#I only did that small patch today because i was in a bigger city and saw a metalhead with his battle jacket and he looked really cool

[pierogisfilledwithpaint]

just sew on my first patch on my future battle jacket and im proud of it. it's the small sleep token patch with their logo in the middle but pushing the needle through the fabric and the patch made my hand hurt. i have some more patches but i need some more to plan it out better, maybe if I get my hands on another smaller patch ill sew it on, i also plan to make my own pins to put it on there but my motivation for anything is currently nonexistent, hopefully i can get myself together in the next few days

[lovelettersfromluna]

Dream Girl

Summary: Did you seriously think you’d be able to get over someone like Ellie Williams? Think again, dream girl.

an: I’m so obsessed with this series and the portrayal of Ellie, there’s just something about a small town romance that scratches the sweet spot in my brain. I hope you guys have enjoyed this one just as much as I have! Thank you so much for all of the support 🤍

Warnings: smut! MDNI!! 18+, tribbing (another tribbing fic by Luna?? Ofc do you not know me by now?), lots of kissing, sub!ellie if you squint, angst, mentions of another love interest, mentions of cheating, reader sucks Ellie’s fingers, pet names, unsure and closed off reader, pls lmk if I missed anything!

Read part 1 here!!

You watched from your bed as the gentle wind blew your lace curtains further into your bedroom, the birds chirping as the early morning sun slowly rose, cascading a warm glow into your room, making you squint your sore eyes with a soft groan.

With the slow rise of the sun came the constant reminder that you’d spent yet another night without catching a wink of sleep, lying there as you allowed your thoughts to carry you to places you wished didn’t exist.

Places of your ex wife, the bitter taste of your marriage still lingering on your tongue, reminding you of everything that could have been, everything that was lost due to lust.

Places of Ellie, the person who stole your heart first. You think of everything that could have changed had you not gone to the city, how your life's outcome would have had such a great shift due to one tiny change within the line of events that made up who you were, and what you did with your life.

It all leaves the whole in your heart feeling bigger, wider, swallowing up so much of the tiny organ that it almost felt there was nothing left of it.

It had been only a few days since the last time you saw Ellie, and the memories of that night still lingering in you brain, hanging heavily in your mind, stopping you from focusing on anything but that.

Because as much it felt good to kiss her, you haven't even been divorced for a year, and the conflicting feelings that you had for Ellie, paired with the newfound distrust and heartbreak that came from your recent marriage caused a storm in your head, heavy clouds swirling about in the confides of your mind and making it heard to think, hard to breath.

It was all just too fucking hard.

But you knew life was different now. You weren't a teenage girl that could run from confrontations for her own comfort. You were a grown up now, experiencing grown up situations that called for grown up reactions. So you knew that you needed to talk to Ellie, no matter how much it hurt to even think about facing her right now.

You weren’t even entirely sure where to start. Texting her was an absolute no, despite how much easier it would be to confront her that way, behind a screen would do a great job at cushioning the blow that came with confronting Ellie. Calling fell under the same category, she deserved much more than a measly phone call from your end with the intention of patching things up.

Which left only one option. You had to see her in person.

You sighed softly as you sat up in your bed, looking over at your phone resting face down on your bedside table. You hadn’t touched it since that night, avoiding the device all together in fear that you’d see any messages or calls from the worried girl.

So you aren’t surprised when you finally pick it up to see just that. Ellie didn’t pry, there were about three phone calls and four messages, all of which came across far too understanding and supportive for someone that had been kicked out mid make out session a few nights prior.

You inhale deeply before you open up your messages with her, and begin typing.

Hi

I’m sorry I haven’t responded.

Are you busy today? Can we meet up? I feel we need to talk

You practically hold your breath until she responds, which doesn’t take a very long time because the minute you send your first message, she’s read it and already typing out her message back.

Hey, don’t apologize. I was just worried about you

Ofc we can meet. Farmers market is opened today, you wanna check it out?

You don’t even realize it, but her messages are making you smile the second you read them out. Probably because of how easy Ellie makes things, how hard it is to make things awkward with someone as kind as she is.

That sounds great.

I’ll meet you there

Cool :)

Despite the small amount of anxiety that has alleviated when you’re finished texting her, you know this is only the beginning, the easy part of a conversation that will be much harder to have, much harder to explain when you aren’t even sure how to navigate your feelings as it is.

But there was no use in putting it off any further, so you’re quick to get out of bed, brush your teeth, haul on a pair of old blue jeans and an old band t-shirt and make your way out to your car to meet Ellie in town.

It’s almost impossible to have a sour mood in a place as magical as your little town. The moment you got into your car, the warm sun soaking into your skin made you take a deep breath, allowing yourself to clear your head for a second before making your way out into town.

Your mom was right, the sun can cure more than you thought.

You hadn’t even realized it was Sunday, which meant it was your towns tradition to hold the farmers market in the town center. You used to look forward to it so much as a kid, knowing it would bring out the best of the people that lived here, showcasing the talent every person had.

Some people sold clothes that they made by hand, pieces that could only be made with love and care, something you often missed seeing in the city. Others sold jewelry, so delicately crafted it was almost unbelievable that someone was able to create something like it.

But your favorite? Was the food. Different pastries baked by the hands of men and women, recipes passed on from generation to generation to continue to breath life into the traditions that made up your town, tying one another together with a single cake or pie.

It was almost like magic.

You catch yourself smiling as you walk down the strip of stands already getting into their sales. Your heart warms at the sight of familiar faces, aged but still happy. You notice new ones as well, like when you approach a stand you remember being up when you were kid, one of which sold your favorite sweet rolls.

Your attention is far too occupied with chatting up the familiar curly haired girl at the stand, the same one that your visit when you were a teenager, eager to her mothers famous pastures. You’re surprised to see that there’s now a baby on her hip sporting the same head of spiral chocolate brown locks sprouting from her head, giggling and kicking excitedly as you introduce yourself, grabbing the babies hands as you catch your with her mom.

Ellie had arrived not long after you, standing nearby as she smiles fondly at the way the baby quickly becomes enamored with you. Watching you play with kids was something that always made her heart flutter with joy.

You giggle softly as she hands you both pastries, giving her a nod as she begs you to come visit her and the sweet baby more often. You hum softly as you struggle to push both your receipt and your phone back into your purse, groaning softly to yourself as you fail to notice the sudden looming presence that falls over the, gentle hands opening your bag wider as they aid you in putting everything away.

“Here, lemme help you” Ellie breaths out gently, her voice alone making you freeze as your eyes trail to her body to land on her face that was suddenly very close to yours.

She chuckles when she notices you staring up at her with wide eyes, nodding her head down to your bag.

“Come on now, would hate to make you drop those” she hums as she mentions the pastries in your other hand. You blink a few times before you clear your throat, giving a quick nod before you push your things into your bag with her help.

“Fuck…sorry…I…um…” you struggle to speak, adjusting your bag on your shoulders as you watch the girl step back with a soft smile.

“No worries, you alright?” She questions, neck craning down a bit to get a good look at you, her own big green eyes staring into yours, making it hard to breath.

God, this was going to be much harder than you thought.

You inhaled deeply, opening your mouth to speak before closing it, looking down at the sweet rolls in your hand before outstretching your arm to hand one to her.

“I bought this for you…I figured you hadn’t eaten yet so…” you mumble out softly, watching as she stared at you for a moment before looking down at the perfectly packaged baked good in your hand.

Her heart warming at the mere thought of you thinking of her in that way.

She smiles softly before she nods, placing her hand on the small of your back as she began guiding you out of the small strip of stands.

“So sweet of you…c’mon, there’s some places to sit right up this way” she suggests, giving you a small reassuring smile as she leads you there.

Somehow it seems perfect. The sun, the birds chirping, the little shady spot that Ellie leads you over to, covered by the biggest tree with the prettiest flowers slowly drifting down from above. It’s truly something out of a dream….

It made you wish this was all a dream.

You let out a soft sigh as you sit opposite of Ellie on the wooden bench, your fingers toying with the paper the pastry in front of you is wrapped in. Ellie frowns as she watches you closely, knowing the expression far too well. She could see just how much you were in your own head, how the events you two shared prior lingered in your mind, making it hard to focus on anything.

You couldn’t even look at her, and she hated that.

She inhaled deeply before she reached a hand out, gently placing it atop yours.

“I hope you didn’t bring me out here to apologize…because you don’t have to” her words are soft, and sweet, and it makes your throat get tight because she shouldn’t be so kind to you after what you did, after the way you treated her.

You don’t respond, so she takes the opportunity to keep talking.

“I get that things are probably hard…and I shouldn’t even have kissed you that night…so I’m sorry” she tries again, and you scoff softly before shaking your head.

“Don’t…don’t apologize” you mumble out before you inhale deeply, finally looking up, only not at her, at the scenery around you both.

“I caught her in our bed, with some girl she worked with” you mumble out softly, fingers mindlessly running along the rough surface of the wooden table.

“I probably should have seen it coming….but I think I wanted things to work out so badly that I just ignored it” you shrug slightly as you explain before you finally look over at Ellie, who’s already staring intently as she listens to you.

“Ellie I don’t want you to feel sorry for me, or to think that I’m using my divorce as an excuse for what I did, for what happened between us….but I just need you to know that I’m hurting, and it’s just….hard for me to open myself up to something like that again after what happened” your voice breaks as your emotions threaten to give you away, chin wobbling as tears pool in your eyes.

But you don’t let them flow free. You don’t want to cry anymore, not over this.

“I…I just need time….” You silently beg, beg for her to understand what it is you’re going through, what it is you’re experiencing.

It scares you when she doesn’t answer right away, her green eyes scanning your face as she takes it all in. It’s a lot, and you know that, but there’s a tiny part of you that begs for Ellie to do what she does best, which is tell you exactly what you need to hear.

She blinks a few times before giving you a nod, paired with a soft smile. “You don’t even have to ask….you know I’d understand no matter what”

You inhale deeply as you watch her, her gentle eyes, her soft smile telling you that all would be fine. It make your stomach churn because you feel like you don’t deserve it, you feel like she deserves so much more than what you’re giving her.

You two haven’t even addressed what actually happened that night.

There’s nothing more to do than to simply smile back at her. It’s weak, and it isn’t much, but it’s all you can mange right now.

Ellie smiles softly at you before she looks down at the rolls in front of you both. “As good of a baker that Mary Beth is….i think we need some real food” Ellie hums out softly before she swings her leg over the bench to get up, nodding her head towards a small diner nearby.

“Come on. Let’s get something to eat” she suggests, holding her hand out for yours.

She notices the way your eyes linger on her calloused hand, unsure of whether or not you should take it, unsure of what signals it would send if you did.

You were unsure of everything. Unsure of Ellie, yourself, your own feelings. Nothing felt solid enough to trust, and you hated that someone like Ellie could make you feel that way, even though you knew that it wasn’t her that was making you feel that way, but rather what happened to you instead.

She can see it, she can see right through you and for a moment her frown mimics yours before she it turns into a soft smile.

“As friends” she affirms gently.

She sees a flash of something ripple through your eyes at this when you finally look up at her, something she doesn’t want to read too much into, something that she knows she can’t dive into for your own comfort, and perhaps even hers too.

A moment passes before you crack a weak smile, placing your hand into hers before you nod. “Yeah…as friends” you manage to make out weakly before grabbing the things off the table, shoving them into your bag and leaning into Ellie’s warmth as she guides you to the diner.

Ignoring the bitter taste left on your tongue at the way Ellie assured you that she was your friend, and nothing more.

Your mind was in absolute shambles.

It had been a few weeks since the farmers market with Ellie, and truthfully all had been well between the two of you. You both ate together, talked, laughed, you were even able to talk about your divorce, explaining to Ellie how you felt, what it had done to you, and she listened to it all, nodding along to your words, giving you the advice you didn’t want to hear, but very much needed. For a moment it was easy to forget all about the tension that had settled between you both, the thoughts that plagued you were finally silenced as you allowed yourself to just simply be.

That was until you got home.

The second you were in your bedroom, lying there, staring up at the ceiling, memories of that night began to flood into your mind. You could feel it all so clearly, Ellie’s hands on your body, her lips pressed against your mouth, gasping for air, her tongue sliding against your own. Her words echoed throughout your mind, desperate pants and moans of how she needed you, of how you needed her.

You couldn’t sleep a wink.

It felt as though you hadn’t even talked to her, as if things hadn’t glossed over to where they were okay, a point where things were fine between you both. They were, but the feelings you had were still there. You thought that if you had at least talked to Ellie, explained to her what you were feeling, it would give you a head start on where to go with sorting out your own feelings.

None of that ever came.

Your body yearned for a moment of peace from the issues at hand, you wanted to feel the same way you felt when you were sat at the diner with Ellie, her laugh and her sparkling smile distracting you from the things you were feeling.

But you knew you couldn’t turn to her for a distraction, you couldn’t use her to occupy your mind from facing things that you’d much rather ignore. That wasn’t fair to her and it would only hurt you further in the long run, lengthen the grieving process of the death of your marriage.

You couldn’t do that to Ellie.

You could however, go somewhere that you knew would clear your mind the moment you were there.

The low hum of your car engine shuts off as you pull up to the familiar clearing, a gentle smile on your face as you can already hear the gentle stream of the water the moment you’re stepping out of the car.

The old creek was one everyone in your town treasured, a tiny glimpse of paradise in the confides of your backyard. It was where all the seniors would go for senior skip day, and where families would visit to spend the day with their children. If there was any place that the people of your town would be during the summertime, it would be the creek.

And rightfully so, the waters sparkled like nothing you’d ever seen before, the shady trees hiding the spot away like a secret that belonged to you and only you. You had many fond memories of the place, ones with your family, your siblings, your old friends from school.

Ellie.

You and her would visit the spot any chance you got, diving into the cold water the moment you were there. You could recall the moment you two first found out, thinking it was a secret only you two shared, just to find out your parents had been visiting when they were your age as well.

Regardless of the fact that it didn’t belong to you two, it felt like it. A small piece of the world that you and Ellie could call your own, sharing secrets there with one another, Ellie pushing you off the old swing tied up to one of the trees before she swung in soon after, diving in and holding you close to her chest as she promised you’d be together forever, for as long as you both lived.

The intensity that you both shared as teenagers often made you laugh. What a silly thing for two teenage girls to say who have barely experienced the world out there.

You let out a gentle sigh as you rugged off your denim shorts after setting your spot up. A small blanket settled down with your bag, your old camera and a few books, clearly having every intention of staying the entire day, swimming to your hearts content.

Once you’re stripped of your clothes, your body only clad in your old bathing suit, you waste no time in making your way down to the water, shivering slightly once your toes hit the cold water, wiggling them in the process.

You’re convinced swimming in the small body of water has to have some sort of mystical healing properties, because the moment you’re diving your head under, eyes examining the aquamarine world that is below the surface, your mind is clear. It makes you feel like you could live there, swimming amongst the different underwater caverns and the fish, creating a whole new world below as the little mermaid you always dreamed to be.

Your mother always told you she thought she’d given birth to a little fish when your father first took you swimming.

It’s so easy to lose track of time when you’re like this, floating around in the water, letting its coldness wrap you up and swallow you whole. It’s almost comforting how quiet it is, the only sounds being the gentle stream of the water, the wind rustling against the tree leaves and the frequent sound of the birds chirping to let you know that you weren’t alone, letting you know they were there with you.

You don’t even realize it but you’ve spent hours swimming about in the small pond, the grumbling in your stomach finally stops you for a moment to actually think about anything other than swimming, forcing you out to lay out onto your blanket and dry in the sun, occasionally popping the sweet berries into your mouth you’d brought from home.

The book you’ve brought with you also silences the outside world, allowing you to flip from page to page without thinking of anything but the regal characters that seemingly had much more to worry about than you. What a world it would be to wear uncomfortable dresses and attend balls in the hopes you’d find the perfect husband.

What would they think of your divorce?

It makes you snort to yourself, a gentle hum leaving your lips as you flip another page, unaware of the sudden sound of feet crunching against the grass slowly approaching you.

The high pitched sound of your name being called rips your attention away from your book, furrowing your eyebrows a bit as you cup your hand above your eyes to shield from the sun, trying to get a good look at who it was that was disturbing your peace.

“I didn’t think I’d be seein’ you here! What a surprise!” Lilac chirps out, her curly hair tied up into a perfectly styled bun, tight coils framing her face as she clutches her towel to her chest.

You hadn’t seen her since the night Ellie took you out to the Copper Cat a few weeks ago, the girl not lingering on your mind much as you had much bigger fish to fry. You were honestly a bit shocked that she’d even remembered your name.

You give her a gentle smile as you sit up, your legs folding to cross one another as you give her a small smile.

“Good to see you Lilac….going for a swim?” You ask her, watching as the girl takes the spot right next to yours, her blanket fitting perfectly up against your own as she gives you a confident nod.

“Mhm! It’s too hot…bless Ellie’s heart for sharin’ this place with me. Don’t know what I’d do without it” she chirps out as she tugs her own denim shorts off, leaning her in the cutest little bikini.

You know she doesn’t mean it in the way that it sounds, bragging about being introduced to the small clearing by your ex girlfriend, and you knew that it was only in due time that this place was mentioned to her by someone in your town, making sense that Ellie would do it first since that’s just the kind of girl Ellie was.

But there’s just something that tugs at your heart at the thought of it all. Ellie mentioning this place to her, the two of them coming down together, alone, Lilac adorned in another one of those adorable bikinis she had to show off to Ellie her gorgeous body as they play in the water together.

Something about Ellie sharing the spot you two shared with someone else that just rubbed you the wrong way.

You inhale deeply, trying to calm your nerves as you remember that this girl owes you nothing, Ellie owes you nothing and Lilac has been nothing but kind to you from the moment she met you.

Giving her a gentle smile as she settles down next to you, you nod. “It’s pretty great out here…I’m surprised it isn’t so packed. Seems we got lucky” you give her a nod before you sigh, turning your attention back to your book.

She smiles fondly as she watches you turn your attention back to your book, her neck craning down a bit to get a good look at the cover, gasping softly once she realized what it was you were reading.

“You read those too? I love them! I just finished the first two” she beams, a soft hum leaving your lips as you look up at the girl, raising your eyebrows at her comment.

“Really? Most people think they’re super corny” you pout softly as you turn the book over to look at the cliche cover, which only earns a firm head shake from Lilac.

“Honey I’m a hopeless romantic, I daydream more than I actually try talking to people” she giggles out softly, giving you a gentle shrug.

Her words make you chuckle softly, gently closing your book as you toss it to the side before sitting up to mirror her posture, crossing your legs as you suddenly give her your full attention.

“You’re a hopeless romantic? But…Lilac you’re gorgeous. I wouldn’t be shocked if you have every single guy here desperate to get a chance with you” you confess, which only makes her shake her head as she gives you a shy smile, gently shoving your knee.

“Don’t you dare! I’m awful at talking to people” she pouts out, her eyes dropping from her own as she stares down at the flowers on her blanket, delicate fingers tracing the patterns gently as she lets out a gentle sigh.

“If I’m being honest…it’s not the guys here that I want…” her words trail off softly, and it makes you pout softly as you eye the girl, seeing how whatever is on her mind is clearly bothering her, plaguing the girl just as much as what was on your mind.

You open your mouth to ask her about it, feeling bad about whatever she was going through, but she’s quick to shake her head and put on a bright smile once she looks back into your eyes. “But let’s not get into that! M’glad you’re here to join me today” she breaths out, her voice sweet and genuine as her eyes soften.

And it makes your heart rate finally slow down, seeing just how genuine the girl seemed, how happy she was to be there with you regardless of the fact that you were as good as a stranger to her than anything more.

You smile softly as you nod, leaning forward and placing your hand on hers, giving a gentle squeeze. “Don’t mention it, Lilac” you hum out softly.

If there was anything you didn’t expect to do today, it was to have made a new friend, especially one in Lilac. The two of you spent the entire day down at the creek, laughing together, swimming together. The more time you spent with her, the more you realized just how much in common the both of you had.

Being completely honest with yourself, she had more kindness in her pinky than anyone in the city ever did.

The sun has set, and the breeze blew against your warm skin as you leaned against your car, Lilac in front of you as she made yet another joke that had you throwing your head back as you let out a loud laugh.

“Stop I feel the same way! I always wondered what happened to him” you gasp out, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear as you lean back to shove your back into the passenger seat of your car. Lilac giggles softly as she nods, her arms crossed over her chest as she swatted away the mosquitos slowly began to swarm around you both.

“He’s still an idiot, some people never change I fear” she groaned out, a prominent pout on her perfect lips before she cocked her head to the side, smiling fondly at you.

“Ellie was right about you, you know? You really are somethin’ special” she breaths out, and it has your eyes going wide at the mention of the girl. It makes you realize that you hadn’t thought about her all day, not since Lilac had joined you.

It makes you wonder what other things Ellie had said about you.

You whine softly as you bring your hand forward to nudge her playfully. “Shut up….you’ll blow my head up” you warn the girl playfully before you sigh softly, looking over at the sun that was slowly bur surly setting, the once warm glow that casted onto you both disappearing.

“Ahh I should get going…we shouldn’t be on the roads too late” you breath out softly, turning towards the girl and giving her a small smile, only to see a sad one on her face.

You frown softly as you watch her, leaning forward and giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “Hey? You okay?” You ask gently, suddenly worried about the girls shift in her mood.

She lets out a gentle sigh before she looks down at her feet, kicking around the gravel below before she lets out a soft hum. “I know we don’t know each other well…but…I feel like you’ll be my only help with this” she admits to you, her eyes still casted downwards before you assure her with a soft voice. “Of course you can..” you mumble out softly.

She finally looks up at you, taking a deep inhale before she gives you a half smile. “I…think I like Ellie” she breaths out, as if she’d been keeping it held in for so long, as if finally telling you was letting a weight off of her shoulders.

Letting it off of hers and slamming it down onto yours.

You find it hard to breathe, because suddenly you’re shot back to the first night you met Lilac at the Copper Cat. Ellie’s hand on her waist, hers on Ellie’s arm as she whispers in her ear, the two of them matching one another far more than you felt you could’ve ever matched Ellie. You feel threatened, and it sets a fire off in your chest, and you feel like the world is crumbling around you as this beautiful girl admits her innocent feelings for your ex girlfriend.

When you don’t speak, she continues.

“And I just…you and her are so close, so I was hoping maybe you could give me some advice? Should I go for it? Do you…think she’d like me back?” She asks hopefully, twiddling with her fingers nervously as she watches you closely, awaiting your response.

You stare are her blankly, your body working on autopilot as you try to work your way through this. Seeing her that night felt like it might’ve all been in your head, especially when Ellie ran out after you and left the moment you were ready, but now this is all real. This is Lilac confirming that what you felt was real, and this was the reality of coming back to your hometown, more specifically your ex girlfriend.

And as you stand there, trying to figure out what the hell to say to this girl, you can only see someone doing the same thing that you’re doing. She’s a young girl, looking for love in this crazy fucked up world, and she’s unsure of herself. Someone as beautiful as her is unsure of herself and you could only wish that someone would have guided you when you were pursuing your ex wife, a third party bystander giving their advice and helping you through it all.

Because as much as it kills you? Ellie deserves love, and so does Lilac, and if they find it in one another, who the hell are you to take that away from them.

The both of them owe you nothing.

You inhale deeply before giving her a soft smile, nodding as you reach out to give her arm a gentle, assuring squeeze. “I think Ellie would be thrilled to be with someone like you, Lilac….you should go for it” you breath out genuinely, watching as the girls face lights up with joy with your confirmation, an excited squeal leaving her lips.

“I was hoping you’d say that! You’re an angel” she squeals, reaching forward and grabbing you up into her arms as she gives you a tight hug, swaying back and forth as she tucks her chin into your shoulder.

You can practically feel the happiness radiating off of her.

You smile softly as you nod, wrapping your hands around her as you hug her back before you hum. “You didn’t need me…you’ll be great on your own” you assure her before you pull away, giving her a reassuring nod.

She smiles brightly as she nods before she lets out a loud sigh. “Right…get home safe, alright? And text me! We can hang out sometime this week” she sings out as she gets into her car, giving you a wave as she begins pulling off.

And suddenly you’re left there all alone, with the newfound thoughts that are swirling about in your head. You know already that you won’t be able to sleep, not with the mental image of the two of them dancing around in your mind, forcing you to face reality, face the facts that time moves on with or without you.

But you were tired of being left behind, you were tired of being the last one to know things, the one broken heart in a sea of mended ones.

Driving off in your car from the creek gives you time to think, the cool breeze kissing your skin, pushing your hair back as the radio plays your favorite songs, creating somewhat of a perfect scenario to think things over rather than running from them.

While it all hurts, you know that there’s no use in standing in the way of Lilac or Ellie or whoever for that matter. Life would continue moving, and in that meant new love would be found, for both you and Ellie, it just felt like that wouldn’t happen for you in the moment, even if you knew it would.

But you were going to move on from this. And you were going to be fine, no matter how long it took for you to catch up with the tracks of life that seemingly always got the best of you.

There’s something therapeutic about hanging up the laundry on the old clothes line in your backyard.

You used to make fun of your mom all the time when she did it, telling her that there was a perfectly good dryer inside that would take less than half the time to dry the clothes than they did outside, not to mention less work when it came to picking them in.

However as you’ve grown older, there’s something so simple about walking outside with your basket on your hip, the gentle smell of detergent blowing into your direction as you pin up several articles of clothing, your white sheets, anything that you’ve washed, that tickles your brain in the best ways.

That, and the fact that these days you’ll take any task to fill your brain with thoughts other than Ellie or your ex wife.

Things had been fine. You spoke to Ellie here and there, dropped dinner off at Joel’s house that you knew he made sure she got some of whenever you made extra, you even made time for Lilac within the week as well. You’d picked up a small job in town as well, working at the cashier of a small floral shop that had been in town from you could remember.

So although your mind drifted to places you didn’t often like, life was fine. Life was slow, and life was good.

Lilac constantly gushed to you about Ellie, talking about all the progress they’d been making, asking your opinion on the girls behavior, which you always tried your best to help with. Although the strange thing about it all, was you heard nothing from Ellie about the situation. She didn’t mention anything about Lilac, not even when you brought it up.

It wasn’t long until you began distancing yourself from the both of them, knowing how hard it would be once they became official and you had to live life in a world where they were together.

Because although you were doing okay, the wound was still fresh, and you had to keep your peace.

You hummed a gentle tune softly as you continued hanging up your linen on the line, enjoying the feeling of the cool summer breeze against your skin, the dandelions dancing along through the air as they became loose from their stems.

The sound of your fence creaking open cuts right into your thoughts of housework, forcing you to turn around as you hang up another one of your sleep shirts, a soft smile on your lips when you catch sight of the familiar tall brunette walking into your backyard, both her hands shoved into the pockets of her denim jeans.

“Ellie…didn’t think you were coming over” you sigh out softly as you clip the end of your shirt up, continuing to hang up your clothes regardless of her being there.

“Was in the neighborhood….I thought I’d stop by” she breaths out, eyes taking in your form as you continue with your chore.

Her voice seems like something is bothering her, and you catch onto it the second she utters her first syllable. You know already why she’s here, to question you about your sudden absence, wondering if things were okay with you or not, worry clear in her tone.

“You…haven’t been around lately” she mumbles out, that same worried tone laced throughout her words.

It was just as you suspected.

You frown, thanking the task of laundry that hides your expression from her. It’s so much easier to lie to Ellie whenever you’re not looking into her eyes.

“Oh…I’ve just been uh…dealing with some stuff” you’re quick with the excuse, clearing your throat before you turn around to give her a soft smile. “I’m fine…honest” you give her your best attempt at a reassuring nod before you turn back to your laundry.

You have to turn away from her quickly, because you can see from the small glimpses you get of her that she’s frowning, and her brows are furrowed together with something that’s bothering her.

You hope she’ll leave after you tell her you’re fine.

But she doesn’t. You don’t hear her respond to your words, or even turn around silently to go about her day. You hear nothing behind you, only the sound of your white sheets wafting through the wind, drying on the line before you.

You frown when you look down to see your basket is empty, and the task of pinning up your clothes is no longer present to hide you away from Ellie.

So you need to get rid of her.

You inhale deeply, picking up the old basket and placing it on your hip, putting your most believable smile on your face before turning around, finally locking eyes onto the girl to see something that makes your heart sink.

It looks like she hasn’t slept, prominent bags under her pretty eyes, pouty pink lips chapped, most likely picked and bit at out of anxiety, a bad habit you knew she had whenever something was bothering her. Your heart tugs at the image, wanting nothing more than to pull the girl down into a hug, consoling her and telling her that whatever was bothering her, would be fine.

But you can’t. Because things aren’t the same anymore.

You inhale deeply before you nod your head towards your back door. “Well…I have lots to do inside…more house work…dinner” you explain, trying your best to hint at Ellie leaving without having to say so.

“Did I do something wrong?” She finally makes out, her words a clear plea to understand the situation rather than a half mumble that she’d rather not say.

It makes you furrow your eyebrows, watching the girl with a confused look as you try to understand her.

“Wrong? Ellie…I’ve barely seen you. What could you have possibly done wrong?” You try, confused of the sudden outburst from the girl.

Her eyes are stormy, hazy and hard to read. Her brows are knit as she looks down at the floor before looking back into your eyes, a prominent frown on her face.

“Why would you tell Lilac that there’s something worth looking for between her and I…why would you…” her words trail off, as if she wants to say more, as if she wants to persist with knowing why you would have done such a thing.

And soon it all starts making sense.

You wish Lilac wouldn’t have said anything. You wish she wouldn’t have told Ellie that you were the one that told her to go for it, even if she was the one that asked in the first place. You wish she would have just pursued Ellie without any mention of you, because was that even necessary? You know she must have done it to gush about you even further, the girl becoming enamored with you from the moment she saw you, and even more so once you two became closer.

But for the love of god…did she really have to tell Ellie that you were the one to tell her to go for it?

You open your mouth to speak before you sigh softly, your hands squeezing the handles of your clothes basket before you speak. “I….she spent the day down at the creek with me and when we were about to leave she told me she liked you…and she asked me if I thought she should pursue you” you explain with a shrug of your shoulders, which only makes Ellie scoff in disbelief.

“And you told her that was a good idea?” She argues back, as if it were the dumbest thing you could have ever done. She says it as if it were common knowledge to tell the girl other wise, you raise your eyebrows when she says this.

“Yeah? Why not? Lilac is…she’s fucking gorgeous Ellie. Anyone would be lucky to have her, and you should be happy I put you on with someone as great as her” you mumble out as you slip past the girl, clearly done with Ellie and this conversation as you walked up the wooden steps leading to your back door.

But Ellie isn’t finished with you, because she’s quick to follow behind, closing the door behind you as you make your way into your laundry room to set your basket down, your hands going to your hips once you turn around to see the girls built figure standing in your doorway.

“Ellie come on…I have things to do…you need to go” you huff out as you slip past her once again, going off into your living room to start on the dried laundry that needed to be folded, hoping that the girl would simply drop it and leave.

“You know I understood you the night after the show, and I was more than willing to give you all of the space you need, but this feels like you’re playing some sick joke on me” she’s standing over you now, watching as you try to ignore her in favor of some pillow cases that needed folding.

“Is pushing me into the arms of someone else your solution? And ignoring me until I’ve forgotten all about it? Is that the plan? Is that seriously what you think it’ll take to get rid of me?” She tries again, her voice pleading with you at this point as she watches you ignore her.

But this time you done, your hands drop to your lap as you stare up at her in disbelief before you toss the pillow case to the side, standing up opposite of her.

“I never had a plan! Lilac asked me a question and I was honest with her. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t be happy with someone else” you explain to her before you finally feel as though you’ve had enough, a huff of annoyance filling the silent air as you round the couch to slip away into the kitchen.

Before you’re fully there, Ellie’s voice is echoing off the walls.

“But I can’t be happy with someone else!” She shouts out, her arms flailing up inti the air before dropping down to her side, the sound of her palms slapping against her jeans before she sighs.

You stop dead in your tracks when you hear that one, your back still turned to her.

“How could I possibly be happy with anyone else when you’re all I fucking think about….” Her voice is tired, and it’s almost as if she’s begging you for something, something you are not capable of, something you cannot give.

Begging for you.

“From moment we had our first kiss….to the moment I said goodbye to you before you left for the city…I’ve only ever wanted you” you can hear her getting closer, slowly making her way towards you as you stand there at the edge of your kitchen, frozen, silent, unable to say anything to her as she confesses these things to you.

“It’s pathetic, and I’ve tried to suck it up for your sake because I know….you’re going through a tough time after that moron did what she did….but I can’t fucking hide anymore” she breaths out, and it sounds the same exact way that Lilac sounded when she admitted to you that she had feelings for Ellie those nights ago.

Your back is still turned to her, and you know she’s right behind you because her smell fills up your lungs and makes your eyes roll to the back of your head as you try to fight all of it back, everything that you’ve done, all that you’ve worked through from the moment you got home to get to the point that you were at currently.

But you feel all of it break the moment Ellie’s strong hand grips your shoulder gently, sighing softly as she speaks.

“Look at me….please angel…” she begs, her skin wafting onto your neck as she tries her best to fight the urge to grab you right then and there and kiss you.

When you finally turn around, her heart breaks, because the whites of your eyes are red, and there are heavy tears pooling at the edge of your eyes, making them sparkle in the warm light of your kitchen, looking so beautiful yet so tragic all in the same time.

Her chest tightens as she leans in to cup your cheek, fighting back the urge to groan as she inhales deeply. “I can’t…I don’t wanna pretend like I’m not still in love-“ you’re quick to cut her off, your tears spilling out onto her cheeks the moment you hear the word.

“Don’t…don’t say it” you warn her with shaky words, struggling to even speak with the burning sensation in your throat.

