#I'm still watching so I'm sure I'll have more

[have-you-seen-my-sanity]

✨ We listen, and we don't judge ✨

I'm thinking yan!Thangyu x reader x yan!Inho where after "Young-il" dogwalks Thanos and Nam-gyu for disrespecting him the way they did, the reader would start hanging out a lot more with In-ho as a means of security. Even if Players 230 and 124 get reader alone with them (i.e. the 3-person Mingle round) the Front Man still has a way of making Thanos behave himself (as seen in the show when he lets go of Myung-gi upon seeing the guy who kicked his ass without breaking a sweat)

So how would Thanos and Nam-gyu react to seeing their girl cozying up to the top dog? And how would In-ho react knowing that reader really liked seeing him put those boys in their places like that?

Ooo, now that's a good one! >:)

Flower among them

Squid Game masterlist

Yandere!Thangyu x fem!reader x Yandere!Hwang In-ho/Young-il

Cw/triggers: Yandere themes, jealousy, possessive behavior, dead dove do not eat.

Thanos and Nam-gyu sat at their corner, both looking at you from afar. Nam-gyu had his gaze set on Young-il, while Thanos eyed you. The effects of his drugs slowly wore off and he didn't seem as enraged while high, but he still was angry.

"I fucking hate this guy, bro." Thanos said, cracking his neck.

Nam-gyu tore his gaze off of Young-il. "Yeah me too. This asshole won our girl over."

Both of them watched as Young-il gave you his milk pack, Thanos had a neutral expression while Nam-gyu seemed to be almost seething.

Then came the speaker announcement for lights out, and the two laid down in their beds.

Meanwhile you still sat across Young-il, having just finished the milk. As you looked at him, you saw him already staring at you with a hint of a slight smirk.

"How are you feeling by the way?" He started softly.

"Good. So far."

Young-il scooted closer to you. "You don't have to worry about those two anymore. I'll make sure they behave." He smiled.

You hummed. "You really showed them their place earlier. They must feel so humiliated." You chuckled.

Young-il gently waved it off. "It's nothing. I... get like that when it comes to respect."

You smiled. "I liked it. Shows you got spirit."

Young-il gave a small cocky grin. "Well then you should stick close to me from now on."

In-ho noticed how vulnerable you looked and how easy you are on the eyes. He noticed you before but now the close proximity had his mind snap and he wanted to keep you all to himself, even if it means killing others.

Later that night, you woke up, feeling the need to pee. You made sure to be as quiet as possible. Once at the door leading to the bathrooms, you suddenly heard a familiar voice behind you.

"Hey Señorita." Thanos saundered towards you, with Nam-gyu beside him.

You ignored him, speaking to the triangle guard to open the door.

Nam-gyu leaned against the wall beside you while Thanos did on the otherside.

"Where is your protector?" Nam-gyu taunted, not caring about a second triangle guard appearing next to the other.

"Looks like he's giving you back to us." Thanos chimed in with a smirk.

You did not want to hear another word coming from them. You have Young-il now and they behaved like shit and still do. So you simply ignored them, stepping into the hallway leading to the bathrooms.

Both Nam-gyu and Thanos didn't like your ignoring and went after you.

"Hey don't ignore us, flower, we just want to talk!" Thanos gripped your arm and Nam-gyu grabbing your shoudlers to turn you around.

Just then both of them tensed up and loosened their grip on you.

"Player 124 and 230, let her go."

Came the voice of one of the triangle guards as they had their rifles pointed at Nam-gyu and Thanos' back.

Nam-gyu didn't want to let you leave. "Hey why are you so attentive towards other players so suddenly? Aren't you the ones killing them?"

"Let her go. Now." Came the last warning and with that, Nam-gyu and Thanos stepped back, giving you space just as Young-il stepped through the door.

Young-il just stood there, you saw him giving the guards a cold glance over before looking at you.

"Is everything okay in here?" Young-il asked innocently.

Thanos and Nam-gyu said nothing and made their way out as if they were scared of another beat up.

"Are you okay?" Young-il asked, stepping close to you and giving a worried look.

"Yes," you nodded "how did you know I was here?"

Young-il motioned outside. "I saw the light and your bed was empty. I wanted to make sure you're alright." he lied expertly. Of course he was awake the whole time, seeing you slip out of bed and the two junkies crowding you.

"Thanks for coming." You smiled weakly.

Young-il stepped even closer, putting his hand reassuringly on your shoulder.

"No big deal. But for now I think it's best for me to keep an eye on you just incase."

You gently shook your head. "You don't have to."

Young-il leaned closer. "I'm afraid you have no other choice. Either it's me keeping you safe or those two assholes." He said in a low, almost threatening tone.

"You will come to see how safe with me you are. And I'm the only one here capable of getting you out of here alive..."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wished to be tagged :) : @i-might-be-vanny

[ts-janus-rp-blog]

"Huh? Oh... Uh... Okay... I'll have a granola bar, how about that?" Remus replied as he glanced around the kitchen to see what he could have as a snack. He punched a few more times, before he sighed and went over to sit besides Emile. "So you'll eat." He opened the granola bar and took a bite. "I'm surprised I did that well... Considering I don't remember it. You don't think so? Are you sure? Patton seems to be more...sensitive than other hybrids... Or as sensitive as hybrids should be..." Remus shook his head, "Anyways, he's sensitive. I... Yeah, okay, that's probably true. He's probably just happy to be around me and out of that vet. Ugh..." He took another bite. "I would love to sue the fuck out of that vet. But I know it won't get me anywhere..." He sighed. "Whatever. I just hope that Patton feels better once he recovers. He was in pretty rough shape beforehand..."

"You lied. You told us a white lie and that still counts. And now you shall be punished for it." Logan didn't flinch or anything when Roman yelped, but he seemed irritated by Roman squirming around. "That doesn't concern you. Now stop moving." He warned with a glare, then he went back to his phone. He went silent as he watched his phone for several moments, then he got up and went over to his desk where he frantically started writing things down. "Roman, you had periods before you had the surgery done, correct?"

Upon hearing that, it was now Janus turn to chuckle. He glared at Virgil, "If you think...that'll be enough...to make him forget... You're as stupid as you look... Roman...will never forget me... Even if you erase his entire brain... He'll never forget me... I know that... And you know that too..." He chuckled again, "Cause I'm still alive and you...don't wanna...hurt Romans brain permanently..." He smirked, "I may be a mutt... But I'm not stupid... Pervert."

Patton knocked desperately at the strangers door, praying someone, anyone was home. His heart beat as fast and loud as the rain thundering against the sidewalk. He was sure he was being followed, they were going to catch him. They were going to drag him back. He wasn't sure if whoever lived here might be worse, but he was willing to risk it at this point. Anything to escape.

{@moralpuppylover2}

Janus didn't know who would be at the door. It was late, but his master won't surely be home at this time. He normally doesn't get home until the sun starts to come up.

So, as the dog hybrid walked up to the door and opened it, he wondered who it could be. And if he should open it at all... Who knows, he may get in trouble with his master for opening the door. But, his curiosity was getting the better of him-

He stopped when he saw the soaking wet cat standing at the doorway. He could tell that this cat needed help almost immediately. Well, if his poor state of clothes were anything to go by. His eyes flickered up and down the sidewalk before he grabbed pattons arm and pulled him inside.

"are you alright?" Janus nervously asked as he grabbed a towel from the mud room. "Well, that's a stupid question, of course you're not alright! Are you...running away from your owners?" As Janus walked, the collar around his neck would jingle loudly. And even though it was cold outside and even in the house, he only had a pair of boxers on. Because of that, Patton would be able to see the numerous large scars that covered his body...and the countless amounts of fresh bruises.

@moralpuppylover2

[dorabellingham]

Overprotect

warning: none

characters: jude x mom!reader

summary: when you are in the last months of pregnancy and he is being super protective and worried about everything

may contain spelling and translation errors!

You sighed heavily, sinking on the sofa in the living room with an exhausted expression. The eighth month of pregnancy was being cruel - your back hurt all the time, the heat seemed unbearable and finding a comfortable sleeping position was practically impossible. To make matters worse, Jude was more overprotective than ever.

-Darling, do you need anything? His voice echoed from the kitchen, worried as always.

You closed your eyes for a moment, trying to convince yourself that answering "no" would be enough for him to stop treating you as if you were made of glass. But the truth was that you really needed something.

—Water, please.

You asked, defeated.

In less than a minute, Jude was already at the room with a glass in his hand.

-Here, babe.

He said, handing over the glass and sitting next to him on the couch.

You took a sip and sighed, feeling a little relief in your dry throat. Jude, on the other hand, didn't seem satisfied.

-Are you sure you're okay? Do you want me to do a massage? Or maybe a hot shower? Or...

-Jude. -You raised a hand, interrupting the flood of suggestions. -I'm pregnant, not sick.

He sighed, clearly trying to control himself.

-I know. But it's just that... I hate to see you uncomfortable and not being able to do anything.

You looked at him, your expression softening.

-You already do a lot, babe. You take care of me more than I could ask for.

He smiled small, but still looked restless. Then, without warning, he got up and took a cushion, fixing it behind your back.

-Better?

You laughed, shaking your head.

-Yes, better.

He didn't stop there. He took another cushion and put it on her lap, helping you to better accommodate your belly.

-And now?

You rolled your eyes, but the smile on your face gave that you were loving his care.

-Now it's perfect, Mr. Bellingham.

Jude settled on the couch, passing an arm around your shoulders and letting the other hand rest on your belly.

-You're already almost nine months... -He murmured, sliding his fingers lightly over the skin of your belly. -There's so little time for our baby to arrive.

You felt your heart tighten when you saw the sparkle in his eyes. Jude was so excited to be a father, so ready. He talked about the baby every day, touched your belly as if it were your greatest treasure and looked at you with a mixture of love and gratitude that made you feel like the most special person in the world.

-Are you ready to be a father?

You asked softly.

He looked at you, surprised by the question.

-I don't think I'll ever feel ready, you know? But I want to. I want more than anything else.

Your gaze softened, and you ran your fingers through his jaw, feeling the thin beard that began to grow there.

-You're going to be an amazing father, Jude.

He smiled, lightly squeezing you waist.

-And you're going to be the best mother in the world, darling.

You opened your mouth to answer, but a hook on your back made you shrink.

-Oh...

Jude was on alert at the same time.

-What was it, Y/n?! Are you feeling something?!

You let out a frustrated moan.

-My back. They're killing me.

He didn't waste time.

-Come here. Sit on your side.

—Jude...

-C'mon, babe, sit here!

He insisted softly, already getting ready on the couch so that you could settle down there.

You, knowing that arguing would be useless, straightened up on your side, feeling his warm and firm hand begin to massage your back firmly, but without hurting you.

-Better now?

He asked, while his fingers worked to relieve the tension.

You closed your eyes, relaxing against his touch.

-Very much.

Jude smiled satisfied, continuing the movements while watching his wife surrender to relief.

-Do you have any idea how much I love you?

He murmured against your ear.

You smiled, your eyes still closed.

-I Have. And I have no idea how much you spoil me.

He laughed, gently kissing the back of your neck.

-I'll always pamper you. You and our baby.

You sighed, feeling safe in his arms. The eighth month of pregnancy could be difficult, but with Jude by your side, everything seemed a little easier.

[misfit0789]

Forever Out of Reach?

Kyra Cooney-Cross x Reader

Summary: R doesn't get to follow through on her plans…or does she?

Word count: 4.2k

Warnings: Angst, hurt/comfort, maybe main character death

Part 1, Part 2

This is part 2 to my other KCC fic! It is a bit all over and the POVs switch but I'm kind of happy with the way it came out and I hope you all enjoy it! I did change this from my inital plan so it is not as angsty as I originally planned but this will do. Also this is not proofread! I wanted to get this out.

Kyra POV

"Kyra we get it, you're excited to see Y/n but please sit still! There's still an hour left of the ride before we reach London." Steph groans having had enough of Kyra bouncing in her seat next to her on the plane. Kyra sighs stopping her movements, sitting back in her seat.

"Sorry," Kyra whispers, "Yes I'm excited to see Y/n but something just doesn't feel right. I can't shake this feeling that something bad is going to happen or has happened. To make it worse I can't send or receive texts and calls until we land so I can't reach out to Y/n to try and calm my anxiety." Kyra reveals. Steph looks at the younger girl with a look of sadness, reaching over to wrap her arm around the midfielders shoulder and pulling her into her body. Kyra lets out another sigh this one more shaky as she tries to hold in her sobs from the anxiety rattling her body, resting her head on Steph's shoulder.

