#I saw the faint light of something. A tunnel? I started swimming down it in search of food but it was yielding and soft.

[sleepvines]

good morning!

[lstories]

Marin's perspective: Life Under the Sea

I'm still trying to write my other storys and my mind wanted more of tiny mer.

(Safe, soft, vore, g/t, willing prey, semi willing pred, mer prey)

Word Count: 3084

"Come out Marin and we'll take it easy on you"

Marin held himself as tight as he could against the coral, his blue hair waiving with the blue algae it was pressed up against. His joints felt like they were about to snap as he griped the coral branch even harder when the three other mers swam by. He strained his eyes trying to look over his shoulder to see them. A red mer, a yellow mer, and another blue mer were checking the branches and in small crevices inside the trees. His breathing quickened and he could feel his heart beating out of his chest when he didn't see the fourth mer. His eyes darted to the other side of his head. Amara's purple hair swaying in the water next to his head and a light purple hand tapped his chest.

A "Found you"

M "Come on. Why are you always the one to find me"

A "Bacuse I'm the only one who know what to look for"

R "You found him again?"

B "Let Marin be the hunter again"

Y "Mom doesn't want Marin to be the hunter anymore, remember"

M "It's beacuse I suck at it"

A "No, you don't-"

R "Ya your horrible at it"

M "Wow, thanks"

After a while longer of playing their parents called them back, there was no sense of time underwater, but everyone was still getting tired. Their parents had to be the ones to make sure that they didn't get hurt and when to call them back. They were their only source of protection after all. Everyone swam deeper into the forest, eventually the small town was in sight. A few bigger mers were swimming around, some with bigger and slightly squirming belly's. Some shops were opening and some were closing by the time they were entering the small town. Marin swam next to Amara and helped look for her parent's. It didn't take long to find them, Amara gave Marin a hug and a quick goodbye before she swam over to her dad and gave him a hug. He was a bright glowing green with small black lines coursing over the edges of his scales. Marin watched with a bit of envy as Amara's dad gently pulled her into his mouth after returning the hug. He swallowed a few times, her wriggling form slowly shuffled down his throat and into his stomach. Marin jumped as he felt a light hand press onto his back, he turned around and was ready to swim away. His instincts were eased when he saw Amara's mom, her deep purple scales gently rubbed at his arm. She set his head into her palm as he stared up at her.

"So I still cant get any protection anymore"

"I'm not the one getting bigger"

"I-I'm sorry"

"No, No. Don't apologize. Someday you'll be the biggest mer here. I wish I could still protect you so you could stay here, but they won't let a kid stay with no protector. I'll swim with you back to the edge if it'll make you more comfortable"

"Thanks"

Amara's mom was right, he was too big, even with his tail scrunched up he was almost her size. Marin fallowed behind her, his tail gently swayed so he wouldn't dart ahead of her, even if it was on accident. Eventually they reached the edge of the forest, Marin swam out just a bit further than her into the darkness. They said their goodbyes and Amara's mom left back into the forest. Marin staired into the darkness, he never wanted to go back but they wouldn't let him sleep in the forest. He never needed to come this far to the edge of the forest before he lost his parents. Marin swam further up the branches, his tail coiled around a branch with some fruit growing on it. He tore off a thin white strip and bit into the juicie flesh. This was the first type of food he had after he clawed his way out of safety so he wouldn't starve. He didn't like to think about it but he wasn't able to complain about what he ate. He staired back into the darkness and thought. It was only one wrong turn and he became an orphan. Marin finished his meal and returned to the ground, he's been doing this for what felt like his entire life but the horror never seemed to dwindle.

A falling branch caught his attention, Marin looked up to see a grey shark slowly approaching him. He could feel his heart start beating faster as he slowly backed away. The shark lunged at him and Marin let out a small shriek and swam as fast as he could to get away from it. He ducked under branches and into small crevices in the trees while trying to get away from the shark, it was breaking almost every branch while trying to bite at him. Marin had to find a place to hide, NOW. His instincts were going off the rails, there had to be somewhere he could go besides the town. Marin darted out into the darkness and slipped back behind a... was that a mer. Marin swam back into the darkness and checked, the shark was still following him. There it was, a pure black mer near the light of the forest. The shark almost bit his tail while he darted back into the forest. It didn't take long for Marin the reach where the other mer was. He darted out of the forest to it, they had to help him.

Marin darted under its arm, it was bigger than any mer he had seen before, maybe it could even protect him. Marin scrunched up even harder while he heard the struggles of the huge mer and the shark. He poked his head out to see what was happening, the shark was biting the bigger mers arm. He scrunched himself tighter than he thought he could when the huge mer reeled its arm back and punched the shark in the nose. The shark swam off into the blackness of the sea, it didn't take long for Marin to lose the form of the shark. He didn't want to be away from the new mer in fear that the shark would come back the second he didn't have something around him. He looked back, there wasn't a drop of blood in the water from the huge mer. The arm around him started moving upwards, Marin dashed to the other side of the huge mer, he needed to stay safe if the shark came back. The huge mer opend both of its arms, Marin dashed around the huge mer to look for a new place to hide. He was confused on why the bigger mer wouldn't hide him, every mer looks out for each other. He wrapped himself around the bigger mers neck, he didn't want to choke it but he needed to stay hidden.

After a bit, the bigger mers hands started waving around him. Marin protested a bit, eventually he let go and swam up to the bigger mers face. It... didn't look like a mer, its hair was golden but it wasn't glowing and it went to his jaw. He didn't have any scales and what looked like pinkish fruit skin wasn't even golden like his hair. Marin tried pressing his hands to its face but was stopped by some invisible force. He was trapped, that's why he kept trying to get Marin's attention. Marin swam a bit away from the giants face and readied his shoulder in front of him before swimming as fast as he could into the invisible prison. The resulting thud made him feel like his arm was going to shatter when he looked at it. The giant cupped his hands Marin and made some low growls. Marin starred up at the giant after a bit of struggling, it didn't look like any other mer he'd seen. "I-I'm sorry, I was trying to free you but now I don't know if your even trapped. I'm Marin by the way" he said while rubbing his arm.

The giant looked confused as Marin talked, could he even understand him. The giant raised a hand up to Marin, it was bigger than most of the branches on the tree's. He wrapped his tail around the arm out of instinct before he realised what he had done. There was a small orange line on the giants wrist, it almost felt like it was made out of the algae on the trees when he pressed his hands into it. The giant let out a light chuckle and some more low growls before moving towards a nearby tree. It layed down and started shoveling sand over itself. Marin looked up at him confused, why was he sleeping in the open, he would get killed and if not, couldn't he at least protect Marin. The giant gently rubbed a finger down his back, Marin recoiled at first but leaned into the warm massage. The giant made more low growls before bringing Marin down and holding him to his stomach. Marin looked up to the giant who was already trying to fall asleep, he could hear a faint growl from the stomach. The warmth emanating from the giant was staring to make Marin a little drowsy. He forced himself away from the giant and started pulling on their finger. If he could keep Marin warm then Marin would bring him somewhere warm.

The giant reluctantly got up from where it was resting and took a step towards him. Marin swam into the darkness and the giant slowly followed him. Great, he had a giant following him, now he needed to find home. Marin raced ahead, making sure that he was going in the right direction and then swimming back to make sure the giant was close behind. Eventually he found the stone wall and followed along the bottom. The giant was slowly stumbling behind him, he was deffenetly tired. Marin hoped the giant would like his home, it was huge compared to Marin and there was a constant warm water falling from the top of the cave. Marin kept swimming along the edge, the entrance had to be nearby. The orange lines were the only indication that the giant was still following him. Eventually the couldn't feel the ground and swam down, soon he could see the familiar orange light of home. He swam back to the entrance of the cave but before he could ascend, the giant fell down the hole next to him. Marin hugged the giants face, happy he could get his new friend so close to home. He was surprised when the giant grabbed him by the waist.

Marin protested and pushed at the fingers holding him. "Hey! Let me go! We're almost there, I can swim there myself!" He yelled at the giant but it didn't matter, they couldn't understand each other. Marin not so reluctantly leaned into the warm massage the giant gave with his thumb. Marin finally got a perspective on how big the giant was. The tunnel Marin used to get to his home was huge and the giant needed to almost crawl to fit through it. Soon the giant entered Marins home and let go of him. He darted over to his bed, and swam up the thin tube. He crossed his arms and watched the giant, they looked over his collection of shiny things. The giant looked up at the light hole on the ceiling and stuck its head out of the hole. The cave started to drown in darkness as the giant pulled himself out of the hole. Marin swam closer to the retreating legs of the giant and followed him threw the hole. The giant stood up in the waterless place, they looked over the empty space.

"Hey, don't leave me, I want to be up there too. Pick me up" The giant turned around while Marin grabbed at their heels. They put their hand in the water next to him, Marin quickly wrapped himself around their wrist again. He didn't expect the amount of weight over his body when the giant pulled him out of the water. Marin was forced to lay down on the giants palm while everything became warmer the higher he was lifted. The giant moved to a wall and laid down, it took all of Marin's strength to hold his chest up. It felt so weird to breath this high up. He watched as the giant pulled off the invisible prison on its face and pulled off what Marin previously thought were scales from its head. Its non-glowing golden hair bounced up slightly from where the black stuff was. Marin was captivated by the sight for a bit before speaking up. "Um, if you can understand me I was wondering if you would be able to protect me until we're not tired anymore" Marin grabbed at the air as he talked. The giant brought him closer to their face, would they actually protect him? He pressed his hands into the giants cheeks, they were so much warmer than any mer.

Marin partially opend the giants lips, a warm air lightly blew over him. He lightly put a hand on the giants teeth. Immediately the giant pulled him away from their mouth, Marin looked up at them confused. "I-I thought you would let me- I'm sorry, I haven't had a protector in a long time" Marin had to hold back a sob while he said that. The giant slowly moved their hand back to the water. Marin grappled to their wrist and pulled himself forward up their arm as best he could. He at least wanted to be near the giant who could keep him safe. He could barely grip the black substance on the giant as he tried to pull himself up, his hands slipped and he fell. The giant caught him as soon as he fell, he looked over the side of their hand to the ground. He hadn't felt this type of fear before, he scotched over and hugged the giants thumb while his tail hung idly between their fingers. The giant slowly moved him around, Marin held his eyes shut until he felt the tip of his tail touch the water. He pulled himself between the giants fingers and tied loops between his tail so the giant wouldn't let him go, he just didn't want to be alone again, was it too much to ask.

Marin couldn't hold back his tears any more. He didn't want to be alone, he wouldn't let the giant leave him alone. The giant held him a little closer to their face, they looked disappointed and angry. He realized their eyes were pure brown, they had small slits in the brown that were discolored as well. Marin grabbed at the air again towards their face, he wanted to see. The giant pulled him closer and Marin looked in their eyes. They looked like mini rainbows in his eyes. Marin scotched closer to the giants face and tried to grab at their lips. After a bit the giant slowly moved him to their lips, did they change their mind? Would they protect him! Marin practically chocked when he saw the giants lips part. His eyes were getting heavy and he just wanted to sleep. With the last bit of energy he still had, he jettisoned himself forward onto the tounge. He landed with a small squish, everything was so warm that his tail felt like it was freezing. He moved further over the tounge to the back of the throat, he hoped he at least tasted good.

Marin reached the back of the giant's throat and tried to crawl down, he was ecstatic that someone could finally protect him. He was pulled out, closer to the edge of the mouth. He was confused, why didn't the giant swallow him. He was pulled out a tiny bit more, they was messing with him, they weren't going to protect him. Marin hugged the tounge and started crying harder, they were just playing with him. He wanted a protector, anyone who could protect him, he didn't want to be vulnerable again. He was pressed up against the roof of the giants mouth, the tounge slightly moved over him. He pulled himself forward down the tounge, if the giant was going to keep him in their mouth then he was going to try and be protected. Marin slowly scrambled to the back of their throat and thought for a bit. What if the giant was trying to protect him a different way, or if the giants stomach was actually dangerous. Marin pressed a hand to the giants throat to try and show he was ready.

The giant gently swallowed, the warm flesh massaged Marin downwards. He reveled in the warmth, this was a dream he hoped he'd never wake up from. He could feel somthing press on him from the outside, the giant was pressing its finger on him until he passed their collar bone. The muscle around him tightened for a second around his head and down his arms and waist as he entered the stomach. Marin gently pulled himself to a wall, his hair was glowing enough that he could tell each ridge between the mussels. The stomach was huge, it would deffenetly be able to fit his entire body. He pushed at the stomach wall, it slightly flexed in and over his hands. He started to knead at the stomach walls, giggling everytime the muscles gently enveloped his arms. He could feel the giant slowly lift the part of his tail still outside up, his tail was so cold. Soon the entire stomach was filled and his tail kept coming, stretching it out more and more. Eventually his entire body was in the stomach, it was so warm and comfortable. He could feel a pressure from the outside again and moved his torso towards it.

The giant gently rubbed Marin, the gentle circles, the warmth, and the soft flesh encasing him drifted him closer to sleep. He pressed his body against the soft wall, he could barely keep his eyes open. "Thank you" was all he could quietly say before he drifted off to sleep. He would deffenetly find a way to help the giant in the future.

[post-nuclear-sweetheart]

A Scoundrel’s Folly

Patches makes good, or at least tries to, on an old favour.

(2384 words)

-

“Why-“ Patches took a moment to pant out a few breaths, and rub away the blood leaking from his split cheek. “Why’d you do that? You could’ve been killed, you sorry fool.”

“I know,” the hunched over pale man with a peculiar hat covering his face said. “but you looked to have been in a tight spot. The name is Greirat.” He offered his hand to the bald man laid out against a box in the small fort ruins. His hat obscured every facial feature - even the eye holes sloppily cut out of the hat seemed to be blacked out.

Patches reached to shake his hand, but noticed Greirat held out a knitted handkerchief instead. “You can call me Patches.” He held the handkerchief over his cut. “I owe ya.”

That small memory flashed through Patches’ mind when the Ashen One approached him, asking if their little scavenger Greirat had returned.

“Not curled up in the dankest part of the sanctuary, is he?” Patches offered his suggestion on where he could be instead. The Ashen One shook their head, and said that Greirat had gone to Irithyll.

Patches kept a neutral air about him and told the Ashen One to wait another day longer. Internally, Patches had been struck with the stomach-churning flash of extreme worry.

Patches was not one to promise the day to anyone, nor did he promise little acts of kindness, nor did he ever offer anything in return for nothing. Just the same, no one had ever gone out of their way to perform an act of kindness for him, and no one had offered something in return for nothing. All except Greirat. The selfless scavenger had risked his life without a second thought, all to save the arrogant troll who spent his days punishing people he saw fit to receive his wrath. He had chosen the wrong person to invoke his wrath upon, but by some miraculous force, Greirat saw Patches deserving of safety.

Not one to be tied to earthly debts, Patches offered to repay his by way of equal exchange. “You saved my hide, I’ll save yours.” he told him.

But there was one glaring issue with the rescue plan. He was fresh out of armour. “God’s blood,” he muttered in disbelief to himself as he searched through his inventory of goods for any shred of sturdy enough armour. “I must have sold it off.”

The leather armour he currently wore wouldn’t be enough to withstand any blow dealt by the tyrannical Sulyvhan’s guard. It was, however, light enough to outrun Sulyvhan’s pup, as he affectionately referred to it, that guarded the bridge into Irithyll.

“Well,” he continued to speak to himself as he rubbed his chin. “maybe I’ll come across some dead fool’s armour…” He shook his head. No, no that was a terrible idea - relying on luck like that. The memory flashed through his head again, and the realization that Greirat wore nothing more but tattered cloth made Patches grind his teeth with indecision. If the skinny man can wear just scraps and throw his life on the line like that, so can the better built man.

“Alright, you don’t do it now and he dies, then-“ Patches groaned to himself. “-you’ll be stuck taking that debt to your grave.”

He paced back and forth before the mountain of items he had accumulated. “Fuck.” He swore. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, mother- fuck!” His voice raised with each word, until it echoed loud enough to startle the Firekeeper and Hawkwood out of his usual melancholic haze.

It was settled. He would attempt a rescue mission. With the souls he scrounged up, he paid a visit to the Shrine Maiden who had more than a few witty remarks. He ignored her abrasiveness for now and bought a few items he thought would make up for the lack of protection; green blossoms, a birch branch, and other such items.

He said not a single word to anyone. He brushed past the Firekeeper who, although without vision, watched on as the secretive man finally left the shrine.

-

The journey to Irithyll was one he took several times. He knew the ins and outs of the roads and where most hollowed undead hung about. Each time he was faced with the conundrum of taking the bridge and facing the beast, or scaling the perilous, slippery rocks down to the river and freezing.

From his vantage point among the pine trees that sprouted out from the top of the cliffs, Patches crouched low and watched as the alligator maw of the patrolling beast would spark up every now and again with lightning. He couldn’t help but shiver at the thought of going toe-to-toe with that ghastly beast. He had seen the way lightning burns before. It leaves jagged and black flesh in its wake, with skin still hot to the touch. Nothing like the burning of flames.

As arrogant as he was, Patches wasn’t an idiot. He settled for the slippery cliff, instead.

The slick, ice coated steps that lead into the water on the other side of the river would bring him up through the underworld of Irithyll. No doubt Greirat was looting the houses that contained no end of priceless pieces belonging to nobility.

Patches managed to scale down the cliff side without slipping, and slowly entered the water. Despite being undead, he could still feel the cold biting at his flesh and the numb sensation settle in his toes. He clenched his teeth as tight as he possibly could, and began to wade through the thigh deep water along the bank toward the steps across the way.

The sound of splashing water caught Patches’ attention. It was much more erratic and louder than the water he pushed around with his steps.

“What-“

The ground began to rumble, vibrating the water that stretched all across the river. The ear-piercing sound of what sounded like harsh wind blowing through a small slit resounded just behind Patches. He spun as quickly as he could in the semi-frozen water, and behind him the canine-like beast, twice the size of a human with a long snout filled with sharp teeth, stood on its hind legs. It inhaled, and at the back of its throat sparks of blinding light crackled.

Patches dove under the water, the lightning narrowly missing his head and instead hit the water, scattering all along the surface. Sparing no time, Patches kicked and thrashed his arms wildly in an attempt to swim out from the beast’s legs submerged in the water. He broke the surface with a gasp.

His movements weren’t quick enough, and a tooth of the beast caught Patches’ arm, flinging him through the air. A bloody gash was left behind. Patches landed on a chunk of solid ice floating in the water, close to the archway of the city’s undercroft.

The undercroft. That’s it!

The forceful landing knocked the air out of him, but he knew he didn’t have much time to recover. He rolled off the ice and into the water again, his arm stinging terribly. He ran through the water, skipping awkwardly to get above the thigh high sloshing. Just as he entered, the hot breath of the beast blew at the back of his neck. Patches dove for cover in the water as another bolt of lightning shot just above his head. He crawled through the water, digging his fingers into the earth beneath to gain enough traction and quickly get out of harm’s way. He crawled for cover to the right of the archway tunnel, and out of the beast’s sights.

He held the cut on his arm firm and heaved as quietly as he could. He peeked out from the stone archway, just enough to spot the beast sticking its long maw into the tunnel, sniffing around. It stopped suddenly. It couldn’t fit.

Patches nearly fell over into the now knee deep water of the undercroft, and sighed in relief. He remained as still as he could until the beast finally got bored and left. He looked around the undercroft he escaped into. Pillars of stone arched over him, holding up the city above. Bent metal spikes that served as little barricades sat tipped over and some discarded in the water. Who knew what they were for, but near them plants grew. Lastly, he noticed long, thin white skeletal bodies of strange insect-like creatures with long black hair. They laid face down in the water, dead. Someone had been here before.

Patches pushed himself up along the stone wall he sat against and made his way toward what he saw was a set of stairs that lead up to an alcove that hosted a faint, warm light. He limped himself up the stairs, and saw that it wasn’t an alcove at all. It was a kitchen, with a massive fireplace that roared with flames, and sat cross-legged before the flames were two distinct silhouettes; a rotund body with what looked like a mug in hand across from a small, thin body with a strange long hat who also held a mug.

Greirat was the first to hear his footsteps, and turned in surprise. “Oh,” he certainly sounded startled. “hello there.” He saw Patches’ arm and shook his head. “What brings you out here? You’re injured.”

“What what? Someone’s hurt?” Siegward turned his head the best he could in his armour towards the steps to the undercroft. “Well come on in, then!” Siegward rocked his body back and forth a few times before gaining the momentum to roll forward onto his feet. Patches watched on as the round knight plucked a pewter mug off the counter across the room and filled it with a thick, glowing liquid that sat steaming in the cauldron beside it.

“Here you are, old boy. My famous estus soup!” Siegward didn’t allow Patches to refute and shoved the mug, filled to the brim with the hot glowing liquid, into his free hand. “Drink up! That will set you right as rain.”

Patches gave it an experimental sniff. It smelled delectable enough, then gave it a taste. It was the best thing he had ever tasted. Patches greedily downed the mug, and as he drank the pain faded into nothing.

“Say,” Siegward started. Patches hadn’t noticed he stood examining his figure. “don’t I know you from somewhere?”

“You’ve met the terrible Patches before, have you, Siegward?” Greirat teased from his place by the fire.

Siegward mulled Patches’ name over by repeating it, but Patches hurriedly intervened. “Can’t say I’ve come across you, old boy.” He mocked Siegward’s affectionate nickname. He pushed past Siegward, who remained lost in his memory. “Greirat!” Patches called loudly with his arms spread wide as he approached the warm fire. He was finally beginning to dry. “How’ve you been?”

“Better now.” He answered, but tilted his head. “Did that beast rough you up a bit?”

Patches scoffed at the notion. “What, you think Sulyvhan’s dog can get the better of ol’ Patches? Think again, friend.” Meanwhile, Siegward was audibly humming in thought now.

“That gash on your arm proved otherwise.” Greirat pointed out playfully. He held no ounce of malice in his voice.

Patches squatted low before the flames. “‘Tis but a scratch. All healed up now.” He took this moment to divert the conversation. “That Ashen Tart told me you’d been here a while.”

It was made clear to Greirat why Patches had come all this way. Greirat chuckled gleefully beneath the hat he wore over his face. “Oh, oh ho ho, I see.”

Patches furrowed his brow. “What you laughing at?”

“I’m tickled you would come all this way for the life of a lowly thief.”

“I- I did not!” Patches huffed and took a sip from his mug - only to remember he had drank it all. “Lots of goods out here in rich people’s homes.”

“You can lie better than that - I know it.”

Patches growled out, “What of it?”

“Ah!” Siegward snapped his fingers the best he could through his gloves, catching the other two men’s attention. “I remember where I met you, old boy.”

As Siegward approached, the urge to bolt grew in Patches. Instead, he feigned an uneasy grin. “Oh? Where’s that, then?”

“I had been made a fool of by someone with that same bald dome of yours-“

“Now wait just a minute-“

“-and they stole this very armour.” Siegward gestured to his body. “Dear Ashen One found it and tossed it in the well that dastardly con-artist pushed me down.”

Siegward stopped before his old spot by the fire, and took his seat. “Now if my memory serves correct, I believe that scoundrel took the same name. He even had that big nose of yours.”

Silence settled among the three. Patches eyed up the Zewihander strapped to Siegward’s back. He tried to look him in the eye, but the slit in his helmet was too tiny to properly tell what expression the usually jolly man possessed.

“But you came here for your friend, didn’t you?” Siegward finally inquired after several moments of silent tension. “No one can truly be bad if they journey far for their friend’s safety. All is forgiven, so long as you don’t do that again.”

Patches released the breath he didn’t know he held. “This bloke saved you, did he?”

Greirat nodded. “And what a tight spot I was in.” He said. “I was running from that ghastly beast and fled into that low space you came from. I was cornered by those monsters.”

“And I was in here, trying to take a well needed nap.” Siegward declared. “But then I heard all the commotion, and knew those spidered women had someone in their trap.”

“So I was too late. Ah well,” Patches sighed, but put on a playful smile. “suppose I still need to hold up my end of the bargain.” He said to Greirat.

“I think coming here for me is plenty payback. You and your conscious are off the hook - not that you have much of one to begin with.”

Silence settled among them once more as they stared into the fire. This time the air wasn’t hostile, but instead, peaceful.

“So,” Siegward interrupted the peaceful moment. “who wants more soup?”

[malereader-inserts]

broken crown | xii.

