#Smalls - Departure - 12

[jtl-fics]

May I request some more Smalls AU pls!

WIP Wednesday - Closed (9/13/23) | Smalls AU

"Wonderful, I'll get those out to you shortly. Get thinking about our apps and be sure to check out our lunch specials!" Elaine says with a professional smile.

Janie and Wymack sit in silence as they read the menu. She wonders if she should just fully embrace her new country and get a burger and fries. She flips to the handcrafted section and is immediately repulsed by the sight of the Quesadilla burger.

What the fuck was that? What nightmare has she entered that it exists? How is that a burger?

She flips to the seafood section as a panic response.

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[felinecyan]

When The Night Calls

[Izuku Midoriya x Female!Reader]

Synopsis: Your best friend leaving the hero course was enough to make you lose your mind. Especially when he’s suddenly standing across from you with nothing but a tired smile.

WC: 2978

Category: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Vigilante!Deku

Please give this one extra love!! Somehow Midoriya is also very suspiciously difficult to write 👀 (Also, that 3rd-degree burn I gave my hand today is making me want to cry and throw myself in a river. Damn you, AO3 curse!! )

『••✎••』

Seeing that letter taped on your door broke you in more ways than one.

He had been gone for almost a week, but his note left behind made you realize just how long it'd been. How long he had left you with nothing more than a simple explanation of his departure and how it felt like he was never coming back.

The entire class had been on edge ever since. The note even threw Bakugo for a loop, as much as he would deny it. It had everyone wondering where he was and if he was okay.

It hurt you the most, though. He was the closest friend you had and the only one who truly understood your feelings.

But now he was gone.

Aizawa still continued teaching, but with Midoriya absent, the class just couldn't focus. He wasn't as good at making things seem less depressing or stressful, and his lectures were just boring without a green bush to lighten the mood. Or at least, you thought so.

You haven't been paying much attention lately, and you're too busy thinking of your missing friend. Your grades had been slipping, but it wasn't like anyone could blame you. Even if your friends could, they didn't say anything.

They had tried talking to you, but all you could do was give them a half-hearted smile, shake your head, and tell them, "I'm fine."

You weren't fine, and you knew that. But what were you supposed to do? Cry about it? It’s not like he’d come back if you did that.

Ironically, he did technically come back.

That day, Aizawa decided to keep the pain everyone felt about Midoriya buried beneath the surface, so he assigned you all a ten-page essay about the history of quirks.

So, here you were, writing a half-assed essay close to two in the morning. Kaminari was blowing up the group chat with memes and random jokes, but no one seemed to care or even respond.

Well, that was until Bakugo started yelling at him to stop texting because he was trying to sleep.

That went on for about a solid ten minutes, with everyone getting annoyed at the two idiots, but eventually, it died down.

You took a glance at the clock, which now read 2:12 a.m.

Sleep just couldn't come to you. Not now, not when your brain was filled with thoughts of the broccoli boi.

Then, there was a tiny patter against your window, almost like a knock. If it hadn’t been so quiet, you might not have heard it.

You ignored it at first, of course, but it continued, the knocks getting louder and more urgent.

Finally, you stood from your chair, deciding to investigate, but then, the knocking stopped.

You paused, confused, but shrugged, figuring you must have been hearing things.

Yeah, right, because hearing knocks on your dorm window at 2 a.m. is normal.

It turned out to be a good thing you got up because when you turned back around, a figure was directly behind you.

You jumped back in fear, letting out a short shriek before slapping your hands over your mouth. The side eye glance to your window, now open and curtain rustling in the slight wind, had you regretting not locking the damn thing.

The figure let out a small chuckle, his shoulders shaking a bit, and your heart rate sped up.

You could see the person a lot better now that they weren't in the shadows, but the moonlight still kept their face hidden.

All you could see was the curly mess of green hair and a large hoodie with a black mask pulled over the bottom half of their face.

But you didn’t have to see his eyes to know exactly who it was.

Your hands fell limply to your sides as the boy stepped closer. His hand reached the hood of his suit, slowly pulling it off, and his bright, emerald green eyes were staring straight into yours.

The only thing you could do was stare, dumbfounded.

"You did lock it, by the way," the boy's voice said. It sounded hoarse and scratchy as if he hadn't spoken in days. He probably hadn't.

Still, his intuition never failed.

You continued to stare, eyes wide and unblinking.

Midoriya's brow furrowed, a look of worry replacing his smile.

"They really should put more difficult locks on these things. I mean, honestly, all I had to do was twist it, and it opened. If I were a villain, then— hmph!"

Your arms wrapped around his neck tightly, cutting him off. His eyes widened, surprised, but eventually, he relaxed, wrapping his own arms around your waist and pulling you closer.

"I was so worried," you said. You could feel your body starting to tremble, tears pricking your eyes. "Everyone was."

His arms tightened, his chin resting on your shoulder.

"I know. I'm sorry," he whispered, his breath tickling your ear. "I couldn't think of any other way."

You leaned back a bit enough to look him in the eyes. His tired, determined eyes.

"Wait, if you’re here… does that mean...?"

"I need my notebook." He kept his frown, and a sigh escaped his lips. "You have my old notes, right? I need those."

Oh.

That was it.

That was why he was back.

"Oh," You failed to hide the disappointment in your tone. "Right, uh, hold on…"

You pulled away, your eyes looking away from his. You could feel his eyes burning into the back of your head as you walked over to the desk, rummaging through the drawer.

Speaking of, your desk was an absolute disaster. If allowing students in your dorm room wasn't against the rules, Iida would have broken down your door a long time ago, screaming at the top of his lungs about how your room was in utter chaos.

Eventually, you found it. It was covered in sticky notes, and some of the pages were folded. Makes sense, considering the fact that you'd spent the last week reading it, studying, and hoping to find some kind of clue about his whereabouts and the league itself.

But even if it was in your hands, screaming for its owner, you hesitated. He was going to leave again, wasn't he? He wasn't going to stay.

But common sense hit you. You couldn’t force him to stay. It would be selfish of you to even ask.

You turned, walking back over to him. He was staring intently at the ground, his eyes narrowed in concentration, and he had a small frown on his face.

When you were a couple of feet away, he finally looked up, his hand reaching out for the book.

"Here," you said, trying not to let the sadness seep into your words. "Don’t mind the added stickies. Simpler terms, easier to understand, you know?"

"Right, thanks," he murmured, his eyes darting over the cover before flipping through the pages. His brows were scrunched together, and his fingers fiddled with the pages, flipping through them with a practiced speed.

He was so concentrated on the notebook that he didn't see your frown, and he didn't see the sadness in your eyes.

But then, he froze.

His eyes scanned over one of the pages, his fingers tightening around the spine of the book, and his breath hitched.

His eyes flickered up to yours, and his lips were set in a tight line.

"You read this?"

"Huh?" You blinked, taken aback. "Was I… not supposed to read it all?"

"What? No, no, I meant this page."

He flipped the book around, opening it to a certain page, and held it up for you to see.

Oh, yeah, his page. The one where he wrote about himself. Which, proudly, you knew most of what was written in it, anyway. Some things caught you off guard, but not many.

"Oh, yeah, I skimmed over it," you admitted.

"And... how much did you skim over?"

"Um... all of it? I mean, I'm in your hero notes, too. I took a lot more of my time on the page dedicated to me, I have to admit, but uh… What's the big deal?"

Midoriya looked at you, and his gaze was intense. "Did you… miss me that much that you would study my hero notes that closely?"

"Well, I wouldn’t say closely—"

He tilted his head in an almost sarcastic manner, and his eyes narrowed as he leaned over to point at a section in his notes.

A bright pink sticky note, covered in stars, was stuck onto the paper.

It was a small part, a very short paragraph, and you had given your analysis of him and not of his quirk either. It was a list of his attributes, his personality, and the type of hero he was.

To someone else, it would be pretty informative about what kind of person he was and what kind of hero he would be, but you both knew the true meaning behind the note.

Because it was all the things you missed about him.

"… oh, " was all you could say.

The air around you two suddenly became awkward, the silence becoming heavy.

The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

But, as expected, Midoriya broke the silence.

"I figured since you’re still awake, it must mean that you're working on homework or studying, and you wouldn’t do that at night if I weren’t gone," he began. "I thought that maybe it would be too soon to come back, or even that I should have stayed away, but, well, I really needed my notes, and, honestly, I wanted to see you, and—!"

He was rambling again. You could practically see the gears turning in his head, his brain spitting out more words than his mouth could.

At least he was still himself, you thought.

You decided to cut him off, placing your hand on his arm, and he jolted at the sudden contact, his head snapping back up to yours.

"I’m sorry," you said, looking down.

He looked confused, tilting his head. "What for? You have nothing to be sorry for; you didn't do anything wrong."

"No, I—" You cut yourself off, biting your lip, and looked away. You took a deep breath before speaking.

"I'm sorry," you started. "For not stopping you. For not coming with you. For not helping you. I had no idea what you were going through, and I was too worried about myself, and I didn't—"

"Hey, hey, stop," Midoriya said, placing his hand on your shoulder. You hadn't realized you were shaking. "This is my fight, okay? It's not yours, and I was the one who didn’t want to bring anyone else into this mess. This isn’t your fault, so please don’t beat yourself up about it."

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do." You looked back up at him, tears blurring your vision. "I don’t know how to help."

He was silent for a moment, but then, he pulled you closer, wrapping his arms around you once again, and you buried your head in his chest, gripping the fabric of his hoodie.

"It's okay," he said. "I don’t expect you to know how to help, and I didn’t come here for your help. Well, technically, I did since you had my notebook, but I’m speaking on a—"

“I know, I know," you mumbled.

Another moment of silence, and then, he sighed, a puff of air brushing your ear.

"I'm not sure when I'll be back, if I ever will, but I promise," he whispered, his breath tickling your ear and his words making your heart skip a beat. "I promise we will be fine. We all will. Me, you, everyone else. It might take a while, but we will be okay."

You nodded, your grip on his hoodie tightening. This was the sound of a goodbye, and the finality of it terrified you.

"It’s just…" you mumbled, and his brow furrowed.

"Just what?"

You hesitated, a lump forming in your throat.

"What?" He repeated, pulling back to look you in the eye. "Please tell me."

You took a deep breath, swallowed the lump, and looked him in the eye.

"It's just that... You’re my not-alone buddy, remember?”

Midoriya froze, his eyes widening.

It was a little game you two had back when things weren’t so complicated. Back when you were just normal students.

You both struggled to make friends, so you made a pact. Obviously, that thought disbanded when everyone else got close, and now you all were pretty good friends, but the friendship between him and you was different. It was a bond between you two that was just special.

Not even ‘Kacchan’ could ruin that, as close as he and Midoriya grew.

You never called him Deku, even after Bakugo and the rest of the class started calling him by the nickname. Sure, it was his hero name, and you could call him that, but you just never felt comfortable.

Todoroki didn’t either, but then again, Todoroki didn't call anyone by their nicknames.

But, back to the point.

"We made a pact, and... that was one of the things I wrote on the sticky notes." You gestured to the book. "It was during my angry denial phase, so I’m not that proud of it, but… it was still true."

"You were angry?" He asked, confused. "Why?"

"Well, first of all, I was worried sick. I knew you were going to go do something stupid, and obviously, I was right.”

He winced at that.

"But I was angry because you didn’t trust me, and I felt like you were leaving me, too," you said, biting your lip. "I know that sounds stupid and selfish, and I get that this was your battle, not mine, and I can't change that, but... I guess I was just scared. You didn’t even tell me before you left, and the note was just..."

You trailed off, a lump forming in your throat again, and your eyes burned with tears.

You didn't want to cry in front of him, so you buried your face in his chest again, and his grip tightened around you.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

You shook your head. "Don’t apologize. It's not like you're changing your mind."

He was quiet for a moment, his head lowering and his lips resting on your forehead.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Your breath hitched. "Izuku, please don't say it."

He pulled back, and his face was unreadable. He looked determined, his eyes burning with passion, and it hurt. It hurt to know that, despite everything, he still had his mind made up.

"I have to go," he said, and his voice was quiet. "I don’t want to leave you alone. I really don’t, but I have to, and you need to stay safe. Me being here isn't doing anything good, and I can't keep coming back and putting you in danger. So, for now, at least until the Shigaraki is dealt with, please just be safe. Don’t try and find me, and please don't let anyone else know I was here."

He paused, his eyes glancing towards the window.

"Actually, I might come back just to get rid of that lock. I mean, seriously, I barely even touched it, and it came right off. You could easily replace it with something stronger, maybe one of those new locks that only respond to fingerprints! But, then it can be traced back to you, and they can use you to— oh, man, I'm rambling again, aren't I?"

You didn't bother to respond. Instead, you leaned up, pressing your lips against his cheek.

Midoriya's entire face went bright red, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

You could feel your face burning, but it was worth it to see his reaction.

"Be careful," you said. "Please, Izu, don’t be stupid."

"R-Right."

He stumbled a bit, his hand coming up to touch the spot where your lips were. His eyes flickered back to you, and you swore you saw him blushing, but then he turned, heading towards the window.

"Oh, uhm, b-by the way," he said, reaching the window. He placed his hand on the frame, glancing back at you. "For Aizawa's essay, you have to also analyze the strengths and weaknesses, not just the evolution of quirks. Make sure to read the whole paragraph in that book he gave us at the beginning of the semester."

He gave you one last smile, pulling the mask over his mouth and the hood over his head. You looked in befuddlement as he stepped out onto the roof, and your hands were wrapped around the edges of the open window.

"How did you—"

"It's Aizawa," His mask was muffling his voice, so he lifted it up a bit, and his eyes twinkled. "What else do you expect from him?"

And then he jumped.

He let the mask drop back down and became just another shadow in the night, with his green lightning trailing behind him.

You didn’t have the energy to laugh, and you didn't have the heart.

You leaned against the windowsill, letting the cool night air wash over your face. You sighed, watching the clouds drift in the sky.

"You're still an idiot," you whispered, closing your eyes.

When the sun rises, this encounter will only be a distant memory.

But for now, the cold night was enough to convince you otherwise. For now, his green eyes were staring up at the same night sky, and he was thinking of you, too.

That kiss on the cheek, as tame as it was, was still enough to make his head spin. You were still his friend, his not-alone buddy, and nothing was going to change that.

And you both were okay with that.

[dear-ao3]

ok so considering im decently sure a good chunk of the f1 drivers dont actually like driving road cars on roads (fair) i propose a new grand prix to determine the real Best Driver.

behold. the rush hour grand prix.

1 lap. at rush hour on a friday night. all the usual normal commuters and terrible drivers are still on the road along with all the drivers. in the rain. everyone drives a car of their choice. they have to count out all their tolls using change, no one gets ez pass. and you get disqualified if you veer from the instructions (no wrong turns!)

and where does this take place?

thats right.

new jersey. (and new york city) (but mostly new jersey)

here is the proposed track:

we start and end on route 22 right outside the staples. a terrible awful road that would cause harm to any driver, especially european ones. route 22 is so terrible because there is a long stretch that has a center median with shops in it, so theres shops on the right the left and in the center with u turns every 500 feet.

they go east on 22 towards us route 1 and 9 and, thats right, newark liberty international airport. here they have to do a loop around all of the departure terminals before exiting and heading towards jersey city on route 78.

they take route 78 through the holland tunnel, which is a hilarious tunnel to go through as you can literally blink and miss the signs because theyre so small.

upon arriving in new york city they will head towards the canal street station, doing an awful little loopy loop to take hudson street to 8th avenue. new york will prove a challenge for many of them because every other street and avenue there is pretty much a one way in the opposite way.

theyre going to turn right on 23rd street and take it three blocks towards the flatiron building on fifth avenue before doing another turn around and heading back up sixth avenue

here theyre going to turn left on 40th street, then right on 7th avenue then immediately right again on 41st street and then back to 6th avenue which they'll take all the way to the bottom of central park. here they'll turn left onto 59th street then go around columbus circle, exiting on broadway and then going right onto 57th street, which they'll then take down to 11th avenue, then after. few blocks cut over to the west side highway (12 avenue) and then they'll get off at 40th street and enter, you guessed it, the lincoln tunnel.

they'll exit the lincoln and get onto route 3 which they'll take down to route 120 and then they'll do a single doughnut in the parking lot at the american dream mall (a terrible place) before getting onto, you guessed it! 95!! they'll take 95 (devil highway) to 78 to the garden state parkway before getting back on route 22, doing a quick hairpin turn at one the first u turn and then end up straight back where they started. outside the staples.

i think maybe 3 people would finish the whole thing. logan sargeant, being the only american, would come in first. fernando alonso takes second and valtteri bottas takes third.

[goblin-jr]

And then i go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like i love you. 

Part 10 of 12

Synopsis: romantic getaways and breaking the peace

Pairing: unrequited JJ x Reader, Eventual Rafe x Reader

masterlist

—

The soft creak of the ferry’s wooden deck echoed underfoot as it began its slow departure from the Outer Banks, the promise of a day full of freedom waiting on the other side. The boat was barely half full—most of the early passengers were already lost in their own worlds, gazing out at the water or chatting with their companions. For a moment, it felt like Y/N and Rafe had the whole world to themselves, just the two of them, standing on the edge of this small, quiet boat, staring at the horizon that stretched endlessly before them.

The sun had barely risen, casting a golden light across the water that shimmered and danced with the ferry’s wake. The breeze tugged at their hair, the saltwater scent familiar and clean. Y/N stood close to Rafe, her shoulder brushing his as she leaned in, breathing in the cool air. She had never felt so content. The worry that usually followed her around like a shadow—about what people thought of her, about the secrecy, about everything that was complicated—seemed a distant memory as they stood together in this little slice of normalcy.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” she murmured, looking out at the water.

Rafe’s hand found hers, his fingers lacing through hers in a natural gesture that still felt like a small, private triumph, one they hadn’t yet shared with anyone else. He gave her a small, almost secret smile. “I told you it’d be better this way.”

Her lips curved into a teasing grin as she nudged him lightly with her shoulder. “You and your overconfidence. I didn’t expect you to be right about everything.”

“Always am,” Rafe replied with that familiar cocky grin. The sunlight caught his hair, giving him that golden glow she used to only see in her dreams—like a perfect image of a summer day, untouchable and carefree. He looked down at her, and for a moment, his expression softened. “You okay?”

Y/N met his gaze, feeling the warmth of his touch in her hand, the quietness of the moment settling over them. “Yeah, I am,” she said, her voice just above a whisper. “I feel... I don’t know. I feel like we’re finally getting it right. For once.”

Rafe squeezed her hand, then pulled her a little closer, as if keeping her near him could somehow make the world outside of their small bubble disappear. There were so many things unsaid between them, things they couldn’t say because of where they were from and who they were to each other, but in this moment, none of that mattered. Not here, on this boat, in the quiet of early morning when no one was looking and the world felt like it had paused just for them.

She let out a small breath, resting her head on his shoulder, feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat under her cheek. It was simple—just the two of them, in the open air, surrounded by the vast ocean that stretched out endlessly, like an invitation to explore everything the world had to offer.

They didn’t speak again for a while, content to let the silence carry them. Rafe’s hand stayed firmly in hers, the connection between them feeling more solid with every passing second, like it was building a foundation they could keep returning to, a place where the complications of life could be left behind.

For a moment, Y/N allowed herself to believe that it could stay this way—that they could stay this way. No secrets, no shame, just them. And even though the reality of their situation lingered in the back of her mind, she didn’t want to think about it. Not now. Not here.

As the ferry picked up speed, Rafe leaned down to kiss the top of her head, a simple gesture but one that made her heart race. It wasn’t the first time he’d kissed her, but there was something about this kiss—something about the fact that they were in public, surrounded by people, yet hidden in plain sight—that felt new. She tilted her head to look at him, eyes meeting his with an intensity that spoke volumes more than words could say.

“I like this,” she whispered, voice soft but filled with meaning. “I like being with you.”

Rafe didn’t hesitate to answer, his voice low and sincere. “Me too.”

—

The arcade was a burst of neon colors, the rhythmic clinks and beeps of machines filling the air with energy. The walls were plastered with posters of old-school video games, and the smell of popcorn and sugar lingered in the air, adding to the nostalgic charm of the place. It was a throwback to simpler times, a spot where the world outside—full of secrets and expectations—couldn’t follow them.

Y/N and Rafe stepped through the door, and the change in atmosphere was instant. The music grew louder, the flashing lights more intense. She felt a surge of excitement, her usual nerves melting away in the warm glow of arcade lights. This wasn’t a place where they had to hide; they could just be themselves, acting like any normal couple without worrying about anyone recognizing them, without looking over their shoulders.

Rafe grinned, his eyes scanning the room as he nudged her with his elbow. “So, what’s first? Claw machine? Air hockey?”

Y/N raised an eyebrow, looking over at the claw machine, already skeptical. She had always thought they were a scam, but something about Rafe’s confidence made her curious. “You really think you can win me something?”

His grin widened, full of that familiar mischievous energy. “Just watch. I’ve got this.”

He walked over to the machine, slipping a coin in with ease and grabbing the controls. Y/N leaned against the side, crossing her arms, watching him as he manipulated the claw with surprising focus. “You sure about this?” she teased, her voice a little playful but mostly skeptical.

Rafe, however, was utterly serious as he maneuvered the claw over the prize—a plush unicorn with a glittery horn that was definitely not her first choice. “This is it,” he said, voice low and dramatic, like he was trying to summon some kind of mystical power. “This is the moment I show you how it's done.”

He pressed the button to lower the claw, his face filled with absolute focus. Y/N crossed her arms, looking skeptical. “Uh, sure. Just don’t embarrass yourself.”

But as Rafe’s hand tightened on the joystick, the claw moved in the wrong direction, then jerked to a stop, then spun around in a circle like it was on its own personal dance floor. He furrowed his brow, eyes locked on the claw, utterly convinced it would redeem itself.

“Alright, no big deal,” he muttered to himself, a bit of nervousness creeping into his voice. He adjusted his grip on the joystick, trying again. This time, the claw managed to hover just above the unicorn’s fluffy head. His fingers twitched, ready to press the button.

But instead of grabbing the toy, the claw dropped... and just barely grazed the unicorn’s ear before slipping harmlessly back into its starting position.

Y/N stifled a laugh, her lips twitching as Rafe looked at the claw machine, wide-eyed, like it had just personally betrayed him.

He didn’t look at her, but she could tell he was mentally cursing himself out. “Okay, okay, that was just a warm-up,” he said, voice defensive. “That was nothing. I’m gonna get it this time.”

She didn’t even try to hide her grin as she leaned against the machine, her voice dripping with playful sarcasm. “Yeah, sure, you’ve totally got it. This next round’s yours, I can feel it.”

Rafe shot her a quick glance before focusing all his energy on the claw. He moved it back and forth, his eyes squinting as if he could will the claw to grab the prize. When the claw lowered, it was supposed to grab a plush unicorn sitting smugly in the center, but—

It missed entirely.

The claw wobbled and jerked, like it was trying to do a dance it had never practiced.

Y/N immediately burst out laughing, leaning against the machine to keep herself steady. “Oh my god, this is priceless. You’re a natural, Rafe.”

He grimaced, his face reddening slightly. “I was just warming up,” he muttered, more to himself than to her, clearly trying to salvage his dignity. “One more try.”

With another coin dropped into the slot, Rafe took aim once more. His hands shook slightly with exaggerated seriousness, and Y/N couldn’t help but chuckle.

“This is so embarrassing for you,” she teased, her grin growing wider.

“Shut up,” he said under his breath, moving the joystick. This time, he positioned the claw directly above the unicorn. He gave the button a confident press—

And the claw dropped… only to grab a random, sad-looking stuffed snake wedged in the corner.

“No, no, no!” Rafe said, his voice rising in frustration. The claw hung the snake awkwardly in midair, before it dropped it with a dramatic clunk to the bottom of the machine.

