm channel was being flooded with his brothers crying out for aid.
“Man down!”
“Man down!”
“We need a medic!”
“Medic!”
“There’s too many of them!”
“Medic!”
“Keep firing!”
He heard Commander Gree was safe at some temporary base, which meant Juliette was safe.
Last thing he needed to hear was she engaged that monstrous Separatist General.
Keks slid down a hill, and they all followed.
“Corporal?” Buck finally spoke, “what’s our current objective?”
“Retrieving one of our down scouts.” Keks stated, “reports say one of our ARFs is still alive, and ve are going to get him home.”
“So a rescue then?” Mick confirmed.
“Affirmative.” Keks fired on a couple droids, then moved forward.
“Sounds like a plan the General would be all over,” Buck laughed, “she loves rescue missions!”
Coyote sighed, “stay focused, Buck.”
“Yes, sir,” Buck responded as if talking to an officer.
Fang turned to him, “sir?”
“I do outrank them by experience,” Coyote shrugged, “although he’s not wrong, Juliette is always jumping on these types of missions.”
“It’s risky.” Fang mumbled.
“You okay?” Coyote asked, “you seem… off.”
“I’m fine.” Fang barked.
“No you’re not.” Coyote sighed, “you better not let it get in the way of the mission. It will get you killed if you’re not focused, and we can’t have that.”
Fang sighed, “I just don’t like her risking herself like she did on Hoth. She could’ve died.”
“Fang,” Coyote softened his voice, “she was a skilled fighter before she found us. She is still a skilled fighter now, and there’s so much we don’t know yet.”
Fang had to agree.
As always, Coyote was right. Coyote always was the wisest out of all of Pack Squad, and the most in tune to their individual problems.
“Look,” Coyote sighed, “let’s focus on getting that ARF, then we can talk this out. Okay?”
Fang nodded, and hurried ahead blasting two droids as they slipped into the tree-line.
****
It was driving her crazy.
She felt like a caged animal in this makeshift base, going over battle plans on screens instead of executing them.
Juliette wanted to be with her men.
Fighting by their side.
Hardwire must’ve known this. His arm was looped into her’s, keeping her in place at the table as Gree and other officers argued.
“Let me go,” she whispered to Hardwire.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered back, “but I won’t.”
“We just got to keep holding this position,” one officer stated.
“Well obviously!” Cooper exclaimed, “that’s all we’re doing, and we’re getting slaughtered.”
The word felt like knife in her gut being twisted.
She tugged on Hardwire’s arm, but he stood firm like a mountain.
She hissed, “let me go.”
“Just wait.” Hardwire’s hand gripped her’s, “not until we have a plan.”
“Do you have a plan, General Trix?” Gree turned to her, “or is your plan just to run into danger, guns blazing, and no regard to anyone’s safety?”
Cooper placed his hand to his helmet, as if pinching the bridge of nose, “why did you say that?”
“No regard to anyone’s safety?” Juliette repeated. “Seriously, Commander Gree? Are you really asking me if my plan is to put any one of you in danger?”
“I doubt you have any plan in facing a lightsaber manic like Grievous,” Gree’s sergeant stated. “Just because you held your own in a few battles doesn’t mean you can fight real threats.”
Juliette clenched her fists, “better out there fighting with the men, than talking in circles in here.”
“We’re not talking in circles.” Gree waved his hand dismissively.
“I’ve heard the phrase ‘we need a plan’ eleven times already,” Juliette turned to Hardwire, “let me go out there.”
“And do what exactly?” Gree demanded, “if you think you’re so smart, what’s your plan?“
Juliette sighed, dragging Hardwire, “we’re going to go push back. Cooper, stay here and keep radio contact with me.”
“Yes, General,” Cooper acknowledged.
“Wait!” Gree chased them out of the tent.
“Juliette,” Hardwire warned, “this is technically Gree’s mission.”
“Exactly, General, and I-“
“You said you want those ships down, correct? Rocket launchers will do that.”
“Juliette, I understand you’re frustrated but we don’t have rocket launchers.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Hardwire. Trust me, my Commander. I can do this.”
Juliette released his hand, and he let her go.
****
It was quiet now.
Buck and Mick were up ahead, keeping a lookout for both droids and the wounded ARF they got reports about.
Keks knew he didn’t have to worry about them. While Buck had a tendency to get shot, he always managed to push though the pain until danger was gone. Mick was alert, it was like the trooper had sixth sense for when someone took aim on him.
What Keks had to worry about was Coyote and Fang.
The unbreakable pair bonded by both training and the events that took place in the cave.
Coyote was an excellent soldier, a fine leader, but once Fang was present his ability to focus would dissipate. Fang was impulsive, almost always getting stuck on a thought and having to follow it though.
“You two hanging in back there?” Keks called over his shoulder.
“Yes, sir,” Coyote answered.
Fang didn’t say a word.
That’s not promising, Keks waited for them to catch up, “talk to me, Fang. Vhat’s on your mind?”
“It’s nothing,” Fang grumbled.
“Seems like something,” Keks stated. “Is it about vhy you aren’t speaking vith the General?”
“You two aren’t talking?” Coyote turned to Fang.
“It’s nothing,” Fang assured, “I just don’t like how she always risks herself for us. Yes, I love that she cares so much she’d do anything to protect us, however not at the cost of her life. We are suppose to fight and die for the Republic.”
“Just because ve are meant to die, that doesn’t mean I vant to die,” Keks said, “I vould love to live to see the end of this var, go drinking vith my brothers every leave, and just have a real life.”
Fang stayed quiet, then said lowly, “what about her life?”
“She chose to be a General,” Coyote cut in, “this is her choice.”
“I feel like it’s in her training,” Fang argued, “she told me her father use to train everyday for hours on end to protect others.”
“I don’t really see vhat’s vrong vith that,” Keks admitted.
“She could…” Fang trailed off, shaking his head.
Keks knew what he meant, “she could die.”
Fang made a broken noise, and pushed past them to get out of this confrontation.
“Did you have to make him cry?” Coyote sighed.
“I think he vas going to anyways,” Keks said quietly. “It’d be easier if he just told her.”
“Told her what?” Coyote stepped over some down tree trunks.
Keks ran his hands over the scorch marks of a lightsaber, already dreading what they were going to find soon.
“That he loves her,” Keks stated.
****
The missile hit one vulture droid, and it crashed into the other. They collided into the ground, explosively wiping out a chunk of the droids while illuminating the unscathed to be slotted.
“Why didn’t you just say you had a missile launcher?” Gree asked Juliette as the men cheered.
“You wouldn’t let me get a word in,” Juliette stated, “not to mention, it’s attached to my back.”
“I thought that was your jet pack.” Hardwire admitted.
“It’s both.” Juliette corrected.
Mirage chuckled, carrying another wounded to the medical tent they were guarding.
“Just throwing it out there,” Boomerang said, “please never give Mirage a jet pack.”
“I’m sure I’d be a good flyer,” Mirage set his injured brother down, ruffling his hair.
“You can barely walk,” Boomerang argued.
“Looks like you pushed them back some.” Gree said, looking through his binoculars. “They’re either regrouping or preparing to cover Grievous’s escape.”
“I’m thinking the second option,” Hardwire stated.
“Should we go hunt him down then?” Juliette asked. After seeing so many men come back clinging to life die from lightsaber sustained injuries, she’d happily attempt to take that heartless monster down.
“I’d advise against it,” Gree pat her shoulder, “not until the Jedi arrives through that blockade.”
Juliette turned to Hardwire, “how’s Captain Stickler?”
“Last I heard he said the shields are still up,” Hardwire said, “just focus on the ground assault for now.”
But what about Cosmos? My pilots? It’s the most dangerous job in the Republic. I’ve seen the casualty numbers…
She had to shake it off.
Somewhere out there on the ground was Fang.
As upset with him she was, she wanted her boyfriend to be okay too.
****
That explosion was caused by Juliette.
Fang knew it in his heart that that was the doing of his girl.
So full of surprises, he thought as they came to last reported sighting of the ARF.
“The report said that they found the General here,” Keks explained, “he engaged the squad and they had to retreat.”
“So, we’re here why?“ Buck asked.
“Because one vas hurt,” Keks stood on top of the mess of broken trees. “He’s here.”
“Not to sound like a downer, but…” Mick trailed off, “you know?”
What if he’s dead?
Fang turned to Coyote.
His brother who ran back into the cave because he had to be sure he wasn’t leaving his Pack behind.
We’re here to be sure.
Keks knelt down, surveying the mess, “Hound? Are you in there, vod?”
Nothing.
“Hound?” Keks carefully moved though the mess, “Hound?”
Fang looked around, but nothing caught his eye.
“Hound?” Coyote called, “where are you?”
“Hound?” Buck moved some wood with his boot.
Mick was off ahead when he jumped back, falling on his back and scrambling away.
“What?” Buck ran to him.
“I found a leg…”
Fang stopped, feeling a tingling in his arm.
Burning, crushing, excruciating tingling in his whole right side like his body was being lit on fire again.
Coyote came over to him, softly whispering, “hey, you okay?”
Fang focused on his breathing, sinking down to the ground.
Coyote knelt down, lifting off his helmet, “it’s okay. I’m right here, look at me. Focus on me.”
He didn’t fight Coyote when he removed Fang’s helmet, and he tried to focus on his brother’s ice blue eyes.
Coyote took his hands, “you’re not in danger. I’m right here, Fang, I’m not going anywhere.”
Fang’s gaze shifted to behind him, to a white mass.
“Hound.” Fang refocused.
Coyote turned, “Keks! Over here!”
Fang crawled over, moving the branches and taking his brother’s arm.
He felt limp, but he dragged him out.
The scout had wrapped his leg and tied it off at his knee.
Like Fang, his missing limb was on his right side.
Coyote leaned down, listening closely.
Keks approached, “is he…?”
Coyote let out a sigh of relief, “he’s alive.”
****
Keks knelt down, lifting off the ARF trooper’s helmet.
The young scout must’ve passed out he concluded, and he lightly tapped his filthy cheek.
Hound stirred, whimpering as he cracked his eyes open.
“Sergeant Digger reported you missing,” Keks smiled under his helmet, “ready to go home, kid?”
“Corporal?” Hound weakly smiled, “hi, brother.”
Mick stepped around them, “I’m going to throw you over my shoulder, okay?”
Hound nodded, sitting up very vaguely looking over his missing limb.
Keks helped steady him, “you seem a little loopy, Hound. Did you take a sedative?”
“Uh huh,” Hound blinked lazily. “Mutt gave it to me for emergencies.”
“That’s good then,” Keks placed Hound’s helmet back on, “come on, lads. Ve need to get back to safety.”
Mick began walking with Buck beside him, and Hound just hung off without a care in the universe.
Keks wondered if it was the pain killers, their training, or just Hound’s attitude that was leaving him so at eased.
“I still don’t quite understand why we came out here, sir,” Fang admitted, “but I’m glad we found him.”
“You’ll understand,” Keks said, as they began moving again. “Soon ve vill be home, eating dinner, and you’ll be back to your old self. That is, once you make up vith Juliette.”
Fang sighed, “I doubt it. After what I did, she’s probably still mad at me for walking out like that.”
“Just talk to her.” Coyote sighed, “get that through your thick skull, will you?”
Keks chuckled, then went up ahead to catch up with Buck and Mick.
He pat Hound’s helmet, and went off ahead with his gun ready.
“Keep alert,” Keks reminded them, “that explosion probably pushed them back towards us.”
“Yes, sir,” they all answered, except Fang.
He’s stuck in his head. Keks switched to his private comm frequency with Coyote, “keep an eye on Fang. He’s not himself today.”
“I agree,” Coyote answered.
Fang finally spoke up, “droids. Up ahead.”
“Wonderful.” Keks said, “get into the trees, before they see us.”
Buck and Mick ducked down, letting Hound down easy. Coyote pulled Fang to behind a tree trunk. Keks lowered down behind a shrub.
The droids came running by, bickering and yelling about retreating.
“Run for it!” One of the battle droids bellowed.
Typical of them, they all began repeating, “roger roger.”
There’s too many, Keks looked around.
He carefully moved, staying close to the ground.
“Men,” he said in the private comm, “there’s a path that vay. You need to follow it back to the base.”
“What about you?” Coyote asked.
“I’ll be right behind you.” Keks said, “after I cover you.”
Mick noticed the twist of trees, and took a quick dive down the pathway.
Buck double-checked, then followed him.
“Wait,” a droid called. “I heard something.”
Several droids stopped, approaching the tree Coyote and Fang were hidden behind.
The droids clicked their blasters, prepared to take aim.
Not on my watch, Keks stood up.
He fired on the droids, blasting a few heads off.
“Come and get me.” Keks taunted, running the opposite way.
“Keks! What are you doing?” Coyote’s voice filled his helmet.
“Get out of here,” Keks ordered, “I’ll lead them away!”
“Keks, you can’t face them alone!“ Fang argued, “let-“
“Coyote, there’s a file in my bunk,” Keks heard a bolt of plasma whoosh by his head, “give it to Cooper. He’ll know what to do with it.”
Keks ducked behind a tree, firing on the perusing droids.
“Yes, sir,” Coyote said, “goodbye, Keks.”
A bolt pierced his shoulder, and knocked his blaster from his hand.
Another through his chest.
Keks felt his body giving up, as he pulled himself behind the tree, taking out his thermal detonator.
They surrounded him, blasters aimed right at him.
Keks squeezed his eyes shut, I didn’t want to die.
“Goodbye.”
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inhuman-obey-me · 4 years ago
Text
The Agony & The Ecstasy
Can also be read on AO3 here
Word Count: 5.2k
Description: #HappyBirthdayAsmodeus 2021!! Before he was the Avatar of Lust, he was the Jewel of the Heavens. A journey from the angel Asmo used to be, to the demon he's become.
[cw: sexual mentions]
The Agony
He sat before the mirror of his bedroom, sketching his lean cheeks with their high bone ridges, his soft lips, the gentle curls of his champagne-toned hair, the light in his orange-yellow eyes.
The Jewel of the Heavens, they called him. The most beautiful of the angels. So lovely that even Jophiel, the patron angel of artists, had asked if she could have a painting to keep of him. And so, here he was, trying to capture his image on canvas for the archangel.
Asmodeus was proud of how everyone admired him, but truthfully he didn't think it was anything so special. Rather, he was more focused on how lovely everyone else around him was. He wouldn't say that he wasn't beautiful, but so was anyone, in one way or another. There was so much to admire in everyone that his heart ached every day. He longed to help them see themselves the way he saw them.
The lilting notes of a bird's song through the open window broke him out of his thoughts, and he set his sketch down for the moment to greet it.
"Well hello, bluebird dear," he greeted it with a smile, holding his hand out. "How are you today?" The bird trilled with delight in response, rubbing its head against his fingers, and he laughed, petting the creature. "Your singing is so lovely, my dear. What a beautiful day to hear your song."
"Oi, Asmo, good, you're here!" he heard his brother call from below the window. "Lilith and the twins snuck off down to the human world again, could ya go get them? Geez, those troublemakers...I've gotta help Lucifer with somethin' so I need you to go, okay?"
"Whaaaat, they went and they didn't invite me?" he pouted. "I can't believe them!"
"Hey, hey, that's not the point," Mammon groaned, rolling his eyes at his younger sibling. "Gabriel is looking for Beel and Belphie, and you know he'll flip if he finds out they went down to the human realm without permission."