You don’t think you could handle it, hearing those words fall from someone’s lips again, the fear rising the moment they hang from Ellie’s, flashbacks of you’re wife at the alter, promising you everything and more before she kissed you and whispered in your ear that she loved you.

It’s scary, and it makes you feel terrified of Ellie.

Before she can carry on even further, trying her best to convince you that her words are true, silently begging you to hear her out as her wide green eyes stare down into yours, you’re cutting her off.

“I told you already Ellie…I’m not….i can’t do this again. I can’t give myself to someone like I did with her” your voice trembles as you explain, her vision blurring with tears as you try your best to swallow them all back.

She licks her lips as she stares down at you before she shakes her head. “I get it….I get that you’re hurting from what happened, but I can’t keep going on without you knowing anymore….” She starts to explain, both of her hands coming up to cup either side of your face, forcing you to look up at her.

“I’ve….god I’ve longed for you from the moment you left after high school. There was not a day that went by where I did not think of you for even a few seconds. And I’m sorry for what happened, and I understand if I’m just a childhood fling for you, but I’d rather you tell me that then try to push someone else onto me to distract me from what I’ve felt all these years” she rambles on, nearly stumbling over her words as they all bubble up to the surface, overflowing and dragging you down with her.

You open your mouth for a moment before closing it, looking far too similar to a fish out of water as you try to find the words to say. What are you even supposed to say? Are you supposed to lie to her? Tell her that you haven’t felt the same way? But now it’s different and it hurts to even try to envision yourself in a relationship with someone let alone pursue them? Even when it’s Ellie?

Your Ellie?

She watches as you struggle to speak, her eyes searching yours for even a sliver of hope that this will work, that her confession will bring you to a point where you can both meet, where things can be okay again.

And if they can’t? She needs to hear you say it out loud.

“Tell me you don’t feel the same” she deadpans, hands dropping from your face as any hope she might have had slowly drains out, fizzling out of her system as she watches you simply stare up at her, a mere shell of the girl she once knew.

“Tell me you don’t love me, and I’ll never bring this up again. We can move on from this and we can be friends. I promise” she breaths out, feeling the air slowly leaving her lungs, making it hard to breathe.

You feel the exact same way. You feel like the world has stopped around you both as images of your life swirls around your head.

There’s images of your ex wife, taking the privilege of love from you, ripping your heart out of your chest and walking away with it the moment she decided to cheat on you. It hurts, and it burns and it feels like something you’ll never recover from, something that leaves a wound so deep, that it will never grow the familiar leathery skin that it’s supposed to, creating a scar that acts as merely a memory for what happened, for what you endured.

And then there’s something sweeter in the corner, so small that if you pay enough attention to the hurt in your heart, you don’t even notice it.

It’s memories of Ellie. Sharing your first kiss with her, going to prom with her, spending late nights with her in your bedroom talking about the future, spending time with one another that will leave sweet memories in your mind till the day you die. It’s soft, and it’s easy and it makes your insides flutter with excitement at the mere thought of her by your side.

As you’re looking over all these parts of you, standing in your kitchen with Ellie and staring up into her eyes, you make a remarkable discovery.

You realize that if you try hard enough, the pain that comes from what your ex wife did doesn’t hurt as bad, long as you’re focusing on the feeling that Ellie gives you.

Because when you’re with Ellie, you feel nothing but love.

You lick your own lips as you stare up at her, inhaling deeply before you shake your head, feeling your throat burn with tears before you speak.

“I can’t do that….” Your words trail off for a moment before your eyes drift down to her strong hands, missing the feeling of her skin pressed against yours.

You slowly reach forward to take her tattooed hand into yours, your fingers dancing along the intricate details of the leaves on her wrist before you interlock your fingers, finally looking up at her as your eyes well up with tears for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

“Because I….feel the same way” you breath out, watching as her sage colored eyes glimmer with happiness, a gentle sigh of relief leaving her lips as she quickly moves her hand to cup your face, her other reaching down to hold onto your waist, pulling you close to her body.

“Jesus…c’mere” she practically moans out before she smashes her lips against yours in a passionate, love filled kiss.

You giggle softly, your hands wrapping around her wrist as you waste no time in kissing her back, arms coming up to loosely wrap around her neck as you press your chest against hers, reveling in the feeling of her lips pressed against your own.

You hummed a gentle tune to yourself as you mixed up the pitcher of lemonade, far too deep in thought to pay the bustling party behind you any mind.

One of your favorite parts about the summer time was the cookouts. There was something about nearly the entire town coming together at someone’s house, enjoying the warm weather, the bright sun and good food, that made your heart burst with excitement.

You were just about ready to make your way to your backyard with the others, when you felt a firm hand sliding against your waist, smoothing down over the fabric of your flower sun dress and pulling you into their chest.

“Don’t you think we have enough drinks baby?” Ellie hums out softly, pressing her lips against the base of your neck, making you giggle softly as you lean into her.

“It’s almost 100 degrees outside, Ellie…I don’t think too many things to drink is even a possibility” you explain before you turn around in her arms, smiling softly at the firm as you wrap your arms around her neck, leaning in to press a kiss to the corner of her lips.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on the grill? You better not burn all that food I bought” you playfully pinch her shoulder, which only makes her groan softly.

“It’s too hotttt….wanna be inside with you” she whines out, resting her head against your shoulder as she gently sways with you in the kitchen.

You hum as you nod, your fingers toying with the short hair at the nape of her neck. “I know baby….but your father will be very upset if he doesn’t have at least one beer with you…come on pretty girl” you hum out to her softly, your hands sliding down to hold her around her middle before giving her a gentle pinch near her ribs, which makes her yelp out as she pulls away, a prominent pout on her sun burnt, freckled face.

“Fine…but come out with me” she huffs out, leaning in to give your forehead a kiss before she makes her way outside, making you giggle softly.

You sigh softly to yourself, placing the lemonade on a small tray paired with some already filled red solo cups, and a few empty ones on the side that you knew would be getting filled up shortly after you brought them out. You had to move slowly with how full they were, groaning softly to yourself as you tried your best to not let them fall as you tried making your way through the crowd of people in your home.

“Oh honey let me help you with that!” You hear Lilac chirp out as she quickly comes behind you, pressing her hands against your waist before taking the heavy pitcher off of the tray, making you sigh in relief once you saw the girl.

“There you are! I was starting to think you wouldn’t show…” you pout out, smiling softly as the girl leaned in to press a friendly kiss to your cheek, which you were quick to lean into as well.

She giggled softly as she groaned. “Did you know that this party of yours is causin’ traffic out there?? Everyone’s dying to come, I almost ran out with the rollers still in my hair” she explains, making you giggle softly as she opened up your back door for you.

After everything happened with you and Ellie, you were terrified of what would happen with Lilac. You felt like you’d robbed the girl of something she wanted without even trying, even after being the one to tell her to go for it! Even after Ellie assured you time and time again that Lilac was always one to get innocent crushes on everyone, and that she’d get over it in no time, you were still scared that you’d lose the girl as a friend after just making her one.

You were quickly proven wrong when you met her in town a few days after, texting her and letting her know you had something to tell her. Instead of her being upset about you and Ellie, Lilac was thrilled. She grabbed you and hugged you, and told you that she even wanted to celebrate with you and Ellie, explaining that her crush was as innocent as could be.

And before you could even realize, Lilac had become your best friend.

You giggle softly as the children practically jumped you once they saw the tall pitcher of ice cold lemonade, frantically grabbing the cups and chugging them down before running off to play in the sun.

Catching sight of Ellie with her father and a few of her coworkers makes your heart flutter, and you decide to fill up a few more cups of the cold drink as you make your way over to them, a soft smile on your face.

“Lemonade anyone?” You chirp out softly, all of them taking them gladly before Ellie slung her arm around your waist, pulling you into her side as she pressed a kiss to the side of your head, carrying on with her conversation.

You don’t miss the way Joel smiles fondly at the two of you over the edge of his cup.

And later that night, when everyone’s left and the house is cleaned up, you lay with Ellie in your bed, the cool breeze blowing in through your windows, your bedroom illuminated by the white light of the moon.

You’re tucked away into Ellie’s side, your thigh hooked over her body, one of her hands rubbing along your skin and massaging your leg, the other looped around your shoulder as you stare up at her lovingly, your hand dancing along her t shirt clad chest.

“Did you have fun today?” You question softly, which earns a gentle smile from the girl before she looks down at you, giving you a slight nod.

“The best time baby….haven’t seen so many people gathered around for a party in a long time…you did good angel” she breaths out before she leans down, pressing a soft kiss to your cheek, which makes you smile warmly.

But the warmth doesn’t just settle in your cheeks.

A simple kiss from your girlfriend makes it travel down your body. It warms your throat, your chest, your stomach, traveling all the way down until it settles right in between your legs, making you clear your throat to bite back a whimper.

Ellie frowns softly when she notices this, pulling away to look down at you as she continues massaging your thigh. “Something wrong princess?” She questions, slight concern lacing her tone as she watches you with furrowed brows, her expression clear in the light of the moon.

When you and Ellie first started being romantic again, she promised you she’d take things slow. Your relationship only went far as kissing, a few gropes here and there, but nothing further than a steamy make out session that ended once Ellie tapped your thighs and forced you off of her lap, fearing that she was pushing you too far.

At first it was extremely considerate of her. It was true, intimacy was a bit hard for you at first, somehow thinking of your failed relationship every time you tried, blaming your self for not pleasing your wife enough.

But as time went on, those thoughts were virtually silenced. You didn’t even have the capacity to think of anything but Ellie when her tongue was down your throat, the feeling of her big hands on your body, and her toned thighs pressed between your legs.

So now…God…you needed her more than anything.

You were almost embarrassed to even say it, but it was getting to a point that anything Ellie did was setting you into a frenzy. Just today, her toned arms in here wife pleaser and her denim jeans made your head spin, and your panties cling to your needy core.

Her frown deepened when you didn’t answer, the girl turning over a bit to better face you before her hand came up to cup your cheek. “Baby? What’s the matter?” She questions once again.

You finally let out a soft sigh, eyes fluttering shut as you reach up to grab her wrist gently, keeping her close as you avoid looking into her eyes.

“I….need you Ellie…need you so bad” you sigh out softly, voice barely above a whisper.

Her frown only deepens further as she stares at you down in confusion. “Need me? But angel I’m right-“ her words are cut off when she feels your grip on her wrist tighten, and your thigh hikes up her body further, pressing your core against her side.

Her eyes widen in realization.

“Fuck…” she breaths out, watches as your eyes flutter open to stare into her own, yours filled with want and need as your other hand moves down to hold onto her exposed hip gently.

“Are you sure baby? We can…fuck…we don’t have to…” she struggles to get out, eyes glued to yours as she watches you.

You shake your head before you gently pry her hand from your face, bringing her fingers down to press against your lips before you sigh. “I’ve thought about you every day since I’ve left Ellie…of course I’m sure…” you sigh out softly before you open your mouth, taking her pointer and middle finger into your mouth as you slowly suck them in, moaning around them.

Ellie lets out a soft moan as she watches you, feeling her own clit pulse against her underwear as she quickly grows warm with a need similar to yours.

“That’s my girl…fuck….been needy huh?” She moans out, making you nod before you roll over to straddle her, her other hand coming down to grip your hip softly, massaging your skin through the fabric of her own t shirt draped over your body.

You let go of her fingers with a pop before you stare down at her, a soft smile on your face as you move down to press your lips against hers, wasting no time in pushing your tongue into her mouth.

The kiss is slow, and sensual and dirty and it’s everything you’ve wanted and needed since your divorce. It’s nothing like kissing your ex wife, but it’s everything like kissing Ellie. The noises she makes has your head spinning, and it forces you to roll your hips down onto her, which makes her moan even louder into your mouth.

“Fuck…want you to…wanna feel your pussy on mine baby…can you do that for me?” She questions out desperately, her hands roaming your body, pushing her t shirt up on your to reveal your tits.

Ellie had it all planned out. She wanted it to be romantic, she wanted to take things slow and show you just how much she loved you, just how serious she was about you. She wanted you to feel loved.

Oh did her plans not go as planned, but oh how you felt so fucking loved.

You nod eagerly, sitting up and tugging the t shirt off, tossing it somewhere in your room. Ellie moans loudly at the sight of you above her, hands reaching up and cupping either one of your boobs, pinching and rolling your nipples between her fingers.

Once she’s had her fun, you climb off of her for a moment, tugging off her panties, giving her time to tug her sleep shorts off as well, leaving you naked and her bottom half bare. She’s feverishly tugging you back onto her lap, allowing you to tug her t shirt off.

And the feeling of your bare chest pressed against hers makes you moan loudly, your lips coming down again to press a needy kiss to hers, filled with tongue and teeth as you both situate yourselves.

The moment comes quickly, your legs slotted between hers perfectly, pussy right on top of hers as she stares up at you with low, hazy eyes, strong hands gripping your thighs and your ass as you slowly began rolling your hips so that your throbbing clit bumps against hers, making the girl beneath you moan loudly as her back arches and her eyes flutter shut.

“F-fuck! Oh my….fuuuuckkkk…that’s it baby…fuck yourself down onto my pussy…oh my….ha-fuck” she moans out, voice going hoarse as her strong fingers press firmly into your skin, sure to leave marks in the morning.

Your moans mix with hers, paired with the sound of your sopping wet pussies sliding against one another, a symphony of erotic love making that has been a long time coming. It’s like the two of you let out every raw emotion that had been bottled up for all those years you spent apart, her longing, your hurt, it all mixes together to create something of a beautiful love song that belongs to the two of you, and no one else.

“Ellieee…fuck! Feels…feels so good..” you moan out, picking up the pace as you feel your orgasm growing closer and closer by the second, your bed creaking with every thrust of your hips.

Ellie can’t take it anymore, moving to sit up as she grips both of your hips, aiding you in riding her pussy faster before she gives you an encouraging nod. “Come on baby…cum with me, yeah?” She sighs out breathlessly, staring up into your eyes passionately as she feels her own orgasm growing closer.

You wrap your arms around her shoulders, keeping her closer as you moan and whine, eyebrows furrowing with pleasure as you struggle to make it there, struggle to not let the pleasure get the best of you.

Your heart feels like it’ll just burst.

“I…mmm…fuck….Ellie I love you…I love you so much…” you moan out, eyes fluttering shut as you feel right on the brink of your orgasm.

“That’s my fucking girl…I love you so much baby…more than you’ll ever know…” she moans out to you.

And suddenly, you see colors.

Your chest feels like you’ve been struck by lightening, struggling to even stay upright as your orgasm ripples through your body violently, your forehead resting against Ellie’s as your arousal mixes with hers, both of your orgasms so intense, so powerful, it feels like it’ll kill you both right then and there.

The come down is hard, because it’s almost sorrowful to no longer feel the amazing feeling that comes with making love to Ellie, but the feeling of her strong arms wrapping around your middle and keeping you close is almost better, her lips pressing against your collar bones and chest as you both breath hard, the room silent compared to the noise that once filled it.

She holds you there the entire time, whispering how much she loves you, promising you that she’ll give you everything you could ever want and need.

And while you’ve heard all of that before, just for it to end in shit….

You believe her, because this time? It’ll be different.

[peakyblindersxx]

whiskey business - john shelby x reader (part 8 of ?)

gif by @thesoldiersminute can i send you a cake or something cause fuCk!!!!!!!!!!! he's beautiful

a/n: to everyone still reading this fic, my sweet angels, ily!! this fic is so near and dear to my heart and @stxdyblr-2k has just done such an amazing job with it i can't even thank her enough. as per the last part, this one is also mostly her, just me editing but i hope you guys love it as much as i did!!! don't worry, there's gonna be a lot more :) and i apologize for being not as active, i'm gonna try to get a couple of requests up that i'm really excited about this week tysm for being patient with me <3

love, abi xxx

read part one two three four five six seven | my masterlist

prompt: ada has some talking to do, and you're not about to deny her.

warnings: fluff, semi-angst, tommy being the cocky mf he is (let's be real, it's only acceptable cause he's so damn fine), john being cute and in love and jesus i am head over heels

tagging: @datewithgianni, @mayaslifeinabox, @deepdonutkid, @springsoulofengland, @lilymurphy03, @operation-spot

You had planned to go to Ada's after work, but she obviously had other ideas. She didn't even bother walking in and asking to speak to you; instead, choosing to bang on the window closest to your desk and yelling at you to "fucking hurry up!" Your boss opened the door for you expectantly, not offering you any protection; he was firmly in the Shelby's ever growing pocket and as long as he could go home to his children, his sickly wife and their six bed in the country, with a full time nurse and nanny, he had no interest in crossing Thomas.

"Ada, I was coming to see you after work, I swear."

"I know. I was going to let you but..." She trailed off. "We need to talk. I don't know what the fuck is going on with you. John said he'd seen you last night and you asked after me."

John had indeed seen you last night. It was strange waking up with him, used to leaving almost immediately after he was finished with you. Your small bed could barely comfortably fit you both, having to intertwine your limbs with John's to not fall off the edge. You had awoken to John pressing a kiss to your forehead before lazily trailing his fingers between your legs, waiting for you to open your eyes before settling between your thighs, tongue swirling around your clit, making you cum before sunrise.

"Do we have to do this in the street?" You practically begged, the shouting having attracted onlookers.

"I wanted to talk to you before anyone else in the family gets to you because I need you to be honest."

"Ada-"

"No, I'm doing you a favour here, so you fucking listen. Right now, between you and I, no bullshit. No tactics. No white lies. You have to tell me exactly what we're dealing with." She looked frantic, scared for some reason.

You nodded, walking her down the side street, careful not to link arms with her. You knew she was doing you a favour; this wasn't about forgiveness or friendship, much more was at stake here.

"To what extent was Thomas involved?"

That took you off guard. Ada read the confusion on your face and sighed impatiently, her subtle plea for you to keep up.

Shit. You remembered your conversation with John, how she thought this was her brother's way of pushing her out of the company.

"Don't spare my feelings. What did my brother say to you?"

"He said it was in our mutual interest that you didn't find out. He didn't care who John slept with but cared who you trusted so I had to trust him. He said there was no point in upsetting you over one of John's conquests who he'd tire of in a month."

"That all?"

"Pretty much, I didn't know Arthur knew. He never talked to me about it, did laugh at Thomas' digs now that I think on it-"

"Did you know Isaiah and Michael knew?"

"I thought they were aware but no one ever talked to me about it."

"Of course they wouldn't." She hissed, frustration causing a nerve on her neck to jump.

Ada and you had spoken for years about the rampant misogyny of her brothers and any men you two came into contact with. Although you were both far more reserved than you used to be as rebellious and adventurous thirteen year olds, you'd both grew increasingly angry at how you were treated. She'd long written off her brothers as womanisers, who saw women as purely sexual and entertaining, objectifying them. You both long despised how they dehumanised women. She was amazed that Thomas had attempted to settle down and managed a somewhat loving marriage, but resented him for his carelessness and need for power which inevitably killed his wife.

"Ada, I just want to say..." You licked your lip nervously, unsure of how to continue.

"You need to talk, Y/N. No bollocks."

"Before last night, he'd never been to mine or called. I always went to him."

The muscle in her jaw tensed.

"You slept with him last night then?" You met her question with silence and she rolled her eyes. "The second he said he saw you I knew you had, he wanted to tell me that he was going to continue seeing you and that he hoped I'd be able to accept it one day."

"We never intended to hurt you. It was meant to be fun at first, but now..." You cut yourself off with a sigh, unable to admit you'd fallen for her brother.

"Isn't fun for me. It's fucking embarrassing." She paused, lighting a cigarette, nervous to offer you one, conflicted within herself. She raised her eyebrow, prompting you to continue, the mannerism so similar to her brother’s.

"It should never have happened. I am never going to be able to fix this, I'm so fucking ashamed for doing this to you, Ada."

She sulked, silently drinking in your words.

"Obviously it's not going to be the same, yeah? I'm really fucking upset. I'm so fucked off with you but Poll's really worried about a coup. She thinks you're being used as blackmail against John to keep him on side with Tommy while he expands."

"Makes sense."

"You're part of a much bigger game, you know?"

You nodded. "Yeah, and I knew I would lose from the start. Fucking tragic, Ada."

"My brothers keep pushing, keep growing the business. They keep chasing this prize but I don't think it even exists."

"If it does, it isn't worth it if this shit is the cost. I didn't mean to play into his hands."

"You couldn't have known." She said with a shrug, " 'Siah thinks John loves you."

"He told me last night." Several times, this morning also. You would never tire of hearing him moan those words into your neck or being yelled from your front door as he left for the office.

"You love him, don't you?" She said bluntly, a statement more than a question, your face suddenly hot with embarrassment.

Everything you'd suppressed for months, everything that you'd hidden, every time you lied smiling, every knowing glance from a stranger, every degrading comment from under Thomas' breath.

"I do, an awful lot."

She pauses, relighting her cigarette, "The worst thing about the entire situation is it could've been fine if someone told me. I wouldn't have loved it, obviously, but-" Ada sighed, rubbing her temple with her free fingers.

"I thought you'd hate me."

"How could I? I'd be more angry that you'd drop your standards for my brother. Seriously? Him? Mate…."

"Come off it, I've always thought he was charming. He's funny, smart-"

"Don't gush over my brother, it's grim. I'm just so fucked off you all lied to me." She peered at you through her cigarette smoke. "If you love him and he loves you..." she pressed her lips together as she tensed her jaw, "I could get over it. If it'd make you both happy. But that's going to take a long time. A long time."

"Ada-"

"Look I have meetings and shit to sort, I have to run." She interjected, checking her wristwatch, adjusting the cap which sat atop her trendy short haircut. You caught her arm before she could turn away.

"Thank you. For understanding."

She shrugged you off, "I don't get it, I'd never do that to you. But you also don't get to choose who you're attracted to. I'm really hurt, but I do love you and John a lot. He mentioned that after last night you helped him, got him cleaned up. I have to believe that you both do love each other. So I have to believe that this is a good idea for you both and not stand in your way."

"I love you, Ada. Can we hang out soon, just us two?"

She shook her head. "I need some time, I'll be in touch, yeah?"

You nod, stretching out your pinky finger. She sighed and linked it with hers, as you'd done since you were children, a silent signal to each other after a fight that you still had the other's back.

"Right, I've got to get back to this meeting, Tom is getting done by Polly for nearly getting John killed. I need to be there in case one of the lads needs patching up."

"Your aunt has a nasty left hook, I'll give her that."

"She'll be pleased you think so, she wanted Tommy to slice you to bits for crossing me."

"Fuck’s sake, thanks for the warning, I'll keep my head down. Good luck with the meeting."

Ada nodded and you watched her walk away, a Blinder suddenly appearing by her side seemingly from nowhere. This city was crawling with them. They clambered into Ada's car as you watched the car disappear into the distance before walking back to work. Thankfully, with your head still attached to your shoulders.

*******

Ada arrived at Thomas' estate, following the swell of shouting voices to his exquisite library. It was eye roll worthy and typical Tommy to choose the location of his post-fuckup debrief to be where he had the best view of the gardens, river and rolling hills. She could bet he'd sit in a corner and stare at the view, zoning out their aunt's lecture.

An armed blinder she vaguely recognised opened the door. Thomas was making a statement today with the armed guards, she noted. Her brothers really were fucked up. Arthur was an alcoholic killer who couldn't understand that Thomas would betray them all eventually, Finn was letting the tokyo and the razor chasers that circled him distract him from keeping the family together, John was apparently in love with her best friend, and finally, Thomas nearly got Arthur and John murdered last night with his foolishness. At this point only herself and Polly were holding everyone together, keeping everything silently moving along.

The door opened, and she was the last to arrive, Polly glaring as she murmured an apology, standing next to Finn. His eyes were bloodshot, grey-purple smudges under his eyes, he'd obviously had a heavy night. The last thing the poor lad needed was Polly's shrill yelling and the blinding sun streaming through the large immaculately crafted windows, which he'd tried to block with the brim of his cap. John caught her eye, acknowledging his sister with a nod, which she returned with a small tight smile.

Ada couldn't bear to think about the reasoning behind her brother's smug interjections in between Polly's rant to Thomas who was listening wordlessly, smoking.

Y/N and John? It didn't make sense. They had a similar sense of humour, sure, but she was far too intelligent for him. He also had a swarm of children, while Y/N preferred a wild night out only staggering home at daybreak.

It made far more sense for Y/N to end up with Michael, or if it had to be a brother, Finn. They were younger, so had less responsibilities and commitments so they could keep up with her. But John? Of course she knew he was believed to be the Casanova of her brothers, he was kind, he was an excellent father, yet he could never keep anyone around long, usually John was chasing someone new after a month or so. That's why the revelation that John had been involved with her best friend for almost half a year had taken her completely by surprise. Maybe that was why she was open to them being together. That had to be it. This relationship was completely out of character for John; she needed to believe that he was serious about his feelings towards Y/N and wasn't going to fuck her over. Because if he did, John would be a dead man.

"I don't know why you're all bleating at me. Yeah, I overlooked some details in the planning of last night's meeting-"

"Such as warning us that they were really fucked off because you'd helped bomb their warehouse." John pointed out.

"What do you want me to do? Apologise? Grow up, John." Tommy snapped back.

"They had loaded guns against their heads, they deserve an apology." Ada interjected, John giving her an appreciative flash of smile. She did love her big brother. Despite the fact that she'd pretty much only been yelling at him for the past month, John never dismissed her feelings and only apologised. It was confusing to admit to herself, but when Isaiah told her that he was confident John loved Y/N, she felt a wave of relief. At least he cared about her; it was the bare minimum but the Shelbys were notorious for not even meeting the bare minimum for acceptable social interactions.

"They didn't fuckin’ get shot." Thomas stated, his voice matter of fact and condescending.

"Do you ever hear yourself speak?" Polly spit back at him. "They didn't get shot this time. But it was too fucking close."

"It won't happen again, Polly." Tommy sighed. "What else can I say? Sorry lads, take the weekend off?"

"It's a good start." Arthur countered, "You're also paying for the extension on my house and my wedding."

"Fuck’s sake Arthur I was joking. But fine. Sure."

"You can't buy your family off." Polly scoffed at him.

"Think of it as compensation, a settlement." Thomas coolly corrected his aunt. "What do you want, John? A fucking farm?"

John hesitates while Finn whispered suggestions to him, Ada meeting his stare, John raising a brow to her in question. She sighed and nodded her approval.

"You can pay off my mortgage Tom, give me the kids' birthdays off-"

"So you'd never come into work then?" Finn cut in, Ada elbowing him in the ribs. She usually enjoyed Finn's remarks but she knew where John was heading; she could barely breathe.

"Tom, you're also to leave Y/N completely alone. If you have a problem with her, you come to me about it." He said firmly.

Arthur and Tommy traded knowing looks, obviously more aware of the ins and outs of his relationship than Ada was.

"Also if you're paying for Arthur's wedding I want the equivalent in cash." He adds.

Tommy shrugged. "Whatever. As long as we can move past last night and focus on today's order of business."

John nodded, satisfied. He knew Tom wouldn't care, but just saying out loud that he was involved with Y/N and having his family aware was a relief. He hadn't realised until he finally admitted how stressful keeping his relationship a secret was. Now, he could stop worrying about Tommy interfering.

Polly rolled her eyes, lecturing the brothers on their lack of moral backbone to allow themselves to be bought off, but dismissed them. She caught Ada's arm in hers on their way out, pulling her far from earshot.

"So Y/N and John are together now?" She asked, her face firm and scowling.

"Polls, I talked with her, she's aware of what she's done. She apologised and meant it. What more can I ask for?"

"Her not to have fucked him in the first place."

"She said that. Look, Polls, they're happy right? John seems happy-"

"He always is when he gets a leg over."

"You know she looked after him last night? Fixed him up after the meeting."

"Meeting? It was a fucking set up." Polly hissed but her face had softened. "She cleaned him up?"

"Antiseptic, bandages and all."

Polly looked subtly impressed, although she'd never admit it. "He went to hers? Not yours?"

"He wanted to talk to her." Ada shrugs, "I saw her this morning and-"

"What do you mean? You bumped into her?"

"I went to her work." Ada admitted, her aunt shooting her an exasperated glare.

"Why do I bother? Nobody listens to me."

"I had to talk to her, I'm glad I did. She reckons she loves him, he told her last night that he loves her, so..."

"We are talking about John? Our John?"

"I know Polls, I'm as amazed as you."

Her aunt huffed, unimpressed. "Are you okay with it though?"

"I guess, I just want them to be happy. I've told them to give me time with it."

"She was a good friend growing up, but people change, sometimes for the better, often for the worse."

"Poll, it's Y/N; she's my best friend. At the end of the day, we'd do anything for each other."

"Sweet Ada, you're going to be so miserable if you keep letting people walk all over you." Polly said wisely, kissing her goodbye affectionately. "I hope you're right. If she makes you cry again I'll kill her myself."

"Thanks, Polls."

She knew her aunt wasn't joking.

[g4rous]

Sunlit memories (Garou x Reader)

tags: fem! Reader, no warnings lol, this is just the first chapter a.k.a the introduction

words: 1.1k

notes: ok so this is the first chapter of the series that I plan to write, so pls feel free to give me some feedback on this and whether you like it and should I continue :'0 💕 Thanks a lot for any kind of support ee 💗

series masterlist

Chapter one

Playful footsteps scattered across the freshly-cut grass, followed by a few equally spirited barks. Whether the small chocolate-colored dog was chasing the ball or the children lay undetermined, nonetheless they all seemed amused. A mother stood next to the gleeful dog owner, both exchanging chuckles and commenting on how adorable the sight in front of them is. Above them dozens of birds filled the air with a familiar amicable tune, as if the soothing music coming from a nearby café wasn’t enough. The park was never lonely, yet so pleasant at the same time. All those chirps, chatters and noises were like an extra spark, and frankly it’d be rather uncanny if it weren’t for them and the pastel sky above, radiant with soft hues. Cases where belligerent monsters ruined the harmony were rare, although enough to cause one to succumb to unease. Be that as it may, people always push through it and find a reason to enjoy the now sunlit park.

Though, while it was interesting to observe the scenery it wasn’t quite what you were looking for. Fiddling with the pencil in your hand, you stared displeased at the blank page of your sketchbook.

“Why isn’t there anything interesting today?” you pondered, eyes impatiently shifting over the scenery.

Almost every day for the past few weeks you’ve been sitting at this very bench, looking out for something eye-catching to draw. It’s funny how you coincidentally came across your now daily go-to place, a surprisingly comfy wooden bench underneath two large oaks, their treetops creating enough shade for another twenty people. Luckily you had your own peace there without anyone bothering you.

“Hmm… Maybe I just don’t feel like drawing people?”

After a small sigh you leaned against your hand and looked up at the treetops. The sky turned golden already, painting the leaves in shades of olive and amber. Your eyes steadily trailed down to the path next to the old oaks, now noticing a small patch of lilies that with their vivid hues and delicate form drew you in almost immediately.

“Huh. Maybe I should just go for something simple and quick?”

Well, that was what you though right before something else caught your eye. Someone to be exact. A few meters away a rather peculiar-looking guy sat on a bench. He leaned against the bench leisurely while folding his arms, his tight black shirt complementing his muscular built. His gaze was relaxed, albeit alert, and his features were sharp. Sunlight peeked on his wild, silver hair, coloring it with subtle sandy hues almost matching with the golden in his eyes.

Now, if this didn’t give you inspiration then what did? And here you thought you’d be drawing those lilies. You sighed in content, stretching your arms for a few seconds before you got to work. Subtly glancing at his direction from time to time, you had already outlined the portrait. Though, truth be told, he had such a pretty face you were trying not to stare at one point.

“What are you doing?”

You didn’t even manage to let go of your pencil before an unknown voice jolted you out of your thoughts. Much to your bewilderment you looked up to see that same man now only half a meter away, glaring at you.

“Well shit.”

Should you apologize or straight up act like you weren’t just secretly drawing some random person? Or better yet, how the hell is that same person in front of you right now? You were embarrassed as much as you were confused and to make things worse the drawing wasn’t even in your sketchbook anymore.

“Are you a hero or something? I don’t remember seeing you anywhere.” the man asked, shifting his gaze from the drawing in his hand to you.

“Hey when did you take that?!” you finally spoke, an apology being far from your mind at the moment.

On one hand it could be legitimate since you didn’t ask for permission to draw him in the first place, but on the other… What kind of punk would just rip the piece out like that?

“If you’re some c-class dunce trying to gather info on me with this-“, he grinned, still analyzing the art piece “-you’re gonna be sorry pretty soon.”

“Dude I’m not a hero.”

“Wait, what?”

That threatening, cocky grin of his from a moment ago dissipated into thin air like it was nothing, but your confused expression on the other hand only grew bigger. Was he serious?

A soft shade of pink made its way to his face for a brief moment, to which you almost chuckled.

“So you’re seriously not a hero?”

“Um, no..?”

“Your luck.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing.” He headed the opposite direction of you, drawing still in hand.

“Ahh so… can I get that back now please?” you walked behind him, surprised he’s oh so casually trying to leave the scene after such odd behavior.

“Nope, sorry.”

“Aw what, why??”

“Let’s just say it isn’t convenient for me at the moment to have that lying around wherever,” he put both hands in his pockets, “plus I didn’t say you could draw me did I?”

Now your face turned red in embarrassment again. He was right… Though, you still couldn’t help but wonder who this strange guy is. While tearing that drawing out of your valued sketchbook didn’t make for the best first impression, his demeanor wasn’t really belligerent either.

“Ah, sorry about that… However I must say it wasn't polite to take the drawing away like that either.”

His eyes slightly widened in embarrassment before turning away his face again.

"Eh..."

"Don't worry about it though," you smiled for a moment, "I guess it was just a weird misunderstanding or something."

Your eyes shifted on the path you were walking on, already dim because of the now darker sky, “if I may ask, is someone like… searching for you or something?”

“Doesn’t matter,” he glanced back at you, “why are you still following me anyway!? Just go home it’s getting dark.”

