#I wasn’t completely confident where to put runa

[salmonseagull]

[cozy-the-overlord]

Whole

Summary: After surviving years of torture at the hands of the Mad Titan Thanos, a broken, weary Loki returns home to find his childhood sweetheart has moved on with another man.

Word Count: 2,809

Pairing: Loki x OFC

A/N: I swear I didn't plan this. I had a nice, fluffy, lovely, sweet little fic planned out for Valentine's Day. I outlined it, I started writing it ... and then I turned around and wrote this angst fest. I feel kind of guilty about it-- I swore I'd let up on the angst for a bit after Now, Forever, and Always, but I got inspired and decided to run with it. I promise the fluffy fic is coming, although I can't say when. Also, fun fact: when I wrote out the description for this fic, I stopped and said "that sounds too depressing" and started deleting it. And my sister, reading over my shoulder, said "no, keep it. It's accurate."

Anyways, hope you all have a lovely Valentine's Day, and thank you so much for reading.

Tags: @lucywrites02 @gaitwae

If you want to be tagged, feel free to send an ask :)

Read it on Ao3!

He found her in the gardens.

Runa was sitting on a bench across from the lake, the silver skirt of her dress trickling around her legs in the breeze. She cradled an infant in her arms as she chatted with the woman besides her.

Loki watched her, hidden away behind the tree line, the illusion of another face masking his own. He had heard about the baby. They had told him back on the Sanctuary, after they had dug through his memories and ripped her from his mind.

Poor princeling. Have you not heard? Runa Birkirdottir is married and with child. She cares not for you.

Loki hadn’t known whether to believe them. They had told him many things there—his home was gone, his mother was dead, his father was seeking his life in retribution. Once, he could’ve discerned what was truth and what was falsehood as easily as he breathed, his time with the Mad Titan had turned his instincts to syrup. He had found himself crumbling with the weight of their words, even as he fought to ignore them.

The Children of Thanos had lied about many things. But in this instance, it seemed they had spoken the truth.

The baby had started to cry, shrill little squalls that Loki could hear even from where he stood. Runa rocked it gently against her shoulder, murmuring under her breath. Soon the infant stilled, and the conversation continued.

Motherhood suited her, he realized. It was a strange realization. Never had he thought the devious girl he had met sneaking through the catacombs beneath the palace would melt into such a matronly role, but she glowed with the same fire that had always burned within her as she lulled her child to sleep.

He had always been entranced by that fire. From the moment they had run into each other, deep within the hidden passageways they both knew they weren’t allowed to explore, he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off of her.

Loki had thought he had been alone down there—as far as he was aware, he had been the only one in all of Asgard who even knew of those concealed tunnels. When he turned the corner and nearly collided with a girl from his lessons, he couldn’t hold in his gasp of surprise.

Runa hadn’t even skipped a beat. “I won’t tell on you if you don’t tell on me” she hissed before scuttling down the corridor, hiking her skirt up above her knees. With a bewildered nod, Loki had found himself following her.

They had both come down there to hide, but her motive was much more impressive than his quiet desire for escape. He remembered how she had smirked as she showed him a sword with a gleaming handle, smothered in a leather sheath.

“My brother says girls aren’t strong enough to carry swords,” she whispered. “Apparently boys aren’t smart enough to guard them.”

Loki snickered despite himself. He knew of her brother—a tall, stiff thing who accompanied Thor and his friends on their various adventures. Loki couldn’t say he particularly cared for him.

“Does he know you took it?” he asked.

“Nope.” She was grinning ear to ear. “I’ll bet he’s tearing his bedroom apart looking for it like the bear he is. Father said he wouldn’t let him go to sparring practice for a month if anything happened to it.” Runa sighed, cradling the sheath like a doll. “I’m going to keep it hidden here forever—he’ll never find it.”

“Wait—I have a better idea,” Loki whispered excitedly. He had pulled this trick on Thor earlier, and it had worked like a charm. “What you should do is keep it here until he realizes he didn’t lose it, but that someone has actually taken it. Then, when he goes to tell your father it’s been stolen, put it back in his room, somewhere really obvious. He’ll look like a complete buffoon for not seeing it.”

Her eyes lit up. Even then, Loki thought there was something magical about the way she smiled.

His mother joked that the whole of Asgard braced itself the day Loki Odinson and Runa Birkirdottir became friends. Runa was already beginning to be known as headstrong and argumentative, the type of student who would interrupt a lesson to point out the instructor’s mistakes with a self-satisfied smirk, and Loki had long since been labeled as a problem by every adult who had ever interacted with him. The two of them together … it was a beautiful nightmare.

