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sincerelyhecate · 1 year ago

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have you seen my glasses? (they're on your head, dummy)

Title: have you seen my glasses? (they're on your head, dummy)

Pairing: Jason Grace/Percy Jackson

Length: 3.1k words

You can also read this on AO3.

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"Bro, have you seen my glasses?"

A shadow casts itself over the red glow that Percy sees underneath his closed eyelids, and he flutters his eyes open in a squint to find Jason looming over him, his broad frame blocking the sunlight he's been bathing in. Jason’s eyebrows are knitted together in a frown as he stares Percy down; a telltale sign of his annoyance with the fact that he ‘lost’ his glasses again.

The object in question, unsurprisingly, is nestled on his blond hair, the afternoon light glinting off the frames' metallic sheen as if screaming at everyone who cares that they're right there—just like they normally would, whenever he throws the question at Percy.

Percy sighs, all too used to this modus operandi. It’s happened so many times—often enough that he's already memorized the script of Jason's ploy by heart—that he can only arrive at this conclusion: Jason Grace is a terrible flirt.

Nothing's wrong with that, of course. Jason can remain as bad in the flirting department as he wants, since he'd unfailingly and unwittingly charm his victims all the same. Percy is just unfortunate enough to be one of them.

"Dude, this is the third time this week, and it's only Wednesday!" he replies, as per their usual script.

Jason rolls his eyes in faux exasperation. "Sorry, mom. I swear I never do it on purpose. I think someone's trying to bully me."

“Pfft.” He can't help laughing a little at the ridiculous notion. "Nobody in their right mind would ever dare to bully a fully grown son of Zeus, my good man."

"Well, I can think of a few names off the top of my head," Jason solemnly replies, giving him a meaningful side-eye.

He brushes off the implied accusation by giving Jason an eye-roll of his own. While he may have been a repeat offender in concocting harmless shenanigans with the others to tease Jason, those can hardly be called 'bullying'. He prefers the term 'tough love' instead, since he's always done it with the purest intention of making Jason laugh, and it worked—every single time!

Not to mention he'd never steal Jason's glasses while his bro isn’t looking; he'd just grab it off his face like a real man.

He props himself up to sit upright just as Jason makes himself comfortable by sitting down cross-legged next to him, their movements choreographed to perfection by this same old dance. Like the mom friend he is, Jason wastes no time patting off the stray blades of grass clinging onto Percy's head and back, and Percy’s heart squeezes at the palpable gentleness behind his casual fussiness. It prompts the muscles on his face to form a helpless grin, even though he’s trying hard to keep his face straight to match the dire, serious look on Jason’s own.

"Bedside table?"

"First place I checked."

"On top of the head of your dad's statue?"

Jason doesn't even pause at the incredulous suggestion, because it's actually happened once—courtesy of Leo. "Nope. I still can't believe Leo wasn't zapped from that."

"Did you ask anyone else before coming to me? Because I'd be truly offended if I'm being singled out as the prime suspect again."

Jason narrows his eyes at him. "That's already suspicious of you, but okay,” he comments with pursed lips, before throwing his head back and sighing in exhaustion, like he’s already gone round the entire camp to ask everyone else before seeing Percy.

“You won't believe this, but I think the others are already sick of me asking for their help—”

“Truly believable, and wholly understandable.”

“—as if I’m doing it on purpose! I’ve asked a grand total of three people before coming here—”

“Wow, I guess that really makes up the whole camp.”

“—first was Nico, who told me to stop being stupid." Jason starts counting the people in question with his fingers like they’re worth counting at all; always so animated with his hand gestures when talking to Percy.

“I guess he has a point,” Percy sing-songs. Jason ignores him.

"Next was Leo, who suggested I do a cartwheel in case they'd appear out of thin air," he continues, shaking his head as if their impish friend was out of his mind for suggesting that, as he extends two fingers out from his balled fist.

“Ooh, he’s onto something, I think.” Jason ignores him still, and Percy can no longer try to hide his grin.

"And lastly Piper, who told me I should go look for you instead,” Jason finishes, showing Percy his three fingers pointedly.

Percy gestures to himself in faux confusion as if to say me?, mustering up a surprised face he can only hope to be convincing. The quirk in his lips is definitely not helping.

Unimpressed, Jason clears his throat and inquires, like he’s conducting an interrogation, “So, basing off all the clues I’ve gathered and one strong insinuation from Miss McLean, I will ask you once again: have you seen my glasses, Percy?"

Oh, Percy is so intimately familiar with the finer details of Jason's flirting scheme at this point. The guy would conveniently ask other people first, sure, but one way or another, he'd always end up finding Percy as the last resort, which is enough indication on its own. Piper was insinuating nothing; knowing her, she’s probably just playing along.

Jason has all but invaded Percy's personal space then, the tips of their noses almost touching each other as he leans in a little too close due to his poor eyesight. The way his face pleads with Percy is not unlike that of a golden retriever, and Percy feels a strong urge to pat his head to appease him. Undeterred by those puppy eyes that would've worked on anyone else, he remains steadfast in their close proximity—only staring back in amusement in an impromptu staring contest.

And boy, is Jason one heck of a looker.

Recent years have certainly been kinder to his friend, Percy quietly notes, from the way he glows with contentment. His (stupid, kind, pretty) big blue eyes—widened imploringly at Percy—betray no lingering air of sadness like they did in the past. There’s an almost permanent quirk at one corner of his lips, like everything he sees these days is worth smiling about, and more often than not, Percy finds himself wanting to kiss it.

"I…" he deliberately stretches the vowel for needless suspense, "…really don't have them, sir! I think she’s just trying to get you out of her hair. As with the rest of them.”

"Goshdarnit,” Jason whines, flopping down onto the grass like the drama queen he is. He grumbles, “I hate wearing glasses."

Percy chuckled at the sulk in Jason’s voice. He lies down on his side to face Jason, admiring the gentle curves of his side-profile. How is a man this gorgeous has the disposition of a silly old man sometimes? It’s unbelievably charming. "Never mind that. Has anyone ever told you how cute you are?"

Jason turns to face him and raises an eyebrow at the sudden question, glasses still miraculously fixed in place. His scar is a pale line adorning his unfairly pink mouth as he chews on it in thought; probably deliberating what to make of Percy’s attempt at a compliment. It almost disappears when a benign smile then slowly graces his lips, and Percy resists the urge to trace his finger on it. It probably feels soft to the touch.

A familiar feeling of protectiveness surges through his body whenever Jason smiles at him like this. He would do anything; give anything; fight anything to prevent that smile from ever waning. Sure, they each have Titans included in their body counts, and had even toppled giants together, but there's just something inherently precious to Jason that Percy believes is worth protecting. Partly because of the not-so-platonic feeling he harbors for the guy, mostly because Jason is one of his dearest friends.

But of course, his friend doesn't need to know that just yet.

"I will mind that, thank you very much. I need my glasses to see, you see?" Jason deadpans, breaking his train of thought.

"...I guess I kinda do?"

“Exactly. And to answer your question," Jason informs him with a smug grin, "I hear that at least ten times a week. Twenty if Sis is coming over. Coming from you though, I feel like you're only saying it to make fun of me."

"Hey, I'm just being honest! You're adorable as heck," he coos, pinching one soft cheek and enjoying Jason’s surprised wince.

"'Heck'," Jason teases, like Percy didn't get that from the guy who prefers to say 'dummy' instead of 'dumbass' or 'frick' instead of 'fuck'. "I'd prefer you call me handsome instead. Or gorgeous. Dashing works too. At least it won't sound like you're looking down on me."

"Gods, I'd never look down on you. You know that," Percy protests, only half-heartedly because he knows Jason is just pulling his leg. "But fine, you gorgeous stud."

"Thanks. I guess you're not so shabby yourself."

Percy scoffs and nudges Jason’s shoulder playfully with his hand, relishing the way his friend laughs sweetly in return. Jason's laughter is a lovely breathy sound, like the hilarity has punched the wind out of him. It's one of Percy's most favorite sounds ever; something he’s discovered as they got closer and closer over the years. He wants to hear it all the time if he can.

They've already gone off the tangent of the initial topic—a usual occurrence when they start complimenting each other like it's a competitive sport. Percy thinks it’s fine, since it’s pretty much coming from his own heart, and he’s not above using flattery to make his friend feel good about himself. After all, while Jason might be the terrible flirt, Percy can’t deny that he’s already down bad for the guy.

Perhaps today will be the day he gives in. They've been playing this push-and-pull game long enough, he thinks. Danced around this ambiguous thing between them—only for it to amount to nothing—a little too many times for his liking. In all honesty, it's reaching a point where he's starting to feel bad for ignoring Jason’s advances, so he might as well give in this time. Especially when he knows he wants it as much as Jason does.

Realizing that it's his cue to resume their script, he offers, "I can tell you where they are, though."

"Ha! Solid attempt to divert my attention there, you flatterer. Piper was right: you do have them!"

He ignores Jason's accusation—that was way too ecstatic to be convincing—and instructs, "Pat your head and say, 'Thank you, Percy.'"

"Ha-ha. I already patted my head at least three times and found noth—Oh!" Even as Jason grumbles at his suggestion, he still does as Percy has asked. Ever the indulgent friend, so willing to humor Percy even if he thinks it’s all for naught. Though in this case, it is his intention to get Percy to point that out in the first place, so Percy's the one indulging here, really.

Percy watches on as a familiar scene unfolds before him like the hundred times it did before: Jason's face gradually turning sheepish as he feels the offending object lying innocently on his head, puppy eyes intensifying and red coloring his cheeks.

He arches an eyebrow in an unamused look. “Tsk, tsk. Classic Jason.”

"...I swear on Juno's name, Percy, I patted my head several times before looking for them elsewhere!"

He pulls a tuft of grass off the ground, making sure the disdain in his voice is audible. "And you were so quick to accuse me too."

"I told you I asked three other people before you! Sorry if I sound accusatory, but I'd almost always find them when I'm with you."

He throws the tuft on Jason’s face. "Yeah, like it's my fault you'd find them on your head every time."

Jason pouts as he stubbornly counters, "I mean, you could be secretly putting them on me when I wasn't looking."

"Dude, you had your eyes on me the entire time." In such a lovesick gaze too, you unsubtle dork.

"…Right." Jason looks appropriately sorry after he takes the time to ponder on that. His petulant pout turns remorseful before he mumbles, "Sorry, man."

Like clockwork. He’s lucky Percy likes him.

"I'll forgive you…" Percy says, pushing himself up to sit. He smirks as he drops the bomb Jason has been waiting for after all this time; the new plot twist to their old script, "…if you pick a good place to eat for our date."

He throws a side glance Jason's way to find him gaping like a fish, as if he's genuinely surprised. Jason scrambles to sit up as well, shaking his head in confusion. He's pretty good at acting, Percy will give him that. "Sorry, did you just say…for our date?"

"Yep! And I'm expecting you to pay for our meal."

His friend is now blinking rapidly at him, like he’s not at all prepared for this sudden development. “Our meal…for our date?”

“Yes, Jason Grace. For our date,” Percy confirms, wondering if the guy’s poor brain has short-circuited from knowing his efforts have finally paid off. That’s actually pretty cute if true. “Dress code is anything blue, white or black. No formal wear or I’ll dump water on you so you’d go change.”

“Oh. I—Um.” Wow, that’s a really impressive act of flabbergasting if Percy ever sees one. He looks on expectantly as Jason makes a show of putting himself together, recovering quickly enough to say with a little shrug, “I…am a little confused, but alright. I’m down!”

Even underneath all his pretense of having no idea what’s going on, his elation at Percy’s invitation (that should’ve been his in the first place) is very much genuine. Percy’s heart curiously flipped at the sight of Jason beaming at him in earnest now; as if he’s only been expecting to find his glasses out of this, and is pleasantly surprised he's ended up with something better.

“Sure, man,” he humors him with a shit-eating grin of his own. It’s fine if Jason refuses to let up; Percy has already decided to play along for as long as he wants anyway. He’ll even pretend he hasn’t seen right through him after everything, if his buddy needs his dignity intact later on. He’s a gentleman like that.

"Uh, just to confirm, is this a friendship kinda date where we just grab a meal together or a—"

Gods help me. Percy shuts him up with a kiss on his cheek, feeling giddy at the way Jason's smile grows dopier and his cheeks flush redder.

"Nah, it's the boyfriends kinda date," he assures Jason, hooking an index finger into the thin wire between the lenses of his glasses and deftly slides them down to properly settle on the bridge of his nose. The contrast from when Jason transforms from hot supermodel to precious super-nerd is oddly endearing. “I’ll pick you up at 6. Stay in your cabin until I come; we don’t want you to go losing your glasses again.”

The chuckle rumbling deep in Jason’s chest is like music to Percy’s ears as he regards him with a quizzical smile, head tilting like Percy's the most extraordinary thing he's ever seen. “Yessir.”

It turns out Jason has actually been bullied. Or pranked, whichever term fits the situation better.

Some children of Hermes, in an unlikely collaboration with some children of Hecate and a certain son of Hephaestus, had thought it was funny to see Jason, head counselor of Cabin One and a 6’2” adult man, bumbling his way around camp without his glasses—by making the thing visible to anyone but him. Heeding the advice of a certain daughter of Aphrodite, they made sure to materialize the glasses on his head again once he reached Percy for help. Whether Jason is mad at being made into a joke—or whether Percy is, at being tricked into thinking it’s his poor bro’s attempt at wooing him—is a story for another day.

Right now, and more importantly, they have a date to enjoy. One they're both looking forward to, after everything that went down between them.

Percy is still trying to fix his hair to go for an artfully messy do when someone knocks on the door to Cabin Three, approximately ten minutes before their agreed time.

Someone’s awfully excited, he muses as he opens the door to find Jason looking his most charming yet—his blond hair slicked back like a movie star's, his attire consisting of a baby blue button-up with the sleeves rolled up around his veiny forearms; white slim-fit chinos that showcase his sexy thighs; and a pair of loafers—teetering on the fine line between formal and smart casual. His glasses, thankfully, are perched safely on his face. He wears a shy smile as Percy appraises his look, blissfully unaware of how hot Percy has gotten all over his own skin.

“I’m not losing to you,” Percy says before slamming the door back in his date’s face.

“Hey!”

“Come in, you infuriatingly hot and annoyingly hunky absolute dork.”

“Bro, I don’t really get the things you say sometimes,” Jason quips as he steps inside the cabin, voice shaky with mirth, “but right now, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Whatever, man,” Percy says as he finishes throwing on his outfit of the evening: a tight-fitting shirt that shows off his lean figure nicely; a leather jacket to put on Jason when the night gets colder later on; jeans that snugly wraps around his butt for his date’s viewing pleasure; and his best pair of boots. He wagers they'd make quite the sight standing next to each other—not as friends but as each other’s dates for a change—and the thought warms him all over.

Jason whistles appreciatively as Percy twirls around for him. "Shall we?" he asks as they step outside, extending his arm out—the one with the SPQR tattoo seared onto his skin as a child, matching Percy's own—for Percy to cling onto, ever the gentleman. Percy pushes him playfully at the (admittedly sweet) gesture before taking his clammy hand instead, leading the way and unable to stop the slight skip in his own steps as they head towards the borders of the camp where Blackjack is waiting.

Whether they kiss sweetly underneath the faint moonlight just outside the fancy-schmancy gelato shop, tummies satiated with dessert and hearts full of mutual affection, followed by Percy stealing Jason’s glasses before taking off in a run, is also a story for another day.

#jercy #jasercy #jason grace #percy jackson #heroes of olympus #pjo #hoo #key writes #3.1k

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beelzebuddy-catan · 1 year ago

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The Not Entirely Human-Human Exchange Student pt.8

Summary: Diavolo hosts a retreat and formal dance for the exchange students, but there are greater threats in the castle than a giant snake and hidden labyrinth. Sometimes, the worst demons are the ones inside us. Warnings: Swearing, mentions of death and violence, unwanted sexual advances Spoilers: Through Lesson 8, Lilith's status Characters: Cass (OC), Lucifer, Mammon, Levi, Satan, Asmo, Beel, Solomon, Simeon, Luke, Barbatos, Diavolo, Mephisto, Preta (OC) and Nadia (OC). Notes: If you want to skip the part with unwanted sexual advances, it's starts after "He was taking selfies when she found the room he’d retreated to" and ends before "Cass didn't stop when she passed Mammon." Previous Part • Next Part

“You said your father’s advisor?”

“Ah, yes, I suppose you’re not very familiar with how things are structured here. Each King has a council of seven other demons that oversee the eight factions of the Devildom. After the King selects the seven advisors and they’re approved by the House of Lords, the previous King assigns them a faction based on traits they share.”

“So, your father assigned each of the brothers to a faction based on their sins?”

“Yes, but he assigned them even before they were approved due to his council being, we’ll say, disbanded. Aeshma was often referred to the demon of wrath before serving on the council. The faction Satan now rules over was once hers.”

“If I remember correctly,” Simeon chimed in from nearby, “Aeshma was never a fan of yours, was she Lucifer?” Ironic, Cass mused to herself.

“No, I suppose she wasn’t,” Lucifer answered. Cass would have expected him to carry some kind of contempt towards a demon that disliked him, but there didn’t seem to be any. In fact, he looked at the portrait with a sense of appreciation and perhaps admiration before turning away.

As she stared at the painting, a feeling of longing washed over her. For the first time in her short memory, Cass felt homesick. Yet, she couldn’t remember that home. Unconsciously, she grabbed her pendant, the only thing that may connect her to that home.

Asmo started unpacking when they got to their assigned room. While he’d claimed he had packed light and wanted to bring more, Cass couldn’t imagine ever needing half the things he unpacked. Simeon seemed to be sharing her sentiment, but quickly changed his expression.

“I’m excited to be sharing a space with the two of you.”

“Yes, you’re quite lucky to be sharing a space with me,” Asmo responded without looking at him. Simeon shot Cass an amused look but didn’t interrupt Asmo’s rant of why they were so lucky. “You know, Simeon, I’ve been wondering lately, what do you really think of me?”

“I still see you like I did when you were in the Celestial Realm.” Simeon rubbed the back of his neck as he thought about it. “Lucifer, the pride of the Celestial Realm was loved by all and there was one angel that he thought was especially beautiful. An angel whom he praised and kept by his side.”

Cass stole a glance at Asmo. For a moment, the demon looked crestfallen. Even Simeon, who had known him for so long and had seen different sides of him, still saw him for his looks. Then she realized that Asmo had always been told he was worthy because of his beauty. Did he think Lucifer only kept him around for that? That if he didn’t keep his looks up, he wouldn’t be worth anyone’s attention, much less the former pride of the Celestial Realm.

“’Twas, Asmodeus, Jewel of the Heavens!” And in a blink, the mask was on. Asmo winked and grinned at the description. “You’re always someone who works hard to uphold their image so other people appreciate him.”

“So, someone who wants to be loved?”

“Yes,” Simeon answered.

No, Cass wanted to say. It’s someone who needs to be loved. Someone who craves love. Someone who needs to be reminded that they are loved. Someone who wants to be desired but, above all else, desires to be loved.

Asmo tilted his head in thought. “I don’t think that’s quite right. I obviously deserve love, everyone knows that. There probably isn’t anyone who doesn’t love me.”

Simeon laughed. “It’d would be quite interesting to see how you would react around someone you couldn’t charm.”

“What about you, Cass? Do you think there’s someone out there who doesn’t love me?”

Cass stared at him before shrugging. “I think you're conflating love and lust. People aren’t worthy of love because of their looks, and they aren’t unworthy because of them either. Besides, it’s not the quantity of people who love you, but the quality of their love, right? The love from the right person can be worth more than the love of a million others.”

Before either of them could respond, Satan popped his head in the doorway to let them know the tour was starting. Simeon followed him out of the room. Asmo pushed past her, grabbing her hand as he did and tugged her along, but she could tell he wasn’t happy about her answer. Did he think she meant he wasn’t worthy of love despite being beautiful?

“I want to go home,” she heard Luke say before they even entered the room. “Levi made some weird alter for some cartoon character and Beel ATE one of the paintings in our room.”

“The painting was too good. I thought the fruit was real.”

“And you didn’t notice it was a painting before finishing it?”

By the time they joined them, Mammon was defending Luke. He was in a surprisingly in a much better mood than he had been when they got room assignments. Which quickly lead to his plan to steal artifacts around the castle with Solomon and Satan later.

Lucifer arrived just as he finished muttering why he was in a better mood, unaware that the eldest brother’s presence. While the others shifted their teasing to Mammon, a small black ghost that looked like a phantom with golden horns appeared.

“Hello, everyone! I’m Little D. No. 2.”

“Is that a tiny demon?” Luke asked, trying to cover his shock. Beel began drooling and at the same time said, “yummy.”

“I wouldn’t, Beel. Little D. No. 2 would probably make you very sick.”

“I’m sure you’ve all met some of the Little Ds before, if you haven’t met No. 2 since they help with different council tasks including those for the exchange program.”

“Yes, I’ve informally adopted them all,” Cass answered, scratching behind Little D. No. 2’s ear. The small demon practically purred in response.

“Barbatos had some–” there was a miniscule pause in his sentence. Cass wasn’t sure if anyone else caught it, but it seemed like he was hiding something “–student council business to attend to, so I asked Little D. No. 2 to be our guide. He’s small, but helpful.”

“Unlike another number 2 I know,” Lucifer smirked.

Mammon was about to defend himself when Little D. No. 2 interrupted. “Let’s begin with this portrait over here!”

Little D. No. 2 proceeded to walk them through the row of portraits of the Demon Kings in Devildom history. Before taking them to a long hallway full of pictures. Everyone spread out, looking at the different paintings. Mammon and Levi began complaining of boredom and Beel’s stomach continued to growl. Cass stopped in front of a portrait that wasn’t particularly special.

The subject of the portrait was looking slightly to the side. Her eyes were closed, and she had a slight smile. As if it had caught her reaction to a loved one being all too excited about the corny joke they just told. The portrait made it look like their long white hair was reflecting a soft blue light from the moon. Below one eye was a dark black mark that looked like a small, tattooed sigil.

There was something familiar about the person in the picture, but Cass couldn’t place it. She didn’t have to look away to tell that Diavolo had joined her to look at the portrait. He didn’t speak right away, as if remembering her.

“Aeshma of the old council. She’s often cited among some of the most powerful demons in Devildom history.”

“She’s beautiful.” Diavolo hummed in agreement. “It’s odd, if Preta was in their full human form, I feel like they’d look like her.”

“It is their aunt, so it’s not too surprising.” Diavolo chuckled.

“Really?” Cass asked, finally tearing her eyes away from the portrait.