“I’m vocalising this now,” You say to your boyfriend who looked unphased to the fact that you will exclaim about how dangerous something is - years of hearing you blabber on about it, “I just hope we don’t die.”

Word count: 2,331

<Previous | Next>

You really didn’t know if this was going to work.

You stood here under the invisibility cloak with Harry as you look at Hermione and Ron pose as death eaters to get into Bellatrix’s vault. You and the rest had took off on the first of May, exactly when the potion was ready to be drunk. It had been three weeks since you last saw your dad, and you knew he was even more worried.

However, somehow all of you managed to get into the cart with a goblin under a spell. The cart hurtles through the darkness, ferrying the lot of you down the rickety rails, twisting and turning, sloping ever downward. Harry leans toward Griphook, who commandeers the cart. 

“How long before they come after us?”

“Time will tell,” you hear Griphook answer, but you weren’t satisfied.

Harry’s eyes meet Griphook’s in the flickering darkness, before looking at you, Harry could tell that you weren’t happy with the answer. Then, Ron’s face appears over Harry’s shoulder. 

“What’s that? Up ahead,” Ron points in the distance, directly over the tracks, something shimmers like a curtain of water.

“I should have known,” The goblin sneers, furiously, Griphook starts to throw levers, trying to slow the cart. 

“What is that, Griphook?” You asked as the wheels screeched, throwing off sparks. 

“Griphook! What is that!” Harry shouted this time, hoping the goblin would listen to him however Griphook doesn’t answer, furiously preoccupied with the cart.

Harry turns to Hermione, hoping she has an explanation since there was no point in asking you as you were also asking what it was to Griphool, but she just shakes her head, staring up ahead as Griphook slumps back, powerless, watching in grim resignation as the cart careens wildly down the rail and pierces the shimmering curtain. Instantly, water engulfs you and the rest with ferocious power.

The seats beneath them collapse, flipping downward and you drop in a cascade of roaring water toward the ground rushing up 30 feet below.  You held your hand out, trying to focus whilst dropping down but slowly, one by one you splash down relatively gently and relatively unscathed. As the water drains away, you all peer upward, watching as alarms blare out, the cart rattles back the way it came.

“Well done,” Both Harry and Hermione complimented.

You tilted your head, “Hermione... you look like... you?”

Griphook nods to the waterfall, “The Thief’s Downfall. Washes away all enchantments. Can be deadly.”

Ron scoffs, “You don’t say,” watching as the cart’s alarms grow faint, “Just out of interest... is there any other way out of here?” 

“No.” Griphook had replied as you stare at him grimly, never a fan of goblins you were.

“What the devil are you all doing down here!” You jumped at the new voice as everyone turn, seeing a soaking Bogrod, cleansed of the Imperius curse, backing away in angry confusion. 

“We need him!” Griphook sneers as the other goblin points fingers at him.

“Is this your doing, Griphook? You have no rights here anymore. When you gave up your keys, you--”

Hermione and Harry raise their wands as you stand by idle, watching the little thing furiously rant away. As one of them was about to cast the spell they were too late. It was Ron, who lifted his wand quickest and cast the spell. 

“Imperio!” Bogrod blinks, resumes his mild demeanour. Harry and Hermione turn, see Ron, wand outstretched. Griphook steps past, pushes Bogrod on.

“Well done.”

All of you watch the goblins go, as you exchange a glance with each other. Just then a moan is heard, deep and unsettling, coming from down the tunnel. Ron cocks his ear in disbelief

“No. It’s not possible...” Just outside Lestrange Vault, Ron appears first, trailed by Harry, you and Hermione, and finds Bogrod standing placidly by himself. As Harry and Hermione hang back, Ron moves forward slowly, squinting. 

Something massive shifts heavily, chains clinking. They all look a giant dragon tethered to the ground, bars access to a deep vault. Its scales are pale and flaky, its eyes milky.

“That’s a Welsh Green,” You identified with a grim look

“It looks like it’s been down here forever,” Hermione follows up. 

The hinges squeal sharply and you all jump, watching Griphook in the shadows take something from a wooden box on the wall. An odd-looking metal instrument. As he steps into the light, he tosses it to Hermione. She glances from it to Griphook, sees him eyeing her with a strange intensity. 

“Go on,” He encourages as she looks unsure. 

Then gives it a shake. A shrill ringing echoes of the rocky passage, eerie and unpleasant. The dragon rears back instantly, howling in fear, then, as the ringing subsides, settles. Ron nods knowingly. 

“It’s been trained to expect pain when it hears the noise,” Ron explains as  Hermione’s eyes flash to Ron, then to the scars on the dragon’s face and neck.

“That’s barbaric. I...” Hermione looked disgusted, she hands the instrument back, horrified. 

Griphook takes it, unmoved, “We’ll only have a few seconds. In other words... they’ll be no do-overs. Understood?”

Everyone eyes the dragon, nod. 

“Ready, Bogrod?” Griphook calls to the other.

“Hm? Oh. Yes. Of course,” Bogrod holds up his hand, waggles it. Griphook nods, eyes the dragon. 

Its eyes glimmer angrily. Griphook raises the instrument and shakes it. The cacophony is murderous. You, Harry, Ron and Hermione grimaced. The dragon roars hoarsely, then slowly retreats. Bogrod strides forth, blissfully ignoring the dragon’s bobbing head and presses his hand to the vault’s door. It melts. 

Everyone rushes inside. In the ensuing silence, the dragon spits fire just as the vault re-seals itself and all goes dark. You pulled your wand from your boot and held it out 

“Lumos!” 

Everyone’s wandtips bloom, illuminate a huge vault swimming in glittering treasure and eerie artefacts. You hear Ron softly curse at the sight as yu=ou chuckle under your breath 

“Look,” Hermione crosses to what appears to be the Sword of Gryffindor, “No wonder Bellatrix thought it was real.”

Harry pays no attention, having drifted away from the others, playing his wandlight over the glittering walls. The others notice and go silent, watching. Griphook eyes Harry with particular curiosity. 

Finally, Ron speaks, “Is it here, Harry? Can you feel anything?”

Harry doesn’t respond, his wandlight continuing to travel over the small treasures above. As Hermione watched, transfixed, her hand dangles nary a quarter inch from the lip of a silver bowl perched on the edge of the table beside her. The skin of Hermione’s wrist brushes the lip of the bowl. 

Harry stares at the ancient cup above, glimmering dully in the light of his wand when Hermione yelps. As the others turn, they see her retract her hand, as if stung, sending the bowl tumbling to the floor. She holds up her wrist -- displays a red welt 

“It’s hot!” 

All eyes turn to the bowl, wobbling madly on the floor, when it splits apart and begins to multiply. 

“They’ve added Gemino and Flagrante Curses!” Griphook explains loudly, “Everything you touch will burn and multiply!”

The multiplying bowls skitter across the floor and flip into the air. As one caroms off Ron’s shoe, it bursts into twenty more. 

“Ron, your foot!” You pointed out to him as he tries to move it away. 

It’s smoking as Ron stamps the ground. Harry pivots, tipping a towering stack of galleons to the floor where they multiply like cockroaches. Instantly, the room is a riot of multiplying white-hot metal.

“We’ll be crushed! Hurry!” Griphook shouts with great urgency.

Harry points his wand once again at the small cup near the ceiling, “That’s it. Up there.” 

“How’re we going to reach it?” Hermione asked as Harry looks at her.

“Give me the sword! The real one.”

Hermione reaches into her beaded bag, tosses it to Harry, who catches it by the hilt. Griphook’s eyes glitter greedily at the sight of it, you hadn’t missed the glance and you detested the look. Instantly, Harry begins to scale the multiplying mountain of objects, climbing towards the cup, ignoring the look of Griphook, you watch your boyfriend worriedly.

As the sizzling surface shifts beneath his feet, he moves upward, beads of sweat trailing over his forehead. Suddenly, halfway up, he slips and instinctively to keep from falling, he reaches out and plants the flesh of his palm against the shifting slope. 

Instantly, objects explode forth, multiplying crazily and cascading down onto you, Ron, Hermione and Griphook in a small avalanche.

“Keep going!” You shouted, a small tone of panic within your voice.

Harry climbs faster the sound deafening, objects clanging off one another until, finally, he stops just shy of the ceiling. Reaching out, he extends his arm further, then further still, and slips the sword’s tip through the cup’s handle. As it shimmies down the blade, a scream rises. Harry looks down, sees a terrified Bogrod pinned against the door, watching as Griphook sinks beneath the rising tide. Ron dashes forward, grabs Griphook’s fingers as he’s about to go under and yanks the blistered Goblin free.

“Harry! Behind you!” Hermione screeches in a hurry.

Harry turns and sees the swelling mountain has reached the ceiling and with nowhere else to go, it was about to spill itself down upon him. Turning back  Harry leaps. He plummets, feet first, soaring through the air, then crashes down on the swelling treasure. The sword and cup fly free.

“The cup!” Ron exclaimed.

Harry dives into the scalding treasure, hand outstretched, and catches it. Instantly, dozens of Hufflepuff Cups burst from his fist, but he holds tight to the original, grimacing in pain. 

“In here!” Hermione holds her beaded bag before Harry and he jams it inside. 

As they turn for the door, they stop. Griphook holds the sword, the real sword, in his hands, turning the blade in the light. 

“We have a deal, Griphook,” Harry spoke as Griphook looks up. A kind of madness burns in his eyes. 

The Goblin sneered, “I said I’d get you in. I never said anything about getting you out.” Pivoting swiftly, he slams Bogrod’s hand to the door and as it melts.

You, Harry, Ron and Hermione ride an avalanche of silver and gold into the outer chamber.  As you four find your feet, the dragon roars and spits fire, illuminating the tunnel. Shadows approach, stretching over the tunnel walls, it was the Gringotts goblins and guards. 

Harry screamed, “Griphook! Griphook!” 

But, Griphook merely looks back, grins madly and, sword in hand, rushes to join the approaching throng, “Thieves! Help! Thieves!”

“Foul little git. Least we’ve got Bogrod,” Ron tried to be positive however the dragon spits again, reducing Bogrod to dust, “That’s unfortunate.”

“You had to speak so soon?” You asked sarcastically as Ron gives you strained smile.

‘Stupefy!’ Harry bellowed.

Ron, you and Hermione joined in: jets of red light flew into the crowd of goblins and some toppled over, but others advanced, and Harry saw several wizard guards running around the corner. 

The tethered dragon let out a roar, and a gush of flame flew over the goblins: the wizards fled, doubled-up, back the way they had come, and inspiration, or madness, came to Harry. Pointing his wand at the thick cuffs chaining the beast to the floor he yelled, ‘Relashio!’ The cuffs broke open with loud bangs. 

“This way!” Harry yelled, and still shooting Stunning Spells at the advancing goblins he sprinted towards the blind dragon. 

“Harry – Harry – what are you doing?” cried Hermione.

“Get up, climb up, come on –”

The dragon had not realised that it was free: Harry’s foot found the crook of its hind leg and he pulled himself up on to its back. The scales were hard as steel: it did not even seem to feel him. He stretched out an arm; Hermione hoisted herself up; Ron climbed on behind them, and then lastly you with a second later the dragon became aware that it was untethered.

“This is one mad idea, Harry,” You exclaimed at him, throwing another spell towards the guards below as he smiles devilishly handsome towards you as you scoffed, “This is not the time for charms, Harry!”

You all huddle together as everyone starts to prepare to return to Hogsmeade, you stood in front of the three of them, pointing your wand as it lets out hot arm - drying themselves from the cold water in the lake. You had seemed to dry off quicker than them. Hermione gets changed, placing a spell upon the blanket to stop you, three boys, from looking.

You get changed, not wanting to get sick from the wet clothes. You had lost your bag when you were getting chased by the snatchers months ago, but luckily, Hermione had transferred your important books in her bag. You were too oblivious to think that carrying a backpack was survive the whole journey. 

May was awfully warmer than usual as you tied your boots up again and shoving your wand in them. Harry turned to look at Ron who was just sporting a think jacket, Hermione had a denim jacket as well as a zip-up hoodie underneath. He turns to look at you, sporting a teal slightly bigger sweatshirt tucked into your jeans in the front. He could see a white short turtleneck underneath to give you some warmth. 

“Hogwarts then,” You hummed to Harry, who nods meekly, “I wonder what it’s like under Snape’s rule.”

“Probably bloody horrible,” Ron exclaims as Hermione fixes his hair, you smile to yourself as Hermione looked at you with eyes telling you to shut up.

“I’m vocalising this now,” You say to your boyfriend who looked unphased to the fact that you will exclaim about how dangerous something is - years of hearing you blabber on about it, “I just hope we don’t die.”

Harry sighs, leaning his head against your shoulder, “So do I.”

Tagged

@carefulthatsharassment-sir​​ @lanlanlan020202​ @hanniejji​ @dumbssbtch​ @lea-the-foxe​ @stan-joonies​ @littertortilla @purpleshusbandd​ @svnfiwer

[theowriteswhatever]

Zuko Story With No Title Part 5

Hey guys! I really appreciate all your support for this story and hope I don’t disappoint those of you who are enjoying it. Thanks for reading!

-Your pal, Bubbles

I was all alone in the deep tunnels of the forgotten crystal catacombs and was extremely bored. I had tried every way to Sunday to find a way out and nothing was working. I wished more than ever that I was an earthbender, but I knew that wishing would change nothing. 

I would starve down here if nothing changed soon. My friends were spread all across the planet and I couldn’t just summon them unfortunately. 

I began to lose hope and sat down on the one rock I found that wasn’t covered in glowing blue crystals. I pulled my legs up to my chest and put my head down on my crossed arms.

I imagined the worst and couldn’t get it out of my head. I would die, my friends would lose to Azula, Ba Sing Se would fall, and the world would soon follow. Like a stupid pathetic domino. A weak domino compared with the strongest tap. And all because I was too stupid to realize what was really happening. I really couldn’t see how convenient it was that 3 Kyoshi Warriors came to protect us right now? I felt like an idiot. A soon-to-be-dead, end-of-the-world-causing, gullible idiot. 

Suddenly, a tunnel opened from above me and Zuko came tumbling down. He crashed to the floor and quickly sat up.

“You can’t treat me like this! I’m the prince!” He yelled at the Dai Li traitors. 

“Yeah, we know.” One yelled back before he slammed the tunnel closed once again. Zuko groaned in annoyance and pounded his fists into the dirt ground once just for good measure.

“Are you ok?” I asked in almost a whisper. I knew I was probably one of the last people he wanted to see right now, but it would be impolite to just stare. 

“Of course you’re here.” He muttered before pulling himself up and walking away. I stood up and chased him, because he was the only other person I had seen in a couple days and I truly wanted to make amends.  I grabbed his wrist and turned him around to face me. He finally saw the mark that Azula gave me and for a second, just one, he looked at me with pity. But he quickly changed it back to his regular scowl.

“I know you’re mad and you have every right to be, but if you would just listen-” I started, before being ironically interrupted.

“I don’t want to listen to you.” He seethed before turning to walk away again. I walked around him to stop him once again. I needed him to forgive me. To understand why I did what I did. I couldn’t die with him hating my guts. 

“You don’t have anything else to do down here, so you might as well.” He sighed and made a gesture with his hand to go ahead. I cracked a small smile at him and I could tell he was retraining himself from returning it.

“When I came into the slums looking like that, my intent was not to find you. But when I did, I stopped and decided to give it a shot. I truly believed that you deserved a second chance and someone to talk to. It’s obvious that you don’t have many people to open up to, other than your Uncle, and I just wanted to help.” 

“Why should I believe you?” 

“If I didn’t want to help, then I would have told everyone you were in town and would have gotten you arrested. But I didn’t. I never said a word to anyone and even risked getting in trouble to go see you. I care about you Zuko. You mean alot to me.” 

He looked at me and I finally saw his small smile return. I didn’t realize how much I missed that tiny smirk until I finally got it back. It was practically a cryptid. Rare, but the most amazing beautiful thing when you finally got to see it. 

But I didn’t just miss his smile, I missed him. I missed talking to him and sharing tea with him and laughing with him and simply existing with him. Everything seemed good again and I knew this was probably a bad thing, but I didn’t stop myself. I didn’t want to.

I hadn’t even noticed that he had bent down to kiss me until he pulled away. It was too late to kiss back, but not too late to kiss him again.

“Did I do something wrong?” He asked quietly. I shook my head and he smiled once again.

I leaned up and kissed him again before he smoothly wrapped his arm around my waist. I could tell he was smiling and I couldn’t help but do it too. 

He finally took his lips away, but continued to lean his forehead against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and just stood there to look at his amber eyes as he looked at mine. His smile grew the widest I have ever seen and I giggled at how happy he is. 

“What is it?” He asked with a hint of fear and sadness.

“Nothing. I’ve just never seen you so happy.” 

“Don’t get used to it.” He sassed. I laughed again and he laughed a little too. We went back to silence when we heard footsteps approaching from around the corner and quickly let go of each other. 

Katara, Aang, and Iroh rounded the corner and smiles automatically grew on their faces. Katara and Aang ran towards me and wrapped me in a large bear hug. I wrapped my arms around them, but watched over Katara’s shoulder as Iroh wrapped Zuko in an identically large hug. 

We smiled at each other during our separate hugs but then quickly looked away when they pulled back.

“What happened to your face?” Aang asked. “And your arm.” Katara added as she grabbed my wrist to get a closer look. I hissed a little at the pain and Katara quickly let go. “Sorry.”

“It’s ok.” I said as I cradled my arm once again. “It was Azula.”

“She burned you?” Zuko and Katara angrily asked simultaneously. They exchanged a look of disgust before looking back at me. 

“Just a little.” I squeamishly answered. 

“Why?” Aang asked while coming closer to my face and inspecting it.

“I spit in her face.” 

Katara and Aang laughed and Zuko smiled. Even Iroh looked a little pleased at my answer. I guess even if we were “enemies” we could bond over our mutual hatred for that psycho.

“We need to get out of here.” Iroh announced. “It won’t be long before Azula and the Dai Li find out that we came to rescue you two.” 

We all nodded and let out murmurs of agreement before Iroh gestured for us to follow him. He led us through several little catacombs of beautiful blue crystals before we came to an opening with a beautiful waterfall on the other side. It must be the way out through here. We began to run through the clearing with Iroh close behind, before we were rudely interrupted.

“Going so soon? You’ll miss the fun part if you leave now.” That iconically evil conniving voice said from behind us. We turned around to be met with the evil witch herself along with her two henchmen. 

She gave us her signature evil smirk before turning to Zuko.

“Zuzu, don’t tell me you’re going with them. You know father would never even consider restoring your honor if you leave now.” Zuko gulped in thought, but only for a second before crystals shot up around Iroh trapping him in place. The Dail Li approached from the shadows and surrounded us.

“If you come with me, you’ll have all the love and honor you’ve ever wanted. You will be the prince once again and you will be glorified like the rest of us. Come back with us Zuko and live like a king.”

“Don’t do it Zuko.” Iroh warned.

Aang and Katara had made their way to the waterfall to escape, but I stood there and watched it go down. I wouldn't risk losing Zuko. Not when I just got him back.

“Zuko-” I began before a dome of earth was suddenly formed around me, trapping me in an air-tight chamber. “Zuko! Don’t do it!” I yelled, but I knew it was in vain. There was no way he could hear me. I couldn’t hear them. Just faint murmurs and possibly footsteps. 

I sat there in silence for who knows how long before the dome was gone. I was face to face with Zuko, but no longer with love in his eyes. He had only one thought on his mind and that was himself. Him and his stupid honor. 

He shot fire at me and I quickly dodged. I pulled water from the nearby lakes and extinguished everything he threw at me. I wouldn’t hurt him. But I wouldn’t let him hurt me either. He had already done that enough.

“Zuko, what are you doing?” I yelled as he continued to throw flames towards me. It was like he was a different person. Maybe 20 minutes ago his lips were on mine and we were smiling and happy. And now he was trying to kill me. 

Suddenly, a large flash of light spread through the room and I heard Katara scream. I looked to my right and Aang was lying on the ground lifeless. I had looked too long and Zuko pinned me to the ground. I knew he could kill me right then and there, but instead he just kept staring with flames swimming around in his hand. 

I mouthed the words “I’m sorry” before conjuring water from the lake and wrapping it around his waist. I threw him across the room into the wall before running over to Katara who was crying over Aang’s corpse. 

“Get out of here. I’ll hold them off!” Iroh yelled as he broke through from the crystals. He began to fight, but neither of us cared or paid attention. Katara picked Aang up and I used the water of the waterfall to fly us out. 

We made it to Appa after what felt like years and Sokka quickly climbed off in panic mode. Katara and I ignored him as we got Aang on to Appa and climbed on ourselves. Sokka climbed back on and continued to panic even as we flew away.

Katara took out her water tribe healing water and spread it across Aang’s back and held it there. He eventually woke up, but immediately passed out again after a few seconds. But that was all the reassurance we needed to know there was a chance he was alive. 

We flew over the burning and dying Ba Sing Se and I heard Sokka mutter something, but I didn’t care to listen. 

I watched the town as we flew away, knowing somewhere in there Zuko, the person that I thought I loved only an hour before, was acting like his same villainous self. I wanted to believe he was just confused and scared, but he made his choice.

I just didn’t expect it to hurt this much.

@vintageroses1014516 @rintheemolion @shephard17895 @aphrodites-perfume

[forsakentoast]

Wildflower

chapter 8

As Time caught up with the rest of the group, he saw them all crowding around a figure. He swears to Hylia that Wild would get a good stern talking to. Maybe he will even ask Mido if he has some rope to tie the child with. As he got closer, he realized that the figure was none other than Legend, a bit worse for wear. 

“Wild’s not with you?” Time asked.

“Does it look like he’s with me?” Legend almost growled out. “Little bastard pulled a fast one on me. When we find him, I’m going to tie him to me and drag him back home.”

“But it seemed as if you got in a scuffle or something,” noted Wind.

Legend crossed his arms, “I saw him run into this log and I realized that it was the lost woods. They weren’t like mine, mist-filled, so I thought it would be easier to track him down. I just kept on getting spat out to this entrance. I was going to ask this Kokiri as she didn’t seem off-put by my presence. But she would just giggle and say something about becoming a stalfos. I just went on to look for him. But again, I would wind up here.”

“Where were the other Kokiri?” asked Sky, “Weren’t they with you both?”

“Yeah, until this small moron ran into the woods and they pursued. Pretty quick on their feet as well.”

“But you said something about stalfos, there are stalfos there?!” asked Four in alarm. “Wild is weaponless and I don’t know about the others. Surely he would have been spat out here by now.”

Before Legend could answer, Time replied for him. “Those that are not of Kokiri origin, they get turned into stalfos. Taking into account of your many attempts and the fact that the other Kokiri and Wild are not back out yet, it must mean that they are together venturing forth. There is no need to fear for our dear problem child to be turned into a stalfos. We must go in and find him quick before he does something reckless.”

As they all stepped inside, music filled all their ears. 

“Man, no wonder you couldn’t get through, Legend.” noted Hyrule. 

“It isn’t hard,” Time filled in, “Our companion just rushed head first into this. Just listen.”

As all the music of the forest enveloped them once more, Warriors took notice. “There is an area that sounds just a bit louder than the rest of the entrances.”

“Nicely pointed out, Captain,” complimented Time. “Follow the music that plays the loudest.”

As they turned into the entrance, a blonde Kokiri was standing amongst the other Kokiri, telling what appeared to be stories of old. She took pause as she noticed the presence of the others. Her eyes landed on Legend and then on to Time. “So you didn’t turn into a stalfos after all,” she giggled to herself. 

“You!” stormed up Legend from behind the group. “Where is the child?” he demanded. Before he could demand once more, Time put a hand on his shoulder. 

“Nice to see you as well, Fado,” Time greeted with a small smile. “We seemed to have lost my dear nephew. Have you seen him?”

Fado just giggled a bit more before answering. “He was here, yes. Wanted to further explore the woods. The children wanted to stay here.”

“And you didn’t stop him?!” Legend was close to losing it. Another hand was placed on his shoulder once more. Take deep breaths Legend, Wild is okay. Wild is okay. She is not to blame and neither am I. Wild is okay.

“He could be turned into a stalfos and we warned him of the tales, but, the boy seemed to know where to go.” she continued.

“We couldn’t stop him,” the young Kokiri said, “said he was drawn by something within the forest. But he is okay. He listened closely.” And with that, he turned his attention back to Fado who continued with her tales. 