“Well, this is the way I take in order to get back home so you can’t really complain,” you smiled to his mild annoyance.

The night sky engulfed the city by now, leaving behind a tranquil atmosphere. Nonetheless, compared to the center of the city, your street wasn’t as bustling. Light shone from the surrounding apartments and lamp posts, and the only sounds present were from the neighbors’ TV’s or the occasional car passing by, much in contrast with the city’s center and night life.

You didn’t ask many more questions as you walked, despite the faint haze in your mind. The man obviously wasn’t too chatty, yet alone keen on sharing any personal details. Be as it may, much to your surprise what you thought would be an awkward walk was actually somewhat refreshing. Hell, you even let out a laugh or two together. Who would’ve thought the on-first-glance intimidating teen is pleasant to be around? Or, well, at least you thought of it like that. In any case way better than walking through those dark alleys alone.

next chapter

[aficwhore]

Truth Is (Chapter 2)

Chapter 2: In the Moonlight

Frankie “Catfish” Morales x F!reader

Summary: After Benny’s fight, Chipmunk and Frankie bicker and have a heated argument, leading to something unexpected. When the moment passes the gang goes back to ‘Chip’s’ place to prepare for Colombia in the morning. Fish and ‘Chip’ reunite in the moonlight, but not for long. 

Word count: 4.9K

Warnings: explicit language, blood, violence, guns/weapons, lots of angst and emotions, infidelity, smut, sexual innuendos, drinking, mentions of drugs, talk of death, and talk of mental health(PTSD and depression).

A/N: I was so excited to start this new part, I had no exact plan on how I want it to go, but I went with what I was feeling in the moment. On a Side note THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 100 FOLLOWERS, you all are so special to me <3.

“And the winner is!” The announcer yelled, his voice echoing through the arena, pausing just enough to make us anxious, “Ben Miller!” He then raised the hand which held Benny’s arm, to showcase the successor.

In seconds you could hear Will, “Yeah! That’s my baby brother!” followed by proud roars, ours being the loudest in the crowd. I jumped from my seat and started jumping up and down. Too distracted by my glee, I didn’t notice Frankie had stood up from next to me. Once I saw him from the corner of my eye, he picked me up, jumping with me pressed to him, Santi and Tom cheering and playfully slapping each other and Will. 

Though the whole room was bursting with noise and people, when I made eye contact with Francisco, it felt like the whole world stopped. As if we were the only ones here. His smile slowly dropped into a face conflicted with lust and other emotions, I guess mine did the same. He slowly released me, placing me back on my feet, his eyes still bore into mine. 

After a few seconds, his eyes flickered down to my lips. He leaned closer to me, attempting to bring his lips to mine. Feeling my heart stop when his lips lightly brushed mine, I quickly pull away, before our lips could fully meet. Clearing my throat, “We should hurry up and congratulate Benny, then we can all go rest at my house.” 

Fish’s expression read nothing but confusion and sadness. “I-uh, yeah sure.” I swiftly turned to find the boys, but they had already started to make their way through the crowd and back to the locker room. 

My body began to buzz with emotions, not knowing how to feel in this moment. I didn't quite understand why I pulled away, I wanted nothing more than to kiss him, but something didn’t feel right. The timing maybe, or even just the setting, or maybe the fact that I haven’t had closure from that one night many months ago. 

Trying to snap out of my thoughts, I walked a little faster to catch up, hopefully leaving Frankie behind so I could shake this feeling. As I swiftly made it back into the locker room I saw the rest of them surrounding Benny on the bench and making jokes, while Will held a towel to his face, collecting the blood dripping from his split eyebrow.

“Chippy!” the younger Miller exclaimed when his eyes made contact with mine. “Sad to see I didn’t lose?” he questioned with a smirk playing on his lips. 

Shaking my head and laughing, I glided over to him, taking over for Will, and pulling the towel away, examining the cut. “You may have won, but this sure does look nasty Benny Boy.” I light heartedly explained.

“Then it’s a good thing you’re here to patch me up.” He chuckled, a small pleading look in his eyes.

I quickly turned to Will “If I’m gonna fix this, I’m gonna need a first aid kit.” All he did was nod before trailing off the grab one. 

Before I could realize Frankie was in the room with us I heard, “You did great out there kid.” He gave him a nod of approval. “Honestly was surprised, the other guy was a lot bigger than you, which I didn’t think was possible.” 

Benny burst into laughter, Frankie, Santi, and Tom joining in as Will came back and handed me the kit. “Alright boys, I think we should give Mr. BigShot here, a break.” I suggested, opening the kit and pulling out some alcohol pads, gauze, and some bandaids. They all nodded and filed out the back door into the parking lot.

As I began to dab at Benny’s eyebrow, he flinched. “So, you gonna finally tell Fish about everything? You know, since now you guys are kinda talking again?”

“Ben...No, I can’t. You know that. Only you and your brother know.” I explained, attempting to use butterfly tape to seal the cut closed. Carefully, I secured the tape with a bandaid over it, making sure to be gentle as Benny sat perfectly still in front of me, staring at me.

“Fish would be understanding, maybe even regretful with how he acted. If you just told him, he would realize how dumb everything was!” The kid chirped in a hopeful tone.

With a frustrated sigh, I spoke. “No Benny, I don’t think it’s worth it, because I’m not over how he handled it all.” I turned away from him, picking up the trash from the first aid kit.

He tried to convince me again, reaching up for my shoulder. “But you won't even give it a chance, what if-” 

“No! I already said no! Leave it alone! If I want to, then I will do it when I want to!” I shouted, letting my anger out. I yanked out of his grip, causing a sad look to appear on his slightly tattered face. He stayed silent, making me feel quite bad for raising my voice. “Look hun, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. Just so many emotions were awoken today. You can’t blame me.”

He quietly shook his head and stood up. Towering over me, he stepped towards me and wrapped his big and long arms around me, securing me in a well-needed hug. “I’m sorry, I pushed it, I shouldn’t have. I get it, you need time to process and heal. Don’t apologize, I love you Chip.” 

“I love you too B.” I hugged him back for a brief moment. “But please, for the love of all things holy, go take a shower.” I tilted back smiling up at him, reaching up and pinching my nose shut to make fun of him.

“That’s rude.” He scoffed with a smile on his lips. “I’ll see you tonight at your’s, right?” He asked as he gathered his things, heading off to the showers.

I nodded, waving and spinning around to leave out the back. When I walked through the door, I was greeted with Frankie. He was leaning against the wall next to the door. I glanced around, in hopes to find the others, but they all had vanished.

“Hey, I wanted to talk to you.” He spoke, pushing himself off the wall and towards me. I nonchalantly crossed my arms, still looking around.

“What about the others?” I inquired, wanting to avoid this conversation.

“They left, I told them I would drive you home and meet them there after they grab everything.” He revealed, taking in an encouraging breath. “But I wanted to talk to you about something, about us. To be exact.” He paused, stretching his hand out, behind his neck. As he began to sheepishly rub the back of his neck, he continued. “Look, I know things happened very badly, and I could’ve listened. And if I did, maybe we would- I don’t know, maybe we would still be together. But if you just told me the truth-”

“Excuse me? I know you are not trying to apologize and then still say its my fault I didn’t tell you everything?” I interrupted angrily. 

His body tensed, I could physically see the anger arising in him. “Would you just shut up and let me talk?” He spat, making me slightly jump in my skin. “This is another reason why things happened the way they did, you don’t know when to stop and be quiet.”

“You know what, fuck you.” I reacted, “Want to know what I was keeping from you? Want to finally know the goddamned truth? Well Dr. Philips is my fucking therapist.” His face contorted with confusion. “I was getting help, because I was getting worse again. The nightmares came back, and so did the depression, but I was too ashamed of telling anyone. So Fuck off Frankie.” 

Twisting around, I began to make my way out to the street. “Nena (babygirl), damn it, please, I’m sorry. I-I didn’t know.” He pleaded from behind me. 

Completely ignoring him, I kept walking in the direction of my apartment, even though it was blocks, maybe even miles away. When I heard his footsteps get closer, I sped up, trying to lose him once again. Then finally, it was quiet, except the sound of my own feet on the sidewalk and the bustle of the city.

After walking for a few more minutes, my anger calmed, until I heard a car pull up and drive slowly next to me. 

“Por favor (please), get in the car.” Francisco’s voice came from the window of the car. I acted as if I didn’t hear anyone and kept walking, facing straight ahead. “Stop being stubborn and get in! You can’t walk all the way home, it’s going to get dark!”

I rolled my eyes, still ignoring him. Then I no longer could hear the car, which piqued my curiosity, had he really given up that easily? I slowed my pace and as I turned my head to glance behind me, I was lifted into the air. “Hey! Put me down! Help! Help!” I screamed.

“Would you cut it out!” Frankie shouted, struggling to hold on to me as I swung and flailed in his arms. 

“I’m being kidnapped! Someone help!” I kept yelling. “Save me-” My voice being muted as he clamped a firm hand over my mouth, continuing to drag me into his car. As he was forcing me to sit in the passenger side, he yelped. “I know you did not just bite me!”

I huffed, “Well if you weren't trying to abduct me, I wouldn't have to!” His hand reached over me to buckle the seat belt around me, I leaned forward, attempting to bite him again. 

“What are you?! A fucking piranha?!” He screeched, yanking back.

Though he pulled back, his face was still inches away from mine. Our eyes met again. Our feud seemed to melt away with each passing second that his eyes bore into mine. I no longer wanted to put up a fight. Every inch of me ached for me to forgive him and make up, but I couldn’t. No matter how badly I wished to, I knew that our split wasn’t my fault, nor his, but its both of our faults for being so stubborn. 

“Baby,” He spoke softly, pulling me back to reality. His gorgeous brown eyes still locked on mine. His lips lay slightly open, fanning his breath across my face. His breath smelled like mint, it mixed with his scent. He always smelled woodsy, like pine and bergamot. I had missed his intoxicating smell for so long, that I wanted to revel in it, even just for a few seconds. 

I reached out my hand, letting it carefully caress his cheek, his stubble rough against my palm. He didn’t move, he stayed just a hand’s length away, allowing me to sweep my fingers along his cheek, down his neck, and to the collar of the shirt he wore. I gripped the ring of fabric and tugged him forward, crashing his pillowy lips against mine. 

It wasn’t a sweet kiss, it was a needy, rough kiss. Our teeth clashed as our lips parted, inviting each other in. Our tongues swept across each other as one of his hands tangled into my hair and the other gripping my jaw, coaxing me to open up more for him.

It felt like sweet relief, longing and pining had been all forgotten. The man I missed so much, was right in front of me, touching me, kissing me, which I dreamed of for nights on end. 

When I let go of his shirt and began to trail my hand lower, Frankie released my jaw and stopped my hand. He broke the kiss, offering a light chuckle when I whined at the loss of contact. 

“You have no idea how much I missed that. How much I missed you. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry I didn’t respect your boundaries and that you weren’t ready to tell me.” He whispered with worry, placing his forehead on mine, rubbing his nose against my nose. I closed my eyes taking in the feeling. He laced his fingers with mine, with the hand that still held it to his chest. 

“I know Francisco, I’m sorry too. I should’ve told you, I could've still had you all these past months if I just got over myself and came clean.” I choked out, trying to keep calm.

He squeezed my hand, “Its okay, it’s over now. Please tell me its over.” It sounded like he was close to crying.

I nodded quickly, not wanting to speak, because if I did, I know my voice would crack with emotion. 

He remained crouched halfway into the passenger side, forehead to forehead with me. “Amor (love), they're going to make it to my house before I do.” I giggled, regretting my words moments later when we split. He nodded with a smile, stepped back and shut my door. He hurried around and got back in, starting the engine and making his way to my apartment. 

During the drive he reached over, taking my hand in his, and glancing over every once in a while to make sure I was okay. 

We sat in comfortable silence, until he spoke up. “I still have to run by my place and grab my things, do you mind if we stop on the way?” 

“Not at all.” I responded, bringing up our joined hands, to kiss the back of his. 

We rushed to his place, I stayed in the car as he ran in and gathered what he needed. It all seemed a blur, the euphoria from the event minutes before clouding my brain. 

When we made it back to my place it was dark and everyone was already inside, I guess one of the Miller’s used their spare key to get in. I helped Frankie grab his bags and head inside with them. As we walked through the door, the rest of the team was huddled on my couch, scarfing down pizza which I assume Benny bought. They glanced up and waved quickly before going back to eating and watching whatever they were playing on the TV. I set Fish’s stuff down with the other’s and walked further into the living room to find that the boys had laid out their blankets and pillows for the night already. 

I sat on the floor in front of the boys and grabbed a slice of pizza while Frankie set up his own area to sleep. When he finished, he strolled over and sat next to me. 

For the rest of the movie they guys were watching, we ate and chatted until we got tired and were ready for bed. I made sure to pick up the mess we made and helped the boys get comfy. When they were all laid down and falling fast asleep like children, I smiled to myself as I turned off the lights and headed to my room to turn in for the night. 

I tiptoed quietly, careful not to wake them as I walked to the laundry room and changed into my sleep clothes. Right as I made it back to my room, a hand reached out and covered my mouth to muffle the startled scream I was about to let out. 

“Its me, its just me.” Frankie’s voice contrasted with the silence of the room. I relaxed, turning around to face him. It was dark but I could still see some of his features with the help of the moonlight coming through the windows. 

His eyes crinkled with a smile, his teeth shining brightly. I couldn’t help but lean forward and kiss him. This kiss was loving and gentle. His lips moved against mine as I let my arms wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. Feeling him flush against me, made my skin become hot with want and need. 

He seemed to notice because he deepened the kiss, pushing me further into my room and shutting the door behind us. In seconds he spun us around and pressed me against the wall. He tilted his head back to look at me, not daring to move, except his arm.

His cool hand trailed up my thigh, dragging my sleepshirt with it. His fingers leave goosebumps in their wake. The material bunching on my hip, revealing the shorts I had on. I felt breathless from his touch as his index finger dipped into the waistband, lightly tugging on it. “Please tell me you need this as much as I do cariño.” He pauses with his nose nudging the side of my jaw, waiting for a response.

“Yes, pl-please, just touch me Frankie.” I stuttered, feeling my heart beat harder for him. In an instant, he drug the shorts down my legs, following them, and kissing the skin they surpassed. Once they were off and tossed away, he began his journey back up, but stopping at my stomach. I gasped as he kissed and licked at the hem of my panties, tasting the fabric and soft tummy underneath.

Through his eyelashes, he looked up and met my admiring gaze. My skin burned with desire, as if his touch was the only cure.

With little effort he wrapped one of his hands around my calf, pulling it up, and placing it over his shoulder, causing me to push my weight against the wall behind me. A small smirk finds its way to his face as he moves my panties to the side. Feeling vulnerable and exposed, I carded my hand through his hair, silently begging him to touch me.

“Paciencia mi amor (Patience my love).” his breath ghosted over my wet core, making me whimper with need. And at that moment he dipped down, placing a sloppy kiss where I wanted him most.

He placed another open mouth kiss on my mound, letting his tongue peak out and part me. My breath hitched when I felt his warm tongue flick at my aching clit. He did it again, causing me to buck my hips, asking for more friction. As he continued, slowly beginning to roll and suck on the bundle of nerves, he ran his hands up the back of my thighs, gripping my ass and pulling more of my weight onto his shoulders. 

He sucked harder, bringing a hand forward, and dipping his fingers into my wetness. “Fuck, I missed your sweet taste.” He murmured from between my legs, scissoring me open with his fingers. A moan escaped my lips, not loud, but enough to spur Frankie on. He started to go faster, working me closer and closer to the edge. His hot breath encompassing my wet heat when he would open his mouth to lick a broad stripe up my slit.

Losing focus on all things other than the man situated at my cunt, I could feel him swiping his tongue across my lips, as if he was spelling something. His movements were too intricate for me to understand, if he was spelling. 

I could feel a mix of my arousal and his spit start to drip down my thigh, sending a shiver up my spine. He broke away from my wetness, and chased the leaking fluid, catching it with his tongue, licking and sucking up the trail slowly, teasing me, making me wait longer for a release. 

My head started to spin with lust, nothing but quiet whimpers and his name leaving my mouth. “Please, stop teasing m-” I was cut off by him curling his fingers and speeding up. He placed his mouth back on me, determined to make me finish. I tugged his hair on accident, the pleasure surging through my body.

He moaned into me from my actions, vibrations radiating through me, allowing the coil in my stomach to tighten quickly. “Yes, don’t stop,” I moaned, trying to keep my voice low. Even though my body burned for me to scream in ecstasy, there were four other men in my living room asleep.

He curled his fingers again, hitting my g-spot. A loud moan eludes me, I quickly bring my hand, free of his hair, up to my lips, biting the skin on the back, in hopes of muffling my noises.

Just as I thought I had it under control, the coil tightened to its max, and snapped. I felt my legs rush with heat and wetness. MY legs threatened to give out as Frankie kept going, prolonging the white, hot, orgasm ripping through me. He gripped my ass again, holding me up, he could feel my legs tremble around him. 

Feeling a little too sensitive I slightly jerked away, slowing coming down from cloud nine. He took this as a sign to stop, he pulled back, placed a gentle kiss to my lips for the last time. He peered up at me, watching my relaxed face come back to reality, and stroking my thighs. 

As my breathing calmed, I looked down, finding my handsome Frankie, staring at me with adoration in his eyes and a smile on his face. I picked my leg off his shoulder, leaned over and grabbed his face in my hands, tugging him up to meet me, embracing him in a passionate and strong kiss. 

I could taste myself on his lips, his face wet with my slick, letting our lips glide smoothly against each other. He placed his hands back on my ass, walking back towards the bed, and me still pressed to him.

His knees backed into the edge of the frame, but he still stood tall. I broke the kiss, a seductive smile on my lips. I grabbed the hem of my shirt, pulling it up and over my head, showing my bare chest to him. I tossed the shirt away and stepped out of my soaked panties, kicking them into the abyss of the dark room.

Frankie watched me intently, never taking his eyes off my frame. I came close to him, my fingers playing with this shirt. In seconds he tore off his shirt and began to yank his shorts and underwear down. Once they pooled at his feet, I leaned into him, kissing his jaw, nipping at the skin while my hand found his naked member, hard and leaking. His breath caught in his throat when I lightly stroked him. 

“I’m not go-going to last long baby, its been too long.” He choked out, struggling to keep his cool. I nodded, placing one last kiss to his neck. I stepped next to him, to get on the bed. I got on my knees, looking back to make sure he was watching me. As we made eye contact, I slowly bent forward, stretching my arms out straight in front of me. I guided my chest down and into the mattress, leaving my ass in the air and on display for him. 

I relaxed my face into the covers, feeling him touching my thighs and ass, lightly pinching the skin as he traveled up the skin. 

“Mierda (shit), all for me?” he questioned with a playful slap to my right cheek, luring a soft moan from me.

“Yes, all for you Frankie, always.” I responded, shaking my ass, hoping he would fuck me soon. The bed dipped behind my knees as he joined me. Thats when I felt his hard cock pressed to my cunt. He tapped himself on my clit, causing me to surge forward at the contact. 

He chuckled, “Are you sure princesa?” as he ran his head through my folds, eliciting a moan from me.

“Yes, Jesus Frankie, just fuck me already.” I growled frustratedly.

At my command, he lined himself up at my entrance and pushed into me. The stretch was borderline painful, it had been months since I'd taken him, and he was already bigger than all my exes.

Once he bottomed out, he gripped my hip and snaked his free arm around me, pulling me up and flush against his chest. He began to kiss and suck my neck, slowly rocking into me. His hand stayed at the base of my neck, splayed across my collarbones, pressing me into him. 

“Faster,” I whined, feeling him move quicker and more deliberately. His breath tickled my ear as he groaned, feeling me tightly wrapped around him.

As his pace quickened, I reached a hand behind me and braced it on his upper thigh, attempting to meet his hips. With a particularly aimed thrust, I moaned fairly loud, being consumed by the pleasure.

“Shh,” He spoke between grunts, “Unless you want the boys to know that I'm balls deep in you, filling you up with my cock.” He gave a hard thrust, never losing his pace. My free hand slapped my mouth, covering my cries.

Our hips sped up, meeting more passionately, with more meaning. With every thrust, all problems between us seemed to dissipate. I no longer cared about all things before tonight. All that mattered was him, us, and this moment. Being connected to him again never felt so good.

All that could be heard in the silence was the snap of his hips against mine, the small noises we let escape us, and the quiet creak of the bed below us. The moonlight illuminated our entangled bodies, the sweat gleaming in the night. 

The coil in my stomach tightening again, the waves of pleasure threatening to spill over the edge. Frankie had to be getting close, his thrusts became more erratic. He reached his hand from hip, down to my clit, rubbing in tight circles, trying to bring me to the brink with him.

“Fuck you're so tight, w-where do you-” He questioned until I cut him off.

“Cum in me baby.” I moaned, feeling my orgasm take over, the waves of bliss crashing down, taking me with it. Whiteness blinded my vision as my body convulsed against his chest. 

He thrusted a few more times before he let out a broken grunt, pumping his load into me, mixing our hot releases together, letting them seep out and down our legs. 

I turned my head to the side, reaching back and grabbing the back of Frankie’s head, pulling him into a kiss as we calmed down. The smell of sex filling our senses. He slowly pulled out causing me to whine at the loss of him. 

When we finally recovered, he got off the bed, taking me with him to the bathroom. He sat me on the sink, opened the cabinet underneath and grabbed a cloth, coming back up to wet it. Then he gently spread my thighs apart, cleaning up the remnants of the act. He then cleaned himself.

“You should go to the bathroom while I grab our pajamas.” He spoke softly, pressing a kiss to my lips and turned to scavenge for our clothes we had lost in the dark corners of my room. 

I hopped off the counter and sat on the toilet. I went to the bathroom, but began to feel exhausted. My eyelids felt heavy, drooping over my eyes.

Frankie came back in, only dressed in his boxers, my clothes in his hand. “I know love, let’s get you dressed so we can sleep.” He whispered, helping me up and helped me get dressed. His face had an unreadable expression, what could he be thinking? All was forgotten when he picked me up bridal style and led us to my bed, he pulled the covers back and laid me down, tucking me in. 

He wondered around the bed and got in behind me. He pulled me to his chest as sleep began to drag me under. His arm laid across my body and his hand splayed across my chest, feeling my heartbeat. Thats all I could process as I fell more deeply into slumber.

It may have been a dream but I felt him lean over, kiss my temple and whisper “I’m sorry for everything.” And everything went peacefully dark.

I couldn't tell how long I was asleep until someone began to shake me. “Chip, get up, it’s time to leave.” I groaned, not wanting to get out of the comfort of my bed and the comfort of Frankie next to me, or so I thought. 

My eyes snapped open to find Ben crouched next to the bed, face to face with me. I jolted up with surprise, quickly looking around to find Frankie, only to be disappointed. 

“Woah woah! Calm down, it’s Benny.” The man child looked frightened. 

I sighed, maybe it was a good thing Fish wasn’t in here, it could make a lot of questions amongst the team arise. But when did he leave? 

“Oh sorry Ben, I-I was sleeping too hard,” I lied. 

“It seems so,” he chuckled “Breakfast is ready, everyone is up and ready.” He explained. I nodded and he left, allowing me privacy to change. I quickly threw on my cargo pants and shirt, rushing to grab my packed bags. I brushed my teeth and hair in a hurry. I headed straight past everyone in the kitchen, out the door to throw my things in the truck.

When I came back in, everyone was staring at me. But I only made eye contact with one of them, Frankie. And the look on his face pained me, his expression was full of regret.

TAGLIST

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[johnkrrasinski]

Dear Lover... ❥

full masterlist

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x female!reader

Word count: 5,689 

Warning: pure fluff. pure feelings. a little bit of angst but with a happy ending 😌

Summary: you dance with bucky barnes in the obscurity of your room as you recalled the first time you met and how three years later you ended up tangled in each other’s arms. (based on the song “lover” by taylor swift) 

a/n: this one’s a love letter to the love of my life aka bucky barnes. it took me awhile to find the will to write about him because i truly wanna write something that gives him justice, because this man deserves nothing but happiness and love. hope you like it. please leave a like & comment. 

It was a quiet Thursday evening, precisely at 8.35 PM. The rain outside of the Avengers tower was pouring, splatters of misty droplets bedewed the window glass. Through the lens of your shared room, transpierced the lights of the bustling city of New York. The city that never sleeps, as one would say. You could hear the sound of honking cars and sirens going off somewhere and it truly eased your mind.

You loved New York. You were born and raised in this vivacious city. Though your parents took the chance to move to Manhattan and fought to survive the exorbitant living cost, they managed. They taught you to fight hard and work tenaciously if you wanted to make it. The city was all you knew your entire life. But most importantly, you loved the man you were sharing this bedroom with more.

You had been dating Bucky Barnes, aka the former Winter Soldier, aka the White Wolf, for three summers now. Your first encounter with him wasn’t exactly the most romantic “how I met your mother” kind of story.

You were in the kitchen, late night, trying to make yourself a nice hot chocolate to cool down your nerves. Moving into the Avengers Tower had truly wearied you. Of course, you were aware that you weren’t supposed to be since there were literally a super soldier, a former Pararescueman, a man with a highly advanced iron suit, two highly trained assassins, a powerful witch, a (part-time) green beast, and an actual living human android helping you with your belongings. You couldn’t have asked for better movers.

But the adaptation of change still drained some of your energy. Maybe more mentally than physically, but whatever, you just needed a nice, sweet warm drink before you can finally sleep in your fresh, new, never used before bed. It was nearing four am and everyone had returned to their private quarters, except you.

You walked into the kitchen leisurely in nothing but your Bambi pyjamas, as you reached for the kitchen cabinet to search for a jar of instant hot chocolate. “Make yourself at home,” Tony said earlier as he was giving you a quick tour around the tower. The tower was so spacious and palatial, it was easy to get lost. “We’ve got everything here; food, snacks, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, ice creams and more… But don’t eat the half-eaten fried egg chicken on the fridge, though. That one belongs to Clint and he wouldn’t hesitate in shooting an arrow through your skull if you stole it.”

You poured the hot water into the glass and then you were ready to drink it up. You were so pleased by the taste of hot chocolate streaming through your tongue, you didn’t hear the faint sounds of footsteps approaching. Bucky had just returned from a solo mission to Brussels and he hadn’t had the chance to properly introduce himself to you. He had only heard about you through Fury and Tony’s narrative when they informed the team that they were going to have a new addition to the team.

Steve had texted him a picture of her earlier, picking up her boxes to her new bedroom… She looked lovely. She was only wearing a simple white shirt with high-waisted, ripped blue jeans to complete the casual look but, she didn’t have to try hard to catch his eye. He couldn’t wait to go back to the tower and talk to her. He crossed his finger hoping that he wouldn’t mess it up or embarrassingly stutter his own name whilst shaking her hand.

Bucky soundlessly walked towards you as he placed a hand on your shoulder, trying not to startle you but you weren’t expecting anyone to be awake, and you didn’t know that Bucky was supposed to return today. Your brain had been so occupied with moving in, that you forgot there was one member of the team missing because he was on a solo mission and that he was supposed to return in the early morning.

So you accidentally dropped your glass, spilling your little taste of heaven all over the counter, as you turned around and punched him on the face. You shrieked as soon as you felt a palm touching your shoulder, thinking it might’ve been a ghost or worse, an intruder. For a second there, you nearly forgot that you weren’t living all by yourself in a tiny apartment anymore. You were in the most highly secured building in New York, surrounded by vigilant superheroes that had fought bigger guys than a callow thief or more lethal than supernatural forces.

Bucky’s hand immediately went to his face, as he shrieked in pain. He absolutely didn’t expect a punch from you, considering he meant well. He slightly backed away on his feet, clutching the nose that had bled due to the robust force. You soon realized that he was Bucky Barnes, the Avenger that had just gone back from a solo mission Steve told you about, and you had just realized that you punched… The Winter Soldier. Oh my God. Your guilt rushes through your gut and you immediately covered your mouth with your hand in panic.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize anyone was still awake, I’m so sorry.” You reached out to his hand, trying to see the damage that you did.

“No, it’s okay, doll. I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that, I’m sorry.” He wiped the blood that leaked out his nose.

“No, no, no, it wasn’t your fault at all, I shouldn’t have reacted like that… Please, let me help you with that.”

“I got it doll, really. It’s nothing.”

“I insist. Please, otherwise I’d feel really bad.”

You moved to the couch in the common room, as you began patching him up. You both finally introduced yourselves properly this time, and you talked for about an hour until the sun was starting to rise. When you realized how late it had gotten and how exhausted Bucky must’ve been, only then, you returned to your individual bedrooms. And thus, a friendship was born. The beginning of something eternal and profound.

The next morning, things changed. Bucky would act differently around you whenever the team was around. Or anyone, at all, was around. Bucky would often avoid your eyes and act awkwardly around you. You didn’t see the man that you had a warm conversation with at 4 in the morning on that first day anymore. You felt like talking to a stranger that you had to walk on eggshells with. When Steve asked Bucky whether he had met you or not during breakfast, Bucky with his head down simply responded, “yeah… We’ve met.” That elicited a furrowed brows from you.

Steve later counselled you about it, “don’t worry. He’s like that with everyone. It’s not easy to start a small talk when you are the former winter soldier.”

You tried to tell yourself not to overthink it or take it personally. Of course, you were aware of the history. It was told in every history class. But you still couldn’t shake the need to get to know him more. You’d do it deliberately, you weren’t going to force him to break out of his shell, but you wanted to let him know that he had nothing to be ashamed of with you.

And so, you would often knock on his bedroom door since your bedrooms were on the same floor when you brought something from your favourite bakery shop. Or when you hear the excruciating screams at night, because he couldn’t tame down the demons in his sleep, reminding him of his inevitable, vicious past that spilled a lot of blood and caused him a lot of pain. Mentally, emotionally and physically.

At first, he would give you a sardonic look as he asked you of why you were here. You’d tell him that you thought he could use a company and so, the friendship, or whatever that you had with him would bloom through the murmured secrets and the late-night rendevous. It turned into a nightly thing that only you and Bucky shared. Nobody else had to know.

During the day, there were a lot of stolen glances and lingering tension in the room, everyone could sense it except you and Bucky yourselves. But yet, you didn’t speak many words about it to each other. Everyone who saw you two knew that you two hid some amount of feelings for each other. But yet, neither of you dared to make the first move.

Sam, Wanda and Nat were your closest friends and therefore, they knew the most about your unspoken feelings for Bucky. Starting from the awkward chats to the time where this new agent shamelessly flirted with Bucky in front of you. Of course, you were aware that anyone could flirt with Bucky, he wasn’t yours, to begin with. But it was still rude and disrespectful and you being the irrational, jealous person that you were, you’d often ramble to either Sam, Wanda or Nat in their private quarters until you felt better again.

One night, where this agent, Samantha or whatever her name was, had boldly touched Bucky’s arm at one of Tony’s flamboyant parties, in front of you, you immediately texted Sam, Wanda and Nat in the group text called “Besties” to gather up in your room because you needed to vent.

“Look, y/n, if you’re so annoyed by her flirting, then why don’t you just tell Bucky how you feel?” Wanda said.

“I don’t understand…” You squinted your eyes at her. It’s not like you didn’t actually understand what she was saying, but the concept of confessing your feelings to Bucky sounded like an absurd idea.

“Look, I’m just saying, what’s the worse that could happen?”

“Okay, Wanda, now you’re just talking shit.”

“Y/N” Sam interposed. “He might like you too. He may not say much but we all caught those stolen glances, don’t you think we didn’t see it.”

“You don’t know that for sure, Sam. Besides, it’s not just about him not liking me back… What if he’s just not ready to date? What if he likes me but not in that way? There are a million things that could go wrong. So, please, let’s cross out the idea of telling him how I feel because it’s definitely not happening.”

Sam, Wanda and Nat exchanged a look. “Okay, it’s your life anyway. But y/n, if you don’t move now, then you might lose your chance forever. Samanta could be seducing him into her bed right now as you are rambling about her to us.” Natasha closed it.

Her words had truly struck you light lightning. You never thought of it that way… You always thought you had every second in the clock, just waiting for you to be ready. Or him to be ready. But you never thought of the possibility of Bucky and Samantha actually going on a date… What if she had asked him to go out with her next weekend? And what if he had said yes? The thought hurt. It crushed your heart like a shredder. It twisted you inside out like a sickness.

And so, after Sam, Nat and Wanda returned to the party, you stayed in your room. You told them that you’d catch up, you just needed to rest your feet from standing in heels for too long. You were lying. You needed some time alone with your thoughts, as you were trying to plan your next move. You recalled all those late-night rendevous and midnight conversations, and you felt it in your heart. That mighty urge in your heart. Like the entire crowd you were standing before are chanting the words loudly to you. “Tell him! Tell him! Tell him!”

You felt all the feelings you contained inside for him rushed through your veins, like a power surging through your cells, bestowing you the courage to stand on your feet, put on your heels and reapplied your lipstick. You straightened the frowns of your dress in front of the mirror as you took a deep breath. “You got this.” You stared your reflection dead in the eye and convinced yourself.

When you were satisfied with your fixed appearance, you immediately went back to the party. You couldn’t wait to find him. Giddiness, nervousness, and anxiety were swirling in your chest. You ordered Friday to take you to the lobby, where the party was held, as you leaned back on the glass wall of the elevator and you folded your arms around you, trying to ground yourself. You tried to stand steadily and not face-plant yourself on the marble floor in front of Bucky. You would never be able to live with yourself.

When the elevator finally reached the main lobby, the metal doors separated, showing you the people in fancy suits and dresses chattering with one another, with a glass of sparkling Champagne in their hands. You immediately searched for Bucky. A slick black, long dark hair, clad in a black dress shirt and black pants. Your eyes gazed into every corner of the room, focusing thoroughly on the large chunk of a man.

