#I’m following a bloody trail that only I can see. One more time your blood. My line || Darius and Vladimir

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Sum of All 3

Warnings: non/dubcon, mentions of crime, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: mob!Steve Rogers

Part of the mob drabbles au

Summary: you are given an unexpected assignment.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

The hollowness remains. It feels like there’s stones rattling around in your chest. You don’t think you ever truly understood the word frazzled until that moment. 

And each time you glance over and see Rogers’ bloody knuckles, it adds to the frenetic energy trapped inside you. Your mind flashes with the sight of him on top of that man, fists raining down, blood on the asphalt. Each time, a tide of dizziness threatens to sweep you away. 

He finally pulls up to a grey brick building. You look at your watch. It’s been barely half an hour since you left the firm but it feels like a lifetime. 

He gets out without a word. You follow suit, or try to. You push the door open, only to be trapped by the seat belt still strapped across you. You grunt and unclick it. You grab your briefcase and lean heavily on the door as you set your feet on the ground. 

You stand and teeter in your short heels. Where are you? Scratch that. You don’t want to know. You know that it’s best to know nothing and not ask any questions. 

“Hurry up,” Rogers hand curls around the top of the car door. You step away and he swings it shut. He points tersely to the building, “in.” 

You obey, gripping tight the leather handles of your bag, and scurry ahead of him. You feel like a mouse with a cat slowly stalking you from behind. 

There are two men standing outside the doors of the building. You look between them with wide eyes. They don’t seem to see you but are quick to nod to the man at your tail. 

“Rogers,” one intones and gets as much answer as you have so far. 

The blond henchman opens the door and you flit inside. This is like a cartoon. It’s absurd. You don’t know much about these type of people, you were never into those movies. Kind of boring in your opinion and besides, this is real life. 

“Hey, you’re going the wrong way,” Rogers calls as you turn left without thinking. “Up.” 

He points upstairs and you turn back and nod. You show your teeth and push your shoulders up, “sorry.” 

He waits and walks up at your side. Your eyes trail again to his hand. His long fingers twiddle in agitation. Would he do the same to you if you step out of line? 

You trip over the top step and he catches your arm before you can topple. You suck in air, terrified, and right yourself. 

“Sorry, er, thanks,” you utter. 

He lets you go with a sigh and points to his right. You’re going to mess this up. God, why did Brenner send you? You’re a new accountant, you aren’t prepared for any of this. Well, they didn’t exactly offer a class on the underworld, did they? 

“You’re breathing loudly,” Rogers says as he stops at a door. 

You blanch and hold your breath. You look at him and blink. His brows arch. 

“You can breathe, just... quietly,” he shakes his head. 

He taps on the left door in the double set before you. He drops his hand to the curled candle and pushes inward. You stare at his knuckles again. He nudges you ahead of him. 

You walk into the room as you wring the handles of your briefcase. There’s a man inside. Is he the big bad? Then what does that make Rogers? 

You look between them and sway. Your head is spinning. You haven’t had breakfast yet. 

“Buck,” Rogers says dully.  

“That them?” The man behind the desk asks. His dark hair is swept back as his thick beard defines his already square jaw. He wears a silver tie and a black suit. These men might be criminals but they dress well. 

“She can count,” Rogers says. 

“Great,” the other man replies flatly. “And she understands?”  

“She does.” Rogers assures. 

Your eyes skitter back and forth. What are they talking about? What do you understand?

The man he calls Buck exhales. His eyes lower and you follow them. Once more you’re looking at the bloody knuckles. 

“You been scrapping?” The man behind the desk accuses. 

“Keeping order,” Rogers crosses his arms. 

The other man tuts and looks at you, “what did he do?” 

Your eyes round and your head swirls. You tilt your head one way then the other. You can feel Rogers watching you. You don’t know much about being bad, you’re a good girl, but you know you don’t snitch. 

Again the scene plays like a reel in your head. That man’s face smeared across the pavement, the horrible sound of his ribs cracking against leather shoes. 

“I... He did...” you wisp and lock your knees, “he did what needs to be done. You know... he...” 

Your eyes roll back and you tip backwards. You don’t feel the crash. You sink into the black cushion of your subconscious, content to escape into the void. 

You wake in a leather chair. The two men stand before you, looking down at you as your head lolls. You grumble and flutter your lashes. 

“She okay?” The dark-haired man asks. 

“She does that,” Rogers puts his hands on his hips. “She’s awake.” 

“I can see.” The other man sneers and reaches under his jacket. You follow his hand as he rests it on his holster. You gulp at the silver butt of the handgun there. “Time for the talk,” he reaches his other arm above you and leans in. “You hear me?” 

You nod as you stare at the gun. 

“Look at me,” the man demands. Rogers grunts, a warning. You look into the man’s bold blue eyes. “Anyone asks you anything about me, or him, or anything that happens inside these walls, you keep your mouth shut.” 

You slump as your head throbs. You feel the blackness creeping up. He snaps his fingers in front of your face. 

“Stay with me here,” he says. “Look, we aren’t gonna hurt you. Not unless you give us a reason. So, you keep those lips zipped and do your work, you’re good as gold. You understand me?” 

You show your teeth and nod. 

“And as long as you’re working for me, you’re under my protection. Got it? Rogers will take care of you.” He pushes himself straight and turns to face the other man, “get her some water before she passes out again.” 

[mackandcheezy]

Don't Blame Me (Coriolanus Snow x Reader)

​​A/N: I have yet to see ABAOSAS so simply this is for the vibes, major plot changes from the book/ movie so dont mind that, simply I saw a hot morally grey man and decided I can fix him so this is for all the girlies with a toolbelt ;) 

His eyes had been glued to the screen for what felt like hours. The little specs of graininess following his vision everytime he blinked. Coriolanus Snow did not falter for anyone-- that was until he met you. Something about your blind optimism reminded him of a child, and god how he hated children, but somehow on you it was like a drug he couldn’t get enough of. It made something warm start in his chest, and little fires erupt in every nerve. It was nothing like he had ever felt before, he hated it, and yet he couldn’t get enough. And now he was going to watch the only thing that made him feel that way slip between his fingers like nothing more than a single snowflake. At some point the snow had to melt and here he was watching it live. 

He kept replaying that last conversation over and over. “I’m going to survive, there is no if,” he remembered how you brushed your fingers across his cheek through the rusty bars of the zoo. If he closed his eyes and thought about it hard enough he could feel the warmth of your fingers against his face again. He refused to remember the single tear and question that had prompted that response. This could not be a one time thing. He just got you and there was no letting you go now. Love is a drug and he was nothing but an addict. 

Coryo was jolted to reality when he noticed another tribute sneaking up behind you. He couldn’t remember his name. There was no point, the only one that mattered was the victor and that was you. It had to be you. 

Staring into the depths of your form he begged you to wake. The bile was already crawling up his throat burning a trail in its wake. Stomach clenched he closed his eyes as he heard what could only be described as a battle cry leave the murderer’s mouth. 

Three seconds. He was allowing himself three seconds of grief before he had to move on. To survive. Snow falls on top and he faltered for you but now it was over and he had to go on. 

That was until he opened his eyes to your form. You were standing over the tribute, eyes wide as the saucers that Grandma’am used to take tea in. A bloody knife dripped blood down your pale dress leaving you in a haunting shade of wet red down your right side. He didn’t remember you having that, deciding you must have fought the tribute for it, you always were good at getting what you wanted, especially from him. You took his every waking thought like it was nothing so what was a knife? 

“I killed him. He’s dead. I killed him..” Coryo could do nothing but watch as you spiraled within the tunnel. He wanted nothing more than to hold you and tell you that this was nothing more than a bad dream. Though part of him knew that in a way the person who brushed his cheek was gone. 

He quickly fixed the look of concern dawning his face, remembering how you had told him once that his “human was showing.” That single thought gracing the smallest of smiles on his lips. 

In a twisted way seeing you covered in a thick sheet of red brought him comfort. A small part of him knew that was wrong. Knew that his comfort came at the cost of a human life. But none of them deserved to live as much as you did. Now he knew you could do it, knew you had what it took to win, with the added bonus of having a weapon. He had not felt so much joy since hearing of the opportunity to go to University. You were the key to his new life, and it started now. 

He remembered thinking you were weak when he offered you the posion and you declined citing that “cheaters never win.” Coriolanus felt the entire essence of his personality crumble when those words left your perfectly pink lips. It set something inside of him aflame. You made him almost want to be a good person, almost, because if anything happened to you he would do whatever it took no matter the cost. He was ready to put his own future at risk for the assurance of knowing that you would live to see tomorrow's sunrise. Because you deserved a tomorrow more than he ever did. 

The games were coming to a close. Only a few tributes left and he watched intently as you moved around the arena. Even caked in blood, dirt, and who knows what else, he had never seen a figure more beautiful. 

He couldn’t help but allow himself to think of you adorned in the luxuries of the capitol. An egregious dress adorning your shoulders and your hair in some unnatural twist. Somehow it never looked as good as you did right now. Raw and natural, locks framing your face in small clumps. You were going to get out of this and he was going to get you out of those crummy districts. You deserved more than any of those pathetic traitors, and he was going to get you that. One way or another. 

[justadino-ig]

fyostein + “enough.”

fyostein + “i’m yours.”

sorry fyostein on the mind rn

fyostein <3 here are the terribles for you. the second was not supposed to be so long.

fyostein + “enough.”

The body is bloodied, bruised, and looks like a garden, now. Flowers blooming and vines curling up like an extension of the hair, roots soaking up red and stems looking like veins, now. Steinbeck has a grin on his face that reminds Fyodor of a hunting dog. It's a stark contrast from Nathaniel, whose face was always either that of disgust or annoyance; now it's just blank, of course. "Enough." Fyodor interrupts, black boots crunching the crisp leaves under xer feet as xe strolls to just shy of being at Steinbeck's side, staying just a bit behind him. "Aw, cmon-" Steinbeck blinks those blue eyes at xer to no avail. "John." Xer tone dips into a curter one. "Enough." The man sighs, relenting, plantlife dipping back into the earth, dragging the body with. Come tomorrow, there will be no indictator that there's anything there. And if they dig, they will find nothing but bones. And it will not be a full set.

fyostein + “i’m yours.”

There are many animals that mimic, whether to hunt or to hide. Steinbeck is the latter, of course. His hair is bright like the sun, and his eyes a pleasant blue, and he's always had a cheery air. (The margay—leopardus wiedii—has a particular talent for vocal mimicry.) "Hey!" Steinbeck is dressed in a suit that fits his form just right, and his smile is adjusted just right. It sits comfortably on his face like blood so often does. (When it needs to eat, it copies the sound of its most common prey.) The Special Divison's agent that he's found on a day off stares, and tries to place if they know this man or not. He speaks as if he must, but they cannot remember. (The prey, not knowing any better, follows the sound thinking it's one of their own.) "Can I help you?" They smile politely, though something squirms in their chest. Something feels off. (And when the unfortunate animal does-) Steinbeck grins, slinging his arm over their shoulder as if they're old friends. This part of town is empty, quiet- abandoned on a grey day like this. "You can, actually! See, I wanted to ask about some things-" (The margay goes for the kill.) -- "You must stop trailing blood in on my carpet." Fyodor states, not even looking at Steinbeck as he steps in. He leans his head on Fyodor's shoulder as Fyodor sits in xer chair. Steinbeck's chin is dripping with gore, some dribbling onto Fyodor's shirt. Xe couldn't care less, really, but xe has a reputation to uphold. "Eh, you know how to clean it." Steinbeck hums, closing his eyes to wrap his arms around Fyodor's waist. Even through the clothes, he can feel xer ribs. Fyodor sighs. "I have not the time." "Your loss." Steinbeck teases back, tracing one hand up Fyodor's chest. "You should really eat better." Fyodor's cold hand snatches Steinbeck's, pushing it back down just before he can reach xer neck. "I did not offer for you to join this operation for health advice." "I'm just saying." Steinbeck wraps his hand around Fyodor's in a mockery of a sweet gesture, squeezing it. It's not gentle; Steinbeck is capable of that despite all the bloodshed, but Fyodor has never cared for soft. "Could make you foood now and then.. would you like that?" "I did not hire a chef." Fyodor states simply, still not looking at him. Steinbeck laughs. His tone dips into something lower. "I know you didn't. Just offering a benefit." "The only benefit I'd enjoy from you is you cleaning up your mess." Fyodor rolls xer eyes. Steinbeck leans against xer more. Fyodor is cold, as if a living corpse, and it's tantalizing. "I'm sure," He murmurs into xer ear, "Both could be arranged." Fyodor clicks xer tongue, and finally takes xer other hand off the keyboard, grasping Steinbeck's chin to tilt his head as xe meets his eyes. Steinbeck stares back with a look full of bloodlust, adoration, and fangs. He has never said it out loud, only showing what they both know in actions. I'm yours. And Fyodor would not have it any other way. Steinbeck tastes like freshly butchered meat, and sunlight on a winter's day where nothing living shows its face, and newly grown crops reaching out of the earth. He's xers. In a way that Nikolai could never be, in a way that Nikolai would never want to be. He's xers. In a way that Nathaniel would never be, in a way that Nathaniel only was when he hated it. He's xers, in the way the first vulture is to a death.

[desideriumwriter]

hi! i'd like to ask a one shot on fred weasley where the reader is a pureblood slytherin (introverted, stubborn, etc) and they're in a secret relationship. one day their differences lead them to having a huge argument where their pride gets the best of them and they insult each other (about their hogwarts houses stereotypes, their families, blood status) saying the worst things.

thank you <33

this is my first request ever and i’m so excited! im not rlly sure how i feel abt it but i do hope this fits what you wanted! (900 words)

“I’m tired of us being a secret. I’m tired of being a secret.” Fred said as he closed the door behind him, locking you both in the potions classroom that was now abandoned and empty.

“What?” You scoffed.

“I can’t keep doing this. Hiding our relationship from everyone. Why can’t we just tell them?” He sighed.

“My family, they wouldn’t approve of it, you know that.” Your voice was small.

Your family’s views were strict and old fashioned. They were against wizards or witches and muggles being together, especially getting married and having children. They called anyone They saw and they’ve pushed those views on you ever since you were small.

It hurts to say but if they found out you were in a relationship with the type of person they weren’t fond of, someone like Fred Weasley. You’d be shamed and disowned in less than a minute.

“I don’t care what your family thinks! Why do you care so much about what they think?” Fred groaned. “We don’t have to tell them directly, we can tell other people, let your parents figure it out on their own. They can deal with it.”

“Fred. Our families are-”

“My family has said nothing but good things about you! Hell, George cares about you as much as I do! Yours can’t even return the favor.”

“What? You told your family about me?” Your face slightly dropped.

“Only George…” He trailed off.

“That wasn’t part of the deal.” You spat, the awkward look on Fred's face was wiped off and replaced with anger.

“Deal? What bloody deal? You’re making it sound like this is some bet you took.” He scoffed.

“No! You know what I mean, we promised not to tell anybody.”

“That’s what I’m tired of! How many more times do I have to say it?”

“Fred..don’t you know what they’ll say about me?”

“You won’t be the only one getting talked about. This isn’t just about you!” Fred rubbed his face with his hands. “I should’ve listened to George. He was right.” He mumbled to himself. Your face slowly dropped.

“What?” You spoke quietly, all the volume in your voice had been washed away.

“When I first told George about you, he seemed offended that I could be in love with someone like you.” He spat.

“Someone like me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?” You were taken aback by his sudden change of tone.

“A slytherin. He didn’t think someone as bitter and stubborn and vile as you could love me.” His words stung like acid.

“And you’re not? Don’t you see how reckless and narrow-minded you can be with the things you do?”

The next few minutes were just the both of you taking stabs at each other. Insulting anything you could find one another. You both began to sound like broken records, repeating the same cruel things at each other.

“I’m choosing my own path in life, I’m not letting myself get pushed into something I don’t want to do.” At this point he was just spewing things out, biting back at you, you decided to do the same.

“You mean that little shop you want to open? With all your stupid trick candies? Have you even thought about how you’re going to get it, if you’ll even be allowed to sell things like that?”

“Well, it’s better than being like you and following in the footsteps of your mother.” He shook his head. You scoffed in disbelief.

“Don’t you dare compare me to her. You don’t know how hard it’s been for me. You don’t know what I’ve dealt with.”

“Oh of course, it must be so hard living in that giant mansion, getting everything you want handed on a silver plate.” He fake pouted and mocked a sad voice.

“I’ve worked for everything I have and I'm grateful for it. Have you ever?” He pointed a threatening finger at you.

“Working for it? By stealing and lying? At least I tell the truth.” You shot back.

“Then tell me why you refuse to let us be together in public.” Fred blurted out, you went silent.

“I’ve told you a million times, it’s my family-“

“No it isn’t! It isn’t about them anymore!” He shouted. “Are you embarrassed of me? You can’t be seen with a Weasley?”

“No! It’s not about you, it has nothing to do with you.” Your voice crackled, Fred only stepped back and sighed.

“I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing this, Y/N.” He ran his hands through his hair.

“I love you.” You blurted out, eyes beginning to water, tears filling them up. Fred was already crying, his teardrops hitting his robes and the floor.

“If you truly do, then you don’t in a way that I can understand.” He sniffled and began to turn away, heading for the door.

“Please don’t go. We can fix this, alright?” You cried as you clinged onto his wrist.

“Either you can stop being afraid and walk out there with your hand in mine,” Fred’s voice was stern as he began to give you his ultimatum. “Or I can leave, alone. And we’ll choose to believe nothing has ever happened between us.”

He stood there quietly while you searched to find the words, hot tears began to stream down your face. Freds eyes were only red and puffy now, his cheeks tearstained.

“I don’t…I don’t know. I can’t.” Your voice crackled as you shook your head weakly, giving an answer that you weren’t even sure of. He nodded weakly and tucked in his lips.

“Alright.” His voice was small. Defeated. Fred looked down for a moment, then brought his head back up and sniffled.

Fred gave you a pained smile. Then left, he didn’t even dare to look at you one last time. Shutting the door quietly.

[hopelessromantic1352]

Lockdown

This is based on OH 2. After I replayed it, I realized how I would’ve actually liked to see the book progress through the maitotoxin attack between Ethan and MC. I’m thinking I’ll try to post one or two more that follow the same storyline. Maybe a mini series? We’ll see. Also, hello Tumblr 😆 it’s been a minute.

Warnings: mentions death, poisoning, sickness

Word count: 2,068

Tags: @perriewinklenerdie @shelivesinthewoods @miss-indecisive-says @alj4890 @naffeesaa @hija-del-universo @confessionsofabrokegirl @usuallyamazinglyaverage @radlovedreamland-blog @lilyoffandoms @cordoniaqueensworld @carreraleigh @ethanplaysfavorites @amillionmoonsred @princess-geek @lapisreviewsstuff @aworldoffandoms @paisleylovergirl @llamasgrl @flyawayboo @timmagicktoad-blog @isabella-choices @ihclipse @sparklinglilac @whenyourheartskipsabeat @desmaranj

The drizzle out the window beats slower than her heart. Her breaths come in ragged gasps, the plastic rustles against the air vent it covers, and the only other faint sound is the steady beep of machines outside the quarantined room where she paces.

Beeps that remind her, Raf is still there.

The nausea has increased tenfold, but Casey refuses to sit down. The numb sensation in her feet and hands tingle with every second, but her stubbornness keeps her upright.

“Case, why don’t you rest for a second?”

The usual bravado in Bryce’s voice is gone, replaced with something she hasn’t heard before.

Fear.

Still wearing the mask around his neck, and bloody scrubs, her eyes try to focus on his expression.

Was the fear because of Kyra or herself?

“You’re here. Does that mean..” The raspy whisper that leaves her mouth is unrecognizable.

The young surgeon looks at her with pure anguish. “She made it, everything went good and she’s resting now. Which is what you need to be doing. You can hardly stand, let alone pace around your room.”

As if on cue, her whole body sways and she grabs the foot of the bed, holding still for a moment before her head and eyes clear again.

Only seconds later, the rest of her friends and the diagnostics team arrive. Faces full of fear, pity, and some anger. She knew why they were angry, she was angry too.

“I can’t sit still, I feel like that’s giving up.” Casey tries to keep her voice as even as possible.

“Dr. Ramsey and I found Travis, he gave us a few more symptoms to go off of before he…” Sienna trails off, biting her lower lip as her eyes shine through the glass.

“He died.” Ethan walks in first, leading Baz and June behind him. “But thanks to Danny, we know what was in the canister and we’ve got people working on an antidote as we speak.”

Casey looks to Sienna, seeing her lips purse and eyes begin to water at the mention of the young nurse’s name. The red head’s heart clenches at her friend’s pain, pain she hoped she and Raf wouldn’t be adding to.

Swaying slightly without realizing it, Casey reaches out to Ethan. His arms encircle her, steadying her as June takes her vitals. The ocean blues behind the hazmat mask seem more dull than usual, or maybe it’s her eyesight, but they don’t break eye contact. Somehow, feeling his covered hands and arms around her soothes her. Just being near him calms her and seems to take away the pain for just a moment.

“Her blood pressure has dropped in the last hour, heart rate is elevated.” The no nonsense tone of June’s voice cuts into Casey’s welcomed distraction.

“Why wouldn’t my heart rate be elevated? I’m having the time of my life in here.” At the attempt of a laugh, coughs take over, wracking her frail body and causing Ethan to tighten his grip on her.

“I can’t stand here and watch this. Are we going to go find a cure for this?” Jackie’s fist rests against the window, her face contorted with anger as she watches her friend writhe in Ethan’s arms.

“Hell yes we are.”

Tobias Carrick’s voice carries down the hall as a group of footsteps echo behind him. With Aurora next to him, the Edenbrook doctors look upon the Mass Kenmore group cautiously.

When Casey’s coughing fit finally dies down, the silence doesn’t stretch long.

“Carrick, why are you—“ Ethan can’t hide the surprise in his tone, or on his face, but Tobias waves him off.

“This is bigger than our competition. No one is letting Valentine die.” Ethan’s old friend eyes Casey with sympathy, internally noting the way Ethan holds her gently and protectively.

“We brought all our best doctors with us, they’re at Edenbrook’s disposal.” Aurora walks to the glass, softly placing her palm on it and worrying over her friend and roommate.

“I can’t thank you all enough.” Shaking, Casey tries to stand on her own, but the arms holding her don’t budge.

Her group of friends all start talking at once, saying their goodbyes and words of encouragement. June and Baz excuse themselves as well, telling Casey to hang in there. But the one steady thing in her world at that moment stays put.

“Casey, I—”

At the despair written on her face, his words die on his lips.

“I’m scared, Ethan. I don’t know— I’m not—”

All the tears she held back since the attack, since Bobby, Danny, and Raf, they rush to the surface and flood down her pale, sunken cheeks.

“Shhh,” the suit crinkles loudly as Ethan pulls the frail woman into his arms. “I am beyond terrified too. The one person I care about more than anything in the world…”

Her sniffling pauses at the meaning hanging in the air, but he begins to move them towards the bed, momentarily distracting her.

“Ethan, please if I lay down I don’t know if I’ll get up.”

He grunts a response as he lays down first before gently guiding her down next to him. “You will get up. Some of the best doctors in the world are fighting for you and Rafael, Casey.”

She weakly nestles into his embrace, silence stretching between them as he stares pensively at the ceiling.

“What were you going to say?” Her quiet question makes his muscles tense next to her, and she worries. “If it’s something you're not telling me about this maitotoxin, it’s not easing my mind.”

“No, no, the reason I cut myself off is the fact of the matter is,” he repositions himself so he can look into her glistening brown eyes. His gloved hand reaches up to cup her cheek softly, urging her eyes to close. “Casey, please look at me.”

The yearning and warmth in his voice pulls at her heart, and with no hesitation, she does as he says.

“When I say you are the most important thing in this world to me, and I care for no one more than I care for you, I mean it.” Fresh warm tears pool in her eyes and her bottom lip trembles. “I love you and looking back at how I’ve treated you… us, it has made me realize how much of a fool I was for pushing you away. I have never been able to deny my feelings for you and I believe I fell for you a long time ago. I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to acknowledge what has been in my heart.”

Tears falling, she closes her eyes but her lips spread into a warm smile, dimming the paleness on her frail body for just a moment.

“I’ve waited so long to hear you say that and now I can’t even kiss you to make you feel how much I feel the same. I’ve loved you for a really long time, Ethan. I wasn’t sure you’d ever feel the same.”