"It's okay, I'm sure everything is okay. Like I said we only have about an hour left of the flight. Try and get some rest." Steph whispers, rubbing her hand along Kyra's arm. The younger girl nods leaning into Steph more to try and be able to relax enough to get some sleep. Eventually Steph feels Kyra's breathing even out and lets out a sigh herself hoping she's right in that everything is okay for Kyra. She's never seen the girl like this and she hopes she never has to again.

~~~~~

Y/n POV

"Y/n/n! Wake up!!" Harper yells, jumping on top of me. I groan at the feeling of her foot in my ribs. I turn over wrapping my arms around her, holding her to my chest.

"Shhh, sleepy time," I mumble. I feel her laughing as she wiggles in my hold trying to escape.

"Harps, go join RaRa in the kitchen for breakfast. Y/n/n will be there soon." I hear Katrina say loosening my hold on Harper so she can listen to her mother. My niece sliding out of my arms and running out of the room. I let out a sigh turning onto my back and staring at the ceiling. My view is interrupted when Katrina's face appears in my line of vision. "Nervous?" I nod.

"I'm confident she'll say yes but I still have that sliver of doubt she'll say no. I don't want to lose her Kat," I say emotion present in my voice. I hear Katrina sigh before she moves to lay next to me in the bed. I sit up and shuffle over giving her the space to sit. She wraps her arm around my shoulder pulling my head to rest on her shoulder.

"If I know anything it's that Kyra will say yes to you. She loves you. There is no doubt about that. You will never lose that girl. I'm sure of it." Kat says rubbing my arm. I let out a breath relaxing at the words from my sister.

"Thanks Kat. I needed that," I wrap my arm around her pulling her into a hug. She pulls back a soft smile on her face.

"Of course. You're my baby sister and I love you. There is no reason for her to say no to you. Now Clara and I made breakfast, why don't you get dressed and come eat. You have a few hours before you have to head to the airport." Katrina says standing from the bed, moving towards the door to her guest room.

"As long as Clara cooked and you watched then I'll eat," I joke throwing the covers to the side, rising to my feet and stretching. She rolls her eyes.

"I'm not that bad of a cook, you like some of the things I cook," She says watching as I grab my overnight bag, rifling through it to find clothes to wear for the day.

"Emphasis on the some there Kat," I say tossing my bag to the side with one arm as the other holds the clothes.

"You're an ass Y/n" Kat rolls her eyes not noticing the person hiding by the door.

"RaRa! Mama said a bad word!" Harper yells turning and running towards the kitchen where Clara is with Koby. I look at Kat with a smirk as she smacks her forehead.

"Someone's in trouble," I sing walking towards the ensuite. As I turn to shut the door I see Kat glaring at me.

"That statement rings true Y/n," She says before turning and running after her daughter. "Harper!" I chuckle shutting the door, moving to take a shower.

~~~~~

After I was showered and dressed I made my way to the kitchen for breakfast. I see Koby in his high chair, Kat sat next to him helping Harper eat as Clara finishes up the cooking.

"Morning Y/n! Have a seat, I'll make you a plate," Clara says, a beaming smile present. I smile and nod moving to sit opposite Kat and Harper.

"Y/n/n! Nanna got Koby and I gifts when we went to see them! Want to see!" Harper exclaims. I chuckle and nod.

"Of course! Give me some time and I'll come see what Nanna bought you once I've finished eating. Okay?" I ask, Harper nods eagerly before sliding off the chair and running into the other room. "Thank you Clara. What did Kat cook? I want to know what to avoid," I joke as Clara places a plate of food in front of me. I jump when Kat kicks my leg under the table.

"Watch it," Kat warns, I chuckle as I begin eating.

"What time are you due to pick Kyra up?" Clara asks a few minutes later as she cleans up the kitchen. I finish my last bite and answer.

"She texted me earlier, they are due back around 6 so I'll leave here around 5 to hopefully avoid traffic." I say, standing with my plate to place it in the sink.

"You nervous?" Clara asks, rinsing my dish. I let out a deep breath and nod.

"Very, but Kat helped ease my nerves a little. I was overreacting. Ky and I have been through so much together, I was an idiot for thinking she'd say no," I chuckle, Clara nods, drying the dish and placing it in the cabinet before turning to face me.

"Your sister was right, that girl loves you with everything she has. She won't say no to you." Clara reassures me. I smile and nod giving her a hug.

"Thank you, I'm so happy my sister met you." I say. I feel Clara smile as she gives me a squeeze.

"I'm happy too, she gave me my family to love and brought you into my life. I've never had a better nap than when I'm with you," she jokes laughing. I laugh pushing her away.

"I'm happy to be of service," I joke stepping back, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go see what my mother bought my niece." I point over my shoulder where Harper is with Kat and Koby.

"Oh you'll love this!" Clara laughs. I give her a confused look before moving into the living room where Kat is sat with Koby on her lap as Harper plays with what looks to be a kids doctor toy set.

"Look Y/n/n!! I'm a doctor! Like you!" Harper yells walking over to me with a white lab coat and a stethoscope around her neck. I kneel down to her level admiring her look.

"Wow! Looking good Harps!" I say bringing her into a hug," Nanna did a good job with your gift huh?" I ask as Harper pulls away from me. Harper nods eagerly.

"Uh huh! She got me these too!" Harper exclaims moving to grab what looks to be bandages and a toy syringe.

"Woah! Now you really are like me! Do you remember how to use this?" I ask pointing at the stethoscope still hanging around her neck. She nods running over to ger her teddy bear and show me.

~~~~~

"I'll see you guys in a couple days for dinner." I say to my sister as I grab my bag from the floor by her front door, looping the strap over my shoulder.

"We will see you and your fiancée then." Kat teases. I roll my eyes pulling her into a hug.

"Thank you," I whisper. Kat gives me a squeeze before she pulls away.

"Go pick up the pest. Enjoy your night together." Kat say giving me a smile. I nod and bid my goodbye to Clara, Harper and Koby before making my way to my car. I throw my bag in the boot, patting my pocket where I have Kyra's ring. A smile on my face at the thought of seeing Kyra and finally proposing to her.

I get in my car and begin my drive to the airport, music softly playing from a playlist Kyra had made. I quietly sing a long to one of the songs before everything goes black.

~~~~~

Kyra POV

"Ky where is your girlfriend? She should have been here by now." Alessia asks me. I let out another sigh as I check my phone for what feels like the hundredth time in the last 5 minutes looking for any message or call from Y/n.

"I don't know. She told me she was leaving Mini's at 5 to avoid traffic. She knew we'd be here around 6. It's almost 6:30, she'd never be this late without letting me know. Let me try Mini. Maybe they got caught up talking and she left late forgetting to call me." I unlock my phone pulling up Mini's contact and pressing the call button. The phone rings twice before someone answers.

"Kyra!" I smile hearing Harper's voice, though a much as I'd love to talk to her I'm too worried about Y/n.

"Hay Harps! Is your mom or RaRa around?" I heard her shuffle around before a new voice is on the phone.

"Hello?"  

"Clara? Have you or Mini heard from Y/n?" I question quickly. My nerves at a high.

"Kyra? No? She left a little after 5 to avoid traffic to get you at the airport. Is she not there?" Clara questions, worry growing in her voice knowing how uncommon it is for Y/n to be late somewhere.

"No," I choke out, my worry increasing. "I've called her and texted her but her phone goes to voicemail and my texts are going unread. Clara I'm worried. Y/n would never do this," I say on the verge of tears, realizing something must be seriously wrong.

"Okay, I will call a baby sitter and Mini and I will come get you okay. We will figure out where Y/n is and what's going on. I need you to take deep breathes okay Kyra" I nod, forgetting she can't see me before whispering out a 'yes' as I begin to take deep breaths trying to calm my racing heart.

"Ky?" I turn to see Alessia, Leah and Steph looking at me in concern. Y/n was supposed to bring them to their apartments before we went home ourselves. I shake my head, saying a quick goodbye to Clara before hanging up.

"Clara said Y/n left their place a little after 5 and that they haven't heard from her since. Clara is getting a baby sitter then coming to get us." I explain, continuing to take deep breaths. They nod but stay silent having known Y/n long enough to know her being late is not normal.

After waiting a few more minutes my phone rings. I move quick to grab it hoping it's Y/n but instead it's Y/n's work. Why is the hospital calling me?

"Ms. Cooney-Cross?" A voice on the other side asks.

"Yes? This is her." I say confused moving away from the girls, avoiding their questioning looks.

"This is Casey from London General. We have you listed as the emergency contact for Dr. Y/n Gorry. I’m sorry to tell you but she was in an accident…" I stopped listening after that trying to wrap my head around what she said, standing in shock on the sidewalk in front of the airport.

"Ky?" I blink seeing Alessia's concerned face in front of me. "What's going on?" I just shake my head. The woman on the phone still talking. Alessia reaches for my phone passing it off to Steph who talks to the woman trying to understand what is going on.

"Y/n - " I cut myself off as a sob escapes me.

"Oh Ky…" Alessa rushes forward wrapping me in her arms letting me cry into her shoulder. Her hand runs up and down my back as she whispers quiet reassurances after Steph caught her and Leah up. "Y/n will be okay. She's tough Ky" Alessia whispers as I continue to cry.

"Kyra what's going on? Why are you crying?" I release my hold on Alessia to see Mini stepping out of her car, Clara following from the other side. I rush over wrapping her in a hug continuing to cry. "Woah!" She stumbles but wraps her arms around me any way, rubbing my back to try and comfort me.

"Y/n was in an accident," Steph starts. I hear Mini and Clara gasp as Mini tightens her hold on me. "They wouldn't tell me much, only that she's headed in for surgery. She was brought to London General." Steph explains as I let out another sob, not knowing she was in surgery.

"Okay, Less and Leah grab the bags and put them in the boot. I'll bring you two and Steph home after I drop Mini and Ky at the hospital for Y/n." Clara says gently leading Mini and I to the car.

"We'll stay at the hospital. Y/n is family. We won't leave." Leah says determined, bags in hand. Clara gives her a smile and nods helping Mini and I into the car as the others follow once our bags are in the car.

As Clara starts the drive to the hospital I sit in the back knee bouncing, showing my worry for Y/n. She's tough but she's never been through something like this since we've know each other.

Please be okay Y/n.

~~~~~

I jump out of the car as soon as Clara pulls up to the hospital ER doors running to the reception desk. Mini right behind me.

"I'm looking for Y/n Gorry?" I say as soon as I get to the desk.

"Are you family?" The girl asks.

"I'm her fiancée," I say before I can stop myself. Mini glances at me in confusion before responding herself.

"I'm her older sister," The girls nods before typing on her computer for what feels like forever. I anxiously tap my foot and my finger on the desk waiting for the girl. "Ky, take a deep breath. Y/n will be okay. She has to be," Mini says placing her hand on mine to stop my tapping. I nod.

"Looks like she just got out of surgery. Once she is settled in a room the doctor will come and get you both. Only family is allowed in." the receptionist explains. Mini and I nod before moving to the others who stand and look at us anxiously.

"Well?" Alessia asks when we reach them.

"She's out of surgery. They are putting her in a room then someone will come get us so we can see her. The receptionist says family only." Mini explains.

"You guys can go. It was a long flight. Mini and I will send you an update when we hear more." I say taking a sear next to where Mini sat.

"Absolutely not. Like we said before Y/n is family. We will wait here as long as we need to." Steph says, Leah and Alessia nodding in agreement. Steph moves to kneel in front of where I'm sitting. Placing her hands on my knees, crouching to be eye level with me. " I will wait as long as I need. Besides she's the only one that can reign you in, ya pest." Steph jokes. I let out a laugh, through my tears, pulling her into a hug.

"Thank you Stephy," I whisper. She pats my back before pulling away, a soft smile on her face.

"Always, You annoy me but I still love you," She presses a kiss to my forehead before standing to sit with Leah and Alessia.

"Y/n Gorry?" A man in a white lab coat calls, reading off a clipboard. All of us jump and move towards him. "Woah! I was told her fiancée and sister are here. I can only speak with them." He clarifies. Mini and I step forward.

"Sister," Mini says raising her hand.

"Fiancée," I say raising my own ignoring the looks from the others. The man nods.

"I'm Dr. Cursor, I handled Dr. Gorry's surgery. Please, follow me." He turns moving to a set of doors. He scans his badge to open one of the doors, holding it open, allowing us in. "Dr. Gorry suffered a concussion and three cracked ribs, one of which punctured her lung, which is why she needed the surgery. We lost her once but as you know she is a fighter. The rest of the surgery went great. She is still asleep but should wake up in a few hours. You guys are more than welcome to stay as long as you'd like." Dr. Cursor explains stopping outside a room. I nod though I didn't hear much of what he said after 'lost her once'.

"Thank you Doctor." I hear Mini say before she opens the door to the room. I gasp seeing my Y/n laid there on the bed looking so lifeless. Tears roll down my cheeks as I move to stand next to Y/n. I slowly take her hand in my, brushing my thumb over her knuckles.

"Oh Y/n/n." I whisper. I lean down and press a kiss to her forehead, stepping back to sit in the chair next to her bed.

"She's okay Ky," Mini says placing her hand on my shoulder.

"She died," is all I say. I hear Mini sigh as she moves to sit on Y/n's other side.

"She did…but she came back to us. She's still here." Mini says, sounding like she's trying to convince not only me but also herself. "She's still here," she whispers.

~~~~~

Y/n POV

I hear a faint beeping sound as I begin to wake up. My eyes are heavy as I try to open them, though I slam them shut at the bright lights in the room. I blink quickly trying to get rid of the heaviness in my eyes and also adjust to the lights. Once my vision is clear I take note of the hospital room I'm in. In addition to the beeping I hear soft snores from my right, turning I see Katrina laid back in the hospital room chair fast asleep, a thin blanket covering her. I smile at the sight. Turning to my left my smile grows when I see Kyra laying with her head on my arm and her hand wrapped in mine. That explains the numbness in my arm. I give Kyra's hand a squeeze moving my right arm slowly towards her before gasping at the pain that shoots through my body. Kyra and Katrina shooting up at the sound.

"Y/n!" They both exclaim.

"I'll go get the doctor," Kat says squeezing my shoulder softly before stepping out of the room, leaving Kyra and I alone.