With the group walking towards the other entrances, there they listened closer once more. Their ears became their guide and their feet followed the sounds of music within the forest. Finally, a light was seen at the end of the tunnel as it led to a meadow clearing. Music filled the air as Time smiled to himself. “We are close to the source.”

Narrow twists and turns were taken and groans resounded as Time told them that they had to swim in the water to “purify” themselves in order to proceed to the temple up ahead. Of course, it was a joke as they could have climbed the walls, but who has time for that? Besides, Time was sure Wild had gone in the water himself.

The music became louder, but only this time, a child’s laughter was accompanying the song. Suddenly, it stopped as a new voice chimed in. “Link?”

Time would be lying to himself if he said he didn’t get emotional. Here was Saria, young as always, talking with him once again. Oh, Din, did he realize he missed her more than he realized. Time composed himself before speaking, afraid that his emotions would leak through. “I am still able to find you without fail.”

“Your friend also managed to find me as well.” Saria pointed out to the child who was too busy chasing the fairy around to notice.

Time heard a collective sigh of relief as they saw Wild. Legend threw his pride aside as he put his hand to his heart, form slumped and relief strongly evident in his face. “Oi, brat!”

Turning, Wild gave the biggest grin and waved to the others as they fairy he was chasing bonked his head to continue. As the others began to relax at seeing the problem child all well, eyes soon began to marvel at the massive temple up ahead. Curiosity itched at the majority of them to explore within. 

“Can we-”

“There is nothing there though.” Time said.

“We figured,” Wind said. “But can we see, please? I don’t think we will be leaving any time soon.”

Time relented and just nodded his head. He watched the others fish out their hook shots to gain entrance, while Legend and Twilight took refuge by the base of a tree and watched Wild continue to chase the fairy around. 

“I see they are just as curious as you were.”

“That’s where you are wrong.” Time responded.

“I’m never wrong about anything.” Saria ran her fingers on her ocarina. 

“The goddesses above know that you are actually wrong in that fact.” Time simply said.

“Oh, really? As far as I recall, I know that I am never wrong.” She continued to refute her claim.

“Remember that one time when you said there were 503 leaves on the ground? It was actually 502 leaves. So that counts as wrong.”

“Oh, Hylia above… is that what you just remembered?” Saria laughed.

“And then there was the time where you got us both lost in the lost woods. We were returned to the entrance so many times, I lost count.” Time smiled a bit more.

“I only got us lost because you kept on running off. So that one was on you.” Saria mirrored Time’s smile.

“You said that you would always find me. But it was your fairy that would seek me out. You and I both know that. The way your fairy would bonk my head to Mido’s words was always funny. I couldn’t take his reprimands seriously.”

Both of them shared a laugh at the memory of Saria’s fairy “angrily” bonking Link’s head with each of Mido’s words as Saria would reprimand her fairy and defend Link against Mido. 

“I missed these laughs, Link. The two of us had such great memories. But I sense fate has something in store for you.”

Both Saria and Time turned to see Wild giggling as he almost caught the fairy. The boy jumped and ran as he attempted yet again to pursue and capture his target. Actions never relenting despite the constant miss of his target.

“I see he is wearing your Kokiri outfit." She said with nostalgia.

"Uh yeah. My wife remembered about it and decided he should wear it."

"He is just like you, Link. The same inquisitive spirit you had when you were young, he also has it.” Saria asked. “I can see the relation between the two of you.”

“He isn’t my son.” 

“I know.”

“He’s my nephew. So I guess that’s why you can see the resemblance.”

Saria smiled and she took one look at the wild child and then looked back at Time. “You are not the best liar, Link. But I digress. Regardless, something tells me that there is more to it than meets the eye. In your group, there are similarities, yes, but there is a bond that transcends all.” 

“A bond, huh. Well, you aren’t too far off.”

"You know… I come here because I feel the spirits call out to me. They used to be in torment and turmoil. But it vanished one day. I guess you had something to do with that." Saria gingerly placed her hand on Time's own. "I play for the spirits and they are glad. They sometimes tell me of things I do not understand. Such as the turmoil you all feel. The torment. The child is no exception."

Time could only look down.

"You do not have to explain yourself.” Saria tightened her grip once more. “Fate and destiny are confusing pathways, but just know that I am here for you, Link. We all are here for you."

"I really missed you, guys." Time felt his eye water slightly. 

From there, Saria rubbed Time’s arm in a soothing manner. Conversation abruptly changed and the two began conversing on what life has given them so far. Laughter and faint echoes filled the small clearing as two friends continued conversating. As the sun began to set, Saria noticed it was her time to get going, as well as Time. 

“Must time go quickly when you are having fun?” Time asked.

“The sun sets and the day must come to a close. Tomorrow will be another day, but I fear I will not see you. Fate calls you to do something, does it not?” Saria said. Time just stood there, staring at her. "You always know where to find me. Just come and visit whenever.” She said with a gentle smile. “You know what to do. It was wonderful to see you again, Link. Send Malon my greetings." 

Time just nodded as a smile found its way to his features. He stared off after Saria as she walked away and just like that, she disappeared. He felt a warmth crawl over his chest. “It was nice to see you as well, dear friend.” Time turned to hearing Wild's groan.

"I was so close to catching Melinoe!"

"Melinoe?" Questioned Twilight.

"Yeah! That's the fairy's name. You can't just play with someone and not know their name. Duh. Oh! Here!" Wild responded as he fished around his pockets. "My clothes started to feel right with these on." He handed the bands to Legend. 

"Tight?" Questioned Legend.

"The waters of the forest replenish the Kokiri clothing. The clothing now fit him perfectly." Time said as he came to them from behind.

A gasp was heard as the three turned to Wild who ran to a bush and took out a bundle of rupees. "I found these at the bottom of the pond thingy! I fished them out because I wanna get a wooden shield. Kayla and Gale said they have it. Can I please buy it?"

Wild pleaded with his eyes as Twilight counted the rupees. There was only 5 rupees, not even enough for a bomb. "I don't know Wild…"

"Please? I have been good!"

Legend choked on himself. "Good? Good?! Wild, you nearly gave me a damn heart attack when I couldn't find you. You just ran off!"

Wild's head visibly dropped. "I'm sorry. I just felt like something pulled me here."

"So is that how you found your way to this place?" Time asked.

Wild nodded. "And also Saria's song. She was taken aback by me. She called me Link, even though I didn't tell her my name. But I guess it's a given. Said she is reminded of you. She was real nice. Told me that the spirits say I am full of sad. But then she played that neat song and her fairy played with me. I felt happy."

Time just looked at the child. It was what Saria also told him. He reached his hand and patted Wild on the head. "No need to be sad, Wild. Chin up. You got some rupees. We can go buy you that shield."

Wild's eyes grew big and shined with excitement as he pumped his arms up as a sign of victory.

“The others are still within that temple. Want me to call them?” Twilight asked as he dusted himself off.

“No need. We can just whistle to them. Sound carries pretty good in there.” Time said as he was about to call out. 

“Oh! Oh! I can whistle to them!” Wild excitedly exclaimed. Small hands went to his face as he took a deep breath and blew as hard as he could. Nothing but raspberry sounds came out. Wild attempted twice more before Legend put a hand on the boy’s head. Wild crossed his arms in frustration as Time’s whistle rang out through the small clearing. Six other heroes, all covered in different degrees of dirt and grime came down and met up. 

"Seems like you guys had fun," Legend stated.

"We did!" Answered Hyrule. "Despite a lot of things sealed off, we found some unopened chests containing rupees!"

Soon after, each hero that was within the temple shared their experiences as they walked back to the entrance of the Lost Woods.

Back at Kokiri forest, the others patiently waited outside as Time and Wild went to buy a wooden shield. Coming out of the shop, Wild graciously showed off his shield to the others as he showed off some moves he would normally do with his own shield. When he slung it on his back, the strap was a bit too long for him. Hyrule conveniently found some old rope within the temple and Legend took it, tying it around the strap. When Wild saw the rest leading to Legend’s hand, he was about to throw a fit when Twilight flashed him a look. 

“It’s either with the strap or we can tie it around you. Your choice.”

“You guys ruin everything. But fine.” Wild crossed his arms. “Just keep it on the strap.”

As they all exited out of the forest, a breeze carried whispers of goodbyes to young ears as Wild turned around and shouted his goodbye in return. Wild ran ahead of the group to lead, only to remember the rope tied to him pulling him back, shield breaking his fall.

He tried to throw a dirty look at anyone who laughed at him. His mind supplied that it served as punishment for him running off. But he was grateful that it was tied to his shield rather than on him. But he will get them back. Just they wait.

------

“What happened to have him be so grumpy?” Malon asked.

“He ran off. How else would we keep an eye on him? You know what happens to those who wander the forest.” Time rubbed his temples as he tried to explain. When they reached the ranch, Wild put on a show that made Malon almost take his side until she heard what had happened. Of course, Wild didn’t get off without repercussions as he was sent to a corner to think about his choices.

Malon laughed. The same grumpy face Wild sported, the same face Time had when he was young and it still applies to today. “I understand, dear. I thank the goddesses that they watched out for him. He seems to have your inquisitive nature after all.”

Time remained silent. 

“Are you okay?”

“Saria sent her greetings.” Time said as he finally looked at his wife.

“Come out with me. I know something is on your mind.” As Malon took her husband’s hand, she guided him down to the living room as lively chatter filled the area. “Wild, honey, I think you had enough now. What do you have to say?”

Sighing, Wild looked at the rest of the group. “I’m sorry for running off. Even though the spirits called-”

“Wild...” Malon slightly reprimanded. 

“I’m sorry for running off. I will ask before I run.” he finished.

“Close enough. Now run along. We will be outside if you need us.”

And with that, Wild ran off to Hyrule, dragging him to where his shield was so he could show it off to him and possibly shield surf with it.

As Malon led Time from the home, they walked out to the center of the track. Epona was grazing nearby, snorting as she acknowledged their presence. Malon took her spot on a nice patch of grass, Time followed suit.

“You always manage to read me.”

“Link...” Malon gripped his hand in her own. 

The warmth he felt was just like Saria’s. Tender love flowed through. “I saw her again. It had been so long since then. I wish we could have spoken more, but before I knew it, the day had gone just like that. Time really does pass by.” 

“I’m sure that isn’t all. But I won’t press you. You always know that you can take however long you’d like. Until you are ready.”

The night was enveloped in silence, with a couple noises here and there. Malon placed her hand on her husband’s arm. She rubbed up and down in a soothing gesture as Time twirled a piece of grass between his fingers. It’s not that he didn’t trust Malon with whatever plagued his mind. He was just trying to make sense on what Saria could have meant. Would the spirits of the forest tell her of the hero’s bond? The spirit that bound them all together? Could it have possibly meant a familial bond? But then she would have mentioned Twilight. So much was going on in his mind that he barely registered what Malon had said. He only realized she said something as she was staring right at him.

“You know what you need? A dance,” she said once more as she stood up and extended her hand to him. 

Time immediately took Malon up on her offer as he grabbed ahold of her hand to hoist himself up. He patted himself from the grass and dust that clung to him and took his wife’s hand in his own once more. “How long has it been since we had a dance?” Time hummed. 

“A formal dance? It has been a while.” Malon responded. “But a dance such as this? Since you returned back to me with the others.”

“So almost six months ago then? My, my… such a while then. I do believe I owe my wife an overdue dance,”  Time said as he guided his hands to the small of her back. 

Malon did the same as she put her hands on his shoulders, relaxed and eyes on just her husband. The two just swayed under the stars, music drifting within their minds as just the sounds of the farm went about. As they swayed and spun, Malon sighed. “Still more handsome than the king of Hyrule.”

“And you, still as beautiful as the queen.... Even more lovely.” Time added.

Both stopped in their swaying as they snorted with laughter. 

“Still gets me everytime you say that,” Malon laughed as she covered her face.

Time just smiled as he stared at her. “So cheesy to say, but got to admit, it is a pretty good confession.”

Lightly socking his arm, Malon still laughed, “You don’t mean that, Mr. Grumpy.”

“Maybe or maybe not. Who knows. I know you don’t.”

That just earned him a scoff. And then silence once more. 

“My love, thank you. I know you needed it, but I just realized how much I needed it as well.” Malon just put her hand on Time’s face, who in turn, leaned into it. 

“I should be the one to thank you. But I guess we both needed this. I missed you so much. For six months to have gone by like that,” Time snapped his fingers, “It feels so surreal.” Clutching Malon’s hand in his and pressing it even further in, Time just stared at his wife’s eyes. There was so much love in them. Just the way the light of the moon hit them, making them shine, it was moments like these that Time knew why he deeply loved his wife.

Malon stared at Time. He held so much love, she doesn’t think he and the others realized how much of a sap he is. Having her husband near her once more was just a blessing in its own. “I missed these moments. For all the days you were gone, I would constantly be vigilant for your return. I feel selfish in the way that I want to keep you here with me.”

Time pressed his forehead to her’s, “I’m afraid. It could be days, weeks, or even months before we get warped out or come across a portal. But know that with every day, every minute, and every hour that I am here with you, I never take for granted.”

“And I want you to know that with every day, every hour, minute, and second that you’re gone, I wait for your return anxiously. Like a lovesick woman waiting for her husband to return from the war.”

Time lost it at that. Laughter bubbled from his chest as he accidently butted heads with his wife. “Oh goddesses… we really are sappy. Are we not?”

“Yeah, you are!” came a small voice from a hay mound.

“Wild! You gave us away!” Hyrule said as he pulled the child deep within the hay. “Sorry!” Hyrule apologized on behalf of himself and Wild as said child ran alongside Hyrule into the house, hand covering his mouth.

“Well… there goes that.” Time said unamused.

“He did answer your question, dear.” Malon giggled as Time gave her a deadpan look. “But I do not mind the sappy from you, Mr. Grumpy. Reminds me that you aren’t just stoic and angry.”

Time just closed his eyes before he grasped for his wife, bringing her in close. “I guess it applies to you as well. You aren’t just all tough as bricks, Mrs. Ranch-hand.”

“Oh stop,” she playfully hit his chest. “You know… I cannot tell you how much I am so excited to know that we have someone related to us. It just boggles my mind! But it also gives me hope for our future. We have something to claim for ourselves in descendancy. I wonder how our family tree would be like. Would there be any redheads? Any that look like you? Anyone who would know the tales of the Hero of Time and the Hero of Twilight?”

As Malon continued on, Time’s mind went back to the thing Saria said. A bond that transcends all. Huh… she didn’t seem to be too off. But was there a possibility that his descendancy extended further and included more than just Twilight? As the warm atmosphere of the home welcomed both him and Malon, Time didn’t have a second to spare that growing thought as the others welcomed them back for dinner.

[chemiste]

The Faint Headed and Light Hearted ~ one-shot ~

a/n: yo girl is back with another one shot, i had this idea swirling around in my head after watching one of the many harry styles youtube tour edits and just.. decided to roll with it! love you guys <3

mah masterlist

You don’t how, but some way, after all the double shifts you pulled, you were able to buy a pit ticket to see Harry fuckin Styles perform on his tour. 

His songs had been your savior these past months, moving to LA to start fresh since college wasn’t quite cutting it for you. Thankfully, a friend of yours knew someone that was leaving for Tokyo and wanted to rent out their apartment, you jumped at the chance and even got a friend discount on the rent. 

You’d found a job at a book store in Beverly Hills that paid well since they only hired ‘the best’ and had been working there for a few months. 

Now the day was finally here, Harry was in LA for his tour and you were going to see him LIVE, ON STAGE, IN PERSON.

“You’re so lucky Y/N, make sure to tell me all about it, Eric is here so I gotta go,” your friend Melanie said through the phone. 

You were deciding what to wear to the concert, not knowing if you should do with a blue top or pink. 

“Alright, don’t break the bed frame again! I know the old couple below you almost had a heart attack last time Eric and you had a ‘sleepover’.”

“Shut up, at least this girl is getting it tonight!” 

“Hey, I’m sure I’m getting it a whole different way,” you quipped back. 

You hung up after you said your goodbyes and ultimately decided to go with the pink one that said babygirl. You pulled on your ripped black jeans and boots. While tying the laces, you felt your tummy rumble.

Oh shit, I forgot to eat lunch today and I don’t have time to grab dinner.

While debating what to do about food, you took the ticket that had been mailed in as well as a fifty-dollar bill and shoved them into your bra. (The only for sure way nobody would be stealing it tonight.

I’ll just grab something at the auditorium before I go in.

Glancing at the clock on your wall you jumped up, seeing you were late. Quickly, you locked your apartment and slid the key into the wooden frame on the outside of the door so you wouldn’t have to take it. Then you attached your phone with the chain-link your friend had gotten you for your birthday to your jeans so you wouldn’t lose it.

Once you made it outside, you hailed for a taxi and slipped in.

“To the Forum please.”

                                                            ..............…

It was packed.

You’d arrived just in time and were able to give through the security checkpoint, thankfully you’d gone to the bathroom beforehand so all you need to go was get through the crowd. 

Fans were excitedly chattering about the last performance of his tour, it would definitely be one to remember. The line to buy merch seemed to wrap around the whole building, the electricity in the room was amazing and pumped your adrenaline. 

You found the big hall that led farther down into the arena and after showing a few people your ticket, you made it to the pit. 

With some quick maneuvering and a few shoulder bumps, you were able to get to the front of the stage.

“Oh my god, oh my god I'm so excited!” 

A girl with purple hair next to you squealed. You glanced and noticed her other friend as bright orange hair and a headband with two stars wiggling around on top. 

The purple girl turned to you, grinning with her whole face. 

“I’m Piper and this is Timmy! Aren’t you just psyched to be here!?” 

You laughed at her enthusiasm, “Yeah, I’m really really pumped for the show! I had to earn up for this ticket so I pushed through to get to the front of the crowd.” 

The other two nodded eagerly, “We did the same, though, Timmy almost dropped his hotdog but it was fine and he’s eaten it now so no worries about having mustard all over my shirt.”

Crap, you forgot to eat and drink some water before leaving the apartment! 

You were debating on whether or not you could trudge through the crowd again when screams filled the room. Kacey Musgraves made her way out onto the stage so you just decided to tough it out,

I’ll be fine, psh it’s not like I didn’t go without water of eating for a day while cramming to finish and assignment in college.

                                                                         ..............…

“Thank you, everyone and good night!” 

Kacey had been fantastic, your new-found friends and you had jammed to your heart's content during her performance and were high off the feeling, you were a bit light-headed from all the movement and it made you feel like you were floating on top of clouds.

When the cube dropped on the screen, people flipped shit. You bounced along with Timmy and Piper, ready to have the best time of your life.

Then there he was.

Harry Styles.

Immediately he went into Only Angel, enrapturing the crowd with his angelic voice. He danced and wiggled around the stage, getting into the groove of the show. Once the song ended, he lifted his hand to the sky and waved hello.

“California how ‘re we doin’?!”

Screams filled the room and answered him back with excitement. He chuckled and swung the mic cord over his shoulder. 

“Now, this is ma’ last show on the tour.” Awww and boos were heard as he nodded with them, “But I’m glad you’re here with me for it! Let’s hit it!”

He jumped into Woman, then broke your heart with Ever Since New York and Two Ghosts. As the notes finished up on Two Ghosts, he took a moment to get some water and walked along the edge of the stage peering into the crowd. 

“He’s so close to us!!!” 

Timmy yelled, making the stars bounce on his head.

Harry was currently having a conversation with someone a few people to the right of you. 

As he walked by to get back to the mic stand, you could’ve sworn you’d just made eye contact with him.

I must be just a little dehydrated that’s all.

The beats for Carolina started and you grabbed Piper by the arm, “This is one of my favorites!” “Mine too!” She replied, shaking her hands in the air.

She's got a family in Carolina

So far away, but she says I remind her of home

Feeling oh so far from home

She never saw herself as a west coaster

Moved all the way 'cause her grandma told her

"Townes, better swim before you drown"

You closed your eyes and swayed with his singing, it was euphoric. 

But, when you opened your eyes, Harry’s were staring right back at you.

She's a good girl

She's such a good girl

She's a good girl

She feels so good

You both kept eye contact for the verse, you smiled and danced along with it, watching as a smirk grew on his face while he sang. He looked back out into the crowd for the next few parts.

She's got a book for every situation

Gets into parties without invitations

How could you ever turn her down?

There's not a drink that I think could sink her

How would I tell her that she's all I think about?

Well, I guess she just found out

She's a good girl

She's such a good girl

She's a good girl

She feels so good

She feels so good

I met her once and wrote a song about her

I wanna scream, yeah

I wanna shout it out

And I hope she hears me now

You sang with Piper, twirling your spot. Unbeknownst to you is that while you and Piper serenading each other, someone was watching you ever so subtly.

La la la la la la la la la la la

La la la la la la la la la la la

La la la la la la la la la la la

La la la la la la la la la la la

She's a good girl

She's such a good girl

She's a good girl

Feels so good

She feels so good

She feels so good

She feels so good

Oh she's a good girl

She feels so good (woo)

                                                                      .................

The rest of the night is fantastic, there were only two songs left and you felt like you were on cloud 9. But when Harry started to sing The Chain, and it’s like the drums were ringing in your ears all of a sudden.

You stumbled a bit and started to see a couple spots in your vision but easily shook them away.

The rockstar cleared his voice, “Alright’, it’s the las’ song, yeh ready?” 

Fans responded back by screaming their heads off and Kiwi started. 

The first time he sings it, he’s running through the crowd along the aisle, jamming with everyone else. 

The second time he sings it again, he’s a bit out of breath but very happy nonetheless. 

When he finally makes it back to the stage, sweat dripping off his brow and a very drenched shirt, people are expecting the performance to be over.

But then, with a cheeky smile, he says, “One more time!”

She worked her way through a cheap pack of cigarettes

Hard liquor mixed with a bit of intellect

And all the boys, they were saying they were into it

Such a pretty face, on a pretty neck

She's driving me crazy, but I'm into it, but I'm into it

I'm kind of into it

It's getting crazy, I think I'm losing it, I think I'm losing it

The man on stage surprisingly turns to look at you again. Piper starts freaking out, assuming he’s looking at her, but you can tell it’s you. 

He’s looking at you. 

You start to feel a bit warm in the crowd.

Everyone is warm, it’s fine, I’m fine.

But you can tell you’re not doing so well.

Oh, I think she said "I'm having your baby, it's none of your business"

"I'm having your baby, it's none of your business" (it's none of your, it' none of your)

"I'm having your baby, it's none of your business"

"I'm having your baby, it's none of your, it's none of your”

It's New York, baby, always jacked up

Holland Tunnel for a nose, it's always backed up

When she's alone, she goes home to a cactus

In a black dress, she's such an actress

The problem is, you’re a stubborn person so you decide at that moment to just go ham during the last part of the song, and then deal with your problem later. 

Harry is rolling hips to the song, throwing his head back ever so slightly to see if you’re watching and suffice to say you can’t take your eyes off him.

Driving me crazy, but I'm into it, but I'm into it

I'm kind of into it

It's getting crazy, I think I'm losing it, I think I'm losing it

Oh, I think she said "I'm having your baby, it's none of your business"

"I'm having your baby, it's none of your business" (it's none of your, it' none of your)

"I'm having your baby, it's none of your business"

"I'm having your baby, it's none of your, it's none of your”

“Babygirl, you havin fun?” 

He speaks quickly between the lyrics, as he walks over to your section of the crowd. It takes you a second to realize he’s addressing you by your shirt design.

“Hell ya!” You call back, and he grins.

She sits beside me like a silhouette

Hard candy dripping on me 'til my feet are wet

And now she's all over me, it's like I paid for it (cha-ching)

It's like I paid for it, I'm gonna pay for this

Right when the guitar solo starts, you can tell you’re fucked.

Your head is pounding from the loud vibrations and you start to lose your balance a bit.

It's none of your, it's none of your

"I'm having your baby, it's none of your business"

"I'm having your baby, it's none of your business”

“Y/N?! Are you alright?” A concerned Piper looks at you.

(It's none of your, none of your)

"I'm having your baby, it's none of your business”

“I-I don’t think so.”

"I'm having your baby, it's none of your business"

(It's none of your, none of your)

In the span of 10 seconds so many things happen. 

Right as Harry is finishing the ending of the lyrics, pumping his fist with the guitar riff right at the end, he makes eye contact with you. 

The lights are flashing too fast for your liking, the first two guitar strokes make you see black spots dance in your vision. 