"Okay, okay, I got it. I'll get them, don't worry! Walk with me to the portal?"
"Agh, I'm busy you know," Mammon groaned, though he didn't seem all that upset. "But fine, I get it, ya wanna spend some time with your big older brother! Leave it to Mammon!"
"You tell yourself that," Asmo giggled. He hopped down from the window, fluttering down gracefully on the lightness of his robes. "So where in the human world do you think they went this time?"
"Well, you know, Belphie always wants to go to that circus he likes. He mighta dragged the other two along with him."
"Ooooh, right, the circus! The acrobats are so graceful, with the way they glide around in the air. They don't even have wings, but they figured out a way to look like they're flying! Humans really are interesting, aren't they?"
"You think so? I think it's kinda scary, man," Mammon shuddered.
"Well just because you might trip over yourself even on the ground doesn't mean everyone's that clumsy!" Asmo teased.
"Oi! Take that back! I can walk just fine, thank you!"
"Heehee!"
"Anyway, if they're not at the circus, maybe one of those restaurants? Beel's been eating a lot lately, maybe he wanted to try some human realm food."
"Ah, yeah! The fancy restaurants down there make such pretty dishes! The chefs are such artists," Asmo said admiringly, eyes glittering. "I'd like to try one too..."
"Hey, don't forget you're goin' there to get the twins to come back! Don't get distracted by running off down there yourself!"
"But I never get to go down to see the human realm! And the three of them like it so much, you know, it'd be nice to see how pretty everything is for myself," Asmo smiled innocently.
The two of them stopped as they reached their destination.
"Oi, Asmo, I'm serious. You better not go off hitting on everyone you see again," Mammon warned.
"Hey! I'm not hitting on them, I just think everyone is beautiful, and they should know it," Asmo protested. "You're just jealous because they like me more than you. But if you saw the good in everyone you met like me, they'd love you too! You should try it sometime!"
"Ugh, Asmo...don't be gross. And seriously, come right back once you find them. Gabriel's gonna have my hide too if they don't report to him soon, after he asked me to send them over."
"Yeah, yeah. Okay, I'll be back before you know it!"
The younger brother waved breezily as he stepped through the portal.
--
When the light of the portal faded from his vision, Asmodeus found himself in a quiet, hidden spot of a sunny park. Birds chirped, dogs were playing, and he could hear the screaming laughter of children from farther away. In the distance, he could see a news board by the nearby street, which seemed as good a place as any to start checking for information about the circus.
Before he could make it over there, though, a young woman stopped him. "Ahh, excuse me! I just, um, y-you're really handsome, and um...I-I just wanted to say hello. Are you visiting our town? Would you like to spend some time together....maybe come with me to the bakery down the street?! I want to get to know you," she blurted out.
He laughed with delight. "Oooh, aren't you adorable! Forget me, you're so pretty yourself! Your skin is so radiant, and your eyes are so sweet," he cooed. She blushed bright red at the compliments immediately. "Oh! But...I don't have time to go to a bakery right now, I'm looking for my little siblings. Unless you've seen a pair of boys with a girl around there? A tall guy with orange hair, and a sleepy black-haired boy?"
"I, um..." she paused, mind racing on how to keep him interested. "You know, I-I might have seen them. Or maybe, um...maybe the baker has! P-people are going in there all the time, you know, s-so maybe he might have seen them...? I'm sure he'll be able to help!"
It was fairly obvious that she was lying, but Asmo couldn't help but be charmed by her shy attempts at staying with him. His heart tugged him to go along with it anyway, just as it tugged at anyone he came across, especially those who were so drawn in by him too. He couldn't help it, even if it got him into trouble at times. So he agreed.
"Hmm, is that so? Okay! Let's go then."
She led him along the road to the bakery, an extravagant little spot for the size of the shop, where the man at the counter unhelpfully told them that he'd seen a lot of boys around and couldn't possibly remember them all. "Maybe if you buy some bread, I might remember better. I recommend some of these tarts...and you'd better take this big loaf right here too, to be sure I don't forget again," he said with a vicious grin. "We charge by the ounce, of course."
The angel gave him a bright smile back. "Oooh, they do look delicious! You must be so talented to create such beautiful things, sir! Oh, but...I don't have any money on me..."
This clearly irked the man, though something about Asmo's cheerful expression at least stopped him from throwing the pair straight out of the shop, as he usually might with people like this, who came in with no money. He eyed the golden bangle on his visitor's wrist. "Give me that then," he demanded, pointing. "I'll give it to my daughter. She'll like it."
Against his better judgment, the angel obliged. After all, it was just a part of the human world disguise he wore - he could just make another one later. And the baker was going to give it to his daughter, which was certainly kind. Or at least, he thought that was better than just selling it, like most people would. How lovely for a father to want to give his daughter nice presents. "Here, you can have this then. So, about my brothers...?"
The human greedily snatched the bangle from his palm. "Sure, they came in, just about an hour ago probably. The orange-haired one bought more bread than I thought I would sell all day. The girl, she was talking about wanting to visit someone in town. She didn't mention where, but it sounded like it was near the square. And the boys, they wanted to go to the circus that's visiting. They're over at the edge of town."
Satisfied with this new information but not exactly pleased about what the exchange had cost him, he thanked the baker and excused himself from both humans.
Frustrating as it was, this was how it always went. Asmodeus felt himself filled to the brim overflowing with love for everyone, painfully so. And no matter how they lied, or tried to trick him, or took advantage of him, he still loved them so much. It wasn't that he was naive, or that he didn't notice, but just that he always still saw the good parts of them too.
At least he knew where to head from here, though. It sounded like Lilith had probably split off from the twins, but since Mammon had only asked him to send Beel and Belphie back, he'd worry about her later. First, the circus.
Luckily, by this point, Belphegor had been caught dragging his twin to such shows often enough that Asmo could pretty easily predict what area of the audience he'd find them in. He made his way into the tent and quickly located the pair. "You two!" he hissed quietly from the row behind them. "You know you shouldn't be running off to the human world while everyone is still working! Mammon said Gabriel was looking for you. You'd better get back, right now!"
The twins looked at him guiltily, two sets of apologetic eyes. "Sorry, it's my fault...Lilith said she wanted to visit someone, and you know Lucifer always scolds her not to go down alone. So I said we should come too," Beelzebub explained quickly.
"It's my fault too, Beel," Belphie added. "After she met up with them, I wanted to come see the circus again...sorry."
"Ahhh, okay, okay! I can't be mad at such cute younger brothers! Just hurry up and go!" Asmo said, waving away their apologies. "I'll find Lilith to make sure she comes back okay too."
Relieved at his easy forgiveness, the two of them slipped out quietly to head back.
The elder brother sat there a while longer. He'd never actually been to a circus himself before, and he was curious. It was entrancing - contortionists twisting their bodies in fascinating ways, trapeze artists flying gracefully across the air, the balance of the tightrope walkers and the authority of the ringmaster. Though he didn't know them, his heart ached with admiration at the performers below. It was easy to see why their youngest brother loved coming to these so much.
Before he knew it, he had stayed to the end of the show, and the audience was filtering out around him. But he didn't want to leave just yet, and longed for more. Without really thinking, he wandered out to the back of the tent, to the performer's entrance.
"Oh? A fan?"
He blushed a little as realized his mistake, meeting the eyes of the acrobat who had addressed him. "Hi there! I guess you could call me a fan, yes? Your performances out there were just sooo beautiful!"
An amused smile crossed her face. "Well aren't you a cutie. What's your name, hon?"
"I'm Asmodeus!" he replied cheerily. "But my brothers call me Asmo."
"Asmo, eh? Heh. Well, thanks for the compliments, Asmo," she said, leaning in to play with a strand of his hair. "I'm Naamah. Glad you enjoyed the show."
From this close, he could see every detail of how stunning the woman was. Her makeup was thick, as it needed to be for the stage, but it suited her somehow, like her face had always been meant to wear it this way. A tight bun of dark hair sat atop her head, ringed by a blue and red crown of feathers that matched the bright colors of a costume that showed off every curve of her slender, athletic body.
"In fact, Asmo, my dear fan," she continued, "today's your lucky day. I don't feel like sticking around for another of the top hat's fucking lectures about how we need to do better tomorrow. So what do you say we go find ourselves a party, love?"
He thought guiltily back to Lilith, who he had promised to find and escort home. But on the other hand, she had come to see someone, and he didn't really know when she'd be done meeting with this person, or where they were at this point. And he'd never actually been to a party before...
--
"Have another drink, Asmo, I insist," Naamah laughed tipsily, passing him another cup of wine. "You act like you've never let loose before!"
Truthfully, he sort of hadn't, and for his part, Asmodeus was having a magnificent time. A quaint little band of musicians played upbeat, joyful music from the edge of the courtyard, which was packed with merry folks in all sorts of costumes. His new friend had mentioned on their way here that it was a costume party, and the costumes truly did not disappoint - people here were dressed up as angels, demons, all kinds of animals, and even as things he'd never heard of before. Even after changing partially back into his angel form to let his wings free, he didn't feel like he stood out any more than anyone else.
And the dancing! The overflowing love he felt had an outlet for once, here where he could feed the energy back through his movements, passing from partner to partner without anyone to scold him for being too loose with his love. He couldn't help but think that the Celestial Realm felt so stuffy by comparison - all music back home being generally restricted to choirs to their father, and none of the raucous laughter and chatter filling the air the way the humans were doing here. The seraphs were strict on the lower angels, insisting on upright perfection at all times.
"This is so much fun," he said as he clinked his new cup against Naamah's with a laugh, giggling even harder when she then leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek.
"Pass it on," she dared in a whisper to his ear.
Being the Jewel of the Heavens, always filled with love as he was, it didn't take long for him to find another person to pass the kiss on to. He got up and lightly pecked a man by the sidelines on the cheek. "Hi there, darling. Would you like to dance?" he asked sweetly.
The man reddened slightly at the kiss but agreed quickly to a song, and Asmo found himself soon in another round of dancing, whirling between partners until he had probably danced with each person at least three times. Mid-step as he was about to pass to Naamah again, he noticed a figure moving quickly by from across the road.
A very familiar figure.
"Ack, I'm sorry - I've got to go," he said quickly, leaving his companion very confused as he dashed off from her and the rest of the party.
"Lilith!" he called out, chasing after her in the now-fallen night.
His sister startled at the sound of his voice. "Asmo? What are you doing here in the human realm?"
"You know, really I should be the one asking you that, sis!" he responded, patting her on the head as he caught up. "Mammon sent me here to find you and the twins. Although I, hehe, might have gotten a bit distracted on my way to find you after I sent the twins back. Okay, your turn, what were you doing here?"
She looked away shyly. "I was just, um...meeting someone."
"Ooooh? Tell your big brother more," he teased.
"Well, um...a-actually, Asmo, you love everyone, right? But how do you know you're in love with them?"
That certainly caught him off-guard.
"Hmmm? I never really thought about it," he mused. "I guess it feels kind of warm and fuzzy, right? Or...sometimes it's stronger. Like fire! Like your whole body is in flames, and you're going to burst apart in one biiiig explosion!" Teasingly, he grabbed her by the shoulders and mimicked some explosion sounds. "Why, my dear sister, have you fallen in love with somebody? Were you down here to ask the humans for loooove advice? Who is it, hon? Uriel? Israfil?? Camael?? Or - don't tell me it's Michael?!"
"N-no!" she said, eyes wide. "Ahh, no! No, it's not like that! And don't tell Lucifer or Mammon that I asked about this either!"
Her older brother just giggled mischievously in reply. "Well, let's just get back," he answered, placing his hand on the tree by where he'd landed earlier to open the portal back up.
When they stepped through, their two eldest brothers were waiting for them with scowls.
Lucifer spoke first. "Where have you two been, exactly?"
"Eep! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stay out so late!!" Lilith squeaked, quickly hiding behind her other brother. "I just, um--I just wanted to go meet with someone. And I lost track of time."
"What about you? Don't tell me ya got distracted hitting on people again," Mammon said, turning his attention to the other just-returned angel. "I've been havin' to cover for ya all day! Raphael is not happy."
"Hey, you're the one who sent me down there to find the twins!" Asmo argued back.
"Yeah, and they came back ages ago! So where have you been!"
"Well, one of the acrobats from Belphie's circus invited me to a party, so I--"
"A party?" Lucifer growled. "You were out late for a human party?"
"I mean...! I didn't know where to find Lilith or when she'd be done meeting her person, so I just thought I'd have some fun while I was down there," Asmo pouted.
"You still shouldn't be going to human world parties, Asmo," the eldest lectured, refocusing his gaze on their sister. "And as for you, about that person you went to meet...why are you meeting with a human?"
She just looked away.
Lucifer sighed. "Never mind, we'll talk later, Lilith. Just go back to your rooms for now, it's late and the next patrols will be by soon. You're lucky Mammon was the one on duty tonight and reported it straight to me so the other seraphs don't know yet."
With relief, the two of them scurried away back to their respective living quarters.
Back in his room, Asmodeus looked over the sketch of himself he'd been working on earlier that day. After the excitement of the day and the party, it looked so bland now that he looked at it again. It was perfectly in line with the classic portrait style of paintings all over the Celestial Realm, but it felt so flat. He saw the good in everyone, right?
And the best thing about him wasn't his face, or his hair, or the way the sunlight fell perfectly across his face at noon. No, the good thing about him was how he loved everyone, wasn it? The love that filled him to bursting at every moment, the love that felt like heavenly fire coursing through his heart every time he looked at someone. That was what made him the universally admired angel that everybody loved back. This painting needed to show that overflowing love too, didn't it?
He tore the canvas off, stretching a fresh one across the frame to start again.
&
When Lucifer came to the brothers to say he was going to rebel against their father, Asmodeus didn't hesitate. All of them had heard about what Lilith had done, and how she was set to be punished for it with obliteration. Utter destruction, wiping her from existence. And for what? For her love?
Well, Asmo was intimately familiar with getting in trouble over love. He'd certainly felt the sharp end of Raphael's spear enough times to know that love was not especially prized or respected in the Celestial Realm. Their father had created him with this overwhelming burning of love towards all, yet that same father commanded the angels without regard for love. It was his rules that forbade Asmo from having outlets to express his love, and it was those same rules that would now destroy his sister.
Lucifer had already tried arguing for mercy, to no avail. It didn't matter if it was out of love; all the worse, in fact, because Lilith wasn't supposed to have gone down to the human realm in the first place, let alone fallen in love with one of them. Their father didn't care about love. So, Lucifer would fight.
And so would Asmodeus.
The Ecstasy
When he came to, the first thing Asmo felt was weightlessness.
It wasn't just his clothes, which had transformed from a billowing mass of white robes to a slender, form-fitting black tank top and pants. Nor was it how his large, elegant wings were now turning to four smaller, curled bat-like ones.
No, it was the lack of burning fire in his chest. What normally felt tightly contained within him was looser, freer, like something had unlocked inside of him, allowing it to spill out.
It was such a jarring, unfamiliar feeling that he gasped out for air.
"Asmo!! Beel, Belphie! Levi! Are you all okay?!" Mammon called out at the sound, rushing over. He had landed not too far away, and seemed to have undergone his own transformation, his usual softly draping outfit now full of sharp, cutting lines instead. In fact, it looked like everyone had either changed or was mid-transformation.
"Where's Lilith?" Beelzebub asked immediately, sounding panicked. "She got hit by an arrow earlier and fell during the battle, is she here?! Is she okay?!"