Once Kat is gone I make eye contact with Kyra. I frown seeing more tears building in her eyes. I reach up, ignoring the pain to brush away the tears that fell.

"Oh my love," I whisper reaching up to pull her into me. She breaks as she clings on to me. I rub her back trying to calm her. "It's okay. I'm okay Ky. I'm here." I whisper, as she continues to cry in my neck.

"You died," She whispers as she pulls away, cupping my face in her hands. I close my eyes leaning into her touch. I open my eyes to brush away the tears on her face, before leaning forward pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I'm so sorry my love, I - " I'm cut off as the door opens and Dr. Cursor walks in. Katrina in tow. I lean back in the bed from Kyra, but move to grab her hand, knowing she needs the comfort as much as I do.

"Good to see you awake doctor." he exclaims walking to the monitor by my bed. "How's your pain level?" he asks, writing notes on his clipboard.

"5" I grit out, he nods and starts to write that down. I wince when Kat hits my foot, followed by Kyra lightly smacking the back of my head. "Ow!"

"Tell the truth," Kyra says, Kat nodding in agreement. I roll my eyes.

"Yes ma'am…the pain is at a 9." I sigh. He nods, "I also have a headache. What happened to me?" I question realizing I have no idea how I ended up in a hospital bed.

"Well what do you remember?" Dr. Cursor asks. I go quiet trying to wrack my brain for what happened.

"All I remember is I left Kat's place after 5 to be able to pick up Ky and a few of the other girls, then…it's all black." I say laying back in the bed, taking a deep breath to try and alleviate some of the pain in my head. I feel Kyra brush her thumb along my hand trying to provide some comfort.

"You were struck by a drunk driver. They hit the passenger side of your car but your car flipped from the speed at which he hit you. You have a concussion and three broken ribs. Once punctured your lung so you went into emergency surgery. You coded once but we were able to bring you back. You've been out for a few hours from the anesthesia. Your sister and fiancée have been here with you since you got out of surgery." I look at Kat in panic at the word fiancée, but she shakes her head with a soft smile. Dr. Cursor doesn't notice as he continues speaking, finishing up his checks. "I'll be back in a couple hours to see how you're doing. I upped your morphine so you should be in less pain." He says before leaving the room.

"F-fiancée?" I question.

"Uhm, they would only let family in your room so I said I was your fiancée so they'd let me in," Kyra explains playing with my fingers. A nervous habit she has. I look at Kat who nods confirming what Kyra had said, letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Speaking of, the others are still in the waiting room. I'll go let them know you are awake and double-check if you are allowed non-family visitors," Kat says. She moves towards me taking both my hands in hers, Kyra letting out a whine at the loss of contact with me, before putting something in my hand. "You got this," She whispers pressing a kiss to my forehead. I nod giving her a grateful smile as I feel the ring intended for Kyra in my hand. Kyra looks at me in confusion having heard Kat's words.

"You got what?" She asks. I smile and holding her hand in mine before taking a deep breath.

"When we met I knew you'd be the one for me. The way you brought out my chaos and the way I reigned in some of yours I knew we were perfect for each other. I had something planned a bit more our style but we are nothing if not spontaneous, so…with that said Kyra Lillee Cooney-Cross, will you marry me?" I ask holding out her ring in the palm of my hand. She looks at me in shock, before nodding her head.

"Of course I will!" She exclaims grabbing my face and bringing me into a searing kiss. I smile holding her waist in my hands as best I can with our current positions. I pull back when air is needed, resting my forehead on hers. "I love you," she whispers. I smile pressing another kiss to her lips.

"I love you too. Now I believe this belongs to you," I say holding her left hand in one of mine as I slide her engagement ring on her ring finger with the other.

"It's perfect," she whispers. I look into her eyes and smile.

"So are you, my love." I whisper pulling her into another kiss. We are cut off by cheers coming from the door. We part and see Katrina, Clara, Alessia, Leah and Steph standing at my hospital room door, smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes as they move further into the room

"Finally!!" Katrina exclaims, causing the others including Kyra and I to laugh. "Welcome to the family officially pest," Kat says wrapping an arm around Kyra's shoulder.

"I couldn't ask for a better one," Kyra says, squeezing my hand. I smile and bring her in for another kiss, ignoring the teasing from those in the room. "I love you," she whispers to me again.

"I love you too," I whisper back.

[sxmmerberries]

ME OR THE PS5 - choi soobin x reader

✦ genre: fluff

✦ pairing: choi soobin as your boyfriend

✦ word count: 1,700

✦ summary: soobin apologises to you after ignoring the plans you guys had for a game

You sighed even louder, trying to get your boyfriend's attention off of his computer for the nth time. You were looking forward to having a cozy night in with your boyfriend, watching a movie together and then baking something together to have as a late night snack. But then, Beomgyu called and asked him to join a game immediately, saying that he needed backup.

Soobin kissed your forehead, promising he would be back in 30 minutes to watch the movie with you. However, as the minutes passed by, two hours had passed, and he was still glued to his computer, paying no attention to you as you sulked on the couch. You knew he loved gaming, but sometimes you wished he could at least spare some time for you.

You huffed in frustration and walked over to him, grabbing his soft cheeks in your hands, squishing them.

“Just 15 more minutes,” He said, removing your hands, his eyes glued to the screen.

"That's what you said two hours ago,” You frowned, grabbing his face again and placing small kisses on his cheeks.

Soobin looked a bit flustered by the sudden attack of kisses, but he still tried to resist. "Come on, babe, just a few more minutes. I'm in the middle of a really intense part of the game.” You continued pressing small kisses all over his face, determined to get his attention, making him look at you with a mixture of annoyance and affection.

"Babe, I really can't focus like this. Can you give me a few more minutes?,” Soobin tried to stay focused on the game, but he couldn't help but smile and blush at your affectionate display.

“That is the point,” You continued attacking his face with kisses, making him sigh, trying to look annoyed.

"You're being so clingy right now. We can watch the movie later too. Beomgyu is dying,” He rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to the game as Beomgyu screamed in his ears through the headphones.

"I'm being clingy?, " You responded with a hurt look on your face and immediately stopped kissing his face, moving away a bit from him.

"Maybe I just want to spend some time with my boyfriend. You know, the one who promised he would watch a movie with me, but has been ignoring me for hours while he plays his stupid game?,” Soobin's expression softened as you stepped away from him, obviously hurt by his words.

“Babe, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that……You know what? You can start the movie. I'll be there in a bit,” He paused, looking at you with a guilty look.

"I'll finish this game and then I'll come watch the movie with you, okay?,” He reached out and gently grabbed your hand, trying to soothe you with his touch only for you to smack his hand away.

"I don't want to watch it anymore," You snapped, storming out of the room, making sure to slam the door shut on your way out before he could say anything.

Soobin's eyes widened in surprise, watching as you left the room. He suddenly felt guilty and regretful for choosing the game over you.

"Damn it,” Soobin let out a frustrated sigh and muttered under his breath, turning his focus but on to the game in front of him, but his focus was somewhere else. He knew he had messed up prioritising the game over the plans you guys had.

He finally loses the game. He didn't expect his win streak to end like this. He is upset that he didn't win the game, but what bothered him more was that you were upset with him.

He gets up from his chair and walks out of his room, walking around the house in search of you before walking towards your room.

Soobin walked over to your room and quietly opened the door, peeking inside. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of you sulking in the corner of the bed, wearing one of his shirts and cuddling the Yeongmong plushie he got you. You looked so adorable, despite the grumpy expression on your face.

He quietly walked over to the bed and sat down next to you, trying to reach for your hand to hold it only for you to pull your hand out of his grasp.

Soobin frowned and tried to reach out to hold your hand again, but you pulled it away once more. He looked at you with a pleading expression, not wanting this silent treatment.

He shuffled a bit closer to you on the bed, trying to get your attention. He reached out and gently placed his hand on your knee only for you to smack his hand away again.

"Can we talk, please?,” He asked softly, his voice gentle. He wanted to see your face and talk to you, but you were avoiding his gaze, still focused on the Yeongmong plushie in your arms.

"Hey Yeongmong-ie, do you hear something? Is it a ghost?,” You said in a fake-scared voice, completely ignoring Soobin, who was sitting right next to you.

Soobin couldn't help but chuckle at your antics. It was obvious that you were still upset with him, but he found your behaviour more cute than annoying.

"Please talk to me. I'm sorry for being a jerk and ignoring you for that stupid game. I won't do that ever again,” He scooted even closer to you, making you scoot further away from him.

"Yeongmong-ie, this house is haunted. There is an annoying ghost," You said, your voice laced with sarcasm as you side eyed Soobin. "Let's move out and leave your father behind. The ghost can play games with him, or maybe he'll ignore them too.”

Soobin couldn't help but chuckle again, finding it both adorable and annoying to watch you badmouth him to the plushie instead of acknowledging his presence.

He gently pried the plushie from your grip and tossed it onto the bed, making you glare at him before looking away from him again. He could see the mix of annoyance and hurt in your expression, but he was determined to talk to you.

Soobin let out an exasperated sigh and gently pulled you onto his lap, disregarding your weak protests. "I know I messed up, but please, don't keep ignoring me. Let me talk to you. I want to fix this, babe.”

"I can't stand it when you're mad at me. I'm sorry for being an idiot and prioritising that stupid game over you,” He refused to let you keep avoiding him, keeping a firm hold on you and making sure you couldn't look away.

He nuzzled his face into your neck and began to press soft kisses onto your neck, hoping that it'll lessen your anger a bit.

"Please... let me make it up to you," He murmured between kisses.

“I even gave you kisses,” You mumbled, trying to get his lips away from your neck. He couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, finding your statement a little cute

"Oh honey..I know..I am so sorry,” He says as he rubs your cheeks with his thumbs. He continued to caress your face gently, but you still refused to look at him.

He pulled back slightly, looking at your frowning face. "Please, won't you at least look at me? I don't like it when you're mad. I said that I was sorry.”

“You called me clingy too,” You grumbled, sulking at his hurtful words.

He winced as you mentioned his earlier words, “Hey, I know, and I am sorry I said that. But you gotta understand, I was in the middle of the game, and you suddenly came in and started kissing me. I just got annoyed and said the first thing that came to mind without thinking.”

“But that is not an excuse. I shouldn't have called you clingy. I was being really mean," He said as he stared at you with a guilty look before deciding to press small kisses on your face like you did earlier with him.

"I promise I won't do it again, I'll pay attention to you first. I'll forget about the games for a while, and give you all the attention you want, please forgive me, honey,” He can see that you're no longer sulking that much but he still wants you to forgive him.

"Just tell me what you want me to do, just anything, and I'll do it. Just don't be mad at me, please. We can do whatever you want. I'll even let you bite my cheeks like you always wanted to. I'll let you poke my dimples as many times as you want, too. Please don't be mad at me anymore,” He moves back slightly so he can look at your face again.

He noticed the change in your expression, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He could see that his offers were starting to soften your anger, and he couldn't help but feel relieved.

"You're smiling," He noted, his voice gentle. "Are you already starting to forgive me? Or do I have to let you poke my dimples twenty times?.”

“One hundred times and I'll consider it,” You crossed your arms across your chest as you tried not to smile at him, trying to keep the sulky facade.

He let out a soft chuckle and leaned in closer, presenting one of his dimples to you. "Alright, one hundred times it is, and then will you forgive me?.”

“And bites on each cheek,” You bargained, reaching out to poke his dimples, your touch gentle despite your earlier anger towards him. He chuckled as you counted each poke.

He let out a soft laugh, fully aware that you were just teasing him at this point. "Okay, okay, one hundred pokes and bites on each cheek. Deal.”

“If you ignore me again for your games, you won't have cheeks anymore,” You threatened as you pinched his cheeks.

“Don't worry, babe. I promise I won't ignore you for games again,” He rubbed the spot you pinched as you leaned in closer to bite his cheeks as promised.