With the hazmat suit between them, Ethan embraces her as tightly as he can without hurting her. Wanting to feel her body and wishing this was taking place in his bed, after a perfect evening together instead of a quarantined room after the harrowing events of the day.

“As soon as you’re healthy, I’m taking you in my arms and never letting go.” The finality to his voice, mixed with the adoration and warmth, it causes Casey to shiver at the intensity.

“I can’t wait to kiss you.” She nestles back into his arms, exhaustion beginning to take over as he simply smiles softly and holds her tight.

As she falls into a deep slumber, Ethan can’t help the mist in his eyes or the deep hope that she’ll wake up to a cure.

The next morning, Ethan is startled out of thought as Casey lurches awake and rolls on her side, crying out in agony.

“What is it? What’s wrong, Casey?” He’s on his feet, pushing his chair back, and takes a strong hold of her hand.

The bed shakes under her violent writhing, one of her arms wraps around her stomach as she cries tears of pure pain. “It hurts so bad.”

After what seems like eternity, the pain subsides and Casey is left panting and sweaty, still gripping Ethan’s hand.

“That was new.” Her voice is weaker and her body shakes from exerting so much energy.

She slowly takes her hand away and sits up, still shaking, but watches as Ethan paces away angrily.

“I absolutely hate not having any control over this. There’s nothing I can do to help you and seeing you suffer, it makes me—” He groans and runs his hand through his hair in frustration.

She isn’t looking at him, her eyes are shut and her fingers dig into the bed. “Ethan, I’m not sure how long I can do this.”

That sentence, just a whisper, is enough to break him out of his rant. Enough for him to realize how selfish he is. Enough for him to realize if they don’t find an antidote, he could lose her.

“No, no, no.” He hurries back to her side, holding both her hands in his, engulfing the coldness. “You need to keep fighting. Please.”

His forehead settles on the edge of her bed as he sits back down, his hands holding hers still as he closes his eyes and begins to pray silently. Desperation coursing through his veins.

“We’ve got it!” Tobias is sprinting down the hall with June and Baz, the rest of Casey’s friends following behind quickly. The sounds urge Ethan to stand.

“But Raf, he needs it more—” her whisper is cut off by a violent cough.

Within minutes, the other two members of the diagnostics team are in Casey’s room, donning hazmat suits and carrying a small syringe.

“Don’t worry, we’ve already given him his dose. So save your energy, you’re going to need it.” June grins triumphantly at her sick colleague and then looks to Ethan who’s red rimmed eyes show their utter surprise. “Would you like to do the honors?” She holds the syringe out towards him.

“Absolutely.” As soon as he has the antidote, he steps over to Casey’s bedside and holds her hand for a moment, gazing at her lovingly. “Are you ready?”

A simple nod is enough answer for him. Gently, he finds her vein and injects the liquid, removing the needle when the syringe is empty.

12 HOURS LATER

“Get up.”

Ethan strides into the quarantined room without a hazmat suit and leaves the door wide open behind him. He grins, and despite the exhaustion in his eyes, he looks happy and at ease.

“You mean…?” Carefully standing, but feeling near normal for the first time in the past 32 hours, Casey looks at him, her eyes trailing over every inch of him.

“Your last few blood tests have shown a slow decrease in the maitotoxin and the very last results showed nothing. It’s gone, so—”

His scientific rambling is cut off by Casey’s small body ramming into his. Her arms wrap around him tightly and she buries her face into his chest, breathing him in deeply. “So I can do this finally?”

A simple nod is his only answer, and when she pulls back to look at him, she understands why. His eyes are full and glisten with unshed tears. His large hand gently cups her cheek, his thumb traces her cheekbone.

“And this.” Before she can question what he means, his lips softly press to hers, his free hand slipping down to rest on her hip.

The silent embrace lasts for just a few seconds before he forces himself to pull away. His other hand slips up and cups her cheek so he’s holding her face. The piercing eyes roam over her face, as if he’s memorizing her.

“I didn’t know if I’d ever feel your lips again.” Her voice quivers and her bottom lip trembles when she sees his eyes glisten in the light.

In answer, he leans forward, pressing a firm kiss to her forehead before pulling her against his chest once again. “I love you.”

His voice is so quiet, she nearly misses the sweet phrase. Her voice is muffled, but she responds as her arms tighten around his waist. “I love you too, Ethan.”

[halfmylife]

I’ll Always Come Back to You

Pairing Finan x Reader

Summary Finan returns home to find you aren’t there.

Warnings None (just some angst)

A/N this was requested by @biancathecool This is a follow up from Nothing Could Keep Me From You but can be read as a stand alone. I had the option of making it angsty or giving it a happy ending and I chose pain (I’m so sorry)

Finan had been gone for weeks and he was starting to feel it. Nothing ached more than his heart that yearned to be back with you. Thankfully, they were returning home and he couldn’t be happier about it. For the whole journey back he thought of nothing but holding you again, of seeing you smile, after you’d told him he’d been gone too long of course.

They were only a few miles from your village when they stopped. The four looked between each other for answers. Smoke was billowing above the tree line and the world seemed eerily silent.

“You don’t think that could be…” Osferth trailed off too afraid to say anymore as he looked over to his friend. Finan wasted no more time, rather than answer he tugged at his reigns and sent his horse into a gallop. The rest of the group followed behind, calling his name.

The village they had left only weeks ago now resembled a ruin. Houses had been burned to nothing but ash. Bodies littered the floor and blood stained the mud.

Finan only cared for one familiar face. Yours. He threw himself off his horse the moment he arrived, not hesitating to shout your name. He looked at every body, hoping it wouldn’t be yours. With every moment that he couldn’t find you, his heart pounded and he grew more agitated.

The only sound that could be heard was the shouts of your name as he searched every inch of the village. He needed to know you were okay. But the longer he was without you, the more he was convinced you were gone.

Until he heard a sob.

The sound of your breathing voice as you tried to shout his name, sent shivers down his spine. Still, he continued to shout your name, following the sound of your breathy cries as you called back. He continued to shout until he found you.

There you were. You’d tucked yourself behind the stables, almost hidden at a quick glance. That wasn’t what worried Finan. It was the blood that was pooling from your side. Your hands were covered in your own blood where you’d tried to stop the bleeding and your cheeks were stained with tears.

“Finan.” You whispered. He’d fallen to his knees beside you, pulling you closer and pushing his own hand to your wound. The bleeding didn’t stop.

“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” His voice shook as he held you. If you couldn’t feel his shaky grasp on you, his face wouldn’t have betrayed his fear in that moment. “Osferth!” He shouted, hoping to get help.

“It’s okay.” You said defeated. You had sworn that you would bleed out alone, never to be found. Now here you were in the arms of your love. You would not be alone in your final moments.

“We’re gonna save you, alright? I’m not going anywhere, I promise.” He spoke frantically, still holding you close. You smiled as you looked at him, committing every inch of his face to memory. What a sight to behold as you fade away. “Osferth!” He shouted again, more pained this time.

“It’s okay.” You repeated, your bloody hand now cupping his cheek and wiping away the tears that started to spill from his eyes. “You kept your promise.”

“Of course I did.” He said quietly, giving you a reassuring smile as best as he could manage, but his teary eyes betrayed him. “You know I’ll always come back to you.” He meant it. No matter how far he traveled or how long he was gone for, he would always find his way back to you.

“I never doubted you.” You smiled up at him, no longer having the energy for tears but trying to enjoy what little time you had left with him. You knew the inevitable was coming. “I think it’s my time to leave you.”

“No you’re not going anywhere.” He insisted. He searched around him for any sign of anyone before he shouted again. “Osferth!” They weren’t far away but Osferth couldn’t save you, none of them could, no matter how much he wanted it.

“I’ll always be with you, Finan.” You whispered, exhaustion taking over. You felt your arm drop from his face first before your eyes started to grow heavy.

“No, don’t close your eyes.” He grabbed your face, rubbing at your cheeks. Every inch of his body shook with a sob as you disobeyed him, your eyes shutting. His voice would be the last thing you would hear as he continued to beg. “Stay with me.”

But you were already gone.

[hauntedmoonstone]

Mikaela at Haddie: “are you scared? 'cause i'm scared.”

There’s so much you can do with this! Can’t wait to see what you come up with<3

(art by @meglinpancake)

This was a rough trial, the roughest one in a long time and of course Mikaela had to be here with Haddie which has caused Haddie to be way more stressed as the safety of Mikaela came first in her mind. Haddie hasn’t felt this hopeless for a while but she tried to keep a front so Mikaela would feel less anxious. Currently they were hiding as a bloody Oni patrolled the area dragging the corpse of Feng behind him despite her already being gone from the brutal attack he eventually hooked her onto a hook near the preschool entrance and watched as her body was taken to the sky. Haddie held a protective arm against Mikaela pushing them both up against one of the concrete blockers as Haddie studied where Oni was going. It was just her and Mikaela and despite her best efforts Mikaela was already on death hook while Haddie had only been hooked once. The good news is that there was only one gen left and she knew the locations of at least two of the three that remained. She was confident if they were careful they could both make it out. She just needed to see where the Oni was going. That’s when the oni raised his hand and his strange magic began activating Haddie was confused for a moment because as far as she knew her and Mikaela were fully healed so there wasn’t any blood for him to suck up or follow. That’s when she noticed it a couple of droplets floating past her face. She slowly turned to Mikaela wide eyed as she saw a wound on her side leaking blood that was reacting with the magic.

“I thought she fully healed you….” “She didn’t have t-time I had to run or get…..or get what she got…..I was lucky he didn’t choose me when we split” Mikaela and Haddie were stunned into silence as the Oni roared, catching onto the blood scent of Mikaela. Mikaela was shaking ever so slightly looking at Haddie with eyes full of fear. With a quiet voice laced with hopelessness Mikaela spoke hardly above a whisper.

“I’m scared Haddie….a-are you?” Without thinking Haddie, fueled with nothing but the desire for her sunshine to escape, rubbed Mikaela's wound causing her to hiss in pain and covered her arm in some of the blood.

“ Go to shack I saw Ace with a blueprint earlier in the trial I’ll try to le-” “Haddie no I can’t le-” Haddie grabbed Mikaela by the chin forcing her to look at her. Last time they were in trial Mikaela didn’t make it and by the gods she will make it this time whether she likes it or not. 

“I love you. I can’t let you die not this time moonstone please just listen to me go hide in the bushes and make your way to the shack. Don't come for me I know I know you want to but please not this time okay?” The ominous form of Oni now locked onto the blood trail made his way over to the hiding spot seemingly not worried about his prey getting away with how casually he was walking. Haddie didn’t wait for her to answer and stood up and dashed the opposite way away from Mikaela away from the shack to give her a chance. Oni activated his power once he spotted the “bleeding” Haddie and with a roar began glowing bright crimson as he ran at top speeds after Haddie not noticing the shadowy figure of the truly injured person slinking away into the bushes to the other side of the map.

The chase didn’t last too long as Haddie unintentionally landed herself in a deadzone with no good loops or pallets left as they were all used up earlier in the trial by someone else. She tried her best to lead him as far as she could away from the shack back into the opposite corner. She turned around as she reached the corner, the Oni still glowing brightly, his weapon in his hand. He seemed confused for a moment as to why Haddie would corner herself like this; it wasn't like her. He shrugged it off though chalking it up to a mistake made in fear as he raised his weapon and brought it down on Haddie.

Mikaela flinched covering her ears as the distant cry of Haddie as Oni hooked her. She supposed it was better than what happened to Feng and Ace. She turned towards the direction of Haddie biting her lip. She wanted to go back for Haddie so badly but she stood firm battling her instincts knowing that she was only hooked to lure her in so he had a chance to get both of them. The killers were clever and caught on quickly to which survivors were the closest to each other and used it against them.

She looked down to the grown wrapping her arms around herself as she heard the eerier sound of the entity reaching down her claws from the sky to take the now “dead” Haddie back to the fog. As soon as the claws dipped back into the sky above the preschool the hatch opened nearby with a loud clunk and the familiar humming noise.

She didn’t feel good, this didn't feel like a good win. She was usually so excited to get hatch but she just felt numb. This was just sadly the reality sometimes of the trials people sacrificing each other so someone they care about can escape. She sighed and stepped into the hatch which took her painlessly back to the fog to reunite with Haddie and the others.

[general-darius]

[ body ] + Vladimir!!!

Thoughts and Feelings Meme

Accepting || @regalentempire​

Send [ body ] + a character name to know my muse’s body language around that character.

Before they got close to each other, intimate, Darius would always stiffen up whenever Vladimir was around. Something barely noticeable under the gigantic impressive armor he wears. Still, he would feel quite uneasy, as if he could not just decide what to do. His square jaws would clench from time to time, faster if he were to be very close to the Hemomancer, while he’d try to keep his legendary calm, icy cold actually, composure. As they got closer, signs of what could be mistaken with annoyance, anger even, would clearly turn into signs of embarrassment. Darius would often clear his throat, have his gaze drifting away from Vladimir’s face, rub his neck. But he’d also slowly learn to simply smile to the blood mage. And relax a little bit as time goes by.

Now, that they are together, Darius feels allowed to lower his guard completely around Vladimir, so the tension, the inner tension he used to feel, has gone. His posture is more relaxed, even if dating Vladimir makes him feel even more confident than before and that reinforces his strongman profile. He’s not just a little bit proud of having Vladimir as a partner. He’s actually extremely proud of him, as he knows how powerful, clever and attractive the Hemomancer is and the fact Vladimir chose him still amazes him. 

[star-girl69]

I Loved You Like the Sun

a/n: formally apologizing for last chapter. but in order for my later plans to play out, (plus some delicious hurt/comfort w daemyra x reader) (wink wink things like the battle of rooks rest, FINALLY cannibal vs. vhagar battle) i felt like we needed a little more tension and besides, who doesn’t like a little drama??? so as always i hope you all enjoy this chapter!! and happy holidays to everyone who celebrates!!

warnings: blood, death, swearing, violence, incest, tell me if i missed anything!!

Daemon Targaryen x Rhaenyra Targaryen x Fem!Reader

Chapter Thirty One- Waiting, Longing

—-

“Baela? What’s wrong?”

Her little sniffles make your heart break, as she burrows further into her pillow and shakes her head. You sit on the edge of the bed, place a hand on her shoulder.

“You can tell me anything, you know. I am not your mother and I never will be, but I can still be whatever you need. It’s not like I’m the heir to the throne, like Rhaenyra, I have all the time in the world for you, sweetling.”

When she sits up, her face is streaked with tears. You smile sadly and she looks down, toying with the furs on her bed.

“I- I’m scared.”

“About what?”

“G-going to Driftmark. I love Grandmother and Grandsire, but, I’m scared I’ll be lonely. I won’t have you, or Rhaena, or any of my brothers. And I’ll miss my bed, and I’ll…” She trails off, and you wait for a second before speaking.

“Well, we will see each other. You will visit, we will visit, it is not like we’re disappearing.”

“But it will be different. I can’t- I don’t want anymore change.”

“Oh, Baela,” and she fell into your arms and sobbed into your shoulder, all while you told her that different is not always bad, that she is strong and beautiful, and she can make the best of any situation.

—-

As you sit on the floor, a dead man’s head in your lap, you think of what you said to Baela that day. She was stronger than you, better than you, and she handled her fears of leaving admirably. But you were not like her. You were selfish.

You could feel the blood soaking your skirts, the blood on your face from when you had screamed into your hands, and you could feel the eyes of the Greens on you. You preferred the blood.

You were selfish. You wanted your own bed, to see your children and your husband and wife.

Sometimes resolved in your mind. They watched you as you carefully lifted the man’s head off of your lap, blood falling down his lips, and set it on the ground.

You were so close. So, so close. To have- not even freedom, but just them- ripped away so fast was more than you could handle.

When you stood, your legs were woozy, bloody skirts tracing the floor. You could not look at them, and when you spoke, your eyes were wide and fixed on the floor.

“I want to go home.” You didn’t even have anymore tears to cry.

“I’m sorry.” Alicent whispered, but she didn’t make a move to comfort you.

It was Aegon who moved forward, who grabbed you by your collar while Helaena screamed and Aemond held her, and you met his fire-like eyes. Fury, you thought. They would never look at you like that.

“I should have killed you,” he hisses. “Let’s be done with this bother, kill her and send her pretty head to Rhaenyra.”

“Do it.” You were surprised when the words came out of your mouth, but in the silence that followed your confession, you became more comfortable with the notion of it. “I will die anyways in this place.”

“Y/N!” Helaena yells, but you cannot bring yourself to meet her eyes. “The dragons will not lose their treasure! The dragons will not lose their treasure!”

But Aegon only scoffed and let you go, pushing you away roughly, staring at you in pure disgust. You suppose it was no longer a punishment if you asked for it.

“Have one of the servants get her a bath. She’s fucking frightening.” His eyes glanced over you, up and down. “Whore,” he hissed, and left you to stand there.

Helaena was in front of you suddenly, asking if you were hurt, gentle hands on your shoulders. She did not care that the blood started to stain her clothes as well.

“Helaena…” Alicent murmured, surprised, almost scolding. “Your dress is ruined, now.”

“Mother… I don’t understand why… Aemond, why can we not let her go home? She deserves to go home?”

“Because she rides a dragon even more fearsome than Vhagar. Cannibal is the night, sweetling, and he will kill all of us.” Otto speaks, taking a step forward. He had faded into the background- observing.

You had been listening and watching, hope long gone.

“I wouldn’t. I would never hurt anyone, I never wanted too. I just wanted to be with my family.”

Otto goes to speak, but you step towards him, haunting in your cream-colored blood soaked dress.

“No! No, it was you who did it. Rhaenyra is the rightful Queen! You all are usurpers, traitors to the realm,”

“A woman cannot rule-”

“You do not even know her! You see she is a woman and that is all you see. You do not see how much she loves what is hers, how ambitious she is, how determined. You do not see her for anything than what is between her legs.”

“Princess Rhaenyra was my closest friend when we were younger. I do know her-”

“You do not. Perhaps if you had not been too quick to act, you would never have stolen me. You think these are the only assassins that will come? No. They will send more, and more, and more until they come themselves. They will bring with them a million dragons, and you will know nothing but fire.”

You take a deep breath while you scan all of them. Besides for Helaena, who has taken to comforting the children, they all seem indifferent. They will never let you return. You will never sway them. You are trapped, trapped, trapped.

And suddenly you are angry. You are burning with rage and fury, things you have not felt in years. You had no need to when you were with them on Dragonstone. When you were too happy to think anything else.

“You are traitors, liars, usurpers. Disgraces of the Targaryen name and Targaryen blood. You are cruel and horrible and undeserving of the Gods you serve! You do not deserve the dragons you ride, you are nothing, nothing, nothing!”

“That is enough.” It is the first time you have heard Aemond speak all night.

“Who are you to tell me anything?”

“A prince.”

“You may be a prince in title. But, in truth, you are nothing but a weak little boy who does not deserve the dragon he stole! Everyday I am grateful my son cut your eye, so you will always have a reminder of what you did to my family. You are nothing but a useless second son!”

His eye darkens and suddenly he is storming towards you. But in this place you are dying, and he does not scare you. You stand tall. He is a foot away from you. He stops.

“And what are you? A useless woman. Only one bastard child to speak of, only one marriage that ended your suffering, yes? You speak that a woman must sit the Iron Throne, but how can one if all they are good for is a punching bag and a womb?”

You raise your hands and scream, but he grabs your wrists in one hand. Grabs the collar of your dress with his other.

“It is you who is nothing, Lady Chambers.” You breathe heavily, and his eye stares deeply into yours, lips pursing, and it seems he is deeply considering killing you. But he doesn’t. He lets you go and pushed you so far back you slam into the wall.

“You are weak!” You scream after him as he leaves, and See Criston storms in with handmaidens and apologizes that he was not there. Alicent reassures him that no one is hurt (only dead), and that she dismissed him. He is not to blame.

Helaena walks over to you, Maelor snug in her arms.

“Change is as inevitable as death. You changed, Lady Targaryen. Do not forget that.”

She leaves you there, standing against the wall, eyes dry, stained in blood, neck sore from where you were grabbed by both brothers.

A handmaiden walks over with a handkerchief, gives it to you with a tight smile. You wipe the still wet blood from your face, and she leads you back to your chambers. A guard follows.

You don’t cry when the stained, soaked dress is cut off of you.

You don’t cry in the bath, while the water turns red and the sponge seems to rip off your skin.

You don’t cry when you get into bed.

You don’t cry when you stare at the window, stars shining.

You are a smoking, anger burning out, and you imagine they can see you. You imagine they come for you.

—-

The nursery is different without her.

Rhaenyra spends most of her time in there now, holding one of the babies, changing them, playing with them, watching while they sleep. She only leaves to sleep herself, to cry, to attend council meetings where no one says anything new. They wait for news from Blood and Cheese. Nothing comes.

After two days, it is decided they must be dead.

Daemon had slammed his fist onto his desk so hard his hand was now mottled purple and bruised. It would heal, the maester assured, he would be fine.

Now, he sits next to her in a chair, while Aegon runs around his chair, pretending his toy dragon is flying. They sit here most of the time, Daemon sometimes tells them a story about his time in the Stepstones, while Rhaenyra watches with a smile until she remembers.

Joffrey asks where Y/N is, and Rhaenyra can barely hold back her tears when she says “your mother will be back soon,” for the tenth time. She cannot break it to him. Not yet.

Daemon’s hand is freshly purple, and the two of them know the council is waiting for a response. But for right now, Aegon is napping in Rhaenyra’s arms, and Daenys and Viserys are playing on the floor. Joffrey is listening to one of Daemon’s stories- although he has heard all of them by now, and Rhaenyra decides the council can wait.

She looks at Daenys a little longer. She looks so much like her mother.

—-

“Your decision, My Queen?” Corlys is understanding and patient. He does not mind that they squander their duties, ignore everything.

She wants to say the truth. Admits that she does not know. But Rhaenyra is Queen, and she cannot say that. These men are looking to her for direction. She must provide it, like her father did, her great-grandfather did.

“We- we cannot let this go unpunished. We send more assassins. Better assassins. We send-”

“Me.” Rhaenyra’s eyes widen as she whips towards Jace.

“Don’t- no. No, Jace.”

“She is my mother as much as you are.”

“Yes-”

“It’s out of the question.” Daemon chimes in. “You are the heir.”

“And what better way to prove myself than by avenging her?”

“I cannot-” Rhaenyra murmurs, her mind tumbling. It would be smart, yes, she supposes. Jace would have the opportunity to prove himself. But she has already lost her Y/N. She will not lose her son as well. “I cannot sanction that. You will not go, Jace.”

“Please-”

“No.”

“My Queen,”

“Jacerys.”

“Fine. Fine, I will not go.” Rhaenyra feels her heart return from its place in her throat. Daemon places a hand on her shoulder, and she can feel how tense he is.

He cares for Jace, Luke and Joffrey just as much as he cares for Baela and Rhaena, Daenys, Aegon, Viserys. Their family is meshed together, a loud and brightly colored blanket, but Rhaenyra has always liked bright colors.

They decide upon different assassins, Rhaenyra cannot be bothered to remember their names, different routes, Rhaenyra does not care- as long as it gets the job done- and at the end of the day she falls into bed.

Tonight, she faces Daemon, content to hide her face in his neck and soak his collar with her tears. She knows he does not mind. She knows he does the same, much quieter, much more subtle, into her hair.

She thinks of her. She cries.

—-

Jace knows he should not be sneaking out of the palace.

He knows that his mother forbade it, that his mother cannot lose someone else, so he vows that he will not be lost. Not like his mother.

He misses her.

Aegon has taken another thing from him, and Jacerys Velaryon will not- cannot- let it go unpunished. He will kill them, but leave Helaena and Aegon’s brats. It is what she would have wanted.

His mother allowed him to stay in the council room to he stood and listened. Memorized their route. He would fly on Vermax, of course, leave him somewhere safe outside of the city while he journeyed the rest of the way on foot. He would follow the map he took, through the castle, the secret tunnels.

He will avenge his mother.

