#I'll spit on their graves and then watch them come back to make out only to fist fight in the streets of Konoha right after

[fashionredalert]

You expect me to be normal? About them??

*points to Madara being dissected by Tobirama for over a week, then later when Madara impales Tobirama with multiple black rods to keep him exactly where he wants him.*

[penelopepine]

Mini Me

Phillip Graves x Fem Reader

Summary: You surprise Graves by having your son show up dressed like him. Content: Fluff, implied sexual content, Dad Graves Word Count: 1106

You couldn't wait to see the look on your husband's face when you and your son arrived at the base. The first grade class had asked all the kids to come dressed as their hero today, and of course your son had begged to go dressed as his dad. 

He already was a spitting image of Phillip; dressing him in clothes resembling his father's military wear only added to that. You even managed to find one of Phillip’s old shadow company patches to make the look perfect. 

It also happened to be the day Phillip would be returning home from some mission. He unfortunately wouldn't be able to return home right away though, and had asked that you both stop by after picking up your son from school. With that in mind you decided to not tell your husband about your son dressing like him; choosing instead to let it be a fun surprise. 

"Are you ready to surprise daddy, baby?" You ask the six year old practically vibrating in his seat the closer you get to the base gates. 

"Yeah!" He exclaims back to you, "I'm going to surprise him so good!" 

You couldn't help but lightly chuckle at how excited he was for this. His initial disappointment about not being able to show Phillip this morning was quickly thrown out the window when you explained how much fun it would be to show not only Phillip, but the shadow's as well.

He absolutely loved his father's shadows; many of them being seen as family. 

You’re quickly passed through the gates with a quick wave and smile from the soldier at the gate. He also lets you know that he'll radio Phillip to let him know you've arrived. 

The walk from the parking lot to Phillip's office is fairly short distance wise, but that doesn't mean you get there quickly by any means. Not when every few steps you're getting stopped by a different shadow who wants to say hello to you both. Many of them make the instant connection that your son is dressed up like his dad today, and address him as 'Commander Graves'. 

Every time they do you swear your son's face seems to glow with how bright that smile is. You can already tell you're going to have a hard time convincing him that he can't dress like this every day. That's tomorrow's problem though for now you're just going to enjoy seeing him so happy. 

It wasn't until you ran into Erikson and Dipaolo that your walk was truly stopped though. 

"Commander Graves is that you?" Is the first thing Dipaolo asks before stopping right in front of your son.

"I think so," Erikson says, stopping next to him, “Certainly looks like the Commander to me.” 

"Well then Commander Graves, do you have any orders for us sir?"

This entire time your son is giggling to himself as the two question if he is or isn't the commander, but upon hearing the question about orders he's immediately shouting out, "Push Ups!"

"Wha-"

"PUSH UPS!" He yells once more. You lightly shush him, but you know that he's just excited to truly act like his dad.

The two soldiers give each other a brief look before seemingly admitting defeat and getting into push up position. 

The six year old is then yelling ups and downs to them. Even going as far as to stand as straight as he can with his hands behind his back. Trying to replicate what he's seen Phillip doing. 

It takes you a few minutes of watching this scene to realize that Phillip is now standing beside you as he silently watches his son command two of his best soldiers up and down. The look on his face is nothing short of amusement and pride. 

Seeing that you have finally noticed him he now directs his gaze to you with a devilish grin before whispering, "This your doing, sweetheart?"

"Surprise," You step closer and give him a quick kiss, "I'm so happy you're back."

"I'll always come back to you - to this." He says as he looks towards his son once again. "He's a real mini me ain't he?" 

Before you can respond though it seems like your son has also noticed that Phillip is now present, and is immediately running towards him yelling out, "Daddy!" 

 Phillip kneels down with arms open as your son slams into him before lifting him up. "Hey buddy, I'm liking your look. Any reason for it or just cause?"

"We got to dress like our hero today for school!" 

And that right there was the real surprise. The revelation that out of anyone he could have picked he chose his dad. It seemed to momentarily shock Phillip before he broke out into a wide grin, "Really! I'm honored, little man. Your mama did a good job of making you look the part, didn't she?"

"Yeah, Mamas the best!" 

Phillip is then pulling you into his side. Everything he's ever wanted is here right now in his arms. He directs his attention to the soldiers still in front of them for all but a moment, "Erikson, Dipaolo you two are excused." He is then turning around, you still nestled into his side and your son on his arm, walking towards his office. 

Once in there he's setting down his son to let him around the room, and dragging you over to his chair; putting you in his lap. You're relaxing instantly into his chest as he wraps his arms around your waist as you watch your son roam around the room. 

"Ya know him dressed like my mini me has got me thinking," Phillip murmurs into your ear.

You give him a questioning glance before asking, "What about?"

"About how nice it would be for you to have a mini me as well." 

This has you taking a pause because at first you're not sure if you heard him correctly, or if he's really implying what you think he's implying. "… Are you saying you want another baby?" 

"Baby, I'm begging you for another baby." He nods his head towards the little boy excitedly messing around with the bookshelf. "Look at how perfect he is. We need to make more - replicate. Make the world a better place, and all that." 

Well when he says it like that, who are you to refuse, "Let's do it; let's have another baby!" 

He looks you in the eyes with a heated gaze and smirk, "I'll call the babysitter for the day I'm out of here because I'm not planning on wasting any time then, sweetheart.” 

[tua-five]

Season 3 Episode 1!!

I am so excited for this season. Especially today's episode.

⚠️⚠️ If you haven't watched any of this season, I'd advise not to read any of my posts in the next 10 days. Get to it! ⚠️⚠️

I am very much so sorry about how long this is. There is a lot to say today. I wish I could've added more gifs, but of course, it limits me to 10.

Let's all be real. We ALL thought the dance off was real. 100%. It's definitely something they would do.

Okay, I'll jump back a bit now. It's a nice touch that they showed Ben being birthed this time. Since the 10-second clip at the end of the last episode, Ben is the biggest anomaly.

And then there's the matter of 16 rather than 43. Which we'll find out why in a couple of episodes. I do wonder, however, if this time, Reginald told the Sparrows about the other 9 powered kids.

Then the next big difference is the Sparrow Academy being introduced as their names and then Aka #1 or etc. It makes me wonder if Grace still named them or if Reginald did it this time.

Also, can we talk about Marcus?? What are his powers? Okay. So, after a quick Google search, he has Superhuman Strength and Enhanced Resilience. But that is the exact same powers as Luther, and somewhere along the way, I believed that that was not possible.

Actually, I want to talk about all of them, so maybe I'll make a separate post for that.

Anyhoo, Ben saying "cute hat Sundance" was really funny.

But Klaus checking to see if everyone could see Ben too was cute, but it was actually sad. He had to make sure they could see him because Klaus didn't believe that he was actually alive. He just thought that Ben was back. That maybe even though (their) Ben is gone, that maybe he came back when they came home.

Luther's love at first sight moment is just like "ugh, again". But it is cute.

I also want to talk about Grace, but that is far too long, and it will veer too far off from today's episode.

Yeah, so the first time around, I definitely thought that the whole footloose scene was real and was definitely gravely disappointed that it wasn't. Luther saying "Protecting our honor, bro" was definitely weird, but I mean... that's the whole show, so.

Speaking of this scene... Jayme's powers.. She has hallucinogenic spit, which first she spits on Diego and then later Five. It is assumed that the spit makes you hallucinate what you desire most, so for Five, it was obviously his "love" Delores. Which then transformed into a human, and of course, he started making out with it. Diego, however, hallucinated a dance off?? I mean, obviously, I could definitely see him wanting that. My point here, though, is that Five acted out his desires/with it. Diego is sweating when he comes out of his delusions, so if it wasn't so bizarre, you could imagine him actually acting it out, running around the house dancing. Although, it didn't actually happen, and he didn't act it out. Because if he did, everyone would be looking at him weird, not only Jayme looking at him. But it's funny to think about him running around dancing to seemingly nothing while the others just watch in astonishment.

Viktor being the one to want to talk it out is so real. He was never one for violence until it was forced out of him. Quite literally.

Also, "Ben-er-ino's" haircut is pretty bad. Klaus wasn't lying.

So much just happened in 3 seconds. Diego calling Christopher a litter box, Diego understanding it?? How?? And him saying his hair is nice and was era appropriate 😭

Even though it's so simple, this will always be one of my favorite lines"

"You're alive, that's great. Or possibly horrible, I'm not really sure yet."

"Is that some kind of weird smack talk?"

"It's more of an existential problem, really, Ben." *Flips hair casually like he's not fighting his supposed to be dead brother.*

Diego is definitely the most unhinged Hargreeves. And that's saying a lot. "Who's your daddy? I'm your daddy! Who's. Your. Daddy?"

There's a lot of great little lines in here, and none of them are appreciated. Like Jayme saying, "Hey short pants... what's up?" In a sing songy voice.

And Marcus and Luther.

"See, bigger isn't always better."

"Is that what you tell your girlfriends?"

Marcus does have a temper tantrum, though. He literally stomps his foot like a little kid on Luther's chest. Makes me want to say "aww, are you a wittle angy? 🥺"

"I'm not your father, young man. Not anymore. Biscuit?" Reggie says it so ominously and then so sweetly, "Biscuit? 🤠"

"I don't know.. I've just never had my ass handed to me like that before. It's like, here you go 🤲 it's your ass 🤲🍑"

I feel bad for Five. Which I've said before, but I'm saying it again. It's always on him. They just got back from being demolished by the Sparrow Academy, and Allison is like, "Shouldn't you know?" Like, no. Not all the time. How is he supposed to know? Yeah, five, it's going to take you more than 20 minutes and a dramatic brain injury to figure things out. Diego is mocking him and how his powers are so hard, and Allison is like, Five, where the hell is the briefcase. Like, how is he supposed to know?? Not everything is his fault.

Grace being infatuated with "God" in the basement will always be weird to me.

Klaus will always be Klaus, though. "I missed you you slutty ol' dame. Absorb her, absorb her into your bosom."

I'd hate to be Patrick, though. Like.. some random lady calls and tells him to tell a Claire that mommy misses her.. and then that random lady breaks into his house. Like um... yikes.

Also, can we talk about the Sparrows running on treadmills and Christopher pretends to, just floating in the air spinning?? What???

Marcus telling Reginald to sit like a dog is crazy though. I do feel bad for him. They've got him hopped up on pills and everything. Even though he turns out to still be manipulative.

"I kissed Sissy goodbye a few hours ago. Give or take 50 years." Viktor 😭 sweetie 😭😭

Viktor went from being sweet and innocent with that little talk with Marcus, to straight-up threatening him. "Because your team is good. Better than mine, maybe. But I don't think you're better than me, Marcus. I ended the world, twice. And you? You're just meat in spandex." Like, dang!! Okay, pop off, I guess.

Also, I love how the siblings make sure Five doesn't feel like a kid even though he looks like one. Or, at least Luther and Diego the most. Luther, on countless occasions, has called Five "old man," and Diego just said, "So sput it out, Boomer!" That was funny, I'll admit.

"So if you ever see your other self—"

"Kill them." Of course, Diego would say this.

"Sleep with them." Klaus???

"😦🫥... Avoid them." Exactly. The only obvious answer??

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I agree, Luther.

"Oh, come on. As if you wouldn't climb Luther-Mountain." No, Klaus. Luther would not do that to himself. That is just crazy.

Lila dropping Stanley on Diego is bizarre, by the way. And claiming he's their son. I can't believe I even believed that. I mean, he's not even the same ethnicity as either of them. Diego was right when he kept saying "alleged son."

I'm really sad that they killed Mr. Pennycrumb in the first episode, though. But at least he made his show from the comics.

It's also sad that Five truly believes that the apocalypse is over. You, my old sir, did not win. Sorry to say.

Gif collection

Okay, I'm going to waste my last 5 gifs on this because it was hilarious, and everyone must relive it again. Moments like these show that they're siblings.

[sarahs-secrets2]

I'm Yours (Phillip Graves x Reader) 18+࿐♡ ˚.*ೃ

request here! i'll be doing the request in the order i received them just an fyi :)

based on I'm Yours by Isabel LaRosa

fem! (no use of Y/N)

Word Count: 1.2k

Warnings: creepy man, swearing, light NSFW, mentions of alc, sexual tension, pet names (lmk if I missed something)

₊°✧︡ ˗ ˏ ˋ ♡ ˎˊ ˗

“You remember the plan?” Phillip asked before sending you into the bar. 

The hotel bar was crowded, with drinks flowing. The plan was to seduce the leader and get the information about where the next weapons drop-off site was as quickly and safely as possible, the target being the head of the largest crime organization in the states. Recently you had become a new member of the Shadow Company, and this was your first big mission. Preparing for this mission included weeks, of training, and strategizing with Graves.

Even though you had only been with the Shadows for six months, you and Phillip become increasingly close. Maybe it was all the sleepless nights planning a mission, maybe it was the way he looked at you, but he was your Commander so anytime you felt something you had to push it down and remember your end goal. 

You flash him a smile, trying to project confidence. "I know what I'm doing, Commander.", Phillip's lips twitched into a half-smile, but you could see he was nervous. 

You stepped into the bar, wearing a short red dress in an attempt to catch the eye of the target. As you scan the room, you can feel the eyes of the other guests on you. Trying to stay focused was difficult as you walked through the bar, overanalyzing every move you made on the way to get a drink. 

You ordered a cocktail and settled into your role, as you leaned back against the bartop finally spotting the target. He was sitting in the far corner booth with some of his men, just as planned his eyes connect with yours. 

Leaning into the attention you were getting you batted your lashes and gave him a small wave. He smirked, gesturing for you to come over. Reminding yourself who this is, you make your way over apprehensively. 

He motions for you to sit next to him, “Well, what's a pretty girl like you doing all alone here, hmm?” he reeked of alcohol and cigars as his arm crept around your shoulder. His eyes raking over your body as he spoke. You try not to shudder and instead focus on coaxing out the information you need.

Meanwhile, Phillip is stationed at a nearby table, keeping an eye on the situation. He knows what's at risk here, but something about seeing you with another man sets him off. He's never been the jealous type, but he can't help the feeling that's gnawing at him as he watches you flirt with the target.

As you lean in closer to the man, trying to get him to reveal more information, Phillip can't take it anymore. He stands up and approaches you, completely interrupting your conversation.

"S'cuse me, gentlemen," he says in a stern voice. "I need to speak with her for a moment."

The man next to you flinches at the sudden interruption, and you feel a sense of panic rising in your chest.

"Oh, this pretty lady here? She’s with me tonight buddy" he spits out, eyeing Phillip warily.

"I just need a moment, it’ll be quick, promise," Phillip says, grabbing your arm and dragging you away from the mission entirely. 

Once you get far enough away you can't hold it back anymore, "Graves, what the hell are you doing?" you hiss, trying to keep your voice low.

"It’s not worth it," he says, his voice low and angry. "I need to get you out of here."

"I almost had it," you snap back. "You can't just pull me away, I’m so close,” 

“We’re leavin’ let's go, we’ll get the intel a different way, I’m not sending you back there,” he turns away about to walk out of the bar. You grab Phillip's arm and pull him back, trying to remind him to think about the bigger picture. 

"Phillip, we need this," you say. "You and I both know it."

“Fine, but be safe please,” he pauses, “for me yeah?”

“Yeah I will, I can take care of myself, don't worry,” you smiled, squeezing his hand before quickly getting back to the target.

“Everything alright gorgeous?” the thick accent of the target seeped out as he pulled you back into the booth, closer to him than before. 

“Yeah,” you put on a fake smile, “A jealous ex, you know the type, enough about me though,” your hand rested on his chest as you batted your eyelashes. 

After what seemed like hours you finally managed to get the information you needed about the next weapons drop-off. 

Quickly, you slipped out of the bar and headed over to the hotel elevator where you planned to meet back up with Graves. The pair of you stand in silence as the elevator door dings open, Phillip motioning you to enter first. He clicks the 14th-floor button and the doors shut, leaving you both alone together. 

A few seconds of silence pass before you finally decide to speak up, "What the hell was that back there?" you say, anger seeping into your voice. "You nearly cost the whole mission,"

"Fuck," his voice dragged out. "I don't know, seeing you like that... made me jealous,"

"Jealous?" your arms crossed across your chest.

"Yeah, seeing you with some other guy," his voice trailed off, “Made me realize some things, that's all.”

“Realize what Phillip?” 

“That I want you, goddamn,” he let a hand drag down his face.

“Okay enough jokes, if you don't think I’m ready you can just say that, you don't need to fuck around with my feelings,”

“No… no,” you watched him as he tried to gather his composure, both of you still reeling off the adrenaline from the mission, “God, I've had a thing for you since you joined the damn company,”

You hesitated before answering trying to determine if he was being sincere, you finally spoke, “Me too,” his eyes shot up from the floor,  he was shocked that you reciprocated the feeling. Almost immediately as the words left your lips, Phillip pulled you in and kissed you. The kiss was explosive, a long-denied release of tension that had been building between the two of you. The elevator dinged finally arriving at floor 14, you both pulled away trying to catch your breath. 

You look into Phillip's eyes and see the same desire reflected there as he grabs your hand pulling you to the room that was booked for the night to help with the mission. As soon as the door closes behind you, you're both all over each other, tearing off clothes and finally getting what you had been craving for so long. 

Afterward, you lie entwined in each other's arms, your breathing slowly returning to normal.

"I'm sorry about earlier doll," Phillip says, his voice almost a whisper as a hand softly brushed through your hair. "I almost cost the mission being jealous,” he chuckled lightly. 

"It's okay," you say, stroking his chest. "And, you're kinda hot when you’re jealous." Phillip laughed as you continued, "Plus, you don’t have to worry about that anymore, I’m yours,"

"I could get used to you saying that," he smiles, pulling you closer. "I care about you, you know? Maybe too much,” he teased. 

You smile back, laughing at his joke, "I care about you too, Phillip, definitely too much."

You snuggle closer into his chest as he places a small kiss on your forehead as the pair of you bask in the afterglow. 

₊°✧︡ ˗ ˏ ˋ ♡ ˎˊ ˗

hope you enjoyed :)

[cassiebones]

Okay! Well here is something that I'll make longer when I'm no longer at work 😅

Rio meets Agatha just after the carnage at the botched execution.

She had been summoned by more than half a dozen violent, magical deaths - her specialty.

She'd found...well, something she'd never expected to find: bodies.

No, of course she was expecting bodies.

But these bodies were different. She hadn't seen bodies like this in centuries, not since Egypt. They were practically...mummified. Minus the wrappings.

And they were all modern Salem witches. She recognized some of them, their spirits floating above their bodies, waiting to be taken.

All except for one.

This spirit is angry. Livid, even. She is practically spitting mad as she circles her own husk of a body, muttering to herself as the others watch.

Rio approaches her.

"I am Death," Rio starts, almost bored, having made the same speech literally a trillion times in the past, "here to ferry you to whatever lies beyond. Are you ready?"

"Ready?!" the old crone shrieks. "To leave this mortal plain in the hands of my wretched daughter?!? Look at what she has done! The destruction she has sown!" She waves her hand wildly around her, at the bodies littering the ground.

Rio's eyes widen at that, as she looks around, impressed.

"Your daughter did all this?" she asks, unable to mask her delight. "How old is she?" she asks. "Surely she must be a master at her craft."

"A master!" the crone scoffs. "Hardly. She is just evil. I should have sent for you the moment she left my body. Just like her father, horrible and wicked and..." She spits at the ground. "She will pay for this!"

"Hard to make somebody pay for their perceived crimes," Rio huffs, "when you are nothing more than a spirit."

"My daughter is a Spirit witch," says the crone. "All I need to do is wait for the Blood Moon."

Rio rolls her eyes. "Fantastic," she says, "a ghost. I fucking hate ghosts."

"Watch your tongue!" the woman says. "Do you know to whom you speak?! I am Evanora Harkness, and I will--"

Rio raises her hand and suddenly the spirit is silent. Rio breathes a sigh of relief as the spirit's mouth continues to open and close in her anger. The crone's eyes widen when she realizes that nothing is being said. She screams harder, but nothing. Rio smiles at her, serenely, then turns and walks away, collecting the other souls.