Y/N burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the arcade. “Okay, now I’m just concerned. Are you sure you’ve seen a claw machine before? This is bad.”

Rafe shot her a look, narrowing his eyes as he pushed more coins into the slot. “Shut up, I’ve got this. You just wait.”

After another five agonizing minutes of Rafe failing to even come close to winning, Y/N was nearly crying from laughing so hard. At this point, he was getting visibly frustrated, his face redder with each failed attempt. His concentration was so intense, it was almost adorable—almost.

“I don’t understand,” he muttered under his breath. “It’s like the claw’s rigged. This is totally rigged.”

“Rafe, you’re just really bad at this,” Y/N teased, her voice full of affection and amusement. “I’m honestly starting to think the machine’s gonna make you pay for wasting its time.”

“Okay, one more try,” he said, this time with a hint of defiance. He slapped another coin into the machine with the confidence of a man who’d just spent the last ten minutes proving he had no idea what he was doing.

As he clutched the joystick once again, Y/N leaned in, a grin plastered on her face. “If you don’t win, I’m just gonna tell people I let you win at everything.”

“Not funny,” Rafe muttered, but the humor was there in his eyes. He finally got the claw to lower, and for a moment, it seemed like it was going to be the one—he was right there, the claw hovered just above the unicorn. His fingers twitched over the button.

The claw descended. And then… it grabbed a random, sad-looking plush cactus from the corner of the machine.

Rafe let out a long, defeated sigh. “I can’t win. I just… I can’t.”

Y/N’s laughter was almost uncontrollable now, tears forming in her eyes as she clutched her stomach. “You’re a disaster! I’ve never seen someone so bad at this.”

Rafe, though, was not defeated. He held the cactus up with a dramatic flourish. “Fine. You think this is a joke? I’m taking this cactus. It’s mine now.”

Y/N, still laughing, shook her head. “You’re delusional.”

He shrugged, the cactus dangling from his hand like some weird victory trophy. “It’s a sign of my character—I’m too cool for unicorns.”

But as they walked away from the machine, Y/N couldn’t help but feel a sudden rush of warmth in her chest. Rafe’s usual arrogance had given way to something more real, more human. He wasn’t perfect, and he knew it. And that made him even more endearing.

As they stopped near a wall of neon lights, Y/N reached up and gently tugged the cactus from his hand. “You’re so stubborn,” she said, her voice quieter now, a softness in it she hadn’t even realized was there. “But I like it. You know that?”

Rafe’s expression softened, just for a moment. He tilted his head, eyes meeting hers with an unexpected gentleness. “Yeah?” he asked, his voice surprisingly low.

Y/N nodded, her thumb tracing the rough fabric of the cactus’s stitches. “Yeah. You’re kind of perfect just the way you are.”

He stared at her for a second, his usual smug grin gone, replaced with something more vulnerable. “Don’t tell anyone,” he said, a chuckle in his voice, “but... I think I like it, too.”

Y/N smiled, the laughter still dancing in her chest but now accompanied by something sweeter, something more real. “Maybe next time, try the claw machine again. Just… don’t get your hopes up too high.”

—-

The sun was starting to dip lower in the sky, casting the beach in that perfect golden hour glow that made everything feel like a dream. Rafe and Y/N wandered down toward the quieter stretch of sand, away from the noisy crowds. The cool breeze off the water tangled in their hair, and for the first time in a while, everything felt just right.

“Alright,” Rafe said, kicking off his sneakers and walking closer to the water. “This feels way better than some crowded arcade.”

Y/N nodded, slipping out of her sandals and wiggling her toes into the soft sand. “Way better. We’ve got the whole beach to ourselves.”

They walked in silence for a moment, letting the waves crash softly at their feet. The world around them felt distant, and for once, the pressure of their secret relationship didn’t feel as heavy. It was just them, in this tiny bubble of peace.

“So,” Y/N began, her voice playful again as she nudged Rafe with her elbow, “how’s the cactus doing?”

Rafe glanced down at the plush cactus, which he’d tucked under his arm like it was a real pet. “The cactus is a masterpiece. It’s going to be famous one day. You’ll see.”

Y/N laughed, her eyes sparkling. “Is that what you're calling it now? A masterpiece?”

“Well, it’s a symbol of my success,” Rafe said dramatically, holding the cactus up like a trophy. “One day, I’ll sell it for millions. You’ll say, ‘I was there when Rafe Cameron won the cactus.’” He paused, looking down at the plush toy, then back at Y/N. “You’ll be proud.”

Y/N chuckled. “Sure, sure. I’ll be the proudest person in the world when that happens.”

They reached a small cluster of rocks where they could sit and face the ocean. The sound of the waves was soothing, and for a moment, they both sat quietly, just taking in the view. It wasn’t awkward, though; it felt comfortable, easy.

“You know,” Rafe began, after a long pause, “I never thought I’d enjoy a day like this.”

Y/N glanced at him, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know,” he said, a little more thoughtful than usual. “It’s always been about... showing off, I guess. Or doing things for the wrong reasons. I’ve always had to be someone else, or whatever. But today—today was just… us.”

Y/N smiled softly, not sure what to say at first. “Yeah,” she agreed. “It feels nice, doesn’t it?”

Rafe nodded, turning his gaze out over the ocean, the soft orange and pink of the setting sun painting the sky in vibrant streaks. “I think I’ve been spending too much time worrying about what people think. You know, trying to be this guy I’m not. But I don’t need to do that with you.”

Y/N’s heart fluttered a little at his words, the way he looked at her so honestly. “You don’t need to pretend with me,” she said softly. “I don’t care about any of that.”

He turned his head to look at her, his expression more open now. “I know. I like that. You’re different. It’s... I don’t know how to explain it, but I don’t have to worry about trying to impress you.”

She smiled, nudging him again. “You know, you don’t have to impress me. You already do.”

Rafe’s grin spread again, though this time it wasn’t the usual cocky, self-assured one. It was more genuine, softer. “I’m pretty sure I just impressed you with my cactus, but I’ll take the compliment.”

Y/N laughed. “Alright, alright, I’ll admit it. You’ve got some skills with that thing.” She paused, looking out at the ocean. “You know, I used to come out here a lot when things were tough. It helped me clear my head. It’s kind of nice, just sitting here.”

Rafe watched her for a moment, then gave a small, thoughtful nod. “I get that. I used to come out here, too, just to get away from everything. Sometimes it feels like the only place where I don’t have to be anyone but myself.”

They both sat there for a few more moments, the waves rolling in and out as the sky darkened. The world felt quieter, like time was slowing down just for them.

Rafe finally spoke again, his voice softer, more vulnerable than it had been all day. “Thanks for today. It’s... it’s been a while since I’ve had a day like this. Just being with someone, not worrying about what’s next or what people think.”

Y/N’s smile softened, her heart full as she reached out to touch his arm. “I’m glad. You deserve days like this.”

Rafe met her eyes then, and for a second, everything else faded into the background. “I’m glad it’s with you.”

The air between them felt charged, and without thinking, Y/N reached out to take his hand in hers, the simple touch making her feel grounded in a way she hadn’t expected. Rafe squeezed her hand gently, and for a long moment, neither of them said anything. They didn’t need to. The quiet between them felt just as perfect as everything else about this day.

“Alright,” Rafe said after a beat, breaking the silence but keeping that warmth in his voice. “We’ve had our deep moment. You ready to go find some real food? Because I’m pretty sure this whole ‘weird stuffed animal’ thing isn’t going to keep me full.”

Y/N grinned. “Absolutely. Let’s go get something that isn’t a cactus or a snake, alright?”

“Deal.” Rafe stood up, offering her a hand as he pulled her to her feet. “Let’s go. But next time—I’m picking the food.”

“Deal,” she said, laughing again, as they walked back toward the town, hand in hand. 

—

The day was slowly winding down, the golden hue of the setting sun casting long shadows over the streets of town. Y/N and Rafe wandered aimlessly, enjoying the peaceful quiet that came with the evening hours. The bustling crowds had thinned out, leaving the streets calm and serene, the perfect setting for their leisurely stroll.

They passed by shops with colorful windows, the occasional chatter of people filling the air, and for a moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the world. Rafe’s hand brushed against hers every now and then, a small but constant reminder of how close they’d become, even if they had to hide it from everyone else.

As they turned a corner, a small jewelry shop caught their attention. The display case outside was filled with delicate necklaces, rings, and bracelets, each piece glinting in the late afternoon light. There was something about the simplicity of the shop, with its vintage charm and understated elegance, that drew them in.

Y/N stopped in front of the window, her fingers lightly pressing against the glass as she studied the glittering bracelets. Some were simple, some were more elaborate, but they all held a kind of quiet beauty. She glanced up at Rafe, who had his hands tucked into his pockets, looking around the small street.

“Think we should go in?” she asked, a playful note in her voice.

Rafe raised an eyebrow, glancing over at the shop. “Are you asking me if I want to look at jewelry?” he teased, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

Y/N shrugged, still eyeing the bracelets. “I mean, I think you might find something in there that suits you. Sparkles and all.”

Rafe laughed softly. “Yeah, well... sparkles aren’t exactly my thing. But sure, let’s see what’s in there.”

They entered the shop, the door chimes ringing lightly above them as they stepped inside. The air was filled with the soft scent of wood and polished metal. A gentle hum of calm music played in the background as they wandered among the displays, browsing through the array of jewels, none of which seemed to stand out as the piece.

After a few moments, Y/N picked up a bracelet with small, delicate charms that jingled lightly when touched. She held it up in front of Rafe, raising an eyebrow. “What do you think?”

Rafe leaned over, taking a look. “It’s... shiny,” he said, not exactly convinced. “Not really my style.”

Y/N smiled, placing it back on the counter. “Yeah, I thought so too. But it’s cute.”

They wandered for a few more minutes, picking up pieces, admiring them, but neither of them felt compelled to buy anything. The items were beautiful, sure, but the whole experience felt oddly distant—like they were pretending to be someone they weren’t.

Finally, Y/N turned to Rafe with a shrug. “I don’t think either of us is really in the mood to buy anything, huh?”

Rafe chuckled, his eyes lighting up as he gave her a playful nudge. “Nope. I don’t think I could pull off any of these anyway.”

“Not even the sparkly ones?” she teased, a grin tugging at her lips.

“Especially not the sparkly ones,” he said with mock seriousness. “But hey, it was fun just looking.”

They both laughed, and after a few more moments of lighthearted banter, they left the shop, hands still brushing occasionally as they walked back down the street, continuing their slow stroll toward the ferry.

As they approached the dock, the sun had begun to dip below the horizon, painting the sky with soft shades of orange and pink. They boarded the ferry in silence, finding a quiet spot at the railing, where the cool breeze was starting to pick up. The water shimmered in the fading light, and the soft hum of the boat’s engine was a comforting backdrop to the peaceful moment.

Rafe leaned against the railing, his eyes scanning the water as they pulled away from the shore. Y/N stood beside him, looking out at the horizon, a quiet smile on her face as the day slipped away. But even with the serenity of the moment, there was a small pang in her chest, a bittersweet feeling that the day was ending so soon.

As they stood there, the sound of the ferry’s engine humming softly in the background, Y/N glanced at Rafe out of the corner of her eye. She’d been thinking about it all day—the small thought that had lingered since they’d walked through that jewelry shop. Without saying anything, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small wrapped box. She turned to Rafe, holding it out to him with a quiet smile.

“Hey, I know we didn’t buy anything earlier, but...” she trailed off, handing him the box. “I got you something.”

Rafe blinked, clearly surprised. “You did?”

Y/N nodded, her smile widening. “I couldn’t resist. You might not love sparkles, but I thought this would look good on you.”

Rafe took the box, carefully unwrapping it with a mix of curiosity and amusement. When he opened it, he found a sleek, glittery bracelet, the kind that wasn’t too flashy, but had just enough shine to catch the light. He looked up at her, his eyes softening.

“You got me a bracelet?” he asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

Y/N laughed, shrugging. “It’s not a sparkly one, I promise. Just... something simple. I thought it’d suit you.”

Rafe’s lips curled into a smile. “It’s perfect, actually.” He reached out, taking her hand and slipping the bracelet onto his wrist. “I love it.”

Before she could say anything more, Rafe surprised her by reaching into his own jacket pocket and pulling out a small velvet bag. “I guess I owe you one now,” he said, his grin widening.

Y/N raised an eyebrow as she took the bag from him. “You didn’t have to—”

“I know, but I wanted to,” he said, his voice softening a little. “Open it.”

Y/N carefully untied the string, revealing a delicate necklace with a tiny, intricate pendant. It was a crescent moon, silver with a small diamond at its center, catching the last of the sunlight. Her breath caught in her throat. It was beautiful—simple, but breathtaking.

“Rafe,” she whispered, her voice barely above a breath. “It’s... it’s perfect.”

“I thought you’d like it,” he said quietly, watching her reaction. “Something to remember today by.”

Y/N smiled, her heart swelling. “I’ll never forget it. Thank you.”

They stood there for a moment, both wearing gifts from the other, feeling the quiet, shared happiness of the day slowly settling in. But as the ferry glided through the water, a quiet sadness started to creep in, an awareness that the day was coming to an end.

“You know,” Y/N said, her voice low, “this has been... one of the best days I’ve had in a while.”

Rafe nodded, his expression soft. “Yeah. Me too.”

The sound of the waves crashing against the side of the ferry filled the silence between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. They didn’t need to say anything else. The day had been perfect in its simplicity, just the two of them, stealing moments of normalcy in a world that often didn’t allow for it.

As the ferry neared the shore, they both felt the weight of the inevitable separation. They’d go back to stealing glances and secret rendezvous—at least for a little while. But for now, all they had was the evening, the ferry ride, and the gifts they’d given each other, which were more than just jewelry. They were reminders of a day they’d never forget.

—---

A few days later, the sun hung low over the beach, casting a warm, lazy glow as it started its descent. The Pogues were settled around a makeshift bonfire on the sand, the air thick with the scent of smoke and saltwater. The group had sprawled out in the usual way—Pope meticulously stacking sticks for later, JJ tossing pebbles at driftwood targets, and Kie stretched out on a blanket, flicking sand absently as she chatted with Y/N.

It was one of those rare, easy days when the crew could just unwind, the kind of day they all secretly loved. JJ had spent the past few minutes trying to balance a stick on his nose, to no success, though his persistence was making everyone laugh. When the stick inevitably fell to the sand, he groaned dramatically. “This is why I’ll never be a circus performer,” he announced, to a chorus of exaggerated gasps.

“I know. Total missed calling,” Y/N replied, grinning as she tossed a few pebbles toward him. Kie snorted, tossing one herself, but missed and hit Pope, who looked over with mock offense.

“Can we at least hit JJ?” Pope said, rolling his eyes before grabbing a handful of sand, aiming for JJ’s shoes instead.

Kie, lying on her side with her head resting on her arm, caught sight of the necklace Y/N was wearing. It caught the light, sparkling just enough to make Kie raise an eyebrow. “Hey, that’s new. Where’d you get that?”

Y/N instinctively touched it, a small, knowing smile creeping onto her face. She shrugged, trying to keep her response light. “Oh, just something I picked up.”

Kie’s eyes narrowed, not entirely convinced. “Really? It looks kinda... fancy for just something you picked up.”

Y/N laughed it off, brushing it aside. “What can I say? I have expensive taste.” She grinned to soften the response, hoping Kie would drop it.

Kie eyed her, but didn’t press. “Uh-huh,” she said, turning back to the group as JJ started running after Pope, both of them laughing.

Y/N’s fingers brushed the necklace again, feeling the quiet connection behind it. It was a secret, one she wasn’t ready to share, but in this moment, that was enough.

The easy laughter echoed over the water, filling the space with a calm none of them thought to question. It was the kind of afternoon that always made them feel like everything else could wait until tomorrow.

But that calm didn’t last.

A sharp ping broke through their laughter. John B had pulled his phone from his pocket and quickly checked the screen. At first, it seemed like nothing; he barely glanced at it before his thumb hovered over the side button to lock the screen again. But Y/N, perched next to him, didn’t miss the slight smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth.

She wasn’t the only one who noticed.

JJ, who was surprisingly perceptive when it came to sniffing out potential teasing material, caught the expression too and smirked, leaning in. “Yo, JB, who’s got you grinning like that?”

John B stiffened slightly, shoving the phone back in his pocket. “No one, just a…friend.”

Kie raised an eyebrow, not buying it for a second. “A ‘friend’? John B, I think you forget all of your friends are sitting right here.”

Pope snorted, nudging JJ. “Yeah, and I’ve never seen you smile like that at one of my texts, man.”

Y/N felt the tension creep up, hoping they’d let it go, but JJ was already zeroed in, leaning forward with his usual mischievous glint. He held out a hand. “Alright, let’s see this ‘friend’ then.”

John B held up his hands defensively, scoffing. “Back off, alright? It’s nothing, just a text.”

JJ wasn’t one to back down easily. With a grin, he lunged over and snatched the phone out of John B’s hand before anyone could blink, ducking back with a triumphant laugh. John B groaned, already reaching out to grab it back, but JJ sidestepped, eyes locked on the screen.

The smile faded from JJ’s face as he read, replaced by an exaggerated, delighted grin. He held up the phone for everyone to see, pointing at the screen with a loud laugh. “‘Val’ says she misses you, babe!”

“Val?” Kie echoed, her brows knitting in confusion. “Who the hell is ‘Val’?”

Pope squinted, glancing over JJ’s shoulder to read the screen. “Dude, you’re getting ‘babe’ texts from ‘Val’ now?”

“Come on, guys,” John B muttered, snatching the phone again, but JJ held it out of reach, tilting his head curiously.

Y/N quickly tried to step in. “Guys, relax. It’s probably nothing, just some weird joke between friends.”

Kie raised an eyebrow, not buying it. “Yeah, right. ‘Val’ says babe like it’s no big deal?”

Y/N, trying to keep things light, leaned over to JJ with a laugh. “Maybe it’s a nickname for someone he’s trying to impress. Like, uh, ‘Valencia,’ or some other exotic name. Very mysterious.”

JJ blinked at her. “Yeah, sure. And I’m definitely not going to ask why ‘Val’ says ‘babe’ in all their texts.”

John B was looking at Y/N, his expression torn. He gave her a pleading look, and for a second, she knew he was ready to just admit everything. She met his gaze, giving a slight, emphatic shake of her head, silently telling him: Don’t you dare tell them.

For a moment, he hesitated, torn between protecting the secret and wanting to rip off the band-aid. But then Pope’s eyes went wide as he finally connected the dots.

“Wait… ‘Val’?” Pope said slowly, his eyes narrowing as the realization began to settle in. He glanced up at John B, his voice tinged with disbelief. “That’s not just a friend, is it?”

John B hesitated, his fingers absently running over the edge of his phone as he met Pope’s gaze. “No... I’m... seeing someone.” His voice was quiet, as if he were testing the waters, waiting for the storm to hit.

Y/N's stomach twisted. She couldn’t look away from John B in that moment, the air between them thick with something unspoken. She could feel the tension in her chest as she opened her mouth, her voice barely above a whisper. “John B, please...” Her eyes begged him to stop, to not say any more, to not let this reveal itself like this.

But he didn’t look at her. He just met her gaze for a split second before turning back to the group. There was something resolute in his eyes, an unspoken promise: It’s going to be okay.

He took a deep breath and finally let it slip out. “It’s Sarah Cameron.”

Kie’s face flushed with a mix of disbelief and anger. “You’re dating her?” she practically spat, rising to her feet in shock. “After everything she and her family have done to us?”

John B looked defensive, trying to keep his cool. “It’s not like that, Kie. It’s just—”

But Kie was already shaking her head, not having it. “It’s exactly like that, John B! After all the crap her family’s put us through, and now you’re just gonna ignore it because you like her?”

“I don’t care about her family, Kie,” John B snapped, clearly frustrated. “I care about her. I’m not gonna let their problems be mine.”

Y/N, feeling the tension rise, quickly stepped in, her voice trying to keep things light. “It’s really not that big of a deal, Kie. John B’s dating who he wants to date.”

JJ blinked, his frustration still simmering. “Look, I’m not thrilled about the whole ‘Kook’ thing, but as far as Kooks go, Sarah’s not that bad. It could’ve been worse... I mean, it could’ve been someone like Ruthie or Rafe.”

Y/N’s stomach twisted at the mention of Rafe. Sure, JJ could brush off Sarah, but Rafe? That was a whole different level—one that would never be as easy to accept. She could already feel the weight of the confrontation coming, and it made her sick to her core.

But Kie was seething now, her eyes burning. “Are you serious, JJ? She’s been tearing us down for years, and you’re just gonna excuse that because John B’s having some little romance? She’s part of the problem. Her family’s the problem. And you think dating her is just fine?”

John B held his ground, though his voice was quieter now, more strained. “I don’t care what her family’s done. It’s not about them, Kie. It’s just about Sarah.”

Kie looked between John B and Y/N, her voice rising in anger. “So, what, you’re just gonna ignore all the times she’s acted like we don’t exist? Like we’re just some lower class that’s not worth her time?”

Y/N, feeling the tension reaching its peak, cut her off, her voice sharp but calm. “Look, I don’t see what the big deal is, alright? John B is his own person. He can date whoever he wants.”

That just made Kie’s anger explode even further. “You don’t see the big deal? This isn’t just about who John B is dating, Y/N. This is about everything she represents! She’s a Kook! And now you’re all just fine with that?”

JJ looked back and forth between Kie and the others, his voice quieter now as he tried to defuse the situation. “Whoa, okay, okay, let’s just all chill. Kie, we get it. But maybe yelling about it isn’t gonna make it better. It’s John B’s choice. We can’t really do anything about it.”

But Kie wasn’t having it. “You think I’m just supposed to pretend it’s okay? After everything?”

The words hit hard, and the air grew thick with tension. Kie stormed off, her steps quick and angry as she muttered under her breath. Pope hesitated, glancing at John B and Y/N before following Kie, clearly torn.

JJ, shaking his head, threw his hands up. “Man, what a mess.” He paused, glancing at John B and Y/N. “You good?”

John B let out a heavy sigh, dropping onto a rock. “Yeah… just not what I expected.”

Y/N sat down beside him, her expression softening. “You did what you had to do.”

The sun dipped lower, and the day that had begun so relaxed and carefree felt a little heavier now, the silence between them thick as the fallout from Kie’s anger lingered in the air.

—-

A/n: i wrote chapter 11 before i finished this so sorry if it seems off 😭😭😭

Anyways, val and vlad made an appearance! Is it controversial if i say they are the best couple in the show

—

Next time: the midsummer ball

–

Taglist: ​​@hockeybabe87 , @idiotussupremus , @certifiedhaters , @oatmealisweird, @sluggmuffin , @maybankslover , @ren-ni, @wh0reforbucknasty , @enjoymyloves , @bilssturns , @dragonslight , @willowpains , @sidney-86 , @urbrunettebombshell, @fluffybunnyu

[pikahlua]

MHA Chapter 425 spoilers translations

This week’s initial tentative super rough/literal translations under the cut.

1 続きまして卒業証書 つづきましてそつぎょうしょうしょ tsudzukimashite sotsugyou shousho "Next, the graduation certificates."

2 授与 じゅよ juyo "Awards,"

3 カモンナッ KAMONNA "come on!"

tagline 1 バイブス、アゲてけっ‼︎ BAIBUSU, AGEteke!! The vibes, have a blast!!

4 おめでとう omedetou "Congratulations."

5 よく戦い抜いてくれたのさ よくたたかいぬいてくれたのさ yoku tatakai nuite kureta no sa "You fought well for us."