Right as Mitch strums the 3rd one, your eyes snap up to Harry with a fearful look. 

During the four riff, he’s excitement turned slightly to confusion in response to the look he had received from you.

And then as the final 5th stroke happened, you felt your eyes roll back and dropped.

Piper screamed, but was drowned out by the other fans. Harry watched as you fainted, disappearing into the crowd, but before he could say anything, the lights were cut so the band members could hurry off stage.

He couldn’t just leave you.

In a flash, Harry dropped the mic and hopped off the stage, darting over to the fence line you had been standing at. 

Because it was still slightly dark, nobody noticed the singer jumping over the fence and pushing into the crowd where you had fallen.

“Y/N?! Oh my god, Y/N wake up!” 

He snapped his had to where he heard the crying.

Okay, I’ve got 30 seconds before the lights go up, I need to be fast.

He pushed through the sticky bodies until he found a small opening where you laid, along with two hair-color people crouching beside you. He moved over quickly and examined you, then moved to lift you up.

“Hey what are you doing?!” 

The purple hair girl screamed. 

Harry held you in his arms, Adeline pumping through his veins making it easier to hold you. He watched as your head lolled on his shoulder, seemly unaware of what was happening.

“ ’ve got t’ get her out of here befo’e the lights come up. Can yeh trust me?” 

Piper’s eyes widened as she realized who was standing in front of her. 

“Uh—yeah, go, go.” Harry nodded and turned around, basically hard shouldering people to get to the fence barrier.

“Hey Thomas!” 

He yelled to the security guard, the bouncer looked over and his eyes rose when he saw Harry and you in his arms.

“Grab her so I can get o’ver! Quick, befo’e the lights come up!”

Thomas did as instructed and Harry jumped over, then took you back into his arms, he climbed the stairs at the middle of the stage and rushing to the side stage right as the lights came up.

He let out a breath and started to jog back with you, “Hey! Someone get me a medic!”

A flurry of people came around him and you as he brought you into the backstage room where the other band members had been waiting for him.

Sarah’s eyes lit up in alarm as H came in with you. 

“Jesus Christ! What happened?!” 

She said as she cleared the long table for Harry to set you down on.

Medics swarmed your body and Harry took a step back, hands flying to his hair as he watched with concern and guilt. 

“She jus’, I—, I’d been lookin’ at her during some o’ the songs yeh know? And then I called her out during Kiwi—“ 

“This is babygirl?” 

Mitch interrupted, pointing to you on the table where the medics were taking your pulse and checking your head for an open wound. 

Harry nodded, “Yeah, Yeah, see er’ shirt? So— so I kept watchin’ her and then right at the end of our third Kiwi, she just looked up to me wit’ this terror in her eyes and then fainted! The lights went out immediately I knew she’d get run ov’r so I hopped off and got ‘er m’self.”

Jeff, Harry’s manager, bursted in through the door, “I heard Harry brought an unconscious fan backstage? What the fuck is happening?” 

Harry started to pace, wringing his hands together and pulling at his hair, Sarah watched him in concern and came over, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

“Hey, it's alright she’s gonna—“ 

“But she fainted! I feel like this is meh fault cause it was at mah concert y’know?! And—And, what is she’s not fine—“ 

“She is going to be fine, we’ve checked her over and no sign of a concussion, I think she’s dehydrated and could use something to eat but she’ll be alright.”

The medic interrupted, trying to save Harry from having a meltdown. 

The whole room let out a sigh of relief, as the medics trickled out, Harry pulled up a chair to sit down next to her. 

The other band members watched unsure if they should leave or not, Sarah eventually made the decision for everyone and came over to Harry. 

“Hey, we’re gonna load everything up, let us know if you need anything.” 

Harry nodded, not speaking as he rested his face on his hands that were propped up by his elbows on the side of the table.

The door closed shut and finally, Harry and you were alone.

Well— Harry was with your unconscious body alone, not to be creepy at all.

After a few minutes, you started to wake up, squinting your eyes from the bright overhead lights above you. Harry watched hopefully as you started to sit up, not yet noticing the disheveled rockstar next to you.

“What the fuck?”

“Are yeh okay?”

“AHH!”

You sprain off the table, not expecting a voice to be talking to you.

Not expecting, fucking Harry Styles, to be talking to you.

He got up from the chair, quickly catching you as your legs decided to give out from the sudden burst of energy. 

“Hey, be careful, yeh fainted.” 

The singer grabbed a fresh water bottle from the mini-fridge in the room, “Drink this.”

You took a couple sips, a puzzled confusion on your face as to you looked at the man before you who was intently watching your every move— as if afraid you’d break.

“So, uh, what happened? No offense, but like, why am I sitting on a table with only you in the room.”

You shook your head at what you just said, “Sorry that came out rude, I’m just a little groggy. Can you tell me what happened?”

Harry moved from his chair to sit on the edge of the table with you, “Well, yeh fainted, at the end of the concert. And I saw it so I went out into the crowd and got yeh.”

Your body flushed with embarrassment, memories starting to come back a bit quicker. 

“Oh, thanks for that, you really didn’t need to do it.”

Harry chuckled, rubbing a hand down the back of his neck, “S’alright, kinda felt like it was meh fault, see as though y’eh fainted from my voice.”

You scoffed, not believing this man was inflating his ego with your recent blackout. 

“Wow, you really are a narcissist aren’t you? I did not faint from your voice, thank you very much, I’d forgotten to eat something or have a sip of water before the show. I think the adrenaline was too much so I just dropped.”

He smiled at you cheekily, “Hmm wha’ever you say love.”

You let out a big breath and watched the brit lick his chapped lips, without thinking it through, you handed the water bottle to him.

“Here, drink this.”

He rolled his eyes at you for throwing his words back in his face but did as you said. H took the bottle from your hands, taking light slips before a big gulp.

“Wow sorry, I didn’t realize how thirsty I was,” He said surprised as he handed it back to you. 

You shrugged your shoulders, the crazy emotions bubbling down as you finally saw the man in front of you as a regular guy and not an A-list celebrity.

“S’all good, sometimes you need someone to look out for you if all you’ve been doing is looking out for others.”

He hummed in agreement, “Yeah, it’s just a little hard when you’re out of touch with the major population.” 

You felt bad for him, he basically was inadvertently telling you it was hard to trust people since they might just be using him.

How sad...

You nudged his shoulder, “ Well, just know that there are great people that would be lucky to have you as a friend. Not because you’re Harry Styles, Rockstar Extraordinaire, but because you’re Harry Styles, The one who helps the fainted headed and stays light-hearted through everything. I know we’ve just met but, it shows you do care, truly care. I can’t say the same for a lot of people I know.”

He looked at you with wide eyes, “Wow, uh, thank you. That’s quite a compliment, I’m not sure I deserve it in all honestly.”

You shrugged, “Well, I think you do, so I gave it to you.”

You finished the water bottle and moved off the table, Harry following your actions. You moved back and forth on the balls of your feet, not sure what to say.

“Uh, thanks for saving me from being trampled by the pit. Oh, also your songwriting is amazing, I hope you keep it up.”

You swore you saw the boy flush a bit at your compliment but you brushed it off.

He’s probably still warm from the show.

“Of course, and thank you. I’m sure I will.”

He opened the door for you and you both walked out, going down the hallway to where you assumed the exit was. Before you got to the door, Harry stopped you.

“Wait, one second.”

In a flash, the rockstar zipped away and into another room, you were slightly confused but then he came back with something in his hand.

A phone.

Harry smiled at you, “I was wondering if there’d be a possibility I could take you out to dinner, as an apology for making you faint.”

You laughed, “ I keep telling you Harry, it’s not your fault.”

He smiled, “Please baby girl?”

“Well, who am I to say no to a superstar?”

“Don’t you mean Mr. Light Hearted?”

“Wow, you really are a dork. Twitter is right about you”

He handed you his phone, it was the newest iPhone and had a pink sparkly case on it. You typed in your number and handed it back to him.

“Thank you,” he looked at his phone, “Y/N.”

Oh, I like the way he says it.

You turned to the door and pushed it open, but not before glancing back.

“Bye Harry.”

“See you soon, Y/N”

                                                                    ...........................

When you finally got back to your apartment and had eaten a couple PBJs and downed two glasses of water, you checked your phone and saw a text from an unknown number.

1-310-478-9537

Hey babygirl.

Oh yeah, that ticket had definitely been worth it.

<3

[theboyz-engup]

To All The Boyz I’ve Loved Before; Letter Twelve

Summary-

It was wonderful what a few little letters could do; they could make or break a friendship, cause someone to laugh or smile, make someone remember the time of their life or that moment they wanted to forget. Just some words on paper and poof, everyone knew the way your heart beat and workings of your brain. High school really did wonders on you, as did those twelve boys. Maybe they didn’t know it, but they changed your whole life with each smile, each wave, and each word you typed into paper. You made them permanent, and now they had to know why.

Word Count- 10.8k

Previous Letter - Masterlist

Eric’s hand rapped against the wood door of Sunwoo’s room. Last time he’d been to visit, the boy was fast asleep but now, he was hunched over a notepad and scribbling away. Well, he was trying, at least. The damages were done mostly to his right side so his dominant hand wasn’t free but Eric supposed he still had many things he wanted to write or rap. It was better to write them out fresh. 

Sunwoo’s head turned, his hair slightly delayed and swinging lightly. The blinds were drawn, allowing very little summer light through but Eric preferred it that way. There didn’t seem a point to warm weather or sun rays when you couldn’t see them. After exchanging a small smile, Eric felt he had permission to sit. 

Lightly, he pulled up a hospital chair next to Sunwoo’s bed and came as close as he dared. He didn’t know how the already bruised boy would take what he had to say. Somehow, Eric was afraid he’d get bruised worse afterwards.

“How are you feeling?” The now blonde murmured. It seemed an innocent enough question and he hoped it would break some tension. 

After taking a beat, Sunwoo closed his notebook and set it on the table beside him. It seemed to be a bit of a stretch, leg in a slightly elevated position to reduce swelling getting in the way. His mouth worked as he moved, sometimes stretching in pain and putting emphasis on words that didn’t need them. 

“Okay, I guess. There’s a lot I need to come back from but at least I can write, or try to.”

Eric nodded, somehow leaning forward to hear better. His forearms now rested on the bed, fingers coming to wind into each other as comfort. 

Awkwardly, though with a hint of care, he mumbled, “are you still having episodes?”

He remembered watching Sunwoo’s mother get removed from his room, her voice overlapping nurses and doctors and whatever else came from the room. She kept asking what was wrong but there weren't any answers until later, where they found some clotting or something similar. Sunwoo was okay but he’d have to learn how to walk again, or something like that. Eric wasn’t filled in on the specifics but, considering the circumstances, he figured it wasn’t so bad.

Sunwoo just shook his head, looking down at his lap before coming out and looking around the room. There wasn’t more for him to say so a silence hung across their shoulders, draping the room in a melancholic shroud.

“I can’t imagine what that’s like,” Eric mumbled, genuinely thinking aloud. Being stuck in a hospital room, hooked up to an IV drip or with an immobile part of his body: everything about those made him queasy. If he didn’t have his body, he didn’t have anything. Plus, the sterility and lack of warmth of a hospital room made him uncomfortable. It felt unfeeling and like everything was drained of him the moment he stepped in. 

However, his statement was met with a rather soft question, one of wonder and vulnerability. The boy was poised much like he was; back curled, chin dipped inward and eyes downcast, fingers entwining as best as they could. Eric would have laughed at the parallels of the two men in your life, the ones he thought you considered to be of the most important, and how similar they were at times.

“Did y/n send you a letter too?” The question was soft but filled with another meaning. Instinctively, Eric’s hand met with his pocket to feel the sealed envelope, the one with typewriter script across the front of it. 

The rustle of paper caused a small sadness to fall upon Sunwoo’s lips, though a smile shrouded it. His eyes were kind when they met with Eric’s and they seemed to be more genuine than ever before. 

"I figured they'd send you one too," he admitted softly, stretching a bit to find his notebook again. His fingers slipped once or twice before gripping the cover, eyebrows scrunched together and a small exhale passing his lips. His right side wasn't doing well at all, bruising probably the worst part. 

Still, Sunwoo had no problems sifting through his book, using his words as paint in a picture. Through the faint sound of birds and wind passing by the window, Sunwoo spoke slowly. "They gave me one too, said they wanted it to be their last.

"Y/n wrote down a lot of things in their notes, saying it was for later when I asked. I figured, you know, it was just what we did on dates or when we were out together. It was nice. I thought they just wanted to remember but I think- I think they did it so they could write about it later: put their life in letters and in people they thought saw value in them." 

"What did they say in yours?" Softness wasn't completely familiar with Eric but he tried here, genuinely curious and genuinely open to a boy he'd often been closed off to.

Sunwoo didn't dare look him in the eye here. Sadness still encroached on that smile of his, fingers tracing the edge of an envelope that looked much like Eric's. He was focused on that, so intently to the point where Eric felt like he was intruding when he heard the answer. 

"They said they loved me. For the first time, in this letter and before we ever said it to each other, they said they loved me." 

A sniffle fell from his lips and his free arm reached up to rub beneath his eyes. As his cheeks moved, so did his head, gaze now focused out the window. For such a sunny day, it surely didn't feel happy. Sitting in this stale hospital room with a boy he used to hate, for reasons that seemed so far off and childish now, Eric felt perspective stitching to his mind. Little spindles of truth lurked far off and he realized that the way he knew you was nothing close to the way Sunwoo knew you. Maybe he never would. As the boy in front of him continued to pretend he wasn't sad, tried to hold back his years and appear strong, Eric took it upon himself to start repairing the bridge. It was time for him to be responsible. 

"Sunwoo," he started, chewing on his words a moment in hopes of it not sounding condescending. It gave the boy enough time to focus his attention back on Eric, something Eric didn't know if he wanted just then; but he'd started to speak already, his offer was on the table. 

"I don't know what I'll find here but, if you want, I can read it to you here. It might not be what either of us are expecting but-"  

"But it's still a little bit of y/n," Sunwoo finished, whispering his sentence as if it were taboo or forbidden. Eric only nodded, nervousness flipping his stomach over and over. It suddenly felt cold in the room but a warm hand pressed over his and all of that went away. 

With a glimpse into Sunwoo's stare, now suddenly a man with unguarded eyes and gratefulness swimming them, Eric felt stable. 

"Y/n wanted you to know it, not me. It's yours and it's personal. Your own secret with them. It might be nice to keep it that way, don't you think?" 

Sitting there, in that hospital room, it was surprising to think how much the two of them had changed. Eric liked to think it was because of you. 

——————————————————

Dear Eric Sohn, the boy with the skateboard and big smile, my best friend,

I think this letter is more than a long time coming. I don’t know where to start but I guess the middle would be good. The beginning you already know, though I doubt you know just how much I loved you, and just how much I do now.

——————————————————

Late January 2018

It seemed harder and harder to manage school and the rest of your activities as exam season rolled around. After New Year’s, which everyone spent separately this year, there seemed to be tunnel vision for every senior and it was the end of the year. There was a hunger for school to end, college or university or a career not far off and taunting you. On top of that was restlessness, the need to feel like an adult and that you had your life together; but you supposed the worst part was the fear that gripped at your heart and made you think you didn’t have a single thing about your future thought out. Everyone seemed to know what they liked and wanted to do and you were somewhere in the middle, finding everything moderately interesting and boring all at once. 

Still, you’d applied to many different programs, hoping at least one would take you in. Secretly, you hoped it’d be the one that your brother was in, or your friends, just so you had someone to hold onto as you crawled into adulthood. 

Frowning a bit, you continued to sit on your front steps, bundled up in sweaters and jackets and everything in between. Barly was hopping around in the snow, excited again to see the powder falling slow enough that they looked frozen in the air. You watched as he bounced around, sticking his nose in the flakes before running up to you with a completely soggy ball he’d found outside. The grin on his face was almost human like and you couldn’t help but feel a little less stressed looking at him. 

Not a single part of you wanted to pick up the ball from his mouth so, instead, you grasped a bit of snow and formed it into a sphere as best you could, watching Barly get more and more excited. He turned a few circles before pausing, waiting for the throw. 

You meant to toss it so it landed inside your front lawn but the weight, or lack thereof, of the snowball threw you off and you watch as Barly chased it partially in the street. You didn’t have to see the car to know it was coming, immediately jumping off your seat and bounding forward without thought. Barly landed somewhere in your arms, a small yelp falling from his lips and whole weight pushing down on your body so you were pressed against the floor. A few inches from your face was pavement and a car bumper. It was hard to ignore the hammering of your chest. 

Eric’s head popped out of the window, whole body nearly following as he called, “holy shit, I- are you okay?”

He was almost unfamiliar with his blonde hair but, somehow it suited him. The fear in your chest dissipated as you grasped Barly closer and hugged him until he wriggled out and away to your home. It seemed he had enough of the winter for the day. 

Leaving his car running in the middle of the road, Eric climbed out of the large truck he’d taken from his family and hopped down to meet you. You were still just sitting on the floor, trying to calm yourself. 

“Hey,” he crooned, coming to sit on the cold asphalt with you. His legs were cross legged and clad with ripped jeans but he didn’t seem to mind the weather at the moment. A hat was now pressed over his ears and two drinks placed in his hands. 

No one was going anywhere this Sunday, the streets empty enough for this to feel safe for the moment. Both you and Eric didn’t have your exams until later on this week so you decided to meet up after a long Saturday of studying, hoping you could destress and properly move past all the awkwardness of your last few encounters. 

“Are these from Cobbled?” You pointed at a cup, one meant to keep drinks warm for an unnaturally long time. You knew the insulated metal from anywhere, the small coffee shop your favourite from back home. They were cups meant to reduce waste, one you could take anywhere and put anything in. You had about fifty at home. 

Eric looked a bit sheepish, handing you one of the drinks before quickly taking it back and replacing it with the other. He mumbled that this was yours and added, a bit louder, “I just thought you might miss it by now. I got them right before I left so they might not be super warm but yeah.”

Your fingers overlapped for a brief moment and you caught the nervousness in his eyes as it did. Much to your surprise, you were shy as well as you said thank you.

“You shouldn’t jump in front of cars, you know,” Eric mumbled, trying to make a joke but you just exhaled. 

“It was dumb, I know,” you hummed, looking down at the floor that was slowly starting to cover up with snow. Running a hand over it, you watched as streaks appeared and you murmured, “it was like a first thought though. Fight or flight, I guess.”

There was a staleness in the air, everything feeling just as still as a picture. You watched as Eric’s skin started to turn a bit pink, wanting to voice your concern but something stopped your words in your throat. Only Eric’s hand could pop you out of the little bubble you were in, where emotions were coupled with confusion and nothing seemed easy to figure out. 

It rested on your knee, nowhere near places that would make other people’s hearts race but yours somehow did. It was innocent and reminded you of the way you used to feel about him, the way you would pine over him for years when you were younger. Yet, somehow, you weren’t young anymore. His cheeks weren’t full and his jaw was hard. You were sure you changed too. Looking at him in that moment made you think about how much you adored him back then, and maybe how you never stopped. 

His voice was soft as he asked, “hey, really, is everything okay?”

Everything in your body couldn’t stop you from lurching forward and into his arms. A bit of his coffee spilled on your jacket but it didn’t quite matter to you. In that second, all you wanted was one of his signature hugs: the ones that always made you feel better and forget everything that was going wrong. A small protest escaped his lips, saying something about getting coffee in your hair but it didn’t quite matter. For the moment, you sat in each other’s embrace, and it was enough to make you remember the validity of your old feelings. 

That didn’t exactly erase the tension between you two. In fact, the hug might have made it worse. 

The two of you lounged around and played games using Haymond’s consoles, your older brother away for the day with Juyeon. Halfway through, you gave up and decided to have an early dinner, you saying you wanted to show him something after. It wasn’t necessarily true, there wasn’t much happening closer to the heart of town but you just really didn’t want to be home. There was something about being inside that made you feel trapped recently and, for at least one night, you just wanted to have fun and forget about all your senior responsibilities. 

The two of you began your walk to the middle of town just as your parents were pulling into the driveway. They seemed surprised to see you together, which you couldn’t blame them for. After Eric tried to kiss you, your parents just assumed that was a bridge that was never mended. Yet, you really wanted it to. You missed your best friend, being with someone who fascinated you the way he did. You wanted to talk everyday again and get back in touch with that part of you. 

Maybe it was a desperate need to hold onto your childhood because you thought you were losing it but a big part of you felt like it needed Eric in your life. Without him, the idea of life seemed a bit bleak.

“How’s the whole boyfriend thing going?” 

If you were being honest, the question did throw you off. It was asked just a few steps from your home, when he felt like you were alone again. From the corner of your eye, you watched as he battled himself internally after asking, as if he meant to but didn’t all at once.

Not knowing how to go about it, you started as you always would. In a way, you wanted to treat Eric as a friend but there was always going to be a difference now. Something uncomfortable would lie there and you found it was there often. Whenever you wanted to bring up Sunwoo, you’d refrain from it, either because it made you sad or because you felt he wouldn’t like it. 

On the other hand though, the question could’ve been an olive branch. Maybe he meant to ask it to let you know he wasn’t going to interfere again, or that he’d mended his feelings. Somehow, the second one seemed to make you upset but your mouth didn’t show any of your thinking. It just went around the same old bend, saying Sunwoo was great and you were happy and everything was going alright. 

Perhaps the smile on your face was too stale, too forced. Eric didn’t seem convinced, elbow poking into your side and head notching to the side. The way you instantly hesitated was enough of a tell and he walked a bit closer, lowering his voice to tell you it was alright to share. 

“You sure?”

Nibbling on your bottom lip, you shrugged. The warmth of your pockets was a slight reminder of what hands felt like embracing them but, with a blink, all your recent problems with Sunwoo came rushing back in. 

Shrugging, you hummed, “it’s been weird recently, to be honest. We made a new friend Haknyeon, you met him at the Christmas stuff and ever since they first met, they’ve been at odds, I guess? I can tell he doesn’t like him but he won’t tell me why.

“Except they get along well so it’s like, he just feels replaced I guess? He’s even told me that but there’s no way we’d ever do that. It’s ridiculous to even think.”

The more you voiced it, the more upset you became again. The two of you had an argument about it the day you opened presents because he saw you typing out the letter to Haknyeon. He looked so jealous and it was weird to see someone who was usually so happy turn sour and green. The air even felt different around him and the looks he gave you hurt. Yes, you wanted to write love letters to Sunwoo and you only ever did. You sent him so many and gave him others, wrote him little notes but Haknyeon’s was different. He was just your friend. It was bold to even call it a love letter considering the content; half the time, you spoke about Sunwoo anyways.

Still, your boyfriend was upset. He claimed everyone was forgetting about him or didn’t care that he was trying to be a rapper and was figuring out his career. It seemed to upset him more that everyone was still here while he was in the city but that wasn’t your fault. 

“It’s not my fault, right?” you reiterated, thinking aloud now to Eric, “like, he chose to try out and get casted and stuff. We’re all trying our best, just because we don’t see him all the time doesn’t mean we don’t care. We message everyday and I even- we even-”

The last bit seemed a little personal to share, even with Eric, and so you dropped it. Pursing your lips together, you found your eyes on your feet as they kicked forward through the snow. A small silence beat between you until Eric spoke. 

“You know, if that’s what he feels then hear him out instead of being defensive and stuff,” he said, a bit of coolness in his voice. Near the end of his sentence, he started to feel like ice, adding, “it must be hard for him to be alone too. At least you guys still have each other.”

With a blink, you tried to take what Eric said into consideration but a small part of you was bugged by him. Furrowing your eyebrows, you muttered, “yeah, but he doesn’t get to take out his aggression on me.”

“So tell him that instead of telling me. Knowing you, you’re just complaining instead of talking to him about it.” The curtness of his sentences was throwing you off and you were beyond confused about the way he was acting. It was like the wind blew a different direction and suddenly, he was upset. In turn, his words nipped at your emotions, grabbing with their tiny teeth and tearing until you felt just as bruised. 

Tucking your chin in, gaze now focused on the ground, you huffed, “why are you being so mean?”

Your words were met with an exhale, the sound of Eric’s boots hitting cobble letting you know you were in the heart of town. Bright lights lit up the square, Christmas decorations dangling from trees and due to be taken down. The whole place was bright, with beautiful designs and colourings on the stone walls that were washed and changed each season. This year, a snowman was decorating trees in the main drawing. Something about it was so warm. Eric was very much not. 