©sxmmerberries

more txt fics

networks: @moadiarynet @k-films @kstrucknet @starlit-network

[asukaindetroit]

[[Trigger Warning: Frank discussions of racism, sexism, and the Civil Rights Era themes we all know Cage pilfered even though he won't fess up to it.]] Counterpoint: I don't think these scenes are meant to be a result of cognitive changes due to shifting nonverbal communication styles. Rather, this is what happens when your society is so entrenched in the idea of one race/class/caste being inferior to another that both parties have deeply ingrained behavior/reactions to the other. (Or programming, I guess). To bluntly talk about the elephant in the room, as much as David Cage would like to claim DBH isn't a Civil Rights Movement allegory, a lot of iconography from it sure did make its way in there with all the clumsy insensitivity of a white French guy googling how things went down fifty-odd years later… with that in mind, these gifs scream of the Jim Crow era South to me. Not the way it's portrayed in TV/films, but the simple, day-to-day racist acts that were just…how things were, as disgusting as that is. Which, at age 36, I'll say I don't have firsthand experience in since I wasn't alive then, and so I'm probably the wrong person to talk about this. Buuuuut my father was born in 1950s Atlanta, and then grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma through the sixties… his parents, my grandparents, were from 1930s dust bowl Kansas. I grew up hearing "how things were" stories that, in some cases, make me shudder. OK was still deeply segregated in the 60s, but where black and white populations did interact, it's my understanding that it was just… a given that black folks would yield right-of-way to a white person if they crossed paths. White boy needs to piss? He cuts in front of all ten black guys in line, even the elderly, assuming they were even allowed in the same bathrooms. White lady approaching the door? Back outta that doorway and bow your head, no eye contact, don't even breathe until she's through. But despite the Civil Rights Act passing in '64, and segregation outlawed before that, those kinds of societal expectations don't disappear because of pieces of paper. It continued, often unthinkingly, with the mentality on both sides being "this is how we act in society, this is whats expected." (Which, do not think for a minute that I'm implying any kind of "both parties at fault" thing; one side of this equation clearly perpetuated evil and the other was forced to internalize it.) Bluntly, the echoes of those attitudes exist even today. For a more recent comparison, though, consider the phenomenon of "manslamming"—that is, men today still expect women to yield if they're using the same space, and any woman who stands her ground is liable to get bodyslammed, then told to watch where she's going. This is 2025, and the sexist, subconscious assumption that women should defer to men persists. Most of those men would tell you they're not sexist, that they're all for equality, yadda yadda. But the behavior is so deeply entrenched in social norms that it doesn't even register as wrong, and the person who fails to comply with it, the woman who stands her ground expecting a man to yield, is seen as the oddity, the cause of the "conflict." And that's the problem. Bringing it out of reality and back to the fictional robots, though: Hank doesn't do that because he's impolite or bad at communicating. Hank shoves past Connor with the assumption that he'll make way because that's what androids do. Markus doesn't move out of the way to keep up an act—that's the reflexive behavior of a person that knows he is supposed to yield. That guy going through the door catches half a glimpse of a blue triangle and immediately, subconsciously, dismisses Markus because humans go first. Period. It's actually brilliantly done on the actors' parts, those subtle interactive cues that demonstrate how the androids aren't equal beings. Phenomenal use of body language to imply societal-level discrimination.

I've always found this article about the in-world phenomenon of "command-led communication" super interesting:

It's described as a verbal occurrence, but I've noticed it manifest nonverbally too in a couple scenes, which has increased my interest tenfold. The two I've found so far happen during the Nest chapter, and the Stratford Tower chapter.

When Hank cuts in front of Connor, there's no "excuse me" or attempt to walk around him first; he simply turns and starts moving with the expectation that Connor will step back and let Hank through.

Here, Markus really has to step back. Not just to avoid being bumped into by the NPC, but also to keep from getting whacked in the face by the door. He pushes by Markus with no hesitation.

If anyone else finds more, I'd love to hear about them!!

[cupidbedsy]

emma ! Congrats on 1k !! I'm so happy for you ! Mwah !

can I get🪻with the prompt "Stop giving me hope. It hurts so much more." for Luke Hughes please !

How about the reader and Luke dating but he's going to Jersey so they decide to end things, but Luke just keeps giving reader hope. Maybe it ends with one showing up to the others place?

but, if you get another idea feel free to do it ! 🫶🏼🧡

✿ CUPID'S FLORAL SHOP ✿

here's a freshly picked lonely lavender 🪻 !

warnings: breakup, reader not really trying to fight for the two of them

word count: 774

florist cupid: thank you ana 😚 i hope you enjoy some little lukey angst mhm

both of you knew it was going to happen soon, between the rumors online and between the talks luke's been having, you knew it was coming up but neither of you wanted to be the first to bring it up.

so for two weeks, you acted like everything was normal: hanging out in your rooms watching movies, going out on date nights, and taking late-night drives around campus.

but soon the anxiety started to eat at you, not knowing what your future was going to be like once he left, if you two would make it through the two years you still had to be in michigan.

luke could see it tearing you down every time you guys hung out, you bit your lip more than usual, went from leaning into his hugs to scooting away from him a second later, short text messages, the lot.

the lack of communication between you two was putting a damper on any hope you could have had for your relationship after he went to new jersey, and now? maybe you weren't so sure if you should continue this.

you showed up to his place after your last class of the day. you knew he didn't have practice and it was uncommon for you to come by unannounced, everyone had gotten used to you walking in, saying your quick greetings and then making your way to luke's room without another word.

you knocked softly on his door, twisting the handle once you heard his familiar 'come in'. you walked in, setting your bag on the ground near the door and made your way over to his bed, sitting on it.

"hey baby."

you internally cringed at how happy he looked, he had been putting on a brave face for the both of you these past few weeks. as much as he wanted this to work out and keep you by his side for the rest of his life, he knew he couldn't, but maybe he would change your mind.

"hi."

there was no mistaking luke's frown when he heard your soft voice, almost as if you were scared all the words would tumble out as soon as you opened your mouth.

"what's wrong?"

you took a deep breath before speaking, "i don't think i can do this anymore."

"what do you mean?"

"i mean that you're going away soon and i don't know if i can do this whole long-distance thing. you're going to be busy with practice and games and i'll be busy with homework and exams and i just- i'm scared we'll get too engrossed in our lives and forget about each other."

"i wouldn't forget you, y/n/n-"

"luke... maybe it's for the best. maybe we need to focus on ourselves and just not worry about putting each other on the back burner."

"sweetheart, i would never put you on the back burner. you're the most important person in my life, i'm always going to put you first." he reached for your hand, taking it in his larger ones, warmth radiating through you.

tears pricked your eyes and you did everything in your power to keep them in, but as soon as one fell, the others were quick to follow.

you shook your head at his words as they finally registered in your mind, "luke we can't. we're going to get so busy and-"

"i'm going to do everything i can to make sure you feel like i want you in my life, because i do, baby. nothing, not even 600 miles, is going to change that."

your voice cracked as you spoke again, "stop giving me hope, lukey. it hurts so much."

luke could feel his heartbreak at both your words and your voice crack. slowly he released your hand, nodding as you stood up and walked toward your bag.

no more words were spoken between you two, just the unspoken agreement that the past year and a half were nothing more than a memory now.

━。゜✿ ゜。━

two days later and luke was gone, in new jersey and all you were left was the deep pit in your stomach of guilt and sadness. you missed him, much more than you thought you would and much more than you wished you would.

you were so overwhelmed with the guilty feeling that you couldn't help your impromptu trip to new jersey. and now here you were, standing in front of jack's apartment getting ready to knock.

but just as you were about to rap your knuckles against the door, the door opened and you were met with the face of your boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend.

"y/n?"

"luke."

back to the shop ! ; navigation !

[mrs-elsie-barnes]

Let The Rain Fall | Bucky Barnes x Autistic!Reader | Short Series - Part 4 of 4 - 2.5k

Bucky isn't the only person looking to talk to you after you rescue the jet. But you're feeling far from heroic. But Bucky's seen you struggle before, and he's going to help you again too.

Warnings: description of a meltdown, angst, workplace bullying, negative introspection, but also fluff, Bucky being the softest and the sweetest, and...a kiss!

A/N: thank you to everyone who has read along, I'm so glad I finally shared this fic with you all and I hope you enjoyed it :)

<- Part 3

Masterlist | Let the Rain Fall Masterlist | Bucky Barnes

The compound was calm again, the debris from the attack was being cleaned up by Stark’s crew and everyone was back to their day jobs as if nothing happened. But Bucky couldn’t move, couldn’t go back to the gym or paperwork, and just forget what he’d seen. 

“She was just standing there, Steve, controlling the jet, she saved them all - I- what happened? What is she?” 

Steve didn’t look up from the report he was reading, “I told you, she has her own skills.”

“What skills?” Bucky paced back across the room and in front of Steve’s eyeline. 

“Can you sit down? You’re making me dizzy.” Steve shuffled up slightly to accommodate Bucky on the sofa as well. “Stop. Pacing.”

“Tell me.”

“I don’t know, her envelope is sealed. You’ve managed to get more out of her than any of us combined. So, I’m sure she’ll tell you in her own time.” He looked up at Bucky pointedly before returning to his report. 

"You know, don't you?"

Steve ran a hand down his face and then back up, ruffling his normally neat hair.

"I do, if I tell you, will you promise to leave her alone?"

"Honestly? I won't lie to you... But I still need to know."

"To save you getting in trouble, opening people's files, I'll tell you what you've already seen. But then you have to leave her alone. I can't fight HR about you again."

Bucky sat down finally, watching the side of Steve's face.

"Telekenisis, that's what I heard when she joined." Steve went back to his paperwork, feeling the pressure of Bucky's stare before, turning to him. "Three years at Xavier's before graduating, she worked there for a while, then college, then here. To my knowledge she's only used her powers during emergencies, no field work, never requested it and always turned down our offers. She just likes being here, doing a normal job, and Stark likes having -" Steve paused, unsure of the word to use, "people with powers, on site, none combatant, just in case."

"She came out in the field with us though? Why?"

Steve laughed, pointedly looking Bucky up and down before slapping his friend on the shoulder.

"Why indeed. Now, keep it to yourself, don't go gettin' yourself in to trouble."

Despite Steve’s insistence that you were left alone, his orders didn’t trickle down to the other swat and tactical teams in the compound. 

For the rest of the week you found team leaders, colleagues and even a few other agencies dropping into your inbox and asking you to help. 

After a few days with no responses the Team B chief tactical officer even turned up at your door, banging on the wood and demanding to speak to you. 

“Come on Agent, you know you’d be valuable in the field -” she’d paused, waiting for you to answer. But your words were gone, your mind foggy, incapable of anything but sitting quietly and staring out of the windows.

You could see some trees waving in the distance and focused on the way the top branches danced together. The view wasn't as nice as the one from Bucky's apartment and you tried to tell yourself that's what you were missing, the view, and not the man himself who would surely distance himself from you after this ridiculous display.

Fresh tears poured as your sub-conscious continued to berate you internally.

“Don’t you think it’s selfish to keep your talent to yourself? Think how many people you could save!” 

You gave the Officer nothing, staying silent, the clouds slowly filled in behind the trees, drifting, drifting, your nails biting into your palms, shoulders bumping the chair as you rocked to and fro in time with the trees.

“Alright, think of how many people will die because you’re too fucking selfish and lazy to help them - have it your way, stay here behind a desk, let your fellow agents injure themselves needlessly doing work you should be doing.” 

With that the Team B Tactical Officer stormed off back down the corridor, and you burst into tears. 

“It’s not selfish,” you whispered to yourself, squeezing the blanket tighter around your shoulders, “it’s not selfish, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.”

Your corridor was quiet, as it always was. No sign if you were in or not apart from the muddy boots left outside of your door. Bucky heaved in a breath, preparing for you to send him away. He knocked and waited. 

Nothing. 

He knocked again. 

Nothing. 

“Look, I know you’re in there.”

“Go.” 

Your voice sounded broken, tired. 

"Just wanted to let you know we caught that guy, so…everything's safe for you to come out now."

"Okay."

“Are you okay?” 

“Fine.” 

Bucky sighed, “please just let me in, we don’t have to talk, just let me make sure you’re okay and then I’ll go.” 

The handle turned and the door cracked open almost imperceptibly. Bucky pushed it further, quickly stepping in and closing it behind him. You were very particular about your space, so he made sure to leave his coat and shoes by the door before slowly making his way to your living room. 

Like your office, your apartment was cosy and comfortable. He found you curled into an armchair by the window, your furniture the same Stark issued items that were in his own living space. But you’d made everything your own with cushions and throws, blankets neatly folded on every arm and a huge, plush rug demarcating the space. You looked small in the chair, a huge fluffy hoody pulled down over your knees, the hood up so you were just a pair of sad eyes, watching him from your personal den. 

“Hey, Doll.” Bucky gave you a weak smile, perching on the coffee table in front of you. It was littered with books and half full mugs of cold tea, multiple packets of your favourite biscuits, crumbs and ring marks where you’d run out of coasters. It wasn’t like you at all. 

He looked back at your doe eyes, red from crying, staring unblinking at a spot above his shoulder. If it was anyone else he’d think you were staring at his arm, but he knew better than that, you’d never stared at him like that, you weren’t even looking at him now. “Do you need to talk about anything?” He offered. 

Your eyes didn’t move from their fixed spot, but you shook your head from one side to the other, slowly. 

Bucky furrowed his brow in confusion. He’d never seen you like this. Since getting to know him he’d found you chatty and buoyant, excited to share things with him and even if you never looked at him for very long, you certainly didn’t stare vacantly through him. He always knew you were listening, despite your tendency to fiddle and fidget, because you asked him about things later, recalled the most minute details of his day, and it struck him how much he already missed talking to you. 

“Can I get anything for you?” You continued to stare, shrinking into yourself, but silent tears began to track down your cheeks. “I’m going to run you a bath, okay, and light some candles.”

Bucky sat on the edge of the tub, scrolling through playlists until he found one that seemed calming. He liked to use music to make himself feel better, relying on tunes from his childhood mostly, and while he wasn’t sure what you’d like he figured something upbeat and instrumental was probably a safe bet. 

When the bath was mostly full, bubbles spilling over the side and candles lit on the shelf, he went to collect you, expecting you to be in your robe or a towel. But you were still there, staring. 

He sat again and reached out, “your bath’s ready, Doll, do you want me to help get you in it?” 

“They could’ve died.” Your voice was a whisper, almost silent. 

“What?” 

“They could’ve died, if I did it wrong. I took a risk. I could’ve killed everyone. I shouldn’t. I promised.” Tears continued to flow and judging from the pinched line between your eyes you were beginning to get dehydrated.

He bent forward and scooped you into his arms, tucking you into his chest while he allowed your tears to pour out in sobs. Your whole body shook as he held you, rocking side to side and hushing gently in your ear. 