Belphie sat up and looked around before shaking his head. "I don't think she's here," he said softly. "What happened?"
"Mmm, well judging by how we all look, I guess we're...demons now?" Asmo chimed in.
"Aaagh, dammit! I saw Lucifer fly down all of a sudden while we were fightin', but I don't see him here either. He's gotta be around here somewhere though," Mammon said. "C'mon, get up, guys. Levi, you okay over there?"
A pitiful mumble of affirmation came from the cerulean-haired lump. Levi had awoken but, it seemed, simply opted to stay laying on the ground, as if laying there would erase away everything that had just happened.
After a quick check over each of them, Mammon seemed satisfied that there were no major injuries, at least. Aside from, obviously, them all having lost their angel forms, and seemingly having transformed into demons here. Which meant...
"Welcome to the Devildom." A demon in a crisp black and red uniform walked up to them with a polite smile. "Lord Diavolo has requested for all of Lucifer's brothers to come to the RAD student council room at once. Of course, Lucifer himself is there as well."
Ignoring the confused chatter of the brothers, he led them to a grand building, through beautifully sculpted hallways, and into a large courtroom-like chamber.
A large, dark-skinned demon in what looked to be a red school uniform was seated at the judge's seat, and beside him...Lucifer, in a similar uniform as the man who had led them here, as well as a scary-looking blond individual they didn't recognize.
Five piles of cleanly folded uniforms sat on a table in the center of the room.
In what felt like a whirlwind of explanation, the demon at the center introduced himself as Lord Diavolo, confirmed that they were indeed demons now, and explained that, as the demon prince and current ruler of the Devildom, they were now part of his domain. This was RAD, a school for demons, and the demon who had led them here was Barbatos, his personal butler. His father, who had passed the reigns of power but still commanded more respect among the nobles, would help work out the details of their new positions here in the Devildom, but he wanted to welcome them as members of the RAD student council.
It was a lot, but most importantly, they would stay together down here. They would live together, with Lucifer working out the details of their new home, and they would attend this school. Apart from this, they would be eventually assigned other responsibilities, but they would be otherwise free to enjoy the Devildom as they pleased.
As they pleased. Asmodeus wasn't sure what this all meant for them, but he liked the sound of that phrase.
--
Asmo sighed happily, gazing at himself in his vanity mirror. He looked perfect. His outfit was perfect, with pearly flower earrings perfectly matching the flowery sleeves of his shirt.
After they fell, Mammon had worried and fussed over everyone - not that he would ever admit it outright. Still, the worry had been unmistakable, checking in on each brother every day to make sure they were adjusting okay. But for Asmodeus, things were more than okay. It was like a blindfold had been removed from his eyes.
When he looked at himself now, he understood why everyone had always fawned over his looks - he was gorgeous! How had he never seen it before? He was dazzlingly beautiful. No wonder they had called him the Jewel of the Heavens! And though he was no longer part of, well, heaven, he was still the most stunning being to exist, in all the three realms.
That being the case, it was only right to share himself with everyone, right? Everyone had always wanted to gaze upon him, and at last, with the chains of celestial modesty shed from him, he understood that it was his responsibility to share this gift of his beauty with all.
"I'm heading out!" he called out to his brothers in the common room as he skipped out of the house with excitement. By this point, he'd been to tons of parties, but the joy of it never really wore off. The energy, the dancing, the drinks, the new people, and most importantly? Getting to do whatever the hell he wanted.
The pumping music and the flashing lights of the club greeted him as he threw open the doors. "Who's ready for an Asmo party?! Your Avatar of Lust has arrived!" he cheered.
Everyone in the club went wild immediately, as they always did for these. A night of partying, hosted by the Avatar of Lust, filled with dancing and drinks, and inevitably ending in a wild orgy at some nearby hotel room with as many bodies as could be crammed in? The demons at the club always went wild for an event like that.
Cambores, his good friend, came up immediately to give him a kiss on the cheek and pass him a drink. "Asmo, baby, we've been waiting for you! There's a whole line of succubi who have been begging for a dance with you tonight!"
"Only a dance?" he giggled impishly, as he waved to the line his friend pointed out. "Well, they do have to take turns, since a beauty like mine has to be shared with everyone. But we'll have to see if any of them can tear themselves off of me after a dance!"
Wasting no time, he grabbed the hand of the first one and whirled her onto the floor. "Bothothêl, you're back for me again tonight," he teased. "Didn't get enough of me last night?"
"No, never, Lord Asmodeus," she responded, gazing adoringly into his eyes. She shimmied against him, pressing herself close against his body, and he responded in kind. "I want you every night if you'll allow it."
"Well, I'm flattered, my dear," he answered in a sultry whisper against her collarbone, "but I'm afraid you can't hog beauty like this. But maybe next time I eat you out, I'll eat your heart along with it so I can carry you with me, if you want to stay beside me so badly." He felt the lust emanating from her at that, and took the opportunity to give her a little nibble against her neck, before twirling her away to pull forth the next two succubi from the line at once.
By the tenth or eleventh song, he was about ready for another drink - and some actual action, rather than the intimate but very short flirts he was having with his dance partners. "Sarabocres, darling," he greeted the bartender cheerfully. "Can I get a Brimstone Kiss? And...a Death Tequila Sunset for this new friend of mine right here," he added, tugging over a random demon who had caught his eye from further down the bar.
"O-oh, um, Lord Asmodeus! T-thank you," the demon sputtered in surprise.
"You're welcome," he smiled sweetly back. "So you know my name, what's yours?"
"Kamusil, sir," she answered. Her eyes sparkled as she took him in, though she quickly scooted back and looked away. "Wow. You're even more beautiful than everyone says."
Smirking, he placed a finger under her chin and lifted her gaze back up to meet his. "Well, no one can accurately describe perfection, after all. But no need to be shy, cutie, you can drop the sir and all those formalities. Tell me, what kinds of secret desires are you hiding? If you could have, hmm...let's say, ten demons here in your bed tonight, who would they be?"
As if in a trance, any hesitation in her dropped away immediately. She pointed out various demons to him, some he recognized and some he didn't, all of them drop-dead gorgeous.
A mischievous smile spread across his face. He gave her a quick smooch, and whispered, "Okay, wait for me just a bit then, and don't you leave before me. Okaaay? We'll have a good time tonight, I promise."
With that, he downed his newly arrived drink and returned to join the throngs of dancers.
--
What a fun plaything she'd been, truly. Despite having been so shy, Kamusil had really had a knack for spying some of the wildest partners he'd been with in quite a while. He lay idly in the bed, tracing the sleeping form of one of the many sexed out demons beside him.
It would be an exaggeration to say they'd all explored pleasures together he'd never dreamed of - he was the Avatar of Lust, after all - but certainly there were some obscure things he got to try out that night. And there was always tomorrow, or the next night, or the next.
After all, there was nothing stopping him anymore. No shame, no modesty, none of the rules binding him. He could do whatever the hell he wanted.
And he loved it.
169 notes · View notes
raindancer2004 · 3 years ago
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Stress of a new life
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Word Count: 3,553 Alec x OC Swan Oneshot Warnings: Fluff, Angst
Comfort / Fluff Prompts: 2: “I’m at the hospital” 4: “How long has it been since you’ve slept?” 15: “You need to eat something” 16: “Stop telling me you’re ok” For @thevolturiarejustbetter who also gave me a detailed stroyline to work with.
Alice and Bella were talking in the kitchen when Luna came downstairs “Oh! Hi Alice. What are you doing here?” “I’ve come to see Bella…I had a vision…Bella…” “That doesn’t matter know Luna. We have to go to Italy. We need to save Edward” Bella cuts off Alice “Why? He left you. He didn’t want you” Jacob interjects “I’m not going to let him kill himself out of guilt” Bella tells him. “Luna…help…tell her to stay” “No. Jake. I may not like him much because of what he did, but she loves him. Come on Bells” Luna says as she takes Bella hand and leads her out of the house and over to Carlisle’s car.
Once Alice showed Aro her vision of Bella becoming immortal Aro decided to let them go…except Luna. “Ah Miss Swan…I cannot permit you to leave” Aro’s voice stops both Bella and Luna in their tracks “B-but you said…” “I said Bella could leave with Edward and Alice, you however…must stay” Aro says cutting Luna off “Why?” Bella asked “Because she is mated to Alec” Edward answers, Luna spins to face Edward, shock written across her face and he nods at her. Luna slowly turns back round to see Alec staring at her, his mouth in a thin line “I don’t think he likes me” Luna said to Aro low “He doesn’t like anyone” One of the lower guards mumbled from the back of the room. Alec hissed at him before turning to Demetri “Take her with you so she can say goodbye to them…please” Demetri nodded at Alec “Come on Luna” Alice says softly and takes her hand in hers as they walk back to reception.
A few hours later after Bella, Edward and Alice had left the castle, Luna found herself standing beside Alec in Aro’s private study, Caius and Marcus standing behind him at his desk. “Aro, with all due respect I cannot stay here, I’m 16 and am in High School…” “I understand that I do but you cannot leave my dear. Do you want to suffer the way your sister has for the last six months?” Aro pauses to allow Luna to speak but she doesn’t, she just shakes her head “Mates do not do well apart as you have seen for yourself and with regards to your schooling, you can finish the courses online and we can help you too” Aro continued and gave her a smile. “We can also teach you about our history and laws as you’ll need to know them now you’re part of the family” Marcus said softly “H-how soon do I…” “There will be no rush to turn you as you are living here with us” Caius replied and Luna nodded “This means that you and Alec can get to know each other without the added pressure of you being a newborn” Aro added and smiled at Alec. “Thank you masters” Alec replies and bows his head.
Luna was given her own room on the floor below the Elite Guard floor, her room was opposite Heidi’s. Jane was pleased that her brother’s mate was nowhere near the lower guard floor which meant no one could harm her, not that Jane was too worried about it. Heidi introduced herself and told Luna that if she needs anything she only has to ask. “I-I don’t have any clothes with me as I wasn’t intending to stay here. Are there any shops nearby?” She asked low “They’re closed now but I can take you tomorrow. I can lend you something to sleep in and clothes for tomorrow’s shopping trip” Heidi replied “That would be very nice of you. Thank you” Luna replied smiling.
The following morning Luna and Heidi got ready to go shopping. “I don’t have much money so it won’t be a long trip” Luna told Heidi “Don’t worry about any of that, the cost of the shopping trip is covered” Heidi replied and Luna went to argue “Nope, don’t argue hunny. It’s already been decided” Luna nodded and Heidi led her out of the castle. Heidi bought her some dresses from the little boutique that her, Chelsea and Corin buy theirs from. Luna also picked up jeans, t-shirts, underwear and shoes.
Luna signed up for her courses online with Demetri’s help “I studied for a degree online a few years back so I’m here to help you if you get stuck” He gave her a warm smile and sat on the sofa beside her “Thank you Demetri” She replied although she could feel herself getting stressed just thinking about studying online…alone. She wished she was back home with Bella because Bella could always calm her down if she was feeling overwhelmed and stressed.
Demetri had noticed that Alec wasn’t spending much time with Luna and that she seemed to be spending all of her time studying, he assumed this was her way of dealing with the situation. The desk in her room was covered in textbooks and notebooks with the laptop Caius had bought her sitting on the left side of her desk. Demetri and Heidi had lent her some books from their rooms for to read in her downtime.
“Luna, can we talk?” He asked getting her attention “Of course, what about?” “The twins” He answered her and she nodded and turned to face him. “Alec and Jane had a rough time when they were human. They were accused of being witches and after enduring years of verbal abuse and being cast out by the other villagers they were finally burned at the stake. Aro and Caius saved them just in time and gave them immortality” Demetri explained and Luna nodded, her eyes becoming glassy at the thought of Alec and Jane being treated so cruelly “Neither of the twins have ever been in a romantic or loving relationship so whilst the idea of finding their mates appeals to them, the reality is a lot scarier for them, especially if their mate is human” Demetri continued “So just don’t take it personally they’re not big fans of humans” Felix added.
Aro and Caius had noticed that Alec and Luna were not spending much time together so came up a scheme to get the two of them in the same room so they would have to talk. Caius met Luna and Alec in the Library one Friday afternoon “Right I need the two of you to put those boxes of books away correctly” Caius instructed them and pointed to the four boxes that were on the tables. Alec and Luna did as Caius asked but barely spoke to each other for the few hours they were together, something Caius wasn’t happy about. “Please can you help me to reach the higher shelf?” Luna asked Alec “Sure, just leave the book on that table” He replied and pointed to the table beside him “Thank you.” “How’s your studying going?” Alec asked Luna “It’s ok, thanks. There’s just a lot of it as I’m doing everything online.” He nodded in response and resumed placing the books onto the correct shelve. She didn’t want to burden him by telling him she was struggling and getting stressed out with her schoolwork and trying to settle into the castle full of vampires.
A few days later Luna had decided to study in the Library as it would make a change of scenery from her room. She was so engrossed in her studies she lost track of time and didn’t hear Felix enter the room. “How long has it been since you’ve slept?” Felix asked as took a seat beside her at the table where she had all of her books laid out “I slept for a few hours last night” She replied “Let me rephrase little human. When was the last time you got between 6 to 8 hours sleep?” “I don’t know Fe. When was the last time you got between 6 to 8 hours sleep?” Demetri chuckled from his place on the sofa “You walked right into that one” “It’s been centuries since I slept seeing as I’m a vampire” Felix responded looking at Luna, she didn’t respond just gave him a small smile and returned to her studies.
Demetri had noticed over the months the tell-tale signs of Luna being stressed as there were two things she would do; tapping her nails on the table or constantly twirling her hair around her fingers. Felix noticed that these little things appeared to irritate Alec although he never said anything to Luna as she was his mate. There was a part of Alec that found the hair twirling thing adorable.
Luna had been in Italy for about three months when her relationship with Alec changed, her bond with Alec had taken hold and according to Marcus it was very strong, despite her and Alec barely seeing one another. She could count the number of conversations they had shared, not that she would class them as conversations. She had tried talking to him when they were in the same room but he didn’t return the conversation as he found it hard to talk to her.
Luna had spent the past four days studying and completing assignments as Alec was away from the castle along with Jane, Demetri and Felix. She missed Demetri and Felix as they had become her friends in the few months since she arrived at the castle. She missed Alec too but she put that down to the mate bond that was in effect because she wasn’t sure if she knew him well enough to miss him on her own.
Luna decided to go out for a little while and get some fresh air, finally taking a break from her studies. She walked around the shops and picked herself up some snacks and a new notebook for later. She was waiting inline at her favourite Coffee Shop when she felt a little lightheaded and swayed slightly trying to steady herself but failed. She fainted and dropped to the floor, the reflexes of the man behind her not being quick enough to catch her.
Luna woke up in hospital, her head was throbbing and when she lifted her hand to her head, she felt a bandage on the left side of her forehead. “Oh, you’re awake. Don’t try and get up. You hit your head and we need to keep you in for a few hours so we can check if you have a concussion now you’re awake.” The nurse said as she came to stand beside the bed and checked Luna’s vitals. Luna nodded and sighed ‘Alec is going to be so upset if I’m not back soon’ she thought to herself.
Luna had been gone for a few hours and Alec wasn’t too worried about her as he knew that if he needed to find her he could simply ask Demetri to track her. ‘It’s a good thing that she’s taken a break from her studies, she was looking tired’ he thought to himself and continued to read his book.