“Because it’s like you don’t even get why he’s upset. You’re taking it as if it’s a problem with him when it’s really a problem with you. You can’t see past yourself sometimes, y/n, and it’s ridiculous.”

“Are you really still upset with me too?” you shot back, now figuring out why he seemed to be taking Sunwoo’s side. You stopped while he walked a few paces into the square, watching him decide what to say before turning back to face you. 

“Honestly, a little.” His explanation only came when prompted but it seemed like he couldn’t stop himself from saying what he wanted to. 

“Really, I didn’t have a reason to be upset with you. I tried to kiss you and stuff before and you’re taken so that’s on me and I’m sorry, but you’re also extremely unfair. No matter what, even when you started dating Sunwoo, you called me everyday and we would talk until forever and not even notice and it wasn’t fine but we didn’t have boundaries; but now we do and you still cross them.

“Like what the fuck was that earlier today? You looked like you were going to cry and then just buried yourself in me. It’s like you’re playing with me and how else am I supposed to take it? Are we just friends? Have we ever really been?”

You watched as his chest rose and fell. He looked so upset but you were at a loss for words. All you could do was call his name but that seemed to make him more upset.

With a shake of his head, he sat on the edge of the fountain in the square and huffed. “I know it’s my fault too and I should try to stop these feelings or something but it’s not that simple. It’s not- it’s not your fault you’re happy and I’m not upset at you for that, I’m just… upset.”

Slowly, you took a seat beside him and pressed your lips together. As best as you could, you swallowed his words as they were, letting them scratch your throat on the way down. Your hand wanted to come on his shoulder but you refrained and sat silently. It was better than nothing. 

Despite yourself, you found yourself looking at your hands, voice small and weak as you muttered that you were sorry. He mirrored your words but it didn’t seem to mend much- or anything at all. 

——————————————————

I think this was the worst time of my life. I felt, slowly, slowly, like everything was caving in on me. I had the whole boyfriend thing going wrong, my friends seemed distant, Haymond was gone, and the only person I felt like I could truly rely on was you, and even you were slipping through my fingers. It was all because of feelings too, feelings that were overwhelming and that I had no idea what to do with because I couldn’t tell if I felt them when you did or if I’d always felt them towards you and you were just making it all surface. Whatever it was, you confused me, but I didn’t want to let you go. I physically couldn’t, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to. 

——————————————————

Mid March 2018

Nervously, you kicked at the gravel in front of your car. You were leaning against your parents’ car, hands shoved in coat pockets that covered your overalls and sweater underneath. It was meant to be shown but the weather, being much different than last year’s, didn’t allow it. With a frown, you tried to avoid thinking too much about last year. It was at this point that things between you and Eric changed and it’d been so hard putting the shattered pieces back together ever since. A big part of you wondered if it was because your friendship the way it used to be was irreparable or if you just didn't want it to go back. 

Eric came stumbling out the front door, lugging a large garbage bag behind him with some effort. He was wearing a hat, as always, but his hair was still blonde and bright. You figured he liked the look of it when it clashed with the pink of his cheeks in the cold. You sure did. 

“I didn’t think you’d be here so early,” he admitted once getting into your car, garbage tossed and hands sanitized. 

From your spot in the driver’s seat, hands at nine and three before crossing over each other on a turn, you spoke. Preoccupied, you were sure your words weren’t as smooth as you meant them to be but he still listened and seemed to understand. 

“I wanted to make sure we spent the whole day. I have something kind of fun planned but I don’t know what to do after.”

Turning in his seat, leg propping up against the centre console, Eric fixed you with a hard look, trying to figure out the plan for the night. “What is this fun thing? You haven’t told me yet.”

Smartly, you notched your chin up and grinned brightly, making another turn. “You don’t deserve to know yet. It’s a surprise.”

“You’re so strange,” he chuckled, eyes becoming bright stars that winked. His elbow rested against the armrest, chin in hand as he looked at you in a way you couldn’t decipher. 

“It’s why you like me,” you said without thinking. 

The comment wasn’t met with a response. 

Time dripped by slowly when you were together, as if you were meant to savour every second because there wouldn’t be many more. You continued on talking, bringing up another topic and another until you both were giggling yourselves to bits. Cheeks hurting, you pulled into the driving lot of your destination, glad to begin your day.

Only when a metal bat was placed in Eric’s hand did he seem to get the gist of your outing. A pair of safety goggles were placed over his eyes, large, clear plexiglass shielding from anything that could possibly shatter. After he put on his electrician’s suit, one that was fitted with padding for safety and he got his instructions, Eric shuffled up to you slightly excited. 

“This is what you meant by relieving some senior stress, right? Breaking stuff?” He looked unnatural in a uniform like this, safety gloves fixed over his hands but still childish. You nodded. 

“It’s like a safe destruction centre and everything broken gets recycled and reused and stuff, plus each room is monitored so it’s like for having fun only or like releasing some endorphins,” you rambled, hoping it didn’t seem like a bad idea. Senior stress was mostly an excuse to get him to come. Deep down, you really just hoped this kind of patched up your relationship. Eric wasn’t ever aggressive but you knew he got angry, as did everyone. It felt like something productive, maybe, to imagine your problems as something physical and kicking it out of the way. It could just disappear that way. 

Nervously, Eric looked at you, then around the room and hummed, “we’re not breaking anything in here, right? These things look expensive.”

Snickering, you shook your head, wanting to tease him for being anxious but you couldn’t deny that you were too. As you gripped your own tool, fingers nervously shifting around it, you dared to look him in the eye and explain yourself. 

“I- I know you’re mad at me, Eric,” you mumbled, biting down on your lip after hearing how meek your voice was. The boy’s already circular eyes widened into perfect spheres, surprise written on them. 

“Wha-”

“And I’m mad at me too, for about a million reasons, and I’m mad at people other than you, and I’m stressed and anxious and confused and everything in between so let’s just take that all out here,” you finished, gesturing to the space around you, eyes following your hands, “because maybe then we can get back to being just us, you know? Have fun, like the old times.”

His hand peeled off his bat and came to rest between you, palm facing upwards and looking a bit small for his gloves. You looked between his eyes and his hand before gently placing yours in his. When he closed his fingers around yours, he smiled lightly and asked, “together, yeah?”

All you could manage was a brave nod and, together, you strode into the first room. Both of you were hesitant, padded room relatively empty despite the displays that were meant to be torn down. Yet, you both tapped at bottles and anything you could take a light swing at without feeling terrible about it. It grew to be fun and, soon, everything became a game. How many candles could you take out with one swing or how many pieces of newspaper could you tear in one rip? The answers were discovered in challenges and laughs, chases around the rooms you were in when you stole his safety gloves and he couldn’t handle the paintballs. 

It was hard to remember when you last laughed as hard, hiding behind sprayed garbage cans in the room made specifically for hand to hand paintball fights, trying not to be found. Like an egg cracked on your head, green paint spilled down your cheeks and into your hair. You would’ve screeched or been upset if it wasn’t met by Eric’s outlandish giggle that had him lying on the floor, holding his chest. Instead, your mouth just gaped open and a bit of paint touched your tongue, at which Eric laughed more. Almost immediately, you tipped yourself forward, trying to trap Eric the way he’d trapped you, splashing a pink paintball over his already stained hair, almost like a finishing dye. The way you had him pinned between your legs, one hand struggling to restrain his while the other rested on his head hardly crossed your mind until the last minute and you shuffled away to get off of him. 

Pink on his cheeks, very much not from the paint, he sat up and a few feet from you, knees up and arms outstretched over them. Shocked by your own self, you copied his stance and waited for time to pass. The beating of your heart was nearly overwhelming. 

Quietly, he murmured, “so, what were you breaking things for?” 

Motioning behind him at another door, he waved his thumb and explained, “you seemed a bit fixed on those old IKEA chairs.”

Shyly, you brought your hands to your eyes and chuckled, embarrassed he saw. “I- O didn’t think you were watching me.”

Shrugging, Eric shifted closer, definitely dipping his gloves in paint but he didn’t seem to mind. The music above faded out when you weren’t paying attention to it, nearly disappearing as you focused on the thumping in your chest. Looking at Eric today felt completely different, as if each time you blinked, he was a different person, with layers you never knew before. 

“I was thinking of Sunwoo,” you admitted, almost never wanting to lie to him again, “you?”

An exhale left his lips slowly, cheeks puffing out into circles before he lay back on the ground. More paint shifted around him, and around you as you lay beside him, but it didn’t seem to matter. All that mattered for the moment was the tension in your chest, the revolving of the fans above you, and the sound of Eric’s voice. 

“School and my parents, you know how they get, and stress and- and honestly, sometimes, you.” 

The way he spoke was careful but raw, something you missed hearing from him. Turning your head, you were met with his perfect profile, a killer jaw and chin, with strong cheekbones and nose to match. His hair was splayed across his forehead, pressed there and drying with the paint but it didn’t matter much to him, or to you. He was still beautiful, platinum hair suiting his complexion more than you ever thought it could.

Softly, he murmured, “but mostly me. I guess I’m mad at me for not being able to handle the fact that, like, just because I like you doesn’t mean you have to like me back. I’m mad for being mean to you.”

A laugh coupled his last little mumble, the words, “I don’t know,” slipping past his teeth as he tried to run a gloveless hand through his hair. “A little bit of everything, I guess.”

“Yeah, me too.” The conversation concluded somberly, neither of you particularly keen on continuing it. You’d also taken off your gloves, having them rest on your stomach and take a ride up and down with your breath. Music seemed to fill your ears again, but you weren’t too aware of it. 

Almost all you could think of was the inching of your fingers towards his, and the butterflies that creeped up into your stomach when they met. As your pinkies linked, you wondered what it meant for you, for Eric, for Sunwoo. It felt like an affair, though you were sure from other people’s perspectives, maybe you and Sunwoo were the affair.

“I get to pick the next place, right?” Eric’s eyes lit up as you met in the main hall after getting changed out of your uniforms and handing everything back in. You were glad he wasn’t mentioning what happened in the paintball room, knowing it would only render you speechless. All you gave him was another nod, one he took gracefully. 

“Then, I’ll drive or I can tell you directions.”

“I can’t know?” you prodded, raising your brows. 

He mimicked your stance before, sticking his nose in the air and slyly crooning, “it’s a surprise.”

The surprise was somewhere you’d been going for so long, one of your favourite hang out spots before you left your hometown and you squealed in excitement pulling up to the lot. As you found parking, taking quite a bit to park straight enough, you bounced in your seat. 

“I guessed it, I guessed it,” you giggled, turning your head around and placing your hand on the back of his seat to see behind you as you parked, “I’m so excited!”

The innocent laugh that escaped his lips as he watched you, gazed at you almost, was uncontrollable. “I couldn’t tell.”

It took everything not to jump out of the car immediately, leaving it unlocked and behind in the future. Where you were going was the past, and the music and lights and oranged floors of the roller rink were all familiar. Nothing had changed, nothing but you and Eric, both of which were much taller than you used to be. Checking in and getting a pair of ‘70s wheels, you both sat and chittered about the filling rink while tying the laces. 

Sticking your foot out, you pouted. “It’s not working, help me.”

So many thoughts ran past Eric’s face, all different emotions before he landed on being amused and helping you with it. As he tied the laces a little tight on purpose, he murmured, “I haven’t been here since you left.”

“What a coincidence,” you said, trying to sound dumb, “me neither? So weird.”

Snorting, he slapped at your foot to tell you it was done and you perked up, trying to stand. Gripping onto a railing, you succeeded in standing but wondered how you were going to make it out with the skaters. Eric’s hand came to rest on the small of your back to steady you before he stepped in first. 

“I’ll go around first and see if I can get it and then come get you?”

You shook your head, adamant to follow him. He seemed to get the hang of being on his feet, knees bent just slightly and you copied his stance as you outstretched your hands.

“Together.” 

The word slipped out absentmindedly, but it was enough to make him take your hands and pull you forward, lacquered floor definitely easier to roller-skate on. Stumbling a bit, both of you wavered and laughed, gripping onto each other for dear life. More experienced skaters left space around you but it truly felt like they weren’t even there. There was nothing more than Eric’s eyes, which twinkled and shone with every grin and belly laugh. Even when he slipped, he felt like a galaxy splaying out to cover more ground. Nothing about him ever bored you, not even when you were left on your feet trying to pull him back up but he just tugged you down. 

If anything, he felt like the place you were supposed to be. Here, with him, where nothing could go wrong, you were safe. 

Tired from skating and your previous adventure, Eric went to grab nachos as you unlaced your skates and returned both pairs. Sitting there, in the darker spots of the rink, psychedelic prints as wallpaper and contemporary pieces of Jimi Hendrix plastered against it all, you sat at a high table and reminisced. Both of you sat outward, watching people and picking at chips absentmindedly, thinking about the past you’d let slip through your fingers. 

“We came here for Keenan’s birthday, do you remember?” you asked, chuckling a bit as you imagined a horde of little sixth graders bumbling around, pushing and shoving each other, being loud and crazy. They seemed painted gold, your memories. 

Eric hummed, smiling broadly as he ate. Covering his mouth to speak politely, he chittered, “I had my first kiss that day.”

Your eyebrows raised, turning to look at him. “Did you really?”

A nod came from him, though he seemed a little confused. As he gripped at a tissue, going to wipe his hands, he inquired, “you don’t remember?”

“You told me about it?”

Blinking, only slightly taken aback, Eric finished cleaning his hand before softly saying, “I didn’t have to tell you because you were it.”

Eyes widening, you tried to think back on it, but you couldn’t. Nothing was coming to mind and it made you feel embarrassed. Something so important to both you and Eric was something you didn’t remember. It didn’t seem to faze him for much longer, the shrug falling off his shoulders trying to seem casual. 

“Doesn’t matter, really,” he mumbled, looking down at this hands before turning back out to the public, “it was just a peck.”

——————————————————

Not remembering that kiss definitely made me wonder when I’d started to see you the way I do now. I remember being irrevocably in love with you then, spending days doting on you and trying to get you to see me. I remember all the moments when we would skip around town, go biking or swimming and just be together and I’d think that was what love was- what it meant. Every single day, spent with the person you wanted to be with, that was love. Nothing else. I thought I was wrong before. Now, the more I think about it, the more I realize that’s what love is to me, and it’s difficult when you love someone you can’t see. 

——————————————————

Early May 2018

“Keep your knees bent!” Eric called out to you, watching you try to kick off the skateboard but immediately stumbling back to the ground. He was far enough away that it took him a few seconds to skate close enough to shake his head at you. 

“Where’s your head at?” he muttered, trying to show you how he stood. Little did he know that your brain wasn’t anywhere near skateboarding. It was your first time learning so you should’ve probably been more attentive but you were so distracted. 

A conversation between you and Sunwoo last night seemed to play on repeat, like a cassette tape on loop until the vinyl got pulled and stretched and burnt. By that point, every word sounded warped and unreal, though the feeling was visceral. You didn’t know how Eric didn’t notice the puffiness of your eyes, or maybe he did and didn’t feel it was his place to ask. Instead, he toyed around in your empty streets and determined to teach your how to skateboard. 

“Sorry,” you murmured, not even noticing you said it. He went to press his hands lightly on your shoulders, trying to tell you to get a bit more bend in your knees. You complied easily, absentmindedly letting him adjust your stance. 

“Everything okay?” Eric asked, dipping down to meet your eyes face on. It was the only moment where you felt like you were living in that time. A part of you wanted to just spill your guts then but you held back, withdrawing into your thoughts once more as you offered him a nod. It was the best you could do given the circumstances. 

Lightly, he grasped your hands once more and led you around slowly, in circles. It seemed easy when he led you but you weren’t controlling a thing, just leaning the ways he was pulling you. He coaxed you off his hands, telling you that it was alright before he pulled away completely. Surprisingly, you were on your feet longer than you expected, long enough for him to think it was safe to skate a little further away. He was in the middle of doing a trick when he heard your skateboard clatter across the pavement and your body thudding against the ground.

You watched his head whip over his shoulder before he leapt off his own board, grabbing it off the floor and sprinting toward you. Worry wasn’t natural on his face, you thought that as you sat up, clutching a part of your knee where you felt sharp stings. The rubbing of your jeans against your skin probably didn’t help. It didn’t take much for you to start to feel like your reality was actually happening, dampness of your hand asking you to start properly paying attention to your surroundings. 

The tears in your eyes were involuntary. Eric seemed to slide to the ground, coming to sit beside you and trying to pry your hand away from the spot while you sobbed, clutching your leg closer and closer. You were sure it looked like you were crying because of your injury but it was so much more than that. In fact, you didn’t even really feel much pain. Your hand proceeded to press into what felt like a very thin puddle on your jeans. 

“Y-y/n, please let me see it I- does it hurt that much? Do we need to go to the hospital? I- Is that blood?!” His voice hitched up, almost exclaiming as he pried your fingers off yours to see the many dotted stains of red up and down the area you scraped against the floor. Panic really did not suit him, he wasn’t well equipped for these situations. 

Through your tears, you started to feel less weighted. Looking at Eric care so much for you made you realize you weren’t alone the way you thought you were. It was just a conversation. A break-up wasn’t the end of the world. 

A broken laugh broke through your tears, which seemed to spark most of them. You must’ve looked ridiculous, not even trying to wipe at your cheeks with your sleeves. Instead, they covered your hands and tugged you forward as you wrapped your arms around Eric. He seemed taken aback, placing a palm against the ground beside him to steady your weight and his. 

You watched as droplets fell against his shoulder, squishing in closer to him only to whisper, “thank you.”

His free hand was somewhere in midair, brain preoccupied and concerned that you were on your knees to hug him. You listened as he spluttered, not quite understanding the situation or anything at all. He was ridiculous on days like this, a little giggle slipping past your teeth at the thought of the look on his face. Pulling back, hands of yours trailing up his shoulders and resting there to face him, you sniffled and forced a smile. 

“Thank you for always being here.”

He blinked. The computer of his brain restarted a few blinks later. Silence filled the streets and you became more aware of the dampness of the jean above and below your knees. Suddenly, a sharp sting shot up your leg and you hissed, sitting back on your bum. That seemed to snap him back into real life and the small boy, short but firm, proceeded to help pick you up off the floor. 

“Let’s clean you up, yeah?” he murmured, not daring to stare you in the eye anymore, “we can talk after.”

Having no one home that day was a plus. Your parents were out visiting someone for the weekend so you didn’t have to worry about their prodding and chittering and comments about your clumsiness. You’d heard enough when it came to your grades, you really just wanted some peace and quiet. 

Eric led you carefully up the stairs, making sure to watch for you. He let you change into shorts in your room, offering to clean up the blood because he knew injuries made you queasy. A little tease escaped his mouth, filling your ears and the quiet air as he spoke. 

“I’ll hold your hand if it hurts too much.”

You knew he was kidding but it still caused your heart to pick up. A part of you couldn’t believe you were saying it but Eric excited you. He made you wonder about all the things you could be doing if you were together when you were apart. Not once did he fall back into being your best friend and maybe you never felt that way about him. Selfishly, you kept him so close to your heart that you confused deeper feelings for platonic ones and it was unfair to him- unfair to you.

He’d found the speaker and was playing his relax playlist by the time you emerged from your room, redness up one leg. Eric seemed to pay close attention to that rather than the high cut of your shorts, a bit taken aback by it. You could’ve sworn there was blush on his cheeks. Biting down on your cheek, you made your way to the bathtub and sat down inside of it, outstretching one leg but leaving enough room for Eric to fit. You didn’t want to risk getting blood between the tiles.

Politely and keeping his distance, Eric squeezed in as best as he could, a bottle of antiseptic in one hand and a multitude of cotton pads in the other. There were bandages and pins for them splayed across the closed toilet seat. It definitely wasn’t hospital level clean but it was good enough given the circumstances. 

Eric’s free hand gripped yours as he ran over your wounds lightly, obviously trying not to press too hard. He asked for your help sometimes to stretch the skin, apologizing and looking mournful whenever you hissed or a muscle twitched. You weren’t in too much pain, but it was fun to see him care so much for you. 

Crimped, blonde hair fell into his eyes and he shook it out of the way as he bent forward, trying to get through every little scratch before he bandaged it. With his mouth dropped open just a fraction of an inch, eyebrows scrunched forward and eyes hyper focused, there was no way he was going to notice you eyeballing him. You watched like he was the first movie ever made, not black and white but in full colour and enamouring. Sharp lines and pink lips, ones that made you wonder what they felt like against yours. 

Was it the pain in your chest talking or did you really feel this way?

Breaking the silence, almost unknowingly and without any intention, you murmured, “I’m sorry. I feel like I’ve been so shitty recently and I was- I was unfair to you.”

It wasn’t the first time he looked confused, pausing as he tried to bring your leg closer. He was cupping the bottom of your calve with one hand, the other against your knee to make the bend easier for you. This time, he just waited for you to elaborate, seeing the words form on your lips before they came out in sound. 

“I hated Raven for no reason and ever since I started dating Sunwoo, I brought him up all the time and that was wrong of me but maybe,” you paused here, trailing off and not really knowing where you were going until you realized it yourself, “maybe I wanted you to feel the same way I did. I wanted you to be jealous too, which is shitty.

“It’s horrible of me, actually,” you admitted, lowering your tone and embarrassed with yourself. Despite hearing it out loud and knowing how it sounded, you needed it out in the open. It felt only right for him, the person who knew you bone deep, to hear the secrets you’d been hiding for so long. 

“I love Sunwoo, I do,” you assured him, or was it yourself? Catching the way you spoke, you hesitated before continuing, dipping your chin further into your chest and pouting, “it’s just- sometimes I just- I don’t know, it’s like-” 

“Sometimes, it’s hard to admit that you’re in love with your best friend.” He finished for you, clipping the last bit of the bandage together. His eyes didn’t meet yours, staying fixed on the beige wrappings against your skin. It almost looked like a present with his hands around your leg, holding it so tenderly.

Slowly and almost silently, he murmured, “and that maybe a part of you will always be in love with them.”

“Sunwoo and I broke up,” you said so definitively, you wondered if he would take the hint.

The surprise in his eyes didn’t lead to the same conclusion. You watched him want to ask how it happened, if you were alright and needed some sort of support. Maybe he was putting it together that’s why you were crying, or maybe it was nothing of the sort. 

Looking for an answer you knew you weren’t going to get, you filled the clueless kid in on your desire. “Kiss me now or forever hold your peace.”

Your joke was almost cut off by his lips pressing into yours, soft and warm and everything you imagined it to be. He was cinnamon without the spice, hands so generously sliding up your leg while the other came to steady your jaw and neck. This time, it was a kiss you wouldn’t forget. That much you were sure of, smile spreading across your lips whenever it got the chance. His breathless laugh in that closed space was all you could think of in the days to pass.

——————————————————

Truthfully, I don’t know where this puts us. We hardly saw each other or talked, exams and then my trip getting in the way. I could feel the desperation between us for an answer but neither of us had one, and I don’t know if I ever will. It’s weird, but exciting and fun. I hope that, when I come back, I’ll have an answer. I want to know who I love once and for all, and put an end to this part of my life. Leaving high school means leaving these little letters behind, letters I’ve poured everything I am into. I’m glad you’re my last, Eric. You’ve been the love I’ve had the longest and a love I don’t think will ever fade. I don’t ever want it to. 

Love forever, probably, your best friend, y/n y/l/n. On June 18th, 2018.

——————————————————

The paper in Eric’s hand ruffled as he tried to straighten it out. There were wrinkles on it and a bunch of edits and pen markings from different hands. Almost everyone wanted to make it perfect but the weight was on him to tell you and hope it reached you. He approached your room only to hear soft sobs from inside and pieces of words. Amalia, the person who helped him earlier today, was inside and murmuring to you. A lack of a closed door helped him hear her a bit more clearly. 

“I never meant for this to happen,” she seemed to whimper, voice quiet. It felt inappropriate to listen and Eric nearly dipped away but her next sentence caught his ear. 

“I sent the letters because I- I wanted to show you how many people you’ve touched, and how many people love you.” 

His eyebrows arched up, but a part of him wondered why he was even surprised. You were very secretive about these letters. It seemed only Sunwoo really knew you had them but he was convinced you’d only sent him them until he saw the one to Haknyeon. Eric only found out in January but he didn’t expect to get one himself, much less the eleven other boys that showed up over the past few weeks. It really never was your intention for anyone to see, then.