—-

taglist:

@wondergal2001 @akiraquote @a-lil-bit-nuts @anginoguera @thatkinkylesgirl1 @stitchattacks @honeypillowsblog @kaloafd @blackhoodlea @softtina @wallace02sblog @tetgod @hotd-fanfic @rxscpctals @iramagnus

[earth616variant]

hide and seek | steve rogers ; 3

summary | You had a history of playing this game. Steve looks back as he waits on the other side of the door.

words | 5.1k+

genres | angst, fluff, e2l

pairing | steve rogers x agent!reader

warnings | mentions of blood

note | this was supposed to be part of the final chapter but I unintentionally wrote it too long and I felt like there will be a lot of things happening if I add this there. Don't worry, the finale will immediately follow. For now, here is a not-so-little back story on how they met.

main masterlist | series masterlist

“Doll, Y/N…” he called out softly. He heard a muffled sob and he knew that you are crying not because of that sudden headache. It took a few more knocks and calls before you answered.

“Please, leave me alone, Steve.”

It breaks his heart to hear your broken voice as you pushed him away again. But he would never get tired no matter how hard you try to hide your real emotions from him. This isn’t the first time you hid from him. If he have to beg for you to show yourself, he would. 

“Please talk to me. I’m here, sweetheart.”

Louder sobs followed from the other side of the door. He rested his hand on your door, looking down at his feet. This is torture. As much as he wanted to talk to you last night and clarify his plans after returning the stones, he still wanted to wait for you. He is draining any remaining patience he has in him because he knows how badly you two need to speak. 

With you hiding or running away every time he tried to reach for you, it reminded him of how you arrived and disappeared from everyone’s lives before. 

“She is a newly hired agent, employed specifically by me. Agent Y/N will be working closely in the IT unit.”

Steve crossed his arms as Fury introduced you to everyone in the room, The Avengers. Except for Thor, he was in Asgard. You don’t seem intimidated though since your face has a neutral look. Your eyes were impassive. At first glance, you looked like a simple lady who goes to her eight-to-five office job. You wore a plain, white blouse and a black pencil skirt, matching your low-heeled pumps. Natasha had the same pose as Steve, but she seemed proud as she looks at you. Clint, who was next to her, offered you a single nod. Bruce gave you a short, polite smile. Tony was the first one to say something.

“Just because I told you I’m taking a break, you’re hiring a new girl for the tech?” he seemed offended as he talked to Fury. He, then, turned to you,  “Can you go out for a sec–”

“I don’t think you would want me to leave after letting me in in your highly secured building,” you spoke nonchalantly while looking around.

Fury smirked, “Y/N has very sharp memory skills and is a master hacker. Also, she has been trained as a martial artist ever since she was eight. She used to work as a spy and marksman for various groups and organizations.”

“Who were you working for before?” Bruce asked.

Instead of answering the question immediately, you turned your head to Nick. He gave you a single nod.

“I worked for a lot of people. I don’t really know most of them since the higher-ups just give me assignments. I was required to follow with no complaints or else…” your voice trailed off. Everyone in the room could see your eyes getting lost for a second before you sighed heavily. 

Steve later learned that Natasha was originally the one who brought you to SHIELD. It was Natasha's solo mission to take down the training program you were in. Out of almost fifty people in that program, you were the most proficient and definitely the only one who almost defeated the Black Widow herself. She talked you into coming with her while having an intense one-on-one battle with you.

 

“We were both already bloody by the time I took her to the jet.” Natasha quipped. “She later revealed that she was also the one messing up with my comms when I got into their location.”

Before you are officially recruited, you went through tests and interviews with Fury and Maria. You refused to answer without Natasha's presence. Like she was your lawyer or something. But at that moment, she was the only person you trust from SHIELD. You can feel her genuine empathy and honesty to you when she also shared how she got into SHIELD.

Just from hearing stories from Natasha, Steve can tell that you are highly skilled in what you do. But he cannot help to be curious about the sudden recruitment of you. SHIELD already has its practiced IT department, why hire a new one? It became more suspicious when you were separated from other IT specialists in the organization. You have your office on Fury’s floor in the SHIELD headquarters in Washington. In your first weeks, you worked in the office. A month after your arrival, you were assigned to join Steve and Natasha to retake the Lemurian Star that was hijacked by pirates.

“Why is she joining us?” Steve asked Natasha while they waited for you to finish your briefings with Fury. “Isn’t she supposed to be with Fury all the time?”

“She is not his assistant, Rogers. She’s also an agent.” she reminded him, rolling her eyes.

Steve didn’t say anything more. You later joined them in the debriefing with STRIKE while on the quinjet. Steve noticed how quiet you were. You didn’t ask any questions but you seemed focused and ready for the task. You simply nodded when he assigned you to your spot. Steve jumped off the aircraft first. 

Minutes later, he was asking for everyone’s update in the comms. You were the only one not responding if you were in your spot. Just when Steve smashed Batroc into one of the rooms, he sees you pulling out a flash drive from the computer. Your unbothered eyes met his. His eyebrows scrunched together. He was about to say something but the pirate threw a grenade in your direction as he escaped. With your shared coordination, you two jumped to another room. Both you and Steve tried to catch your breath as you two ran for miles.

“Let’s go back to the jet,” you whispered almost breathless. You stood up and walked away, leaving Steve more confused.

“It’s weird to stare.” 

Steve automatically moved his gaze away from you. You two are now in a smaller aircraft SHIELD sent out on the way back to the headquarters. Natasha is with STRIKE and other hostages on the other quinjet. There was an apparent air between you two as you sat in front of each other. You put your leg on top of the other as you continue, 

“You know, if you have questions, you can just ask.”

Steve didn’t hold back and went straight to what he was curious on, “What were you doing with that flash drive?”

“I was getting some files,” you replied matter-of-factly.

“What files? Why?”

“That was my mission.”

“Our mission is to rescue hostages,” Steve stated. He is too annoyed to notice you only answered one of his questions. 

You shook your head, “No, that’s your mission, Captain. I have mine.”

The jet was landing already but you and Steve continued talking.

“You almost jeopardized the whole operation.” he hissed.

“How so?” You raised an eyebrow. “The mission was done well, right? No one really died or got hurt except for the pirates. I retrieved the files I was asked to get while you saved the hostages. I don’t really see any jeopardization there, Cap.” 

You are too composed that Steve can feel his blood boiling from your headstrong attitude, “What are those files for anyway?”

“Eh, none of your business,” you answered cheekily, standing up from your seat.

“Did Natasha even know about this?!”

He did not receive the answer as you strolled out of the jet. Almost half an hour later, Steve marched into Fury’s office later that day, still wearing his stealth suit. Just when he was walking in the hallway to his door, you were walking out of the said office. His jaw clenched when you greeted him with a sarcastic smile,

“Oh, hey, Captain.”

He ignored you, looking ahead. As soon as he entered the room, Steve expressed his dismay and frustration to the director, who was quick to defend you from him. 

“Agent Y/N had a different mission than yours.”

“Which you didn't feel obliged to share.” Steve interjected, “I can't lead a mission when the people I'm leading have missions of their own.”

To gain his trust again, Fury showed him the plans for Project Insight. It didn’t last long since Steve decided to leave before another argument began. He was a few seconds in the elevator when the door opened, revealing you. You now wore a more casual outfit than the one you wore on the mission. Jeans, a striped shirt, and a denim jacket. You also have glasses. It was a new look of yours that he sees since you often wore normal office clothes. There were seconds of silence, only the sound of you opening a lollipop wrapper can be heard. Steve pursed his lips before asking,

“So, the data are for Nick?” You remained quiet and he took it as a silent answer for yes. “

“Look,” you took the candy from your mouth and turned your head to Steve.  “I understand that you don’t really trust me since I suddenly showed up here. I don’t trust you either, okay? You don’t have to waste your time speculating about me and my presence around you. I swear, if you’re going to search my name on Google again, I’m gonna put the worst virus in your phone and computer.”

Blood came rushing to his cheeks and ears. He did search for your name on the Internet. It was a dumb move but he was itching to have any kind of information about the people you worked for.

You proceeded, “I’m just here to do my job to Fury. Not to SHIELD. He needed my skills, I needed to pay for things I’ve done before. Once I cleaned off some dirt on my name to him, I’ll get off this organization.”

“You’re leaving?”

He didn’t mean to sound disappointed but he was obviously surprised. You eyed him like you did not expect him to have such a reaction. You two were in the middle of your exchanged glances when the elevator let out a sound, signaling that you have reached the ground floor. You were the one who broke the exchange, walking out.

“Goodbye, Cap.”

With your stuffed backpack and tied-up hair, you walked farther away. That was the last time Steve saw you. Then, a lot of things happened. A day after that last interaction with you, Fury was shot in Steve’s apartment, where he take possession of the same flash drive you had. Natasha helped him in finding out what was in it. When he asked her about you during a drive to New Jersey, she said that you don’t really plan on staying to be a SHIELD agent or maybe an Avenger.

“She’s probably soul-searching somewhere.” Natasha blurted out, staring out the car window. “That girl has been through shit. The training program she was in almost worked in the same way as the Red Room. She should be living her life the way she wants.”

They discovered later that SHIELD was infiltrated by HYDRA. While in Sam’s place, he wondered if you knew about it. Maybe that was your secret mission to the director. More events happened. He saw Bucky once again. Fury was shown to be alive, aided by Maria Hill. He half-expected that you were with them in their secret facility but you were not. They took down SHIELD and the group’s hidden files were leaked by Natasha to the Internet. Your information is, of course, nowhere there. It was like you made sure that you will never be found by anyone again.

More years and events passed. Ultron happened.  You still passed by Steve’s mind every once in a while. The Sokovia Accords and Avengers split happened. He was too busy that he finally got you out of his head. After laying low, Natasha helped Steve in getting the imprisoned Avengers in the Raft. He had no idea where to go. But fortunately, Natasha says she knows a place where they can stay.

“She…is alive.”

Steve watched you quietly as you socialize with Wanda and Sam. For the first time in years, he saw you again. You welcomed their team into your isolated farm in a foreign country, offering them more comfortable lodging and meals. He was surprised to see you go out of the house when Natasha was landing the quinjet. You still wore the same plain expression on your face but he can see from your eyes that you were more at peace.

“Of course, she is. She just left the country and lived a different life.” Natasha chuckled, sitting beside Steve. “You knew she is alive, right?”

“I did… I guess. But seeing her again after a long time is like a confirmation.”

In their first few days, you and Steve didn’t really interact. You have a large homestead farm, he can see how you can manage living by yourself. He’s been wanting to talk to you. He was unsure why but he knows he wants to apologize. 

“Be patient with her. She doesn’t really talk much about herself to new people unless needed.” Natasha once told him.

“I’m no stranger to her. We worked together before.” Steve spoke defensively.

Natasha clicked her tongue, “Please. In the whole two months she was in SHIELD, you never personally introduce yourself to her.”

Before Steve can get lost in looking back on the time he met you, she spoke again, “If you really want to talk to her, you can try. Just try and have patience.”

Two weeks exactly after they arrived at your place, Steve asked if he can come with you when you were leaving the house to work around your farm. You scanned your eyes from his head to toe before looking back at him again, “Okay.”

“I’m just picking fruits today. So, there’s nothing really much to do.” you shared.

The weather was perfect. The morning sun was kind enough to not be too hot for your skin. You two strolled far away to the house. You seemed more comfortable this time as you were humming some melody like a little kid. Steve’s heart warms seeing that you seemed better than the time you got recruited.

“I really appreciate you letting us stay here for a while, Y/N.” he began, making you pause. “And I want to apologize for being too cynical of you before.”

“It’s fine. I understand,” you replied, not turning around to properly talked to him and just continued walking to one of the trees. “I was someone who have a bad record and worked for wicked people. I wouldn’t trust me either if I were you.”

Steve cannot see your face but the emotion in your voice speaks a lot. It was clear as the blue sky that you still carry the burden of whatever happened in your past.

“It’s not your fault,” Steve spoke softly.

Finally, you turned around, instantly meeting his eyes with a melancholy smile, “I know. But, I still did it. My hands will forever be stained by all the things I’ve done… ”

He can see your eyes turning glossy before you blinked and looked away. You were quick to shake off any threatening tears that could show your weakness. Suddenly, you opened your arms, presenting the tree next to you with a grin.

“Here is my favorite tree in the whole yard!” 

Steve would be lying if he say that he didn’t find it amazing how fast you can change your expressions, almost believable. But he didn’t talk about it. He lets it pass since you seemed pretty excited telling him about the fruits. He didn’t know how long he helped you pick out various fruits such as apples, peaches, and a few oranges. But he didn’t notice that the basket he was holding was full until you pointed it out and told him that you two should wander back to the house.

“How did you have this farm by the way? If you don’t mind me asking.” Steve inquired carefully.

“An old couple sold it to me for a low price. I paid them with the money I got from Nick after doing that job for him. At first, I was aiming for the couple’s house only since I loved how secluded it is. Then, they told me that this farm is included, which was amazing since it can help me avoid driving away to the city every other day for food. So yeah, I bought it.” 

Steve thought that that will be the longest dialogue you would ever say to him. But as every day went by, you got more relaxed in telling him about yourself. You two bonded over early morning coffee chats and picking fruits. And yes, Steve introduced himself to you, letting you know that you can call him by his name. You introduced yourself too with slight mocking:

“Okay, Steve. I’m Y/N. Don’t worry, that’s my real name. Google won’t give you any other name of mine.”

You love waking up early to see the ravishing sunrise while Steve sometimes struggles to fall asleep as he thinks about Bucky in Wakanda and the aftermath of the accords. So, most of the time, the other Avengers in your house will see you two in the morning sitting on the top steps of your front porch with two cups in between.

“Wanda said she’s planning to go with Vision,” Steve confessed in one of your mornings.

You don’t seem surprised as you continued to look ahead and take a sip from your cup, “Yeah, I know. They’ll be staying in Europe.”

“Do you think it will be safe for them?” he expressed his worry with that question.

“He’s an android robot made of vibranium. She can move things with her mind. Steve, I think they are going to survive.” you grinned. But Captain America seemed too serious and concerned with his friend, so you turned in his direction, “Look, they’re going to be fine.  Wanda and Vision are a literal power couple. I don’t think they will let anyone hurt or even lay a finger on them. And based on what Natasha told me, she can see Wanda still evolving her power. I cannot imagine what more she can do when someone hurt anyone she loves. And I know you guys will always come to them if they ever needed help.”

You two sounded like parents who are having a conversation about letting their daughter go live independently. Steve nods at everything you said. Maybe he’s just overthinking things. 

“Whatever you are feeling, it’s fine. You are their leader and you are just concerned about your members.” 

That was the first time he felt your hand over him, giving it a soft squeeze. He saw you doing it to Natasha once when you two were talking alone in the kitchen. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop but it was time Natasha was talking about her sister. You also gave her comfort through your words just like how you did with him now. Other than being a spy or hacker, Steve learned that you were a great friend to everyone too. You and Sam get together well and you can ride along his jokes. With Wanda, you enjoy cooking and watching something on your television. You even prepared an impromptu going away dinner for her before she leaves with Vision. You are like a shapeshifter who can easily get along with everyone.

“Yeah, I definitely became a shapeshifter at one point.” you joked one time. You were getting cozy in one of your cool early mornings with him. You were wearing a white cardigan over your grey nightgown. “By the time Natasha leaked all of SHIELD’s files, I was already out of the United States. I am always ready. I have fake passports and identification cards for different purposes before. I erased all of my information from SHIELD before I left, I knew the government will be after me if I didn’t.”

“Where did you go?”

“I moved from one country to another. It’s fun, you know? Trying out different names and identities. It’s like playing hide and seek.” you shrugged. “Unbeknownst to me, Natasha and Clint were both tracking me down after Ultron happened. They thought they can ask me to join you, guys to avoid such tech issues again. But after what happened to SHIELD, one of the highly-secured organizations before, I don’t think I would want to join any kind of group.”

Steve nodded, “Yeah, it’s hard to trust again after that.”

“That’s why you didn’t sign the accords,” you mumbled like it was a fact.

He didn’t answer but you both know that it was the truth. You two let the silence slip at the moment, only watching the far sky. It was like a painter’s work of art. The rising sun painted the sky with captivating, calming shades of orange, yellow, and pink. Steve tilted his head in your direction when he heard you slowly let out a shaky breath. A single tear rolled down your cheek, making him concerned.

“Are you okay?”

You chuckled, wiping your eyes with the sleeves of your cardigan, “I just love the colors so much.”

You met his furrowed brow gaze. You tried to smile but your lips trembled, “T-This is my fourth year out of that horrible training program. Thanks to Natasha.”

Steve smiled as he was happy with that. You sounded proud and he wanted to maybe greet you for this achievement. But your tears don’t look like from joy, it seems painful.

“Also the same day my mom was shot dead in front of me and I don’t know what to feel about it,” you admitted, sounding more defeated. “I never really got to cry about her death since I was brought to the program right away and we were not allowed to feel anything there. We cannot laugh, cry, or even hum anything. We will be punished if we don’t follow. That… that really sucks.”

You chuckled, one of your many ways to cope. Steve watched you with sympathy. 

“Yet I got away. I’m here.” you wept. But tears kept coming in. “But with all the immoral things I’ve done as a spy, I don’t know if I deserve to be here or feel happy at all. I don’t know.”

It’s not your fault, Steve wanted to remind you again. But you continued, “And I usually spend my days alone. I always try to work around here to distract myself from any kind of emotion. But now, to sit here in peace with someone, in front of this sunrise, my feelings are really all over the place and I feel unworthy of it.”

Gently pushing the coffee cups aside, Steve scooted closer to you. He wrapped an arm around your slumped shoulders. He lets you cry to his shoulder, damping that part of his shirt.

“I know I should feel happy for escaping hell. But my heart hurts so much.”

For the first time in years, you admitted what you have been feeling inside. You never told everyone about it before. Steve is very much aware that you just shared the most intimate confession you had and he appreciates you trusting him with it. 

Two, three, or four minutes flew by, Steve is still holding you to his shoulders and you were calming down. He felt you lifting your head.

Your chest still heaves from your sobs when you spoke, “I-I’m sorry about that. I probably got carried away–”

You stopped when Steve shakes his head side by side slowly, “No, it’s fine. You don’t have to be sorry for everything. It’s okay for you to feel emotions. You’re a person and everything you are feeling right now is valid. You can express whatever you want. Laugh. Cry. Sing whatever song you want. You’re free. No one’s going to hurt you now.”

The moment he said that last sentence, he read the relief showing from your glistened eyes. Your shoulders were shaking when you cried harder. You turned your head down, hiding your face. Steve’s hands carefully reached down to your cheeks. His thumbs softly swiped the trickling tears.

“Feel free to take your time processing your emotions. You can cry for now but you don’t have to carry it with you all the time. And you will never be alone now. You accepted this group of war criminals in your home, so we will stay with you forever. You have no choice.” he tried to lighten up the mood and he grinned when he heard your lips letting out a giggle. “Natasha is here. I’m here. You can come to me, okay?”

You nodded wordlessly against his palms. Steve smiled and you did too, showing more ease than earlier. You looked back at the sky, and he mirrored. The sun is about to shine bright with the white clouds any time now. The mix of colors is almost gone. 

“Everything you said meant a lot. Thank you, Steve,” you murmured. Your eyes are beginning to puff and get weary from that bucket of tears you poured out. You opened your arms and you two shared the warmest bear hug. 

“Thank you for opening up to me, sweetheart,” he replied before planting a kiss on your hair.

That moment unquestionably got you two closer. Your two other housemates, Natasha and Sam, were not shy about showing you two that they noticed it. They would sometimes tease you about it. But you two shook it off.

“Y/N, this is obviously favoritism.” Sam accused you.

Steve and Sam were playing scrabble. Natasha was keeping scores while you check their words in your hefty dictionary book, also given to you by the old owners of the farm.

“No, it’s not, Mr. Wilson. The word was here in my handy dictionary. It’s acceptable.”

The Falcon rolled his eyes, “No one uses flapjack in a sentence anymore.”

“You just did.” you teased him.

Both Natasha and Steve chortled. Sam gaped his mouth open, dramatically reacting.

That’s how their first four months happened in staying in your house. Steve almost forgot that they were just laying low. They still have to be alert to every danger that comes to Earth. Of course, with your tech skills, you still helped them with getting information and making useful gadgets for them with limited resources. Steve was thankful that you lend your skills in tracking growing harmful groups in different countries.

“Can I join you guys?”

Steve paused from fixing his boots when you suddenly barged into his room with a single question. It was unexpected. Earlier that day, Wanda, who’s currently in Scotland, sent out a message to you about Vision’s mind stone. Something strange was going on with it. Steve, Natasha, and Sam immediately planned to go to them as soon as possible. 

“Are you sure, doll?” 

Steve stood from the edge of his bed and walked to you. It has been two years since they came to your quiet farm and they’ve done a lot of missions with your assistance for their techs. But you never volunteered for going on missions.

“I am. I feel like I’m ready and I can help. I will be a great backup.” you insisted. Steve knows something’s going on in your head to make you have a decision like this. He seemed to be thinking deeply, so you added, “I can feel that this is a big mission, Steve. I don’t think I can just sit and wait for you three to come back here. I really want to go this time.”

Steve stared at you even longer. He knows that you are fit for joining them, you are one of the most competent persons he has ever known. But he doesn’t want you to be placed in any dangerous situation. It was like after knowing for a couple of years, all he wants is to keep you protected in this private land you own. But with your strong-willed attitude, he knows he can’t. 

“Steve, you know that I will still go with you even if you say no, right?” you calmly asked.

“Then why are you still asking me this?”

You gulped, stiffened your posture, “Because… I want you to know that I trust you and you are important to me. Even if I won’t follow you if you’ll say no, you are important to me.”

With how quiet the whole room became, he can hear the heavy beats of your heart. He knew, by the rhythm of it, that it was almost identical to his own heartbeats every time he sees you at the start of his day.

“I know you are already Captain America but I want to be with you in all of your battles. I want to fight next to you than to stay here, wondering how are you.  I want to protect you. So I can make sure that I will still see you at the end of the day. I want to make sure that I will hear your voice calling me whatever nicknames you like because I love it. I love it and all the other things you do for me. The simple meals, the walk to the trees,  the coffee sessions in front of sunrise, and all the hundreds of kisses you left on my hair, forehead, cheeks, and nose. All of them. And sometimes, I wish you just–”

Absolutely caught off guard, Steve pulled your waist closer to him and placed his lips on yours. You didn’t react at first but you kissed him back. And at that moment, he cannot think of anything else except you. Your charming smile, your hearty laugh, and the humming of your voice every time you two walked outside to pick fruits. He suddenly felt your fingertips combing through his growing hair. He gasped when you slightly pulled his hair. But before the kiss could deepen, you pulled away.

“Your beard tickles,” you murmured, making Steve laugh. “But I like it. You looked really good with it.”

Instead of responding, Steve just peppered your face with kisses.

“Okay, I’ll take that as a ‘Yes, you can go with us’.” you giggled.

Steve raised a brow, “It means to say ‘I love you’. But yeah, sure, come with us.”

You squealed and ran out of the room to prepare. Steve grinned seeing you so excited. But then, you come back, poking your head to his open door.

“Oh, and I love you too.”

Steve already played this game with you before. Now, he is willing to wait. But it’s hard when it feels like you’ve been pushing him farther and farther away.

additional a/n: whoo! that was my longest writing. i'm really sorry it took me long to update. I'll be posting the final/next chapter of this series before posting for my other works. that's all. thank you for reading<3

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[butterbabyflapjack]

ch. 4

Warning Tags (⚠️): darkfic, canon-typical violence, obsessive behavior, possessive behavior, stalking, blood and injury, bondage, bloodplay, manipulation, yandere, kidnapping, b&e, let’s hope the cops find you, knifeplay, choking, predatory behavior, coerced and non-consensual explicit sexual content, forced oral sex, throat fucking, banter, dub-con / non-con, death threats, rough sex, teasing, glove kink, mask kink, Ghostface is a funny silly murder man, Oh yeah and he wants to fucking kill you, jealous Danny, dead dove: do not eat

You’ve been kidnapped by some sick fuck in a mask who goes by Ghostface. Tied with a pretty little bow and strung upside-down in a place you don’t recognize; where your newest, psychotic bestie intends to have oodles of bloody fun with you.

And as far as toxic obsessions go, you unfortunately may be more than just some random fling.

Wherein you slowly unravel Danny, and he slowly unravels you.

The flash of a camera awakes you; singes through your eyelids and forces you to wince your eyes open, one hazy blink at a time.

“Morning, sweetheart.”