You finally spotted him by the bar. He was sitting with a glass of tonic and gin in his hand, as he took a sip of it, then he put it down on the bar counter. It would’ve been a tantalizing sight that you’d love to sit back and observe if it weren’t for the person sitting next to him. Samantha was sitting with her legs crossed beside him, her body was fully faced to Bucky as she tried to reach out to feel his bicep again for God knows how many times that night. She was laughing and even from the distance, you could see the glint in her eyes at something he just said.

You felt like you had been hit by a truck. The butterflies in your stomach turned into a monster that was devouring your insides with its tapered fangs. You felt dizzy as you felt like you were going to drop on the floor if you don’t hold onto something. Steve happened to be walking past you thankfully and as soon as he saw you looking unwell, he immediately grabbed your arm, awakening you from your daze.

“Y/N, are you alright? You don’t look so good.”

“I’m fine, Steve... I’m…” You cleared your throat, trying to pull yourself back into consciousness. “I think I need to lay down. I’ll see you in the morning, Steve. Please tell Tony that I’m not feeling well.”

“Alright, yeah, go ahead. I’ll inform the team if they ask about you.”

“Thanks, Steve.” You nearly stumbled on your feet as soon as you took your first step.

“Whoa, do you need me to walk you to your room?”

“No, it’s fine. I got it. Night, Steve.”

“Goodnight, y/n.” He watched you warily, feeling hesitant whether he should really let you walk to your floor alone or not. As soon as you went inside the elevator, and the mental doors had closed, you slumped on the wall as you tried to muffle your cries. Nothing could hurt you more than seeing the man that you were secretly in love with, flirting with another girl. You couldn’t find it in you to give directions to Friday. So you just stood there, listening to the Jazz music playing in the background.

Until you were finally wearied enough to say the word to Friday. The AI politely responded, “yes, miss.”

As soon as you reached your floor, you took off your heels as they swayed with every step that you took. Your cheeks were tainted by ruined mascara, and your hair was slightly dishevelled. You couldn’t care any less. You should be dancing to the slow music or even kissing him drunkenly at the bar with your hands wrapped around his neck right now. But no, he was probably doing those with Samantha. You knew you were being unreasonable, crying over a man who was never yours, to begin with. But you allowed yourself to feel the pain and then, you can figure out a way to move on. You just needed to unleash it all out first.

You put your heels in the corner of your bedroom and stripped yourself out of the white cocktail dress. You immediately ran for the shower, your limbs felt more ponderous than ever. The last time you experienced a broken heart was in eleventh grade when you ran into your senior crush, Peyton at the mall with a girl who didn’t go to the same school as you, in his arm. You nearly walked up to him to say hi but your plan was instantly crushed before you even found the courage to talk to him.

Ever since then, you made a pact with your heart that you were never going to fall in love first ever again. You were okay with being single, you weren’t the kind of person who constantly needs romantic love. You focused on self-growth, you focused on your skills which is martial arts and military tactics. You invested your mind and energy into self-love, friendship and your education.

When you were finally ready to roam around the city at night as a vigilante, you’d sneak off every night to sit building rooftops and you looked after the small guys around the neighbourhood. Until your small vigilante works were heard and Fury snuck into your apartment to recruit you himself.

After your shower, you changed into an oversized grey hoodie that you once stole from Bucky’s closet, one night while having one of those clandestine rendezvous in his room. You were cold and you were only wearing a thin-layered white shirt with a worn-out pair of old swimming shorts that still fitted you.

“Here, wear my hoodie.” He walked to his achromatic closet and revealed the tidily-placed pile of black and white shirts and pants. He didn't have that many clothes but, it was enough to secure his enormous figure cosily. He pulled out one of his fresh from the laundry sweatshirts from the heap. He handed them to you and inserted yourself into the aromatic material.

When you were both finally too somnolent to keep your eyes wide open. He walked you to your room and you didn’t realize you were still wearing his hoodie until you said your final goodnight. When you tried to take it off your body, he said, “no, it’s alright. You can return it to me in the morning.”

But you never did. And he was okay with that. At least you thought. Because never once he asked for it back. You’d even catch his demure smile when he saw you wearing it.

You did your nighttime skincare routine and went to bed. The scent of his hoodie was faint but enough to make you yearn for him. It’s ridiculous, really. To miss someone who was never yours, and someone who practically lived right next to you, considering how long he could spend hiding in his own room.

You felt the tears brimming in your eyes as they ran down your cheeks and soaked your pillow sheets. You sniffled as your mind harked back to the shared moments in the gloom and the timid touches when words could no longer bear the intimacy. The moon knows more about you and him than anyone ever will and if you could no longer feel his skin against your anymore even for just a second, you were going to hold onto the memories.

You were lost pacing down the memory lane until you heard a subtle knock on the door. Three taps and you instantly knew who was standing on the other side. You tried to neglect it, hoping that he would get the message of leaving you alone. You weren’t ready to face or talk to him. But he wouldn’t relent. He knocked once more, telling you that he wasn’t leaving until you answered him.

You stayed in the exact same spot until you were peevish enough to keep listening to it. You finally stood on your feet and opened the door with a sour look on your face. He greeted you with a nonchalant smile, his hair now was tied in a low bun.

“Hey, Steve told me that you weren’t feeling well, what happened?” His expression was filled with concern.

“I’m fine, now. You can go.” You sneered. You tried to shut the door, not even wanting to face him any longer or listen to his unprompted “I got a date!” story.

He was appalled by your anomalous behaviour, as he immediately stopped the door with his hand from being slammed on his face. “Hey, hold on a second. What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“I said, I’m fine, Bucky. Just leave me alone, please.”

His chest tightened at your sardonic words. You had never acted this way around him before. Did he say something wrong? Did he wake you at the wrong time? Were you on your cycle? He was bewildered.

“I just wanna know if you were alright. Steve said you looked really pale at the party and you had to leave early and if you are then maybe I could bring you a soup or something.”

“I just need to be alone, Bucky. Alright? I was feeling much better until you showed up.” You didn’t mean to be so spiteful and blunt. You just needed some space. And his presence was intoxicating and the longer you see him, the harder it would be for you to let go.

Bucky didn’t respond immediately but the look on his eyes was enough to beckon his hurt. “What did I do? Did I say something wrong?”

“No, Bucky, it’s not you, it’s just-” You inhaled. Trying to cool yourself down before you continued. “Just not tonight, alright?”

“I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s wrong.” He puffed himself up, masking his frustration. No, no, he wasn’t ready to let you go before he could even tell you he loved you. So if planting himself on his feet would make you enlighten him, he was going to do that.

“Okay, then just fucking stand there all night, I don’t care.” The cool in you vanished, turned into a small flame of counterwork.

“Why are you acting like this? Huh? You can’t just knock on my door whenever you feel like and shut me out like this.”

“Well, why don’t you just vent to your new girlfriend, then? I’m pretty sure she’ll be more than happy to listen to your ramblings all night.” You stormed into the room, trying to slam the door behind you but Bucky stopped it as he followed you inside. It wouldn’t be wise to keep this argument in the hall where the whole tower could hear you.

“What? What the hell are you talking about? I don’t have a girlfriend!”

“Oh, of course, Bucky. As if you hadn’t practically just gone on your first date with her at the party.”

“You’re being ridiculous, y/n! We were just talking.”

“Bullshit! Like no one could see the bedroom eyes she was giving you. She was practically fucking your brains out at the bar. Oh and not to mention, how she was groping your biceps like you were the only two people in the room!”

“What is this? Jealousy?”

“No! Stop flattering yourself, Bucky.”

“Okay, so what is it? I can’t fix whatever this is…” His fingers motioned to the invisible string binding the two of you. Who are you kidding? You both knew there was something more than a platonic bond between the two of you, you were just too dastardly to admit it with words to one another. “…If you don’t tell me the truth.”

Deep down, you knew the jealousy was senseless but in the heat of the dispute, you couldn’t stop your mouth from conveying the words out loud.

“Because I like you and I don’t want you to be with anyone but me, okay? There. I said it. Are you happy now? I like you and I know I’m being unreasonable, but I don’t like the thought of you being with someone who’s not me.”

Bucky was aghasted by your vehement declaration. Did he get it right? Did you really just tell him the words that he had always wanted to hear? The words that nearly escaped his lips more times than he could count, but never found the courage because he thought he wasn’t good enough for you? Was he dreaming? This felt surreal.

“You… You like me?”

You scoffed. “Yeah. I do, Bucky. Unfortunately. But now, I understand if you wanna go out with Samantha or if you never speak a word to me again, I get it. But at least you know that I li-”

He abruptly grabbed your face and pressed a brief kiss on your lips, taking your breath away like a typhoon. It was short-lived but enough to knock you off your feet. He retreated and gazed deeply into your eyes, hoping that you could see the suppressed emotions you made him feel whenever he was with you. He wasn’t a man of many words, after all, but after spending months of excavating each other’s secrecies, you got the message. Words were futile, anyway, when the feelings that you had were stronger than anything else you had ever felt.

“I like you too, y/n. So much.”

“You do?”

He nodded, a grin spread across his face, making his eyes gleam in the obscurity of your room.

“What about Samantha?”

“Sweetheart, I never had any feelings for her. She can flirt with me all she wants, but you gotta know that I only have eyes for you, darling. And there’s no one else I wanna be with other than you.”

“You mean that?” Your smile had made its way back to your face. The smile that only Bucky could evoke. Your eyes were twinkling with hope.

“Every word.”

And that’s you ended up here now, three years later, sharing a reposeful room with the love of your life. You had just returned from a late sparing session with Natasha in the training room. Crazy, how three years ago, you’d incessantly ramble about the same person and the same topic, which is Bucky’s cluelessness whilst running on the treadmill with her but now, you talked about various random things like two normal friends would. As if the issue that you had with Bucky had been resolved. All’s well that ends well.

You spotted your boyfriend, who had a much shorter hair now, sitting contently on the bed with a Sci-Fi novel in his hands. His long fingers sophisticatedly enveloped the cover as he thoroughly focused on the words on the pages but, it was quickly disrupted when you walked into the room, greeting him with a smile. “Hey, baby. What are you reading?”

“This sci-fi novel that Sam got me for my birthday but I didn’t pick it up until now. How was the training, sweetheart?”

“The usual. Nat, being the competitive little shit that she is, kicked my ass but I got her back at least. Twice.” You had showered in the gym bathroom before you went upstairs to see your boyfriend so you didn’t have to bother concealing your musty scent due to the sweat.

“That’s my girl.” He got on his feet and walked towards you, as he looked at you with so much admiration and love in his eyes, it overwhelms you sometimes. The way he’d hold you whilst being starstruck by every feature on your face, and the way he’d tell you he loved you, with so many sincerity behind the words, even after three years of being together. You were lucky. You both were. To find a home within each other.  

He kissed you deeply like he hadn’t had the pleasure to see you in three months even if you had only been gone for an hour. His lips enthralled you every time and he wouldn’t mind giving you the solace as much as you desired. He needed it more from you, anyway.

When your lips were apart, he pressed his forehead to yours. The vague light from the table lamp beside your bed illuminated the room along with the dimmed city lights, casting a dainty glow on the two of you. Like a spotlight on a stage, and you were the star-crossed lovers of the tale, illustrating a true story of unbreakable love.

“Dance with me.” Bucky said.

“Well, then, I shall put on the perfect song, sir.”

You ordered Friday to play the song “Lover” by Taylor Swift, as the first hits of the drum immediately moved your bodies against each other, his hand seized yours as you tucked your head under his chin. His other arm wrapped itself around your waist, holding you as close as possible like it was your last dance. But certainly not. This was merely one in a thousand dances to come.

We could leave the Christmas lights, up ‘till January

This is our place, we make the rules

You swayed to the nostalgic song playing in the background, echoing the words of love all around the room. Like you were the only lovers on the grand dancefloor, as the singer harmonises only for you.

And there’s a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear

Have I known you twenty seconds or twenty years?

You leaned your head on his chest, his slow heartbeat thumps in your ear. The beat grounds you like gravity, reminding you of how the term ‘home’ isn’t only a structure with four walls and a ceiling, but rather, a figure with serum-injected blood coursing through his veins, an injured skin layering all the organs, fashioning one magnetic force of a man.

Can I go where you go?

Can we always be this close?

Forever and ever

His gentle hand rubbed your back, as his feet swung with the tune. He was a man out of his time. Despite being alive in the modern world long enough now, he was still taking baby steps in adapting to the culture and that includes music. Back then, this wasn’t exactly the kind of music he’d ask a girl to dance along to, but he learned to appreciate your musical preference and slowly, he grew fond of them too.

And ah, take me out and take me home

You’re my, my, my, my lover

Because the lyrics had truly hit close to home. If someone had delivered him a mail during his Winter Soldier years, that he was going to find a beautiful, loving woman who willingly took his hand; scars and all. Despite the demons in his mind and the ghosts in his past, she was going to love him faithfully and she would offer her own hand to guide him through the path of daylight… He’d laugh on their faces and told them to piss off because they were wasting his time by speaking baloney.

We could let our friends crash in the living room

This is our place, we make the call

But he was wrong. You walked into his life and gratefully punched his face on that night and he will forever thank the lucky stars for that. Because what he didn’t have a single clue of was that, it was the beginning of something tangible and something that became his religion. Something that became his lifeline. Despite still dealing with his own demons that he wasn’t sure whether they will ever truly leave him or not, he was a happy man. He didn’t think it was possible to say that. He was a happy man, in love. And it sounds strange to accept that as the truth but, it was what it was.

And I'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you

I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all

He twirled you around gently. Careful not to trip you. He caught you in his arms as you bent your body with peremptory trust, his handsome face never failed to mesmerize you.

Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand?

With every guitar string scar on my hand

I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover

You swayed on your feet once more, but really, you were just spending time, embracing the security in each other’s arms. You don’t care about the past heartbreaks or the haunting memories. You are not even stressing out to think about what tomorrow promises, you simply wanted to live every second of this moment with him.

My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue

All's well that ends well to end up with you

Swear to be over-dramatic and true to my lover 

But whatever the future plans for you, you knew there would be no hurricane violent enough to shake your ground as long as you had Bucky by your side.

And you'll save all your dirtiest jokes for me

And at every table, I'll save you a seat, lover

You were going to hold onto him through the agonizing mornings or vicious nights. You were going to hold onto him through Spring until the first drop of snow starts to cover the ground in white again. You were going to hold onto him through the Christmas Eves and New Years. Whether it be when you’re sharing a midnight kiss or when you’re hungover for all the drinks from last night.

You took a vow that no matter what happened, there would be no more unspoken words that would be an emotional barrier between the two of you. You only wanted to have eyes for him because everything fades into the background and the stars align when your bodies were intertwined, unable to tell where you began and he ended.

You’re permanently stuck with each other and that’s all you ever really wanted.

[akampana]

16 cutoria but in a vampire/werewolf au?

ANON LOOK WHAT YOU DID ITS 6716 WORDS LONG/lh

16 “I didn’t want to tell you like this, but I have no choice.” Werewolf AU Cú Chulainn x Arturia Pendragon

________

“You’ve stalled for too long, brat.”

The she-wolf dropped into the clearing without a sound, her experienced paws padding across the forest floor as lightly as the beating of butterfly wings. Scáthach was a creature of grace, even as a large canine. Her hunts were nothing short of elegant either, carried out quiet enough such as not to disturb the night. It was no wonder at all that she was once the Alpha of the pack.

The new Alpha was not so. Though the runs he was tasked to lead were mostly just as productive, he was rough and arrogant, hunting larger prey while scorning rabbits and smaller faunus. While the pups enjoyed being handed larger game whenever he came to the den, his chosen prey’s strangled cries always alerted nearby animals to go running. In winter, such conduct put the whole pack in danger of going hungry.

Despite that, it was only Scáthach who ever told him off, for there was no one else quite as strong as the large grey beast that was bestowed the honor of being their leader.

“You know what snow does to the rival packs, Cú,” hummed the wiser wolf as she circled the hubristic pup. She was never in favor of putting him in the lead just yet, but she had served her purpose, teaching him all that she knew. She didn’t doubt he had the prowess. He just lacked the responsibility.

“They have been seen closing in on our territory, now that prey runs scarce. You’ve been lucky, bringing in as much elk as you have thus far. But how will you maintain that while defending the territory, hm? Pull a miracle and find some loose sheep like you did last winter?”

Her pup-turned-leader snorted, shaking his snout as he stalked away. “This another attempt at getting me a mate, old hag?”

The she-wolf bared her teeth at the new alpha, batting his snout with her paw. “A mate shows power and longevity, you know this. Fionn may not have been the best father to you, but he brought you brothers and he brought you safety.”

“I ain’t taking Medb,” Cú snarled back, his fur standing on end at the thought. “So shove it. I’m heading out. Tell Ferdíad I can’t make it to game night.”

Without another word, the alpha wolf bounded off into the trees faster than the human eye could follow. He leapt past hills, his paws crunching snow beneath him, careless of the little prey that scuttled about. They were done with today’s hunt. Even Ferdíad's litter could go to sleep completely satisfied.

The wolf dodged through the thick vegetation mile after mile, until the paths he marked out for the younger wolves were no longer in sight. Although he doubted the den mother would approve of him going so far out into their territory alone, he was the alpha now. His decisions would no longer be questioned.

Finally, he came to a cave: an old abandoned bear den, that lesser beings avoided though its owner no longer lived there. His sharp ruby eyes darted to his surroundings, making sure he wasn’t followed. Then, he entered the den, as he had done several times before, and came out the cave’s other end.

Only Diarmuid knew about his hideout, and he’d like to keep it that way. As long as the beta kept this little secret within the pack territory, Cú could keep her safe.

The large canine made his way past a few evergreen trees ‘til the humble farm came into view. Sure enough, there she was in the middle of the fenced off enclosure, sitting amongst her sheep while the lambs fed on the last of the grass.

Here was Scáthach’s little “miracle”: a shepherd that had seen Cú’s starving figure at the edge of her farm last winter and purposely left her fence gate open. To this day, Cú still did not know why she did it, but her generosity got his entire pack through the harsh season.

In return, he’d secretly kept foxes and wild wolves off her farm, making sure the lesser beings knew better than to encroach on his personal territory.

At least, that’s what he did as a wolf.

Cú returned to his little cave, snarling as his fur receded into his skin. The alpha curled onto the ground, biting his own paw to stifle his groans as the bones within him shrank and contorted into a lesser form. His snout receded into a straight nose, his fangs into passably human sharp teeth. Without his night vision, Cú reached blindly for the small duffel bag tucked into a small hollow and pulled out an artificial coat and a pair of trousers.

What snuck out of the enclosure was no longer a grey apex predator, but a tall, muscled man with flowing dark hair: an ordinary hunter, no more special than the ones that frequented the northern town.

The bell chimed as he walked through the entrance, signalling the blonde shop owner of his arrival. Cú tried not to smile too widely as Arturia Pendragon popped her head through the staff door, but he knew that was a futile effort.

“Hey, shortie.”

“Good evening, Cú,” replied the woman, snorting at his favorite nickname for her as he hung his coat on the rack. “I have your usual ready...though I still cannot understand why you prefer coming here rather than the supermarket. You know Arthur takes our supply every Monday. He's down there with Arash the rest of the week. Isn’t that a little closer to home?”

Right. She still thought he lived in town. It was easier than saying he lived across the woods in a village even more secluded then hers which would be impossible to get to from here without a two hour drive unless you were a wolf that could cross the forest terrain in a fraction of time, so he didn’t correct her.

The Irishman shrugged and sank into the rug before the fireplace. “Mutton’s better fresh. 'Sides, the grocers don't stock your pies. Ya really should sell 'em, Arturia, I'm tellin' ya.”

The woman scoffed, lightly nudging her friend to the side with her foot. As he scooched over, she set down a food tray between them: one with two glasses of whiskey and two slices of pie.

"Flatterer," she accused, handing the bigger slice to Cú anyway. He wolfed it down in seconds.

The first time he showed up at her door went much the same way, just a lot more awkward.

It was the day after his wolf came home with her sheep. He'd already knocked on her door to thank her before realizing how stupid that idea was. What was he meant to say?

Hey, uh, thanks for letting me hunt your sheep to feed my pack. My best friend's wife just popped a litter of hungry babies, hehe gotta feed them young am I right? Oh, by the way, I'm the wolf from yesterday, nice to meet you—Yep. No. not gonna work. This was a terrible idea. Stupid, really. He was stupid. Why did he even come here again?

Then she swung open the door, freezing the man in place with his mouth half open.

"Can I help you?" She asked, but before he could even reply, he was greeted by snow. Everywhere. All at once. Down his spine and into his underwear.

Now, he wasn't as susceptible to the cold as the common human, but she did not know that. Before he could even get a word out, he was sitting in front of the fire to dry while she ran to get him something warm to drink.

A change into Arthur's clothes and some hot coffee later, he was being served pie at the dining table to make up for his unexpected snow shower.

"Again, I sincerely apologize for that. My brother and I haven't had the chance to fix the porch roof. We just moved to this old farm last month,” rambled the short Welsh woman as she handed him a hot towel.

After some hesitation and observation on the stranger’s way of dress, she asked, “Did...did you come here for lamb?"

Little did she know, she'd just handed Cú the perfect excuse. Plus, he now knew exactly how to show his gratitude.

"If I fix up yer roof would ya give me a discount?"

Over the next week, Cú would come to the Pendragon residence to make repairs. It wasn’t just the roof that needed patching up.

It turns out she and her brother were alone in the world, cheated out of their inheritance and everything else they owned by their older sister. All that was left to them was this old farm and cottage, which neither had visited since they were kids. Their half-sibling even threw in three truckloads of animals as a joke, since she had all the riches in the world to spend and a special budget for humiliating the two green-eyed blondes.

Still, the twins were educated. Brilliant, even. And though they were clumsy when it came to most household repairs, their experience tending equine stables for their late father translated rather well to animal husbandry. In a month, they had made enough to pay the bills and get them a secondhand laptop and working Wi-fi. The next month saw Arturia getting her own computer.

Half a year down the line, Cú was sure that the Pendragon siblings would move out, but here they stayed, still maintaining their humble farm though it was no longer their only form of income. Neither of them needed the burden of moving back to London, with its ridiculously high cost of living and impossible rent rates. They’d grown fond of the land they actually owned and its peace.

That suited Cú just fine, because he had grown fond of Arturia.

Cú still visited, even after all the repairs had finished. His nephews were always hungry, and while the mutton did not satisfy the little pups’ bloodlust as much as wild game, it made up for the deficit while the children were in human form. But even Arthur knew his bi-monthly purchases were just an excuse.

He was there for the coffees, for the brief moments his fingers would brush hers. He was there for the whiskey, the cheap bottles they shared before the fireplace while she told him everything she could about the city. He was there to make fun of her posh way of speaking, to pull the ribbon from her hair, to bring her fruits and berries and furs and let her read him books.

He was there for her.

Scáthach’s training only increased in intensity as the months passed, and between his day job and being the new alpha, Cú had little time left for himself. But what he could spare, he spent with his favorite person, even if it was just watching her tend her sheep from a distance while he kept foxes out of her territory.

Cú tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, happy to see she didn’t even flinch, but plagued by the thought of his wolf. He was the pack alpha now, and that meant a shitload of other responsibilities that would keep him from her for as long as he held that title.

“That’s all yer charging me, shortie? Nah, can’t be,” Cú resisted, pushing a few more bills across the table. “That’s way too cheap, even if yer sweet on me.”

Pink-faced, Arturia slid the packed meats back across the counter, reached behind her, and procured a carefully wrapped circular dish which she placed in a bag.

“Take it,” she insisted, hooking the bag onto his fingers. “We’ve been ridiculously lucky to not get any wolves and foxes considering how much higher into the mountains we live compared to the rest of the town. There is more than enough left for Arthur and I.”

Cú peeked into the extra bag, catching a glimpse of a familiar crust. God, she was far too kind. He’d reject the offer, but he’d always wanted to bring some shepherd’s pie back to the pack. This was his chance.

“Ya sure?”

“Absolutely,” she confirmed, holding open the front door as Cú made his exit. “This is the least I could do for you, Cú. You have helped make us feel home in this far-off place. I would even say that you are family but—”

“Go out with me,” the werewolf interrupted, shoving all his reservations into his internal dumpster. He didn’t know how yet, but he was gonna make this work. “Come on, I know ya like me, shortie.”

Tiptoeing, Arturia snaked a hand into his hair and pulled him down to her level, planting a small kiss on his cheekbone.

“It is...a little more than ‘like’, I believe,” the woman admitted bashfully, trying to mask her embarrassment by awkwardly sneaking back behind the door. “...Eight tomorrow?”

Cú bit his lip, glad to hear confirmation on what he already knew. She loved him back. She loved him back. God, he better not be looking like a child just handed some candy.

“Nah, this morning weekend. This weekend morning. The morning of this weekend,” he fumbled, rewarded with a short chuckle from her end. “I wanna have a whole day with ya for once, shortie. I’ll make it worth yer time.”

There was a spring in his step as the alpha bounded across the forest that night, carrying the bags carefully with the handles between his teeth.

If only he weren’t so distracted. Then he’d have noticed the salivating spy that watched him leave the abandoned bear den with a fresh pack of meat.

Snow fell heavily across the landscape on Tuesday evening, covering the last of autumn’s colors in a blanket of pure white. After dinner time was always idle for Cú, so he spent it sharing Arturia’s gift with the kids and spinning his phone in his fingers.

Instinct told him a storm was coming, and though it would probably have passed by Saturday, Cú wondered if he should try and reschedule his anticipated date. He wasn’t too worried about Arturia, since Arthur said he’d be coming back up to the cottage tonight, so at least she wouldn’t be alone all through it. Plus, the twins really did have a lot of food in stock. In comparison, he and his pack were the ones less prepared.

His sharp ears perked up as a familiar presence entered the grounds. The alpha’s brow knitted, as the slight smell of blood entered the air, but if the little ones weren’t alarmed, it must not have been such a serious wound.

Diarmuid stepped into the kitchen, still pulling on a wool jacket and shaking the snow off of his dark hair.

“Evening, Alpha,” the handsome man said softly, taking notice of the pie that sat in front of the pups.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, just call me Cú. Yer no less my little bro now than ya were before, Diar,” he corrected, sliding a plate his way. “Try that.”

The amber-eyed man approached the meal like a cat did water: hesitantly and suspiciously. Thankfully, as soon as he had a taste he had about the same reaction as Ferdiad’s kids did. Which was...basically nearly crying tears of joy.

“Where did you say you got this?” Diarmuid asked, snatching up another helping as Cú smirked. He’d not give the answer up that easily.

The alpha’s red eyes landed on his brother’s shoulder, finding a clumsy bandage just sticking out the collar. At once, he herded the beta into a different room, far enough from the pups that they couldn’t hear.

“The hell happened to ya?” Cú demanded, pulling the shirt collar to the side to better gauge the severity of the wound.

“It’s a warning, Sétanta” Scáthach answered for her son, entering the log cabin from the back door. “The rival packs were closing in on the border. I doubt their side of the mountain is as scarce as they make it out to be and yet they have the gall to encroach on ours.”

“Our territory’s guarded. That’s why we moved Fergus, ain’t it? To cover all bases. Den in the center with the pups, Me and Diar in the North, and dad in the South. Fergus’s gang to the west, and we got the town in the east and all wolves know not to mess with the towns,” Cú shot back, unconcerned.

Red eyes much alike to Cú’s observed him with kind care, seeing the wolf pup and alpha both. The new leader was strong, but he was arrogant. In a way, he was a perfect successor, for she knew he could kill her should the need arise. However, too loose he was with laws; too untethered by the rules that kept their kind safe.

“It would be a show of strength to take a mate. To let all know that our new Alpha has his right hand—”

Cú waved his arms dismissively. “The hands I do have are more than enough to drive them off. Ya know that. Now, are we stocking up for the pups or what? The storm ain’t gonna delay, I can smell it.”

22:24 Read

Cú paced the main den like a dog kept in an enclosure for far too long, tossing his half-charged phone while he awaited her message.

Four days. It had been four days since the blizzard started, piling snow on top of snow day after day as if it was trying to beat some arctic record. The log cabin’s ground floor was completely sealed in. They’d been on generator for the last four hours, listening to the weatherman on the radio as he promised for the third time that tonight the storm would finally pass.

Diarmuid was curling up with his nephews, keeping them warm in wolf form as they slept. Cú thanked every god he knew that they went on a hunt before the blizzard hit, else the kids went hungry. He and Diarmuid hadn’t planned to stay at their brother’s but the weather hardly gave them a choice. Their cottage was a lot further off.

22:24 Read

Cracks appeared on the glass as Cú glared into his mobile’s screen, hoping for some sort of change. But no. There sat the same exchange from an hour ago, the same bloody text just very loudly broadcasting to him the worst news of today.

One of our generators broke down. I need to move the power to the barn.

For real? Are you okay, shortie?

Arturia?

Hey, ya can’t just leave me hangin like that.

Arturia?

22:24 Read

“Sétanta, would you just put the bloody phone down?!” Ferdiad screeched, snatching the device right out of the alpha’s hands. “I said we were gonna talk, how the hell are we supposed to talk when yer not even givin’ me the bloody time of day!”

The low growl that escaped through the alpha’s bared teeth shook the cabin like an earthquake.

“What,” Cú barked, grabbing his precious device back while his brother stood his ground. “If this is just another lecture about how Scáthach was right, I should have just fucked with Medb and get it over with, I ain’t hearing another fucking word.”

22:24 Read

“No, you piece of—” Ferdiad inhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring with frustration. The older man grabbed his brother by the shoulders, shaking him like a rattle. “Cú. Listen to me.”

As Diarmuid shushed them both, Ferdiad pointed outside, to where nothing could be seen but heavy white ice.

“Do you seriously think Scáthach wants you to mate that pink-haired priss? ‘Course not. She just needs ya to set down roots,” the delta wolf explained, looking over the alpha’s shoulder to his three sons. “You are the strongest of us, Cú, but nothing ties ya to this territory. For all the outsiders know you could be planning to move and make your own pack.”

The younger of them grimaced as Diarmuid nodded from his perch with the pups.

“I ain’t going nowhere,” the new alpha emphasized, shrugging out of his brother’s touch.

“Well they don’t know that! What if this whole time, the only reason they haven’t advanced is cause we’ve been keeping close watch on our borders, hm? Hell, you and Diar have basically been here the entire fucking week, they probably think you’ve bloody moved on. Wouldn’t surprise me in the least if they took advantage of this stupid storm to move into our territory, now that you’re not guarding the north!” Ferdiad argued, baring his fangs at his superior.

22:24 Read.

Cú’s heart stopped, the poor phone in his hands near crunching in his grip. No. The Pendragons didn’t live too far from the town. It was fine. She was fine. Just snowed in.

No werewolf was crazy enough to go near town in their canine form, not even the rival packs. There was too much risk of being found out. Simply no way.

Unless...

22:24 Read.

Unless they didn’t have any food in store. Unless they were looking for some easy pickings. Maybe a couple of sheep that wouldn’t be missed, stolen from a farm just a little out of range of the nearby village.

A farm with a single, vulnerable caretaker, forced to share a heater with her flock.

22:24 Read.

Cú frantically pressed the call button and put the phone to his ear, shushing Ferdiad before the delta could return to making his arguments. Three rings later and the line cut. He tried again, heart dropping like deadweight when it gave the same result.

His footsteps became panicked as he walked round in circles, scrolling upward to a contact that was here only for emergencies.

“Arthur,” Cú said through the phone, hearing the familiar voice of his blonde friend coming through the line. “‘S Arturia there with ya?”

Suddenly a quiet bang resounded throughout the room. A gunshot, deafened by distance and snow. Any false sense of security Cú still had shattered with the sound.

“The hell?” Ferdiad exclaimed, rushing towards his children to comfort them. “There can’t be any humans crazy enough to hunt in that storm.”

The alpha was no longer around to hear him.

Arturia never held any hate for her half-sister. Not even when she banned her and her twin to Ireland with nothing left to their name. Despite everything, Arturia thought her punishment was not too cruel, for she still had Arthur. She still had a degree under her belt, and in a way, Morgan had cast her far away from a destiny she didn’t even want to fulfil. Arthur never wanted to take over the mining company and neither did she.

The first few weeks were difficult, but they learned to live on their own. They made a humble world for themselves that wasn’t tied to their prestigious last name. It was simple. But it was good.

She’d admit it got a little lonely with just the two of them around, but...then there was Cú. Cú, who helped them fix up the house, who came bringing drinks or food they could all share by the fire. Cú, who helped them get set up at the market, who got them their regular buyers and still made himself a frequent customer. Cú, who made up excuses just to see her, who scorned the couch to lie down on her lap while she read.

The cabin was always a little warmer when he was around. It was home when he was around.

She should have asked him out sooner.

The wolves came crashing through the windows, raining thick glass all over her flock. There were seven of them. All massive beasts with fur of brown and grey, glowing eyes and bared fangs. In their view, she may as well have been just another sheep, helpless in the face of the predator.

The air was a cacophony of distressed bleating, panicked hooves and growls as the sheep tried their best to escape their fate. Amidst it were her own hoarse screams as a brown beast sank its fangs into her arms, her frantic kicks to its belly doing nothing to throw the large beast off. Desperate green eyes searched the floor for her gun, which sat useless under her first attacker, a chestnut wolf that had ignored smaller prey and gone straight for her.

Her own blood dripped down onto her cheeks as the wolf above her crushed her limbs between its teeth. Arturia’s eyes prickled with tears as fresh cries escaped her lips, grieving not from the pain but for all she was going to lose. So soon, she had to say goodbye to her new life, her brother, to any chance she ever had at a happy ending.

The woman felt her predator’s claw stomp onto her throat, stifling her screams as its teeth dug into her shoulder. Salt fell freely from her eyes as the beast tore through the muscle. Was this how she was going to die? Cold and alone amongst the carcasses of her flock? Was this how Arthur would find her when the blizzard did subside, torn to pieces and left scattered all over the barn floor?