Sometime later, Alec’s phone rung and he didn’t recognise the number but something inside him told him to answer the phone. “Hello” “Alec, it-it’s me…” “Luna? Where are you calling me from?” “I’m at the hospital” “What? Why?” “I-I fainted. Will…you come and get me…please?” Luna’s voice was low and full of emotion as she didn’t know if he would come and get her “Of course I’ll come get you. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He hung up the phone and made his way to Demetri’s room, not bothering to knock before he entered.
“Demetri I need you to take me to the hospital…” “Why?” Demetri asked cutting him off “Luna’s there. She fainted. I need to bring her home” Demetri stood and nodded “I’ll get my keys” They passed Jane on the way down to the underground garage “Please let the Kings know we’re going to bring Luna home. She’s at the hospital” “Of course brother” She replied and hurried to the throne room.
Demetri and Alec arrive at the hospital and make their way to the front desk “We’re here to collect Luna Swan. She was admitted after she fainted” “Of course, one moment” The receptionist put some details into the computer before turning her attention back to Demetri and Alec “Miss Swan’s in Room 215” The receptionist replies with a smile. Demetri and Alec make their way to her room and find her sitting on the bed waiting for them.
“Luna, darling how are you feeling?” Demetri asked as he stepped closer to the bed “I’m ok. I’m sorry for any trouble I’ve caused” She replied low “You haven’t caused any trouble. You’re safe and well and that’s what matters, right Alec?” Demetri said as he turned to look at Alec. “I’m just glad you called me, but I just want to get you home” Alec said and held out his hand to her. Demetri smiled at the small gesture as he knew Alec struggled to show his emotions…to anyone but Jane. Luna stood from the bed and hesitantly places her hand in Alec’s cold one, the moment their hands touched Alec intertwined their fingers and gave her hand a small squeeze. She looked up at him and he gave her a tiny smile, one that she returned.
They arrive back at the castle and Alec leads her straight to his room, passing the stairs that led up to her room in the process, something Luna and Demetri notice. Demetri smiled to himself as he watched Alec with Luna ‘I hope this incident brings them closer’ he thinks to himself.
They enter Alec’s room to find Jane, Felix, the Kings and Queens waiting for them, the fireplace had been lit also giving the room a light glow.
Dora stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Luna “Oh child, I’m so glad you’re ok. I was worried when Jane told us the news of you being hospital” “Yes, you gave us a quite the scare” Sia added as she wrapped her arms around Luna and Dora, Alec held back a growl at Luna being taken from him by the Queens. “You need to eat something now you’re back home with us” Marcus said softly and Luna nodded “I’ll have Gianna prepare anything you want” He added with a smile. “Could I have some toast and Jam please?” Luna’s voice was low in the room “Of course my dear. I’ll ask Gianna to make you a cup of tea too” Marcus replied “Thank you Marcus.”
Caius stepped forward next and looked her over “You need to rest and I do not want you left alone for the next few days…just in case” He places his hands on her cheeks and gives Alec a quick look over her head “Luna’s staying in here with me. I’ll look after her” Alec says looking at Caius, who nods in response. “Very good. We’ll take our leave now we know you’re ok. If you need anything and I do mean anything, please let us know” Aro says with a smile and takes Sia’s hand in hers. Luna smiled at them and appreciated their concern as she watched them leave.
Alec steps forward and Luna feels an arm slide around her back, a hand coming to rest on her waist. “How are you feeling sweetie?” Jane asked “I’m ok. I just feel silly for fainting and I’m sorry for…disturbing Alec” “You have no reason to feel silly darling, you’re human. It happens sometimes” Demetri told her, his voice comforting. “You didn’t disturb me love and even if you did, you don’t need to feel sorry for that. I’m your mate, you can disturb me anytime” Alec told her as his free hand gently turned her face towards his. She nodded and murmured “Thank you Alec.” “We’ll leave you be too” Demetri said and nodded towards the door, Felix and Jane followed him out.
Alec and Luna were alone in his room and it was quiet, something Luna seemed ok with as she made her way over to the sofa and took a seat. She let out a sigh and he saw her shoulders relax a little and he smiled to himself. He passed his desk on his way to the sofa to join her when he heard her phone vibrate as it was still on silent. Bella’s name was flashing on the screen “Here it’s Bella” Alec said and handed her the phone” “Thank you” She replied.
“Luna, Luna, are you ok?” Bella’s voice told Luna how worried Bella was “Bella, I’m fine I…” “Really? You fainted. You ended up in hospital” Bella cut her off “Really. It’s warm here and I was a little dehydrated…” “How did that happen? Are you not looking after yourself?” “I’ve been busy studying for exams and doing assignments…” “What and Alec hasn’t taken care of you? Are you being neglected?” “This has nothing to do with Alec. I’m fine Bella” Luna started to get upset with her sister as it seemed like she rung just to have a go at her. “I’ve eaten since I got back from the hospital and I am fine. Alec has…” “Stop telling me you’re ok” Bella said frustration clearly showing in her voice. Alec sighed again and made his way over Luna and gently took the phone from her. “Bella, you’re upsetting Luna and I won’t allow it. She really is ok, she just over did it with the studying and forgot to eat and drink plenty, apparently it’s a human thing and is common around exam times” Alec says, trying not to lose his temper at Bella “I just want to know she’s being taken care of Alec” “I was away for a few days but I’m back now and I am going to take care of her and she’ll call you in a few days. Goodbye Bella” Alec ended the call and turned her phone off.
Alec turned to face Luna and noticed tears were beginning to fall and he gently lifted his hands to her face wiping them away with his thumbs. “Don’t cry love” He said softly “I-I’m not ok Alec. I’m stressed about school, living here is…different and we…we…don’t really talk to each other” Luna’s voice was low and shaky as she told him how she really felt in that moment. Alec gently lifted her into his arms and carried her to his bed, placing her gently on top of the duvet. “How about we talk now?” He asked and she nodded. He climbed on the bed beside her and gently wrapped his arms around her “As you’ve been honest with me…I’ll be honest with you” “O-ok” “I’m not very good at showing my emotions or talking about them…unless it’s with Jane and for that I’m truly sorry. I should have made more of an effort with you, although I was always around to ensure you were safe…along with Demetri and Felix” He chuckled “They seem to be very fond of you, apparently, you’re their ‘little human’” It was Luna’s turn to chuckle “Yea, well I am little compared to them and they’re nice. I like them” “Yea, they’re alright” He agreed. 
They laid there in silence for a few moments before Luna spoke again “Demetri told me about your past. Your experience with humans and how…how you became immortal…” She paused to look at Alec and noticed his face was the same as before; relaxed. He nodded for her to continue “He wanted me to know, wanted me to understand that you not talking to me or not being around much wasn’t personal to me…it was due to your dislike of humans in general” “I’m sorry that my behaviour made you feel you couldn’t come and talk to me and that you worried about calling me but I’m glad you called me to come get you and not Demetri or Felix” “You’re my mate…even if we don’t spend time together and I didn’t want to upset you” Her reply was low and her honestly hurt him a little. “I promise to do better Luna. We can work this mate thing out together…if you’d like?” She smiled and nodded “I’d like that very much Alec” He smiled back at her before making his confession “You are my mate, mine to love forever and even though I’ve given you no reason to believe me…I do love you. I love you more than I ever thought possible and…and I want you to move into my room with me. I want this to be our room.”
More tears fell down Luna’s cheek and she sniffled a little “I-I love you too and I’d like to share your room with you…get to know you better” “Then it’s settled. Our forever starts now” He told her and pressed his lips gently to hers in a soft kiss. “That was my first kiss” “Mine too” He replied softly and tightened his hold on her a little. “Sleep my love. I’ll be here when you wake.” Luna and Alec spoke for a little longer before she finally fell asleep in his arms. ‘my little human’ he thought to himself and closed his eyes relaxing beside her.
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leon-scott-kennedy · 3 years ago
Text
Distrail
Chreon, Rated-T
Read on Ao3
For a price, anyone could check into a seedy motel, even three people covered in blood, guts, and grime, no questions asked, especially with the ashes of Raccoon City still cooling 100 miles away. So the horizon still held a faint glow of destruction when Leon and Claire stumbled, barely conscious, through the front door of the Tadpole motel at 2 PM October 1st, using each other as support and Sherry clinging to Leon’s back like a koala if a koala drooled and snored.
Two other motels along the highway turned the odd couple away, rumours already flying about Raccoon City, zombies, and a nuclear cover-up. But at the right price, triple the going rate, Claire managed to convince the manager to let them bunk down, courtesy of Leon’s stressed credit card.
The fact Leon’s credit card worked, or that he even still had his credit card, was a miracle. His wallet hadn’t exactly been a priority, and honestly, they could sleep in a cockroach-infested basement, and Leon would be happy because they were dead on their feet after hiking on foot what Leon estimated to be a good 30 miles of rough terrain to get to the nearest town. The sun barely peeked over the horizon when the sky behind them exploded.
Raccoon City was gone. The people Leon had sworn to defend were gone. Sherry and Claire were all he managed to protect, and he’d be damned if he failed now.
The motel room wasn’t terrible; two double beds, a small tube TV, and a leaky faucet. It wasn’t good, but it wasn’t something out of a horrible nightmare. They’d left that behind them.
“I’m glad we don’t have a blacklight,” Claire joked, but her tone fell flat.
Leon nudged the bed farthest from the door suspiciously with his boot, dragged back the yellow duvet, and inspected the mattress before he lay Sherry down and tucked her in. He even let Claire shower first, insisted, while he watched Sherry sleep, tossing and turning and whimpering from reliving the horrors in her dreams until Claire emerged from the bathroom, hair still damp, and crawled into bed beside Sherry.
By the time Leon scrubbed his skin raw, the water was cold, and Claire had passed out cold with Sherry cuddled up beside her, little hand tangled in the front of Claire’s dirty tank top like a lifeline. Leon passed out face first on the other bed. He couldn’t even muster the energy to get under the covers.
Movement woke Leon. He jolted awake, reaching for his gun on the bedside table, only to find Claire, fully dressed, perched on the end of his bed and tugging one of her boots. She smiled sadly at the gun levelled at her head.
Leon lowered Matilda, gasping for air. His arm fell limply to his side. “Claire?”
“Hey.” Claire pulled on her second boot. “Sorry.”
Leon blinked at the sleep crusting his eyes. “What... what are you doing?”
Claire sighed and set her foot back down solidly on the ground, hands grasping her thighs. “I need to find Chris. I need... I need to know he’s okay.”
“Now?” Leon glanced at the clock. The bright red numbers read 7:46. The setting sun outside glowed faintly behind the curtains.
“If you ever need me...”
“Forget me. What about Sherry?” Leon snapped, somewhat mollified when Claire winced.
“I know you’ll take good care of her.” Claire’s attention briefly snapped to the sleeping 12-year-old that had survived literal hell. “Leon... if I didn’t have to.”
“Yeah. Yeah, whatever,” Leon scoffed, then rolled over. His heart thundered in his chest. He heard Claire briefly wake up Sherry to say goodbye, promising they’d be in touch, that if Sherry ever needed her, all she needed to do was call.
The door creaked open. Leon clenched his eyes shut, willing down the panic swelling in his chest until it ached. This was it. He was all Sherry had left. They were on their own.
“Take care of our girl for me.” Claire’s voice was barely a whisper.
Leon’s hands trembled, buried in the sheets and pillows, he struggled to suck down air, and his hearing fuzzed. Claire was gone.
For hours, Leon faded in and out of consciousness, barely able to keep the crush of dread at bay. Finally, at some point around 3 AM, he gave up all pretense to sleep and kept a vigilant guard. He jumped at a car alarm, tensed at the slam of a door, and clenched Matilda tightly when soft footfalls passed their door. Eventually, Sherry climbed into his bed to watch early morning cartoons with him.
“Is Claire going to be okay?” Sherry asked softly. She hugged Leon’s arm, cuddling into his side like he used to with his grandma.
“Yeah. Don’t worry about her,” Leon said. He slumped to the side, gently resting his head on top of Sherry’s. “She’ll be fine, kiddo.”
When the sun rose, Leon and Sherry trekked down to the front office to extend their stay another night, then hiked into town searching for clothes and sustenance. Being out in public, surrounded by people, set both Leon and Sherry on edge. They jumped at the slightest sound, and Sherry refused to release Leon’s hand for anything less than going to the bathroom, and even then, he had to stand guard outside the stall. Thank god he had pissed before they left the motel because Sherry was clinging to the back of his jacket while he tried seemed ridiculous.
Their shopping trip was quick. They grabbed what they could, Sherry setting a brisk pace through the little thrift store they found, dragging Leon from rack to rack. They scrounged up a few changes of clothes, socks, underwear, which Leon was a little uncertain of, a jacket that fits over his side holster since he had a license to carry, and a backpack that they filled with snacks and a deck of cards from a little corner store. It turns out Leon’s palette was similar to a twelve-year-old.
The tenuous credit limit finally crapped out on Leon when he tried to buy a six-pack at a shady liquor store on the way back to the motel.
“No job. No money. Just great,” Leon sighed.
For the rest of the day, they holed up in their room munching on junk food, watching terrible daytime TV, and playing Go Fish until Leon made the brilliant decision to teach Sherry how to play poker, and she fleeced him for all the Cheetos.
Leon had no plan beyond survive, and he hadn’t even planned for that. His body ached from being tossed by mutated monsters and shot. His wrapped shoulder twinged.
“Shit,” Leon cursed and clutched his wound. They needed help. He needed help. Taking care of a kid without any resources would be impossible; never mind, he’d never taken care of a person in his life. He had no siblings, no parents. His grandma died when he was nine.
Leon smiled at Sherry in reassurance when she questioned him. This little girl couldn’t be another statistic of the system. He could fix that. He would fix that.
Covered in orange Cheeto dust, Sherry crashed around 8 in the evening. The glow of the sun behind the curtain reminded Leon of the mushroom cloud that had enveloped the sky 36 hours ago. Leon’s stomach twisted in knots. Every creak, every thump, every squeaky break, Leon tensed, waiting for something to crash through the door and disrupt the precarious peace.
Leon hunkered down on his bed, the one closest to the door and any potential threat that came for them, and prepared for another sleepless night on edge.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Around one in the morning, his eyes beginning to droop, Leon nearly fell off the bed in his mad scramble for his gun when someone knocked heavily on the door. Checking his clip, Leon cautiously crept to the door, motioning for now very awake Sherry to stay out of sight.
“Who is it,” Leon called.
“Hi. Look, I’m sorry to bother you. My name is Chris Redfield. I’m looking for my sister Claire.”
Leon blinked and glanced back at Sherry, whose head had popped out of the blanket at the sound of Claire’s name. Then, double-checking he had bolted the chain, Leon opened the door a crack to peek out.
A man a little taller than Leon stood under the flickering light outside the door, his hair cut short and a 5 o’clock shadow. Chris Redfield, decorated member of the Racoon City Stars Division. Leon recognized him from the old photo Claire had shown him, but also the records he’d run across during his frantic hunt through the Police Department.
“Chris?” Leon said, astonished it was actually him. He slammed the door, unbolted the chain, and flung the door open again. “What the- Claire’s looking for you. What are you doing here?”
Chris, who eyed the gun uncertainly, brightened at the mention of his sister. “Is she here? The manager at the front recognized her. Said she was here with some guy and a kid.” Chris glanced past Leon into the room to Sherry curled up in the other bed peering out with curious fear from under the blankets.