6 じゃがいもじゃがいも… jagaimo jagaimo... "Potato, potato..."

tagline 2 No.425　季節外れの　堀越耕平 ナンバー425　きせつかずれの　ほりこしこうへい NANBAA 425 kisetsu kazure no  Horikoshi Kouhei No. 425 Out of Season Kouhei Horikoshi

7-8 そつぎょうしたっ sotsugyou shita "I graduated!"

9 波動ねじれ先輩悲しいよォ!!! はどうねじれせんぱいかなしいよォ!!! Hadou Nejire-senpai kanashii yoO!!! "Nejire Hadou-sempai, we're so saaad!!!"

10 卒業式遅くなちまってすまねェな…‼︎ そつぎょうしきおそくなちまってすまねェな…‼︎ sotsugyoushiki osokunachimatte sumaneE na...!! Sorry for the late graduation ceremony...!!

11 桜は散っちまったがせめて門出は華々しく さくらはちっちまったがせめてかどでははなばなしく sakura wa chichimatta ga semete kadode wa hanabana shiku The cherry blossoms have scattered, but I'll at least make your departure* spectacular! (*Note: This word for "departure" also mean "starting a new life." It's often said of graduating seniors.)

1 いっけえええ‼︎ ikkeeee!! "Let's go!!"

2 イエエエアアア IEEEAAA "YEEEAAAHHH!"

3 卒業式のグルーヴじゃねえ‼︎ そつぎょうしきのグルーヴじゃねえ‼︎ sotsugyoushiki no GURUUVU ja nee!! This isn't a groove for a graduation ceremony!!

4 卒業生には既におなじみ そつぎょうせいにはすでにおなじみ sotsugyou-sei ni wa sude ni onajimi The graduates are already familiar with this.

5 新3年生（2年）は受け入れ始めている しん3ねんせい（2ねん）はうけいれはじめている shin 3nensei (2nen) wa ukeire hajimete iru The new 3rd-year students (second years) are beginning to accept it.

6 新2年生（1年）ドン引き しん2ねんせい（1ねん）ドンびき shin 2nensei (1nen) DONbiki The mood is ruined for the new 2nd year students (first years).

7 6月留め置かれていた先輩たちの 6がつとめおかれていたせんぱいたちの 6gatsu tomeokarete ita senpai-tachi no For the seniors who were kept until June,

8 卒業式が開かれた そつぎょうしきがひらかれた sotsugyoushiki ga hirakareta a graduation ceremony was held.

9 泣きイベントだろが…‼︎ なきイベントだろが…‼︎ naki IBENTO daro ga...!! "This is an event for crying, though...!!"

10 まるで祭りだな‼︎ まるでまつりだな‼︎ maru de matsuri da na!! "It's like a festival, huh!!"

11 怪我痛くない？ けがいたくない？ kega itakunai? "Don't your injuries hurt?"

12 痛むけど いたむけど itamu kedo "They hurt, but"

13 嬉しいと平気なの不思議っ！ うれしいとへいきなのふしぎっ！ ureshii to heiki na no fushigi! "it's strange, I'm all happy and fine!"

14 ミリオのおかげだ"棺"で倒れた俺たちをずっと看ていてくれたもの ミリオのおかげだ"ひつぎ"でたおれたおれたちをずっとみていてくれたもの MIRIO no okage da "hitsugi" de taoreta ore-tachi wo zutto mite ite kureta mono "It's thanks to Mirio. He was the one who kept looking after us when we collapsde in the 'coffin.'"

1 各国への必要物資の要望 かっこくへのひつようぶっしのようぼう kakkoku e no hitsuyou busshi no youbou Requests for necessary supplies to each country,

2 復旧計画費用の算出と捻出 ふっきゅうけいかくひようのさんしゅつとねんしゅつ fukkyuu keikaku hiyou no sanshutsu to nenshutsu calculating and raising recovery plan costs,

3 支援の配置と分配病床の確保に医療にーーー しえんのはいちとぶんぱいびょうしょうのかくほにいりょうにーーー shien no haichi to bunpai byoushou no kakuho ni iryou ni--- placement and distrbution of support, securing of hospital beds, medical care---

4 超人社会といえどこれ程 ちょうじんしゃかいといえどこれほど choujin shakai to iedo kore hodo although it may be called a superhuman society,

5 迅速な復旧の裏には じんそくなふっきゅうのうらには jinsoku na fukkyuu no ura ni wa the one behind the speedy recoevery was

6 世界的偉人根津校長による せかいてきいじんねづこうちょうによる sekai-teki ijin Nedzu-kouchou ni yoru the world-famous Principal Nedzu

small text 1 BPMもっとあげていこう BPM motto agete ikou Let's increase the BPM more.

small text 2 ハッ！カンタンに言うんだ ハッ！カンタンにいうんだ HA! KANTAN ni iunda Ha! You gotta say it simply.

7 各国への働きかけがあった かっこくへのはたらきかけがあった kakkoku e no hataraki kake ga atta and his efforts to reach out to each country.

8 校長は"個性"道徳教育に多大な貢献をし こうちょうは"こせい"どうとくきょういくにただいなこうけんをし kouchou wa "kosei" doutoku kyouiku ni tadai na kouken wo shi The principle made great contributions to quirk morality education

9 世界的偉人となられた せかいてきいじんとなられた sekai-teki ijin to narareta and became a world-famous figure.

10 校長はずっと こうちょうはずっと kouchou wa zutto The principal was always

11 戦いの"先"を見ていたんだ たたかいの"さき"をみていたんだ tatakai no "saki" wo mite itanda looking ahead to what came after the battle.

12 素敵な送辞だったぜ すてきなリリックだったぜ suteki na RIRIKKU (kanji: souji) datta ze "What lovely lyrics (read as: farewell address)."

13 レペゼン雄英不和真綿にプチャヘンヅァッ‼︎ 在校生代表ふわまわたにプチャヘンヅァッ‼︎ sotsugyousei daihyou (kanji REPEZEN yuuei) Fuwa Mawata ni PUCHAHENDZA!! "Put your hands up for current student representative (read as: UA representative) Mawata Fuwa!!"

14 それでは次だ答辞だ‼︎ それではつぎだアンサーだ‼︎ sore de wa tsugi da ANSAA da!! "After that is the answering speech (kanji: formal reply)!!"

15 レペゼン卒業生〜〜〜〜〜 卒業生代表〜〜〜〜〜 sotsugyousei daihyou (kanji: REPEZEN sotsugyousei) "From the alumni representative (read as: graduate students representative)~~~~~"

16 ラップバトルみたいでカッコいいノコ RAPPU BATORU mitai de KAKKOii NOKO "It's like a rap battle, so cool, shroom!"

17 私がおかしいのかな？ わたしがおかしいのかな？ watashi ga okashii no ka na? "Am I the weird one?"

18 ラップやろ RAPPU yaro Let's rap.

19 ルミリオンa.k.aーーー通形ミリオォ‼︎ ルミリオンエーケーエーーーーとおがたミリオォ‼︎ RUMIRION EE KEE EE---Toogata MIRIOO!! "Lemillion a.k.a.----Mirio Toogata!!"

1 本日はお忙しい中私たちの為にご臨席いただき誠にありがとうございます ほんじつはおいそがしいなかわたしたちのためにごりんせきいただきまことにありがとうございます honjitsu wa oisogashii naka watashi-tachi no tame ni gorinseki itadaki makoto ni arigatou gozaimasu "Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend for us today."

2 ギャクせんのかい!!! GYAKU sen no kai!!! "It's the opposite of what we expected!!!" (Note: "Sen no kai" is something said in a call and response when the caller expects the repsonders to do something but they don't do what they were expected to do. When that happens, the caller says this phrase as a joke.)

3 喪ったものは多く うしなったものはおおく ushinatta mono wa ooku "We lost many things,"

4 得たものは無い えたものはない eta mono wa nai "but we gained nothing."

5 ヒーローの戦いってのは ヒーローのたたかいってのは HIIROO no tatakai tte no wa "A hero's battle"

6 いつも大体マイナス���ゼロに戻す為のものです いつもだいたいマイナスをゼロにもどすためのものです itsumo daitai MAINASU wo ZERO ni modosu tame no mono desu "is always for the sake of returning the negatives to zero on the whole."

7 普通科サポート科経営科 ふつうかサポートかけいえいか futsuu-ka SAPOOTO-ka keien-ka "The general studies course, the support course, the business course,"

8 それぞれがこの学舎で培った経験を駆使し それぞれがこのまなびやでつちかったけいけんをくしし sorezore ga kono manabiya de tsuchikatta keiken wo kushi shi "each of us made full use of the experience we had cultivated at this school,"

9 一丸となって戦いましたしかし いちがんとなってたたかいましたしかし ichigan to natte tatakaimashita shikashi "and we fought as one. However,"

10 未だゼロには戻っていません いまだゼロにはもどっていません ima da ZERO ni wa modotte imasen "we haven't returned to zero yet."

11 私達の三年間はこの先の為にあります わたしたちのさんねんかんはこのさきのためにあります watashi-tachi no sannenkan wa kono saki no tame ni arimasu "Our three years are for what comes after this."

12 ゴールは今日じゃない ゴールはきょうじゃない GOORU wa kyou ja nai "The goal is not today."

1 ユーモアなき世に明るい未来はない ユーモアなきよにあかるいみらいはない YUUMOA naki yo ni akarui mirai wa nai "There is no bright future in a world without humor."

2 たくさんの人が笑って過ごせるプラスの世界 たくさんのひとがわらってすごせるプラスのせかい takusan no hito ga waratte sugoseru PURASU no sekai "A world of positives, where many people can laugh and spend time together,"

3 そこが私たちのゴールテープです そこがわたしたちのゴールテープです soko ga watashi-tachi no GOORU TEEPU desu "that is our finish line."

4 通形…‼︎ とおがた…‼︎ Toogata...!! "Toogata...!!"

5 見ててくれよなナイトアイ！ みててくれよなナイトアイ！ mitete kure yo NAITOAI! Please be watching, Nighteye!

6 私達は今日スタートするのです！在校生の皆さん！ わたしたちはきょうスタートするのです！ざいこうせいのみなさん！ watashi-tachi wa kyou SUTAATO suru no desu! zaikousei no minasan! "Today is our start! All of you current students!"

7 じゃあね!!! jaa ne!!! "See ya!!!"

8 これが雄英卒業式の伝統だそうだそしてーー これがゆうえいそつぎょうしきのでんとうだそうだそしてーー kore ga yuuei sotsugyoushiki no dentou da sou da soshite-- Apparently this is the tradition of the UA graduation ceremony, and--

1 例年なら担任は持ち上がりじゃないんだが れいねんならたんにんはもちあがりじゃないんだが reinen nara tannin wa mochiagari ja nainda ga "In a normal year, I wouldn't be asked to be the homeroom teacher, but,"

2 まァ事情がもう一年よろしく まァじじょうがもういちねんよろしく maA jijou ga mou ichinen yoroshiku "well, I hope things stay the same for another year."

3 よかったああ yokattaaa "Thank goodness!"

4 相澤先生がうれしいよお あいざわせんせいがうれしいよお Aizawa-sensei ga ureshii yoo "I'm so happy it's Aizawa-sensei!"

5 泣いちゃった ないちゃった naichatta "Oh dear, she cried."

6 相澤先生でよかったああ あいざわせんせいでよかったああ Aizawa-sensei de yokattaaa "I'm glad it's Aizawa-sensei!"

7 これで一段落か これでいちだんらくか kore de ichidanraku ka "With this, are we at a stopping point?"

8 おま��入院してなくていいの？ おまえにゅういんしてなくていいの？ omae nyuuin shitenakute ii no? "Don't you have to be hospitalized?"

9 安静にしてりゃいいってよ今日は全員そろってなきゃダメだろ あんせいにしてりゃいいってよきょうはぜんいんそろってなきゃダメだろ ansei ni shiterya ii tte yo kyou wa sen'in sorottenakya DAME daro "They said it's okay if I rest, we all gotta be together today."

10 まともなこと言いだしたぞ まともなこといいだしたぞ matomona koto ii dashita zo "Hey, you said something reasonable."

11 あぁ⁉︎ aa!? "Hah!?"

12 安静に…！ あんせいに…！ ansei ni...! "Rest...!"

1 オイ OI "Hey!"

2 ハイ HAI "Yessir."

3 …入れ …はいれ ...haire "...Come in."

4 改めてお別れを！ あらためてアデューを！ aratamete ADEYUU (kanji: owakare) wo! "Once again, adieu!"

5 僕は雄英を出る☆‼︎ ぼくはゆうえいをでる☆‼︎ boku wa yuuei wo deru ☆!! "I'm leaving UA ☆!!"

6 青山…‼︎ あおやま…‼︎ Aoyama...!! "Aoyama...!!"

7 やっぱ気持ちは変わんないの？ やっぱきもちはかわんないの？ yappa kimochi wa kawannai no? "Are you sure your feelings won't change?"

8 おまえのおかげでAFO達を分断できたのに‼︎ おまえのおかげでオール・フォー・ワンたちをぶんだんできたのに‼︎ omae no okage de OORU FOO WAN-tachi wo bundan dekita noni!! "But thanks to you, we were able to divide All For One and all of them!!"

9 先生も塚内さんも「残っていい」と仰ってくれたよけれど せんせいもつかうちさんも「のこっていい」とおっしゃってくれたよけれど sensei mo Tsukauchi-san mo 「nokotte ii」 to osshatte kureta yo keredo "Both Sensei and Tsukauchi-san told me it was okay for me to say, but"

10 僕自身がケジメをつけたいんだ ぼくじしんがケジメをつけたいんだ boku jishin ga KEJIME wo tsuketainda "I myself want to take responsibility."

11 "AFOの思惑"が絡んだ入学で "オール・フォー・ワンのおもわく"がからんだにゅうがくで "OORU FOO WAN no omowaku" ga karanda nyuugaku de "My admission was entagled with All For One's predictions,"

12 今日のような卒業式を僕は迎えられない きょうのようなそつぎょうしきをぼくはむかえられない kyou no you na sotsugyoushiki wo boku wa mukaerarenai "I cannot receive a graduation ceremony like the one today."

13 罪を償って つみをつぐなって tsumi wo tsugunatte "I'll atone for my sins,"

14 もう一度…ヒーローの道を目指す☆平気さ！ もういちど…ヒーローのみちをめざす☆へいきさ！ mou ichido...HIIROO no michi wo mezasu ☆ heiki sa! "and once again...I'll aim for the path of a hero ☆ I'll be fine!"

1 だって僕は君たちの手を取ったんだもの！ だってぼくはきみたちのてをとったんだもの！ datte boku wa kimi-tachi no te wo tottanda mono! "After all, I took all of your hands!"

2 うん！ un! "Yeah!"

3 またいつか…必ず… またいつか…かならず… mata itsuka...kanarazu... "Someday again...for sure..."

4 胸を張って皆と並び立つからね！ むねをはってみんなとならびたつからね！ mune wo hatte minna to narabitatsu kara ne! "I'll stand alongside everyone with my chest puffed with pride!"

5 青山…おめェ…！ あおやま…おめェ…！ Aoyama...omeE...! "Aoyama...you...!"

6 まじでだれより漢だよ まじでだれよりおとこだよ maji de dare yori otoko da yo "Seriously, you're more manly than anyone."

7 泣かないで皆！湿っぽくなるのは嫌さ‼︎ なかないでみんな！しめっぽくなるのはいやさ‼︎ nakanaide minna! shimeppoku naru no wa iya sa!! "Don't cry, everyone! It would be terrible for things to become damp!!"

8 眩しっ！ まぶしっ！ mabushi! "Dazzling!"

9 文化祭の時より更に精細なコントロールを…！ ぶんかさいのときよりさらにせいさいなコントロールを…！ bunkasai no toki yori sara ni seisai na KONTOROORU wo...! "Even more precise control than during the cultural festival...!"

10 だからここでーーサプライズ‼︎ dakara koko de--SAPURAIZU!! "And so here's a---surprise!!"

1 A組の新メンバーさ‼︎ エーぐみのしんメンバーさ‼︎ EE-gumi no shin MENBAA sa!! "The new member of Class A!"

2 心操ォオオ‼︎ しんそォオオ‼︎ ShinsoOOO!! "Shinsou!!"

3 わ wa "Wah!"

4 A組に来たかあ！ エーぐみにきたかあ！ EE-gumi ni kita kaa! "Did you come to Class A!"

5 編入だあA組なんだあ！ へんにゅうだあエーぐみなんだあ！ hennyuu daa EE-gumi nandaa! "You transferred! To Class A!"

6 すげえー‼︎仮免は正式発行されたの⁉︎ すげえー‼︎かりめんはせいしきはっこうされたの⁉︎ sugeee!! karimen wa seishiki hakkou sareta no!? "Awesome!! Did they officially issue your provisional license!?"

7 送別会とかの話題になってもよくない⁉︎ そうべつかいとかのわだいになってもよくない⁉︎ soubetsukai toka no wadai ni nattemo yokunai!? "Is it not good to bring up the subject of a farewell party!?"

8 たしかに tashika ni "Surely."

9 わ！青山くん わ！あおやまくん wa! Aoyama-kun "Wah! Aoyama-kun,"

10 ストップ！ストップ！ SUTOPPU! SUTOPPU! "stop! Stop!"

1 まだ"個性" まだ"こせい" mada "kosei" "My quirk is still"

2 バグってるみたいで！ BAGUtteru mitai de! "bugging out, it looks like!"

3 見えちゃう みえちゃう miechau "You can see me!"

4 わー素顔‼︎キュウティイイ わーすがお‼︎キュウティイイ waa sugao!! KYUUTIII "Wow, her real face!! A cutieee!"

5 ごめん☆ gomen ☆ "Sorry ☆"

6 やめて〜‼︎恥ずかしい やめて〜‼︎はずかしい yamete~!! hazukashii "Quit it~!! It's embarrassing!"

7 神はずっとそこに かみはずっとそこに kami wa zutto soko ni "A god was always right there."

8 おい oi "Hey."

9 連絡事項はまだあるんだが れんらくじこうはまだあるんだが renraku jikou wa mada arunda ga "There are still announcements."

10 ヒーロー科二・三年はこっから当分の間再建活動にあたります ヒーロー科に・さんねんはこっからとうぶんのあいださいけんかつどうにあたります HIIROO-ka ni・sannen wa kokkara toubun no aida saiken katsudou ni atarimasu "The second- and third-year students of the hero course for the time being will be involved in rebuilding activities."

11 私が代表で陣頭指揮ばとります わたしがだいひょうでじんとうしきばとります watashi ga daihyou de jintoushiki ba torimasu "I, as representative, will take the lead."

small text 新3年生ヒーロー科不和真綿 しん3ねんせいヒーローかふわまわた shin 3nensei HIIROO-ka Fuwa Mawata New third-year student of the hero course, Mawata Fuwa

12 今行われとる復旧活動に加え いまおこなわれとるふっきゅうかつどうにくわえ ima okonaware toru fukkyuu katsudou ni kuwae "In addition to the ongoing recoery efforts,"

13 治安悪化防止の為に全国ば回ります ちあんあっかぼうしのためにぜんこくばまわります chian akka boushi no tame ni zenkoku ba mawarimasu "we will be traveling around the country to prevent the deterioration of public order."

1 オールマイト引退後そして言うまでんなく蛇腔戦後のごつ オールマイトいんたいごそしていうまでんなくじゃくうせんごのごつ OORU MAITO intaigo soshite iu maden naku jakuu sengo no gotsu "After All Might's retirement and, needless to say, after the battle at Jakuu,"

2 教科書に載るごたる戦いの後に必ず きょうかしょにのるごたるたたかいのあとにかならず kyoukasho ni noru gotaru tatakai no ato ni kanarazu "after the battles that apppear in textbooks,"

3 教科書に載らん混乱があります きょうかしょにのらんこんらんがあります kyoukasho ni noran konran ga arimasu "there is always confusion that does not appear in the textbooks."

4 象徴の不在 しょうちょうのふざい shouchou no fuzai "The absence of a symbol."

5 AFOもそういう混乱の中生まれたウケだしな オール・フォー・ワンもそういうこんらんのなかうまれたウケだしな OORU FOO WAN mo sou iu konran no naka umareta UKE dashi na "AFO was also born out of such turmoil."

6 オッケー？イレ先 オッケー？イレせん OKKEE? IRE-sen "Okay? Era-sen?"

7 ああ aa "Yes."

8 イレ先 イレせん IRE-sen "Era-sen!"

9 私一応元イレ先クラス わたしいちおうもとイレせんクラス watashi ichiou moto IRE-sen KURASU "I used to be in Era-sen's class."

10 君らは除籍喰らってないっちゃう？ きみらはじょせきくらってないっちゃう？ kimira wa joseki kurattenaicchau? "You guys haven't undergone his expulsion?"

small text うらやましい urayamashii "I'm jealous."

11 甘えとう私らに一回"死"を味わわせるってねぇ怖かったー あまえとうわたしらにいっかい"し"をあじわわせるってねぇこわかったー amaetou watashira ni ikkai "shi" wo ajiwwaseru tte nee kowakattaa "We were so naive, he said he'd make us taste 'death' once, right? It was scary."

12 おい不和もういいよ行け おいふわもういいよいけ oi Fuwa mou ii yo ike "Hey Fuwa, enough, go."

13 やけどそのおかげで yakedo sono okage de "But thanks to that,"

14 何の為にヒーローんなるかわかった なんのためにヒーローんなるかわかった nan no tame ni HIIROO n naru ka wakatta "I understood for what reason to become a hero."

15 どうも doumo "Thanks."

1 いやー新入生かあ いやーしんにゅうせいかあ iyaa shinnyuusei kaa "Wow, new incoming students huh?'

2 俺らも明日から先輩かあ おれらもあしたからせんぱいかあ orera mo ashita kara senpai kaa "Are we also senpai after tomorrow?"

3 バタバタと進んでく バタバタとすすんでく BATABATA to susundeku "We'll progress to being busy."

4 忙しくなるな いそがしくなるな isogashiku naru na "We will become busy, huh."

5 けど休む暇はもらったし けどやすむいとまはもらったし kedo yasumu itoma wa moratta shi "But we got some free time to rest."

6 こすらんでいーからもう瀬呂くん！ こすらんでいーからもうせろくん！ kosurande ii kara mou Sero-kun! "You don't need to rub it in, Sero-kun, geez!"

7 良くないぞ よくないぞ yokunai zo "That's no good."

8 違うって！かっけえと思って！ ちがうって！かっけえとおもって！ chigau tte! kakkee to omotte! "No! I think it's cool!"

9 …麗日さん！ …うららかさん！ ...Uraraka-san! "...Uraraka-san!"

10 デクくんまで！ DEKU-kun made! "Even you, Deku-kun!"

11 てゆか怪我でそれ剃ったんだよね てゆかけがでそれそったんだよね te yuka kega de sore sottanda yo ne "You shaved that due to an injury, right?"

12 はよまた伸びるといいねえ はよまたのびるといいねえ wa yo mata nobiru to ii nee "I hope it grows again soon."

1 イメチェンといや常闇だよ イメチェンといやとこやみだよ IMECHEN to iya Tokoyami da yo "I don't want a change of image, that's Tokoyami."

2 違うが気に入ってる ちがうがきにいってる chigau ga ki ni itteru "It's different, but I'm taking a liking to it."

3 ハッ HA "Hah" (Note: This is the sound of panting.)

4 ハッ HA "Hah"

1 ハッ HA "Hah" (Note: This is the sound of panting.)

2 ハッ HA "Hah"

3 轟くんは送別会出れそう？ とどろきくんそうべつかいでれそう？ Todoroki-kun soubetsu-kai deresou? "Todoroki-kun, will you be able to attend the farewell party?"

4 あー今日じゃなけりゃいつでも あーきょうじゃなけりゃいつでも aa kyou ja nakerya itsudemo "Yeah, so long as it's not today, anytime [works]."