“Aeshma was my father’s most trusted advisor, so I spent a lot of time with her growing up. It’s also why I’m so close to Preta.”

“What happened?”

“She was forfeited. It’s actually one of the reasons Preta stays in an in-between state. I suppose it’d be quite upsetting if whenever they saw their reflection and it mirrored their aunt. Presha adored Aeshma and never really recovered after losing her.”

Cass wanted to ask more, but it seemed Diavolo was also still upset about losing someone he was close to. “You said your father’s advisor?”

“So, your father assigned each of the brothers to a faction based on their sins?”

“If I remember correctly,” Simeon chimed in from nearby, “Aeshma was never a fan of yours, was she Lucifer?” Ironic, Cass mused to herself.

“Cass, are you okay?” Diavolo asked.

“Yeah, sorry. It must be because she looks so much like Preta, but I weirdly feel like I’ve met her before.”

Diavolo didn’t question her, and for that, Cass was grateful. She’s not sure she could explain the feeling. She knew it wasn’t because of the similar looks. Whatever happened before arriving in the Devildom, she’d met that demon before.

“Hey, it’s the Celestial Realm!” Luke called from the other end of the hall. Luckily, he distracted the others, and Cass was able to wipe the tears from her eyes that threatened to fall.

“Ah, yes. That was painted around the first time I met Lucifer.” Diavolo laughed when he looked at the picture. Lucifer groaned, knowing Diavolo was going to share more. “He was so divine and awe-inspiring that he took my breath away. I couldn’t believe how such a beautiful angel existed.”

“Guess we know why he wanted to share a room with Lucifer so bad,” Cass muttered to Mammon who stifled his laugh when Lucifer shot them a glare.

Diavolo continued, unbothered. “You even refused to shake my hand at first.”

Before they could learn more, a horrible shrieking filled the room. Everyone looked around, trying to figure identify the source. Cass brought her hands up, covering her ears, the shrieking only getting louder.

“HELENE!” Asmo yelled, running towards one of the portraits.

“Helene the witch was once known far and wide by her unparalleled beauty. Then, Asmodeus came along and seduced her. In turn, she betrayed her lover to be with him,” Little D. No. 2 explained.

“All surprised, raise your hands,” Solomon laughed.

“War erupted from the event and destroyed the entire country. Afterwards Helene was described only as a horrible woman who sold her soul to a demon.”

“All because Asmo couldn’t keep it in his pants.” Asmo, completely unaware of Little D. No. 2 and Solomon, started trying to reconnect with the witch. “Is, is he really trying to flirt right now?”

“After Asmodeus, I incurred the wrath of my former lover’s nephew. He was a sorcerer who sealed me in this painting,” the portrait spoke.

“That must have been Demetrios. It’s quite impressive he grew up to be a sorcerer capable of trapping you. I imagine he must’ve been quite the man given how his father was a hunk.” Asmo pouted slightly. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have come to help.”

Helene continued yelling at Asmo, nothing she said getting through to the demon as he tried to flirt his way out of her anger. Suddenly, Mammon started being pulled towards the painting. He grabbed onto Levi’s arm trying to ground himself.

“Uh-oh. Watch out, she’s known for dragging viewers in, mmmkay,” Little D. No. 2 laughed.

“Why didn’t say something sooner!” Mammon demanded as he disappeared through the portrait.

Levi was quick to follow, complaining about his lack of muscles. Beel, whom nobody had grabbed onto, didn’t even bother fighting the witch, hunger getting the best of him. Solomon latched onto Asmo, scolding him for the turn of events. The last thing Cass heard as Asmo grabbed onto her and she was pulled through the painting was Little D. No. 2 telling them to always listen to the tour guide.

Cass slammed against a concrete floor, groaning from impact. After the room stopped spinning, she took in her surroundings. She was in an old stone hallway that looked like part of the Demon King’s castle. The hall stretched into darkness with no end in sight, just a few doorways along the way.

“Here me, denizens of darkness, you who are born of shadow and you who give birth to it,” Solomon’s voice echoed around her. “Here me and do as I command! I, King Solomon the Wise, call upon you to send forth one of your numbers! I summon Den of Iniquities’ Master Asmodeus, Avatar of Lust!”

“You can summon demons?”

Asmo landed somewhere down the hall from them, rolling on impact. He looked as confused as Cass felt, trying to get his bearings. Upon seeing them, he stood up and brushed any dirt off his clothes before stomping over to yell at Solomon.

“EXCUSE ME!” He yelled. “I told you to be GENTLE when you summoned me.”

“Oh, like your girlfriend was with us?” Solomon retorted before turning to answer Cass. “Yes, you can summon demons through your pact with them. It’d probably be difficult for you to do since you have almost no magical power.”

“I don’t know where we are or what’s going on, but we need to find Beel and get out of here. Otherwise, he’s going to go on a rampage and destroy the castle like he ruined your room, Cass.”

They chose a path and started walking, deciding to not take any turns that weren’t necessary. Solomon marked the walls as they went, in case they got turned around or came to a dead end and needed to backtrack. As much as she wanted to, Cass refrained from complaining when her feet started to get sore, knowing they were all in the same situation.

Asmo, however, didn’t seem to care. “How much longer does this go on? Are you even sure this is the right way?”

“You’re the reason we’re here, Asmo, so suck it up.”

“Excuse me! Cass, tell him I did nothing wrong.”

“Being a catalyst to the Trojan war is definitely not nothing. Why don’t you just apologize for trying to seduce a married woman?”

“Me? Apologize? It didn’t plan for anything to happen. It’s not like I even manipulated her. I simply gave her an opportunity and she grabbed it. Everyone has lust in their heart. No matter how noble or saintly they pretend to be, they’re keeping it locked up in there.”

“Given the spectrum of sexual attraction, not everyone has lust in their hearts. Are you sure you’re not projecting?”

Asmo stopped her, staring down into her eyes. “As hard as you may try to control it, deep inside you wish you could do and have what you want. You’re just fighting to suppress the urge and desire to be free. Aren’t you, Cass?”

Asmo grabbed her chin, forcing her to maintain eye contact as he moved closer, his voice lowering into a deep whisper. “Who is it you desire? What sort of secret shameful thoughts are hidden inside that heart of yours?” His other arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against him. His breath ghosted over her lips. “Why don’t you let me reach inside and unleash it.”

“There’s been a development.”

“We’re having a moment here, Solomon,” Asmo answered, not looking away from Cass.

“Sorry, I just thought you might want to know that Mammon, Levi, and Beel are coming towards us followed by a giant snake.”

Asmo didn’t release her as he looked over Cass’s shoulder to see what Solomon was talking about. He jumped back, finally letting her go, waving his hands frantically as he shouted ew. Cass turned to see Solomon wasn’t joking when he said giant.

“I hate looking at unattractive things. It’s disgusting,” Asmo cringed.

Cass rolled her eyes at his reaction. It was kind of amazing how he could flip that switch so quickly. Mammon reached them first, picking up Cass and giving Asmo a shove. By the time Beel caught up, Solomon had started running in the direction they were going before Asmo distracted them. Cass looked over Mammon’s shoulder to see Levi trailing shortly behind them, the snake getting closer.

They were finally able to lose it and pause to come up with a plan. Mammon set her down with a quick apology, explaining that he figured it be harder for her to keep up being human. They had to figure out something fast. There’s no way the snake was far. Even if it were, Beel’s stomach growling gave their location away to anything in a ten-mile radius.

“Way to go, idiot,” Levi coughed, still trying to breathe.

Asmo, Cass, and Solomon looked around not sure what he meant. “I thought it was a snake’s shed skin that I could take with us and sell. How was I supposed to know it was a friggin’ monster?

“He’s not a monster,” Levi cried, trying to hit Mammon, but not having enough energy. “He’s Henry 1.0. He was down here all along. I never thought I’d see him again.”

“I’m sorry, Henry 1.0?”

“It’s his pet snake. Every time Levi gets a new pet, he names it Henry.”

“You’re onto, what, you’re fourth henry?

“NO! I currently have Henry 2.0. I’m so happy that Henry 1.0 is alive and well! He grew up to be so big. Look at the selfie I took with him!” Levi beamed, turning his phone for them to see.

“You had time to take a fucking selfie? While we were runnin’ for our lives?”

“If he’s your pet, why can’t you pacify him?”

Levi smile fell. “He looked like he’d forgotten about me.”

“Or he’s pissed you replaced him and left him to die.” Levi turned to Cass horrified at even the joke that he would do that.

“Let’s hunt it down, trap it, and eat it,” Beel said, a scary level of determination taking over his features.

“NOOOO,” Levi screamed.

“Plan B?” Mammon asked.

“Well, if it were up to Asmo, he’d be trying to sleep with it.”

“EXCUSE ME?” Asmo yelled at the same time Solomon spoke. “That actually gives me an idea.”

---

After Mammon had distracted the snake, Solomon had been able to amplify Asmo’s powers for him to charm the snake. After being charmed, the snake safely led them to an exit before disappearing down the corridors. Levi’s cries of goodbye following the snake in his tracks.

They’d gotten out in time for Barbatos’s dinner and before Beel’s little remaining self-control left. They had retired earlier, giving Cass some time to unwind after everything happened. That, and time to research the former council.

There had been very little information about them in the final years of their existence. It would have been impossible for her to have met Aeshma, considering she had been forfeited. Not that Cass had been able to figure out what exactly that meant.

With a brief interruption from Mammon trying to start a pillow fight with Asmo, who had been pretending to be asleep, and Lucifer charging into the room, Cass had fallen asleep early. That sleep had gone uninterrupted as Asmo claimed he needed his beauty sleep and Simeon could have been dead with how quiet and unmoving he was once asleep.

Apparently, after being pulled away by Lucifer, Mammon hadn’t gotten much sleep. The following morning, he could barely stand up. His head rested on Beel’s shoulder as he tried to sneak in a quick nap. Levi was live tweeting the conversation, as he had done the day before.

“I’m sure you had a hard time yesterday,” Diavolo laughed, “but it was quite fun to watch.”

“You know,” Asmo started, “I bet–”

Before he had time to continue, both Simeon and Cass rushed to cover Luke’s ears. Cass wasn’t able to catch everything Asmo said, but she was grateful that they’d gotten to Luke before he’d heard any of the vulgarity pouring out of his mouth. Both of them glared at the demon, who shrugged, unbothered.

“Why are you covering my ears? I can’t hear anything,” Luke shouted.

“Why don’t we just get started with the scavenger hunt?” Solomon asked, trying to divert attention away from Asmo.

They divided into teams based on their room pairings. Something seemed off about Asmo, like he was trying to prove something. He kept disappearing during their search and didn’t bother helping. He was being especially aggressive about getting Cass’s attention.

“Did you really hatch a plot to keep us from winning?” Satan demanded, charging up to them.

Simeon and Cass exchanged a look, not sure what he was talking about. “Asmo’s been preventing us from making any progress.”

“He keeps jumpin’ in front of the items when we go to get a picture so we can’t get a clear shot.”

“Why do you even want a picture of some old boring art. Your camera will thank you for taking a picture with such a beautiful subject.”

“SERIOUSLY?” Luke shouted from around the corner.

“Luke?”

“I tried to take a picture of this statue and Asmodeus went and charmed it.”

“I can’t help that I’m so beautiful and charming, plus the rule didn’t say I couldn’t do that.” Mammon and Satan both starting yelling at him. Asmo waved his hand in a shooing motion at them before turning and walking away. “I’m going somewhere where I don’t have to listen to someone lecturing me.”

The others called after him or complained about his attitude. Cass sighed, handed Simeon the paper with their clues, and followed the drama queen they got for a partner. He was taking selfies when she found the room he’d retreated to.

Asmo looked up at the sound of the door closing. Before she knew it, he had backed her against it, placing a hand on her hip. The other reached down and locked the door. There was something different about him. It reminded her of the maze yesterday and when they’d first met.

“Did you follow me for some alone time?”

The way he spoke reminded her of a hypnotist. Even though it was a question, he said it as a statement. His movements strategic, laying the foundation for whatever his goal was. Even without using his powers, there was something hypnotic about the demon.

But she wasn’t going to let herself get pulled in by cheap tricks. “No. I came to get you so we could finish the game. Also, you should apologize to the others, that wasn’t cool.”

Asmo hummed in fake thought, but Cass could tell he wasn’t considering it. The hand on the door went to cup her cheek. She tried to shift out of his grasp, not recognizing his behavior. Normally, he seemed to exude love, making others feel as good as he did. This was too calculated for Asmo, too harsh. The hand on her hip tightened, as he leaned down to speak in her ear.

“Oh, no? Was I being unfair?” He mocked, pulling her even closer. His grip became painful, but he refused to let go despite how much she struggled. “What an odd behavior. Who would have thought a demon would be unfair or unkind? Did you delude yourself into thinking we aren’t the type of beings to take what we want?”

Cass squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to look at him. He pulled away as he tsked, hand moving to her chin and squeezing until she looked at him again. She glared back, knowing it would do very little, but wanting him to see how pissed she was.

“I tried charming you yesterday and again today. But you didn’t feel anything, did you? You’re just some human. Why doesn’t my power work on you?” He became enraged at the very notion, but the soon expression shifted to a ruthless, inhuman one. “Don’t worry though, I can convince you in other ways.”

“This is a really ugly side of you,” Cass spit out.

Asmo’s grip became impossibly tight as he pressed her into the door. His horns sprouted at her words, and she knew she had hit a nerve. He grinned. Unlike his normal smile it was sadistic. When they’d first met, his eyes reminded her of a flickering candle, drawing her in. Now, there was nothing behind the pale saffron hue.

"I don’t have any ugly sides, Cass. I’m happy to take my time and show you that.”

“Knock it off, this isn’t funny.”

“Who said I’m joking? I don’t know why you’re fighting me. Things would go a lot smoother for you if you just agreed. Besides, this is what everyone wants, to be with me. You should consider yourself lucky I find you worthy enough.”

“Fuck you.”

“I’m certainly not surprised to hear that from you. That’s what you’re doing, isn’t it? Sleeping your way through my brothers? Or is it just whoever will agree to it? I suppose it was only a matter of time before you tried to trick me into a pact too. Did you think insulting me yesterday would make me want to prove something to you? I’m not going to let that happen, you’re not going to control me.”

Cass blinked rapidly, trying to clear the tears forming in her eyes. She wasn’t sure if it was from the pain of Asmo’s nails digging into her skin or what he was saying. She needed to get away from him somehow otherwise he might let his sin and insecurities take over completely. How had he gotten into a state of such desperation that he couldn’t control himself?

“Cass?”

She heard someone calling her name. She used the brief window of time Asmo was distracted to shove him away from her. He stumbled backwards, falling into the nearby chair. She threw the door open and glanced back. The feral look in his eyes was gone and a mixture of regret and self-hatred took its place. She didn’t care though, she wanted him to feel that way, at least for now.

Cass didn’t stop when she passed Mammon. He called after her, confusion evident in his voice. She didn’t want to talk to him. She didn’t want to talk to anyone right now. By the time she was back to her room, she couldn’t stop the tears. Her anger only made it worse.

She grabbed her keys, leaving the rest of her belongings. Diavolo would probably let her get them later. If not, they really weren’t worth packing. Cass made it to the front door before someone stopped her. She ripped her arm out of their grasp, not wanting anyone to touch her.

“Where do you think you’re going? Lord Diavolo planned this retreat and we’re staying for the weekend.”

“You go right ahead. I’m not staying here any longer.” Lucifer went to stop her again and she shoved him. “Don’t fucking touch me,” she hissed. She knew he was going to scold her, tell her not to risk harming Diavolo’s image. “Don’t worry about threatening me either, your brother already beat you to it this time.”

Lucifer furrowed his eyebrows, only now taking in her tear-stained face. She could hear Mammon calling her name still. There were a few other voices, but it didn’t matter who right now. Cass pulled open the door before Lucifer could stop her and walked out of the castle.

Only after she was alone did she start to calm down. A weird feeling had settled over her after she started the walk towards town. At first, she’d thought it was Lilith. Then she noticed the difference. Whenever Lilith’s presence appeared, it was like a wall between her and whoever was threatening her.

This feeling only came once any threat had passed. Rather than preventing the danger, it was comforting. Like a blanket draped around her shoulders or hug from a best friend. Whatever, or whoever, this was, Cass was glad to have them on her side.

Cass didn’t have a plan once she made it to town. They’d be looking for her at the House of Lamentation, Purgatory Hall, or one of the restaurants she frequented. There weren’t any places Cass could imagine going to that they wouldn’t think to check.

She sank to the ground, sitting on the edge of the sidewalk. There’s nothing she wanted more than her memory back. Or, at the very least, her memory of one person. She just needed one person she could turn to no matter what.

“Isn’t it dangerous for you to be out here?”

Cass looked up at the person who had stopped in front of her. She wore a large black witch’s hat. If Cass were standing, the brim would cover one of her golden amber eyes where it dipped from the weight. An old scar, likely from an animal’s scratch, ran across one side of her face and a maroon rune was on her forehead. Her hair had been pulled back at one point, but now pieces were falling out and the hair tie close to following.

The oddest thing about the witch was the greyish tone to her skin and the vacant look behind her eyes. Cass wasn’t sure why, but the first word that came to her mind was corpse. Her stare seemed to go right through her, like Cass was a ghost.

“I guess it’ll be easier for you to survive since your only half here.”

“What?” Cass blinked up at the witch.

“Has no one told you yet?” She looked to her right, falling silent. Cass looked down the street, but nothing was there. “I don’t know who called me here, but they weren’t very powerful. You’ll need to find someone stronger next time.”

Cass turned back to the stranger, but she was already gone. A single raven’s feather floated to the ground, a small, rolled piece of paper was tied to the quill. Cass unfurled the paper to reveal a single name, Nadia Kyteler.

“Hell to Cass!” Cass jumped at the voice looking up from the card to see Preta leaning over her. “I’ve been calling your name from down the block. What are you doing here?”

“Oh, sorry. I, um, I was supposed to be at the Demon Lord’s castle, but something happened and I kind of ran away?”

“Just when I think you can’t be any more amazing,” Preta laughed. “Do you want to talk about it?” Cass shook her head. “Well, I have to go to some stupid dance in about four hours. Do you want to get drunk and come with me to get ready?”

---

“What’s it like when you get hungry?” Cass asked. Preta gave her a quizzical look. “Obviously I know what it feels like to be hungry. I meant, what does it feel like after you get past the typical feelings, when it starts to take over your thoughts?”

“It’s hard to know when that is, really, because I’m always hungry, I’ve always been hungry. I don’t know what it’s like to not be hungry, just what it’s like to be less hungry. That feeling’s just part of me and it’ll never really be gone.

“It’s like a headache. If it’s not bad, you ignore it. But you can only do that so long before it starts to impact your thoughts and actions. Eventually, it becomes all consuming. Every sound, every movement, every little thing is about the headache. And you’ll do anything to get rid of it, but at some point, it’s not really you making those decisions. Something else takes control because you can’t fight it anymore.”

It made sense, she’d seen all the brothers go through something similar. Countless times Lucifer looked like he wanted to apologize, but couldn’t say the words or when he did, they always came with a warning. Mammon had called her outside of the casino having been ripped away from the table because he couldn’t leave. Levi almost killed her because of it. Satan and Beel had destroyed parts of the house on several occasions. And now, with Asmo.

“You’re really going to go?” Preta asked, when Cass didn’t say anything. After she’d told them about what happened, Preta kept asking her that.

Cass sighed, looking up at the ceiling. The dance Preta had mentioned turned out to be the formal ball Diavolo was hosting for the exchange program. It made sense given their family’s connection to the House of Lords and Royal family. As much as she didn’t want to see Asmo, she knew it wasn’t an option.

“Yeah, it’s not Diavolo’s fault. Regardless of how many times Lucifer threatens me, I don’t want the exchange program to fail either.”

“Alright but say the word and I will break every one of that fucker’s nails and then pull them off one by one.”

Cass, who’d taken a sip of her drink at that moment, started coughing. The image of Asmo having each nail broken made her feel better than it probably should have. The stylist Preta had managed to hire at the last minute looked more concerned about Cass than Preta did. After she made sure Cass was fine, she went back to finishing her hair.

Preta picked up their phone, rolling their eyes at Cass. “Hello?...Do I look like I run a service for runaway humans?...Maybe she doesn’t want to talk to you, and that’s why she’s not answering...I will immediately check on that for you.” They ended the call and set their phone back down.

“What are you checking on?”

“I’m not. He��ll get his answer when you get to the ball, I’m not his secretary.” Before Cass could respond, they changed the subject. “Do you even have something to wear for this?”

Preta groaned as their phone rang again. Cass shook her head in response to the question. “Hey, Dia!...I hung up on him because he’s an arrogant ass...I’d say he should learn some manners, but he doesn’t really need anything else to warrant his ego...Yes, she’ll be at the caste, safe and sound and the envy of all...Goodbye.”

“Good news, a dress will be waiting for you at my apartment. If you hate it, I probably have something you can wear. Bad news, the dress they sent has reds, so those won’t work.”

Cass turned to see the stylist holding flowers with a magenta hue. She hadn’t even realized the stylist was there. Preta took a sip of their drink, already scrolling through their phone. After a beat they held it up to the stylist, showing her some different pictures. The stylist went into the back, returning with gold laurel branches and flowers of a pale azureish seafoam.

“How do you make your freckles glow?”

“My what?”

“When you were sitting outside, your freckles looked like they were almost glowing. Kind of like pact marks in use. Did you make another pact?”

“No,” Cass muttered, staring into the mirror.

She traced over the dusting of freckles on her cheeks. They didn’t look any different than usual. Despite their being black, they were usually easy enough to cover with some light make-up, if she chose to hide them. They couldn’t be a pact mark, right? They weren’t even sigils, just random dots, like stars in a constellation.

“It was probably just my eyes playing tricks or residual magic, I wouldn’t worry about it,” they added after noticing Cass’s reaction. “Just thought it was a cool party trick for a human.”

By the time they made it to Preta’s apartment, they were both tipsy. So much so, that when Cass saw the heels shoes that accompanied the dress, she almost cried. Despite wearing heels most of the time, they weren’t usually this tall. She’d struggle walking in them even if she hadn’t had anything to drink.

It was only after Preta stopped laughing and ate enough food to satisfy a family of four that they announced there was a spell to help. Of course, there was a spell for that. The more time she spent in the Devildom, the more she wished she could perform some magic.

“That bitch! Of all the times Asmo has seen me in heels.”

“Say the word and I’ll do it. One nail at a time.”

Cass laughed, swaying where she stood. Okay, okay, okay, Cass. She thought to herself, or maybe she said the words out loud. Either way, she needed to focus and finish getting ready. She was fortunate enough that liquor in the Devildom didn’t affect her as much as it did demons. It did, however, make her feel cross-faded. By the time she started taking out the dress that had been sent for her, Preta had already changed.