Arturia shut her eyes, unwilling to let her last sight be that of her killer. Instead, she thought of Arthur, hoping someone would be there for him through it all. She thought of Cú, she thought of the lovely blue dress she was supposed to wear when she finally went out with him. She’d been waiting for the day to finally wear it. She knew he loved the color blue.

As her lungs began to burn for air, her final thought was a prayer to a God she didn’t know she still believed in. If she were to die today, then let it be the last pain her two favorite boys would ever experience—

Suddenly, frigid oxygen entered her lungs as her attacker was tackled off of her, leaving Arturia hacking and coughing as she gasped for breath. She sat up dizzily, gripping her injured shoulder with bleeding arms as she tried to get her bearings.

The pack had abandoned the few sheep that were left, hounding instead the new arrival: a wolf easily larger than her from head to tail, with grey fur that glistened in the little light. Its glowing red eyes seemed aflame with rage as it sank its teeth into her attacker’s throat and snapped its neck like a toothpick, showering all the surrounding dogs with their leader’s blood. Even then, the grey wolf did not stop, jumping at the next canine and carrying out its execution.

The woman limped to the exit as fast as she could, bracing herself against the biting cold as she made her way back to the cabin. Behind her, the barking continued as wolf fought against wolf, the red-eyed one beating off the remaining four while the frightened sheep ran wild with fear.

Arturia slammed the cabin door closed behind her, bolting every lock there was with frostbitten fingers before sneaking a glance back into the barn through the window. There was barely anything to make out amidst the pouring snow and the painful throbbing in her head, but all she knew was that somehow...the newcomer was winning.

She didn’t know what kind of divine intervention must have occurred for that wolf to come save her, but...all it did was buy her a little time. Even if she was safe from predators in the cabin, the freezing cold would take her before morning. Maybe she could start a fire, but she’d lost so much blood, she could barely even stand.

After much struggle to ignite the tinder, the injured woman slumped onto the rug before the fireplace, taking comfort in the hearth’s warmth as the blizzard raged on outside.

A loud crash brought her attention behind her, to where stood the red eyed wolf, blood staining the grey fur on his shoulder. Two emotions gripped her heart at the same time: fear and recognition. As the beast stalked its way toward her, she finally understood why he looked so familiar.

It was the young wolf from last year, the one who sat right outside her fence, neither coming in to attack her flock, nor fleeing at the sight of her. She’d always wondered what became of him after he ran off with a couple of her sheep. He had a lot more weight on him compared to back then, enough that she knew it was hopeless to try fighting him off. If he’d somehow defeated the entire pack in the barn, an injured human like herself didn’t stand a chance.

“It’s you, isn’t it?” she croaked, her shattered vocal chords barely able to keep up. “Please just make it quick.”

Almost as if he could understand her, the wolf whimpered and flattened his ears against his head, lowering himself as he approached.

For the second time that night, Arturia shut her eyes as the wolf caged her broken, shivering figure to the floor. She stiffened, anticipating another bite as he brought his head closer.

Then she felt a warm tongue lick her cheek.

Arturia’s eyes snapped open in surprise, locking with increasingly familiar ruby irises. The wolf lay its head on her chest, gently resting on top of her as it whimpered. Suddenly, it began to whine, jerking back and forth as its body contorted itself into a different shape. One that was smaller, one that hadn’t a silver coat of fur, one that no longer crushed her underneath its weight.

Soon it wasn’t a wolf at all that Arturia held in her arms, but a man. Large hands that she recognized traveled up to her cheeks, his thumbs stroking away her tears. Her heart warred with itself, overtaken by pain, relief, fear, security. But all of that could wait.

Cú leaned forward til he was kissing her, molding his mouth into hers til he had her lips memorized.

“Cú,” Arturia whispered, when they separated to breathe, her injured arms wearily looping around his neck. “You’re…”

“Sorry,” The man shushed her with another deep kiss, enveloping her shivering figure into his embrace. “I didn’t wanna tell you like this, but I have no choice. I’m—”

“The wolf from last winter,” she interrupted, her mind struggling to put together the pieces. “The…wolf who came to save me. You were here with me this whole tim—mmh”

The man’s fingers snaked behind her head, supporting her as tasted her mouth once more.

“Ya saved me first.”

There was a desperation in the way that he moved, the way he touched her cold skin. He didn’t want it to be like this. He wished their first kiss would have been somewhere warm. He wanted to take her out to the lake, hold her hand…not drag her into his world of hunt-or-be-hunted.

Cú pressed his lips to her neck, regretting the multitude of wounds she sustained there. If only he were here earlier. If only he were faster. This would never have happened if wasn’t so damn careless.

The werewolf pulled down her scarf and jacket, exposing the deep wounds the rival pack leader had left at the junction of her shoulder and all over her arms.

They bit her.

Cú pursed his lips, placing a few more kisses to her temple. He hoped it would be enough. He hoped she would understand his feelings for her. He hoped she would forgive him.

“Let’s get ya patched up, shortie, okay?”

Cú borrowed some of Arthur’s clothes for the second time, leaving her momentarily to redirect the power back to the cottage instead of the barn. There were nothing but carcasses to warm over there now. After that, he no longer left her side, nursing her wounds the best that he could and keeping her close to share his body heat.

“You’re gonna turn,” Cú said seriously, hugging the one person he loved more than anything to his chest. Werewolf saliva was powerful, and so their kind never endeavored to sink their teeth into humans unless they were sure to kill the target or intentionally make them part of their pack.

“How soon?” Arturia answered back, turning to look up at her saviour. All the fear in her eyes had disappeared, replaced with melancholy and trust. Of course she was upset. Creatures of his world had just gone and stolen her new life away.

“The next full moon,” Cú answered regretfully, “Tomorrow night.”

Cú brushed her bangs out of her face, letting his ruby eyes clash with her emeralds. “Ya scared?”

The man didn’t even know why he was asking. But what were you supposed to say to someone who was just dragged into a hidden world she knew nothing about? How was he supposed to tell her she’d be riddled with bloodlust for the rest of her life, that she’d crave the hunt, that she’d yearn for the night? How was he supposed to tell her she had to give up the one family she had left to keep him away from the life of a hunter?

“Should I be?” Arturia answered, deceptively calm. No doubt, she was thinking of the heavy price she had to pay for surviving.

Cú knew Scáthach was coming. He could feel it. As soon as this bloody storm let up, the she-wolf would put her nose to the air, track him down to this cottage, and put down the rival pack’s unintentional new member before she even had the chance to morph.

Not if he could help it.

“Ya said l was like family to you, Arturia, did ya mean it?” he asked, his heart racing like crazy. His favorite person nodded into his chest, fiddling with his fingers and palm.

“Then...d’ya wanna be that to me, forever though?” he stuttered out, suddenly losing all manner of confidence.

Arturia got up to face him. “How do you mean?”

“Damn yer really gonna let me get into the specifics, huh? Right,” he mumbled, scratching the back of his head despite himself. “Look, for us, there’s just one. One mate, for the rest of our lives. You just feel this...bond with them, ya know? Strong enough ya can’t bear to be without them. If ya let me, I want you to be that for me."

"Cú, are you asking me to wed you?" she asked back, confusion settling in the crease between her brows. "But we haven't even gone out yet—"

"Ya were gonna marry me eventually," he shot back, flicking the hair outta her face. "I'm quite the husband material, dontcha think? I bring ya food, I eat your pie—my family likes them by the way—I'm handsome as fuck, not ta mention, charming, what’s the harm in speeding things up a lil’?"

The werewolf grinned at her, trying to cover up how bloody nervous he actually felt.

“And also my pack won’t kill ya. Cause you know, technically ya belong to the rival pack, because they’re the ones that bit ya. But also yer all that’s left in that pack, after tonight and…” he paused, cupping her face with his hands, “I'll still court you, 'Turia. I want to. I'll give ya a good life. Swear.”

Arturia’s lips quirked upward for a second, knowing how crazy adamant Cú could be with following promises.

"Alright,” she confirmed, accepting his kiss. “I just...I worry about Arthur."

"So you finally show up, hm? Disappear for a while, why don't you? Doesn't matter whether or not the rival pack comes to—"

Scáthach inhaled, sniffing her grey wolf pup as she circled him. Something had changed about her son, she could feel it.

"There is no rival pack," Cú answered, grinning like a madman. “Only two new additions to ours.”

"What?"

“Last winter, it stormed just like this, didn’t it? No game, not even the smallest of hares. We were considering crossing over to the other side of the mountain, yeah?” Cú asked back, eagerly goading out the she-wolf’s response. Scáthach stared at him intensely, her red eyes glowing in the light of the full moon.

“You came back with sheep—”

The grey wolf nodded its head in a near-human fashion.”They were gifts. From them.”

Cú yipped, calling for the two concealed wolves to come into the den.

One was large and long, with fur as black as the bark of trees. He came out of the woods like a moving shadow, paws of coal shuffling through the snow. Even Scáthach, who was a midnight color herself, thought she was looking straight into a beautiful void.

The second wolf was smaller. She had a pelt of pure shining white, purer even than fresh snowfall. If not for the black nose that nuzzled into their alpha as she came close, she would be completely missable in their landscape of ice.Though of shorter stature, she strode like a king. Scáthach hadn’t a doubt that if this newcomer were born a wolf, she’d be an alpha herself without question.

The two newcomers stared at the she-wolf with matching emerald eyes, each set of orbs sparkling with the colors of the aurora. Siblings. Strong ones. But any wolf could tell these two were not born with beast’s blood like the rest of them, their footsteps were too unnatural. Too clumsy. They were made beasts, and by their scent it had been the doing of the rival pack.

As her son pressed his snout to the white wolf’s nose, several things finally clicked into place. Cú had gone and done what she’d been pestering him to do for the last few months and had eliminated the pack that had been encroaching on their territory in one fell swoop.

Cú had chosen his mate: a human convert who’d inherited their rivals’ land the day she was bitten. A human who they just so happened to owe a great debt for getting them through last year’s winter.

As Cú’s beastly eyes stared her down, Scáthach had to admit... her bratty pup finally had her at a total loss. She couldn’t be mad about anything, couldn’t even nitpick at the tiny size of his chosen queen or her tar-coat brother. Gosh, Fionn was gonna get a lotta kicks outta this.

“Names,” the she-wolf demanded, circling the twins while Cú gave her a shit-eating grin. Then, she turned, looking back just once to signal for them to follow.

Side by side, the new wolves and the alpha made their way into the central den. Arthur was immediately swarmed by Cú’s brothers. Arturia, by Ferdiad’s pups.

Later, when all had settled back into human skin and a fresh change of clothes, Cú looked about his pack. Fergus and Medb had come to visit, with all sorts of food in tow. Diarmuid excitedly showed Arthur around the wolf den while Fionn and Scathach kept to their own corner. Ferdiad and his litter sat right in front of the brick oven, eagerly awaiting the shepherd’s pie the twins had prepared.

The alpha leaned down, resting his cheek atop Arturia’s blonde head.

“We never did get to go on that date,” she whispered lightheartedly, leaning her head onto his chest. “I even had a dress prepared.”

“Mmmmm that so?” Cú shot back, grinning, “I just think since we are “mated” we really ought to get to mating if ya know what I—”

Arturia’s palm snapped onto his lips before he could complete the thought. Suddenly, they were wrestling each other to the floor, the older wolf chuckling like a madman all the while.

“Kidding—ooofghmhm--kidding, Arturia, I’m kidding, jeez,” he managed to get out, placating his blushing mate as he grabbed onto her hands. The Welsh woman panted, from her seat atop him, her green eyes looking everywhere else but into his red orbs.

“Eight tomorrow?” Arturia asked, though she knew full well Cú was coming home with her that day.

Not even caring about the teasing whoops resounding through the wolf den, Cú pulled his mate down for another hug.

“Yeah. I’d like that, shortie.”

[nightshade-minho]

-MoonStorm-

Warnings: superhero!reader, super villain!Hyunjin, blowjob, fingering, unprotected sex, dubious morality etc.

FireSable (Part 2)

You checked the mirror to make sure your mask was secure, turning around to inspect your spandex-covered ass. The radio crackled in the back, and you could hear the news reporter’s voice drone on and on.

“Last night, the Moonsable’s goons struck yet again, causing a number of casualties and starting a fire which devastated two buildings and injured more than 50 people. The city’s vigilante, Firestorm, was missing in action last night. The last reported sighting of the mysterious superhero was a week ago-“

You sighed. That news reporter never managed to pronounce the word ‘sable’ right. Anyhoo.

You crawled out of the window of your apartment, angling your body and turning it around. You scaled the wall, reaching the roof, and proceeding to jump off it, onto the next building. You began making your way to the secret hideout you knew the way to all too well.

The night was thick and foggy, but your vision was enhanced and hence, it wasn’t a problem. About ten minutes later, you stood in front of the shed.

It might have looked like a shed, alright. However, it was hiding a much different complex underneath. You walked over, punching the code onto the discreet pad. The light glowed green and your heart thumped as the door slowly swung upwards, letting you in.

As you stepped in, the floor moved beneath you, and suddenly you were plummeting. However, you were slightly used to this. So, you stuck to the wall until the elevator reached its destination, slowly creaking open.

The vast metallic hallway in front of you had guards lining it. Feeling annoyed, you stepped forward, and they reacted immediately, the closest one swinging a punch at you, which you easily blocked. Sighing, you turned around just in time to kick another one in the face, screaming when you felt a hand pull your hair backwards. You somehow managed to turn around, swinging your knee and hitting the guard in the crotch.

This would usually be the time when some sort of kickass background music would play, if you were in a superhero movie. However this was real life. So you settled for the groans and shouts of pain of the guards around you as you wiped the floor with the rest of them.

You groaned in slight pain. The guy had pulled your hair so hard that a slight ache had settled itself in your head. Sometimes, you contemplated cutting all of your hair off.

You stormed forward, angry, running your hands over a small tear in your suit. You scowled about having to patch that up when you returned home. As you pressed the button on the next door and the light turned green, you let out an annoyed grunt of frustration when you were met with another group of guards.

It was about half an hour later when you finally arrived at the final door, bigger than all the others, clutching your arm in pain. You punched in the same passcode you used at the gate, and the light turned green, hopefully for the last time.

As the doors opened, you were immediately hit with the scent of fresh magnolias.

It was slightly dark inside, but you could just make out a big chair and a figure sitting in it. The wall behind it was covered in screens, playing scenes from the CCTV network.

“Took you long enough. I’ve been watching you for the past forty minutes. I was kind of getting impatient. It was indeed hot to see you kick their asses so easily, though.”

You heard his voice and scoffed, kicking off your boots at the entrance as you sauntered in further. Letting your hand ghost across the wall, you found a light switch, which bathed the room in a little more light than before. It was still pretty dark, but now you could see his handsome face staring at you with a smirk.

You grunted. “I don’t get it. I’ve come here about a million times and each time I’ve got to fight your stupid guards. Don’t you think it’s about time you tell them about us?”

“What, that you come here not to fight me but to fuck me instead? Yeah...I don’t think so, princess.”

“Whatever.”

You walked to him and sat on his lap, your back facing him. He placed both of his hands on your thighs, running them up and down. “You look good in spandex.”

“I know. You know the deal, right, Moonsable?”

“Please, y/n. Call me Hyunjin. We’ve known each for so long, why the formalities?” He used his index fingers to draw his name on your thigh.

“And yeah, I remember. Have sex like we always do, and then I back off and don’t attack any civilians. However, you didn’t come by last week. And leaving me with blue balls is in violation of our contract...so I had to show you what happens. Hence, the little stunt last night.”

You made a sound of disapproval, when suddenly his hand made his way up to your neck, grabbing the zipper and slowly pulling it down, so that your breasts could be exposed. Then his hands made their way down and slowly pulled down your pants. “Get these silly things off.”

You complied, kicking the pants off.

He made a slight choked noise when you settled yourself in his lap, now pantless.

“You-you don’t wear underwear with your suit...?”

“It was a choice limited to today.”

He chuckled. “Well, it’s a great surprise.”

You slipped off of his lap all of a sudden, kneeling on the ground between his thighs. You expectantly looked up at him, and he gave you that signature smirk, pulling down his pants slightly so that his cock could pop out. It was already half hard from you being on his lap.

You took it in your hand, stroking it slightly, watching as it grew harder. You looked up at him. He had his head thrown back, looking ethereal in the dim light.

Not being able to take it anymore, you licked his tip, taking his angry red cock into your mouth with no hesitation. Fuck, he was big. You forced him down until he hit the back of your throat.

“Fuck...you’re really...fucking good at this, huh? You should just do this full time, instead of running off to play hero all the time.”

You didn’t say anything, bobbing your head up and down as you blew him to the best your capability. You felt him twitch in your mouth, and you went faster. But suddenly, his hand was in your hair. He pulled you off him, his dick slipping out of your mouth, smearing pre-cum on your lips.

You look up at him, confused.

“Ah ah ah. Nice try. It’s cute that you think you can make me cum early. I’m sorry to inform you, but the only place I’ll be cumming tonight is inside your tight pussy, baby.”

He pulled you up, settling you on his lap again, his cock in between your thighs. He removed his gloves before putting one of his hands on your boob, stroking your nipple as his other hand slid down to your lower half. He used his fingers to caress your folds, smiling when he felt your wetness.

“Gosh, you’re absolutely dripping.”

Hyunjin’s fingers pushed into your pussy at a very slow rate, causing you to throw your head back onto his shoulder. “H-hyunjinnnn...mmm...”

You moaned as he found your sweet spot, rubbing over it leisurely. “So warm, too. Is it because of the pyrokinesis?” You couldn’t reply, too preoccupied wiith how his fingers felt inside you. Just as you felt your high building, he removed his hand. You were about to complain when he lifted you up, adjusting your pussy so that your slit lined up with his leaking dick.

He pushed in, and your mind exploded with ecstasy. God this felt good. It was so fucking wrong, but it felt amazing. The guilt and pleasure mixed together in your clouded mind.

He thought so too clearly, if his moans were anything to go by. His fingers on your waist lifted you up again, only to slam you back down onto his cock. He continued doing this, spearing you on his length over and over again, forcing you to let out whiny, high pitched moans every time his cock brushed against your g-spot.

It felt so good. Suddenly, he lifted you off his dick completely, flipping you around so you were facing him, and leading his cock back into your tight cunt.

Your mouths found each other. You made out sloppily, a mess of saliva and blinding passion.

He stood up all of a sudden, still inside you. Walking over to the wall, he fucked you against it, and you wanted to cry with pleasure.

“I killed 50 people indirectly yesterday. But it was all worth it, since it got you here.”

“You’re an...an asshole, you know that?”

“Says the ‘hero’ who’s got the supervillain’s cock in her right now.You could turn me in anytime you wanted. You’re the only one who knows my identity, after all.”

“We’ve known each other since college, Hyunjin. You were helpful and kind...one of my closest friends. Where did it all go wrong? When did you become...this homicidal maniac?”

He very briefly slowed down his thrusts, and you felt something change in his eyes. A vulnerability, gone so fast that you almost thought you had imagined it.

“I...there are few things in life I can control. My entire life, I had nothing. I was just a part of the background. My family didn’t really like me. No friends, well, except for you. No...no purpose.”

He slammed into you with a particularly hard thrust, forcing a cry out of you. Looking into your eyes, he bit his lip.

“Call me insane, y/n. But this feels right. For once, I’m the one in control. And if it gets you in my arms as well, then that’s an added bonus.”

You frowned. Your brain was turning into mush with the streaks of pain and pure ecstasy running through you. You were finding it hard to focus on his words...but the little bit that you understood scared you.

He moaned, his grip on you becoming tighter as he went faster. “Fuck...I’m gonna cum. You gonna be my good little cumdumpster, slut?” It was clear that he was trying to shift the mood. Hyunjin was aware of how much you enjoyed degradation.

“Truly worthless aren’t you? Imagine what the press would think. The ‘mysterious heroic vigilante’ filled with the vile, cruel villain’s seed.”

His words triggered something in you...something which turned you on and made you want to cry at the same time. The stroke of honesty behind his words was too profound. However, you were blinded by the pleasure, and you came just as he did.

Your pussy milked his cock of everything its got, your head pressed against the wall, Hyunjin’s lips sliding over your neck as your orgasm hit you hard.

The two of you stayed like that for a while, sweaty bodies pressed against each other.

You were finding it hard to keep your eyes open. Hyunjin noticed, and sighed. He pulled out, carrying you back to his chair and placing you on it. He removed his jacket, draping it over your snoring form.

As he stared at you, his heart clenched with a million emotions, half of which he couldn’t decipher.

What was he doing?

What were you doing?

It was an unusual arrangement, and a very toxic one at that. He was aware of that much.

He watched as you slept. One thing was for sure...he would do anything to keep you by his side, be it good or bad. In the grand scheme of things, this was all that mattered.

You were all that mattered, and he would even change his ways for you...but for now, he let you sleep.

[wings-flames-and-thirium]

Cupcakes | Fatgum (Taishiro Toyomitsu)

A/N: AH!! Okay, so I was still at Uni today, but now I can finally post the story I’ve been working on! This is my first time writing for Fatgum and also my first NSFW piece. I tried to do both a SFW and a NSFW part, so, if you’re just up for some fluff, go for it and if you’d like to read something smutty, simply click the “keep reading” link. 👀

And thank you so much @lady-bakuhoe & @thunderdenki for proof and beta reading! You gave me the confidence to finally try and write smut. ILY guys <3

Warnings: nsfw, food play, oral sex

“Come on y/n, you got this”, you tried to give yourself a little encouraging pep-talk, but you couldn’t help but be shaky and nervous.

It was just another ordinary day as the sidekick of the BMI hero, Fatgum, but you finally wanted to show your gratitude towards him properly. You felt like you have learned so much and have improved significantly since you started working here. All the patrols, filling out police reports and occasional fights with villains that caused trouble gave you a much-needed boost. You weren’t exactly confident in yourself or your quirk to begin with. Even after you graduated from U.A you didn’t think that any hero agency would take you in. So, it took you by surprise that a popular hero like Fatgum accepted your request to be his next sidekick. His previous one had transferred to another agency, so he offered the place to other heroes, but you never imagined he would pick you.

You honestly owed him a lot. Not only the part of taking you as his sidekick beside him but most importantly, helping you with your self-esteem and strengthen your quirk. You had become way more skilled and even more confident overall. It was probably due to the amount of praise he gives you on the daily. He is known for being sweet and kind towards all people, be it civilians or his interns, but you couldn’t help but feel a bit more special. You felt you to had tied a pretty strong bond by working together for the past months and it seems like so did Fatgum. He really grew fond of you after spending so much time together, always talking to you and wanting to know how you’re doing. He took you out to eat on numerous occasions, even outside of work because he enjoyed your company so much. On one instance, he even let you stay at his place after a particularly hard fight with a villain which left you pretty badly bruised. He made sure to patch you up and take care of you afterward. Of course, these could all be attributed to his kind nature, but you couldn’t help but feel that there’s more to it. Or at least you hoped there was.

That’s why you decided to give him a small gift as a sign of your gratitude today. And what better gift you thought than cupcakes. You knew Fat’s favourites were Takoyaki, but he definitely wasn’t opposed to a sweet treat here and there. It was a small gesture, but it was something.

And that’s how you got into the situation you found yourself in this morning. Standing in front of his hero agency, legs shaky and a box filled with chocolate-strawberry cupcakes in your hands. You still struggled to go inside the building you went inside on the daily without problems for the last months. Something was holding you back, but you couldn’t quite grasp what it was. Maybe the gift was just a stupid idea, but then again, you were so grateful that he had been this supportive, so you couldn’t just go on without letting him know.

Deciding to stop before you started overthinking too much, you went inside the building and to the locker room to change into your hero costume, as you did every day. Fatgum had already told you yesterday that another patrol around the city was planned for today, so nothing too out of the ordinary. However, there was always the chance of running into a villain, but you were sure you both could handle it.

The day went by rather smoothly. When you returned, Fatgum told you to get changed because he discovered a new restaurant he wanted to go to with you.

However, you tried to take as much time as possible to put on your civilian clothes. Your eyes landed on the box in your locker, the thought of giving him the baked treats now more terrifying than before. Would he accept them?

After you changed, you walked into his office with the box hidden behind your back.

A desperate, but poor attempt at hiding it.

“Hey, y/n, watch'a got there?”

“Damnit”, you cursed under your breath.

You looked around the room nervously. Deciding it was probably no use in hiding this from him any further, you pulled out the red box from behind your back. Fatgum looked at you with a questioning look, brow slightly raised as you placed the box down in front of him.

“I-” you began but a lump formed in your throat, making it hard to speak. You fumbled with your thumbs for a moment before opening the box in one swift movement. “I made these for you”, you mumbled, a faint blush now spreading on your cheeks.

The pro hero’s eyes widened in surprise as he saw the contents of the box in front of him. He looked back up at you.

“Y/n… you made these cupcakes for me?” he asked.

You nodded, not able to answer yet. Your head hung low, hair, covering your shut eyes, cheeks fully flushed.

You finally took the initiative to speak, opening your mouth slowly, words just flooding out all of a sudden like they were your last, “I made these for you as… as a sign of my g-gratitude. Thanks to you I’ve grown so much in using my quirk and also in trusting myself. I’ve gotten so much stronger since you accepted me as your sidekick and I couldn’t just go on without letting you know that. I owe you so much. Everything you did for me. Just… thank you!”

You heard a chuckle from the man before you and looked up. His cheeks had reddened at your words and he just couldn’t hold back anymore. Fatgum stood up from his desk and pulled you into a tight hug. You could feel your body sink into his stomach as his hands squeeze your back.

“Y/n! That’s so sweet of you! By the way, how did you even know these were my favourite flavour? And you made them yourself? That’s amazing!”, he practically boomed and you could clearly feel how touched he was by your gift.

 "Uhm, Fat?“ you remarked as your body sunk into him even more, making it a bit hard to get back out of his grasp. Not that you had anything against his hugs.

"Ah, sorry,” he said, laughing nervously as he pulled back. “What I also wanted to say is: It’s been really great working with you. You’ve made so much progress. I’m proud of you and-” he paused for a moment, “You are a real cutie, you know that?”

Your face heated up at his compliments. “Thank you, Fatgum”

“Just call me, Taishiro, alright? I told ya that already”, he laughed. “Now, let’s see how these taste, shall we?”

He walked back to his chair and sat down.

“Wanna enjoy these together, cutie?” he asked in a low, almost seductive tone, patting on his thighs to signal you to sit down.

Your blush deepened at the nickname as you made your way towards him. As soon as you were in arms reach, he took your hand and pulled you into his lap. You couldn’t ignore the fact that you felt quite aroused, being able to be this close to him, your back resting against his big, soft belly.

He reached over and took a cupcake out of the box, putting it in his mouth. His eyes lightened up as he chewed on the sweet treat.

“Wow, those are amazing y/n! Simply delicious!”, he said between chews. “You should have some too, you made them after all”.

He grinned, grabbing two more cupcakes out of the box. He ate one while putting the other one to your lips, watching you intently as you took a bite out of it. He bit down on his bottom lip, not being able to deny how hot you looked when some strawberry frosting lingered on your lips.

“You got a lil’ something there, sweetcheeks,” he said in an almost growling manner. He turned your head towards him and whispered, “Let me get that off you, may I?”

Before you could answer, you felt his tongue on your lip, trailing along to wipe the remains of the frosting. You moaned as he now moved in to kiss you deeply. Both of you moaned when your tongues clashed together.

Too soon, though, he pulled away, “Hmm, I always, hah, wondered what else that pretty mouth of yours can do”

“I can show you”, you shyly replied, the kiss leaving you yearning for more.

He groaned in response and you took that as a yes. You moved up from the comfortable position in his lap and slowly began sliding down his body. He linked your lips together one last time before you moved to kneel down in front of his chair, working on his belt.

"Sorry to do this at a time like this, sweetheart, but your cupcakes are just too damn delicious”, he said while reaching to the box to get another one of your treats.

You hummed, unbuckling his pants and pulling them down in one movement. He was definitely a lot bigger than you imagined and had quite a thick girth as well. You could already see how his member twitched, turned on from your make-out session. The mere thought of how he would feel inside you sent bolts of pleasure to your core and you immediately started to kiss up and down his length, licking along the underside which made him bite back a moan. You managed to swallow a good amount of his length and started bobbing your head.

“Fuck, sweetcheeks, that’s it,” Fat moaned as you stopped you movements to suck on the sensitive head. Your tongue moved to his slit, collecting the precum that had gathered there, enjoying it’s salty but slightly sweet taste on your tongue.

He grabbed the fifth piece of cupcake and ate it without hesitation. Just as he swallowed the dessert, you moved to bob your head again but flinched when his cock suddenly swelled and grew a little in size.

“Don’t, ah, don’t push yourself, cutie. You’re already doing so well”, he said, his mouth filled with the sixth cupcake. His cheeks were flushed, pure lust hidden in his eyes.

You tried not to choke and relax your jaw, moving your mouth further down his length, to get as much in as possible. His thick cock swelled up a even more and you could feel it stretch out your mouth, making you drool. It took all of his willpower not buck his hips up into your warm cavern.

“If you keep doing that I- oh fuck, yes. You’re so good with that pretty little mouth of yours”, he praised, letting out another groan.

You did your best to adjust to the growing and swelling member in your mouth. You moved up to swirl your tongue over his slit again, as Fatgum quickly stopped you. He held your mouth open between his fingers now, coating his fingers with frosting and pushing them into you. You wasted no time sucking on his digits, tasting the sweet cream on them.

 Taishiro watched you closely. How you moved your skilled tongue around his fingers with closed eyes, sucking eagerly on them to get every last bit of frosting off. You opened your eyes to lock them with his, earning you a lustful groan.

While you continued to lick off the cream, you snuck both of your hands around his throbbing cock and started to pump it slowly. Fat withdrew his fingers as your pace increased, throwing his head back and let out another moan.

“Please”, he whimpered desperately, gripping your hair as he guided your head back to his cock.

Understanding, you encircled his member with your hot mouth again, sucking down hard.

“Ah, f-fuck!”, he almost screamed, “That’s it sweetcheeks, you’re doing so fucking well. You’re gonna make me-”

Hot liquid shot into your mouth, painting your throat in white, making you gag a little by the amount.

“Oh, shit”, Taishiro said worryingly as he exhaled deeply, coming down from his high. “Everything okay, y/n?”

He reached down to tilt your chin up, watching as you gulped down as much cum as you could manage. There was still a reasonable amount dropping out of your mouth

The pro-hero smiled, his cheeks flushed. “You’re such a cutie, you did so well, sweetcheeks. C'mere.”

With that, he pulled his boxers back up and pulled you back into his lap, bringing his arms around your waist to cuddle you tightly, kissing your cheek.

“You honestly make awesome cupcakes. Those were delicious. Are you going to make those again for me?”, he asked.

“Hmm, of course, Taishiro”, you hummed in response, letting your exhausted body sink into his belly.

“My sweetie,” he mumbled while grinning contently into your neck.

After a while you shuffled again, looking up at him “Do you want to eat the rest?”

“Thought you’d never ask”

[crystalninjaphoenix]

MerMay 2021 Day Six History Lesson

“You ever notice how all the cool shells are always far out at sea?” Muirin picked up a scallop and turned it over in his hands. “Like, the ones that make it to the shore are always small or broken.”

“It’s because of the waves and stuff,” Sereia said, peeking into a rock crevice to see if there was anything inside. “They like...break them up. Friction.”

“Are you sure you can carry all that, Muirin?” Chase called from where he was laying on the ocean floor nearby. “You didn’t bring a bag, did you?”

“I got it, we’re not too far out,” Muirin said.

Sereia rolled her eyes. “All the kids at school are gonna be sooo jealous of your seashell collection.”

“Hey, you never know.” Muirin grabbed another shell. “Look at this one, it’s like a uhhh...turret shell, I think. You know, in the old days, before they had money, they’d trade shells for stuff.”

“Not sure how accurate that is,” Sereia mumbled. “I’m pretty sure, like ancient Greece had money. Like coins and stuff. Right, Dad?”

“Huh? Uh...” Chase flicked his tail. “Greece is that...that place with the pyramids, right?”

“No, that’s Egypt,” Muirin said. “Ser, I don’t think merms are gonna know stuff about human history. Much less if ancient Greece had coins or not.”

“But Dad went to human school, right?” Sereia looked over at Chase.

“Well, I went to one year of human school,” Chase explained. “And I wasn’t very good at it, probably because I was missing a lot of background knowledge. Math and history were probably my worst, but biology was neat, even though I had trouble understanding. I liked art. Painting was fun.”

“Oh! Hey, I have an idea.” Sereia swam over to Chase, turning upside down to look at him. “Can you tell us some merm history? Can you, huh huh?”

“I thought you hated school, Ser,” Muirin teased.

Sereia stuck her tongue out at him. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like finding out new things. I just don’t like tests. And mermaid stuff is cool.”

“Hmm...” Chase considered this for a moment. “Well, there’s a lot of history, some of which I don’t even know, but I could give you guys some basics, if you want.”

In unison, Sereia and Muirin swam over to the patch of sand Chase was resting on and settled down, lying on their stomachs with their heads in their hands in identical positions. They briefly looked at each other and giggled before going quiet.

Chase smiled. “Alright, then. If you’re so eager.” That caused a few more giggles. Chase couldn’t help but laugh, too, then adjusted his position to be more upright. “Okay. So...where to start? I’m gonna assume a lot of early human history and early merm history is pretty similar, like the bits about hunting food but then learning to farm and making civilizations. Is that right?” Sereia didn’t answer, but Muirin nodded. “Alright. So, in that case, merm history from there is divided into four eras: ancient, monarchy, shipwreck, and modern. The lines between these eras are kinda blurry but they’re just really general outlines. Ancient is the oldest, of course. Those were when the first civilizations started to get really big.”

