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whippin-cream · 4 years ago

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Blooming Day, Part 1

You neve imagined that your engagement would fail, that you would move to Korea, or that by a series of coincidences you would meet your long-term celebrity crush, Byun Baekhyun. You most certainly never imagined that someone like him would take an interest in you either, but he did; and now you’re stuck because you don’t trust like you used to and you just aren’t quite sure if you have the courage to take a chance on him.

Wordcount: 4k

You let out a sigh as you dropped your spoon back into your tea. You wondered how long it would take for the cheap metal to turn the drink as bitter as you felt about the state of your life at the current moment. You flopped back onto the floor, still not having any actual furniture despite having been in Korea for just under a month now.

Who needed a sofa or a nice set of kitchen chairs when you had that homely camping chair you picked up for cheap at the street market? Sure, the arms were flimsy, the cup holder was too small, and it sagged very low when you sat in it, but, it was something and it was yours.

To be fair, you thought, you were never supposed to have been here.

You were supposed to have rejected the opportunity to study for a year in Korea in favor of finally marrying your fiancé in the Spring: transferring to a college just 15 minutes away from the job he was offered at some powerhouse music label.

That was what you had been planning ever since you got engaged 6 months ago. Even found a nice apartment with the view of a park filled to the brim with tall trees and dickhead geese that you liked to watch chase people. You spent so many Saturday mornings with Ethan on the balcony. Nothing sounded better than finally starting a life together with the man you loved more than yourself.

Well, at least until you came home early on your anniversary to surprise him with his favorite dessert and found him balls deep in your (former) best friend.

On the bed you paid for.

The bitch even had the nerve to be wearing the fancy set of lingerie that you had bought for yourself just a few months prior as a reward for acing a particularly brutal exam.

You remember dropping the sweets onto the floor, furiously yanking the diamond off your left hand, and throwing it somewhere in his general direction. You tightly clutched the purse that you never even got the chance to set down to your body and ran back out of the apartment. He rushed after you, yelling some bullshit about how it “didn’t mean anything”, “it isn’t what you think”, and “(Y/N), I love you! I’m sorry. Baby, please stop!”

You didn’t, though. Your brisk walked changed into a full sprint when curious neighbors opened their doors to take a peek at the commotion. They glanced repeatedly between the sobbing girl and the naked man yelling after her. It was by far the most humiliating experience of your life.

From there the details of that day get a little fuzzy, but you remember taking a taxi to the airport and buying a last-minute flight to Seoul. A child kicked the back of your seat for at least half the time you were in the air out of boredom, but you didn’t have the energy to tell him to stop. After a good five hours of doing nothing but staring blankly in front of you, you managed to drift off.

When you came to, a flight attendant was explaining to everyone that they needed to get ready to disembark. Her warm smile and friendly tone did nothing but annoy you. Who gave her the right to be so happy when your world just crumbled beneath your feet?

You knew you were being irrational, but still.

After making it to what appeared to be a small shopping center within the airport, you decided that you needed a drink. Preferably something warm and sugary to get you out of the daze you were in. Luckily, a Starbucks was nestled in between two shops: One being an overpriced gift shop and the other selling fast food that was far too greasy for the average customer. About 20 minutes later you were sitting alone on a barstool, with a half-full venti cup that was most definitely cold by now, but you didn’t mind.

With one more deep breath, you reached into your purse and slid out your phone. You had turned it off immediately after buying your plane tickets and you were scared of the notifications that you would receive. Part of you was even more scared that you wouldn’t receive any.

Was it possible for him to just toss five years together away so quickly? Could you? After all, he did say he was sorry. That it was all just a big mistake, and that he loved you and not her.

But how could he do something like that to you when he said he loved you? You loved him, and you most certainly never slept with another man. Especially not in the bed you shared with him and with his closest friend.

How many times had they done it? Was it truly a mistake? Maybe he had just gotten drunk and it was all one big accident. Your head started to hurt with all the possibilities floating through your mind.

You had shocked yourself with a quick, but firm smack to the center of your forehead. “You don’t accidentally stick your dick in someone else, idiot. Why would he be drunk at 2 pm? He knew what he was doing.”

With your thumb pressing into the power button you watched with bated breath as the welcome screen flashed on. You waited for the notifications to flood your phone; the flight to Seoul was long, surely, you’d have received many texts in that time, right? Your finger tapped anxiously on the screen as it refreshed.

Then, one after another a notification popped up in a bright banner at the top of the phone. There were several voicemails and even more texts. They started out apologetic, parroting the words he yelled after you in the hallway. However, they grew increasingly nasty. Ethan always did have a nasty temper, and it flared up when he was being ignored and when he was drunk.

Judging by how slurred his voice was in the last few messages, and how incoherent his texts became, it was safe to assume that he had downed the bottle of (far too expensive) whiskey he loved to always keep stocked at the house.

While you weren’t able to make out everything he said to you, the gist was that you were just some dumb little girl that he had settled for because you were safe. That he never loved you and that you needed to apologize to him for the scene you created when you left the apartment.

“The neighbors were staring.” Because that was your fault, just like the reason he cheated was your fault too, apparently.

He ended his drunken tirade by saying that you would never find a man like him again and that sooner or later you would come crawling back to him. After all, you were dating up by dating him, he claimed. "What other man would want you?"

Though, you did not go crawling back to him. Not even after he sobered up and the second round of “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any of it”s started back up again.

It was clear that he didn’t respect you. The only thing your father ever made you promise about how you would date is that you would not tolerate staying with a person who treated you with less dignity than you deserved. You knew that you would never be happy marrying a man that looked down on you. How would your life be anything but constant paranoia with a person that could run around with other women without even acting guilty about it?

It definitely was not easy, and there were times where you did consider that maybe you had overreacted. Admittedly, moving across the globe did seem rather dramatic at times, but going to Korea was something that you wanted to do long before you ever met Ethan. When you tried to look at things in a positive light, you saw that: you got to move on in your life, continue your education, and cross an item off of your bucket list all in one go. Despite trying your hardest to stay optimistic, most days you simply did not have the energy to do anything other than wallow in your own self-pity.

Today was one of those days.

You brought your hands to your chest and rolled over a few times to get on the sleeping mat you wanted to snuggle up in. While it was no Tempurpedic, it was surprisingly comfortable; especially when you wrapped yourself in the soft and bulky you crocheted the week prior.

You slipped off your glasses and placed them a few feet above the mat. Light was still pouring in through the window, so you brought your blanket up and over your head. It covered your eyes while the edge curved down around the side of your face and rested under your chin. You loved the darkness and all-around cozy feeling it provided without having your mouth covered by the blanket. You hated having your mouth covered by the blanket. It never felt like you could get enough air when it was.

Unfortunately for you, the sleep was not as comforting as you assumed it would be. The happy dreams where everything you could have ever wanted and hoped for were nowhere to be found that night, neither were the strange ones that left you with a feeling of confusion that you couldn’t quite shake when you woke up. Instead, you were plagued with watching a replay of your anniversary on loop.

After a few hours, you managed to pry your eyes open. Your skin felt uncomfortably sticky due to the cold sweat you had broken out in. You felt warm tears welling up in your eyes and threatening to spill over. You blinked them away, angry at yourself for still crying over him.

You felt pathetic.

You pressed the heels of your hands against your temples in a sad attempt to get the thump, thump, thumping in your head to stop. You raked your fingernails down your face, wincing at the slight burn you felt. You snatched the glasses from the ground and hastily shoved them onto your face.

You picked up your phone and tapped on it harder than you probably needed to. You didn’t know what you were expecting to find on your phone, but you hoped that there would be something there that stop the lonely feeling you felt in your chest from consuming you entirely.

Your salvation came in the form of a text from Minji. “CALL ME!!!” It read, several emojis following the exclamation points. It brought a smile to your lips. That was something Minji had always been good at.

You had first met her back in high school when she was taking part in her own foreign exchange program. The two of you became fast friends, staying in contact with one another even after she went back home to Korea. Her personality was bright and warm, and she had a knack for making even the most socially awkward people feel comfortable in her presence.

Despite your history, you had to admit that you were a bit shocked to hear from her. Seven months ago she became a trainee for SM entertainment, and your communication with her went from nearly daily to radio silence. It stung, but you understood. Becoming an idol had always been her dream, and you didn’t think it would be fair to try to distract her from that.

You had let her know when you first arrived in Korea, and while she seemed excited over the phone, she hadn’t seen you yet. You pressed the phone icon next to her name, opting to put the call on speaker because your earbuds were nowhere to be found.

“(Y/N)! You got my message.”

“Yeah, what’s up Minji?” You replied, lightly digging your fingers into your thumb. You couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous. You wondered what exactly it was that she needed.

“Look, I know I’ve been a bad friend. I have been distant lately, and this isn’t fair. Especially not to you. I mean, you’re the one who encouraged me to even go to the audition in the first place. If you hadn’t of yelled at me until I got off my ass and went…. Well, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

She paused for a moment to take a breath.

“So, I want to make it up to you. I don’t exactly have the money to take you out for dinner or anything, but SM is having a party on Friday. All the trainees that are close to debuting will be there, and so will the established artists. It is supposed to help us build “inter-company relationships”; whatever that means. We are all allowed to bring a plus one, and I want that to be you. There will be expensive catering, and that fancy booze that is so easy to get drunk on since it doesn’t taste like alcohol. The perfect venue for catching up. So, what do you say?”

She sounded slightly awkward, but hopeful as well. Before you could answer she started speaking.

"I know it isn't exactly your scene, but I really want to see you."

"What's the dress code, Min? I wouldn't want to look totally out of place." You replied. You closed your eyes tightly. Minji was right, big parties were not your thing. However, you reasoned, maybe you needed something out of your comfort zone.

Minji squealed so loudly that you recoiled slightly. "Does that mean you're coming? Yes! Nothing too fancy, but not casual either. Remember, simple is sexy, baby."

You snorted and shook your head. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

"I'll text you the address.” You heard her name get called in the background. “Sorry, I have to get back to practice now. I’ll see you in a few days. Bye!” The line went dead, and you rolled back over. You felt a contentedness that you hadn’t felt since the breakup wash over you. It was nice to know that you still mattered to someone.

The days leading up to Friday flew by quickly. You had bought yourself a fitted black dress for the party. You wanted to look nice, but you didn’t exactly want to draw any unwanted attention to yourself either. You paired the dress with some flats and kept your makeup minimal as well.

You grinned at yourself and gave a little twirl when you did your final once over in the mirror. You rarely got to wear dresses; Ethan had always gotten upset with you when you tried. He thought they brought on too much male attention, and in the interests of keeping the peace you just gave them up.

You felt pretty.

You felt happy. Truly happy.

A pleasant warmth bloomed in your chest, and you could feel it spread throughout your body. You eyed the perfume you had bought and saved for a special occasion. This occasion, you decided, was special enough.

In 20 minutes time you found yourself in front of the doors to SM Entertainment. They seemed big, and mildly intimidating, but you pushed through them regardless. You sent Minji a text that you had arrived and you moved to stand by some chairs in the lobby.

You dug your fingers into your thumb while you waited. It stung a bit, but the feeling kept you grounded. You took in the architecture of the building, staring in awe at how sleek the whole place looked.

A hand on your shoulder startled you and you turned to see Minji’s smiling face. You smiled back at her, and you were quickly brought into a hug. It was slightly awkward, as a hug was a greeting she reserved for her foreign friends only. Nevertheless, you appreciated the gesture.

When she pulled away you finally got a good look at her. The first thing you noticed was that she was significantly slimmer. You felt a flash of self-consciousness hit you, but you quickly dismissed it.

“Come on, the party’s this way.”

After a few hallways, and a short elevator ride you found yourself in the reception room. It was loud, and lively. Minji led you closer to one of the walls by the back of the room. It was in close enough proximity to the dancefloor that you two could join in without too much trouble, but just quite enough that you two could talk comfortably. Minji spoke first.

She went on and on about all the funny things that happened in practice, and how she was so excited to have been placed in a group she knew would debut sometime in the near future. She hadn’t been given an exact date yet, but they had started to shoot promotional content. Minji explained that she had done three photoshoots in the past week, and cringed when she talked about how awkward she felt doing her solo shots.

She giggled and grabbed a glass of something pink and pretty from a waiter that was carrying them by. “I felt like I was doing school pictures again. Hopefully these ones turn out a little bit better.” She took a gulp of her drink and then nodded toward you.

“Enough about me. How have you been? How’s the wedding planning going?”

Ah, right. You hadn’t told her about the breakup yet.

You coughed awkwardly and brought your left hand up to show it off. “It��s…” you hesitated “It isn’t anymore. Ethan and I are over.” You averted your eyes, grabbing your own alcohol and downing it. When you looked back at Minji, her eyes were wide and she sputtered out a quick apology. Her cheeks were stained an embarrassed pink.

“What happened?” She questioned before she could stop herself. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.”

“I caught him and Rachel in bed together.” You answered simply, not wanting to go into too much detail. You didn’t want to ruin the night that had been so fun so far.

Minji’s face hardened. She had never liked Rachel, or Ethan for that matter. You knew that, and you were hoping to escape an “I told you so”. Minji scoffed. “What an asshole.” She muttered quietly. “Who needs him anyway?”

You smiled at her. “Not me; but what I do need is some more of this.” You held up your empty glass and shook it slightly.

After a few more drinks and reminisced memories you found yourself on the dancefloor with Minji. You felt the heat radiating off of you, and you weren’t sure if it was from the alcohol or from the dancing, but it was nearly too much for you. You made a mental note to just drink water for the rest of the night, but your head was fuzzy and you weren’t quite sure if you’d be able to resist a pina colada if one became accessible.

You weren’t the best dancer, especially compared to the trainees and idols surrounding you, but you were enjoying yourself. You felt a fresh rush of adrenaline hit you when Exo’s Wolf came on. You were sure you and Minji looked ridiculous when you made wolf ears with your hands at the “awoo” parts, but the two of you were laughing to hard to truly care.

“I haven’t heard this song in so long!” You shouted to her.

She looked at you in surprise. “What? But you love Exo.”

You nodded back to her. “I do, but Ethan didn’t like me listening to them.”

“Why not?”

You shrugged. “I don’t know, he never really gave me a good reason.” Minji rolled her eyes once again.

“Just another reason to be glad he’s out of your life.” You giggled at her statement. She was right. The more you thought back on your relationship the more you realized that maybe he wasn’t really the prince charming you thought he was. You couldn’t just be you when you were with him. You were the you he wanted you to be. The only thing that you left the relationship with was a monthly payment to a landlord for an apartment you weren’t even living in. Ethan had refused to allow you to take your name off of the lease. So, fuck Ethan.

“Have you met them?” You asked. Her eyes brightened, and she nodded her head rapidly.

“Yes, and god. They are so much hotter in person.” You noticed a shift in her expression then. Something mischievous made its way onto her features. “Are you ever going to tell me who your bias is?”

You laughed. “Fuck no, Minji. Definitely not now. You know them! That would be weird.” You whined. You knew that if you admitted to holding a fondness for Baekhyun that you would never hear the end of it. She pouted at you. Her lip stuck out and it wobbled slightly.

You walked backwards a few steps and she followed. “Puppy dog eyes won’t work on me, Minji.”

“Oh, come on. I don’t know Exo that well. Just tell me.”

“Nope, too weird.” You laughed again. The room was spinning, and everything seemed far more funny to you than it should have. However, your laughter was cut short when you backed into the firm chest of someone behind you.

You felt the warm exhale of breath against your face as a voice you only recognized from interviews and fancams whispered in your ear. “What’s so weird about us?” You froze. A feeling of terror shot down your spine and your face became far hotter than you thought was humanly possible. That voice definitely belonged to a one Byun Baekhyun, and his tone was teasing. “Huh?” He questioned again. After the initial shock wore away, you realized that your body was completely pressed against his.

You shot away from him like you had been scalded. He had a Cheshire-cat grin plastered on his face. “N-nothing.” You stammered. Your eyes were so wide they nearly popped right out of your skull, and you were sure Minji’s were doing the same.

His eyes slowly glanced down the length of your body before his gaze found Minji’s. “Friend of yours?” He asked. She merely nodded in response. He turned his attention back to you and bowed slightly. “I’m Baekhyun, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” You didn’t respond until you felt Minji elbow you in the side.

You bowed back, slightly lower than what he had given to you. “(Y/N).”