5 轟くん とどろきくん Todoroki-kun "Todoroki-kun."

6 大丈夫だよ だいじょうぶだよ daijoubu da yo "I'm okay."

1 っし sshi (Note: I'm not sure what this means or if it even means anything. It could just be a wordless sound like a sigh or a tongue click.)

tagline 轟家が向き合うのはーー… とどろきけがむきあうのはーー… Todoroki-ke ga mukiau no wa--... What the Todoroki family will face--...

[earth4angels]

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲

𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: when she saw him, she was only twelve with a bag of bread crumbs for her birds in the park. she thought he was beautiful and funny, he saw the world differently and there was never a moment he didn’t show her the beauty of it , she just didn’t think just how much pain he held inside.

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬: character death, blood, bullying, mentions of murder, gun violence, depression, hurt & comfort. childhood friends to lovers (kinda). miscommunications.

You first met Oliver Hide on a spring day, which ended up being a gloomy day. You did not mind, you loved to take walks after school to feed the birds at the park. It was always quiet, chirping and the low sounds of the wind was all you heard so when you found a boy around your age with his knees pressed against his chest, you stopped.

To question was wrong, but you couldn’t help to wonder why was he so sad? Why was he crying? You figured it was best to leave him be, your parents taught you to never meddle into anything that didn’t concern you. This was also a stranger.

As you backtracked, the leaves announced your departure. You winced when you saw the stranger’s head snap up from the bundle of sadness to look directly at you.

You offered a small smile filled with embarrassment, “I’m sorry.”

The stranger sniffed, wiping his eyes fast before he got up. His voice groggy, raspy from the crying he had released. “Ts’ alright…”

You opened your mouth and closed it again. You shouldn’t, you really should go home and get home before dinner but you just didn’t like the way this boy’s face was filled with so much anguish. The look did not fit him.

To hell with it.

You bit your lip before you spoke, “Are you… are you okay?”

He paused from grabbing his backpack, his eyes shaking. You saw the mental battle he was going through, the way he swallowed, or how his hands began to fiddle.

You knew better than to meddle into things that did not concern you. Mentally you slapped yourself, “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t-“

His hand went up to stop you, “No! No it’s okay. Thank you.”

Your eyes met his again, and for some reason your heart broke at the sight of him. His eyes were blood shot, his nose red by the constant rubbing. You felt the need to hug him, to give him your comfort bunny that helped you when you felt sad.

“Do you.. do you know what helps me?”

He sniffed, the sleeve of his sweater wet yet he cleaned his runny nose. Timidly, he shook his head so slightly you almost missed it.

“Henry. My plush bunny. My mom gave me him when I broke my arm from doing cart wheels. I cried a lot but when I held him. I felt better.”

The stranger smiled with secrets you wanted to know. “That’s nice.”

You nodded with enthusiasm, you saw the way the sadness began to leave his face. So you took steps closer to him, extending your hand out with a smile on your face. You had succeeded in making his smile look more alive.

“I’m y/n! What’s your name?”

He was taller than you, his hair was nicely combed to the side with slight curls at the tips. His eyes were very pretty and you knew then, it looked better when it was filled with happiness. His hand met yours in an warm embrace, your palm smaller and warmer than his cold, bigger hand.

“Oliver. But, you can call me Ollie,” he spoke with a smile, a genuine smile that made him blush with the longer he held your hand.

You continued to smile, matching his. With your hand in his, and the sun peeking out the clouds, you felt a friendship bloom.

At the age of 12, you befriended a broken boy, who often climbed into your window to lay in your bed and whisper why he was so afraid of being alone. You made a promise one night as both of you laid side to side, watching the glowing stars you had pasted on your ceiling.

“For as long as I am alive, I will always be your friend Ollie.”

Ollie held your hand that night and with a shaky breath he pressed a kiss on the front of your hand. “Do you promise?”

You faced him, flicking his forehead, you giggled when he whined softly, “I pinky and double promise. Crossing my heart if I die, I will never leave you Ollie. I promise.”

From then, the friendship grew. Every day was a new adventure, and having you by his side made Ollie happier. He did not think so much about the problems at home or how his parents constantly neglected him. He was just glad he had you, the most prettiest girl with a bright smile and words that filled his heart with warmth. Every day, was another reason piled in his list to why it was so easy to love you.

Ollie Hide, was in love with you. And he never knew just how much you loved him. The feelings of rejection and a possible outcome where it can ruin an already beautiful friendship was all they could think of. The feelings stayed bottled inside as though every touch and every bonding experience only intensified the feelings felt deep within.

One night, as you guys finally had a sleepover, now both in freshman year of high school — you broke a news that hurt him completely. Your father had been given the opportunity to work abroad, meaning you had to leave for an year or two. That meant, leaving Ollie who was suffering yet again in quiet.

As you broke the news to him, you watched as he began to tear up. He was never afraid to cry in front of you, and you never belittled him, he was important and he made you feel comfort more than anything in the world.

“Whe-When?” he whispered, his heart felt as it stopped beating. He wished then, that when they had done surgery on his heart they made the option of feeling anything go away. His heart began to throb in such an agonizing way, he began to breathe heavily.

You wrapped your arms around him, never letting him go. That night as you cried into each others arms, you made another promise. One that was going to haunt you forever.

“Hey doofus,” you said sadly. Your heart breaking when he sniffled yet he hummed, acknowledging you. “Promise you will never forget me.”

Ollie pulled away, his tears running his pale cheeks, “How can I?”

You placed a hand on his cheek. Perhaps both of you were too young to understand how the universe worked but you knew your heart best, and down beneath all the doubt, you knew that it will always belong to Ollie.

Ollie leaned towards your palm, his eyes watching you. At 14, both of you felt the first heartbreak. And two days later, as he watched your parents drive you away from him, he cried like never before. The one thing that held him strong, and stopped all the thoughts in his head that called him useless, unwanted, a disgrace.

Ollie Hide, began to change. He lied in every text message he sent you, every video he sent you, he lied. He told you how sophomore year was amazing, and how many friends he had. He never once told you how they mocked him, the loner boy. The daddy’s boy from a weird dad.

He never once told you how he cried every night, and when he ended up in the hospital again due to stress. Rash, who noticed the symptoms, begged his father to check him in with a therapist. Ollie was silently begging to be seen again. His light was gone, you weren’t there to hold him, to distract him with your non stop rambles how the stars had a story.

You never doubted him. You never asked questions because you trusted him. He would never lie. However, Ollie from the good of his heart did not want to burden you. So he continued to lie, even when social media came for him and made him into a joke, he filmed videos of himself with a smile on his face.

You never doubted anything. But, Ollie… was not himself anymore. The longer the days went, the more his mental health declined. Rosa was gone, and it was as if every important person kept leaving him. His father deep lost in his work to avoid the issues at home never questioned him.

On the summer before Junior year, you had come back. You ran to his house and what you saw made you stop dead in your tracks. Ollie had grown out his hair, and what was his neutral, warm colored clothes, was now all in dark. His eyes had lost the shine, the spark that you had fallen for. In his eyes, he was dead, the eyebags were visible.

“Ollie?” you whispered, unsure.

He turned around slowly, refusing to believe you were there. There you stood, in your hands held a gift for him and you were beautiful. His eyes scanned you, his heart beating fast.

“Y/n?” Ollie questioned, his steps stumbling towards you before he ran towards you where he wrapped you into his arms. You began to sob as you tighten your hands around him.

“I’ve missed you.”

You laughed as tears rolled down your cheeks, “I have missed you doofus!”

“Yo! Ollie! Come on.”

You raised your head from his chest, noticing a boy standing a couple feet away. This boy gave your heart a tug, like a piercing sharp pain gutted you. He raised all the flags in your head.

Ollie swallowed, letting you go, he slightly smiled. You knew better, this smile was fake.

“I’ve gotta go, I’ll see you later?” Ollie asked, he was walking backwards, his eyes avoided yours now. You began to question his behavior, his appearance, where was the Ollie from a year and a half go?

You only nodded, your throat constricting. He left, his steps stomping on your confused heart. Something was wrong and you did not know what it was. Yet, you knew if there was something, Ollie would tell you. He never lied to you.

The summer ended, and you hardly saw him. There was always a different excuse, but you knew. Rob was always in the picture, and whatever he did, murdered the kind, pure heart your bestfriend carried.

“I don’t know why you can’t see it Ollie!” you screamed at him one afternoon after school. You only watched Ollie as he bit into his nail, his hand rubbing his neck in anxiety.

“See what? I don’t understand…” he spoke softly, igniting the fire you held inside. You were angry over the fact your bestfriend was changing and he himself could not see it.

You sighed annoyed, and you began to laugh in disbelief, “How?! How can you not see what’s going on?! You haven’t spoken to me all summer! You barely even acknowledge me!”

Ollie bit the inner skin of his cheek, his heart breaking. He couldn’t harm you, he couldn’t make you a target. He did not want the bullying to get to you just because you were his friend. You did not deserve that. You deserved more. You were more important than his needs. He needed you. He needed to tell you, to yell how much he loved you. How every letter, every photo you guys together he kept in a box where he could go through every night before bed and wonder what could be.

He did what he knew best, avoided the situation. “You know nothing Y/n. Please go home.”

You scoffed, shaking your head, disappointed, hurt and sadness swallowing your heart, you stepped away from him.

“You promised Ollie,” you reminded him. A tear finally slipping out your socket.

He looked down, he bounced on his feet, the anxiety eating him. He never once made eye contact, knowing that if he did, he would never let go.

“I’m keeping a promise,” he muttered, “So please, leave me alone.”

He turned and walked inside, leaving you outside with your second heartbreak and occuring non stop questions. Inside, Ollie slid down towards the floor, he began to sob. He was going to protect you with all he could. That was the promise he made to himself.

You never found out about the bullying Ollie suffered, and it was a shock. But, it also didn’t help that you avoided the shadowed boy. You stuck to yourself, ears plugged in as music blasted through them.

On a cloudy day, you went to your class. Natalia, who was a friend you met through Ollie two years ago, laughed about something funny she saw on a tv show. You feigned a laugh, your eyes scanning for a certain boy. Enough was enough.

You were going to snap some sense into Ollie, whether he liked it or not, but you were not going to lose him. As you settled in class, you forgot about Ollie, immersed into the debate your classmates were going through.

You pulled out your phone and sneakily, sent a message to the one that held your heart.

I am not letting go Ollie. Meet me after school by the treehouse.

As you and Ollie built your friendship, you built new places to hang out, and that included an abandoned tree house you found one day as you walked through the woods. Ollie, being the kindest boy offered to check it out first. Since then, the treehouse was your secret hide out.

You never received a response. You knew he had gotten it though and so you hoped, this was going to change his way of acting. Class was peaceful, of course not without Jack making loud comments about the lesson that had your teacher rolling her eyes every two seconds.

As you giggled over the comment your teacher said you heard a loud bang. Loud bangings. You jumped, your classmates became silent then. You couldn’t hear anything then. Until, yelling and scared chatters hit your ears. Something was happening.

Your teacher smiled as she kept the peace, “Alright guys, it’s probably nothing, stay here. Let me check it out.”

A ping had arrived to your phone then and as you pulled your phone to check the notification, you heard the sounds of glass shattering. You turned to look at Natalia who held the same expression you held — fear. This was a shooting.

Your teacher acted fast, she moved in a way you never seen her act before. She commanded the class to move underneath the desks, away from the windows that overlooked into the classroom. She shut the windows closed and had every single one of you quiet down.

You held onto Natalia’s hand, the fear reaching your ears as you began to hear the thumps of your heart. What felt like an eternity, you begged to be given a chance to see your family again, you did not want to die and not be given a opportunity to declare how much you loved Ollie Hide. You needed to tell him.

“We can run outside!” Jack whispered, panicked that no one was coming for them. Your teacher leaned against the door, watching over you all, her eyes trembling yet she never faltered.

“You stay there Jack! All of you!”

Jack began to mutter in fear, another round of bullets was heard. You began to go into a state of panic, your brain was beginning to go into a daze. Natalia hugged you, as she whispered something you did not understand.

All you could think of was Ollie. Was he okay? Did he make it outside? Did he survive? Is he hiding? As your brain wondered. Jack and your classmates ran outside, all of them swallowed by the fear of dying if they stayed in the classroom. Your teacher shouted, her voice was ignored.

“Stay here girls, please don’t leave until someone comes to get you. Promise me?”

“Don’t go!” Natalia shouted, “You can be killed!”

Your teacher who you admired, and you found to have been the kindest to help you out when you needed it, smiled. A tear slipped her eye, “I have to try and save as much as I can — stay here okay? I’ll be back, I promise.”

It was as if, promises were meant to break.

As you and Natalia hid underneath the piles of chairs and desks, you heard screams closer than usual and multiple shots. You knew better than to be hopeful. Your classmates, ones you were joking with earlier that day, some of them were never going to graduate high school. They will never be parents, or have a dream come true, they will never ever know the pain of loss, or the feeling of loving someone so hard they forget the world spins. They will never have a chance to live.

You released a shaky breath as you held onto your friend. Your brain going over a prayer. If you make it out alive you were going to punch Ollie in the face and kiss him. You will make every moment worth it.

As you say there, you heard the door open. You closed your eyes, leaning your head towards Natalia. If you were going to die, you will die recalling a memory you treasured the most.

“Ollie?” you whispered one night, your voice quiet as both of you hid under the house you built out of blankets. At a distance you heard David arguing with Rosa again.

Ollie swallowed, his breath coming out in shaky wisps.

“Yeah?”

“When we’re older, promise we will still be friends?”

Ollie smiled into the shadows of the dark, he pulled you close, his skinny hand ruffling your hair as he released a sad chuckle, “You will never get rid of me.”

When you heard nothing but the gasp of your friend, you opened your eyes. You recalled that promise, your heart breaking in tiny pieces as you faced the barrel of the gun. Your eyes met with a certain pair that never failed to make you feel flutters in your stomach.

As Ollie, your best friend, your first love, held the gun with tears in his eyes, you released the first sound since the first gun shot. A loud sob.

Ollie looked at you and then at Natalia. You were sobbing now, your hands covering your mouth as you took him in. Your funny, bright bestfriend who joked about the smallest things, and looked after everyone than himself.

The gun didn’t fit him, he wasn’t the shooter. You refused to believe that. Ollie squeezed his eyes and when he reopened them, he looked different. You did not know who he was.

“Clear?!” Rob screamed from across the hall. Ollie said nothing before he shouted back.

“Clear!”

You scrambled to reach him, Natalia held you back. Ollie looked back at you, his eyes dark, lost. He was warning you to stay back. You choked on a sob again as you watched him go, his white sneakers filled with blood. You catched a glimpse at Rob, covered in blood, who said something and left to go the opposite direction.

You refused Natalia’s hold, “I have to get him! It can’t be him Nat…”

“You’re gonna be killed if you go y/n! You can’t go.”

You cried, “I have to try, that’s my bestfriend Nat… I can’t loose him.”

Your feet moved on its own as you ran down the hall towards the staircase, your mind blocking the scattered bodies of your classmates, you refused to believe it was real. It was a dream, you kept repeating.

Your feet hurt as you ran, but you needed to save him. You needed to get to Ollie. As soon as your feet crossed the door to the staircase you heard sobbing, mutters that were in gibberish. You had found him.

“Ollie…” you whispered.

Ollie gasped as he stood up. He began to shake his head, his muttering becoming more unstable, you could not understand him. You stepped closer as he put out a hand, his other hand loosely held onto the shotgun.

“Please… Please save me.”

You cried as you stepped closer, another step closer to reaching him.

“Take it Y/n… please. I can’t…. I don’t… I’m scared. I can’t die…”

Ollie finally looked at you, his eyes filled to the brim with tears, your heart broke once again. Your bestfriend, your first love, lost in his pain.

“Give me the gun Ollie…”

As he was handing you the gun, you heard the rushed steps of feet running up the stairs. The fear you held began to boil again. Finding yourself locking eyes with Rob, who held nothing but anger in his eyes, you didn’t realize the panic Ollie’s eyes went through.

Rob wasted no time but to shoot, and you were too late to run behind the door. The bullet shot through your lower stomach. At first you felt as you fell into a large comforter, and then you saw a flash of white. What you felt next was something that left you wheezing in non stop pain, the bullet has implanted itself in you. Your life was slipping and you just felt regret.

You recalled every promise you made with Ollie. The moments you had with your parents, and your friends. The laughter you shared with them, the cries you gave even if it was over a silly thing. All these memories and emotions flew through, and as you laid on the floor, wheezing through the pain, your heart slowing down one beat at a time. Your hand reached over to Ollie’s. You couldn’t find him, just how you couldn’t find the pain he was going through.

Ollie fought with Rob, and he almost won, if it wasn’t for the rail that threw him over the staircase. He just had one thought, what could have been if only he spoke with honesty of what he was feeling.

As both of you laid in different parts, the life slipping away from your fingers. Your heart’s beated slowly together, as if it was reuniting one last time. And for a moment it did, because the moment you allowed the white cloud wrap around you, Ollie smiled as he felt the warmth of your laugh wrap around him.

The two teenagers were rushed to the hospital, Natalia cried as she ran with you both. She was not going to reveal what had happened. She couldn’t, she knew and believed Ollie was not evil but she also couldn’t hurt you.

As nurses and doctors rushed to work in bringing your hearts back to life, the teenagers that laid in different rooms felt the soul bond loosened. The nurses spoke in sadness how the hands laid loosely over the bed, as if they searched for each other.

As Rash, the doctor that bonded with Ollie more than anyone, worked on a CPR on Ollie, he watched with tears in his eyes how neither of you responded. The dead line on the screen mocking him. And finally, after minutes, the line curved slightly.

The doctors that worked with you, all screamed in relief as you also responded back to life. Rash knew, just as with how Ollie talked of you, both of you were soulmates. He knew that nothing, not even death was going to rip both of you apart.

You had gained another chance at life, and you knew you were going to make every second of it count.

Natalia who watched as one came to live, then the other, sobbed loudly. Her mother wrapped her into her arms. Natalia had decided then, she was never going to reveal Ollie as the one shooter and as another classmate that survived was alive and responding, he recalled of the horrors that happened.

He spoke of the shooters, how he saw one shoot through his friends with no remorse screaming how they deserved it, and the other, the quiet boy who shoved the extra bullets into his pockets and shot through the walls instead. His eyes blinking away the tears that fell.

As the sun peeked through the windows, a chance to recover the lost time. To fix what was broken, was edging you awake. You woke up groggy, moaning that the sun was too bright. As you rolled over you found the mop of curly hair by your side.

You got up confused, till you realized it was a dream you had. You believed in the signs, warnings, how the universe will warn you of these butterfly effects. Since you had come back to town, you noticed the changes that your best friend has been going through.

You knew then, what could happen, whether it’s death or not, be prevented. As you reached over and laid a hand on the pale cheek of your bestfriend who softly snored away, you made a new promise.

“I will guard you with my life, and I promise to show you life is worth living.”

ollie nation tag list: @hxtd @mckennah123 @cieraerickson8 @oroborosfeast

natties angels permanent list: @yohanseyebrowmole @mthrgs29

[fortheloveofwonderland]

Rusty | Chapter 12 | S.R

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Chapter Summary - In the wake of Luke’s visit, you and Spencer are forced to be honest with one another. How will a former FBI Agent react to discovering he’s been harbouring a fugitive?

Pairing - Spencer Reid / Fem! Reader

Category - strangers to friends to lovers | angst | smut minors DNI

Warnings - heavy on dialogue, graphic depictions of violence and murder, past abuse, death of a parent, swearing, tears, prison arc, Cat Adams, dissociation, brief mention of past addiction, making out, use of term “rape”, fingering, oral (f receiving), male masturbation, confessed feelings.

WC - 6.2k

Chapter 12 - Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

Silence. 

As a little girl the sounds of silence ringing throughout your home was a warning sign. Silence was an indication that something wasn’t right, something was deeply wrong. 

The rare moments in which voices weren’t exploding off of walls, reverberating through the halls, cracking, rumbling, echoing within the house filled you with dread, morbid anticipation for when their raucous feuding would begin again. 

Silence in the Reid household derived the opposite, offering a privileged repreve. The small windows in time when his mother was lucid, instead of screaming so loudly that walls shook, were a wondrous abatement of his responsibility. 

When she simply slept as opposed to yelling that they were coming to take her away. Silence was a solace, enjoyed but not necessarily revelled in, because he knew all too well it wouldn’t last.

It went a long way to explain the fundamental difference between the two of you. Where you always tried to fill those deafening voids of quietude, Spencer fought to let them pass freely and for as long as they pleased.

It was so still in the lodge that you could hear the wind rustling through the long grass outside. If you really focused you could even hear the far off sounds of the horses in the stables. 

It was the kind of quiet that left you on tenterhooks, the kind that came before an all mighty eruption. The calm before the storm. The tranquillity before the chaos. The respite before all hell broke loose.

You and Spencer didn’t know each other at all and that was startling apparent now. But thanks to Luke’s visit, it was time to dig up all those secrets you’d both tried to bury from one another.

It was the witching hour. The be all and end all. 

You had relocated to the couch while Spencer was unable to sit still. He paced the length of his living room while you toyed with your hands in your lap. The longer he patrolled, the more he limped, but he didn’t let it slow him down. 

He raised his good hand and threaded it in his hair. He entwined his fingers in the locks and tugged at his roots. Grounding. Tethering. He was trying not to divorce his mind from the situation. 

It was almost an hour spent like this after Luke’s departure. Neither of you wanted to speak for fear of what you might say, what you might unearth. But it was an inevitable conversation and eventually one of you would need to break this fractured silence.

Normally that would fall to you, but not this time. The words wouldn’t come, you were still too busy trying to wade through all of the information. For a time you were at a stalemate, neither of you willing to be the first to break the silence. 

But then with a huff of breath, Spencer finally stopped pacing before he wore a hole in the floor and glared at you with the kind of gaze reserved for the criminals he interrogated back in his previous life. 

“I'm gonna need you to explain to me why my ex Fugitive Hunter, ex boyfriend has a file with your face on in his possession.” His voice was surprisingly steady, not loud but not quiet either. Not necessarily angry but certainly not untroubled.

You leaned forward, your elbows on your knees. You scrutinised him with your gaze, locking eyes with him to show you were not to be intimidated.

“And I’m gonna need you to explain to me how an FBI Agent wound up in prison before falling off the grid and uprooting his whole life to live out some cowboy fantasy.” You retorted, not willing to give it up so easily.

Spencer’s eyes darkened, you saw his jaw pulse as he clenched it. He was most definitely not budging on this.

“You first.” He growled.

You continued to stare at him, offering him your full attention but not a single word. His jaw oscillated furiously, you swore you could hear the grinding of his teeth.

“I swear to god if you don’t tell me everything I will call him back here, Y/N.” He spoke again when you didn’t make a sound. 

You run your tongue around the inside of your mouth, weighing up your options. You had very few. You could make a run for it but Spencer was no doubt faster and he was closer to the door. You could try and lie to him but now you knew he’d been a profiler that wouldn't be easy. 

If your gun wasn’t in your glovebox, you might have considered shooting him, not that you wanted it to come to that. You did care about him after all. 

Your final option was simply to tell him the truth and await his reaction. If he called Luke then you could reassess the situation. For now, all you had was the cold, undiluted truth. 

“I told you about my mom and my stepdad.” You began with a tenuous breath. “After I found out she died, I confronted the son of a bitch. I couldn’t stop myself. He as good as admitted to me that he killed her. I didn’t go there to hurt him, at least I don’t think I did. But I did take my revolver.

“He almost immediately started beating on me like I knew he would. I thought maybe if I let him hurt me just enough I could go to the cops. But then he got me up against a wall, his hand around my throat and I thought this is it, he’s going to kill me. So I had to act fast. 