“Oh! Mesopotamia is the oldest human civilization,” Muirin said proudly. “It’s 6000 years old. We learned about that this year. It made the first writing system!”

“Six thousand? Wow. That’s pretty old.” Chase whistled, impressed. “I’m pretty sure the first merm civilizations are around that old, too. But don’t take my word for it, it’s been forever since I learned the exact dates and names. I do know that the first merm alphabets were around that time, too. But you see, humans kinda kept up with all their different languages; that’s not the case for merms. Ancient times were just about the only time period where merms all spoke differently. They were also when we interacted the most with other water races, like sirens and selkies and merrows and—”

“Those guys are all myths!” Sereia said excitedly. “So they’re real?! Does that mean other fantasy creatures are real, too?! Like on land?”

Chase shrugged, adjusting his cap. “I don’t know anything about land. But I do know that a lot of ancient water races eventually merged together into what merms are today. A lot of families have traditions from those different roots, but some might have different ancestors and not even know it.”

“Okay, so after the ancient era came the monarchy era, right?” Muirin prodded. “What was that?”

“Ah. Well, a lot of merms might call that the golden era, because we did pretty well back then. There were all these cities being built, people made and wrote down history and stories in books, art and politics happened...lots of stuff. It was called the monarchy era because a lot of...what’s a good word...a lot of countries were created and grew bigger, ruled by monarchies.”

“Like feudal kingdoms?” Muirin asked. “Like, where there was a king in charge, who had lords, who were in charge of knights, who were in charge of serfs?”

“Uh...I think there were some like that, yeah,” Chase frowned. “But there were a lot of other monarchies under different systems, too. This is just the basics, though, and quite honestly, it’s been a while since I learned about monarchy systems anyway, so we’ll just leave it at that.”

“Okay, so what’s with the shipwrecks, then?” Sereia asked, flicking her tail excitedly. “Was that when mermaids would draw pirates to rocks and stuff?!”

Chase hissed inwardly, trying to think of a way to describe it. “Okay so...you had all these cities and kingdoms under the monarchy era, right? Well, a lot of merms weren’t happy with how things were, so they revolted against the rulers. The old monarchies didn’t go away for a while, but there were all these new systems as well, and the countries were a lot smaller, but there were more of them. You know, something I thought was interesting in how different humans were from merms, was that you just...stayed in cities. And actually, your cities got bigger. It was kind of the reverse for us. We all started spreading out, and some groups went back to wandering and hunting.”

“So why’s it called the shipwreck era?!” Sereia repeated insistently.

“Because there were a lot of shipwrecks,” Chase explained. “Just like you guessed, merms would draw a lot of human ships and make them wreck, so they could take the things inside. That’s when merms with siren blood made the best use of their powers.”

“So...merms didn’t like...eat humans or anything?” Sereia asked.

��Sereia!” Muirin gasped.

“What?! That’s what they always say!”

“Humans have a lot of myths about merms that aren’t true,” Chase said patiently. “No, that never happened. All the shipwrecks caused by merms were to get the human-made things on board. You can think of it like pirates, if you want. Stealing and plundering. A lot of trade was raised around human-made items.”

“But merms don’t wreck ships anymore, do they?” Muirin sounded like he definitely didn’t want that question confirmed.

“No, that stopped happening a while ago.” Chase traced an idle pattern in the sand. “That’s when the modern era started. Part of the cause of it was a lot of merms continuing to leave monarchies and even other groups, making more and more smaller sections. And part of the cause was human diving, as humans explored deeper and deeper into the ocean. Any large merm settlements were left behind. Some merms continued to scatter, and some went deeper into the ocean, but I don’t know what’s happened to those groups, if they’re still around. So nowadays, merms tend to be either on their own with their families, or gathered in small schools.”

“Whoa...” Muirin breathed. “It’s like...the apocalypse happened.”

Chase frowned. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“You offended him,” Sereia whisper-shouted, nudging Muirin’s arm.

“No, I wasn’t offended, don’t worry,” Chase assured them. “It’s just that the apocalypse is...well, a bad thing. And things aren’t bad now, and weren’t really that bad once merms started all separating. It’s just a different way of doing things than humans. I mean, I expect you two to look at it in a human way, that’s how you were raised. But it’s not like merms are behind humans or anything. We still do all the things we did before, just all spread out.”

“I think the thing about one language is cool,” Sereia said. “So we’ll be able to talk to any merm anywhere and understand them.”

Chase chuckled. “Well, there might be some differences in the way we speak. Like different accents. You’ve probably already noticed that.”

“Yeah, all your friends talk differently to each other,” Muirin agreed. “Like...Schneep is very different.”

“Well, he’s from a very different area. And Marvin and Jameson are freshwater, so that’s even more different. Heck, they probably have a slightly different history from what I’ve told you.” Chase looked up towards the surface. “Hmm...it’s getting late. Your mom will want you home soon.”

“Aww...okay.” Sereia pushed off the ocean floor and into the water. “C’mon, Muir.”

“H-hang on.” Muirin was having some difficulty gathering up all the shells he wanted to keep. He kept dropping them.

Chase smiled. “Here, use the hat.” He took off his cap and handed it to Muirin. “You can put some in there.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Muirin said, relieved, as he started putting shells inside. “Oh, and thanks for telling us about merm stuff. That was pretty interesting.”

“Come on, you guys!” Sereia performed a flip in the water, clearly ready to move.

“We’re coming, we’re coming!” Chase said. “Don’t you worry, shelly.”

And so, the three of them headed back to the shore.

[rokutouxei]

our shadows fall away like dust

part 6 of atelier heart

ikemen vampire: temptation in the dark theo van gogh/mc | T |  3623 | [ao3 in bio]

spoiler warning: this references a scene in chapter 25.

other warnings: this fic has references to depression, some hurt/comfort, and an understandable existential crisis. essentialy, you and Theo have matching fragile emotional pieces, so you establish boundaries, pledge honesty, and do your best to make each other stronger.

A habit of playing hide-and-seek with no one, Theo calls it, whenever you ducked away from the rest of the mansion like a quietly sneaking mouse. He always catches you, of course, but knowing that he’ll find you despite any attempts you have of hiding does not ease the worry he has whenever you fall back into that.

No one in the mansion had seen you for hours, as you tiptoed past residents and crossed hallways unnoticed throughout the rest of the day. Jean said he saw you in the balcony earlier that day, looking out over the city, but then nothing after lunch. Vincent recalled seeing you help serve food at noon, but without a word to him and Dazai at the table, you had disappeared out the hall before he could reach out. Arthur last saw you even earlier, breakfast, noting that even then you had looked a little forlorn, quite downcast, while you were putting away some plates. Napoleon, on the other hand, saw you headed out the garden to get and fold a mountain of sheets, which he offered to help with, but you had turned him down.

You had not only gone missing; you’d also been completely out of character.

It doesn’t help that Leonardo had approached Theo once he’d gotten home to ask, “Something happen with cara mia?”

Theo left early this morning, on account for a series of several tasks at hand that had to be completed for an upcoming exhibit. It was one that had been building up for the past few months, and finally, you had gotten the go signal with a friendly client willing to rent you some space, and everything has been busy since. You were supposed to go with him—the artists have really become fond of you, and having you around always brightened their spirits—but you had begged off in the morning because you were not feeling well. You had sounded groggy, but also kind of sick. No fever, Theo noted, but he didn’t want to push you, in the off chance that it turned into something worse. He asked you to stay put for the day, and you’d smiled at him weakly and let him go.

But maybe he should have stayed a little longer.

Now, it’s dinnertime in the mansion. Dinners are usually your favorite, because it is then when Sebastian serves his well-known desserts, beloved to you (and, really, anyone who would have the chance to taste them.) But you were not at your usual place in the table, your dinnerware untouched. Theo came home humming, excited to have finished his tasks early—more time with you is the best time—only to feel his joy replaced with an unsettling dread upon hearing that they hadn’t heard from you in a bit. Sebastian swears he hadn’t seen you leave the mansion either, and Theo knew better, of course.

It didn’t make him feel any better.

He didn’t need to spend that long time looking. Hide-and-seek with you wasn’t a common occurrence—thankfully—but it happened often enough that he would not need much to figure out where you were. He peered out the window to check the garden (no sheets) and on his way to your room he checked in the laundry room (no sheets either) and then he knew exactly where you were.

He knocks three times on your door before opening it.

You made a promise to him once that you wouldn’t lock it, ever, no matter how off you felt, and at that moment Theo was so glad you had agreed to it. Even as he enters the room, you don’t raise your head from where you are curled up on the armchair. You don’t make any move to hide your state either: the fresh sheets crumpled in a giant ball thrown from the basket onto your bed, your messy hair, your cried-out eyes, the scratch marks along your arms made from bitten nails. Theo closes the door shut.

“Hondje.”

You make a gentle “mmmh” noise that Theo takes as approval to approach. He steps gingerly down the carpet, sitting on your bed, across you. He watches you closely for a long moment, without saying a word. You feel his stare against your skin, not burning, not angry, just warm and curious and asking. Finally, you turn your head to look at him. Your eyes are red.

Did something happen? Who hurt you? Let me help you. I love you. What did I do wrong? Who wronged you? Theo’s voice nearly shakes when he settles with “Talk to me.”

To that you only shrug. There’s not much to say, after all. Not yet. You curl tighter into a ball, your cheeks mushed against your crossed arms. You sniffle in an attempt to breathe and Theo’s heart clenches in his chest.

With every word weighed carefully, “Sorry,” is the first thing that stumbles out of his mouth—the only word of care and affection he can piece through the fog of worry that’s building in his mind.

Theo’s like that, always so sparing with his words, but they’re always so full of love. You’re thankful he’s here by your side. You force a small smile he can only see half of, but it stings him anyway. “Not your fault,” you say, and your voice is raspy and catches in your throat. “Just me. Like always.”

For a moment the two of you stay there, in shared silence, testing the air for what’s best to be done next. Theo knows he can coax the words out of you, but not now. Not yet. Now, you just need to have him pull you back to the ground. He stands up from his seat and presses a kiss against the crown of your head, gently urging you into his arms. When you collapse into his warmth, he takes the chance to lift you up princess-style into his arms. You press your face against his chest and sigh.

He turns to place you on your bed to make you more comfortable, but upon remembering it’s currently occupied, he decides to bring you back to his room instead. You place both your arms around his neck as he carries you up effortlessly. You don’t notice if anyone sees the both of you pass by. If someone were there, they make no comment or noise as you walk past them in the hallways. You focus on your breathing (four seconds in, seven seconds hold, eight seconds out) and the scent of Theo’s skin. The next thing you know, you hear his door opening with that familiar swing, the sound of it clicking close, then the creak of his bed under both your weights.

Finally, you let yourself open your eyes. The lights are out, the only brightness coming from the moonlight slipping through the window, silver on the bed sheets. Theo is loosening his tie and taking his jacket off, hanging them as he prepares to sit next to you on the bed. You pull a pillow to your chest (it smells like him, like comfort) and sigh into it just as he climbs next to you.

“How was today?” you say softly, asking in advance to deflect whatever question of concern you knew he would inevitably ask you. You’re not quite ready to answer yet. “I’m sorry I couldn’t go. I hope you passed my regards to the artists.”

“I did,” he says, as he pulls you up to his broad chest into a cuddle. You lean against him, thankful to have someone to lean all this useless deadweight on, someone who will not mind carrying you. “They were looking for you before they even said hello to me. ‘Where’s the princess? Why are you alone today?’ Seems like you’re going to be a better dealer than me after all.”

“Pffsh, no way.” What you want is to be there to help him—and to see him—make his dreams come true. You’re not there to compete. “I’m still leaps and bounds behind you. They were probably just teasing you, since you’re so fun to tease.”

“I’m not fun to tease,” he argues. A little tick of dissatisfaction; he wants to demand what made you think he is fun to tease, but when he feels you smile against him, he realizes maybe it doesn’t matter. He presses you closer to him.

Theo feels defeat when he realizes he’s become used to this happening, but he immediately reprimands himself. Him knowing how to take care of you when you need him most is not defeat, it’s victory.

The both of you relax in the shared silence, not pushing, not impatient. Maneuvering the highs and lows isn’t new to either of you; the basis of most of your trust is the acknowledgement that the other understands what it means to be at the bottom end of it, facing the brunt of a bad swing. It seems pitiful, it seems scary—two people vulnerable to the same fickle mind and heart, trying to patch each other up.

You don’t notice just how tense you still are until Theo begins to run his hands through your hair gently, easing out the knots, massaging your scalp as he goes. You make a soft noise of contentment—Theo always says it sounds like you’re purring, like a cat—and fall limp against him, surrendering.

The words climb up your throat, a rocket fighting with all its might against gravity to get out into orbit.

“I got scared.”

Theo’s hands pause in your hair for just a breath, but then continues. Its steady, consistent rhythm only eases you into a more relaxed state. “About?”

About? The word echoes in your head over, and over again, into the dark cavernous abyss. About what, really? Why the hesitation—why are you so unsure? There are too many things to count. One worry riding an avalanche, getting bigger and bigger until you can no longer lift your shoulders.

“Everything.”

And it’s not a lie, really. It started off like this: yesterday, the door to the future opened as it usually does, every month, without fail. Unlike a few months ago, that very day you decided to stay in the mansion, the unlocking of the door isn’t really much of an affair anymore, except perhaps when Comte announces he’ll be off for a while and maybe you can ask him to bring some things from the 21st century, if that’s where he’s headed. It was just an ordinary, crescent-moon night.

Except it didn’t feel like it.

Somehow, you’d gotten into the habit of staying away from the door on the night that it opens. You still do rounds around the mansion sometimes, when you’re not out at work with Theo, so you get the chance to peer into Comte’s room and catch a glimpse at the door’s hourglass. It’s not that you’re willing yourself away from temptation, and crossing the door, but somehow, it feels safer, in your head, to just be away from it on that night.

Except yesterday.

You were on the way back to Theo’s room, after having a relaxing dip in the thermae, when you crossed the hallway leading to the time-crossing door. You weren’t even going through the hallway, just past it, but in the corner of your eye you felt like you saw someone down the hall.

Someone, being you.

Looking down the hallway with the moonlit window at the far end of it, illuminating the door, you could only imagine what you looked like that night you arrived, when Theo first saw you. Terrified, confused, banging at the wooden door begging it to open. What would you look like to the you back then? Already used to the life in the 19th century, perfected the manners (well, most of it), dressed in appropriate clothes. Would you have been terrified of yourself?

And with that thought, you went into the hallway, lights already long dimmed. You had in your hands a little candlestick, illuminating the space around you by a warm, yellow glow. And standing with it in front of the door that had ultimately changed the course of your entire life, you felt… small. You hadn’t thought of home in months. This was home now—Paris, 19th century. You knew that. But muscle memory of a whole life you’d lived still remembers what it was before this. Before the Louvre. Before Theo.

Without thought, you reached your hand out onto the door.

And for just a little bit, it pushed open.

You held it there, for what felt like hours, head buzzing. You weren’t thinking of going back, no, you love what you have now here, what you’ve built, what you’ll see in the future—and maybe you’re a little terrified, of course, two world wars, a plague, maybe multiple—but you couldn’t pull your hand away from it. Something kept you stuck there. You could see the carpet going through under the door, could imagine the hallway, with the paintings, leading all the way out to the other side.

At that moment, you heard footsteps from the other hallway. And you let go of the door like it was hot. Just as it clicks back into place, locked for another full month, Leonardo peered into the hallway.

“Loitering so late at night, cara mia?”

You’d be embarrassed at Leonardo having seen you in your sleeping clothes if you weren’t so flustered about the door already. “Just a little nostalgic. I should go to bed.” You cross the hallway as quickly as you can, and, greeting him quickly with a soft goodnight, scutter off into Theo’s room like nothing happened.

But something definitely happened.

You just don’t have the words to explain it.

Never have.

It just spiraled. The way it usually does—uncontrollably, like a car without a steering wheel. One thought led to another. And the next thing you know, you’re lying in bed next to the person you love the most, lying to his face about feeling sick, clutching the heavy rock of pessimism nestled in your heart.

(But maybe this is also a form of feeling unwell.)

Theo pulls you a little closer to him; the touch returns you to the present, and you wonder how long you’d zoned out on him like that. At least you feel warm now, none of the overwhelming cold that had taken over you all day. It’s always warm when Theo around. Like the first rays of sun after a long night.

And Theo thinks the same. Which is why it’s so hard to see you like this. Stuck in the 19th century, a hundred years behind what you’ve already known, it felt like he’d put the sun in a cardboard box. He doesn’t know what happened yet. Only knows that something did. And whenever something does, every time you go play hide-and-seek with him, his mind goes back to the day at the wheatfields, where he’d asked you for everything you could ever give.

And everything he cannot give.

Like your parents, growing old, turning feeble, not knowing what’s left of their child.

Like your friends, perhaps still looking, perhaps still remembering you ever so often, wondering where you’d went.

Like the places in your memory. Like the things you would have wanted to come back to—items of sentiment, places of importance.

Like the things you’d begun to build. The things you’d spent most of your life dreaming towards, all left behind a shut door that opens, like a monster, teasing, making you doubt, ask you over and over again, what did you lose, what did you trade away, was it worth it? Will it ever be worth it?

And maybe—you hadn’t talked about it, but maybe—maybe you’d wanted to let it go to begin with, and maybe that’s what made it easy to just turn away. But maybe Theo had also promised you something much more than he could give. Maybe you’d thought it was much more than what it actually was, is, will be. There’s no finding out about these things until it’s too late.

Theo wonders if it’s too late.

But even if it is, what’s left now is you, and him, and art, and everything else, so instead, he holds on to you for dear life. He has never spoken to you about this, and he has never known how to. Instead, he asks, “Can I make it better?”

“You already do,” you say, turning around so you can rest your cheek against his chest, listen through his clothes to the reliable thump, thump, thump of his heart. “It’s just me.”

“It’s not you,” he argues. It’s never you. Never to him.

“It is,” you insist. “I didn’t even feel bad to begin with, I just… I don’t know what happened. Something came over me and… now I’m just worried about things I can’t change.”

Theo feels his heart in his throat. “Is it really something you can’t change?”

A beat. “I don’t want it to change,” you answer weakly, before closing your eyes and pressing even closer to him. “I like it here, Theo.”

Theo feels something in his heart break.

“I like you being here too,” he answers.

Then, again, silence. Silence with Theo isn’t scary, isn’t worrisome—the two of you understand each other through these shared silences. There are things Theo can’t put into words and—so do you. They get said in these shared, wordless breaths. Somehow. Sometimes.

But sometimes, the words come out anyway.

“I hope one day it will be enough.”

You blink, Theo’s voice low and heavy. “What?”

The two of you turn to each other and just look. Searching, trying to understand, the look on your faces, your eyes. Theo turns away first.

“No, Theo, it is enough,” you say. “You don’t have to blame yourself. I’m still adjusting, this is normal.”

You don’t see it, but disbelief fills his features. “A part of it is certainly my fault.”

“It isn’t, and even if it is, I’ve forgiven you for it.”

Theo cradles those words to his chest. Presses a kiss on the crown of your head. "Thank you."

"It's nothing."

"It's something," he insists. "When something like this happens, when things get this way, I wish you would tell me instead.”

“I’m sorry,” you say. You sound tired. Your entire body feels heavy. “I would have, I just… I don’t want to worry you.”

“You know I don’t mind when you worry me, right?”

“I know, but sometimes you push yourself too much.”

“You know I'm willing to walk to hell and back for you,” Theo admits.

“And that’s the point,” you say as you push him away gently, a hand on his chest, forcing him to make eye contact with you. “You can’t keep sheathing an open blade with your hands your whole life. You shouldn’t,” you say. “It’s not just choosing to stay. It’s just… what started this all. I’ve always been like this, Theo. You know that.”

And he does. He knows you understand how he had, for the longest time, hid in his dark corner of revenge because you know what it’s like to carry that pain around all the time. To stand like it’s not slung on your back. To act like it’s not bothering you.

You continue, “I love you, and I love that you’re willing to do so much for me, but Theo—I want you to take care of yourself too.”

Theo has no response to that. There’s nothing more he wants to do than be at your side for every second of pain, of joy, of agony—and to be told to step back, he fears what he’s bound to lose.

You take a deep breath, sensing his hesitation. “You can’t take care of me when you’re hurt too,” you explain, pressing the palm of one hand to his cheek. “And I will never hold it against you, if you decide to step back. I don’t expect you to save me every time. Besides, I know you’re not leaving, you’re just taking a breath. Okay?”

“Okay.” Theo lets it all sink in. “But you’re not allowed to push me away when you begin to think that you’re a burden or all that. I get to decide when I’ve had enough. Is that clear?”

“Sounds like a fair deal,” you say, glad that he’s accepted your terms. You return to your safe space, face burrowed into the crook of his neck, and sigh when he begins to run his hands through your hair once again.

There are a lot of things the both of you still have to learn about maneuvering around each other: it always is, at the start of loves as great as this. And maybe now, it seems pitiful, it seems scary—two people fragile to the same fickle mind and heart, trying to patch each other up, but soon, eventually, the two of you will find a system that will keep the both of you afloat. Keep you together, no matter what kind of storms you might need to weather.

You look up at Theo once and smile; and he smiles back, maintaining his gaze on yours, feeling deep relief at the gentle, slow return of the light in your eyes.

“Thank you for finding me,” you mumble softly, cuddling even closer to him, so close that you feel most of your worries melt. “Stay with me until I’m better?”

He presses a kiss against your forehead, and you can almost hear him saying I’ll stay with you forever.

--

in the atelier: la mélancolie by Louis-Jean-François Lagrenée

[fenweak]

As requested! This rec list features Kazer Kid Fics -- Jonny and Patrick both with kids and babies AND as kids and babies, with a small dash of de-aging and a spoonful of mpreg. 

⭐ for my personal faves

My Other Rec Lists 🍭 Rec me a fic? 🍭

The Ones Where They Have Kids

No Capes by sorrylatenew ⭐ - j/p as parents; implied mpreg

Husbands. Dads. Retired superheroes.

The Reeducation of Misters Kane and Toews + timestamp by jezziejay - single dad Patrick, teacher Jonny  ⭐

In which Kaner sort of has a kid, and Mr. Toews doesn't know which of them is the bigger brat.

AU featuring teacher!Jon and hockey-player!Kaner. With bonus 'Hawks characters, love notes, pasta jewelry, Be Better Pizzas, pirouettes, a sprinke of angst and guest appearance by Derek Jeter.

trust your intuition (it's just like goin' fishin') by poeelektra - 1988 as parents

They’re on the periphery of the Home Wares section of Target, heading with purposeful stride toward Sporting Goods, when Gabe declares that he wants a doll for his “Been Good” toy.

Every Little Thing He Does (is magic) by jezziejay - single dad Patrick

Jonny Toews is a bewitching man who moves into a mysterious mansion in a small town. Soon, he opens Bell, Book & Candle, a curiosity shop full of candles, lotions, etc., and is enthralling the children of local police chief (Patrick Kane), who believe he is a witch (but not a bad one.) But not everyone in town is appreciative of their quirky new neighbor, and it may take a little bit of magic for him to truly become part of the community.

Under Cover by heartstrings - 1988 as parents

"Just get in the fucking blanket fort, Kaner."

Feels Like Family To Me + prequels by exmanhater - 1988 as parents

Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane plan, create, and obtain their family.

living next door to alice series by cinderlily - 1988 as parents

"It started with a phone call."Patrick and Jonny are suddenly given the opportunity to be parents. This is how they stumble through it.

some say love is a burning thing podfic by exmanhater - 1988 as parents

If anyone had told Johnny upon entering the NHL that thirteen years later he'd not only have a kid with Patrick Kane, but would be getting ready to go on a 'date night,’ he'd have said they must be smoking some pretty good shit.And then he'd have to wait a decade to eat his words.

In the Middle of the Night - 1988 as parents

Gone are the days when it took a cold, wet washcloth on his face to wake him up. Or: Five times Pat and Jonny's daughter wakes them up, plus one time they wake her up.

so show me family - single dad Patrick

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard

Fill It Up With Love by Frosting50 - single dad Pat; implied mpreg

So Pat’s senior year doesn’t turn out exactly like he’d planned. He still gets his degree in accounting, but he also gets a little girl named Emma. She’s all fat pink cheeks, curly brown hair, and blue eyes. She might have Ryan’s chin, but she’s all Pat’s. And the first time she falls asleep on his chest, chubby hand curled around his thumb, skin so soft and sweet he damn-near feels bowled over with how much he loves her. He didn’t know he could love anyone so much; it makes his heart feel too big for his chest, and he knows that he’ll spend the rest of his life trying to give her the world.

peas & carrots by altri_uccelli - 1988 as parents

Unapologetic Halloween fluff, or: Jonny forgets what day it is, but Kaner's on it.

Can You Lyft Me Up? by Mullsandmutts - single dad Patrick

Even high profile athletes like Chicago Blackhawks Captain Jonathan Toews are forced to utilize paid transportation from time to time. An accidental "share my ride" selection on an app results in a life-altering ride with an mouthy Russian driver (Artemi), an unfairly attractive single father (Patrick Kane) and his adorable sassy (and color-matching-challenged) preschool daughter (introducing Molly Donna Patricia Amelia Kane aka Mo). Jonathan refuses to feel too sketch when he negotiates a plan with the driver to "accidentally" have more shared rides with his new friends. When Mo has a traumatic incident at day camp, Patrick's heart is broken and Jonny enlists the help of Temi and the ever-meddling Patrick Sharp to get smiles back on both Kane faces. Jonathan finds himself more and more drawn to Patrick but Patrick's fears of being a good enough parent for Mo and meeting all of her needs could keep them apart. Will Temi, the Sharp family and a trio of nosy aunts in Buffalo be enough to help Jonathan and Patrick realize what they could have together or will Patrick's stubbornness and Jonathan's fear of ruining their friendship keep them apart? Stay tuned to find out ....

Three by Linsky - i won’t spoil it 

Patrick doesn’t think he’s a pervert. But how would he know? Maybe a pervert is just a thing you are, and it doesn’t feel any different from being a normal person, until you do something perverted. Maybe that’s him.After all, he does have two names on his wrist.

All Your Memories by toewsandconfused - 1988 as parents; amnesiafic

Pat went to sleep a bachelor in the Trump Towers and woke up next to Jonny in the suburbs with three kids calling him Daddy. Struggling to figure out his new reality Patrick had ruled out dream, was banking on delusion because even though it meant he was losing his mind, it seemed safer than some kind of late-onset amnesia. He didn’t want to face that idea that this really was his life; that Jonny was his, that those beautiful kids were his, and he couldn’t remember any of it. The idea that the memories of their life together could be lost forever was too terrifying to deal with. Losing his mind was preferable to losing his memories.

Chelsea, Chelsea I Believe by empathapathique - single dad Pat ⭐

Patrick meets a girl his rookie year.

Don't Let Go by aohatsu - 1988 as adoptive parents

“So you were already with the boy you saved when the fire started?”Patrick pauses, but shakes his head. “No, there was an explosion—I don’t really know what it was, but then it was just me and Tigre, and it’s like, in a situation like that, you don’t really think? You just do. So I grabbed the kid and went through the fire escape. It’s not like I decided I wanted to save anybody, it was just the only option.”

Always Be My Baby by juliusschmidt - single dad Patrick

The thing is, you don’t just grow up once.

as careless as you are certain - single dad Patrick 

March through August, 2015.

the one with the baby yentas series by forochel

Tazer has a son and Kaner is his son's kindergarten teacher.

It's the Magic of Risking Everything by conformityissuicide - single dad Jonny

When Jonny is thirteen he meets a small kid from Buffalo at a hockey tournament.

Then he has a gay crisis, a baby girl, and gets drafted 3rd overall by an Original Six franchise.

When he meets Patrick Kane again at prospect camp he doesn’t feel anything but excitement.

And then it all goes to hell.

"of gifts and fireflies" by huntersandangels - single dad Jon

Patrick Kane hasn’t lived a charmed life despite money flowing through his veins. The journey he is currently on, though paved with good intentions, proves to be a harder challenge than he could ever be ready for. The people he meets along the way give him a much more valued gift than his grandfather could ever dream of giving him. 

I'm gonna love you til my lungs give out by arenadomatthews - 1988 as parents

“Papa, Dad, you guys are retiring today?” Bryan asks, looking up at his parents.“Yeah buddy, we are. Are you gonna behave while Dad and I are doing our press conference?” Patrick asks.

“Duh, Dad. I'm not a baby anymore,” he scoffs.

“He's right, Pat. He's our big boy now,” Jonny adds.

“Yeah, I'm going into 4th grade,” Bryan boasts pridefully.Patrick and Jonathan are finally announcing their retirement after 20 NHL seasons. However, their retirement ceremony will come with a twist: they'll be publicly coming out and revealing their family

Your Daddy's Aim Is True by thefourthvine; podfic by isweedan - cup wish baby! ⭐

patch it up by gasmsinc - 1988 as parents

Jonny stares at his daughter for a long moment. She stares back, eyes unwavering. She has Kaner’s baby blues, but at five she’s already mastered Jonny’s dead on the inside stare. Her kindergarten teacher claims she uses the unwavering look to bully other students into doing what she wants, and it’s something they should work on at home, but Jonny’s baby is a natural born leader, and he’s not going to get in her way of becoming the president, or, better yet, the supreme ruler of the universe.

Your patch,” says Jonny.

Baby, It's Hot Outside by toewsyourheart - single dad Pat 

 Jonny goes for a popsicle and gets a little bit more than he bargained for.

Take All That's Left - divorced single dad Pat

It’s been 6 years now, and he’s grown to enjoy the city since signing with the Rangers to follow Anna, who’d found a job in Brooklyn.

But Chicago; Chicago was Patrick’s first love, all his important firsts – it’s all been hers, and having to leave had been heartbreaking. Too many memories from Chicago were heartbreaking, and yet he always yearned for the city, always felt more comfortable walking her streets than any other place in the world. No other place quite felt like home the way Chicago did.

Isn’t She Lovely by windsthatwhisper + podfic by kanetcews (lavenderharry) - wish baby!

It's nine in the morning when Pat and Jonny stumble down the stairs, sluggish with sleep.

There’s a baby carrier on the kitchen island.

Jonny blinks, blinks again, then turns to get a cup of coffee.

Recreation, Entertainment, Art, or Sport by trademarkgiggle

of course jonathan toews can juggle

so show me family series by peeks, tazer - teacher Pat

“Just admit you like him.”

“Shut up, Sharpy,” Patrick says, before he rolls his eyes and tries to ignore the smirk widening on Sharpy’s lips. “Don’t you have your kids’ parents to bother?”

“No, my last kid left a couple minutes ago, so I’m totally here to watch you and Jonathan Toews make heart eyes at each other,” Sharpy laughs, waltzing into Patrick’s classroom. He immediately makes his way to see Sadie, who greets her dad with a hug.

(In which Patrick Kane is terrible at feelings but luckily, Patrick Sharp is a total bro.)

The Ones Where They’re With Kids

In My Blood and In My Bones + Nothing Sweet or Gentle by fourfreedoms ⭐

Patrick’s not really into dudes—he’s done that whole thing a couple of times—that’s rock-n-roll after all, but god, when Jonathan smiles, he looks really good.Johnny is a nanny. Patrick's a musician. They fall in love. Inspired by the movie What Maisie Knew.

the kids are alright

Patrick works at the sporting goods store Jonny takes his peewee team to for equipment.

given to us as free-flying souls by Mayhem10

Jonathan had never really considered himself particularly good with kids. He didn’t avoid them or anything and it’s not like they burst into tears when they saw his face, but he never was exactly sure what to do with them, these little people running around at waist height. It just wasn’t his area.So, of course, Patrick was basically the child whisperer.

(or five times Jonathan saw Patrick with kids and one time Patrick saw him)

Hide Your Face So The World Will Never Find You (Paper Faces On Parade) by huntersandangels

Jonathan Toews, farm owner and guardian of his nephew, is in desperate need of capable farm hands. Patrick Kane certainly does not fit the description but when a mutual friend confides in him that Patrick has lost everything he owned and is in serious need himself and offers Jonathan money to hire him, how can he say no?

Patrick Kane loves statistics and spending his money on thoroughly planned ‘adventures’ for his friends when he’s not partying away the rest of his fortune. If he wins the bet he can continue to plot freely but if he loses his extra curriculum activities have to stop. He agrees to go on an ‘adventure’ himself and settles in the Toews Farm posing as a farm hand. But as the time goes by, the less pretend it feels-and the more he enjoys Jonathan and Etienne’s company and the quite life in the farm; to the point where he’s not sure whether he wants to win the bet or lose...

Baby, You're the One by jezziejay ⭐

6k words of Jonathan Toews having feelings about babies. And feelings about Kaner. And feelings about putting a baby in Kaner.

The Ones Where They Are Kids

The Cat and the Fiddle series by james - childhood soulmates!

When Donna's son is four, he creates an imaginary friend.

i want to know what you know by sointimate - childhood sweethearts

Patrick is six years old and he's about to do the scariest thing he's ever done in his whole life.

Colorblind by july_v ⭐

Jon is five when he meets Patrick. It's also the time he begins to understand colors as more than an abstract concept.

How to become a man  series+ coda by liketheroad, mockturtletale

In which Kaner gets spontaneously de-aged into a six-year-old, and he and Tazer both have a lot of growing up to do.

Romper Room by james - de-aged 1988

Sharpie doesn't really think this should be part of his duty as alternate captain. Luckily, none of this is his fault. A.K.A., the one where Kaner and Johnny are five.

you ruined everything in the best way by thisissirius + podfic by exmanhater .⭐ - de-aged Saader

Kaner's looking down at the kid, though, frowning. He crouches down. "Hey, kid, where are your parents?