He grinned at you once again. He ran a hand through his neatly styled hair, causing a few strands to fall back over his forehead. His cheeks were flushed red, and you wondered if he was as tipsy as you were. “Minji, we are having a bit of an afterparty at the dorms later. Well, technically it’s supposed to be a mentorship meeting, but we want to make it fun, you know? The rest of your members have already been invited. Feel free to bring your friend along.”

He winked at the two of you, and then he was gone.

You stood there for a moment, not quite sure how to process what had just happened. You glanced over at Minji to find that she was already staring at you. “What the fuck was that?” You whispered to her. You felt a sudden need for secrecy, and it seemed she felt the same way.

“I think Baekhyun just hit on you.” You shook your head violently.

“And I think you’re crazy.” You stated, though conviction was nowhere to be found in your voice.

“You are coming with me to that afterparty.”

“I most certainly am not! You heard him. It is supposed to be a mentorship thing.”

“And you heard him when he said he wanted something more fun that that.” She hissed back.

“Minji.” You warned.

“(Y/N).” She shot back as she raised her eyebrows at you. “If nothing else, come for me. Tonight is our night to catch up, remember?” Your fingers went to your thumb, and you nodded your head. Butterflies bloomed in your stomach and you tried to expel them with a sigh.

“Okay, I’ll go.”

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bounty-in-the-eye-of-the-mando · 4 years ago

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Author's Note: So this is my first Mandalorian fic. It came to me on a whim following me listening to the song Written in the Stars by a band called Westlife. Hope you enjoy.

Warnings: None

"Cause when I look at my life

How the pieces fall into place

It just wouldn’t rhyme without you

When I see how my path

Seems to end up before your face

The state of my heart

The place where we are

Was written in the stars"

FLASHBACK

You found yourself leaning against the wall of the bunker, occupying the little green being with some bubbles that you’d bought downtown while paying a fleeting visit to Jedha. He was fascinated with them, cooing away in contentment. His sizable green-brown eyes gazed in awe at the bubble forming from the wand in your bandaged hand. You’d ended up accidentally slashing your palm open on some metal that was hanging by a thread on the rear side of the Razor Crest while Mando was out on a hunt. He’d been gone a few days, so he was unaware of your injury, but even when he came back, you’d immediately slipped some gloves on. Well, it was cold so it’s a viable excuse. “You like these little one?” you cooed in excitement to Grogu, who was still so wide-eyed, and flashing a little toothy smile. He began to giggle, and more so when he turned to face out of the bunker. “Mando-“ you stammered, not even considering the fact your bandaged hand was in plain sight, “I-I-didn’t hear you coming.” He crouched down, full beskar, in the doorway, “He loves these. What did you do to your hand cyra’ika?” His modulated voice, full of concern as he reached out for you to place your hand in his. “I-I-it’s a long story, but when we were on Jedha, I was outside the ship playing with Grogu and I caught my hand on a damaged metal sheet that was hanging off the side. I managed to fix it though.” “Let me see,” he whispered. You placed the bubble wand back in the tub, and reluctantly placed your hand in his. You were terrified – mainly because you were never one for physical contact with anyone. The thought of it turned you sick. The only physical contact you had within the past year was with Grogu – he always demanded you pick him up – but he was different. He was a baby. Mando was not. He was silent as he studied the bandage, his breathing sounding raspy through his modulator. Before you knew it, he removed his gloves. That’s when you first had a glimpse of the man underneath the armour. His hands, large, covered in callouses, were a perfect golden colour - he wasn’t pale like you. Your skin resembled that of a corpse – deathly white. And even though his hands were intimidatingly large, they were gentle. He carefully unravelled the bandage. Silence enveloped you both, with the exception of the odd grumble or coo from Grogu. “Cyar’ika, this looks painful,” he murmured as he focused on the injury on your now upturned palm, “you need to be healed.” How was I going to be healed? you thought. You’d used a bacta-shot so there was no way you were going to get an infection. “Kid, do your thing,” Mando addressed Grogu, who was gazing at us both, “you get to sleep and then play with your bubbles later.” Grogu chirped, blinking incessantly at Mando. He shuffled around a little and then lifted his arms, his three-fingered hands moving about as if he wanted to be picked up. “I can’t little one. My hand is injured, and I don’t have the bandage on,” you said, guilt in your voice. “He’s not wanting to be picked up,” Mando explained, “he’s going to do his healing thing.” Before you could even argue, Grogu, in complete concentration mode, started to wiggle his fingers around more. Your gaze averted to your injured hand, it was beginning to heal.

With Grogu having been asleep for what seemed like an eternity, you felt lost. Your mind was starting to race overtime and you could feel the psychological pressure form in your head – the thing was, you had a million and one questions. Would Mando answer? Who knows? He was a silent type normally, never really answering questions – either because he couldn’t, wouldn’t or shouldn’t. It was hard to tell. He always remained a complete mystery, but that was the thing, unlike many, you enjoyed mystery – you didn’t like finding out too much all at once. It was the sure-fire way of losing interest. You decided enough was enough and finally left Grogu to join Mando in the cockpit. He was focusing on what was in front of him. As you sat in the chair, you didn’t utter a word, fearful of breaking his concentration. Your eyes scanned over his entire form, watching him. “You need to make the staring a little less obvious,” a voice, with the underlying tone of a laugh broke the silence. He hadn’t even turned around, but he knew it was you. “So, he’s sarcastic when he wants to be,” you bit back at him to the best of your ability, eyes still fixed on him. Everything fell silent once more. “Mando, I’ve been with you for the past year, and although I’m grateful, I just feel like, I-I-don’t know you.” As he was about to respond, his tracker beeped erratically, “We need to land.”

PRESENT DAY

All the days seemed to roll into one. You’d been on Tatooine for three months now. Mando was hardly around and he took the Razor Crest with him. For the first time in a long time, You felt neglected. And hurt. Peli Motto, a mechanic who Mando knew well, put you up in digs so you were safe from harm’s way. She didn’t have to, but she did. She owed him, and he was grateful for her goodwill gesture, and so were you. “You still waitin’ for him? He’ll come back y’know.” You turned your head to look at her over your shoulder, breaking your gaze from the landscape in front of you, “I want him back for his sake.” “He’ll come back for both of you,” Peli smiled, as she stroked Grogu’s ear. Grogu held on to you so tight, night after night. He missed Mando terribly. You were his only source of comfort. “I don’t know where he goes, who he goes after,” you sighed, squeezing Grogu tighter, “I tried contacting him the other night because this little womp rat gets restless if he doesn’t hear his voice. I just don’t know where to go anymore with any of this. I’m terrified Peli.” Peli led you away from the balcony to sit you down, “You love him, don’t you?” I don’t know – do I? was all you could think of saying but your brain wasn’t connecting well with your vocal cords, so you failed to speak. Peli smiled warmly, her eyes jumping from you to Grogu constantly, “Because I know for a fact, he loves you. May not show it very well to you, but when you’re on the outside looking in, it’s the most obvious thing since this little one is green.” You were overcome by a wave of emotion - you felt elated, shocked, deceived and sick, but also happy. It felt like you were surrounded by a breath of fresh air yet hit by an oncoming herd of Bantha. “Has he-,” Peli gulped, uncertain whether she has said too much, “has he ever told you?” You surveyed Peli’s facial expressions, “He’s never told me a thing.” You weren’t sure if this was a good or bad thing, but that was something you never disclosed to one another. The only one whose feelings mattered was Grogu’s. You both wanted him to be happy, comfortable, safe and loved. Nothing more, nothing less. Grogu’s cooing made you snap back to reality, and with that, Peli had announced her departure from the room, “I’ll be in the workspace if you need me, but trust me, he’ll be back.”

You sat trying your hardest to digest the words Peli had spoken. You couldn't make sense of any of it. Were you too worried over Mando? Were you worried over Grogu? Were you worried that if he did love you, you weren't good enough? Everything just kept spinning around and around in your mind, which was just in a complete mess. Grogu knew something was wrong. He twisted himself around in your lap so he was face to face with you. His gigantic eyes met yours. What was he thinking? Could he sense how you were feeling? Cooing, he stretched his little hand out toward your cheek. The touch of his hand on your face caused fluttering in your heart. This was the first time you'd felt love - like a mother's love - for someone that never belonged to you. Someone you'd only spent just over a year looking after. You felt a tear roll down your cheek, as you couldn't peel your eyes away from this little being, "I promise you, that whatever happens, I'll always be with you."

It had been weeks since Peli told you about Mando. Although you hadn't let it play on your mind too much, you'd find yourself tending to go back on it every so often, especially as you watched Grogu go to sleep. Watching his perfect little form sleeping so peacefully, his little nose twitching as he drifted off into a dream. He decided to not want to sleep in his crib for a long time, more or less the length of time Mando was gone. You carefully moved about as Grogu slept. Cleaning his crib, you noticed something small, like it was wrapped. You couldn't remember giving anything to Grogu but then did Mando? You wanted to open it, but then you didn't want it to be seen as some sort of betrayal. You mulled over it for some time before making the rash decision to open it.

You sat on the bed. The item you'd pulled from Grogu's crib, on your lap. Carefully, you began unwrapping. When done, the item that was wrapped ever so tightly was now in full view. It was a pendant. A pendant of the Mandalore. Why was it left in with Grogu? You knew that this was only given to those who were deemed part of the creed. This clearly meant that Grogu was indeed part of the Mandalore. You studied the pendant in awe, your heart feeling as though it was being tugged. The little baby you looked after actually belonged somewhere, and you were happy. But what happened to you if Mando didn't return? Did it cover you both? As you pondered, your mind ran away, a million and one thoughts ravaged your brain. You were so deep in your escape that you didn't realise Grogu had woken up until he tugged at your sleeve, "Hey little one, it's ok." Grogu cooed, stifling a yawn. You found him snuggling up to you, and trying to see what you had in your hand. "You're so inquisitive," you chuckled, "it's a special Mandalorian symbol. And it's all yours." As you began to show him what it was, he tried grabbing it, "No baby, I'll look after it for you. You'll try eating it." Grogu grumbled, but not for long. He began babbling, looking up at you all doe-eyed. "Bubbles?" Flashing his little toothy grin, you picked him up, placing the pendant in your pocket and went hunting for the tub of bubbles.

Heading outside, you could hear Peli fixing machinery, either a droid or a glider of some sort. You placed Grogu down on an upside down crate and began to blow the bubbles in his direction. His giggling was infectious yet soothing. Peli appeared from the workspace, and padded over to you, "He sure looks happy." Turning to her, a wide smile on your face, "I'd like to hope he is, and not just because of the bubbles." Your heart sank a little as you reminded yourself that Mando had still not returned. "Oh, he is. He loves you like a mother," she grinned, "it doesn't take a genius to work that out. You hungry?" "Starving." Peli, without hesitation, picked up Grogu and you both walked inside.

For the most part, there was just general chit-chat between you and Peli, about her work, Grogu's fascination with bubbles and food, but then when you were seated, things got a little too much when you started playing with what was in your bowl. "(Y/N), what's wrong?" Peli's voice was enamoured with concern. Sighing, you put your cutlery down, "I just don't know what to do anymore. I feel like he's gone and he's not coming back. Everything just doesn't make sense anymore. He's not here to see Grogu play with his bubbles or go on a short adventure for a change of scenery, hell, he hasn't let me in. God why the hell did I let myself fall in love with him?" The words just came tumbling out, and you didn't have time to think about what you were saying. It's only when you glanced over at Peli with tear-soddened eyes that you realised maybe you sounded like a desperate love sick puppy, but her gaze jumped to you and to the doorway behind you repeatedly. "Is that how you feel cyar'ika?" The familiar modulated baritone came from behind you. By now, you wanted the ground to swallow you whole - not because you were embarrassed about your confession but the fact you were crying. Crying with a confession like that was dangerously embarrassing regardless of the situation. Gulping and quickly wiping tears that rolled down your now flushed cheeks, you began to stand. "I'll leave you two alone," Peli croaked, sweeping Grogu from his chair and leaving for the other room. You stood there, frozen to the spot, staring at Mando. Were you hurt that he showed up out of the blue now after so long? Yes. Were you relieved in knowing that he was still alive and standing in front of you? Yes. "Let's talk in my room," you murmured, trying to keep yourself composed. You led Mando through to the room you'd set up as your sleeping quarters whilst staying with Peli.

Mando closed the door gently behind him. You'd gone over to where the balcony was by the time he padded over to the bed. You began trembling, letting out a heartfelt sigh as you gazed into the sunset on the Tatooine landscape. You needed to speak to Mando. What you would say to him would be a different story. You clenched your eyes shut, thinking carefully about what you were going to say, when you felt calloused hands snake around your midriff. "I'm so sorry cyar'ika." The voice sounded different, almost stripped back. The feeling of raspy facial hair grazed across your exposed neck. Opening your eyes, you came to the realisation that he'd removed his helmet. Struggling, you turned around to face him. Your heart began to race profoundly, your stomach felt like butterflies. He had removed his helmet and you were in awe of the man standing in front of you, "Mando? Why have-" He cut you off, "My name is Din. Din Djarin. And I need you to know that I'm sorry for being away from you all this time, and for keeping my walls up. And yes, I've just gone against my creed by removing my helmet but I'd risk it all for you in a heartbeat." You stayed completely silent, unsure of where you were even going to go with the conversation. "Being away from you was a test, and a hunt, but primarily a test. For me. For you. For us. And now I know that I cannot live a life without you anymore. Not without you or Grogu. Being without you has made me realise that nothing makes sense. And as for being with you, well, there's nothing I want more. I love you cyar'ika." You looked a mess right now, and you knew it and he looked every inch perfect. His dishevelled dark hair, golden glowing skin, his mismatched facial hair. Your heart skipped a beat. "You know, I really want to scream at you because you have made me so angry, but I also want to scream right now because you are the most frustratingly beautiful man I've ever laid eyes on," you said, trying to control your emotions, "but Mando- sorry, Din, I love you too. With all my heart. You and Grogu." He was stood there, his arms open in an invitational gesture. Without hesitation, you fell into his arms. "You are so beautiful," he whispered as he pressed his lips to your hair, "and I also know you found the pendant." "Wha-how do you know?" trying to sound surprised. "It's not in his crib," you heard him whisper, sensing he was smirking, "it's pretty special because that's meant for the three of us. There's the main outline, which is mine, the middle outline, which is yours and the centrepiece of all, well, that is Grogu's. We're a family now, and nothing will take that away." You looked up into his deep chocolate brown eyes, which had a mischievous sparkle in them, "Thank you for everything, including taking your helmet off." As you flashed him a wink, his lips curled into a smirk, and then without a warning, they came crashing down like a mass tidal wave onto yours. This was it. This was the way your life had panned, and it was written in the stars.

#the mandalorian #din djarin #din djarin x reader #din djarin fanfiction

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katefiction · 4 years ago

Text

Second Chances - Part I

by mrandmrswales (Emily) / August 23. 2013

This is slightly different to what I normally write but I’m quite proud of it so far! There should be another part to it, as its quite a long fanfiction. Thank you to the lovely Maria for helping me with the title, I was stuck about this but I think it fits nicely. Anyway, don’t forget to give me feedback and I hope you like reading it! (This is all fiction)

The first thing that 19 year old Catherine Middleton saw when her lids fluttered open that first morning was the sight of rain pouring down outside the thin glass window. The trees swayed vulnerably under the force of the cruel wind. Kate let out an inaudible groan and squeezed her eyes shut again, imagining that the rain and wind were nothing but the soundtrack to a typical morning at home. The previous night had been a haze of plane flights and driving through rocky terrain until a cluster of cabins had loomed out of the night. Kate and about 20 others had been herded from a car and split into one of the many cabins, males one way and females the other. By that point, everyone’s eyelids had been drooping and sleep had been a welcome relief.

‘All right everyone up!’

A shrill voice echoed through the hut and several loud groans echoed across the room. Kate grinned at the sound, remembering the fuss that would occur in the mornings at boarding school. She pulled herself up off the floor, her back protesting at the night slept on the floor. Her body would have to get used to it, she had 10 weeks left of this.

Half an hour later, the women were herded out of the hut, across the wet, cold yard and into a small kitchen. A huge vat of porridge bubbled on the small cooker and roughly 10 boys sat bleary eyed at a long bench while many more were gathered in a parallel room to be briefed by the other guides. A couple of hushed whispers and giggles erupted from behind Kate and she turned back to see the source.