Their hair was pulled back into a slick ponytail making their horns appear even more prominent. They were wearing a formal suit. The fitted, cropped white top contrasting the oversized black jacket and high-rise pants. While it wasn’t unusual for Preta to wear black and white, the whole ensemble showcased how well they could fit in around Diavolo and Mephisto.

“You need to hurry, or we’ll be late,” Preta said, mouth full of the bread they’d taken a bite of.

Moving as fast as she could, Cass started changing. The dress had clearly been designed with her in mind. The dark mahogany lace bodice was so dark that it looked black at certain angles. Sigils of the brothers she’d made pacts with made up the lace design.

Each layer of the gathered skirt was a lighter color. There was a slit in the dress that showed peaks of the bold blood red of the bottom layer when she walked. The heels laced in a way that went all the way up her leg. Even with the heels, the skirt trailed behind her while she walked.

Cass spun once the dress was on, unable to look away. Somehow, the fabric had been embedded with magic to reflect lights like gold sparkles. There was a single elbow length glove that she debated wearing but decided that whoever designed the dress knew best. Mammon and Levi’s pact marks would have been hidden with the matching glove. The gold jewelry included in the package matched the clips in her hair.

“Wow, you look stunning.”

Preta was close enough to examine the details of the dress. Cass, distracted by the sparkles, hadn’t noticed someone entered the apartment. They both jumped at the sound of a throat clearing. Mephisto stood in the doorway looking unamused.

“How many times must I tell you not to eat after you’ve gotten ready?” He grumbled, walking up to Preta to wipe the crumbs off their shirt. “Cass, you look presentable, surprisingly.”

“Did you hear that, Cass? Presentable. He’s absolutely swooning.”

Cass giggled at the impression Preta started doing of the demon, grabbing his arm to keep her balance. Mephisto rolled his eyes, before pausing to appraise both of them. His eyes narrowed after a moment, and he inhaled sharply.

“Did you really get drunk again? As associates of Lord Diavolo, we owe it to him–”

“When did you become such a lame ass, Phitsy?” Preta interrupted, grabbing their keys.

“Excuse me? Do you really think Aeshma would be proud of this behavior? Or that you got one of the guests of honors drunk?”

“Do you really think you’d get away with admonishing Aeshma?” Preta bit out, pushing past him. “Don’t act like you’re above me. Pointy boot shoe bitch.”

Cass watched the interaction with wide eyes, afraid to interrupt or move. Even though this is how the two always interacted, the demonus made her hesitant. After Preta left, Mephisto looked down at her. Only then did she realize she was still holding onto his arm.

Cass let him guide her into the hall so he could close the door. “I am but an inozent human was cor-” she hiccupped “-rupted by a demon.”

---

Luckily, Mephisto’s driver was able to get them there on time. Still affected by the demonus, Cass tried to stay towards the back of the room. Solomon was the first one to approach her, linking arms and pulling her in line with the other exchange students and the student council.

“If you get any more radiant, people are going to start thinking you’re an angel.”

“If you get any creepier, people are going to start thinking you’re a demon,” Cass retorted, trying to appear normal, but the blush that had appeared at his words quickly gave her away.

How long had they been standing there? She knew someone was giving them instructions, but all she could think about was dinner. Solomon was clearly amused by her behavior, probably well aware of her inebriated state.

She jumped when she felt his breath hit her ear, unaware that he’d leaned down to speak. “You’re lucky most demons aren’t familiar of human behavior, or you might have more to worry about than Lucifer knowing you showed up drunk.”

“What’s he going to do kill me?”

Solomon snorted in response, trying not to laugh too loud. “They’re just going to introduce us and then you can go back to hiding in the shadows.”

As they approached the top of the stairs, Cass was able to hear the announcer better. It was the first time she’d heard the brothers’ full titles. Except when Solomon summoned Asmo. As each name was announced, she became more and more excited about what her own would be.

Archdemon Lucifer the Morning Star, Avatar of Pride...Count Mammon of Wealth, Avatar of Greed...Grand Admiral Leviathan, Avatar of Envy...Prince Satan of Darkness, Avatar of Wrath...Den of Iniquities Master Asmodeus, Avatar of Lust...Lord Beelzebub of Flies, Avatar of Gluttony...Chief Demon Belphegor, Avatar of Sloth.

Even the Angels’ and Solomon’s titles were formidable. Archangel Simeon, Principality of Kindness... Angel Luke, Disciple of the Archangel Michael... King Solomon the Wise, Son of David. Which may be why it was so disappointing to hear her introduction as Exchange Student Cass of the Human Realm.

“What a fucking disappointment,” she whispered as Solomon and her stepped to the edge of the stairs.

She didn’t miss the smirk he wore as they waited for the signal they could proceed towards the main floor. Cass thanked whoever was listening that Preta had used that spell on her shoes because she was certain she would have fallen down the stairs without it.

Solomon should have thanked them too because had she been a little more certain of her steps, she probably would have shoved him when he told her to do something more interesting if she wanted a better title.

The ballroom of the Castle was as extraordinary as the rest of the place. Cass had to remind herself to act natural, paranoid someone would wonder why she kept staring at the chandeliers. The jewels that hung from them may be common in the Devildom, but she was certain they weren’t crystal or diamonds, and she couldn’t figure out what they were.

Her paranoia wasn’t helped by the fact everyone seemed to be following her movements. She should have borrowed a different dress from Preta to blend in more. The sparkles only attracted more attention than she wanted.

It wasn’t long before Mammon, Satan, and Levi had found their way to her. Though she’d seen them in their demon forms before, it was rare to see them dressed in formal wear at the same time. Just as Preta seemed transformed, so did the brothers. For the first time, she saw them as others may, imposing members of the ruling council.

Cass was certain Mammon wasn’t acting any different. Try as she might, though, she couldn’t keep up with his stuttering to string together any meaning. Satan and Levi settling into the role of commentators, never ones to pass up the opportunity to poke fun at Mammon.

“You’re talking so fast,” Cass finally said.

She put her hand on his arm, looking up at him with tired eyes. She smiled, waiting for him to continue at a slower rate, but his brain seemed to stop at the action. Mammon was blushing so hard, he could have matched the color of her skirt.

“Cass,” a voice interrupted them. She turned to see Lucifer standing behind her. “Come dance with me.”

Without giving her a chance to respond, he grasped her hand and pulled her to the dance floor. The chandeliers looked even more amazing looking up from the dance floor. It wasn’t until Lucifer squeezed her hand that whatever trance she’d been in snapped.

“What happened with Asmo?” Cass stumbled over her feet at the question. “He hasn’t spoken to anyone since you disappeared earlier. As I’ve said before, I respect my brother’s wishes, but if you ever become a threat–”

“You sound like a broken record,” Cass interrupted. Lucifer clenched his jaw. “I get it, if I ever hurt you or your brothers, you’ll kill me, and no one will find the body.”

Lucifer quickly dipped her before pulling her close. Her head was still spinning as he continued speaking. “You seem to have a hard time remember that.”

“And what makes you so certain your brother was the one in danger earlier?” Lucifer didn’t answer, tension hanging between them as the song came to an end. “If you want to dance with me, you can do that without the threat. I won’t judge you.”

Cass barely caught the slight blush at her words as Lucifer dropped her hands. He stepped back, allowing Solomon to swoop in before the next song started, and she was stuck with Lucifer as her dance partner once again. The sorcerer’s grip on her hand was far gentler than the demon’s.

“How are you holding up?” Cass shrugged, not sure how to answer. “I’m not sure what happened with Asmo earlier, and it may not be my place, but I think you should speak with him once you’re ready.”

“You’re right, it’s not your place.” A sigh quickly followed her words, knowing the anger was misplaced. “Where is he anyways? I’d have thought he’d vying for center of attention.”

Solomon raised his eyebrows, only humming in response. That’s all he needed to do though. If he hadn’t spoken with anyone, he obviously wasn’t in the place to dazzle a crowd. While she felt guilty, she was also relieved Asmo at least realized he’d gone too far.

“You know, I find it a bit odd you haven’t manifested any magic.” Cass glanced at Solomon, wondering where the change of subject was leading. “I’m curious to know what would happen if you could take control command demons with your pacts. How would you feel about borrowing mine?”

Cass stilled. He was going to come up with a reason why he was offering that, because Solomon would never admit the truth. He wanted to lend them to her, so she felt safe enough to approach Asmo now. No matter how he acted, Solomon really did care about him.

“And why would you do that?” Cass asked, playing into it. “Do you have a booty call and want to hide it?”

Solomon laughed, the music loud enough it didn’t draw any attention to their conversation. “You know, if your magic is strong enough, you can make it so demons don’t have that feeling.”

“So why is it that Asmo is so familiar with that feeling when it comes to you?”

“I said you can, not that I did.” Solomon winked like the cheeky bastard he was. “How would you like to experiment a bit and know what it’s like to have magic and possibly control a demon? We wouldn’t want to waste the opportunity since it’s a retreat.”

Once the song ended, Diavolo started introducing her to what felt like everyone. By the time the dance was over, she was ready to spend the next few days in solitude. Before anyone could stop her, Cass slipped away down the first empty hall, wandering the castle for a moment’s peace.

She didn’t have many options. Preta had disappeared halfway through the dance, sending her a text later that an emergency had come up. It was passed the point she felt comfortable venturing down the streets alone. ��

While there were plenty of rooms at the castle, there’s no telling what hid behind some of the doors. Even with Solomon’s magic, she’d rather avoid being thrown back into the underground labyrinth, especially alone.

Cass debated whether to just find a safe enough area to sleep or risk going to the room she’d been assigned to and coming across Asmo. There was a chance they’d rearranged sleeping arrangements because of this afternoon. Before making up her mind, however, she stumbled across Mammon.

He was pointing at the doors he passed, as if counting them from the corner he’d just rounded. Like her, he was still dressed in his outfit from the dance though his horns and wings were out of sight. It didn’t take a genius to figure out he was doing something he wasn’t supposed to be.

“Whatever you’re planning, I’d reconsider.”

Cass had never seen anyone jump the way did Mammon had. He’s lucky it was her that had come across him, considering he hadn’t been aware of his surroundings. His hand went to his heart to calm down before he started muttering under his breath.

“I’m not doing anything bad,” he whispered once she was close. She glared at him. “Okay, fine. I saw something in Lucifer’s room last night that would be really easy to steal. Nobody will even notice it’s missing. I’ll be so fast, they won’t even know I was here.”

Mammon opened the door, holding his finger to his lips to signal she needed to stay quiet. Mammon didn’t give her an option to follow or not. He grabbed her arm, pulling her into the pitch-black room, letting the door close softly behind them.

Cass squinted trying to adjust to the darkness. Something was wrong, that much was clear. The room was damp, as if someone had been stuck inside panting. A soft breeze blew through the room, but it carried the same warm, damp feeling. There was nothing refreshing about the air or the smell of death it carried.

“Shit,” Mammon whispered, grabbing onto her arm. “There’s something slippery on the floor.”

Before Cass could get more information, a loud grumble echoed around them. The sound was not unlike Beel when he hadn’t eaten enough. Had Mammon got confused and ended up in Beel’s room? Whatever was in the room shifted, and three pairs of eyes narrowed in on Mammon and Cass.

“Aw, it’s just a dog!” Cass practically squealed, rushing forward to pet the multiheaded animal.

The dog growled when Mammon grabbed her arm, pulling her back. “What the hell are you thinking? That’s Cerberus. We’ve got to get the hell out of here.”

“What? No, I think he’s just lonely.”

Mammon released her arm, frantically looking for a door. When he was distracted, Cass reached up, scratching beneath one of the dog’s chins. Even in the dark, she could see his tail wagging. While still loud enough to be terrifying, a deep satisfied rumble came from the dog.

“There’s another door here,” Mammon announced.

He picked her up by the waist, ignoring her protests and ran through the doorway without hesitating. They started falling, surrounded by darkness before crashing onto the stone floor of the labyrinth. Mammon cursed, taking the brunt of the fall since he was still holding Cass. She dusted off her clothes, helping him stand.

“We’re back in the labyrinth,” Cass groaned, stating the obvious.

“Yup.”

“Do you also think that noise is Henry 1.0 making his way towards us?”

“Most likely.”

“Bring it on.”

“We should be fine, Asmo charmed it.”

At the very far end of the corridor, Henry 1.0 started slithering towards them. Whatever charm the snake had been under before, it clearly had been lifted. Mammon was yelling at her to run, but she knew there was no point. If they were going to get out of this, they needed Asmo. As much as she didn't want to summon him, thinking it would only push them further apart, it was a last resort. Hopefully he’d understand.

She really should have paid more attention to Solomon earlier. She fumbled through the words, hoping it was close enough. “Denizens of darkness, those born of shadow and those who birth it. Here me, Cass, as I call to summon Den of Iniquities’ Master Asmodeus, Avatar of Lust!”

Magic swirled around them. This hadn’t happened when Solomon summoned Asmo yesterday. Was she too far off with the words that it went horribly wrong? Before her, Asmo materialized, confusion evident on his features. He started criticizing Solomon before he even saw Mammon or Cass.

Much like Mammon, he was still wearing his formal wear, but no longer had his demon features visible. The static caused by the magic didn’t dissipate. The charge only increased Cass’s adrenaline as the snake was almost too them.

“Cass?” Asmo’s eyes lit up, a mixture of emotion behind the initial relief. “I’m so happy to see you, I really wanted to talk to you abou–”

“And I would love to talk to you too,” Cass interrupted, “but we’ve got a much more pressing matter.”

Asmo pivoted, taking in the snake. Cass repeated the chant to help supplement Asmo’s powers to the best of his ability. Within no time, the snake was once again docile, waiting on Asmo to make a command.

“How? When? You can summon people?” Mammon yelled. “Did you make a pact with Asmo? Is that why you ran off or somethin’?”

“No, we didn’t,” Asmo answered, appraising Cass. “Not only did you summon me, but you drew my power out in a way that Solomon has never been able to. Who exactly are you, Cass?”

---

Lucifer was pacing in front of the three of them. Cass wasn’t sure why Asmo and her were being included in this lecture when they hadn’t done anything but get swept up in Mammon’s plans. Granted, Lucifer did seem to favor collective punishment.

“Why the hell was Cerberus in your room anyways? Huh?” Mammon demanded.

“I cursed the door to prevent a certain someone from stealing any pieces to sell. Anyone who opened the door without knocking first would go to Cerberus’s room.”

“Why are you locking up that precious animal anyways?”

Cass crossed her arms, huffing as she leaned back onto the couch. Several of the brothers exchanged looks while Levi and Mammon stared in disbelief. Lucifer rubbed his temple and muttered something under his breath.

“Precious?” Diavolo asked when nobody continued.

“Yeah! He let me walk right up and pet him. When was the last time you let him out? Or gave him a treat? Or spent time with him?”

“I’ve never heard anyone describe a hellhound, much less Cerberus, as precious,” Diavolo laughed. “And he let you pet him?”

Cass withdrew slightly, wondering why they were acting like the dog was vicious. “It’s not like I was a threat to him, why would he attack me? I obviously don’t know him personally, but in mythology, isn’t he just a guard dog that prevents mortals from entering the underworld and souls from leaving?”

“That’s just mythos though,” Barbatos answered, “those stories were made up. Hellhounds have a variety of skills and duties. One of the few truths about him is that he is a guard dog, though what he guards varies.”

“Maybe you all should try being nicer to him,” Cass shrugged.

“Regardless, it seems someone kindly lent you their powers. Very fortunate you had those when you ran into Henry 1.0 again. Don’t you agree Solomon?”

“What? Someone did that? What a kind and selfless act. Truly a rarity here in the Devildom,” Solomon mused in false sincerity.

Asmo, who had been silent since he charmed the snake apart from sharing directions out of the labyrinth cleared his throat. “May Cass and I be excused? I’d like to speak with her in private.”

Everyone’s eyes were suddenly on her, mostly out of concern. “What’s he going to do kill me?” She laughed but the joke was met with silence. “One of these days, you all will find that funny.”

With that she stood up, brushing off anyone’s concerns and followed Asmo out of the room. They walked in silence for a while, making random turns before Asmo came to a stop. Cass knew he was trying to make sure nobody heard their conversation while also making sure they were in a hallway so she felt like she could escape.

Asmo took a step towards her after a moment, lifting a hand. Cass flinched, withdrawing at the action. His hand tensed before falling back to his side. She crossed her arms, trying to calm down. While she did feel safer knowing she still had Solomon’s powers and could stop him from doing anything, she didn’t want to do that.

Even when she’d summoned him and helped when he’d charmed Henry 1.0, Cass couldn’t help thinking about what he’d said earlier. I’m not going to let that happen, you’re not going to control me. It was the same sentiment Mammon had expressed after they made a pact. Just because may be in control of my body doesn’t mean you own my mind.

“Simeon wondered how I would react if I couldn’t charm someone,” Asmo finally spoke. “I panicked, that’s what happened. You said that was an ugly side of me, but it’s not a side of me. That is me.” His voice fell into a whisper, so quiet she almost missed the next part. “I’m ugly. I’ve been ugly since I fell.”

“No one is one thing and one thing only. Yeah, that was you earlier, you’re right, but that’s not all you are. Just like Satan is so much more than his wrath. It’s a disservice to yourself to think that.”

“I could have hurt you. I kept thinking, if I can’t charm her, there might be others I can’t charm. And if I can’t charm people, they’ll leave me when they see what I really am.”

“Then let them.”

“I can’t live like that, abandoned, alone,” Asmo said, his eyes glassy.

“You won’t be.”

Asmo didn’t answer. He was looking off to the side, as if considering Cass’s words and how to respond. She was finally able to take in his appearance. At first glance, it was likely nobody would notice something was wrong. But the little details that were so important to him were missing. A piece of hair or two in the wrong place, make up not as perfect, wrinkles on his jacket.

“There are a few things I want to say, and I don’t want to be interrupted. Is that okay?” The question was met with another long silence before Asmo nodded.

“I know that whatever happened wasn’t something you could control. It’d be hypocritical of me to hate you for that since I’ve been threatened or attacked by all of your brothers when their sin takes over. That doesn’t mean I have to be okay with it and brush it off though.

“I know you’re a demon and think that because I’m human you can just do whatever. But I’m not letting anyone, demon or not, push me around. You said you didn’t want to be controlled. Neither do I. I can respect your wish if you can respect mine.

“I’m also sorry.” Asmo’s head snapped up at the words. “What I said hurt you, regardless of what I meant, and you had a natural reaction. I don’t want to be the type of person that hurts people, especially people I care about.

“I don’t know what you thought I meant when I said that people aren’t worthy of love because of their looks. But I didn’t mean that you weren’t worthy of love. Anyone who doesn’t love you is a fool, Asmo. That may be because you are incredibly beautiful, but who you are isn’t what you look like.

“Who you are is inside of you, flaws and all. Even that side of you earlier, that’s part of you. Pretending it’s not or hiding that is only going to make it harder for you to love yourself and accept love given to you. But you deserve to be loved and are worthy of that, sin and all. Don’t let anyone make you believe differently.”

“Nobody could love who I was earlier, not even me.”

“We don’t have to love every part of someone to love them, not even ourselves.”

She stayed silent, not sure where to go from here. Regardless of what she said, the only person that could change his mind was him. She just hoped she could help him on his way.

“When you’re ready, if you’re ever ready,” Asmo finally spoke. “I want to make a pact with you.”

“What?”

“I've known Solomon for millennia and I’m not sure he sees me the way you do. I think that’s why you were able to pull such power out of me. You said you didn’t want to control me, and I believe you.” Asmo hadn’t tried to move closer to her since the start of their conversation. Even now, he stayed outside of arms reach. “I’ll spend however long it takes proving that I’m as worthy as you think.”

“You don’t have to prove anything to me,” Cass sighed.

“I know, but I have to prove it to myself.”

---

Cass stared out the window, taking a deep breath. It was surprisingly warm outside compared to how cold it’d been the last few weeks. She let the breeze blow over her, as if blowing away the stress of the day. For some reason, she wasn’t tired, even after everything that had happened.

Asmo had gone to bed after their talk. He seemed lighter when he’d turned to leave. Before he could, Cass had wrapped her arms around him. The demon stiffened for a moment, before placing his hands on top of hers. He glanced over his shoulder at her. She returned the gentle smile before letting him go. One day, they might both be ready to make a pact.

“I think he might.”

Almost out of sight, tucked away in the garden, she saw Lucifer and Diavolo. Their voices were so faint, it’s possible they’d been talking since she sat down. Diavolo, not surprisingly, was smiling. His smiles always seemed more genuine when he was away from the public eye, especially around Lucifer.

“It’s good though, isn’t it? From what I can tell, Cass and your brothers seem to be form real bonds. This was the goal from the beginning.”

“It should be. They trust her and are changing because of it. Yet, there’s something about her that’s not letting me put aside my concerns. What if they get hurt again?”

Diavolo didn’t respond to his question. Cass wondered the same thing. She was only here for a year, really. Lucifer had certainly reminded her of that. The three brothers she had pacts with didn’t have pacts with other humans. What would happen when she left if she couldn’t summon them?

“If she and Asmo do make a pact, that’ll be four in a few months. An average human dropped here with no memory and yet she’s been able to win over almost half your council. It’d be difficult to make that many pacts with lower-tier demons, let alone my brothers.”

“She certainly is an enigma.”

“I can’t say I approve of your eavesdropping, Cass.”

She jumped at the Barbatos’s comment. How long had he been standing there? “Were you not listening also?”

“It’s my job to stay close to Lord Diavolo so I can best serve him.”

“Do you think there’s something else going on? A reason I was chosen for the program or why I have no memory, but have been able to make these pacts?” Cass changed the subject, knowing Barbatos wouldn’t budge.

“There may not even be a greater plan that brought you to us. Perhaps it’s not an accident either. There are things in this world that are inevitable, no matter how much we try to change time.”

Spoken like someone who had tried to change something in the past and failed. “Yesterday, Diavolo said you were running errands for the student council, but I could tell he wasn’t telling the truth. You were looking into my history, weren’t you?”

“Has anyone told you that you may be far too perceptive for your own safety?”

Cass released a breathy laugh. “Usually too nosy.” Barbatos smiled. “Were you able to find anything?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I’m afraid of the same thing Lucifer is, that they’ll get hurt. I don’t know who I was or what will happen at the end of the year, but at least knowing could help prevent that. Or lessen the pain if it is an inevitability.”