"The kid's bottom lip juts out and starts wobbling. Fuck, that means he's going to start crying, right?

"Oh shi—oot, kid, don't cry," Kaner says. "I mean, if you don't know where they are, we can find 'em?"

"Kaner," Sharpy presses. "That's Saad."

don't worry about your body - de-aged Jonny

No one said anything. Everyone stared at each other then down at the tiny human being that was standing where Jonny had been. Kaner felt his mouth go entirely dry, and his stomach drop out from underneath him.

What the fuck, man.

Can You Picture It? by RemyJane

In which Kaner turns into a baby and everyone besides Jonny seems to understand. Includes excessive cuddling, ridiculously adorable baby-Kaner, and feelings. Jonny eventually figures everything out.

Never Getting That Shirt Back by ice_hot_13 - de-aged Pat

Patrick is de-aged into a toddler, and when he's with Jonny, he isn't a holy terror.

Je T'aime by banks99 (Nodiggity15) - de-aged Jonny

“He won’t take a bath. He’s arguing with me. It’s like he didn’t even change at all.” Kaner’s not pouting, fuck you very much.

MPREG

I Got a Love (That Keeps Me Waiting) by svmadelyn ⭐ -mpreg!pat

There's a lot of different ways this summary could go, like:Patrick Kane gets more than a gold medal in Sochi.

Or, the classic: It's too late to pull out now.Or: Patrick Kane continues to thrive in high pressure situations.Or: Patrick Kane gets knocked up, goes to White Castle, and finds love, not necessarily in that order.

But, ultimately, all that really matters is this: Patrick Kane is keeping his baby.

private passions and secret storms (all the secrets series) by CoffeeKristin, Frosting50  - mpreg!pat

Jonny’s life is good - great even. He loves Patrick and their kids, and even if they don’t always have time for each other, he wouldn’t trade it for anything. But when Jeff Carter comes into his life, Jonny’s world gets turned upside down. It’s going to take everything he’s got to convince Patrick to give him a second - maybe even a third - chance.

Patrick’s blindsided by Jonny’s betrayal and putting his family back together is a lot harder than he expected when their past comes back to haunt them.Can love conquer all?

Forever & Always, My Baby You'll Be by windsthatwhisper - mpreg!jonny

Jonny and Pat's life is a cycle of curse words, late night feedings, and five minute handjobs in the hallway closet.

Aka, I wanted some 1988 w/ a baby feels so I wrote this blurb of a thing in about seven minutes.

efficacy by thirteentorafters - mpreg!patrick

“You,” Patrick says, jabbing a finger angrily at Jonny. “Are gonna fucking help me, dickface.”

Opening his mouth to ask what the hell is going on; Jonny’s eyes drop to Patrick’s stomach. Jonny is acquainted with Patrick’s naked body and the last time they met, Patrick wasn’t fat. Or paunchy. Except that doesn’t look like usual fat. “Oh fuck.”

“Yeah, ‘oh fuck’,” Patrick says, imitating Jonny’s tone. “You knocked me up, asshole. What are you gonna do about it?”

Forever & Always, My Baby You'll Be by windsthatwhisper - mpreg!jonny

Jonny and Pat's life is a cycle of curse words, late night feedings, and five minute handjobs in the hallway closet.

Looked So Fine (I Just Had To Speak) by svmadelyn - !!!! ⭐

Patrick Kane’s talking penis maintains a ‘to do’ list. It is as follows:1. Jonathan Toews

Phone Tag by hawkeytime (jayyloo) - mpreg!Jonny

"Hi mom. Sorry I couldn’t catch you, so I guess I’ll just, uh.. leave a message. See, the thing is… my super-potent sperm may or may not have managed to knock Jonny up. Okay bye."

"Yes, hello, is this Hockey Canada? I just want it written on the record, today, June 31, 2015, that my incredibly improbable unborn child with Jonathan Toews will be playing for America. Yes, I’ll hold.

"Or: Pat accidentally knocks Jonny up. A saga told in a series of voicemails

A Royal Baby - mpreg!Pat

A cough from the doorway cuts Seabs off mid sentence. Duncs is standing watching them, a particularly somber expression on his face. "Jonny, I'm sorry to interrupt but you have a visitor that you'll want to go see right away.""Now really isn't a good time," Jonny tells him, not even putting down his fork."Trust me Your Highness," Duncs says, "This will be worth it."

[Patrick and Jonathan think their time brief time together at the Olympics is all they can ever have. Patrick's ensuing pregnancy proves otherwise.]

sun sweet berries of the earth series by gasmsinc - mpreg!Pat; a/b/o

There is a spirit living in Patrick State Park.“Listen,” says Jonny. “I didn’t mean to step on your crown.”The spirit’s bottom lip wobbles.

Tame the Roads That Can't Be Tamed by Linsky - mpreg!Pat; a/b/o

Patrick’s flown a million times. He’s never gotten airsick before. Even on last year’s epic flight to Denver, when they hit massive turbulence and half the team was groaning over barf bags, Patrick’s stomach was fine. And maybe he’s sick, sure—but why doesn’t he feel sick the rest of the time? Why is it only mornings and—

Oh.

Oh, no.

Oh fucking no.

(Or: In which it is difficult to be a wolf in the NHL, especially when you're not that good at condoms.)

Carve His Name With Pride ⭐  - mpreg!Jonny

Jonny leaves behind a home, a house, and a hockey career the month after he learns that he’s pregnant.

Eyass - mpreg!Jonny

"I dunno," Kaner tells him. "Whatever you need, man. You’re having a baby! That’s a lot of work. I want to be here for you."

Somehow, in the dozens of conversations he’s had with teammates and friends and family in the past few days, no one has said those exact words to Jonny: “you’re having a baby”. He has to comb his fingers through his hair and take a deep, steadying breath to compose himself.

Kaner notices and smiles at him; a crooked, beautiful thing. “It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?”

Heartburn and Survival by dedougal  - mpreg!Jonny

They were in Canada when Jonny found out he was pregnant. Afterwards, Jonny used that as a point in his bulleted list of arguments about why Jack should represent Canada but, to be entirely truthful, finding out in Canada - finding out anywhere - was pretty disastrous.

Three Cups and a Pup by Miss_Psychotic, nommedeplume  - mpreg!Patrick

The Story of Alpha Jonny and Omega Kaner getting their shit together and learning how to be Adulting Adults (Finally)

Chips and Cribs by whatislife - mpreg!Jonny

“What do you mean there are no chips,” Jonny asks from where he is standing by the island, hand resting on his stomach. “Weren’t they on the list? Did you not buy them?”(Patrick just wants to sleep.)

[clydesgod]

‘the 9th layer’

Feat. Richard, and, another person

(A more relaxed drabble now, featuring Richard’s favourite bar and his favourite barkeep.)

TW: Alcohol, light sexual themes

——————————————–

Trodding along the wet pavement, Richard hobbled through the street and made a turn towards a little alleyway. The alleyway wasn’t inhabited. In fact, there were a few small shops and bars thrown about. He kept moving on though, not really caring about them. It wasn’t like he went to those ones at all anyway. He had only one place on his mind, after all.

‘The 9th layer’, the most decent bar in this city.

Upon entering the little room, Richard took off his leather jacket and hung it up on the wide array of hooks in front of him. Looked like it was just him today. Good, he sorta liked it that way when it wasn’t loud. He made his way past a small curtain and into the main area of the bar where there were cushioned stools lined up against the main bar area, with little seating areas being them in case you didn’t at all fancy sitting so close to there. It was amazing how well this place was doing despite the lack of space.

Richard took a seat near the bar, pulling the chair out and dragging it across the floor to indicate to the bartender that he was in and waiting for a drink. A little bit rude, sure, but Richie knew how much Mattias didn’t like being yelled at.

Swiftly, a latch opened up from behind the bar, and a skinny, but tall figure came out of it. He was climbing on a ladder, and struggled a bit upon getting out. Nothing to worry about though, it happened a lot to him.

Whilst Richard was gray, Mattias was almost entirely purple. Some parts of his face and body had patches that were lighter than the rest. His ears were long and pointed and his eyes were black, except for his irises, which were red. He was wearing a nice white shirt, with a dated but stylish waistcoat and striped pants. He was probably wearing suspenders under there too. Upon leaving the hatch and closing it, he stood all the way up without bending his back forward. He had to be at least 7’4’, though his horns made him look 4 inches taller. He had some hair, though it was rather short and slicked back. He had a very tiny goatee as well, one that looked barely noticeable if you were looking at him from afar.

“The usual please, Matti.” Richard asked, resting his elbows and forearms against the bar as he leaned on over. He looked at the wide array of spirits he had on display too. He began to wonder if anyone actually asked for those, he never saw Mattias turn around to take one from it’s slot. Was it just for decoration?

Mattias made a noise of agreement and got to work, taking out a clean glass from below, spinning it so the open end was on the top, and placed it against a tap that was labeled ‘Asahi’. He began to pour, not making any noise as he stared straight into the golden, frothy liquid that was pouring out.

Richard stared along at it too, loving the way he poured drinks. Was there even a style to that? He didn’t really consider if bartenders and mixologists had their own way of pouring stuff.

“Y’know,” Richard began, readjusting himself on his stool as he spoke. “I was thinking about getting into mixology myself. Seems fun to do.”

“...very good.” Mattias replied, eyes hardly connecting with Richard’s as he turned off the tap and placed the beer right in front of Richard, making sure it was on a coaster provided so it wouldn’t ruin the bar he had just cleaned.

Richard wasted no time, reaching for it and promptly taking a casual first sip. It was refreshing, especially after a long day at work. ‘Must’ve been hard to Mattias,’ he wondered. Mainly because he hardly ever saw Mattias outside of his work place, except for bumping into him in the local store. He was calm, a man of few words.

“Aaaah. Lovely pint as always. My compliments to the barkeep.”

“...thank you.”

...Maybe a man of too few words. Things got awkward pretty quick. He took a rag and started to clean an empty glass to pass the time, he didn’t like leaving customers alone.

Richard took another swig, tapping a finger on the bar.

“So...you er, done anything fun today?”

“...not really.”

“Seen any new films?”

“...no.”

“...err...has Vitalis been in here today? I haven’t seen him.”

“...apologies, I have not.”

“...Y’know, I met a guy wayyyyyyyyy taller than you recently. Dude was like, 9 foot something. He was cool.”

“...very interesting mr Clydesgod.”

“...”

“...”

“...So how’s your lady friend Nessa then?”

Mattias froze, almost dropping his glass as a light pink hue appeared on his face. He looked over at Richard, his calm demeanour ceasing to exist.

“We-She is NOT my lady friend,” He replied, his accent finally revealing itself. He sounded Eastern European, from the Baltics if Richard remembered correctly. “She is just a customer who visits and runs her mouth a bit. She pays well, unlike you.”

“By running her mouth do you mean she’s helping you out?~ Common is she under there or somethin’?” Richard asked, attempting to lean over to view under the bar until Mattias pushed Richard’s shoulders back down, firmly onto the stool.

“You little...ugh, why do you always have to come here and act like such a twerp? I’ve dealt with annoying teens before but you’re somehow just, worse.” Mattias went back to cleaning his glass, placing it down below by simply squatting.

“It’s just nice to hear your voice after all. It’s so deep, no wonder the ladies go CRAZY for it.” He laughed, taking a rather bigger swig this time. “Man. Why do you gotta be so scared of milfs all the time?”

“Stop. Saying. That damn word!” The purple demon replied, gritting his teeth as he resisted the urge to throw a glass at him. “It’s not my fault people come here to pay attention to me! I’m only here to provide drinks and let the customers have their own fun. Not to get dragged into dates. Not like I can go on any. Work takes too much time.”

Richard scoffed.

“Hire someone then. Go get, like, 2 bartenders, so you can go out on the town and score some points with the hot older ladies,” He took another big swig, almost finishing his drink already. “What are you scared of anyway? Most ladies here seem to take a shine to you anyway, they leave the most tips!”

“It’s...complicated you lollakas,” He replied, turning around to make sure all the spirits and hard liquors were well organized. “I’ve got the bar to manage, little Uno to feed, taxes to do, myself to feed, a bunch of other stuff I cannot care less for. I don’t have enough time to get into a silly little relationship at the current moment.”

“...At the current moment?~” Richard asked, an eyebrow rising. Mattias’ blush simply grew bigger.

“S-shut-you. Ugh. Sa tapad mu,” He muttered, going back to organizing everything before he closes up. He looked behind, seeing Richard finishing his glass. “Don’t bother asking for another, you need to pay for this week and, besides, I’m closing up for the night.”

“Why’d you think I came then?” Richard replied, reaching behind and taking out a wallet. He rummaged around for a bit, taking out quite a lot of money and holding it out towards him. Mattias gave Richard a strange look, but took the money anyway. He counted it all, flicking through each note rapidly and taking a mental note of the total sum. Once worked out, he began to take some of the notes away.

“Hey, keep the change,” Richard replied, getting off of the stool and stretching. “Oof, that was a fine glass. I’ll see you around tomorrow Matti.” He started to walk off, waving behind at his favourite barkeep.

Mattias said nothing, simply staring and huffing before moving to the register and depositing the cash inside of it. There went his favorite patron. Well, maybe not his most favourite. There was Nessa-

He shook his head, taking Richard’s glass and placing it into a glass washer nearby. He checked his watch, it was Uno’s feeding time in a bit. Poor tortoise. He wondered if he could even realize how much work he did so the poor creature wouldn’t starve.

He sighed, turning on the glass washer and stretching his arms to the sides as to not knock anything over.

...Maybe he’d give Nessa a call tonight...

[chemicalmagecraft]

Taiyuu OCT Round 2

@taiyuu-oct

Character Nicknames: Akai-chan: Naishin-Sunomu Seisho Boron: Nerva Rekka Mulan-sensei: Ryujin Mushu-chan: Firecracker Seiryu-chan: Seafoam Pixiu-chan: Lux Yama-chan: Jade

x x x

Yukino yawned as her teachers led both classes somewhere. She groaned. Whatever they were doing was probably interesting, but did they really have to do it so early? She saw a towering figure walking just ahead of her and walked over to her. "Akai-chan..." she muttered as she bumped her forehead into her cru- friend's back. Well, it might've been a little low to call her back...

Akai-chan jumped a little. "T-takeda-kun."

"Akai-chan..." Yukino rubbed her head against Akai-chan's back a little.

"You okay, Yuki-chan?" a voice asked her.

Yukino turned around, rubbing her eyes. "Hey, Boron," she muttered. One of her classmates she was closer to. Mostly because he was a fire-user, to be honest...

"Need some heat?" Boron asked, holding up a ball of his rainbowy fire.

Yukino nodded. "Yeah, thanks." She held her hand up to the fire, using her Quirk to suck the heat from it. She sighed contentedly. Boron's fire was pretty delicious, like a good curry. "That was good, thanks," she said when she was done. Her mind was starting to feel a little clearer after eating that fire.

"Could you please cool me down a little?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure." Yukino held her vapor-wreathed hands out to him again. The early June day was only pleasantly warm to her... but then again so was the hottest day of Summer, so Yukino figured he was probably a little hot considering his Quirk was heat-generating as opposed to heat-draining. A small amount of chilled, vapor-laden air swirled around Boron, cooling him down. Yukino didn't like using her Quirk directly on people if she could help it, that could get really dangerous if she wasn't really careful, but in her experience some slightly subzero air swirling around a person did well enough to cool someone down safely with only a slight drop in efficiency.

"Thanks," he said, then pointed to something. "Hey, I think that that's where we're going," Yukino turned to look at what he was pointing at.

Oh. Ugh, that looked pretty ugly... If she was generous about it, Yukino would describe it as looking vaguely like a small city. Clearly it was meant to emulate those cityscape training grounds Yukino heard about from her brother, but Yukino kinda assumed that the ones in UA weren't cobbled together from what appeared to be dirt. She knew the windows had actual glass, at least; she remembered the time Niichan told her about how he'd gotten the drop on a classmate by jumping through a window. He specifically made sure she knew that she should use her Quirk or something to blow out the glass first before doing that herself, the square...

"What, we gonna learn how to make cities out of dirt now?" Yukino scoffed.

"You might be wonderin' why you were brought here," a voice said. Yukino thought it might be Mulan-sensei, but she was currently standing behind Akai-chan, who was like twice her height, so she couldn't really see who it was. Yukino liked Mulan-sensei, plus she had a dragon Quirk. And her accent reminded her of her mother's. "Please leave all yer questions for the end."

"'Scuse me," Yukino said, scooting by Akai-chan.

"Ah, sorry, Takeda-kun," Akai-chan said.

Yukino... still couldn't see much of Mulan-sensei from behind everyone's backs (being the shortest person in class could be a little annoying sometimes...), but she could at least see her head...

"Today we're testin' how well y'all can do fightin' things that're much bigger than you," Mulan-sensei said. It looked like she pointed at something, but Yukino couldn't see it... "Some of you may have noticed the effects of my Quirk by now. Some of you may have even... befriended ‘em..."

The dragons. They were nice. A little annoying at times, but nice. Plus, y'know, dragons.

"You'll have to pick on of 'em to fight, one-on-one. They won't go easy on ya, aside from makin' sure ya don't get too hurt, so pick carefully! The red one's Firecracker, the blue one's Seafoam, the gold one's Lux, and the green one's Jade. That's all the information I'm givin' y'all right now. Some of you may know more about them, some of you don't have a clue what they can do. Yer gonna haveta deal with that. Ya won't always know exactly what a villain's powers are when ya fight 'em. Now, just two little bits before we get started. First, try to make it quick. We only have one arena and it's supposed to be one-on-one. And second, the use of support items is allowed and in fact encouraged."

Everyone cheered at that last bit.

x x x

Yukino's choice was pretty simple. Sure, she could've given herself more of a challenge if she went for, say, the water-controlling Seiryu-chan, but the exercise wasn't 'pick which dragon you think you'll do worst against and beat him anyway.' And if she wiped herself out taking down her opponent again the teachers would probably start getting annoyed with her... She'd been tempted to see how well she could do against Pixiu-chan's telekinetic control over gold and other valuables, but she could probably talk to Mulan-sensei about that later. And Yama-chan? The other dragons were already big enough, but he could apparently get huge. So again, she did not want to wipe herself out.

So here she was in a city made of dirt, waiting for a big red dragon to try to burn her to a crisp. Not that it'd work, of course. Yukino had never taken the full blast of anyone's fire breath, but between her grandfather and brother she had a lot of experience with using her Quirk to absorb fire breath. And considering what Mulan-sensei said, Mushu-chan probably wouldn't even try to hit her directly with his fire. Which... was actually not good for her. When you get a power up by eating fire it's normally preferable to get hit with fire, after all. She could deal with it if Mushu-chan wouldn't hit her, though.

Yukino scoffed at one of the dirt buildings. She was starting to get a little miffed at how low the school's budget seemed to be. It hadn't bothered her at first, but another incident (or more like series of incidents...) with a certain student who shall not be named had started to sour her feelings about the school... She was half-tempted to drop one of the buildings on Mushu-chan, that probably wouldn't be too hard with how they were made from dirt, but she felt like she might get points docked for intentionally causing collateral damage. Still, something to consider if Mushu-chan started giving her trouble.

Yukino pulled out her bow. She didn't have any arrows on her, but with her Quirk she could make as many as she needed. Hopefully. She fidgeted a little with the bracers she was given for the exercise. An idea for a support item she'd had. They didn't exactly look very pretty, but it looked like they would work like she'd imagined. Just in case, she pointed her free arm at a building and quickly tapped the small grappling hook-like attachment at the end of the bracer, chilling it with her Quirk. Then she got her hand clear and activated the mechanism in the bracer. The hook shot out, the wire it was hopefully attached to well enough for her Quirk to count it as one whole object trailing behind it. It hit the wall with a satisfying amount of force, digging into it slightly because it was made of dirt. She retracted the wire, activating a mechanism that made it reel back in.

"Good, that works." Next, Yukino thought about her boots. It felt a little uncomfortable, having bits of metal rubbing directly against her feet, but hopefully it'd be a little less uncomfortable than freezing through all of her boots if she wanted to freeze something with her feet... in theory, anyway.  Just in case, Yukino made a small patch of frost under her foot. It was uncomfortable, but it worked. Hopefully it'd be better with the final version, but she could deal with it for now. Hopefully.

Yukino kept walking. Seriously, where was Mushu-chan? She wasn't going to be able to take Mushu-chan out quickly if he didn't sho-

"RRRAAA!"

Yukino turned around. Oh boy. There was Mushu-chan, floating around a building in what Yukino hoped was his max size. He was massive, almost as wide as Yukino was tall. Yukino wasn't very tall, of course, but that was still pretty damn big. Especially because he was an Eastern-style dragon, and therefore very long compared to his width.

Yukino smirked at the dragon, raising her bow. "Big mistake. I know where you are now." She raised her free hand, Cryomancy vapor pouring from it. Five arrows made from perfect ice condensed from the air, floating by Yukino's side. They were blunted so they'd hurt but not kill. Theoretically. Yukino grabbed an arrow and ducked inside one of the buildings. It was totally empty aside from the stairs, but that didn't really change what Yukino was planning. She looked out the window. The angle was a little awkward, but Mushu-chan had floated within her range, so she knew she could make the shot.

Yukino nocked her arrow. She'd asked for a bow with a draw weight a little higher than what she was used to, as she was hoping her Quirk would offset that. She pulled the arrow back with a mixture of her physical strength and her telekinesis, taking aim at the dragon who was staring curiously at her. She let go, careful to time it with switching the direction she was pulling her arrow in. Mushu-chan floated to the side, shooting a beam of white-hot fire aimed so that it'd hit the arrow but not Yukino. He would've hit the arrow, but just before the fire reached it its trajectory curved. While the arrow did heat up a bit simply from the radiated heat, only its surface melted a little. The arrow struck Mushu-chan in the jaw, cutting off his fire breath.

"Hey!" Mushu-chan yelled at her. "That hurt!" He stuck his head through the window, growling at Yukino. An idea popped into Yukino's head.

"Yeah, that's kinda the point!" Yukino retorted, running back out the door. Mushu-chan followed. Good. Yukino quickly nocked another two arrows, letting them loose at the dragon's head. Normally, shooting two arrows from the same bow isn't a good idea. The force from the string is distributed between both arrows, meaning less force for both, and it's super hard to aim two arrows at once. But with a targeted telekinesis Quirk like Yukino's? Both arrows shot off faster than they should have, though not quite as fast as her first arrow. They shot off in two different directions. Mushu-chan dodged one, but the other cracked him on the side of the head.

He roared at Yukino again. Yukino smirked at him, then ducked under the part of his body that had yet to go through the window yet. Just like she'd hoped, Mushu-chan followed her under his body. She quickly threw her last few arrows at him (not with her bow, just pure telekinesis) and started running back at Mushu-chan's body. Before she hit him she created a small platform from ice with her new boots that she used to vault over Mushu-chan's body, chilling her bow's handle and floating it away so it wouldn't break. She rolled when she hit the ground, but it wasn't the best roll and she wasn't able to get up at the end of it.

"Ow," she said, rubbing her shoulder and getting up as quick as she could.

"Get! Over! Here!" Mushu-chan yelled at her. He was having a bit of trouble getting close enough to attack her, though, because he was a little tied up at the moment. By his own body.

Yukino snickered at the sight of her opponent tied around the dirt building like some giant, red rope. She floated her bow back over to her, latching it back onto the holster she was given for it. She noticed that Mushu-chan, without even trying to, was already damaging the bit of the building he was tied around. Before he noticed and broke the wall, Yukino quickly channeled her Quirk through her boots, frost spreading along the ground and strengthening the wall with ice.

"So that's your plan!" Mushu-chan shouted. "It won't work!" He aimed at the frozen wall, unleashing a gout of flames at the ice. Yukino grinned. She wasn't completely done freezing the ice yet. Her shoes cooled down a little more than if Mushu-chan hadn't hit the wall with fire, but Yukino was able to use her Quirk’s cooling effect keep the ice from melting. Mostly. Mushu-chan strained at the wall. Yukino could tell that that wouldn't hold forever, but the dragon seemed to be too preoccupied with trying to get free to focus on her too much.

Yukino smirked, creating a few decently-sized ice chunks. There was always the time-honored strategy of hitting the boss while it was stunned. Yukino threw her ice at Mushu-chan's head. They cracked as they bounced off Mushu-chan's red scales, though because they were still mostly intact Yukino was able to hit Mushu-chan with them again while she made more ice to hit him with.

"H-hey, stop that!" Mushu-chan shouted as he was buffeted by giant hailstones. He squirmed, redoubling his efforts to break free. The wall creaked and cracked under the pressure, until it finally exploded. Yukino grinned as the giant chunks of ice-covered dirt flew everywhere... then homed in on Mushu-chan like the rest of Yukino's ice. "I regret this immediately!" he shouted as Yukino continued her telekinetic assault.

The fight looked to be in Yukino's favor, but she was starting to get a little cold from using her Quirk so much... Yukino gathered a large amount of ice and dirt into a swirling cloud, between Yukino and Mushu-chan but off to the side a little so that if Mushu-chan shot at it, the fire would just barely miss Yukino. Just as Yukino planned, Mushu-chan opened his mouth, a red glow in his throat. He let loose a burst of fire at the ice, trying to melt it before Yukino could attack him with it. Yukino scattered the ice before the fire hit it, however, letting the fire pass through as the ice went back to hitting him.

Yukino quickly jumped into the path of the fire, vapor-wreathed hands outstretched. Her Quirk clawed through the fire, cooling it down from something dangerous even to her to something only pleasantly warm to her. It tasted like pop rocks. It was only a quick burst of fire, but it still warmed her up. Yukino grinned at Mushu-chan.

"Crud..." Mushu-chan muttered. It looked like he'd managed to melt most of her ice while she was eating his fire, but Yukino could deal with that.

"Hey, wanna see a magic trick?" Yukino asked.

"Uhhh... can I say no?" Mushu-chan started flying over to Yukino, probably to stop her from doing what she was about to do.

"No." Yukino turned her Quirk on before he could reach her, white vapor curling off her exposed skin. Unlike most times when she used her Quirk, though, this time the white vapor was intentional and not just a side effect of her Quirk. The air around Yukino's body rapidly cooled, dropping to just a little below zero degrees. As it did, Yukino forced the water in the air to condense even more than it already was, though she didn't turn any of it into ice like normal. Instead she let it grow into a massive cloud, blanketing the street with a thick fog... though it was probably already starting to thin from the open air. "Special Move: Breath of the Ice Dragon," Yukino said to herself. She was a bit cold already from making all that fog, but she definitely had some ice left in her still.

Yukino dodged to the side of Mushu-chan's claw swipe, just barely visible through the fog. "Where are you?" he bellowed, then let loose a small jet of fire. It wasn't big enough to hit her unless she was like right next to his head, but it looked like it cleared away a small amount of fog. Yukino snuck closer to the buildings. She was suddenly very glad that the dirt path prevented the metal bits on the bottoms of her boots from making any noise. She needed to find some way to get the drop on Mushu-chan fast before he managed to clear off enough fog to see her again.

Get the drop on... Yukino looked at her gauntlets, then the dirt building she was standing next to. She sighed, then took a deep breath. "This is gonna suck..." She quickly tapped the hooks on her gauntlets, then launched them at sections of the wall a few stories up with a window between them. Like with her arrows, she was able to use her telekinesis to increase the force of the launch and direct their trajectory. Her grappling hooks buried themselves into opposite sides of the window. Yukino grabbed the wires and conducted her Quirk through them, freezing the hooks to the wall to hopefully give her less of a chance of falling. Theoretically she could catch herself, but she'd prefer not to have to do that if she could avoid it...

Yukino pulled herself up using a combination of the mechanisms in the gauntlets and a careful application of her telekinesis. She ran up the wall as fast as she could, trying not to think about what would happen if she slipped. She burst out of the fog cloud, then grabbed onto the ledge she was aiming for. She dragged herself into the building, which thankfully had a dirt floor somehow and wasn't just an empty shell. Yukino quickly broke the ice around her hooks with her telekinesis, letting them retract all the way. She looked out the window.

Mushu-chan swished his tail around, dissipating the last of Yukino's fog. There was still a light mist clinging to the ground, but Mushu-chan could now clearly see that Yukino was not there. "Where did you go?" he asked. Of course, he was only looking down, so no matter how hard he looked he probably wasn't gonna find him no matter how hard he tried.

"Ohh, this is high up," Yukino winced. She was really regretting this plan... Yukino took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She was normally so good at taming her feelings, she had to be. Why did heights bother her so much? She was the granddaughter of a literal dragon. Or, well, a guy with a dragon Quirk, but it was like the dragoniest dragon Quirk.

Yukino shouted, punching the wall. She slapped her cheeks. "Come on, Yukino, get it together! You don't wanna go into Dragon Rage here!" She blinked, then grinned. "Or do you?" She took a deep breath. She thought about the holes that'd been “randomly” popping up in her memory the past two month, the shoddy construction that betrayed the fact that Taiyuu was an underbudgeted rush job, the poor heating and lack of hot water, even the fact that the place she was fighting Mushu-chan in was made entirely of dirt. Yukino purposefully ignored the techniques she'd learned over the years to help her control her inner beast. Her breathing grew heavier as she stoked her anger. Yukino scoffed, jumping onto the windowsill. She glared down at Mushu-chan. The height didn't scare her anymore. It only made her angrier. Though she was still trying to keep the worst of her rage in check. Going full rampage would probably not reflect well on her abilities as a prospective hero.

"Hey, Mushu-chan!" Yukino shouted. She jumped, pointing both her arms at the dragon and pushing her Quirk as much as she could. "YER GOIN' DOWN!" she screamed as ice condensed in front of her hands, her claws seemingly turning to ice from the power of her Quirk. Her ice grew as Mushu-chan looked up, starting out the size of a hailstone but snowballing quickly. It grew and grew, quickly becoming fridge-sized, then car-sized, even bigger. Mushu-chan's eyes, still visible through the perfectly clear ice, widened in fear. He opened his mouth, sending out a torrent of fire to melt her ice. Even as angry as she was, she still knew how to deal with that. She forced her hands apart, cracking her now very large chunk of ice into large pieces. She sent the ice out of the way of fire, using her Quirk to absorb Mushu-chan's breath again. She roared wordlessly when she burst through the fire, throwing her ice at Mushu-chan before he could retarget. The masses of ice crashed into Mushu-chan almost simultaneously, causing him to cry out in pain.

Yukino quickly conjured a platform of ice under all four of her limbs to slow herself down. She slipped off the platform with a strangled squawk and froze another platform, this time with hand- and footholds. Her anger simmered back down into fear now that she wasn't attacking Mushu-chan. "Why did I do thissss," she asked herself as her platform floated down to the ground. She took a deep breath, letting the slightly mutated adrenaline drain from her system. She got up shakily, looking at Mushu-chan. He was on the ground, partially pulverized ice covering him and powdering the ground around his body.

"Ow..." he said. He tried to rise up, then fell back down again. Yukino took out her staff, leaning on it just as much as she was using it in an attempt to appear more intimidating. She walked over to Mushu-chan, putting the butt of her staff on his snout and cooling it down a little.

"You done?" she asked. She still had a good deal of telekinetic energy left due to that last burst of fire, so she floated some of the small, but not powdered, bits of ice around his head, pushing down a little on the ice on top of him as well.

"Oww... yeah, but could you get the ice off of me?"

She nodded, brushing the chunks of ice away using as little energy as possible. Then she plopped down with a sigh, resting her head on Mushu-chan's. It kinda reminded her of of when she did that with her grandfather. "I need to get over my fear of heights..." she muttered.

"You did that with a fear of heights?" Mushu-chan asked her.

Yukino shrugged. "I was running entirely on an adrenaline rush. Though I probably shouldn't make a habit of that."

"You should probably leave, now."

Yukino pulled back from Mushu-chan, though she laid down instead of getting up. "Just give me a minute..."

[qandnoablog]

Rescue (Marvel Imagine)

Title: Discovered

Pairing: There might not be a final pairing (since I follow along with the movies as accurately as I can) but I do gravitate towards Loki <3

Warnings: Based on the movie - Avengers: Infinity War

Part: 12, [11], [10], [9], [8], [7], [6], [5], [4], [3], [2], [1] Short story: [3], [2], [1]

Key: Y/N - Your Name Y/L/N - Your Last Name

Word Count: 4,135

Summary: Reuniting with Bruce and Tony and filling them in on Thanos’ plans, [Y/N] must help her fellow Avengers protect the remaining infinity stones and maybe even patch things up with the time stone keeper, Doctor Strange.

Note From Author: I know I haven’t been keeping up with the updates and some of you may have lost interest in the story, but I’m determined to finish up my work! Any of you that have stuck by Discovered for this long, thank you for reading :) Stay safe everyone!

Part 12 - Rescue

“Oh, my God!”

[Y/N] threw her arms around Bruce as the tears she had just gotten to stop overflowed once more.

“This is where you were sent? Thank god!” She exclaimed, “I was so worried! Are you hurt?” [Y/N] recalled his earlier battle with Thanos and quickly pulled back, examining his face. He looked the same as he did all those years ago in Sakaar, making her feel choked up even more. “Thank god you’re alright! Thanos really gave you a beating!”

Bruce, who was still a bit shocked from seeing [Y/N] on Earth, finally snapped out of it after hearing her words.

“What? What did you say? Thanos?” He repeated, “How do you know that? How are you even here? What’s going on?”

[Y/N] was bombarded with questions, something she expected, but before she could answer someone behind her cleared his throat. Her earlier excitement swiftly died down as she recalled what exactly appeared before when she accidentally tackled into Bruce. The dull throbbing of her head made her feel slightly annoyed, clearly not over what had happened the last time she was forcibly portaled away, but she tried her best to not show the petty emotions in front of her friend.

Quickly getting up and helping Bruce get to his feet, she finally turned to the man she didn’t really want to see.

“Strange.”

“[Y/L/N].”