In their defense, most of the hijinks they got into were fairly benign. They stole things from their brother’s rooms and placed bets on how long it would take them to notice. They snuck into locked classrooms and switched out the textbooks with the pamphlets they found under Runa’s brother’s bed, the ones with the vulgar illustrations that she claimed would send her mother into shock if she knew they were there. One time, she got him to transform the figurines on the desk of their tedious government instructor into live cockroaches. The monotony of the classroom was shattered as the creatures scuttled every which way, students screaming, running, climbing on chairs or frantically attempting to squash them. Across the room and through the chaos, Loki caught Runa’s gaze, mirth bubbling in her shining eyes. He was quite certain he was grinning like a fool.

She never had his gift for magic, but she seemed to understand it better than some other seidr-wielders he had met. There were times as they grew where it seemed they almost shared one mind. She somehow always knew what he was struggling with and what steps to take to fix it. She knew how to help him focus when he was distracted. She could see through his illusions.

That used to frustrate him. Surely he had to be doing something wrong then, if it was so easy for her to brush them aside. He used to practice in his room for hours, honing his skills until he could create illusions realistic enough to fool his own mother, but when he’d walk by her in the hallway wearing another’s face, Runa would stop and laugh.

“I know it’s you, Loki!” she chortled, grabbing his wrist and pulling him forward. “Can’t fool me!” The image shattered at her touch.

Loki glared at her. “You are the most infuriating woman on this planet.”

“I know.” Runa grinned, hooking her arm in his as they continued on together. “That’s why you like me.”

She was as fierce as she was infuriating. Asgardian tradition barred women from practicing the art of war alongside their male counterparts, but Runa had not been deterred. When Loki first ran into her beneath the palace, she had already become quite handy with a sword—the result of hours of mimicking her brother’s fencing lessons alone in her apartment with a fire iron. She had been fascinated by Loki’s daggers.

“I wish I had something like these,” Runa mused, turning the blade in the light. After a moment’s thought, she held it to her hip. “I could hide them under my skirt, and no one would know the difference!” She began bunching up the fabric of her dress, as if to attempt such a thing at once, and Loki ripped his gaze away with burning cheeks.

She wasn’t the woman who felt Asgard’s status quo was lacking. Pressure for a more equal environment had been building throughout their youth, and by the time they had come of age Odin had succumbed to the demands and opened Einherjar training to the fairer sex. Runa had been the first to apply.

Loki remembered the first time he had seen her in her armor, her sword hanging in its ramshackle sheath at her waist, strolling up to the training grounds as if she was the instructor rather than another faceless student. He had been waiting in frustration for his brother to finish lacing up his boots so they could spar, but he lost his impatient scowl when she walked by. She exuded such … confidence in her stride, such carefree power, it was impossible to take his eyes off her. Loki hadn’t even noticed Thor standing besides him until he smacked him on the back.

“Close your mouth,” he said. “You’re drooling.”

They had their first kiss on those training grounds. It had been a summer night, the date of some grand feast Loki couldn’t quite remember. He hated feasts. They were all the same—loud and stuffy and obnoxious, the kind of noise that seeped into his bones and throttled him from within. When Runa sidled up to him with the offhand suggestion that they sneak out to the gardens, he had jumped at the idea.

They had ended up on the sparring grounds. Runa had almost immediately hitched up her skirts and challenged him to a fight. It had been somewhat facetious, and looking at her in her voluminous gown, scowling through her makeup, Loki couldn’t hold back his laughter.

She glowered. “You see something funny, Odinson?”

“Of course not,” he chuckled. Perhaps he had had a bit too much wine at the feast—he felt rather lightheaded. Still, the feeling seemed almost freeing. “I’m looking upon the fiercest warrior in all of Asgard!” he teased.

“And don’t you forget it!” Loki barely had time to react before she had tackled him to the ground with a ferocious battle cry. He fought back with a giddy giggle, wrestling for control as she tried to hold him down. It must have been quite a sight, the two of them rolling around in the dirt in their fancy dinner clothes. His mother would’ve had a fit if she could see them. In the end, Runa had him pinned, although in Loki’s defense he hadn’t truly been trying. Holding his wrists above his head, she leaned towards him until their noses were nearly touching.

“Well,” she whispered after several moments of silence had passed, the scent of wine sweet on her breath. “Are you going to kiss me or not?”

Loki let out a hoarse laugh. “Must I kiss you?” he asked. “Why can’t you kiss me?”

She rolled her eyes. “I have to do everything around here.”

“If it’s such a chore for you, my lady, then I’m not certain—” Runa planted her lips on his before he could finish. All at once, he couldn’t remember what exactly he had been saying.

When she pulled away, they were both breathless, her eyes holding a million sparkling stars and a galaxy of questions.

“Still uncertain?” she breathed. Loki pulled his wrist loose from her grasp without much effort, reaching to cup her cheek with her hand.

“Never,” he whispered against her lips.

No one was surprised when they got engaged.

“Took you long enough,” Thor muttered, not even looking up from the sword he was polishing when Loki came to tell him the news. “It was about time the two of you stopped pretending to be subtle.” Even Odin’s attempts to persuade him into a more advantageous match were half-hearted.