Leon shook his head, eyes scanning the parking lot. “She’s not here. She left this morning to find you.”
“Fuck.” Chris winced and glanced at Sherry again. “Shit, sorry.”
Sherry giggled into her hands, and Leon rolled his eyes. “I think she’s dealt with worse.” Like the apocalypse.
“But she’s okay. She’s alive?” Chris asked.
“Who? Claire? Yeah. Yeah, she’s fine. Saved my ass more than a few times.” Leon smiled wistfully and then frowned. So Claire had left, and now, here, her brother was trying to track her down. It must be nice to have someone that gave a damn about you.
“Oh, thank god.” Then, finally, all the tension and stiffness in Chris’ posture melted. “I got her message, and...”
Leon scanned the dark parking lot again for any sign of life, then gestured into the motel room. “You should come in.”
“No.” Chris waved off the invitation. “No, I need to find her.” But the fatigue in his voice threatened to topple him, and that would definitely fell Leon if he tried to catch him.
“Dude, you’re dead on your feet,” Leon said. “It’s the middle of the night. Crash for a few hours.”
“Yeah!” Sherry chimed in, bouncing on her bed. “Stay!”
Chris shook his head. “I can’t.”
Leon pursed his lips. “Look, I don’t know you, man. But I do know that if you pass out behind the wheel and wrap yourself around a pole, you’re pretty damn useless to her.”
Chris opened his mouth to argue, and Leon sighed, tilting his head to the side, ready to give up when Chris snapped his mouth closed and cleared his throat. He studied Leon closely, scrutinizing him like he would a suspect, but Chris must have been satisfied with what he found - weakness, terror, immaturity - because he finally said, “just a few hours.” And the anxiety squeezing the life out of Leon eased, just a tiny bit. Enough that he could breathe.
Chris excused himself to run and grab his go-bag, and Leon cursed his stupidity because nothing was stopping Chris from running. That tightness immediately returned, but a few minutes later, another sharp knock sounded at the door.
Leon smiled tiredly and welcomed Chris into the room, relieved to have the company, someone who knew what they were doing; an adult. Leon grew up fast, but he’d never been an adult in his life. Racoon City was supposed to be a fresh start, and now, he was back to square one. Not even. He was in the basement of square one—the root cellar.
Leon finally caught a good look at Sherry with the lights on, still covered in orange dust, her fingers and cheeks stained. “Jesus. Did you eat the Cheetos or roll in them?”
Sherry laughed. “Leon taught me to play poker, and then I won all the cheezies,” she said to Chris, who grinned.
“Nice job.” Chris offered her a high-five, which she eagerly accepted. The hero worship was already forming.
“He gets a little wrinkle right here when he lies,” Sherry said, pointing a small finger between her eyebrows.
“Okay,” Leon said, scooping Sherry off the bed and carrying her off under one arm. “Let’s get you cleaned up and back in bed, munchkin.”
Cheeto dust proved a formidable adversary, but they managed. When they walked back into the room, Chris was standing exactly where they had left him, his bag still slung over his shoulder and his boots laced.
Getting Sherry tucked back into bed became a struggle now that the brand new company hyped her up; no hesitation whatsoever. She liked Chris. She even made Chris put her to bed, Leon faking offence at being disregarded for the new guy, but there was something about seeing a six-foot boulder of a man coax a tiny twelve-year-old back to sleep that made Leon’s chest ache. Especially when Chris told the story of how Claire was convinced that if she left fake teeth under her pillow, she could trick the tooth fairy into giving her more money. It never worked. The tooth fairy left chocolate coins instead. Fake money for a fake tooth.
Leon watched perched on the edge of the other bed, a little envious of Chris’ skill with kids. He double-checked the safety on his handgun, then the clip. Chris eyed Leon as he set his weapon back down on the bedside table, and Leon couldn’t muster the energy to be self-conscious about his paranoia.
Chris may be Claire’s sister and a fellow survivor of Raccoon City, but Leon didn’t actually know him. For all he knew, he was a traitor like Irons or Wesker. Maybe he wasn’t the man Claire believed him to be. What the hell had he been thinking? Inviting a stranger to stay with them?
With Sherry asleep again, Leon and Chris were left to settle in for the remainder of the night. For Chris, that meant shedding his bulky jacket and combat boots.
“It’s Leon, right?” Chris said. He stood awkwardly beside the bed, watching Leon click off the light and climb under the blankets, tucking himself up against the edge of the mattress as close as he possibly could without toppling off. “Claire mentioned you in one of her messages.”
Leon almost facepalmed. He hadn’t introduced himself. He really was doing everything backwards. “Yeah. That’s me. Leon S. Kennedy.” He curled up into a small ball.
“Jesus Christ.” Chris swiped his palm across his mouth. “You’re the new rookie.”
Leon chuckled humourlessly, his hands tightening into fists around the sheets pulled up to his neck. “Was a hell of a first day.”
Chris picked up real quick that Leon didn’t want to talk about it. So instead, he climbed into his side of the bed, the one closest to the door. The mattress dipped under his weight, and Leon tensed. Where else would Chris have slept? The floor? The last person Leon shared a bed with was his ex, who had seemingly saved his life. If she hadn’t broken up with him, if he hadn’t gotten drunk, if he hadn’t slept in hungover as hell, he would have arrived right in the middle of the initial panic, and who knows if he would have survived that. No one else in the department had.
What would it have been like? The screams, the moans, the pleas for help- the sounds still played on repeat in Leon’s head. Lieutenant Marvin Branagh, mouth agape, stumbling towards him with his hands out. Leon had put two bullets between his eyes.
The first indications of a panic attack slammed into Leon. Abruptly, his throat closed. He couldn’t breathe, his vision slid out of focus, and his chest compressed. Like someone reached into his chest and squeezed his heart in a vice. His entire body shook.
Suddenly, a warm voice murmured in his ear, the soothing tone talking him down, calming him. Leon wasn’t alone. He wasn’t trapped in the police station battling endless waves of the undead, the people of Raccoon City he’d taken an oath to serve and protect.
“Leon, kid, you need to breathe,” Chris said. His presence was a solid wall behind Leon. “I’m going to touch you, okay?”
Leon focused on Chris’ voice. His vision began to swim back into focus, his hearing rushed back in a sudden wall of familiar night noises like the drip of the faucet in the bathroom or the lonely car that passed on the highway. He nodded, not fully understanding what Chris was saying. An arm slid around his waist and pulled him back into a firm chest. Leon flailed, seconds from panic again when Chris’ voice rumbled in his ear.
“You’re going to be okay. I got you.”
Leon grasped Chris’ arm, his grip probably tight enough to leave bruises, and he choked on a shuddering sob.
“It’s okay, Leon. You’re going to be okay.”
Gasping for air, Leon rolled over and buried his face in Chris’ chest, and Chris let him. Leon’s sobs were muffled in Chris’ arms, not wanting to disturb Sherry in the next bed. He felt every subtle muscle flex when Chris tightened his grip or shifted them into a more comfortable position. That’s how Leon passed out, wrapped in the reassuring embrace of a complete stranger, one who understood the hell he’d lived through and the fear and uncertainty he felt in his soul.
Morning came quickly. Leon woke up still curled into Chris’ chest with a death grip on the other man’s faded t-shirt. Chris’ nose was buried in Leon’s hair, each soft snore ruffling his hair, but his embrace hadn’t lessened overnight.
The warmth of embarrassment burning, Leon snuck out of bed, anxiously loosening Chris’ hold and dashing for the safety and solitude of the bathroom, horrified at his complete lack of control the night before. No one had held him like that before, at least not since he was a child and his grandma would sit up with him after a nightmare. But, sadly, this was another type of nightmare, a waking one.
When Leon finally mustered the courage to wander back into the room, Chris was up, sitting on the edge of the bed with his elbows on his knees.
“You okay?” Chris asked the same time Leon burst out, “I’m sorry!”
Chris sighed. “You didn’t do anything wrong. When I showed up on your doorstep last night, I saw right away that you were barely holding it together.”
Leon’s fists clenched at his side. He couldn’t meet Chris’ gentle gaze.
Chris crossed the room in two enormous strides and considerately grasped Leon by the shoulders. “It was the shock finally hitting you. It happened to me too, but I was alone,” Chris admitted. “Hey. Hey, come on. Look at me.”
Leon bit his lower lip, but he slowly looked up, eyes stinging. “I don’t know what to do.”
Telegraphing his movements, Chris gently pulled Leon into a tight hug. “You’re not alone. We’re going to do this together. I want to take Umbrella down, but first, I wanna make sure you’re okay.”
Leon jerked back so fast Chris stumbled. “I want to help. I want to make those sons of bitches pay.”
Chris smiled. “Good. But first, I have a safe house.”
Together, they set the plans. Leon and Sherry would meet Chris in two days, hopefully with Claire in tow, at Chris’ new safehouse three states over. Sherry and Leon could catch a bus a couple miles down the highway to get them most of the way. The trick would be getting up the mountain to the cabin. But they were in this together. Hope simmered once again.
Armed with a freshly drawn map on motel stationery, Leon watched Chris pack. Umbrella wouldn’t know what hit them.
“Here. Take it.”Chris handed Leon two rumpled twenties, a five, and a few ones he dug out of his wallet. “It’s all the cash I have on me, but it should be enough to get you there. I’ll drop you off-”
“No.” Leon took the cash, but waved off Chris’ offer to give him and Sherry a lift to the bus station. “It’s in the opposite direction. We’ll be fine.”
“Two days,” Chris promised. Sherry had climbed out of bed and now clung to Chris’ arm as if he couldn’t leave as long as she was attached. He ruffled her hair. “With or without Claire, I’ll be there and we’ll go from there.” Chris grabbed Leon by the back of the neck and dragged him into a gruff hug, their foreheads lightly pressed together. “It’s gonna be okay, kid.”
And Leon believed him. That is, until two hours later when an unmarked vehicle pulled up on Leon and Sherry hiking down the side of the road, hand in hand. They never made it to the rendezvous.
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allzelemonz · 4 years ago
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Mr. Mayor: Vlad Masters X NSG Reader
Decided to make it gender neutral despite the request because I love Vlad and I know other boys and enbys do too. Also made the reader Jack Fenton’s sibling because I think there’s a slap in the face situation part 2 later on.
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Visiting your brother’s family was always great. Jack rambled on about something ghost related while Jazz caught you up on her academic successes and Maddie told you about the big new events you’d missed since visiting last. Your favorite part of the visit was taking Danny to hang out. Your nephew was your favorite, not that you’d ever say it out loud.
So taking Danny to the Nasty Burger to meet with his friends was right in your wheelhouse. Sam and Tucker seemed like really nice kids. You admired Sam’s taste in the weird things and Tucker’s understandable love for technology. In talking to the kids you remembered what Maddie had told you.
“So, the new mayor, not your favorite person?” You looked around at the high schooler's faces.
“He tried to make us wear school uniforms, started a curfew at four o’clock, and we almost lost the Nasty Burger.” Danny explained.
“Does he have some sort of vendetta against you or something?” You asked as you went to take a bite of a fry.
The teens looked at you skeptically. As if you knew something you weren’t supposed to.
“What?” You looked around. “Am I missing something?”
“He’s just a bad guy, that’s all.” Sam clarified.
“He’s the guy that’s been chasing after Danny’s mom since they were in college, other than that he never seemed that bad.” You set down the fry you were never going to get the chance to eat. “He and Jack always spent summers between semester doing stupid ghost expermments in th attic.”
“So you knew him before…” Danny stopped himself from finishing.
“Before?”
“Before college?” Tucker filled questioningly.
“Yeah, yeah, you knew him from when my dad went to college?”
“Not really.” You answered. “Just caught glimpses of him. I was in high school so I didn’t really pay attention to what Jack did.” You shrugged. “He seemed nice, but he stopped coming over so often for some reason.”
Once again the teens looked at each other as if they knew something special.
“All right, who wants to tell me?” You broke their little staring contest.
“Tell you what?” Tucker spoke in more of a series of squeaks rather than words.
“Yeah, there’s nothing to tell.” Sam covered.
You turned to Danny. “Nephew.”
He gulped and let out a nervous laugh. “It’s like Sam said, he’s just a really bad guy now.”
“Explain.”
The look of a disappointed (Aunt/Uncle/Auncle-This is the most common gender neutral term I’ve found) was something that could move mountains. Danny shifted in his seat clearly trying to come up with a convincing lie.
“Daniel, tell me.” You narrowed your brows and the kid looked white as a ghost.
Hold on, no. His hand was gone. The one that was resting on the table. Gone.
“Is this a ghost thing?” You asked.
Danny looked down at his hand and tried to play it off as if it was just a weird angle. It didn’t work. With all the nervous muttering and poorly formed excuses it was obvious they were lying.
“You’re half ghost?” It was hard to believe, but it was the only thing that the kids didn’t sound like they were lying about.
“Yes, just keep your voice down.” Danny warned. “Vlad is half ghost too, that’s how he became mayor and got all of his money.”
“So he’s bad because he played to his strengths?” You muttered to yourself.
You gathered up the trash around the table.
“Why don’t you introduce me to him, Danny. I’m sure he’s not that bad of a guy.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Sam chimed in.
“I may be related to Jack Fenton, but that doesn’t mean I’m an idiot.” You looked at Danny who seemed to forget that he could do ghostly things and was trying to hide in his shirt. “Come on, Danny.”
Reluctantly Danny left his friends to introduce you to his arch nemesis. A fourteen year old with an arch nemesis and it had to be your nephew. Town hall was busy, but that’s what town halls are like. Danny helped you walk through a few walls until you were outside of Vlad’s office. The fact that your nephew could just walk through walls was going to take some getting used to. Danny opened the door to see a rather handsome man sitting at a large desk with a fluffy white cat in his lap. He looked up at the sound of the door clicking open.
“Why Daniel, to what do I owe the pleasure?” His voice had a calming effect.
“My (Aunt/Uncle/Auncle) wanted to meet you.” Danny seemed tense in the way he spoke. “I’ll be at home.’ He muttered to you before leaving the room.
You closed the door as he left.
“Good to meet you Mr. Masters, I’m (Y/n), Jack’s (Brother/Sister/Sibling).”
“Oh, yes, I remember seeing you around.” Vlad recalled. “Please sit.”
You did so, taking the seat across from him.
“I wanted to meet you because I’d always been a fan of your work.”
“Oh, thank you, it's always nice to meet a fan.”
“And because I never got the chance to really meet you when you and Jack were friends.”
“I must say, I do regret not meeting you sooner.” Vlad leaned forward and rested his chin in his hands. The cat scurried away to a small tower by the window.
“Why did you and Jack stop talking?” You asked.
“Oh, college passed and we went separate ways.” He waved off the issues.
“That’s it?”
“Well, I used to have a bit of jealousy toward he and Maddie, but I feel it passing more and more with each word.”
“Each what?”
“Each day.” Vlad corrected himself.
“Right…” Your eyes wandered to the framed Packers jersey on his wall. “You’re a Packers fan?”
“Why yes.” Vlad smiled fondly at the jersey. “I’ve tried to buy the team itself, but no luck.”
“I’ve always been a bit of a fan, and I love the jersey.” You complemented.
“Say, would you like to accompany me to a game this season?”
You blushed red. A very attractive man just asked you to go to your favorite team's game.
“I, uh, I’d love to.”
“I have my own box, bottle service and all of the perks.” He bragged. “Afterall someone with your looks deserves nothing less.”