It was a brief greeting that left the others in the room feeling a bit awkward. They could see the subtle rage in [Y/N]’s eyes when she looked at Stephen, who in turn looked at her with indifference.

“Wait, you two know each other?” Bruce asked. The one standing beside Strange, someone [Y/N] was not familiar with, also looked a bit curious.

[Y/N] helplessly sighed, knowing how they were pressed for time, and decided to drop her earlier beef with this sorcerer. Instead, she started to explain to Bruce how she had ended up on Earth after falling into the wormhole on Sakaar and then stumbled into Loki after her unpleasant introduction to Strange. She decided to skip all the Avengers drama for the moment, since there currently wasn’t enough time to go over all of that. Then, she briefly summarized how Loki had forced her to watch the events that transpired on the ship. However, when she got to the end, she couldn’t finish and choked on the words. The tears that were shed for her happy reunion with Bruce were now falling due to grief. Everyone assumed it was because they all thought that Thor had met a similar end to his brother. Little did they know… She was actually feeling grief for the both of them.

“So that’s what happened,” Bruce replied as he gently patted her head.

When he looked a bit more closely at her, he could see that she really grew up. Not quite in height but… She seemed more mature. It seemed like it was only yesterday that she had been taken away from them through that mysterious wormhole. Not a minute went by that he wasn’t worried for her. Now, seeing her safe and well, his unsettled heart calmed down somewhat.

“But why did you bring me here?” [Y/N] wiped away the tears as she glanced at Doctor Strange coldly.

They weren’t really on the best of terms. She had only met him once and during that time he had kidnapped her off the streets of New York, questioned her, got the answer he wanted, and then threw her out like she was nothing. Honestly, she wanted to ignore him, or maybe punch him to release all the rage she felt for him, but the current situation wouldn’t allow it. Besides, she was still curious on why he would send her back here. He couldn’t possibly know about her friendship with Bruce, right? No one outside the Avengers knew that.

“I sensed magic working here and discovered that it was around you,” Strange explained. Though his attitude was indifferent, there was an apologetic flash in his eyes, as if he regretted how he had treated her that day. It wasn’t much, but it allowed the anger in her heart to cool down to some degree. “But after hearing your explanation, I assume that it was Loki at work.”

She nodded, knowing that Strange possessed some mysterious power, and then turned back to Bruce to hear a bit more about what he had gone through. While she interrogated him on what happened during Ragnarok, the doctor opened another portal and stepped outside. He seemed to be talking with someone, but [Y/N] still felt a bit irritated with him and decided to block out whatever he was doing.

Bruce was very patient with her and wisely chose not to press on any matters revolving around Strange and Loki. Though he was curious on why Loki had called her to witness such a thing, he could tell there were some touchy topics that he shouldn’t bring up and just talked about what he recalled during his time as the Hulk.

Then, he noticed someone beyond the portal that Strange had created and immediately stopped mid-sentence. [Y/N] also turned to see what he was looking at and her eyes widened. Before she could take a step, Bruce had already made his way to the portal and stepped out, walking from behind Strange and calling out to their friend.

“Hey Tony.”

“Bruce.”

[Y/N] could hear Tony’s shock in his voice and silently stayed behind. She wanted to also go forwards to see him, but she knew that they were in a very public area. To the common people, Bruce and Hulk were two entirely different entities. No one would bother him when talking with Tony. Plus, Hulk and Thor didn’t make an appearance during the time of the accords. They weren’t being hunted by the government, unlike her, so it was best if [Y/N] stayed behind for this one.

She didn’t have to wait long. Soon, after briefly talking with Bruce and Strange, Tony stepped through the portal and into the room she and Strange’s friend were standing in.

“[Y/N]?”

“Hi,” [Y/N] sheepishly smiled as she gave a small wave while Tony stood there surprised.

They had a lot of explaining to get through.

~

“Shit.”

[Y/N] looked up at the oncoming ship, her heart plummeting at what was to come. She expected that they would be coming, but for them to arrive so soon? It was beyond her expectations.

“[Y/N], go invisible,” Tony instructed as he raised his voice over the screams of the people and the sound of the wind. Without waiting for a reply, he continued, “F.R.I.D.A.Y. keep back anyone south of 43rd street, notify first responders.”

She followed orders as the air around her shifted and covered her completely. Her body vanished as she stuck close to Tony’s side. Though there were a lot of misunderstandings and falling out between friends in the past, she still considered him her friend and felt it very natural to listen to him.

Just when her invisibility was set, Strange did something behind her, causing ripples in the air and nearly knocking her off her balance. The air she manipulated twisted, resisting the magic as her hold on it solidified against his powers. She glared at the doctor, but he was oblivious to her anger as her energy calmed and hid her completely once more. When she looked at the surroundings again, the dust and wind had stopped hindering their sight. He must have done something to clear up the area, and though she knew the logic behind his actions, she still disliked siding with him and decided to ignore it.

As the group made their way towards the descending alien ship, a beam of light shot down. When it dispersed, two familiar aliens calmly stood on the concrete ground with a practiced air about them. It obviously wasn’t their first time arriving in such a manner.

“Hear me, and rejoice,” the skinny alien spoke, immediately making [Y/N]’s blood boil in anger.

She recognized that one. He was the one that could telekinetically manipulate the objects around him and ensnared Thor, even muffling him while they prattled on. That time, she couldn’t do anything, but this time was definitely going to be different.

“You are about to die at the hands of the children of Thanos. Be thankful that your meaningless lives are now contributing a balance-”

“I’m sorry, Earth is closed today,” Tony rudely interrupted, uncaring for this alien’s condescending jargon. “You better pack it up and get out of here.”

“Stone keeper,” the alien disregarded Tony’s words and looked to Strange, “does this chattering animal speak for you?”

Everyone understood this subtle gesture. He knew exactly where the infinity stones were and who held them. Though how he knew wasn’t revealed, it meant that the stones couldn’t be hidden from them.

“Certainly not. I speak for myself,” Strange replied as multiple rings of magic encircled his hands and lower arms, thrumming with an odd power. Wong, his friend, also did the same. “You are trespassing in this city and on this planet.”

“Please get lost, Squidward,” Tony taunted.

Though his words were meant to get a reaction out of the enemy, [Y/N] couldn’t help but mentally have an Aha! moment at his joke. It was as if a light bulb had turned on above her head as she silently exclaimed, “That’s what he reminds me of!”

“He exhausts me,” the skinny alien sighed as the bulkier one muttered things in a language she couldn’t identify, “Bring me the stone.”

The fight was about to start, the bigger alien slowly making his way over to the group, as Bruce tried desperately to call out the Hulk. His skin turned partially green and the veins on his neck bulged, but still the green guy did not appear. Everyone looked at one another, unsure of what was going on, but Bruce couldn’t provide any answers. The Hulk just would not come out.

“Keep an eye on him,” Tony instructed Wong, and though he couldn’t see her, he was also telling this to [Y/N]. She had the best capabilities for support. Watching out for Bruce was something she could easily handle.

Though slow at the beginning, a fight was still a fight.

Tony used his latest nano-technology to shift to his Iron Man gear and sent the bigger alien flying towards the smaller one, who then easily brushed off the oncoming body before it could collide into him. However, before Tony could gloat about his newest addition of his suit to Bruce, who was in utter shock from the suit’s firepower, the telekinetic alien made his move.

Can’t say I didn’t see that coming, [Y/N] quietly sighed to herself as she watched Iron Man being blown upwards. She already knew what the skinny alien could do, so this amount wasn’t too surprising for her. Besides, Tony could take care of himself.

“Doctor Banner,” Strange began as he turned to Bruce while leaving the defence to Wong, “if the rest of your green friend won't be joining us-” he didn’t need to finish as the portal opened up behind Bruce and was pushed through. However, Strange didn’t account for how close [Y/N] was and unknowingly sent her through too.

“You-!” She couldn’t finish her curse as she hit the grassy floor beside Bruce and was nearly flattened by the half-a-car that accidentally followed them through.

Her powers shot out, her solid body rippling, as it shielded the two of them before the vehicle could crash on top of them.

“God, I hate magic!” [Y/N] screamed just before the portal fully closed.

She was no longer invisible as she helped Bruce get to his feet. He was still a little disoriented because of the quick change of location, but just as they were calming down, Tony barreled into a tree not too far from them.

“Tony, you okay?” Bruce called as they both jogged to where Tony lay on the ground. “How we doin’? Good? Bad?”

“Really, really good. Really good,” he replied, though with a hint of sarcasm. “You plan on helping out?”

“I’m tryin’. He won’t come out.”

“Incoming!” [Y/N] yelled at the same time Tony shouted, “Hammer!” just as a weapon was hurled at the three of them.

[Y/N] encased Bruce and her in a barrier right before Tony tackled into the two of them to get them away from the projectile.

She was quick to get on her feet and saw Iron Man shoot out lasers towards the bulky alien, but the enemy’s shield was sturdier and reflected the two beams. It cut through everything around them and a tree dangerously fell towards where the two were standing.

“Watch out!” She cried out as she jumped onto Bruce to push him out of the way.

Luckily, the two were only hit with the weaker branches of the tree and could easily escape from under it.

“Come on, Hulk,” Bruce groaned as he crawled from under the leaves, “What are you doin’ to me? Come out!” He demanded as he slapped himself, “Come out!”

Suddenly, half of his face turned into the Hulk but rather than actually coming out for battle, he instead roared, “No!” angrily before reverting back to Bruce.

“What do you mean, ‘No’?!” Bruce questioned, but there was no response.

[Y/N] helplessly looked at the two bickering in the same body, unsure of what to do. She was friends with both of them but there was no way to understand why Hulk refused to join in on the fight. He was notorious for being fearless and impulsive. For him to so resolutely refuse, there must have been a reason.

That was when she heard a familiar voice.

“Hey man,” Peter called out, “What’s up, Mr. Stark?”

“Spider-Man!” [Y/N] gasped, both happy to see him and horrified that he was taking part in this dangerous fight. But considering the situation, they needed all the help that they could get.

While the battle progressed, a red figure zipped past all of them, racing off in one direction. She couldn’t quite get a good look, but Tony immediately knew who it was.

“Kid, that’s the wizard,” he said, as he shielded himself from the bulky alien’s blow. “Get on it.”

“On it!” Spider-Man nodded as he swiftly webbed himself towards Strange’s departing figure.

[Y/N] wasn’t slow to act either. Manipulating the air around her, she hid herself from sight as she propelled herself into the sky. Quickly pinpointing where the thin alien was, who wasn’t too far behind the escaping Strange, she knew she had to slow him down.

Before Peter could get close, the alien didn’t even look behind him as he sent a billboard ramming into the kid. She winced at the sight, but she couldn’t slow down to help as her target was getting further and further away.

The alien was by no means weak. He used his powers masterfully as all the street lamps around Strange curled up to catch him. The cloak couldn’t maneuver fast enough and was quickly ensnared. However, physics slows down for no man. Though the cloak was no longer able to move, Strange flew out from it and hurtled towards the concrete floor.

Without thinking, [Y/N] shot out her power just before the doctor hit the ground and was just about to turn him invisible too when she felt a pressure ensnare her whole body. Her legs buckled under the force and she collapsed, her face scraping against the rough concrete. Glancing up, gasping for air that was nearly squeezed out of her, she realized that the alien was looking around for her and knew he had caught her but was not sure where exactly she was. Instead of searching, he had decided to squish the area down under an invisible pressure to stop her in her tracks before she could get away with the stone keeper.

Losing her hold on the doctor, his brief moment of levitation above the floor faltered and soon he was back to falling.

“Gotcha!” Spider-Man exclaimed as his web caught Strange before he could hit the ground and swung him out.

A wave of air came flooding back into her lungs as Peter’s sudden appearance startled the alien and made him discard his previous attack on [Y/N]. With her invisibility still intact, she quickly got away from the targeted area before he could launch another wave of pressure onto her again.

[Y/N] took a couple more deep breaths before going after Spider-Man, but then she noticed the red cloak struggling under the ensnarement of the lamp post. Utilizing the alien’s distraction towards the escaping doctor, she quickly sent out her powers and untangled the cloak from the metal trap. The moment it was free, it didn’t go off towards Strange but instead pounced onto [Y/N]!

Startled by the sudden attack, not just because the cloak was supposed to be on her side but also due to the fact that she was still invisible, she wasn’t able to defend herself and was quickly sent up into the air. When she realized it wasn’t trying to hurt her, she calmed down somewhat but then her heart nearly stopped when she realized where it was taking her.

In that brief moment where she was helping the cloak, Strange was being beamed up by the alien ship. Spider-Man tried to stop him from going any further, grabbing onto a lamp post to anchor himself onto the Earth, but the pale alien swiftly dislodged the pole before it could hinder him any further.

“No, no!” [Y/N] pleaded as she struggled in the wrappings of the cloak.

Invisibility long forgotten, if anyone focused hard enough they would be able to see a figure tangled within a red cloak that followed after the unconscious sorcerer.

She was getting closer and closer to the ship and knew exactly what was coming. If this continued, she’d end up inside and be sent out of the Earth’s atmosphere to who-knows-where! There was a faint memory of the planet Thanos had instructed his “children” to gather in, but she couldn’t think about that right now! She just knew that she was about to leave Earth.

“Let go!” She begged, her heart going wild as the panic began to set in. Feeling trapped in the durable fabric did not help.

Her eyes were glued to the gradually increasing distance between her and the Earth. She trembled non-stop as her breathing became erratic. Her struggles became even more wild and her powers were sent everywhere. It lashed out at anything, hitting against the cloak and dispersing the clouds. Before she could do any more damage, however, something blocked her eyes.

She couldn’t see, though she could still feel herself going higher and higher up in the air. Just as she was about to have another fit of panic, the cloak around her loosened somewhat. It gently brushed her cheeks, wiping away the tears that rolled down her face and acted like someone was hugging her, reassuring her that she was fine.

At first, it didn’t help much.

Her senses were all over the place and could barely focus on anything. But as her surroundings got more quiet and her feet were on solid ground, the cloak around her insulating her heat and making her feel a bit warmer, she no longer trembled. Waiting just a bit more, her tears stopped and her breathing became more stable. Finally, when her heart was no longer palpitating erratically, the fabric in front of her eyes slowly let her go.

[Y/N] readied her nerves and opened her eyes. She knew that she was now on the alien ship with no way to return back to Earth. Tony and Peter were nowhere in sight but she was technically not alone.

“You know, you’re not a very nice cloak,” [Y/N] grumbled, her voice somewhat raspy from her earlier moment of hyperventilating, as she sent a sharp glare at the piece of clothing levitating in front of her. It almost appeared to shrug its non-existent shoulders, as if indicating that it had no other choice. She defeatedly shook her head. “Geez. You’re just like your owner!”

Though a bit of her was still rattled by the thought of leaving Earth again, she wasn’t as afraid. This time, she knew where she was going and knew that her friends were informed of where Thanos was meeting. They may not know where exactly the planet Titan was, but they wouldn’t give up on her.

~

“There he is,” [Y/N] whispered under the veil of her invisibility.

Since she was teaming up with the cloak, she decided it was best the two stay hidden for now. They weren’t strong enough to take on the alien alone. He was powerful. She might have similar powers as him, but he had a whole other level of experience and control. To him, she was an ant. Something he could easily crush beneath his feet. She had to be careful.

“Give me the stone,” the alien demanded in a threateningly low voice.

It was barely a whisper, but [Y/N] could hear him quite clearly in the silent room. Strange, under the torturous stabbing of the odd needles, gritted through the pain. He didn’t yell or scream under this torment and continued to bear through it. Though her initial opinion of him was poor, [Y/N] couldn’t help but admire him in this situation. He was being tortured but still did not crumble. Who wouldn’t be amazed by such will power?

Suddenly, the cloak pulled her away from the scene. It floated around, silent and fast, as it made its way to a different corner of the room. She was baffled by its abrupt changes, but knew to wisely keep her mouth shut. It was an entity she didn’t understand. It was better to see what it wanted than fight against it.

Then, a familiar sight came into view.

The cloak quickly let her go and drifted off towards the man. It left her small bubble of invisibility, now fully visible but concealed in the darkness, and gently tapped Tony’s shoulder. It wasn’t surprising to see him react defensively, him swiftly raising his arm with the machine humming with power.

“Stop!” [Y/N] called out, careful to adjust her volume accordingly. Her figure came into view as her grasp on her powers were released, the air around her shifting to allow her to be seen.

Tony’s face was full of shock, but before he could get mad at [Y/N] stowing away on the ship without him knowing, she quickly spoke up.

“I swear! This was not my intention,” she explained, “This guy abducted me, leading to this situation.”

He turned his attention back to the cloak, a look of defeat written on his face.

“Wow, you’re a seriously loyal piece of outerwear, aren’t you?”

“You’re telling me.” [Y/N] nodded as she recalled how both Strange and his cloak had kidnapped her in some way.

“Yeah, uh,” another familiar voice started, surprising all of them, “speaking of loyalty…”

When Peter jumped down, his mask smoothly came off in the same nano-tech fashion as Tony’s suit. That was when [Y/N] realized that he was wearing a different outfit. It looked a bit more metallic, however the design was still true to his initial logo.

“What the-” Tony began, but Peter quickly interrupted him.

“I know what you’re gonna say.”

The two went back and forth for a bit, Peter trying to get as much out before Tony could speak over him, but neither backed down.

“And I kinda stuck to the side of the ship. And this suit is ridiculously intuitive, by the way,” Peter said in his defense but his tone immediately alerted [Y/N] on what was coming.

She had known him for quite some time now and could see the signs of him rambling. Whenever he did that, he was bound to let something he would regret slip.

Oh, no. [Y/N] frantically signalled Peter to stop talking, pursing her lips as she waved to him and motioned her arms into an “X” formation. Stop! You’re digging your own grave!

Sadly, the kid didn’t get the message.

“So if anything, it’s kinda your fault that I’m here.”

Both Tony and the cloak turned to face him, while [Y/N] hung her head and rested it against her hand.

Crap. Good luck, Peter!

[PART 13]

Tags: @themeanestlittlewitch  @stressedandbandobessed7771 @moistpotatobear @fxckingfat​ @e7here4l

[skepticalcatfrog]

Among The Stars Chapter 1

First Chapter Next Chapter Masterpost

Summary: Logan Watts is a famous scientist, known by almost everyone in the galaxy. His most famous invention is his friend and assistant, a healthcare android named Patton. When they are called to another planet for a meeting with the local ruler, they're expecting a completely normal trip. Little did they know, this trip would send them into a daring adventure to protect their galaxy and stop a war. Teamed up with unlikely friends, including a runaway gladiator and an infamous crime trio, Logan and Patton have to figure out how to make peace and save their universe (and beyond) from being destroyed.

Word count: 3,474

Pairings: (Eventual) Logicality, Prinxiety, and Demus

Author's Notes: New series! Yay! I've had this one in mind for a while, but I was waiting to finish my other one before I started a new thing. I wanted to go for something different, so since my last fic was fantasy-ish, this one is going to be sci-fi! Hope you all enjoy the first chapter of my new fic.

Logan sat in the control room of his ship, half-listening to the hologram in front of him. His space ship was one of the most impressive in the galaxy. It had enough rooms to host thousands of people at once. There was a lab taking up the entire third floor, containing the most up-to-date technology, some of which were Logan's own inventions. There were four small escape pods, just in case. The first floor was mostly storage. The fourth floor was an observation deck, where Logan would go to unwind. He loved stargazing a lot for someone who lived in space and saw stars pretty much all the time. And every room in the entire ship was always so clean that you could eat off of it, because Logan wouldn't settle for any less. Logan was snapped back to reality when he realized that he'd been completely zoned out, and the president of that one planet was still going on about whatever it was he was saying.

"But all of that aside, will you be able to make it to the meeting today?" The hologram asked, not even realizing that Logan hadn't been listening.

"Yes, I will, you've called three times in the past hour to remind me of it." Logan nodded.

"This meeting is not a joke, we have serious business to discuss." The president scowled. "Now, I have to go. You have one hour to get ready, then we will be expecting you."

"Alright, I understand." Logan raised two fingers to his temple and waited for an okay from the president before tapping it twice. The hologram disappeared. Logan pressed a button on the arm of his chair and a small holographic screen appeared in front of him. The screen displayed an image of his assistant, who was currently cleaning up the lab. "Patton?"

The gold android turned around upon hearing his name, smiling when he saw Logan.

"Hey Logan, what's up?" Patton's voice was almost always bright and joyful, and sounded almost human, but not entirely.

"The president called again. I'd like you to come to the meeting with me, so please get ready." Logan told him.

"Got it! How long do I have?" The android asked.

Logan pulled up another screen, which showed the time. "Around 45 minutes."

"Okay, that's good! See you in a bit!" Patton waved, and Logan closed both screens.

Logan got up and went to his room to change. The closet door had a screen on it as well, which listed different categories of clothing. When you selected a category, it would show you everything in your closet from that category. Eventually, Logan settled on an outfit. Dark blue pants with a black turtleneck, and a white lab coat that had blue designs around the hem, the cuffs of the sleeves, the shoulders, and the lapels. The finishing touches on the outfit were black boots, blue gloves, and a gray belt. He brushed his blue hair until it was neat enough, and finally he double tapped the side of his head and his glasses slid across his eyes. They weren't really traditional glasses, more like a blue hologram in the shape of a semicircle that only covered his eyes. He liked the ones he had more than traditional ones. There was no chance of anything blocking his sight. And the turtleneck was also there for a reason. On the planet Logan was from, everyone was very in tune with technology. So much so, in fact, that they often had circuitry somewhere on them. In Logan's case, it was on his neck and went up to his cheek. He wore turtlenecks when going to formal events to hide it, at least a little bit. The only part of the circuitry he couldn't cover was the part on his face. Luckily, it was only on the left side, so it wasn't a big deal.

Once Logan was satisfied with how he looked, he left his room in search of Patton. It wasn't very difficult, because since he was made of metal, he made a lot of noise when he walked.

"Hello, Patton." Logan offered his assistant a smile when he found him.

"Hi, I'm Patton. My name is an acronym, which stands for-" Patton turned around, but stopped talking when he saw Logan. "Oh, hi Logan. Sorry about that, I guess old programming dies hard." He laughed awkwardly. "I'm just not used to the ship being so empty."

"As am I. But for now, it's just you and I. Now, are you ready to go?" Logan asked.

"Yup!" Patton nodded. "I picked out the nicest thing from my closet, and made sure my joints won't creak."

"I noticed, with the clothes at least." Logan gestured to Patton's outfit. He was wearing brown pants and a yellow button-down shirt, with a gold jacket and matching bowtie. The jacket had brown elbow patches on the sleeves. Patton wasn't a perfect android, though. During the development of his programming, the part that controlled his vision had malfunctioned. But, on the bright side, he was the only android Logan had ever met who actually needed glasses to see. And unlike Logan, he preferred the more traditional type. Patton always seemed to have a strange connection to Earth, even though neither of them had ever been there.

"Well I'm glad you could tell!" Patton smiled. "So, are we ready to go?"

"I believe so, yes." Logan said. "I suppose we will have to take one of the escape pods, since we need to supply ourselves with a ride."

Patton agreed, and they walked down to the room where the smaller ships were kept. There were only two seats in each one, but there was more room behind the seats in case more than two people needed to use one of the pods. But in this case, it was only two of them. Logan sat in the driver's seat, and Patton sat next to him. The main ship stayed stationary most of the time, so they didn't have to worry about losing it. The circuitry on Logan's face began glowing, and the escape ship turned on. The wall opened up, and the ship lifted off the ground. The wall opened up to reveal the vast galaxy outside. Then they were on their way.

It took about half an hour for them to get there. They were shocked at first when the planet came into view, because it was actually really empty. On the entire planet, there was only one city. It was a pretty big city, but there was still only one. The rest of the planet was a barren, desert-like place. Luckily, that wasn't where they had to go. As they got closer to the city, they began to notice little details. There were smaller houses around the edge, but there were bigger houses closer to the middle. In the very center of the city, there was a tall skyscraper that had to be at least five times bigger than the largest house. Next to that, there was a circular building that looked like some sort of arena. There was a battle going on inside.

They landed their ship on the ground just down the street from the, near to a few other ships. Their ship stood out among the other ones, mostly because it was quite a bit smaller. Once they'd landed, they went inside the building. Logan entered first, because he was the one who'd been invited to the meeting. They walked up to a desk where a receptionist was sitting, typing on a screen that was hovering above the surface of the desk.

"Hello, we're here to speak with the president." Logan told her.

"Ah, Logan Watts! And I see you brought your assistant as well." The receptionist smiled. "Welcome, both of you. I believe you're looking for floor 96. There's an elevator near the back."

"Thank you." Logan began walking towards the elevator. Patton followed him, waving to the receptionist as they went.

They stepped into the elevator, which was a large glass tube with blue lights and a blue platform that would raise or lower itself depending on the destination. It was also voice activated, so you could go to the floor you needed just by saying it. Once Logan and Patton had reached the 96th floor, they began searching for the president's office. It wasn't very difficult, because the entire 96th floor was a giant hallway. There were various other rooms on either wall, leading to one big double door at the end. When they approached the door, it slid open to reveal the office. The president was sitting at the back of the room, with an expression that could easily be mistaken for kind on his face. Logan had only seen him in the form of a hologram, which wasn't usually in full color. So seeing him this way was slightly jarring. He was ghostly pale, with jet black hair. The defining feature of the species of aliens on this planet was patches of crystalline patterns spread around their bodies. Their locations and appearances were different on everyone, the only similarity being that they usually had the patterns around the outer corners of their eyes. Their eyes would be the same color as the crystals. For example, the president's were silver with traces of black every so often. He was wearing a gray suit with a black tie.

"Good afternoon. Sit." The president gestured to a chair that was placed in front of his desk. "I didn't know you would be bringing a guest, so he will have to stand."

Logan sat in the chair, and Patton stood next to him. He didn't mind standing, because since he was mechanical, his legs never got tired. But he would've appreciated at least a little acknowledgment.

"I thought this meeting would be more than just the two of us." Logan folded his arms on the table.

"No, this matter is too important for anyone else's ears. In fact, even the android shouldn't be here." The president said the word 'android' with a slight contempt in his voice. Logan didn't notice right away, but Patton sure did. "For all we know, he could be recording our conversation right now. How do you even know he's on our side?"

"Patton has been working with me for 10 years. If he was planning on turning against me, I think he would have revealed it sooner. And with all due respect, Mr. President, I'm frankly offended that you would even suggest such a thing." Logan narrowed his eyes. "Now, what is this 'our side' you speak of?"

"That brings us to today's topic, actually." The president said sharply, starting to get frustrated with Logan already. "There has been a war brewing between many planets in this solar system, including this one. I have gathered that you are one of the most talented scientists in the galaxy. And so, I have decided that I would like you to build and design weapons for my army."

"With no help?" Logan raised his eyebrows. He couldn't raise just one, even though he'd been practicing since he was little. "You do realize that I don't have a team, correct? The only ones who work on my inventions are me and Patton. So how exactly do you think we will be able to supply an entire army with advanced weapons before this very specific deadline you've given me?"

The president was boiling with rage.

"I invite you into my office, give you a place to sit, let your assistant stay in the room, and present you with the offer of a lifetime!" He shouted. "And this is the thanks I get?!"

"Yes." Logan deadpanned, standing up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, my friend and I will be going home."

"Good riddance!" The president called after them as they left. Then the doors shut behind them.

"I don't like him." Patton frowned, looking at Logan. "Please, please tell me you're not accepting his offer?"

"Of course I'm not." Logan scowled. "It is an absolutely outrageous demand. Not to mention what he thinks of you. There is no way in hell that I can trust someone who doesn't trust you."

Patton smiled. He appreciated Logan's consideration of his feelings. Androids were usually treated like they didn't have feelings, but Patton knew from experience that it wasn't true. He felt like an alien. Sometimes he even thought he was, until he saw himself. It was confusing sometimes. And it might've been weird, but he also felt like it distanced him from Logan. The fact that he wasn't technically alive made him feel isolated, even though there were only two of them. Logan didn't feel that way about him, but that didn't stop Patton from thinking he did.

They stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby of the building. The receptionist was still sitting at her desk. She smiled at them hopefully.

"So, how did it go up there?" She asked.

"Why don't you ask your president?" Logan scowled. The receptionist's smile dropped and it was replaced with a shocked expression. She was about to say something else, but Logan and Patton were out the door before she could.

"Are you sure it was a good idea to leave like that?" Patton said anxiously. "He's a powerful guy, Lo… he could destroy us. Figuratively and literally."

"We're going to be fine, Patton. All we need to do is get back to the main ship and leave. Chances are, he won't even be able to find us." Logan turned the corner to the street where their ship was parked. "We barely get visitors anymore anyway, let alone visitors who are trying to kill us."

"I know, I know. I just... have a bad feeling." Patton shivered even though it wasn't cold.

"Would you like to walk around the city for a while?" Logan offered. "We don't have anywhere else to be. Besides, perhaps seeing more of this place will help you let go of your nervousness."

"Yeah, maybe…" Patton sighed, already wondering how many weird looks he would get.

"Is something wrong?" Logan furrowed his brow in concern. "Aside from your anxiousness, I mean."

"Well… promise you won't laugh?" Patton asked.

"Of course." Logan nodded.

"I'm just worried about what people will think of me here." Patton frowned. "I haven't seen a single other android since we landed, not even a robot. I barely ever see anyone else like me anymore. It makes me feel kind of… obsolete."

"I could build a second android, if you'd like." Logan said.

"No, that would just feel like a copy of me." Patton shook his head. "I'd just really like to meet another android. Imagine how great that would be, huh?"

"Yes, it would be quite nice." Logan smiled.

"Maybe there's like, a planet full of androids!" Patton began to brighten up, gesturing wildly with his hands. "Like, they all banded together and decided to get away from everyone. Imagine what that would be like!"

"I can imagine it would be like traditional society. Slightly different, of course. Perhaps not as many fatal injuries while at work, since androids can be healed easily." Logan shrugged. "But otherwise I suppose it would be very similar."

"And just think about all the advancements in technology they could make!" Patton smiled, twirling around slowly as he walked. "We androids understand technology better than everyone else, lots of people don't think about that even though it's totally obvious. We're really good at working with machines, as you probably know at this point because of how long we've been working together. It's kind of like you with your thing, except a little different. With you, you have those circuits on your face, so machines and stuff listen to you. But with androids, we just kind of know how all the mechanics work already, so working with them comes easily."

"That's precisely why I enjoy having you as an assistant." Logan nodded. "You know more about technology than anyone else I know."

"Thanks." Patton's smile widened. "Should we head back to the escape pod? I'm feeling a lot better."

"If you'd like to, yes." Logan said. "I'd say we're about ten minutes away from it at this point."

"Okay." Patton looked like he was fighting to stay awake. "I'm glad this was all we had to do today, I'm really tired. I'm probably going to need to recharge for a while when we get home."

"Let me check your arm, we'll see how low your batteries are." Logan requested. Little known fact, Patton was run by modified batteries from a tv remote. Logan had them shipped from Earth when he had started building him. He just felt like they were reliable, and less prone to malfunctioning.

"Got it." Patton rolled up his sleeve and held out his right arm. Logan looked at the graph that was displayed there. It was a small rectangle that was usually filled with a green light, but the amount of color in it decreased depending on how full the batteries were. In the moment, it was almost empty, only about a sixth of the way full. The color had changed to red.

"Alright, I see what you were talking about." Logan said, letting go of Patton's arm. "I probably won't have any urgent problems for you to solve, so you'll be able to charge when we get home."

Patton nodded and they turned around, ready to go back to their ship. Just as Logan had estimated, it took about ten minutes to get back. The circuits on Logan's face began to glow, and the pod opened up. The engine started running, and it hovered into the air. That was just the first part in a consecutive line of catastrophes.

He heard the sound of a motor running behind him, but assumed it was just someone else's ship. It was, but not in the way he'd been expecting. And in a matter of seconds, Patton was gone.

"Patton!" Logan began chasing after the ship. 

It looked like a motorcycle. There were two people sitting on the main part, and someone else in the sidecar. Patton was sitting in the sidecar, strapped in with a seatbelt and something else that Logan couldn't quite see. He was clearly struggling, and trying to get out, but when the motorcycle lifted off the ground, they both knew Patton didn't stand a chance. It began to fly away, and in the blink of an eye, it was gone.

Logan bolted back to the escape pod. It was already started, and the door was open. If he could get to it, he might be able to reach Patton. And even if he didn't get to it in time, Patton was built with a tracker. He was prone to getting lost around the ship.

Logan was only a foot away from the pod. He could hear rapid footsteps from behind him, but didn't pay any attention to them. He should have though, because the next thing he knew he was being forcefully pushed out of the way of the pod. A blur of red passed by him. The blur jumped into the pod, and the door closed as the stranger sat down. They looked at the controls of it and muttered to themself, seemingly struggling to figure out how it worked. Logan began hitting the outside of the pod, something he never would have done otherwise.

"Hey! What makes you think you can do that?" Logan shouted at them. They didn't seem to notice him at all, but that didn't stop him from continuing to yell.

The stranger looked around frantically, becoming more startled as they saw something behind Logan. He turned around to see what it was, only to be faced with a pack of who appeared to be guards running towards them. As he was looking away, the stranger had finally gotten the pod to work. He only noticed because they let out a loud cheer. The pod lifted higher into the air, and Logan grabbed on to it, holding on as tightly as he could. But as the pod rose higher and higher, his grip weakened, and he fell to the ground. All he could do was watch as his only way out flew away. The guards had disappeared. Maybe they'd been after that ship thief for stealing someone else's ship as well.

Now, Logan was on a strange planet surrounded by strange people, with no Patton and no way home. He couldn't even think of anything smart to get him out of this situation. The only thought running through his mind was that life was positively, undoubtedly, trying to make him miserable. And in that moment, it was definitely succeeding.

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