They do what all spirits do; they beg. They beg her to watch over their children, to let their families know of this injustice, to wreak havoc on the rest of Agatha Harkness's miserable life.

Agatha Harkness: the witch that caused so much death and destruction. Ooh, Rio needs to meet her, even if she's still alive.

Honestly, Rio needs to meet her especially if she still alive. This much power from one singular woman? Brilliant.

So she ferries the souls that are willing to crossover, makes empty promises for their children (though, according to unspoken witch laws, they will soon go the way of their parents at Agatha's hands), and ferries them to the other side, laying them to rest.

When she returns, she doesn't even bother to give the crone back her voice. It will come back on its own. Eventually. When there is somebody willing to talk to her. Evanora continues to screech silently, but Rio ignores her, focusing on hiding these bodies, allowing them to sink into the earth, marking their graves with flowers, then she sets out a finding spell, locates the vibrating mass of purple that is Agatha Harkness, and disappears, leaving Evanora screaming into the Void.

She finds Agatha Harkness in the middle of a patch of woods miles away, sat on the floor in the dark, illuminated only by a purple glow emanating from her fingers. In the low light, Rio can see just how beautiful the woman is, so young and fragile-looking, but filled with power beyond Rio's wildest imaginings.

She lets her own green magic light up at the end of a torch as she steps forward. Agatha notices and jumps to her feet in defense, her purple glow growing larger around her body.

"Who goes there?" she demands, but her voice betrays the tears that have no doubt been falling for quite some time. She reaches her hands out toward Rio, her fingers twisting, making the purple flames jump around.

"My name is Rio Vidal," Rio says. She rarely gives her name to a mortal, but it feels warranted somehow. Especially after the gift Agatha had given her. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here solely as an admirer of your work."

Agatha Harkness lets out a scoff, humorless.

"Naturally," she retorts, sarcastically, sniffling. "Because Goddess knows I have so many of those."

"You have at least one," Rio says, stepping closer. Agatha's magic grows in response. "I wouldn't try that," Rio warns. "If you try to take my magic, it will kill you."

"I..." Agatha gasps, stepping back. "I would never do such a thing."

"Eight bodies in the woods beg to differ," Rio says, her voice light and admiring. "I've never seen such carnage. It was...delightful."

Agatha's hands lower a bit, but Rio can still see the furrowed brow, the confusion on her face.

"Are you a mad witch?" Agatha asks. "Why would carnage bring you...delight?"

"Tis the nature of my job," Rio sighs, taking another cautious step forward. "I ferry the souls through the veil from the Living World to the Land of the Dead."

"You...are Death?"

"I prefer Lady Death, if we must use titles," Rio says. "But I most prefer you to call me Rio. Rio Vidal." She bows to Agatha, taking more steps forward as she straightens. "My lady," she says, smiling charmingly at the young witch.

"Rio Vidal," Agatha echoes, as if testing it on her tongue. "What is it you want from me? To kill me?" Again her magic grows, pulsing around her.

"Not at all," Rio says, trying to soothe her. "Not that I could kill you, anyway. I'm not allowed; conflict of interests and all that."

"You just said that you could kill me if I tried to take your power."

"Not exactly what I said," Rio retorts. "I said that my magic could kill you, not me. And it would be your own fault then. It would be more like you were killing yourself."

Agatha nods slowly and her gaze lowers to the ground. "Maybe that's for the best," she says, her voice choked. "I would deserve it after everything I've done."

She falls back to the ground, her purple light flickering as her body starts to wrack with sobs. Rio feels a tightness in her chest at the sight: such a beautiful, powerful young witch, capable of great destruction, reduced to a sobbing maiden, even as her power's glow warms her.

Rio takes the final few steps until she is right in front of Agatha, then she lowers herself to the ground, setting her torch between them, allowing the glow to illuminate them both. Agatha's head is in her purple hands. Rio reaches out and places a hand on her knee.

"Why don't you tell me exactly happened out there?" she asks, softly. "Because I got your mother's side and, well, I'm far more inclined to listen to one who isn't shrieking at me like a mad banshee."

Agatha looks up, eyes wide. "My mother is still--" Rio shakes her head as the realization dawns on Agatha. "You are Death," she sighs. "Mother is now a spirit. Crossed over?"

Rio shakes her head and rolls her eyes. "A ghost," she says. "She is still tied to this mortal realm, so you may see her once or twice around the Blood Moon."

Agatha groans in annoyance, then furrows her brow. "How did you know that I was a Spirit Witch?"

Rio reaches forward and takes one of Agatha's wrists, raising her eyebrow at the purple glow. Agatha flushes, but it's not just from the embarrassment (obviously, she is a Spirit Witch, based just on the color of her magic), but also from the feeling of Rio's hand on her skin.

She'd had inclinations towards women in the past, but her mother looked down upon those kinds of witches. They were unnatural, wrong. There were none allowed in her coven, but Agatha saw them in other covens. She longed to join them in their dancing, their open love for one another.

But Mother forbade it. It was just another reason that she considered Agatha evil: her love for women.

It's not like there were any like-minded witches who would have shown her that same kind of affection, anyway. Because of her mother's lies, Agatha was an outcast amongst the other witches of her generation. She'd never even shared a kiss with another woman, witch or mortal.

But Rio's hand is...not warm. It's not cold, either, but it's decidedly not warm, yet it lights a fire in her belly. She swallows thickly and swears that she can see Rio's lips turn up in the dim green and purple lighting.

"Of course," Agatha says, clearing her throat as she (regrettably) releases her wrist from Rio's grasp. "Purple magic. I was the only one in my coven to possess it." She smiles down at her glowing hands. "It started when I was barely old enough to walk, far before any of the other witchlings."

"So you're a natural talent, then," Rio says, admiringly. Her eyes are filled with wonder at Agatha, a warmth blooming in Agatha's chest that she had never experienced at the sight. She smiles softly at Rio, almost dreamily, before she remembers herself.

"You might say that," Agatha says, nonchalantly, shrugging. "My mother just added it to a long list of the reasons why I'm evil."

Rio rolls her eyes. "You're not evil," she says. "You are powerful. There's a difference, but not one that matters to one who has already made up their mind to hate you for it." She leans forward, further into Agatha's space. "You never did anything wrong to earn your mother's ire," she says. "She made a decision long ago and was too stubborn to see just how wrong she was. Or she envied your power. Neither is your fault."

"But the other witches..."

"Were killed for their own hubris," Rio insists, now reaching out, over the fire, to take Agatha's hands in hers. "If they hadn't tried to execute you, then they would still be alive today."

"They told you that, huh?" Agatha says, looking down but not letting go of Rio's fingers, holding more tightly even.

"They told me plenty," Rio says. "More than I was interested in hearing. I pieced together rest. I came to the same conclusion; not your fault."

"But you still don't know the whole story," Agatha says. "My mother has always told me that I was born evil, that I would one day prove her correct. And I did."

"It wasn't your fault," Rio says, more insistently. She reaches out with her hand, placing her fingers beneath Agatha's chin, forcing her to look her in the eyes. "She treated you like you were evil not because you are evil, but because she was projecting her own evil nature onto you. She was the one who convinced the other witches, wasn't she?"

Agatha nods, tears now falling from her eyes at the thought of all the women she'd grown up around, the ones who had praised her for being obedient as a child, studious as a witch, chanting at her, spelling her doom because of her mother's words.

"I don't know why she hated me so," Agatha sobs, shaking her head. "I was always good. Or I tried so hard to be. Why can't I be good?" She leans forward, being caught by Rio, cradled in the other woman's arms. Rio, in turn, feels rage build up from the pit of her stomach, bubbling and brewing in her chest. She wants to kill Evanora Harkness more than has ever wanted to kill anybody in her existence (and she has a list).

"Mothers are meant to love their children," Rio says. "I've rarely met a good mother who doesn't immediately ask about the future of their child after her departure. You were never a bad child; you just had a really bad mother."

Agatha continues to sob and Rio continues to boil as she holds her, trying desperately to soothe her, to make her see just how extraordinary Agatha is. She's powerful beyond her years. She's brilliant. She's young and has still so much to learn.

She cannot be broken.

Rio pulls back and cups Agatha's cheeks in her hands, heart aching at the tears that continue to run down her face. She forces Agatha to look at her with a soft, "hey."

When Agatha looks at her, she sees years of pain in those eyes, those brilliant, beautiful, blue blue eyes. More anger rises in her chest, but she tamps it down.

"Your mother's words and beliefs don't define you. She's dead and you are still alive. There's a reason for that. There's a reason that you are still here. There's a reason that, when they tried to execute you, you persisted. You defied them, without even trying to. You are, by far, the strongest witch I've ever beheld. And I've been around a long time." She grins and Agatha matches it, a bit of mirth breaking through the tears. "You need to believe that you are hear for a reason, that you survived a brutal attack orchestrated by your own hag of a mother to fulfill a higher purpose. You are fantastic, Agatha. Ethereal. You can do so much more, be so much more than you ever--"

Agatha cuts off Rio's words with a surge of her lips, pressing hot, desperate kisses to Rio's mouth, which Rio soon returns, just as passionately, her arms winding around Agatha's waist as they embrace. All her anger turns immediately to passion as she returns the fervor of Agatha's kisses, her black heart beating in rhythm with Agatha's, her entire body aflame.

When Agatha pulls back a moment later, Rio is only slightly embarrassed by the little mewl she lets out at the loss of the other woman's lips.

"Apologies," Agatha says, breathlessly. "I didn't mean to interrupt you." She inhales a deep breath. "I just...you are so..." She's at a loss for words and Rio is looking at her, hungrily, wanting more. "Nobody has ever shown me such kindness," Agatha says. "I just...I couldn't help myself."

"And yet you continue to speak instead of kissing me, again," Rio purrs in response. "Care to remedy that?"

Agatha's face flames, but she wastes no time in leaning in again, kissing Rio more slowly this time, savoring the taste of her lips as her hands sink into Rio's hair, feeling finally in place where she belongs.

Rio Vidal's arms.

#rio being a protective wife

[reformedkingsmanagent]

A playlist for Vaako.

Pretty Boy by Alpha Wolf "Surrender myself underneath you, nothing makes sense when I'm with you, Sink into my neck, I can't bite back, I can't bite back,"

Sew Me Up by Spiritbox "Mistakes, hard to swallow, this hate leaves me hollow because, two times that I've heard before, "It's a curse if you care enough,"Are you scared to be alone with me? and the words I speak if I, hold on to hate too hollow for anyone, to just remain in shadow, pulling backwards to sew me up?"

Take Me Back to Eden by Sleep Token "My, my, those eyes like fire, I'm a winged insect, you're a funeral pyre, come now, bite through these wires, I'm a waking hell and the gods grow tired, reset my patient violence along both lines of a pathway higher, grow back your sharpest teeth, you know my desire, when we were made, it was no accident, you know my desire, we were tangled up like branches in a flood, I have traveled far beyond the path of reason, Take me back to Eden,"

NC-17 by HEALTH "How are we supposed to stop, without that, I don't ever want another chance, I wonder why we start at all, I remember how it really is, I wonder why we start at all,"

NERVOUS SYSTEM by Bad Omens & iRis.EXE "I found my new religion: Bathory algorithm, murder and superstition, just sit up and piss remittance, still breathing in ellipses, borderline field of vision, lovesick evangelist, a virus to the nervous system, Shut down, spit it out for you, turn me inside out, I adore you, pretty Judas bows before you, no use in trying to fight me,"

Dark Distance by Every Time I Die "Start over, this time no gods unless they're women, Spare only the ones I love, Spare only the ones I love, Slay the rest,"

Weaponized by Make Them Suffer "Arise, sleeper agent activated, operation in full effect, arise, programmed to kill, assassinator, murderer, and you're feeling that you're disconnected, like you've been neglected, mechanized, can't stop feeling you've been misdirected, manufactured, weaponized,"

Simmer by Hayley Williams "Rage is a quiet thing, oh, you think that you've tamed it, but it's just lying in wait, Rage, is it in my veins? feel it in my face when, when I least expect it, give in,"

Gored by Loathe ""Nowhere to go, you are mine," A truth resonates as you fall in endless spiral, Incompetent in disbelief, reality is frozen, feel the jaws clench and now slowly, you bend,"

Obsession by Thornhill "I'll slaughter them all, but you, a portrait of a lady on fire in my head, I'll surrender and crawl, even if it breaks me, just say that you will never leave, 'cause you're heavenly,"

Soft Spine by Spiritbox "Soft Spine ascending up to meet my eyes wide, I am a witness to your regicide, the dissolution of your soft spine, you all deserve each other, your god will sort you when you die,"

High Water by Sleep Token "For the time being, I will still avoid my own questions, and we both bury that history deep, but you know, I can hold my breath forever, for the time being, You are still a perfect reminder of what all these scars on my arms are for, if I can hold myself together, And I choke myself on sacred vapor, waiting on some holy favor, basking in the solace of regret, and it seems my hell is your high water, wash me clean again before I pull myself beneath the waves,"

ALTAR by Void of Vision (feat. Hannah Greenwood) "We crawl, we bend, we break, we live like martyrs just to die in vain, now alas, the cruelest fate, to speak your name your name and never see your face again, why do you scream, "how could you do this to us?" You left her in the rain and watched her turn to rust, do you think melodramatic disgust is a guise for pain if you call it love?"

A Martyr Left Alive by Counterparts "The holier the thief, the heavier we grieve, hallowed be a martyr left alive, bless us with lost blood, inheritance of pain, a satiated grave, stained by fate and false belief, angels starved will feed,"

Stroke by Banks "Say it's hard to breathe inside my ocean, I give you the deep but you're still floating, you would let me drown to save your own life, don't think I can't see your soul is soaking, It's always in my head, everything is always about you, you tell me you're a book that I misread, you just want to tell me what to do,"

Miracle by Bad Omens "One look at your eyes and I cave, one taste of the life now I crave it, It's not too late to die for a reason, fall down on the sword you were swinging, I wanted to dress a blade up in red with both of our necks, but I wasn't able, and I wasn't stable, I guess,"

Crawl Backwards out of Heaven by Erra "A lonely planet seen from a distant star, withering like all of the rest, we choose the things that cause us pain in pursuit of becoming human, malevolence is on the outer border of our illusion, waiting in the dark, in the earth, the secret embedded, crawl backwards out of heaven, abandon death as your obsession, crawl backwards out of heaven,"

[moldisgoodforyou]

on my mom's grave

wordcount: 3.7k

warnings: n/a

______

“How drunk do you think we’re going to get tonight?” Sophie asked, tipping back the last of a lemon White Claw as the two of them got ready for the night in her room.

“Dunno. I’m not really feeling it tonight.”

She paused, glancing back at him. “Do you not want to go?”

He shook his head and took the can from her, disappointed to realize there was nothing left. “No, no, it’s fine. I’m cool. Probably just won’t drink.”

“Is this about the phone call with your dad earlier?”

Rafe sighed, gritting his teeth. “It’s not - I’m fine, Soph.”

She crossed her arms and eyed him over, trying to get a read on his body language. “You’re sure.”

“I’m sure.” After Rafe tugged his shirt over his head, ready much faster than Sophie, he paced around the room for a few seconds before speaking up. "Hey, so...Sarah's getting presented at the annual deb ball in spring."

Sophie seemed unbothered, turning her back to him as she wrestled her way into a crop top to get ready for the night. "Those are still a thing? Cool, so you're going home for it?" She paused, glancing over at him in his polo. "Undo another button."

He did so, then rocked back on his heels with his hands in his pockets, trying to figure out what to say next.

She slowly turned back to him, realizing he was still tense across his shoulders. "What?"

Rafe rubbed the back of his neck, a tell-tale sign he was nervous and Sophie wasn't going to like what he was about to say. "Yeah...my dad wanted you to come home for it too."

"What? Ward? Why?"

"He, kinda, uh, wants you to be presented too?"

She just laughed, turning back to the mirror with her brow furrowed in slight concentration as she applied another coat of mascara. "Okay. Sure." But when he didn't elaborate, she turned back to him again, lips pursed. "Cameron. Tell me you told him no."

"...I didn't not not tell him no."

"Rafe."

He cracked under her stare. "I'm sorry, okay! Look, it's easy, all you have to do is throw on a pretty white dress and gloves -"

"A dress that costs thousands of dollars -"

"Hundreds, but - I'll cover you, obviously -"

"No." She turned back to the mirror, shaking her head. "Fuck no. I'm not going."

"Sophie." He nearly begged, stepping closer and running his hand through his hair. "Baby. C'mon."

"Don't call me that. No. I don’t fit into that part of your world.”

"Not even for me?" He pleaded, giving her a half-hearted grin. He ignored her last sentence, knowing any argument he had for her point would be dismissed in two seconds. "I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't important, you know that."

She turned back to him with crossed arms, fixing him with a glare. "Do I know that?"

"Soph."

"Don't, Rafe." She warned, holding one hand out, but he stepped closer anyways.

"Angel. Please. For me." He forced a smile, tried cracking a joke. "I really don't want to have to call him up and get read the riot act."

She furrowed her brow and Rafe reached out and smoothed out the lines in between her eyebrows before he could stop himself, making her soften just a little. "If I were to say yes. What would I have to do?"

"Just wear the dress, attend a dinner, party the night before and party that night." He paused, thinking. "And stay at my house for the weekend. Be civil to my dad.” At her eyeroll, he fixed her with a more serious gaze. “Meet my grandparents. Hang with my sisters. C'mon, Wheezie adores you."

"You're lying."

"I'm not. She thinks you're cool. Sarah too, but she’s less likely to admit it." He kissed her forehead, hands going to her waist. "Please?"

"It's that important?"

"I swear. On my mom's grave."

Sophie frowned immediately, reaching up to fix his hair. "That's not necessary."

"You'll do it?"

"...Yes." When he made a small fist pump, she fixed him with a glare. "Only because I love you."

“I'll go down on you every night for the next two weeks -”

She rolled her eyes at his promise, shoving lightly at his chest. "You basically already do that anyways, Rafe -”

"Okay, fine, I'll tie you up, something, anything, god, thank you, Soph. You don't know how big of a favor this is. I mean it." He sighed in relief, the tension draining from his body.

She ignored him, turning back to the mirror to apply lip gloss, carefully smearing the wand across her lips. “Why does he want me to do this? I don’t understand.”

“Is that the sticky stuff? I hate that stuff, it gets all over me when we’re kissing -” He started, then quickly shut his mouth as she flipped him off without looking. “Uh, ‘to integrate you into our society.’ Direct quote.”

“Oh god.” She groaned, setting the lip gloss aside after applying it, then started searching through her jewelry case. “So I’m gonna have to be on my best kook behavior?”

He snorted. “Sophie Flint, a kook. Not likely.”

“Watch it.” She pointed a warning finger in his face. “You don’t see anything weird with this? Your dad hates me.”

“He doesn’t hate you.”

“Rose does.”

“That’s not true either.”

Sophie raised her eyebrows, challenging him.

He shrugged, relenting with a sigh. “You’re not her favorite person, no, but neither am I.”

“You think this was more her idea? For Sarah to do it too?”

“Nah, actually, pretty sure it was my grandparents’ idea. Probably Granddad. My mom went through all this, so…”

She turned her back to him and gathered her hair, offering the clasp of her gold chain to him. “Your mom was a debutante?” She questioned with interest.

_______

Rafe rarely ever talked about his mom - Sophie had only found out how she died from a newspaper article in the online archives, and hadn’t wanted to bring it up since. All she knew was that Mrs. Cameron had passed away in a car accident when Rafe was fourteen.

Both Sophie and Rafe’s schools shared a building, despite them going to private academies, and overlapped for certain advanced placement classes. In freshman year, they were together for AP chemistry, with Sophie sitting proudly at the front of the class while Rafe sat in the back with a group of his friends, often cracking jokes at inappropriate times or throwing wads of paper at each other. Freshman year Sophie was the epitome of stuck-up - she resorted to insults instead of making friends and kept to herself, terrified someone might find out that she was on scholarship and wasn’t truly meant to be there.