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primary-colors-no-more · 11 months ago

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Assigning TMA Fears to the Gang

yeah it’s what the title is, some may have more context that others -☀️

this was created when I got bored and had thoughts TM

Let’s get started!! *menacingly taps fingers together like a villain /j*

almost all of the following is /lh and/or /j

this was written entirely by me. This important because this is me, not any else. My humor, my jokes, my sillies, my thoughts, yk that stuff. That however means that all the stuff said below, I specifically was granted free rein to say it, and the others may not like it if you go and repeat these things! Now (mostly) Silly Time!!

[Swearing (uncensored; if that matters to anyone on this website), mention of things related to the TMA fears, me teasing the others (they’re okay with it!), and CAPPED words below (none of the swearing is capped); proceed with caution if sensitive/other]

Leo - Lonely, bitch needs to get out more (we can’t both be hermits, king)

Void - Dark, I almost said Vast but voi is more dark than typical vast, they have the vibe. Also monotone. Monotone is a key factor. (I have never, ever, in my entire existence seen them wear color)

Emery - Eye, 1. Is literally a fictive of an EYE avatar OC 2. EYE👁️ 3. THE AMOUNT OF shit THAT IT KNOWS ABOUT EYES IS INSANE

Ambros/Atlas - End, I love my grim reaper boyfriend <3 so emo /j (he is not emo, we love emo’s, goths, scene queens, and everyone in between, but this man is not emo)

Charlie - Buried, yeah buried in memories /j (need to preface that this one is definitely /j)

Sherbert/Rina - Stanger, they’re so stanger, so much that who are they? Me? Maybe? So mask, so theater. Maybe multiverse eyebrow raise.

Rose - Flesh, I mean she’s gender-fluid and a shapeshifter, what other option does he have? Rhea - Vast, space deity. Cosmo is so cool, love star. No silly for this one, live laugh love Rhea

Eevee - Hunt… POKÉMON! GOTTA CATCH ‘EM ALL *ominous ambiance noises*

Pink - Slaughter, idk they’re not even Angry or have stabby Stabby tendencies, they just- /are/ slaughter

Adding to Slaughter: Lea is also Slaughter coded but in the fact that they’re a ninja who’s morally grey. But not The Big Angry TM. Arguably, lonely coded as well, no comment, watch the show for some context (not forcing for those that need clarification)

Slyveon - Web, arguably performing is more stranger aligned, but to me it’s always the so web and that’s what matters in this ranking

Crimson - Corruption, confidence holder is so corruption coded but make corruption /pos [i want a bunch of bugs saying they love me wherever I go :( ]

Quixis - Spiral, they’re so spinny, so good, so “i don’t understand.” Mh They’re so good. Shaking them aggressively. Also my favorite lad gets favorite fear, thems the breaks.

Bonus: Icarus (lol me), Desolation, “Icarus is flying to close to the sun”, damn guys I sure do love self sabotage /j

(Guys I’ve been waiting to be able to post this for a long time -☀️)

#☀️#Thank you 🦜 for exposing Quixis so I could finally post this #the magnus archives #tma #Assigning fears to random things #system stuff #system things #system community #system sillies #system shenanigans #tw swearing #dissociative system #pdid system

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robynlilyblack · 3 years ago

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Always Yours

Remus x Fem! Potter! Reader, Remus x Fem! Werewolf! OC

[No Voldemort AU]

Summary: Y/n Potter has been in love with Lupin for years, but what happens when another girl with scars shows up at the beginning of their final year

Warnings: Swearing, insinuations of sex, switching povs, first time posting, the OC’s name is Jill sorry to anyone called Jill x

Masterlist

y/n’s pov

I’ve been friends with the famous marauders since 1st year, but I was never one myself, despite, figuring out Remus’s furry little problem before anyone else. Lily, Marlene, Dorcas, Alice and I all share a dorm, they all knew too, of course we never said anything, agreeing to all act semi shocked when or if the time came Remus wanted to tell us. Around 4th year my friendship with Remus had bosomed into something wonderful, of course on my side it had developed into more than just a childhood crush, and for a while I thought he felt the same.

Over the summer of our 5th year, I found James’ notes on becoming an animagus. I didn’t confront him about it, in fact I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it first, I copied his notes and then when I got back to Hogwarts I enlisted the girls help in becoming one. Lily surprisingly was on board, to which Marlene was so proud, as her attempts at corrupting lily and getting her to break rules had worked. Alice and Dorcas were on board too, Dorcas had mentioned she had wanted to become one too but she was going to wait until summer or after graduation as the idea of not being able to talk was going to be too hard, not to mention suspicious, since she was a chatter box. For me I was quite reserved in general, so not talking was going to be fine.

I managed to succeed on my third attempt, the first one was ruined when Marlene had run directly into me causing both of us to fall and me to almost choke to death on the leaf. The second attempt was when I was sipping some water and lily had told us that she may or may not have started to fancy James, to wish I spat out the water and the leaf, and honestly, I wasn’t even mad. Despite James being a bit of a prat, I had heard the way he’d gush to our parents about her, how beautiful she was becoming, swearing every year she got prettier, how smart she was, kind, the list goes on. Me and the rest of the girls shipped the two so hard, myself especially, since over the years I felt like Lily was already the sister I had never had.

Eventually I was successful, becoming the most, in Lily’s words ‘adorable little fox the world had seen’, especially since I wasn’t just a regular fox I was an arctic fox. That night I ran around our dorm in my form, Alice thought it was meant to be, since my form looked like a miniature wolf.

Around the same time, we had figured out my brother and his friends were successful. It didn’t take us long to decipher the ‘codenames’, my brother was a deer, Sirius was a dog, Peter must have been some kind of rodent, we guessed a rat and well, Remus’ name was a little on the head but cute none the less.

By the end of our sixth year, Remus and I were the closest we’d ever been, and I was sure he would tell me his secret before we graduated, especially after James had asked all of our friends to stay over that summer, since it was the ‘last summer’ together. Lily and James had finally started dating, the two were so in love they gave Marls and Dorcas a run for their money. Remus and I had a few moments but we were always interrupted, and I could honestly say I was more in love with him that I had ever been. Our last year was looking like the best one ever, how wrong I was.

She showed up, me and lily noticed it right away, she had the same scars as Remus. My brother and friends noticed it too, being the first to introduce her. Her name was Jill, transfer from beubaxtions, utterly gorgeous and had every guy drooling on the first day, Dorca actually hit Marlene and refused to talk to her after she had caught Marlene staring at her ass. Over time she became a part of our group, at first nothing seemed different but then the dynamic started to shift. Jill started sitting in my spot next to Remus at meals, Remus stopped talking to me as much, and he and the other boys had more shushed conversations.

It all came to a heart shattering moment one Saturday in the library. Peter, Sirius, James and me were all studying, well, me and Pete were, James and Sirius were coming up with their big end of year prank. Everything was going fine until they walked in, hand in hand. My heart dropped, the lump in my throat only grew when I was the hickey on his neck. No one else had spotted them yet. They were in their own little world as they sat down, by this time I had decided to pretend I was too engrossed in my book to see them.

Jill greeted us “Hi boys, y/n”

I let out a small hi back, scared if I said anything else I would break down, refusing to look up from my book. The boys said hi back but I did hear Sirius sigh, he really didn’t like her, for whatever reason but he was civil I assumed for Remus’s sake. I couldn’t sit there anymore, watching her giggle and whisper in his ear, so I started to pack my stuff away.

“Sis where are you going?” James asked, frowning

“Oh, I’m finished notes so I’m going to see if Lily’s finished with her thing”

After putting my stuff in my bag, I turned and left giving a general smile before turning to leave. Everyone gave a general nod in acknowledgement, well except Remus and Jill, they hardly noticed me leave which only shattered my heart more. Sirius gave me a sad smile, I always had a feeling he knew I was in love his friend.

I practically ran to my dorm, trying to get there before the tears could uncontrollably flow. I never cried in public, in general I never cried from sadness often. I cried at movies lily would make us watch but everyone knew if I was crying for real something was very wrong. Last time I had cried in front of someone it was the night Sirius showed up at our door, the night he ran away, telling us everything, what had killed me was when he started crying himself, the boy that was always full of laughter and fun breaking down in front of me.

When I opened the door, the girls were already there giggling about something, but as soon as they saw me the all looked concerned. I collapsed to the floor, unable to keep back my sobs.

“Y/n” Lilly asked kneeling in front of me

The other girls had moved, now sitting on the edge of the nearest bed to the door

“Remus and Jill…they...they’re together” I managed to get out

Lilly instantly engulfs me into a hug, Alice moved to wrap an arm around me, the other softly playing with my hair. After sometime, I was sitting on Lily’s bed, as she rubbed my back, I explained what happened in the library. The girls had noticed the distance between Remus and I but they hadn’t expected him to start dating her.

“I can’t believe it” Dorca sighed

“I always thought it be you and him” Alice said sadly

“Me to” I said

Remus never dated, I knew why, his furry little problem. I knew he would be afraid of hurting them, but after years of his friends helping him, I thought maybe he’d take a chance or at least tell me so I could tell him I loved him, and I didn’t mind, that I loved every part of him even the part he thought was a monster. But now that was just a fantasy.

“I’m so stupid”

“You aren’t stupid…” Lily starts but I cut her off

“I am! Of course, he chose her. She’s perfect, and beautiful in every way, not only that but she understands Rem on a level I never could. I’m an idiot because I’ve loved him all these years, becoming an animagus, slipping healing spells and potion recipes that would help to the boys even making them think they found it, I’ve loved him all of these years, been there by his side and I wasn’t even an option. If he did love me he would have told me, all these years I thought we had this unspoken mutual love for one another but now…” I start to tear up as speak, my heart crushing with the realisation. “… now I know I’m nothing more to him that his best friends’ sister”

Lily’s pov

I told the girls I was going to go tell James I couldn’t make our date tonight while the girls comforted y/n. In reality I was about to go rip my boyfriend a new one. I was so angry, I could believe Rem would date Jill, she was horrible, she hid it in front of the boys but we knew, me, Marlene and Dorca, y/n and Alice were too nice to ever admit she was a bitch, metaphorically and literally.

I spotted them in the library, I marched towards them, I could tell by Peters’ face he knew I was angry.

“James Fleamont Potter” I said standing right behind him

Everyone turned to look, all shocked, I wasn’t mad often but when I was merlin help the poor sod on the other end. In this case merlin help James and Sirius.

“Ooo someone’s in trouble, she middle named you” Sirius teased but I was having none of it

“Don’t you start, Sirius Orion Black” I pointed at the boy

Sirius shut up, I refused to even acknowledge Remus and that bitch.

“Both of you, hallway now!” I said turning around marching back out.

Third person pov

James and Sirius looked at each other scared before swiftly standing and following the redhaired girl out. Leaving a very confused Peter, Remus and Jill.

“Hi sweetie” James said timidly, trying to scrub his brain for a reason she could be mad

“How could you not tell me!” Lilly half shouted at the two of them

“Tell you what?” the boys answered, completely confused

“Jill and Remus” Lily stated

“Wait what?” James answered, even more confused

“You could have given me a heads up!”

“Why would you care who Moony dates?” James states completely bewildered why his girlfriend was so upset

Before Lily can answer Sirius speaks up

“She wouldn’t, but y/n would” his voice was small, Lily could hear the sadness in his voice

“Why would my sister care?” the boy looks between the two, Lily and Sirius just tilt their heads to almost say really

“Because she’s in love with him” James answers himself, closing his eyes, annoyed at himself he hadn’t seen it.

He turns to Lily “Where is she?”

“Our dorm”

Without another word James leaves, heading straight to his sister.

Sirius and Lily stare at each other for a moment

“You knew she loved him?”

“I had my suspicions, you have to understand Red that Remus did…hell still does love her, he’s just never done anything because well she’s prong’s sister and he was terrified she’d hate him if she found out about well you know”

“Sirius, she knew”

“What?”

“She always knew Sirius, she figured it out by the end of our third year, all of our dorm knew, and I just acted surprised when Jamie told me.” She takes a deep breath “Sirius she even stole your notes on becoming an animagus”

Sirius closed his eyes, he saw y/n as the sister he never had, of course she knew he thought, she was smarter than all of them combined. He looked back up when she said animagus. “she didn’t, did she” he said, he couldn’t believe y/n would do that for Remus.

“Yeah, took a few attempts but she got there”

The conformation only made Sirius heart shatter for her. In truth he always wanted them to get together, he had begged Remus just to tell her, but his self-hatred always got in the way. When Jill showed up he was happy Remus had someone that understood but after a few weeks, he hated her with a burning passion. Jill had asked if Remus was seeing anyone, to which the raven-haired boy had told her that he and y/n were close, and implied something was between them. After that it was almost as if Jill had made it her personal mission to cut out y/n, sitting in her spot, pulling Remus away from them all the time, the list went on. He held his tongue though, his friend seemed happy, and it wasn’t everyday he had a fellow wolf who understood. But the anger in him was growing now, he knew at some point he was going to snap.

Over the next month, James and Sirius had helped keep y/n’s mind off of happy couple, Sirius even making up a little signal she could give him if she was uncomfortable. The plan was working, y/n heart was still shattered, but her friends helped ease the pain a bit. James ran into the dorm that day and hugged her telling her it was okay that he would hex him if she wanted, anything she needed, which made her laugh.

Near the end of November, it was announced a ball would take place for 5th years and up. Y/n was sure the universe just wanted to rub it in her face. Of course, Jill and Remus were going together, and all her other friends had dates, Lily with James, Alice with Frank, Marlene with Dorca, hell, even Peter had a date. Marlene had told her to go with Jacob Greenglass, one of the kinder Slytherins, not to mention incredibly good looking and y/n’s old Astronomy partner, but she refused. In her mind she didn’t want to be that girl, she wouldn’t use Tim.

Sirius could get any girl he wanted, but he knew y/n had no date nor was she looking to get one. A week before the ball Sirius came up to her and asked her to go as friends, he didn’t fancy having to spend a whole evening with one of his fan girls and that way they could all hang out as friends, y/n agreed, thankful that at least she wouldn’t be without a partner and Sirius was always good fun.

Before asking her, Sirius had actually asked James’ permission in front of Peter, who of course blabbed to Remus. Sirius knew y/n wouldn’t try to make him jealous she wasn’t that person, but he was, he was gonna make Remus see that he’s the biggest idiot in the world.

y/n’s pov

Sirius and I were making our way into the great hall, along with Marlene and Dorcas, the others were already there is Marlene had chosen the most intrigue fiddley lace back dress known to wizard, it took the three of us an hour to lace up. Dorcas told Marlene that she would be cutting her out of it at the end of the night, to which Siri joked how kinky it sounded.

When I looked in the mirror I felt so beautiful wearing a y/f/c dress that matched my hair and skin perfectly. Marlene and Dorca thought I looked gorgeous, Dorcas even joking she would leave Marls if I ever backed for the other team. Sirius said I looked beautiful as we walked in, it helped having him here, ever since he came to live with my family it was like I had another brother.

We approached the others, all looking great in their formal dress, Remus looked so handsome, ugh why did he have to look so perfect.

“Looking good sis” James said smiling, arm around Lily, who winked at me mouthing ‘looking hot’, I winked back mouthing ‘speak for yourself’. Me and Lily always flirted with each other, it started off as a way to annoy James, but it morphed into how we hyped each other up.

“Thanks” I said shyly, I wasn’t used to this, I never really dressed up.

“Love your dress” Jill said, looking me up and down, although it looked like she was going to eat me. Wait, am I allowed to say that or is that offensive to werewolves? It’s Jill, fuck it doesn’t matter.

“Umm thanks”

I couldn’t look at Rem, luckily Dumbledore was ready to make his speech. As he was talking a looked over at Jill, she was in a red, deep v line dress, she looked perfect. I looked down at myself, suddenly I didn’t feel as pretty anymore. Shaking my thoughts away before I decided to just run away I tuned back into Dumbledore’s speech.

Remus’ pov

As Dumbledore was making his speech I couldn’t help but look at y/n. Merlin, she looked gorgeous, she always did though, the way she’d use her wand to put her hair in a bun while we studied, or how she’d bite her lip when she was thinking, she was perfect, and yet she wasn’t even my date. I can’t believe Sirius asked her, I know they’re just going as friends but I can’t help think it should have been me.

I saw her looking at Jill, before frowning looking down at herself. Wait no don’t do that, I wanted to grab her and tell her she looks beautiful, to stop comparing herself but before I could even think of something to say she was being pulled away. Dumbledore had finished his speech, Jill was dragging me to the dance floor, in the corner of my eye I could see y/n laughing with Sirius. Godric I missed her laugh, I don’t think I’ve heard it in so long. Then it dawned on me, when was the last time I actually spoke to y/n?

y/n’s pov

The night was going surprisingly well, Sirius had kept me on the dance floor most of the time, making me laugh with his horrendous dancing. At the moment I was stood alone on the edge of the dance floor, Sirius had gone to the toilet, as he had left a slow dance came on. I watched the couples dancing, I started smiling seeing Lily lay her head on my brother chest, they were so perfect together. My eyes drifted through the couples until they stopped on the one pair I didn’t want to see. My heart clenched watching the sway to the music, I thought for a second Jill had caught my eye so I looked away. I wish I hadn’t looked back a few seconds later, they were kissing, his arms moving down to her waist.

Sirius’ pov

Merlin and girls complain the line to their bathroom is long. As I walk back in I spot y/n in the same place I left her. As I approach I see tears in her eyes, I follow her gaze to see Remus and Jill dancing, I stop when I see y/n look away. Looking back over I see Jill had caught y/n staring, looking at me she smiles over Remus’ shoulder in that cold-hearted way before pulling him into a kiss. She’s doing it on purpose, that bitch! I’m going to kill her, actually I’m going to kill both of them, but right now I need to make sure y/n’s okay.

Remus’ pov

I pull away from the kiss. As the song finishes, Jill tells me she off to get a drink. I look over to see most of my friends distracted by some story James is telling, my gaze falls towards the door, what the fuck! Sirius had his arm around y/n leading her out of the great hall, kissing her forehead. I hoped they were just going for some air, but then he turned right, I knew where he was going, there old broom closet he told us was perfect to take girls to. Hell no, I follow them out, delayed slightly by crowds starting to dance again

Sirius’ pov

I took y/n to a broom closet I knew well, okay maybe it was the place I took girls to shag but no one would disturb us here. We sat on the floor, my arms wrapped around her and let her cry for a bit,.

“Siri can I show you something?” y/n said after a while, looking up at me, eyes puffy

“Anything love” I smile down at her

She doesn’t say anything, I just see her close her eyes. Suddenly y/n no longer there, a small white fox is in her place. I’m in awe, she looks so cute!

Before I could speak I heard a bang at the door, panicking I pull out my wand muttering a locking spell.

“Occupied” I shout back in hope whoever it is will get the message

“Sirius open this fucking door right now” I heard Remus shout, I look down at y/n who is still a fox, I lean down moving a bit of wood out of the way, me and Pete had found it led to an abandoned hall. I whispered to y/n to go back to the common room and I’d handle him. I saw what looked like an understanding nod, before she scurried through the hole, I moved the bit of wood back, taking a deep breath before opening the door.

Third person pov

“I swear to Merin…” Remus is cut off by the door opening, revealing Sirius alone.

“Yes?” Sirius asks, the sass in his voice prominent

“Where is she?”

“Who” he plays dumb

“You know exactly who I mean”

“And if she was in there with me, what exactly were you going to do?”

Remus looks taken aback, grimacing at the thought of them together “Because…Because…”

“Because what? Why should it matter if I was with her?” Sirius had reached his breaking point. Remus came battering on the door filled with rage, and still he couldn’t see it. He couldn’t see that he was hurting the sweetest girl in the world, a girl that had loved him unconditionally, even now. Safe to say he’d snapped

“You know why it matters to you, because you love her, you always have. Fuck, for years I listened to you, put up with it, because you were too scared James would kill you for crushing on his sister! Guess what Moony, he wouldn’t have fucking cared, only person that was scared was you, I love you man but you have always been in your own way. So scared she’d run away if she…” Before Sirius could continue his rant, he was cut off by Remus

“Found out I was a monster! Fuck I know she wouldn’t be scared; I know she’d accept me. Of course, I do! That’s the problem, if for some slim fucking chance, she liked me back I would be giving her a life a poverty and not to mention I could hurt…”

“You already have”

“Wha…what?” Remus stutters

“You are so oblivious, you’ve been so obsessed with yourself and now Jill to see that you’ve already hurt her in a way no physical wound could compare. She knew Moony, she’s known longer than me, hell she even became a fucking animagus for you so when you told her she could help you. She’s loved you all these years, waiting patiently until youwere ready, waiting for you to let her love you, and what do you do, ignore her for months, not even noticing your so-called girlfriend has been slowly phasing her out of your life, shattering her heart. Merlin if you weren’t my friend I could hit you!”

Remus was speechless, his mind was racing. She loved him, she knew and she still love him, but now he thought over this year, suddenly he saw every fake smile, the way she’d leave when he and Jill would come in, how he’d let Jill sit in her spot practically preplacing her and the fact he hadn’t actually had a conversation with her since early October. Remus was hit with the realisation she was comparing herself to Jill tonight at the ball, he felt like an asshole. He was the worst Gryffindor in history, Sirius was right, he was a coward. He had to make it right

Remus’ pov

I have to find her

“Where is she?” I asked

Sirius sighed “She was headed back to her dorm”

As I turned to leave I heard Sirius say “If you hurt her again I will punch you, James will too, twice cause we both know Pete can’t throw a punch to save him”

I nod, starting to walk quickly to the common room, as I pass the Great Hall Jill runs up to me

“Remmy, where have you been, I as being to wor…” I cut her off I don’t have time for her bullshit

“We’re over”

“What” her innocent expression was gone, her true colours showing through

“We’re over, I love y/n, it’s always been y/n” I didn’t even give her a chance to reply as I was already walking away, I did her a distant huff and a ‘fuck you’ though

y/n’s pov

I changed into my pjs, staring at the mirror, I had finally stopped crying, my eyes were a bit puffy. My eyes were drawn to the door swinging open, in the mirror I was met with Remus staring at me. I turned around to look at him, his eyes were a bit red like he was crying. Without a word he walked right up to me

Third person pov

Remus slammed his lips into y/n’s, her eyes widened, eventually closing as she leaned into the kiss. Remus’ hands gently caressed her cheeks deepening the kiss. Y/n let out a small moan, snapping her out of the daze pulling herself away reluctantly.

He still had his hands on her cheeks, gently rubbing his thumbs over her cheekbones. Y/n was speechless she didn’t know what to say.