“I pulled out my gun and I shot him in the stomach. As he was stumbling backwards I emptied my magazine into the bastard. But it wasn’t enough. He was dead, sure, but it wasn’t enough. After everything he’d put me and mom through, it wasn’t fucking enough. 

“So I reloaded and shot him six more times. A neighbour must have heard the gun fire because the cops showed up pretty fast. Everything was a blur. I somehow ended up in a cell, my fingerprints taken, my DNA. 

“I had to remain in holding pending trial as I had no one to bail me out. Eventually when the trial came, I was charged with manslaughter two. Seven years. Seven fucking years.” You paused to take another breath. Tears were readily falling down your cheeks at this point and Spencer’s expression was unreadable. 

“The guard that was transferring me upstate was a real soft touch, young and green. I’ll admit I manipulated him, got him in a compromised position and I escaped. 

“I spent about six months on the run. In the meantime I guess I must have fallen on the radar of your ex boyfriend and his partner. I knew I recognised him when I saw that photo in your room but I never saw him up close, only once from afar. It was his partner that finally caught up to me and I was put back in prison. 

“I spent a year in a max security facility. A few weeks ago there was a prison break. I almost didn’t leave. Almost. But I did. I ran and I fucking ran and I kept running until I find some cowboy injured on the side of the road. I'm not proud of what I did, Spencer, but if I had to do it all again I wouldn’t change a thing. So you can call Luke back but I will run again. I am not going back to prison, I would sooner die.” 

You stopped talking and were once again met by a long stretch of silence. Spencer started to pace the room again, his expression still blank and you had no idea what he was thinking. He didn’t make an immediate grab for the phone so you could only hope there was a small chance he might not turn you in. 

You watched from the couch as he walked back and forth, back and forth. Every now and again he would huff out a breath and rake his fingers through his hair. You didn’t know what to think, and it unnerved you. 

He wasn’t entirely surprised in truth, he’d known you were running from some kind of trouble. The signs had been there, and there had been many. And they all spiralled into the forefront of his memory. 

“What if I rob you? You don’t know me, I could be a criminal.” 

“You’re not gonna rob me.”

“You couldn’t possibly know that.” 

“I'm good at reading people. You have a trustworthy face.” 

——

He didn’t miss the way you jumped a little at the initial sound and how your body seemed to go rigid at the sight of the flashing lights.

——

“What do you do?” 

“This and that.”

——

“Are you in some kind of trouble?” 

“Why would you think that?”

“Deflection. Answering a question with a question. You are in trouble.”

He suddenly stopped pacing, looking back at you. His face didn’t give away what was going on in his head, perhaps that was deliberate. His body went rigid as he sucked in a breath and then deflated as he exhaled. 

“Four years ago I was arrested for drug possession and later charged with murder. I was framed by a woman I arrested about a year prior. She used a partner on the outside to get me in a compromised position, drugged me so I couldn’t remember what happened. I spent three months in prison while my team worked to prove my innocence. But in the meantime, Cat, the woman pulling the strings, had my mom kidnapped. 

“I have not been the same since then. When I was released I tried to continue as normal, like nothing had changed. But I was changed. Three months inside felt like three years and it destroyed the very fabric of my being. I can’t imagine what a year would have been like. 

“The first time I suffered a dissociation was when I had to come face to face with Cat again after my release. I thought she’d had my mom killed and I got her up against the wall with my hand around her throat. And to make matters worse, she was pregnant.” He grimaced a little now, clearly he was seeing the similarities between what he’d done and what your stepdad did to you. You wanted to tell him it wasn’t the same but he spoke again. “I still to this day don’t remember doing it. For a few seconds I blacked out and when I came back around my friend Jennifer had wrenched me off of her.

“And then it happened with Luke.” He choked back tears. “He tried to…touch me and my mind just divorced itself. The next thing I knew I had his arm twisted behind him, pinning it to his back. That’s when I knew I had to leave. If I wanted to keep the people I loved safe, I had to leave. My medication helps to a degree but I’m not the same. I’m never going to be the same. I couldn’t be an FBI Agent anymore when I couldn’t trust myself in the field. What if I dissociated and killed someone? No, I had to take myself out of the equation.” 

You could see the unshed tears behind his eyes but he was determined not to let them fall. Your own were still rapidly rolling down your cheeks but you didn’t care. You’d kept this all bottled up for far too long and it needed to come out. 

He stood staring at you, rolling his lip between his teeth. What did this all mean? Where did the two of you go from here? 

“So what now?” You sighed with a shrug of your shoulders. “I wouldn’t blame you for calling him back. You might not still be an agent but you took an oath once upon a time. Protect and serve, right?” 

Spencer was mulling over your words, nodding his head slowly. He cupped his jaw, brushed his fingers over the scratchy stubble. You weren’t sure if it was an attempt to ground himself or just something he did when he was deep in thought. 

“I should call him. I know that I should.” He dropped his hand again, his eyebrows pinched. You could almost see the internal debate happening in his head. “But…I know what it’s like to be pushed to the darkest realms of your mind, to feel like violence is the only way out. 

“If Cat had killed my mom, I wouldn’t have hesitated in doing the same to her. And I would have slept well after. There are three particular men from my past who if I ever saw again I would, without doubt, kill. So if I were to call Luke, it would be hypocritical of me. Because I understand why you did what you did. And honestly? I don’t blame you.” 

You choked on a sob and it wracked your frame. Your emotions were coming in huge waves and you couldn’t see an end in sight.

“Is this a trick?” Your voice wet with tears. “Did you somehow alert him and he’s on his way back here? Are you trying to distract me?”

Spencer surprised you when he laughed, shaking his head at your question. He finally moved closer to you, dropping down to the couch. He took hold of your hand in his good one and laced your fingers together. He smiled gently at you, his eyes soft as he looked at you. 

“No, Y/N, I swear to you this isn’t a trick.” He croaked. “Do you believe in karma?”

Your brow pinched deeper, unsure where he was going with this. 

“Yes, very much so.” You nodded. 

“Me too. Although I hate to admit that because I’m a man of science and logic. But I do believe that what we put out in the universe has some bearing on how we are compensated in return. You and I aren’t that much different. We’ve both seen our share of immense trauma, both had to face things no one should ever have to go through. 

“But I’m starting to think that maybe us finding each other was the universe's way of cutting us both some slack. Maybe we are each other’s rewards for the atrocities we’ve been forced to face. I have no intention of turning you in, and if you run anyway, I would be inclined to follow you. Because I think we need each other. I think we’re just two lost souls who found each other just when we needed one another the most. 

“I spent my whole life feeling as though no one understood me, alone in a constant sea of people. But since I met you, I’ve felt seen for the first time in my life. Even before I told you all of this, I think you saw something in me that resonated with you. I think ultimately, we’re one in the same; two peas from the same fucked up pod. I think I’m…” he trailed off, swallowing a lump that suddenly formed in his throat. “I think I’m falling in love with you and I think I want to let myself.” 

Somehow his confession caused more tears to fall from your eyes and he was quick to let go of your hand and cup your cheek so he could brush them away. He held you with a delicacy you’d never experienced before. No one had ever been so kind, so gentle with you. No one had ever looked at you the way Spencer was right now. 

You’d done a terrible thing and you knew it. Although you didn’t necessarily regret your actions, and you certainly weren’t missing any sleep over Leon's death. But because of what you’d done you’d resided yourself to being alone. No one in their right mind would ever accept for you for who you were and where you’d been. 

But Spencer Reid - Doctor, SSA whatever he was - didn’t just accept you but he understood you. 

It was intrinsic. A deep seated comprehension passed between you. Perhaps Spencer had a point, for all your collective wrong doings, all the trauma you had both suffered, maybe the universe was offering you to each other in compensation. 

The tears continued to fall and he didn’t stop wiping them away. The look he was giving you told you he would always be there to dry your tears. He briefly removed his hand from your face and took yours again, pulling you to your feet with him. Once you were both standing you instantly fell into his outstretched arms. 

You nuzzled your face against his chest and he encased you in his arms. His cast pressed against your back but if you felt any discomfort you didn’t mention it. His other hand meandered up and down your spine, rubbing your back in a calming manner while you sobbed into his t-shirt. It occurred to you that this was the first time he’d ever hugged you. 

In return you wrapped your arms around his waist, holding him so tightly he felt the air being squeezed from his lungs. But he didn’t care. Not in the slightest. 

He lowered his head, resting his cheek on your crown. His breath fanned through your hair, his strong, comforting hand scoring up and down your back whilst his heart beat could be felt from your proximity. 

Never in your entire life had you felt so secure than you did at that precise moment in time. 

You’d spent so many years running from the prospect of closeness, hiding your heart away from the world. After losing your father so young and then your mother at the hands of her second husband, you had learnt to never depend on anyone. 

In Spencer you had found a kindred spirit. He had built up the same walls around his heart, guarding himself from the world with the same careful precision you had. He didn’t let people in because he, like you, had been burnt in the past.

But as he held you in such a tentative yet unyielding manner, you could feel the defences you’d carefully curated start to crumble to dust. 

Spencer's approval and resolute understanding of the very fibre of your being was resoundingly stalwart. You knew as he tightened his grip on you that he would be forever unwavering in his adoration and protection of you. 

“Spence?” You whispered, wiping your eyes on his shirt before looking up at him. 

He lifted his own head and brought his good hand to your jaw. Your chin rested in his large palm while his fingers caressed your cheeks. 

“Yes Y/N?” He whispered, glossy eyes peering down at you. 

“I think it’s only fair that you know…” you trailed off, sucking in a breath, preparing to speak words you’d never said to another person before. “I also think I am falling in love with you too. And at this point, I’m too far gone to stop.” 

He breathed out a sigh of relief and chuckled lightly before brushing his lips over your own. 

“Please don’t stop.” He mumbled into your lips. “Because I have every intention of catching you when you are ready to fall.” 

“You know you’ll never have a normal life, right? I’m on the run, I’m always going to be looking over my shoulder.” 

“Y/N I have never known a normal day in my life.” He laughed. “I’d rather be looking over my shoulder forever with you by my side than ever be without you.” 

“You really do know all the right things to say, huh?” You smiled up at him, your heart wrapped in a warm blanket of affection.

“Not usually.” He shrugged. “But you make it so easy.” 

He brushed his lips over yours again, keeping his hand on your face, holding you as if you were a fragile bird. 

“No more secrets?” You asked, eyes pleading. 

You noticed something flicker across his features briefly as he drew in a breath.  

“In the interest of transparency, the real reason I don’t drink is because I had a drug problem. A long time ago now but, uh, yeah.” He puckered his lips. 

“Wow, you really are messed up.” You chuckled. “I have a trunk full of cash which I took from my mom’s safe after I killed my step dad. And the car outside is stolen. I took it from a junkyard and changed the plates so no one should be looking for it, but it’s always a possibility.” 

Spencer closed his eyes for a few seconds, nodding his head in understanding.

“Might be best to get rid of it at some point.” He mused out loud. “Where did you get a cell phone if you’re on the run?”

“It’s a burner.” You shrugged. “I mostly relied on a paper map and my own instincts whilst travelling but I needed it just in case. Good job I did too because otherwise you might still be out in that desert.” 

“Lucky for me.” He kissed you again, more passionate than before, his tongue edging into your mouth to deepen it. 

It was a strange and alien feeling having someone know you so completely, and not only know you but accept you. 

He was soon leading you back towards his bedroom and the two of you climbed into bed together. You undressed each other down to your underwear before Spencer started to tense up. He pulled back from your lips and stroked your hair back off of your face. 

“I, uh, I thought I was ready but…” he trailed off with a fractured sigh.

“You’re not there yet.” You finished for him.

“Not quite.” He admitted, a faint blush spreading to his cheeks. “I’m sorry, I’m trying.” 

“Please don’t apologise to me, it’s okay.” You brushed your knuckles over his stubbly jaw. “Spence, I have to ask…” 

His eyes snapped closed and his body stiffened. He rolled away from you until he was on his back.

“Please,” he mumbled. “It’s been a lot today. Can we just…?” 

“Okay,” you agreed, although not placated by his answer. “Can I…at least hold you?” 

His body seemed to relax a little at that and you saw his head nod against the pillow. He held his arm open and you curled into him, resting your head on his chest and draping your arm over his stomach, careful to avoid his wound he hadn’t yet redressed. 

His skin was warm against the side of your face and you closed your eyes, breathing him in. He tucked his own arm around you, resting his hand on your hip and brushing his fingers against your flesh. 

There were some things he simply couldn’t talk about. A part of him wanted to, a part of him wanted you to know him inside and out. And maybe one day you would. But he was exhausted by this day and needed to keep this one thing close to this chest. 

Telling the woman he was falling in love with that he was raped was not exactly high on his priority list.

***

When you awoke you were on your side facing the window. From this angle you could see pieces of the rolling expanse of land bathed in the early morning sunlight through the slatted blinds. 

Spencer’s casted arm was around you, one of his knees pressed between your own thighs, his front flush against your back.  He was already awake, that much you were certain of as his lips were peppering kisses along the side and back of your neck. 

You nuzzled back against him to let him know you were awake too, and he held you tighter. His hips grinded against your ass and given that between you there was only your flimsy panties and his boxers, it was inherently obvious how hard he was. 

Less than twelve hours ago he said he wasn’t ready for anything like this but you weren’t going to complain. 

Spencer had woken up like this, pressing against you, holding you for dear life. He’d been standing at half mast in his pants before he opened his eyes. With his brain still addled by sleep, he was going to take advantage of it and just let himself give over to this. 

He kissed along your jaw bone, fingers that peeked out of the cast brushing over your ribs. The cast was impeding what he wanted to achieve and he grumbled a little against your skin. 

“Can we, uh, relocate?” He mumbled. 

“As in?” You croaked out a reply. 

“Same position. Other side.” 

You nodded against the pillow before rolling over to face him. Spencer was particularly uncoordinated in his attempt to clamber over you, lay himself down and resume spooning you. 

He tucked his casted arm under the pillow and his good hand was now able to freely wander your body. He forced his mind to stay in the ether, somewhere between wakefulness and sleep. He needed this, he needed to feel connected to you, more so than he already did. 

He didn’t waste time with the preamble, didn’t want to allow his mind to be fully aware in case he started overthinking it. He brushed his fingers over the waistband of your panties to which you moaned in response.

Taking that as a green light, he manoeuvred his knee back between your thighs to wedge your legs open and let his hand slide inside them, instantly moving towards your clit. 

You gasped at the contact of his deft index finger pressing against your bundle of nerves, wiggling your ass back against his crotch. 

Spencer started rubbing intricate circles on your bud, closing his eyes and burying his face into the back of your neck. 

You were already completely soaked and it drove him wild to know he could have this effect on you before he’d even touched you. 

His ministrations were fast and desperate, and he started rutting against you in no time at all. You had barely escaped the blankets of sleep and your head was still hazy. 

His finger flicked and pressed with adept precision. He knew exactly what he was doing and your moans were testament to that. 

You were already spiralling, falling into the depths of pleasure bestowed by him. You rocked against his hand, fitfully to increase the friction. 

His heavy breaths on your neck and his hardness rubbing up against your ass cheek were only adding to it. You wanted to turn your head, look at him, kiss him; but he kept you pinned to his chest. 

Your thighs were trying to clamp around his hand as he toyed delicately with your clit, but his knee was in your way. You heard him chuckle darkly into your hair. 

“What? What do you want?” He mumbled, his lips pressing against the skin of your neck. 

“M-more,” you simply whined. 

Spencer thrust against you, the feeling was mutual. 

Suddenly he withdrew his hand from your panties making you whine like a feral dog. He then shuffled backwards, pulling you roughly by your shoulder until you were on your back. 

He quickly knelt over you, his eyes dark and pupils blown wide. His messy bed hair hung in his face and a sinful smile was adorned on his lips. 

He kissed you hard and fast, tongue plunging into your mouth and messily exploring its contours. It only lasted a moment before his lips trailed down your jaw and to your neck. 

He sucked deeply at the apex of your throat, you could already feel a bruise to begin to form in his wake. But then his lips continued to trail lower…

He kissed the swell of your breasts over your bra, down between them across your sternum. Brushing over your ribs they kept getting lower and lower until…

A wanton moan escaped you as his lips ghosted across the waistband of your panties. Spencer smirked against them as he raised his hands and started pulling the fabric down out of his way. 

You kicked them off your legs, looking up at him with large eyes. 

“Is this what you want?” He spoke against the skin of your hip bone. 

“Y-yes…” you whimpered. “Yes p-please, Spencer.” 

“Not Spencer,” he smirked at you. “Call me Doctor.” 

You whined loudly, arching your back off of the bed.

“Fucking hell.” You panted. “Why is that so hot? P-please Doctor. Need it. Need you.” 

He growled at your use of his honorific, straining painfully at the front of his boxers. He let his lips graze lower, breathing in your natural scent. 

You instinctively parted your legs wider and Spencer settled between them, gazing between your legs like he’d just found the holy grail.

There was a point not so long ago when the idea of intimacy, specifically oral sex, would have sent him spiralling into the darkness. But right now he needed his face between your legs with an unadulterated desperation.

Perhaps had you been a man it might have been different. In all honesty he knew he’d never be able to perform oral sex on a man again. Chances were, he may never be able to receive it again either. 

Your glistening cunt spread before him was the most dizzying sight he’d ever beheld. And although it had been an extremely long time since he’d been here with a woman, he still knew exactly what was needed to pleasure you the way you deserved. 

His forearm came down on your stomach, pinning your writhing body to the bed. He edged his face closer and closer until you could feel his breath between your legs. 

And then the flat of his tongue swiped through your slicken folds, collecting your arousal on the muscle and swallowing you down. 

He moaned at your taste and it vibrated through you. You wiggled beneath him but he held you down harder with his arm. 

He was purposefully slow in his movements, making you desperately squirm against him in the need to get him where you so badly needed him. 

His facial hair was rough between your legs, causing a friction that was unimaginably pleasurable. 

He allowed his tongue to dance between your folds, teasingly avoiding your clit. You whined as your fingers dove into his hair and tried to tug him higher by his roots. A laugh escaped him, dissolving between your legs. 

“Someone’s impatient.” He mumbled, swallowing down more of your bitter arousal.

“Can you blame me?” You panted, wrapping your legs around his neck. 

He chuckled again, placing a kiss on the inside of each of your thighs. And without warning he plunged back between your legs like a scuba diver taking to the ocean and drew your bud into his mouth. 

You gasped loudly, fingers curling into his thick locks and gripping them with all of your might. He suckled your clit, his tongue swirling around it in the most jaw dropping way conceivable. 

Your eyes rolled back in your head and your thighs clamped around his head. You thought you could have just come then and there. 

His tongue was skilled, as though this was a well practised art to his. He was sure of himself and it was warranted. He settled quickly into a smooth rhythm, one in which sent a heat flooding throughout your entire body. 

His strong arm held you down against the bed as you frantically rocked against his face, coating his chin and mouth in your slick. 

Spencer was moaning against your clit, a man possessed by his one objective of bringing you to orgasm with his tongue. 

In his mind we’re only two thoughts fighting for dominance: getting you off and the almost painful straining against his boxers.

Without really meaning to, his hand wandered of its own volition between your bodies and straight into his pants. 

He gasped as his hand wrapped around his shaft as though surprised by it. He quickly started pumping himself in his hand, but kept his attention between your legs. 

The sounds of his saliva mixed with your arousal and the room was awash with the sloppy sounds of Spencer’s eating you out. 

Your fingers were lost in his hair. Your legs tightened around his head to the point you might suffocate him. But he didn’t care. 

He let his tongue glide back between your legs hissing in desire as he collected your seed on his deft muscle. Soon enough he settled back on your clit, sucking it back into his warm, wet mouth once more. 

Your body was convulsing, trembling and tears pricked at the corners of your eyes. Your impending orgasm swelled in the pit of your stomach right beneath Spencer’s arm. 

Your nails grazed his scalp and he bucked into his hand, precum leaking from the tip. He wanted to continue this forever, spend every single moment of every single day worshipping you between your legs.

But he knew you were close, he knew it was only a matter of time before you reached your peak. 

As if on cue, you tugged tightly on his hair, thighs pressing viciously against the sides of his face. 

“F-fuck…” you stammered, the tears now rolling from your eyes. “S-Spence, I’m gonna…oh fuck.” 

A final, rushing wave of pleasure encompassed you and he sucked harder on your bud, as a scream erupted from you. 

You came with a string of slurs and whines and Spencer continued to lap his tongue back and forth over your clit until you were physically pushing him away. 

Your body was a quivering mess beneath him, your hold on his hair and grip of his face loosening as your limbs flopped like a rag doll to the mattress. 

Spencer collected your arousal on his tongue, making you whimper and shudder. With a chuckle he sat back on his haunches, still with his hand around his cock. 

You blinked a few times, bringing him into focus. The sight before you could only be described as divine. 

His mouth and chin was glossy with your arousal, his eyes nodded with lust. His hair was messier now after your assault on it and fell in his eyes. 

His boxers were pushed down to his thighs and he hurriedly jerked himself in his hand as he knelt over you. 

You rolled your bottom lip feverishly between your teeth, unable to take your eyes off of his thick, hard shaft in his hand.

His stomach was clenched, his abdominal muscles tightening beneath his flesh. His member was coated with his own slick and you regarded the way the vein on the underside pulsed with each pump of his hand. 

“I’m c-close.” He mumbled, increasing his speed. “Where can I…?”

“Anywhere.” You were quick to answer. “Anywhere.” 

The endless possibilities were too much for his hazy brain and didn’t move, couldn’t move. Instead he kept up his strokes for a few more moments before the tug in his balls and pinch of his stomach alerted him to the imminence of his orgasm.

Seconds later he stuttered out a breath, mumbling, “f-f-fuck!” And then he erupted, streak after streak of hot come across your stomach and hips. 

He slowed his strokes but continued to pump himself more leisurely as he expelled every last drop of his orgasm, some of which dripped down the side of his balled fist. 

Once his cock was completely spent, his legs gave way and he collapsed next to you on the mattress, quickly drawing you in for a deep and slightly messy kiss. 

The smell of sex clung to the air, heavy and heady and in return Spencer clung to you like you were his only lifeline. You held him with as much energy you had left in your body, limbs entwining to the point you didn’t know where you ended and he began.

He peppered sloppy kisses everywhere he could reach, from you cheeks to your neck to the crown of your head. This had to be heaven because nothing had ever felt this good.

He looked at you, deep into your eyes as he cupped your face delicately in his hand. It was impossible to doubt his loyalty to you when he looked at you like that. 

“I, uh, I lied before about something.” He croaked and you immediately frowned at him. 

“About what?” You pouted but Spencer was smiling at you, dispelling some of your nerves. 

“I told you I was falling in love with you. I lied.” 

“I don’t…I don’t understand.” You croaked. 

He inhaled deeply through his nose as his hand trailed into your hair. His gaze was permeating right through to your soul. 

“I’m not falling in love with you. Because I’ve already fallen.” His smile grew but there was a hint of nerves laced into his words. 

You exhaled in relief, half wanting to slap him for misleading you like that. But instead you kissed him. 

“God that was mean.” You laughed against his lips. “And I guess that makes two of us.” 

You felt him relax in your arms at your admittance and he pulled you tighter to his chest. 

You were ultimately just two fucked up people just trying to find your place in the world. And neither of you would have ever thought you’d find it here together. 

@kalulakunundrum @small-and-violent @voledart @katrina0-0 @bakugouswh0r3 @prettyboyandthefangirl @zooni92802 @marvellover1819 @babyspiderling

[harryyskiwii]

Summary: Flight Attendant Y/N meets Captain Harry Styles for the first time and they join the mile high club, sort of.

Pairing: Reader y/n X Captain Harry

Word count: 4,207

A/N: Hey everyone! So sorry I haven’t posted in a while. I’ve been on holiday the last week and that is what inspired me to write this 🥰As always, please feel free to request anything! Hope you enjoy!