Danny Johnson x fem!reader

NOW PLAYING >> CHAPTER FOUR , total run-time: 2640 words

>> theatre one : tumblr chapter directory

>> theatre two : ao3

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Author's Note: Thank you samsaur, Camayi, ghostie, Galactic_Spectre and oOSapphicsAndStilettosOo for fueling me with your comments! ♡ And thank you Tawus for betaing!

For a few, endless moments, you simply stare. Submerged in disconcertment. Gaze torn between your captor’s red sneaker palmed in a gloved hand, ribbons of pasta leaked over its edges, that messenger bag he’s brought with him, and the only slice of face you’ve ever actually seen him wear – the tip of his nose, his wetly smirking lips, that sculpted jawline he now presents to you. All half hidden by a veil like shadow; of onyx fabric strewn beneath his mask. The shroud of it still concealing most of him, resting on the bridge of his nose, while his ghost’s face is pulled up and angled sideways upon his brow, not to interfere with his messy eating.

You stare, and you feel his amusement sinking into you. See his mouth twitch in restraining a broadening smile. Though as your fractured attention darts about his details, you can’t seem to resist the seemingly magnetic pull of the camera stationed atop the chipped-wood desk, sitting right across the room from you. Its little red dot drawing you toward it; glowing just beside where the man with half a face stands regarding you; making you stare at it instead of him. Your worry like a tide, lashing at your insides as you can’t stop fretting over whether or not that thing’s providing him a live feed. Whether he was just watching you on whatever screen its recording sends to; watching you wiggling about, attempting to free yourself. Stressing over whether or not that’s the reason he’s here right now. To stop you. To negate whatever shoddy progress you’ve already made.

And though you’d like to keep such concerns from him, just as you’d like to keep everything you can from that bastard, you’re apparently a whole lot easier to read than you think. For, unfortunately, your captor’s eyes seem to follow your own, trailing to that glowing red dot beside him. His head tilting sidelong as his lips weigh a slowly furrowed frown.

A spike of apprehension sends your heart rate skipping against your ribs, though the man with the ghostface says not a word. The silence stretching between you.

“Don’t tell me you’re camera shy,” is his eventual brood, and he sounds casual enough; tossing that thoughtful little frown at you. 

“I’ve been a bit too busy to keep proper tabs on you lately,” he admits, before immediately brushing your supposed concerns away, “I know, I know, I really need to make more time for us – but there’s a lot of moving parts here, sweetness. Many plates that need to keep on spinning if I’m to keep them from our way.” Even as he speaks of romance, larking on the trivialities of lovers, suspicion oozes off him like a sludge. And for a moment more, you cannot seem to speak, as for a moment more the silence shrouds him.

“You wouldn’t try to take advantage of these moments alone I’ve lent you,” he wonders through the hush, too honed to be harmless, “would you, sugarbear?” There’s a tempest in his voice as his wonderings continue, though he speaks so softly you almost don’t decipher it. “You wouldn’t try anything stupid, right..?”

You’re already shaking your head before he’s even finished speaking.

“No!” you decry at once, more shakily than you mean to. “No, I’m…” 

You’re really not sure where you’re going with this, of what he wants to hear, of what will benefit you most. Though hazes of some rashly concocted plan whisper with a ploy to distract him, to possibly divert him from discovering the only plan of escape you really have, dismal though it may be. And you give into it without fully thinking, other than the faintest hairbrained: Fuck, am I going to regret this..?

“I…” nervously, you clear your throat, “missed you, too.”

You don’t sound like you mean it. You don’t, even though you tried. The words waver like pitiful leaves barely clinging to life, and after studying you a moment longer, your captor chuckles lowly to himself.

“It’s almost adorable how pathetic you are,” he muses, and you fight not to grimace. “I think maybe the only honest reaction you’ve given me was when you were hanging from that meat hook. And lucky for me, it’s all on tape for repeat viewings.” Mirth skates across his lips again. “And speaking of which–” 

Lifting his grease-soaked sneaker up to his chin again, he stuffs an overlarge forkful of noodles into his mouth, speaking around chewing as he asks, “Last night was quite the opening act, wasn’t it? Full of intrigue, lust, surprises. And hot damn, baby, what surprises they were. You really outdid yourself.” His tone bites with sugar-coated condescension. “Was it as good for you as it was for me?”

Fear is a dull, ever-present ember around him – but beyond it you can no longer fight scowling, even as you do your best not to let his barbing sneak beneath your skin. Gingerly rolling your shoulders in some attempt to distract yourself, to shift the throbbing pain of being wrenched back away from them. And maybe you should keep trying not to piss him off, to play into whatever the hell his game is, because appeasing him seems the best possible route out of this hellscape he’s carved for you. But instead you hear yourself grumbling up at him, “Nothing – nothing you’ve done to me, in any way, resembles ‘good’.” 

You could stop there, and maybe you should, but you don’t. Your glower deepening. 

“The only ‘good’ thing you could do is let me out of here.”

Seemingly unperturbed, Ghostface forks in another mouthful of spaghetti, chewing and swallowing, before flashing you a devil’s smirk. 

“Why are you lying to me, sweetheart? I’m sick of you always playing hard to get.” 

“I’m not playing anything!” you interject with a snarl, aggravated by his ever-lurking sense of knowing you, of toying with you. Your forearms twisting against their bonds, the chain attached to them scraping angrily against the floor. “Let me fucking go!”

Well, so much for playing into his good side.

Not that he seems overly concerned by your hostility, nor your outburst.

“Hmmmm,” he lightly broods, considering, as if he’s actually weighing the pros and cons of setting you free. And for all you know, there’s a chance he actually is – the guy’s certifiably insane – though the more desperately you cling to hope, the more you seriously doubt he’s doing anything more than leading you on.

Your naked legs curl in tighter against yourself, ankles dragging against the floor as if recoiling from him, as lazily he strolls further into the room, drawing slowly toward you. Carelessly tossing his half-eaten shoe of spaghetti aside on his way, so that red-laced noodles strew across the floor. 

“St-stay away from me,” you stammer up at him, heels digging into concrete as if you could somehow push away, even though you aren’t going anywhere. You know that, and he knows that. Maybe that’s why he takes his time getting to you. So he can revel in the way you try, and fail, to flee him.

You can’t help but flinch back into the steel beam behind you as his boots scuff to a stop right in front of you, his height casting you in its shadow. With him sinking into a wide-legged crouch so swiftly you barely conceal a gasp of alarm; too perturbed to keep on glaring, as instead your eyes pop wide.

His perusal of you, like you’re some specimen in a cage, is far too close for comfort. His face mere inches from yours. His elbows lazed upon his widely jutting knees. And you watch as his lips curl, sharp and crooked; so hinged on the shape of them that when he lifts one finger to boop you on the nose you actually yelp like a startled kitten.

He chuckles at the strangled sound of it, like you’re so damn adorable. And then his short-and-sweet, sing-songed, “No,” accompanies a second boop and his lengthening smile, as gradually you remember how to scowl at him.

His nearness is suffocating, sucking the air from the room, breathing into it the foreboding of whatever his mercurial madness might do next. And your eyes fall, unwilling, to the hunting knife strapped to his dark-clad thigh, the memory of its kiss making your neck sting.

He could affectionately tap your nose again, just as easily as he could retrieve that blade and plunge it in your gut, and the reality of that makes your head swim with panic, makes it difficult to speak. So maybe that’s why you stammer, pleading in repetition like a broken record, “Let me–”

Only to be cut off by his grip, by one large hand swift as a lunging snake coiling mercilessly round your throat; a necklace of firm, gloved fingers cutting your words and windpipe short. 

You don’t have time to gasp, not that his grip leaves you able to, as he jerks you through that short distance keeping you from him, slamming his lips down into yours. Making a meal of the muffled sounds of your alarm; sighing into you like you’re a delicacy he’s ravenous for.

There’s zero restraint in the way his lips part yours, demanding in his compulsion to taste you. Kissing you like a man starved; wolfish, greedy, covetous for more, for all of you, for everything. His tongue plunged deeply in your mouth despite how you try to twist away from him, stroking hot and hungry against the aversion of yours. The heat of him drowning you; tangled, clashing, chasing after any attempt to flee.  

A trembled, gasping whimper escapes between your battling lips as you struggle to break free of him, which he licks into himself, thrumming with not quite a groan. And for whatever reason, the sound of it, the sound of him, sparks heat beneath your skin, beneath everywhere he touches. The smooth, firm caress of one of his hands charting possessively along the outside of one of your thighs trails fire in its wake; his need to feel you somehow feeding into a need to feel him. 

Your mind is clouded, filled with the leather-heady scent of him, but the second that realization tears through you it wriggles through whatever treacherous heat his touch and tongue inspires. Leaving you with barely enough clarity to remember that the bastard is filming this. That his hand is roaming closer and closer along your leg, flirting toward your decided lack of panties, and you’d rather fucking die than have him find that traitorous, pulsing heat between your thighs, that you might be getting wet for him. He tastes like goddamn spaghetti and you absolutely refuse to star in another of his perverse smut features. 

Your gasps for breath become whines of alarm, your desperation muted against him, though the fiercer you try stealing your mouth from his the harsher his fingers noose around your neck, threatening to collar you with bruises, making it harder and harder to breathe. Until at last you merely whimper against him, fingers twisting helplessly against the ropes behind your back, lips falling slack against resisting. 

He purrs at your submission. Savors the wet warmth you give him, the pieces of you he’s taken, before at last his kiss releases you.

He pulls back only far enough so that your mouths remain close, lips barely not touching. His breath, the memory of him, still warm upon your skin.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he murmurs, the hoarseness of it nearly a growl, “and I don’t want to hear you begging for anything unless you’re begging me for more. So shut the hell up.” 

His thumb teases pressure along the hollow of your throat, and with a rough tug he’s kissing you again, ruthless and possessing. Though as he licks inside your mouth some vicious instinct, like that of cornered prey, triggers from some dormant place inside you, with you biting down on his lower lip as sharply as you can, fierce enough to taste crimson.

Instantly he twists away, sucking back pain through gritted teeth.

“Little bitch–!”

There’s a certain satisfaction in watching him bleed. Of being the cause of it. But fear has you regretting sinking your teeth in him almost immediately, shrinking from how he might reciprocate. His hand tensing on your thigh as you sense a watchful wrath boiling beneath his surface the longer he stares, silent, seemingly restrained in what else he might do to you. 

You almost expect him to strangle you then and there. To slice you open. To bite you back. Any number of horrid, unthinkable things. Though the more he merely watches, his lack of retaliation, that bare constricting of his fingers round your throat – it’s all maybe even more disconcerting. The unknown, his unpredictability, grating against your mind.

As he watches, he tongues the wound you gave him, licking at the ruby brightness of it. The muscle of his jaw flexing; once, then again. Before, with predatory slowness, he’s smiling in subtle amusement again.

“Baby,” he breathes, grip squeezing round your throat until you’re forced to wince for him. “You’re kinky. If you wanted it rough, all you had to do was ask.”

He’s still smirking as he drags your lips into his again; ignoring your screamed, muted protests as his tongue forces its way inside. His hold on you punishing every failed attempt to writhe away, and soon lack of oxygen dots black stars across your vision, your eyelids fluttering weakly closed against them.

You think you’re going to suffocate. That maybe this is where you’ll drown. But, slowly, so slowly it almost goes unnoticed, his fierceness becomes less. His grip that’s surely left its mark ebbing in its violence, slipping up along your throat, loosely cradling the angle of your jaw; his thumb brushed across your earlobe. And it’s only when you realize it’s because you’ve started kissing him back – that his tongue has coaxed yours toward surrender, into tangling of its own accord with his, your mutual breaths tied thickly – that you truly start to panic, defiance making you nearly bite him again. Though, perhaps fortunately for you, his mouth releases yours before you’re actually able to do something so stupid again.

For a second, a single second that warps any form of reality you know, you almost whine at the loss of him.

You don’t. You fucking don’t; instead blinking in rapid-fire horror at even the thought of somehow longing for him. Though as you vehemently shove that absolute lack of longing from your head, visions of your body’s betrayal whilst he fucked your throat the night before swarm in to take their place.

Amidst your turmoil, those watchful, coyly smiling lips suggest the man before you knows what treachery hides inside, regardless of what you try to hide from him, of what you try to hide from yourself.

His fingers inch gently along the cusp of your jaw, and though you can’t see his eyes beneath the fabric draped beneath his mask, you sense his burning intensity, that gaze which stalks you, branding himself to your skin, studying his every effect on you.

His face angles closer just a touch, the bridge of his nose ghosting alongside yours, with your mind too strangled to question why you aren’t at least trying to pull away.

“You asked me what my name was,” he murmurs, the words felt on your lips, as softly he nuzzles further into you. 

You don’t manage to respond, swallowing coarsely in the attempt. Too tangled up to know what you’d even say. And you feel his thumb smooth down along the bobbing of your throat, savoring the feel of your struggle, of yourself trapped beneath him.

“My name’s Danny.”

.¸¸.•*¨*• ♡ outro ♡ •*¨*•.¸¸.

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

Author's Note: I love adding songs to each chapter and I always need moooooooore, so by all means please rec some! <3 

The way Danny’s mask looks when pulled up is inspired by this artwork, though I unfortunately can’t find who the artist is. If anyone knows please lemme know!

Also, although this entire story is planned out, there’s a few blank spots I thought might be fun to fill with some of your requests :) You can request something in a comment or in an anonymous ask

♡ ghostie playlist

[p0orbaby]

Omgggg can I pwease, pwease request for platonic Natasha x teen!reader based on song Janie's Got a Gun by Aerosmiths? Thank you, bub, ily and you're talented. 😌💜

a/n: this ended up a little darker than intended. Also i sort of veered off to mom!nat a little so I hope that’s alright?

warnings: murder, blood, guns, mentions of abuse but nothing specific

word count: 639

-

“Oh Y/N, what have you done?”

You barely heard the voice over the roaring in your ears.

You chose not to look away from the bloody scene in front of you. The need to confirm he was gone overtook any other thought in your head.

The grip on the gun in your hand tightened as you watched a trail of blood leave the wound on the man’s forehead. A large crater of your creation staring back at you. Perhaps if you looked close enough you’d be able to see through his head to the floor below.

The next second your vision was filled with a different type of red. Natasha. She was grabbing your face in an attempt to get you to snap out of whatever trance you were in.

The gun was ripped from your hand and thrown somewhere into the dark corners of the room. The clattering of metal against wood finally stopped the tuning in your ears.

You didn’t realise you were shaking until one of her hands left your face and steadied one of yours in hers.

She was warm. Calming as always. But even her grounding nature didn’t force your gaze from the mess you’d caused just moments ago.

“We need to get you out of here, dorogoy. Can you walk for me?”

You don’t remember leaving the house. Not that you cared. It was never a home to you. You were glad you were rid of it for good.

It wasn’t until you were being wrapped in a blanket that smelled like Natasha that you came to. You were in her room at the compound. A place that felt more like home than that place ever did.

“Is he gone?” You meekly asked. Quiet not from embarrassment, but from exhaustion. The energy it took to follow through was more than you’d expected.

“He’s gone” came the response from next to you, “the boys are going to take care of it”

Natasha knew you didn’t like people cleaning up the messes you made, but this was for the best. You needed to be kept away from that part of your life once and for all.

“I didn’t mean to. But he went to hurt me again and I saw the gun on the side. It happened so quick”

At the tightness in your voice, strong arms encased you in a hug. You buried your face in the crook of her neck and breathed in her scent.

Natasha wasn’t your family by blood. But she sure as hell was more family than the man that laid bloody and cold on the floor.

“He won’t ever hurt you again. You’re safe now”

“Am I going to go to prison?”

“No. Like I said, the boys are dealing with everything. You get to stay here with me until it’s all over”

You liked the sound of that. Natasha and you in the safety of the compound. It’s all you ever wanted.

“I’m glad he’s dead. He wasn’t much of a dad”

“I’m glad he’s dead too. I just wish you had let us sort it all”

“I’m sorry”

“Don’t be. He had what was coming to him”

Natasha noticed you stifle a yawn. You must've been tired.

“Why don’t we have a nap? When we wake up we can do whatever you want”

You hummed with content at her offer.

It didn’t take you long to fall asleep. Natasha was grateful for your swift journey into the unconscious. You being alright was the only thing she’s asked for.

All she wanted to do was protect you. As fast as you were growing up, you were really just a kid. And kids need family. That’s what she would be to you. Family.

And this time she won’t let anyone get in the way of keeping you together.

[emwritesstuff]

housesitting | bucky barnes x reader

summary: Housesitting for Steve Rogers has many perks. The man has the comfiest bed you’ve ever slept in; his coffee machine is top tier; and he also pays for every single streaming service you could think of, because he doesn’t wanna miss anything.

You can hardly see how Bucky Barnes stumbling into his apartment at 3 am with multiple wounds is one of them. But I guess it might be?

notes: this is my attempt at a more ~comedy centered one-shot, with some making out in the middle because uh, who doesn’t like that? In other news, reader is Chaotic. Canon mcu (Infinity War/Endgame) is non-existent in this.  (word count: 3K)

warnings: language, mentions of blood, gunshot wounds, general patching up shenanigans, some making out/grinding but not quite third base

[PART 2: breaking and entering]

Housesitting for Steve Rogers has many perks. The man has the comfiest bed you’ve ever slept in; his coffee machine is top tier; and he also pays for every single streaming service you could think of, because he doesn’t wanna miss anything. An old popsicle thing, you assume.

It’s peaceful, too. The neighborhood is nice and quiet, the other tenants are either extremely polite or too scared of Captain America to make much noise. You’ve had very nice stay-cations at his place, where you were free to choose to binge The Office while eating an entire pizza in the spam of 2 episodes or taking advantage of the quiet to write your grad-school thesis.

So when a loud BANG almost makes you drop your coffee mug on the floor, your spidey senses are immediately on alert. You don’t care how many times Peter insisted that it wasn’t a thing, your arm hairs stood up and your heart started hammering on your chest all the same.

You contemplate squeezing under the bed, turning off the show that was long abandoned and hiding until whatever it is goes away, but before you can do any of that, a string of sharp cursing and soft thumps and thuds snaps you out of your fear.

Maybe it’s a burglar. You could take a clumsy burglar, easy.

Now feeling like Tony had just welcomed you into the Avengers, you hop off Steve’s bed and let your baby Yoda socked feet carry you stealthily into the living room, holding a table lamp as if it was a baseball bat.

Everything is quiet, with no signs of forced entry at the door (you remember someone on Law and Order using those words), and in the dark you don’t notice the bloody trail coming from the kitchen.

You’re imagining things, then. When was the last time you slept? You don’t even feel tired, but you know sleep deprivation always gets you all kinds of crazy.

It happens the second your arm falls to your side and your posture shows the slight of relaxation. A strong arm around your neck and a hand against your mouth to muffle the screaming.

In the quiet of Steve’s apartment building, there is only you shrieking and howling and thrashing against the hold of a stranger.

“Don’t fuckin’ move.” You still.

And then you bite into the hand that is muting you, immediately regretting it when your teeth sink into something hard. Metal? Concrete? Ouch. You resume your resistance, determined, and is shoved away.

“Who the fuck are you?”

“Who the fuck are you.” His voice is gruff and dulled over the mask he is wearing, and as you’re taking this giant of a man in, you notice it.

The metal arm. The strapped leather jacket. The tortured blue eyes.

Winter Soldier.

The intruder is James “Bucky” Barnes, Steve’s best friend. That’s who the fuck it is.

“I’m Steve’s house sitter! I even have a key.” You say, with arms in front of you to signal no harm but inching closer to the table lamp with every step.

“House…sitter? Where’s Steve?”

“Who knows. Maybe a mission. He texts me, I come over.” You shrug, and put a chair back to where it was before it got knocked over.

“I don’t believe you. Where is Steve?”

“Listen, I don’t know, okay? I guess he’s just out for a few days. I don’t ask. He just lets me stay in here so I can water the plants and feed the Avengers.”

“The– the what?”

“The Avengers! The fish, see.” You point to the aquarium, where a handful of colorful fish swam peacefully in.

Peace. So much for your peace, because now what you have is a surly super soldier eyeing the fish tank like it was the most loathsome thing in the entire universe, except maybe for you.

“I hate this thing. Naming them makes it even worse.” He trudges back to the kitchen, stomping on the floor like he was on a parade.

So much for the other people’s peace, too.

“Hey! Sir. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s 3 in the fucking morning?” You sass, putting your hands on your hips when he retorts that yeah, he does know. “What are you even doing here?”

“Back from a mission.” He grumbles without looking at you, as if you’re the one who stumbled into his place in the middle of the night.

It wasn’t your place, but still.

“Don’t you have a house?” There’s a part of you that knows pushing the Winter Soldier’s buttons is asking for trouble, but your tired and confused brain decides to ignore it.

“You interrogating me? I need a motherfucking– ” He wheezes and nearly doubles over, holding on the door frame between the living room and the kitchen. You finally spot the blood, both on the tiles and seeping out of the Soldier’s jacket and pants.

He’s hurt. Shit.

“– first aid kit.”

“You need a motherfucking hospital!” You shrill, panic chilling your bones. You don’t do blood. Or any kind of wound, for that matter.

The man ignores you, opening up cabinets hastily. You huff, and walk past him to get to the actual home of the first aid kit. Steve’s oldest, closest friend and can’t even find a box with pharmaceutical supplies in his kitchen. You slam it on the counter next to him.

“You’re welcome.”

“Zip it.”

Just a look from him is enough to render you speechless, and not in the good, butterflies-in-your-stomach kind of way. You’re positive that one swat of that metal arm and you’ll be flying out of the window.

He begins by removing his mask, revealing a handsome face underneath, and you try your best to focus on how dark and menacing it looked while locked in that scowl of his. Then, he unbuckles his jacket and discards it on the floor, it coming to a stop next to your feet.

Oh man, he’s naked. Well, not really, just the incredibly toned, strong and muscular top half of him, but you stare wide-eyed as if he was.

“See somethin’ you like, doll?” He quips, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, and you turn your back to him, mostly to hide your own embarrassment.

“No.” You cross your arms resolutely, because you definitely don’t think he’s attractive. He is a rude, grumpy, private-property-invader-bastard. Doll. Yuck.

You hear a rumble come out of his chest. Is he laughing? Shithead. Other noises follow, wheezes, small grunts and the tinkle of metal on the marble counter.

A particular pained grunt makes you turn, and you see Barnes with his body twisted, trying to reach a bloody hole on his back. It would be funny if he wasn’t trying to poke a gunshot.

“Do you need… help?” You ask, against your own will, only to be met with his icy gaze.

“No.”

“Come on, you can’t even reach that.”

Another glare is shot your way, and you quirk your brow up. He did need the help, you think, because aside from the muscles and the sweat making him glisten like a delicious – wait what – glazed donut, the man looked like hell.

“…fine.” He slides a pair of surgical prongs, something you identify in your head as oversized tweezers, and you instantly regret your offer. Pressing an iodine-soaked cotton ball to a wound, sure. But not this.

He turns his back to you without a word, supporting himself on the marble. You think that he’s about to make a dent on the goddamn stone if he keeps holding onto it that hard.

“Ah, fuck. Shit. Fuck. Ugh, it’s so gross. Fuck.”

It’s the most horrifying thing you’ve ever done, but you try your best to get to the bullet quickly, so very thankful that Barnes holds himself perfectly still for you. “Got it!”

He lets out a long breath when you toss the prongs and the bullet on the counter with the rest and resumes his cleanup. So, he’s not even going to say thanks. Great.

You try not to think about how you still want to make conversation while you hurriedly scrub the blood from your hands, because aside from the hostility and him jumping on you as a meet-cute, the guy peeks your interest.

Steve has said Barnes is nice, too, and you believed Steve, because he’s basically incapable of lying. Or maybe because he’s pretty. Both, for sure.

With your hands now clean, you turn to him, mouth open with some kind of conversation starter that is immediately forgotten.

Oh man, he’s naked. For real this time.

Bucky Barnes has stepped out of his pants while you were overthinking by the sink, now standing in only a pair of black boxers. It’s like he feels you staring at his butt, because he turns to you with raised eyebrows.

“Last one’s on my thigh. I got it.” He’s holding the prongs this time, and you’re glad you don’t have to do anything, because your face next to that groin might make you go into spontaneous combustion.

“Yeah.”

He hums. You hope all of this is a fever dream.