The day after the car accident, Rafe was unusually quiet. Sophie hadn’t heard the news yet, it was barely second period and she wasn’t looped into the trail of gossip like the rest of the girls at Greenville. They were partnered for an experiment that day - Rafe had groaned when he heard Sophie’s name after his from the teacher, and Sophie barely suppressed a roll of her eyes. She took charge right away, getting all the supplies and set up their work station without even addressing him. After a few minutes, she slid the small glass of solution to Rafe, raising her eyebrows. “You can do the work too, you know.”

He was completely spaced out, only glancing up when she said something. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

Sophie rolled her eyes, lifting a beaker and extending it to him. “Yeah. I know. Just drop in 10 milliliters of the solution, it’s not hard.”

Rafe sighed as he rested his elbows on the edge of the table, rubbing his temples. “Look, can you just do it?”

She finally took note of the dark circles under his eyes, the way his shoulders were slumped, but misinterpreted it all. She smirked, taking on a taunting tone. “What, you’re still drunk from last night or something?”

He gritted his jaw, his entire body growing tense, and tugged at the collar of his polo. “Fuck off, Flint. Not in the mood today.”

She recoiled immediately, setting the beaker down with a little too much force. “Don’t be an asshole.”

“Don’t be a fucking bitch.” He spit back, standing abruptly. She winced as the stool squeaked across the floor, drawing everyone’s attention - as if they hadn’t had it already. Kelce stepped over and went to grab Rafe’s arm, possibly pull him away, but Rafe just wrenched his arm out of his grip. “I’m fine.” He growled, storming out of the classroom without looking back.

After a few moments of stunned silence, with Sophie on the verge of shocked tears, their teacher cleared her throat and redirected everyone’s attention, pointing one of the girls over to join Sophie instead. Molly made her way over, occupying Rafe’s seat in the space across from her. “Poor Rafe,” she murmured.

Sophie frowned, pulling her jacket tighter across her chest like a shield of armor. “Poor Rafe? What?”

Molly nodded, lowering her voice a little. “Yeah, you didn’t hear? I’m surprised he’s at school, honestly.”

“I didn’t...what happened?”

“Oh.” Molly frowned. “Um. You know that winding road, the one that goes downhill toward the ballet studio?”

Sophie didn’t, she didn’t even have a clue - the ballet studio was on the entire opposite side of the island from where she lived, the height of Figure 8, and she hadn’t ever had a reason to even venture that way. “Yeah? What does that have to do with Rafe?”

“Um, well, it was pouring last night, and his mom was driving down that road. I heard she lost control of the car and wrecked it. There was, like, a drunk driver that swerved into her lane, but she tried to avoid him and hit a tree.” Molly told her, careful on the details.

“I’m pretty sure the Camerons can replace a car.” Sophie replied, not wanting Molly to confirm where she thought she was going with the story. She dug her nails into the skin of her thigh anyways, feeling anxiety bubble up in her chest.

Molly shook her head, slowly. “Mrs. Cameron died, Sophie.”

Her heart dropped and she bit the inside of her cheek, hard. “Oh.”

“Yeah. I’m surprised you didn’t hear the sirens last night, I saw like eight police cars last night headed toward his house. I heard Sarah was in the car too, I think -”

“Is Sarah okay?” She couldn’t concentrate on anything but her ears ringing, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Oh, yeah, I think so. But god, how awful, right? The funeral is next weekend, Ward Cameron told my dad this morning. Is your family going?”

“Um...I don’t know.” Sophie glanced toward the door, hoping to god he would come back through the door and Molly would confess that it was all a joke, that she hadn’t just started something with Rafe on that day of all days.

________

Rafe nodded. “Yeah. ‘Course she was. I think she really enjoyed it, actually, she’d always tell Sarah when she was little about how pretty she would look in the dress, how important it was to learn the right etiquette and -” He cut himself off, realizing he was sharing too much, and deftly fastened the clasp before pressing a kiss to the top of her head, letting her step away. “All that.”

“Huh.”

He smiled to himself, thinking about how his mom would let little Sarah play dress up in her old ballgown with gloves that went up to her armpits, wobbling around in high heels twice the size of her feet. His mom would tell Rafe he’d have to watch out for Sarah with her escort, keep him in line, and that when he was in college he’d be presenting a girl as well. But he was nine and didn’t think of girls in that way quite yet, so he always scowled and left the room.

“It’s kind of cool, I think. The tradition of it all.”

“The ball? Have you been?” She caught his eye in the mirror as she adjusted her top, not wanting to push for too much information before he’d shut down altogether.

“No...I was gonna present Brooklyn at the one here in Columbus, sophomore year’s normally when the girl gets presented, but. Yeah. No, I meant, it’s kind of cool that you’ll be doing something my mom did.” He rubbed the back of his neck, meeting her gaze for a moment then looked away.

“Yeah?”

“She would have liked you. I know it.”

Sophie perked up a little, cocking her head. “You really mean it?”

“Yeah. She would have liked that you have an attitude with me.” He grinned when she turned back around and took his hand, tugging him over to sit on the bed next to her. “She was always saying I needed to find someone to match my energy, keep me in check. I wish she could have met you.”

“I did meet her. Once.”

He perked up, cocking his head. “You did?”

“Yeah, I served her when I was working at the restaurant at the country club once, I was only fourteen. I remember she made some comment about me being too young to work and I told her I liked it. Then she asked my name, and I remember she seemed like she knew already when I told her.” Sophie nodded. “She was really nice, left way too big of a tip and wrote my name on the bill. I always thought that was funny.”

Of course she knew, Rafe thought as he smiled to himself. She knew, because Rafe had come home and complained about a girl getting on his nerves every single week since seventh grade. She knew, when the complaints turned to “why won’t just be nice to me” and his mom had quipped that Sophie probably liked him - he had scoffed and walked away. She knew, because his mom had come home from the country club and told him Sophie Flint was a much nicer girl than Rafe painted her to be, and Rafe had immediately turned bright red and been embarrassed that his mom sought her out.

“I like that.” She leaned into him, taking his hand to play with his rings. “Will your grandparents be there? At the ball?”

“Oh, yeah. They sit on the board, I’m pretty sure, it’s this gigantic charity event. I’ll introduce you, but don’t worry, they’re chill. Nothing like my dad.” He adjusted himself so she was comfortable, then pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

She chewed on the inside of her lip, treading carefully. “I thought your dad grew up on the Cut.”

“He did. But my mom, no way. Kook through and through. That’s, uh, where a lot of my trust is from. After she died, um. She wanted to be sure me and Sarah were set.” He shrugged, ears turning red as he felt his throat getting tight.

Sophie frowned, feeling him closing off, and leaned closer to hug him, arms wrapped tight around his waist. “You know you can talk to me about this stuff whenever, Rafe? I’d like to hear more about your mom. She sounds like an amazing woman.”

“She was.” He nodded, settling his arms around her shoulders and rested his chin on the top of her head, closing his eyes for a moment. “Thanks, Soph. This is a really big deal to me, that you’ll go. I know it’s not your scene.”

“Love you.” She murmured. “You’d better buy me a pretty dress.”

He laughed, leaning back just enough to tip up her chin with one finger and kiss her. “You’ll be the best looking one there. I swear.”

“Oh, I already knew that.”

“Okay, okay, big head -”

She swatted his arm, laughing as she ducked out from under him. “Watch it, or I won’t go -”

“I was kidding!” He exclaimed, wrestling with her for a moment before grabbing both her hands and pinning them above her head.

Sophie sucked in a breath, caught off guard. “We are going to be late.”

“We’re already late.” He pointed out, taking a moment to realize the lack of innocence in the position, then slowly smirked. “We could be later. They’re not gonna miss us.”

“Rafe.”

“Sophie.”

“No.”

“You’re positive?”

She just gave him a look, staring him dead in the eyes and willing herself not to react when he leaned down with a grin and kissed the bridge of her nose.

“Please?”

“Fine. The ball or sex right now. You choose.” She raised her eyebrows, arching her back a little on purpose, pressing her hips up against his.

“That’s not fair.” He frowned, immediately shifting his hips away and moving so both his knees were on either side of her instead. “This is blackmail.”

“Your choice.” She reminded him, biting her lip for good measure.

He faltered, sitting back on her thighs and letting go of her wrists. “Soph, it’s - it’s for my mom. I swear. Not for my dad, Rose, anyone else.”

Sophie dropped the teasing act right away, propping herself up on her elbows. “Right, right, sorry. I won’t push it.”

“It’s alright.” He climbed off her, standing, and offered his hands. “Five bucks James makes some joke about us being late because we were having sex.”

“I’m not taking you up on that.” She rolled her eyes, accepting his hand and pulled him into a hug. “Love you long time, Cameron.”

He smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Love you too, favorite girl.”

“What do the dresses look like?”

“Uh...white?” Rafe shrugged, tugging on her hand to get her to follow him downstairs. “I dunno. When we go home for Thanksgiving I’ll book you an appointment to get fitted, I think it’s at some bridal shop on the mainland.”

“Sounds expensive.” She muttered, shaking her head.

“It’s…yeah. It’s not cheap.” He admitted, then shrugged as she followed him out the door, starting their walk toward the bars. “I’ll take care of it though. All of it. By the way, have you booked your flight home for Thanksgiving yet?”

“Um...no. I was going to look this week, it’s probably too late now though.”

“Hm.”

“Hm? Why, are you going home?”

Rafe nodded, not looking her in the eye. “Taking the plane.”

“Oh. Of course.”

“The plane...that no one else will be on...and it’s kinda ridiculous for you to waste money and carbon emissions on a separate flight…” He tried convincing her, a small smile playing on his lips as she rolled her eyes.

“You need to learn how carbon emissions work if you’re going to use that as an argument with me.”

“So that’s a no to sex on the plane?”

Sophie stopped in her tracks, confused. “That wasn’t - Rafe, what?”

“You, me, alone on the plane. Sorry, was I not clear enough?”

“I didn’t even say yes -”

“Oh, so you’re going to leave me all by myself on our one-year anniversary -”

She raised her eyebrows, challenging him. “When’s our anniversary, Rafe?”

He raised his back, stopping on the sidewalk to face her. “On my terms or yours? Because if we’re going with mine, it’s Halloween -”

“No, I had to ask you to be my boyfriend, it’s November 18th -”

“That is such an arbitrary thing, Sophie -”

“Hey! Stop stealing my vocabulary.” She interjected, pushing at his chest. “It’s the 18th, because I had to ask you out.”

“Okay. Whatever story makes you happy.” He shrugged, laughing when she shoved at him again. “Come on the plane with me.”

“...Fine. Only because I don’t want to miss our class reunion party on Wednesday night, I’m pretty sure some people still don’t believe we’re together.”

Rafe laughed loud at that, looping his arm around her shoulders and started walking again. “Pretty sure Topper still thinks it’s all an elaborate lie.”

“Does he know that we nearly hooked up in his room last winter break?”

“No.” He grinned. “Are you forgetting that you had to sprint into his bathroom right when I was about to kiss you because of some tequila thing you had?”

She tilted her head slightly. “You’re remembering wrong. That was sophomore year, before we were dating, I barely drank last year...you almost kissed me?”

“What? No, I think...remember, we were arguing over something, then you whispered in my ear to go up to his room and left. I went up a couple minutes later.” He shook his head. “I wasn’t going to make a move, Brooklyn and I were together then.”

Sophie scowled at the mention of Brooklyn. “I must have been hammered, I don’t remember any of this.”

“You wanted me.” He smirked, trailing his fingers along her collarbone. “One might say desperate.”

“No, no. All I remember is waking up in Topper’s bed feeling like shit, I had some crewneck on from your academy.” She ignored the blush creeping up her neck.

“How do you think you got there and got the sweatshirt?” He frowned. “I took care of you, Sophie. You really don’t remember?”

“I think I blacked out.” She confessed, shaking her head. “You took care of me?”

“Of course I did. Plus, I thought I was about to get some, I would have done anything for you.” He grinned, laughing when she shoved his shoulder. “Really thought that was the night I’d finally win you over.”

“Yeah, well, you can blame Sarah for her heavy pour that night.” She shook her head, smiling fondly. “I really wish I remembered that.”

“I wish you remembered too. Maybe you would have given me a chance before then instead of setting me up with Julia.”

“I - no! She asked to be set up with you, no, I did not instigate that at all.” She defended herself straightaway, cheeks flushing pink. “She said if I wasn’t going to make a move, then she was going to.”

“Sure. Whatever you believe.” He teased, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as they arrived at the bar. “Hey, Soph.”

She rolled her eyes, going to get in the winding line outside until he tugged her wrist back, pulling her to his chest. “What?”

“Thank you. I mean it.”

Sophie softened, smiling as she rose up on her toes to kiss him. “Of course, baby. I’ve got your back.”

taglist: @drewstarkey @lemur46 @jjmaybanksbaby @edgeofgr8 @quxxnxfhxll @obxtess @hoodpankow @vtgirl802 @outerbankies @messagesinthesky @nicolecarsley @svechnikolan @ilovejjmaybank @obxtess @abbyj1822 @oopsiedoopsie23 @g4bster @jjmaybankzz @freddymaybank @dontjinx-it @illbesafeforyou @moniamaybank @tovvaa @jailcalledlife @sunshineitsfine44 @randomficsandshit @outerbankspreferences @outerbanksbro @karsinner @kkmaybank @whoeveniskendall @lemur46 @outerbankies

[yurtletheturtlehenderson]

COSMIC - S3:E4; Chapter Four, The Sauna Test - [Pt. 5 - FINAL]

A Will Byers x Reader Series

𝘔𝘪𝘬𝘦, 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵 𝘌𝘭, 𝘔𝘢𝘹 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘠/𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘯, 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘺𝘯𝘹.

📝: you have... NO IDEA how long i have been sitting on this one. Just... wow okay. And this is just the beginning, wait till you see the cabin scene 👀 Edit: tell me why I had the main chorus of Timber Feat. Ke$ha in my head on infinite loop while writing the fight scene 🤦‍♀️ LMAO

⚠️: asphyxiation [aka suffocation], several mentions of blood, and graphic (?) depictions of violence throughout. Also, long chapter

||𝟑𝐑𝐃 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐎𝐕||

"MAX! LET ME OUT OF HERE!"

Everyone watched stilled, with pounding hearts as Billy's billowing cries echoed out across the weight room. No one more so than Max. He had barely taken his eyes off of her and his voice fell into a weakened plea.

"Let me out,"

And then it was gone. Replaced with a malice-filled hiss that was beginning to feel a little too familiar for their liking. One by one his eyes flicker between the party members with a twitch in his eye as he began to shift, eyes darting past their shoulders and sweeping the room before his next glare.

"You kids," he pants, each breath like swallowing smoke. "you think..." he was swallowing embers. "this is funny?"

Mike and Lucas share a nervous glance.

Another heaving breath, the flames now licking his lungs.

"You kids think this is some kind of sick prank, huh?" With a snarl, he rears his head back and spits on the glass. "YOU LITTLE SHITS THINK THIS IS FUNNY?!"

Anxiously, Max eyes Will from where he stands beside El and he meets her gaze. The two seem to share the same thought. It was working.

But the sauna's prisoner had caught on, and as the fire was rekindled in his veins, he shifted nervously again; eyes darting once more around the room before landing on the two.

"OPEN THE DOOR!" They all flinch when he throws himself against the window in a fury. He was growing more frantic. And he wasn't stopping. "OPEN THE DOOR! OPEN THE DOOR!" He pressed his nose against the glass, showcasing his darkening eyes. "OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!"

The fire was now ablaze, the blood in his veins felt as if it was actually boiling, cooking him from the inside out and he finally collapsed on the sauna floor with a groan. Will took that as his cue and raced to the thermometer on the wall where the needle rested at the end.

"We're at two-twenty,"

When he returned to El's side, a great wail reverberates from within the sauna followed by a great many thumps.

"It's not my fault," he weeps, catching them all by surprise. "It's not my fault, it's not my fault, Max. I promise it's not my fault."

With a pounding and aching heart, Max crept towards the sauna door. Many eyes darted after her, fearfully, dealing between her and the only barrier protecting her from what lay inside.

"What's not your fault, Billy?" She asks.

When she peers behind the foggy glass, her heart threatens to split in two; he sits before her on the tile floor, beads of sweat blending with his tears and his hands glued together in plea as he looks up at her.

"I've done things, Max," he sobs, his voice threatening to break. "Really b... bad things and I didn't mean to."

As Billy peers up at his sister now, he can feel himself slipping again. He tries so hard to hold onto that sliver of himself, drifting away into the dark. His hands wring together as he pleads, his nails raking into his skin to stop himself - to stop Him - from winning.

His sanity was slipping and everything in him was screaming for him to do violent, inhumane things to the girl before him but he fought it. Billy knew he didn't have much time, and it was getting harder to think. And Billy spat the words from his tongue before he considers the repercussions from the shadow.

"He made me do it,"

Max was certain she knew the answer now. She knew it even as she stood in the living room facing her brother just twenty-four hours ago. But she had let herself believe the tempting lie over the bitter truth that the Shadow Monster had not gotten Billy. But she knew she had to. And so she asked.

"Who made you do it?"

Fear flashed in his eyes as he wept. He looked as something was trying to stop him, and Max knew very well something was, but he managed the words anyway; unknown to all, his final warning. The words that confirmed all their darkest fears and chilled their bones.

"I don't know, it was like a shadow. A giant shadow,"

Y/n's heart leaps into her throat, and her brows knit together in a curious frown when she sees El and Will meet eyes in matching grave expressions. They share a knowing look and nod, and silently they form a wall, herding Y/n behind them. It was likely they had made a prior agreement, she realizes, but her worries still remained on her other best friend inches from the glass.

"Please, Max," Billy weeps.

"What did he make you do?" Max asks through a wavering voice.

"It's not my fault," He cries suddenly, sinking into the sauna bench. "okay, Max?! Please! Please!"

At the sound of his broken cries, Max's eyes squeeze shut, and hot tears slide down her cheeks as she faces the small window. Her heart is torn, but she tries to remain strong.

"Please, believe me, Max! I tried to stop him, okay? I did."

He's trying even now, but the darkness is closing in. Her tearful face is blurring from his vision and he's losing the grip on his body without realizing it. He can already feel the shadow breaking free from his hold when his arm creeps across the tile floor without his permission.

"Please, believe me, Max. Please believe me,"

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she reaches out to Billy; her hand on the glass and speaks through her breaking voice.

"Billy, it's gonna be okay,"

The darkness was spreading to his vision, closing in on his sister and he knew he had only moments. They had only moments. There was no telling when the shadow would let him resurface. As Billy disappeared, he spoke what little warning he could before the shadow stole his voice.

"Max please..." -get away, his mind screams. But the words didn't come. Go away. Get out while you can.

She hadn't heard him. It was too late. The hand that lied hidden beneath the sauna bench, had already found a weapon.

"It's gonna be okay, we want to help you," Max swears through stinging tears.

His fingers curl around the broken and jagged tile.

"We want to help you. You just have to talk to us, okay? You have to talk us."

All too well indeed. He felt it even now.

Will's eyes had never left the sauna door, drilling holes through the glass even when the man had collapsed to the ground. Billy's haunted cries had reached Will in a way it never could the others. He knew the feeling all too well.

An unnatural chill zapped the air despite the muggy atmosphere and his whole body seized up. His hair stood on end and the skin over his body tightened, goosebumps breaking out out all over his skin.

He's activated.

-"What?"

-"What?"

Will has little time to look at Mike and Y/n and realize he had uttered the words aloud before looking back to Max.

"Max, get away from the door," he cautions.

Taken by surprise at his sudden request, Max hesitates. "What?"

"GET AWAY FROM FROM THE DOOR! NOW!"

Max had barely heeded Will's warning when the glass burst inches from her face as Billy hurled his arm through the window. El jumped back, sweeping both her arms in an effort to protect her friends. And with miraculous timing, Max had dove to the left just in time to escape the confetti of glass shards but her arm had not been so lucky.

While he had dropped his tile shard his hand had caught her bandaged forearm in his iron grasp and yanked. She yelped in pain, using the traction of her shoes against the linoleum to keep herself away.