"I don't like doing it, I never controlled it right and it's too much pressure, Bucky, I just can't. Every time is like this - this - weight and-" you sighed, inhaling a shuddering breath, "it's just a lot of responsibility and I don't want it. I didn't ask for it, I just want to be me, in my office, with my paperwork, where I can't hurt anyone."

“No one was hurt, no one was hurt because you helped.” He soothed, “let’s get you in the bath, clean up your cheeks-” he pulled back, rubbing his vibranium thumb under the tears shimmering down your face, “you must be tired, you worked so hard.” 

“It wasn’t enough, I nearly dropped it.” 

“You did a wonderful job.” 

“It wasn’t good enough.” You replied, hotly, stumbling away from his embrace. 

“No one was hurt, you saved the pilot and the ground crew. What more could you have done?” 

“I could have put him down in a safer place, found the attacker, got to the airstrip faster, I could’ve been better. I should’ve been better. If I trained, if I was on a proper team…” You stalked to the bathroom, rubbing at your tear stained face. “This is- this is why I can't be an agent. I can't do this every time something happens, I can't feel this guilt that I should've done better and yet -” you sobbed, “they come here and, they tell me I'm selfish. Maybe they're right. But I can't put myself through this every. Single. Time. I didn't ask for this. I didn't want it. I just wanted to be useful.”

“Doll,” Bucky's voice cracked. Is that really what you thought? That you had to be useful to be worth anything? “You don't have to do anything you don't want to. I just want to help, no one has to be useful to be worthy you know and -"

“Thank you for the bath.” You mumbled, cutting him off and shutting the door with a slam. 

Bucky stared at the door and listened to the sound of you climbing into the bath. He’d been ready to help, he’d wanted to help. But he knew this was for the best and he was two strides towards the door, jacket in hand, when he stopped. 

You been angry when you finally went into the bathroom, but before then it wasn't anger. You’d been sad and withdrawn and he thought back to the lonely evenings he’d spent staring out of the windows after his first therapy sessions. The way everyone had left him alone to his thoughts and it had somehow been so much worse. How he'd turned his own anger in on himself, berating himself for what he should've done.

He paused, putting his jacket back and surveying the now dark room. Light, that’s what you needed, the soft light from your many table lamps. He lit a candle on the coffee table and fluffed up the pillows from your nest of an armchair. 

Taking a risk, he peered into your bedroom and, spotting your pyjamas on the bed, spread them out neatly along with a dressing gown and some soft socks. 

You’d be hot after your bath so he made sure there was a bottle of sparkling water in the fridge, and plenty of cocoa in the jar, in case you wanted something hot. 

Then he waited, trying not to listen to the soft sound of water moving over your body or the way you started to hum along with the song.

"You take as long as you need, okay? I'll be right here when you get out. If you need to talk, if you need to just sit. I'll be right here."

There was quiet, the water still, and then your voice floated out, "thank you…I'm sorry."

"Never had to be sorry to me, Doll, beaten myself up enough times to know you're feeling worse right now. I just want you to remember one thing okay?"

"Okay?"

"You're enough exactly as you are right now."

The water moved again, "thank you." You sighed the words on an outbreath and Bucky heard the faint plash of tears again.

He walked away, as much as he wanted to push the door open and wrap his arms around you, this wasn't the time. So he settled onto the sofa, ready to wait.

You had emerged from your bath to the sight of Bucky passed out on your sofa, a book half open in his lap.

The pyjamas he’d left for you on your bed were so comfortable and for a minute you’d bathed in their scent as deeply as you had your bath. But then you were craving something else, something more grounding than floating away in your thoughts again and suddenly all you could think about was Bucky.

You’d been so rude, slamming the door on him, and part of you dreaded seeing him again and facing up to your behaviour. So finding him asleep in your living room was certainly not what you expected. 

“Oh, hey Doll, sorry, must’ve passed out. You alright?” He blinked awake, pushing himself up again and you watched the way his long shirt  rumpled around his waist, exposing the slightest slither of skin before it was hidden again. 

“I’m really sorry,” you mumbled, “you’ve been so kind and -” 

“I told you, nothing to apologise for,” he gave you a sleepy, lopsided smile and patted the cushion beside him, “come and get comfy, you want a snack?” 

You stared at him and watched the smile fall from his face. 

“I’ve overstayed my welcome, sorry.” 

He stood to go and your thoughts whirled, panicking, he can’t go, you needed him here, stay, stay, stay. Why wasn’t your mouth working? Stay! But nothing came out, you just carried on staring until - 

Your voice was broken, but your body wasn’t, and instead of asking him to stay you went careening into him, wrapping your arms around his waist and pressing your cheek to the worn material of his Henley. He smelt so good, warm and safe and your thoughts went quiet, your heart stopped racing. You sighed. 

Bucky looked down at you, one arm finding its way around your waist, the other cupping the back of your neck.

You looked up and his lips met yours, gentle, loving, understanding. He tasted of cinnamon and chocolate, his lips perfectly soft against your own.His hands flexed, holding you tighter, pressing into you and drawing you closer against his body.

“Stay,” your voice was swallowed by his kisses and he hummed his agreement, holding you tighter against him. You pulled away, resting your forehead against his. “It’s best -” you twirled his dog tags in your fingers, “if you’re really clear so I understand.” 

“I’ll stay as long as you’ll have me,” he smiled before finding your lips again. 

[burningembers91]

I'll Bring You Flowers - Ryu Su-Yeol/K x Fem!Reader

Follow up piece to:

Chalk and Cheese

Synopsis: When K hears you're having a bad day, he orders you some flowers to cheer you up. But he finds it hard to keep his distance from the girl who makes him feel so alive.

A/N: After i'd finished writing this i realised i'd also used the broken boiler in my Hwang In-Ho fic. I guess i'm just a sucker for a damsel in distress and a man who know his way around a toolbox

The flowers were waiting for you when you got home. A large, beautiful bouquet, filled with the most stunning pastel petals. The muted pinks, blues and purples were complimented by the cream vase, with a small note attached to one of the stems. I hope your days become brighter soon, was all the note said. There was no name, no indication of who’d sent you such a thoughtful gift. You’d been having such a terrible day, but you hadn’t told anyone about it.

It had all started that morning, waking up to a text from a guy you’d been casually dating, saying he didn’t see your relationship going anywhere and he thought it was best if you broke it off. You weren’t upset because you particularly liked the man, it was more frustration at the fact that yet again, you simply weren’t good enough for someone. Your boiler then broke as you were halfway through your shower, the water turning ice cold in a matter of seconds, leaving you screaming as you scrambled to exit the Arctic conditions. Your favourite coffee place was closed, meaning you had to skip your usual morning latte, and you were passed over for a promotion, losing out to a man who wouldn’t know a hard day’s work if it punched him in the face. You couldn’t figure out who had sent you such a beautiful gift, but it had brightened your day.

K watched you through the peephole of the apartment door as you picked up the vase. He was buzzing, practically vibrating with joy as he saw the small smile flicker across your face. The flowers had been expensive, a lot more than he’d planned to spend, but that was a problem for Su-Yeol to worry about. He’d heard you this morning through the walls of the apartment, crying as you turned the shower on. He heard you scream, heard the cascade of swear words fall from your lips as you cursed every God under the sun. He wondered what had happened to you, and he’d have gone marching straight to your door if Su-Yeol hadn’t fronted and stopped him in his tracks.

K still couldn’t figure out why Su-Yeol didn’t want you the way he did. They both agreed you were beautiful, kind, funny, and feisty. You were K’s dream woman, and he knew you were Su-Yeol’s perfect girl too. “Just take her out for dinner,” K insisted one night during another of their childish bickering matches. “No,” Su-Yeol had snapped back, trying his hardest to ignore his more passionate alter ego. “Then let me take her out! I’ll show her how a real man should treat a woman.” K stood up, puffing his chest out as he paraded around the living room. “I’ll wine her, I’ll dine her, I’ll sixty-nine-” “Absolutely not,” Su-Yeol cut him off before he could finish, desperately trying to rid his mind of the image of you spread out on his bed.

But K wasn’t giving up. He waited until Su-Yeol was asleep before fronting and ordering an excessively expensive bouquet of flowers. He paid extra for the vase, hoping his extravagant purchase would teach Su-Yeol a lesson. He was wasting his life, punishing himself for things that weren’t his fault. K didn’t want to spend his entire existence alone, and he knew Su-Yeol didn’t either. But K had always been the brave one, and it was time they stopped living in the shadows.

He waited until you were heading out on your run, something he noticed you always did when you’d had a stressful day. It hadn’t been easy to overpower Su-Yeol, and he wasn’t sure how long he’d maintain control, but he had to know if you liked the gift. He waited until you were almost passed the door before he flung it open, his smile wide. “Did you like the flowers?” he cried, throwing his arms wide out to the side, a huge floppy grin plastered to his face.

“Jesus Christ!” The sound of your neighbour’s voice scared the living daylights out of you, and you jumped back, knocking your phone and earbuds clean out of your hand. “Wait, it was you?” you asked, fumbling to pick up your belongings. “You got me the flowers?” “Yes,” K nodded, “I heard you crying. You sounded very sad.” You could feel the heat rising in your cheeks, could feel the beet red burn of embarrassment. “Oh, right,” you mumbled, fumbling for an excuse. “And then I heard you scream,” K said. “And you said “fuck” quite a lot. I figured you could use a little pick-me-up.”

You couldn’t help but smile at your mysteriously odd neighbour, who was quite clearly in one of his better moods this evening. His smile was wide, his floppy hair falling so effortlessly into his big, brown eyes. He wore a royal blue silk shirt adorned with leopard print, and on anyone else you were sure it would look ridiculous, but on him, it looked incredible. “My boiler broke,” you explained, “and I got dumped. Sorry you had to hear me snivelling.”

K desperately tried to stop smiling, tried to look like he felt bad for you, but he simply couldn’t manage it. His smile was face-splittingly wide as he heard that you were single. This was perfect, a dream come true, and he couldn’t let the opportunity go to waste. “Did you get your boiler fixed?” he asked, crossing his fingers behind his back in the hopes that the answer was no. “Not yet,” you shrugged, “they can’t come out until Monday, but I can just use the showers at work.” “I can fix it,” K said before he could stop himself. He’d spent some of his time in control learning practical skills, sick of seeing Su-Yeol pay for people to fix things around the apartment when it was simple enough to learn. “Really? I wouldn’t want to put you out, Su-Yeol,” you said, but you found yourself curious about your handsome, if a little odd, neighbour. This was longest you’d ever spoken before, and tonight he seemed to be in a particular good mood. “Call me K,” he insisted, desperate to hear you say his name. “Ok… K,” you smiled, “Is that some kind of nickname?” He laughed as you said his name, the pure joy of hearing someone other than Su-Yeol speak his name aloud was overwhelming. The way you said it was so perfect, and he knew it would be playing in his head over and over again.

You showed him into your apartment, and K noticed the flowers taking up pride of place on your kitchen island. The handwritten note was pinned to your fridge and K was sure if he smiled any harder, his face would completely split. You showed him the boiler, handing him a toolbox you kept in the storage cupboard but barely ever used. You watched him work, noticing for the first time how toned his muscles were, visible even through the silk of his gaudy shirt. He chatted away as he worked, telling you about himself and asking you questions about your life. K made sure to sprinkle in snippets of both himself and Su-Yeol, hyping up both of their best qualities; he wanted to put their best foot forward.

You’d never realised what a great laugh Su-Yeol had, had never realised how funny he was. He had you laughing until tears streamed down your cheeks, had you hooked on every word he said. He was an incredible storyteller, so vibrant and passionate when he talked, his arms gesticulating wildly. How was this man before you the same man who parked halfway across your parking space and purposely closed doors on you? He was so different to the cold, stony-faced man you’d grown so used to.

K was an efficient worker, almost too efficient as he fixed the problem with relative ease. He didn’t want to go back to the apartment, but he could feel Su-Yeol breaking back through, could feel himself losing grip. “Come for dinner with me tomorrow,” he said, as you showed him to the door. “I know a great sushi place.” “Ok,” you found yourself saying, unable to resist the almost electric charm he possessed. “Pick me up at 8?” “It’s a date,” K smiled, taking your hand gently in his. He brought it ever so slowly to his lips, softly brushing them across your knuckles. You felt a spark go through you, felt yourself falling into those perfect eyes of his. “I’ll see you tomorrow, K,” you winked, closing the door behind him.

He couldn’t believe it; couldn’t believe you’d spoken in his name. He finally felt like a real person, not some annoying character Su-Yeol had to deal with. You made him feel alive, made him finally feel like he existed as an individual.

He knew Su-Yeol would go mad when he found out he’d asked you out, but you were worth the wrath he’d incur. K could only hope he’d be able to keep control long enough to take you out, to get to know more about you and hopefully convince Su-Yeol you were worth it.

They were both tired of being alone, tired of having no one but each other for company. If only K could get Su-Yeol to see how great you were, he knew you could have something magical together.

He wasn’t about to give up on the girl who’d finally made him feel alive.

[ashleyreyland]

On You They Bloom

[How'd your finals go?]

It had been two weeks since Tim had met up with Danny at the coffee shop and they had been texting almost constantly since then. Danny, Tim discovered, was not only good looking, but smart and funny and charming which really was just incredibly unfair all things considered.

[I want to die. Again]

Tim couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the response he got. He was also dramatic and often used the fact that he'd legally been dead once as the punchline of a lot of jokes.