“Isn’t there a med bay at–”

“Don’t like people prodding and pokin’ at me.” His comment makes you grimace. He’s the Winter Soldier, damn it. You know the stories, everyone does. Of course he doesn’t like being prodded.

He looks at you funny, probably because you went dead quiet. You don’t want him to think you feel pity, because you don’t, but god don’t you feel bad for poking him now, even if verbally.

“I’m gonna – grab one of Steve’s – uh. Dude you need to put some clothes on. Jesus.”

He laughs at you again, which you’re thankful for because anything is better than the awkwardness of the other subject. You pick up a black pair of sweatpants that was so deep in one of Steve’s drawers that you know he’d have to have bought it and never had the guts to put it on. This one would do just fine.

If there is one thing Steve Rogers isn’t, is a black sweats guy.

“Here.” You deposit the sweats and a white tee on the counter, one of the millions that you found inside the closet. Barnes was patching himself up now, bandages wrapped everywhere on his body.

Got his ass kicked good. You shudder when you imagine the state of the other guy.

He eyes the clothes, and saying nothing, returns to his task. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

“I didn’t ask you to help me.”

“Yeah, but I did anyways! ‘Cause I’m stupid, I guess.” You almost hurl a dirty plate at him when he scoffs, muttering a yeah, guess you are. “God, why are you so grumpy?”

“Well you try being shot 5 times and see how cheerful you are after.”

“You got shot 5 times?!”

Looking at you from between his brows, the Soldier nods to the five mangled bullets sitting on the counter. You think about how you’ve made yourself a sandwich just hours earlier on the exact same spot. You want to puke.

Taking time to look around yourself, you can finally grasp the state of Steve’s ever-so-pristine kitchen, now a mess of dirty clothes, blood and your own few dishes from the night before. You don’t even think about what you’re doing as you move, gathering every single cleaning supply you can find, and start working on the cleanup.

You’re struggling, because obviously you’ve never done this before. Anyone can tell, from your soft abdomen and your severe lack of muscle, that you’re not an Avenger. Sure, you work with them, but you’re usually neck deep into advanced tech, not in the gym by any means. Also, you don’t do blood.

That means you have to think about something else, anything else, while you’re manically cleaning the floor. One sheep, two sheep, three sheep, the Winter Soldier’s tight ass, four sheep, get it together goddamnit –

“Leave it. I’ll clean.”

You huff, he huffs back, and you look up at him.

“You got shot five times. Go sit down or something before you blow your back too, grandpa.” You call him that to assure yourself that he is old, like actually super old, and thirsting over him is weird. Even weirder when he’s all bandaged and bleeding. And still shirtless. Shit.

He mumbles something that you ignore, and stomps off. You think you actually did a pretty decent job with the cleaning, considering.

You need coffee. Definitely an entire bottle of vodka too, but there was no alcohol in this god’s good home, so you settle for the brew that you made earlier. You pour a mug for Barnes too, because you’re nice like that, and amble into the living room to find him slumped on a chair.

“Coffee?” You start, settling his mug on the table next to him.

“It’s almost 5 a.m.”

“Guess I’m up early for once. Maybe I should go for a run.”

He snorts, and opens one eye to inspect you from where he is. He reaches out for the coffee, using his metal hand, and you consider the two ways this could go.

He’d shatter the mug right then and there. Or, he’d throw it at you. Your jaw goes slack at what he actually does, sirens blaring loudly in your head. Truly astonishing, the most bewildering turn of events.

He drinks from it.

“Thanks. Quit staring at me.”

“Wow, Mr. Winter knows the magic words. Mr. Barnes. Sergeant?” You’re thinking aloud, abandoning any trace of sanity you’ve been holding. You even sit on the couch next to his armchair.

“It’s Bucky,”

Again, absolutely bewildering. You must be going insane.

“– and you talk too much.” He finishes, with an end-of-story tone, and returns to his rest. At least that felt like normality.

“Bucky. Bucky.” You roll the name on your tongue, feeling a weird buzz start to take over you. It grows stronger when you notice he’s looking at you, one brow quirked as if you lost your marbles. “You know, Bucky, this is definitely not how I saw my night going. Home invasion, playing surgeon – not my usual kind of fun.”

You get up, maybe because you decide that you – and Bucky – need a blanket, or maybe because you need a distraction from his chest going up and down like it’s got a business with making you want to touch it.

You’re not a slut, but who knows? Jim Halper would get it.

“You’re that kid, aren’t you? Stark’s assistant.” Bucky’s voice, low and husky, makes you jump. You look at him, your eyebrows furrowed slightly.

It’s surprising that he knows you, considering. He’s – well, he’s basically a celebrity, if ex-assassins could be considered that. You’re only Tony’s techie, and you and Bucky have never actually met, not even in the few parties you had attended to stop your boss from nagging you that you had to actually go out and have some fun sometimes, because you’re still young and cute and you need to enjoy yourself before you get saggy and bitter.

Jokes on him, you were born bitter.

“I’m no kid.”

“Nice socks.”

You wiggle your toes and it makes the ears of one of the baby Yodas move.

“Still not a kid! If you wanna be sad and wear your sad, plain socks, Bucky, that’s entirely your choice.” You said, pointing your index at him, making circles in the air with it to really get your point across.

Bucky smirks, and you go up to him with the two blankets on your arms. He’s blocking the door with that bulky body of his, and you raise your eyebrows quizzically.

“I’ll have you know – meeting Steve’s annoying, mouthy, pretty house sitter is not how I saw my night going either.” Bucky puts a doubtful tone on house sitter, as if he still doesn’t get exactly what it means.

You blink. You’re positive you heard it wrong. Is he… is this flirting?

“You think I’m pretty?”

“I called you annoying and mouthy too.”

“Yeah, I mean I know that much about me.” You chuckle, rolling your eyes. “The pretty part is new though.”

Bucky still hasn’t moved from the doorframe, and you find yourself staring up at him. He is inches away now, pupils blown wide in the darkness, and you can see a ring of steely blue around them. He licks his lips, and you’re drawn in.

The maelstrom in his eyes sends you spinning.

“I think someone should say you’re not see through, much less–”

Bucky shuts you up by pressing his lips onto yours, a slow, exploratory kiss, the tenderest he’s been all night. His metal hand rests on your lower back, making you shiver at the cool touch.

You’re all panting and eagerness when you cup his face with both hands and press your body against his. You need to deepen this kiss. You haven’t drooled over Bucky Barnes all night to keep things lovey-dovey.

He responds in earnest, pulling you closer. The flesh hand on the back of your neck is a stark contrast against the chill of the other. You and Bucky stumble from the corridor and back to the living room, knocking over a few of Steve’s decorations in the process.

“I don’t feel as bad for this one.” You mumble against his lips, stopping to look at a particular framed picture of Captain America in uniform, surrounded by every single counterfeit Cap in Times Square.

“S’ one of his favorites.”

You nod, you’re aware. Steve thinks it’s the most hilarious thing ever.

Bucky’s breath tickles the hairs on your neck when he continues.

“I hate it.”

“Yeah.”

You capture his lips again, and you two resume your chaotic redecorating. You’re thankful for Bucky’s strong arms keeping you from falling over, because at this point you’re not sure if your legs work anymore.

He takes you with him when he drops down on the same armchair from earlier, and the dizzy spell you find yourself in is broken when you hear him groan.

Right. He’s battered up and stuff.

“Shit, Bucky, I’m sorry–”

“No.” He pulls you close again, and guides your body to straddle one of his thighs. “Stay right here, doll.”

Doll. God-fucking-damnit.

His hand moves under the elastic band of your pants, oh my god you’re making out with Bucky-Hot-Piece-Of-Ass-Barnes in your wiener dog pajama bottoms, and finds the hem of your underwear. He pulls on it, and you yelp when he lets it snap against your side.

He laughs, and you vibrate along with his chest.

You find yourself grinding on his leg, sucking on his bottom lip, raking your nails along his shoulders, doing anything, everything for more, trying to burn the taste and the feel of him on your memory. He moves on to kiss your neck and you sigh, tugging on his hair and making sure you’re holding on for dear life.

Your eyes flutter open, enough to see the fish Avengers in their tank.

The Avengers.

Steve Rogers is an Avenger. So is Bucky, technically.

You’re making out with Bucky. One of his hands is on your boob.

This is Steve’s apartment.

You manage to sober you up enough, despite Bucky’s constant attacks of open mouth kisses and bites on your neck.

“I don’t think Steve would – if we–” You lift your head begrudgingly to look at him. “You know, on his armchair.”

“Right.” He didn’t seem convinced, but his hand moved up from your butt to your waist again.

Steve Rogers was probably miles away right now and still cockblocking you.

Even worse, his furniture was cockblocking you.

Stupid star-spangled IKEA shopper.

And his hot best friend. Who’s currently smiling at you in a such a way that makes you almost abandon all comradery towards Rogers and the sanctity of his place.

You debate getting up, but resign yourself to burying your nose in the crook of Bucky’s neck and just staying there, because honestly, when are you going to have the chance to do this again. Never, that’s when.

Also, he’s surprisingly comfortable for someone with a metal arm and such a jacked-up body.

“You’re sleepy.”

“No, I’m like, super awake.”

It’s a lie, because now that the sparks have flown and the rush of blood in your ears gave way to the quietness of the early morning, you feel yourself drifting, on and off, surprising yourself when you come to once and find that Bucky is still there, warm under you.

“Sleep, doll. I need it too.”

You shift, ready to let his rhythmic breathing lull you to sleep. The last 75 sleepless hours catch up with you.

“Bucky? If you want to break into someone’s house again sometime – I have a first aid kit too. Just sayin’.”

[hanmaenthusiast]

Always and Forever

“I like the sound of that Angel.”

inui x f!reader

warnings - mdni🔞, praise, mutual pining?, sofa sex, oral (female receiving), cunnilingus, unprotected sex, riding, body worship, creampie, basically vanilla smut, slight fluff, profanity, use of pet names such as angel and darling, one mention of blood.

synopsis - you and Inui had been living together for a while, one night he comes home wounded after being attacked at work, you have no choice but to help him out in one way or another.

a/n - this is my first post on tumblr & first time attempting smut! apologies for any mistakes, i’m hoping to write more in the future & get better at it lol, anyway the lack of inui on this app is killing me >:(

wc - 2,950

It was late, much later than usual. Seishu still hadn’t come home considering his shift finishes around 4 on a Saturday, you kept your gaze on the clock which continued to tick past 7pm. You found yourself worrying again, worrying about all the possibilities that could’ve happened to him. I mean it was normal to be this concerned, especially since your long term roommate was an ex gang member.

Once again you started pacing around the room, fingers etching to send another distressing ‘where are you?’ or ‘tell me you’re not dead’ text. Seishu’s stern words replayed in your mind ‘Stop worrying about me Y/N, focus on yourself for once’ as you remembered his constant lectures.

Finally gathering yourself together, a set of keys jamming into the front door caught your attention. Sprinting down the stairs your eyes glued onto Inui’s figure as he stood slightly hunched with a prominent bloody gash on his forehead.

“Seishu what the fuck?” you exclaimed, almost passing out at the sight in front of you. It was like you had premonitions about this scenario only seconds before he made his apperance.

“Agh, not so loud, my head is sore.” he groaned, running a hand through his hair after locking the door behind him. He shuffled his way into the room latching onto your arm for support.

“I can quite well see that, sit down over there i’ll clean you up.” you helped him over to the dining table, placing him down onto one of the wooden seats.

Inui told you what happened, how he was suddenly attacked by a group of presumed male gang members at the motor shop unbeknownst to why it played out. Your gut tightened at the story, afraid of any future encounters with them.

“Jesus, they got you good huh. You have to be more aware from now on, where was Draken hm? You better tell him i’ll-“

“Y/N.” Seishu let out a low sigh, he cut you off before you could finish your sentence.

His gemlike pearls fixed onto yours, exchanging a sombre look. You could tell he didn’t need to hear your berating.

“Sorry.” you muttered continuing to clean up his wound.

Ever since you met Inui, you stuck together like glue both having similar interests and mutual acquaintances made it easier to find a blossoming friendship. Of course, you felt a little more than friends towards Inui continuously expressing your feelings from early on.

“Y’know you’re super cute Seishu-“ you tilted your head, hovering it above his “no wonder there’s tons of people feening over you, me included.” you added, tracing a finger over his scar as he lay his head on your lap.

“Yeah? Same goes for you Y/N.” he replied with his tone full of sarcasm, according to him you were making a joke.

This continued for months, constantly sharing flirty remarks but never pursuing one another. Some people had their suspicions, Draken especially, always assuming you’re both in a secret relationship.

“Oi, Seishu your girlfriend’s outside.” Draken nodded towards the entrance of the shop, wiping his hands clean with a rag.

Inui exhaled followed with a roll of his eyes. “She’s just a friend Ken, i’ve told you this multiple times.”

“Seriously just a friend? That mean i have a chance ‘nupi?” Draken giggled, elbowing his colleague in the arm.

“Don’t you dare even try it.” Seishu warned him.

“There, all cleaned up. There’s some leftovers in the fridge too if you’re hungry.” you declared, but before you could retreat back to the sofa, a soft hand grasped you wrist.

“Thank you, genuinely Y/N. I hope you know i’m grateful for everything you do.”

His glossy eyes stared into yours as his sincere words spilled from his mouth. Seishu’s gaze left you with butterflies, a feeling of comfort you would admit, it was odd to see him so thankful seeing as you should be considered a burden to him for how often you seek his safety.

“I know you are, buuut all that praise will have my ego inflating, on another note it was kinda hot seeing your face all bloody.” you laughed kissing above his wound gently before finding a seat on the sofa.

Moments later Inui joined you, resting his head on your shoulder making use of the rest of the couch as he sprawled out his legs. Once he was settled, you both shared a mutual silence watching the TV.

...11:04pm

Your narrowing eyes scanned over your phone, squinting at it’s bright screen shining into your pupils as you attempted to read the time. ‘Shit, must’ve fell asleep.’ you concluded, shifting your weight onto your elbow as you propped up.

You noticed the familiar blondie sleeping tirelessly beside you, an arm positioned lazily over of your waist. Seishu was sound asleep, or so you thought, his ruffled hair tickling your cheeks as you found yourself laying back down facing towards him.

“So precious.” you whispered, lifting your palm gently onto his face as your thumb rubbed slow circles against his pale skin. This was probably the closest you and Seishu had been, cuddled together, bodies attached to one another seeing as the sofa wasn’t roomy enough.

“That feels nice.” Seishu whispered, his soft spoken voice breaking the silence. He brought his hand to yours, placing it on top as he matched your movements, fingers delicately tracing your skin.

“Oh- uhm, well it looks like we fell asleep, i hope you feel somewhat better after having a nap.” you croaked, suddenly feeling the heat rush to your face from embarrassment. Before you lingered around any longer, you sat upright as your back faced Seishu’s figure “I’ll let you rest a little longer-“

“No, stay.” he grabbed your wrist once again, restricting you from fleeing the scene. “Please…for me?” he pleaded, one arm resting on top of his forehead as the other hand was still wrapped around your wrist.

You hesitated, only for a second until you shortly gave into his innocent eyes face paired with a soppy look. “Anything for you Seishu.” you lay back down, again facing towards him on your side.

“Perfect.” he muttered a breathy whisper, a small smile formed on his face along with his emerald eyes flexing a lustrous stare. A dainty finger of his trailed across your cheek moving a strand of hair from your face.

You couldn’t help but feel embarrassed again, almost tongue-tied especially in this situation. You and Seishu were admittedly always close but never this intimate.

Once again the atmosphere grew silent but before you could mutter a word, Seishu let out a sigh. “You’re…perfect.” Inui murmured, just loud enough for you to hear.

“Seishu…” a soft exhale escaped your lips.

Inui’s hand found it’s way to your chin, gently lifting it upwards so you were eye level to him. “Can i kiss you, Y/N?” his thumb swiped a slow stripe along your lower lip.

You nodded in reply, discreetly trying to hide your inner enthusiasm as you closed your eyes allowing Inui to take the lead. Seishu’s lips planted a longed for soft-lipped peck against yours, gradually finding motion as he continued kissing your lips.

The thumping of your heart increased, focusing only on the rhythm of how soft and velvety Seishu’s lips felt against your own. His a hand gripped your waist, pulling you closer against him without breaking contact.

Your free hand grasped his blonde locks, running your fingers messily through his hair. Your lips begun to plump, meshing together with Seishu’s perfectly as he slipped his needy tongue into your mouth.

“You- don’t know…how long i’ve- wanted this.” his voice muttered between kisses, claiming your lips after every word. You felt yourself grinding ever so slightly against Inui’s thigh, hoping to release the friction caused by his tongue senselessly invading the depths of your mouth.

Faint whimpers escaped your lips as you continued to slowly rock yourself against Inui’s lower half. “Seishu~“ you panted quietly “N-need more.” your hand balled up his shirt, gripping onto it for support.

Inui’s hand which recently held onto your waist found itself sneakily travelling under your cami, fingers fumbling with the clasp of your bra. He made quick work of removing your shirt slowly followed by slipping off your undergarment.

“God, you’re gorgeous Y/N. So fucking gorgeous.” he admitted, lips tracing along the outline of your jaw as his eyes glistened at the sight of your naked breasts exposed in front of him. “Prettiest tits ever.” His soft hands ghosting over your breasts, thumb and pointer finger capturing one of your hardened nubs beginning to knead the flesh of your mounds.

Seishu slowed his pace, a small string of saliva connected your lips as he broke the kiss. “Tell me what you need angel. Although i must say, the rutting against my leg isn’t very discreet darling.” he joked letting out a small chuckle, eyes glancing down to your clothed needy cunt.

“Want you to…“ you struggled to express your needs, unable to finish your sentence as you buried your face into his chest out of embarrassment. “Don’t go all shy on me now angel, use your words for me okay?” Seishu placed a hand over your tight shorts, pads of his fingers rubbing against your clothed pussy as moved them up and down ever so slightly.

“Ngh! Want more of that, please Seishu.” you choked, almost begging on your knees asking him to please your throbbing cunt. Seishu made quick work of removing your lower garments, pulling down your shorts as he was met with your drenched panties.

“Look at that mess darling, you got this wet just for me?” he caressed your face again, helping you lay underneath him as he moved further down to your lower area, delicately peppering kisses along your stomach.

Inui’s hot breath fanned lightly over your clit “May i?” he questioned. “Yes Seishu.” you replied almost immediately, lifting your hips a little higher to allow easier access to your heat.

Inui’s hands spread your things, gripping onto them for support. His tongue licked a stripe between your folds, coating your cunt with his spit. “Mhm, just how i imagined.” Seishu continued to speak careless whispers into your cunt, his tongue twirling it’s way onto your throbbing clit ultimately forcing you to grind your hips on his face.

His tongue toyed with your bud, circling hearts as he pleasured your arousal. Inui slipped a finger into your entrance, slowly pushing it further before adding a second finger in to accommodate it. “Seishu! Fuck!” you cried out, moaning into you palm.

“Let me hear that voice of yours Y/N.” Inui encouraged you, his eyes staring from above your seeping cunt fingers pumping into you at an increasing speed. “Ngh! Seishu- i’m close!” your hand pushing his head further into your pussy.

Inui’s fingers padded against your sweet spot, curling in motion as he pumped them in and out of your cunt. His tongue continued licking your throbbing clit sucking onto it simultaneously. “Fuck, Y/N, gonna make me cum from that look on your face.” he moaned, fingers scissoring into you faster.

“Fuck~ Seishu- i’m-“ you were cut off by your own moans, legs shaking from the sudden orgasm as your wet slick spilled from your entrance. “Good girl.” Inui let out a hoarse whisper as he pulled his fingers out which glistened in the dim light covered from the tip of his finger to his knuckles in your own cum.

Inui stuck his digits into his mouth, sucking off every last drop of you. “You did so well for me angel, i’ve waited so long for this exact moment.” he exclaimed, hovering above your face before kissing you on the lips again.

“Seishu…i need more of you, right now.” you demanded, a hand palming the tent growing in his pants. Seishu picked you up, resulting in you straddling his lap on the sofa as he sat beneath you. You lifted your hips before quickly pulling down his shorts letting his cock immediately spring free.

Your eyes grew wide. You never expected Seishu to have such a pretty cock, nevermind larger than you’d have imagined. “Like what you see? Seem’s like you underestimated me darling.” he caressed your waist “Lift yourself up for a sec.” as he tapped the outer side of your thigh.

“Wait- wait…i’m on birth control.” you mentioned stopping Inui from getting a condom from the drawers. “You sure about this?” he smirked somewhat enjoying the fact he gets to fuck you raw the first time.

You nodded again, his tip begun toying against your wet folds before casually slipping the head into your dripping entrance. “Agh~ Fuck Seishu!” you let out a breathy moan, eventually taking the full length of his cock. “So tight, ngh- oh fuck.” Inui spoke, guttural whimpers releasing from the depths of his throat as he buried himself deep inside your cunt.

His hands gripped your ass, kneading the soft flesh as he pulled you gently down onto him. You both adjusted to the position, flashing Seishu a look of encouragement as he slowly started to bounce you on his cock, his hips slightly lifting along with yours.

“You like that yeah? Look at those pretty tits.” he mewled as he buried his face onto one of your exposed breasts, tongue ravaging your perky nipples. “Faster- please.” your hand finding its way to the back of his neck.

Inui bucked his hips into you, bouncing you faster onto his rock hard cock. The smacks of your ass echoed throughout the room as they collided with Seishu’s thighs, your tits bouncing along with every movement as Inui pounded further into your cunt. He quickened his pace again, this time you begun grinding faster matching with his speed in which your legs almost turned to jelly from the fastened movements.

“G’na cum so quick baby~.” you whined, dragging out his pet name whilst throwing your head back as he plowed into your pussy. The adrenaline mixed with arousal was too much, your eyes beginning to roll back from the way Seishu’s tip prodded against your g-spot like he was a miner digging for gold.

Seishu kept a firm grip on your ass, still pounding into you as he continued sucking on your tits giving each one equal attention. “Need- agh- your cum on my cock darling.” manoeuvring his hand to your pulsating clit as he thumbed your nub generously. “Yes ngh~ want you so bad Seishu, want your cum inside me.” you choked out, drawing out your moans from the stimulation his cock was causing as he abused your sex.

Inui flipped you over, cock still fucking your tight cunt as you lay on your back, legs wrapping around his waist. “I’ll fuckin’ give it to you Angel, fill- agh- you up with my cum real good.” he cooed, voice almost gravelly from his own moaning.

He smacked his hips against your ass, cock slipping from your hole a few times. “Wettest cunt I've had.” Inui quipped. “The only cunt you’ll ever have from now.” you sent another remark back. 

“I like the sound of that Angel.”

His fingers padded against your clit, vigorously rubbing against it paying close attention to the nub. “Shit- g’na cum gorgeous.” Inui let out another guttural moan “Let’s- cum together.” he ordered you, quickly intertwining your fingers with his as he took your hand. 

Seishu somehow gathered his stamina letting out a few final hard thrusts along with you bucking into him, your walls gradually spasming around his cock. “Agh- Fuck~” you simultaneously croaked, Inui came inside your cunt. Your wet slick spilled all over his cock along with your insides overflowing with Seishu’s seed.

A slow and steady pace allowed you to both ride out your highs, Seishu caressed your cheek removing your hair stuck to your face. “My god you’re gorgeous Y/N.” he pulled himself out, the mess inside leisurely spilling from your entrance.

“Hold on Angel, I'll clean you up.” Seishu grabbed a rag from the washroom, helping you gently as he tided the mess. He came back in his nightwear, seemingly grabbed a shirt that was his which he placed over your head, covering your exposed body just before he lay beside you on the sofa. 

Inui held you tight against him, wrapping his arms around your figure. He knew how to make you feel safe and extremely comfortable, only two of the things on your never ending list of praise for him.

After a short lived moment of silence, you exhaled out a tired sigh “Seishu...I think I lo-”

“I love you, Y/N.” 

You jolted. Almost speechless at his sudden confession, dumbfounded even, burying your face away from his vision once again “No fair, I was gonna say it first.” you complained, lightly pushing his chest. “I wanted to be the first to say it-” he reassured your complaints “I was just looking for the right time.”

“Crazy how it was after you fucked me, eh?” shooting a cheeky wink towards his face. “Yeah right it was a spur of the moment, you were about to say it too.” he spoke in defence, giving you a kiss on the forehead as an apology.