“I love you” Remus said looking into her eyes

The girl’s eyes widened in shock

“You love me?” she said, coming out as a question, her voice quiet and unsure

“It’s always been you y/n. I’m so sorry, I was a coward. Sirius told me everything” his eyes started welling up with tears, praying he hadn’t already destroyed his chance to be with her

“What about Jill?” she looked up at him hopefully, she could see in his eyes he was genuine, all she could hope for was that he had chosen her

“I ended it, I only want you” he kisses her forehead “If you’ll have me”

“Can I show you something?” She says stepping back

Remus nods slowly in response. Watching in awe as she shifts into a small white fox, Remus smiles down at her, he knees down to play with the fur. She licks his face, causing the boy to chuckle.

“So beautiful” looking down at her in admiration

y/n shifts back, kneeling next to him. She puts her hand on his cheek, to which he lends into and smiles, closing his eyes to savour the moment

He opens his eyes as she speaks “I’ve always been yours Rem”

He smiles, the girl leans in kissing him again. Remus moves one hand to the back of her neck, the other wraps around her waist to deepen the kiss.

“Fucking finally!”

The two pull apart at James’ comment to see the whole gang peering through the door

“Now, as much as I approve of you two finally getting together, Moony your coming back to our dorm. I don’t need a nephew just…Ow” The group laughs as Lily hits James dragging him to his dorm

“Now where were we” Remus says before kissing her again

#remus x y/n #remus lupin #remus x reader #remus lupin and reader #siriusblack #james potter #remusandreader #reader insert #angst with fluff #potterreader #maraduers #maraders era #friends to lovers #remus lupin fanfiction #remus lupin reader #remus lupin angst #remus lupin fluff

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onceuponastory · 2 years ago

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red as blood - nick fowler x reader

Oh, you never seem to notice that my heart beats for you So I’ll open you up, and make yours beat for me too. - mx sinister by i don’t know how, but they found me

Plot: Ordered by the Queen to kill princess Y/N, huntsman Nick Fowler has an idea to save them both. Or, a Dark!Snow White AU where the Huntsman isn’t so nice. Pairing: Nick Fowler x Female!Reader Warnings: 18+ PLEASE! This is a dark fic. Mentions of death/murder, noncon, graphic mentions of blood and violence, weapons, obsessive behaviour and creepy behaviour. There’s also an age gap between Nick and Reader. Ages are not explicitly mentioned, but I HC reader as early 20s, and Nick as early 30s. He’s also been watching/creeping over her for a while, so please use your own discretion. And of course, Nick Fowler, because he is a warning all on his own. As always, if I miss any triggers, please let me know. A/N: ANOTHER fairytale inspired fic from me? Shocking. And it’s Snow White again? Even more shocking, lmao. I say, with a Snow White tattoo. Anyway, aside from the whole ‘most beautiful in the world’ thing, there’s none of the as white as snow stuff here, so reader applies to everyone.

Not beta’d, so all mistakes are my own. Also thank you to @mrsmischief209 for all your help!

“May I ask where we’re going, Sir Fowler?” Y/N asks as Nick leads her through the forest.

“I can’t tell you that Princess, it’ll ruin the surprise.” Nick laughs. “And I’ve told you already, call me Nick. After all, we’re friends, aren’t we?” Y/N nods.

“Yes, we are.” She smiles. “Actually, you’re one of the few ones in the entire castle who’s been nice to me since my parents died and my stepmother took over.” She sighs sadly, and Nick nods, murmuring something in agreement. Ever since he met the young royal, she has intrigued him, pulling him towards her as if by some kind of imaginary force. Since the day they first met, he’s kept a watchful eye over her, watching as she grew and blossomed into a beautiful young woman. In fact, Nick swears he’s never seen someone so beautiful in all his life, and that’s why she has to be his. Thank god she does trust him, or else he wouldn’t have been able to take her out here to complete his plan.

Then again, though, that wasn’t too difficult. She’s such a docile and demure thing, unwilling to fight back to anyone, or to see the evil in the world. She didn’t even say a word when her stepmother took over the throne and forced her into a life of servitude, despite her royal birth. Or when her expensive gowns got exchanged for rags. The poor thing has been through a lot. Deep down, a part of him feels that Y/N’s weak, and nowhere near ready for her role as a future Queen. She needs someone in her life to keep her safe, and to shape her into the true Queen she’s destined to be. And he’s ready to be that person.

“If it’s a surprise, I suppose I better stop asking then. And if I have to call you Nick, then you call me Y/N, okay?” She giggles. With another nod from Nick, Y/N turns away from him and continues walking. Nick watches her, a small smirk playing on his lips. She is so beautiful. It’s such a shame the Queen told him to kill her. Not only that, she ordered him to rip open her chest and ribs and bring back her heart as proof. When he asked the Queen why she wanted him to do it, she snapped back with:

“I don’t pay you to ask questions, I pay you to get rid of pests. She’s a pest, and I need her gone.” Nick doesn’t think Y/N’s a pest. He thinks she’s the most beautiful creature he’s ever seen, the spitting image of her just as beautiful, poor dearly departed mother. Even though the Queen didn’t say why she wanted Y/N dead, Nick guessed almost immediately. She’s jealous of her beauty, all because some mirror of hers told her Y/N was more beautiful. Nick believes the mirror, of course. As far as he’s concerned, Y/N’s leagues above her stepmother.

Nick’s eyes flicker lower, and he hopes that Y/N doesn’t notice his stare. She’s in a more regal gown this time, one made of silk and embroidered with flowers. The Queen insisted, saying something about how if she’s found it would look less suspicious than trying to explain why the heir to the throne was dressed in rags. In all honesty, Nick doesn’t care that much about the Queen’s reasoning. The gown suits Y/N better, anyway. It makes her look even more innocent…so pure. He could never destroy someone so beautiful and tear her apart so viciously.

Luckily, though, Nick has a plan to save them both.

“How much longer, Nick? I feel like if we walk any further, I might drop dead.” Y/N jokes, and Nick chuckles.

“Not much further Princess.” He murmurs, the sudden serious tone of his voice and his refusal to call her by her name making Y/N frown. As they walk further and further, the woods darkening around them, Y/N’s fear only increases. She looks back, watching as her kingdom fades from view. An unsettling feeling forms in her stomach. Something’s not right.

“Nick, maybe we should-”

“I said we don’t have much further.” He repeats, cutting her off. Y/N stays silent, too unnerved by Nick’s sudden outburst to say anything more. Soon, the pair reach a clearing, and they stop, to Y/N’s immense relief. As she rests against a tree, Nick takes out the dagger he brought, twisting and turning the blade in his fingers. “Do you want to know why I brought you here, your highness?” He finally speaks.

“Nick, I told you, just call me-” When she spots the dagger clutched in Nick’s hand, her eyes widen in fear. The sight makes Nick smile, and the usual warm feeling he gets whenever he sees Y/N grows again. He had no idea she looked so beautiful when she’s scared. Her eyes flicker down to the blade, and her next words come out in a tremble. “Why do you have that?”

“You didn’t answer my question. Do you want to know why I brought you here?” Nick steps forward. Warily, Y/N nods.

“Your stepmother told me to kill you because she’s jealous of your beauty. I can see what she means, Princess. You’re so beautiful. You look just like your mother.” Nick smiles as he steps even closer. Y/N steps back, her body pressing up against a tree.

“Thank you Nick.” she murmurs, keeping her eyes fixed on the knife, and on Nick’s crazed grin.

“Oh, you don’t need to worry. I won’t hurt you. I could never hurt you or damage your beautiful face. Like you said, I’ve always been your friend, right?”

“Yes Nick, but-”

“I’ve been there for you from the beginning, watching over you. And I’m ready to do it for the rest of my life.” He stares down at her, and Y/N’s heart pounds. “You’re gorgeous.” He whispers. “I’ve been watching you, and wanting you for so long. Now we can finally be together, and I can look after you. Just how it’s meant to be.”

“I’m sorry Nick, but we’re just friends.” Y/N begins, her brows furrowing together. Chuckling, Nick shakes his head.

“No. No. We’re more than that. You’re coming with me. We’ll run away, find some place to live together…and you can stay with me forever.” He insists. The whole time, he points the knife at her, as if warning her not to cross him, or to fight back. “I’ll keep you safe.”

Before Nick can come any closer, Y/N turns and starts running away from him, going deeper into the forest. She can hear Nick calling after her. “I wouldn’t run if I were you, Princess. I’ll find you. And besides, that dress doesn’t look like it’ll be good for running.” His laugh echoes across the trees as Y/N’s footsteps pound the ground. All she can think is that she has to get away from Nick. But where is she going to go? She definitely can’t go back to the palace, and there are no other kingdoms nearby. All she can do is go forward, and hope Nick doesn’t find her. As she runs, she can feel branches and thorns digging into her, but she keeps going as fast and as far as she can, stopping only to take a breath. Panting, she looks around, checking to see if Nick has followed her. The forest is silent, but that doesn’t ease her fears. Nick could be anywhere, watching her and waiting to strike. So Y/N keeps going, despite her increasing tiredness. She just has to survive. Suddenly, she trips, landing hard on the ground. She doesn’t even have time to react to the fall and to the pain shooting through her legs, and immediately she tries to scramble back up. Before she can go much further, however, something tackles her, forcing her back to the ground. Nick climbs on top of her, pinning her down.

“No!” she gasps, trying to fight him off. But Nick is too strong for her.

“I told you, I’ll find you. I know this forest like the back of my hand, and I have friends everywhere. Now. Stop fighting me. It won’t work.” He hisses. Nevertheless, Y/N still fights back, her hands slapping the side of his face and pounding against his chest as she tries to push him off of her. Yet, Nick is too strong. He takes the knife out, running the blade down her skin. “I could kill you, you know? I’d cut open your beautiful skin, and see your deep red blood flowing out, covering this knife in crimson.” His eyes flicker down to the centre of her chest, landing on the position of her heart. He watches as her chest rises and falls, picturing her heart beating. It makes him even more aroused. Y/N watches him, silent, terrified tears streaming down her face. “But I won’t do that, because I love you. And I told you, you’re far too beautiful to destroy.” He drops the knife and cups her face, despite her attempts to wiggle out of his grasp. “The Queen wants you dead, so all I have to do is keep you safe with me, hidden away. She won’t mind. She just wants you to disappear.” He leans in close, pressing a kiss to her lips.

“No! Stop!” Y/N screams, the sound muffled by Nick’s mouth. She reaches out, trying to grab the knife he dropped, but it’s unfortunately too far out of her grasp. Once again, she kicks out against Nick, trying to stop him. But for a Princess who’s spent almost her whole life locked away, she’s easily overpowered. So, she bites down hard on his lip, so hard it begins to bleed. Nick grunts in pain as Y/N tries to get away. But it’s not enough, and he grabs her wrists harshly, causing her to cry out. “Nick, please just stop, and let me go. I promise I won’t tell anyone what happened. I’ll find somewhere to hide. Please, stop this.” She begs through her tears. Nick shakes his head.

“I told you. Stop fighting me. You’re mine, and I’m going to keep you safe. Now, come on, let’s go.” As Nick gets up, Y/N scrambles up, trying to run away once more. But Nick is too fast, and he tackles her to the ground once more. “I don’t want to hurt you Y/N, but if I have to, I will.”

A scream fills the air…and then silence.

Just a reminder I don’t have taglists anymore, so please follow @onceuponastory-library and turn on notifications!

#nick fowler x reader #nick fowler #nick fowler x female reader #nick fowler x you #nick fowler x y/n #nick fowler the 355 #the 355 #nick fowler fanfiction #nick fowler fanfic

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ladyartemesia · 4 years ago

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The Kiss

◐ PART VIII of THE ALPHA ◐

◐ Series Masterlist ◐

◐ Part I ◐ Part II ◐ Part III ◐ Part IV ◐ Part V ◐ Part VI ◐ Part VII ◐

Pairing: Alpha Werewolf Jimin x Omega Reader

Rating: Hard Mature 18+ (for this installment)

Warnings: this one is a little darker, descriptions of violence, ABO sexual dynamics including discussion of scenting, marking, mating, and claiming, strong sexual innuendo, discussion of violence relating to ritual combat, possessive behavior, injuries and discussion of injuries, lots of people have, use and are threatened by knives, kidnapping and drugging, its not as bad as it sounds, but it is definitely a bit darker…

Word Count: 4250

Author’s Note: I said it before but it bears repeating...You have no idea what your support has meant to me. Truly your asks and your messages and comments…they made me so happy. You made me believe that people wouldn’t forget about this story. I am so grateful you were able to wait. As many of you know I faced a medical emergency recently and you were all so lovely. The best followers on this site and I MEAN that. As always, my angels @ppersonna @xjoonchildx and @untaemedqueen were (and continue to be) the best betas and the best friends anyone could ask for. My thanks to ALL of you for helping me bring this story to life! I don’t know what I would do without your daily encouragement and your daily support. You guys are the heartbeat of this story. It wouldn’t be here without you.

——◐——

Two Years Ago

——◐——

Centuries ago the moon goddess stumbled across her human soulmate while he was sleeping. Struck by his beauty, but reluctant to reveal her identity, the goddess began to visit him in his dreams where she could hide her true form and appear before him as a mortal woman.

In the world of dreams their love flourished and from that blessed union the packs were born…

The wolf nations celebrated this sacred romance every ten years during the Festival of the Lover’s Moon…

The day of the festival was spent eating and drinking and dancing at large parties, but when the sun went down… well—

That’s when things got really interesting.

On the night of Lover’s Moon the young unmated wolves of the pack were permitted to commemorate this legendary love story in a decidedly scandalous manner.

The unmated men assumed the role of the goddess’s sleeping lover—they were blindfolded (to represent slumber) and led into a large sectioned off area of the dark forest to ‘wait and dream.’

Unmated she-wolves over the age of maturity (eighteen) took herbal scent suppressors and ventured out into that very same forest in order to anonymously ‘visit’ the young men ‘in their dreams’...

The rules for what exactly that meant were pretty fast and loose which was why Min Yoongi was thanking the goddess and every other deity he could think of that Yunli was still seventeen.

“But I will be eighteen in two days! Please can’t I just—“

“No. Absolutely not under any circumstances ever.”

“But Yoonji is going!”

“Ji-ah is nearly nineteen and has never been interested in any of the snotty little man-pups of our pack.” He snorted. “She’s probably going out just so she can shove a bunch of them in the lake.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” Yunli mumbled irritably.

Kim Taehyung yawned idly and snuggled into the cozy little pallet he prepared at the base of his favorite tree. The blindfold he and all the other unmated ‘lovers’ wore was made from witchcloth and could not be removed while the sun was down—so he had snuck into the forest earlier to set everything up.

Now all he had to do was wait until—

“H-Hi Taehyung.”

Oh sh—

“Uh. Hello...Miss.”

Taehyung didn’t recognize the owner of that voice, but he knew for sure who it wasn’t.

“I was hoping to find you tonight.”

This is not good.

“Well I’m—I’m flattered… naturally but—”

She touched his hand and he squeaked.

“I was thinking you and I might get to know each other a little bet—eep!”

The sharp point of a custom blade pressed directly into the unfortunate young beta girl’s pulse point.

“Are you lost, puppy?”

A heavy cloak obscured the newcomer’s features, but there was no mistaking her meaning.

Taehyung bit his lip to keep from snorting as the poor she-wolf scrambled away.

“Ji-ah,” he tsked with feigned disapproval, “that wasn’t very nice.”

Min Yoonji grinned as she sheathed her wicked looking dagger and slid languidly into his arms.

“You don’t like nice girls, Kim Taehyung.”

“I like you,” he whispered breathlessly against her lips. “Nice or not—it doesn't matter to me…” His hands slid greedily over her soft curves—pulling her closer till he felt the beat of her heart against his own. “I’ll like anything as long as it’s you.”

This was the stupidest idea in the history of stupid ideas.

Jimin huffed as he struggled to find a comfortable position against the giant boulder he’d chosen as his perch.

Why did I let Taehyung talk me into this?

He could be at home—in bed—comfortably sleeping off the all-day feast he’d indulged in.

Instead he was out in the middle of the forest sitting blindfolded on a rock in the off chance that one of the she-wolves was out looking for him.

Not bloody likely.

Not when prime targets like Namjoon, Hoseok, Jungkook—and countless others—were scattered throughout the woods.

“Park Jimin?”

Every hair on Jimin’s body stood on end.

It was a soft whisper—the speaker clearly didn’t want her voice to be recognized, yet something about the sound sent a curious frisson of interest down his spine.

He gulped.

“Yes… that’s me. But if you’re looking for Hoseok he’s just a little deeper in. You probably caught his scent downwind so—”

“I’m not looking for Hoseok.”

Jimin licked his lips and the sight of it sparked a odd curl of heat in the pit of your belly.

“I don’t know where anyone else is…”

“That’s quite alright.” A muted shuffle of movement reached his ears as you settled down beside him. “I was looking for you.”

“Oh…” He rubbed the back of his neck idly. “Are you sure?”

Laughter like fairy bells whispered through the air and Jimin felt his heart clench.

Don’t get your hopes up.

“Who are you?”

You were silent for a long time and then—

“I am someone who owes you a debt. One I have never been able to repay.”

Jimin’s head tilted curiously as he considered your words.

“I’m sorry, miss… you must be mistaken. There isn’t—“

“You don’t remember.”

It was a statement—not a question. Your voice was nearer now. He could feel the warmth of your body close to his—though not quite touching. “It was your wolf that saved me. But you had not gone through the Change yet.”

Familiar shame spiked sharply in his chest.

“I’m seven years past the Change...Why have you never mentioned this before?”

“Circumstances prevented me from doing so.”

There was a cold finality to your pronouncement—which of course did nothing but further inflame his curiosity.

“Then why come to me now?”

“I’ve come to repay you.”

Jimin’s mouth dropped open.

Were you trying to—?!

“Oh—no please that-that’s not necessary—I could never take advantage of—”

You giggled again.

“I am not offering my body, Park Jimin.”

Jimin breathed a heavy sigh of relief then shook his head with a wry chuckle.

“Well considering the circumstances I can hardly be blamed for assuming you might be. And honestly most men would jump at the chance to—”

“You...are not most men.”

Jimin’s eyes narrowed beneath his blindfold.

“Little she-wolf—I may not be wrestling bears for fun or bare knuckle boxing in the town square, but I am still an alpha.”

The weight of his command poured over your body as he spoke the last word. There was no order or intent—he had simply given you a taste of his power.

Aside from your direct blood relatives, no alpha had ever dared unleash their compel in your presence—therefore you were utterly unprepared for the effect it had on you—

Utterly unprepared for the strange surge of want so potent and profound that it stole the breath from your body.

It was primal—invigorating—

Sensual.

You and your wolf may not have been entirely connected yet, but she was suddenly quite vocal about her desire to fully bask in Park Jimin’s attention.

A wicked grin played over his lips as he leaned in closer and you could almost feel the soft brush of his lips against your cheek.

“Did you think I would not desire the touch of a beautiful woman in the moonlight?” he whispered.

Please touch me, Alpha.

Your eyes widened.

Dear goddess. Your inner wolf was turning out to be a shameless hussy.

“You might desire it, but you are far too honorable to accept it as payment for a debt.”

Jimin drew back warily.

You were correct of course. After all he had refused you when he believed that was your intent but—

“How could you know that?”

Evade. Evade now.

“Well... how could you know I was beautiful? You’re blindfolded.”

He shrugged and your wolf took careful note of the way it made all the pretty muscles in his back and shoulders ripple.

He will give us such strong—

Oh boy.

He will do no such thing. Please calm down.

“Not everything must be seen with your eyes.”

Is that how you found me? All those years ago...

Questions churned chaotically beneath your consciousness but you dared not give voice to them.

Focus.

“I must repay this debt. Ask for what you want and—if it is in my power—I swear it will be yours.”

Jimin smiled again, but this time it was somehow softer. For a moment he looked almost…

Sad.

“I’m afraid that the only thing I have ever wanted is not within your power to give...and I dare not ask you or anyone else for it.”

For her.

He sighed and drew even farther away from you—in fact it seemed like he was preparing to leave.

No.

Your hand reached out almost of it's its own accord and wrapped tightly around his wrist. The contact sent a shock of searing heat through his veins and he froze.

“Please alpha. It is not acceptable for someone like me—” a leader, a Luna, “—to owe another my life and offer nothing in return. You must let me pay my debt.”

Omega, his wolf growled, sweet perfect omega.

Suppressors may have hidden your scent, but the siren song of an omega pleading prettily in his ear was unmistakable—irresistible…

“What if all I want is your name?”

You sighed deeply.

“I cannot give you that. My name is… not mine to offer.”

Jimin laughed.

“A woman I cannot remember with a name I cannot know and whose face I cannot see.” He shook his head. “Perhaps you are just a figment of my imagination.”

It was hard to explain what happened next...For whatever reason his words cut you deeply and you were overcome with the desire—no need—to refute them somehow.

“I’m real enough,” you whispered, bringing his hand to your cheek.

Jimin was genuinely beginning to wonder if you were a witch as well as a she-wolf. Being close to you was intoxicating and the urge to draw you in was steadily overpowering every other thought.

“Could I ask you for a kiss, then?”

“You—...You saved my life and all you want... is a kiss?”

The air grew heavier as the strange magnetic pull between you swelled to a silent inescapable crescendo.

“In Seoul I often searched for someone who could ease my loneliness, yet each time I walked away emptier than before.” His thumb brushed gently over your lips and your eyes fluttered shut. “I have never had a kiss that meant anything to me.”

But yours might.

It was unclear who moved first, whether he pulled you to him or you surged forward but when your bodies aligned and your lips met his for the first time it was as if you had never been separate from one another.

As if you had always been deeply—intimately —together.

The indescribable feel of him lit over your senses like a struck match. It was an ignition in the purest sense of the word— a fiery visceral awakening fueled by a consuming flood of desire.

Yes, Alpha.

He might never see your face or hear your name, but Jimin knew he would remember the taste of you for the rest of his life. It was hot and bright like liquid sunshine— a pure relentless light flowing through him where there was once only darkness.

A soft needy moan rose up from your chest and he growled in primal satisfaction as you melted against him.

Your fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt of their own accord, desperately trying to bring him closer until he wrapped his arms around you in a heated embrace.

“Please,” he begged breathlessly against your mouth. “Please tell me who you are.”

The words crashed over you like a bucket of ice —dousing the hazy pleasure of his kiss with a cold bite of reality. Suddenly you were wrenching yourself away from him and your wolf whimpered in misery at the loss of his touch.

“I can’t,” you whispered.

And then you were gone.

“Did someone hurt you?”

You looked up to find Jin taking in your tears with cold fury.

Twin knives were already gleaming dangerously in his hands and he appeared ready to filet whichever bastard was foolish enough to make you cry.