‘Oh my god!’

‘I can’t believe it’s really him!’

Kate rolled her eyes and turned to sweep her gaze across the bench, her eyes eventually settling on a young man with familiar eyes and a mob of blonde hair. It was no other than Prince William.

————————————————————————————————————————————–

‘Hi I’m Will.’

‘Kate. Pleased to meet you.’ William met her gaze from under his blonde mop of hair and smiled bashfully. Kate turned to the sink to hide the sudden blush creeping up her neck.

‘Shall we get started?’

‘Yep. What needs to be done?’

‘I think the dishes and then the cutlery.’ Kate said, her gaze sweeping over the pile of dirty plates beside the two tiny sinks. Outside the window, the sun swept its golden rays from over the distant hills and the sound of their friends laughing and chatting filled their ears. ‘Let’s get it done shall we?’ Kate said at the envious look on William’s face.

‘So…um, where abouts do you live?’ William asked racking his brain for conversation starters. Kate smiled.

‘I live in a village called Bucklebury in Berkshire.’ She replied softly. ‘You live in London I suppose?’

William shrugged, ‘Yeah, but I also live in Scotland I guess. I go there quite a lot.’

‘Ah nice. I love Scotland.’ Kate replied with a reassuring smile.

William grinned, happy to have a mutual interest at last. ‘Yeah. It’s always been my sanctuary because the paps can’t get to us there.’ He replied casually and Kate shot him a glance. The idea of being chased around by strange men seemed absurd, but to him it was presumably normal.

‘What’s it like being royal?’ She asked suddenly, blushing furiously at his amused look. ‘Sorry..I..that was an odd question.’ She muttered, but William shook his head, turning back to the dish he was drying.

‘It’s just something that I’ve always been aware of. Mum always kept Harry and I grounded but the idea of being King always hung over me. I’m different, but I have always resented being so. The paparazzi make it harder of course because nothing is ever private to them.’ Kate smiled sympathetically.

‘I can’t pretend to know what it feels like to have old men chasing you around but I can guess. It must be really ghastly.’

‘Yeah it’s pretty bad. It makes finding girlfriends or making friends hard because they’re never afraid to hunt them down and find every last detail about them.’ William sighed and moved onto the next plate. Kate tutted and did the same, shooting glances at his hunched frame and floppy blonde hair. The idea of having a casual conversation with the future King of England at a sink in Chile seemed almost dream-like and unimaginable, but to her surprise it was so normal. He was just like any other 19 year old boy except slightly more experienced in life’s hardships.

‘So what university are you going to go to after the summer?’ She asked flippantly. William grimaced and opened his mouth to speak.

‘Oh I’m-’

‘KATE?!!! CAN YOU COME HERE PLEASE? MARK HAS SPILT WATER ON YOUR JUMPER!’ William was interrupted and Kate groaned.

‘Excuse me.’ She said and rushed from the room, William shooting an amused glance at her as she hurried from the room.

—————————————————————————————–

It was a crisp, cool morning as Kate left the cabins to make her way down to the woods where she was to chop wood with William. Dew shone like diamonds over the springy grass and the mist hung over the trees, cloaking the area in grey. The hill was steep and wet as Kate tentatively made her way down towards where William stood, already chopping wood. He looked up as she approached

‘Hello again, you and I always seem to be together!’ He grinned ‘Come to check I’m chopping right?!’

‘Yeah, Kirsty said she didn’t trust you not to accidentally chop your arm off’ Kate replied with a chuckle. William’s face twisted into mock hurt and he handed her an axe.

The two began chopping in contented silence, the sound of birds chirping joyfully and wood splitting under the blow of metal being the only noises that filled the valley. Kate looked up through her fringe at William, admiring the concentration on his young face, every now and again reaching to sweep a lock of golden hair away from his face. He looked at her suddenly and she blushed.

‘Admiring my talent at chopping wood?!’ He teased and Kate laughed.

‘Most definitely. One might even think you did it as a professional’ William tutted but smiled all the same.

‘So tell me about yourself. Do you have any brothers or sisters?’

‘I have a younger sister and brother called Pippa and James. Pippa and I are very close because were quite close in age, whereas James is quite a bit younger than me. I love him very much though, although he does drive me mad sometimes! Although, Pippa drives me more mad! She knows how to wind me up better than anything.’

William smiled ‘Care to share how?’

‘That would be telling!’ The two’s eyes held each other’s for a moment and Kate felt a small blush creeping up her neck.

‘So.’ She said suddenly, shaking her head free from thoughts of drowning in his clear blue eyes. ‘You just have Harry? You get on well?’

‘Oh yes, Harry is one of my best friend. He, like your sister loves to wind me up though. Especially in public when I can’t do anything about it! Ever since Mum…died. We’ve been very close. I was the one that…told him.’ William’s eyes shadowed over and his face became sad, almost vulnerable. Kate said nothing, averting her eyes so as to give him a moment. She had never dreamt that she would ever hear William talking so openly to her of all people about his mother, one of the most famous women who ever roamed the earth and was so dear to him.

Before she could stop herself she blurted out ‘I can’t even imagine how hard that must have been.’

William looked at her and she saw his eyes soften slightly as they roamed over her. ‘It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. It tore him apart, and even to this day I’m the only one who ever truly knows how badly it did. You don’t recover from something like that.’

‘No.’ Kate said softly and stepped forward so she was level to him.

‘I miss her so much’ He whispered, his eyes locking with hers.

‘Your mother would be so proud of everything you’ve done. You’ve been a fantastic brother to Harry and you’ve held yourself together. That’s more than some people could do. She replied softly.

He looked at her for a moment ‘You’re a special girl Kate.’

‘I like to think so.’ Kate replied jokingly and he grinned, the sadness broken.

‘Shall we play a game?’

‘A game?’

‘Yeah. How about 21 questions? So I can really get to know you.’

Kate laughed ‘Go on then, but I can assure you I’m a very boring person.’

‘No more boring than me. Right, first question: How old were you when you had your first kiss?’

’16.’

What’s your favourite food?

‘Aw that’s a hard one. Umm… I’m going to go with my mum’s spaghetti bolognaise.’

‘Good answer. What’s one of your most embarrassing moments?’

‘The time I accidentally flashed my ‘behind’ at my housemistress. We used to do it at the boys and she walked in one time. Oh God it was so embarrassing.’

William laughed ‘Right, question number four: What is it of me that you like the most?’

‘Your eyes.’

William raised his eyebrows ‘anything else while we’re at it?’

‘Shut up and ask me the next question!’

‘All right! Favourite sport?’

‘Hockey’

‘Favourite item of clothing?’

‘My little black dress.’

‘What do you want to be when your older?’

‘I still don’t know. Something to do with fashion I think.’

‘Favourite colour?’

‘Blue.’

‘Favourite movie?’

‘Ummm. Probably-’

‘CATHERINE?!’

Kate jumped and William turned around. Kirsty, their activities leader stood at the top of the hill. ‘YOUR NEEDED UP HERE PLEASE! IS THE WOOD ALL CHOPPED?’

‘YES! JUST COMING’ Kate shouted back and began to gather her wood together. ‘Guess we’ll have to finish this another time.’

‘Guess so. Well see you later, I’ve just got a bit to go.’

‘Okay.’ Kate smiled and tore herself away, reluctantly heading back to camp, cursing whoever it was that needed her.

——————————————————————————————-

‘Good Morning everyone, today is the day when you meet the children at the nursery for the first time! Now you all have had training the last few days so you know what you’re doing. Just have fun and be gentle with them, particularly you lot!’ Kirsty their trainer said with a laugh, pointing at the men who were listening to her with huge grins on their faces.

Kirsty continued, Kate and the others listening intently to their team leader as she ran them through the details of the school day. Kate had been looking forward to doing this rather than just doing activities at the camp as she loved children. From across the circle of people, she caught William’s eye and he grinned cheekily at her. The two had grown close as they were often thrown together in activities such as hunting, chopping wood or just washing up. She had even heard William say he preferred her company to some of the other girls who did nothing but ogle him or giggle when he spoke. All in all however, they all got on well and had become fast friends. Kate had grown close to many of the women and men, some older, some younger. William had become her closest confidant and the longer she spent in his company, the more Kate was beginning to fall for him. She had tried not to, especially as she knew he wouldn’t like her back like that. However, unfortunately when it came to love, logic never came into it. Kate stuck her tongue out at him and turned back to listening to Kirsty, trying to ignore the tingly feeling in her stomach from his smile.

Kate watched with a huge grin on her face as Will and Mark Turner careered around the patio with two 3 year old boys on their shoulders. A huge amount of noise was coming from all four and Kate and the other volunteers were all watching and laughing as the boys screeched with joy. The last two hours had been spent teaching the children to read and spell, with time imbetween for playing. The children were all very sweet and Kate had started to fall in love with several of the little girls who insisted on playing hairdressers with her long hair. Kate was about to turn back into the classroom to continue the English lesson she was teaching when William glanced up and grinned at her from underneath a lock of blonde hair. Immediately, a shiver ran down her spine and she smiled dreamily back. Beside her, her friend Ellie looked suspiciously at her. Kate caught her eye and blushed.

‘What?’

‘You’re not falling for him are you?’ She whispered back, concern mingling with amusement.

‘What? No of course not. He’s like my best friend!’

‘Yeah, but that look you just gave him was hardly platonic.’

‘Oh come on Ellie, he’s good looking but I don’t like him like that.’

‘Me thinks the lady doth protest too much’

Kate tutted and turned away, not wanting Ellie to figure out the truth from the blush on her cheeks. She knew it was ridiculous and she would get over him but in all honesty, she knew that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. She just hoped he would realise or even return her feelings.

‘Perhaps tonight at the salsa dancing he will whisk you onto the dance floor and kiss you passionately!’ Ellie whispered again. Kate snorted and returned her eyes back to where William was now cuddling several youngsters, however Ellie’s words niggled in her head. Maybe tonight was the night.

—————————————————————————————-

Kate shivered and warmed her hands over the roaring bonfire, captivated by the different colours dancing together in harmony. Beyond it, shadows of her friends illuminated against the night sky by the flames showed their bodies, dancing in harmony to the music that roared through the village. Laughter filled the air, partly to do with the alcohol supplied to them by the villagers and partly to do with the Salsa dancing, many partook in. Turning her head to the left slightly, she caught sight of William, leaning against the wall of a little hut, casually holding a glass of local beer. His deep laughter sent a shiver down her spine which she revelled in momentarily before chastising herself for allowing him to have that effect over her. Standing in front of him in a casual stance, stood Hilary Castle; her blonde hair glowing in the light of the fire and her lithe body leaning into him. She watched with jealousy as he dipped his head closer to her to hear what she was saying before laughing again, throwing his head back in mirth while his blue eyes twinkled. Unable to watch any longer, Kate stood up and wandered over to where the salsa dancing was taking place. Within minutes she was thrust into the arms of a slightly drunk village boy, the music running through her as she allowed her inhibitions to leave her.

It took one glance over to ruin the evening for Kate. All of a sudden, the warm tingly feeling from the dancing and the alcohol and the laughter left her. She felt numb, her eyes unable to tear themselves away from the sight of his lips moving over hers, their bodies pressed against the wall in eagerness and the glass of beer abandoned on the floor at their feet, its contents leaking over the grass. The shrieks of laughter from her drunk companions only reminded her that what alcohol she had consumed was not enough to numb the pain of him kissing someone else. Extracting herself from her partner’s iron grip, she hurried over to the bar and grabbed a glass of something.

‘You okay?’ Kate jumped and whirled around to face a young local. He had large brown eyes and floppy hair. He grinned at her ‘I’m Marcos’, holding out his hand to shake hers. Then, he pointed to the large glass she was about to knock back. ‘Do you just want to get really drunk or is there something wrong?!’ He asked, sounding amused. ‘That stuff is strong.’

‘Oh. Well…I just. Um.’ Kate stuttered, her brain refusing to form coherent thoughts. Then, on seeing his kind expression, sunk into the chair next to him and buried her head in her hand. ‘To be honest, I just want to block out the image of the guy I like snogging the face off someone else.’

‘Ahh.’ He replied, and took a measured sip of his drink. ‘Guy troubles.’ Kate nodded and gave a muffled sniff. ‘Well I know the perfect way of clearing your head.’ Kate looked up at him and raised an eyebrow.

‘What would that be? And don’t say Salsa dancing, I’m really not in the mood.’

He chuckled. ‘Salsa dancing, when done with a professional, is very sexy. It looks fantastic and is perfect for getting back at him. You don’t have to do much, leave it up to me. All you have to do is look interested in me, laugh and smile and he will be fuming.’ He replied, puffing out his chest proudly. ‘Come on!’

Kate hesitated. She didn’t want to be petty, but it did sound perfect at showing him she didn’t care. Plus it would save her from disgracing herself tonight and ending up with a colossal hangover in the morning. Giving him her hand, she allowed herself to be pulled from the chair and into the open, next to the roaring fire.

Kate was vaguely aware of the noise surrounding her as they cheered her and Marcos on. The music fired through her veins, stronger than what alcohol could have done. His arms around her were like an iron vice, but were gentle at the same time. Their hips moved in unison and his eyes bored into hers. If she didn’t know that the look on his usual cheeky face was for effect, she would think that he was a passionate lover. He spun her around, flipped her upside down and lifted her to the sky, all the while; never leaving her eyes. She played her part, laughing and smiling, although it didn’t take long for it to become natural rather than forced. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw William, watching. His features knitted together in a conflicted expression while Hilary stood beside him, cheering them on like the rest of the blurred faces around the campfire as she passed them. Marcos let out a small smile every time he saw her eyes dart away from his to see William.

‘It’s working’ He murmured, flipping her down again suddenly, a shriek of laughter escaping her lips as he did so.

The evening ended with them all singing around the fire, most very drunk by now. Kate herself was feeling a bit woozy, having had a few drinks with Marcos afterwards. She had caught William watching her, even so with his arm draped around Hilary, a woozy smile on his face and his usually clear blue eyes hazy. She ignored him, hoping that maybe he would see how much he had hurt her. Surely he knew that she liked him? Perhaps he didn’t. Kate had pushed that thought out of her head. Practically everyone else knew she liked him, surely he did too?

Kate collapsed into bed that night feeling happier than she had in days. Slowly the sounds of singing quietened down, and one by one, everyone had fallen into a contented sleep. Kate slept soundly, a small smile still playing on her lips. William however, lying next door, lay awake, the images of Kate pressed against another man with a huge smile on her face flashing through his mind, mingling with the ones of his lips pressed against Hillary’s. Confliction ran through him, was it possible he liked Kate? She was his best friend…but what about Hilary? He knew he liked Hilary also. Kate couldn’t possibly like him, he thought. Eventually William fell into a troubled sleep, alcohol numbing his thoughts.

————————————————————————————————————————————–

Kate let out a huge yawn as she made her way to the kitchen the following morning for breakfast. Truth be told she had a little headache, but nothing compared to what it could have been if Marcos hadn’t stepped in when he did. Wondering if there was some porridge, she opened the door and entered the small, messy kitchen. Her heart sank as she saw the one person she really didn’t want to see sat at the large table in the middle. He looked tired and was gulping down a cup of coffee. He looked up as she entered and smiled nervously.

‘Morning Kate’

‘Morning’ she replied, ‘Is there any porridge going?’

‘Yeah it’s on the stove’

Kate helped herself, trying to ignore the tense silence that passed between them. It made her sad, she didn’t want their friendship compromised. She smiled at him as she took a seat opposite him.

‘You look tired’ She commented as he knocked back the dredges of coffee from his mug. He shrugged.

’Yeah. Last night was quite wild.’

Kate nodded, her lips set in a tight line before she began to eat her porridge.

William lifted his head up from where they had previously been staring into his coffee cup and his blue eyes held hers for a few magical seconds.

‘What do you think of Hilary? Is she as nice as I think she is?’ He asked, trying to make light of the awkward situation.

‘Yeah, she’s lovely. Had a crush on you for ages. She wouldn’t shut up last night!’ Kate chuckled, but it sounded hollow and empty, a shell of its previous self.

William nodded nervously and opened his mouth to speak when the door flew open and William was interrupted. Hilary entered, in all her shining glory, her blonde hair done in a French plait and a tight white top highlighting her curves.