Softly, Amalia continued, seeming to lose her touch the more she spoke. She was almost a spool of yarn someone had rolled across a floor and Eric couldn’t help but understand. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel the same.

“You kept saying you were losing everyone and nobody would know if you disappeared but so many people would. I would and I- I do. I’m here, y/n. Please. Please wake up.”

With a definitive break in her voice, she whispered, “please, I miss you so much.”

Figuring he’d overheard enough, Eric took steps away and rested in a chair near the room, waiting for his chance. Instead, he looked over his very own papers and tried to read it over before he went in. In some way, it felt like rehearsing a script and he wanted it to be perfect. He wanted you to hear it the way he intended it, the way everyone else did too. Reading it again seemed to hurt more than he remembered it would. 

The sound of the chair scraping against the floor, rubber on the legs of it making the sound muted, filled the room once he entered. Amalia had put it back on the opposite side of the room, away from the ledge of your belongings which Eric eyed for a moment. He’d added his little bit of affection for you after reading your letter, hoping you’d remember which was his when you woke. 

A small exhale escaped his mouth, almost as if he was preparing for something he didn’t know how to handle. If he was being honest with himself, he didn’t think you’d hear him at all with this. All he could do was hope but that was wishful thinking. Thinking he didn’t know if he could afford to make, realistically. 

Sniffling for a moment, extending the paper before him after taking a small rub at his nose, he began to speak, praying that in the galaxy of your brain, he’d reach you. 

“Okay, y/n,” he breathed, a lack of courage sapping at his voice until he cleared his throat to say, “I don’t know if you can hear me but, here goes, I guess”

Straightening his paper out and mumbling little whispers of encouragement to himself, already feeling the tightness in his throat, he said, “We thought that- like me and Sunwoo and other people- we thought that, since you’ve written all of us a letter, it was about time you had one written to you.

“Sunwoo helped, and Amalia and Joon and- and basically everyone around. They all had something they wanted to say so it's here, I guess. In this paper, right here,” he hummed, waving the paper around lightly. Catching his ridiculousness, knowing you couldn’t see him, he paused and gave a laugh that lacked amusement. He was so nervous. 

“Everyone wanted to start at the beginning so they said I should be the one to say it to you. Sunwoo wanted to be here but he’s doing a few more tests now and I have to leave for school soon. It’s been a bit since I’ve been and I don’t think I can miss any more time.

“I wish I could hear your voice. I’m really nervous to leave home and study in the city. You said you were going too and we’d be in the same city but I don’t know which university you accepted. I don’t even know if you’re going anymore.”

Catching himself rambling, Eric tried to shift his focus back to the words scrawled on paper, desperately ignoring the nipping at his eyes. It was just the air conditioner, he lied to himself, trying to convince himself that it wasn’t the build up of emotions he’d been trying so hard to repress. 

“Sorry, I got distracted but, yeah. This letter is for you. Dear y/n, the person who brought so many people together, a sibling, a child, a best friend; you. It was hard figuring out where to start this letter but the basis of everyone’s answers when they thought of you was love. Maybe they were all letters you addressed to people but they held so much love.

“Without even knowing it, you touched so many hearts. If only you could see the ever growing list of affections next to you. There’s a basketball, a new makeup brush, a guitar pick, a plant, and empty Coca Cola bottle, this big lemonade cup from the fair in town, apparently, a book of poems, a mask from the dance we went to- do you remember that dance?”

Stuttering here, Eric looked up and locked eyes with his next artifact, murmuring, “th- Sunwoo’s grey sweater, a coffee cup with doodles on it, a toy train and- and my skateboard. They’re all here for you, things people remember you with everyday. A sweater Sunwoo can’t see without thinking of you, closing his eyes and remembering your smell on it. A skateboard I watched you fall from and rip your skin on. A train from Haknyeon, something he says is one of his favourite memories.”

Giving pause here, Eric nearly crumpled his paper, desperately pushing back a tear that fell without permission. He dipped his head down, taking a deep breath. It felt like he was shattering, reading it aloud. To himself, he could make the letter detached but having you in the room, hoping you’d hear it: it was too much for him. Slowly, he inhaled until his breath wavered less and less and he could speak clearer. 

“It’s all these things that showed everyone who visited the person you really were. We didn’t talk about our letters but we all knew. It was the look in everyone’s eyes, the delicacy in which we viewed you. It was like a bond between brothers, a circle linking everyone with you in the middle. You’re the puppet master, pulling us all in to meet each other for no other reason other than your love, which you spread so easily and willingly.

“You guard your heart but there’s gold underneath there. You’re kind and accepting. You’re sweet and you listen- genuinely listen- and you care for people, no matter who they are or how little you’ve known them. Anyone you meet, you treat them like a friend, even if you’re scared or awkward or nervous.”

If Eric closed his eyes, he could remember you walking up to him at such a young age and just thrusting your hand forward to pull him from the sand he fell in. You weren’t even in the same class and still, you came to help him out. How many times have you saved his ass without even realizing it?

The thought caused breakages in his heart and voice, fractures and fissures appearing nearly everywhere, as if his whole body was shattering from pressure. 

“It’s- it’s time you knew your worth,” he began, clenching his jaw in a feeble attempt to keep his composure, “you make people feel seen just as much as people make you feel seen. I don’t think you realize the way people love you, have loved you, continue to love you. We need you. More honestly, I need you. So please just- please just come back. Don’t leave me now. Not yet. We have our whole lives we need to see together. Together, y/n. Please.”

The way he crushed under the pressure of his words, emotions weighing in on every piece of his body until he bent and hid his face in the sheets of your bedroom. He wasn’t one for crying, or so he liked to think. It was childish. He was trying to be more grown up, but adult life didn’t prepare him for this: the loss of the one person that would probably make the biggest difference in his life. 

Water dripped on his paper but he could just put it to the side now. He said all he needed to say and it still didn’t take you out of your sleep. It still didn’t bring him back. All he was in this situation was useless, a puddle of nothing. He couldn’t help you. He couldn’t even try. All he could do was sit there and cry, hide in your sheets and pray it was all a dream. Every night, that’s what he did and it didn’t seem to work but it didn’t matter. Anything for the shadow of your voice again. Anything to feel like you were still there.

The stiffness of fingers in his hair was enough to give him pause. There was an obvious attempt to brush through his locks but it was almost unnatural, like whoever was doing it didn’t know how to move anymore. 

Lifting his head, partially not wanting it to be you so you wouldn’t see him as broken as this, he met your eyes. They were only slits, the slightest bit open and maybe blurred, but it was you. A little smile pinched at your cheeks, fingers sliding through his hair a bit smoother now.

“Why… why are y… you crying?” The question came out in stages, throat obviously parched and creaking from a lack of use, but it didn’t matter. It was you. Eric would have laughed, bringing your hand down to hold it as he leaned further into you to hear your words, words which pushed him to chuckle when he never thought he would have. 

“Big baby.”

Your smile widened at his noise, maybe wanting to laugh along too but that would take a bit of time. Gripping your hand in his, he let his tears fall more, but for so many different reasons. Grogginess sapped at you but you were still you. You were finally here. When he looked at you, it was like he was looking at the stars. Even now, half awake in the hospital bed. You were his whole galaxy. He, too, never wanted to stop loving you, not if it meant never feeling this happy again.

[imagine-loki]

Return

TITLE: Return CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter Two AUTHOR: theterrifyingtermite ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine that, at the end of Endgame, Loki comes back. Only one problem: this isn’t your Loki… RATING: T NOTES/WARNINGS: Trigger warning: Loki is not very nice in this part. Leading lady is dragged about a bit and treated pretty harshly on a mental standpoint - and caused physical pain through that avenue. The fact that this is not okay is addressed later on in the fic.

(and yes - I know the majority of this is totally based on a Star Wars force ability but my creativity only goes so far, so forgive me lol)

Chapter Two:

“Loki?” came her repeated whisper, bridging the length of the room.

Still he stared at her, jaw working; teeth clenched.

It was then that her gaze began to travel down his body; her eyes automatically drinking in the sight of him. He had overturned a lamp, and his boots had shuffled around the rug until it lay rumpled.

But it was him.

And yet, it wasn’t the man she remembered.

His hair was shorter and curling up at the ends. His hands, unusually bare for his state of formal attire, were raw and red. His robes were scorched, torn; dirtied. His face had a sharp edge to it, and his eyes…

…they looked like the memories he had shown her.

Another heartbeat, and her eyes widened. “You’re younger-” she breathed, shifting back a step.

A mistake. The air took on a near electric rumble.

She should have stopped then.

Her mouth kept moving.

“-you look like you did right after New York.”

Another mistake. His eyes narrowed, and he was across the room in a flash, fully the hunter chasing down skittish prey, even as she tried to dart away. He grabbed her by the arms and shook her.

“Who are you?”

Danger emanated from his being; she found herself wilting under the pressure of it.

“I- I was; I mean, we were – “

“How do you know me?” His voice had raised to a shout, fingers digging bruises into her; his words going deeper.

She choked down a sob, forcing herself to meet his eyes. “We were friends. You loved me; you proposed-.”

“Liar,” he spat at her, interrupting her, teeth bared in an expression akin to a snarling wolf.

Her heart shattered; she wondered if he could see it in her eyes.

“I’m telling you the truth. I found you after an accident. You never told me what happened,” a laugh flung itself from her, before her eyes welled anew. “You came back to visit me time and time again, and then, well…”

He scoffed at that and released her arms, one hand coming up to grasp her throat, pulling her up on her toes. “Give me one good reason not to be rid of you now.”

“Look for yourself. Memory walk. I know you can,” she gasped out as his fingers tightened.

His gaze sharpened to a deadly point. She was barely able to keep her eyes on his, yet she knew she must.

The man before her was not the man she had known. She knew that now. But he was still Loki. He was – even if he was younger, harder, and more hurt than she had ever known him to be.

And that allowed a bolt of fear to suddenly race through her. 

“Please don’t hurt me,” she whispered, her heart pounding.

“As if it matters,” was what he snapped at her, a dangerous glint in his eye. Then the grip at her neck shifted to the back of her head to hold her in place as the gates of her mind flew open.

She closed her eyes.

___

There was their first meeting. Of a broken man on a sidewalk; of begrudging assistance and hysterics. Of fairs and boots and saving her; loving her; choosing to come back time and time again; holding her–

Of regular days. Living, walking; just being together. Teaching him how to cook. Teaching him how to bake. Laughing and groaning and frustration and joy. Peace. Simple happiness.

Nutella and fishes.

So ridiculous; so simple. They had been so happy.

In another world, this easy delight was unable to be recognized.

Promises; protection – and then peace at heart. Something so dear growing to something so precious.

___

It was nothing like before. He had done this with her many times before, to share his own life when words failed him; to know what she meant on an internal level. This thought was crowding the images through which Loki was blazing a tunnel. And yet, there was nothing she could do. He ignored her. She felt as if she were floating away from her body.

Pieces of their life; of herself were being pulled, torn, and shoved away heedlessly.

Nothing was overlooked.

Was this what it felt like to die?

___

I haven’t been honest with you, he had whispered to her one day.

They had been curled up on her sofa, some mindlessly silly film playing quietly.

It had been a year ago. There was snow and cold, and safety being so near to him.

She had hitched a shoulder up in a shrug, tilting her head back to look up at him. He had kept his eyes forward, refusing to meet her gaze. Reaching up and brushing a hand against his face hadn’t helped.

That touch; that familiar feeling of him coursed through her until it was roughly passed over.

There was a quiet fear in his eyes. A bracing for rejection.

He told her that he was King of Asgard; that he had been King of Asgard for some time, and that’s why he had not been able to see her as frequently.

It meant something. It suggested something deeper; something darker than she had wanted to believe him capable of.

And yet.

Would he tell her the story one day? With a smile, and a gentle poke to his nose, the question was asked.

In another world, there had only ever been one person to care for him as he was.

He had blinked, bemused, before slowly agreeing. The hesitance slipped away when she had curled up closer; had laced her fingers through his own.

After pulling her close and burying his face in her shoulder, he had sighed, and a film of contentment colored over the details of the rest of the evening that had faded away.

___

Her hands were grasping at something familiar. 

His body, that she knew at once through her touch.

And then, the blur was eased, and she found herself pulled into that perfect day.

Not this one, she begged internally, feeling the words towards the invading presence of his mind. Not now.

He didn’t listen.

___

It had been some time since she had seen him. Past his due time. Yet, as promised, he had come. He had come, swung her around the kitchen and laughed with her. Then he had pulled out a blindfold and rumbled in her ear about a surprise.

She had nodded.

He had covered her eyes, wrapped her up again into his arms, and whirled them away to some distant place.

When she was allowed to see again, all that was before her was verdant. The brightest green grass and trees ever known. There was an estate in the distance, past a field of wheat and tall grass, but he pulled her in the opposite direction.

Where are we? She had laughed, stumbling after him and his long legs, barely able to speak for joy.

Over the ocean, he had grinned over his shoulder, pulling her down a path and along a stream.

Eventually they had come around a corner, and he had briefly squeezed her hand before slowing to a walk. She was still giggling; he was still smiling brightly. Come this way, he had murmured, leading her down a little side way she hadn’t noticed before they darted up it.

They reached an arbor: a perfectly sculpted globe of tightly woven vines. Loki tugged her inside it, spinning her around again by her hands; dizzying them both.

When she was breathless once more, he pulled her against him, lowering his mouth to hers for one agonizingly blissful moment. How she had loved him. Oh, she loved him so dearly still.

In another world that thought; that feeling was met by a flinch before being rushed over.

Then he was gazing at her, eyes suddenly cautious, and his voice shaking. Things were changing on Asgard. She had been so patient; so willing to understand. Only a little more time, and then…

And then…

She could stay with him. In all decorum, naturally. Did she know what that meant?

A smile. A gentle prodding.

A faltering. A question.

An easy answer.

A ring.

And then she saw very little of the rest of the memory, but the feeling of his jacket under her shoulders; of his body burning hot against her own; of knowing she was so very safe and cherished in his arms.

___

This world he had pulled her into had different rules.

Somewhere; somehow, she could hear their child screaming.

___

And then there was the rest of the night; of waking up at first light to find him still there. Of the whispers of his speedy return.

Two weeks. Maybe three. Then never again.

A lingering kiss.

A smiled goodbye.

Crossed-out days on a calendar.

An apology to her boss; a vague redirection.

A bag organized.

Waiting.

Waiting…

In another world, no one had ever waited for him before.

…waiting…

___

And then a flare of light; of power – and Loki was flung from her mind and from her body.

She was barely conscious of sliding to the carpet and collapsing in a heap.

All she knew was her child had calmed; satisfaction from within overwhelmed her before she fainted. ___

When she was able to open her eyes, it was with a greater effort than the last time she had been in this position.

She groaned, head swimming; memories jumbled together. So many sights and feelings had flown through her at once. It was as if the last few years of her life had been lived at once. Every joy and every pain – they had all been torn through; devoured.

The baby was moving harder and faster than ever before this moment. It felt as if raw energy was exuding from her womb; withdrawing bit by bit with every passing breath. Loki was crouched on the other side of the room, staring at her, his own chest heaving.

 “What was that?” came as a hiss through her daze.

Squinting, she dragged herself up to a sitting position, one arm cradling his – their – her child, and tried to glare back.

It was useless through the blur of tears and pain bludgeoning the inside of her head.

“That was all of us,” she gasped out finally, reaching the other hand up to rub at her eyes.

He had started to deny it and mention something else when his voice broke, and she dropped her eyes as well.

His gaze was focused in on the ring still on her hand, and he stood up instinctively, darting over to where she sat. Even as his hands grasped at hers; even as several denials were cried, she was helpless as Loki pulled her fingers out of a fist and wrenched the ring off her finger.

He moved away from her immediately, tucking the hand clutching the ring against himself, as she reached out after him, tears welling up faster and harder.

“That’s all I have left,” she cried out, watching in desperation as he snatched up the Tesseract once more, no doubt willing it to pull him away.

A sneer she had seen so many times, but never directed towards herself curled up his lip, and his eyes sharpened as he glared at her and then pointedly looked down.

“You have more than enough already,” was the tight response.

And then, in a swirl of light, he was gone.

[geminiamethyst]

Dark Gemini’s Game. Part 8: The Depths

Prologue: click HERE

Part 1: click HERE

Part 2: click HERE

Part 3: click HERE

Part 4: click HERE

Part 5: click HERE

Part 6: click HERE

Part 7: click HERE

Part 9: click HERE

Ken fell out of the darkness with a loud thud on a metal floor. He laid there stunned for a minute, trying to recollect himself for a bit. There is the sound of loud whirring as he realises that he is in an elevator. It is completely different to the elevator that took Shin to the Asylum. It seemed old and had more solid walls. The only way that he could see out of it was through a large window. He approaches it, seeing that he was going down a shaft.

Ken: What in the-wait! *suddenly realises something different* What am I wearing?

His vampire costume was switched to a full body wetsuit. In his reflection in the window, the face paint that he had on was wiped clean off. Even his hair was tied back, as if it needed to be kept out of the way.

Ken: A diver’s suit? Why would I need-

There is a loud clang and a tremor that almost knocks Ken off of his feet. The door opens up. Ken hesitated but stepped off of it. He didn’t want to risk something going wrong if he stayed in it. He is in a mine that had been seemingly abandoned. He couldn’t hear any work being done or any voices of any miners. All he could hear was the dripping sounds of water. He keeps going down the tunnel until he stops short. The mine ahead of him was a shaft leading deeper into the mine that was completely flooded. Judging by the faint smell of salt, Ken deduced that it was more than likely sea water. He looked around and spots a scuba diving tank, a scuba mask, flippers and a belt that had a sheathed hunter’s knife.

Ken: *seeing that he has no other options* Guess I’ve got no choice. Now I know why I’m wearing this thing.

Ken quickly looks at the hunter’s knife. He is hoping that he wouldn’t have to use it. After quickly reading a sheet of instructions on how to use the diving gear, Ken gets himself kitted up. Once he’s ready, he dives into the water. He also realises why his hair was tied back, to keep it out of his face and to not het it tangled up in the scuba mask. He turns on the flashlight that is now on his shoulder as he swims through the flooded mine. The light shined a couple of metres ahead of him. He was thankful for that, otherwise he’d be completely lost and possibly run out of air. He made sure to avoid the old beams and anything else that would cause him any trouble. The mine slowly shifts into a more natural cave.

Ken kept swimming as calmly as he could. He didn’t know how much oxygen he had, but he hoped that he had more than enough for what Dark Gemini was forcing him to do. Once Ken found his way out of the cave, he was quite surprised by finding himself in the presence of what seemed to be a sunken city. Ruins of buildings made a maze in front of him, sea creatures moving between each building. Ken ventured on. He navigated as best he could in the maze. He wasn’t sure what to expect. It all seemed normal to him. However, he was snapped out of that mindset when something grabbed his leg. He hoped that it was just seaweed that he clumsily got tangled up in. However, he was met with a face. The creature that grabbed him seemed to be human, but the head was that of a fish like creature. It’s mouth was full of sharp teeth and was wide, ready to bite into the Snufkin. Ken’s body went into an automatic reflex as he grabbed the hunter’s knife. He stabbed the webbed hand of the creature and swam as fast as he could. More creatures reached out for him, but he avoided them as best he could. He couldn’t help but feel like a prey animal being hunted by a pack of predators. Once he dived into a building, the creatures seemed to have lost interest in him. They all retreated back from where they came, waiting for a less fortunate victim.

Ken took a minute to stabilise his breathing. The less he panicked, the less oxygen he would waste. He was able fully calm when he suddenly heard the giggling of a woman. He turned around seeing a figure in the window just ahead of him. It seemed to be a woman with long flowing hair. The fact she was there didn’t make Ken feel nervous. Rather it was the fact that she had a shimmering pale coloured tail instead of legs. The mermaid had her back to Ken, seeming to not give him her attention. Not wanting to get her attention, or risk getting found out, Ken started to swim as stealthily as he could. His heart skipped a beat when the mermaid suddenly turned towards him. She looked hideous. Her mouth is wide from ear to ear. It was full of sharp teeth that was ready to tare into Ken’s flesh. Her reptilian eyes were sharp blue. Fish scales decorated the sides of her face to her collarbone. Ken barely had enough time to react as she suddenly lunged at him. He ducked down, narrowly avoiding her. The mermaid swam by so fast that he was almost swept up in the current she created. He kicked as hard as he could and left the building before the mermaid could try again in getting him. He swam towards a forest of seaweed, hoping that it would provide enough cover for him to be safe for now.

For a while, he swam through the seaweed, being careful not to get tangled up in it. Any he did get caught in, he simply cut away with the hunter’s knife. He paid close attention to his surroundings the best he could. He listened carefully at every sound of movement and call of any sea creatures. Nothing seemed to be dangerous, but that’s what had him concerned. He can’t risk being too relaxed at the moment. He needed to be ready should anything try to attack him. He felt disappointed when the seaweed forest suddenly ended. It led to the edge of a trench that went deeper under the sea. It was pitch black, making it impossible for Ken to see what was down there, even with the light that he had. It was about thirty metres wide. On the other side, Ken could make out old shipwrecks.

Ken didn’t like the idea of swimming out in the open where anything could attack him, but he didn’t have much of a choice. The sunken city was too far behind him and didn’t want to take any more chance back there. Quickly checking his surroundings, he started to make his way across the trench. He was about halfway when he felt something once again grab his leg. Ken looked, gripping the hunter’s knife tight. He was quite surprised to find that it was a tentacle that had grabbed him. He looked down the trench, spotting a pair of large yellow eyes. Out of fight or flight response, Ken started stabbing at the tentacle. The monster didn’t relent as it started to dragged him further down. It roared loudly, making Ken’s eardrums rattle. Ken didn’t give up. He stabbed the tentacle again and again. Eventually, the creature let go, roaring like an animal in pain.

Ken swam as fast as he could, avoiding the monster’s tentacles reaching for him. He spot the wreck of an old ship and dove right inside a hole in the hold. The monster seemed to have given up, backing away from the ship. Noticing that he was safe for the time being, he started to calm down. That monster didn’t seem like a giant octopus nor a squid. Was it the form of a kraken maybe? Ken wasn’t willing to find out, not sure of how much oxygen he had wasted already from the start of the dive.

Ken ventured further into the ship, wanting nothing more than to find a way out. He wasn’t sure how deep down he was (it was too dark to tell) but he doubt that he had enough oxygen until he reached the surface. One way or another, when his turn is over, Dark Gemini will have to pull him out. The ship quietly creaked, giving Ken some anxiety of it crumbling on top of him. Nothing was in the ship around him, making it more eerie. Ken tried to think about it too much. That’s when he suddenly heard a loud thumping just to his right. Ken looked at the wall. There was another thump, rocking the ship a little. A small hole was made. Throwing caution to the wind, Ken peaked through it. Once he saw what was the cause he suddenly made himself scarce. Just as he heard the heart pounding crash of wood.

[flyingblackhawk]

A Soul for a Soul (The Vormir Fix)

Avengers fic

3,204 words

-

“Welcome, Steven, son of Sarah.”

Clint warned him about this, though he didn’t have a name to tell Steve. Here, on this rock at the centre of the universe, a face from the past.

“Schmidt.”

The eyes are the same, he realises, though the man is floating, surrounded by the ghostly tendrils of his reaper’s cloak. A guide, Clint said. Steve has guessed correctly.

“Not anymore,” says the figure. “I am a guide now, here to show the way to a treasure. You, however, already possess it.”

Steve’s grip on the case tightens and relaxes. That’s why he’s here. To return what was taken.

“So,” Steve says. “Do I just hand it to you?”

The skull can’t smile itself, but the muscles contort into the facsimile of a grimace, and the black raiment moves as if he is shrugging.

“Never in its history has the soul stone been willingly returned by those who claimed it.” The hollow eyes watch him a moment. “Come.”

He turns, and floats towards the cliff. Steve follows, and at the edge, he watches as the cloaked figure floats out over the chasm below. Steve opens the case. He taps his wrist, and the nanosuit gloves his hand, shimmering energy ready to protect him from the chaos contained within. He takes the glowing yellow stone in his hand, and stands. The figure reaches out, his hand lost somewhere beneath the robes, if he has a hand at all.

Steve drops the stone.

It falls through Schmidt as if he is smoke. Steve watches as the glinting yellow stone vanishes out of sight. When he looks up, his guide has vanished too. He is alone.