"LET ME OUT, YOU BITCH!" He howls, tugging her arm as she attempts to pry and claw her way free. "I'LL FUCKING GUT YOU!"

"NO!" Came the sudden angered cry of Y/n Henderson as she forcibly broke free from the wall El and Will had created. She pushed their shoulders aside and sprinted forward, throwing her hand out before her. "LET HER GO!"

A powerful blasts burst forth from her palm and Billy cried out, yanking his hand back. He withered for only a moment, a loud hissing breath sucked in from between his clenched teeth as he visibly shook in anger. His hair was still dripping and it hung like a dark curtain over his eyes, but she could see it - they all could. The whites of his eyes were harder and harder to see as he looked upon his festering arm.

Max had scrambled away from the wall, back into the safety of El and Y/n's protection but Y/n didn't flinch.

He was pissed, but so was she.

In an instant, he throws his head up to look at her, his drenched curls landing on top of his head and draping over his seething face. His darkened eyes locked on her, his gritted teeth clenched so hard his entire body shook with fury. His expression finally matched his eyes from the previous night and confirmed to Y/n it had been the Mind Flayer to have spoken to her at Heather's. Never Billy.

What followed next, had unfolded all at once.

His screams return and he bangs his fist against the door once before yanking out the lead pipe and chucking it at Y/n.

She ducks just in time, and El swipes it out of the way, sending it flying into the wall with the flick of her head before it could hurt any of the others. And Lucas releases the pull on his wrist rocket he had trained on the man since he scrambled to load it when the glass first broke.

With an audible snap, the ammo was released and sent flying into its target; crashing into Billy's forehead.

A second time he was sent tumbling to the sauna floor, disappearing from their view with an even louder thump.

"Y/n, come on!" Lucas cried.

She wasted no time, scurrying back to the safety of her friends who engulfed her into their surrounding figures. Their heads all snap towards the ceilings when the hum of the lights grow stronger and everything begins to flicker.

Billy's insides churn with a disgruntled choke, his mouth spitting out fluids as he comes to. With a groan, his body spits and writhes on the floor. The icy storm in his veins spreading. And festering.

Joined shoulder to shoulder, the huddled party backed up in one circle. Each of them faced away from one another, looking around worriedly as the rows of florescent lights flicker violently above them. They all close in on Y/n in a protective stance.

Billy's body twisted and thrashed on the tile floor as he attempted to heave himself up to his feet. The grip of the Mind Flayer had broken free from the barriers of his mind and was coursing all throughout his body, the dark mass staining the very blood in his veins and poisoning his system. Dark lesions broke out all over his back and arms, and black veins rippled out under his skin, all across his body as he clutched the wall. Throwing back his head, Billy released an inhuman, agonized wail before charging for the door.

A second time they all jumped, and a second time El's arms swept out to protect her friends - finally including her Max. Their horror-stricken eyes were fixed on the door as Will inched closer to Y/n, and Max spoke through a fearful waver.

"He can't get out, can he?" She frets as he barrels into the door a second time, the chains testing the pipe anchored to the wall.

Fear gripped his heart and Lucas shook his head, voice filled with doubt in his own words. "No way. No. Way,"

"Y/n, get back," El orders in a flat voice, her tilted head unblinking on the door. "Go with Will."

Y/n gawked over El's shoulder, frantically looking between the door, her best friend, and a pleading Will who grabbed for her hand.

"What? No! No, bullshit! We agreed!"

"Y/n, come on," Will urged, tugging a little harder on her hand.

It grew hot under his touch and she ripped it from his grasp. "No. I need to do this," Y/n cried, her head whipping back and forth between her boyfriend and the fraying thread that was the bowing sauna pipe; the last defense holding back the Mind Flayer's newest host.

The door stopped moving and one split, heart-stopping moment a thunderous cry barreled out deep from within Billy's chest.

The door was thrown open, the pipe bursting from the wall and expelling puffs of steam as Billy tumbled through the open door. The Party jumped back in shrieks, El on the front lines pushing everyone behind her, even still.

With a lumbering breath, the fluorescents still flickering madly above them, Billy rose to his feet to meet eye to eye with the wrong girl. With a fear-inducing glare and an overpowering sense of protectiveness, El had forcibly barricaded herself in between the Mind Flayer and her best friend.

He curled back his teeth, a growl growing in the back of his throat. He was ready to wring her neck but she simply rose a single hand in the air, and the nearest barbell rose with it. In the blink of an eye, Billy was pinned against the brick wall by his neck, gasping for breath.

Everyone watched on in a mixture of shock and awe as El threw another arm up, and the weights sunk deeper into the brick, crumbling them near his head. She was panting for breath, nose dripping with blood but she was determined.

And she wasn't the only one.

"Y/n-!"

But she ignored the Party's cries, as well as the pleas in her gut screaming for her to turn tail and run. But she couldn't stand by and do nothing as El faced it all alone - nor could she sit still when she saw the very monster she had faced the prior year, wearing the very face that plagued her dreams in her last sleep. Y/n Henderson didn't walk away. She couldn't.

Y/n stormed to El's side, throwing her arms up in sync with two large and billowing waves of heat that filled the entire room. Billy howled as the heat consumed him completely, the black veins festering underneath his skin. Across the sauna, Mike and Will watch on in a mixture of awe and worry as El and Y/n stand side by side, their arms extended as they fight with great strain and their guttural cries begin to blend.

Tears pricked Will's eyes as he watched the scene unfold, frightened not only for Y/n's life but El's. He truly feared what the Mind Flayer might be capable of in someone like Billy Hargrove. And already he had every right to be.

What came next stole the breath right out of his chest.

With a husky grunt and a terrifying spur of adrenaline, Billy heaved and broke El's telepathic hold, sending the barbell flying for their heads. With matching screams, they throw themselves to the floor, avoiding the otherwise inevitable blunt force trauma by a hair's width. He stormed to their bodies piled together on the floor. Learning his lesson and counting every precious second, Billy grabs a fist full of El's hair and drags her to her feet and off of Y/n's body. She yelps out in pain, clawing to get free but he had already thrown her into the wall she had just pinned him to. Her head collided with the brick and she sunk to the floor, fighting to keep her eyes open and vision clear but she was losing her battle.

Mike and the others cried out to her, unable to reach her but her blurring vision was fixed on the sight of Billy closing in on Y/n's body. She threw her arms up with a vengeful grunt, her skin beginning to glow. The ground begins to shake and all their hopes rise with Y/n as pulls herself onto one wobbly knee. The spidery veins adorned her eyes, lips, and ears, heat pulsing from her palms as her light began to illuminate the weight room.

And like a candle's flame, it was extinguished under Billy's hand.

Her grunts died in her throat when his hand encircled her throat, cutting off all her air. What strength he possessed as Billy Hargrove had doubled with the Mind Flayer and lifted the young girl above his head with ease.

Y/n tried crying for help but her voice was lodged in her throat with the rest of her breath, leaving her no choice but to claw at Billy's arms as she fought for air and freedom. Her legs were finally listening to her brain's signals, kicking and squirming as she tried to reach him or even the ground but they never did, no matter how close she got. Just as she had foreseen.

"Y/N!" The others cried.

She gasped and choked for breath, any whisp of air she could possibly manage between his fingers as she tried to conjure a fight, but she was losing concentration. She was losing air.

All she saw beside the white spots swallowing her vision were the seething eyes of the Mind Flayer peering up at her. And as he watched the life drain from her eyes, he hissed to the one he had been waiting in agony for all these months his final greeting.

"You."

Y/n could barely hear him over the cries of her frantic friends, nor could she barely register the repetitive snap of Lucas's wrist rocket as he sent rocks flying into Billy. But this time, Billy resisted. Out of spite, or with the aid of the Mind Flayer's mutation, none of them knew but with El out cold on the floor and unreachable without crossing through Billy, little options were left.

And Lucas was already running low.

Y/n's hands latched onto Billy's wrist, at first, seemingly trying to pry herself away as she sucked in as much air as she could capture. And as her bulging eyes began to flutter, she manages to speak through choking, gasping breaths.

"Fuck... you."

Latched hands had locked on and began to glow and Billy's eyes fell to her grip. The skin beneath her palms began to sizzle and a agonized cry grew deep within Billy at her searing touch. And yet still he held, but the same could not be said for Y/n. Like El, she was fighting to remain conscious.

And Lucas had run out of ammo.

Lucas and Will seemed to share the same thought as everything had unfolded within an instant. And with an angered cry, Will charged forward just as Lucas chucked his metal wrist rocket at Billy's head.

His grip still iron clad over Y/n's throat, Billy's head whipped to the party as fast as his other hand stopped in front of his face, catching the wrist rocket mid-air. And just in time for Will to reach him. Billy reared his arm back and smacked the butt end of the wrist rocket into the boy's head, knocking him to the ground without ever blinking.

"Will!"

Those that remained stood back, watching terror-stricken as Y/n begins to grow limp, her eyes rolling back in her head.

Tears prick Mike's eyes as the sights surrounding him become too much; one of his best friends dying before his eyes, and the two people he had probably loved most in the world, fading on the floor. And he snaps into action.

He looks around wildly, thanking whatever force was out there that the burst pipe from the sauna was near his feet. He picked it up in an instant, charging forward with a sudden surge of adrenaline, and crashed it into Billy's skull.

Y/n dropped to the floor, gasping for breath as she rolled away from Billy's fallen body. Mike towered over the man as Y/n came to, a vengeful look in his eyes as he swung the pipe back above his head.

"GO TO HELL YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"

With all the force he could possibly muster, Mike threw the pipe down at Billy's back but it had stopped inches from his face. In the blink of an eye, Billy had turned, catching it in his single fist with as much ease as the wrist rocket.

Mike gasped in horror as Billy seethes up at him, much too frightened to even flicker to the sight of Y/n wobbling up onto her hands and knees and risk giving her away. She was coughing on every wheezing breath, her lungs and throat burning but she still felt a spark big enough to hold onto.

Will had just started to come to, the sideways vision of the weight room floor showing to him two things: Billy chucking the pipe against the wall with an earsplitting clang and Y/n's heaving chest swallowing desperate, gulping breaths, the blood steadily draining from her face.

He tried to move to her, but his limbs were heavy. All he managed to do was hoist himself up onto his arms as tears fell from his eyes, slowly pulling himself along as the world began to steady. But he never reaches her in time. Billy had begun to rise, and yet the beginnings of a smug smile curled Will's lips as his eyes trailed her across the room.

Anger battled impatience within the Mind Flayer at the unrelenting children, but killing this one - the Wheeler boy - would be easy. At least, it would have been had it not been for the young girl emerging with the two hot blasts of searing heat raining down upon his exposed chest as Y/n unleashed her fury upon him.

A primal scream grew from deep within her belly, ripping up her throat as she circled back around to face him, arms outstretched before her in two taut claws. What little space he had created from himself and the weight room floor had vanished as the blasts intensified with her screams.

The fluorescent lights about their heads were flashing violently now, enunciating the matching veins each opponent bore. The buzzing of the lights was nearly as loud as the rumble of the shaking room and the cracking of the tile that sounded eerily like thunder. The two blurring bursts of energy were pouring from her palms and pinning Billy into the tile so hard the tile floor cracked beneath him.

His screams blended with hers, the light pouring from her skin illuminating his agonized face and she pushed harder. her arms dug closer to his chest and the deep and inhuman voice returned; the voice of the Mind Flayer cried out in pain.

Y/n felt the sudden force of Billy's untouched leg sweep under her own, knocking her off her feet. The Mind Flayer coughed and hacked once more, and threw himself over her as she lied on her back. His hands were around her throat again, yanking her up before slamming her back into the ground.

With the strobing, flickering lights disorienting their already obscured vision the others could barely make out Billy hunched over something on the floor. His haunched, vein painted back nearly in ribbons as blood drizzled down his back like rain on a window. It didn't take them long to put together the pieces, Y/n's name on their weeping tongues as Billy repeatedly threw her back into the tile until she steadily lost consciousness. Finally, after one last gust of power, he thrust her into the tile and releasing her throat. But only to raise one darkening, blistering fist into the air, ready to strike...

Horrified screams tore from their throats, each of them prepared to tackle Billy. Will had finally stumbled to his feet for the first time without falling, ready to do just that but something had stopped him.

Billy froze, growing horrified as he himself began to choke.

A body hidden away in the shadows that had finally fought her way back into consciousness for the sake of her loved ones

There she was in all her glory.

El, rising to her wobbling knees; the sound of Y/n's broken cries and gasping pleas for help that broke through her subconscious mind had been the final push of adrenaline she needed.

Like Y/n, El's grew from deep within as she pulled herself to her feet, arms outstretched. Steadily, Billy's body was pulled off of Y/n's until even his toes had left the ground. He was pulled far away from the young girl's body as El circled him, once again placing herself in between the Mind Flayer and the girl she couldn't lose.

Will took the advantage El had bought for them and closed the remaining gap, collapsing at Y/n's side. He breathed a sigh at unimaginable relief when he saw her chest moving with labored breaths. She was alive. Hoisting Y/n's bloodied head into his folded legs, he returned his worried sights to El just in time to see her give a great roar, hurling her clawed hands to the side and watching as Billy was thrown through the brick wall in an explosion of dust.

El's knees buckled beneath her, and she collapsed to the ground in exhaustion beside Y/n's limp body. Mike rushed to her side, steadying her arms and looking on with pooling eyes at his waking friend.

Y/n lays in Will's arms on the grounds of the cracked and broken sauna floor, her bloodshot eyes popping out of her skull as she coughs and chokes on what air she hopes to regain. Strenuous marks circle her throat from where she was previously held captive, and specks of blood drip from the back of her skull onto Will's leg. The others begin to crowd around in worry and fear as they jump in to help.

Will cradles her head softly, brushing away the stray hairs from her face as he weeps, desperately wanting to ease her pain though he does not know how. He's doomed to watch her lay suffering, her wails of anguish are strained and hoarse from the Mind Flayer's grip. A similar, deathly grip squeezed the hearts of the rest as they watched her suffer.

With flooded eyes, Will leans down and plants a shaky kiss on her forehead before resting his own against it. Her left hand comes to wrap around his wrist as it still holds her head in place. He breaks away to examine her once more, the puffiness of her swollen cheeks had already subsided a great deal but it was clear she was still in pain. Trembling, she looks out to each of them, her eyes watery and thankful. Reaching out her other hand, it finds El's, and they both let out a sob knowing the other was okay. Each sniffle tore right through his heart, and as if asking for help he looks up at his friends hoping for answers.

But they all stare at her, glassy-eyed and frozen, and that's when it dawns on them; Billy. Each of them, Will included, look frantically to the broken brick wall through which he was thrown. Everyone apart from the young couple on the ground rushed to see the young man, singed and bleeding making his escape into the trees far across the field and into the squalling storm.

Will's gaze is torn back to his lap when he feels Y/n begin to rise. Eagerly, and without hesitation, he helps Y/n to sit up. Tracks of thick tears stream down her face, cleaning her bloodied and dirtied cheeks in their path. His hand finds a home on her back, reflexively trying to run soothing circles into her muscles but she immediately whimpers, flinching. Her back had taken most of the damage, which he realized was preferable to her skull. But still, a plethora of apologies spilled from his lips, his eyes are filled with nothing but worry and heartbreak.

Y/n takes a moment to steady herself, the blood rushing to her head combined with the powerful forces inside her still hard at work as they desperately try to repair the gash in her head. She tries to smile, silently telling him it was okay, but it hardly showed. But Will still knew.

As she attempts to stand - one arm hooked around his shoulder, the other over Lucas's - the energy drains from her quicker than anything she had felt in a long while and when she blinks she realises she is resting her head on Will's shoulder.

Her sobs are weak and drawn out in her taxed state, yet they still demand to be heard even buried in Will's chest. The pain of seeing her this way makes him feel as if he has been torn in two, and yet worse, he knows it's dwarfed in comparison to whatever she is enduring. All he can do is hold her close, and hold her gently, assuring her safety.

Will wishes more than anything to take her pain away, and how cruel of fate to deprive him of this.

With the aid of Will and Lucas, Y/n hobbled to the gaping hole in the brick where Billy had disappeared. Her shoulders rose and fell as she attempted even know to even her breathing, her haunted glare stretching out across the dark and stormy night where the Mind Flayer had made his second escape.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

"The girl, was it her?"

Heather's voice cuts through the silence is Brimborne as she sat opposite Billy.

"Yes," he answers with a hiss, eyes darting to the handprints seared into his skin. "Yes it was her, and she knows now. She knows about me. They both do."

Heather's hand and the cool wet handkerchief it holds reaches for his blistered wrists but finds her own entrapped in an instant but neither of them blink.

"She could have killed me." He asserted.

"Yes," she says. "But not us."

She looks out onto the darkened sea of the warehouse, where the very rot of the Mind Flayer had seeded and spread and multiplied. And the numbers were still climbing. Waiting, out in the shadows for their noble sacrifice to the monster of flesh bone known as the Mind Flayer.

Or more specifically, the Mind Flayer's army.

"Not us."

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[nightshade-minho]

Alive Again

Warnings: necromancer!hyunjin, death, fingering, themes of satanism, necromancy, witchcraft etc.

Wc: 1.9k

There he was, again.

You let out a long, annoyed sigh as you watched from the shadows. Leaves crunching under your feet, you stepped out from behind the bush, having had enough.

"Hey!"

The man crouching before the gravestone glanced up, raising an eyebrow as his eyes landed on you. He looked you up and down, a small smirk growing on his features.

"Uh...can I help you?" He asked, straightening up and taking a step towards you. You immediately took one back, swallowing as you registered just how tall he is- he was basically towering over you.

Your words caught in your throat for a second as you tried to remember exactly why you'd been mad at him. His gaze, directed at you, was thick with intrigue and another emotion you can't decipher. It's throwing you off.

Your mouth opened and closed as the man rolled his eyes, turning around and heading back to the grave at your lack of response.

"Wait-"

He looked over his shoulder, his eyes cold this time. "What? Spit it out, little girl. I haven't got all night. In fact, you just interrupted my ritual."

Ritual? Suddenly, the candles and chalk circles on the tombstone made sense. You swallowed, mind swimming with a million thoughts. So, your suspicions were correct.

"I..." You clenched your fists. "I see you here everyday. This- this is my spot." You mumbled, realizing just how stupid you sounded as the words left your mouth.

The look he gave you only served to reinforce that.

"Your...spot?" He chuckled, crossing his arms and walking back towards you. "Do you own this graveyard, princess?" He asked, his tone filled with mock curiosity.

"I- no. But- there's never been anyone else in here with me-"

Hyunjin put his finger on his chin. "Why do you like this place so much, anyway? Someone your age should be out there, partying with your friends and what not." He said, sounding like he was talking to himself more than you.

"I like this place. It's quiet here. I've spent every night here for more than ten years." You explained, swallowing.

"Hm. Bad home life?"

"Understatement." You said softly, shaking your head. "It's been more than a year since I left home for good. Now I live here."

Hyunjin hummed, his tone filled with what seemed like genuine sympathy. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that...but unfortunately, I can't just pack up and leave. I have work to do. " He gestured to the pentagram. "I expect I'll be here a while."

"But..." You don't want this. You don't want him encroaching your space, leaving his arcane items and trinkets everywhere. You hated unfamiliarity, the way it made you feel cold and fearful. You'd spent all these years alone, after all...gotten used to the solitude.

"No...you c-can't." You muttered, steeling yourself to deliver your reply. It was extremely difficult denying this beautiful man. There was a part of you that was inexplicably pulled to him. Something about him excited you, sending tingles all over your body and melting away your inhibitions one by one.

"I can't? This place is big enough for the two of us, love. Why don't you want this?"

You grit your teeth. All these questions were irritating you. "I don't have a reason to let you stay."

Hyunjin bit his lip at that, nodding slowly. He pursed his lips, staying silent for a minute before his eyes slowly lit up with an idea.

"Tell you what...why don't I give you one?"

"Give me what?"

"A reason to let me stay."

You didn't miss the way his eyes sparkled with mischief as he uttered the words. Feeling your cheeks flush, you internally reminded yourself to stay strong. 