Loki and Runa were meant for each other, and everyone knew it.

They were meant for each other.

Loki watched her from his hiding spot, cradling the child that should’ve been his. There was a numbness in his chest that he had become quite familiar with these past few years, the empty ache that took the place of pain once his body could take no more.

Why had he come back? What had he expected to find here? Runa waiting patiently for him at the edge of the sparring grounds, hands folded and unchanged since he last saw her?

He couldn’t remember the last thing he said to her. That had to be the worst part of all, because he knew it couldn’t have been good. Runa had accompanied them to Jotunheim that fateful day. She had been the only one to take note of his distress upon their return, a distress that went beyond Thor’s banishment. Loki remembered that she had asked after him, and that in his fright he had snapped at her. His memories were far less tangible after that. Clammy hands grasping eternal frost. His father choking under the weight of his own lies. Gungnir’s burden in his fist, his mother’s words ringing in his ears.

Runa sobbing his name.

And then there was nothing, nothing but the weightless fall, the swirling abyss that ripped him apart over and over again until it seemed that there could be nothing of him left, until the sound of his own screams was broken by a slithering voice thrust into his mind …

Hear me and rejoice!

Did they tell Runa what he was, he wondered, after they had given him up for dead? Did they tell her what kind of monster she had almost irrevocably tied herself to? Perhaps she had been relieved to have been spared such a fate. Loki knew he would have been.

He had clung to her memory on the Sanctuary, clung to the mischievous girl under the palace, the sparkling goddess under the stars, the breathtaking woman who had always been there besides him even when he felt no one else was. Until they found her and tore her from his head along with everything else he held dear.

Runa’s conversation with her friend seemed to be reaching its conclusion. As the other woman made to leave, Loki’s eyes went again to the child. He knew of the father, a minor noble of the court that neither he nor Runa had ever paid much mind. They had been married shortly after Loki’s fall. He imagined it had happened in a rush, with Runa’s family scrambling to save her from his disgrace. A part of him wanted to be angry, but he couldn’t muster the strength. Who could blame them?

She was alone now, alone with her baby. Loki knew he should be leaving as well. What good did it do for him to linger? Runa had moved on with her life. It was time he did so with his.

Even so, he found himself approaching her bench, cloaked in the illusion of a palace guard. He had to talk to her. Even if it wasn’t truly him she was talking to, he had to hear her voice.

The baby was fussing again and Runa was rocking it back and forth, murmuring nonsense in a singsong voice. She didn’t look up as he approached.

Still, he bowed before he could think the better of it. “Good afternoon, my lady.”

Runa gave a nondescript nod. “Good afternoon.”

There was a silver dagger strapped to her hip. The realization brought all sorts of emotions frothing forth in his chest, but Loki swallowed them down.

The baby seemed to have calmed some. It gurgled, grabbing at its mother’s necklace. Runa only laughed as she tucked the chain beneath her dress.

Loki inhaled. “If you don’t mind me saying, my lady, you have a lovely child.”

“Thank you. I’m very proud of him.” She held the infant’s wrist up and mimed a wave. “Say hi, Loki!”

His voice caught in his throat. “Loki?” he choked. Runa nodded, eyes still on the child. It was a moment before he regained the ability to speak. “That’s a … controversial choice.”

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it,” she said, shaking her head. “I thought my mother-in-law was going to murder me in my sleep.” She smiled, turning to him. “But I knew what I wanted, and I can be quite—”

It was then she finally met his eyes. Her mouth dropped open. Recognition bloomed across her face. For a moment, Loki panicked. Had the illusion failed? How? It was the simplest form of magic—

I know it’s you, Loki. Can’t fool me!

Of course.

There were tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. Loki’s own eyes burned as he sank to his knees before her, the illusion crashing down to pieces around him. She reached out to stroke his cheek with a hesitancy that suggested she didn’t quite believe he was real. Her fingers were warm—warm and tinged with the sweet sort of familiarity he only ever felt in dreams. He melted into her touch.

Her voice cracked when she spoke. “Loki.”

Words bubbled to his lips: apologies, pleas, vows, none of which he had the strength to utter. This moment was temporary. They both had to know it. Their fates had diverged long ago. They had gone too far down their respective paths to double back. Nothing could change that now.

And yet, just for this moment, it was all right.

Just for this moment, he was whole again.

[sokkabeifong]

Okay so dude you know I love Romione HOWEVER if Ron and Hermione couldn’t be together it would 100% have to be Runa and Fremione for me.