On the cliff where his friend made the ultimate sacrifice, Steve bows his head and takes a moment to thank her. Natasha, the woman who saved the universe. Maybe she knows. He hopes so.

Steve taps in his next coordinates, and winks out of existence.

-

A dominion-

She falls. The wind howls.

Please-

The air is ice.

…dominion of death-

Screaming. Maybe it’s her.

Let me go.

Only moments left.

…of death at the very centre-

For him, all for him, always for him-

No. Please, no-

It will be okay. She knows.

…the very centre of celestial existence-

Her last thought is of his face.

It’s okay.

Then nothing.

-

Natasha opens her eyes. Above, a moon in eclipse. The sky is dark. Shallow water laps at the borders of her body and she realises that she can feel it. She sits up. Blinks. If this is the afterlife, it’s a lot wetter than she thought it would be.

The word Vormir appears in her head. It swims up through the fog of her cerebral cortex and hangs there in her mind, waiting to be comprehended. Clint pops up alongside it. Stone. Death. No. Please, no. She shakes her head. Her hair is wet. Let me go. It’s okay.

“Fuck.”

The word tumbles out of her as the gravity in her head readjusts and she remembers what she was about to do. No, what she did. She jumped. That much she knows for sure. She fell. She must have hit the rocks below, and- Clint, where is Clint?

She wonders briefly if she’s dead. She’s not injured, which doesn’t seem right after leaping off a cliff. Dreaming? Maybe she’s dying down there on the rocks. She hopes Clint doesn’t have to watch her. But no. The things around her are real. Tangible. She is alive, but how?

Natasha looks around, and there is no mountain to be seen. No cliffs. No Clint. She only knows she’s still on Vormir thanks to the bruised sky and the glimmering eclipse. She doesn’t know when, though. What day is it? What time?

Time.

She looks down. Her hands are submerged in the water, propping her up. Is the suit affected by water? She never thought to ask. It didn’t occur to her to ask Stark if she could swim laps in this thing. Too preoccupied with the concept of travelling through time.

She touches the panel with hesitant fingertips, and it lights up. Apparently her luck doesn’t end with survival, because the whole thing seems to be functioning. Natasha keys in the date and coordinates for the return, as per the plan. She’ll appear back on the platform with the others. Clint will be there. Natasha is seized by the complete conviction that this is going to work, and she stands in the shallow water, ready to fly.

She hits the button.

The vortex opens and she closes her eyes as she is sucked back into the quantum realm. She locks her arms by her sides as she flies through the flashing tunnels of energy, and her blood is roaring in her ears, and the tunnel is looping back- no, something is wrong, something doesn’t feel like before- she hits something quasi-solid, and cartwheels into the energy stream, the light blinds her and-

She splashes back into the water. Her knees hit the ground below and she grunts, and puts her hands out to stop the rest of her body falling, and realises all at once that she is still here, still on this fucking rock in the middle of space.

Her wrist beeps, and she looks at the panel. 2023. She’s in the right time, but still in the same place. The tunnel has brought her through time but she hasn’t travelled physically. Not ideal for someone without a spaceship. Natasha grinds her teeth, and then takes a breath. She centres herself. A voice in her head that sounds a lot like Clint tells her to put her brain back in gear, so she does. She stands up, and walks out of the water onto what looks, in the dim light, to be a sand dune. She sits. Breathes. At least she can breathe. Bonus.

“Come on,” she mutters, tapping the panel. Red lights are blinking at her, telling her she can’t get anywhere. No Pym Particles, she realises. She’s used the last of them. There is nowhere else she can go. She doesn’t stop tweaking the panel, though, because Natasha Romanoff is not going to fucking die on Vormir. Not again.

It takes almost an hour, and her fingernails are ripped to shreds, but she manages to cannibalise the transmitter from her commlink and patch it into the power source of the panel. Now she has a beacon. Natasha doesn’t hesitate, and the second it’s ready, she switches it on. Anyone could find her, she knows that. It’s a big universe, and there could be any number of dangerous people who could pick up the signal. But anything is better than being here. She cradles the transmitter in her hands, and settles down in the sand to wait.

-

“5…4…3…2…1.”

The air crackles, and Steve appears on the platform. The empty case is in his hand, and as he steps down to the grass, Sam can see the tracks of tears on his cheeks.

“Is it done?” Bruce asks. Steve nods. Bucky’s eyebrows are raised, and Steve meets his gaze briefly but looks away, shaking his head.

“I need a drink,” Bucky says. Sam looks from him to Steve, and nods. What else can they do but be together now? As Steve brushes past him, Sam can smell a faint hint of perfume. He opens his mouth to say something, but he sees Bucky’s face and stops short.

The makeshift base is on the edge of the forest, built from emergency shelter tents, shipping containers, demountable buildings and any useful rubble they’ve found around the ruins of the facility. Pepper has told them numerous times that they don’t have to stay here, that there is accommodation available if they want, but they are all of them soldiers, aside from Banner, and they’re all used to sleeping rough. They even have beds in their tents, which is madness.

Sam raids the wreckage while Steve takes a shower in the demountable bathrooms and changes in his tent. He comes back to the clearing to find three friends waiting with worried eyes and dusty bottles of liquor, and he just knows they want to talk, but he can’t do that just yet, so he takes a plastic cup and sits in silence. Everyone is mercifully receptive to his game plan, so they just drink as the sun begins to sink on a day of good work.

Just as Steve starts to think up excuses to be alone, a phone rings. The four of them look around, confused, until Bruce fishes a cell out of his pocket. Gingerly, he tries to tap a button. Sam rescues the phone from his grip, and answers. He flicks it onto speakerphone.

“Hello?”

There is a crackling, and a voice pushes through the static.

“-ner. Banner? Banner, can you hear me?”

“Thor?” Bruce asks. Bucky looks at Steve as if to ask how the hell Thor has a phone. Steve shrugs helplessly.

“The computer found your number,” Thor says, on the other end of the line. “There’s a-”

The static returns. Sam shakes the phone like he’s trying to dislodge the sound.

���Thor?” Bruce calls. “You there?”

“-signal. It’s coming from Vormir.”

There is silence among them.

“Say that again?” Sam requests.

“We’re receiving a homing signal. It’s coming from Vormir.”

The silence is heavier now.

“Nat’s suit,” Steve says. His voice is thick. Emotion rises back to the surface, and he tries to swallow it with a mouthful of whatever the hell is in the cup he’s holding.

“We’re going in to investigate,” Thor says. “If it’s her, we will bring her home, so we can say goodbye properly.”

“Thank you,” Bruce says. “Thank you, Thor.”

-

The farmhouse has been quiet for a while. Laura does what she can, but to her it’s been a matter of weeks since they were out on the field, having lunch. Next thing, they were back there, Clint was gone, and the house looked like it had been abandoned for years. Which, of course, it was. Clint is back, he’s with them, but he’s different. It’s not just the extra five years, Laura thinks, or the haircut, or the tattoos. It’s the loss of his best friend. Laura mourns with him, and the kids do too, but he was there. He saw her die. It’s not the only thing he won’t talk about, but it’s up there.

When the quinjet lands, she almost wants to tell Steve that Clint isn’t here. He doesn’t need to suffer today. Her husband hasn’t made it a full day without crying yet. Neither has she. Laura takes Steve to where Clint is tinkering with the tractor anyway. Can’t turn away Captain America.

“Hey,” says Clint. The word is quiet, yet loaded. Steve can see his eyes are red. He looks so tired.

“Thor and the Guardians picked up a signal,” Steve says. No preamble. Clint deserves better than that. “We think it might be Natasha’s body.”

“Oh my God,” Laura says, voice soft. She puts a hand to her mouth.

Clint drops his head. “Okay. Good. They’re bringing her back?”

Steve nods. “We’ll know for sure in the next couple of hours. If you want to come back-”

“Yeah. I’ll come.”

Steve doesn’t know the protocol. Is Clint a hugging kind of guy? He looks like he needs it. Laura saves the day by walking over to her husband. He wraps his arms around her and clings to her. Steve looks away as Clint buries his face in his wife’s shoulder.

“I’ll be at the jet,” he says, and leaves them in the shed. The air outside is cool, and the last of the light is fading from the sky. Steve can see the beginnings of the field of stars stretching out overhead. The universe is so much bigger than he ever could have imagined. Here, the world still feels small.

“Let’s go.”

It’s Clint. He has grabbed a go bag from somewhere. Steve leads the way onto the jet. Clint sits in the copilot’s seat, and even though they are all of three feet apart, and there is a shared loss between them, the journey back to the ruins of the facility is silent.

-

Natasha is thirsty. How long does it take for a human to starve to death? Three weeks, she recalls. Three days without water. She has oxygen. That’s a small comfort.

Maybe it was too much to hope that someone would pick up the beacon. It’s a big universe. Hopefully she will fall asleep and not wake up. It’s a much more peaceful death than she thought she’d have. That, at least, is good. She wishes, though, that there was some way to get a message to Clint.

It’s hard to tell how long it’s been. There’s no light here. The unmoving eclipsed moon hangs overhead, and the dunes are lit with a dim purple light that does not change. She can’t tell if it’s been hours or days. From the hunger, she guesses around twenty-four hours.

The water is salty. She tried to drink it before. How long ago? Hard to say. The air around her isn’t getting colder, but her body’s core temperature is dropping as she gets weaker and more weary. She lies back on the sand, and looks up at the sky. At least there are stars. Maybe one of them is Earth. She knows she probably can’t see her own planet from here, but it’s nice to think one of the twinkling lights is her home. Clint is there. Steve. Everyone she’s ever known. Her family. Natasha smiles, dry lips cracking. She focuses on the brightest star. A planet? It’s flickering. It’s bright. Really bright. Getting… brighter?

Natasha sits up. It’s getting bigger. No, closer. It’s moving. She squints at it. The light extinguishes, and she realises that it’s something coming through the atmosphere. She sees lights again, this time in the shape of-

“About time,” she croaks. It’s a ship. A goddamn ship. As it draws closer, Natasha realises something, and it forces her to her feet, fills her with energy she didn’t know she could access.

She knows that ship.

-

He’s not ready. Clint will never be ready for this. It was hard enough the first time, and he’s had nightmares about her body for weeks. Now he has to face it, he has to see whatever is left of her. He doesn’t know what to expect, but he knows it will stay with him forever. All he can hope for is a chance to say he’s sorry. He knows he will hate himself for drawing breath over her, when she is dead because of him. For him, Laura said. He tries to tell himself that, and it works sometimes. Other times Clint can’t breathe for the grief, for wishing that he’d just run faster, or knocked her down harder. Something, anything not to feel this gaping hole in his chest, this loss that can’t ever be remedied.

“Clint.”

“I can’t do this.”

Steve has been crying too, but he puts his hand on Clint’s shoulder anyway. They’re all crying. It’s nothing these days. They’ve been crying for five years, why stop now? The sun is breaking over the horizon. It has been a sleepless night at the makeshift facility camp.

“This is the best we could hope for,” says Steve. Clint believes that. Getting her back, even if it’s just a body to bury, is infinitely better than leaving her on that godforsaken planet, alone forever. It’s not bringing her back that Clint can’t face. It’s knowing that there’s nothing left to do. It’s the thought of moving on in a world without Natasha, without his partner and best friend.

“Steve!”

It’s Sam, calling them both. Steve turns his attention to the sky, and hears a faint rumble. From above, the ship appears. Clint watches as it descends, and he feels the twist in his gut that reminds him of the last time he saw it - from the pilot’s seat, with Natasha by his side, giddy and laughing their way to her death.

They walk over to where the ship is touching down. The ramp lowers, and Clint steels himself. He feels Sam’s hand on one shoulder, and Steve’s on the other. The team surrounds him, ready to brace him against whatever agony will be carried down off that ship.

Rocket appears first. He walks over to the waiting men.

“Don’t be mad, okay?” he says. “I promised I wouldn’t call you before we got here.”

Confused, Clint looks back at the ramp. Walking out of the ship is Thor, followed by Quill. Groot and Drax appear too. Clint doesn’t understand.

“You couldn’t get her?” he asks Thor. His voice is broken. This too has failed. He’s never going to get to tell her he’s sorry.

“Clint,” Steve says. The colour has departed from his face, and his mouth is open. Sam is staring. Clint follows their lines of sight to the ramp, where Natasha Romanoff is stepping onto the grass, supported by Nebula on one side and Mantis on the other.

“Nat,” he chokes. Then he’s running. He hears someone shout something, hears a gasp, a soft ‘oh my god’ from someone, he doesn’t know, doesn’t care who it is. Natasha sees him, and her face slackens- is she crying? Clint is blinded by his own tears and he skids to a halt in front of her. Is she a ghost? A symptom of his mind finally folding in on itself from grief? He reaches out and touches her shoulder. She’s real. Solid. She collapses into him and Clint slumps with her onto the damp grass. The first light of the sun is just touching them, and it’s not warm yet, but she is. She’s alive. Natasha is alive.

“How-”

“I don’t know,” she says. She sounds terrible. She looks like she’s half dead. Better than all dead, Clint thinks, and he cups her face in his hands and inspects her.

“Clint-”

“I’m so sorry.”

“No,” she says. “No, don’t. I’m sorry.”

“Nat-”

She buries her face in his neck and he holds her, realising they are surrounded by clamouring Avengers. Steve is crying, Bucky at his shoulder, Sam is punching the air, and Thor is trying to look smug while he disguises his own tears. Even the Guardians look touched. Clint doesn’t give a shit. His whole world is in his arms, and Natasha pulls back and looks at him, smiling a smile he never thought he’d see again.

“Don’t ever do that to me again,” he says.

“Can’t promise anything.”

He pulls her close in the light of the dawn, and presses his lips to her forehead.

Natasha closes her eyes and savours the feeling. The dew is wet on her legs. The weak sunlight is warm on her skin. Clint surrounds her with more warmth, with a presence so solid and safe she never wants to leave his embrace.

“Welcome home,” he says, and they simply hold onto one another, each silently thanking the universe for the gift of the other.

[gloriousstudentfury-love]

Chapter 2

As i walked home from school i couldn't shake off the fact that someone was watching me. I kept turning back to see but only saw the school slowly fading away. I sighed "Come on Y/N who would just stalk you in an open place, well, apart from Richie" I giggled at my thought as i passed the Neibolt street sign. I always hated that place, i always felt as if something evil was lurking in the house. I shivered as i walked past the creepy ass house, as i almost completely walked past it i heard a faint giggling noise, i turned towards and my eyes widened in fear as the door opened slightly. In the doorway was a red balloon.12

"What the fuck" I mumbled as i stared at it, as if expecting it to like dance or something. Suddenly the balloon was gone, i started walking again when i heard the giggling again, except this time it sounded older "Oh Y/N where you going? Come stay with me, you'll float down here" I turned towards the door again to see a fucking clown, it was wearing a white costume and had red fiery hair. I screamed and started running farther down the road when i heard it's laughing "Y/N, come float with me don't be shy, down here, it's never dark" It growled as i screamed again and ran to my house, which was across the street from Richie's and slammed the door.

"No no no no please be gone please be gone" I pleaded as i looked out my window. It was gone. "What the fuck was that" I said, still shaking. I quickly turned the lights on and saw a note on the table "Be back soon sweetie, there's leftovers in the fridge, -Mom" "And that means she is not going to be back for a while" I groaned, knowing that she's off getting drunk somewhere. "Great now i'm alone" I said as i started shaking a bit, i hate being alone, and i also hate the dark, it just scares me. I went into the living room and sat down, rocking back and forth a bit when suddenly the phone rang.1

I jumped off the couch and ran to the phone "This is the L/N residence, may i ask who is speaking" I said in a snooty tone and i heard laughter at the other end "Well this is the famous Trashmouth speaking, is this the amazing sugar tits on the other side" I hear Richie say in a british accent and i giggle "I told you not to call me that, and why did you call me". Richie stopped talking for a second and i heard mumbling coming from the phone, Richie picked up the phone again "Well Ms.L/N, i called you because my friend Eddie Spaghetti here- "Don't call me that" I hear a voice say and i immediately know it's Eddie. "Okay, well before i was rudely interrupted by Eds here-" I hear groaning and i giggle "Eddie would like to invite you to his house to take a look at his mom, and so we can grab food then head to the barrens". I immediately nodded even though he couldn't see it, i didn't want to be alone in my house anymore "Okay i'll be there in ten". I said and I hear Richie say yes "Okay milady i'll miss you in those ten minutes" then he hung up.14

I grabbed my bike 

62

And headed down the road to eddie's.

When i reached it i rang the doorbell three times to which i hear a voice yell "Eddie, dear answer the door" Which followed to another voice saying "Yes mommy". The door swung open and Eddie smiled at me, "Hey Y/N" I smiled at him and said "Hi eddie, can i come in or am i just gonna have to wait outside" He chuckled and swung the door open for me so i could walk in.

"Take everything but the delicious deals, guys. My mom loves them. Hey, first you said the barrens and now you're saying the sewer. I mean, if we get caught?" Eddie asks as Richie and I immediately start stuffing food into our backpacks, what? I love food don't judge me. Bill turned around to look at Eddie "We won't, Eds. The sewers are public works. We are the public, aren't we?" Bill said as i stuffed some chips in my bag, Richie walks over to a cabinet and pulls it open to reveal a bunch of medicine "Eddie, are these your birth control pills?" He asked and Eddie rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and I'm saving it for your sister. This is private stuff."1

As we started to walk out the door Eddie's whale of a mother stopped us, i'm only nice to her because if not she won't let me see Eddie. "Eddie, dear, where you kids off to in such a rush?" She said as she painted her nails a sickly pink color, i never liked pink, it was way to bright and girly. We all looked at each other as she asked that question, trying to think of an excuse until Bill blurted out "Uhm, just m-m-my backyard, Mrs. K. I got a new..." He kept trying to pronounce the words and i started getting worried she would call our bluff when Richie exclaimed "A new croquet set. Jeez spit it out b-b-Bill." Eddie's mom somehow bought it and said "Okay. Oh and sweetie,don't go rolling around in the grass,especially if it's just been cut. You know how bad your allergies can get." "Yes mom." " Come on." I said. already starting to get uncomfortable when the whale once again spoke "Aren't you forgetting something?"19

I saw Eddie sigh a bit and walk up to his mom to kiss her on the cheek, i snickered at him and he playfully rolled his eyes and punched me in the shoulder "Do you want one from me too, Mrs. K?" Richie yelled to Mrs.K as we pushed him out the door while Eddie apologized "Sorry mommy."

Eventually Stan met up with us and we went to the Barrens "That's poison ivy. And that's poison ivy. And that's poison ivy." Stan stated pointing at random plants, which made Eddie freak out "Where? Where's the poison ivy?" I rolled my eyes as Richie yelled "No where, not every fucking plant is poison ivy, Stanley."

As Eddie quickly walked to the edge of the sewer Bill and Richie, and I started walking into the sewer, i groaned in disgust at how warm and squishy it felt in my shoes. "Ok well I'm starting to get itchy now and I'm pretty sure this is not good for me." Eddie stammered as Richie looked at him with mock concern "Do you use the same bathroom as your mother?" He asked as Eddie nodded at him, not seeming to understand he's messing with him "Sometimes, yeah." Richie nodded like a doctor hearing someones symptoms and stated. "Then you probably have crabs." I tried to hold in my laughter but one small giggle escaped my throat "Dammit" I said as Richie smirked at me "HA, i knew you found me funny!" Meanwhile, Eddie looked like he was ready to strangle Richie "That's so NOT funny." he stated as Richie started to notice Stan and Eddie weren't in the shit water. "Aren't you guys coming in?" He asked as Eddie shook his head vigorously "Uhuh that's gray water." "What the hell is gray water?" I asked as he looked at me and pointed at the shitty water "It's basically piss and shit. So I'm just telling you... You guys are splashing around in millions of gallons of Derry pee. Are, are you serious?" Eddie yells as Richie picks up a stick from the water "Doesn't smell like caca to me, Senor." he said in a spanish accent and another giggle escaped my mouth again.17

"O-o-okay I can smell it from here." Eddie gagged as Richie pointed the stick at him "It's probably just your breath wafting back into your face." Richie stated to which Eddie put his arms up in a what the fuck pose and glared at him "Have you ever heard of a staph infection?" "i'm also your staff infection." Richie stated and flailed the stick around while eddie gagged again "That's so unsanitary. you guys are like swimming in a toilet bowl right now. Have you ever heard of listeria?" "No what's listeria?" I said sarcastically as Richie threw a plastic bag that was in the gray water at eddie. "aghhh!! Are you retarded?You're the reason we're in this situation.-" "Guys!" Bill yelled and we all turned to see him holding a shoe "Shit. Don't tell me that's..." Stan said shakily as Bill shook his head "No. Georgie was wearing galoshes." "Who's sneaker is it?" Eddie asks as i looked at the shoe "It's Betty Ripsoms." I stated and Eddie of course started freaking out "Shit, oh god, oh fuck I don't like this." "How do you think Betty feels... running around these tunnels with only one freaking shoe." Richie joked while hopping around, but we all glared at him and he quickly shut up.20

"What if she's still here?" Stan asked and Richie rolled his eyes and motioned for Eddie "Eddie, come on!" Eddie shook his head and looked at us with a frightened expression "My mom will have an aneurysm if she finds out we were playing down here. I'm serious. Bill?" We all turned to Bill again and he spoke "If I were Betty Ripsom, I would want us to find me. G-georgie too." "What if I don't want to find them? I mean, no offense, Bill, but I do not want to end up like... I don't want to go missing either." Eddie said quietly and I glared at him "He has a point." Stan mumbled and all hope in Bill's eyes were gone " You too?" he said and Stan looked up at him "It's summer... We're supposed to be having fun. This isn't fun. This is scary and disgusting." He said and i gave them both a death glare "Guys don't be such assholes and get in he-" I was interrupted from my rant by a loud splash in the river, we all turned to see a boy with an H cut into his stomach and multiple scratches and bruises on him, i ran to help him up as Richie yelled "Holy shit, what happened to you?"14

1770 Words

[joshslater]

Cecaelia pt.1

This is a rewrite of a story from an anonymous writer, previously published in the Swollen Tummies blog. A blog with the delightfully alienesque tag line "G-get it out, get it out of me!". Similar stories and bonus material on my Patreon.

It was really strange to have him back in class. He had almost been her boyfriend when he disappeared. They saw each other often enough that many made that assumption at least, but she had been too shy to actually ask if they were more than friends. She suspected he had as well. Then that horrible night, the search, the divers, the wait, the memorial. It was scheduled just after school on a Thursday, so everyone had showed up, even those who decidedly had not been his friends.

And now, almost a year later, he shows up. "Please don't ask me about the past year", he had said when he held his small, awkward speech for the class his first day back. Someone from the police had leaked to the Beachview Mail that he had been held hostage the whole time, but he wouldn't even tell me anything about it.

We met for Asian food about a week after he came back, before he was back in school. I was so anxious to meet him again that I even imagined his voice saying hello in my head when I saw him across the street. Once seated all he wanted to talk about was me, the school, our friends, the world. Nothing about him. He sat there silent with his sashimi, and pierced my soul with his dark eyes. Much darker than I remembered them, and filled with much more wisdom than you should gain in just one year.

But if we are talking about changes, that's the least of it. Wherever he had been, they had worked him hard. Washboard all over and sprouted quite a few more inches. I'm guessing they locked him up in the forest or something, because now he's spending all his time by the sea, surfing almost every afternoon. Like he somehow is reclaiming something he took for granted before. He never used to surf, barely even swim. According to Andrea he turned down the swim team because "it wouldn't be fair". He probably thinks they are just allowing him to join out of sympathy, but he totally got swimmers bod now.

The tide was at its highest and the wind was picking up. By midnight fresh gale was forecast. Martin didn't know why he had decided on the detour to the old pier, but something had lured him there. Some nagging thought that this was an important thing to do.

Large waves pounded the timbers, occasionally spewing frothy waters all over the cedar planks, turning the wood black and the green patches slimy. The pier was sturdy, but ancient, and Martin knew that it was ill advised to walk there in the darkness. The sun had set and the cloudy sky blocked out the moon and the stars. But there was something alluring in the fresh, howling wind and the deafening white noise of the black water.

He was standing near the edge at the tip of the pier. To the right, in the distance, was the industrial plants giving a faint yellow sodium light. To the left, and way behind him, was the more modern white light of the city. But in front of him and below were just vast, dark, black.