“No,” you sniffed—well aware of how pitiful you were at the moment—crying in the corner of your cousin’s kitchen. “I got myself into this mess without any help—as usual.”

Jin sighed and slid down next to you.

“Tell me.”

“Something happened that I…I didn’t intend.”

“Oh I knew that already. The Luna isn’t supposed to be running around on the night of Lover’s Moon in a forest full of blind horny wolves—“

You snorted and shook your head.

“You’re absolutely right. I should have stayed away.”

Jin’s eyes narrowed and he wondered if perhaps you had caught Kim Namjoon with another omega. Nothing would be official until after the Change of course, but your bond with him was basically a foregone conclusion at this point.

“You went looking for someone...didn’t you.”

You nodded miserably—all but confirming his fears. He made a mental note to push Namjoon in the swamp at the next available opportunity.

“You know... the stories say that a Luna is powerfully drawn to her mate under the Lover’s Moon—that her wolf can sense him even before the Change.” He reached over and gently began to brush the tears from your eyes. “So it’s not surprising that you sought him out, but it’s not really fair to hold whatever it is you saw against him. There is no relationship between you yet and…” he chuckled, “kisses beneath festival moonlight don’t really mean anything anyways.”

It was clear that Jin had somehow gotten the entirely wrong impression, but perhaps that was for the best.

No one knew of your connection to Jimin and no one had seen what passed between you.

Still…

Something about his assessment stung you.

“You really believe that? ...That a kiss exchanged tonight means nothing?”

“I do.” Jin spoke with conviction. “There’s ancient magic at play in those woods. You can’t always trust what you see—or what you feel.”

“Oh I...I didn’t know…”

After a moment you laid your head against his shoulder and let the last of your tears run silently down your cheek.

“Jin-ah have you ever wanted something you knew you couldn’t have?”

“Yes.” He sighed heavily and pulled you in to snuggle a bit closer. “When I was younger I dreamed of having a mate just like everyone else…”

The words were so softly spoken—almost wistful. Your heart splintered just hearing them.

“But… she could be out there—your mate.”

Jin shook his head.

“When is the last time you heard of a female alpha?”

Fresh tears welled up in your eyes.

“Jin…”

“Hey,” he whispered, “don’t waste your crying on me. I’ve long since come to terms with who and what I am.”

“You’re not sad anymore?”

“Well… maybe sometimes I am… but I had to accept that people like us are not like everyone else. Our destinies were written long before we were born.”

“And you believe you’re destined to be alone?”

“Wolves in a pack are never really alone.”

“Yes...but they can be lonely,” you whispered thinking back to Jimin’s words.

For a moment Jin’s eyes were the saddest you had ever seen them.

“Well...I suppose they can.” Then he chuckled and gave your nose an affectionate little tap. “But you don’t need to worry about that. When the time comes Namjoon will take his place at your side and the two of you will build a wonderful life together... Isn’t that what you want?”

Isn’t it?

Your treacherous thoughts drifted back to the boy in the moonlight—to the way your body sang when he touched you and the strange insatiable desire to know him and be known by him in return.

“Please...Tell me who you are.”

A heavy ache settled in your heart.

You were the Luna of the mountain nations. A true born moon princess.

You could never be the woman who kissed Park Jimin underneath the stars.

You were not like everybody else.

“...Yes. That is what I want.”

——◐——

Now

——◐——

Jimin’s heart pounded as he tore through the dark paths of the wood with Taehyung, Yoongi, and Jungkook close behind.

He had never led an attack—had never been trained to command wolves in battle.

It was his first true test of leadership and he hadn’t even been a leader for twenty-four hours.

Yet the fears and anxieties that might have normally clouded his mind were notably absent.

There was only you.

Ironically Jimin owed Namjoon yet another debt—this time for explaining what exactly someone like him was capable of.

The alpha Jin captured had given up their plan and position after being exposed to Jimin’s unique gifting, so he had a concrete target in his mind… He suspected however, that your captors had taken precautions after leaving some of their men behind. They had shifted their camp.

But it wouldn’t be enough to save them.

Jimin didn’t need your location to find you.

He spent years refusing to look at you, and even then he always knew exactly where you were. He could sense you in any crowd—hear your voice in a thousand.

Once it had tormented him cruelly to be so aware of you.

Now it was the only thing keeping him sane.

He followed the connection between his heart and yours like a lifeline and it guided him as surely as the stars.

The alphas followed him without question.

If any of them harbored lingering doubts before, they were firmly laid to rest after what they saw at the cottage. No ordinary wolf could do what he had done.

The Alpha would bring back their Luna and retribution would be swift indeed.

The drugs in your system kept swinging you in and out of lucidity like a nightmarish pendulum. You tried to shift after the initial nausea faded, but whatever they gave you kept your wolf caged beneath your skin.

Jimin

The longing you felt for your mate was the only thing tethering you to reality. You could almost hear him echoing in the far corners of your mind—

I’m coming Omega—hold on.

I’ll find you.

Part of you recognized that his voice was likely nothing more than the wistful creation of your drug-addled mind, still you clung to it like the last shred of hope while the minutes (or hours) flew past.

Chaos clouded your thoughts even in clearer moments as many unavoidable concerns forced their way through the haze.

Jin was at the house with you when they broke in. You had no way of knowing if he survived.

The men who took you were crass and irreverent. Their eyes followed your form with too much interest and too little respect.

It was starting to get cold and (due to you nearly dismembering a high council member and needing to be compelled unconscious) you were still wearing a thin white ceremonial dress which offered very little protection from the elements.

You wondered idly if your idiot captors would let you freeze to death before they accomplished whatever it was they took you for. They clearly needed you for something or you would have been long dead by now.

None of them struck you as particularly brilliant planners so the mastermind must be somewhere else...

Frankly the entire situation was as puzzling as it was troubling. Iron Claw had always gotten along well with your pack.

Technically they were (almost) what the human governments called a vassal state. The presence of a Luna determined the dominant pack in a region and the Luna of the mountain nations had been born into Silver Fang—your pack—for the last thousand years or so.

Why would they challenge us now?

The birth of a Luna indicated that the goddess had chosen that pack to lead. Their willingness—not only to kidnap you—but to go against the dominant pack by doing so was alarming to say the least.

A sudden explosion of movement and sound interrupted your contemplation. Motion erupted all around you—boots pounding on the ground, men falling into their wolf forms, knives being drawn…

You lifted your head—straining forward to see the source of the commotion—and nearly collapsed in relief when you finally did.

Alpha

Your mate stood at the edge of the camp flanked by two enormous black wolves.

A deadly looking jingum sword gleamed dangerously in his right hand. You recognized it immediately as your great-grandfather’s combat blade—the thousand year-old weapon of the Silver Fang Alphas.

Relief flooded your chest all over again at the sight of it. Only Jin could have given him that sword—which meant he was still alive.

The black wolves—Yoongi and Jungkook—snarled viciously but made no move to attack.

Your captors were still scrambling into some sort of combat formation when Jimin finally spoke.

“You have violated our sacred laws, trespassed in sovereign pack lands, kidnapped a Luna under the protection of our goddess, abducted the mate of the Silver Fang Alpha, and risked open war between our peoples.” He took a single step forward. “Surrender now and I will be merciful.”

The biggest of your captors—a man you recognized as the de facto leader—spat viciously on the ground.

“You are not my Alpha,” he growled.

A cold—almost cruel—smile twisted over Jimin’s lips.

“Very well.”

Then he dropped to one knee and a massive grey wolf—Taehyung—leapt over his head and tore out the defiant leader’s throat before he even hit the ground.

Your mouth dropped open.

Bangtan formation.

Yoongi and Jungkook lunged forward in opposite directions, tackling their targets to the forest floor in a bloody clash of teeth and claws.

One of the larger Iron Claw alphas half-shifted and charged Jimin but his arm shot out lightning fast, catching his attacker by the throat to send him flying through the air into a tree.

The next several minutes could only be described as terrifyingly beautiful.

It was immediately clear that Jimin had been holding back when he fought Namjoon.

He dispatched his opponents with such elegant savagery it was almost art.

You were so mesmerized watching Jimin sensually sword dance his way through a dozen alphas nearly twice his size that you almost missed Taehyung’s wolf rushing over with a dagger clenched between his teeth.

Luna are you okay?

You grinned and held up your rope-bound wrists.

“I’ll be better once you pass me that knife.”

Taehyung nodded once and dropped the blade at your feet before tackling another wolf that was tearing towards the two of you.

You sawed through the ties around your ankle first then twisted your arms to try and slice through the restraints on your wrist.

The Iron Claw wolves were clearly no match for Jimin and his alphas.

Jungkook and Yoongi chased after the few who were trying to run while Taehyung half-shifted to subdue the handful of wolves left alive as prisoners. Only Jimin continued to fight as the last three of your captors still standing took turns being slammed into the dirt by his strikes.

He was clearly capable of dispatching them, but you were fairly convinced that you would die if you had to stay away from him for another second. The ropes, however, were surprisingly thick and the angle you were cutting them at wasn’t the best. If only—

You were almost free when you saw it.

One of your captors had pulled a hunting javelin from their supply wagon. He must have hid himself at the onset of the fight, but now he was comfortably concealed by the shadows—and taking aim at Jimin.

Your heart dropped into your stomach.

The attacker appeared to handle the weapon with familiarity. He was too far back—too well hidden—Jimin would never see him in time—

The last cord around your wrist snapped and you were on your feet, pushing through the combined haze of fury and sedatives to charge the wolf who dared attack your mate.

By the time he saw you it was far too late.

Under the effects of the drug your aim was a little skewed but you weren’t Kim Seokjin’s cousin for nothing.

One clean flick of your wrist and the dagger shot through the air, burying itself between the brute’s shoulder blades—all the way to the hilt.

His body fell to the ground just as Jimin sent the last of your captors careening into a pile of previously defeated foes.

For a moment all was quiet.

Then your eyes locked across the distance and everything around you sharpened to a single whispered word.

“Jimin.”

He had run non-stop for miles and torn apart a dozen wolves to get to your side—no amount of space between you now was tolerable.

The sword clattered to the forest floor as he moved toward you—desperate to feel you—to wrap himself around you and know that you were safe.

What happened next was as natural as breathing.

You opened to him and he lifted you into his arms, taking your lips in a hot unrepentant kiss.

Fire exploded across your senses, burning away everything but the touch and taste of him. Every part of you was at once fiercely and gloriously alive. Desperate moans passed between you as he licked into your mouth—a dark primal promise of the pleasure he would take between your thighs.

“Alpha,” you whimpered, too delirious with want to manage anything else.

Suddenly Jimin’s eyes shot open. His hands flew to cup your face, searching it with a mixture of realization and disbelief.

“You… It was you.”

If you are already on the taglist, then I will automatically tag you for the next part! If you would like to be added to the taglist, please let me know.

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angry-geese · 3 years ago

Note

Sukuna requests. S/o makes fun of him all the time, calls him weak, etc. What nobody knows at the beginning is that s/o is significantly stronger than sukuna

The Definition of Human - Sukuna x Reader

Warnings: some swearing but its pretty tame. mention of death, and violence. Sukuna kind of needs his own warning. sfw. gn!reader.

a/n: as much as i love the idea of sukuna being soft for his human s/o i also love the thought of them being much stronger than him and him having no clue what do to with that

Word Count: 2.1k

You were just a sorcerer when he first met you, barely an adult, cast out by your village.

Someone so powerful hadn't been born for centuries. A sorcerer like you could turn the world of Jujutsu on its head. And that was the last thing they wanted to happen. The older you grew, the more unpredictable you became. You were far too strong for the village elders to handle. While you could have been a powerful ally, you would have been an even worse foe. The very people that had raised you, who taught you how to use your powers had begun to fear you.

Though you weren't trussed up like a sacrifice, you were sat by one of his altars like one.

It was only by chance you stumbled across such a thing. The surrounding woods were vast, and winding. No matter what path you took, you always seemed to wind back up by them. Perhaps it was a work of sorcery, meant to keep you lost in the woods forever. No trail seemed to lead back home. The village elders never expected you to last long on your own against the elements, let alone the King of Curses. But growing exhausted, and hungry, you had little choice but to stop and rest. The altar had offerings in the form of food, and a place to rest. Far more than Sukuna needed. You figured he wouldn't notice if you took a few things.

At the base of an altar sat a much smaller form. A human, one from the local village. Your shoulders were slumped, your arms curled around a bag. You didn't look sad, so much as you looked furious. You were talking to yourself, listing out all the ways you’d flatten each and every structure, how you’d salt the very earth they stood on, how you’d turn the once rich, fertile soil uninhabitable.

For having Sukuna’s interest in mind, he was certainly ready to burn it to the ground. Your village did little to appease the King of Curses. The humans in it were conniving, and rather quick to betray him. The relationship between the two was strained at best. In exchange for offerings in the form of crops, alcohol, and whoever decided to get on the village elders’ bad side, he wouldn't burn your home to the ground.

In a way, you were their last sacrifice to him, and by far his favorite.

As a child your parents had warned you, telling you never to go into the woods alone. A four armed man wandered out there, and he had a habit of making travelers disappear. Now that very same forest you once feared was your only sliver of comfort.

It took you a moment to realize he was standing there. And when you finally noticed him, you didn't look at him with the fear most humans did. There was a curious glint in your eyes. You sized him up, studied him in a way he wasn't used to.

In your hands you held an apple—an old offering—paring it with a knife. You were carving around the bruises. The texture of bruised apples always bothered you.

“It's dangerous to be out here alone, little one,” he said, eyeing you up like prey, “you should know that by now.”

“You’re the least of my worries, old man,” you said, popping a chunk of apple into your mouth.

You were still human. Strong, but human. You needed sleep, and food. If exposed to the elements too long you would freeze, or succumb to heatstroke or thirst.

“Old man?!” He said, clearly offended.

“What? You don't think I’ve heard the stories?” You asked. “You don’t scare me.”

And you were right. Even as he looked you in the eyes, you didn't back down once. You, unlike every other human from your village, weren't scared of him. He found you curious, and interesting. From the very moment your eyes locked with his, he was infatuated.

“I should frighten you,” he warned.

“You don't,” you said, “in fact, I think I could kick your ass!”

Expecting it to be an easy fight, he took your offer.

What resulted was a fight that would last days. Sukuna had never met anyone who could last so long against him. Let alone a human. Your strength was only rivaled by your unwavering rage. You were determined in a way he’d never seen before. Your village, along with half of the surrounding forest would be razed in the battle.

They had to have seen this coming. The child that is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel it's warmth.

And it's warmth you felt.

You couldn't imagine yourself being sad. You were too filled with anger and betrayal. There was no room left in your heart for sadness.

He remembers the look of the fires, and how they glinted in your eyes. He thinks that's when you began to turn into a curse.

After the third day, he had grown not only bored, but tired. It was clear neither of you were capable of destroying the other. He figured you were too tough to eat; you wouldn't make good meat. Uraume couldn't do a whole lot with you. And you were too combative to be a concubine. You would not go with him willingly. He's not one to give up, nor is he one to admit defeat, but he knows when he's not going to win. The two of you would mutually destroy the world before you would destroy each other. There was no end in sight. Sukuna simply wanted to leave.

So he simply headed for home.

That enraged you. After days of fighting, there was no climatic end to the battle. You wanted something more.

"Hey asshole!" You said. "You can't just walk away!"

"I know when I've met my match." He said. "Do you?"

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means this world will burn before we destroy each other."

The two of you were quite literally a match made in hell. You would be a powerful ally and an even worse foe. There was no point in fighting you.

He did nothing to stop you when you followed him.

You were more of a nuisance than anything else. He often found himself comparing you to a cockroach. No matter how many times he tried to squash, poison, or starve out you always came back. If he couldn't kill you, then he had to have you on his side. You weren't something to be deceived, betrayed, injured, or killed. You were stronger than that. You were sharp, too, with a tongue to match. Whether harsh words he threw your way, you returned in double. It was rare he found a human with quite a tongue on them. He often remarked about having it nailed to his door. You simply pointed at his servants and dared them to try it.

They never did. Anyone who dared harm you often met a gruesome fate, either at his hands, or yours.

He didn't consider himself capable of falling in love. And he isn't. To some extent. But love is what he felt. You were the closest to an equal the King of Curses had ever met. In many ways you surpassed him, but those who admitted it often met a swift death.

He moved onto the next village. So did you. Word had not yet spread of what happened. People knew of the fires, but not of the deaths, and your connection to them. You settled down, taking up work with the local shamans. Though you were a newcomer, your help was gladly accepted when Sukuna first showed up, demanding offerings.

In the beginning you tried to warn them. That didn't help. They never listened. It always ended the same way; with a razed village and a bunch of needless deaths.

Sukuna would visit. Often in the late hours of the night as you were trying to get some sleep. He did little more than steal your food, and make himself far too comfortable. Of course that's how most of your meetings went.

He's not sure when he fell for you. But it was something that happened all at once. After years of a back and forth between you two, something gave. You took a place right by his side. He found himself no longer taking concubines, no longer indulging in the sacrifices presented to him. He found himself consumed with the thought of you. He had to have you.

“I can't believe you’re all out of sake,” he said, one night while visiting.

“I wonder who’s fault that is,” you said.

He cast you a glare from across the room. You'd have to buy more in the morning anyway. But all the good stuff has been put up as an offering, and the only sake left in the market is watered down, and worth nothing to you. You don't drink the stuff all that much anyway, you just used it for cooking.

“I question why I keep you alive,” he said.

“I think if you could even kill me,” you said, “you would have by now. Someone as weak as you doesn't stand a chance.”

He didn't like this, and hauled you into his arms, carrying you away from your cooking.

“No!” You squealed, too busy giggling to put up much of a fight. “The rice is going to overcook!”

Sukuna couldn't care less about the rice. He tossed you rather carelessly onto your shared bed, caging you in his arms. The kiss he pulled you into was fleeting, and soft, like he was almost afraid to touch you.

When the village elders first discovered these meetings, it didn't take them long to exile you. The very people that had welcomed you had ignored your warnings and betrayed you. You had gone from respected, and even loved, to feared in an instant.

At some point you stopped trying to warn them. If you really wanted to, you could stop him. Delay him at best. Give people time to run. At least someone would survive. But after a while, you began to think some of them deserved it. The sacrifices they provided were never enough when Sukuna grew tired of toying with them. It was just you and him. Two constant presences in each other's life. You grew used to his company. Enjoyed it, even. You’d never tell him that. Mostly because you didn't want to inflate his ego even more. You were as much his as he was yours.

At some point you became more curse than human.

You could breathe, your lungs would fill with air, but the action provided no relief. You no longer felt the need to eat, and often found yourself forgetting to do so. Food turned to ash in your mouth. The enjoyment of eating was long since lost to you. You're alive, but you're not. Your heart beats but the blood that courses through your veins is not quite right. Your memories of yourself when you were younger fade. But the anger. That fear, that anger, cast into the past, is the only humanity left in you.

You found yourself falling asleep next to him, and in turn waking up next to him. Sometimes in his arms, sometimes on the other side of the bed. He found himself opening his arms for you to climb into. You would do so, albeit reluctantly.

You were his partner. You were a nuisance, but you were his partner.

"Am I dead?" You asked, one morning in the fall. You think it was fall. You remember the leaves turning yellow and orange, but it wasn't cold enough to be winter.

"I haven't killed you yet, so no." He said. "Why?"

"Because I woke up and saw your face, and thought I had finally gone to hell." You said.

His mouth opened, but no words came out. An offended sounding huff left him. He rolled over onto you, pinning you to the sheets. His knees planted on either side of your body, his hands found your wrists. It’d take no effort from you to throw him off. But you didn't. You never did.

“You’re not in hell yet,” he said.

“I'd beg to differ,”

“Then beg,”

“Make me!”

He attacked your neck with wet, open mouth kisses, sending you into a giggling fit. Your skin was warm under his lips. You were always so warm. You were flushed from your chest to your forehead, blush dusting the tips of your ears and your nose. Your arms wrapped around your neck, pulling him flush to your chest. Your heartbeat was audible, racing as he pressed his ear to your chest.

“Stay in bed a little longer,” he said. He was pleading more than he was asking. And you weren't able to find it in you to refuse.

It wasn't entirely awful having someone stronger than him.

#ryomen sukuna x reader #sukuna x reader #ryomen sukuna #jjk x reader #jjk fluff #sukuna fluff #jujutsu kaisen #sukuna #this was either going to be called the definition of human or in hell i'll be in good company #possibly uncharacteristically soft sukuna #also i suck at tagging #goose answers

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ladyanput · 3 years ago

Note

Ok so this is the third time that I'm sending you an ask tonight. (or is it night time in your country?) I'm being annoying right now but whatever. So I've been cackling about those salt fics you wrote because they are just amazing. I have a request, though it is up to you to write it or not. So, can you write a salt fic where someone got an interview with Ladybug (probably Aurore) and then they ask her why they replaced the old heroes like Rena Rouge, Carapace and etc. and LB is just like I don't work with dumb shits or somethin'. Then there is also a new Black Cat (Probably Luka, Felix, or Damian) because Adrien here is an asshole and this fic is saltier than salt water. Then LB also insults Alya's blog and their school. Those foolish mortals get some lawsuits and the rest is up to you. (This request is probably messed up since it's already midnight here and I can't sleep.)

You're never annoying, I just apologize that it took me so long to get to you. I do hope you don't hold it against me, darling.

A one on one interview with Ladybug was basically unheard of if you weren't the Ladyblog or Nadja Chadwick. Ladybug had made it firm that she wasn't a celebrity, she was a hero. She wasn't there for clout, for attention, for fame or fortune. She just wanted to keep Paris safe.

That's was Aurore admired about her. And why she felt queasy as she sat across from the heroine, who had given her of all people an interview. But she got ahold of herself, taking deep breaths as the cameraman began counting down. And when he hit 'one', she put on her best smile and straightened in her seat.

"Hello Paris! Welcome back to 'Latest Buzz'! I am your lovable host, Aurore Beauréal. Today I am here with a very, very special guest, our very own heroine of Paris; Ladybug!"

Ladybug beamed right at the camera, but gave a shy little wave, giving away the nerves she obviously had.

"Now, Ladybug, I'm so glad you requested to be on the show. You know, I initially thought I had misheard when Estelle told me. Usually you're not big on personal interviews." Aurore gave her full attention to Ladybug, but keeping the bright, friendly smile and perfect posture.

"Well, I tried a few times actually. But when I did, none of them were really great experiences." Ladybug admitted and both girls immediately thought of that disastrous Face-to-Face interview. It left a bitter taste in their mouths. "My issue is that misinformation has been spread around a lot recently. It's made me realize that I need to find more trustworthy sources."