No, you weren't going to budge, no matter what he offered you. Although...you had a small idea of what he was insinuating, and you'd be lying if you said the thought wasn’t enticing. 

"Elaborate." You said cautiously, eyes widening a little when he backed you up against the statue behind you, catching you off guard.

"Why do that when I could just show you?" He asked, voice low and deep. His eyes bore into you, searching yours with an urgency.

"S-show me? I-"

He cut you off, leaning closer until your lips were brushing. His proximity made the words fizzle and die on your tongue, your cheeks burning as you looked up at him with wide eyes.

"So flustered. I haven't even done anything of significance yet." He chuckled, a finger coming up to trace your jawline.

"I don't-"

He rolled his eyes, closing the minimal distance between the two of you to press his plump lips to yours.

It felt like stars were exploding in your belly. You'd never been kissed before, and it seemed a little unfair to you that he would be your first. This devilishly handsome intruder, barrelling into your life without prior notice.

You kissed him back, though. Any shred of rationality left in your form was quickly disappearing as he nipped at your lips, letting out a soft moan into the kiss. He snaked his hands under your thighs, spreading them apart to fit himself in between. "Fuck..." His lips wandered down to your neck, kissing the spot gently before sucking on the smooth skin.

Pulling away after a few minutes to catch his breath, he grinned down at you. Your lips were red and kiss-bitten, your neck covered with marks. He prided himself in the masterpiece he'd created.

Inhaling, he leaned in again, lips ghosting your jaw. "Do you want this? Tell me you want this, Y/n."

"I...I do..." You said softly under your breath, avoiding his eyes as the embarrassment flooded your being.

"Louder." He hissed, pressing himself against you to let you feel the bulge growing in his pants.

"I want you!" You cried out, holding onto his shoulders as he lifted you up slightly. "Please, it's been years since I've been touched- I n-need it."

You closed your eyes, having caught a glimpse of his triumphant smirk and not wanting to see it for any longer than you had to. He had started to squeeze your thighs, warming you up as he placed a line of wet kisses down your neck.

"Good girl. Don't worry, I'll make you feel good. Promise." He assured, setting you on top of the base of the statue. The statue was that of an angel, and you would have found the situation funny if Hyunjin wasn't sliding his fingers up and down your covered clit, causing your brain to blank.

"So wet. You weren't lying when you said you haven't been touched in years, hm?"

You stayed silent, biting your lip in order to prevent a moan from bubbling out. He chuckled, pressing another kiss to your lips. "Thought so."

He grabbed the waistband of your panties with one hand, dragging it down and discarding them on the floor. Bringing his long fingers up to your lips, he pressed them in. "Suck." He ordered, staring at you intensely. His stare was so deep, You realized the undecipherable emotion had been lust all along, and your heart pounded.

You obeyed him immediately, sucking on his digits eagerly as your pussy throbbed, needing attention. You bucked your hips slightly, a needy expression directed at the man in front of you.

"An impatient one, are you?" He winked, pulling his fingers out of your mouth, travelling downwards to stroke your entrance.

"Lucky for you, I'm feeling pretty impatient tonight, too." He breathed, leaning forward to suck on your jaw as he pushed the digits past your walls, hissing at how tight you were.

"Fuck, I can't wait to feel you around my cock-" You exhaled shakily at his words, whining as he crooked his fingers up, finding your sweet spot with no difficulty. The sensations flooding throughout your body as he thrusted them into your cunt were incredible, ones you had never experienced before. It felt like your drab, dreary world confined to the cemetery was exploding with a burst of color as his fingers brought you to the edge.

"So pretty for me, baby. Am I making you feel good?"

What kind of question was that? Your moans were loud despite your best efforts to hold them back, your legs shivering and your lips quivering. The answer to that should be fairly obvious, you thought.

"Y-yeah. Love it- ah!" You cried out when his pace increased, his fingers almost a blur from how fast he was slamming them into you. He was able to fill you up so well even like this, and you found yourself drooling at the thought of what was to come.

"Fuck, you look so beautiful like this." He hummed, his thumb pressing onto your clit and rubbing gently. His other hand came up to your breast, flicking your nipple over the fabric and causing you to let out a gasp.

You were nearing the edge, hurtling towards it. Hyunjin didn't let up, adding a third finger and moving the trio at a speed that was almost inhumane.

"Fuck, you're close, aren't you? I can feel you clenching."

You nodded, tears pricking at your eyes as he slowed down his thrusts, making his fingers go as deep into your heat as he possibly could before pounding into you once more.

"You're a sight to behold." He mumbled, pressing his lips to yours gently, sucking on them. It was the last push you needed to fall over the edge, combined with his movements down south.

You'd never felt any sensation more otherworldly than the one taking over you at the moment. Your orgasm seized you mercilessly, sending electricity shooting over you and leaving you quaking in its wake.

His lips were still on yours as he groaned at the feeling of you squirting all over him. Pulling away, he observed the amount of juices that had spilled out of you and let out a wry chuckle.

"Fuck, I really want to make you do that again. On my cock, this time."

You spoke through pants, chest heaving. "Yes- yes please. Want." You mumbled incoherently, your brain turning into mush as you slumped in his hold.

He kissed your forehead, smiling. "And you will. Let's continue this at home, shall we?"

"Home?" You asked in confusion, peeling your eyes open. The graveyard was your home. What was he talking about?

"My home." He repeated, rubbing circles on your skin. "You'll be living with me from now on, baby."

You averted your eyes from him, disappointment filling you as he said the words. Tempting, but it would never happen. Your fate lay in this graveyard, your destiny an eternity of floating just beyond the veil.

"I..." You closed your eyes, a sob caught in your throat. "I can't...leave. I'm not-"

"I know."

You looked up, puzzled as his expression softened. He pulled you close to his body, picking you up. "You don't have to worry, love."

"You knew?" Your eyes widened in shock. You looked back over what had just happened, small clues that he was aware revealing themselves. You remembered suddenly that he'd known your name, even though you hadn't told it to him outright...he'd touched you, even felt you. The tiniest flicker of hope lit up your heart as he stared at you fondly.

"Yes." He kissed your forehead as he started moving to the gate. "You're no longer stuck here, darling." He said firmly.

You could barely contain all the emotions tangled in your heart as you tried to make sense of it all. Looking over his shoulder as he carried you, you ran your eyes over your tombstone and the candles he'd placed in front of it. The pentagram on top was still shining, illuminating the grave and setting it apart from the others.

"You're alive again, Y/n. And this time, you're mine."

Happy Halloween!

[paradoxolotl]

Are there any quotes or moments from any of your fics that you've had to leave out of the final product? Like, deleted scenes. If so, do you feel like sharing?...(Particularly Inked Truths because I'm obsessed with it. I fell in love with BoM, read it multiple times. When I found out you were doing a prequel I was very excited and have not been disappointed since.) (I also love TftR but it makes sad.)...Absolutely no pressure. If you don't want to answer please just ignore this, I'll understand.

Truths for the Roof didn’t lose anything but Inked lost a bit. Really, it was just redone to flow better and fit the characterization better, or moved somewhere later on in the series. I’m more likely to add then take away. It’s pretty rare I scrap something completely, and usually find somewhere else to put it, even if it’s a different fic. But originally BOM was very different. Andrew was medicated and Aaron knew Neil Josten from class.

Here’s a scene that was reworked in Ink Blotted Memories ~

Aaron did his best to avoid Andrew after that. He made himself busy at work, hauling dishes back and forth and hanging out with the bouncers on his breaks. When they were home Andrew was usually shut up in his room or outside smoking which made avoiding him all the easier, giving Aaron space to dick around on the TV or be in his room. Nicky still tried to involve both of them in stupid bonding activities like family dinners and movie nights. When they did happen, it was tense and uncomfortable, mostly filled with Nicky’s inane chatter. Aaron purposely did not look at his brother on these nights. He was torn between wanting Andrew’s acknowledgment and wishing he had never found out about him.

He marked his days with video games and his nights with alcohol and cracker dust, counting the days until he could once again use school as a distraction.

And the entire original Brother of Mine, which I rewrote most of when I got partway through ~

Aaron could still remember lying in his bed in his mother’s house, body bruised and hurting, wishing to have someone who could help him. Someone to make things better. To stand with him and hold him up when he was so close to crumbling. Learning about a long-lost twin felt like something out of a movie. An answered prayer. Finally, Aaron would have someone, a brother, who he could talk to. He imagined late night talks and secrets shared between them. They would have a bond so strong that nothing could come between them.

Andrew’s response of ‘fuck off’ had felt like a back-hand across his face.

Still, he held out hope. He was told to try again in the Spring, and that was what he planned on doing. Even when Andrew was sent to juvie, Aaron held onto his hope of a brother who would care about him. They were twins after all, how hard could it be?

The first time he had met Andrew face to face, Uncle Luther beside him and a metal table separating them, Aaron’s idea of what their relationship would be went up in smoke. His face was looking back at him, but there was no expression, no emotion at all. A blankness that revealed nothing of what he was thinking. It was hard to make eye contact with Andrew, his eyes sharp enough to be cut on. Andrew didn’t speak to Aaron at all that first visit; he just stared at him with a flat glare the entire time.

And yet he still came to South Carolina to live with Aaron. Aaron desperately wanted for Andrew to open up to him when they lived together. He thought he had to, now that they shared a room. He also hoped that home would get better, now that Andrew was home. Maybe mom would get better, would stop being so stressed. So angry.

It only took one incident for Aaron to believe Andrew was untouchable. They were in the backyard so Andrew could smoke, both sipping from a bottle of vodka Andrew had acquired. He had only moved in a week ago, and so far, things had been quiet. Aaron had no new bruises, but Andrew’s blank stare made him warry. The slam of the front door had made Aaron flinch, Andrew’s cold eyes tracking the movement. Aaron could hear their mother calling for him, her words tight with anger. Remembering the pills he had swiped earlier in the day, he swallowed back the lump in his throat and went inside.

He remembers her screaming. He remembers the pain of a hand across his cheek. Then there was Andrew, her wrist gripped in his hand, twisted far enough to make her bend at an awkward angle. It was then that Aaron saw the first expression on his twin’s face, and it terrified him. His lips had curled back in a snarl, his eyes bright with an anger Aaron had never seen before.

It was that night that Andrew had offered Aaron a deal. They would stick together, just the two of them, and Andrew would protect him. Aaron believed this was the answer to what he had been asking for. Finally, he wouldn’t be alone. He made his promise to Andrew.

Months passed, and Aaron was still collecting bruises. It was almost worse now, to have a witness to his suffering. Someone who had promised him protection but couldn’t stop everything.

Then, the accident where Aaron was left with only Andrew. Just the two of them.

The funeral where Andrew’s arm was in a sling, a cigarette hanging from his mouth, and a strange gleam in his eye as the dirt was poured on their mother’s grave.

Nicky coming back from Germany, taking them in.

Moving into a new house and Andrew installing a lock on his door.

The agony of being locked in that bathroom, withdrawal clawing his body to shreds.

The slow isolation at school, Andrew refusing to let anyone close.

Nicky’s assault and the mandated therapy.

That awful laughter and empty smile.

And Aaron had to wonder if instead of his prayers being answered, he had been cursed.

~~~

Things began changing the spring of their freshman year of college.

When they first joined the Foxes, there was a clear divide between Aaron’s family and the others immediately. Any interactions ended in spitting insults at best and violence more than not. The others feared Andrew and his knives, circling their group like alley cats. Not that the three of them were much better. Nicky constantly antagonized the others, and the twins’ general lack of effort to get along definitely rubbed a few people the wrong way. The Columbia trips solidified their isolation from the others. Honestly, Aaron couldn’t care less about getting along with his teammates. He would leave them alone as long as they did the same. He was here for a degree, not friends.

Now, they had officially been knocked out of the championships. Not that Aaron could bring himself to care, but games days usually also meant Columbia, and Aaron desperately wanted to get off campus. Between the upperclassmen, Day’s bitching over the season and Nicky’s whining, Aaron was looking forward to drinks, crackers, and music loud enough to lose yourself in.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t go without Andrew. His twin was currently perched on his desk by the window, smoking and staring out at the campus, fingers rapidly tapping. Normally they would already be packed up and gone by now, but they hadn’t gone once in over a month. At first Aaron thought it was because of exy, but then Andrew would disappear from the dorms for hours at a time, much to Day’s frustration. The only reason Aaron even noticed this as odd was because his brother rarely left Day alone. He never told them why they stopped going, or where he disappeared to, and any complaints fell on deaf ears.

“Come on Andrew!” Nicky whined, “We never go to Columbia anymore!”

Andrew’s laughter made Aaron’s jaw tick. “Oh, poor Nicky, don’t you know that no means no?”

“But why not?” Nicky was still going.

Aaron didn’t know why Nicky thought he could reason with Andrew. Unless you were Renee the best result from interacting with him would be victim to a cutting insult or dismissal. Worst case you’d need stitches.

His phone buzzing in his hand distracted him from the conversation happening. Looking at the screen, he felt a wave of relief wash over him, soothing the tension in his shoulders.

Katelyn

You played great today! It’s too bad the season is over

Katelyn was an instant balm to Aaron’s anger. It was still new, this thing between them. They had met in their intro biology class and had spent many late hours at the library studying. She had been the first person at Palmetto who had bothered to get to know Aaron for him, not just as ‘Andrew’s twin’. At first, he was a sullen asshole, but her endless patience and positivity snuck past his defenses and made a place for her in Aaron’s very bones. The only issue was they had to sneak around; Aaron couldn’t risk Andrew finding out about her.

Glancing up to make sure Andrew was still distracted with Nicky, Aaron settled further into his beanbag.

Aaron

Whatever it’s just stickball

Katelyn

Still, I’ll miss watching you ;)

Aaron had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep the smile off his face.

Katelyn

How’s Columbia?

Aaron

Wouldn’t know we’re still in the Tower

Katelyn

Think you could sneak out for a bit?

We’re in that bar with the turtle

Nicky’s yelp brought Aaron’s attention back to the room in front of him. Andrew was still on the desk, but Aaron caught the glint of metal as a knife was put back in one of his armbands. His eyes followed Nicky as he retreated to the bedroom, face split in his usual grin. When the door closed behind Nicky, Andrew’s eyes snapped to Aaron, pinning him to his spot. Aaron glared back, daring Andrew to say something to him. To say anything.

Instead, Andrew flicked his cigarette out the window, slammed in shut, and left the dorm completely. Aaron wasn’t sure if he was disappointed or not.

He sat there for a moment, fingers tapping on his phone. If this was going to be following his typical pattern over the past few weeks, Andrew would be gone for hours, and wouldn’t notice if Aaron left. He would just need to be back before Andrew. Really, it wasn’t that hard of a decision.

Aaron

Be there in twenty.

Katelyn

<3

Grabbing his jacket, Aaron hurried out of the dorm, eager to get away. Even if it wasn’t Columbia, even if it was with the Vixens, any time with Katelyn was worth it.

Aaron didn’t look up as he left the Tower. If he did, he might have seen a heavy stare and two lit cigarettes.

~~~

Summer came, and somehow Betsy had convinced the courts to change Andrew’s medication. Something about an incorrect diagnosis or dosage. Aaron wasn’t sure how they thought an Andrew off the pills would be any better, but no one asked him for his opinion.

The upside was that Aaron had weeks free of his oppressive twin, and he could spend as much time with Katelyn as he wanted. It was the first time in years Aaron felt like there was no weight pulling him down, like he could finally breathe.

It was in those few perfect weeks that Aaron came to a decision.

He couldn’t lose this.

~~~

Andrew had come back from Easthaven reverted back to the emptiness of when Aaron had first met him. He had barely said a word to anyone since he came back, simply leveling that bored glare at them whenever someone tried to speak to him. Whenever Aaron saw him, he was fiddling on that damn flip phone, barely acknowledging his surroundings. Even the upperclassmen had noticed his attachment to the device.

It was during a meeting before the first game of the new season that someone finally snapped.

“Damn it, Andrew, what are you doing?” When Kevin got really angry, his face flushed. Right now, he was approaching tomato.

Andrew snapped his phone shut, “Nothing.”

“Bullshit, you need to focus. Our first game is tomorrow, and we are nowhere near ready.”

“Maybe,” Andrew drawled, “instead of worrying about me, you should focus on what you’ll do when you see Riko again.”

It was a low blow, but effective. Kevin immediately fell silent, his skin changing from red to white so quickly Aaron was surprised he didn’t faint. Edgar Allen had joined their district after Kevin announced that he would be joining the Fox line-up. Last year Kevin had showed up, hand bloody and broken, looking for sanctuary. Apparently, Riko had broken his hand in a fit of rage. Kevin had tried to sue, but with the connections and money behind the Moriyama name, it was ruled as an accident. The public backlash of that along with Kevin’s transfer to the Foxes had caused several headaches last year.

“Jesus, Andrew,” Nicky whispered.

Andrew opened his phone again. No one else tried to speak to him for the rest of the meeting.

~~~

It was a new bet among the Foxes: what Andrew was doing on his phone. Everyone agreed that it was pretty clear he was texting someone, but the question was who. Some believed it was a secret girlfriend, while others were still convinced Renee and Andrew were together. Others thought it had to be something illegal.

Aaron knew what he thought, and he silently watched and cataloged information away.

~~~

The season was going terribly. They were winning games by the skin of their teeth and they were more divided than ever. Seth and Kevin couldn’t stop fighting, their newest striker was a nervous wreck, and Andrew didn’t give a shit.

Their last game was against the Ravens, and they had been destroyed. Now, Wymack and Dan were looking for a win.

They were in the locker room getting ready for the game when Andrew’s phone began to ring. Aaron didn’t recognize the song Andrew used, but he knew he normally used the default setting for his ringtone. Andrew picked up before Aaron could think too much on it.

“What?”

At this point everyone was staring at him, not even trying to act like they weren’t eavesdropping.

Andrew scoffed, “Junkie,” he said before snapping his phone shut, tossing it into his locker, and slamming it door closed. A moment later he was stalking out of the locker room.

Silence was left behind in his wake until Nicky broke it, “So it isn’t a girlfriend?”

When the team was gathered again (...missing...)

~~~

(...missing...)Today though, Aaron needed to talk to him.