You let out a nervous half laugh. “Thank you, Mr. Masters.”
“Oh, please, Vlad.” He insisted.
“Right, Vlad.”
The name rolled off your tongue in such a pleasant way. Jack might kill you for this, but come on.
“If you’d like we go for dinner tonight as well.” Vlad offered.
“Sure.” You answered right away.
After having to interrogate Danny and his friends you realized you never really got to eat.
“Shall we then?” Vlad waited by you with his arm out to take.
You walked with him to a limo reserved just for the mayor. He sat next to you and gave great conversation. You discussed the Packers, politics of Amity Park, and personal preferences. Dinner was much of the same, but with more food. Vlad wasn’t like Danny had said. He was a gentleman. He may have acquired his money by not-so-legal means, but he was a nice guy.
The ride home was more conversation. Vlad bought the ticket to the game he’d promised and inquired about why you were in Amity Park.
“It was just time to visit, catch up with Jazz and Danny.” You explained. “I try to tune out Jack, he calls every week or so anyway.”
“And how long will you be staying in our fair city?”
“Around a week.”
“And I couldn’t persuade you to stay any longer?” Vlad offered.
“I, uh, I don’t know.” You thought. “Maybe.”
“There is a position open at city hall if it interests you.” He met your eyes. “I’d be happy to pull some string to keep you around.”
“I wouldn’t mind that.” You nodded along.
You hadn’t noticed how close the two of you were. Until Vlad’s hand was already cupping your cheek. He gave you a moment to react before he leaned in and pressed your lips together. It was a sweet kiss, timid. As if he hadn’t done it in a long time.
You scooted closer to him on the seat and wrapped your arms around him, one of your hands finding his pony tail to play with. Vlad rested his other hand on your side and pulled you a bit closer. You pressed further and intensified the kiss. Vlad obliged and kept the pace, kissing you with as much passion.
The car came to a stop and made you both separate. Time was cut short.
“I suppose I’ll see you soon?”
“Of course.”
“Lunch tomorrow?”
“I’d love to.”
Vlad opened the door for you to step out and gave you one last smile before the car drove away. You were definitely going to see him again.
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hugespace · 3 years ago
Note
Prompt: van, thunderstorm, link is scared and rhett is there for him and gives him hugs and kisses
Thanks love 😘
There you go! 🥰 I ended up writing some high school Rhink - lots of fluff with a dash of angst. Hope you’ll enjoy it!
*** (~2k words) ***
"How the crap did you miss that, Rhett?!" Link rapidly turned his whole body in the passenger seat, making his bleached blonde locks flap around on the top of his head. "How are we even out of gas-? Didn't you just say, like yesterday, that you'd fill it up?!" he threw his hands in the air, staring with disbelief at his friend who sat quietly behind the wheel.
Rhett muttered something in response, his head downturned and eyes focused on his own lap.
"Rhett!" Link exclaimed impatiently, not having gotten a clear answer out of the other boy.
"I thought we'd make it, okay?! I was gonna buy gas with some of the money we'd get after the gig!" Rhett repeated his explanation in a raised voice this time, finally looking his friend in the eyes and shrugging in the process.
Link only returned the look with wide eyes.
"Are you serious-? You're so irresponsible!" he answered even louder after a few short seconds of processing Rhett's words. "You're telling me you wanted to buy gas with the money we won't even get now because we won't get to the damn concert- because. You didn't. Get. Gas. In the first place?!" Link continued thought clenched teeth. "What the crap, Rhett?!"
The taller boy felt his face grow warm. Sure, perhaps Link was right, it wasn't the smartest decision of his life, or even of just that day, probably – electing to risk not reaching their destination in a borrowed van full of equipment for the two of them and the other members of Wax Paper Dogz just to be able to spend the last of his cash for the week on snacks. But he certainly wasn't going to give the other boy that, or the full reason for getting them stranded in the middle of a road on the way to the farm they were supposed to play at, for that matter. Truth was, Rhett didn't do well with criticism. Not even when it was earned.
He opened his mouth and got ready to match Link's tone, when a powerful crash of thunder resounded directly above them all of a sudden, immediately preventing the shouting match that was surely about to ensue.
"What was that-?" When Link's voice reverberated to Rhett's right again, it was remarkably smaller and less filled with anger than just seconds ago.
"Shit" was the only response the older boy could muster as the sky opened up, letting thick and heavy drops of rain fall onto the world around them, drumming angrily against the van's roof.
"At least we don't gotta worry about the gig-?" Rhett tried for a reassuring smile after a few beats of silence between them ticked by, interrupted only by blaring sounds of the summer storm they’d apparently gotten caught in. "It ain't gonna happen now with that rain-" he conceded, hoping it won't anger Link any further.
The younger boy was silent, the unexpected arrival of thunder seemed to have not only taken away his temper, but his voice as well.
"Link?"
A pair of blue eyes, still wide open, met Rhett's. The fire that burned in them just moments before the first loud crash fizzled out completely, giving way to a cold shade of fear, and the face they belonged to quickly became visibly paler, taking on a greyish colour only intensified by the sudden lack of sunlight.
"I don't like this-" Link whispered, clutching the edges of his seat with such force that his knuckles soon matched the paleness of his face.
Now, Link didn't exactly suffer from a deadly fear of thunder, not to Rhett's knowledge at least, which after more than a decade of being best friends meant it could as well be equalled to a fact. On the other hand, he wasn't especially keen on those either, and the aspect of being trapped in a metal can in the middle of a country road with absolutely nowhere to go to seek refuge only added another dimension to that.
Instinctively, Rhett reached out a hand and rubbed the other boy's shoulder soothingly.
"Hey- Hey, look at me. Link-?" he leaned forward trying to catch his friend’s eyes again and grasp his attention, temporarily directed towards the sky where bright flashes of lightning cut through the dark graphite clouds one after another. "Hey"
Link finally directed his attention back to Rhett, gulping loudly, almost comically, if it weren't for the entire situation. "We're gonna be fine. The car's safe, we're better off here than anywhere outside probably, just don’t touch the doors. We'll wait till the rain passes a bit and then I'll go get us gas, okay? The station's not that far. We'll be good." Rhett added in a calm voice, still keeping his right hand on Link and gently rubbing his upper back.
"Okay" the boy replied, still in a weak voice, and drew in a deep breath, only to be startled by another instance of rumbling thunder and hastily clasp Rhett's other hand.
"Sorry..." he cleared his throat and tried to compose himself once the sound of thunderclap died down, leaving them only with the deafening banging of raindrops against the van. Link went to retract his hand but was stopped by Rhett's before the taller boy could think about it.
"Ssh, don't. S’okay, brother."
The split-second decision to comfort Link and hold him like he hasn't since they were kids came from the feeling of guilt for getting them in that situation in the first place, he told himself. And sure, he did feel responsible for making Link endure the storm in a car stuck in the middle of nowhere all because of his stupid idea. But it wasn't just guilt; the vulnerable look on his friend's pale face combined with the fear in his big glassy eyes made him look like the boy he was when they were still in grade school - small and innocent, and it tugged at Rhett's heart in a way he didn't fully comprehend, awakening an instinct to protect Link no matter what.
"Do you... Maybe we'd- Should we...?" Yes, Rhett did make a decision but was suddenly struggling to articulate it. The scared boy next to him wasn't really listening anyway, his whole attention focused on the sky again and his free hand grasping Rhett's sleeve and trembling. Rhett cleared his throat and tried again. "We should move to the back."
"Whaa...?" Link started but was cut off by his friend gently removing his fingers from the fabric of his shirt and swiftly moving to the row of seats behind them.
"C'mon. It's gonna be more comfortable. The stick's poking my leg when I lean over like that." the older boy offered from the expanse of the middle row, gesticulating to the gap between Link and the now empty driver's seat.
If Link was hesitant to join him, another growl of thunder must have been enough to persuade him because suddenly, he was clambering to join Rhett, inadvertently nudging his thighs and elbowing him in the process.
"Auch! Okay, okay- Com'ere" The older boy grabbed the other's shoulders once he was situated next to him and moved his body even closer, encircling it with his long lanky arms and squeezing hard, making Link's head fall onto his chest.
To his surprise, his best friend didn't protest, he only burrowed his face deeper in the front or Rhett's bunched up flannel and breathed in deeply, obviously trying to relax.
"Good, good" Rhett praised absent-mindedly and slowly stroked Link's smooth hair, temporarily stunned by the feeling of warmth and peace holding the other boy so close gave him. After a couple of minutes of stillness, he felt Link's arms move, too, and wriggle in between the backrest of the seat and Rhett's lower back, finally hugging him back around the waist. It made the taller boy instinctively seek even more contact, and he lowered his head, positioning his face on Link's hair and eventually, before he could rethink it, leaving a kiss on top of it
Link froze and tensed up again, though this time there was no crash of thunder or flash of lightning to blame it on.
Oh no. Rhett's action caught up to him. This was weird. He was being weird. They never kissed each other, not even like that, not even when they were kids. His heart sped up from embarrassment and he was sure his friend could feel it, with the way he was still clinging to his chest. But he wasn’t letting go- In fact, he seemed to hug Rhett even tighter now, nuzzling his face into his body, left cheek smushed against his sternum.
Shyly, Rhett risked another smooch to Link's head, this time as close to his forehead as he could reach in the position they were in.
In response, the boy let out what sounded like an appreciative hum, or maybe even a tiny whimper, and a warm breath against Rhett’s skin, making his heart pick up the pace again. Continuing the pattern of acting before we could talk himself out of it, Rhett gathered his friend and tried to pull him even closer, not even sure if it was possible at that point, and was rewarded with Link landing almost entirely in his lap.
The face of his best friend was now nearly level with his. It was blushed, he realised, the earlier sickly tone of his complexion gone almost completely. His hair, equally blonde as Rhett's though significantly longer, was dishevelled. The sight was endearing, there was no other word to describe it, and the look in Link's eyes, blue as ever and soft now – not as filled with fear anymore, only made the effect it had on Rhett more intense.
Blinded by the affection that flooded him all of a sudden, he leaned in again, now able to kiss Link's forehead, and left another peck there, keeping his lips pressed to it for a bit longer. Before Rhett could really get used to the new sensation, Link straightened his back, making himself taller in Rhett's lap and as a result, bringing his own lips to the same hight his friend mouth was at.
The taller boy flinched slightly and almost recoiled on instinct, seeing how there were no more than two inches of tense air filled with petrichor separating their faces, and nothing else.
Almost.
Instead, he gathered all of his courage and closed that gap, planting his lips square on Link's.
They were incredibly soft, almost cushiony, and oh so warm. And they were moving against his! He realised, stunned, as the other boy's hand reached up to his face and gently cupped his jaw.
Rett felt his own lips form an involuntary smile, soon matched by the lips he was kissing. As they started to separate, both beaming and searching each other’s faces with sparkly eyes, he took in the near silence that surrounded them.
The rain stopped, there was no banging on the roof of their van and no rumbling of thunder above. It was like the clouds dissipated the moment they kissed, giving way to sun again, Rhett thought not caring about how silly and romantic at the same time that idea was.
Divine intervention or a simple coincidence, he didn't care. The sky was clear now and so was the fact that he just shared a kiss with the person he loved most in the entire world. How he hadn't realised that earlier was unimportant. It might have taken being stranded in the middle of a road, surrounded by nothing but trees and crops and a thunderstorm worse than any other time that summer to get there, but they did, in the end - that was all that mattered.
And with that thought, Rhett embraced Link trying to put all of his love into it, and went to kiss him again.
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liptonsbabe · 4 years ago
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Chains of a family [B.W]
Bill Weasley x Grant! Reader
Chapter 1, Chapter 2
Summary: Molly knows about the reader’s relatives and she’s not so sure to put her trust in a girl that had just betrayed her own family
Word count: 1.9K
Warnings: Swearing
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A/N: Hi! i’m so happy that you guys liked this thing! thank you so much for your support and, again, if you want to keep reading this let me know. Same note as ever, english not my mother language, so tell me if something’s is wrong.
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Chapter 2: Not your family
The next morning turned out to be quieter than you imagined.
You slowly got out of bed and looked at everything around you noticing how quaint Bill's old room was. The ceiling was lined with grainy wallpaper with stacks of photographs of Quidditch players hanging from the reeds that moved from side to side, simulating the playing field; the right side of the room had a huge hole behind the small stool that tried to hide it, and from that hole a small garden gnome was sleeping peacefully with a small piece of cloth on top of his head. You stood up, walking towards the huge window that gave you a beautiful view of the Weasley's garden that at that moment was covered by a thin layer of drizzle that had fallen during the night.
Molly's fruit trees gleamed under the faint rays of the sun and you saw how a doxy from between the leaves poisoned Mrs. Weasley's apples, causing them to fall from the tree branches in a thick black mass with a foul smell coming out of it. You shook your head, excited to witness a very different way to wake up.
Even though several minutes have passed since you woke up, the house continued to remain in a strange silence that made you think that the family had decided to leave the burrow with the intention of buying more supplies or something like that. You knew that Bill wasn’t at home precisely for his obligations within the Order, so you didn’t worry about looking for him around the room, so you decided that a better option was going down to the dining room and know what was happening.
As you went down the spiral staircase, you cursed in a whisper when you forgot to put on your slippers before leaving the bedroom cause the floor was so cold that you slipped a couple of times. Back in the days, when you were still welcome in your parents' house, you had many servants who did all the things for you - putting on your shoes as soon as you woke up was one of those things - but now that your life had changed so much, you assumed that you would have to adapt and start taking care of your own needs.
Your curious eyes roamed the walls covered in family photos that caused a big warmth in your chest. In each of those photographs, all of Molly's children appeared along with their father, smiling for the camera and sending effusive greetings. A pic was hanging at the fireplace were Molly and Arthur were carrying a small white bundle crying his lungs out. You assumed it was Bill as his parents seemed too young back then and even as a small baby, you could recognize those tantrum features anywhere.
A giggle escaped your lips when you noticed a funny sequence from that same photo in which, even with Bill crying in his mother's arms, his father tried to carry him for a moment to calm him down, however the baby's cries didn’t stop. The baby was so annoyed that he ended throwing up  the milk ration that he must have had before the photo session on his father's neat shirt.
You laughed because you knew that William's impertinence was something he had carried with him for several years now.
"Bill hates those photos." You jumped in your place scared to see Molly standing behind you. Your cheeks turned red “He says that it’s embarassing but i think that’s nonsense. He was an adorable baby”
"he was," you answered, looking anywhere but into Molly's shrewd eyes. "but I guess displaying them in the fireplace isn’t the right thing to do."
“Is it not?
"No, they should be at the front door where everyone can see them”
Molly giggled as you watched the sequence of photos over and over again. A silence settled between you, but surprisingly it was not an awkward silence, but one that was allowing you to create a bond that neither of you expected. Mrs. Weaslsey brought up a rag, wiping it around the corners of the photo from the dust.
"Arthur and I had to save up for months to take those pictures," she mentioned wistfully, "we just had Bill and it seemed like a good idea to welcome him into our family with a gesture like that. Arthur was new in the ministry and wasn't earning too much, but we had that quirk and decided we could afford to skip certain things to pay for the pictures. It cost us ten galleons and it still took us four months to gather them”
“Oh” You didn't know what to say, but you just kept looking at the photograph feeling a bit uncomfortable. You never had those problems at home because your family was insanelly rich thanks to the inheritance in life that your grandfather Tim had left to his son and later to his grandchildren. Even the descendants of your grandfather's servants came to work in your house, reason enough for you and your siblings to grow up with no sense of responsibility other than your own wishes. Molly sighed remembering those times when life seemed to be easier.