"Ladybug. I vow on my integrity as a host and Estelle's reputation as a journalist that we are people who research facts. We don't ambush our guests, we respect them." She said, placing a hand on her heart. Ladybug saw an honesty in her eyes that she hadn't seen in such a long time. It honestly made her feel.. Respected. "Now, Ladybug.. We both know you have a lot of fans. A lot of admirers. False information can be spread so easily these days, which sources specifically are you telling people to avoid?"

"Well.. With Face-to-Face, I found that I was entirely ambushed in that interview. I wanted to speak about my hero work, but instead Nadja kept trying to needle her way into my personal life. That picture she had shown in largely out of context; when Dark Cupid attacked and Chat Noir was under his spell, it was the only way to get him free."

"Yes, I remember watching that. I'll be honest Ladybug, I felt bad for you." Aurore bit her lip, but smiled a bit when Ladybug nodded. "I mean, Chat Noir wasn't helping either. He seemed to be trying to push this narrative forward that you two are a couple."

"And we're not!" Ladybug burst out before she could stop herself. Everyone in that studio could hear the utter stress and frustration in her voice. "I've begged and begged Chat Noir to stop with the flirting, the 'telling people we're dating', everything! I just wanted him to focus and he couldn't seem to do that!"

"Is that why you replaced him? Because of his slacking off and refusing to take anything seriously?" Aurora sat up an bit straighter, her eyes going wide.

".. Not exactly, no. It was a bunch of issues that eventually piled up and boiled over." Ladybug made some gestures with her hands, trying her hardest to find the words but just letting out a long and pained sigh in the end. "I do enjoy my new partner now. He is more serious, more stable. I know he won't go off and pout if I deny something he wanted. I needed an entirely new team, as a matter of fact."

"Well I am going to say, on behalf of everyone here, that we're glad. We swear on our integrity as journalists that if such rumours were to ever surface again, we will do our proper research." Aurore beamed and many of the staff and crew behind the cameras nodded and gave Ladybug their thumbs up. Honestly, it warmed Ladybug's heart to see such support.

When had been the last time someone had supported her like this? Sure, her parents supported her, but her friends..? Her peers? No, none of them had supported her in a long time.

"Speaking of research, I'd say to stay away from the Ladyblog." It burned to say it but it had to be said. Alya had crossed so many lines it wasn't even forgivable at this point. She had gone too far, had betrayed too many.

"Wait, what?" Aurore nearly jumped out of her seat but quickly composed herself, taking a deep breath. "Pardon me Ladybug, but the Ladyblog has been a vital source of information since the very beginning."

"And I'm not denying that!" Ladybug quickly held up her hands, her eyes desperate now. "But please let me explain. The Ladyblog was amazing in the beginning, but like all things, it started to go astray. It was things like trying so hard to find out my identity. Trying to push that narrative of that whole superhero couple thing.. Ladyblogger Alya Césaire has proven time and time again that she is not trustworthy. I mean, I thought she was my biggest fan. Why does she keep pushing my words aside?"

Many people who watched the interview would agree. If you idolized someone, respected someone, truly looked up to them.. Why would you push aside their words, their wishes to try and push the narrative you're so convinced is true, but isn't there?

"And don't get me started on the whole Lila Rossi craze she seemed to be on now." At Ladybug's mention of Lila Rossi, both Estelle and Aurore had to keep from rolling their eyes. They knew all about the girl.

"You speak as if you are quite frustrated, Ladybug. What an odd reaction to your best friend." Aurore leaned forward a bit in her seat. Everyone else got to the edge of theirs. Ladybug only shook her head, looking utterly defeated.

"That's the thing, she isn't my best friend." It took everything to keep from satin that she hated her, that she had taken away her friends and her life. "The only times she's met Ladybug is when she's been akumatized, which has been around six or seven times at this point. And the other things she's claiming are so outlandish! Saving Jagged Stone's kitten from a airport runway? Clara Nightengale stealing her dance moves? And the Ladyblog just posts it out there, claiming every single story is true. I'm just scared that people are taking this one hundred percent seriously. That's why I had to drop Rena Rouge and Carapace from the team as they believed Lila Rossi over me. They didn't even try to confirm these rumours! And it hurts to think that one day, someone will take Lila's words seriously and get hurt. What if she says it's safe to dip strawberries in bleach? Or tells someone that she found a way to tame some kind of wild animal? Someone would get hurt because they believe her story and try it out for themselves!"

"My goodness, I can definitely see how that is a problem. Misinformation is very easy to spread thanks to the internet, so you being worried is a very relatable thing." Aurore nodded, then tilted her head ever so slightly. "Ladybug, do you know anyone who has taken her word seriously? This is besides the Ladyblog of course."

Ladybug closed her eyes briefly, mentally debating with herself before finally giving in. These things needed to be said.

"Collège François DuPont. Now I wasn't there personally, but I heard about this situation and looked into it. The entire situation was appalling. Apparently a student was found to have cheated, assaulted another student, and commited thievery. But the thing that stuck out is only one person saw her do all of these things; Lila Rossi. No investigation was done, no questioning other students. This student was then expelled immediately. Her teacher and her principal didn't even give her a chance. And from what people have been saying, Miss Rossi's behaviour is actively encouraged in that school. She misses countless days, no, months of school, claiming she's traveling. But when she was supposedly in Achu, doing whatever it was she was claiming with Prince Ali, I was fighting her akuma here in Paris on Heroes Day!"

"I was at school the day that happened. I knew the student that happened to. They're the nicest person in that school! Never a bad thing to say about anyone, always willing to help! I agree with you on how things were handled, it's a level of incompetence that is baffling." Aurore's hands slowly curled into fists as she remembered it all. She slowly shook her head. "The principal, their teacher, their class who backed up Rossi. It must have hurt them so much, made them feel so alone."

"That's why I want people to be more careful with what information they take as fact. It's so important, because stuff like that can lead people to a desperate place. They feel alone, like the entire world is against them. I wouldn't have let the principal and the teacher get away with that gross negligence in their jobs." Ladybug leveled her gaze directly to the camera. "People of Paris, please listen to what I am saying. I am here to be a hero, to protect you from the terror of Hawkmoth and to defeat him. But please, do not be like Principal Damocles, do not be like that teacher and her class at DuPont. Do your research, look up your facts. Do not let a liar lead you to do something dangerous and hurt yourself as well as others. Respect each other, talk and be honest. I swear on my life that I shall do the same. You are the people I swore to protect and I love. I am saying this all to protect you. And I'll hope you'll all forgive me for not protecting you sooner."

...

The interview rocked Paris. Ladybug speaking so openly about her frustrations, about the discrepancies in the Ladyblog and Lila Rossi had many people double checking the sources of everything they learned from that blog.

Alya could barely show her face as she made her way though the school hallways. Her reputation as a journalist had gone down the drain. People had basically started boycotting her blog, harrassing her, or trash talking her on other forums and sites. Even a lot of news outlets picked this up.

What hurt the most from that interview last night was Ladybug's words towards her, both as Rena Rouge and as Alya. Surely the heroine had to be mistaken, she had never beytrayed Ladybug! And that Oblivio incident, it was just to show Chat Noir and Ladybug that they were meant to be together!

Her family was upset with her. No, upset was too tame of a word. They were pissed.

"I can't believe she lied to us.."

"Well what do you expect from someone who keeps harrassing Ladybug?"

Alya flinched when she heard the whispers and rushed into Miss Buster's class. The entire class was there, all seated, all looking utterly miserable. Many of them looked as if they had been crying all night. A lot like she had.

"W-where's Miss Bustier?" Alya asked when she eyed the empty desk. Many of her classmates shot her glares, but didn't say anything about the interview last night. After all, they had no room to talk.

"She and Principal Damocles are with the school board now. We're getting a new teacher." Adrien was the one that spoke up. He looked utterly miserable. So unlike his usual self.

"Lila isn't coming back. She was pulled from school when her mother found out what happened." Alix muttered from her seat, arms crossed and shoulders hunched.

The class went quiet as they all internally contemplated how things had gotten like this. Their eyes focused on the door when it abruptly opened and Marinette came strolling in, carrying a box.

"Good morning everyone!" She said brightly, pretending not to notice the downcast expressions on their faces. She set the box on the teacher's desk before she turned towards them. "Oh? What's wrong everyone?"

".. Did you not watch the interview with Ladybug on 'Latest Buzz'?" Alya stared at Marinette, a bit dumbfounded by her friend's lack of awareness of the situation. She had been expecting Marinette to rush in with support and a fiery vengeance against those who had humiliated her best friend, maybe even a fresh pastry. But instead she was greeted with empty hands and a cheerful hello?

"Oh, well I haven't really had the time to watch much television. I mean, with my transfer papers, needing to plan out my new schedule with all of those new classes. Busy as a bee, that's me!" Marinette just beamed, giving Adrien a playful wink that had his stomach churning.

"Wait, transfering?" It was Rose that spoke up, her large eyes seeming impossibly large now. "Transfer what?"

"To my new school, of course." Marinette giggled and clasped her hands together. "I start on Monday."

"New school?!" Alya was on her feet and rushing towards Marinette. The others quickly followed, crowding around her. "What do you mean new school?! When did you ever say you were going to a new school?"

Marinette blinked, as if stunned, then tilted her head ever so slightly.

"I told you all last week, don't you remember?" Marinette tapped her lower lip, seeming to be wracking her brain before she abruptly snapped her fingers. "Oh! I forgot, you all were deep in conversation with Lila about her upcoming event with Jagged Stone and Clara Nightengale. You know, the one she said she'd be attending with Ladybug, since they're such good friends. Did she ever say how it went?"

All of the students shifted uneasily, suddenly seeming to refuse to meet her face.

Alix murmured something so barely audible, Marinette held a hand to her ear and leaned closer.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Lila was lying to us!" Alix snapped as her cheeks went a flaming red.

"About everything! She never knew Jagged Stone!" Juleka spat out in fury.

"Or Prince Ali!" Rose sniffled.

"And she wasn't friends with Ladybug? They were barely acquaintances!" Alya wailed out as tears welled up in her eyes.

But Marinette hardly reacted the way they were expecting. She just gave them a small smile and nodded.

"Oh, yeah. I know."

Alya sucked in a breath sharply.

"You knew..? But why did you never..?"

"Oh Alya, you silly forgetful thing. I told you the day she returned from her long 'trip', remember? I told you she was lying." Marinette gave Alya a smile that said 'oh you silly thing'. "But you told me that I should really check my sources. And I got tired of trying to bring up any lies, since that was always your response. So I decided to just stop. I mean, since you're such an inspiring, honest journalist you must double and triple check every source you come across and found every story to be true!"

Alya flinched and looked away, feeling the churning feeling in her gut again. No, the Ladyblog had been the only source for the stories. The. Only. One.

"And I'm sure all of you knew what you were doing! I mean, it makes sense; trusting the words of a complete stranger over someone you've known for a while now. Some of you since we were in diapers!" She focused her gaze on Nino and Kim, who had the grace to at least look ashamed.

"Marinette, you really should-" Adrien began, reaching out for the girl, but was cut off by her clapping her hands together.

"But it's alright! I decided that fighting with you all wasn't worth it, so I took Adrien's advice and took the high road! Don't bother exposing Lila, she isn't hurting anyone!" Marinette announced brightly, giving her hands a little wave.

The temperature in the classroom dropped by several degrees.

".. Adrien, she's kidding, right?" Nino glanced over at his friend, his eyes pleading for him to deny it all. But the sight of the blood draining from the model's face and the sweat starting to bead at his forehead told him everything he needed to know. "Dude.."

"How could you?! You knew this entire time and didn't even try to tell me?!" Alya rounded on Adrien, fury in her eyes.

"Now, now, don't get mad at Adrien. I'm sure he knew you all were going to do you research. Besides, it's not like this did anything bad for anyone." Marinette pressed a hand to her cheek, still grinning. "I mean, it's not like you all took her advice without doing any research. You didn't try the things she suggested without actually checking them out to be true, right? No one lost any scholarships or job opportunities. No one's relationships were ruined. No one was hurt."

The nauseous feeling spread to all of the class as the reality of everything caught up with them.

"I'm sure everything will go back to normal, right? I mean, I'm sure that that woman from the education bureau isn't here to fire Damocles and Bustier for their severe neglect in their duties. Expelling me with the most mediocre and shaky proof. Surely that's a school I should feel safe in! That I should be proud to be a part of. But alas, my preparations for my new school are already done, so oh well."

Marinette shrugged and adjusted her purse strap.

"Anyhow, I wish you all luck with the amazing things Lila has helped you to do! I know it must have been worth ignoring me and convincing me I was crazy. With all of the free time I've had, with you guys practically replacing me with Lila in the group, I've had tons of time to spend with my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?!" Alya's eyes went owlishly wide as she gaped at Marinette. "But what about Adrien?!"

"Oh Alya, I fell out of love with Adrien forever ago." Marinette shook her head in an almost patronizing way that had Alya's cheeks burning with embarrassment. They didn't even pay attention to Adrien's noises of surprise. "I mean, you claimed I was jealous of Lila getting close to Adrien, that I should let the jealousy go. And you know what? You were right! So I decided Adrien wasn't worth the stress, the embarrassment.. I mean, I couldn't even talk to him straight. I thought he was the most perfect guy in the world! Goodness, did I learn my lesson!"

She giggled as if she found the entire thing amusing. She then beamed at the class.

"Well, ta-ta! I need to get back home and make sure everything is ready to go. I wish you all the best, I really do!"

They all watched, shellshocked as Marinette breezed out of the classroom like it was nothing. Like she wasn't leaving her friends, her school, her life behind. And they all would wonder exactly how badly they screwed up, if she could walk away do easily, without a care.

Permanent Taglist: @vixen-uchiha @ravennightingaleandavatempus @2sunchild2 @crazylittlemunchkin @bee-wrecker @souleateralicestein @loysydark @kceedraws @realrandomposts @alienjoyful

Salt Taglist: @virgil-is-a-cutie @sidessunnybumblebee @persephonebutkore @18-fandoms-unite-08 @suzen23smith @luciferge @theelventhgod @noirdots @space--butterflies @ghostglaceon @magicalfirebird @goggles-mcgee @chocolate1721 @minightrose @bookcrazybby @cupcakeandkisses @mewwitch @adrestar

#ml salt #miraculous salt #alya salt #lila salt #marinette deserves better

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luxurybrownbarbie · 2 years ago

Note

Men have the incredible ability to attribute every success they ever have to their own brilliance alone. I’ve seen the son of a billionaire say that the reason he has successful businesses is because he worked smarter not harder and anyone who doesn’t experience the same success was just too stupid (not his exact phrasing). Buddy. The only reason you were able to start your businesses was because you already had the capital and were able to hire people to do things you didn’t know how to do.

That level of disconnect is actually hilarious. One of my exes was the exact same. He swore he did everything on his own, meanwhile his father bankrolled his entire life. He really thought he worked harder during uni than our mutual friend, who was essentially doing a work study. (When the mention of him paying taxes came up, he was utterly horrified and said verbatim, “But I worked for this?? There’s no reason I should give it to anyone else.” even though he never… worked for it. But he swears he did).

That’s generally the consensus, they’re smarter and more capable, and thus that’s why they have their success. Never mind the fact that no one in their position is without some form of unpaid labor given to them by the women in their lives. Mom, sister, fiancée/girlfriend/wife, all of them have given some intense labor, be it emotional or physical or both.

#answered

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dreamwritesimagines · 3 years ago

Text

Burn The Witch 24 - Post Break Up [Bucky Barnes x Reader]

A.N: Thank you so much for your wonderful support and feedback my loves ! ❤ Here’s the next chapter, I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think! ❤ Thank you! ❤❤❤

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Warnings: Enemies to lovers, lovers to enemies, fake dating, mentions of blood, sex, violence, death, manipulation, language, guns, knives.

Summary: Break ups are never easy.

Series Masterlist

A real spy, a good spy didn’t get scared.

That was one of the most important things they had taught you back at the academy. Being scared got you killed, so you always had to look for weapons or something you could use to save yourself.

Save yourself, take the target down if you can, and if you can’t; get out of there as soon as possible.

For some reason, none of those options felt like they would work against the most feared assassin in the world. Bucky tilted his head, his gaze bored into yours and you stole a look at the counter from the corner of your eye to see what you could use against him.

“Oh come on, do we really have to do that?”

You grabbed the knife on the counter, flipping it in your hand.

“What kind of an assassin would I be if I didn’t fight back?”

He pulled his brows together.

“Fight back?” he asked but before he could say anything else, you had already lunged at him. He dodged the knife way too easily and grabbed to twist your arm, but you went under his arm and jumped to wrap your legs around his neck, using the momentum to make him lose his balance before you both fell to the ground.

“Brings back the memories,” you grunted and he got out of your tight grip quite easily to grab at you, but you had already jumped on your feet. You darted at him and he sent you back, your back hitting the wall hard. You fell on your knees and snatched the knife off the floor but as soon as you got on your feet again, he let out a breath.

“I’m not going to hurt you, okay?”

A hysterical laughter escaped from your lips, “You do realize that it’s not my first day, right?”

“Do you seriously think I’d hurt you?”

“I think if somebody crossed me the way I crossed you, I wouldn’t let them live.”

“Yeah well, good thing I’m not you.”

You frowned slightly, trying to catch your breath as you held the knife tighter.

“Then what the fuck is this?” you asked, “Closure?”

“Oh no I think we’ve had closure,” he said, anger dripping off his voice, “This is a transaction.”

You stared at him and he reached into his pocket to pull out a thumb drive.

Well.

Okay. It was clear that you had misread this situation.

You put the knife on the table and crossed your arms, leaning back, “What is that?”

“This is the information of everyone I hurt on my Winter Soldier days,” he said, “Dates, names, occupations…. Your father’s name isn’t on it.”

Your stomach did a painful flip, “I know,” you rasped out, “I… um- I found out after I left that night.”

“HYDRA doesn’t have anything on your father, as far as I’ve seen.”

You nodded slowly, “And you’re helping me why?”

“I’m not helping you,” he stated, “I just know how it feels to be manipulated into doing something. Everyone deserves answers, no matter how terrible people they are.”

Well, you deserved that and much more.

“I see,” you said, “Well, for what it’s worth, thank you.”

He eyed you up and down silently.

“Why did you try to get me out of the country?” he asked after a beat, “That night? Why did you try to help?”

You bit inside your cheek, commanding yourself to stay strong.

“Does it matter after this point?” you asked back and he let out a breath, shaking his head.

“I guess not,” he mumbled and walked to the window, making you take a step towards him.

“Can I—“ you spoke before he could jump out, making him turn around to look at you, “Can I ask you something?”

He shrugged his shoulders.

“Why would you not want revenge?” you asked, “It’s assassin 101. Why not come after me for all these months?”

Why didn’t you try to find me?

That was what you wanted to ask. As twisted as it was, you would’ve taken him coming after you over him forgetting about you.

Well, as it turned out, no one could say assassins were reasonable people when it came to romance.

“I’m not that person anymore,” he said, “And honestly? You’re not worth it.”

Ah. That.

You could swear your heart was cracking but you pursed your lips together, forcing yourself to look unaffected.

“Fair enough,” you rasped out and took a deep breath. “Goodbye Bucky.”

He swallowed thickly, his gaze fixed on you.

“Goodbye Shrike,” he murmured and jumped out of the window, leaving you all alone, standing there in the middle of your apartment. You blinked back the tears, then ran a hand over your face.

“Get your shit together,” you murmured to yourself, then grabbed the wine glass to down it.

The next day you were so busy with the HYDRA files Bucky had given you that you barely noticed Keith pulling a seat to plop down beside you.

“Hi there.”

“Hey,” you said without pulling your gaze off the screen as Keith put a cup of coffee on the table. “Thanks man.”

“No problem. What’re you working on?”

“Oh just some old files.”

“Old files? Where did you get them?”

“Bucky gave them to me last night.”

Keith sputtered out his coffee, causing you to make a face and grab the napkins to wipe the screen.

“Is this your first time they let you out into the real world or something?” you asked him, “Like, what is this? Were you raised in a barn? I don’t want your fucking germs—“

“Screw you. You met Barnes last night?” he lowered his voice, looking around and you shrugged.

“Met is the wrong word.”

“Y/N, what the fuck?”

“It’s not like I texted him to meet!” you whispered, “He just showed up!”

“Okay, we need to give you some protection—“

“No, and you’re not telling anyone.”

“You’re not safe!” he whispered and you shook her head.

“He’s not gonna hurt me.”

“Y/N-“

“He’s not,” you cut him off, “If he wanted me dead, I’d be dead. I talk big talk, but trust me if he came after me, I wouldn’t stand a chance. I actually saw that last night.”

“Why was he there?”

“To give me this thumb drive,” you said, “I’m just going through this HYDRA stuff to see whether they had something on my father, whether— I don’t know, whether I missed something on our files.”

“We checked everything we had on HYDRA.”

“I’m just making sure.”

“What did he say?”

“Hm?”

“What did you talk about last night, when he showed up?”

“You know, typical break up stuff,” you murmured before peeling your eyes off the screen. “He broke into my apartment, gave me a thumb drive with top secret information and oh—before I forget, he said I wasn’t worth going after.”

He blinked a couple of times, staring at you.

“I’m sorry?”

“So much for civil exes huh?”

“More like evil exes,” he commented, “You know he’s being a jerk to you because you tore his heart out, right?”

“I can’t really blame him,” you muttered, “He’s right to be upset.”

“But are you okay?”

You scoffed a laugh, “I betrayed the one person who I could see a future with,” you admitted, “And six months apparently wasn’t enough to get over him. So no, Keith, I’m really not okay.”

He pressed his lips together.

“What if we got you out there? You know, maybe you can’t get over someone without getting under someone.”

“I’ve had sex in the last six months, that’s not working.”

“Barnes hasn’t.”

That was enough to make you turn your head, your whole attention on him.

“What?”

“We’ve um… we’ve kept an eye on Barnes and Wilson, you know, what they have been doing. Barnes isn’t even meeting people.”

“Maybe he is and you don’t know.”

“Nope,” he said, “He and Captain America have been going on their own missions, but since Accords 2.0 didn’t pass, we can’t touch them.”

You tilted your head, “Hold on, what missions?”

A big grin pulled at Keith’s lips.

“Y/N, are you asking me to share classified information with you?”

You arched a brow and eyed you up and down, then steered your office chair a little to the left.

“I’m glad you came back,” he said, dragging his fingers on the touchpad to find the files, “Things were getting a little boring here.”

As a spy, finding targets wasn’t something you were unfamiliar with. In fact, since coming back here you were beginning to feel less like a professional spy and more like a rookie in training. You were growing restless every minute you weren’t working, and maybe that was why you were dying to keep yourself busy with something.