Ron and Luna are both very shippable characters in my opinion. Ron may struggle to talk to girls at times but when he does he can be very endearing. Luna is just such a fun character and it’s interesting to imagine how she might approach romance. I’ve always had the headcanon that Luna had a bit of a crush on Ron. Remember when she said that she “wouldn’t have minded” going to the ball with him and gave him a bit of a look? Ron finds Luna to be very endearing and “always good value.” I love how they always seem to make eachother laugh in their scenes together. Ron is the kind of person who not only underestimates himself but is underestimated by the people in his life. He comes from a big family where he had to fight for his parents’ attention. It’s made pretty clear that although they would never say it, Ron definitely wasn’t the favourite child. All of his siblings are either very popular and/or have gone on to accomplish great things, leaving him feeling like he can never live up to them. His best friend is the chosen one. His other best friend/crush is often praised for her high academic aptitude. If this wasn’t bad enough, I find that the people in Ron’s life seem to brush him off a lot and assume that he’s inadequate or not as worthy as they are. Ron is a very supportive brother and friend, but if I were him I would also be a little insecure. I love Hermione, but one thing I don’t like about her is how she tends to brush off Ron’s feelings and will often say things that sort of belittle him, even if she doesn’t quite realize she’s doing it. But Luna? Luna is the kind of person who makes you feel special. The kind of person who hangs on every word you say, the kind of person who waits for you when your shoelace comes undone, the kind of person who laughs at your jokes even when they don’t quite land, the kind of person who makes you feel wanted. Luna would love Ron just for being him, and Ron would love Luna just for being her. Another issue I have with Hermione (as much as I love her) is how she sort of expects Ron to read her mind and then gets mad when he doesn’t. Luna wouldn’t be like that. She would be the type of person to march right up to the person she liked and tell them how she felt, because she’s just confident like that. Oh and Ron and Luna are both very right-brained and emotionally intelligent (which is why Hermione’s comment about him having “the emotional range of a teaspoon” always annoys me). They’re natural-born caretakers.

Now, on to Fremione. Hermione is one of the only people in the books who can put Fred (and George) in his place (well, besides Molly). She’s also one of the only people who seems to scare him (again, besides Molly). He has a sort of genuine respect for her that we don’t usually see from Fred. Throughout the series we see him jump to her defence (although Ron will always be the king of defending Hermione, as we see throughout the books) and whenever they talk to each other they have a sort of banter going on which can be entertaining to read. Oh and remember when she got tricked by one of his WWW products and instead of mocking her and being like “haha that’s what you get” like he would with anyone else, he seemed genuinely concerned and helped her get cleaned up. They’re both very intelligent people, but in completely different ways, and I think they could have challenged eachother to think outside of the box. Oh and you know how I said that although I love Romione, my two biggest issues with it are how Hermione expects Ron to read her mind and how they’re both pretty touchy and insecure people who often hurt eachother’s feelings without realizing it? That wouldn’t be an issue with Fremione. Fred is the kind of person who’s very openly flirty with the people he likes as well as somebody who doesn’t really take things too personally. He’s very confident almost to the point of being cocky, and you’d have to say something really mean in order to get to him.

So yeah, I love Romione and their slow burn, but I also have a soft spot for these ships.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Ron and Luna together!! You make some excellent points for them here and they’re definitely adorable together, I just cannot. Also, their kids would be too freaking cute.

I don’t really feel strongly about fremione one way or another since I ship harmione too much but you make some good points for them too!

[retroandreal]

Hanging by a Moment (Lucien Rivercrest x MC)

Hey guys, its ya girl with another ficcy fic. So while I was writing this one here, I unconsciously took a massive left-turn and this turned into a “His POV” type of situation. I’m not even mad because I loved when Lovestruck did those little extras for the characters. I was also jumping for joy when they brought them back for Havenfall is for Lovers. Tagging @official-alex-cyprin

AN: Four snippets of Lucien’s POV from when he first met MC to winning the bake off, the most iconic scenes that stuck out in my opinion. Especially that spat with Vallia. (lil biss). This is inspired by the song ‘Hanging by a Moment’ by Lifehouse and this called for major fluff feels. TBH, all my fics have had major fluff feels. Guess it’s time to change my Tumblr banner name…

Sweet Enchantments café; my second lifeline. I’ve basically be annexed from my family after I landed myself in this rehabilitation center. I don’t resent it; I love to bake since it was what my grandmother raised my brother and I with. Now, It seems like my brother doesn’t even know me as well. Once you’re charged with a federal offence, I guess not even your family will back you up. Grandma was really the only one that believed in me. I was meant to inherit the Rivercrest business, but I knew it wasn’t ever going to be for me. Grandma knew that baking was all I had and that’s exactly how it led me to be the pastry chef at Sweet Enchantments. The owner and coordinator, Liora, has been more than welcoming of my desires and use my magic for presentation. Every day done; I would make the daily sweets for the display case but save the dessert acrobatics for the crowds of women that formed my fan-base. They feed my confidence and my ego, I know I’m good at what I do but it’s all on a day-to-day basis, no sustenance or real joy but I know I have to make the most of this second chance.