‘Morning!’ She chirruped loudly, settling herself next to William ‘How did you sleep Wills? Hope you spent all night dreaming about me like I did!’ Kate struggled to hold in a wince as she laughed loudly, flipping her hair back and thrusting her chest out.

William smiled, ‘Of course. Who could forget about you?’ Kate’s wince was even more obvious than before and Hilary turned to her, her eyes narrowed

‘Is something the matter? Your ruining the atmosphere between me and my boyfriend’ She announced to which Kate laughed hollowly.

‘Boyfriend? So shoving your tongue down a practical stranger’s throat one evening suddenly means you’re together does it?’ Kate stood up suddenly, picked her bowl up and dumped it loudly in the sink. ‘I’ll be in the village if you need me’ and swept out, leaving William and Hilary staring in astonishment after her.

————————————————————————————————————————————–

Hi Kate,

Pippa here! I miss you lots but I’m sure you’re really enjoying yourself out in Chile! I can’t believe that Prince William is in the same place as you!! You will have to tell me ALL the gossip when you get back! My friends and I are seriously jealous of you! A-Levels are as tiring as always, even more so without you to help me! I broke up with Louis and I really wish you were here to give me advice. It sucks but I’ll get over it. I felt it best as he’s leaving for Australia in a few weeks. Do you have your eye on someone? I bet you do! Anyway, Mum wants to add a note on so I’d better finish! Write back soon okay?

Lots of Love

Pippa. Xxx

Darling Kate,

I hope you’re doing well, I’ve been checking the weather forecast every day to see that you will be okay. You’re in for a bit of nice weather for a while so that will be nice. Thank you for the lovely letter you sent a few weeks ago, it sounds lovely out there. We miss you so much, James and Daddy send their love. James is in the middle of his exams so high tension running through the house on weekends! Pippa tells him to stop worrying but you know how hard it is for him! I miss being able to talk to you about things darling but I suppose I’d better get used to it since you will be off to University soon! Must end now darling as I’m running out of space. All my love and kisses

Mummy xxx

Kate smiled in amusement at her sister’s chatty expressions as she wandered away from the tiny post office in the village. Some of her anger and upset had cleared on receiving her letter and the sun shining made her feel brighter.

‘Hello again’ Came a familiar voice behind her and she spun around to face Marcos, his dark eyes dancing and his hair messy. ‘How’s your head?!’

Kate grinned despite herself, his smile was infectious. ‘Not too bad. Although watching Hilary and William snog over breakfast didn’t help my mood.’ Marcos frowned sympathetically

‘Not even the sexy salsa with a dashing signor helped?’

‘No.’ Kate sighed and began to walk, him trotting beside her as they made their way to the local crafts shop.

‘He’s an idiot then.’

‘No he’s not’ Kate replied before she could stop herself.

‘So are you.’ He said, rolling his eyes. ‘Come on’ and he grabbed her arm and herded her into the shop.

Half an hour later, Kate and Marcos came out of the shop, giggling happily about nothing. Kate felt considerably brighter than she had since she woke up and having bought a few goods for her family had cheered her up.

‘Don’t look now.’ Came Marcos’ voice suddenly, breaking into her thoughts as they made their way back through the village towards the cabins. Kate lifted her head and her eyes scanned the area, falling on the sight of two lovers kissing against a tree. She giggled,

‘Why? It’s cute, they’re just kissing!’

‘No really. Don’t look Kate. It’s William and little miss leave-me-alone-to-snog-my-stranger-boyfriend.’ Kate’s heart plummeted into her stomach and she averted her eyes.

‘Lets go the other way’ She mumbled, but Marcos grabbed her arm and looked at her, his eyes blazing.

‘No. were going to walk right on past.’

‘Oh do we have to?’

‘Yes.’ And with that, he began to drag her up the path towards where they stood, arms entwined and heads bent.

She thought she’d made it past without either noticing, the cabins were so close and she was nearly there-

‘-Kate?’ She winced and turned apprehensively around

‘Yes?’

William was looking up at her, his hair messy and a guilty look on his face. Hilary stood beside him, also slightly rumpled and her lips swollen. William stepped forward

‘Are you okay? You seemed a bit upset this morning.’

‘Oh yes I’m fine! Absolutely smashing.’ She said cheerfully, desperately trying to keep sarcasm out of her tone. “There’s nothing like watching the guy I’m in love with snogging the face of someone else three times in the space of 24 hours” She thought.

William didn’t look convinced and opened his mouth to speak when Hilary stepped forward. She looked a little put out.

‘William. I know she’s your best friend but is there really any need to waste any more of our time together worrying about her? I mean she looks fine to me! Excuse us Kate, my boyfriend and I have some business to attend to.’ She said, a smug look on her face as she finished. She grabbed William’s arm at which he suddenly looked very irritated. Kate ground her teeth together and turned to leave

‘Come on Marcos. Let’s get a drink.’

Marcos nodded obediently and hurried after her, concern etched on his tanned face as she stormed off, all the while William staid rooted to the spot, watching her leave.

to be continued…

#mrandmrswales #royal fanfiction #cambridge fanfiction #kate middleton

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ahiddenpath · 4 years ago

Note

7, 8, 9, and 10 for Meme for Fic Writers. Have fun!

Ahhh, thank you for the asks, my friend! Here is the question list. Throwing it under the cut for length!

7.) Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Seeking Resonance

“But, even as he ran his fingers down her upper arm, even as he acknowledged that she was a crucial part of him, Takeru wished that he could step away from her, ridding himself of the intruder who burrowed more deeply towards his core every day. There is fear in love, he repeated to himself. It was the opening line in one of his latest- and most popular- poems. It was certainly not a new thought, but then, what was? What mattered was the presentation, the depth of emotion placed into the words. And he had bled out over that poem, plucking words from his heart as one might pluck thorns from flesh: slowly, carefully, with much pain, swearing, and wine.”

I’m not saying that this is the best thing I’ve written, or even that I’m proud of it, but... I like this bit because I think I nailed what writing can feel like, sometimes. That’s when you know you’re being vulnerable and honest.

And if you’re going to read just one thing I’ve written- just one full chapter- make it Yamato’s chapter in After August. It’s got everything, man. It’s got some solid writing, it’s got Hiroaki, it’s got me finally starting to really figure out how to write Yamato, it’s got the coalescence of the point I was struggling to reach with the whole fic. Check out the opening scene:

When Yamato left for school this morning, his father was already gone. He returned to an empty apartment, cooked and ate alone, cleaned up, and started his homework in his room. Scowling, Yamato dropped his pencil and leaned back in his chair. The quiet was intense, endless, absolute. It was to the ears as utter darkness is to the eyes: a fearsome void.

He drummed his fingers against the desk, needing the noise. He considered moving to the living room and turning on the TV or stereo, but the thought made him tense. Living rooms were supposed to be shared spaces, gathering places. His bedroom already felt huge. The main apartment area was like a cavern.

The image made him shudder. The four walls surrounding him seemed to darken. Yamato exclaimed, slammed his hands on the desk, and pushed himself to his feet. Could the dark cave suck him in on earth?

Gabumon's not here to help me. No one is. Yamato's breathing was labored, lungs straining for air. He collapsed on his bed, bent over, and cradled his head in his hands.

Seconds passed, and nothing happened. Somewhat reassured, Yamato straightened. His eyes landed on the framed picture on the edge of his desk. He focused on Gabumon as his heartbeat slowed back to normal.

Sighing, Yamato lifted the picture and pulled it in. When he was upset in the Digital World, Gabumon sometimes asked him to play the harmonica. Somehow, his digimon knew that making music was an outlet for Yamato, a way to siphon off his emotions.

I guess I was thinking that it's too quiet... Yamato sat the picture down, then leaned forward to open a desk drawer. His harmonica was stored there in its case, the spot where it remained now, safe from being lost or damaged.

Yamato grabbed the instrument and spent a moment appreciating the tactile sensations of cool metal and sliding his fingers over the square openings in the comb. He lay down on his bed, closed his eyes, and lifted the harmonica to his mouth.

Although he already had a song in mind, he warmed up with a few scales, inhaling and exhaling to hit every note, blocking airflow to unwanted chambers with his tongue. Giving each part of the instrument its due was meditation for his troubled heart.

And after his breath warmed each chamber and every note sang, he began to play Gabumon's favorite song.

8.) Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Hahahaha! For me, I love love love writing dialogue between Koushiro and Taichi. I feel that Koushiro can be his most direct and short with Taichi, and that’s... So, so, delightful. I also really love when writers or actors convey characters talking over each other/cutting one another off, because it happens so often, and is so rarely shown? (Also, you can see from the “cool head” bit that I had not yet nailed writing Yamato at this point).

From Seeking Resonance:

Thankfully, this set the operator down to business, and the ambulance was dispatched. Taichi lowered the phone and stared down at Eimi. Now what do I do? He had no clue, so he called Yamato, turning to someone with a cool head. When the call went to voice mail, he tried Koushiro, muttering orders for the nerd to get off his computer and answer. His nerves frayed more with each ring, and he barked a curse when the chiming stopped.

An exasperated sigh blew into his ear. “Honestly, Taichi-san. Be profane elsewhere. I’m trying to work.”

“Koushiro!” A flash of relief and surprise lightened his strain. It didn’t even occur to him to pick at his friend for being up and probably working before sunrise.

“Thank God. Shut up and listen.”

“Taichi-san-” The dry disapproval that accompanied their typical repartee colored Koushiro’s voice. Taichi grunted in response, but it sounded more like a growl.

“Shut up! I’m with Eimi-”

“I’m aware-”

“I just called her an ambulance. She’s nonresponsive and burning up. She, she…” His voice broke in a fashion he hadn’t heard since early puberty. “She looks like shit, Koushiro. I, I’m terrified.”

There was a short beat of silence, broken by a sharp intake of breath on the opposite line. “What do I do?!”

“Uh- Well-” In any other situation, Taichi would have laughed at Koushiro for stalling and stuttering, but it scraped at his nerves now. “Jyou keeps an emergency bag in the closet closest to his front door-”

“How the hell does that help me-”

“And he likely passed that habit onto Eimi-san. Check and see if she has one. It should contain clothing, personal items, insurance information, and the like. And at this hour, you’re probably running around in boxers.”

Taichi was already sprinting towards the foyer closet, his feet crashing like thunder against the stairs. He was, as Koushiro predicted, a pair of boxers away from being butt naked. “Fuck you.”

“Charmed. Find the bag, clothe yourself, and carry Eimi to the couch in the library; it’s closest to the front door. Put something on her feet. Text me the name of the hospital. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Koushiro- Thank you.” Taichi cut the call off without waiting for a reply, then shoved the phone under his armpit. His bare feet slid against the hardwood as he cut his speed by the closet.

9.) Which fic has been the hardest to write?

...Seeking Resonance, probably. I think I got pretty real about how hard it is to make your way as an adult. It’s a vulnerable work.

10.) Which fic has been the easiest to write?

Definitely So You Were Alive, which I wrote and posted in under two hours.

#ask hidden #sluggybasson107

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tracybirds · 5 years ago

Text

:DD I finished!! Part 2!! of my Man from TB5 AU!! yay!!! A reminder for those who don’t recall last week let alone last month, this is based on a prompt by @kenzie-running-free :

A 'what-if' story based on "The Man From TB5" where the Hood recognized John in the scene when he makes himself known (instead of John stuttering).

Uh and so I did that and then John got kidnapped. Full backstory here: [Part 1]

Super many thanks to @gumnut-logic and @plantmuffin for reading parts and chatting plotting with me :D You’re both lovely!

Enjoy!!

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

The silence that followed John’s dramatic exit was the hardest part. No one spoke, the only sound the roaring of the wind and the faint beeping in John’s ear that told him the connection had not yet been re-established. Perhaps, it wouldn’t. The Hood had intended for Penelope to call his brothers to her, and crucially away from him, so it followed that the frequency disrupter was concealed on his person.

If it were him in his ‘bird, he knew how to trace the dead air that a comm jam inevitably created. There was a trail that would follow, maintenance reports and upgrades listed. There was sudden news spreading online of short, unexplained communication failures, a flurry of online activity that burst into life the moment the disruption ended.

He wasn’t in his ‘bird. He didn’t have access to a vast network of datastreams and information caches and statistical modelling programmes. He had a radio that was only connected to a single network and magnetic socks for all the good they would do him. And he had thrown away the one item that might have been useful as a weapon.

After that impulsive choice, he wasn’t certain he could claim his brain as an asset.

One problem at a time. He knew how to calm a racing mind, knew how to create order out of apparent chaos.

Three goons.

One mastermind.

No control over the mechanism strapped to his body.

Wind chill.

No way to contact his family and make his position known.

Yet.

The steady beeping of an unconnected comm was replaced by crackling static. A stationary frequency disruptor then, not on the Hood’s personage at all. It would make things harder for Penelope and Parker to get out of the mess they were in, if they needed to destroy the jamming technology themselves, but it gave John a chance. He twisted slightly in his harness, the unforgiving metal tugging at his skin.

“You won’t get out, boy,” sneered the Hood. “And where would you go? Fall to your death like your mother? Like your friends back at the hotel will?”

John ignored him. His arm snaked higher, feeling underneath the lapel of his suit. He shuddered at the bite of metallic thread, the icy burn spreading outwards from his fingers.

His hands were clumsy and the cold already beginning to muddle his mind as he worked, fighting his instincts to curl up and preserve heat instead of picking at frozen circuitry.

The static dropped into the familiar, faint beeping as they flew through another patch of destructive signal interference. He worked through it, twisting at the threads to create a receiver that would remain open and linked into the iR comm line. To hack into his own network was no mean feat and more than once John had to abruptly shift from fiddling with the electrical components to scratching his chin as the Hood or his men peered back at him. A quiet Tracy was a dangerous Tracy. The Hood had learnt that lesson long ago.

He couldn’t allow more than a sharp inhale of excitement as the radio receiver caught the first snatches of conversation on the air.

“It’s been nearly an hour.”

“And he hasn’t called any of us?”

“EOS, you’re sure this isn’t you?”

“Positive!”

He couldn’t leave a transmission line open, not without creating a signal of his own that would draw attention to himself from unwanted parties. Especially as he couldn’t guarantee it would attract his brothers’ attention. Better to wait.

A new voice broke through.

“Calling International Rescue, we have urgent need of assistance.”

“Lady Penelope?” Scott and Gordon’s voices intertwined, although one displayed considerably more anxiety than the other.

“Lady Penelope, what’s happened to John?” demanded Scott. John could almost see the withering glare he gave their younger brother, almost daring him to speak.

“John’s not… he’s been…”

“Kidnapped by the ‘ood,” cut in Parker. “Begging your pardon, m’lady.”

A loud thump.

“I told you we should take it seriously,” hissed Alan.

“How was I to know it wasn’t his stupid AI being the devil incarnate again?”

“I said it wasn’t me!”

“What information can you give us?” Virgil’s voice was low and calm. John could almost feel his warm hand dropping on his shoulder, his eyes intent and serious.

“I don’t know where John is,” said Penelope, letting out a shaky breath. “But we’ve just destroyed a frequency jammer that was affecting all our communications, and there are three devices slowly cutting through the cables holding up the infrastructure of the hotel. We have nearly 300 civilians that need help now.”

A splutter of outrage came through the earpiece.

“John–”

“Don’t argue with me, Scott Tracy,” Penelope snapped. “Do not think for a second I don’t care about your brother because I do. The Hood wants something from him specifically, he’s not in any immediate danger. But we have experienced altitude shifts from a loss of tension twice in the last forty-five minutes, and we cannot afford to wait much longer.”

“She’s right,” murmured Virgil.

There was an awful silence. John held his breath.

“Thunderbird One and Thunderbird Shadow are our fastest planes,” said Scott. “Kayo, let’s move. Gordon, you and Alan, get up the hotel specs up in the comm sphere, start running timeframe simulations. We need to get those people out of that building.”

“I’ve forward you boys all the information I can.”

“Virgil, can you–”

His stomach in his mouth.

Wind whistling in his ears, drowning out the words.

A drop in altitude, a spike in terror.

He groaned as his body jolted in the harness, the fall abruptly ended with cruel laughter from above. Slowly the mechanical wings retracted and again gravity overcame him. A numb jolt shot up his legs and he crumpled to the hard tarmac. The fall was only a few feet high, but it was enough to cause serious ground shock which slammed through his nerves like a lightning bolt.