The chances of Andrew brushing off any attempt Aaron made to speak to him were high, so Aaron waited until Andrew would have to acknowledge him. On Wednesday, when Andrew walked into Reddin, Aaron was waiting for him.

~~~

“Fuck off,” Aaron growled.

Josten had that stupid smirk on his face, his finger tapping on his test score. It wasn’t even that Aaron did bad. It was that Josten did better. He always did better in this stupid class. Aaron hated statistics, but apparently Josten was a math major and took every opportunity to show him up.

From day one Aaron had disliked him. He had plopped down beside Aaron, ratty clothes and shaggy hair, and called him ‘the second Minyard’. Not only was he a complete ass, but he was completely unnerving. His eyes were a blue so pale they were almost glacial, and his face and arms were covered in slashes and burn scars.

Once, Aaron had overheard someone call him ‘Scarface’, and Josten had just asked, with a terrifying grin, if they were looking for some to match.

And Aaron was stuck in a room with him twice a week.

Josten tsked at him, still tapping at his score. “What? Still second?”

“Fuck off,” Aaron really wasn’t in the mood.

He just hummed, pulling his phone out, a god damn flip phone, and spent the next few minutes ignoring the review happening. Aaron could barely focus as Josten texted away; each click grating on Aaron’s already frayed nerves.

Aaron wasn’t even sure how Josten did so well; he spent most of the class doodling in his notebook.

[everafterkeiji]

Song: Hiccup by Valley

Summary: After encountering a road block in your relationship, what path will you take to wind up your broken heart with Iwaizumi?

Pairings: Hajime Iwaizumi x fem!reader

Genre/Warning: angst, cursing

Word count: 6k

A/N: i promise myself i was going to write some bokuto fluff but this song keeps bringing me back to iwa😣 also pls listen to this song<3

2 YEARS AGO

"Tooru."

You call out to him, knees to the floor clutching tightly on your shirt, droplets to the wooden surface. Oikawa harshly closes his eyes, unable to let his eyes rest on your weakened state. He takes a deep breath when he hears your mournful sob. He hears how you took in rough gasps of air so he drops the box from his hands as he rushes to you, his knee scraping from sliding to the floor as he takes you in his chest as you sobbed even more. Oikawa allowing his own tears to fall on your clothes.

He consistently caresses your hair, as your sniffles and cries of pain covered the eary atmosphere of your apartment.

"Tooru." You call out again, he closes his eyes as he leans his head on yours. He dreaded every second that passed knowing he shouldn't be the one to comfort you, but he knew your savior wasn't going to rescue you this time.

"Do you think he'll miss me?"

"I know he will, darling." He assures you, and you wipe your eyes gasping for air once again before speaking again. He lets his hand slide down to your back, patting it every now and then.

"But there's someone better huh?"

Oikawa bites his lip, and you take this silence as an answer you'd never forget. Your lips tug upwards, grinning at how it stung when it came from Oikawa. To Tooru, no one could replace you. He couldn't envision someone to love his brother the way you did and no amount of pain can top how much you cherished each other but he couldn't answer because he was unsure of the motives of the past ace.

"Thank you for staying." You whisper and he pulled you closer as he sighs, glancing at the apartment that appeared in their late night video calls. The same room where he saw the brightest smile that was painted on Iwaizumi, the eyes that carried passion whenever you'd pop up. Visiting the apartment for the first time, he didn't expect how- lifeless it felt.

"Always."

PRESENT

You stretched as you rolled over to the side, used to the ghost of him. You shouldn't be used to it, he should be there to occupy it everyday but every morning you were just greeted by the chilliness he brought you.

The sun sneakily shined upon your eyes as you immediately turn away, expecting the memories to strike your heart like it does whenever the sun flaunted its rays.

"You're mesmerizing." He whispers, his pointer finger inched its way down to your cheek, smiling to himself. You hummed in response, shuffling in the sheets as his heart pounders at the sight of your shoulder peeking through the thin material, with the sunlight decorating your skin with its beauty.

You opened your eyes only to be surprised by how bright the sun was making you close them immediately, giggling to yourself. Who knew his heart could melt even more? Once you've slowly opened your eyes again, you gaze at your Hajime placing a hand on his cheek. With his hand on your chin, he slowly lifts it so your lips meet with his as you smile, running your hand from his cheek to his hair, while closing your eyes at the

He pulls away as butterflies swarmed inside him, pushing back the string of hair that landed in your eyes.

"I love you."

"Forever?"

"And ever after."

You curse at the usual memory that would pass you every morning. It annoyed you how there wasn't a day where you weren't starting the morning this pissed off. Realistically speaking, you adored how your memories would bring life to your body once in a while but when love appears, pain tags along- making it hard to enjoy the only things that could take away the emptiness.

Without him, you could never bring yourself to close the curtains. A habit you've devastatingly brought upon yourself.

Whenever the sun rose and it's light surrounded your room, it was the closest embrace you could ever have from him.

You let your fingers graze over the longing sensation on your lips. Incapable of forgetting how every kiss from his plush lips made you high. Intoxicated with his devotion to you. Each having it's own unique way of bringing you stories from the way it synced with yours.

Do you ever think about coming back to kiss my mouth? You ask yourself, sadly letting go of your lips before stepping into the bathroom.

I miss the taste of you and it's always been you. Iwaizumi thinks to himself as he feels the tingle of coldness from his lips. Like you, he adored the way his mornings were blessings but his room looked like a grave for his emotions.

Curtains closed, not allowing to let the sun peak through since the light in his world wasn't there to bring back the life in his soulless apartment.

He steps out of bed entering his bathroom, brushing his teeth as he rubs his eyes with his free hand.

"S-shush! Baby- baby stop talking!" He says chuckling before placing the toothbrush in your mouth. You two were superbly drunk and it seems like even if Iwaizumi was drunk to the gods, he was still the responsible one in the relationship. You were already about to pass out but his loud laughter kept you awake.

"But Hajime- let me sleep already, you're so noisy bub." You pout but he chuckles again. You turn behind you try and sit on top of the counter but you slid off when you jumped. Iwaizumi shakes his head with a grin as he places his hand on your waist before effortlessly lifting you and placing you on the bathroom sink.

You continue to brush your teeth as he watches how your eyes would droop every second. You spit out the toothpaste before taking in some water and spitting it out as well. You wiped your mouth before bringing your arms outward. "Am I okay now babe? Hajime- honey I wanna sleep." You beg as he rolls his eyes taking you in his arms, like a bride.

"And what about you mister? Did you brush your teeth?" You teased, taking in the aroma of alcohol he had. He bit his lips trying not to laugh but he shakes his head, answering your question. You let out a gasp of betrayal as you hopped out of his arms grabbing the toothbrush and putting toothpaste on it, but you hear his cackle making you laugh as well, addicted to how it made you join him in an instant.

"Princess, at least put it on the actual brush. Not the other end you dumbie." He states making you look down on your failure of an attempt. You let out an "Oh." and this brought tears to both of your eyes from laughing endlessly.

He gazes at his reflection through the mirror as he takes a deep breath. It felt like if he'd utter a word, his voice would already crack at the resurfaced moment. He scolds himself for having minimal change in a span of two years. He told himself that he shouldn't wallow in the grief but he endured it for days.

There wasn't a clear way for him to move on, especially when you drained him from all functions of his mind. The only thing that interests him to be happy was that he held on to the probability of meeting you again. Even if the chances were slim to none, he'd take anything that there is left just to see you again.

Though it seems like, he'd have to suffer longer just for it to happen.

-

Maybe I'd understand the things that you'd do. You whisper as you take another gulp of alcohol. It was Saturday, your supposed late night sessions with Iwaizumi but instead you were solo for today, and maybe for the rest of the years. You bitterly chuckle to yourself as you didn't bother to answer Oikawas call. Your phone kept going off, receiving dozens of messages and missed calls from the setter. He deeply hated Saturdays, or at least your version of it.

Whether you chose to bottle down every beer you had, or scream and get smothered in mascara stains from crying, or even worse, both. Sometimes you'd even mistaken Oikawa for Iwaizumi, and Oikawa allows it knowing it's a way for you to cope. He hated how far away he was but he strictly told you that if you were ever to pursue yourself to go to the club, he'd drop everything and book a ticket to you immediate, of course this was enough for you to listen especially when you'd feel guilty for wasting his time.

Oikawa knew better than to ask for Iwaizumis help. He remained a bridge for the two of you, knowing he'd encounter to different sides. Iwaizumi had him pick up his belongings in your apartment, denying to step foot in your room. In which brought Oikawa to tears at sight of his best friends past lover in such a disaster of a state. So granting Iwaizumis wish, he stayed.

"Why can't you do it? It's your apartment." Oikawa argued making Iwaizumi grunt in pain as he secretly wipes away the tears in his eyes. He sighs before facing the setter.

"She hates me, Oikawa." He says, staring directly at the boy. Oikawa scoffs but stares at the ground, hands to his side formed in a fist.

Is it that bad? He questions.

"Iwa- what happened?" He asks nervously but Iwaizumi only closes his eyes as he tries to get rid of the screams from the previous night.

"I'll tell you soon. When you see her, maybe you'll understand why I can't do this, why I can't face her. Just please do me one favor." The tone in his voice slowly lessens with the last sentence, making Oikawas heart ache for the two of you. Looking at Iwaizumis eyes, Oikawa could see the way he was holding back, but from what? There was a certain change in his usual stare- he looked lost.

Oikawa sits on the couch as he lets his hand gesture for Iwaizumi to speak. He couldn't say anything else but he hoped that Iwaizumi would take his silence as an answer already. Oikawa would do anything for Iwa, and if he was your other half, and Oikawa will do the same to you.

"Save her."

"From what, Iwa?"

"From what I've done."

Oikawa was impatiently waiting for your response but it seems you've decided to push him aside again. Although he was home, the distance from him to you was troublesome so he insisted to call you instead.

He assumed that last year you've gotten better since you spent you Saturday sleeping instead of drinking, but it progressively got worse.

"I mean, one drink wouldn't hurt right?"

He was dumbfounded when one drink turned into hundreds. He knew it was difficult to continue especially when you and Iwaizumi were having the time of your lives everytime. Whether you were extremely drunk, he knew that you two acted the complete same when you were sober. There wasn't a difference, meaning that's just how love worked between you two.

"Tooru- honey!" You shout as Iwaizumi pouts. It was your 4th anniversary and Oikawa decided to call to greet the lovely couple another successful year of your relationship.

"It's shittykawa to you, babe." Iwaizumi teases making Oikawa rolls his eyes. Through the camera, he sees you above Iwaizumi with arms wrapped around his neck without your chin resting on the boys head as he smiles, content to see that 4 years and love didn't change, not even a bit.

"Disgusting lovebirds, happy anniversary to you both!" Oikawa cheers as you giggle, blowing a kiss to him for greeting you two.

"Thank you Tooru-" your words were cut off by a gasp of realization as you shake Iwaizumi. Hajime takes in your excitement as he shakes his head at your actions.

"Hajime! There's no way you're not making Tooru as your best man- anyway! Tooru! This my official invitation for you to be his best man at our wedding!" Oikawa laughs as he raises his eyebrow to Iwaizumi who had a smirk on his lips.

"Well, I will be overly disappointed if I wasn't chosen. If Iwa-chan declines, I'll be your best man instead Y/N, or if you take my offer, I'll be the groom." He winks to you as you laugh before taking another sip of your drink. Iwaizumi flips off Oikawa and the setter only returns this by poking his tongue out to his best friend.

"So is that right, Iwa-chan? Will you finally bend the knee for the lovely lady?" With Oikawas question, you turn to Iwaizumi as if you were nervous. You bit your lip looking at your boyfriend before he pecks your lips catching you off guard as he looks at you with a smirk.

"I'd be a fool not to." He says making you squeal, as you immediately cover your face in your hands, embarassed by how red you got. Oikawa rolls his eyes, envious at the love you shared. Although, he is joyous that you've made Iwaizumi the happiest man he can be, even if you two weren't married yet, to Oikawa it looks like your relationship will only lead to the altar.

There wasn't a single doubt to that.

"Y/N! I thought you've forgotten how to pick up the phone again." He scolds you but his anger washes away when he sees you with red eyes and sniffling uncontrollably.

"Hajime." She calls out, as Oikawa sighs into his pillow realizing it's another night of him acting as Iwaizumi. He's already heard all the things you wanted to say to the missing boy and he accepted the fact that you'll never have the heart to say it to Iwaizumi himself.

"Why do I miss you, now that you're out of my life?" You cried. Oikawa only rests his chin on the palm of his hand as you continued to pour your sadness upon him. You swing the bottle in your hands before downing another wave of liquor.

"I wanna know what you're doing tonight." You whisper as you take your phone, clicking on Iwaizumis contact but before you could, Oikawa spoke, knowing your next intentions.

"No, not again Y/N." He says but you shake your head your finger threatening to press it already.

"Y/N listen to me, Iwa would have contacted you right now but this isn't the time!" He argued but you scoffed, angry tears brimming in your eyes.

"No! Then when will that time come then! I've been waiting for so fucking long already! It's never gonna happen 'cause he's forgotten me- Fuck!" You shouted, taking Oikawa by surprise as you collapse to the floor once again, Oikawa coming back to the sight of you he wanted to forget.

"Y/N- babe I'm sorry-"

"Enough, Oikawa. If you could've been honest that Hajime's found another, then-then maybe I-" your voice cracks as you stressfully runs your fingers through your hair, gripping it tight in your hands as you let out another doleful sob, breaking Toorus heart.

"I don't know what do anymore." You whispered, your heart shattering in to even more finer pieces. You couldn't even put into words how you've been in torment for years.

It finally dawned on you that you weren't headed to the altar, you were headed in a different path.

Without him.

"Y/N- listen- Iwaizumi-" you ended the call leaving Oikawa stunned as he drops the phone in his hands in frustration and in regret. He decided to visit Iwaizumi, knowing it'd be hard to ever communicate with you again, especially that you've been struck by a wrong thought.

And no one else could handle you the way Hajime would.

"Iwa-chan."

"Oikawa? What is it?"

"I fucked up, I'm sorry."

-

Iwaizumi held his breath as Oikawa explained what happened. He couldn't wrap his head around the unintentional pain Oikawa has given you.

"Iwa, I'm so sorry." Tooru says, making Iwaizumi close his eyes visioning your features crushing at the idea of him having somebody by his side.

Hajimes eyes would never betray you. The only reflection that stayed in his eyes, was the future that was thrown away.

"Oikawa, hey it's okay, I understand." Iwaizumi says with a soft tone to assure Oikawa. Tooru would never intentionally hurt you, he was there to save you. Even if Iwaizumi didn't ask him to take care of you, Oikawa would do everything to bring a smile on your lips. As much love you have to Hajime, its the same amount you have to Oikawa.

"Leaving isn't bad because you're gonna come back with something even better and that's the best version of yourself."

It's your words that he counted on. He believed that he wasn't being selfish, or prideful. You made him believe that finding himself was enough to get him all the medals, the passion, and everything he wanted. So he'd want nothing more than to give thanks to you.

"Iwa."

Oikawa breaks the silence. Iwaizumi looks at him while biting down on his fingers, his heart beating too loudly at the thought of you.

"Why didn't you call her- not even giving her a proper goodbye." Tooru asks with masked anger in his tone. How could he help Hajime when he's blocking him from the truth?

"Iwaizumi. Answer me. For once." Oikawa begs, but once he's met with the silence, he's never been more eager to give in to anger.

"I just- I can't let it happen again, Oikawa. Not to her, not to us."

"Baby, what movie do you want to watch on Saturday? I've seen so many good ones lately." Iwaizumi turns to you with an exhausted expression. You were arranging the condiments in the cabinet, waiting for his response.

"Can't we- reschedule? I-I have something to go to-"

"You can't blow me off for the third time this week, Iwa." You spat, sick of the excuses. Has it really been three times? Iwaizumi questions as he leans on the couch, letting out a sigh. To which is a response you didn't expect to receive.

"I've been busy." He lied, he may not feel it, but there wasn't a single hesitation when he spoke. You memorize his schedules, his after meetings, the excused he's mentioned didn't even bother to make sense. It hurt how he was able to come up so easily, not even thinking about you'd be able to piece them all together.

"Or are you just tired, Iwaizumi?"

You asked rudely. He looks at you before rolling his eyes, covering your heart in bitterness at his pride.

"So what if I am?"

He talked back, hitting you with a bigger wave of emotions. You slammed the door of the cabinet, marching to him each step mixed with rage and pain.

"You're tired? Imagine what I've been feeling, Hajime!" You shout, volume picking up on your tone as this makes Iwaizumi stand up from the couch, not backing down at the power of your voice.

"Clingy? Needy? Pathetic? Tell me, does that sound any different to you?" He said it with so much disgust, strong enough to make you doubt everything you've fought for.

"So you don't give a fuck? Is that what you're so proud of, Iwaizumi? That you're so fucking insensitive?" He felt a tug on his heart when you called him that. It's been so long since he's heard you say it so- normal. As odd as it is, he couldn't hear his name the same again, especially when it came from you.

"Exactly! God I- Y/N. This is why-"

"WHAT IWAIZUMI!"

"This why I'm so fucking tired of you!" He shouted, not only did it create a barrier in your apartment, it brought up your past barrier that he broke down but now he's the cause of it to return.

"You're just- can you even make it on your own without me? It's like if I leave you'd- lose your shit! We need space!" He was fuming with confused anger as you feel your throat give out. You were shaking, your heart was too fast and unsteady, you weren't the same.

"But space is what you've been giving me! Coming home so late? Standing me up? You don't even fucking realize how many dates we missed!" He scoffs before running his fingers through his raven hair. Taking a step towards you, making you stand your ground as you tilt your head to meet with his empty eyes.

This isn't the man who could love you forever and ever after.

"So what! I've got so many things to do apart from dealing with your shit!" You stare back at him, weakened at how your heart couldn't handle it anymore.

You looked down, feeling the sting in your hands when your nails digged into the skin of your palm. He sits down on the couch, drained from the war full of shouting and the damage his heart was in.

Surprisingly, you sat beside him but there was such an intense distance between you.

He turns to you but chills ran up his spine when he sees how you look like you've agreed to everything he's said, making his eyes widen at the foreign feeling.

This is what he was scared of. Failing to find interest in the same routine, to find the energy to continue like he used to. Being worn out by how repetitive things were even when the love you both had was nowhere near boring.

In fact, it was exhilarating. You were both curious to try things together, that's what led you to even owning an apartment together, planning a future, even planning your marriage that was now a blur.

He trembled. Regret, anxiousness, exhaustion. He didn't expect himself to feel this way, especially to you, who he loved completely but felt a certain drift in his heart. He looks away from you as his eyes trail on the picture of you two. He couldn't hold it in his hands to look at how happy he looked, because he isn't the same anymore.

He's lost his way.

"D-did I..lack something?" She asks quietly. He gulps at her question. It was so heavy to him. How you asked him, questioning yourself in this relationship. With anxious hands, he wanted to reach out for you but his efforts were surpassed when he felt a wall between you and him.

"Am I worth.. to keep?"

Please, baby. He begs in his mind for you to stop. He couldn't register how he couldn't make himself speak. He was holding back too much, terrified that he was going to break you more and more with every word he'd toss to you.

"Then this is pointless isn't it?"

You both look at each other, both met with different expressions in your eyes. Iwaizumi could see how tired you were, how he knew you wouldn't be able to look at him the same way before, since he gave up first. While you can see how there wasn't a single lie in his eyes, the downfall was upon you.

No matter the space you give him, there can never be a spark to bring him back.

He bit his lip, facing the truth. Even he knew there isn't any other way.

"I know what you're gonna say, Hajime."

"Princess.. I'm sorry"

"Just go." It was impossible for him to follow your orders when all he wishes is to stay but then again, he's run out of reasons to.

"You gave up, Iwa!" Oikawa shouts, standing up to the boy. Iwaizumi lets his eyes wonder on the floor because he said nothing but the truth.

"There isn't anything I can-"

He's heard enough. You've asked Oikawa many heartbreaking questions. They were all unanswerable, and it pained him he couldn't give you at least one. He was in pain as much as you were. He hated how stupid Iwaizumi was for leaving you and choosing to cower away. He hated how you blamed yourself and slashing your heart because of Iwaizumi.

The tension has set fire to Oikawa and with years of loyalty between the two, Oikawa throws a heavy punch to Iwaizumi, disgusted of his actions.

Iwaizumi, completely at shocked at Oikawas punch, steps back a few times before his blood dropped on his fingers. Oikawa walks straight to Iwaizumi capturing his collar and pulling the boy upwards, nothing but rage consuming the setter.