"So when Bill asked me to remove it from the fireplace, I refused. He doesn't know how hard it was to raise that money, but I think he has nothing to be ashamed of, he was too adorable!
"I don't doubt it for a second, Mrs. Weasley."
"You can call me Molly," she said, walking back to the kitchen where you continued watching the way the pans moved back and forth preparing breakfast. You were not very good at cooking - in fact, you had never cooked before- however, that didn’t stop you from offering your help. So you took a pan, placed it on the stove, and decided that you would find a way to make a good mountain of strawberry-filled pancakes just like your dear nanny did. Molly observed you carefully. "I think that now that you are living with us it is appropriate to have a more cordial treatment.My son told me a lot about you”
“Just the good things, i hope”
“Kind of” You stopped mixing ingredients to look at her carefully” He told us a bunch of marvelous things about you and how you two met. Actually, what worries me the most is what he didn’t tell us”
And there was the recrimination you were waiting for. You were aware that it had to arrive sooner or later, however, you would have been grateful that it did it when Bill were by your side to give you the opportunity to defend yourself properly. You cleared your throat uncomfortably, knowing that what Molly needed to hear from your own lips was which family you came from. You continued your task with the pancakes, turning out as bad as you expected.
"I'm sorry it turned out this way, Mrs. Weasley."
"Molly," he corrected.
"Molly" you smiled slowly "But believe me when I tell you that it was me who asked William not to mention anything about my last name or where I come from. I know that in this case, with the war above our heads, it is necessary to be certain of the people who enter your family and I apologize for that, it's just ... Bill is very important to me” Molly's eyes narrowed “Since we met ... I have found a home in him and well, all that feels when someone is in love. "Mrs. Weasley shook her head, understanding the feeling." I have experienced the rejection before. When people know that Tom Riddle is my family ... they run away in fear, curse my family and even walk away from us, as if sharing a blood bond makes us as evil as he is.
“And it’s not like that?” Molly asked with a hand on her neck. She didn’t want to be like the others and judge you without knowing the full story, just as she had promised Bill the night before that she would, but it was so difficult not to remember the death of his brothers by Voldemort’s hands and to pretend nothing had happened in the past. You sighed because the eggs you cracked on the bowl got mixed with their own shell “ I've heard of the Grants before, they're all Death Eaters, including your siblings!”
“It is difficult to have to choose a side  when you don’t have your own convictions”
"And you have it?"
You looked at Molly in pain. Of course you expected those reactions from Bill's mother, she was within her right to be upset that her oldest son never told her that he was in a relationship with a girl who seemed to have the most fucking powerful and evil wizard in the world as a great-uncle. No, Molly wasn't mad, she was deadly angry, she felt like she was bursting!
Her hands became fists and without knowing how, you found yourself between the wall and Molly's big arms from one second to the other. The pancake batter was forgotten, as was the woman's promise to treat her son's girlfriend in a good way.
"How is it possible ..." Molly questioned in an agitated voice, pressing your arms against the wall, "... that a single deer leaves the nature of its own herd?" How can you ensure that one rotten apple even in a gold container doesn’t rot the others?”Your breath caught at the questions of the woman in front of you. Once again, you were aware that your presence wouldn’t be good news to them, but at least you hoped they understood your motives before judging you “Explain to me, (Y/ N) Grant, when have you seen a pig away from his equals?”
Your words caught in your throat at Molly's fierce question. Bill had talked a lot about the temper of his mother. Even if she could be really grumpy at times, she was in general a very sweet, pleasant and maternal woman with everyone; however, you didn’t fit into that generality because it seemed that the woman was determined to kill you with her own hands.
"If my presence bothers you so much, then you shouldn't have let Bill and I to stay here."
“He's my son! All I want for him is to be happy, and that's why I don't understand what he managed to see in you”
"Maybe the same thing you saw in your husband." Molly's lips twitched in anger, but you didn't stop. You hoped that she would at least understand what your words meant, because that would make it easier for both of you to try at least get along better, even if Molly seemed not to want to do it under any circumstances. How is it that this haughty little girl dared to compare herself with her dear and wonderful husband? "I'm sorry, but I don't think this conversation is going to take us anywhere."
"If someone betrays his own family ..." Molly stopped you before you walked out the front door. The others got down the stairs, seeing the scandal formed in the kitchen “The rest of us can't expect too much, can we?
Your eyes blured.
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arvinsescape · 4 years ago
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The Princess and the Guard.
A/N: Chapter two is here, this Chapter is a bit of a filler and more will happen in the next Chapter. I hope you all enjoy! I will accept feedback and constructive criticism. 
This series is not historically accurate and is not intended to be so please bare that in mind when you are reading, I am no real expert on how royalty works (even if I am from England).
This series will contain misogynistic language and views, violence, death and nsfw content. I will always put the relevant warnings into each chapter!
Teaser, Chapter one, Chapter two, Chapter Three, Chapter four
Warnings: None.
W/C: 2.4K (The chapters are set to get longer starting next week.)
Chapter two:
“You look like you had a good evening your highness.” Annie said as you made your way into your bedroom, your interaction with Tom still had your heart hammering in your chest.
“It did not turn out as badly as I had anticipated.” You answered and Annie smiled as she got to work unpinning your hair, taking the butterfly grip out first and placing it carefully into your jewellery box.
“Did you meet someone?” She asked, almost excitedly.
“No, no one my mother would be happy with.” You almost sighed. “Anyway, tell me, what will you be doing with your day off?” You asked changing the subject, Annie got a day off a week to be able to do as she pleased.
“I was hoping to go to the market and then visit my mother’s grave.” She said and you smiled sadly at her, she was so close to her mother, it saddened you that she lost her so young. “Then I was hoping to attend the bar that most of the staff do.” She said and it piqued your interest.
“Most of the staff? Who else goes?” You asked.
“Well Tuwaine and Sam go often.” She said and you smirked, it was no secret that Annie was attracted to Tuwaine. A blush often creeping up her neck and onto her cheeks when she spoke to him. Sam and Tuwaine were the lead chef’s in the kitchen. “Harry attends when he can.” She said and you smiled.
Harry and Sam where twins and Tom’s younger brother’s. Harry was in charge of training the royal guard to protect the crown and due to this he didn’t often get time off. They had an even younger brother Patrick who was training to be a stable hand, he loved the horses and taking care of them. Tom’s father worked as the groundskeeper, you’d had many conversations with him whilst walking through the grounds. Tom’s mother made most of the dresses you and your mother wore.
It was strange to you, your parents had employed Tom’s for years and you wondered if they would possibly be happy about you and Tom but you knew that was a long shot. Although your mother loved Tom’s family, she was still proper and everything had to be done in a certain way to her.
“Thomas goes.” Annie broke you from your thoughts, you tried to hide the smile that threatened to spread across your face at the mention of Tom’s name. “He’s gets a lot of female attention.” She laughed and your stomach warped with disappointment.
“He does?” You asked.
“Well of course. Not to step out of line but he is a very attractive man. Women are all over him when he comes. He doesn’t often entertain them though.” She laughed.
“He does not?” You asked and she smiled shyly.
“He seems to have a very specific type. I’ve only seen him leave with three women this year and they all have a lot in common.”
“They do?”
“I’m sorry, I am saying too much. It’s not my place, Thomas probably would not appreciate my gossiping.”
“I will not tell him.” You smiled in reassurance and she returned it. She encouraged you to stand as she started working on unlacing your dress.
“Please forget I said anything, I wouldn’t want to start any vicious rumours.” She said and you decided to drop it, she’d asked, so you would. It would be wrong to push her because at some point she wouldn’t be able to deny your request and that was an abuse of your power that you didn’t like.
“How long has it been since you lost your mother?” You asked her, you knew it was the anniversary of her death tomorrow, she’d asked you politely and almost shyly for the second day off this week and of course you had given it to her.
“Ten years.” She said as she slipped your nightgown over your head before moving your ballgown to be cleaned. You moved to your jewellery box and looked through it to find the pearl necklace you’d received a few years ago from a suitor when he’d asked for your hand. You clutched it in your hand as you moved towards Annie and took her hand in yours.
You placed the pearl necklace into her palm and she gasped slightly as she looked at what you had given her.
“I want you to take this and I want you to sell it, it will get you a good price. Buy something nice for your mother’s grave and for yourself.” You smiled and you watched as tears pooled in her eyes.
“Princess, I cannot accept this.” She said as she tried to give it back to you.
“You can. I insist. I would rather this necklace went towards something nice and to a nice person rather than collect dust in that box.” You smiled.
“Thank you, your highness.” She said as she wiped at her eyes and you pulled her into a hug.
“I hope you have a lovely day off tomorrow and get to do what you wanted to do. I will miss you, Jane is lovely but she is not you.” You laughed.
“Thank you. I shall see you when I return.”
**
You didn’t mind Jane, she was a very good maid but she was nowhere near as shy as Annie is. She’s very open about what she wants and isn’t too afraid to give certain opinions. You’d had a pretty uneventful day, the palace had been quiet due to most of the staff being off for the day and your parents had been visiting a Lord not too far away, which meant most of the guard was also gone. Jane was currently unpinning your hair and she was staring at the butterfly grip.
“I always wanted to be a princess.” She said as she put the grip into your jewellery box, not as carefully as Annie would and you had to bite your tongue in order to not shout at her. “I would love to marry a man who could make me rich.” She added and you almost rolled your eyes.
“Life as a rich woman is not as glamourous as one might assume.” You said.
“It has to be better than how it is for us though. You have your pick of the men.” She said and you raised your brows. “Sorry, that was inappropriate.”
“I may have my pick of many men but not many of them are nice.”
“But they have so much money. Not to be too inappropriate but that must be a good thing.” She said and you sighed.
“That is inappropriate. I would not like to be married to a man who I cannot stand.”
“What about that Duke? I’ve heard he has taken quite a liking to you.” She asked.
“I do not know him so well so I would not like to pass judgement.” You said as she began to brush your hair.
“I always wanted to marry your brother, he would have made me a princess and your sister.” You did raise your brows at that. “Sorry that was out of line.”
**
Once Jane was finished, you were quick to dismiss her, you did not enjoy her company at all the way you enjoyed Annie’s. You decided to head to the library in search of a romance novel you’d read so many times you’d lost count, after having found it you made your way back towards your room. A pair of voices however, stopped you in your tracks, you knew it was rude to eavesdrop but one of the voices had caught your attention.
“Jane.” You heard Tom’s voice, almost in warning.
“I don’t understand.” You heard Jane huff. “I thought you liked me.” She snapped.
“I’m not sure what gave you that impression.” You heard Tom answer, almost bored.
“We kissed last week.” Jane stated matter of factly and you swear your heart stopped at her words, you knew you shouldn’t have been bothered about it but you couldn’t help it.
“No, I believe you kissed me and I rejected you. I’m sorry Jane but I don’t like you that way.” You heard Tom say and it was like the words forced your heart to start beating again.
“Well I’m sorry that I don’t look like her.” You heard Jane snap. “You need to get a grip Tom, she’ll never like you back.” Your ears perked at that, he liked someone?
“I think you should go.” You heard Tom warn again.
“Unless you get some sudden cash injection and title change you’ll never be able to have her. Don’t make yourself miserable over a woman you can only wish has feelings for you, or even remembers your name.” Jane snapped again and you heard her footsteps as she rushed away from the conversation. Your heart was beating in your chest, your grip on the book was tight. He liked someone? Someone of a higher status?
You spent a few moments collecting yourself before you made your way around the corner and down the corridor, hoping Tom would have moved by now, he hadn’t. You realised that your appearance was less than appropriate, hair down, nightgown on, no shoes on at all. What would he think?
“Princess.” You heard his voice and you almost smiled.
“Tom.” You greeted and he smiled at you.
“Out for a late night walk?”
“No. Well yes. I wanted a book from the library.” You stumbled over your words, it felt foreign to you, you’d never struggled with what to say.
“I don’t think the Princess should be walking alone around the palace.” He almost scalded.
“Really? Who is going to tell me off? You?” You teased and he laughed.
“No. However, I would like to be a gentleman and escort you back to your room.” He said and you blushed.
“What would people think if they saw you escorting me to my bedroom?” You laughed and he smiled.
“They would probably assume I am doing my job.”
“You are Harrison’s guard, not mine.” You reminded him and he smiled.
“Correct, I am. However, Harrison does not need my services tonight and you may. Like I said, I would like to be a gentleman.” He smiled again and your heart fluttered.
“Alright then.” You said as you fell into step next to him, he looked down and smiled.
“You have no shoes on.” He pointed out and you laughed.
“I do not.”
“It looks cute.” He added and you both blushed. “Sorry, I should not have said that.”
“It’s alright, I cannot really get angry at a compliment.” You reassured.
“Please be careful where you step, I would not like you to hurt your feet.” He said nervously and you laughed.
“Tom, I thought we were passed the proper talk.”
“You still speak proper.” He teased and you breathed out a laugh.
“I apologise, I’m not really used to speaking to people that don’t expect it of me.” You said and instantly regretted the words. That sounded awful. “Wait, no. Sorry I didn’t mean-“
“I know what you meant.” He reassured and you relaxed.
“So Tom,” you pried. “Tell me. Do you have a special girl?”
“Something like that.” He answered.
“What is that supposed to mean?” You laughed. “You either do or you don’t.”
“Well I am in love with a woman, yes. But I doubt she sees me in such a way.” He answered.
“I’m sure she would.” You reassured. You were almost back to your room and you found yourself disappointed.
“Even if she did, it would be frowned upon. She is much too good for me.”
“That can’t be true. Tom, you are a lovely man. No one is too good for anyone.” You said.
“That isn’t true, this woman is special, she’s too good for everyone.” He said and you found yourself wanting to know who this woman was immediately.
“Who is it?” You asked as you stood outside your bedroom door.
“If I told you that Princess it would land me in a whole lot of trouble.” He said, there was no one around and you found yourself grateful.
“You can trust me.” You said and he smiled sadly.
“Even if I did tell her, it would change nothing. I’m in love with a woman I cannot have. Even if she did love me back, it would never be allowed. She would never be allowed to marry a guard.” He said and your heart burst in your chest, he was talking about you, that much was obvious and it filled you with a feeling you’d never had before, you couldn’t describe it.
“What if she didn’t care? What if the men she was supposed to marry didn’t interest her.” You said and he smiled.
“It wouldn’t matter, she can do better than me.” He said, you were close and if anyone were around they would deem it inappropriate but you couldn’t find it in you to care.
“What if she didn’t think so.” You said, your faces had somehow gotten closer during the exchange. Your heart beating in your chest.
“Oh Princess, you really are perfect.” He whispered, it almost sounded like he was talking to himself. You found yourself holding your breath in anticipation as he leant even closer to you, your eyes closing. You waited to feel his lips on yours but you never did. Instead you felt his lips on your cheek, the spot he’d kissed was burning as he removed them.
It took you a moment to open your eyes, composing yourself, but once your eyes had opened you were met with nothing, you watched as he made his way down the corridor, around the corner and out of sight. You were left with your heart almost beating out of your chest and the biggest smile on your face you’d ever had.