“Lucien! Pay attention!” Runa snaps at me, she’s the head waitress here at the café. I respect her as a coworker and a friend; we’re all in the same boat here

“Yeah yeah, sorry. I need to prep anyway before we open” I stand up abruptly and the chair that I once occupied screeches across the tiled floor. Another day, another day closer to the end of my sentence and I promise you, grandma, I will make you proud.

The afternoon rush hits; and my pastry counter is the busiest in the café in exception to the main dining floor

“Hello ladies, ready for today’s spectacle?” Met with squealing cries of excitement, I begin my magic-filled performance. ‘Oooohs’ and ‘ahhhs’ overcome my senses as my ego is constantly being fed, this is fine. The temporary bliss of adoration is enough to get me through the day, never more but only just enough. That’s when I see her; lost, wide-eyed, in awe of her surroundings. Like a lost puppy looking for its owner, or maybe in hopes of finding something… or someone. She is probably a first-timer here. I turn my back to fetch one of my enchanted whisks and cast a spell to beat my egg-whites into soft peaks to form the perfect meringue.

I turn back, she’s there

Looking just as starstruck as she did before

Then meets my eyes as I finish the final touches on the tarts just assembled for the crowd in front of me.

The wind subtly shifts around me

“She’s different” I murmur under my breath

“I-I was looking for my scarf and I stumbled across this café! I’m sorry” she stammers, as if she’s in the wrong. I shake my head in disbelief, this girl is so naïve. I hold out the last of the batch of tarts.

“Try one” I offer her

She accepts gratefully and our hands briefly touch, with little jolts of energy travelling between us.

“She’s different”

~~~~~~~

“Lucien! Come join me!” as she pats the bed just beside her energetically. She’s always been one for stories; telling and reading them. Standing still in my place, I debate whether I should join her since, lately, I have been growing some sort of feelings for her. I cannot fathom what these feelings are yet. I wouldn’t say I love her or even have a crush on her, but I’ll say that I do care for her.

“Ok, I’ll take your invitation” I make myself comfortable next to her. God, I can still smell the buttery pastry scent on her from when we were preparing the tart base for tomorrow’s day.

She smells like home, not the home where my parents are.

But the home where grandma raised me.

Surrounded by the same scents.

She smells like home, and I feel the most at ease with her presence here.

The sound of her voice and narration just becomes white noise in my ears as all that I can concentrate on is the engulfing scent radiating off her clothes from today she still has on, refusing to change until we have finished our platonic pillow-talk. She’s constantly pulling me in with how much she eases my incomplete heart with just her being beside me. I have not felt this way in a long time. She’s filling a void within me that hasn’t even been filled by my daily ego boosts but yet she makes me feel like I can conquer the world with just a whisk, oven and a few ingredients.

I’m closer to where I started, I was desperate for changing, but now I’m chasing after you

She swats my shoulder closest to her

“Hey! Get your head out of the clouds! Are you even listening to me?”

I chuckle deeply at her childish whining

“Don’t laugh, Lucien! It’s not funny! How long was I even talking to myself” she complains as she makes a god-awful attempt at an angry, threatening face and burying her face into my pillow

Dammit, is this what I’ve been missing? Comfort? I find myself not missing the presence of grandma as much ever since she’s been appointed my pastry apprentice. She’s made baking for me an enjoyable experience again, not just some monotonous chore just to by myself time throughout my sentence. She’s learnt so much within the past few days, she reminds me from back when I used to learn how to bake with grandma and my brother in the kitchen when I was just a kid. I’ve learnt how to accept and share my love of baking with other people and not just put on a show for my own reputation, to share my love of baking with her.

She forgets all that I’m lacking, how I’m completely incomplete

I’m done living for the tedious days in and days out, I want to make her life as filling as mine has become with her in it. I feel a little bit self-conscious and guilty that her basically being held hostage in Sweet Enchantments is my fault; If I had not shamelessly tried to show off my magic in front of her on that very day I met her, she would probably be home safe and sound. Not stuck here, illegally, glamoured, and awaiting the official response from the government which is, frankly, taking a decade and a half.  

I have this need inside me to keep her happiness. Selfish as I am, I hope to wake up to that smile of hers for as many mornings as I can.

~~~~~

Vallia is relentless. Giving her a piece and half of her mind. But she’s not taking it herself.

My headstrong angel. The way Vallia is giving her a threat. Maybe it’s the way she’s looking at her, or maybe how long she’s been tormenting her. She doesn’t back down. Instead, she holds her own against the force of nature which is Vallia. She advances on Vallia, thrusting one of her perfectly delicate fingers towards her.