[At least they're over. You want to grab dinner?]

The three dots that showed typing appeared and disappeared for a few moments. Tim felt his anxiety spike.

[I uh, don't exactly have the funds for that]

[On me]

Tim chewed his lip as he watched Danny type a response. He knew that Danny was on the Wayne Grant and likely was just getting by, but Tim had more than enough for the both of them. And it was normal for one person to pay for a date anyways.

[You sure?]

[Positive, what do you like to eat?]

There was another pause where Danny seemed to hesitate to answer and Tim got anxious all over again. This was ridiculous; they'd been talking for weeks at this point and they were soulmates. What did he have to be so anxious about?

[Thai?]

[I'll pick you up at the dorms]

Tim closed his laptop and packed it up before grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair and heading out of the office. Tam looked at him in obvious surprise as he walked by and he offered her a wave.

"You're leaving? On time?" She asked, looking confused.

"I uh," Tim could feel himself blushing, dammit, "Have a date."

Tam grinned a bit in response, "Well then don't let me stop you."

Tim huffed at her and continued on his way out of the office. He made it down to the parking garage and his car, tossing the laptop into the trunk and got into the driver's seat. He took a steady pace to the Gotham U dorms, pulling into a short term parking space in front of them before grabbing his phone.

[Here]

A moment later the door to one of the dorm buildings opened and Danny walked out. He looked around and Tim waved from the car. Danny headed over, getting into the passenger seat and looking around.

"Nice car."

"Thanks," Tim replied before turning his attention to the road, pulling out of the parking spot, "Is there a specific Thai place you were thinking of or…?"

"Oh uh, no, not really. I'm not super familiar with places around Gotham."

"I know a good spot," Tim said changed lanes to get them to the place he had in mind.

It didn't take long for Tim to park in front of the restaurant in question and get out of the car. Danny got out as well and followed Tim. Tim offered him a smile and opened the door, holding it open for him. Danny stepped inside and looked around before looking back at Tim with his own smile.

God he was so attractive.

The hostess was quick to seat them, getting quickly flustered once she realized that it was Timothy Drake-Wayne who was standing in front of her station. Once she dropped the menus on the table and made her way back to the hostess station, Danny raised an eyebrow.

"You uh, get that a lot?"

Tim shrugged a little, "Only when people realize who I am."

"Oh so I have that to look forward to for the rest of forever," there was a teasing smile on Danny's lips that assured Tim that he didn't mean it.

Tim's heart still skipped a beat at the thought of this being a forever thing.

"You get used to it," Tim said, taking a sip of his water, "But uh, yeah, you're likely going to be mobbed by the press once they realize who you are and you'll probably get the same treatment."

"Boy you make this entire situation sound better and better by the second," Danny replied as he looked over the menu.

"I don't know if you saw the press coverage of my tattoo from four years ago."

"No, I didn't really pay much attention back then."

"Yeah, well, everyone was obsessed with figuring out who had a scar that matched."

"Joke's on them; lichtenberg scars fade."

Tim frowned a little at the reminder of just what had given Danny the scar that had killed him. He had explained how his parents had created a portal that went into another reality that was connected to theirs and how they, for some inexplicable reason decided to put the 'On' switch on the inside of the machine. How he, as a stupid teenager, had gone inside the machine for a picture his friend was taking and ended up accidentally hitting the switch.

How he had died from the amount of electricity that had run through him when the portal opened.

He hadn't explained just how he had come back to life, but Tim could only imagine the panic that had set in and the mad dash to the hospital or maybe calling an ambulance that had happened. Maybe his parents had medical equipment in the lab just in case of emergency. All Tim knew was that Danny had somehow survived the horrific ordeal.

"Yes, well, that's going to cause them to ask all kinds of questions that I'm telling you right now, you don't have to answer," Tim said as he looked over his own menu.

"They'd never believe me if I told the truth anyway," Danny quipped, setting his menu down.

Tim eyed him for a moment, "Did you tell me the truth?"

Tim knew that he did. Danny hadn't shown any of the classic signs of lying and Tim was pretty well versed in them at this point. He trusted that Danny hadn't made up any of that story.

"Of course. Do you not believe me?"

"No, I do, but I can understand how others might not."

"It's a pretty wild story," Danny agreed, playing idly with his fork, "And it just gets more wild from there?"

"Oh?" Tim asked, raising an eyebrow.

Danny just grinned at him before turning his attention to the waitress that had just walked over to them. They placed their orders and Tim sipped his water again, wondering what Danny could possibly mean by that. He seemed a little nervous about it, whatever it was.

"I don't really want to explain here," Danny admitted after a long silence and Tim gave a nod in response.

"Yeah, there are things that are best kept out of public spaces."

"It sounds like someone has a secret."

Tim bit his lip. He had a lot of secrets, and he technically had Bruce's permission to tell them. It was just a matter of when and how.

"Are you busy after this?"

"No, why?"