John looked up, squinting in the harsh sunlight.

Above him, the Hood and his henchmen circled like vultures, almost lazy in their descent. They would never be able to reach him if he could make a break for it.

‘If’ very much being the operative word.

John looked around him. The mountainous landscape cut off any obvious escape routes. There was a car nearby, evidently left for them to use as a getaway for the next phase of transport. Black, hard top, driver’s seat on the left. He noted the make and model before checking over the sprained wrist he’d sustained as he’d fallen forwards. He grimaced as he tested its range of motion, thanking his lucky stars he was right handed. Gingerly, he dabbed at scrapes beneath his torn dress trousers, doing his best to clean them.

He risked a glance upwards to see how many more precious few moments alone he would be given.

Hunched over his wounds, it was time to make a signal disruptor of his own. He needed a device that would draw attention not only to his existence, but his location. He huffed on his hands, his fingers still stiff and clumsy from the cold. A localised disturbance in the comms network would do it, he knew the precise frequencies that the comms would be operating on and would be able to target a destructive pattern much more efficiently that the broad spectral disruption that the Hood’s device had used. And if he could code a message into the pattern of disruption, all the better.

‘If they can find it.’ He pushed the thought away. His brothers were still chattering in his ear, their focus on the rescue at hand and unaware of his eavesdropping. He knew they were close by, close enough that the comms would record the disruption even if they weren’t looking for it. He just had to hope someone would at least note the regularity of the anomaly when they reviewed the mission logs. He tried not to think about the fact that that someone was usually him.

He had to trust his brothers.

The binary of Morse code made it easy to incorporate, able to be read through the on/off of the signal disruption. They could all recognise a simple SOS message, it had been one of the first rescue lessons their father had drilled into them from childhood. He set the signal to repeat.

Rough hands pulled John upright and he stood on shaky legs that struggled to hold his weight. His adrenaline level was decreasing rapidly, and the resulting shock was beginning to crash his system.

“Get him in the car,” said the Hood, barely glancing at John. “Move quickly, International Rescue will fly over this region soon enough and I want us long gone before they get a sniff of this place.”

“Yes boss.”

John was frogmarched to the back seat and strapped into place. He hadn’t sat in a middle seat since before his first growth spurt and he shifted uncomfortably with his knees around his ears.

“I want something from you, John Tracy.” The Hood sounded bored, merely reciting a daily script with a stranger. “It is a mistake to say I need it. All I want is for you not to have it.”

A soft click drew John’s attention. The cold impression of a barrel against his ribs left him certain of the Hood’s intent. The blood pounded in his ears, the mental instructions he sent to calm his heart rate unheeded by his body.

“I am not concerned how I get it.” John could see the man’s cold, glittering eyes in the rear view mirror. “Do we understand each other, John?”

John licked at his dry lips. His voice was merely a rasp and he hated himself for betraying such an obvious physical reaction.

“We do,” he whispered.

“Excellent.”

John was feeling dizzy. The reality of his situation flashed through his mind, sudden images of being thrown from the hotel, forced out of the sky, the gun that was pressed into his side. He closed his eyes. Faintly, he thought he could hear Alan’s excited voice, his words indistinct as hysteria threatened to overwhelm him.

He couldn’t give that level of satisfaction to his worst enemy.

He wouldn’t allow his emotions to control his responses.

He needed a cool head and all his wits about him if he were to get out of this mess.

The car was speeding along the mountain road, isolated with nobody nearby for miles.

He opened his eyes. Alan was still talking into his ear.

“Guys, I know that’s John.”

“What, so the comm signal drops off nearby and you immediately assume it’s John?” scoffed Gordon. “It happens, alpine regions are always sketchy. It’s back now anyway.”

“Exactly,” said Alan. “Signals that drop off don’t just come back. It’s not random noise either, look at this projection of signal strength. And it’s moving.”

“Kayo, go check it out,” ordered Scott. “It may be nothing, but let’s not take chances. Virgil and I can finish up here, we’re almost done.”

“FAB Scott.”

“Alan, try to make contact. If it is John, I want confirmation of his situation.”

A high pitched frequency assaulted him. Audio feedback, a misplaced connection in the radio receiver and John yelped, bringing his hands up to protect his ears.

He froze, eyes watering.

“Pull. over.”

The Hood’s voice was as silk, a smooth, low, furious sound that demanded obedience.

John didn’t move, didn’t dare draw attention to the radio embedded in his jacket. He could lose the earpiece, despite the anguish it would cause to lose a stable connection to his family. Without the radio itself, their link to him would be destroyed.

Rough hands grabbed at his arm, ignoring the sharp cry as his injured wrist bore his weight as he was hauled from the car.

A hard shove sent him sprawling.

“Get him up,” said the Hood. “Stop wasting my time.”

Revulsion rose from John’s stomach as the Hood stepped closer. His head jerked away, only to be captured in the Hood’s other hand, yanking his ear down to eye level.

“A speaker,” he muttered, plucking the earpiece from its place. He lifted it to his own ear, cocking an eyebrow at the voices that emanated from it.

“So, you’re in contact with them. Clever. And yet you haven’t alerted them to your whereabouts?”

John said nothing.

“There must be a receiving unit. Presumably a transmitter as well – ah! A textile radio, how delightful. Did Brains cook this up for you? But of course he did.”

The jacket was ripped from his body, leaving John shivering in the mountain air.

“How does this work, John? No, don’t tell me. Brains’ inventions are always so intuitive. Very convenient in an emergency, wouldn’t you say John?”

He threw the earpiece back at one of the henchmen holding him in place.

“Best give this part back, we don’t need it.”

The man hesitated.

“Get a move on,” growled the Hood.

John flinched as the earpiece was replaced, his head filled again with the sounds of his family calling to each other back and forth.

The Hood fingered the lapel thoughtfully.

“I can open a transmission to them. Should I do that John? Let them know how helpless you are? How helpless they are?”

“Thunderbird Five calling unknown operator, come in please.”

“They’ll find me. They won’t stop searching.”

“Such faith in family.” The Hood peered into John’s eyes. “Do you really believe that? Surely you recall their past failures. Their prejudices. Their arrogance.”

“We have received an SOS from your location. Please respond.”

He leaned closer.

“John, if you’re out there, give us a sign. Anything. Please.”

Alan’s voice broke. John could hear the shuffling motion of a brother pulling another close. Gordon’s calm, steady voice took over the call.

“You’re about to find out what I learnt long ago. Family lets us down. Family leaves us behind. Family don’t look forever.”

John’s heart thudded in his chest. The Hood’s lips twisted into a cruel smile, a knife twisting in the wound he’d just dealt.

“Of course, you already know that.”

>>>“Dad, we need you.”

>>> “Dad, we won’t stop looking.”

>>> “Dad, please.”

>>> “…”

>>> “Dad, they need me. They need Thunderbird Five.”

>>> “Scott says we have to stop.”

>>>“Dad, I think he’s right.”

John knew. John remembered.

The Hood opened the channel.

“Wait, wait Scott, we have a connection.”

“Can he hear us?”

“John? John?!”

“Anything you’d like me to pass on, John?”

The Hood smiled, a triumphant figure.

“Last chance.”

“Go to hell.”

He laughed, fingers playing on the edge of the jacket lapel.

Twenty-two thousand miles above them, his laugh echoed across a suddenly silent space station.

[Part 3]

#john tracy #the hood #we have a theme tonight folks lol #thunderbirds #thunderbirds are go #sometimes i fic #i should do the bedtime thing now maybe ahaha #maybe #kenzie-running-free #nobody come for me about the audio feedback thing i know that's not how it works #if the show can fudge physics then so can I

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meganshinsou-tm · 5 years ago

Text

Shared Walls. (m)

↳ chapter thirteen: push

❧ genre: pro-hero shouto, coworkers to lovers, happy ending

❧ chapter warnings: slighty physical altercation, manic panic attack, anxiety, (take care of yourselves <3)

[multi-chap masterlist] [previous chapter - next chapter]

You don't know how you even managed to get onto the train after what had just unfolded. Sitting on the cold and hard seat, your fingers grazed your neck and lips that still tingled from the villains touch and kiss. Of course every fiber in you wanted to run straight to Shouto and tell him every single detail about what happened when you saw him but Dabi's threat echoed in your ears making your gut twist and turn. The images of your nightmare returning, a screaming and bloody Shouto reaching out for you. A sheen cold sweat covered your forehead and a hand on your shoulder made you jump.

"Ma'am, the train is stopped, everyone else has already exited."

It was the driver, his eyes searching your blank stare. You looked around to see that he was right, only you and him occupied the hunk of metal, your eyes averted to the open door and widened. Todoroki stood there, hands in his coat pockets and his two toned brows raised in concern as he walked onto the train himself. The conductor looked up to see the hero and was taken back.

"Oh, it's you! Shouto, the half and half hero!"

He seemed to be a fan of the hero, your eyes darted back and forth as Todoroki kept calm and introduced himself with a handshake and motioned to you, his lips moving but silence only fell on your ears. The conductor nodded, bowing as he walked away and back to his quarters. Shouto crouched down beside you, a hand on your knee as he squeezed it.

"(Y/N), look at me."

His soothing voice crept in through the silence and you complied with his demand, your (e/c) eyes staring into his. He could sense something was off, you weren't acting as you were on the phone with him earlier and he could sense fear. Looking up he saw the perspiration on your brow and reached to wipe it off. The temperature out and inside the train was fairly cool and even though you wore a sweater it was light, there was no logical explanation for you to sweat, not unless you were scared. You only ever clammed up like this during and after awaking from your frequent night terrors.

He would know because since your attack it was routine for him to come to your rescue on nights you slept separately. When he'd hear your screams from the other side of the wall his body would react immediately, run to his bag for your spare key and take off to your apartment where he'd find you writhing around in bed, covered in sweat and tears. Each time he would hold you in his lap, rocking you back and forth and use his quirk to wake you, saving you from the graphic images plaguing your slumbers. He knew this look on your face all to well.

"Let's get you home, we'll talk then."

The hero stood from his position, grabbed your grocery carrier in one hand and took one of your own hands into his other. You nodded, still not saying a word and rose from your seat. Shouto released your hand, replacing it with his arm wrapped protectively around your shoulders and you walked off the train and headed home together.

Once inside of your apartment, Shouto offered to put the groceries up for you and requested you sit down on the couch. You did so, sitting down on the soft cushion and grabbing one of the throw pillows, hugging it to your chest and inhaling the familiar scent of it, your nerves calming. Your mind raced, it was inevitable that Todoroki would ask you what happened and lying would do no good, he could read you like an open book. The hero was very in tune with your expressions, reactions, and gestures, making you wish you weren't in love with such a persistent and intelligent being like him. Your ex wasn't common sense smart and didn't have the people skills Shouto did, he only knew how to tell people what he wanted and how to force things from them.

After a few more minutes Shouto could be heard sighing, his footsteps inching closer to the couch. You looked up to see his coat was removed, a plain black v-neck fit snugly around his torso and his dark jeans wrapped around his thighs and legs perfectly. His body sat down right next to you, crossing his leg he leaned back into the soft couch and laid his arm out across the back of it. His hand reached your hair and played with the locks. Your eyes looked anywhere but at him and you sighed.

"What happened (Y/N)."

"Nothing."

"That's bullshit, now tell me."

"I can't ..."

Shouto was always good about keeping his cool with you when it come to your stubbornness. In fact he let you get away with a lot, all just to keep you happy and in a good mood, but right now the hero knew something major was wrong and he refused to back down.

"I can go like this all weekend. I'm not leaving you alone until you tell me what happened to you. You're obviously shaken up, that's not 'nothing'. Stop being a stubborn, for once it's not cute."

Your eyes finally looked at him, but they were full of fire as they narrowed. The hero noticed and grunted, narrowing his own at you, standing his ground. Did he really think that pissing you off was the way to get information out of you, you weren't one of his perps in an interrogation room that he needed to shake down.

"You know I really hate that," you hissed at him.

"Hate what exactly?"

"When you try to make me mad, thinking it'll get you somewhere."

"I hate that," he retorted.

You furrowed your brows and shrugged your shoulders. "Hate what?"

"When you try to change the subject about shit like this! When you think that keeping things from me, important things, will somehow save my life!"

You swallowed harshly, amazed at how on the nail he was about your dilemma. You weren't giving up though, if it meant keeping him safe and breathing, you'd even make him hate you altogether.

"Well I hate this whole stupid freaking dumb situation," it wasn't the best comeback but you had to say something. You rose from your seat and chunked the pillow in Shouto's face and stormed off.

The hero growled and followed you into the kitchen, where you searched the fridge. You grabbed a bottle of water, quickly downing it entirely. Your eyes looked to see Shouto was once again right by your side, he was like a fucking dog or something, trailing behind its owner. Aggressively you wiped your wet lips.

"What situation are you talking about (Y/N)? The whole, your life is in danger and I only want to keep you alive situation, or the whole you thinking its okay to keep secrets from me?"

"Stop following me, shut up," you growled and chunked the empty plastic bottle at him. The hero was getting fed up with how far you were going to avoid the real subject of this whole ordeal. He quickly deflected the item with fire, making it melt into a clump and fall on the floor. You scoffed, rolling your eyes.

"Aren't you fucking cool," Once again you stormed off, heading to your room.

Shouto took long strides to catch up to you, grabbing your wrist roughly and jerking you back. "Stop throwing shit at me!"

You tried your hardest to free yourself of his hold, he overpowered you though. Your fingers clawed at his skin, making him hiss. "Let go of me!"

"Not until you tell me what's wrong, I always go easy on you and give you time to come to me about these things but I'm done with it! This is madness (Y/N)! Just answer the simple question, what happened," his voice was dripping with aggravation and his teeth bared.

You finally had enough of the bickering back and forth, you couldn't handle this animosity between the two of you. Your mind kept flashing back and forth from the nightmare, to the station where you were actually touched and face and to face with your demon, and to the man who was so desperately trying to fix everything for you. Everything was crumbling and your chest was getting tighter as your clawing started to seize.

If you told Shouto, what would he do? Did Dabi really have eyes everywhere, would he know? Why did your life have to be such a shit show, everything was fine and perfect. Now everything was spinning and blurry.

"S-Shouto, I can't ... please. I - I don't know what's happening," you fell to your knees as the hero still gripped your wrist, he let go and your hands dug into the wood floor as you knelled over and started to sob uncontrollably. “I - I can’t b-breathe.”

The world was slipping from beneath you, Dabi's voice echoing in your head. Shouto was instantly on his knees before you, lifting your head from the floor and cupping you face in his hands. Fear was visibly drowning you, your hands clawing at his arms.

"I don't want you to die Shouto. I love you so much, I can't - I can't lose y-you." Your voice broke as you looked up to him panicking and breathing erratically.

The hero shook his head, the pads of his thumbs brushing away your tears as he shushed you, telling you to breathe in and out slowly.

"Baby shh, listen to me, I'm not going to die, you know why? Because I love you, you're the reason I live and as long as you're alive, I'm alive you got that? Look at me and focus, breathe with me."

His voice was soothing and slowly chasing away the evil one that echoed. You nodded, trying to do as he suggested. Your lips trembled like you wanted to talk but he only hushed you.

"We'll put this to rest for now, I need you in a good head space. How about you sing me a song, what's that one you love so much," he questioned then started to hum a tune that you instantly recognized. It was a song you sang after spending hours on end with him, unofficially your song to him.

You swallowed, lubricating your dry throat and licked your lips. The words started to fall from them, broken and shaky at first.

"And I'd give up forever to touch you, cause I know that you feel me somehow."

Shouto softly smiled, nodding and quietly joined in with you.

"You're the closest to heaven, that I'll ever be and I don't want to go home right now. All I can taste is this moment and all I can breathe is your life. Sooner or later it's over, I just don't wanna miss you tonight."

Todoroki went silent and cradled you into his chest like a child, rocking you back and forth while you continued singing. He hummed along more, his hand running through your hair and his eyes resting. The hero was disgusted with how far he happened to push you, to the point of making you cry and breakdown. All he could do was hold you tighter and pray you'd forgive after it was all over.

You finished the song, your breathing now back to normal and your sobs hushed. Nuzzling you face into Shouto's now damp shirt, you breathed in deeply, taking in the clean and minty scent of him. Your body felt exhausted now and your eyes heavy but your mind was clear again, devoid of the villain and fight. Shouto kissed your head, placing a finger under your chin to help you look up at him.