“I did NOT do anything to you, and I don’t deserve the way you have been treating me”

“Well, it’s not my fault that you are a screw up”

Oh my, Vallia. You couldn’t have said anything else as wrong as that to her. The bickering goes back and forth. I want to defend her. I really do. But I know I have to trust her that she can stand up for herself, because I have full faith in her self-defense as much as her ability to keep up with me; in the café as my apprentice as well as dealing with everything that has been dumped on her… because of me.

My mind is running and not quite sure where to go, so I continue to stand there. Proud of her, and her willingness to stand up for her own rights, self-worth and our relationship that was ungratefully exposed by Vallia herself.

“You’ve pushed and pushed me. I should CRUSH you”

I’m shellshocked by the hardness of her words, usually in the place of words of encouragement and love for me. But now, she’s furious. I try my hardest to hold back a small grin but fail when she catches the corners of my mouth twitching, unable to hold back the proud feeling I have toward this woman at this very moment.

I haven’t stepped in yet. I’m surprised I haven’t, But I trust her with my life. I’m letting go of all that I’ve held on to; my reputation, my image… for her. But I don’t care, I would give up a lifetime of fangirls and temporary loyalty just to make sure she’s the only one standing by my side at the end of the day. If the previous weeks haven’t proven anything to me, at this moment, I know that she is the one that I want; to support me throughout the rest of my sentence and the rest of my life.