**
Taglist: @allthisfortommy , @bi-lmg , @bigassnocash , @thoughtfulfireangelpersona , @aidinniram 
If you would like to be added to the taglist, please let me know!! 💕
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dreamescapeswriting · 4 years ago
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BTS Reaction || Look Younger Than You Are [Request]
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BTS X GN!Reader
A/N: As someone who is 23 and regularly gets told I look 16 and constantly gets ID’d for things I relate to this on a personal level. 
Seokjin: 
Jin had left you in the line to go and find something else that was in the store so when you got to the checkout the guy waited for a moment before looking around, 
"Where are your parents?" You stared at him a little confused, 
"I'm with my boyfriend, he just went to get something." He nodded his head and didn't ring you up, 
"You can ring it up,"
"You have money?!" His voice came out strained as he stared at you a little gone out, you pulled out your purse and nodded your head when he looked back at the items. 
"Do you have any ID for the wine you're buying?" You took your ID out from your purse, this was nothing new you got this all the time. It had happened the week before when you and Jin were out to dinner. The waitress offered you a younger menu rather than the adult one which caused Jin to go into a massive laughing fit. 
"Everything okay?" Jin asked coming up behind you and kissing the top of your head, 
"It's fine, just need ID for the wine." The guy checked everything over before deciding it was okay for you and Jin to go and you rolled your eyes. 
"Maybe I should start adding wrinkles to my face with some makeup, make me look older," You sighed taking the shopping cart toward the car while Jin kept his mouth shut if he opened it he would start making jokes about how young you looked and he didn't think he would be able to stop himself.
“Laugh all you want Jinnie you’re the one that looks like you’re dating a teenager.” You cooed tapping his chin and walking away from him to put the shopping cart back. 
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Yoongi: 
"I'm just at the store picking up some energy drinks now," You said down the phone to Yoongi as you placed the items onto the checkout, the woman watched you carefully and at first you thought it was because you were looking a little suspicious, you had a giant overnight bag so it might have looked like you were trying to rob the place but then she smiled at you. 
"Do you have any ID?" You stared at her in silence until you heard Yoongi laughing so hard you thought he was going to stop breathing, he kept laughing the whole time you looked for your ID and gave it to her. 
"Oh my...I thought you were much younger than this...I'm sorry." You smiled awkwardly at her and she handed you back your ID card and you began packing up your bags ignoring Yoongi who was still finding the whole thing far too funny. 
"I'm not coming to the studio if you keep laughing at me." You warned him as you loaded up the car filled with bags of shopping you'd just gotten from the store but he kept laughing. 
"Yoongi I'm not going to come-"
"Do you have any ID?!" He laughed even louder so you hung up the phone on him and began driving to the studio, you always got ID'd for stupid things. You hated that you didn't look your age, you looked so much younger than you were and it annoyed you to the point where you'd just accept it. Though it did have it's benefits like getting on public transport for teenage fair instead of full adult prices.
When you got to the studio Yoongi was still laughing as you walked into the room and placed his drinks in front of him, 
"You can get them for yourself next time," You whined as he brought you into a loving kiss and told you how much he loved you to make up for laughing at you.
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Hoseok:
There were a lot of articles now slandering Hoseok for dating you, people had caught you out together and snapped photos which instantly started dating rumours and then came the rumours about your age. Everyone claiming to know it despite getting it years wrong. You were just a few months younger that Hoseok so it wasn't a big deal but the things they were stating in the articles was. Claiming that you were young enough to be his baby sister or Jungkook's sibling, that it was ''wrong'' for him to be dating you since you were so ''young''.
"It's such bullshit," You mumbled throwing your phone down onto the bed after Hoseok linked you another one of the articles, the PR team a BigHit were working on a way to get rid of everything and make your real age known but you just felt bad for Hoseok who had to deal with it all. 
"Hobi-"
"No, the PR team will fix everything come here," He whispered opening his arms for you, you crawled over to him and laid your head down on his shoulder. You'd always looked younger than you were but you never thought it would cause problems like this for Hoseok, it was just a couple of months between you but you knew how young you looked. It had always been that way since you were a kid, you'd never looked your age. Hoseok kissed your cheek softly and squeezed you close to him, 
"The main thing is I know how old you are and that everything will blow over soon." He reassured you and you kept your head resting on his shoulder.
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Namjoon: 
Namjoon was running late so you were attempting to order yourself and him a drink for the table but the waitress wasn't going to give you anything, 
"This is clearly a fake ID." You stared at her and then down to your ID in her hand, it had been as real as the day you got it on your 19th birthday so you wanted to know how she could say it was fake, 
"It's real-"
"Everything okay?" Namjoon kissed your head and sat down across from you looking at the waitress who was now shyly handing you your ID back and looking at Namjoon with flirty eyes. 
"They're just trying to order alcohol sir, you should teach your child not to use fake ID's." You started laughing as you realised you looked young and Namjoon must have looked old enough to be your father. 
"My partner is old enough to order whatever drink they choose." He reached across the table to take your hand in his and kissed the top of it to make it clear that you were dating and not father and child. 
"O-Oh I'm so sorry! You just- You look so young and I just-"
"It's fine, I get that a lot." You assured her it was fine and she insisted on letting you have your drinks on the house for any inconvenience she caused.
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Jimin:
"Hi, baby how you doing?" You turned around to see a 16-year-old boy talking to you with a giant smirk on his face, you looked at Jimin who was now hiding into his drink beside you.
"I'm fine thanks but I'm not really-"
"I've been watching you for a while, you should ditch your older brother here and come with me." Jimin laughed so hard he spat his drink back out into his cup and you nudged his side begging for him to do something but it wasn't going to work, he was enjoying this far too much to put a stop to it.
"He's not my brother, he's my boyfriend." You told him as you tried to take a step closer to Jimin who was now wrapping his arm around your waist, 
"You like older guys-"
"I'm his age," You told the kid who was now blushing a deep shade of red and stumbling over his words as he looked over at his friends, they were all laughing about what had happened and you sighed at him. 
"They dare you to come over?" He nodded and you kissed his cheek and slipped him a blank piece of paper, 
"Tell them you got my number," You laughed turning back to Jimin and begging him to let you both leave now, you wanted to go home and cuddle with him.
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Taehyung:
"You should be dating someone your age!" The elderly lady you were looking after scolded as you handed her the cup of tea you'd been making, you were volunteering at the old folks home and decided to bring Taehyung along with you to bring them some joy. 
"He is my age," You laughed pouring another cup of tea for her friend who stared at you, 
"He looks very old to be your age." You laughed once again and looked at Taehyung who was frowning wondering what was so funny over at your table, he finished serving and came over. 
"How old do you think I am Miss Park?" You set the pot of tea down on their table and they shook their heads together, 
"17 years old maybe 18," You started laughing harder and Taehyung tilted his head to the side, 
"We'll put you at least 25," She said to Taehyung as he stared at you, 
"We're the same age Miss Park," You assured her taking out your ID from your purse and showing it to her, she put on her giant reading glasses and then stared at you. 
"You look far too young! It's a compliment my dear, when you get to my age you'll be wishing you looked younger." You smiled at them both and excused yourself to go and laugh some more in the corner.
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Jungkook:
"Excuse me," You looked up to see an elderly man watching you and Jungkook closely, Jungkook was about to ask him if there was a problem when he began to speak to you, 
"I was just wondering what you were doing out of school, it seems a little early for high school students to be out," You looked down at your work uniform, it did strike an old similarity to a school uniform but you didn't think it was that bad,
"Oh I was...This is my work uniform, I'm not in school and haven't been for a few years." You laughed softly trying to brush the subject away but the man wasn't letting it go that easily,
"Kids dropping out these days, disgusting." Your eyes widened and Jungkook stared at you, 
"Sir, they're the same age as me, a couple of months younger but they're not as young as you're assuming I assure you." He laughed softly looking at you as you nervously agreed with him, 
"I can show you my ID-"
"No, No I'm sorry dear, my mistake." He chuckled taking your hand and patting the top of it softly, 
"You'll love that you look so young when you get older, you'll still need your ID to get served." You laughed softly and he walked away from the table leaving Jungkook to start laughing at you.
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Tagline:
@snowy-meowl @jooniesdarlingdimples @lyoongx @mitzwinchester @fan-ati--c @rjsmochii​ @callingmyangel​ @kneel-begyourpardon​ @taestannie​ @innersooya​ 
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scripturiends · 4 years ago
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law school episode 9 musings
warning: very very long post ahead. i have a lot of thoughts.
hey folks — how we feeling about episode 9?
given that there are so many plotlines in the show, i’m afraid i won’t be able to extend my analysis of the episode as far as i would like, but there are three characters who stood out to me the most last night that i’d like to talk about for now:
kang dan
there’s a lot that we got to uncover about her thanks to professor yang’s trial. if i’m piecing it all together right, the basic summary of what led to her disappearance goes like this:
she was a volunteer for assemblyman ko’s campaign, but upon discovering that he was spreading fake news about his opposition, dan reported him to the authorities (i’m guessing not just the police but also the media) and became a whistleblower. assemblyman ko tried to buy her off with money, but she refused, so he attacked her where she’s most vulnerable instead — by using her family.
i’m not completely sure about this (please feel free to correct me!) but it’s either byeol is (1) the twins’ half-sister, or (2) their stepsister? it’s so hard to tell, especially since korean terms can get lost in translation in the process (i watch on netflix, if that helps). but anyway, sol and dan’s mom married someone who was abusing her, and in exchange for dan’s silence (and her fleeing), the husband signs a contract that he would stop hurting his wife.
so that’s the backbone of dan’s story. however, this still doesn’t answer a lot of things, like where seo byungju or lee manho fits into the equation, the whereabouts of their mom’s ex-husband, or why dan was sent into boston in the first place.
i usually don’t like theorizing, but i do have one: there is an ivy league school located just outside of boston — harvard. (it’s technically in cambridge but you know, i’m taking liberties here.) professor yang said in passing one episode that he thought he saw dan when he went to the school for a seminar or a talk or something. could it be that assemblyman ko offered her an education at a top school in exchange for her silence? it could explain why she gave it up all so easily. what if she took that topnotch education as a chance to prepare, so that when she came back, she had much stronger leverage to take assemblyman ko down, given the knowledge and network of connections she’ll have earned in that school?
the theory’s plausible but i might be overestimating assemblyman ko’s kindness — unless he’s insanely desperate, he might not give a damn about dan’s education. it actually benefits him more if she stayed uninformed, but still. let me know what you think about it.
yoo seungjae
in this episode, we learned a little bit more about how yoo seungjae was able to hack into the professors’ laptops, and they also confirmed some of our previous speculations about him: that his wife yujeong was an ob gyn, and so was he, and that they were trying for a baby. unfortunately, i find it all to be a bit lacking in substance. i was hoping we could get down to the nitty-gritty of why he did what he did.
i say this for one important reason: i don’t know about you guys, but i would never make such a stupid mistake in undergrad, let alone in law school. seungjae has gone to med school, so we know that he knows the repercussions of his actions. why would he go to such lengths? sure, he found an opening, he was tempted, and he took it. but he didn’t just do it once, he did it multiple times, and those offenses add up (hacking, stealing exam papers, and cheating). surely he must know that something like this can ruin careers even before they even start, and not only would he get kicked out of the school, he would also get blacklisted from the industry once he implicates himself. so we understand why he’s so hesitant to testify (especially now that his wife is pregnant).
but why did he do that in the first place? we could say he’s insecure about his skills, but he’s survived med school. how much harder could law school be for him? i just don’t think that the payoff is worth the risk. what must be so important for yoo seungjae to do all of this for? what does he get in return if he successfully pulls it off and gets straight As during his entire time in law school? who is he doing for?
i hope it runs deeper than just wanting a ‘good future’ for him and his wife and their baby or something — because he could just as easily do that as a doctor. there must be another reason he went into law.
still, though, and this is just a personal opinion, even if i did find out his entire backstory, there’s no way i could ever defend him. we see in the show how his guilt builds up (from observing how kang sol A studies so well, to his conversation with jeon yeseul in the hospital), but at this point there is no more excusing what he did. not that i ever condoned it in the first place.
we’re still in the dark about a lot of things regarding yoo seungjae. hopefully by the next episode, we get something. but until then, he is still a shady, shady man to me.
kang sol B
her screen time in this episode was short, but i still wanted to highlight her because she is pretty much a ticking time bomb.
she’s in a tight spot right now because even if she testifies about having seen the sugar packet, the prosecutor will just twist the argument by saying she colluded with a murderer just to cover up her plagiarism.
and now, seo jiho needs her help, probably for something related to his case with prosecutor jin. in exchange, she puts pressure on him to ‘confirm’ that she didn’t plagiarize in middle school, since they were schoolmates and rivals.
there may be more to this plagiarism issue than meets the eye. who knows, we might find out later on that she actually didn’t plagiarize? but given what i know now, i have no reason to believe that she didn’t. i don’t blame her specifically for that, seeing as she has to pay for the consequences for something that her awful mom forced her to do. but now that the mess has been made, i want to see how she cleans it up.
kang sol B is a very elusive character to me. the scary thing about her is that she’s on no one’s side but her own. and that’s why i think she’s a ticking time bomb.
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bonus: han joonhwi
so that’s all i have for the serious stuff. as a bonus, i’d like to talk about han joonhwi and his four (4) children jeon yeseul, seo jiho, kang byeol, and min bokgi.
one of my friends brought up how it’s so funny how he’s somehow just at the right place at the right time all the time. this happened when he ran into kang sol A when she was looking for yeseul (i still think they were on the phone with each other beforehand but this is just my shipper self talking — truthfully, if the focus was shifted towards that phone call without divulging who it was, i have a feeling it might be more important later on), and when seo jiho confronted prosecutor jin. adding his elevator conversation with kang sol B, i think it just solidified what we already know: han joonhwi is a very compassionate person. but he doesn’t sacrifice his own personality just to appease them — he recognizes that these individuals have agency, and he’s just giving them the little push they need to make them realize what they need to do.
i also felt the need to bring up kang byeol. the show does such a good job of ensuring that all the solhwi scenes that we get, no matter how indulgent and “fanservice-y” they might seem, actually have a deeper purpose. again, i could go on and on about what each solhwi scene has actually contributed to the development of the plot, which is exactly why i love them so much! because all of their scenes are so meaningful. but anyway, it’s nice to see han joonhwi care so much for his, ehem, future sister-in-law.
and for min bokgi — this scene was so short, but i absolutely loved it so much (i tend to pay attention to the throwaway scenes): min bokgi is going off about how yoo seungjae is acting weird, and he says to joonhwi, “hyung, you should call him.” and joonhwi responds with, “sure. eat your food.” it’s such a fatherly thing to do and it’s such a great contrast to bokgi’s dynamic with sol A, with whom he’s so loud and vibrant, moods that both match their personalities, but with joonhwi, who is more subdued, he’s like a little kid in need of rescue from an older brother, or even a dad. ah, i love it so much. min bokgi is such an underrated character. i wish he had more screen time. (if he doesn’t get a central ep, well, you guys know where i’m going with this, right? it means i’ll give it to him myself.)
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so that’s it for now! i’m sorry i went on rambling again, but if there’s anything noteworthy in this post that you think is worth discussing, please do tell! if there’s anything that you found thought-provoking in the episode that i didn’t get to touch up on, let me know as well!
i personally don’t make any theories about the overarching plot myself, seeing as by the time the new episode comes out, we get fed information that renders the theory useless. still, that doesn’t mean we should stop coming up with our own ideas. sometimes, the theories are more interesting than the canon itself.
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