"Did you love her then? Don't tell me this bullshit that you can't go back to her. Do you even wanna know what she asks me?" Iwaizumi removes Oikawas hands from his shirt, crumpling it in the process. Oikawa lets out a sarcastic laugh as he looks at Hajime.

"Ah, so you know how much shit you put her through? Then maybe you are an asshole but god- Iwa she loves you so much. If that isn't a good enough reason for you to talk to her, then I'll find somebody else for her." Oikawa threatens as Iwaizumi lets out a sob, nothing but regret that he hurt two of the most important people on his life.

"But what if it happens again?"

Iwaizumi asks, it was the only thing that held him back for returning into your arms. He isn't stable enough to return when the fear lingers in his head. What if he falls out of love? What if he gets tired again? Then you'll never want his presence again. He couldn't master up the courage because he too was scared of it.

He will not go through dozens of years just to be apart from you. He's already lost his mind to see you and Oikawa face the tragedy that he left you with. He felt nauseated with himself. How can he promise you forever when it was out of his grasp?

"Why don't you find out?"

It was a simple sentence that left Oikawas lips yet it brought Hajime to tears. It would've been that easy. If he didn't stay with his demons, then maybe you were here to offset his heart. After 2 years, isn't it too late to realize that he's never really ran out of love? It strengthened, but he was so afraid of battling with you like you did, hating how he was the man who shattered your overall being.

"Thank you, Oikawa."

He whispers as Oikawa takes a seat beside him, smiling that he brought the boy to realize the amount of time he's wasted by being surrounded by doubt. Oikawa pats the boys shoulder, sighing in relief that Iwaizumi was back.

"Always."

-

You swore to avoid your phone the entire day. As much as you wanted to apologize to Oikawa for the outburst, you just wanted a day of silence since your thoughts never give you the chance. Not only did you promise to avoid technology, you decided to avoid people as well, promising to yourself you'd rather stay inside in order to avoid the envy you had for other couples.

So here you are, tucked in your jacket, wrapped in your blanket waking up from a 4 hour nap. You yawned before squinting when you open your phone. It's 8pm and your stomach was nowhere near happy. Slowly standing up, you make your way to the kitchen opening the fridge seeing absolutely no hope to make a meal. Sighing lazily, you decided it'd be best to just buy some food.

After getting ready, you step out of your apartment as you drive to the place where you usually order. You admired how the moon lit your way. Opening your windows you smile when the cold whiff of air instantly surrounded your car. You loved the way your hair flew in the wind while you listened to the song playing.

Once you've finished your bought dinner, you decided to take a turn in your path. Now that it was late at night, you couldn't resist to visit a place you've been missing.

You take in a deep breath as you leaned on the metal bar, loving the way the view still took your breath away. You were face to face with the nightlights and the busy town below you. Not only was it stunning but it was a place to recall some of your favorite moments with him now that you were out of your comfortless of an apartment.

"Sorry for being late, Oikawa was an ass." Iwaizumi excuses himself as he stood beside you leaning on the rod, smiling once he takes in the lights. He turns to you before removing his jacket and placing it on your shoulders, a sweet gesture that had you blushing every time.

You couldn't refuse knowing he would've scolded you. Instead, you stood closer to him before leaning your head on his arm. With his hand, he interlaced his fingers with yours, as your heart flutters. He takes in your hand, placing a gentle kiss on it as you did the same with his hand making him twirl you in satisfaction. You giggle before landing on his chest as he leans down and places his warm hands to your cheeks as he leans in to take your lips with his.

You immediately wrap your arms around his neck, reciprocating his kiss. He's given you hundreds of kisses before, how is this any different than the rest?

He pulls away, as your foreheads touch as you both painted a smile on your lips, feeling a slight tickle to it with how flustered you both were.

"I love you so much." He whispers, the first time he's ever let the three words slip from his mouth. Your hands make their way his hair, grabbing it lightly before nodding happily.

"I love you more, my Hajime."

Who knew that just by saying those three words, it was enough for you to believe in an ever after with him? Maybe you were wrong to fall for it even though he gave you a fragment of your so called forever.

You glanced beside you to see a vacant spot and you let out a disappointed sigh. You take in the sight of your fingers, missing the way it perfectly fit in his and how he held it with so much care, giving you an idea that he'd never let you go. Unfortunately he broke this bond but you still longed for his skin to be at contact with yours again.

You sat down placing your hand on the bench as you close your eyes leaning your back on it. You felt a shift of weight beside you, someone finally accompanying you in this lonely night but you've caught on the familiar scent of the stranger and you let the name slid off your tongue.

"Hajime."

He turns to you in shock that you knew it was him but you open your eyes, turning your head to be faced with the man you've been longing to see in two years. He looked the same, the same face who clouded your dreams. He was certainly your Hajime, the pretty boy you've adored since you were in high school.

Happy anniversary. You silently greet each other. How bittersweet, isn't it? What was meant to be your 6th year, turned into 2 years of avoiding each other.

And as you took in Iwaizumis appearance, he did the same with you. Loving the way your features clicked in his memory instantly. Was it even possible for you to be even more beautiful? To Iwaizumi, it was. He absolutely missed you, but why was his heart nervous?

What do I do? He asks himself. Small talk isn't what you deserved. God- you deserve so much more. Endless hours of talking, his embrace, his love, that's what you missed. He was willing to love you with everything he's got, now knowing he'll never run out of it because he isn't scared anymore.

"This isn't a dream is it?" You asked as you turn back to the sky counting the stars that was above you. He was glad you broke the silence, and he appreciated how there wasn't the same tension before. It felt so- serene and unique. Something he wishes it'd be a good sign for the both of you.

"I can't believe it either." He exclaims making you smile. You couldn't ask him how he's doing, not wanting to drag on a conversation you've waited years for to happen, you couldn't let it be bland and meaningless.

"We were something weren't we?" You asked with a soft smile. Iwaizumi chuckles beside you, as he sits closer to you. The cold air swirling around you two as well as the car noised filling in the comforting silence.

"God, I miss what that's like." Iwaizumi answers as you look at him. You looked down on the floor with tears appearing again, the same as Iwaizumi. You were both craving to hold each other but it didn't sit right to just rush into each other knowing there's so much to unpack.

Maybe it was a bit unexpected that you'd face him this way. Echoing through your ears was the conversation between you and Tooru about how the time never came. Now, you weren't even close to being prepared. You both imagined a proper conversation wherein you two would agree to meet up and talk things out. Yet subconsciously, you came to the same place at the same time not even knowing you'd meet. You lacked strength to bundle the words that you've always wanted to say to him and he felt the same way.

The last time you sat next to each other, that was when you parted. Now, back in the same position, it felt overwhelming. Seeing each other for the first time, both had you shocked and careful of your words. You wanted to scream how much you loved him, and he wanted to hold you in his arms to wash away the bleeding of your heart.

You loved how the universe made you two meet. It was quite painful that it had to be the place where you've shared so many memories with him. You didn't know if this was a blessing in disguise but you couldn't complain when the love of your life was here, beside you.

When he saw you, he felt like the sun shined above him like it did every morning. Where he had an angel to wake up next to, when he couldn't spot a single imperfection in your skin when the sun danced in your beauty.

And you've finally remembered the way his touch would bring you the assurance without words. His unexpected kisses, his sweet embrace, his smile that makes your heart run a marathon.

You're finally here. You both think, your hearts synced in how you've waited for this moment.

With your hand on the bench, he places his hand on top of yours, feeling like it was too fragile to hold but you didn't pull away. He takes in your features in the moonlight as his heart picks up the pace at the feeling that washes over him.

There isn't a barrier anymore.

Having the chance to hold your hand like this, he'll never take this for granted again. His everything, back in his touch, god how lucky he was. Remembering Oikawas words, one thing was clear to Iwaizumi, and that was the fact that he couldn't afford to have another hiccup in your relationship.

"We really fucked up this time." Iwaizumi comments making the both of you chuckle as he intertwines your hands with his, smiles on either your faces now that you've finally found the path to each other.

[fabricated-misslieness]

♡〜request: Can you do a Female Reader x Phoenix story plz? That’s Valorant BTW. So basically the reader found out her dad died and Phoenix is trying to comfort her. TY! 〜♡

Phoenix x gender neutral reader

Gotta say I wasn’t feeling it until I thought of smoking, on a balcony, rainy night, gazing out… the concept of that is really beautiful.

Pre-established relationship

Requested: Yes

Word Count: 963

Warnings: angst, smoking used as a coping mechanism, bad father-child relationship.

“Hey.”

You only spare him a glance before turning back to the beauty in front of you. Smoke flows out your lungs and out your mouth. It momentarily clouds the view, but you pay it no mind. “Hey.”

Phoenix watches you for a second, admiring and thinking of you.

Smoking isn’t really his thing, smoking tobacco that is. However, whenever you did it, he just felt attracted to you. It had a certain alluring feeling to it, like those mysterious and hot characters in novels. They usually came in the form of people who’d lost somebody extremely close to them, giving off a ‘broken’ feeling, like they’re constantly seeking for their loved one or something to patch them up. Their stories would usually be searching, finding somebody new to love, and then that person tells them ‘Hey, you’re never going to find them. They’re gone. It’s not healthy to keep searching.’ Or something along those lines.

He didn’t read a lot, sure, but as a child, he watched a lot of movies with that type of character. He’d always managed to fall in love with them, but never to a romantic extent.

Come to think of it, you were that bad-boy character he’d fallen in love with, in that romantic way. Though you never gave off a sense of brokenness, until now.

Although the sight of you smoking by a scenic view, especially a rainy one, wasn’t exactly peculiar, he knew something was different. He could just feel it radiating off of you. You felt broken and he refused to believe that. But when he focused on you, he couldn’t deny it. You were broken, shattered even.

"Something wrong?" He asks, to which you respond with a bitter laugh.

"Everythings fine."

Phoenix frowns, slowly approaching your side. "You and I both know you're lying." You merely nod. To such accusations you would usually joke about, so now that you didn't, he knew for sure something was wrong.

"My mother shot me a text."

"After 7 years?" You hummed a yes, then took a long drag of your cigarette. 

After a few seconds of waiting for you to say something else, Phoenix took the initiative to. "And what did she say?"

The sudden move of your hand surprised him. You hold it out. He stares at it for a few seconds before realizing you want him to hold it. Your intertwined hands give you the motivation to continue.

"My father died." He takes note of how you grasp his hand with such a grip that it feels like your life depends on it.

You and him were never close, Phoenix knew that. That's why he was confused about your sudden.. for a lack of words, absence of life. He's about to bring this up when you do.

"My father and I were never close." You spit the parental word like poison. "Yet I feel like a part of me is missing. He barely showed emotion, barely treated me like a child. He treated me as part of his own, sure, but it felt  like I was an obligation to him. He raised me and put me out into the world with the knowledge of how to survive, but aside from that, nothing. He wouldn't let my mother be too endearing either."

Your words become muttered and your voice grows weaker. Phoenix squeezes your hand to reassure you, "You don't have to continue."

"But I do. Well, I want to." After another long drag, you push the cigarette against the ash tray and leave it there for the moment. Clearing your throat, you finally look at him. He's surprised to see you look completely fine on the outside, as for the inside, he has no idea how you feel. "It feels like I should feel triumphant. Like I should spit on his grave and call him names. Like I should have built up some kind of spite against him." You look away from him, like you find the railing interesting. Phoenix knows not to say anything about it, though. "But in the end, I see he was actually trying. It was his way to show he cared. A shitty way for sure, but one nonetheless. I'm torn between spite and mourning."

Phoenix puts his hand on your cheek to bring your face back up to look at him. "You don't have to decide now. It happened out of nowhere, and it's only been how long?"

"3 hours."

"3 hours!" He exclaims for emphasis. His dramatic ways are almost enough to soothe you. "We can wait and see. Whatever you feel you'll feel. I'm here for you. Whatever happens, I'll be there to help."

Your smile brings a wave of relief over him. "I love you."

Your statement makes his eyes widen. It was the first time you'd said that seriously. Well, he didn't take the other ones seriously for the fact that you'd both said them in the heat of the moment during… y'know, some heated r-rated stuff.

"I love you too." He's glad to see your face light up brighter. 

"Hey," The beginning of his sentence has a mischievous tone, so immediately you know that he's about to suggest something troublesome. It'd be sure to get you in trouble with Brim. "let's go rob a bank. That'd be sure to cheer you up!"

You chuckle while Phoenix throws his head back at his own joke. "We should bring Breach too!"

He's so cute that you can't help but kiss him. It's rather rough, which is why it brings a small moan out of his mouth. "Or.. we could do that too." He winks. You laugh and kiss over and over again, cherishing the moment.

"I heard my name being called? Oh! Gotta go bye!"

[whosaskingwrites]

The Sound Of Love (Tsukishima x Reader)

A/N: Um I don't like this one as much as the others but I did my best. It honestly took forever cause I didn't want to write it and I had no idea what song to use but I eventually decided so here we are.

WARNINGS: angst

Date: Saturday November 7th, 2020

Details: 5.3 pages 2,000 words

Theme: Musicalia- The victim will hear a song constantly playing in their head until it drives them insane. The person of affection will only hear the music when they are around the victim.

Angst Masterlist

Clair De Lune

A simple, beautiful piano melody that had been repeating in my head for weeks. There was never a reprieve from the beautifully haunting melody. My mind followed the sound like a moth to a flame and deteriorated the closer it got to the music.

No amount of holding my hands over my ears stopped it. It had become a part of me like the backround music in a video game or movie. However this wasn't a video game or a movie this was real. Every day was the same never a rest I couldn't even sleep some nights.

This was my last week at Karasuno before I was put in the hospital. My mind was too far gone to stay out I couldn't really hear anything anymore to distracted by the music and of course I hummed it on occasion. Everyone in my classes knew I had it...Musicalia but they didn't know who caused it.

Monday

I walked to class with a sigh Yamaguchi was following and as we walked I heard a gentle piano melody that got louder. I spotted a familiar H/c haired girl fast walking past me like she'd done since I pushed her away. Yamaguchi followed my eyesight and the music faded the further away she got "you should apologize you know. This week is her last at Karasuno," I blinked 'her last week?' I thought "Shut up Yamaguchi," I said keeping my emotions off my face "Sorry Tsukki," I continued watching the S/c skinned female rush off down the hall.

Tuesday

I was walking up to the roof ready to reject another girl. Why they felt the need to confess to me of all people id never understand. As I rounded the corner someone ran into me and with a short shriek they fell. I was about to say something when I noticed who it was...Y/n she looked paler than I remembered and eye bags were prevalent on her face. I heard the piano again it was louder than ever.

"Do you need to listen to music that loud?" I asked though it was harsher than intended. Her eyes widened and I held back a frown as I saw she was afraid. "S-sorry," she stood up quickly and ran off down the hall the music fading the further she got and I watched 'why was she afraid of me?' My eyes caught something on the floor which I turned to. Picking it up I realized it was a simple gold bracelet with a dinosaur charm on it.

"This is...," It was the bracelet id given her three years ago on her birthday. It was still in perfect condition looking like it did on the day I'd given it to her and it caused a small smile to pull at my lips as I pocketed the familiar bracelet.

Wednesday

Everytime I spotted the e/c eyed female in the hallway and approached her she would turn and run the music following her. Nobody ever seemed bothered by the piano it was almost like they didn't hear it and Y/n was never wearing headphones when it was playing. "Does she ever stop listening to that song?" I mumbled to myself as she ran away yet again.

"What song?" Yamaguchi asked next to me I furrowed my eyebrows as I looked at him. "What do you mean what song? That damn piano music she's always listening to it's annoying," I said and Yamaguchi’s eyes widened "Tsukki...She's not listening to any music...," He stated.

I blinked as I processed what that meant "No ive heard it-," Yamaguchi cut me off before I could continue he had a sad look in his eyes and as he spoke I realized why. "She's got Musicalia Tsukki...," He whispered as he looked at me. "She...She what?" I asked. "She's got Musicalia and if you can hear it that means...," my own eyes widened as I realized what he was implying. "Oh...,"

Thursday

Cornering someone who was avoiding you was much more difficult than you'd think. Everytime I ended up even in the same room as her she ran before I could even get near her. "Yamaguchi," I stated causing him to jump. "Yeah?" He nervously asked. "Can you convince Y/n to meet you on the roof?" I asked. He didn't ask any questions he just nodded mumbling a quiet yeah as the teacher walked in the room.

I stood on the roof looking out towards the gym. I heard footsteps come around the corner and stop before they slowly started backing away. "Can you stop running? I need to talk to you," I said. The footsteps stopped and I turned around. Y/n stood a few feet away nervously shuffling on her feet.

"When were you gonna tell me?" I asked and she sighed "Preferably never," She answered and I furrowed my eyebrows. "Never? This could kill you!" I took a step toward her while she took one back "So what?" She spit bitterly rasing her head up to glare. "So what? So everything!" I shouted.

"So everything? You dont even fucking like me! You made that pretty clear last year!" She yelled back. She was referencing an argument that I barely remembered and that she hadn't forgotten. "Do you even know what its like to have your heart crushed in seconds!?" She screamed. "You still should have told me you have Musicalia!" I glared back. 

She just gave me a bitter smile "I suppose my dear this was how it was meant to be," she stretched her arms out as she spoke and tears dripped down her face at a slow pace. "You dying isn't how it's supposed to be!" She only shook her head in response. I stuck my hand in my pocket and pulled out the bracelet. "Here...just take this back," I said holding it out. She walked forward and I heard that gentle and haunting music get louder.

She stopped closing my hand around the bracelet and leaning up to press a kiss against my cheek. "Keep it I won't have a use for it much longer," she mumbled before turning and walking off. "Y/n!" She stopped but didn't turn around and I continued speaking. "I love you," she sighed and turned her head. The sunset cast her in an ethereal glow and sparkled off the remaining tears on her face.

She gave a sad, watery smile in response. "No you don't Tsukki. If you did...You would have come back to me a lot sooner," she turned and left I knew she was right but god it hurt to hear her say that. My hand was still tightly closed around the bracelet the metal uncomfortably warm against my skin as she walked away from me.

Friday

She avoided me even more. I never saw her but I heard the music following around on occasion. After yesterday I had looked for the melody finally hearing it long enough to search for it. The results had told me the song was Clair De Lune I should have known. It was Y/n's favorite song though I doubted she liked it now.

I had tried to find her when I heard the music but even if I followed it I never found her. I was walking toward my locker keeping an ear out for that melody. As I opened the locker a f/c envelope fell out as I picked it up I noticed it was sealed with a gold wax stamp. Flipping it over my name was written on the front in flowing cursive. I put it away in my bag before heading to practice.

I flipped the envelope around in my hand staring at it before sighing. I pulled open the envelope and slipped the contents out. The first was a photo of me, Y/n, and Yamaguchi we were standing in the park in the photo. Y/n and Yamaguchi had their arms over eachothers shoulders while I stood in the background glaring towards the camera.

The other thing was a letter that I was hesitant to flip open. I knew the letter was from Y/n but I for the first time felt afraid on what she had to say. Sighing I opened the letter ready to read it.

Dear Kei,

It's been awhile hasn't it? Though That's what happens after fights. You give each other time to calm down and then you come back. Only this time...There is no coming back. You already know I have Musicalia and I'm sure you know I love you. It's weird to write that to someone you know doesn't love you.

Don't lie either. You don't love me the way I love you. You may think you do but if you had we would have been friends again by now. But you were perfectly content with not having me in your life so I know you'll be fine when I'm actually gone.