I was living for the only thing I ever knew

But now, I want to live to make her happy

Right beside me

And I don’t intend on letting her get away

She’s taken all of me now, and I’m damn lucky to have her

Since that fateful day she literally stumbled into my life, till even now, I don’t know what I’m diving into. My little firecracker, she ignites a new light within my self to continue, to continue to grow. I want to grow and learn alongside her. Life has become so unpredictable with her in it, from the slight points of contact while we work in perfect harmony behind the pastry counter. To the secret rendezvous in the café storage room. While I run my hands through her hair and place soft, peppery kisses into the junctions of her neck where I know will ignite the most delectable of reactions from her. Those little moment where I can be myself with her in my room makes me proud to stand next to her. Hanging onto these little moments that I’ve had with her urge me to keep going. And I’m going to make sure that she is with me, every step of the way.

~~~~~

“And the winner of the bake-off is…”

I’m nervous. The most uneasy I have ever been in my life, but not for my own sake. For her sake. She encouraged me to compete as a new baker and, frankly, I fear to disappoint the love of my life. The past few days on the island have been the most emotionally tiring time in my life, but I know I’ve grown as a person, for the better… for her sake. Everything up until now I have done for her. To reconnect with my brother, bring myself closure from the passing of grandma… Grandma. I know you would have loved her. She brings as much joy in my life as baking did when you were still here. You would have loved her, maybe as much as I do now. She’s urged me to move on, to become a better man. She’s made me a better version of myself that I, if you would have asked me the same question a few months back, I would have laughed in their faces.

But it’s true

“LUCIEN RIVERCREST!!!”

She’s my rock

Cheer from all around me invade my ears and a seawall of loyal and new fans have gathered around me to celebrate my victory over that vindictive pixie.

I’m closer to where I started

I lock eyes with her from an opening in the crowd

I’m chasing after you

I part the crowd and make a hasty beeline towards her. I could spot her from a mile away.

I’m standing here until you make me move

As I get closer, she starts to push through herself in hopes of meeting me halfway. But I get there first, because I’ve been chasing after her since the beginning.

My new beginning.

My new life.

With her.

But right now, as she barrels into my arms, I lift her up into a Hollywood worthy kiss in front of the floating camera orbs.

I’m hanging by a moment here with you

[bounnostra]

fantastic four | trial 5+.3 | convoy @ orwell, everyone

"Just... drop it, Mr. [Orwell]." He answers rather softly, "You were caught up with grief. No need to apologize."

But there's a gratefulness hinted in his expression, just for the fact that he acknowledged it. Still, to this day, he slightly laments not having gotten to know him more.

The suspicions cycle onto Ivey and Maverick, and it's like he lost all ability to speak. He confided earlier to his investigation team that he could not, in good conscience, accuse Ivey unless he was 100% certain of it, because he could not risk looking biased. Similarly, a bias would be even stronger in proportion if he attempted to take Maverick's defense-- but what held him back over his fear of subjectiveness, it was his firm belief that he did not need him speaking in his stead (and he had resented people who spoke for him before, because he believes the strongest line of defense should come from the defendant themself). He does not look at him as they hover over him with suspicion nor as he speaks with an air of confidence (oh, he wished he could match his confidence in the face of it all)-- but he sinks in his hair slightly as his head hangs low to hide a smile. No, it can't be him.

And with Bams shedding tears, for the second time since the beginning of- this cycle, as far as he could tell. He remembers how much he had wished she could be the first to walk out of Nostra-- but she had made the decision... to come back, for the second time, when she could simply have left. Why? What ties them here? ... He was told on occasion that he had a way with words, but he would believe them if he could find any, right now. Maybe they will come... later.

If he had to give her any comfort, it wouldn't be in front of so many spectators. In the meantime...

He was on several trails earlier, which all seemed to match more or less with the presented theories. The coin placement wasn't randomized, and Duck wasn't alone in her check. He knew Rookie had gone with her. Surely, with how many codenames Runa seemed to be throwing out, pieces were starting to align, right? But it wasn't enough. It was too vague, too precarious yet with no solid foundation. Nothing they could go off with confidence.

His trail earlier... reminded him of one thing.

"Hey. There's something coming to mind that... perhaps we should have brought up sooner, but... I'm-- I apologize for keeping it on the down low all this time for a matter of stupid gang secrets. I had completely forgotten about it and I-- I suppose my gang might have forgotten about it too since it was... quite literally one of our first gang 'expeditions'. It was even before [Runa] was killed."

"There was a blocked out cave in the tomb. We teamed up to dig out all of the dirt and stones blocking it, and... I suppose Gambit might have blocked it out again, but anyway, we... we went in the cave all six of us, and, hmm..." He pauses for dramatic effect. "That's where the summoning orb was, originally. We brought it into our den and had kept it for quite a while without knowing much of what it did, until we figured we were able to summon [Runa] with it. It was never... magically spawned in the dirt of the tomb during the seance. It was my gang that placed it there days prior, when we caught wind people were planning a seance."

God I wish I made more sprites to put between dialogue but I gave up and now I'm resorting to this shit.

"However, if I can bring up... a detail about it."

"If you ever looked at the details on the ouija board, you would know that it was littered with engravings of... owls... moths... rabbits... komodo dragons." He holds up four fingers one by one as he enumerates the engravings, "The orb, from where we found it, was resting on a little base with four legs, each leg crafted in the shape of... an owl, a moth, a rabbit, and a komodo dragon."

"It is easy to associate some of them... Gambit, [Mothman], [Claire], and... I hesitate to say... Are we to believe the fourth one is tied to the Don? I do not know. As I've heard, [Claire] and [Mothman] have both visited two gang dens-- as for my gang, we received a visit from Benny much earlier than yours did. So... I do not know if that's a valid association either. It's something to consider, only."

... But that doesn't help, does it?! The person one would naturally associate with the komodo dragon-- or just dragons, even, was off the suspect list. Though not like she could be the sole representant, still the strongest, even moreso than Benny. Something was completely escaping him.

[theoriginalsfan124]

Her story and the make up

Pairing: Noel x Caroline

Gendre: angst,fluff

Warning ⚠️: the fic contains mentions of suicide, depression and anxiety,please if you get triggered easily read on your own risk.

There are a lot of words Noel could use to describe Caroline, a lot of those words would conflict with one another. He met a lot of women though his career and life, women that approach him,women that stayed behind, the shy ones, the confident ones, the neutral ones and everything in between. But none of them were like Caroline. She was different,unique, he wasn’t sure why. Maybe to some people she appeared like everyone else,but to him she was close to perfect.