One of the things you enjoyed most about being a flight attendant was the thrill of being able to visit new places, if only for a brief period of time.

You had worked for British Airways for 3 years now and soon you would be hoping to step up to Team Leader where you could help train and look after new flight attendants.

You usually only did short-haul flights out of your base which was London Heathrow and flew across Europe; the longest flight being 6 hours. Short hail suited you, you typically flew to 3 or 4 places within a day and by 1 am, you were back in your bed. That’s if all went to plan. For today’s first flight, you were heading to Dusseldorf in Germany, somewhere you regularly flew to.

You parked your car in the staff area of the airport, changed out of your trainers and into your small black court shoes as driving in heels was never comfortable.

You pulled out your small case from the boot of your car which contained a spare uniform because you won’t be caught out again; on a previous flight a passenger spilt their red wine all over you one time and you had no spare shirt to change into, your water, your lunch because aeroplane food was awful and some spare makeup to top up with in between flights.

You smoothed out your navy pencil skirt, so old fashioned you thought, and tied the red, white and blue scarf around your neck ready to enter the airport.

You headed straight for security and through the fast track lane since you were crew. Once past, you headed to the staff area to check which gate you had to go through to get to the aircraft.

Approaching gate 7, you showed the staff your pass and they nodded and let you go.

You headed towards the aircraft, where you saw the First Officer; Andy doing the pre-flight walk-around. You had flown with Andy for the best part of a year and you knew him well. He got into flying after he fancied a change in career from being in the police. You always liked Andy, he was a father to 2 girls who he adored and always made the typical dad jokes which meant it was normally a good flight with him

“Alright wee one, nice to see you” he smiled at you. “Hey, how are you?” You smiled back at him.

“I’m good, ready for 12 hours of pure joy?” He joked and you laughed. “Always” you replied.

“Who’s the Captain today?” You asked, always fearing if it would be one of the older, slightly rude Captains or one more relaxed and friendly.

“New guy, Styles his name is. Seems like a good bloke, think Daniel already has the hots for him” he winked and you laughed.

You relaxed at the mention of Daniel who you had become best friends with after you had both started the job on the same day. You loved working with him as he always seemed to make the flight go in faster.

“Hey! Am I glad to see you today” you said once inside the aircraft.

“Hey!!” He said hugging you “I’ve not been with you on a flight for ages, we’ve got a lot of catching up to do!” he said excitedly. You laughed as he always saw working with you as gossip sessions rather than working.

You headed towards the front portion of the plane where the crew placed their bags and got ready for the flight. You glanced in at the cockpit where you saw the Captain sitting doing the necessary paperwork before departure. Although you could only see the back of him you could tell he was wearing his black double-breasted black jacket with the 4 gold stripes on both the epaulettes and the sleeve of his jacket; showing his ranking as Captain.

He had short, dark brown hair which you could tell had been meticulously styled that morning as not a hair was out of place. You had never worked with this captain before, so you weren’t sure what to expect from him; some captains could be so far up their own, you weren’t allowed to speak to them unless spoken so you kept quiet and put your things away and headed back out to the main cabin to find 2 more girls who you didn’t recognise arriving onto the plane.

“Hi, I’m Emma, Team Leader for today. Nice to meet you” the tall blonde girl who was wearing a minimal amount of makeup but still managed to look flawless said to you.

“Hi nice to meet you, I’m y/n” “Lovely name, I’ll go sit my bag down and we can start the briefing” she smiled.

You noticed the other girl who had since boarded, she looked a little more reserved so you decided to introduce yourself.

“Hi I’m y/n, it’s nice to meet you” You smiled at her to help relax her. She looked young and a little unsure, she was maybe 18 or 19 years old so you assumed she hasn’t long qualified as cabin crew. You remember how nervous you were for your first few flights so you decided you wanted to look out for her during the day

“Hey, I’m Holly” she said. “Not long qualified?” You asked kindly.

“This is my 2nd flight” she said and you smiled.

“Don’t worry I remember my first couple of flights, it’s nerve-wracking but you’ll soon get the hang of it. There’s no better way to learn than doing it so if there’s anything you need a hand with today, just let me know. I’m always happy to help” you smiled.

“Come on, I’ll show you where to put your things” You smiled and led her towards the cockpit.

“So you can grab anything you need out of your bag and put it in the fridge if you’ve got a sandwich or anything like that, otherwise you can pop it in here and lock it, we all put our bags in one locker together

“Ahh, I thought I heard some voices. I was just coming to do the briefing” you heard the captain say from behind the cockpit door. You stood up straight and smiled at him coming out.

His eyes fell onto you first and he smiled “Harry Styles, pleasure to meet you” You shook his hand that he had extended for you and took in his beauty. He looked young, maybe 29 or 20. He had green eyes and fair skin which had a slight tan to it, making the dimple on the left side of his face more prominent.

“Y/N, lovely to meet you, Mr Styles”

“Please, call me Harry” he told you and you smiled at how genuine he seemed. Most captains would only allow you to refer to them as Captain and their last name so it was nice to have one who was more relaxed.

“This is our newbie Holly, this is her 2nd ever flight today” you smiled as you introduced the new recruit to him.

“Holly, nice to meet you. I’m Harry, hope you’re settling in well?” He asked kindly as he shook her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Captain Styles, yes settling in very well thank you” she sheepishly replied. It always was a bit intimidating to speak with a captain, especially ones you didn’t know much about.

“Call me Harry please” he smiled. “Shall we move to the cabin and start the brief?” He asked and you nodded, moving to the front part of where the passenger seats were located.

By this point, everyone was now in the cabin waiting to start the briefing. The captain introduced himself to the remaining crew members before you all took seats at the front of the plane.

“So my name is Emma I’m one of the British Airways Team Leaders and I’ll be working as number 1 for this shift. Today we’ve got Captain Harry Styles and First Officer Andrew Simmons on the flight deck. For cabin crew today we’ve got Daniel, Holly and y/n, I think we’ve already met each other by now yes?” Emma asked as she pointed to everyone during the introductions.

“Great, it’s a Boeing 777 we’re on today, I’ll let Captain Styles and First Officer Andy talk more about that in a bit. There are a total of 6 flights today; Heathrow to Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf to Heathrow, Heathrow to Las Palmas, Las Palmas to Heathrow and then Heathrow to Venice and Venice back to Heathrow. Full flights on all destinations so we need to be on top of our game in the cabin, Daniel can I ask you to be number 2 today? Holly, do you mind being 3 today and y/n as number 4?”

Number 1 meant you were looking after the passengers in the front of the plane, number 2 was in the middle of the plane, number 3 was in the back section of the plane and number 4 was an additional person who helped the rest of the team, including the flight crew.

You nodded in agreement, secretly glad you were given the position of helping to look after the captain and the FO.

“Captain Styles, do you want to run through your information?” She asked and he straightened up in his chair.

“Yeah sure I’ll just introduce myself a little more since I’m a new face to a lot of people. I’m Harry I’ve been a Captain now for 5 years having previously worked for Ryanair before moving here 3 weeks ago. Please call me Harry because Captain sounds old and although I’ve recently hit my 30s, I’m not quite there yet” This gained a few laughs from the crew, including yourself.

So he was attractive and funny? The more he spoke the more you found yourself more and more drawn to him. He was charming. But not in a cocky way, he seemed genuine and the fact he was a Pilot told you he was smart. Very smart. You always did have a thing for intelligence.

“We’ll be cruising around 30,000 feet once up in the air, weather looks good, clear skies with a 30% chance of light showers. The weather in Düsseldorf is 23 degrees which doesn’t concern us as we’ll have a 20-minute turnover before boarding to come back to the UK unfortunately, bet you wish you’d chosen long haul now Holly?” Harry joked at the fact that although travelling throughout Europe, you hardly ever got to even leave the plane.

You all laughed and Holly agreed. Harry continued with the briefing, telling you about the time durations, and quizzing everyone on emergencies, something which was legally required to ensure all crew knew what to do in the event of one.

“Thanks everyone, I think we can start boarding now” Harry smiled and Emma nodded, knowing to start the boarding procedure.

“Y/N can you help Holly if she needs a hand opening the rear door?” Emma asked and you nodded.

You headed towards the rear of the cabin with Holly behind you.

Once everything was set for boarding, you headed towards the middle of the cabin to help passengers find their seats and help with any luggage they had.

Luckily, boarding took 20 minutes and before you knew it, you were doing the safety demonstration for the passengers while the plane reversed out of the airport and to the runway. You could hear Andy’s voice informing the passengers of the information Harry had relayed to you earlier about the weather etc to keep them up to date.

With the safety demonstration over and having checked everyone had their seatbelts on, Emma nodded to you to signal that you could sit down and prepare for the take-off.

“Cabin crew take seats and prepare for take-off” you heard Captain Styles say and you smiled a little at the sound of his voice.

You sat down at the rear of the plane next to Holly and fastened your seatbelt.

“I’ve done hundreds of flights and I never get bored of the take-off or landing” you said to her quietly as you could feel the plane taxing down the runway.

“I’ve done a handful and still get nervous” she said and you squeezed her hand a little to let her know it was okay to be nervous.

He must have gone from 50mph to about 170mph in less than 30 seconds because before you knew it, you were being hauled into the air with such speed that you swear your heart fell out of your arse. A “fuck” could be heard under Holly’s breath and you laughed.

That was a sure sign of a good takeoff. For a plane to take off at such speed it requires a good sustained acceleration which was exactly what Harry did.

So he was attractive, funny, intelligent and good at lifting 150-ton planes off the ground? Was there anything this Pilot wasn’t good at?

As the plane climbed into the air, Andy’s voice could be heard over the intercom “Ladies and Gentleman please remain in your seats with your seatbelts fastened until the captain has switched off the seatbelt sign. Thank you”

A common command that was often used for eager passengers who would immediately take their seatbelts off as the plane took off the ground.

10 minutes in, the seatbelt sign was switched off and people started to immediately stand up to use the toilets, it always looked like the hunger games you thought.

Because the duration of the flight was only 1 hour and 25 minutes, only the drinks and snack service were required so you and Holly started with that as one of your first tasks, hoping to keep the passengers settled.

Halfway through the service, the alarm which alerted cabin crew to the cockpit was rung and so as the number 4, you left the drinks cart and headed to the cockpit.

You straightened out your skirt and pushed back a few loose strands of hair before knocking and going in.

“Everything alright?” You asked politely squeezing through the small door and inside the cockpit.

“I’m just gonna nip to the loo” Andy said and you nodded, understanding. It was policy that the cockpit operated a “2-person flight deck” which meant 2 people had to be in the cockpit every second the aeroplane was in use.

Andy exited and headed for the toilet.

“Come and sit down” Harry said to you as he glanced over at the seat Andy had been sat in. You moved and sat down in the First Officer’s chair.

“How’s everything out there?” He asked looking over at you. The plane was now set on autopilot meaning it no longer required the captains' manual control, rather a system was being used to control the path of an aircraft.

“Yeah everything’s good, no difficult passengers yet, although what are the chances I’ve jinxed it now” you laugh.

“For the next 5 flights, we’ll have the worst passengers in the history of aviation” he joked and you laughed at his quick white

God, he looked so good sitting there. He had taken off his jacket which revealed a clean crisp white shirt, still showing the 4 gold stripes on his shoulder, but the shirt revealed tattoos. Tattoos which made you feel there was a lot about the Pilot you wanted to find out about.

“Great takeoff by the way” you remarked to him and he smiled lightly.

“Thanks, I’d practised take-off loads in flight school and then just lots of experience I suppose”

The way he spoke was so gentle but also with such passion for his career in his voice.

“What about you, how long have you been in the air for?”

“I’ve been cabin crew for 3 years now, I love it. I was saying to Holly earlier that no matter how many times I fly, I still get the same buzz each time we take off and land”

You watched as his lips turned upwards into a smirk “You’ve not experienced my landing yet, wait until you do”

You laughed at the comment and right on time, Andy came back.

“Fancy swapping jobs for the day?” He joked when he saw you in his chair. You laughed and got up “No thank you, I’d rather not be responsible for 130 passengers” you said and they laughed.

“You guys need anything before I head back out?” You asked them both.

“Could I get a tea if possible please y/n?” Harry asked you politely.

“Of course, how do you take it?”

“Milk and 2 sugars” he told you and you took a mental note of it.

“Nothing for me thanks y/n” Andy said.

You headed back to the cabin, being stopped multiple times by passengers to ask for certain things before making this Captain his tea.

You knocked on the cockpit door and went in.

“Here’s your tea for you” you said handing it to Harry. He smiled and took it off you “Thanks” You headed back to get a Karen in row 21 the G&T she had previously asked for .

“Y/n!” You heard your name being called by the captain from behind the door of the cockpit you had just been in.

You sighed a little, sensing something was wrong and headed back in.

“That’s the best cup of tea anyone has ever made me” he remarked as he smiled at you.

You laughed slightly “I’ll add tea-making skills to my CV then”

“Honestly it’s perfect, I might have to request you on every one of my flights so you can make me the perfect cuppa”

“Right you two, enough with the flirting. Styles we’ve got 25 minutes until landing” Andy jumped in and you and Harry both laughed.

Andy winked at you and you continued with the rest of your tasks.

You arrived in Düsseldorf, with a very smooth landing from Captain Styles at 7:20 am with the next flight at 8 am, giving you a 20-minute turnaround time to get things ready for the next lot of passengers boarding. It was a quick turnaround and before you knew it, you were taking off from Düsseldorf back to London

Landing back at Heathrow at 9:30 am, the next flight was at 10:15 and already there was an issue.

A nervous passenger was starting to feel unwell and wasn’t sure if she would be able to fly to Las Palmas. You and Emma were trying to convince her that the 4-hour and 30-minute trip would be completely safe and she had nothing to worry about.

“I can’t, I can’t fly. What if the plane crashes or falls into the sea? I can’t swim, I will drown and die. I can’t” the passenger who looked no more than 25 said.

“I completely understand your nerves, I can assure you that aeroplanes these days are made to be very very safe and the chances of anything happening are so very slim” you tried to reason with her.

Meanwhile, Emma had instructed Daniel to tell the flight deck what the delay was.

“Hi, I heard we’ve got a nervous flyer?” You heard the same voice who had complimented your tea-making skills say from behind you. The woman nodded.

You looked up to see Harry standing in the cabin, looking to speak with the passenger.

You stepped back and let him crouch down beside her in her seat.

“I’m Harry, I’m the Captain who’ll be taking you over to Palma today. Can I ask your name?” He asked kindly to the passenger.

“It’s Rebecca” she said.

“Okay Rebecca, it’s nice to meet you. So Daniel explained to me that you’re quite nervous when flying?”

“Yeah, I worry the plane will crash or fall into the water”

“Okay I can see why those are concerns, the risk of a crash or the plane failing and falling into the sea is 1 in 11 million. The aircraft is completely safe and in all my years of flying, I’ve never had an emergency on board, well actually I forgot my coffee once which was a real emergency. I’m a real grump without my coffee” he joked and the passenger laughed, as did you at the comment.

“The team are all here to look after you during the flight and if you need anything at all, you can press this button above your head for assistance and they’ll be right over to help you. Does that put your mind at ease a little bit?” He asked still crouched down beside her.

“It does thank you yes captain” Rebecca smiled.

“Good, we’ll be taking off in around 10 minutes so sit back, relax and try and enjoy the flight as much as you can” He smiled and renters back into the cockpit to being the takeoff procedure.

During the flight, the nervous passenger fell asleep halfway through and only woke up when the plane was safely on the ground. Harry came to check on her as she was disembarking and she couldn’t thank him enough for his kindness in calming her down.

“It’s no trouble at all, you have a good holiday now” he told her as she left the aircraft.

So he was attractive, funny, intelligent, good at lifting 150-ton planes off the ground and great at calming people down. If you hadn’t already fallen in love with this man, by the next 3 flights, you definitely will have.

Thankfully, the following 3 flights were uneventful, except for the drunken guy who had spilt his crisps all over another passenger which you had to clean up.

The last flight from Venice back to base at Heathrow was welcomed. Your feet were sore, your makeup had half melted off and you couldn’t wait to get your hair out of the uncomfortable bun you were required to wear all day.

After seeing all the passengers off the plane, you started to clear up.

“What a day, thanks for all your help guys” Harry shouted down the cabin as he locked it up for the night.

“No problem Captain Styles, hope to be working with you again soon” Emma said to him.

“Likewise, you guys head off I’m just going to do a walk around” you heard him say.

“Are you sure?” Emma said. “Yeah sure, thanks again everyone” he said once more.

You, Holly, Emma and Daniel started to get ready to leave when you felt Harry’s arm touch yours slightly.

“You stay” you heard him whisper into your ear subtly as you passed him to get your bag.

You blushed and swallowed hard “You guys go, I need the loo” you said to the rest of them.

“Go in the airport” Daniel said and you hinted at him to go.

“Weak bladder, you go I’ll see you soon” you smiled at them.

“Text me later!” Daniel said and you smiled as they left the aircraft.

“Weak bladder eh?” The captain raised an eyebrow at you when everyone was out of sight.

You laughed “I couldn’t think of anything else”

He laughed and smirked at you “I couldn’t help but think about you today. That shitty landing in Venice was your fault, I couldn’t think of anything else”

“I’ll just add ‘distraction to pilot’ on my CV as well then shall I?” You joked.

“You’re such a distraction to the pilot,” he said quietly as he leaned in closer to you.

He cups your face in his hands and he leans in and slowly kisses you. The kiss soon starts to grow more intense as moans echo through the cabin.

He’s started to groan in your ear and kiss your neck up and down.

He pushes you down into a seat in the front row by your hips and he kneels down in front of you.

His hands go up underneath your skirt and start to pull on your tights to reveal your bare legs.

"Harry we can’t do this here." You say completely out of breath already.

“You’re right, the toilet is better. Does this count as joining the mile high club even if we’re not in the air?” He smirked as he led you, barefoot to the bathroom.

For the next 10 minutes, you and Harry enjoyed each other’s company in the toilet as he moved his hips slowly inside of you, each thrust getting faster and faster.

You felt like you might collapse soon and he knew it too so he decided to stop just before you orgasmed and let you out of the toilet.

You sat down in the front row, completely out of breath, a little disheartened he’d pulled out before you orgasmed.

He appeared from the toilet, zipping up his trousers and putting his belt back on.

“Let’s finish at my house” he said and you happily obliged. It was fair to say that night you never got any sleep, despite how tired you had been after your shift.

Thanks to Harry giving you the most amazing sex you’d ever had, you had never been more grateful to be an Air Hostess as you had been that day for meeting your now boyfriend, Captain Harry Styles.

[blueiscoool]

200-Year-Old Message in a Bottle Found on a French Clifftop

Volunteers on an archaeological dig in the ruins of an ancient Gaulish village high above the cliffs in northern France this week uncovered a small glass vial —and within it a neatly rolled, 200-year-old message from a colleague from another era.

The note was written by archaeologist P.J Féret, who conducted a dig at the Cité de Limes site in January 1825, the town supporting the dig, Eu, said in a Facebook post.

Féret wrote —perhaps as inspiration to the nascent archaeologists standing in his footsteps nearly two centuries later— that he was a member of several scientific societies and he "continues his research in this entire vast compound."

"It was an absolutely magic moment," Guillaume Blondel, who heads the archaeological service for the town of Eu, told the BBC. "We knew there had been excavations here in the past, but to find this message from 200 years ago… it was a total surprise."

"Sometimes you see these time capsules left behind by carpenters when they build houses. But it's very rare in archaeology," Blondel said. "Most archaeologists prefer to think that there won't be anyone coming after them because they've done all the work!"

Municipal records confirmed that Féret conducted a first dig at the site 200 years ago.

The oldest message in a bottle ever found was 131 years and 223 days old when it was discovered, Guinness World Records said in a statement. Australians Tonya and Kym Illman found the message on Jan. 21, 2018, at Wedge Island, Australia.

A German ship captain threw a gin bottle overboard on June 12, 1886, Guinness World Records said, with a message written in ink, that contained the ship's coordinates and details, including departure and arrival times. The note, from the Deutsche Seewarte in Hamburg, requested the finder deliver the note to the nearest German Embassy.

If authenticated, Féret's 200-year-old message in a bottle will be the oldest ever found.

By Cara Tabachnick.

[fanaticsnail]

The Apprentice - Part 5 (NSFW)

Ohhh boy. This was a big one.

Warnings: Sex, p in v, romance, small angst, little fluff, mostly smut, barely proofred (it's 12:30am here right now, but plot was required to be written)

Word count: 6,888

Disclaimer: I do not speak Romanian, resources were googled. Iubițel is a men's term of endearment (meaning: sweetheart, lover and darling), Iubi is it's feminine counterpart, puișor is something like "dove" or "small animal", and draga mea is "my dear".

Part 4 here, Masterlist here.

As the wooden dock of Baratie began to bring itself within your sights; a warm, giddy smile drew itself onto your face. You had never seen its equal; a large floating restaurant in the middle of the ocean. The smells wafting from the building was enough to overcome your senses; sweets, savouries and a smoke-forward smell from an open firepit engulfing you in your approach.

You felt a hand creep along your upper forearm to rest itself atop your shoulder, prompting you to rise your gaze up to meet with the bearded jaw of your sword master. Your eyes upturned and your brows furrowed in anticipation, truly not knowing where these next few moments would take you.

Sensing your unease, Mihawk drew you into himself; cradling his arms around you and pulling you into his torso. You felt eclipsed by his warmth, his heat overwhelming you; prompting you to flitter your eyes shut against his bare chest beneath his lengthy overcoat. The small crossed blade felt warm to the touch as your chin fell towards the hilt at his neck; Mihawk’s chin rest atop your head as he brought his other arm to complete his embrace. You felt his lips possessively press themselves against your hair, his silken dark and cropped beard scraping lightly against your forehead as he completed the chaste caress.

Feeling overwhelmed by anticipation, you sighed out against his chest; almost feeling a similar sense falling from his own body in a more refined and controlled way. You felt drawn back to a moment from the very beginning of your ‘true apprenticeship’ beneath the mighty warlord as he held you now clasped into his chest: one such moment where he deemed you truly worthy to challenge him equipped with Yoru.

------

A rough growl escaped from your lips; frustration fleeing as you launched yourself forward to strike another blow towards your sword master’s belly, only for him to successfully jolt forwards to meet your blade with his own.

“Come now, Apprentice,” he reprimanded you with a taunting sarcasm purring at you, “is that any way to behave?”

Your lips curled into a snarl as you flurried your balanced blade in a circular motion to break away yourself from his contact.

Eight hours. You had been at this for hours; eight of them, in fact. Dracule Mihawk was barely breaking a sweat as you continued to push yourself over the edge of exertion to chase the opportunity to land a single blow against his stance. The opportunity Mihawk had presented you was to disarm him only once, a single blow, and he would allow you to have a week off from his harsh training regimen.

He had you working hard for the past few weeks: training your body for him day in and day out. Your day would commence as soon as the rays of the dawn would break through the horizon line, to the setting sun would flee from the clouds; leaving hints of purple and teal within its departure. Your body was broken, was worn out, exhausted; yet you continued to push forward.

Skin cracked and littered with small, sharp, exact wounds; you attempted to sweep your legs forward in hopes of a break in swordplay would disarm your opponent. Your lengthy skirt flurried out, fanning at your ankles as you attempted to sweep his while dodging his large blade from impacting you further.

Graduating from duelling the small dagger hanging loosely from his neck was a mighty feat in and of itself. He finally deemed you worthy to be at the business end of Yoru, his extremely large sword towering over your perfectly proportioned one as you dodged an incoming thrust from him. He was aiming for your chest, prompting you to dodge while leaning away from him; arching your back and tilting your head to the side.