"Why don't we go back to my place and we can talk about some things."

~~~~~~~~~~

Danny let out a low whistle as he looked around the penthouse, "If I didn't think you were telling the truth before, I certainly do now."

Tim snorted in response, hanging up his jacket and toeing off his shoes. Danny mimicked him quickly. Tim stepped into the apartment and gestured toward the couch in the living room, just off the entry way, "Make yourself comfortable. Do you want something to drink?"

Danny shook his head in response and gracefully flopped down onto the couch with a small sigh. Tim followed him, sitting on the other end of the couch, sideways, pulling his legs up under him so he was facing Danny but they still had some breathing room.

"Where should we start?" Danny asked, knowing where he was going to start but uncertain if Tim wanted to go first.

"Do you want to start or…?"

"I can," Danny shrugs a bit, shifting so that he's turned more toward Tim, "I kind of already mentioned that I, well, died."

"Yeah, that came up briefly," Tim deadpanned in response and Danny chuckled a bit.

"Yeah, well, there was a bit more to it than that. It's kind of hard to explain… but long story short, I uh, was electrocuted and brought back to life over and over again. The thing that brought me back to life sort of gave me… powers?"

"You're a meta?" Tim breathed in surprise and Danny shook his head a bit.

"Not… technically. It's complicated?" Danny ran a hand through his hair in frustration, "But um, anyway, being that I suddenly had powers I uh, kind of took up a vigilante career when I was around 14. Which is why I get injured so often. Sorry, by the way, but you seem to give as good as you get so..."

Tim was staring at him with slightly wide eyes at the admission before he started laughing. Danny blinked in surprise, "What's so funny?"

"What vigilante are you?" Tim asked instead and Danny blinked again.

"Oh um, small time, you probably haven't heard of me. Phantom was my moniker."

Tim laughed again, covering his face with his hand and relaxing significantly, "Are you still doing the vigilante thing?"

"Not since coming to Gotham," he admitted, "I've been a little busy and Gotham seems mostly taken care of already so I don't usually feel the need to step in."

"Yeah, Gotham is taken care of," Tim agreed with an amused smile, "By me."

"…what?" Danny's brow furrowed in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"I'm Red Robin."

There was dead silence for a moment before Danny started laughing, "You're kidding!"

Tim shook his head, "That's what I was going to tell you. I can't believe that you're a vigilante too."

Danny grinned in response, "So then… We're good."

"Yeah, we're really good," Tim said with a smile, "I was worried about how you'd take that…"

"Yeah, yeah me too. Can I um.."

"Hm?"

"Kiss you?"

"Yeah," Tim uncurled himself from his position and met Danny halfway.

[ammi104]

Recently've gotten into F1 and Fernando Alonso INSTANTLY became my favorite (99% sure it'll stay that way too lol). Dude is just so entertaining to watch--a monster of a driver with cunning wits and is a chaotic-neutral memer. How can I not favor this bloke?

Anywayzz, thought I might sketch out some stuff cuz I found his form very intriguing to look at (..yes, yes, I already have 100+ images of him saved in my gallery). This is my first attempt at practicing drawing him in my style (still tryna get the jist of it, gonna take a couple more practices till I'm more confident with my tempo), so the two versions might look off in some ways as I tried exploring drawing his facial form differently here to see which one looks more alike him. But I like how they turned out, nonetheless. He'll def look more consistant in the future as I get used to drawing him. I know I'll have MUCH fun, looking forward to it..♡

[lilimaginebean]

five days — 五日

synopsis: In which Kaiser fell in love with his tattoo artist, or in which Kaiser has only five appointments to convince you to go on a date with him.

note: hi :)

prev | masterlist

🥀 Day 5

"Well, at least I'm still alive, right?" you said, trying to comfort Kaiser, who was sitting next to you with the saddest aura ever.

The nurse finally came in, stared at you in confusion, and approached both of you.

"Again? In the emergency room?" she asked, you could do nothing but nod, "What now?"

"Allergic reaction. So crazy, who would have thought I could be allergic to a particular dried fruit that is only grown in one village in Greece? Right?" you said, trying to sound funny, but the sore throat made it sound more painful than anything else.

"OK, come with me, again," the nurse said as she took you to another room, giving Kaiser a dirty look.

How did this happen anyway?

After the last tattoo session, you finished one of your best masterpieces. The tattoo ended up being pretty amazing, and you weren't the only one who thought so, Kaiser couldn't stop complimenting you and your tattoo. Of course, that piece of art wasn't your only happiness, as you and Kaiser finally got to go on a date.

However, before the date began, Kaiser once again asked your uncle for permission to take you out. Maybe this time it was because he was no longer a customer, or because your uncle felt empathy for Kaiser, or maybe because of the expensive watch Kaiser had bought for your uncle; but he accepted. You both fled before your uncle could change his mind.

The two of you could finally be together. No exams, no work, just the two of you. What you didn't expect was that everything would go wrong.

First of all, the really luxurious limousine that Kaiser had hired broke down. That wasn't too bad, as Kaiser had only hired it to get to the place he wanted earlier. Finally, they arrived at the first place of the date, which was a really nice picnic with some of their favourite books. It would have been great if it hadn't started raining. At least you two were able to save the books.

But it didn't stop there. He took you to the next stop, which was ice skating. Unfortunately, when you got there and were teaching Kaiser how to do it, some hyperactive kid went too fast and hit you, causing you to hit your head on the ice. So basically you were knocked out for a few seconds, and that ended with you going to the emergency room to make sure you were okay without any side effects. Luckily, it wasn't anything serious, so they let you go and kept the date.

The cherry on top? For dinner, Kaiser took you to the most expensive restaurant you've ever been to. Everything was going well until you found out that you were somehow allergic to one of the weirdest things the chef used. So you were checked twice in less than 3 hours to see if you were physiologically OK.

When your second check routine was over without a hitch, you returned to the waiting room and approached Kaiser. He was slumped in his chair, but fortunately his cap hid his frustration.

"Shall we go?" you asked him in a gentle tone.

He got up, took your hand and left. The two of you walked in silence to your apartment, you didn't know what to say to make him feel better and he was too mad to even talk. Once outside of your home, you stared at Kaiser, who had a sad expression on his face, and suddenly his stomach growled and demanded food.

"Just kill me," Kaiser admitted, feeling defeated by everything.

You chuckled.

"Come with me, I'll see what you can eat," you opened the door of the building where your apartment was and followed you inside.

Once inside your small but cosy apartment, you made him sit down in the living room and went into the kitchen. A few minutes later you returned with a plate of veggie sandwiches. You sat down next to him.

"Don't be sad, I really had fun with everything you planned," you said, comforting him.

He just picked up the sandwich, took a bite and stared at you.

"It's not that bad." Kaiser admitted, "Your lame veggie sandwich, I mean, the date went horribly. I really expected the date to end differently, not with me eating this."

You approached him.

"Hey the date hasn't ended yet, we can still turn it into something wonderful" you said confidently.

Kaiser stared at you curiously, wondering what you could do to turn this awful moment into at least a decent one. You stroked his hair, leaned over and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead, then on the cheek and finally on the lips.

"Better?" you asked him, raising an eyebrow.

He left the sandwich on the plate and gave you all his attention.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this," Kaiser confessed in an enthusiastic tone, as if he were a fan who had just met his idol, "But… I bet you can do better, Liebling," he said in a cocky tone.

"Trust me, I can" you answered in the same tone

"Prove it."

[iamleesi]

𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐓 ☠︎

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐁𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐦!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝'𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨.

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝟑𝐚𝐭𝐡, 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬. +18!!

𝐀/𝐍: 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤! 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞 "𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄". 𝐈 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐬𝐨 𝐈 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭. 𝐀𝐥𝐬𝐨, 𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐨, 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐈’𝐦 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥.

-> [ 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧 ]

𝑂𝑇𝐻𝐸𝑅 𝑀𝑂𝑇𝐻𝐸𝑅: 𝑇𝘩𝑒𝑦 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑏𝑟𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑛... 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝘩 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒.

𓃠 ᴘᴀʀᴛ 𓃠 ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ 𓃠

She stepped back into the quiet house, her heart hammering against her chest - and that time, the fact that she ran had very little to do with it. The Other Bucky was still there, in the living room, exactly where she'd left him. Sitting on the couch, all calm and collected, the picture of relaxation. How cute.

"Did you enjoy the night, doll?" His voice was low, familiar, but she couldn't shake the unnatural cadence beneath it. Surely not after everything she'd been learning in just one night.

She hesitated, lingering in the doorway, her gaze flickering to the small door behind him. It was still shut tight, her only way out. Wanda, hurry up.

"It's hard to enjoy anything..." She said finally, her voice stiff. "... when a creature that looks like my boyfriend wants to eat me."

He chuckled softly, the sound more unsettling for how casual it was. "It's not as bad as it sounds."

She gave him an unimpressed look.

"Alright." He amended, leaning forward slightly, his elbows resting on his knees. "It is as bad as it sounds. But it doesn't have to be, and I apologize for losing a bit of my temper earlier. That was out of character of me. We can pretend nothing ever happened, and I'll be what you truly want me to be this time."

She blinked at him, incredulous. "I'm sorry - what? You think we can just act like I didn't figure out what you are? The cat told me everything."

"Of course it did." He waved a hand dismissively. "Always meddling, always self-righteous. The little thing has a hero complex, you know. Like it's trying to save every sorry soul it comes across. Hope you understand why I don't like cats."

Her jaw tightened, but she stayed silent, watching him like a hawk. He gestured toward the couch, patting the empty space beside him. "Come. Sit here next to me." He continued.

"I'm good where I am." Her voice was firm, even as her palms were sweating. "Thanks for the kind offer."

He sighed, tilting his head as if she was the one being unreasonable. "I'm not going to sew anything unless you give me permission. I'm not a monster." He smirked faintly, leaning back again. "I've had permission from every soul I've ever taken. I just want to talk."

"Children's consent doesn't matter when you manipulate them into believing things that only serve your own interests. So, what exactly are we talking about?" She looked at the door once more. 

"You." He said simply. His tone was so soft, so disarming, that for a moment she almost believed it. "You've had a hard life, haven't you? And it's brought you here, to me. Isn't that worth considering?"

Her brow furrowed, her arms tightening across her chest. "It was a sick joke from the universe. What's your point?"

"My point, sweetheart, is that I'm offering you a deal. A way out. Stay here, with me. For years, decades - however long you like. I'll make it perfect for you." His voice grew quieter, almost hypnotic. "I'll even change for you. Real eyes, no buttons. All of it. And when the time comes for me to take your soul, you won't feel a thing. It'll be as painless as falling asleep."

She scoffed again.

"Or look at the alternative." He shrugged lightly, spreading his hands. "A world where Bucky is gone, dead, decomposing and where you were ready to die anyway. Why fight it? I'm giving you what you wanted, what you've always wanted. Peace. It's a win for both of us."

She shook her head slowly. "You're offering me a fantasy."

"Does it matter?" He countered smoothly, his tone insidious. "If you're happy, isn't that enough?"

"No. Because it isn't real."

His smile faltered, and for the first time, there was a flicker of something darker beneath his collected exterior. His head tilted slightly, his eyes narrowing. "You're throwing away a gift. You're being stubborn for no reason. It's not everyday I try to make a deal."

She didn't answer, her hands slipping into her pocket, her fingers brushing against the key she'd kept hidden there. She was running out of time, and she knew it. But even as her pulse raced, she forced herself to stand her ground, to keep her focus sharp. "No."

When she said that, she expected an eruption. Screaming, rage, destruction. Maybe even the walls closing in or the floor swallowing her whole - something drastic, in other words. Instead, he rose from the couch slowly, his movements graceful, and began to walk toward her.

And she froze on the spot. Yep, that was it.

Her breath caught as he stopped just a foot in front of her. She clenched her fists, expecting him to do something monstrous - maybe unhinge his jaw and devour her like some Pennywise knockoff.

But he didn't do it.

He stood there, watching her with a small gentle smile, and then something happened that made her stomach churn: the buttons were gone.

In their place were his eyes - his real eyes. The eyes she thought she'd never see again.

And for a brief, terrible moment, she felt her resolve flicker. Weak as fuck.

"Better?" He asked softly, his voice low, soothing. It wasn't mocking, not yet. "This is what you want, isn't it?"

Her lips parted, but no sound came out.

"Stay with me." He took another step closer, and she couldn't help but obey, her gaze locking onto his. They were perfect. Too perfect. They shimmered with the same intensity, the same warmth that used to make her feel at home.

But that wasn't him. It never had been. What stood before her was a monster, a creature that preyed on children's souls that needed to be erased from existence. And so, she looked at him - no, it - with a strange mixture of confidence and what might have been stupidity. "You're a parasite." She said, her voice low but steady.

His expression flickered, his smile faltering ever so slightly. Then he took a single step back, the movement jerky, unnatural. He exhaled, long and measured, before giving a lazy shrug. "And you're an insect." He replied, his tone dripping with nothing but venom.

It was then that his is body began to shift: it was stretching, contorting unnaturally. His form became taller, skeletal, the sickly pallor of his skin giving way to something that resembled cracked porcelain. His features twisted, the soft curve of his face warping into a hideous mockery of a mask, all fractured. And then there was the back: it arched and bent unnaturally, forming a hump.

The thing - this creature that had pretended to be Bucky - now stood before her in its true form. Or maybe it wasn't true at all, just another carefully crafted horror. Its voice, now feminine, cut through the silence.

"I tried to accommodate you, you know." The creature said, almost wistful. "Tried to meet your interests. I could have stayed in that lovely skin, played the perfect role. Because I'm not a monster." The words, said by the monster-looking thing, were spat out with an edge of mockery, as if daring her to contradict. "But you refused my terms."

But the worst part arrived when the room began to twist. The floor buckled under her feet, the walls rippling and the furniture splintered, shifting violently as if the house itself were alive. She stumbled back just as the television slid across the floor with a deafening crash, almost hitting her.

"Wanda, now would be a great time!" She shouted, panic creeping into her voice as she scrambled to keep her balance. The monster's distorted face twisted into a grin - glad to know at least one of them was amused by the situation.

"Wanda? The red witch?" The Beldam's cracked lips twisted into a not-so-beautiful smile, its voice dripping with venom. "She's going to retrieve your corpse by the time I'm done with you."

Its words were sharp, cruel, and brimming with confidence, the very only thing she was starting to lose. And why wouldn't they be? The creature had spent lifetimes trapping the prey, playing this twisted game. But if there was one thing she understood in all that mess, it was that the Beldam couldn't simply kill her - not yet. It needed the ritual, the buttons.

And she wasn't about to give it.

The Beldam lunged with all the grace of a marionette with its strings pulled too tight, jagged and jerking. Instinct screamed at her to run and her gaze flickered to the small door, now slightly ajar. Wanda had done it.

She bolted, heart pounding, as she threw herself toward the door, skidding to her knees to fit through its narrow frame. Back to square one.

But the tunnel in front of her was nothing like she remembered.

The last time she'd entered this passage, it had been strangely comforting - sort of - with all those colours. Now it was cold and slightly dark (the only light came from the end of it), with spiderwebs all around. The air felt heavy, thick with decay, and the faint echoes of a child's scream - high-pitched and distorted - sent a shiver down her spine. It felt like other souls had been trapped in there.

She crawled as fast as she could, her palms scraping against jagged rocks of the floor. Every sound seemed amplified: her panicked breaths, the frantic scuffle of her knees and hands on the uneven ground, and the guttural growls of the Beldam chasing after her. That was the main thing.

It was chasing her.

"You think you can run from me?" The creature yelled, her voice echoing through the confined space.

Her hands brushed against something soft, and she froze for a split second, looking down. A tiny, tattered scarf lay in the dirt. Further ahead, she spotted more pieces of clothing and different toys. Her stomach twisted. These weren't just discarded remnants; they were pieces of lives stolen. But she couldn't stop there, so she tossed the scarf aside and forced herself to continue.

Behind her, the Beldam's nails scraped against the walls, the sound sharp and grating, like knives on bone. "You can run, little fly." The Beldam crooned, her voice sickeningly sweet. "But you can't escape the web."

She found herself agreeing with something the creature had said: "Curiosity killed that cat." It seemed to be the center of it all, the fatal allure of wanting to see more, to know more. Against her better judgment, she tilted her head, wanting to see just how close the Beldam had gotten.

Too close. Not good.

The creature was increasing her speed, and then she felt it.

Icy fingers wrapped around her ankle, the claws slicing into her skin like shards of glass. The other hand clamped tightly around her leg, its grip bruising. Pain lanced up her body, sharp and immediate, and she let out a scream that echoed through the oppressive darkness. The Beldam's face loomed closer to hers.

"I told you, my doll." The creature snarled, the voice low, guttural, and dripping with malice. "You can't get away from me. This is your resting place."

"I thought that losing your temper was out of character for you." She spat out.

Panic surged through her veins, spurring her into wild, desperate action. Her heel struck out, connecting with the Beldam's stomach again and again, each blow sending shockwaves up her leg. The creature shrieked, an unholy, earsplitting wail that made her teeth ache. She could feel the grip on her ankle loosening ever so slightly.

With one final, frantic kick, she managed to wrench her leg free.

Scrambling forward, her fingers tore into the ground, clawing at the dirt and sharp stones in a desperate attempt to put as much distance between them as possible. Blood was coming out from the long scratches on her leg, the was pain sharp, but she didn't stop. She couldn't, not when she was so close to the end of that nightmare.