Even if that something was completely forbidden by your agency and you would probably be sent to another country again if they ever found that out.

So searching for where Bucky and Sam were using the agency’s resources was probably a bad idea, yet there you were.

You took a deep breath, then approached their table and plopped down to the seat next to Bucky’s.

“You’re going after HYDRA’s leader?”

Bucky’s head whipped up and Sam gawked at you for a second before pulling his brows together.

“What the…”

“Who’s your source?”

“What are you doing here?” Bucky asked through his teeth and you crossed your arms.

“Paying back the favor.”

“Well don’t. I don’t want you here.”

“How did you even know-“

“I’m a spy, Sam,” you stated, “And the agency has been watching you, do you guys seriously think we've left you alone?”

“I was actually hoping you’d leave me alone, yeah.” Bucky growled through his teeth and your heart dropped to your stomach, but you managed to shake your head.

“I don’t—“

“Your agency has been keeping tracks on us?”

You nibbled on your lip, “Just because Accords 2.0 was a failure…” you trailed off and Bucky scoffed, drumming his metal fingers on the table.

“Why are you here?”

“Listen I get it, you hate me,” you said, “Fine. Not a big deal, I can live with that. But I just- I can help.”

Bucky stared at you as if he was waiting for you to say you were joking, but when you didn’t, he let out a bitter laugh.

“You’re not serious, right?”

“Bucky,” Sam said warningly and he threw his hands up.

“You can’t possibly be entertaining this.”

“I’m just asking what the agency knows, that’s all.”

You heaved a deep sigh, trying your hardest not to show your disappointment on your face. It wasn’t like you expected Bucky to welcome you, but you were at least hoping—

Well.

It didn’t matter what you were hoping, it was very obvious that Bucky would never forgive you.

“They’ve just been keeping tracks on you,” you said, “I don’t think any of them put the clues together, and they can’t touch you even if they did, you’d have to do something first. Especially after the last fail—“

“Oh you mean when they took me in after you lied to me about everything and leashed them on me?” Bucky asked you, “That fail?”

You clicked your tongue, “Yeah. That one.”

“Un-fucking-believable.”

“Bucky.”

“But I’ve been going after different HYDRA officials for the last couple of years, and I’ve spent the last 6 months going over everything we had on them, I know some of their locations. So going after HYDRA leader then? Or his super secret location? Why?”

Bucky narrowed his eyes, “Forgive me if I’m not in a sharing mood after learning about what a liar you are. As far as you’re concerned, we’re not doing anything.”

“But I’m trying to make amends—“

“Not interested.” Bucky cut you off and you swallowed thickly.

“You’ve seen me fight,” you insisted, “You’ve— you’ve seen how good I am at my job, okay? I just— I swear I won’t say anything to the agency, just let me help.”

Sam looked between you two and turned to Bucky.

“That’s not such a—“

“Don’t say it.”

“Even you have to admit, that’s not a terrible idea.”

“You’d have to be crazy to think you can trust her,” Bucky argued back, “I get that you always want to see the best in people, but you can’t, not with her.”

“I’m sitting right here,” you reminded him and Bucky shrugged his shoulders.

“I know, feel free to leave.”

“Don’t,” Sam told you and Bucky frowned.

“You’re joking.”

“Bucky, she could help.”

“And then turn us in.”

“The agency lied to me about my father, I’m not going to turn you in or do anything to have me manipulated by them again. Whatever the mission is, they won’t know about it, you have my word.”

“Because your word holds any value for me?” Bucky asked you, his voice way too calm and you clenched your jaw.

“The mission doesn’t require a honey trap,” he said when you didn’t answer his rhetorical question, “Thanks for the offer though, Y/N. Go to hell.”

With that, he walked out of the café and you just sat there completely frozen. You could swear your heart weighed a ton in your chest, and your eyes were burning but you quickly blinked the tears back, then shrugged your shoulders.

“That went well.”

“Do you really want to help?” Sam asked after a couple of seconds of silence and you nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

You scoffed a bitter laugh, “Other than apparently signing my own death warrant?” you asked, “I owe him. He doesn’t want to go after me for using him, fine. He still deserves justice. HYDRA destroyed his life, the least I can do is help him get back at them, make them pay.”

Sam raised his brows, “You feel that guilty huh?”

You didn’t have any answer to that, and he took a deep breath.

“Can I trust you?”

“You can,” you murmured, “I want you to, but… I wouldn’t.”

“Okay. Let me rephrase the question, will you betray his trust again?”

There was no hesitation in your voice when you spoke, “I’d rather die.”

Sam held your gaze as if trying to see whether you were sincere or not, then cleared his throat.

“Let me think about it,” he said, “I’m not saying no, okay? Let me think about it and talk with him.”

You nodded slowly, “Thank you.”

He shot you a small smile, then walked out of the café, leaving you alone there. You shut your eyes, leaning your head back and letting out a breath.

“Great,” you muttered, “This should be fun.”

Chapter 25

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes imagines

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rayofsunas · 4 years ago

Text

s/o has a mental/nervous breakdown.

A/n: hello everyone! I hope your day is going alright, and that you’re doing well 🥰 I recently hit 300+ folllwers, like Sunday morning, and omg, that was the best thing to wake up too 🥺❤️ thank you those new and old for following and taking a chance with my account and sometimes trashy works 🙃 I’m gonna make a longer post at some point saying my thanks and discuss what I plan to do to celebrate 300 followers. It would really mean a lot to me if you guys chimed in if you have any ideas, after all, this is a thanks to you and I want you all to be involved! also, if you saw my recent rambles about how a draft was deleted, it’s referring to this post... what I had written got deleted TWICE in the span of FIVE MINUTES. gosh I was so pissed, I almost screamed. mobile tumblr is not it 😔 but here we are. I hope you like this. I tried to write this three times.... 🤡 also, since I am not a doctor or anything, I put a link to possible symptoms/what a “mental breakdown” is, that’s in the warnings, just click the link, it helped with my accuracy.

Summary: s/o has a mental/nervous breakdown.

Parings: Xiao/Reader, Scaramouche/Reader, Albedo/Reader, Childe/Reader (all fem reader)

Warnings: angst, mental breakdown (panic attacks, stress, anxiety, ptsd, hallucinations, insomnia) fluff, swearing, mentions of death, mentions of injury

Word count: 3.5k (whew after tumblr DELETING this draft twice here we are folks ;-;)

requested by @mintyhuening

Xiao

he knew you weren’t okay at all

Xiao knew the moment you locked yourself in your house

at first he thought maybe you were just temporarily feeling this way, but as the weeks passed and you hadn’t come out, he decided maybe not

coming from someone who enjoyed silence and solitude he could understand the distancing part, but it had been weeks, and even he needed socialization, so why hadn’t you come out?

you spoke to him through the door a few times, letting him know you were alright

he didn’t believe that though, sure you were alive, but not alright, he was mainly checking for confirmation to see if you were still alive while he thought of a good way to approach the situation

he didn’t want to invade your privacy, but he also hated the fact that you wouldn’t come out, not even to see him

it was lonely without you, he concluded

even for someone who enjoy solitude

you were a careful creature, but never this careful and cautious...

were humans always like this?

eventually, he couldn’t stand it, and did find other ways to get into your house

he grew antsy after pacing outside your door for days

he found you huddled in your bed, a heap of pillows and blankets surrounding you

you were shocked to see him when he’d sat down on the foot of the bed, causing it to dip significantly

“How did you get in?” You snapped once you saw who it was.

“I have my ways.” He said raspily. With a huff of annoyance, you were back to facing the wall, away from the Adepti.

“It’s dark in here.” He announced matter a factly, looking around the nearly pitch-black room, windows and doors covered by sheets and hefty duty curtains. “It’s how I like it.”

“It’s not healthy.”

“I don’t care, go away.”

Xiao was starting to grow impatient surprisingly, he truly just wanted to help, why couldn't you see that?

“Being passive is not going to help the situation, please tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing, I’m just tired.”

He worried. If he said the wrong, would you push him away even further? If he said the right thing, would you even care? Did you want help?

Xiao moved closer to you, hand going to touch your leg, although it was underneath the blankets, you felt it and did have to admit the affection was comforting.

“Don’t do this to yourself,” Xiao said. “Your friends miss you, I miss you as well.”

Maybe if you weren’t cooped up here anymore, you would start to come around. The room and house all together were very stuffy, dark, and depressing, he despised it.

“It’s beautiful outside, come with me,” he'd whispered. “At least if you don’t want to be around people, could you allow me to take you to a secluded area?”

“The fresh air will do you good.”

You were thinking about it, you had to of been if you still cared.

“Fine, mother.�� He watched with hope in his eyes as you slowly rose from the bed, and began

The outside world was very very bright at first, enough to induce a headache. But you became used to it the more you were out.

Xiao stayed true to his word like you knew he would unless you wouldn’t have come. You were taken to a very secluded area, there wasn’t even a path or road to it, just green luscious grass, and crystal core everywhere, beautiful blue and orange ones; Anemo and Geo respectively. You weren’t sure where you were, somewhere between Mondstadt and Liyue, you assumed.

The fresh air did wonders, Xiao had noticed. You seemed to open up. Telling him a little of the problem. You had told him about how life was just stressful right now, you hadn’t taken any commissions in weeks, spoken to any of your friends Mondstadt, hence why they had come to him, accusing him of kidnapping and brainwashing you. He was offended, nonetheless let them know that wasn’t the case.

The ever so secluded Xiao would take you out more, slowly introducing you to crowds of people, and would still take you on daily walks to that secret place you now called your special spot.

It would take a while, he knew that, and you wouldn’t be comfortable doing everything that others around you did, maybe not for a while. He could respect that, as long as you allowed him to help and encourage you.

Scaramouche

being a harbinger was HARD, Scaramouche knew that, even if he didn’t admit it

admitting it was challenging, could lead to always being doubted or seen as incompetent. therefore, no one mentions how hard it is

he had been off doing his duties when he got news that you had lashed out at a few lower rank fatui on your team, resulting in you being called in to meet with The Tsaritsa... let's just say she went easy on you because you were one of her highest ranking soldiers, if not, she would've severely punished you

you were forced back to your sleeping quarters immediately to calm down, told to stay put until you could stop “lashing out like a child” as she had put it

you weren’t one to argue against The Tsaritsa, everyone knew that was common rule... so you walked back as calmly as you could without snapping at anyone else

when Scaramouche had heard how you acted, he was annoyed

the always so calm and calculated Y/n, lashing out at her fellow members? he couldn’t help but be annoyed, despite it being completely out of character of you

he had finished his duties relatively quick, wondering why you were acting so out of character

when he got back, he found you in your sleeping quarters, pacing in front of the large windows near the furthest end of your room

you were still wearing your typical combat gear, though your hair disheveled and body language looking extremely anxious, he hoped it was not yours...

“What did you do this time?” Had asked the violet-eyed man, carelessly throwing his hat on your bed, lean arms folding across his chest.

No response.

“Excuse me, I believe I asked you a question.”

A loud irritable huff.

“Be quiet for once in your life, Scaramouche.” You hissed, anxiously biting at your nails. “Sorry- I’m just trying to calm down, but my heart can’t stop racing.”

Scaramouche wasn’t the most in-touch person with his feelings, and out of all the harbingers, he was one of the more difficult ones to deal with.

Surprisingly, he had shut up, despite finding it difficult to hold his malicious comment back.

“What’s wrong?” Your lover asked, more softly this time.

“My mission today was... hard. I know you said it’s important for missions to just be a one and done; no hard feelings. And you know I’ve always been that way. But this one was different.” His eyebrows furrowed, his forehead creasing in annoyance.

“I can’t help but think about what they did.”

“Did you get what you went for? I heard you sought after information regarding that Knight, Aether.”

“Yes, but-”

“I’d call that a successful mission,” He stared intensely, casually moving to sit on the comfort of your bed. Of course, he wouldn’t take this seriously. “Any casualties?”

“None of our men, but-”

“I don’t see the problem.”

“There were children, three little children, and those idiots just slaughtered them.”

“Ah... I see.”

Despite stating he understood, he really couldn’t sympathize with what you were saying. Those children were enemies as long as they worked against The Tsaritsa.

Your voice suddenly cut through the silence, staring directly into his eyes, “What if those were our children?”

“They weren’t.” Your eyes rolled at his comment.

“But what if!” He rolled his eyes, mocking your previous action.

“But they weren’t.” He mocked for a second time.

“You’re not helping, Scaramouche!”

“You’ll never understand, unless you see what I saw,” He knew you were right to some degree, but even then would he feel bad? A mission was a mission after all.

“They were begging me to protect them, and the youngest, she would not let go of my arm and then the next thing I knew, they were dead.” You continued, left hand going to grip your right, he assumed to show him where and how the said girl had gripped you. You were still shaking, this time being closer, he noticed how bad it was.

“They were pleading, I told them I would try my best, and then-” He had long ago stood, making himself present in front of you. His warm hands had grabbed your shaking ones harshly, ceasing the trembling momentarily.

“Please, be quiet,” The sixth harbinger snipped. “I don’t like seeing you upset.” Although it sounded harsh, he was trying his best to make it sound how he felt, even if those feelings were minuscule towards this specific topic.

“Although, I don’t agree with you about this particular concern of yours- I will do whatever you need to help you.”

Albedo

now, he may just be an alchemist, but trust me, Albedo sees the signs before anyone, he has some sort of familiarity with them due to his incessant reading

and it may have taken him longer to see the signs because of how busy he was, but he saw them

he was no fool to the likes of insomnia, in fact he knew it very well, often staying up very late into the night and morning, sometimes for days at a time

he was cooped up in his lab and it wasn’t as if his body wasn’t tired, cause hell he was, there was just s much more to learn and discover, his brain WOULD not stop,

Albedo hadn’t known how long this had been going on for, but he was seeing signs now

ngl, he didn’t notice that you hadn’t been sleeping properly until one night he decided to accompany you in bed earlier than usual (It was three a.m, yikes), and found that you were awake still

you were lying still on your side of the bed, and if it hadn’t been for the fact that he reached over to kiss your cheek, only to see your eyes open, he would’ve assumed you were alright and asleep

“You’re awake?” The ashy-blonde man asked, sliding into bed next to you.

“Can’t sleep.” You shrugged nonchalantly, scooting closer to him, seeking his warmth and comfort.

“You should’ve come to get me, I would’ve come to bed earlier with you.”

“It’s alright, I peeked in to see if you were still alive,” You joked, he chuckled. “You seemed very busy.”

“Yes, but, I thought I told you to remind me when you need attention, I often get sidetracked and enamored with my work.”

“It’s quite alright, Albedo. As long as you’re sleeping.”

He hummed, whispering tired words of adoration in your ear. That carried on for a while, as long as talking about the day's work and whatnot, until you eventually questioned, “Can I play with your hair?” The gesture was sweet, and that did sound amazing right about now since he was on the brink of sleep, but just needed that little push. But weren’t you tired?

“Aren’t you tired?”

You sat up, climbing behind Albedo, gently placing his head in your lap. “I’ll go after you.” A soft smile adorned your beautiful face. “You need sleep, you stay up for Archon knows how long.”

He selfishly allowed his eyes to close and waited for sleep to accompany him while you began untangling his two braids and ponytail. You played with and braided his hair until he’d fallen asleep as you said. You stayed up the rest of the morning though.

Eventually, probably out of boredom, you fell asleep for an hour or two around five a.m. Though, unfortunately, you were back up before six. You busied yourself while Albedo slept, starting with cleaning his lab. Albedo often did not like people touching his books, paperwork, and findings, but after instructing you how to properly take care of his stuff, he welcomed your help with open arms, seeing as though his lab was ALWAYS in shambles from not having enough time to take care of things himself.

Albedo surprisingly woke up around nine, wavy hair surrounding him like a lion, you chuckled to yourself at the sight. “How did you sleep?”

“Alright, considering my sleep schedule is nonexistent a lot of the time.” You nodded, bumping shoulders teasingly. “How about you?”

“Okay,” You said, immediately changing the subject. “I woke up early, so I cleaned your lab, I hope it’s to your likings, Kreideprinz.” You teased, bowing at the waist.

The alchemist waved you off, with a smile. “We’ll see about your organizational skills after you eat.”

How had he known?

“You haven’t eaten yet, have you?” Albedo asked, heading in the direction of the kitchen.

“That obvious.” You wondered trailing after him.

“You always wait for me, darling.”

“You look exhausted.” Albedo’s concerned voice cut in through the smooth Mondstadt breeze. You had been so distracted with the discovery in front of you, you hadn’t realized your boyfriend was staring directly at you. “When was the last time you slept?” He glanced back down at the discovery, still listening, but if you didn’t speak soon he’d be lost in his world again.

“A day or two, but-” Albedo probably got whiplash from how hard he’d snapped his head to face you, but now he was staring at you with features reading nothing but shock, cerulean eyes blown wide.

“I think your bad sleeping schedule is contagious.” You joked, trying to make the situation lighter-hearted. He didn’t laugh.

Albedo was more serious this time, proving it when he faced you completely. “What’s been going on?” His voice was soft, but he was extremely worried.

Nervousness built up in his lover's body. “Nothing! I just-” You sighed. Might as well tell him the truth, he’d coerce the answer from you no matter what it took. “It’s been harder to sleep after my injury from that ruin guard. When it hit me, I banged my head against the concrete, and ever since I guess it’s been hard to sleep.”

“You could've told me sooner. I would have stopped everything and anything for you.” Yes, that was true, that was the problem though. You didn’t want to be coddled like a baby

“I know, I’m not sure why I didn’t... Naturally, I don’t want to worry you.”

He moved closer to you so he could cradle your face in his hands. “You can always tell me anything you know that.”

“I understand that. You’re a busy man so-”

“From this moment on, my work will be dedicated to finding a cure for you.”

You panicked, not wanting to stop his work for the likes of what you were dealing with. “What? Wait no-”

“You can’t stop me, darling. You take precedence over everything.”

Albedo made it his goal to do whatever possible to help you. Whether it be spending days in his lab making concoctions in hopes of creating something that could safely aid you with sleep. Or he’s in the libraries, reading all the books on the wellness and health of humans. He’s already on top of it the minute you expressed your concerns. In the meantime, he’s going to make sure he goes to bed with you much earlier, and won’t go until you do, to ensure you’re resting.

We love sweet caretaker Albedo.

(I understand insomnia can have other causes, not just a mental or nervous breakdown, but it’s kind of implied when reader hurt her head that she’s not well.)

Childe

Childe is simply not going to know your not well, he just won’t, it’s not that he doesn’t care, it’s more so the fact that he has a hard time paying attention to anything other than his missions and duties, he does not want to slow down

you have to show signs or tell him to realize

he decided to take a break though, seeing as he did promise you dinner tonight. he told you it would be his treat, since he did have a bunch of Mora lying around that he simply had no other use for

he figured a nice dinner and trip to one of the nicer cities with more to offer would be nice, he would buy you anything you desired

it was nearing the time for dinner though, and the reservations had already been made, so when he was left waiting, let's just say he was irked...

if you didn’t want to show up, you would’ve told him, so maybe you forgot? he concluded that couldn’t be it

the last time he’d brought it up, two days ago, you had been so excited you couldn’t sit still nor stop talking about it

asking a few people around town if you had been spotted anywhere, some said you had wandered off to Luhua Pool, something about there being a myth about special healing properties within the water

now he was even more confused

one, you NEVER went to Luhua Pool, there was never a need to do so

two, special healing properties? why would you need that? were you hurt in his absence?

you were his family, and he loved his family more than anything, so if something was wrong, he’d do whatever it took to help you

he traveled from Snezhnaya to Luhua Pool in record speed

he did find you eventually, the sun was setting, but thanks to the glowing water he could make your form out easily

you were hunched over, in what looked like to be some simple greenish cloth dress, he couldn’t see what you were doing, and called out your name

no answer

“Hey, what’re you doing here?” The orange-haired teen asked, crouching down beside his lover to see what was wrong.

“Cleaning.” You had said. That’s when his dull blue eyes traveled to what you were doing, watching with a confused stare as you scrubbed at what seemed to be clean hands.

“Hmm, I see...” He couldn’t tell if this was a prank or not, you usually played along with his teasing nature. “Are you ready for dinner?”

“Was that really today?” Your head lifted, leaving your hands to momentarily hanging in the air, water droplets dripping off into the pool.

Okay... so you did forget it seemed, which did shock him seeing as though you were over the moon, less than seventy-two hours ago.

“Uh, yeah, did you really forget? That’s unlike you! I’ve learned women don’t forget anything.” He teased, hand going to his chin. You hummed, turning back to do whatever it was you had been previously.

The harbinger frowned. “Do you still want to go? We can make it if we’re fast.” You sounded like a robot, much like a ruin guard, he concluded.

“I’m sorry, not today, I’m dirty...”

Childe couldn’t help but chuckle, “Dirty? Sweetheart, you’re cleaner than most people I’ve seen, what’re you on about-”

“The blood, it’s stained my hands, can’t you see?” Even after holding your hands to show him, he saw nothing resembling blood.

“Are you playing games with me? Sure, it would’ve been funny any other day, not today though-”

“You don’t believe me?” You sounded hurt, but whatever was going on, he wouldn’t feed into these... false hallucinations. “The townspeople said the same thing, they called me crazy...” You scrubbed even harder at your hands, letting out a frustrated huff.

“I don’t see anything, I’m really sorry,” He said gently, reaching into the water to grasp your warm hands in his, “But if you continue to do that...I will see the blood.”

Childe was not sure what was going on, maybe some sort of PTSD? Although, he wasn’t sure where it could’ve come from... you’re not a harbinger or fatui, or anyone that is engaged in battle, etc. so it didn’t make sense. Unless something happened that decided to resurface now.

He immediately took you home, hand in his to keep you from further scratching your hands. On the journey, you often asked, “Why are you even touching me? There’s a lot of blood.”

He didn’t want to have to feed into whatever was going on, worried he’d damage you somehow, and he didn’t want to make you sound crazy, so instead he said, “Because I love you.”

When you both arrived home, he’d immediately laid you in bed, saying you appeared tired before going to search for a doctor.

Child will see every and all doctors in Teyvat and will pay whatever amount necessary to figure out what’s wrong, that’s for sure. Doesn’t take orders from the harbingers (not like he was anyways) and opts to stay close to you at all times.

He decided to keep his teasing to a minimum, though he found that sometimes things slipped out accidentally, he’d do anything in his power to help you.

1.18.21, rayofsunas

#rayofsunas #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact imagines #scaramouche #scaramouche x reader #albedo #albedo x reader #childe #childe x reader #tartagalia #xiao #xiao x reader

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