A small smirk pulled at his lips as he stepped into your oncoming attack, bringing his knee forward suddenly towards your ribcage. You gasped a whimper and completely dropped to your knees in a last ditch attempt to bring yourself away from his oncoming onslaught.

Your head hung low as your breaths hissed out exhausted puffs of air in an attempt to fill the overused lungs within the chasms of your chest. Your eyes prickled with frustrated tears. Exhaustion raked at you with its claws, a heavy weight baring down on you as you readied yourself for another well-timed and thought out insult falling from the lips of your boss.

In its stead, you heard footsteps circling your body, bringing themselves to the front of you. Your eyes met with the blackened leather boots of the mighty warlord who had taken you under his wing for training.

Feeling a small scratch against your throat, the blunt end of Yoru found its way to your chin while the piercing tip threatened to break through the skin of your throat. You gulped to rid yourself of the dryness within your mouth at the action, your tongue flicking out to dampen your dry lips from the prior overexertion.

“Eyes-,” he commanded you in a low taunt, feeling the cool edge of the mighty blade flick your chin to tilt your head towards him, “-on-,” his boots shuffled, his body falling closer to your own, “-me.”

You scrunched your nose up and furrowed your brows at him, before apprehensively bringing your gaze forward to meet his intense amber stare. You scowled at him through your eyelashes, your lips crawling upwards to bare your teeth at him in displeasure; a smirk rising to his own lips.

“There you are,” he taunted you, bringing himself closer; stooping his body down towards you. You broke your eyes away from his and off to the side, ashamed at yourself for failing to land no impact on his body over the past daily trial.

He clicked his tongue at you, disciplining you for your retreating gaze; “no, no, Apprentice. Let me see those eyes. Let me get a glimpse of your fury.”

You snapped your gaze back towards him, your chin still remaining collected above the flat end of the large sword. You arched your body upwards towards him, maintaining eye contact while pressing the sharpened edge further into your neck. Eyes darkening, you arched your back upwards; paying your skirt no heed as it blew within the wind beneath your knees on the ground.

“Good girl,” he smirked, tapping your chin once more before releasing it from the end of the blade and twirling it to the side of his body, “show passion in your mastery, and never relinquish your gaze in the face of defeat. Learn.”

You ignored the comment he made, alongside the chills that spring from your tailbone up your spine to collect itself tangibly at the follicles on your neck; prompting the hair to stand on edge at his condescending praise.

“You had but one task,” he taunted you, ushering you to rise to your feet with a curl of his index finger on his left hand, “you were to disarm me, and we would call it a day.”

You growled again through your clenched jaw, Mihawk chuckling at the reverberations presenting themselves from your chest.

”And we need to work on your noises, Apprentice,” he reprimanded you, “can’t have you whining like a braying Jennet in anticipation of being mounted by her overzealous Moke when you’re conquered.”

The shock of his comment attempted to break onto your face, relieving your skin from its permanent scowl; but fortunately your frown held its ground. His taunt made the fury rise further within your chest further as you readied yourself to respond to him.

You reclaimed the handle of your blade, rising to your feet swiftly at his latest challenge. His smirk broadened at the sight, almost giddy at your willingness to continue.

“My lord,” you commented once your breath returned to you, “I hope you’ll find-,” you rose your non-dominant hand up towards your waist, “-I don’t back away from a challenge so easily.”

“That remains to be seen, yes,” he confirmed with you, leaning back onto his bent leg in anticipation for your incoming attack, “but you do require discipline with the tones fleeing from your lips in combat. I hope to break you away from the habit.”

You huffed out an air of frustration while side-stepping him in a slow, calculated motion.

“I am your humble pupil, my lord,” you confirmed, a smirk rising to your lips as your fingertips found the tie of your skirt and began to tug on it, “and I think you’ll find that I know more than one way of disarming a man.”

At that comment, you released your waist from your lengthy skirt, brandishing it within your non-dominant hand and flourishing the material beside yourself while launching your blade towards him in the wake of his distraction. In nothing more than your tight training shirt and lingerie, you managed to brush your blade on the lefthand shoulder of the dark-haired, amber-eyed Dracule Mihawk; successfully landing a whisper of a disarming blow against him.

His eyes widened in shock as he raked his gaze over your exposed lower body before trailing them back up to meet with your gaze. He narrowed his eyes at you and stepped towards your body; placing Yoru firmly within the ground by sinking the blade into the hard soil and using his dominant hand to collect the wrist you were using to flurry the material within.

Baring his gaze down into your own, you couldn’t help the smug expression from drawing itself onto your cheeks at the knowledge that you had successfully disarmed your trainer with something as unexpected as utilising your skirt as a material shield while you struck him.

“Apprentice,” his tone warned you, prompting the smile to drop from your face at his reprimand. Your chest filled with anxiety at his disciplinary and authoritarian voice, feeling yourself cower away from him. He gripped your chin with his non-dominant hand and held you firmly, forcing your eyes to remain firmly fixated onto his own.

His lips curled into a warm smile, his voice softening; “that was incredibly clever.”

You gasped at his praise, feeling disarmed yourself at the softness he utilised within his tone and also how his hands felt as he held your wrist and your face within his calculated clutches.

“Well done,” he commended you with a humming tone, a smirk drawing itself to his face in place of the soft smile. He released your wrist and chin from within his clutches and turned away from you, making his way towards the mighty castle atop Kuraigana island and calling to you over his shoulder, “now come. I have a vintage for you to sample as a reward for your efforts.”

You breathed a sigh of relief and hung your head. You felt the tug of a small smile begin to rise upon your cheeks once more before the emotion halted at the warlord’s next words: “and do try to at least keep your skirt on for this next venture. I’d hate to see you come undone further in your training today, swords or otherwise.”

The air all but relinquished itself from your lungs at his comment, fury building instead of your prior pride at besting the swordsman.

---------

“We have arrived,” he commented atop your head, tracing the flesh of your shoulders beneath his thumbs. You rose your own to rest against his hips, holding firm to your grasp but pushing his body from yourself in preference of the view of his broad-hat adorned face.

“How do we locate our mark, Luffy was it?” you asked him, quirking up your brow and tilting your head to the side.

“Work, work, work,” he chastised you with a low, purred taunt, floating his hawk-like gaze between your two orbs, “I appreciate your loyalty to completing the task that lies ahead, Apprentice.”

“You’ll find that’s not all a task I’m loyal to completing this night, my lord,” you whispered up into him; lips almost brushing with your eyes becoming half-lidded, as they bore into your mentor flirtatiously.

A low rumbly growl escaped from between his lips, a noise that seemed completely involuntary in nature; surprising the both of you. You giggled, raising your lefthand fingertips to hold firm against his lips and giving him a soft push away from your body. You felt the tingle of his moustache against the tips of your fingers as you traced his lips with them, halting them against his lower lip.

“Now, now, my lord. What has come over you?” you hummed at him, drawing your face closer towards him and arching your body upwards into his chest further, “I thought you weren’t one for engaging in lewd and overzealous vocalisations.”

He immediately released your shoulders from his grasp and claimed your left wrist at his face and pulled it towards his mouth, trailing his beard-clad lips over your forearm and upwards towards your bicep with a trail of passionate, open mouthed kisses. A gasp was immediately pulled from your lips at his action, his lips now finding themselves attached to your shoulder and drawing further into your neck, prompting your jaw to fall slack, brows furrow upwards and you to arch your neck to expose more of your skin towards his affectionate and relentless attack.

“M-my lord?” you questioned him, prompting another feral growl to fall from his lips and muffle themselves at your neck, “m-my lord, we’re not yet docked at Baratie.”

He bore his teeth into your shoulder as he bit the skin and sucked a harsh, red mark into your flesh where your shoulder met with your neck; a hissed gasp falling from your lips at the harsh action he was presenting against you. You closed your eyes at the feeling, his tongue swirling at your skin and raking his teeth upwards towards the shell of your ear.

“You make a fair point, Apprentice,” he whispered into your ear before completely retracting his body from you. A small whimper escaped your lips at his departure, a smirk rising itself against the lips of the great warlord of the sea. He moved his body to the navigator’s pole and steered the ship effortlessly to align itself against the peer of Baratie.

He gestured to one of the men at the makeshift peer as your ship had begun its descent to lie adjacent at the wooden dock at the base of the sailing restaurant to throw a looped rope towards the ship. Your body began moving on its own, immediately readying yourself to catch the rope thrust into the air with ease. Feeling the fibrous material within your fingertips, you began to secure the ship with it, under the doting and watchful gaze of your mentor who’s eyes softened in a way only meant for you.

After securing the ship against the wooden dock, you turned to face him once again; straightening up your shoulders and lacing your fingertips to hang lowly behind your back. He raked his eyes over your body, face remaining completely expressionless as he did so. You remained stationary as he moved to circle your body, examining your form as a general would inspect the uniform of their underling in search for any blemish beneath his hawk-like gaze.

“The ship is secure, sir,” you informed him confidently, looking through the corner of your eye to witness him completing his circular inspection. He halted in front of your right shoulder, stooping low and bringing his index finger and thumb to your chin; tilting your face towards his.

“So it is,” he uttered, leaning his face forward to bring his lips up to your cheekbone, His lips ghosted over your face, stalking you with his intimate touch as he raked them lower towards your lips.

As his lips travelled to lie at the corner of your mouth, you shut your eyes; feeling his fingertips drag themselves over your shoulders, down your forearms and still themselves against the hilt of your belt. He tugged his hand against your belt, pulling you closer to himself as his lips finally found their way back against your own.

You froze, unsure of how to respond in this moment. Mihawk furrowed his brows, feeling your hesitation against his lips and breaking away from them. His eyes remained shut as he pressed his forehead against your own, asking you: “why do you hesitate, Apprentice? You were so eager to engage in such a manner earlier.”

You exhaled a breath you did not know you were holding, relieved at his question.

“The dynamic, sir,” you voiced your concern in a small, reluctant voice, “I desire to return your affections to you, but-.”

“-This will not impact your training, draga mea,” he whispered against your lips, bringing one hand to cradle your cheek, “in fact, I desire to train you harder.”

You leant into his touch, feeling his remaining hand resting against your belt flick open the buckle; the leather strap falling slack against your waist. You instinctively drew your hand out to catch your scabbard to ensure your blade did not fall to the floor, grasping it firmly in your hand. Mihawk chuckled, prompting you to open your eyes to be greeted with a warm and sincere smile upon his moustache-clad lips. Your eyes softened, lips parting at the sight while you openly drew your eyes over his face to permanently brand the image into your mind.

He was so, unbelievably handsome. You had only ever seen this particular smile briefly once prior; when you bested him with your skirted flourish: the image returning to your mind. You stood atop your toes to press a chaste kiss against his smiling lips, withdrawing them quickly to ensure his smile remained.

“When you are without your blade at your hilt or in your hand,” he informed you, the wide smile leaving his face and momentarily replaced my its softer counterpart, “you are my iubi, my puișor-,” he raked his fingers over your cheek to fall within your hair, pooling the strands to fasten themselves behind your ear, “-my equal.”

A gasp fled itself from your lips as you focussed on his words, your gaze fluttering between his amber eyes in search for hidden agenda; finding only desire in its wake.

“You are first and foremost my apprentice,” he informed you again, breaking his forehead away from yours as he leant upwards from his stoop, “and I would not want this to ruin the rapport we have built between us: especially the taunting.”

“I do enjoy your taunting now, my lord-,” you began, only to have your comment halted by the warlord’s words.

“-Mihawk,” he informed you, gesturing to the sword in your hand, “while you are unequipped, to you I am Mihawk; or any other endearment that falls from your lips to bestow to me.”

He placed his lips against your forehead, pulling you into himself as he affectionately held you against him. You smiled into his caress, your hands finding their way around his waist to pull his body flush against yours once more. You felt on his back the large scabbard containing his mighty blade still remaining clutched against him. You flicked it with your right hand, bringing Mihawk’s lips away from your head in response.

“You remain armed,” you commented, arching your brow upward in question, “do you desire first to locate our mark-?” you trailed your index finger upwards to fall against his bearded jaw, tracing its way towards his mouth and pressing your thumb against his lower lip. You arched your chin upwards and looked up at his honeyed eyes through your eyelashes; “-or do you long to join me below deck?”

His eyes widened at your abrasiveness while a curl befell to his lips as he broke away from your embrace, rotating his shoulders back to rid itself of the harness containing the scabbard of Yoru and firmly lying the blade beside his captains-chair. The giddy feeling once again rose within flutters of your chest, warmth drawing itself to your cheeks as he drew his attention back to you. He beckoned for you to follow him below deck with a tilt of his chin upwards with his signature smirk once again returning before strutting himself beneath the deck. You grinned like the cat that ate the canary, rotating your shoulders back and clicking your neck upwards before placing your own scabbard beside your master’s at his chair.

Your feet rapped against the wooden floorboards of the coffin-shaped vessel, your head bowing ever so slightly to fall beneath the frame of the lower deck entrance. Feet falling effortlessly against the steps below, you felt two hands rise up out of the darkness and grip your hips in a tight vice, lifting your body down to the depths in the dimly lit corridor.

There he was; your mentor and sword instructor, a man possessed by feral intensity and complete abandonment to prior mentality of taking his time, dragging you down into the depths of the corridor and pressing you by your hips against the wooden walls within. The rays of the sun flittered through the port windows to bring some semblance of light casting shadows against the bare back of Dracule Mihawk; who seemed to have ridden himself of his great-cloak and feathered hat impatiently as he waited for you to descend.

His lips drew themselves against your pulse, grazing his teeth against the skin and pressing his lips over the mark he drew onto you moments earlier to deepen the shade. Your breath hitched in your throat and your eyes squeezed shut in surprise, his leather clad knee pressing between your thighs as he drew himself closer into you. Lacing your arms around his neck, you felt him lift you effortlessly once more to angle his entire body between your legs; bullying you to reveal more of your clothed self against him. He hooked both of your knees over his hips as he nudged the material of your shirt with his bearded chin to expose more flesh for him to assault with his tongue and teeth.

You were expecting ferocity, but clearly missed the intensity of his relentless abandon. In your training with swords, Mihawk was always completely in control of his actions. Precise and akin to a surgeon, he would always meet his mark with swiftness and cleanliness. He would often reprimand you for your own ferocity within the heat of combat as he lazily drank a glass of crimson wine as he studied your form, critiquing you on your lack of control.

“M-Mihawk,” you uttered in a small voice, prompting him to break away his rage from your body to snap his sights upwards. You felt small within his hunted gaze, his eyes widening at your expression and slightly wavering his hold against you.

“I apologise, puișor,” he gasped into you, holding you completely stabilized by his hips pinned to the wall and bringing his hands up to caress your cheek and neck repentantly, “the intensity of our little dalliance over this past month seemed to have rattled me more than I expected.”

He kissed your chin, his moustache tickling your bottom lip as he did so. He caressed your cheek before firmly clasping it within his palm and steadying your face within it, bringing his eyes up once more to stare within your own.

“You are my equal here,” he emphatically phrased to you with confidence, “not my prey.”

He lowered you to the floor and pressed his lips against your cheek and lowered the hand clutching your neck to claim a hand lying at your side within his own.

“It has been a while since either of us have had an encounter with another intimately,” you stated in a low tone, bringing your own hand up to press against his cheek, “I don’t blame you in the slightest for your intensity. I was simply caught off-guard.”

Mihawk began to open his mouth to chastise you, his apprentice, for dropping your guard; only for his words to halt within his throat regarding his earlier relinquishment of that title to you. You smiled as you watched his mind search for an appropriate quip, only for his lips to be met with your own as you chased him. His lips felt soft, but blown out and swollen from his earlier bruising intensity. His slower movements feeling more affectionate than marking ferociously.

Breaking away from your lips, murmuring in a hairlines distance from them; “I thought you wanted to see me angry. To see how truly desperate I am to feel you within my arms once more.” Your eyes widened, recollecting your prior conversation with the red-haired pirate within the onsen:

“Good girl,” the redhead praised you in a low tone before whispering, “now let’s make him angry.” He brought his lips within close proximity with your own but holding them away from completing their connection with your own out of respect for your prior apprehension. He squinted his eyes into a broad smile as he held your gaze, prompting you to allow a small, nervous smile to fall over your own.

You never thought you would have the opportunity to see him like this; your sword master and mentor desperately wanting to overwhelm you with ravenous intensity as he held you in his arms but withholding truly for your comfort.

It began with you wishing to finally be rid of his apprenticeship due to resentment, flowering into a semblance of mutual respect for wine while training you in mastery of your craft. Now it had truly blossomed into something more feral; the month of dancing the line between insubordination and true obedience with more exact flirtations coming crashing at this moment.

“As per your earlier invitation, I desire to have you intimately,” he sighed his confession against your lips as he brought his hands up to hold your cheeks within his grip, “and then I think I’d follow that act with a vendange tardives before locating our mark and extracting him.” He sighed, looking to the floor before once again searching your eyes.

“What do you want from me, iubi?” Mihawk whispered into your face, his breath blowing against your chin. His tone harboured a small amount of pleading desperation, truly desiring to be with you but withholding himself as he restrained his affections from you.

“My lord-,” you began, halting your words and correcting yourself under his searching gaze, “-Mihawk-.” He smiled again at your title, pleased you managed to catch your mistake.

“-Iubițel,” you uttered affectionately into him with your eyes half-lidded, swaying your head at him with a small smile forming against your lips, “-It’s dark here, and I don’t want to miss a single moment. I want you, and I want to at least see you the first time we engage like this.”

You felt him release a sigh of relief into you, prompting a small giggle to rise within your chest. Immediately he stooped down and lifted you once more by your thighs, hoisting you upwards into him and carrying you finally towards your crew quarters.

“I like the title,” he admitted to you in a purr, utilising his back to push open the door; the light flooding against his body under the illuminance from the broad bay windows facing outwards into the ocean, “though your accent is another thing I fear I need to drill into you.”

“Training hours are officially concluded by your orders, iubițel,” you warned him as he turned to place you atop his hanging bunk, “the only drilling I am keen to receive-,” you curled your finger beneath his chin to angle his face upwards to hold his lips almost against you own, uttering in a low whisper; “-is from the cock trapped beneath your pants.”

A rough growl fled from his lips as he crawled atop his perch, completely caging you beneath him as his lips found your own. A month of pent up emotion finally granted permission to release itself within the arms of one another. Three years of vigorous training and getting to know each other in all aspects other than this one area of taboo entanglement finally being released as his hands located the material shielding your lower half from revealing yourself to him.

He pushed the material lower, you arching your back upwards as your lips found his, pressing a warm and open kiss against his lips; completely submitting to his dominance. He smirked into your kiss, completely pushing your pants and overskirt from your body along with your undergarments; pooling the material at your ankles. You kicked the material to be completely rid of them, the soft thud of the material falling to the floor prompting a small laugh to flee from you at the giddiness you felt from the warlord above you.

Trailing his lips from your lips to brush against your check, before his teeth began to nip and graze at your jaw; Mihawk pushed the fabric of your shirt to reveal your shoulder and clavicle to submit itself to his fingertips. You utilised his momentary distraction to bring your feet upwards towards his hips, your toes successfully locating the buckle fastening his pants securely covering himself.

You threw your head back and gasped as he began to grasp at your breasts and mould them beneath his palms, halting your prior action. He smirked against your neck, causing you to harden your resolve and pick the lock of his belt buckle with your toes, successfully unclasping the buckle and removing his pants from his hips by dragging the leather material downwards with your heels.

He gasped in surprise into your neck as he felt the slap of his hard cock meet with his stomach, catching him off guard with your eagerness.

“Iubi-,” he growled into you, his teeth meeting the flesh just above your areola; his brows furrowing and his grip holding firmly against you, “-I made it clear I wanted to take my time.”

A small giggle fled from your lips as you felt his cock twitch against your thigh as he crawled further upwards and caged you below himself. He reached his right hand down towards your left thigh and raked his spread fingertips down your thigh to claim your knee beneath his palm and hook it over his hips.

“I wouldn’t be laughing, if I in your place,” he warned you, his tone halting the humour in your throat. He brought his lips down to the shell of your right ear and whispered into it; “I wanted to have you yearn for me as much as I do you. I wanted to taste every inch of you until your mind was rid of any utterance of coherent thought other than how good I make you feel.”

Your eyes widened as he maneuvered his left leg over your right and rake his other hand down to claim your right thigh and lift it over his waist, his cock lying flush against your pubic bone, uttering darkly: “I wanted to feel you squirm and quiver beneath me multiple times as I basked in your pleasure alone, witnessing your toes curl and legs shake at the complete intensity I grant onto to you.”

Your jaw hung slack as you felt your pussy clench under his crass words, completely soaked in anticipation of his next action. His tongue flicked out to trace the shell of your ear, a shudder overcoming you as a whine fled from your lips. Your nipples hardened as his breath felt cool under the stripe he traced with his talented tongue.

“But, unfortunately,” he whispered into your neck, “you have a keen sense for bringing out the worst in me.”

You felt the tip of his cock press itself against your entrance, your eyebrows furrowing in anticipation as you fluttered your eyes shut in expectation. You felt his weight shift and his head leave the side of your face to hover over your own.

“Eyes-,” he whispered, nudging your chin with his nose, “-on-,” your eyes flickered open to meet with his lips, “-me.” Your eyes floated up to search his amber orbs, a smile falling to his lips as he pressed a gentle kiss against your lips before retracting them.

“There you are,” he gasped at you, smoothing over your hair with his right hand, “good girl.” Your eyes glazed over at his commendation but remaining held to his yellow, hawk-like gaze. You felt your pussy involuntarily clench around nothing, eager to be filled and claimed by the man above you.

His eyes shifted from their softness to an intimidating and fierce expression once again as his tip prodded against your soaked cunt. You gasped, feeling the girth of his cock measured against your hole, poking in a small precise motion against you and slowly pressing into yourself. A groan escaped his lips as he sheathed his tip completely, halting to give you opportunity to adjust to his size.

You held his gaze, your peripherals noticing his jaw began to slack and brows furrow against the feeling of stretching you to size. He brought his left hand down to cage your head, right hand steadying your high against his hips as he continued to sink down into you. You hissed as he continued to push himself into you, feeling the muscles of his lower abdomen shift to withhold himself from commencing a relentless and unforgiving pace without you being fully prepared and stretched for him.

You had taken lovers prior, but none that had managed to completely listen to your body and its responses in this completely controlled way, instead enthralled in seeking their own pleasure and you your own. You found yourself desperately wanting to please him, but unable to pull your eyes away from his own as he completely sheathed himself within you; his cock arching up to brush against your g-spot while his pelvis and pubis raked effortlessly and skilfully against your clit.

A sigh-like cry fled from your lips to meet out and harmonise with the low groan falling from the lips of the warlord; his eyes the first to tear away from your own as he retracted down to the tip before shifting back into you once more; hitting the exact same spot as it did prior with surgical and calculated precision.

“Wanted-,” Mihawk gasped out as he began to pick up his pace, “-to unravel you-,” he growled, his pace beginning to become ferocious as his hips painfully clapped against your own, “-and make you scream for me.”

You brought your wrist up to clasp your left palm over your lips to muffle your cries of pleasure beneath it. Mihawk immediately snapped his head upwards your own and claimed your left wrist within his right hand and forced it above your head, lacing his fingers within them.

“Now’s not the time to withhold your sounds, draga mea,” he captured your lips within his own, his lips releasing a groan of his own as his pace began to build up in intensity. You felt the familiar tightening of the pit in your stomach bind tightly together; tingles shooting down to your toes laced atop the hips of the warlord above you.

He pulled his left hand over to guide your right hand to his back, instinctively pulling at the flesh and raking your fingernails down his flesh to leave red stripes of passion trailing from his shoulder blade to his ribcage; a groan-like whimper falling from his lips into your own.