That's the issue isn't it? I'll be gone soon really, truly...gone. I'm not afraid knowing my death is approaching im...content and at peace with it. My death won't be glorious. I'm not going out with a bang. Or any final inspirational words. I'll go quietly in my sleep hopefully. Sleep however is hard when there's music constantly playing on loop in your head.

When I'm gone Kei...Will you visit me? Tell me about your day or the volleyball team! Yamaguchi told me about the team you should go easier on them. You should also learn from them you know? Anyways if you ever can't make it to me...Play Clair De Lune and I'll go to you! I'll listen to you talk at your place instead of you coming to mine!

I'm sure you know by now that this is my goodbye letter. Don't act so suprised of course I want to say goodbye to you. You're important to me you should know that. I've written this for awhile but I wanted it to be a good final goodbye since its immortalized forever in a letter. If you share this with anyone I'll kill you by the way. Even in death I still have a reputation. Anyway...

Goodbye Kei

I love you

—Y/n L/n

A month had passed since she said goodbye I moved forward even though it hurt to not see her around school. It almost felt like she moved but that imagine was ruined whenever I visited her grave. "Hey Tsukki I didn't know you liked dinosaurs!" I sighed in irritation my eyes flicking towards Kuroo who was pointing at my wrist.

"Wow that's cool!" Bokuto joined in and my eyes drifted to the golden bracelet around my wrist. "It's not mine," I stated drinking my water. "Whos is it?" Akaashi asked and I sighed again. "My friend Y/n’s...She's gone now and I'd rather not talk about it," I said standing up and heading back to the net. None of them said anything more about it and I was grateful for that.

Later that night I closed my eyes and played the song that I had grown very familiar with. It was quiet except for the soft melody playing through my headphones. While my eyes were closed I felt the familiar pressure on my body like someone was laying on my chest. If I listened through my headphones close enough I could almost hear her soft voice humming the song. 

I knew in my brain it was impossible but for now I let my heart believe that it was her. I talked quietly about anything and everything that came to mind. The team was sleeping so I knew I could talk freely most of them slept like they were in a coma. I sighed as I reached the end of my story before I spoke once more.

"I miss you Y/n,"

————————————————————————

TAGLIST: @wonhomarshmallow

[pixie88]

Tease

Chapter 9 - Together - Adam & Ellie.

A/N: Thank you again for proof reading and scene ideas lovely @aussieez​ you are a star! This chapter I wrote the NSFW scene after I had a few drinks Friday night, so I hope I got all the mistakes out. It also includes something that happened to me in RL I’ll leave it up to you to guess what it is haha. Hopefully you find it funny as I have we need to laugh atm. I hope you like it!

If you like it let me know or if you don’t still tell me why I won’t be offended!

I am only tagging those who have asked to be tagged in this new series from now on as I don’t want to annoying people with tags. So Let me know if you would like to be tagged and if I missed anyone sorry just let me know!  

Find previous chapters HERE under Together - Adam & Ellie.

Song: Sia - Helium

Word count: 2123

WARNINGS: ⚠️ Fluffy fluff, NSFW, Mild Angst & adult language.

Pairings: Adam x Ellie.

Enjoy!

After Nina and I had our nails done we did a bit of baby clothes shopping followed by lunch, which after Nina had a few drinks, so it turned into dinner too "Nina, can I tell you something?"

"Of course sweetie!"

"You can't tell Al! Adam and I were thinking Charlie could have Alistair as a middle name. Do you think he'll like it?"

"Oh, Ellie he will love that. That's so sweet!" she gets up and hugs me.

"Did you hear that Charlie bear you are going to be named after the two greatest men you could wish for"

I tear up a little "Nina, that's a lovely thing to say!"

She hugs me again "Aww Ellie, I didn't mean to make you cry, but let me elaborate on that"

I laugh wiping my tears "Ellie, I can tell your dad must have been a great man because you are a sweet girl and you adore my Adam. This is why I know you two will be great parents" This makes me even more emotional.

We finally get back about half 10 Adam and Al are already in bed, I open our bedroom door expecting him to be asleep, but I'm greeted by him in bed in just his boxers on his phone, he gives me that gorgeous smile "Did you have a good day beautiful?"

I start getting undressed "Hey, yeah, it was such a laugh your mum, and she's super sweet"

"She has a soft spot for you," he laughs while his eyes roam my body as I strip down to my underwear.

I climb into bed next to him, "What did you and your Dad get up to?" he pulls me towards him.

"Dad took me golfing, which reminds me. Mum has her book club tomorrow night and Dad has a darts night, so we have the house to ourselves" Charlie starts kicking, he hates it when I lay on my side.

I run my hand over my bump "Come on Charlie, Mumma just wants to cuddle up to your Daddy" I roll onto my back.

Adam's hand runs over my bump, his lips follow "Hey, You go easy on mummy" he whispers before laying back next to me "So this morning it wasn't very nice to tease" his hand circles my bump as he is laid on his side.

I smirk "It wasn't very nice to trick me at the pub either"

He kisses my nose "Well, you have started something now I'll finish it" He runs his fingers under and along the waistband of my underwear his touch is electrifying, I try to control my breathing.

His lips brush along my pulse line (Fuck! Do not let him win!) His hand slips into my underwear "I'm not going to make love to you Ellie" He parts my folds (God!) I bite my lip trying not to act bothered, he nips my collarbone.

His fingers enter me, I take another deep breath "So, who won at golf?" I try to change the subject.

I feel him smirk against my neck "We drew but right now I want to focus on making you come"

I laugh, "Adam!"

He speeds up his pace, I roll onto my side now Charlie has calmed down and I slip my hand into his boxers. I grasp him, work my hand along his hard shaft as my lips crash against his.

"My plan hasn't worked, I...oh god fuck..I was supposed to tease you and leave you wanting more...but..." his tongue tangles with mine.

I smile against his lips "But what?"

I speed up my pace "God...Ellie,"

I'm getting to him, "Come on Adam! I thought you were going to tease me?" I grasp his lip between my teeth.

He groans, "We've got to be quiet, baby, I don't want your parent to hear us" I pull his lips to mine again.

Both our paces speed up, we can't get enough of each other "Ellie come for me, so I can make love to you!"

"Not until you do!" I whisper against his lip.

He kisses me harder, firmer "I love you Ellie"

"Guess what?"

"God..what?"

I smile, "I love you too more than anything!" I can't hold back any longer "Yes, Adam Yes!!" I fall over the edge, and he hits his climax right after"Fuck baby!"

He pulls off his boxers and I help him remove my underwear as his body cover mine, he pushes pass my entrance.

"OH!! God..that's it! Yes!! Adam Fuck me!" my back arches of the bed I grip him tighter.

He grasps the head board, thrusting harder into me "Ellie, this is all I've been thinking about all day!"

"I have a secret for you...oh"

His lips move against my neck "Secret?"

"Uh huh, this is....all I've.....been thinking about all day too" his lips crash to mine.

He grasps my hips, moves faster against them "Oh god...I'm gonna..Ohhhhh" I hit my climax again.

"Yes, that it Ellie. God...Yes! Ellie!" We're both catching our breath he collapses onto the bed next to me.

"So, how did teasing me work out for you Adam?" I wink.

"Don't worry beautiful I'll get you back!"

I laugh, "We better clean up!"

I get off the bed and hold out my hand "Wanna join me in the shower handsome?"

"Depends on what you're asking?" he give me that grin.

"I'm asking you if you want to add extra steam to the shower?" I bite my lip knowing what this does to him. Adam jumps off the bed picks me up in a bridal carry and leads us to the bathroom.

~*~*~*~

The next evening his parent are out Adam has ushered me upstairs to get dressed up, he's cooking.

"Are you ready beautiful?" He calls up to me.

"I'm just finishing up now" I spray myself with perfume and make my way downstairs. It's smells amazing and beautiful every counter in the dining room is covered with tealight, lighting up the room.

"Wow this is gorgeous, Adam!"

He smiles "Glad you think so! I'll grab you a drink. Take a seat" I sit at the dining table and wait for him to come back.

"Apple juice for my gorgeous wife," he hands me the glass and pecks my lips "Right, have fun. I am shattered. I'll see you in the morning" he turns and walks out the room.

"Wait? What? Adam?" I heard his footsteps head up the stairs. (He's joking right?) I sit there confused for a couple of minutes, I pull out my phone and look for the nearest restaurant.

I grab my keys and bag, just as I'm making my way to the door I hear, him coming down the stairs "Ellie, where are you going?"

"I'm going out for dinner as I thought we were having dinner here together, but I guess not," I try not to act bothered but the tone of my voice gives me away.

He gives me that smile and chuckles as he wraps his arms around me "I was messing with you, I was getting you back for yesterday, did you really think I went to all this effort to let it go to waste?"

"WHAT!? You thought that was funny?" I spit back at him before I pull away from him and walk out of the house and towards the car.

"Ellie, wait I'm sorry it was just a joke!"

He gently grabs my arm and spins me round to see the massive smile on my face "Gotcha!" I stick my tongue out at him.

"Now that was evil! I thought I had really upset you!"

I laugh, "No, but now you have to come up with something better than what you had planned"

He grins, "I just dug my own grave didn't I?"

"Well, that will teach you for playing a prank on me won't it! So, get thinking Mister!"

He kisses my nose "I think I have just the perfect idea grab a coat and blanket. I'm going to grab the food and a few other bits"

"Where are we going?" I call after him.

"It's a surprise" he throws me a smirk.

A few minutes later we are in the car, Adam is driving "You know your Mum made her own playlist yesterday. There was a song that kinda reminds me of us and everything we've been through lately"

"Oh, what song is that?"

I laugh, "She actually heard it in one of the Fifty shades films she watched with your Nan!"

His face turns to disgust "Thanks for that! I didn't really want to know they had seen those films"

"Come on, Adam every woman has seen it or read the books"

He looks over to me for a second "What about you? Have you watched or read them?"

I laugh, "Yeah, I read book one but skipped two and three. But I have seen all three films, I can't remember if it were the second or third film me and my friend Gemma got kicked out of the cinema for laughing and talking the whole way through!"

"You got kicked out of the cinema?"

"Yeah, there was this moody woman in front of us we were talking she kept shushing us. I think the finale straw was when he'd put Anna legs in this spreader bar on this bed then he flipped her from her back onto her front or the other way round. Gemma snorted and said if her husband John did that to her, she'd end up peeing herself especially after having her two kids. We were both howling. After that we were asked to leave"

He laughs, "I can say I've never been kicked out of a cinema! What was this song anyway?"

"I'll play it, hang on a second" I scroll through my recent playlist Sia - Helium press play.

His face lights up at the chorus "So, I'm your helium?"

I smile, "Yes, I think it would be prefect for our first dance song. What do you think?"

"I love it! It's perfect. My sassenach! We're here"

I look out of the window "Where are we?"

"Blackford Hill, we need to walk just 2 minutes that way. The view is stunning"

We finally got to the top "Wow, Adam this is beautiful!"

"I know, it's stunning isn't it?" He places a picnic blanket on the grass with a couple of cushions "Dinner with a view. Am I forgiven now?" we both take a seat.

I roll my eyes, "I suppose. but it depends on what you've made for dinner?"

"Well, you will definitely forgive me if it depends on dinner," he reaches over to thermal bag and pulls out a little tub as soon as he pulls off the lid I know what it is "I've never seen someone face light up so much over a beef hotpot!"

"Oh my god! Wait, so our romantic meal you got your mum to cook?"

He chuckles "Actually I make this, and she taught me how. I have the recipe so if it tastes exactly the same I can make it at home for you. So, try it"

I try a forkful (It tastes exactly like Ninas maybe even better) "Oh, wow... this is awful!"

His smile drops "Is it?" he takes the fork out of my hand and tries it "Ellie, you're mean"

I smirk "OK I lied. It tastes exactly like it if not better but you can't tell your mum I said that" we laugh.

After dinner we are laid back on the grass looking up at the stars, "You do know I will get you back for earlier!"

I hear a soft laugh escape from his lips as pulls me tighter against him "But for tonight we can call it a truce?"

"I suppose so! But watch your back!"

"Hey, have you see anyone walk pass since we got here?"

"No, why?"

"Good!" Before I can ask him what he means, he pulls the blanket completely over us, his body covers mine as he captures my lips.

"Adam! We can't! Not here! Someone might see us" I giggle.

"We better be quick then!" I can't deny him.

Later we get back to his parents "Looks like they aren't back yet!" He picks me up and walks us into the kitchen and places me down on the counter.

"Down boy! I draw the line at doing that in your parents' kitchen! What's the time?"

He pulls out his phone "I have a voicemail" puts it to his ear, his face drops.

"Adam, what's wrong?"

It's changed from shock to anger the phone is still against his ear "Adam, you're scaring me what's wrong?"

Continue reading this story here - Chapter 10.

@lem-20​ @aussieez​ @khoicesbyk​ @txemrn​ @shewillreadyou​ @irisofpurple​

[another-dr-another]

waaaa post trial ?

Kobashikawa - ...Thank you for confessing, Inori.

Higa - Is that really a confession? Or just whining- what do you even mean with that whole "Oh, I didn't mean to!" act?

Maki - Higa. Shut up now. Every word you say for the rest of the trial, I will note down, and make you suffer for them individually.

Higa - ...Why are you so upset?

Maki - Five words.

Higa - Hey!

Maki - Six.

Uehara - Not sure if I want Higa to be quiet, or keep digging his grave.

Hatano - Speaking of graves... and death... and murder... and murderers...

Hatano - ...

Inori - ...Go ahead, spit it out already!

Hatano - S-Sorry!

Hatano - Um... Taira, Maeda... you two feeling okay?

Maeda - ...

Taira - ...Hatano, why ask?

Hatano - I mean, you're kinda on either side of... yknow...

Taira - Of a killer? Maeda and I are quite fine, don't busy yourself with concern for us.

Hatano - You sure?

Taira - Let the maid handle messy matters, yes?

Maeda - ...And so worlds come back around...

Hatano - Huh? What'd you say?

Taira - Nothing to matter, nothing to matter.

Hatano - I just didn't hear what was said...

Tsurugi - Let's move on!

Tsurugi - I'll second Kobashikawa; thank you for telling us what happened, at least in part, Inori.

Inori - Yeah... I really just did everything in impulse, I know I planned it out but...

Inori - It just feels like one moment I was in my room, then the next, moving Kurokawa while watching to see if anyone would open their door and find you.

Inori - Honestly, some part of me still expects Monokuma to announce that she's alive, or for someone else to admit to killing her.

Tsurugi - And yet all your behaviors are consistent with it being you...

Tsurugi - Normally, you'd rest your hands in your pockets, but you keep pulling at them, cracking your knuckles, etc etc.

Tsurugi - You haven't been tapping your foot, but every now and then,

Tsurugi - When suspicion falls to you, or we knock out another possibility, you'd shake your legs.

Tsurugi - Then there was the things you did that we already touched up on-

Tsurugi - ...!

Inori - ...

Tsurugi - I'm so so sorry, I didn't mean to do that...

Inori - You're all fine, don't worry, just wasn't quite expecting to be analyzed like that.

Inori - But it's nothing to apologize for... don't really think I have the right to get upset with anyone right now.

Tomori - Can I step in then?

Tomori - I noticed the physical things to, at least, when I knew to look.

Tomori - When I said I knew who the culprit was, I was certain to look right at you, to see how you reacted.

Tomori - Everyone else celebrated, but you just seemed sick.

Inori - That obvious? Damn...

Ōtori - Honestly? Cant help but wonder what'd happen if we had tuned into how upset you were last night,

Ōtori - Like how Tomori and Tsurugi say you were showing signs of  being the culprit, 'nd planning a murder.

Maki - I have an excuse, I was thrown off by my brother being mentioned, I don't know what was wrong with you all though.

Yamaguchi - Oh yeah, didn't Tsurugi say you had a really fucked up video or something?

Inori - ...

Inori - Yeah. Yeah, he was right about that... my motive video was different than everyone else's.

Tsurugi - I'm... so sorry...

Mekaru - Tsurugi? How'd you know that? I don't recall Inori discussing her video.

Tsurugi - Ah... I'm sorry, Inori, just in advance.

Tsurugi - I noticed you were watching your video again and again, went to look over, and saw that it looked different than mine.

Tsurugi - Then a few  people agreed to show me theirs, and I was able to confirm that yours was the only... deviant.

Inori - ...Haa... I was still kinda hoping it was lying...

Tsurugi - I'm so sorry... for you being treated that way, and what ever was in your video.

Inori - Thank you-

Higa - What the hell was even in the video?

Uehara - Dude! You make the decision to start talking, and that's the shit that comes out? Really?

Maki - Genuinely think that Inori is a better person than Higa. Also, that was eight words, yeah?

Uehara - Mhm!

Higa - Oh yeah, I'm so scared of you Maki.

Hatano - I am.

Maki - Huh? That a fucking attack on me?

Hatano - No! It's a compliment, I mean it in a good way. You seem strong, and tough!

Maki - Okay, so you just have common sense. Nice.

Uehara - Unlike fucking Higa, bringing up that shit...

Inori - No, it- it makes sense that that'd be asked...

Inori - ...

Inori - I'm sorry, I don't think I can talk about that.

Kobashikawa - Inori...

Monokuma - Good Evening Students. I Have Prepared A Video For Today's Lesson.

Inori - H-huh?!

/The large monitor behind Monokuma turns on, displaying what appears to be Inoris motive video. Similar to Maedas, it lists her name, and shows a small collection of people. All that's left is to click play.

Monokuma - Any Student Who Violates The Rules Will Have Their Reason For Doing So Shared.

Yamaguchi - Don't we have a right to privacy? That's illegal!

Tomori - Murder is also illegal, but it's more than encouraged here. Circumstances are definitely different.

Yamaguchi - But still!

Higa - Please, as though you aren't plenty curious.

Iranami - ...He did say he's our Headmaster, maybe he's supposed to act like a faculty member...

Iranami - Not that... there's any point to making him like that... so it's probably not right... sorry...

Tsurugi - I can see that though! Just because we can't think of a reason yet, doesn't mean that it couldn't be true!

Hatano - Go Iranami! There's no reason to be so sullen, you did good!

Inori - Okay. Congrats on the good vibes, can we please focus on ignoring what he's about to do?

Monokuma - I Am Not Able To Withhold This Information, It's Release Is Mandatory.

Inori - Is this my punishment? It feels like it...

~*~

Maeda, narrating - ...Inoris video was rough, but the opportunity was clean cut perfect...

Maeda - Equal and opposite as ever.

Maeda - ...

Maeda - Mmm...

Maeda - Do I wanna watch her video? It must've really been something, if it could drive her to kill.

{Watch Inoris Motive Video}

[hopelessromanticspoonie]

His motions become more urgent as he pushes through the crowd and doesn't see Anne among them. He never should have left her alone with bar being more crowded. He finally reaches the source, horrified to see a Neanderthal of a man towering over Anne. His Anne.

“You come into this bar alone? That’s asking for it.”

If he hadn't been so concerned, he would have been impressed with the sheer gall Anne displayed at punching a guy who had a good foot and a hundred pounds on her.

His concern quickly turns to white hot rage as the man smacks Anne across the face. Conrad lunges at the man, grabbing him by the arm.

"Who says she's alone, mate?" He lands a punch to the man's jaw. James steps between the man and Anne. "Where I come from, we don't hit ladies."

"Whatever happens, stay behind me." He turns his head to direct her. When he turns, he discovers the man has picked up a pool cue as a weapon.

He chuckles as he grabs a cue from the table. "You don't want to do that." He twirls the cue in his hand. "I suggest just walking away."

"You going to make me, Little Lord Fauntleroy?" the larger man taunts, before swinging at Conrad with the cue, who catches it and snaps the cue in half.

The other man's eyes widen as he realizes the grave mistake he has made. Within seconds, Conrad lands three hits with the butt end of the cue stick and the man is on the floor, with a bloody nose, some cracked ribs, and possible broken wrist.

Conrad throws the cue to the floor. "Don't touch things that don't belong to you, mate!"

He lifts Anne into his arms and walks toward the door. The crowd parts for them, giving James a wide berth. He calls out to Sam.

"I'll come by and pay for the damage and drinks later." He kicks the door open to the bar and walks out.

He carries her all the way to his apartment, up the stairs, and to his bedroom, placing her on the bed. He paces the floor. "Are you okay, darling? He didn't... What the fuck happened back there?" -J.C.

James steps into view and places himself in between herself and the asshole. She’d momentarily forgotten about his presence but his broad back dominating her vision is a welcome, relieving sight. Adrenaline courses through her veins and pain throbs in her cheek and hand as she watches her man come to her aid.

The fight is over in seconds. Another side of James makes itself known in efficient speed and brutal strength. This is the highly-trained soldier he’s alluded to. No energy appears wasted by the time the jerk is sprawled out on the floor, bleeding and hopefully reconsidering his approach toward picking up a date.

Her soldier sweeps her into his arms and she wraps one arm around his neck, still cradling her swollen knuckles to her chest. A quick flex and she doesn’t think they’re broken, but they definitely sting.

“Serves you right, creep,” she spits over his shoulder.

Once they’re on the street she leans her forehead just beneath his ear and lets out a heavy sigh. “Fucking asshole... I can walk, James. I’m okay.”

But he doesn’t put her down. Deceptively strong arms carry her all the way back to his place and only leave her to carefully deposit her on the bed. She watches him pace with a frown. Standing up, she touches her inflamed cheek with her uninjured hand and winces. That probably doesn’t look very good.

“James, hey,” she calls quietly, staying out of his path but holding out her good hand to him. “You saved me. I’m okay; no permanent damage I don’t think. You can touch me and see. You got there before anything bad happened. He came up to me and rubbed against my ass and I thought it was you. It wasn’t, I got pissed, and it went from there.”

She tilts her head to the side and laughs awkwardly, attempting to hide her own disappointment in herself at her weakness. “Turns out punching a glove in class is a lot different than a face. They didn’t tell us about that. It caught me off guard a bit.”