Well, whatever he came down here for wasn't there, he decided. He turned around to walk back to the well lit streets when his foot caught something in the dark, and his other foot just slipped away on the wet board, sending his head backwards crashing into the old boards.

Hitting the cold water took him back to consciousness, but knocked the air from his lungs. It was cold and dark all around him, and he didn't know which direction was up. Suddenly something started to tug his leg. That was down, he quickly decided, and started to struggle to get loose. His lungs were burning and everything was fading away again.

His first thought wasn't relief of being alive, or fear. It was one of confusion. There was something in his mouth. Something large. It felt much like the inside of his cheeks, but it was covering his mouth, preventing him both from closing it or opening it further, and it reached down his throat. His nose was plugged with something, but he was somehow breathing through his mouth.

As he was coming to his senses the feeling of relief came. He was saved. But it was still dark, cold and wet. Then came the fear. Something was grabbing both his legs and at great speed dragging him along under water. He touched his face. There was nothing obstructing his vision. It really just was pitch black. He could however not feel his nose and mouth. Instead he touched something cold and fleshy attached to his face.

He tried to kick lose his feet. It didn't give, but whatever was dragging him stopped. He could feel something moving around him, and he felt a pair of human hands on his shoulders. Then a sharp, quick pain in the neck, and everything went foggy. *Don't fight* he thought. Or someone thought for him. He tried to touch it, whatever it was, but his limbs were barely twitching and getting numb.

Martin wasn't sure if he had lost consciousness or if the vast darkness around him had just not given him any sensory information to latch on to. He could barely feel his body and the sound was a constant low, dull noise. Pressure in his ears however indicated that they were deeper than he would have dared to free dive, not that it was something he was proficient in. He could however see a blue shimmer below him. Not far down, when the body turned that way, he could see rock formations dotted with what could possibly be bioluminescent life. Or radioactive stones. Do they glow?

Suddenly they slowed down, close to the ocean floor, and he could faintly feel the hold on his legs let go. As he began to slowly rotate, he could for the first time see his abductor. If his mouth hadn't been covered with something reaching down into his wind pipe he would have screamed in terror. In front of him, moving a large boulder, was a large, octopus-like creature. The upper body looked like a female human, head and arms and everything, but waist down was just a bundle of tentacles. Once she had moved the rock and turned around, he could see that she had two holes on either side of her chest, opening and closing. A not quite human face with short, green hair and big, black, unblinking eyes stared at him.

Martin was near panic as the monster approached him again. Would she keep him alive while she fed from his flesh, or would she kill him in one blow. No need to keep him alive at this point just to kill him later. No, that's not it. This is sleep paralysis! I can't move or speak, and I see an evil presence. Typical sleep paralysis, he thought. Just try to keep calm and this will all go away in some minutes. Then stock up on zinc tablets or whatever deficiency lead to this.

The creature grabbed his legs again and pulled him into a dark, narrow cave opening that had revealed itself under the boulder. As they entered the small tunnel, Martin worried he wouldn’t fit like the octopus creature, but he was expertly handled and only brushed close to the rocks on his way in.

Inside the cave, more bioluminescent microbes coated the walls, bathing the room in a bright light, almost like a LED display. The space was as large as an apartment bedroom, and with smaller tunnels leading elsewhere in all directions. The room was roughly spherical with uneven surfaces with a somewhat flattened floor. Apart from a few boulders, Martin couldn't see any lose objects in the room. The creature let go of him again, and Martin watched as it moved like silk through the water.

With strength greater than any human, the creature moved one of the larger boulders over to the cave entrance, lodging it in the opening. It did the same with a second boulder, making the opening only slightly bigger than its head and shoulders. Then it gracefully flowed back to Martin, stopping face to face.

It was the first time Martin had a really good look of her. She was gorgeous. Her face was almost completely human, if you ignored her green hair and alien eyes. His body was still almost completely immobile, drifting in the water, but even if it hadn't been he wouldn't have dared look away from her face, down on her naked body.

Whatever she was contemplating, she appeared to have made up her mind, as she quickly swam around him. Again he felt something press against the back of his neck, and then an explosion of agony. He wanted to scream, but whatever was stuck in his airways prevented it. As he could feel the venom spreading in his body and his vision went out of focus, he could see her slipping out through the hole to the outside, leaving Martin alone. Immobile, trapped, and in agony. As he started to slip into unconsciousness again, he was pretty sure this wasn’t sleep paralysis.

[vexsoviet-blog]

[Crumpled Wings and Bitter Omens] - Chapter 1

New people don’t randomly appear on the island. It isn’t a thing that happens - ever. Sure, when the world regenerates, new people sometimes appear, and old ones disappear, but it only happens when the hermits wake up to new surroundings and nothing in their pockets. Or, when they go through portals to their new, young world. However, when someone washes up on the shore of the main island with crumpled wings, torn clothes, and messy hair, the hermits aren’t sure who they are or what’s going on - especially when misfortune comes to everyone who this new person visits.

Chapter 1 is finished! I’ll be posting it to Ao3 in the next few days, but for now? Here you go!

Wordcount -  1527 words

People - Grian, Iskall85, Rendog, Mumbo Jumbo, Minesona

Rating - T

They awoke to someone gently nudging them, accompanied by soft, incomprehensible whispers and words they figured were directed to them. Slowly, their eyes blinked open - or, in the case of their cybernetic left eye, blink on. It took a long moment for them to realize that the fuzziness in their eyesight on their right side wasn’t from just disorientation, especially as they used their hand to push the plume of bright purple hair from in front of their eyes, and heard a soft,

“That’s a pretty nasty scar…” It was a male’s voice, slightly on the higher side, but clearly male, and carrying an accent. They didn’t quite know the accent.

Slowly, they looked up, surveying the few people that surrounded them. Vaguely, they could make out three forms. Two of these people stood a little ways away, quietly arguing, while a third knelt down to their level, his head tilted, brown hair wet with what they could only assume was seawater - after all, they could notice the taste of salt in their mouth, and could hear the sound of waves behind them.

The one thing that startled them about these three was how heavily armored all of them were, and it caused them to recoil when the first man reached out his hand. Immediately, he seemed to notice their fright, and drew back his hand. Quietly, he hushed them, slowly rising from his kneeling position.

“Ren, you said you have no idea how…” the man trailed off as he turned to face one of the others, who were quietly arguing. “Ren. You don’t have any idea how… They got here?” He gestured to them, causing them to tilt their head.

One of the men, who they figured was Ren, shook his head, replying with, “No, you were the first one who saw them. When I went mining…" He trailed off, shaking his head.

"... Alright." The first man shifted his weight back, softly frowning as he settled his hands on his hips. "Well, we should probably try to get the other hermits together, and… See if we can get them cleaned up!"

Turning back around, he started back towards them, slipping off his armor and replacing it with what seemed to be wings. Frowning, they said nothing, watching as the man extended his hand. 

"I'm Grian. Let's get you some food and healing potions so you can start regenerating, yeah?" he said, voice kind. Even with their blurry eyesight, they could make out a vague, but bright smile.

Hesitantly, they nodded, taking his hand and standing slowly. Looking around, they frowned a bit as they attempted to make sense of their surroundings. Even through the hazy fog that obscured part of their vision, they could make out trees, flowers, and grass that faded into sand around them. Slightly tightening their grip on Grian’s hand, they took a deep breath, but a movement from one of the other men caused their head to whip over to him.

“You know that we’ll have to carry them,” came the slightly deeper voice. That wasn’t Ren - that was the guy that Ren had been talking (arguing?) to. “Or, at least, one of us will, and another will have to get all the hermits together.”

“I’ll do it. If all else fails, we can have them live in my ship in a bottle, anyways,” Grian offered, shrugging. There was a pause, before he glanced over to the new person, watching for a moment as they stared quietly over the ocean.

They jumped when he settled his hand on their shoulder, and looked over at him. He smiled brightly, head tilting a bit. For a second, they opened their mouth a bit, before shaking their head and closing it again.

“... Come on, I’ll be careful, despite what Iskall must think. You ready to set off?” he asked, waiting until he got a nod from them, before moving to stand behind them. Hooking his arms under their armpits, it took him a few tries before he could take off.

He was, indeed, careful, taking it slow from him - he quickly realized that they would flinch and faintly whimper if they felt like the two of them would be going too fast. They also would squirm from the sound of fireworks going off too quickly in succession, so that slowed their pace.

It didn’t matter, though, as he carefully lead them through Mumbo’s base, into the ship in the bottle - thankfully he was mining, so it was safe for the duo to go through the tunnel that connects the two buildings.

“Well, what we’ll need to do… Is end up getting you a bed, for one,” they heard Grian mumble to himself as they quietly explored the small area. Whenever they would glance at him, he had his head shoved in another chest, still talking to himself, but the wood stifled his words, making it difficult for them to hear him.

However, this must be where they were staying - for a while, most likely. Knowing that, they took some time to themselves so they could acquaint themself with the area. It wasn’t a large area in any stretch of the idea, but they did enjoy how small it was, and how, when they looked through the glass that surrounded them, they could see the faint forms of fish swim by. Smiling softly, they tilted their head, a hand against the glass.

“Hey, uh… I’m gonna see if I can get you a bed, alright?” Grian asked, glancing over to them. He grinned when they nodded. “Alright, then I’ll see you in a little while!” He exited the bottle, leaving them alone.

--

They could faintly make out the sun setting through the water above them when they heard an unfamiliar voice cursing from inside the ship. Sitting up quickly, they looked towards the entrance, before clambering on top the best they could and hiding there.

Watching as a black haired head poked its way out of the ship, before a lanky body followed it, they shook a bit. Vaguely, they could see red splotches on the man’s dress shirt, and they couldn’t quite tell what it was - it could basically be anything, they figured. Dye, blood… Something else. Scanning over him, they could vaguely make out a suit jacket hanging off of his arm, but it didn’t seem like he was holding anything else. That allowed them to relax a little bit, and they sunk down to their knees as they watched the man quietly.

He settled down after a few minutes, taking a deep breath. This gave them the chance to slip down from their hiding spot in order to investigate this new person better. Unfortunately, the movement made the boards under their feet creak, and they tensed as the man quickly perked up, standing and looking around.

“Who are you?” he asked, gaze finally settling on them. With the silence that they offered, tension came, and this dark haired man shifted uncomfortably, swallowing hard. “I asked-” he cut himself off there, shaking his head. “I’m Mumbo, are you… Able to speak?”

They simply shrugged, looking over him. All they knew was that their throat felt harsh, dry - sorta like they’d swallowed a handful of sand. There was a chance that they did, in all honesty, but they pushed it out of their mind as they looked for something to write with and on. Heading into the ship, they pulled a sign from off the wall and scrubbed the writing off of it with their jacket sleeve. Scribbling something out on the sign, they set it down in front of Mumbo.

I dunno yet. They wrote simply, then frowned. For a second, they tried to say something, but it only escaped their mouth as a wheezing squeak - nothing more.

“Alright. You… Uh, you don’t need to try to speak just yet, but…” Mumbo hesitated, looking down as he frowned and attempted to think of a few yes/no questions for them to answer. “Did Grian bring you here..?” He watched as they nodded at that, and he smiled - it made sense. “Are you hungry?” Hesitantly, they shrugged, a frown twitching at the corners of their mouth. “Do you want me to get you food?” Quickly, they nodded, smiling brightly.

That was the first time they actually, truly smiled that day, and they felt a bit better. A small shudder of happiness went through their body as an involuntary light cooing sound rumbled from someplace in the base of their throat, and they clasped their hands together.

He chuckled lightly, before pausing. “One more question…” he started, causing them to look to him. “Can you.. See well, by any chance? I noticed you-” They cut him off with a quick shake of their head. “Alright… Then we’ll get you glasses or something to help. I’ll be back soon enough.”

With that, he started back into the ship and down, disappearing into the tunnel system that lead to his base. Once again, they were left alone, but this time, they settled down on the ground, quietly looking up at the sky through the glass of the bottle.

[chiauve]

Aquarius 23

The door to Ruler’s chamber was not a grate, but a heavy slab of metal through which no aanakellriit, fish, or current could pass, lavishly decorated like everything else in his caverns. The waters moved through other gaps and openings, unknown and too small for any enemy’s use. And even these were small and few, the current sluggish and Ruler’s lair stuffy. Wesker didn’t like it.

The door slid aside, quiet and smooth, well tended and Wesker wondered if this was where all the maintenance workers were putting their focus. He entered slowly into the antechamber and the door slid shut behind him.

Electric lights lit a raised dais but the rest of the chamber was dressed in shadow, Ruler well hidden within. Even Wesker’s glowing eyes that saw into another light spectrum could not make out anything beyond. Very few had seen Ruler and Wesker long wondered what was it about this one aanakellriit that inspired such fear in the People that none had replaced Ford and Gleaming upon their deaths. None questioned Ruler, because those that had ended up in another’s belly. Most likely Wielder’s, Wesker suspected.

He circled the dais and then lay upon the top, his tail coiled around its base. He lowered his spines and crest into a submissive display, and wait for acknowledgment to give his report.

 --

Wesker ate several more squid as he made his sluggish way to his lair; it was the only bit of defiance he could get. While one could hardly call Ruler’s commands a reprimand, his annoyance was clear as he reminded Wesker that tides were shifting and there was little to show for it.

What was there to show? And it wasn’t like there was enough essence of the Stairway of the Sun ready yet if his side of the plan was ready even now.

It was a long swim to his home. When he’d gained a name and became one of the People he carved out for himself a small hole in abandoned ruins far back in tunnels rarely used. Other aanakellriit were few but the small exploring fish plentiful and there was always a snack nearby. He’d carved more space and rooms over the years, especially as he scavenged and learned the human ways, collecting odd things as he did so. None of them bore any meaning to him and could be abandoned easily, but they were things to look at and touch during times of rest.

The door to his lair was rusty but still strong enough to hold for now. A door ripped from a sunken human ship, its porthole further barred with a metal mesh. He found the latch to the opening mechanism and sniffed it, ensuring no one else had touched it and entered his home while he was away. Only his own faint scent remained and he opened the door.

A few glowing squid trickled in after him as he entered, but he didn’t require them. He knew every inch of the hole he’d carved for himself. The door shut and he tied a string of bells and flotsam to the latch; if someone entered he would hear them. He left the antechamber, drawing a curtain shut behind him. Just looking at the main chamber of his home with its mound of soft, inviting sand made the tiredness writhing him bubble over and he sank to the floor, tired of swimming.

He slithered to the side chamber and, shoving aside a rock and a plastic lid, he placed his bagged Samurai Edge in a pile of sand. The larger empty mesh bag was placed under a stone to keep it from drifting and with that Wesker considered himself done for the day.

With no adornments to discard he went straight to the sandy mound in the main chamber. He dug his arms deep into it and then shoveled the sand upward, creating a deep pit. He then circled and wound himself into a tight coil and settled into the pit, the sand slowly drifting down and settling over him like a blanket. Warm and comfortable, Wesker sighed and finally let his body relax and his mind drift away.

It barely went far, to that point just on the edge of a doze where thoughts started to meander into nonsense, when Wesker felt the water of his lair shift as something moved. Something bigger than a fish but smaller than an adult aanakellriit...

No.

“Go away,” he growled, not lifting his head and instead trying to burrow deeper into his wonderful bed.

“Father Bright,” a soft voice whispered.

“I am not dealing with you. Leave.”

“But it’s your turn,” the light voice said, softly as though that would affect his building anger, “we’re for you now, it’s your duty.”

“I am exempt.” He lifted his head, sand drifting out of his hair and through his lashes, “You have other fathers and mothers to annoy and teach you, count yourself lucky in that and leave.” He pressed his face back into the sand and hoped they’d go away, except... “How did you get in here? I would have heard the door open.”

“The grate on the porthole is loose.” Of course, they were just small enough to fit.

The pups pouted at him, their visage glowing in his sight. There were two of them, a pathetic number, male and female. The female was older and usually did most of the talking, at least in his presence.

The female pup bit her lip but said, “We are for you, we were directed to you.”

The fact that his fellows were aware of Wesker’s duty and mission and yet still would happily waste his time and dump the pups on him during his few precious tide turns at home snapped the last of his patience. Teeth gnashing, he rose from his sandy bed, spines, fins, and crest all raised in an aggression display, and hissed, “Get out!”

The pups, accustomed to such behavior from him, were hardly threatened. The male pup’s tail lashed a little, his ears wiggling in mild annoyance.

“It’s not our fault,” he muttered, “I’d rather be exploring.”

Wesker sighed and sank back to the floor, his rage burning down to the usual seething annoyance. “I wish you’d be exploring too...”

But there were too few of them for that, they were too precious to be swimming around on their own. Moreover, their future duties had yet been decided and they were still at that age where they were required to learn a little bit of every duty, allowing them not only an understanding of all that must be done, but for the adults to see where they excelled. So the pups were passed around to learn under all the People, everyone their father and mother, everyone pitching in to care for the next generation.

Wesker had been under the impression that he was exempt from this duty, considering his mission, but that would be too easy, wouldn’t it? If he’d been lucky enough to miss his turn while away he was making up for it now.

Abyssal rot.

[created-by-teen-fury]

Chivalry || A Medieval AU Chapter 2

Dick Grayson x OC (Bella Nyx)

Jason Todd x OC (Jackie Arcelia)

Chivalry Masterlist

Here it is! After far too long! Sorry it took thing along, but I just finished two weeks of shows and tech weeks and I graduate next week so I’ve been a bit busy. But here’s the next chapter. In the future they will be longer, but I’m currently just setting up the story. Also Arthur makes an appearance. So here it is!

(I had to delete the original because it stopped showing up in the search so I’m hoping this fixes it)

—————

Daybreak arrived slowly for Bella. She sat in a single cell, where the air was stuffy and the dirt beneath her cling to her skin. There was a bale of hay in the corner that acted as a makeshift bed, but Bella didn’t bother to use it. She spent the night searching for any way to get out of her prison, but ultimately found no escape. Now she sat on the floor, back leaning against the stone wall.

The thudding of foot steps rang through the cave. Shuffling of the night guards following soon after. A faint “Good morning Sire” was heard from further up the hall, but Bella kept her eyes to the ground as the footsteps became closer. Suddenly they stopped. Bella quickly glanced in the direction of the cell door, before quickly looking down again.

The eldest prince stood in front of her cell. His face was unreadable as he spoke, “What is a Noctis like yourself doing in Gotham?” Bella grimaced at the mention of her people leaving his filthy mouth.

“Attempting to rob you. Or are you just so stupid that you already forgot about our little tussle?”

“You can’t speak to him like that! He’s your prince!” Another voice rang out. Bella raised her head making eye contact with a ginger, about the same age as the prince.

She scoffed, “He’s no prince of mine.”

The ginger opened his mouth to say more, but was cut off, “Wally, you aren’t helping.” The man muttered a quick ‘sorry’ before the prince spoke again. “The king exiled your people from Gotham. What are you doing with in its borders?”

“Having a party.”

Dick groaned, a hand running through his hair, “You do realize I have the power to kill you correct?”

“And do you realize I don’t give a jacks ass?”

“Can you please just answer one simple question?! I’m trying to reduce your sentence, okay!” His hands banged against the bars on the door, making Bella flinch slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.

“I need to eat in order to live. In order to eat I need coins. I feel a lot better stealing from some stuck up princes that I do stealing for some poor villagers.” She snapped. Her eyes gave Dick a glare that almost made him step back, “Sorry if you were hoping for something more interesting”

He took a breath, “Thank you. Now I can start getting you out of here.”

“Wait… Dick what are you doing?” Wally eyed his friend and the girl. “This doesn’t seem like a great idea…”

The prince shrugged, patting his squire on the back, “Can’t blame a girl for being hungry. She is by far one of the least threatening criminals of Gotham. And we need to extra room for actual threats.”

“Oh trust me. I can be a whole lot more threatening than this.”

Taking in a deep breath, he ran a hand down his face, “You aren’t making this any easier on yourself.” He was met only with a glare, “Okay, I’ll talk to the king and hopefully you’ll be free to go.” Bella ignored him, picking at the stone floor. Dick sighed once more before making his way back down the hall.

———————-

Jason stood at the entrance to the underground tunnels, a sigh leaving his lips. “God dammit Jackie…” Lighting a torch, he descended the steps to the tunnels below the castle. Small mutterings fill the narrow passageway as he starts his hunt to find the ‘disruption’.

As Jason neared the edge of the hallway, he found himself in front of a brick wall. From behind, crashes, bangs and small curses could be heard. Jason shook his head, his hand reaching for a brick slightly off center and pushed it, revealing a hidden door. It inched open, casting a sliver of warm orange glow onto his face. He opened the door all the way, not surprised with the sight before him, “Caught you at a bad time?”

Jackie stood before him, arms piled high with various armors and weapons. By her feet was scattered armor pieces that fell from her grasp. She was stuck with a deer in headlights expression, but slowly it morphed into a forced grin, an awkward laugh leaving her lips, “Oh hey pal! Didn’t see you there?”

“Jackie what are you doing down here in the middle of the day? This place should only be used for emergencies.” Jason sighed, placing his torch in a holder on the wall.

“But it was an emergency!” She held up her hands in defense, causing all the metal to crash to the ground. She winced letting out a small sorry. She met Jason’s expectant stare with pouty lips

Jason sighed,now looking at the cluttered stone floor, “Well what was so important?”

“I had to hide all the new stuff I made you or Damian would have taken it!”

His stern expression shattered into a series of laughs, “You’re going to be the death of me,” Jason walked forward engulfing Jackie in his arms. She pouted her lip jutting out.

“This is no laughing matter Jason! This is serious business buddy!”

“Oh my apologies love. Didn’t mean to offend you. Now come on. We better get out of her before we get caught.” Pressing a light kiss to her temple, he took her hand leading her around the discarded metal. He froze when he saw a figure standing at the door.

“Um… Good Day Sire?”

In the doorway was Arthur Goodwin, a well trusted knight. He had a tight smile, eyes swimming with nerves. He was clutching a necklace in his fist, which dropped when he hurriedly bowed before the prince. He dove to pick it up almost immediately.

Their intertwined hands dropped as the two jumped away from each other. Jackie stumbled over a chest plate, causing her to tumble to the floor. She shot up a second later, her hands flailing around her. Collecting herself, she put on a questionable smirk and leaned against the wall, “Oh hey Arthur… You come here often?” The sound of Jason’s hand slapping against his face echoed across the awkward silence.

Standing up, Arthur began to sputter out an excuse, but none of his words formed an actual sentence. Jason raised his hand hand, causing his blubbering to stop, “Arthur. What are you doing down here?”

“I was just on my way to the vaults I swear! But I heard voices so I came to investigate and that’s when I noticed the opening where a wall use to be. Then I saw… you guys?” He looked in between the two, his eyebrows raised, “Are you… courting?”

Jason grasps onto Arthur’s collar bringing him closer. Jason was only a few inches taller than the knight, but he still cowered in the presence of the prince. Jason’s eyes were filled with rage as he spoke, “If you dare speak about what you saw to anyone, I won’t hesitate to strip you from your title. Do I make myself clear?” Arthur nodded his head rapidly. Jason drop his grip causing Arthur to stumble back some, “Good. Now why are you going to vaults? You should know knights aren’t allowed down there without a direct order.”

Arthur clear his throat before speaking, “I was given the order from Prince Richard, sir. My newest task is watching over a prisoner at the Prince’s request. He wanted me to take this necklace down to the vault. Apparently it is very important to her.” He held up a black chain that held a periwinkle pendant on the end. When held up to the light, specks of blue and purple filled the room.

Jackie awed at the colors spotted around and Jason couldn’t help but let a smile creep onto his lips. Shaking his head he looked back to Arthur, “Then go on. You’ve got a job to do.” Arthur nodded, turning back to the hallway, but once again, Jason’s voice stopped him, “And Arthur. I mean it. If anyone where to find out about this, she could be exiled.” he paused looking back to his girlfriend who had begin to clear up the weapons on the floor, “Or worse…”

The knight gave him a tight lipped smile, “Trust me. I’m not one to talk my Lord.” With that, he continued down the hallway, leaving Jason and Jackie alone once again.

“You know, I’ve seen him sneaking around with Malvin occasionally. Think that’s what he means?”

Jason’s shook his head, pressing a kiss to her lips, “That is none of our business, love. Now let’s go. Before you get in even more trouble.”

She smirked before slapping his thigh. She took off down the hallway yelling, “Race ya Sir Chausses!!”

Laughing, he took off after her, “Hey! Not fair!”