"Are you okay now?"

"I think so, just a little tired. Shouto ... I'm so sor–"

"No, I pushed you way to far. None of this is on you, understood?"

"Understood. Shouto ... before I got an the train -"

"No, no more tonight. You'll tell me in the morning. I need to get you fed and a bath, then we'll go to sleep. You've been through quite enough, okay?"

You nodded and shut your lips, too exhausted mentally and physically from the breakdown to even try and put up another fight. Shouto kissed your head and rose from the ground with you still in his arms. He asked if you wanted food first or a bath, you were honestly to nerve struck to even eat or have an appetite so you opted for a bath first. The hero carried you to the bathroom and sat you on the counter as he ran the bathwater. Your eyes were heavy and body sore, Shouto gently and easily stripped you of your clothes, not even showing an reaction to seeing you fully frontal and naked for the first time and not just your back. You melted into his touch as he picked your body up again and carried it to the tub, gently and slowing lowering you into the water.

Sighing, you laid out on your side and hung your arms over the porcelain, head resting on your shoulder. Shouto leaned over and kissed your forehead and went to walk away, he was stopped as your hand quickly reached out and grabbed a hold of his wrist. He turned to look at you and crouched down to be level, a soft smile on his gorgeous features.

"What is it sweetheart?"

"Will you join me, please?"

#shouto todoroki #shouto todoroki x reader #shared walls #bnha #mha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #bnha x reader #mha x reader #bnha fanfiction #mha fanfiction

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theunredeemable · 6 years ago

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Stealing the Rich Chapter three: The First Petal

The stars twinkled in the endless void, the celestial bodies light years away from the unoccupied space, though it didn't remain unoccupied for much longer as The Nevermore appeared in a flash of blue light. The engines responsible for such transportation slowly whirred down, immense heat radiating as the engineers in hazmat suits rushed to perform maintenance checks on the complex systems. Officer Flynt Coal watched from his office on the walkway above. Keeping an eye on his crew working he made notes on his data-slate as the information appeared on one of the holographic screens before him. On the other he could see a projection of Winter and Emerald, still on the bridge. “The jump engines are in good nick, and luckily too. Best not take any chances and let them chill before we perform another long-distance jump.”

Winter nodded, elbows on the arms of her throne as she rested her chin on her interlocked fingers, leaning forward as she examined the information in front of her. “As always, Officer Coal, I defer to your expert judgement. How long until we can jump again?”

“Seeing as this is their first real jump since our fight with The Sunset Dreams, I'd give them the full hour and a half to recover.”

Winter nodded again, now leaning back and drumming her fingers. She looked to her Second-in-command out of the side of her eyes. “Thoughts, Sustrai?”

“Well Captain, there is a space station nearby in this quadrant.” Emerald swiped through her data-slate, before sending the information to the holo-screens, creating a new holographic projection. It detailed the space station in its entirety as she continued to speak. “It's run by a man named Tukson, with no apparent last name. It stands as a neutral port between the Empire, the Regime, and the Expanse. Could be a good place to farm for intel, as information is another form of payment there.”

“Or...perhaps plant a spy into the Expanse.” Winter fell silent as she thought this over, before nodding once again. “Thank you, Mr Coal. Keep up the good work.”

“Aye Captain. I'll have a follow-up report sent to you soon.”

“Very good. Dismissed.” The Chief Engineer offered a informal salute, and the holo-feed between the three cut off. “Miss Sustrai, would you be so kind as to summon Operative Amitola to the bridge.”

“It shall be as you command.” Emerald quickly typed up a message onto her data-slate, and sent it off.

Ilia was just stepping out of the shower when her own personal data-slate beeped at her, indicating the message had arrived. With a sigh she did her best to read the message while drying off her hair. With a confused hum she sat down at her desk and quickly typed out her response, stating that she would arrive as soon as she was presentable. With that sent, she quickly brushed out her hair while putting together her uniform, the white and blue of the Schnee Dust Corporation replaced with black and grey. Thoughts raced across her head, wondering why the captain had summoned her in particular, and what it meant for her.

As soon as she was dressed she rushed out her door, tying up her hair as she went and ignoring the sound of the last droplet of water falling and hitting the metal beneath her feet. She silently thanked the old gods for the fact that being an operative granted her quarters so close to the bridge, else she would have never made it good time. Within ten minutes she was stood before the throne and her captain, doing her best to keep her Faunus traits under control. “Operative Amitola reporting as summoned, Captain Schnee.”

Winter looked up from the information Emerald was showing her on the data-slate, and nodded towards the brunette. “Miss Amitola, welcome. I have an assignment for you.” With Ilia tilting her slightly to side quizzically she carried on. “We will soon be temporarily docking at a trading station. Officially, the reason is to trade for supplies we...forgot...to restock on back at Mandolin. The truth however is that we are dropping you off.”

Ilia's brows furrowed as she felt her heart jump in fear. “Ma'am, have I done something wrong?”

“On the contrary, you are the one I trust most to get this task done. I need you to infiltrate a crew originating from the Expanse, a pirate crew.”

Nodding, feeling relieved that she wasn't being marooned, Ilia thought through the information given so far. “After I have done so?”

“Keep a log of their targets, their motives. Find out their movements and where they have been. And when you visit neutral ports, leave a dead drop and send a message to Miss Sustrai.” Winter paused a moment, letting the task sink in. “Are you capable of this task?”

Ilia thought for a moment, before looking straight into the piercing blue eyes of her captain, almost losing herself in their intensity. Not trusting herself to use her voice, she nodded and saluted.

“Good, I knew I could count on you. Go pack the essentials and change into something less...uniformed. We will be docking in thirty minutes.”

Turning on her heel, the Faunus quickly retreated from the bridge. She managed to keep her composure until the door to her quarters slid shut behind her. As soon as it clicked shut the scales on her body turned a bright pink as she softly screamed into her hands. “By Jinn...she's too damn hot and her eyes too pretty for her to be mortal.” After taking a minute to compose herself she began to pack the essentials for her mission. Sorting through her wardrobe she took off her uniform shirt, mumbling to herself. “My bottoms will do in general, as will the boots. But what about the rest?” Humming to herself she placed several items of clothes into her pack, before slipping on a short grey top. Over this she slid on a short black jacket, rolling up the sleeves and zipping it halfway closed. Looking at herself in the mirror she nodded, satisfied. “Now I look more the part and less secret spy.” Smiling, she picked up her pack and began to leave the room, pausing when she saw a framed picture on her desk.

Picking it up she couldn't help but smile at the old physical picture within. She was much younger in it, a little girl of 5 years. Holding up her missing tooth young Ilia's eyes were wide and bright, her smile even more so with pure joy. Her arm was wrapped around her best friend, a black-haired cat Faunus who also held up a missing tooth with pride. “I wonder how she's doing.” She ran a hand over the glass pane, smiling wistfully at the way amber and grey eyes shone with youth. Carefully, she placed it into her pack and finally left her room behind and made her way towards the docking port.

There she found Emerald waiting for her, leaning against the wall with a confident smirk. “Hey there Freckles, you done being a mess?”

“I have no idea what you mean, Mint Leaf.”

Emerald let out a laugh and her smirk grew into a full blown smile. “Please. You might have had others convinced, but I know you well enough that you were trying your hardest not to turn bright pink in front of the captain.”

“What? No. Pffft. How...how do I know that you weren't going to turn bright pink huh?” Emerald just kept up her smirk, causing Ilia to sigh. “Ok fine. It's not my fault our boss is hot. Did you come all this way just to tease me?”

Emerald patted Ilia on the shoulder. “No. That's just a bonus. I came to say be careful. Once you're on that station, you're on your own for quite some time.”

“This isn't the first time I've masqueraded as someone else, Em. You know that.”

“I can still worry about my closest friend.” Lightly punching Ilia on the arm, she stepped away as the door hissed and slowly slid open. “Well, we're here. Be safe out there Ia. Don't do anything stupid.” Giving the Faunus a quick hug, she stepped away once more and saluted the operative. “Want me to send the captain your undying love?”

“Ah ha, ah ha. You're hilarious. Keep my room warm for me.” Shouldering her pack she made her way down the walkway and into Tukson's Station, leaving behind The Nevermore which had served as her home for nearly three years.

As the door hissed shut again behind her, she was unable to hear the soft whisper from the CCO. “Wish you'd look at me like that....”

Weiss slowly turned off the water, reluctant to finally leave the warmth the shower had provided. With a content sigh she looked around the bathroom, finding black and brown towels folded and hanging off a metal bar. Smiling softly she wrapped the black towel around her body, and the brown around her hair. Slowly stepping out back into the quarters of her saviours, she looked around to see if they had returned yet. Finding herself alone she contemplated waiting for them to return before going rifling in their drawers. Then she realised that would mean either getting back into her old clothes which were coated with dust kicked up when The Steel Parasol crashed into the bridge, or waiting for the two practically naked.

The thoughts of getting into dirty clothes was repulsive, and the idea of waiting around naked caused blood to rush to Weiss's cheeks. The two had shown such kindness to her, and she was afraid that doing so would either insult Velvet and Blake, or else send across the wrong message. Determined, she nodded to herself and opened up one of the drawers underneath the bed. It was neatly organised into undergarments, trousers, and shirts. She quickly looked through the items, finding many of them to be black, or otherwise very dark blues and purples. She decided on taking a simple matching pair of underwear from this drawer, placing them on the bed, and opened up the other one. It was organised much the same way, but the colour palette shifted more to lighter colours, focused heavily on warm shades of browns. From here she selected a pair of warm brown sweatpants, and a grey tank top.

Slowly getting dressed, she relished the feel of wearing something that gave her such freedom of movement. The last time she had been permitted to wear something like this was during her last sparring match with her sister. Jacques had never approved of Weiss's training normally, but always allowed the two siblings to spar on the rare occasions Winter and Weiss were on the same planet.

Stretching her arms out she grunted as she heard her joints click and groan. Looking around once more, confirming that she was still alone, she began to go through a routine to stretch out her body. Closing her eyes she marshalled her breathing, bringing her hands together. As she breathed in she reached up above her head, stretching her arms and ribs in one go. With her breath out she bent over to touch the floor without allowing her knees to bend. She allowed a satisfied smile to grace her features as her palms touched the floor. Next up were her legs. Still barefoot from her shower, she stood on just her left leg as her right went behind her. Using her right hand to help with the exercise, she brought her right foot to her back, before lowering her leg and repeating with the left.

She continued these stretching exercises for a while longer, feeling herself regain control of both her body and mind. When she opened up her eyes again she jumped slightly, seeing Blake leaning against the open door frame. “I'm impressed. Here I thought the Schnees were uptight.”

“H-how long were you standing there?”

“From about halfway through your exercises.” Blake smiled kindly as she entered the room fully, the door closing behind her.

“And you didn't say anything?”

“And miss seeing how flexible you are? No thanks.” Blake's smile turned into more of a smirk as she walked over to the small kitchen. “Besides, you looked like you were lost in the moment.”

Weiss tilted her head up indignantly, then let out a sigh and looked to the floor next to her. “Thank you...for saving me. And letting me borrow your clothes.”

Blake took this moment to glance over Weiss's form, followed by a second longer look over, appreciating the way the shorter woman looked in her partner's workout clothes. “It's...no problem. You look good in Velvet's clothes, they suit you.” Blake's eye drifted to the subtle musculature of Weiss's arms and shoulders. “Much, much better than that fancy dress did.”

“Thank you.” Weiss looked over her own form, smiling slightly. “It's been so long since I was able to wear anything so...freeing.”

Blake took a small sip from her glass of water, still appreciating the other woman's form. “So, Weiss, what are you planning to do once we reach Beacon?” She paused when the runaway heiress looked at her in confusion. Smiling kindly she poured another glass of water and held it out to Weiss. “Beacon's a place where everyone can be free. If you want, you could get a shuttle to any planet within the Expanse, start a new hidden life. Or perhaps you hunger for adventure and want to join a crew.”

“A crew like yours?” Weiss took the glass and sipped its contents, before nearly draining it in one go after realising how long it had been since she had drunk anything.

“Well, we certainly wouldn't say no, provided you can pull your weight.”

Weiss simply smiled, looking down at one of her open palms. “Pull my weight? I think I could do that. After all I need to repay yo-” She stopped suddenly as she felt a wave of maliciousness and dread ripple out from an unknown source, her eyes going wide. “Something's wrong.”

Blake looked at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Before she could receive an explanation a klaxon started wailing and Penny's voice filtered through the coms system. “Warning, hostile extraterrestrial life form on board. Scans indicate the lost sector as the origin point. Potential Grimm incursion.”

“What in the name of Jinn...” Blake looked shocked, turning to face Weiss once more with a question on her lips, but found the shorter woman halfway out the door, racing off towards the danger. “Wait, Weiss!” She quickly followed suit, trying to catch up with the impossible pace Weiss was moving.

Ilia weaved her way through the crowds of the trading station, keeping a close eye on her personal belongings. She had no doubt that there were numerous pickpockets and thieves running rampant throughout the decks and corridors, just waiting to catch an unaware mark. Readjusting her pack she paused for a moment, looking around at the various stalls and built-in stores set up on the mercantile deck, searching for one in particular. Squinting her eyes trying to read in the dim light, she eventually found her target.

Tukson's personal bar, The White Fang. The best source of information on the entire station, and the operative’s best bet of infiltrating a pirate crew.

Pushing through the mass of bodies she made her way to the bar. Located dead in the middle of the station, Tukson was able to watch all that happened on the deck from his position, and on all others through security cameras and screens set into the interior of the bar. As such he was unsurprised when Ilia sat down at the counter, gently placing her pack onto the floor next to her. Grunting a greeting, he placed down the glass he was cleaning and moved over to greet the other Faunus. “Welcome to The White Fang Miss, what can I get for you?”

“Hopefully, a drink, and definitely some information.”

Tukson nodded at this, humming slightly in response as he placed a small, clean glass in front of her and filled it with amber liquid. “Straight to business then. And what information might an Atlesian desire?”

Ilia looked surprised for a moment, before shaking her head and sipping her drink. “Not Atlesian any more. I need to get out. Looking for a crew who could help me with that.”

“Hmm. Well, lots of crews visit me here. Smugglers, merchants, pirates.” He paused as he wiped down the counter, looking up suspiciously at the woman before him. “Military. Better not be up to funny business, Miss. We're a peaceful port here, and we'll protect that peace.” He glanced upwards, and Ilia followed his gaze, feeling her blood run cold as she spied the hidden walkways above them, and the guards that patrolled their length.

Swallowing nervously, she took another sip of the drink, grimacing as the alcohol burned its way down her throat. “I promise you, no funny business. Just need out. They don't look too fondly on Faunus, and I'm tired of hiding.”

The man grunted again, though a small smile came to his face. “So you're looking for a Faunus-friendly crew. I think I can help out there, though whether you're taken aboard is up to them.”

“Thank you, Mr. Tukson, but we both know how you run this station. What's the payment?”

Tukson's smile grew a little wider. “You're straightforward. I like that. I grow tired of duplicity all the time. Tell you what, you're a nice girl. All it'll cost you is a story.”

“A...story?”

“That's right. Any story, any book. I don't get out much, as you can probably tell, and during my downtime I like to read. One day might open up a bookshop instead of a space station. So, you give me a book, I'll get you a crew.”

Ilia thought on this for a moment, then nodded, reaching down into her pack and fishing out her data-slate. Scrolling through her personal files she looked for one book in particular. “I don't have any physical books with me; I travel light. But I did download one off the system a few years back, a rather forbidden book.” She noted the way the proprietor's eyes sparkled with interest when she mentioned that. “A book about the Sages.”

Tukson let out a low whistle. “Well, by the Brothers that's a rare find. From what I hear the Schnee Dust Corporation isn't too fond of Sages. You got yourself a deal, send it over.” Placing his own data-slate onto the bar counter, he waited as Ilia sent the file over to him with a smile on his face. “Alright, let's see about getting you a crew huh?” He turned away from the chameleon Faunus and called out loudly. “HEY RED! Got a new hire for ya!”