He didn’t really register how the brake up happened. It happened way to fast for him. It looked like one second they we’re dating and the next she had already blocked him,not leaving a trace behind. To say he was devastated wouldn’t even say how he was feeling. He tried everything; going to her apartment ,but no one answered, going to her work only to learn that she’s taking a vacation, he tried asking Grace,but she didn’t answer though her eyes seeemed like they wanted an explanation but he knew she most likely promised Caroline not to say anything. He wanted to explain himself, to ask her for her forgiveness, because after all she was the only woman that Noel has loved so much in his life.

It didn’t take long for the guys to find out,after all Grace probably told Yuzuki what happened the same day it happened. They didn’t judge him nor Caroline,because they didn’t really know the story of what really went down. He figured out his now ex lover didn’t tell them, so he stayed quiet himself. Every time for the past two weeks they’ve been broke up whenever Mirai invited him to the VIP room and he would say he was gonna be there she didn’t show up. But almost everytime he said he wouldn’t come she came. He knew she was propursly avoiding him. But this time he said he wasn’t going to show up but in reality he was going to, he wanted to meet her.

His steps were steady and fast,striving forward his mind was blank. As soon as he got to the door he heard the mention of her name. He stood there frozen,hand on the door handle for a good minute. Swallowing his nervousness he entered the room quietly and closed the door behind him,nobody seemed to notice him since they were looking at Grace with concern written on they’re faces,so he stayed out and listened.

“Are you sure?” By the way Yuzuki asked this Noel could tell that whatever they were talking about must be very serious.

Grace nodded “Yes I’m sure that Caroline has depression.”

At this saying Noel felt his head spinning and his legs seemed like jelly. He never knew nor suspected it.

“How-why-I-“ Ryochi tried to ask her but he keeped losing his voice.

“I’m not sure when it started,or how it started. I do know that she has this sort of episodes where one minute she feels fine and the next she’s completely closed off in her room,not speaking nor eating nor sleeping. Maybe she’ll feel fine for a moth,week but then it crashes down ten times worse than before.” Grace words were filled with concern,her voice shaky.

Yuzuki noticed that so he held her hand to smooth her.

“She... her childhood wasn’t the best neither were her teen years. Her own biological mother loved Yurika more than her own biological daughter,so there’s nothing to speak about her stepmother. They weren’t abusive physically,no. They were abusive in a different way, verbally and neglectevly. She was never enough for them, never good, never like Yurika. Even when she was little they always used to take Yurika with them wherever they left and left Caroline with her babysitter. Runa, after she moved out with Glenn and Amanda. You see all of them are siblings with Runa being the oldest and they lived across the street in the other apartment complex. They kind of ‘adopted’ her, they became her family, the true one. She loves them. She sees Runa as a mother figure, Glenn as an older brother and Amanda as an older sister, after all she’s been through they never left her side, they always support her. So naturally she always was at they’re place. But her heart always longed for a mother, a father, that’s why she isn’t able to cut ties off completely with her mom. All of that built up into this whole bubble that bursted and shattered her. She became this shell of a human, barely sleeping,eating. She knows and knew how to put on the mask that she was fine,that everything is fine,that’s all she knew all her life. But that, that didn’t make things better and gradualately matters became worse and worse.” Graces voice was so shaky and her eyes were filled with tears.

“Did she-has she ever-“ Chihaya tried to ask but couldn’t find the right words.

“Tried to take her own life?” Grace asked breathily. “Yes. She did. Glenn and Amanda found her before it was too late. Her mother works in the hospital she was brought to and somehow covered the whole thing up so that is not in her file. Kim covered it up not because she was concerned with Caroline,no, because she was ashamed.” Tears were now streaming down her face freely.

It was quiet, all of them seemed to be thinking,processing the information they just got. Noel was still frozen in his place, his heart hurting because he never noticed, why didn’t he notice.

“Glenn and Amanda weren’t the richest of people, Runa wasn’t either. But they tried to help her the best they could, they saved up money and tried to get her to go to a therapist, but she refused. I guess she didn’t want to use their money, I mean her own mother didn’t see the point to why should they. That’s what she thought. Glenn, Amanda and Runa were her save heaven, I and Fuko became her safe heaven too. I was suprised how fast she became friends with you all. Noel...Noel became her safest heaven here, I think. But she lost him.” Grace got quiet, voice shaky,hot tears still streaming down.

“ I was sitting in my room that night and I heard a loud crash, I guess Fuko heard it too, since both of us came rushing out of our rooms at the same time, we ran to Caroline’s room and burst her door open, to see that the crash was because she threw her phone at the wall and shattered it. The moment we entered she just fell to the floor curling up into a little ball and sobbing uncontrollably. We didn’t register how fast we were at her side, smoothing her and hugging her too trying to comfort her. The reason she broke up with Noel wasn’t because he didn’t tell her about the article, or if he called her a child, it was because she thought she wasn’t enough, that she’s not enough.”

“What?” Noel couldn’t help the words that escaped his mouth.

All of their head wiped in his direction.

“Noel you weren’t supposed to-“ Grace couldn’t even finish her sentence because Noel was already out the door practically sprinting to his car.

He drove to Caroline’s place in no time, he got out locking his car behind him quickly and running up the stairs to her apartment. He knocked on the door and as soon as it opened he got in completely ignoring Fuko and rushed to Caroline’s room.

He bursted though the door and saw her there sitting on her bed, pijamas on, hair messy. She had her legs brought next to her chest, her head lying down on her legs. He waisted no time rushing to her side and bringing her to his warm embrace. He was sure he was shaking, maybe even crying a bit, he didn’t really know. He felt her put her head in his chest and starting shaking and sobbing uncontrollably. He just held her.

“Please-please don’t leave me” Caroline managed to choke out.

“Never. Never under any circumstances will I leave you, you’re the most important person in my life. I love you Caroline, nothing will change that. Please love, don’t you ever dare to think that you’re not enough, you are more than enough. Don’t ever be afraid to speak out how you feel, don’t be afraid to get help.” He spoke still holding her strongly. “Fuck your mom, fuck your stepmother and fuck your father. They don’t deserve you, none of them. You’re too good for them. You’re amazing, you’re smart, you’re beautiful, you’re everything they are not, and you’re more than enough for me frankly I don’t know if I deserve you.I love you, don’t ever doubt that”

She rapped her arms tightly around Noels waist, she was afraid of letting him go. And he no doubt was afraid of letting her go. They stayed like this for a long period of time. Noel was already thinking of all the possible help he could give to Caroline. He was going to get her help, she needed it. He didn’t want to lose her, especially not to herself. He wanted her to live, to heal, even if it takes years he’ll be there with her in every step of the way.