“Not sure why I waited so long, I guess I was just afraid of hurting you.” his answer was sincere, stroking your hair tenderly “I really do love you Y/N-”

“Not to mention how my head no longer hurts, all thanks to you.” Inui gloated.

You sighed, probably in relief after realising the love you shared for him wasn't just some one sided waste for all these years. “I love you too Seishu-” you replied.

“...always and forever.”

[luimagines]

How about the Reader calling out the Chain by their shared name to gian the groups attention? What would their reactions be? If this takes place after they realise they love you, how would they act to the reader calling them their name and not their title? Hope this isn't too much!Just curious about your input.

Masterlist

Let me tell you that I got excited to do this one!

I personally head canon that reader calls them Link when they're alone with them. Because it's still their name regardless but it wouldn't be fair to the others. Not to mention confusing if it slipped out.

But with the idea I came up with for this one?

Works out just fine. Hehehe

I wanted it to be after they realized they loved you like you said but as I started writing this I had to focus more on the action instead but I hope this is ok. It’s implied that they like you- or at least I tried to imply that. Who knows if it actually got across or not.

Let me know what you think!

Boys under the cut! Reader is right below!

***

The forest was quiet.

Really quiet.

It was the kind of quiet that naturally set the group on edge for any possible ambush attacks as your traversed through the green and you all tried to keep your ears open for anything that would have given your invisible enemies away.

It was paranoia at it's finest.

But that was fine. You were fine. The group was fine. You all just had to be quiet for a little longer until you all reached the end of the forest and could breath a little better.

At least that's what you were telling yourself.

For a moment you could see a clearing, thinking it was the out- you remember how nice it was to finally some of the sunlight with the leaves and branches blocking it.

Letting your guard down for the fraction of a moment was admittedly your first mistake.

Your second mistake was not immediately whipping your shield over your head to block the blows when you heard the familiar twang of a bow string.

Multiple arrows hit your group all at once. Like an avalanche of piercing blows raining down upon your group. Most of them avoided getting hit- thankfully- and were quick to spring into action.

You saw Wild take a shot and you were sure that Warrior was shot as well but you were too preoccupied with the protruding sticks in your leg and shoulder blade to take account of any more injuries your boys may have sustained.

This wasn't ideal but you could still move and you could still fight. You had a potion in your bag that hung by your hip and you were prepared to take more damage now that the fight had commenced.

When the raining arrows dispersed, the group scattered to take down the approaching monsters.

You were no exception.

With your sword now in hand and shield properly equipped, you ran toward the first of the lizalfos that broke the tree line.

You cut it down as fast as your injuries would have allowed you and you spun around as a second one dashed by your side, hoping to cut in a blind spot.

For every monster that you felled, another came to take its place and it kept you stuck in one area, unable to disengage and help your friends as you heard struggle with their own hoard of monsters.

Suddenly a piercing, sharp and throbbing pain entered your hand and you drop your sword at the contact. You're forced to jump away from an opportunistic swing and you looking down to see how an arrow has gone completely through your hand.

Not only have you lost your sword, your main hand is out of the question as well and there's not much you can do to assist or fight back in this state. There's still two lizalfos in front of you and it's not hard to gather that they know you're vulnerable now.

It's not looking well for you.

Somehow, this massive roar, from a beast you've never heard before, thunders through the forest. It's close to you and you can hear it approaching.

The monstrous call sends the two lizalfos away from you and you take a breath before trying to find the quickest get away point to avoid getting any more hurt than you already are.

But then you see it.

The origin of the call and your feet freeze mid step.

It's massive and you have no idea what it is.

It has the body of a horse with black and white stripes colored all around it's whole being. It had arms like a man and a head like a lion's and it's coming right for you.

You start running away and somehow snap the arrow from your hand from the long side so only the flint head is left. It send another electrifying shock up your arm and you cry out from the pain. The pain is enough to nearly trip you over and from your periphery you see the beast raise it's arm and twirl a weapon from it's hand. It's spinning too fast for you to properly see what to is but it's also massive and looks heavy and he's about two seconds from throwing it in your direction.

You're forced to keep running.

"I need help!" You scream and take a sharp left to try and throw off his aim. It doesn't work from what you can hear behind you. "I'm gonna die!"

No one answers your call.

In fact, you don't see any of them anymore. If you paused for a moment and tried to hear past the blood pounding in your ears you know you'd probably hear them fighting. But you can't, so you don't and you feel the absolute horror of your situation dawn on you and freeze your veins.

"HELP!" You scream again, trying to take as many turns as you can.

You're getting tired.

"Someone help!"

Someone! Anyone!

The thundering gallops of the beast has stopped but you can still hear it's spinning weapon. Actually it sounds likes it's-

"LINK HELP ME!"

A rope hit the center of your body and the weights you thought you saw wrap around you in both directions, tying your arms and legs together roughly and tight enough that you know it's cut off circulation.

You feel a weight travel upwards before you hit the ground and can barely feel the hit on your head when it runs out of rope.

Your world goes black.

Wind

Wind was lucky enough to not get hit at all when the attack first came.

He sees Wild get back up and rip his arrow out of his torso and Warrior takes the arrow out of his tunic in a similar manner, not actually getting pierced by it.

Wind feels the adrenaline begin to kick in the second the monsters break the tree line.

Everyone scatters to take the creatures down and he’s no exception.

The monsters seem to be normal this time around and he’s glad. He takes a second to take a deep breath and scans the horizon trying to figure out exactly where everyone went.

Time and Twilight are close to each other, fighting nearly back to back as they takes down all the monsters around them in quick succession.

Legend and Hyrule are behind him, not fighting together but near enough where they’re in each others line of sight. 

He doesn’t know where Wild went off to and he can’t see Warrior even if he hears him grit out his frustrations just beyond the tree line.

Sky and Four and also no where to be found and he has to stop what he’s doing when the next monsters jump at him.

Suddenly a new monster roars and it’s not one Wind is familiar with. He’s beginning to feel the nerves of the battle sink in and he hopes that the others have enough experience under their belt to deal with the new threat on the field because he doubts he can do anything about it.

“HELP!”

That’s you. 

Wind glances over his shoulder and sees nothing. He gulps and tries to finish off the bokoblin as fast as he can to get to you. With a quick prayer, he hopes that the new creature isn’t anywhere near you and that this battle ends faster than usual.

“Someone help me!″ You cry again and Wind grits his teeth, striking the bokoblin as hard as he can. With a familiar cloud of purple smoke surrounding him, he dashes in your general direction.

“LINK HELP ME!”

Wind slows to stop despite his better judgment- completely being overtaken by the frozen fear in his veins.

You’re asking for him. He needs to help you. He doesn’t know where you are. He doesn’t know where to start. He doesn’t know how he’s going to do this.

He sees Wild dash off faster than what should be possible into the forest and somehow finds it within himself to follow him.

Hyrule and Legend are quick to follow the trail to where the monster has to be and pass him in no time.

What he sees freezes him a second time. 

Wild on top of the monsters back- something that Wind has never seen before- you’re trapped and captured, completely wrapped up in rope and blood and there’s something- multiple somethings- sticking out of your body.

Legend doesn’t hesitate to break out of his funk first and blast the creature with his magic rod to hell and back.

Hyrule follows his lead and attacks the beast with a flaming spin attack, aiming for the monsters knees and underbelly.

But you’re not moving through all of this.

In fact, it looks like you’re not reacting at all.

You’re completely unconscious.

Wind takes a breath and grips the hilt of his sword tighter. He knows that you’re both young- but seeing you held up, bloody and wounded, like a flag over the monster’s weapon- makes him see- if only for a moment- how young you really are.

And he’s pissed.

Wind charges the monster without any second thought and goes for the same tactic that Hyrule had. Getting on his knees, he slides under the beast and cuts the entirety of the underbelly. With the four of them attacking the monster, Wind hopes that they can get you the help that you clearly need.

It still drags on though and Wind is in a bit of a loss at what to do make it end faster.

You’re bleeding.

You’re hurt.

You could be dying.

He couldn’t get to you in time.

He grits his teeth and attacks with more ferocity- as much ferocity that he can muster and tries to go as deep and damaging as he can.

He loses himself in the movements and the battle. He forgets about Wild- about Legend- about Hyrule- and when the monster finally dies- it catches him off guard.

But the universe seems to want to do him a favor.

He’s right under you and you fall on top of him and into his arms. He places you as gently as he can onto the forest floor and slips his blade under the ropes, snapping it upwards to cut them. With the pressure gone, he works on getting you out of there.

Hyrule at some point ends up next to him and takes out your multiple arrow shots, healing you as he goes.

But there’s more damage to undo than Hyrule is capable of healing.

Wind looks over you and tries to look over your person without moving your body wrong and injuring you further. He sees your bag and opens it, reaching his hand inside to pull out the potion you were saving.

He feels like he could cry but he’s not entirely sure what causing it.

Wind uncorks it and begins to administer the potion over your wounds just as Wild unleashes a fairy over you.

Both begin to work their magic and Legend takes it upon himself to pull Hyrule away before he passes out.

“What was that thing?” Wind blurts, watching you intensely for any change in your demeanor.

“A lynel.” Wild replies. “A strong one too. Are you hurt Wind?”

“No. I’m ok.” Wind clenches his hands against his pants.

After a minute of waiting, the fairy leaves, doing all that she can for you and heading the other way.

He can’t see the potion outwardly fix anything else and Hyrule’s magic has been tapped out.

They’ve used all that they can the heal you and yet you’re still not waking up.

Out of the corner of his eye he sees Legend pull Hyrule away from you entirely- trying to keep him from healing you further and risk passing out. It annoys Wind because he wants to see you be better but he takes one breath to calm the pounding in his ears and he can still hear the others fighting.

“Wind.” Wild says. “Stay with them, ok? Be with them when they wake up.”

“Alright.” Wind moves closer to your side and crushes your hair out of your face. “Go help the others. We’ll be here.”

Wild pauses but nods and ushers Legend and Hyrule away- leading them back into the fray to help the others with the last of the monsters.

Your clothes are bloody and caked and beginning to harder because of it.

But you groan.

Wind lets the tears fall from his face and collapses onto your chest. 

“Link?” You ask and raise your hand to drop it onto the head of the person.

“I’m here.” Wind’s voice cracks but he doesn’t pay attention to it.

“Oh Wind...” You pat him. “Good. Good. You’re here. You came.”

Wind thinks to the amount of time he’s wasted just standing by in a panic but doesn’t let you know that.

“I came.”

“Everything hurts Wind.” You whimper. “Did I almost die?”

“Don’t say that.” He snaps. “You’re fine. Ok?”

“Ok.”

“Good.” He looks up at you. “You’re going to be ok. I promise”

“Ok.” You close your eyes and keep your hand on his shoulder. “I trust you.”

He’s gonna leave your side for a while.

Legend

Despite the monsters around them and the arrows that have pierced the group in multiple ways, Legend was sure that this wouldn’t last very long.

But then he hears the unmistakable roar of a lynel.

Which isn’t... ideal but nothing the group (or himself) hasn’t handled before.

It was a bit harder now but again- shouldn’t last long.

“I’m gonna die!”

Legend whips his head in your direction. The words to tell you to stop being dramatic right on the tip on his tongue until he realizes that he doesn’t see you.

Which means that you’re farther away than he thought.

Which means you’re also a lot louder than he thought.

Which means- well- you mean it.

Legend doesn’t think twice.

He kills the monster in front of him with a solid swing and b-lines toward you- fully intent on coming to your rescue.

 “HELP!”

To his left he sees the lynel and stops dead in his tracks. He didn’t realize it was as close as it was, not can he figure out what happening exactly but-

“LINK HELP ME!”

It’s in the same direction the lynel went in.

The lynel is heading in your direction.

And you’re already in trouble.

Legend doesn’t hesitate to activate his peagsus boots and charges after the monster. The moment he catches up, he swings his blade deep into the beast’s side and watches in horror, as it turns to face him and holds your bloodied body up high and laughs.

Or at least the lynel equivalent to a laugh.

Guilt rips through Legend’s system and he’s forced to grit his teeth and bare it. Your hits look bad and he’s at fault for not reaching you sooner.

He trades his sword for his magic rod and fires everything he can at the monster, trying his hardest to both keep his distance and avoid hitting you.

It’s instantly not looking good.

Legend is tiring out quicker than he thought he would and the monster doesn’t look any worse off than when he started this song and dance.

Luckily, or maybe not so luckily, Wild comes charging in with his flame blade and spin attacks against its knees.

The lynel buckles for a moment and Legend takes a risk.

He fires at the monster’s paw where you’re being held and watches as the ropes around you catch the flame. You drop in seconds and Legend dashes to get you out of the way- not seeing or hearing Hyrule run up behind him and take his place in firing against the lynel.

Legend grabs you and drags you across the battle field, trying to shield you with his own body and hide you against the surrounding bushes so that the lynel doesn’t think of going after you again.

He reaches in your pocket where he know you stash your potions and prays that it’s there.

When he finds it, he doesn’t waste any time in getting to work its magic on you. He tries to take stock on your injuries. the arrow in your hand, your back and your leg. The massive hit on your head and the multiple cuts you’ve gained just by existing in this point in time and your previous fights.

Your clothes are a little singed thanks to him but the flame hadn’t actually touched you.

Legend breaths a sigh of relief.

One less thing to worry about.

He... doesn’t have any other potions and he wasn’t the one to carry the fairies this time around. There’s little else he can do on his own now. Hyrule can come can heal you and the idea kicks him into high gear.

He stands. “HYRULE!”

“WHAT?!” The Traveler snaps back.

“Heal them!” He may be begging a little in his voice. “This is bad!”

Hyrule pauses momentarily and jumps out of the way of the lynel’s back swing. “Take over.”

Legend nods and jumps back into the fight. Wild had been holding his own, somehow managing to get on the back of the beast and strike it where he couldn’t fight back. Unfortunately it moves the lynel to buck and kick wildly, not giving Legend any chance to get closer to attack without the risk of injuring himself in the process as well.

But he’s pretty tapped for magic as well... 

Screw it.

It hurt you.

Nearly killed you.

It has to pay.

Legend takes his sword and spins it in his hand. He takes a steadying gulp of air and moves in.

At first it’s a lot of dodging flying limbs and simply nicking it where he can. 

But Legend begins to get impatient and the monster doesn’t go down in the burning heap of flame and destruction Legend wants it to.

So he decides to take a page out of Wild’s book.

With a hard kick to the creature’s belly, Legend grabs a fist full of its mane and hoists himself on the side. Wild has done some damage on the monster’s back but it’s still fighting and doesn’t seem to be going down with that alone. Legend takes his sword on one hand angles it to properly plunge the blade between the lynel’s shoulder and neck.

He puts his whole weight onto it and nearly pushes Wild off of the monster in the process of trying to go as deep and damaging as he can.

He pulls it out and strikes it again in a similar manner.

And again and again.

And again.

And again.

It’s still not enough.

Legend roars himself as his rage and anger fully encompasses him.

He drops his blade off of the side of the beast- not intentionally- and grabs his magic rod once more.

His magic has replenished itself somewhat but it’s not enough- he knows this- he doesn’t care.

With a battle cry harsh enough to scare even the mightiest of warriors, he fires all that he can at the lynel’s head and doesn’t stop.

Soon- perhaps too soon for Legend’s anger to be satiated- the monster finally collapses for good and disappears into the familiar purple smoke.

Both Wild and Legend fall to the ground without the body to hold them any more, Wild with a little more fan fare than Legend.

With reason.

Legend sees you beyond the smoke and he can somewhat register Wild shaking his shoulder to get his attention and his attempts to get him back onto his feet but it’s all in vain.

Legend passes out.

Hyrule

“LINK HELP ME!”

Hyrule’s heart freezes in place and he whips around to where he hears the call.

It’s your voice, he knows it anywhere but it’s never been a source of panic for him. So this is new. You almost never use his name, their name, the name and in any other situation he would think of you trying to get the groups attention but-

He didn’t even think it was possible for you to sound like that. 

So panicked and shrill, borderline a blood curdling scream followed by silence.

His blood goes cold and he thinks you’re calling for him... And he’s not there to help you...

He doesn’t know where you are or where to begin looking for you but he ditches the fight in front of him and sprints to where he can only assume you are. Hyrule tries to be as light on his feet as he can, pushing himself to the fastest he can be without tripping over himself and eating the dirt.

He reaches the clearing once again, where the attack started and gulps down as much air as he can manage.

He doesn’t see you. 

Sheer unadulterated terror grips his whole body and he runs to where he thinks he saw you go.

He calls your name and takes a look around the clearing, trying to see through the trees and the foliage to no avail.

“No...” He whines and gulps again to clear his throat. “Where are you? Don’t do this to me, please.”

Hyrule takes off running again, trying to retrace their steps and get to where he thinks the tracks lead you but he’s not making a lot of progress.

There’s a second roar.

He heard the first one but he wasn’t in a position to do something about it until you called for him. It’s his only hint and he runs toward the sound without thinking ahead if only to help you in your time of need.

Hyrule breaks through the tree line and nearly runs face first into the side of the weirdest colored lynel he’s ever seen. He takes only one second to compose himself before he charges up his magic and unleashes his fire spell, spinning against the beast and cutting into it as much as he can. 

In the time it takes for the spell to die out, Hyrule can here Wild join the fray and see him just beyond his flying hair line, as he jumps on top of the beast and begins hacking away.

“This from your Hyrule?” He yells up at his companion.

“One of the strongest there is!” Wild yells back. He screams your name a second later and pulls at the beasts mane in fury. “It has them! They’re unconscious! Oh my god, that’s a lot of blood...”

Hyrule blinks and runs around the beast, avoiding all the flying hooves as it attempts to buck Wild off of it’s back.

He almost sobs when he sees you.

You look awful.

There’s a unmistakable arrow through your hand, one in your back and one in your leg and your back is covered in blood. By the looks of it your hands are beginning to turn purple and the ropes appear to be strangling every inch against you.

You are also, very much unconscious.

He missed it. He didn’t to you on time.

BUT he can still get you out- he can still heal you- he just needs to get you away.

He takes a few steps backs, doing all that he can to aim this right if the monster would stop moving for just a second.

Out of the corner of his eye, just as he launches the astral sword, he sees it. 

A shadow.

His sword flies through the air and impales the beast in the wrist that holds you captive but it’s not enough to let you go. Granted, Hyrule’s a little glad that it didn’t since he only now realizes that if you were to fall, there’s no one to pull you out of the way and away from the hooves.

But the grip loosens somewhat and you’re beginning to be lowered to the ground without the monsters consent.

It’s a start.

The shadow for its part rushes forward and past him, sinking into the massive shadow of the beast. Nothing appears on it’s back where Wild hold on with wild abandon but it shows on its back on the forest floor.

Hyrule runs toward you, and manages to get a grip on the ropes around you before your ripped away with the monster’s backswing.

The momentum knocks him off of his feet and he watches as Legend comes up next to him at fires his magic rod at the monster’s head.

He sees the shadow get up, as if it was riding the lynel and takes a long and thin line, ramming it into the lynel head’s shadow. The beast howls and yells as if the injury was real and Wild is finally forced to jump off as well unless he was taken down as well. In its agony, the beast lets go of the the ropes holding you and you flop uselessly on the ground where you land.

With his heart in his throat, Hyrule runs toward you, grips your shoulder and tries to pull you away from the beast and the fight.

He can see it, the shadow, fighting where the monster cannot reach.

Legend and Wild are quick to join him, letting the lynel deal with the problem on its own and the three of them take care of your injuries. Wild is quick to deal with the multiple arrows while Legend cuts off the rope restraints around you.

Hyrule doesn’t know where they planned on taking you- but he’s never known monsters outside of his Hyrule to try and take captives.

He can’t fathom why they would want you.

As soon as Legend gets all the ropes cut they scramble to get the pressure off of you and Hyrule doesn’t hesitate to let the flow of magic go through him.

Between his astral sword and his flame attack, he’s beginning to feel a little drained but he can’t afford to let himself slip. He can feel the multiple cracks and dents and damage done to your skull from the hit it had taken and he’s afraid of what it might mean when you wake up... if you wake up... please please please wake up...

Hyrule gets jolted back to reality when he feel Legend’s hand on shoulder, violently shaking him. It was enough that it startled him into stopping the spell and Hyrule’s head clears a little. “Wild has a fairy- slow down.”

“I have to-” He gulps and tries to get the flow of magic going again. “I have to make sure they’re ok. They got hurt so bad Legend- I can’t-”

“But don’t kill yourself trying to fix them! We still need you too!” Legend shakes him again and pulls him away, creating the window Wild needed to take over and uncork the fairy bottle.

Hyrule whines and he barely registers your name leave his leaves.

The sounds of battle continue in the distance and the trio (well, Legend and Wild) are reminded that there still monsters about and friends that could very well also need help.

“Hyrule, get them out of here.” Legend stands and grips his sword in his hand. “And no more magic. Just wait for us to finish and get them to some place safe.”

“Ok.” He gulps and he gently tries to place his hands under your head.

Hyrule moves slowly and unsurely. His head feels light and he knows he may have over did it. He tries not to let Wild or Legend see it but if he’s being honest with himself then he can say that Legend can read him like an open book and he’s a horrible actor.

He tries to stand and misplaces his step but shoves Wild when he goes in to help him. With his other arm, he hooks your knees and picks you up with added help of his power bracelet. 

He’s tired now.

“Got any idea of where I can go?”

Legend and Wild hiss and share a look. Hyrule turns around and sees the shadow hop away from the now dead body of the lynel before merging with his own. Hyrule’s heart stops momentarily before it points to the direction just beyond him. 

He doesn’t saying anything and follows its lead, trying to get from his friends as fast as he can and into the safety that only distance can provide right now.

He’s never seen a shadow quite like this one before but if it’s concerned about your well being then he’ll let it slide for now. Maybe the others will know something about it when he asks them later?

Right now, he needs to not trip and pass out and he needs to take care of you.

He thinks he can manage that.

Sky

Sky didn't know what to think about the forest around him. It seemed to be just as the same as all the others but there was admittedly something in the air here and he didn't know how to make heads or tails of it.

Suddenly it all goes still and he's quick to pull his shield over his head and duck down. He hears some of his comrades cry from the unexpected shots that rain over them but he focuses on you and how you've been hit.

He doesn't have the time to register anything else before his muscle memory throws him into a fight and he's forced to strike any and all lizafos in his path.

He knows the group can hold their own, he knows that you can hold your own- so he's hoping that your hits were only minor.

He fights as he normally would and is pleasantly surprised by the ease of it. If only if it weren't for their sheer numbers that comes against them.

But then he hears the roar.

It takes a second to get past the initial panic of uncertainty- it's not a call from any monster from his Hyrule and there's nothing substantial that he can compare it to.

But he's traveling with this group for a while and he now knows what it is even if it's a little later than his instincts should have figured it out.

A lynel.

He take a large breath to replenish himself and turns around from the newest fallen monster.

Someone is going to have to go deal with it.

He hopes it's not him.

But then he hears you scream.

You're too far away to make out what you're saying but it's frantic and fearful.

Sky wastes no time in running in your direction and trying to make it to your side before anything happens to you.

"Someone help me!" He hears you cry.

He pushes himself faster.

"LINK HELP ME!"

He trips on a root.

Flashbacks take over his mind momentarily before he pushes himself up and begins to feel his heart pounding faster than any fight driven adrenaline could provide. He can't fail to save someone a second time.

His breathing is beginning to feel labored but he can't risk this.

Sky gulps whatever air he can afford to take and begins running.

The lynel from the before roars in victory just as Sky breaks through the tree line.

It's worse than he could have.

Not only did you clearly take multiple shots from the earlier strike but they've somehow captured you with a rope that looks too tight to be without consequence and as you swing from the motion of being picked up, Sky catches a glimpse of the back of your head, where one of the weights rests.

Blood.

Sky feels his hands clench and he raises the Master Sword skyward instinctively, calling upon the holy beam to fire it at the beast.

It does the damage but the beast doesn't go down.

Nor does it let you go.

Enraged and without much forethought, Sky charges and does not hesitate to strike when the beast is still trying to recover from the blow.

Sky strikes against the beast's back to keep on the ground for a moment longer before slicing off the hand that holds you. It falls to the ground with a subtle thump before the monster manages to snap beyond the pain and jump away from him.