Ilia jumped slightly at the loud proclamation, and once again followed his gaze to see who he was looking at. There she found a shorter woman making her way through the crowd, wearing her coat over her shoulders, leaving her arms out of the sleeves. Her black hair was styled into an undercut, with red streaks fading into it. She felt her heart skip a beat as the woman smiled adorably at her, waving over at Tukson and herself. Her eyes were drawn to the other woman's exposed arm and the muscles she found there, and she couldn't help her soft and quiet exclamation. “Oh fuck....she's hot.”

Tukson heard her, and simply smiled. “Play nice, and she'll treat you right.” Nodding to the woman as she came closer his smile grew. “Here you are, Red, fresh off the ship and looking to escape the empire. I'll let you two get introduced.

The woman sat down on the stool next to Ilia, silver eyes looking into grey as she spoke. “Hi there! I'm Ruby Rose.”

(art by Spicy Bon)

#rwby #ilia amitola #emerald sustrai #winter schnee #flynt coal #Blake Belladonna #weiss schnee #Ruby Rose #rwby au #stealing the rich #tukson rwby

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masshirohebi-moved · 6 years ago

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🚔 — get arrested after committing a crime they don’t remember doing.

Both our muses are drunk! Send a symbol for them to…🚔 — get arrested after committing a crime they don’t remember doing.“This is your fault. It was your idea to go drinking,” they accuse, the first few words spoken since they blacked out from over indulgence.The cell is a lot colder now that the alcohol has left their system, the lights a lot more glaring, the disapproving looks of nearby Jounin far less funny. This entire ordeal leaves them groaning softly, their slender figure pressed against the furthest wall available to them. They feel a touch pitiful with their form tucked in to a small position on the concrete bench, arms draped around one leg which is drawn to their chest, their other leg lazily hanging off the side of the chair. They don’t have much care for the consequences of being accused of a crime, only regret for having drunken that much alcohol.They don’t know how they managed to sleep in the frosty holding cell, but awakening in the office beside their comrade wasn’t how the imagined their morning when they’d agreed to go out with him. They soon notice however, that whatever cold they are complaining about must be even more prevalent for Jiraiya. For somewhere along the line during that blacked out and blurry night, they had accosted him for his haori and kimono shirt.

So while they are left bundled in their own kimono and two layers of his attire, he is very much offered little but a fishnet shirt for his upper half. The sober voice in their head reminds them it may be time to offer these items back, the shivering and sick part however is far more selfish. Surely, he’d ask if it was important. While they can’t for the life of them remember much of last night (though they do try their hardest), they do remember that the two had a mission briefing. Running a hand through the top of their ebony hair, they softly mutter this reminder to Jiraiya.“We’re supposed to meet Tsunade for our assignment in the next-” they look up and check the clock hanging outside their cell, before a resigned sigh falls from their lips at the realization, “two hours ago.”Well, too late to be worried about that then.

“He’s going to notice if you take it,” they chide, the glass in their hand already a touch less sturdy looking. It sways from left to right, threatening to spill until they bring it to their lips, “you’re a six foot walking disaster. And he knows you by now, you’ve already asked a dozen times.”When the bartender started to decline the two Sannins business, perhaps it had been a good sign that the night of drinking should come to a steady close. Of course, having been trained in tenacity (and both being terribly stubborn and crafty), the situation of not being served only turned in to a challenge of finding a way to get alcohol anyway.And somehow, they didn’t think Jiraiya’s talent in stealth would prevail this time around. Not when the mere task of walking was less… coordinated.“We can’t steal it, but we can get someone else to get our drinks for us,” they say, still forever a strategist even amidst their drunkenness. And they sight a target immediately, “the man over there, he’s been staring since we walked in. He’s got to be interested in one of us.”

It comes back to them in flashes, but the face of the man that they had managed to convince buy them more drinks is a blur. What was his name, Ara-something, or was is Ari-something? They don’t have the faintest clue anymore, as they finally get bored of sitting on their bench of misery and pry themself away from the warm bundle they had created. This was nonsense, the only thing keeping the two Sannin within the metal cage was their decision to be compliant. But the serpent knew for certain at least three easy ways out.“Excuse me,” they say with a clear show of impatience, trying to get the attention of one of the Jounin. Something tells them that while they were drunk, they had been just as difficult and vocal as they were currently about to be. For every man and woman in the office instantly bristles and ignores them. Almost as if the officers would sooner be carving their own eyes out than dealing with the pale inmate.

A steely look of annoyance crosses their features before they look over to Jiraiya. Dragging him in to their rebellion without bothering to check if he felt like being more diplomatic this morning, “you know, I bet these walls wouldn’t last very long against your rasengan.”And that appears to be all they need to say before troubled gazes finally look over to the Sannin. Which earns the indigent viper just enough time to meet eyes with one of them, and to force the Jounin to finally give in and deal with the ornery convict.

So their brilliant idea of getting others to provide drinks turns out a touch less brilliant when they and Jiraiya are kicked out the bar. In to the cold streets with a man, Aki-something, and his overly chatty trio. Something about being denied drinks at all has the two Sannin on a mission of locating more and more. Even if the scent of sake alone has started to make the vipers stomach turn. It isn’t long before Aki-something leads them to their next round at his house.And it is equally as short before he makes it clear his eyes had been on the taller Sannin. The serpent would be lying if they said they didn’t take a little insult, their vanity one of many sins. Either Jiraiya is oblivious by ignorance and alcohol, or he has mastered the art of socializing more than the serpent gives him credit, but he’s not falling in to any of the traps this Aki-something sets.His lack of reciprocation of course, doesn’t stop the serpents growing jealousy. And somewhere between their second glass, they’ve decided this unknown man is pushing his luck. By the third, they’ve decided Jiraiya ought to do something about it. By the fourth, they’ve decided that Jiraiya is an incompetent idiot, and that they are the only one capable of saving him. By drink five, they’ve found their way on to Jiraiya’s lap, tilting his chin in their direction as they cut off all conversation with a rather deep kiss. A kiss that takes too long to be called that for very long.They don’t put much effort in thinking whether they acted upon a well devised plan to rescue Jiraiya from unwanted attention or if they simply wanted to spite the man for not choosing them, and Jiraiya for daring to have even a second of wavering attention. But with his arm around their waist, and his tongue wrestling with theirs, they don’t truly need to fuss with the details.

Slim fingers coil around the paper handed to them, glossing over the report to locate the reason for being detained. It isn’t long before they find the short but accusing list, and they take the liberty of reading it aloud for the sake of Jiraiya behind them.

“Disorderly conduct for disturbing the peace, exhibiting threatening behaviour in a public space and destroying private property,” they say, they glance over to Jiraiya next, to assess him for any signs of guilt, or to hope he may have more memory on the subject than they do. But he appears to be just as clueless, hungover and fed up as they are. He also looks a touch cold, if the chills across his skin are any indication beneath his fishnet shirt. They eventually hand him his haori, keeping his slightly over sized kimono shirt for themself, while they mull over the list.

‘Just leave him’ Jiraiya had said, ‘we got free drinks’ he had insisted, ‘he was just being petty’ he attempts. But something about the mans ratty comments after their successful act of stealing Jiraiya’s attention made the serpent irritable. It was only after an argument when searching for their seventh drink that they and the man had a spat. Which got the two Sannin kicked out of their drinking venue a second time. What had he called them again? A Kasha, if they recall.They don’t manage to remember much about the myth, only the basic outline to understand his insult, a jab at their eyes no doubt, and less than human appearance. A yokai known for theft and preying upon bodies. But if they recall one other detail, it was the creatures affinity towards fire. That fact enough incentive for their drunken mind to decide to leave a small parting gift.“You didn’t leave anything there did you?” they ask, as they are pulling Jiraiya’s kimono shirt over their shoulders. When the taller Sannins answer is a definite ‘no’ the serpent glances back at the first floor apartment, the scent of smoke touching their senses.“Good.”

The words ‘destruction of private property’ and the removal of Jiraiya’s clothing do spark the final blurry memory. How they spotted the flammable looking shrubbery around the mans apartment, how they thought it appropriate to discreetly set his home alight on their way out. Because him having the final word was certainly not on their agenda. So maybe it was their fault… rather than Jiraiya’s innocent suggestion of drinking.But if he couldn’t remember the fire, then perhaps he wouldn’t remember the making out. Or how they had fought with someone in a clear show of jealousy, how they had managed to say ‘I’m in love with him’ without actually saying any of those words, their actions alone testament. All in all, it is a form of self preservation to not remind Jiraiya of anything. To hope this show of ignorance is not an act, and that he truly had ingested enough alcohol to forget. So it is a mixture of pride and embarrassment, that they toss the paper back with an indignant, “it wasn’t us.”

#peepingtoad #||●ANSWERED-❝disclosed❞#this is messy and long #enjoy :')

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count-fagula · 7 years ago

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Bucky Barnes, Resident Haunt

Bucky Barnes was the Compound’s resident grump. Since settling into the Avengers home, he’d made a habit of hiding in corners, leaving rooms as people entered, and finding grunts as an acceptable form of communication.

Bucky wasn’t really grumpy, per se. It just took him longer to feel...comfortable. It was hard to handle the fact that everyone just accepted him, after everything he had done. Nearly a year after Tony had took them all back, after Bucky spent endless hours with B.A.R.F., he was just starting to come out of his shell. He was working on it, okay? Bucky figured as long as he kept working on liking things, and sharing, he could grunt at Clint’s jokes, or skip a couple movie nights, and generally evade social norms. It’s not like the rest of them were any more well-adjusted.

He did feel guilty though, so he put in extra effort to show the Avengers he was grateful for a second chance. He wasn’t sure he would ever feel like he fully deserved their kindness.

This was how the Avengers learned that Bucky Barnes loved to cook. After the hardest missions, Bucky could always be found in the kitchen cooking a huge post-battle meal. If B.A.R.F. was taking a toll on him, Bucky would break out the fancy cookbooks that Pepper had gifted Tony years ago to fill the empty space. (Once, Pepper walked in on the kitchen in shambles, all of her beautiful, previously untouched cookbooks strewn over the counters as Bucky attempted a five-course dinner. Pepper was pleased to see them go to use, and made sure the kitchen was stocked with fancy gadgets). Bucky would grumble over the books and hours later grab the nearest Avenger to sample his latest experiment.

Over these meals, the team started to learn more about their reclusive chef. If you paid close enough attention, Bucky almost had more sarcastic one-liners than Tony. Almost. Get the man to smile, it would fuel the morale of the team for a week. Bucky loved riling up Steve, farmer’s markets, Star Trek (much to Tony’s glee), and internet memes. None of these things compared to Bucky’s one true love:

Bucky loved Halloween.

He loved the spirit of it all. The characters, the scariness, dark creatures suddenly accepted and plastered onto household items. His favorite was anytime a traditionally scary thing was stripped of its terror and turned into something adorable: cute spiders, cute ghosts, cute skeletons, it all made Bucky just melt. He had to stop and look at every Halloween display whenever Steve took him out. He would point at the characters he recognized, gush about spooky decorations, and make Steve try on goofy costumes. For once, the monsters could come out from under the bed and be celebrated. Bucky empathized with that.

It was Steve’s fault that Bucky’s obsession escalated. He could never deny Bucky something he wanted, even back in the day. He was just glad to see Bucky so damn excited about something, although he didn’t really get the whole Halloween hype. That didn’t matter though because this was Bucky, and if he liked it, then Steve supported him. The suggestion came easily then, as they stood outside of a clothing shop, staring at another eerie fall display.

“Hey Buck, you know, uh, we could decorate the Compound if you wanted? I’m sure Tony wouldn’t mind too much.” Bucky froze, and turned slowly, eyes as wide as flying saucers.

______________________________________________________________________

Two days later, the Compound looked like Party City had gotten into a fight with the Hulk and lost. Pumpkins lined every porch. There were black and purple streamers intricately weaved together cascading across all of the hallways, criss crossing the ceilings of the common rooms. Bucky had found different colored glittery styrofoam skulls and placed them on as many flat surfaces as he could find. There were giant cartoon Frankenstein bowls filled to the brim with Halloween candy. They had given him creative control and he wouldn’t be stopped.

Bucky himself was the piece de resistance, as Clint soon found out. Someone was baking something in the kitchen and there was no way in hell he was missing out on food. Clint followed his nose towards the kitchen, barely noticing the festive streamers. Huh, he hadn’t seen Stark decorate for holidays in the past. Whatevs, these were questions for post-delicious baked good consumption.

“I hope you’re making extra for me Barnes,” Clint shouted as he walked into the kitchen area of the common room. “Because I am hun- WHAT THE FUCK IS ALL THIS?”

Clint nearly fell over in shock at the level of Halloween-themed bullshit that had exploded over the Compound. Clint then actually fell over when he took in Bucky Barnes, scary super assassin, pulling ghost cookies out of the oven, wearing a bright red apron that read “BOO!” There were little happy ghosts all over it that matched the cookies. Bucky just stared at Hawkeye on the ground, then turned to put the cookies on the cooling rack.

“ARE THOSE- ARE THOSE WINDOW CLINGS? YOU HAVE BAT SHAPED WINDOW CLINGS STUCK TO YOUR METAL DEATH ARM. STEVE. STEVE. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK???”

“I think they look good, James.” Natasha smirked, as she stole a cookie and sat at the kitchen counter.

Bucky was giving Hawkeye the patented Winter Soldier murder glare, but Steve just shrugged. “We went to Target.”

“You took a 45 minute subway ride up to Harlem so he could buy BAT CLINGS?!?!? FOR HIS METAL ARM?!?!” Clint huffed.

“No,” Steve deadpanned. “He also got socks.”

Bucky grinned and lifted his leg in the air, showing off his thigh high orange socks, adorned with smiling black cats.

______________________________________________________________________

Tony returned from his business trip, took a look around, and poured his coffee.

“Looking good Buck-a-roo,” Tony remarked and continued on down to his lab. Bucky couldn’t even pretend to be grumpy at this point, and Peter did a double take when he saw the Winter Soldier giggling.

“You okay, Mr. Barnes?” Peter asked. That just set Bucky off more.

Fifteen minutes later, Tony stormed back into the common room. “WHO did this? I DEMAND ANSWERS!” He lifted up a handful of glow-in-the dark spider webbing into the air. Peter looked confused.

“Is that Halloween spider web? Where did those come from?”

“MY LAB!!!!!” Tony whined. “It’s covered in this stuff!” Tony threw the webbing into the air. “It’s floor to ceiling webbing! Dum-E was covered, my stuff is covered! I am going to have to hire a small country to get rid of all of that webbing.”

Steve rolled his eyes at Tony’s dramatics. Tony scowled. “Steve, I would think you would be more concerned. How will I sleep on the lab sofa when my lab GLOWS IN THE DARK? But fear not, Winghead, I know who committed this awful crime!”

“Not like it isn’t obvious,” Clint mumbled under his breath. Tony meanwhile just winked at Bucky and wheeled around to point an accusatory finger at Peter.

“It was YOU! You, Spiderling! You betrayed my sacred trust. Not only is that a breach of my privacy, but there are weapon grade explosives down there. You could have blown up half of New York!”

Peter sputtered in shock. “Mr. Stark! I-I would never! I promise I wouldn’t! It’s- that’s not even real spider web, Mr. Stark!”

“Exactly! That’s the cunning of your plan! So cunning in fact, you must have had assistance from...ANOTHER SPIDER!” Tony whipped around, pointing this time at the Black Widow.

“Yep, you caught us Tony.” Natasha said, without looking up from the book she was reading. Tony flopped onto the couch and started devouring Reese’s Pumpkins, flashing wide grins in Bucky’s direction between more accusations and complaints.

And if Bucky Barnes was laughing harder than he had since before the war, well, no one commented. They’d chock it up to being in the holiday spirit.