And, in fact, the cold air smacked her in the face as she was yanked out of the tunnel by two strong hands. Her senses were all over the place - ears ringing, vision blurry, her hair plastered across her eyes. Instinct kicked in, and she started swinging, her fists connecting with a solid chest.

"Whoa! It's me, it's me! Don't hit me!"

The voice cut through her panic, and the grip on her wrists was firm. She froze, her breath still caught in her throat.

"Steve?" She rasped, squinting as she tried brushed her hair out of her face. And there he was. No button eyes, no cracked mask or creepy shit. Just Steve. Her friend Steve.

At the sight, relief flooded her body so fast it made her knees wobble. But before she could say anything else, something moved behind her, making the relief immediately disappear and her stomach dropped again.

She turned around just in time to see the Beldam almost dragging itself out of the tunnel. The skeletal arms bent at unnatural angles, and without thinking, she lunged for the little door. Even though her hands were shaking badly, she managed to slam it shut just as the Beldam's claws reached the edge. The creature screeched but she pressed her whole body against the door, on the floor, throwing her weight into it.

Her fingers shook as they fumbled in her pocket, searching desperately until they finally closed around the key she had been keeping with her the whole time, just in case. She yanked it out, nearly dropping it as she tried to shove it into the lock. Her hands were so unsteady it took her two tries before the key slid in. With a hard twist, she turned it, hearing the solid click that echoed louder in her head than it probably was.

The sound of the lock snapping into place felt final, but the silence that followed was somehow worse. She leaned against the door, the back of her head pressing into its wooden surface as her body felt on fire. But she had done it, so it was over... right?

Wrong. Because then came the voice.

"My love." It said, soft and broken, sounding like a plea. And especially, sounding like Bucky. Her entire body stiffened at the sound, her blood running cold. It wasn't him - she knew that. Of course she did. But him or not, it was the sound of his voice and that only ripped her heart apart.

Cherry on top, that was probably gonna be the last time she'd ever hear it, and it was a monster who wanted to eat her.

"Please, don't do this to me." The voice continued, trembling with pain and desperation. "It's dark in here. Cold. Like a coffin. Is that what you want for me? You want me to die again?"

Her hands shot up to her ears, pressing against them so hard she thought she might crush her own skull. She didn't want to hear it. She couldn't hear it. The voice was cutting through her like a blade, twisting the parts of her that were already broken.

"Please come with me. I need you. I'll die without you!" The voice rose in pitch, frantic now, filled with anguish.

"Shut up!" She felt something warm slide down her leg and finally looked down. Her jeans were soaked with blood, she almost forgot about that. The gashes from the Beldam's claws weren't small - deep scratches ran from just below her knee to the top of her foot. But there was no pain, none at all, like her body hadn't registered the damage yet like it did earlier. The blood just kept flowing, though, a steady rhythm that felt almost disconnected from her own body.

"My love!"

"Make it stop!" She rasped, her voice cracking. Her glare snapped to Steve, standing a few feet away, his face pale and tight. He was staring at the door, his jaw clenched so hard it looked like it might break.

"Steve!" She shouted, louder this time, and his eyes finally moved to her, wide and haunted. For a second, it looked like he wanted to speak but couldn't find the words. She hated the way he was looking at her, like she was something fragile about to shatter, or worse, like he wasn't sure what was real anymore. She knew why.

Because it sounded like him.

She could see it in Steve's face - the way his brows knitted together, the doubt in his eyes. He wasn't questioning what the Beldam could do; he wasn't stupid, and probably Wanda had told him everything there was to know. But hearing Bucky's voice, hearing him say things like that - Steve's best friend, his brother who died to protect him - had shaken something in him.

The door shook behind her as the Beldam pounded on it, and her whole body flinched.

"Doll, please!" The voice wailed, and she squeezed her eyes shut. "Don't let me die! Don't let me die again!" The sound of the pounding was brutal, each thud making her shoulders tense, each word slicing through her resolve like a knife.

"Wanda!" She yelled, though her voice was ragged, desperate. "Just finish it!" She couldn't take much more. She could feel herself unraveling, bit by bit. The voice - the lie - was breaking her.

The witch was floating a few feet off the ground in the middle of the living room, her legs crossed, surrounded by that red glow. She looked like she was in a trance, her face blank and distant. Probably doing her witchy things to close that portal or whatever that was.

Steve crouched down beside her, his hand hovering awkwardly near her arm, unsure if she'd even let him touch her. His eyes darted down to her leg, and she saw the flicker of alarm flash across his face. "You're bleeding." He said softly, almost like he didn't want to startle her.

She opened her mouth to respond, but the Beldam's voice cut her off. "Just make it stop, Steve." And she wasn't talking about the bleeding. "Please, make it stop."

"I don't want to die again!" It sobbed, the words coming faster, harder, more frantic. "You love me, don't you? You love me!" The door rattled again, each impact making her stomach twist.

Steve swore under his breath, his jaw tight as he turned to the door. For the first time, he looked angry, his fists clenched at his sides. "That's not him." He muttered, more to himself than to her. But his voice wavered, just barely, and she hated how it made her chest hurt even more.

And finally, the pounding stopped. The voice cut off mid-sob, the sudden silence so sudden it made her head snap up. She turned just in time to see Wanda's feet hit the ground, her scarlet aura fading as she blinked back into focus.

"It's done." Wanda said, her voice steady but hollow, like she'd just clawed her way out of something terrible. "I sent that thing back where it belongs. It's over."

She stared at the witch, her body still pressed to the door, her hands still trembling. Her blood-soaked leg throbbed now, the pain finally catching up to her, sharp and relentless. She didn't know what to say, didn't know how to feel. The voice was gone, but the damage was already done. It was like her chest had been ripped open, everything raw and exposed. She wasn't even sure if she was relieved.

Steve reached for her again, his hand finally landing lightly on her shoulder. "You're okay." He said, but there was a hesitation in his voice, like he didn't even believe his own words. "It's gonna be okay, honey. I'm never leaving your side again, and I'm never gonna let you be alone. Let's go back at the Compound. Back home."

She nodded mechanically, but she didn't feel okay.

Not even close.

She leaned against the doorframe for just a moment longer, her hands still trembling, her breath shallow and uneven. The house felt heavier now, like a husk drained of the nightmare it had been harboring, but it still reeked of that thing - his voice, his lies, his shadow.

Her lips parted, her voice rasping through the stillness. “I’m going to burn this house down.”

Wanda glanced at her sharply but didn’t argue, her expression unreadable, like she might’ve been thinking the same thing.

It took effort, but she pushed herself upright, her body stiff and screaming with every step as she moved toward the front door. The boards beneath her feet groaned, as though the house itself was protesting her escape. Steve was there in an instant, ready to steady her, but she shook him off, her movements stubborn and resolute.

She pushed open the front door, and the sunlight hit her face. Warm. Soft. Real.

She froze for a moment, letting the warmth seep into her skin. It was strange - wrong - how different the sun felt here. The sun had been there in the other world, too, bright and golden and constant, but it had been hollow. An imitation. This? This was real. It filled her lungs and stretched into her aching bones, like her body was remembering what it felt like to exist in the real world.

She stepped outside, the porch creaking beneath her weight, and the sight stopped her cold.

Alpine was there, sitting primly on the edge of the porch, her white fur gleaming in the sunlight. And just a few feet away, the black cat waited, his sleek body curled on the railing, tail flicking lazily. Same old story.

Her breath caught as the cat's blue eyes locked on hers. He didn’t move, but there was something in the way he stared - like he was sizing her up, judging her. And then, just for a moment, his eyes gleamed, something sharp and knowing passing within them.

She could almost hear the words he couldn't say.

It was nice meeting you.

"You can come home with me." The corner of her mouth twitched, the closest thing to a smile she could manage, and then the black cat turned, stretching languidly before hopping down from the railing. He sauntered off, his tail swishing high in the air, disappearing into the trees as if he had never been there at all. "Well, never mind."

Alpine padded over to her then, brushing against her leg gently, like she could sense the storm inside her. She reached down to scratch behind her ears, her fingers trembling but steadying with every stroke.

Steve stepped closer, his hand resting lightly on her back as he spoke, his voice gentle. “Let’s go. We need to get that leg looked at.”

She nodded, her gaze lingering on the house one last time, the weight of its presence still pressing against her chest. She knew she’d never come back here.

As they started down the steps, her voice was steady. “I was serious earlier. This house is going to burn. Every last piece of it.”

The three of them walked in silence, Alpine nestled securely in her arms, her soft fur a small comfort after all she's been through. Steve and Wanda flanked her on either side, close but not suffocating, their presence grounding. And this time, she let them. She let them be there, let them help her, the way she should have from the start. She let Steve’s hand rest gently on the small of her back, steadying her when her legs threatened to give out. She let Wanda speak, her voice a quiet murmur as she explained how they had found her - how they had rushed to the Pink Palace the second they realized she had left her old house, how they had followed every possible lead, refusing to let her disappear.

She had tried so hard to push them away after Bucky died, drowning in grief, convincing herself that she had to bear it alone. But they never left. They never listened. And now, standing between them, she was grateful for that.

Because she wasn’t alone. She had never been alone. And she never would be. She had people to live for, people she cared about.

And even if living without the love of her life was going to be agonizing, she had to do it. For herself. He could - would - live through her: in every step she took, in every breath she fought to take. Until the day they truly met again.

[herotome]

Devlog #165

Hi-ho Wudge here.

Well... mainly, I did a bit of writing and plotting!

I wrote 3 snippets of some metube(youtube) videos that might crop up when MC searches "superhero" as a keyword. I'm not sure if I'll actually be able to use them - would I be able to portray them visually? should I draw little video stills to represent each video? is that too much work to dedicate to a handful of lines per video/still?... but they're good scenes to have in my pocket, regardless...!

Plot-wise; while I've had a very strong idea of the Herotome villain's powers, motivations, and goals, I had a lot of trouble figuring out what he should do... He ended up being rather passive in my mind, just watching, waiting, staying in the shadows. But if the main villain does nothing for the entire story then it's probably not a fun story...

But this week I finally came up with (what I think is) a good first move for the main villain!! Yeehaw! Now I just have to make sure it's.. well-written and effectively communicated. Pffft.

Lastly, I finished coding in expressions for Griffin's intro scene (excluding the CG, which was already done as of the Super Demo). I have NOT playtested it, so I may want to make some changes -- but... hmm maybe I can record some gameplay footage of the new expressions and upload it onto my youtube...? To be clear -- these will be the exact same scenes from the Super Demo, but the character sprites will actually emote. I'm sure some people would appreciate seeing the progress.

Next up on the expression coding docket is Jade, and then a little more for Griffin when he joins Jade and MC on the roof.

Stay safe and keep warm,

Wudge.

[writing-zelda-brainrots]

Winx Club? I haven’t heard that name in years. *slides you $20* got anymore drabbles or HC for the Links and fairy reader?

(If that’s okay to ask ofc. I loved Winx as a child and now I think you got me wanting to watch it again. I’ll never get over how stunning those girlies were 😩)

We love our beautiful and badass girls. I really hoe the reboot will do our queens justice (but I am sceptical).

I know that in the previous fic, I mentioned that [Name] had already earned their Enchantix, but I imagined them in their basic Magic Winx/Charmix form in this one.

--

This was the worst.

As if these monsters couldn't be more disgusting, you just had to get caught in a giant Skulltula's web. It was thick, sticky, stringy and stronger than it had any right to be. And you hated it. Any and all attempts to free yourself only resulten in you gatting more stuck.

Thankfully, you had just enough wiggle room to shoot a couple spells at the few remaining Skulltulas that wanted to sink their mandables into your flesh. But who knows how long it'll be until more come.

At this point, you would rather get swallowed whole by one of those "Like Likes" that Hyrule mentioned.

"[Name], are you okay?" Oh thank the Great Dragon, Wars was here. You were wondering when someone would notice that you were missing from the fight.

"Never felt better." You answered with some sarcasm. "This is so gross."

"Don't worry, I'll have you out in just a moment." He took hold of whatever parts of you weren't covered in sticky web and began to pull.

Wars was undoubtedly stronger than you, so he had a much better chance at getting you down. However, he was pulling too hard too fast and the web just wouldn't let go. It was as if he and the web were playing tug-of-war, but for keeps. Particularly, your wings and the rest of your body were being yanked in different directions. It hurt. A lot.

"Stop! Stop! You'll tear my wings off!"

It was only when you started pleading did he stop pulling. Thought he did still have half a mind to apologize.

The next brilliant idea was to cut you loose. But, to be fair, this one was much more successful. With just a few swipes of his sword, Wars had severed the bits of web holding you in place while staying away from any of your body parts. Thankfully, you were spared the fate of faceplanting onto the rocky dungeon floor when Wars caught you.

"Would you look at that, I caught a butterfly. A big, pretty one, too."

"One more word out of you and I swear I'll blast you."

"Fine, fine, just having some fun." He set you down before mentioning for you to follow. "The others must have already gotten rid of the leftover monsters on this floor."

Sure enough, Wars was right. Everyone - minus the two of you - had gathered in the middle room, each giving their reports from when you decided to split up.

"Are you badly hurt?" Time asked as he saw you coming back, pulling some loose hanging webbing from your clothes.

"I'm okay. But I won't be able to fly until I get this gunk off of me." That's going to be a day to itself.

Time gave a small nod of acknowledgement. Actually, taking a good look around at the group, they all looked pretty worn out. "We'll call it a day. Let's go back into town and get some rest. Tomorrow we clear the rest of this dungeon."

There were no objections.

--

Thankfully, the inn was quiet this evening. You didn't know how much more irritated you could be right now, especially if people were running around and causing a ruckus.

You've already gotten the web from your body, so that only left one thing. The part that you dreaded the most: your wings. Your hair had already been a painful mess to deal with, so you could only imagine what your wings would be like.

"How are you doing?" Sky's (or your self proclaimed "Flying Buddy") voice cut through the silence as he stepped through the doorway. He was probably one of the better roommates to have right now. You'd have to thank Time later for putting you with him instead of Wind or Legend.

"This web's really annoying. And it's in some hard to reach places, too." You grumbled, frustrated. "I swear, if I see a single Skulltula again, I'm exterminating the entire species."

"That bad, huh?" He cuckled a little, but stopped himself when he noticed you slightly flinch as you got another sticky chunk out. "Do you want some help?"

A sigh escaped from your lips. "You know I don't let just anyone touch my wings."

"I've had to help clean Crimson's wings many times before. I'm sure I can handle it." Sky sat down on the bed next to you.

"It's not you I'm worried about." You admitted. "I know I don't have my wings out most of the time, but they're still a part of me, and they're really sensitive."

You've long heard stories of fairies losing their wings, either in an accident or by someone destroying them. Either way, it's a horrible fate for someone of your kind. Yes, they eventually grow back, but that takes time, and it doesn't erase the fact that it was a traumatic experience or that it left the fairy vulnerable and weakened in the meantime.

"You're having trouble and I want to help. Besides, you won't be able to reach some of those places."

"You'd really do that?"

"Of course. What are friends for?" He gave a reassuring smile. "Just lay down and I'll handle it. You won't even notice I'm here."

He had a point, you supposed. Guess he couldn't do that bad of a job. You laid yourself on the bed, back facing Sky.

"Just... Be gentle, alright?"

"Promise."

--

And then, they fu-

Btw, if I have convinced anyone here to watch this show fo the first time or revisit it, my personal reccomendation is to watch the Rai English dub (you can find it on YouTube for free) because it's the most faithful of the English dubs (of which there are 5, apparently, and none of them have the entire series). I would also stop watching after season 4/the second movie. Trust me, you're doing yourself a favour by not watching seasons 5-8.

There are the Nickelodeon Specials that condense season 1 into 3 hour long specials and one that covers season 2, but I really don't reccomend them for new veiwers. Just watch the original full seasons. They butchered my precious season 2 so badly.

P.S Also, you should maybe skip the "Miss Magix" episode in season 1. It has a pretty bad scene that mocks a black woman's natural hair. It's a filler episode, anyway, so you're not missing anything.

[speaknow-sw]

Oh my evie.. I’m sick with the flu and would sure make me feel amazing if I could have a little Drabble of James taking care of reader while they’re sick?

In all realness I totally understand if you don’t have the time. I love you !!

it’s tiny but I hope you’ll get better 🫶🏻

James checks your forehead again, his brow furrowed in concern. "You're still burning up, baby. Let's get you back into bed and try to keep you hydrated, okay?"

He helps you stand up slowly, wrapping an arm around your waist to support you as you make your way back to the bedroom. Settling you gently onto the bed, he grabs a fresh glass of water and places it on the nightstand.

"I'll make you some more of that ginger tea. It'll help with the nausea and sore throat," he explains softly, brushing a strand of hair away from your face.

James sits down on the edge of the bed, his hand resting on your shoulder as he looks at you with those warm, caring eyes. "I'm sorry you're feeling so miserable, sweetheart. I wish there was more I could do to make you feel better," he murmurs, giving your shoulder a gentle squeeze.

He stands up and heads to the kitchen, putting the kettle on for the tea. While waiting, he thinks about how much he cares for you and how much it pains him to see you sick and suffering. He's determined to take the best care of you until you’re fully recovered.

Once the tea is ready, he returns to the bedroom and sits beside you again, helping you sit up enough to take a few sips. His other hand rests on your thigh, rubbing it soothingly.

"Slow and steady, love. Don't try to drink it too fast," he instructs gently, watching you intently to make sure you’re okay. "You're being so brave, baby. I'm really proud of you for fighting this."

He sets the glass down and cups your cheek, tilting your face towards him."You know I'm here for you, no matter what. I'll take care of you, sweetheart. You don't have to worry about anything else right now, just focus on getting better," James tells you tenderly, his thumb caressing you cheekbone.