The blood falls from the wound like a down pour and lynel roars again in pure anger and hatred, glaring directly at Sky for the audacity to strike against it.

Sky couldn't care less, in fact he welcomes it.

He's quick to jump over your body and place himself between you and monster, rage fueling him beyond every breath he takes.

The lynel jumps and reaches for its own sword now that it's been limited to one armed weapons.

Sky raises his blade skyward for another beam and watches in satisfaction as the beast fails to block it and takes the full damage.

Wild jumps into the fray and fires what he can at the lynel before turning to Sky. He takes a moment and pauses, glancing at the disembodied paw, the blood, the massively harmed lynel and eventually spots you as you lay on the forest floor.

"Get them the help they need." Sky snaps at Wild before he can question anything. "Leave this one to me."

"How did you even manage this?" Wild drops his bow and takes out a knife, cutting away the ropes that bind you.

"Holy blade."

The lynel roars again and stands to face Sky head on once more.

But it's injured before it can even try.

Legend and Hyrule come out of the woodwork and fire at it with all the magic they both can produce in a flurry of blows.

Sky can feel the beginning's of relief seep into his system and it alerts him to how tired and spent he really is- enough so that he knows that if he continues to push it, he might not be able to breath properly for a while.

But he can't bring himself to care, you're still hurt and the monster that caused it is still standing.

He can go on a little longer.

Just a little longer.

He grits his teeth and charges while the lynel is distracted, slicing across it's shoulder blade and using the momentum and purchase he finds when the blade gets caught on the bone to heave himself onto the monster's back.

The lynel can not longer stand and falls to its knees, weakened further more by Legend and Hyrule's efforts.

When Sky feels the lynel shift forward, he thrust the Master Sword in front of him and pierces it through the head, growling animalistically when he sees the blade come out the other side.

The monsters explodes in a familiar purple smoke and he braces himself as his feet hit the ground.

With a gulp, he holds his breath and runs back to you with Hyrule and Legend close by.

It appears that Wild had given you a potion (or three) and was trying to get you to slowly sit up. Arrows gone.

"Ow... My everything hurts." You sob and try to keep from moving.

Sky collapses next to you and lands harshly on his knees. "Oh thank Hylia you're alive."

"Hey Sky." You try and move your arms and eventually settle for entangling your finger into the back of your head. "Oh, ok, ouch, that's worse. What happened? What was that thing?"

"Lynel." Hyrule moves to your other side and lets his magic flow through his fingers. "The big horse like cat thing? We call them lynels. Tough to fight and to beat. They are typically to be avoided."

You sigh in relief from his healing spell and Sky narrowly avoids doing the same thing.

"I hate them." You mutter

Sky coughs up a laugh and tries to hide from the others how much he's actually spent- you need more attention right now. "We all do."

"Is it dead?"

"Sky made sure of it." Legend juts his thumb in his direction and the way you blink and look his way, makes Sky feel more bashful than he should.

"But it was huge!"

"Well Sky was pissed so safe to say it didn't matter."

"Legend." He says in warning.

"You know I'm right." Legend smirks.

"Are there still monsters?" You sit up fully now and shake some of limb free from whatever you must be feeling.

"Technically " Wild hisses. "But you're done. Hyrule, Legend, let's go get the others. Sky, make sure they don't go back in the fight."

The you're no good to fight either does not go unnoticed in Sky's eyes.

"Fine." He spits and sits a little closer to you.

The other three run off back into the forest and away from the two of you.

"I'm sorry." Sky blurts.

"For what?" You tilt your head. "You killed the thing, right?"

"Yeah but-"

"Then there's nothing else to do."

"I didn't- I wasn't fast enough." Sky bite his lip and turns his head to look the trees instead of into your eyes. "This could have been avoided entirely."

"No offence but I doubt that." You roll your eyes and rest your head on his shoulder.

Sky stiffens at the contact and chances a glance in your direction.

"I'm tired."

"Time will kill us if he finds us both asleep." Sky mutters, even if the idea is really tempting right now.

"I think we've earned it." You reply. "Time can bite me. I like... almost died... I think I should nap time compensation."

Sky wraps his arm around you before he can chicken out and tries not to think to much on your second sentence. "You sleep then. I'll keep a look out for more monsters."

"You'll protect me?"

"With my life."

Time

Time was quick to pull out his sword and shield, taking refuge behind it as the arrows rained down upon him and the group.

He saw Wild take a shot in his side and he heard Warrior curse under breath as he drew out his own weapons.

Time took a breath and charge at the first monster who was brave enough to show its face. He trusts the boys to take care of the hoard as they approach and continues to fight. Somehow, the group disperses and they're not back to back anymore.

He's not sure if it's a good or bad thing just yet.

Somewhere in the distance he hears you shout and out of concern, Time buys himself enough to look behind him by kicking the monster in front of him in the chest and sends him flying.

Time doesn't see you.

Time grits his teeth and tries to finish the beast in front of him as fast as he can because that cry... did not sound good.

Time hears a thunderous roar and feel his blood go cold.

It's not native to his time or Hyrule but he's seen one from his time on this journey, he can recognize it now, and he knows this is trouble.

A lynel.

He turns to try and find where it's coming from but there's too many lizalfos and bokoblins for him to deal with before he can go anywhere else.

His blood in pounding in his ears and it's hard for him to hear anything beside it and his own laboring breaths.

He can hear the creature arrive in the middle of battle, sees it in his periphery and he tries his hardest to disengage to go deal with the higher threat.

"HELP!"

It's you.

Time's heart plummets and he runs from his fight into your direction, hoping to get there in time.

But he doesn't know where you are and the monsters are still running rampant.

"LINK HELP ME!"

Ice is dunked over him and there no way to prepare his for the absolute terror that courses through his veins when he hears your voice nearly tear your throat apart. It's enough of a shock that he actually comes to a dead stop not willing to accept the reality of what just happened.

He's never heard you scream like that.

Not to mention that you're calling him and are crying for him to come to your rescue. He can't fail you.

He run, sprints and tackles anything that tries to get in his way. He sees the lynel throw its weapon and turns his head just in time for it make contact with you.

It wraps around you in a practiced and fluid motion and he can see one of the weight hit you in the head.

You fall and lynel runs toward you, picks you up by the rope and holds your now unconscious body up in the air like a trophy before it turns around to run away.

"NO!" Time gives chase and shoots the beast by its knees to get its attention. "GIVE THEM BACK!"

The lynel doesn't seem to be at all effected by the shots but it does turn around to see what the deal is.

Time keeps running toward it. He's not entirely sure how he's going to take this behemoth down but it has you, has hurt you and now it has to pay.

Again, not that he has any idea of how to do that.

Luckily, he's not the only one who heard your call and Wild wastes no time on jumping on top of the monster and begin attacking it from behind. Time's sure that Twilight would have something to say about that later but he'll let the cub have this one if he succeeds.

Hyrule and Legend come out of the woodwork nearly at the same time, each firing their respected types of magic at the beast.

Time's heart plummets again when they come close to hitting you.

"CAREFUL!" He shouts without any restraint in his voice.

Time is terrified for you and admittedly... he's a bit at loss at what to do.

But he refuses to stand by and do nothing.

With Wild and Legend attacking what they can, Time follows Hyrule example by taking out his sword and begins hacking away at the beast.

He trying to avoid anything having to do with your side and even slides under the beast with his blade held high, slicing the entire underside of the creature.

This one is stronger than Time remembers them being and only vaguely recalls when Wild mentioned about their colors having meaning. All he knows is that he needs to get you out of here and fast.

The window of opportunity opens just a sliver and Time forces his hands in to rip it open all the way.

The lynel refuses to let go of you even as it's fighting against the boys and trying to trample Time as he thinks.

In one solid movement he arcs his sword behind you as you swing down and he cuts the lynel's hand up to the wrist. The beast lets you go out of shock and Time dives toward you as you fall.

He catches you and rolls, crying in anguish when he gets a bruising kick to his back.

Even if he's almost certain that his back should have been broken by that kick, he rolls away from the fight even more, fighting the weights off of you to free you from the ropes.

"Are they ok?" Hyrule shouts from the sidelines.

"NO!" He shouts back without much thought, focusing more on how the blood, your blood covers almost the entirety of your back and how your hands have begun to turn a little purple.

"Head injury and circulation has been cut off from multiple limbs! Three separate arrows in their back, leg and hand." Time shouts and tosses his weapon to the side. He takes out his last fairy and uncorks the bottle, letting fly over you and begins to work on taking out the arrow while you're unconscious, only marginally hoping you won't wake in the middle of it if only to avoid the pain.

He's more than upset with himself.

Not only is your life in danger right now and he can't immediately fix the problem, but he didn't even know you got hit in the initial contact. Time begins to blame himself even if he knows it's stupid and tries to project his feels to the real culprits.

You don't appear to be waking up any time soon and Time feels an all encompassing rage descend over him.

He stands and picks up his weapon, turning to the beast as the boys are begin being flung away from it.

He moves his arm in a circle, trying to loosen up his muscles before he attacks.

He takes a breath.

And he charges.

He manages to get in the monsters blind spot and impales his blade deep with its side.

The lynel roars and turns to face him, but Time keeps his grip on his sword and is pulled in the spin instead. As the monster realizes that Time is still where he can't reach keep, it keep turning, jumping and bucking to get Time away from it but he holds on.

As the beast tires itself out, Wild comes back and fires a well aimed arrow in the lynel's eyes and it bursts into a blue cloud and out of existence.

Time growls at the lack of action and instead throws his weapon at the nearest monster that comes through. It bursts into another cloud on impact and Time finds that it still doesn't quell his absolute rage.

"Link..." He hears you groan.

Time turns around and catches you attempting to sit up with Legend's and Hyrule's help. Hyrule has his spell flowing from his fingers over your form and you blink away what confusion you can.

"Where am I? What happened?" You place your hand to the back of your head and gulp. "Is everyone ok?"

Time sighs in relief, his anger almost dissipating on sight.

"Hold on. What's your name?" Legend places a hand on your shoulder.

You answer.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Hyrule raises up three fingers.

"Se-seven." You frown and squint. "That's not right."

"No. No it's not." Hyrule sighs. "That's it for today then, right? They've got a pretty bad concussion. We need to keep them awake for a while. Arrow wounds seemed to have healed nicely though."

"Anyone have a potion?" Legend yells into the atmosphere.

"Some of us are still fighting!" Four shouts back.

"Help the others." Time says. "I'll get them out of here. I already used my fairy on them so anything else may have to wait."

"You already used a fairy?"

He nods.

"Time..." You look up at him. "Where were you?"

Your words strike him through the heart and he kneels next to you, trying not to look you in the eye and burst into tears.

"Time?"

He picks you up without another word and nods towards Hyrule and Legend.

They take the hint and run back towards whatever fighting is still happening.

"Are you ok?" You place a hand against Time's cheek. "I thought I heard you but you were really far away."

"I'm fine." Time answers, gripping you a little tighter against him.

He's not fine.

But he's gong to make this up to you. He swears it.

Four

Four was stuck in his own head when the attack happened.

He was lucky enough that he only received a quick cut to his cheek before his instincts kicked in and pulled his shield over his head.

He heard multiple people around him grunt but was immediately throw across the field by a lizalfos kick to his chest.

Four pulls his sword from behind him and wasted not time to strike back.

There was no more time or opportunity to even think as he was quickly swarmed by the hoard of monsters. Four has at least four monsters in top of him, trying to knock him down to size and keep him on the ground but Four wasn't going to go down so easily.

Wind comes up from the side and knocks two of them down from behind, giving him a quick wink as he rushes to fight against the bokoblins that have entered the scene.

Delighted by the help, Four does a spin attack to knock the other two down when he hears something that makes his blood go cold.

A roar.

A monstrous being has now entered the battlefield and Four hopes that he can help knock out the lesser monster while the others take on the lynel.

Four makes the executive decision to leave it to the more experienced of the group to take care of it. He can work on lessening the numbers so that they can concentrate on the larger one.

But then he hears something that makes his blood go cold.

"Someone help me!"

It's you.

You're panicking.

You're in trouble.

Four takes a breath and moves his head around his immediate area. He tries to calm his heart before he all but spirals into a panic so that he could properly help you.

Where are you?

"LINK HELP ME!"

What was once ice turns to stone in his veins instead before he dashes in your direction.

Forget the monsters right now.

You need help.

You called for him.

All previous thought of taking this with well calculated decisions vanishes out of the proverbial window.

Any thought of taking calmly has gone out the proverbial window.

It's just the thought of you in danger, waiting on him to rescue you.

His coarse takes him right in the path of the lynel.

He sees you, captured and held high like some victory trophy and absolutely coated in what can only be your own blood.

Four makes the downright stupid decision with all wild abandon to throw his sword as hard as he can at the monsters face.

It makes contact and sinks deep.

But it doesn't kill the creature.

When the creature doesn't let go of you either, Four is nearly shaking with the amount of restrained fury he has yet to release.

While the beast in injured, he sees Wild come up from the tree line and fire multiple shots right where his sword is, making hit after hit and the creature jumps back-

Right into Hyrule and his flaming spin attack.

Four runs toward the lynel, no longer caring for his own safety and ignoring how he doesn't have another weapon out.

The one thing he does have though is his favorite pocket knife- so he decides once again to make a very stupid choice.

Time will have an aneurysm should he ever learn about this.

Four jumps from the creature's knee when it dips down and grips onto the mane to hoist himself up. In one swift movement, even as the creature has gone blind at this point and is constantly taking damage from both other boys, Four pulls his legs up and wraps them around the arm of the beast and climb up to where it's holding you.

He grips the rope with one hand and holds his knife with the other and begin to work his way through the material.

It takes a few panicked seconds but the rope is freed.

With one end still being held by the lynel, it spins you around until you hit the ground with a dull thud. Four drops after you as soon as he sees you're freed and manages to catch you somewhat from hitting the ground at full force- even if his plan was to use his body as a pillow.

His arms wrap around you instantly and together he rolls you away from the fight and away from the lynel's trampling hooves.

He gulps when he lets go of you, taking quick inventory over your injuries.

He's quick to reach into your pocket and pull out the healing potion he knows you have and opens it. Legend runs toward the two of you with a fairy in a bottle and tosses it in Four's direction.

The lynel is still standing to the side and Legend nods to Four before activating his pegasus boots and runs to help slay the monster.

Four takes out your arrows and lets the fairy go to heal your wounds in whatever way she can. He moves over and picks up your head when the fairy moves away, placing it into his lap and opens your mouth with his thumb on your chin.

Slowly, he pours the potion, being as careful as his shaking hands will allow to not choke you with it.

He feels stunned.

You were always on top of everything.

Always coming to their aid instead and always seeming to know what to do next. It's something he's always loved about you.

But the one time you need him them, where were they?

How did he they let you get so hurt?

"Am I dead?" You groan and Four will ever deny crying when you look up at him. "Oh, hi Four... did we die?"

He snorts, it's wet a little unbecoming of him but he doesn't care. "No, but you gave it your best shot."

"Huh..." You shift and are immediately met with all the injuries that haven't been healed yet. "OH! Oh no! Not dead! Defiantly not dead! I'm in too much pain to be dead!"

"I'm sorry." Four says out of habit.

"Not your fault." You groan and roll off of him. "Is the thing dead?"

Four looks up and sees that yes, in the time that he tending to you the trio had managed to kill the lynel.

"Yes."

"Good."

Wild then runs up to you both with a very familiar sword in his hand. "This is yours I believe."

Four stands and takes it before something can happen to the resident Champion. "Thank you."

"You have quite the arm." He comments. "That went deep."

"Four's super strong." You say in your pained delirium. "Like SUPER super strong. I bet he can pick you up."

"Ok, we need to get you out of here." Wild fights the smile that threatens to appear when Four blushes..

"Please." You whimper.

Four takes pity on you and picks you up as gently as he can manage. "The others are still fighting..."

"I'll let them know where you went." Wild winks and dashes off to finish the last of the monsters.

"Four?" You gulps and try to get as comfortable as you can. "Thank you."

"Every time. I promise."

Twilight

Twilight had a suspicion that something was going to happen the minute the forest had stilled of natural sound.

He gripped his sword and held his shield at the ready just in case.

A part of him felt a little silly but he knew better than to ignore the gut feeling. It came with his heightened senses and he wasn't about to toss away hard earned lessons because of falsified paranoia.

The attack came as he knew it would and he was quick to put his shield over his head, pulling Wind under him as well to avoid the barrage of arrows. Some of the others weren’t so lucky, he knew instantly by their calls of distress but was forced to fight the minute the monsters stepped into the light. There was no way for him to check how badly the others would have been hurt except for when he would eventually pass them on the battle field.

He lost himself in the motions- muscle memory doing most of the work in his case as he took down every lizalfos and bokoblin in his path.

Then he hears it.

The mistakable roar of a lynel.

He groans at the very thought of it. With more theatrics than he’s willing to admit, Twilight cuts down the monster in front of him and makes turns around to go fight the beast, leaving the lesser monsters to be dealt with by the group.

“I’m gonna die!” He hears you scream.

His heart stops and what was once a brisk jog turns into a full out sprint in your direction.

“HELP!” Your voice picks up in intensity and Twilight urges himself to go faster, to meet you before the beast can.

Twilight jumps over a line of bushes just in time to see you run down the trail- blood already trailing down your back and dripping off of your hand.

He sees the lynel stop for a moment before releasing its weapon.

“LINK HELP ME!” 

It makes contact and it stops you in your tracks, capturing your limbs together and causing you to fall. He runs over to in tandem with the monster but he’s not fast enough to catch the lynel while in full gallop.

While a scream tears through his throat, Twilight wishes momentarily that you were sticking near Epona at the start of all this (and therefore him) instead but he gives chase without much thought in any sort of plan to save you.

With a quick whistle he calls for his horse and she comes running without any hesitation. Twilight sets himself up during the run and jumps on Epona’s back. He’s quick to move and direct her after the monster and pull out his bow in favor of his sword.

His shots cause the monster to roar once more in fury and it stops to face the upcoming opponent.

Twilight growls with just as much intensity and keep firing, urging Epona to run around the beast, in a circle to avoid any full on hits. 

The lynel takes the blows with little thought and steps back, dropping you the process and charges at Twilight.

He’s not quick enough to get out of the way and is forced to jump off of Epona less she fall on top of him and crush him.

Epona does take the brunt hit of it and does in fact fall over. Twilight gets to his feet as fast as he can and takes his sword out again. While it takes a moment to breath from colliding into another creature, Twilight asses the damage.

Epona for her part gets up and dashes quickly off to the side and away from the monster. He knows that she’s hurt but with the lynel turning around to face him, and Twilight does not miss the way the lynel glances at you in the process, he doesn’t have time to go and check on her.

Instead he jumps in front of you and swings his blade with all his might at the offending creature as it makes it way over to you.

It howls in angers and does so once more when Legend comes flying in through the foliage and blasts the beast directly in its face with his magic rod.

It gives Twilight a window of opportunity and a bit of breathing room now that the lynel has changed targets... for now.

He spins on his heel and kneels by your side, cutting into the ropes that surround you and tear them away from your body. He gulps a bit at the multitude of arrows that protrude from your flesh and he idly wonders if it was from the first attack or from the battle field.

The lynel throws Legend off  of it and Twilight turns around once more to charge at the monster, using his own momentum against it to jump on its back as he stabs as his blade as deep as he can manage into the beast. The monster roars once more and begins to buck with Twilight holding on by the hilt of his blade and the mane of its fur. 

This is a familiar sensation to Twilight and he moves his body to compensate for the added motion to stay on.

From on top of the beast, he sees Hyrule and Wild join the fray and grins as feral as he’s willing to show as back arrives.

Wild is quick to follow his lead and jumps next to him as the monster bucks and also begins to whack the beast. Twilight manages to pull his blade out and repeats his earlier motion, urging his sword with all of his strength to go deeper and do more damage.

Luckily, Hyrule has spotted you and has rushed to your aid with Legend on his heels while the lynel is being handled.

Wild chitters angrily at the fact that lynel still stands and he hops off to begin firing as many explosive arrows as he can at the beast.

Never mind that Twilight is still there.

But he’s a good shot and Twilight focuses on staying on top and keeping his blade within the monster as it jumps back and back and it eventually cornered by a small cliff side.

For one moment everything stills, from either the creature tiring itself out or from Wild running out of bomb arrows but Twilight takes the moment for what it is and once again pulls his blade out.

With one final push, he plunges it back into the monster at a higher spot and feels only marginally satiated when he see the tip peak out on the other side of the lynel’s face.

It disappears into the typical purple cloud and Twilight narrowly misses a sharp rock on the way down. Wild runs to him and gives him a hand.

“Were you trying to blow me off?” He raises an eyebrow at the younger hero as he catches his breath.

“You stayed on didn’t you?” Wild pats him on the shoulder and gives him a once over. “You’re fine.”

“They’re not.” Twilight looks in your direction and runs over.

Luckily, Epona stands over you as well, relatively unharmed except for the few scratches on her side. Twilight sighs in relief at the sight of his horse still standing tall. He’ll have to go easy on her for a few days, maybe a few weeks but she’ll just fine after some tender loving care.

You on the other hand...

You groan and finally open your eyes by the time he reaches you. “I did not do so great that time.”

“Well at least you’re not dead.” Legend rolls his eyes and helps you sit up properly.

“What happened to...” You pause and look up at Twilight, concern and horror filtering over your face. “What one earth happened to you?”

He blinks and furrows his eyebrows. 

Then he looks down.

His pants are coated in the monster’s blood and it’s traveled all the way up to his naval- but that’s not what it looks like.

“Rancher, were you pissing blood or something?” Legend stares at him in the same amount- if not than a little more- horror as you were.

“Twilight...” You start and frown, only now looking between them all with a little more clarity in your eyes. “Did that thing cut off your-”

“It’s not my blood!” He’s quick to reassure you. “Not my blood.”

“Twilight took a lot of stabs to the creatures back.” Wild answers for him. “Since he was riding it then it drips onto the pants.”

“It does look like he needs to be checked though.” Hyrule bit his lip. “Are you alright?”

“A bit winded but more or less unharmed. You?” He wipes the sweat from his brow and tries to ignore the way his pants are beginning to dry.

“More or less the same.”

“Everything hurts.” You groan and flop back onto the earth. 

Twilight smiles slightly at the sight and takes a large calming breath. You’re going to be ok.

Warrior

“LINK HELP ME!”

Warrior’s blood goes cold.

Multiple instances of fallen soldiers and allies alike flash over him a cold panic and his feet move before he even has the chance to register what he’s trying to do or where he’s even going. 

There’s a recurring mantra in his head that circles around like sirens in the dead of night. 

He can’t be late. He can’t fail. It all falls on him. He has to win. He has to save them. He can’t lose.

He’s forced to duck down in a flurry of rushing limbs and flying fabric when he nearly crashes into the monster head on.

Warrior doesn’t hesitate to raise his sword and slash the underbelly of the beast, still lost in the programming of muscle memory. He only comes back into hiself and the present when- after a few minutes of fighting this things without much damage being done to it- Wild comes from behind and fires as many arrows as he can in quick succession.

The surroundings clear up a little more and Warrior rolls out of the way to not be stomped on.

He looks up with wide eyes and forces to get back onto his feet.

He’s not back in the war. There’s no army or fallen soldiers that are gasping out their final breaths.

Until he looks up.

Warrior sucks in a breath when he finally registers your hanging form. You’re soaked in your own blood and there’s arrows sticking out of you that clearly couldn’t be dealt with at the time. Not to mention the ropes around you have been turning your hands and fingers purple.

Legend joins in the time he’s been stuck staring at you and has begun to fire as much magic as he can at the beast. “WAKE UP PRETTY BOY! WE’RE NOT DONE HERE!”

Warrior snaps back into action- the anger that dripping into his system slowly gets him worked up into a frenzy. At first he merely attacks like he would any other monster because he doesn’t want to believe that you’ve been bested by this creature. Nor the possibility that you’re injured beyond repair. But the more he attacks and the more he’s focused on trying not to injure you further- he’s hitting harder, slashing deeper and aiming for any all vitals that he can reach.

Somehow, in his rage, he’s managed to get him under the lynel and spins his blade to slice the legs as many times as he can before the beast is forced to fall from the damage.

Warrior is so lost in himself that he never noticed Hyrule arrive and successfully get you away from the lynel.

Legend breaks away to help Hyrule with getting the rope and arrows away from your body- leaving the stronger lynel with Wild and Warrior. 