#bucky barnes #SPOOKY #halloween #HE JUST LOVES IT OKAY #tony stark #steve rogers #marvel #first fic #thanks villaculture #I WROTE THIS #everybody's friends #quick fic

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marvelladiesimagines-blog · 8 years ago

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Learning From The Devil: Illegal Shopping Trip

Learning From The Devil Prequel: Meeting The Devil - https://marvelladiesimagines.tumblr.com/post/158830589861/meeting-the-devil?is_related_post=1 Learning From The Devil: Part One - https://marvelladiesimagines.tumblr.com/post/158078906476/learning-from-the-devil Learning From The Devil: Part Two - https://marvelladiesimagines.tumblr.com/post/158492246431/learning-from-the-devil-part-two?is_related_post=1 Learning From The Devil: Part Three - https://marvelladiesimagines.tumblr.com/post/158733277911/learning-from-the-devil-healing-wounds Warning: Threats and banter XD “ Hurry up and stop dilly dallying, Kind.” Grindelwald snapped as you stopped to look inside another dusty shop window. You scurried after him with yet another apology. But who could blame you for looking around? It was your first time in Knockturn Alley and it was your first time you had left Grindelwald’s home since you first arrived there. Grindelwald had finally agreed to let you accompany him on one of his shady shopping trips to Knockturn Alley. You had always wanted to know what he bought there because each time he came back he would have a sack full of odd little items and vials of potions. He also always brought a black cloak with him to protect his identity, which he made you wear before you left the house. You followed Grindelwald through the Alley, trying not to stop and look in the window of every shop. He eventually led you to an abandoned looking building, its windows boarded up so no one could look inside. Before knocking Grindelwald looked around to make sure no one else was around. There was a moment of silence before the door opened to reveal a middle aged man in grubby clothing. He glared at the two of you for a second before recognising Grindelwald and smiling nervously.“ Gellert Grindelwald, always a pleasure.” He greeted with fake enthusiasm. It was obvious that he was scared.“ Likewise, Thomas.” From the tone of Grindelwald’s voice it wasn’t a pleasure. Thomas opened the door fully and took a step backwards, waving his arm to invite you two in. You both entered, Thomas eyeing you curiously as you passed the threshold, but not asking any questions. The inside of the shop was very different to the outside. Sure, the walls were dirty and cracked, and the windows were still boarded up, but there were shelves and shelves of jars and vials, cages too. Everything was filled with creatures and potions, most of which you couldn’t identify. There were other objects on the shelves too. Some books, some potion ingredients, a few dark quills, everything that shouldn’t be in a shop was in this one. Whatever Grindelwald could ever want he could probably find here. “ I have the items you asked for, Mr Grindelwald.” Thomas reported shakily.“ Gut. Shall we talk business?” Grindelwald replied. Thomas nodded, still flashing that fake smile and led your teacher to a chipped wooden counter by the wall opposite the door. Before Grindelwald followed him he turned to you and instructed,“ Don’t touch anything.” You nodded.“ Ich werde nicht, Herr Grindelwald.“ He looked at you with uncertainty, before rolling his eyes and strolling over to where Thomas was patiently behind the counter. Within seconds you were looking at every item on each shelf, studying the jars and cages. A few creatures reached their arms out of the cages to swipe their claws at you but you jumped back just in time. You kept your word and didn’t touch anything yet. You then began looking at vials and bottles, sniffing quietly to try and figure out what each was filled with when you realised the labels were too worn to read. Whilst trying to identify the substances you caught a heavenly smell floating towards you from an open bottle further along the shelf you stood in front of. Glancing to your left to make sure Grindelwald and Thomas weren’t watching you, you crept over to the bottle and slowly picked it up, sniffing the intoxicating contents. You remembered reading about a potion that smelt of whatever attracted a person the most, but you couldn’t remember what the potion actually did. You studied it for a few moments, trying to remember what it did. “ If you want to gain my attention, Y/N, Amortentia is not the way to do it.” A voice broke you out of your thoughts. Amortentia. Of course, the most powerful love potion in the world. You whirled around to face Grindelwald, who had not turned to face you yet, and quipped,“ What makes you think I’d use it on you?” That was when he turned to face you fully. You expected him to be scowling but instead a wolffish grin settled on his face.“ If not on me then who, Liebes Kind? I hardly see you around anyone else.“ Once again, you said the first thing that came to your mind.” There is that cute boy that’s being trained by one of your Lieutenants’.“ Grindelwald chuckled at this.” And you believe love potion would be a good way to win his affections, do you?“ He mused.“ It is the fastest way,” You retorted with a grin.“ After all, if I tried the longer way it would take up my training time. You wouldn’t want that, would you, Herr Grindelwald?” He laughed at this and shook his head.“ No, I wouldn’t want that, Kleiner. Now please, put the bottle back.“ You gently placed the bottle back in its original place and wandered to another shelf. ” She seems like a bit of a handful.“ You heard Thomas state lightly once you wandered to a shelf away from the counter.” She’s no trouble at all.“ Grindelwald replied in an uniterested tone.” How much for the time turner?“ ” 30 Galleons.“ Thomas informed him enthusiastically.” A bit much, don’t you think?“ Grindelwald asked incredulously.” Well where else would you find one, my Lord?“ Thomas’ enthusiasm didn’t leave his voice as he answered Grindelwald. You heard him sigh, before metal clinked together as he handed over the money.” Pleasure doing business with you, My Lord.“ Thomas beamed.” Anything else you might like?“ Grindelwald took a moment to answer.” I don’t think I need anything else, but I’ll let her look around for a few more minutes.“ You wondered if they knew you could hear them. Grindelwald probably did, but Thomas didn’t seem to realise that you were no longer peeking in cages. ” Who exactly is she, if you don’t mind me asking, my Lord?“ You heard Grindelwald sigh in annoyance.” Not that it is any of your business Thomas, but she is my pupil.“ You heard footsteps approaching and began making your way to a shelf further away.” I didn’t realise you were training the runt personally, My Lord.“ Thomas blurted, sounding genuinely surprised for some reason.” Beobachte es, Arschloch!“ You snapped, craning your head around a shelf to glare at the Englishman. He jumped in fright then glared back at you. Grindelwald just chuckled in amusement.” What did you say to me, sweetheart?“ Thomas asked, half confused half angry. You were about to snap at him again when Grindelwald cut in.” She simply told you to hold your tongue, Thomas. If I were you I’d listen to her.“ You felt a bit flattered that he would stick up for you like that. The feeling was quickly replaced with annoyance when Thomas spoke again.” Do you really think I can’t handle a child half my age?“ You glared at him and opened your mouth to put him in his place when, once again, Grindelwald beat you to it. He stepped closer to the shopkeeper, standing directly in front of him and towering over the man. He was easily half a foot taller than Thomas and was in better shape than him. Grindelwald pulled out his wand and jabbed the tip of it into the shorter man’s neck. “ My pupil is very skilled and dealing with low life’s like yourself would be child’s play for her. Disrespecting her means you are disrespecting me and that is something you don’t want to do. Do you understand, scum?” Grindelwald growled. His eyes were no longer filled with amusement like they were when you two first entered. Now they were burning with fury and glaring at the nervous shopkeeper. Thomas tried his hardest to hide his fear.“ Watch what you say to me in my shop. I can have Aurors in here in moments. Everyone is looking for you.” He threatened. Grindelwald chuckled darkly at him and pressed the tip of his wand harder into the man’s jugular, causing his breathing to speed up.“ Yes, everyone is looking for me but you’re not innocent either, are you, Thomas?” Grindelwald taunted.“ This is an illegal establishment. You will be thrown in Azkaban, whilst my pupil and I return home without a care in the world.” Thomas, knowing that he had gone too far, began spluttering out apologies.“ I-I apologise, My Lord. I meant n-no disrespect towards you or your p-pupil.” Grindelwald just rolled his eyes and yanked his wand away from the man’s neck.“ If you ever disrespect either of us ever again you will face both my wrath and hers.” Grindelwald hissed.“ And keep in mind I taught her almost everything she knows.” Thomas whimpered and nodded, thanking Grindelwald profusely for his mercy. Your teacher held his hand up to silence the pathetic shopkeeper, before turning to the shelf behind him and grabbing several vials and bottles and shoving them into his pocket.“ We’re taking all of these. Free of charge for our act of mercy.” He proclaimed. Thomas could do nothing but nod, fear paralysing his mind. Grindelwald then signalled for you to leave, following behind you out the door and slamming it behind him. Once outside you started giggling. You couldn’t help it. The situation had gone from entirely normal, to strange, then to infuriating and finally to amusing. Grindelwald turned to you with an eyebrow raised and a smile of his own.“ Was lachst du jetzt, Kleine?” You just shook your head and smiled at him.“ What wasn’t there to laugh at, Herr Grindelwald?” He chuckled and nodded.“ That was certainly interesting, Kind.” You nodded as well, then looked up at him with a sobered expression.“ Do you really think I’m skilled, Herr Grindelwald?” You questioned, curiously. His words had stuck in your head and you couldn’t help but beam with pride at the time, but now you wondered if they were just spoken in the heat of the moment. “ Of course I believe you are skilled, Mein Schüler. Why would I still spend time training you if I thought you had no potential?” That was a good point. Why would Grindelwald pay you any attention if you had no talent? You nodded at his words and smiled up at him.“ Danke, Herr Grindelwald.” He smiled back down at you.“ Du bist sehr willkommen, Kleine.” And with that you began strolling through the dreary alley again. For a while there was a comfortable silence until you felt the need to break it.“ Herr Grindelwald?” You asked.“ Why did you take all those potions? I could’ve brewed them if you needed me to.” He chuckled in amusement like always.“ I did not need them, Kind, I simply wanted them. Also you need to start revising.” You stopped in shock, then started walking beside him again.“ Revising? For what?” He just grinned at you.“ You didn’t know what Amortentia was. Clearly you haven’t been paying enough attention to your studies.” You shook your head in denial.“ I did know. I just wanted to get a closer look.” You lied. Grindelwald just laughed at this.“ Why, so you can use it on some boy?” He asked after he calmed down.“ You and I both know that you don’t even know his name.” He had you there. Without thinking, you exclaimed,“ Maybe I was going to use it on you!” Grindelwald just laughed harder at that. Luckily the street was empty, because you two would’ve attracted a lot of attention if it wasn’t. “ Unfortunately, my one true love remains myself.” You pretended to look sad at his words, starting to enjoy this side of your teacher.“ I thought I had a chance with you.” You mumbled dramatically. Grindelwald’s smile got even wider at your acting. You were both enjoying this immensely.“ I’m sorry, but we would never have worked out.” He played along. You giggled at him and he laughed back.“ Well, what would be a good way to get your attention then?” You asked. Grindelwald smirked down at you and replied,“ Studying.” You laughed again. The two of you seemed to be walking in circles while you chatted. You didn’t even know if you had anymore shops to go to. “ Is there anywhere else we need to go, Herr Grindelwald?” You asked after the two of you had calmed down significantly. He took a deep breath and nodded, still grinning.“ Ja, Borgin and Burke’s.” You nodded and let him lead the way. You didn’t walk far before Grindelwald turned to you again.“ Remind me to ask someone to tip off the Aurors about our dear friend Thomas, will you?” You nodded and laughed.“ I almost feel bad for the poor bastard.” You exclaimed. Grindelwald simply chuckled and patted you on the back.“ Don’t worry about him. He’s not worth your time.” And with that you found yourselves in front of a dark shop named ‘Borgin and Burke’s’. Thank you all for reading. This was requested by @monstersandmagicians and was incredibly fun to write. Hope you like it! As always, Google Translate was used. Kind - Child Ich werde nicht, Herr Grindelwald - I won’t, Mr Grindelwald Liebes Kind - Dear child Beobachte es, Arschloch! - Watch it, Asshole! Was lachst du jetzt, Kleine? - What are you laughing at now, Little one? Mein Schüler - My pupil Danke, Herr Grindelwald - Thank you, Mr Grindelwald Du bist sehr willkommen, Kleine - You’re very welcome, Little one Ja - Yes REQUESTS ARE OPEN!

#harry potter #fantastic beasts and where to find them #fantastic beasts #gellert grindelwald #Pupil #oneshot #gellert grindelwald one shot #Knockturn Alley #part 4

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downtownmooresville · 8 years ago

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Get to Know Jack Moore of D.E. Turner & Company: The Hardest Working Man In Hardware.

by Kelly Sopp

D.E. Turner & Company Hardware has been open longer than any other business in Downtown Mooresville. And Jack Moore, the smiling man in suspenders behind the counter, is the longest working proprietor in town. Six days a week, Jack rolls out the classic green and white striped awning, opens the double glass doors and climbs the rolling wooden ladder to grab items for customers from the higher shelves. He’s been working at Turner Hardware since he was a kid. And he’ll proudly tell you that not a lot has changed during the store’s 117-year history. And that’s a good thing.

A Turn-Of-The-Century Gem

D.E. Turner opened the store in 1899, serving farmers and town folk in the fast-growing Mooresville community. In those days, the streets were lined with horses and buggies. You could buy six axe handles for 40¢, and a load of wood to burn in your stove for $1. When Model A cars started rolling into town, Mr. Turner installed the town’s first gasoline pump right in front of his store. “It was the only place you could fill up between Charlotte and Statesville,” recalls Jack.

When Opportunity Knocks.

Jack Moore grew up just a couple of blocks away from Main Street. When he turned fifteen years old, his father told him it was time to go out and get a part-time job. So he inquired at the hardware store with Mr. Turner. “The old man was smoking a cigar in his office. He turned to me and said, what do you want boy?” recalls Jack. “Then I told him, ‘My dad says I want a job.’” Turner gave him a job that very day. “I asked Mr. Turner, ‘what do you want me to do?’ He said, ‘Whatever I tell you to do.’”

Keep Up With Tradition

When Jack first started working for Mr. Turner, he didn’t know a thing about hardware. But after 70 years, he knows just about everything a person can know about it. He’s sold everything from plows to tricycles, ranges to wrenches. One thing you won’t find anywhere in the place is a computer. He keeps the inventory in his head, and he knows precisely where to find everything. Jack likes to do things the old-fashioned way, placing orders for the store with the same sales rep whose been stopping by every Monday for thirty years.

Quality is good for business.

Jack is proud of the items he carries. Not only will you find handy items you need to make repairs around the house, you’ll find some great American made housewares, too. Like cast iron skillets by Lodge, a Tennessee company that was established in 1896. And White Mountain ice cream freezers. “There’s no plastic…just wood and metal. I’ve been using the same one at home for 40 years,” says Jack. You’ll also find items that are more particular to this area, like pecan gatherers, nutcrackers and plenty of canning supplies come cucumber season. And when it snows, you can be sure Jack will have sleds in the window. He makes sure to order extra so he doesn’t run out.

The way it was, is the way it is

“It’s a museum hardware store,” smiles Jack. The balcony is lined with antique saws, and old farming tools hang from the exposed wooden rafters. There are pictures of his favorite cowboys, and even a deer trophy that a customer brought in when his wife refused to let him hang it at home. Jack will be more than happy to show you the store’s first telephone. “When I came to work here, the phone number was 26.” Says Jack. “You didn’t dial the phone back then. You just lifted up the ear-piece and said ‘give me number 1, the drug store,’ and then the girl would patch you through. Of course, she’d be sure to listen to what you ordered at the pharmacy!” he laughs. Jack tells me the phone operators were located above the Johnston Brothers mercantile on Broad Street. Folks in town called them the “Hello Girls.” There were just 31 business listed in the first Mooresville phone book, which was really just a piece of cardboard with everyone’s number written on it.

The Place That Locals Love

Jack opens the doors every morning at 8am, and in stroll the members of what Jack calls the Liars Club. “They come in here, drink up my coffee and tell lies,” Jack grins. He says you’ll likely hear them arguing about the best way to make liver mush, or embellishing on stories about rabbit hunting. There’s even one story about the time an airplane ran out of gas and the town folk all got in their cars and flashed their headlights to guide it to safely to a landing strip.

People travel from all over county and country to visit Turner Hardware. Whether you need anything or not, it’s a great place to stop and appreciate the way things have always been done here. You can sit on the liar’s bench and contribute a story. Or marvel at the floor-to-ceiling wooden shelves. Chances are you’ll leave with a gizmo that will make your life easier somehow.

After 70 years, Jack still works 10 hours a day, six days a week. His son, Danny, joined the business 20 years ago, and it’s obvious Jack loves having him around. His daughter Donna drives down from Hickory to help on the weekends. And since Jack’s wife passed away, his daughter Nancy has been helping him with the books. It’s heartwarming to see the tradition of a family-run business continue today. Jack may be in the hardware business, but each customer walks away with a little piece of history.

VISIT!

If you’re looking for a good quality shovel, or just a good story to tell, make your way over to D.E. Turner & Co. Hardware at 111 N. Main Street in Downtown Mooresville NC. (704) 664-5145. Open 8-5, Monday through Saturday. Cracker Jacks just 50¢. Coca Cola, still $1.

#downtownmooresville #dtm #dtmsmallbiz #dtmshop

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