While the two of them get to work their magic on healing you, Warrior notices belatedly that there’s more free space to work with when fighting so he takes advantage of that.

But he miscalculates.

In one false move that Warrior tries to duck away from, a rogue hoof comes up when the creature tries to stand again and it nicks Warrior right above his eye, sending him flying away form the beast.

Warrior ignores the blood that’s pouring into his eye and gets up nearly as quickly as he went down.

Wild for his part has noticed the change in energy and has jumped away from the lynel to settle for more ranged attacks... And to get away from Warrior...

Warrior rams his blade into the monster, tilting it upward to slice as high as he can reach into its massive neck.

The lynel has weakened to the point where lifting its limbs has become a tedious and strenuous task. 

Warrior takes advantage of this.

He does not notice Wild leave him either until the lynel disappears in a violent explosion of purple smoke.

He stands there, chest heaving and arms trembling- the weight of his rage and adrenaline leaving him stunned when the object of his aggressions is gone. He snaps his head up in a violent fashion to see Wild, Legend and Hyrule stand over you, magic pouring over them in waves.

He runs to you and has to be restrained by Wild when he nearly runs all of you over. “How are they? How bad was it?”

“Are you ok?” Hyrule asks instead, just turning in time to see Warrior coated in not only the creature blood- but having his eyebrow swollen and red- his own blood weeping down the side of his face and into his tunic and scarf.

It’s uglier than he’s ever going suspect without a mirror. 

“Are they dead?” Warrior asks again.

Hyrule turns his magic to Warrior standing up and making room for the soldier to take his place on the ground. “No, but they’re not waking up after a potion, a fairy and my magic.”

Warrior doesn’t think twice about kneeling on the dirt and takes your hand reflexively. “Do we have anything else?”

“They took a bad hit to the head, it’s all on them now.” Legend places a hand on Warrior’s shoulder and sighs.

There’s a moment of silence amongst the group, the sounds of the others fighting still nearby. “They’re going to need help. We’re not done here.”

Whatever relief Warrior might have felt at the new of your being stable is quickly dashed and once replaced by the need to rain absolute hell fire on the enemy.

“Someone needs to stay with them.” He finds himself saying.

“I will.” Hyrule gulps, letting the spell drop at last. “I think I’m tapped out my magic for a while anyway.”

“Then rest and don’t push yourself either friend.” Wild nods and runs off. “Take care.”

“Watch over them Traveler.” Warrior doesn’t look his way and grip his sword as tightly as his fists can manage. “We won’t be long.”

Legend and Hyrule share a look as Warrior runs after Wild searching the nearest monster to fall victim to his anger.

He can’t be late. He can’t fail. It all falls on him. He has to win. He has to save them. He can’t lose.

Wild

Wild growled, pushing himself up from the ground and ripping the arrow that had lodged itself into him out of his side.

He couldn’t feel it anyway- it was his scarred side.

With practiced ease, he takes out his bow and fires it at the first monster he sees. He knows that the others scatter as quickly as the monsters break through the tree line to take them down.

He searches for more numbers that aren’t being dealt with immediately. 

Not seeing any, he runs for higher ground and jumps into the biggest tree in the area, striking at the bokoblins more so than the lizalfos.

Bokoblins are the easier enemy to deal with- he tells himself. Lizalfos have obnoxious armor that can be difficult to get around- not to mention they’re smarter and faster. So the group will need to spend more of their attention on the lizards from hell than the easier enemy.

They’re annoying but Wild makes do.

But as he gets lost in the moment and the mission- he hears it.

A lynel has appeared on the battle field.

Being in the group long enough has allowed to learn that he’s only one of few that know what it is and how to deal with it.

He steels himself and jumps down from the tree- eager to get rid of the threat and help his friend through the thick of it.

“I need help! I’m gonna die!” Wild’s head snaps to the left, just barely seeing the lynel run in the same direction of your voice.

Wild’s voice gets caught in his throat and he sprints as quickly as he can after it.

It can’t get to you. There’s no way the universe would allow this to happen. He can’t let that happen.

“HELP!” He hears you cry again.

It’s once again to his left and runs toward you instead of the lynel, not even bothering to try and hide the absolute panic on his face.

“Someone help!” You yell and he’s too focused on honing in on where you are exactly to even worry about where the lynel is in comparison.

He ends up somewhere in the middle, you to his left and the lynel to his right.

He see the whole thing happen- not even registering the power level of this particular monster when he sees it.

The lynel stops and lines up its shot 

“LINK HELP ME!”

It lets go and you collapse onto the forest floor, blood slowly beginning to pool by the back of your head. He didn’t even get the chance to answer you- you’re out before you can even see him there.

But the lynel still charges forward and Wild knows he can’t let it get to you regardless.

He runs toward you- not where near as quickly as the lynel but he shoots his trusty bomb arrow at its feet before it can get to you- watching in twisted satisfaction when the monster is instead flipped over you and lands directly on its back on the other side of the clearing.

He runs to you, looking over his shoulder to see the lynel jump to its feet again, now raging at a different level than before. He takes a short sword out of the shiekah slate and cuts the ropes around you, using the bomb rune to blast the creature again when it tries to run back over to you.

The blast doesn’t send the monster very far like the first one but it still buys Wild enough time to get the last of the ropes off of you and pick you up.

Legend comes in from he side lines and fires at the beast like there’s no tomorrow. Wild’s psyche breaths a quick sigh of relief at the appearance of back up and he tries to find a decent place to put you as he goes to deal with the monster.

It’s only when he’s putting you down- hidden behind some bushes and branches, does he see your other wounds- the arrows and he almost sobs at the sight. He thought it was just the hit from the lynel but you’re losing more blood than he thinks he can keep up with. Wild takes out the fairy and unleashes her, whispering to her to check your head first while he deal with the the arrows.

He doesn’t know if she can understand him as much as the koroks do (it wasn’t a fairy from his Hyrule) but he sees that she somewhat understands. He takes care of the one through your hand first and worries about splinters for a moment before someone smacks his hand away.

“How about you go help Legend?” Hyrule doesn’t  snap but it’s not necessarily a friendly tone at the moment. “I’ll take care of them but Legend can’t fight that thing on his own.”

Wild looks up and belatedly sees Legend try to dodge the strikes of the high level lynel instead of actually hitting the monster.

Wild takes one more look at you and your blood on his hands and nods to Hyrule. He doesn’t hesitate to run toward the monster and jumps on its back as its distracted.

He holds on by its mane and takes out his frost blade freezing it in place before unleashing as many blows as he can get with his knights claymore.

Legend however, somehow misses the memo and fires his fire rod at the lynel- getting rid of the effect of his own blade.

Wild doesn’t pay too much attention to it.

He switches to his thunder blade and strikes the beast right behind its head.

The shock knocks him off of its back and he lands harshly on his own back before shooting multiple bomb arrows at the monster. Legend goes for more ranged attacks when he sees the kind of artillery that Wild is unleashing on the monster and wants no part of it.

Wild gets his shots to strike the lynel in the face, going for more blood than he thinks the lynel even has- but all he knows is that the beast has to pay.

He stays close to the lynel, using as many flurry blows as he can get it, switching between the frost blade and his thunder blade as they both charge up and as many bombs as he can get going at once for the beast to fall.

He falls into a pattern and knows the monster very well after just two minutes of this. It’s from his Hyrule and Wild feels a small part of him shrivel in guilt at something from his world coming after you.

But that just means he’ll have the honors of getting rid of it.

Despite Wild’s obvious pattern of weapon switching and bomb usage, the lynel isn’t any wiser to his moves and continuously takes the damage that Wild is giving out- not even having the chance to strike the young hero. 

Legend at some point in all of this has moved away from the battle entirely and has joined Hyrule in healing you, even if it’s only to shove a potion down your throat.

Wild gets lost in the motions, enough so that he even trips over himself and falls face first in the monster’s loot.

He grabs it out of habit before sprinting over to where he knows he hid you.

You’re just beginning to wake up.

“Link...” You call out. “Where did you go?”

Wild bite his lip and drops to his knees next to you, gripping your hand with shaking hands. He looks to Hyrule with a silent question.

“They’ll be ok.” He says in a quiet voice. “Took a bad hit to the head and the arrows could have been better but nothing vital was damaged and they should be ok with some rest and time.”

Wild nods and sighs with relief.

“Link...” You blink your eyes open and look around you. “Oh hey... Everything hurts.”

Legend snorts and crosses his arms. “It took a lot of magic to get you to this point again.”

“I’m not dead?”

“You gave it your best shot.” Hyrule shrugs with an awkward smile on his face. “But we love you too much to let you go like that.”

Wild chuckles quietly and feels the shakes travel from his hands to the rest of his body until he’s sure it looks like he’s vibrating instead. His whole nervous system is fried but you’re ok- you’re alive. Wild thinks he can cry.

“Cool. Cool. Thanks.” You sigh and rest your head against the forest floor again. “Glad I’m not dead.”

“We are too.” Wild laughs a bit louder and it’s wet and quiet but you hear it.

You smile in response.

“Wild here is especially happy about it. He pretty much took on the lynel all by himself.” Legend lets out a breath. “It was a tough one. What was wrong with t? Was it infected like the others?”

“No. Just strong.” Wild shakes his head and lets go of your hand to brush your hair gently away from your face. “It was my Hyrule- I’ve fought a few like those before.”

“Dang...”

“Lynel...” You try the word on your tongue like slow molasses flowing through a jar. “I hate them.”

“Yeah...” Wild laughs a little louder again, a little more genuine- adrenaline leaving his system and leaving him tired and drained. “We all do.”

You’re ok.

He’s ok.

It’s ok.

[im-in-vin-ci-ble]

Hello~ Can I request a Mark x fem reader who’s a lot like starfire and is very Powerful close to omni man and is also an alien princess but she lives on earth and they go to the same school and she’s also a solo hero who one day sees invincible fighting off a tough villain with the teenteam but is losing so she steps in to help and he recognizes her and starts getting all nervous since he has a crush on her and then after that they introduce themselves get to know each other and eventually work they’re way up to mark confessing and she says yes :3

(If possible can it be a slow burn im a sucker for slow burn tropes and stuff 😤)

A/N: I gotchu, this bout to be a lil long 😮‍💨 making the fem!reader a little more human, figured since she’s in an actual school for humans she’d need to adapt to the humor/culture so she doesn’t get suspicious

Pairing: Mark Grayson x Fem!Reader

Rating: M, some swearing and gross monster guts

Warnings: N/A

Summary: Mark is finally joined in battle by an alien princess who has caught his attention. Turns out she goes to the same high school, and if he can throw around 150-pound monsters across the street, surely he can confess his true feelings to a girl... right?

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?!" Rex Splode yelled as he wobbled up off the ground. "We've been on this thing for hours and it only has one damn cut!"

"Calm down Rex," Atom Eve said from behind, "You're gonna get even more tired from yelling."

The two watched as Dupli-Kate attempted to distract the scaly kaiju, replicating herself second after second to give space for Invincible to hit the monster by surprise. The kaiju's screech echoed throughout the city and shook the foundations of the surrounding buildings, forcing Rex, Atom Eve and Robot to move aside and save however many civilians they could.

"Invincible," Dupli-Kate shouted, "I can't keep up much longer!"

A sonic boom overcame the surrounding noise and Invincible appeared from the clouds. Dropping in at maximum speed, the young superhero balled his hand into a fist and took a deep breath. A loud battle cry escaped his mouth but it was cut short as the kaiju's heavy arm slapped him away just in time, throwing him through destroyed buildings until he landed on the pavement.

Out of breath, dizzy, and in a serious amount of pain, Invincible laid on the broken road for a second to regain his strength. The wind softly blew down on him as he focused his sight on a contrail leading towards him, and he watched as a girl in purple land right next to him.

She bent down and held him upright, "Invincible, are you okay?"

"Mmhmm," Invincible croaked with a defeated smile, "Totally fine."

His sight reverted back to normal and the first face he saw shocked him alive. It was her. They never talked in school and he was almost sure she didn't know his real name, but here she was, basically cradling him in her arms and calling him Invincible.

So she knows who I am. At least with the suit.

"Come on, that kaiju is about to be destroy the entire city," she said, helping him get back on his feet and flying away to the seemingly unbeatable figure.

He huffed, "Stay cool, Mark. She's here to help," and he followed suit.

This marked the first time he really interacted with the new superhero; he'd only ever see her on TV or read about how she saved people on the newspaper. He'd be lying if he said he didn't find her attractive — as do most guys his age — but watching her blast the kaiju with the green bursts of energy from her hands made her only even more appealing.

Invincible regrouped with the rest of the Teen Team. "I don't know what else we can do to this thing," Atom Eve admitted.

"I do," the girl spoke up. "Distract it as best as you can but stay far away from the stomach. When I tell you to take cover, make a run for it."

Robot replied, "That seems highly dangerous."

"Let's do it," Invincible quickly replied in a high-pitched voice.

Everyone looked over at him, surprised at the sudden change in his voice and just how fast he reacted in agreement. 

"Uh, it's a good plan," he nodded, causing the girl to shoot a warm smile his way. "I definitely think we should do it... if all of you... uh, think, we should."

Exhausted and out of options, the rest of the group followed her orders and took different corners of the monster. Dupli-Kate handled one leg, Rex Splode handled the other, Robot and Atom Eve took the arms, and Invincible went back to the head. The kaiju struggled to keep its focus on just one of the heroes, and while it remained preoccupied, the girl absorbed all the energy she could muster and flew straight for the stomach.

"Take cover, now!"

Invincible and the Teen Team moved away and they watched as the flying hero's eyes opened in a bright shade of neon green, both her arms extended out as a large ball of green formed around her hands. The rays exploded right through the kaiju and it shrieked in pain as she briefly disappeared into the stomach. The kaiju lost balance and slowly fell forward as the girl, her eyes still green, appeared on the other side and harshly fell down on the ground.

The kaiju landed on the street with a loud boom and the group ran towards the girl who was now covered in parts of the kaiju's digestive system.

"Okay, that's kinda gross," Rex Splode commented, to which Dupli-Kate quickly responded, "Shut up."

Invincible dropped down on his knees and wiped the blood and guts off her face. Subtly admiring her facial features up close, he couldn't believe (and almost felt stupid) that he never recognized her despite the fact that he almost saw her everyday.

The girl groaned in agony softly shook her head, her eyes fluttering open to the sight of Invincible's dark hair, goggles and yellow mask.

"Hey, hey," he whispered, "Are you alright?"

She sat up and hissed at her injuries, holding her head with her bloody hand. "Mmhmm," she gently nodded with a half smile, her eye one still shut. "Totally fine."

---

Mark had a hard time focusing on school. His body ached from yesterday's injuries and he suffered a few bruises from literally tearing through buildings. He made his way to his locker and rested his head on the metal door, dreading the fact that he still has an entire afternoon of classes to go. Closing his eyes in hopes to quickly recharge, his moment of peace was disrupted when a shoulder rammed into his chest and several books landed right on his toe.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry," a voice exclaimed.

Mark's head snapped up at the sound of the voice. It's her. He momentarily froze and watched the girl bend down to pick up her things, and when he finally regained movement a split second later, he also bent down to help her out. He kept quiet as he tried to think of the coolest possible response to make her think that he was actually the coolest guy in school, but all he could think of was how heavenly and badass she looked yesterday.

"Thanks," she said as he handed her the book. "I hope your foot doesn't bruise."

They both stood up and he shot her a nervous smile. "T-totally fine," he replied, clearing his throat afterwards.

She crossed her brows at his response and nodded, and a look of suspicion replaced her worried demeanor.

"I'm Mark, by the way," he cleared his throat again and reached out his hand, "Grayson."

"Mark... Grayson, huh?" she responded, scanning his face as her suspicion grew. Her eyes finally landed on the hand that was waiting, and she took one last look into his eyes before deciding to shake it. "I'm Y/N," she introduced herself with a skeptical smile, feeling his sweaty palm wrapped around hers. "I'll see you around, Mark Grayson."

She walked away and Mark's eyes followed her trail as far as he could see. He quickly pulled out his phone to send a text to Eve, who was actually watching their interaction a few classrooms down.

"Mark," Eve called out as she moved towards him. “So I’m assuming...”

"You knew?” he asked her in disbelief. “Why didn't you tell me Y/N was a superhero? I just introduced myself to her as Mark Grayson and I'm almost positive she knows I'm Invincible."

"First off, it's not my secret tell," she answered with a shrug. "Second, you guys didn’t trade secrets or whatever?”

Mark shook his head in a panic, "No, but I'm guessing she also knows that I know her secret the same way I know she knows my secret." He rested his forehead on the locker door once again and groaned, "Ugh, I'm so into her, it isn't even funny. And this whole superhero thing just made it even more awkward."

Eve laughed, "Look, I'm not going to force her to tell you if she isn't up for it, but if you want, I can ask her to hang out with us later. Maybe — emphasis on maybe — my presence will make her comfortable enough to admit who she is."

"Okay, okay," he sighed, turning around to rest the back of his head. "My insides are dying."

"After the kaiju yesterday, be thankful you don't mean that in a literal sense."

---

Where in the hell is Eve?

Mark pulled out his phone for the third time in 10 minutes. Still no call or response from Eve to his text. He was getting evidently nervous; his palms were sweaty again and it felt like someone turned up the heat in Burger Mart. His left leg jerked up and down in anxiety as he stared at his phone, looking at the seconds on the clock icon tick by. If he were left alone with Y/N, he'd have no idea what to say. What does she like? Should I bring up the kaiju yesterday and praise Invincible? No, she'll just think I'm full of myself.

"Hey Mark."

He jolted and saw Y/N standing by the corner of the booth. "Hi!" he replied in that irritatingly high-pitched voice. Mark's heart began to race and the thoughts in his head ran wild. "Um... Have a seat. Sorry Eve isn't here yet, she actually hasn't answered my calls or my messages. Teenage girls, huh? What can you do?"

She crossed her brows again and chuckled, "That's fine, we can wait for Eve. But I think I'm more concerned about you."

"What do you mean?"

Y/N chuckled again, "You seem... nervous.”

He faked an obnoxiously loud laugh, “Me? Nervous?”

She watched him from across the table in silence, waiting for him to regain his composure.

When Mark couldn’t hear Y/N laughing with him, he finally shut up and shook his head. “Yeah, I am nervous, sorry,” he admitted, shutting his eyes tight. 

She giggled, “Totally fine.”

Hearing her say those two words calmed his racing heartbeat. A smile crept on his face and she reciprocated, their eyes locking for a few seconds before both their phones buzzed.

“Oh, I just got a text from Eve,” Mark said. 

“Me too.” She opened the message and began to read it out loud, “Sorry, can’t make it tonight. Something came up.”

“Have fun, you two,” he followed, his voice faltering. He placed his phone, screen down this time, back on the table and sighed, “Sorry, guess you’re stuck with me. That is, if you do want to stay and... hang out, and stuff.”

"Why wouldn’t I?” she replied, her warm smile easing Mark back into a relaxed state. “It’s nice to have a friend who...” she trailed off, “understands.”

“Understands what?” he asked.

“This thing people like us call life,” she answered. “You know, it took me a long time to acclimate here. I didn’t think I ever would, then I met friends who made this place feel like home. And home is a feeling I hadn’t felt in a really long time.”

Mark rested his elbows on the table and leaned in closer, “Well, I’m always here. You know, a-as a friend... or an acquaintance, even. I don’t, I don’t want to push it.”

Y/N giggled again, “You’re a funny man, Mark Grayson. This planet is lucky to have someone like you.” She reached out and held his hand, “And I’m even luckier to have you as a friend, or an acquaintance.” 

He felt the heat rush to his face and he could swear his heart nearly jumped out of his chest. The afternoon flew by in a hurry as they engaged in lengthy conversations, fatty fast food, and childhood stories. While Mark was open to sharing every tiny detail — down to the color of the bleachers at the park where he played little league — Y/N kept hers pretty vague, leaving out descriptions of family members and even the places where these stories happened. 

Mark’s phone buzzed again, but the vibrating pattern indicated it was a phone call. He turned the screen over and saw the unknown number; it was time to suit up.

“Shit, I’m sorry Y/N, but I need to go,” he said in a rush. “I have a... uh, an emergency.”

You couldn’t have thought of anything more specific?

“It’s cool. Um, don’t worry about it,” she said, shaking her head with her eyes glued to the vibrating phone. 

Mark’s one leg was already out the booth before he decided to finally just go for it. Sitting back down with his now quiet phone in his hands, he took a deep breath.

“Y/N, I think you’re really cool. Can I maybe, like, call you sometime, or something?”

Her lips formed into smile that extended to her eyes, and it was enough for Mark to melt a little. “Of course. Yeah, sure,” she replied in excitement and typed down her number on his phone. She handed it back, “Now you know how to reach me if you’re getting your ass whooped again.”

His mouth fell open as his shaky hands grabbed his phone. “Wait—”

She smoothly slid out of the booth, “See you later, Invincible,” she winked, “Don’t get killed today.”

---

Luckily for Mark, no one got killed today. Maybe a few wounds here and there, but nothing painful enough that will land him in the GDA hospital. After spending an hour in the shower, he finally managed to lie down on his bed and rest his body. He sank into the mattress and closed his eyes, taking in the seconds of undisturbed peace that have become rare moments since he got his powers. 

As he replayed the events of today’s fights in his head, his mind drifted off to the hours he spent with Y/N. He pulled out his phone and mustered the courage to press the dial button, and the repeating sound of the ringing was making his pulse race. 

“Hello?”

“Oh good, you didn’t die today.”

Mark chuckled and sandwiched his hand between his head and the pillow. “It wasn’t that bad today, just took a few hits,” he explained. “So listen, Y/N, I was wondering, uh—”

She cut him off, “What are you doing right now?”

“What?”

“What are you doing right now?” she repeated.

“Um, nothing, just getting some rest” he sat up and looked around. “Why?”

“If you’re not too tired, do you maybe...”

Mark smiled, “Maybe...?”

“I don’t know, sneak out? My roof is pretty comfortable.”

Silently fist pumping, he fully stood up and nodded, “Text me the address.”

Just as quietly as he exited his room via the window, he softly landed on Y/N’s roof. Swiftly flying up and greeting him, she took the place next to him and crossed her legs. 

“You’re right, your roof is pretty comfortable,” Mark said.

She chuckled at his remark then noticed a gash by his right temple. Her brows furrowed in worry, “You have a wound,” she said, making sure not to touch it.

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied, softly holding her hand and placing it back down with his. “Totally fine.”

Those words brought her some sense of comfort as her eyes softened, causing her to unconsciously squeeze his hand. Mark’s eyes widened and he looked down at their tangled fingers, frozen for a moment.

“Is this... okay with you?” he asked.

She nodded. “Wanna lie down? Since my roof is so comfortable?” she asked with a smirk.

“Sure,” Mark chuckled, removing his hand from her’s and stretching his arm out as they lied down. Y/N rested her head on his shoulder, keeping her eyes up at the stars.

“Hey Mark?”

“Yeah?”

A moment of silence.

“Thank you for coming.”

He looked down at her as she met his eyes, “You’re welcome.” 

The two shared a smile, and Mark took a deep breath as he prepared himself for the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

It’s now or never, Mark. Now or never.

“Watching you kick ass yesterday was... really a sight to see,” he began. “You’re powerful and strong, but more importantly, brave. And you’re so fucking beautiful and kind and smart and...” Mark trailed off, sighing, “I never thought I would be in this position — with you next to me in a very comfortable rooftop under the stars.”

“Mark...”

“And I really like you. Like, really, really like you.”

“Mark.”

“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way, but I just wanted to let you know. It’s important that you know—”

“Mark,” she cut him off. “I like you too. A lot.”

He breathed a sigh of relief and covered his eyes with his free hand. “Oh thank god. Thank god!” he exclaimed.

Y/N shushed him, “You’re gonna wake up the neighborhood, Invincible.”

“Sorry,” he giggled quietly, “I got excited.”

She laughed and faced her body towards him. They locked eyes again, and Mark didn’t know if it was gravity or just the adrenaline that pushed him, but he finally leaned down and met her lips. Static ran through his body as he deepened the kiss, and he felt an excitement that was even more exhilarating than the first time he flew.

She pulled away and Mark ran his hand through her hair, resting his hand on her cheek. “How was that?” he asked.

She smiled gently and placed her hand over his, “Totally fine.”