As his vocalisation falling into your mouth, your eyes began to roll back into your head and your lips became desperate in its attachment against his own as heat began to pool upwards in your chest and your mind became foggy at your approaching orgasm.

Mihawk broke his lips away from your own and pulled his left hand to hold your chin, prompting your gaze to fall back to meet with his own; his jaw clenched tightly and pupils blown with lust.

“If you’re going to cum on my cock,” he panted out between dishevelled puffs of air, “you’re going to hold your gaze firm to me as you do so.”

You furrowed your brows and managed to form a coherent sentence, much to both your and Mihawk’s surprise: “-I don’t back away from a challenge so easily.”

Mihawk snarled with a small smirk following your challenge, baring his relentless and unforgiving pace further diving into the depths of your soaked cunt with his painfully hard cock. He almost tore his own gaze away from your own as he became overwhelmed with the flutters of your inner walls at the approach of your orgasm.

You held contact between your eyes as you felt your inner walls clench around his cock, the tightly wound coil within the pit of your stomach feeling tightly bound as Mihawk’s movements actively sought out the release from your body.

“M-Mi-,” you began, your jaw falling slack and eyes beginning to prick at the corners under the intensity, “Mihawk, I’m-,” his eyes began to glaze over, the yellow almost dissipating with how truly taken he was with hunting your pleasure alongside his own, “I’m going to-.”

“Cum on my cock,” he ordered you, his fingers flattening against your jaw with his thumb remaining below your chin to hold your gaze firmly against his, “let me see you snap.”

At his words, the coil within you shattered; tingles shooting down your legs and lower stomach as you screamed his name with reckless abandon; his own orgasm triggered in response to your soul calling for his as they met in a dance of mutual pleasure. Ribbons of hot cum shot within your core, pooling within the back of your completely dishevelled cunt. Mihawk called your name and a string of incoherent Romanian words you had yet to comprehend as his body shuddered against your own completely ridding himself within the thralls of pleasure; succumbing to the call of your femininity.

Your breaths met as your eyes held firmly against each other’s; Mihawk being the first to fall his face into yours after coming down from his high to press his lips against yours in a tender and slow kiss. His curled black hair fell over his eyes and onto your forehead below him as he reached his hand down to unhook your legs from behind his body and pull his cock from your walls slowly.

You felt the pool of the cocktail of pleasured release fall away from your entrance and fall onto the sheets of his bed. Mihawk chuckled at your whine in protest of being completely empty of his body from its place above your own.

“Iubi,” he whispered into you, bringing his right hand to cradle your face within his palm. You pressed your lips against his warm hand, uttering back the title you gave to him in playful response: “Iubițel.”

He sighed against you, pressing his forehead against your own and whispering lovingly into your face, you enchanted by the beauty of his afterglow: “let’s get you cleaned up, vendange tardives at Baratie with some camembert, gorgonzola and quince paste sounds like the perfect end to an evening.”

You giggled at him, sitting yourself up on your elbows beneath him; nuzzling your nose against his own.

“And what of the job we were tasked to complete? Are you going to blame this one on me also?” you quirked up at him, your eyes innocently searching his face.

“Let them have their fun for a while,” he responded, reaching up to your hair and tucking it behind your ear in response, “it’s only early in the evening, draga mea. We could even sample some of the reds at the bar after our dessert wine.”

“Breaking your sacred wine rules, are we?” you teased him while furrowing your brows.

“That is likely not the only rules we’ve broken today,” he confirmed with his signature smirk while crawling backwards off of his suspended perch and reaching his arms towards your own to pull you towards him, “but pay that no mind now. I have something I’d like to see you wear.”

You quirked your head to the side in question, your legs hanging over the side of the bed before Mihawk lifted you against his warm torso and placed you onto the ground; hovering his arms to steady you. He sought out your gaze by lowering his face to you and capturing your attention.

“You have no need to equip yourself at Baratie,” he informed you with a softness to his eyes, “the task was appointed to me, and I do not desire to relinquish it to you.”

“What would you have me do, Mihawk? I am your apprentice and I am here to learn from you,” you asked him, unsure waters lying ahead at his comment and needing further clarification.

“You will simply be my Iubi,” he whispered into you, “not only my apprentice, but my lover. My sweetheart, and my darling. Whatever role you choose to don yourself with tonight; I plan on wooing you aboard Baratie further.”

“Vendage Tardives?” you asked him with a soft smile falling to your face.

“Vandage Tardives,” he confirmed, pressing his lips against your forehead in a gentle caress.

Tag List:

@sapphireonline, @whatthemonsterfuckisthis

[jtl-fics]

Smalls AU for WIPW? 🫣🥺

WIP Wednesday - Closed (9/6/23) | Smalls AU

Janie looks at the restaurant as the hostess guided them to their seats and all she can think about is the time she went to Italy and saw the Coliseum. What in the world happens at the bar so regularly that they have set their entire restaurant up like it's primed to watch blood sport?

She looks up and oh god it felt like a safety hazard to see those tube TVs hanging above the bar. Those bastards probably weighed enough to crush the poor unsuspecting bar tender if anything was shaken loose. Is that the blood sport that the whole damn restaurant was set up to watch?

She looks at the young male bartender.

Janie hopes he gets hazard pay on top of tips.

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[angstywaifu]

The Lost Sister - Part 12

Synopsis: Xaden is known as an only child due to his sister who 'died' during the Rebellion. Little do they know she didn't die and has been so close this entire time.

Garrick Tavis x OC

A/N: I don't have much to say other than, the talk you have all been waiting for is here. Enjoy. The Lost Sister Masterlist | Masterlist

Tonight everyone celebrates. The dining hall is loud and chaotic as every riders is here. The kitchen had gone all out with the food for tonight, and someone had definitely spiked the lemonade. Tonight we are all riders, celebrating as one. The second and third years who had kept their distance, now welcomed us with open arms. We had proven we had what it takes to be riders, and had dragons of our own to prove it.

As the night goes on, people start sneaking off to each others rooms to celebrate in another way. I see a few of my squad mates among them. I can’t help but smile as I notice Rhiannon sneak of with Sawyer. Not long after Bodhi disappears as well with a first year he had been talking to most of the night. With his departure I was on my own. My eyes scan the room hoping to see the familiar curly hair of the one I’m looking for. But I come up short, and I can’t help but feel disappointed. I had tried to find him after we had all received our relics, but he had disappeared along with Xaden. Judging by the look on Xaden’s face during it all, I wondered if it had something to do with Dain kissing Violet. Another two who were also missing. After this morning I had hoped to grab him and talk to him. But it seemed tonight was another night where he was nowhere to be seen.

The walk back to my dorm room is quiet, with most people back in the privacy of their dorms celebrating, or back in the dining hall. Seems most people were smart enough to put silencing wards on their doors or go to a second or third years room. I round the corner to where my new room is and stop in my tracks. There leaning against my door is the tall and muscular, curly haired figure I had been searching for all night. Garrick. I hadn’t made a sound but as if he knows I’m there, his head turns to where I stand. My heart flutters as our eyes meet. I can tell he had been waiting a while. A small smile forms on his face as he see’s me, pushing himself off the door to stand up straight as I make my way over. Only he could make a normal sized door look small, his head getting very close to the top as he stands.

“Was wondering where you had gotten to. Was starting to think you’d found other ways to celebrate.” I say, trying to make a joke of the situation as I stand in front of him.

The way his eyebrows furrow at me tells me he is not impressed at my attempt at a joke. “I told you the other week, I don’t do casual hook ups.”

”But you did.” I point out, referencing his past times with Imogen.

He sighs and drops his head, his curls falling in front of his eyes. I don’t know if its the spiked lemonade talking, but god do I want to run my hands through them. Like I use to back in Aretia. Back when I would always be over at his place. His mum never complained about me being there. Hell she had complained if I wasn’t there. After dinner we would always sit out on the balcony or on his bed, his head in my lap as we would talk or just simply enjoy each others company. I would run my fingers through his hair out of habit. I wondered if they were as soft as I remembered.

”And as I also said. If someone else wasn’t ‘dead’.” He uses his fingers to emphasise the word dead as he looks up at me. “I wouldn’t have done so.”

The intensity in his stare has my heart skip a beat. I’d been avoiding the conversation, and now there was no way to avoid it. It was very clear that Garrick was here to talk about that moment in the Healers Quadrant. And honestly I wanted to have that talk. Especially after talking to Xaden the other night.

“Yeah, I remember.” I mumble as I look down at my hands and pick at a stray fingernail.

”Surprised you do with how quick you ran off and have been avoiding me.”

And there it is. I feel as if Garrick has just dropped a brick in the pit of my stomach. He wasn’t wrong. The only reason we hadn’t talked was because of me. He had tried, and I’d run off as soon as I’d seen him. The only one I had really talked to since was Bodhi. Even Xaden had been victim to some of it till recently. Bodhi and Imogen were both quite impressed at my ability to avoid my section leader and wingleader.

Garrick reaches out and grab my hands, stopping my fidgeting. My skin feels like its on fire where his hand grips mine. I look up to see him looking down at me, the same look he had given me in the Healers Quadrant that day. His eyes hopeful I will say what he wants me to say.

“I shouldn’t have run off. I was…” What was I? Scared? Shocked? Unsure.

A bang at the end of the hallway startles both of us, our gaze shifting to a couple trying to get into one of their rooms. Garrick tugs on my hands and opens my door before leading us inside. After closing the door he leads me over to the bed and sits me down as he kneels on the ground in front of me. It’s one of the few moments Garrick and I are at the same height.

”In all the years I’ve known you Ophelia, I don’t think I have ever seen you that scared before.” He starts, reaching out and taking my hands in his again. “But correct me if I’m wrong, but I think I saw happiness to. Like you had been waiting to hear what I said.”

I sigh and look down at our joined hands. He wasn’t wrong, but there was still that part of me that was scared what would happen if it went badly. I didn’t want to be what came between Garrick and Xaden. I pull my hands from his and stand up, pacing back and forth behind him. He stands and watches me, concern in his eyes. His heart is essentially in my hands right now. And I know that terrifies us both. For me I could say something wrong and wreck this completely. For Garrick. I know he’s never been like this with anyone. He’s never laid out his emotions like this to someone. And that terrifies him. I know it does. If I turned him down, something tells me he would never let anyone in like he has with me.

”You’re right. I won’t deny that Garrick. I’ve been dying to hear you felt the same way I did since….. Since I don’t even know when.” I start, a small smile on the edge of his lips. “But I am so terrified.”

I stop and turn to him from my spot near the window. His eyes meeting mine in an instant due to him watching my every move.

”I am terrified that if this,” I gesture between us, “Goes wrong, then it affects more than us.”

He sighs and nods. “You’re worried about mine and Xaden’s friendship. All of our frienships. You don’t want to come between us.”

I nod. Its as if he can read my mind. “If this went so badly that we don’t want anything to do with each other, it would tear him apart. Not to mention he would probably tear you apart if we did get together.”

”He already knows my feelings. It was kind of hard to hide them five years ago.”

I look at him confused, unsure as to what he is referring to. Then it clicks. Very soon it would be five years since I had ‘died’. Garrick sits on the bed looking down at his hands. As if preparing himself for what he’s about to tell me.

”It was already an emotional day as it was. Watching our parents die and getting our rebellion relics. But we all had each other.” He starts as his gaze flicks to mine before going back to his hands. “I was stood next to Xaden. He and I had just gotten our relics.” His arm with the relic twitching as he tells me the memory. “We all go to leave, but Melgren stops Xaden. I remember how he pulled the bag we had last seen you with from his dragon and threw it at Xaden’s feet.” I swear I hear his voice shake slightly. “I remember the closure breaking and the contents tumbling to the ground. He didn’t say anything to us. He didn’t need to. We knew what he was hinting at.”

He pauses and looks up at me. And my heart nearly breaks at the emotion in his eyes from retelling the memory. I swear I see tears in his eyes before he blinks them away.

“The rest is a blur. Bodhi told me a group of them had to hold me back as I tried to go after Melgren as he walked away. After he went, apparently I just knelt by your things staring. Even Xaden couldn’t snap me out of it. Apparently I even tried to fight him when they tried to get me to move. A few days later before we got shipped off to our new homes, Xaden pulled me aside and I told him everything.” He pauses again. My heart breaks. I never knew what happened. I never knew how they found out. I just assumed they would think I had gotten away or got caught up in our escape. “He just sat there and listened to me as I broke down and told him every single thing. I think he’s the only person to see my cry besides my mother. I swear I even nearly got him to cry as I told him how much I cared for you. How I had planned to find you after all this was done and tell you. But then, I didn’t think I would ever get the chance to.”

Its as if I can see the memory through his eyes. Even I want to cry and I wasn’t even there. I was the one they were mourning at the time. He stands and walks over to me, placing his hands on my hips tightly as if he’s worried I am going to run again. His thumbs rubbing into the exposed skin where my top has ridden up.

“I have waited too damn long to tell you how I feel, and now I’ve been given a second chance. And I will be damned little one, if I don’t take it. Because I am not losing you again.” He rests his forehead on mine, his hazel eyes staring into my green ones. “I am willing to risk everything to give this a go, and I will do everything I can to make sure this does not end. I am yours, and you are mine.”

I know every word Garrick speaks is true. Every word he spoke is fuelled with emotions he’s been holding back. I know without a doubt, if we go down this route, this is it for him. There is no going back. And he will fight with everything he has to make this work. And I know I will to. I barely nod my head before Garrick grasps my face in his hands and his lips are on mine.

A/N 2: Next part might be a little bit..... spicy

Part 13

Tag List: @riorgail @going-through-shit @fw-gt @bbkissme99 @xceafh

[misguidedasgardian]

The Winter Sun (12)

12. Winds of Winter

MASTERLIST

Summary: Winter was coming but there was an important mission you needed to accomplish before it 

Pairing: Cregan Stark x Fem!Targaryen Reader 

Warnings: Cursing, medieval and asoiaf customs, AGE GAP, Cregan is 12 years OLDER than reader), arranged marriage, SMUT, oral sex, (m and f receiving), might miss some warnings

+18, MINORS DNI

Wordcount: 3.0 k

Notes: Our favorite couple is taking a little trip

“We cannot tell them by writing, it’s too risky”, said Cregan severely, “but traveling this far into autumn, is dangerous”

“We can fly to Dragonstone”, you said gently, Sara, the maester and Cregan looked at you, your husband had summoned them to discuss what to do about Aemond’s threat. Cregan seemed nervous as he looked at you, “I was thinking that during Winter, it would be best for Vhaelar to rest in the Dragonmount, extreme cold isn’t good for dragons”, you clarified

“She is right”, said the maester, “this cannot wait, you need to go now”

“But if the dragon will stay in Dragonstone, we should speak to Lord Manderly in White Harbor!”, said Sara, “he could send a ship to retrieve you both in Dragonstone, take you back to the harbor, and you can come from there, it is a shorter ride”

“That is a good idea dear sister”, said Cregan, and then he looked at you, “are you comfortable with the idea my love?”, he asked, Sara smiled widely at his nickname, and the maester smiled as well

“Having to sail through shivering seas and freezed roads with my husband keeping me warm?”, I asked teasingly, “Can’t wait”, Cregan smiled

“I will send the letter to dragonstone at once to let them know of your arrival”

“I will make the proper arrangement, we will departure in a week, is that alright?”, asked Cregan

“Most appropriate my lord”, said the Maester nodding

the three of you, the maester, Cregan and you redacted the letter letting your family in Dragonstone know of your visit, and you smiled and you signed it as

The Lord and Lady of Winterfell

The raven flew away and you looked from the tower, you smiled when you felt Cregan’s arms surrounding you, hugging you, his face by the side of yours

“I can’t wait to have you all to myself for a whole moon”, he whispered in your ear

“You already have me all for yourself”, you said giggly

“There is something exciting about a trip…”, he explained, “a guest room just for us, a small cabin on a ship, then a small carriage, just us two…”, you giggle, feeling your skin tingly, you also find it exciting

“I can’t wait”, you giggled 

“How do you make your old husband feel like a teenager again? uh? the only thing I want to do is take you in our bed, all day, and all night”, he said huskily, kissing your cheek

“You are not that old dear husband”, you giggled, and he squeezes you tightly in his arms making you shriek

“You brought me back to life”, he whispered in your ear, so quietly you thought you had imagined it.

“I doubt it”, you whispered

“Stop that”, he said quietly, “stop diminishing yourself”

“Sorry”, he chuckled, kissing you again

“I love you”, he said, so faintly you thought you dreamed it

“What?”

“I love you wife”, he said more firmly

“You do?”

“I do”

“I love you too”, you admitted 

Cregan wanted to make sure he left everything prepared before your departure, so he went to the maesters and lords to continue the preparations for the coming snow storms, the roofs of Winterfell and Winterstown needed fixing….

So as you stayed in your chambers, Sara visited you, with a wide sneaky smile

“Sooo… I saw my brother smiling stupidly as he walked about”, she started, and you blushed, hiding your face from her.

“I don’t think he looks stupid”, you said mindesly

“Ohhh you two did it, didn’t you?”, you mocked, and you chuckled

“Kind of”

“Kind of?”, she teased

“Alright, we did, we… made love”, and she shrieked

“I KNEW IT!”, she said, smiling widely, “I can’t wait to have nieces and nephews!”, she giggled, “I’m so happy for you both” 

“I’m happy as well”, you clarified, and she smiled even widely

“You both deserve to be happy”, she whispered with a reassuring smile, “and now you are taking a small vacation”

“Yes, to Dragonstone, we will be back next moon”, you reminded her

“Take all the time you need”, she winked at you, “even better if you come back with a swollen belly…”

“enough of that”, you chuckled, but with your cheeks heated. Were you allowed to dream? Will you be able to give Cregan children? you really hoped so, you wanted to have babies, you knew it would make him happy, and you felt warm by only imagining to be pregnant with Cregan’s child, but it was too soon. So you shake your head and smile at Sara, who was looking at you with knowing eyes

Sara had this thing to her, she always seemed to know what you were thinking, it was almost like she know what was going to happen…it was an odd feeling… a silly one perhaps, in the book that Cregan had sifted you all those years ago, there was a chapter about some people the northerners called “Greenseers” 

You didn’t know what you made the connection, but anyways

You resumed your tasks as the Lady of Winterfell, like you had been before Aemond rudely interrupted, helping to receive groceries and supplies for the coming winter. According to the maesters in the Citadel, it was going to be a long one, and very cold. 

That weird feeling of excitement filled you again and smiled as you with the maesters where counting down the portions of wheat, in comparison of the people of the town. 

Soon night fell over the North, and you were seated in front of a dresser Cregan brought for you, brushing your hair, waiting for your husband who was helping with the roofs in the town, and you smiled when you heard him come inside the room.

“Good evening Lady of Winterfell”, he greeted, 

“Good evening Lord of Winterfell”, you mocked back, you let out a small giggle when you turned and found him leaning over the door frame, looking at you with a smirk

“Did you know you are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes on?”, he asked

“I don’t believe you”, you said back

“You hurt me”, he said, placing his hand on his chest dramatically, and you giggled, “If you don’t believe my words I will have to prove it to you”, he said, faking the seriousness that he displayed in his voice

“How?”, you asked innocently, and you shrieked when he lounged at you, he grabbed you and held you in his arms, raising you from the floor

“NO!”, you giggled, “leave me!”

“One second wife”, he said, and he threw you in the bed

“Cregan!”, you shrieked

“Perhaps I didn’t eat you out good enough to make you think that you are not the most beautiful woman on the planet!”, he said, his tone worried

“No no no no it was fine!”

“I don’t think so”, he said, and he let himself drop between your parted thighs, he grabbed your dress and raised it until it was over your belly, your bottom half naked for him

“No!”, you giggled

“I have to do this wife”, he said, 

“You don’t have to”, you giggled, and then he stopped and looked at you, alarmed

“You don’t want me to?”, he asked, real concern now on his voice

“No, I do, is just, you don’t have to if you don’t want to”, you said, and then he smiled

“Oh but I do want to, wife, you don’t know how delicious you taste, and how good it feels to make you squirm and cum with my tongue alone, it just so good”, he moaned, he grabbed your thighs with his big hands, again, and he parted them for him to have complete access to your already wet pussy.

He ate you out, with even more energy than the first time, it felt so good he made you cum so easily when he used only one of his fingers to find inside of you the weakest point of them all. 

“I want to please you too”, you whined, as you recuperated from the intensity of your orgasm, long minutes laters.

Cregan licked his lips as he released you, looking at you with hooded eyes

“You don’t need to do that my dragon”, he said calmly, and it was your turn to smiled wickedly

“Oh but I do want to, husband”, you mocked back, you grabbed him by his vest, and you made him lay on the bed, he used his elbows to lean over to look at you, in marvel, as you accommodated yourself between his legs, and your trembling hands went to the laces that kept his breeches in place

“Are you sure? Fuck”, he cursed as soon and you sneaked under his pants and grabbed his cock, it felt so weird in your palm, so soft, yet firm, so warm… it felt like velvet. You bit your lip as you looked at Cregan’s face and you felt it twitch in your hand, it was odd.

You took the liberty of squeezing him a little and Cregan moaned wantonly, so you guessed you were doing a good job.

“That’s right my love”, he said, with a strangled voice, “move it a little, up and down”, he directed, and you did, you pumped him a little, and you felt it twitch again.

It was almost embarrassing for Cregan to want to cum so fast but, it was you that was touching him, and that was driving him mad with lust. 

You on the other hand, wanted to use your mouth, just like he had done, so you lean in, your fist in his shaft, and you took a small lick, over his tip

“Fuck!”, he cursed, and you savored his salty taste. You took him in deeper, your lips adjusting to his girth.. “You are going to kill me”, he whined. 

You didn’t know what you were doing, you guided yourself with your instincts, so you started bobbing your head up and down, taking more of him on each movement.

He was long and thick, it was surreal that he had been inside you so many times, it felt so good, but in your mouth well… it felt more good knowing that he was enjoying it. 

You were pleasing him, as he drew moans and whimpers, his hands grabbing tightly the furs underneath him

“Yes, my love, just like that”, he begged so sweetly, one of his hands traveled to your head, you could tell that he refrained himself from grabbing you, still he only placed his palm on the back of your head. You continued to do as you were doing, your hand squeezing him softly what you couldn’t fit in your mouth, you sucked his cock, hollowing your cheeks and that is when you felt him shake

“Wait”, he begged, his hand on your cheek, you released him, seeing the slippery mess you had make of his dick, you looked at him wide-eyed

“Did I do something wrong?”, you asked, fearful

“No, in fact, I’m so close… but I want to cum inside you wifey”, he said needily. You smiled, raising from your position, “come here, ride me”, he grabbed your hand and helped you accommodate on top of him, your pussy lining up with his cock. He grabbed himself, placing his tip on your entrance, “now lower yourself love, gently”, he said, placing his hand on your hip, and you did as he said.

You moaned when you felt him splitting you open. It was always a stretch, but it felt so good

You had never been on top before, but seeing Cregan, looking up at you, naked under you, made your belly tingle, you placed your hand on his chest as you lowered yourself even more, impaling yourself on his thick cock, until he was comfortable tightly inside you

“Fuck”, he whined, when his tip hit your cervix

“Mmmm Cregan”, you whined, you felt him in your belly, that is how deep he was lodged inside you

“Move please or I will die”, he begged, his hand on your hips. He helped you raise again, until only the tip was still inside you, and then he guided you down again. When you got the hang of it, you ride him slowly but sensually, snapping your hips, he was a moaning mess under you, biting his lips… you weren’t any better, your eyed rolled to the back of your head, you weren’t able to think straight, and you wonder if you ever going to be able to think in something else that wasn’t your husband’s dick

You doubted it

Your climax hitted you like lightning, making you squeeze him even tighter, he didn’t last much longer after that, cumming inside you.

You collapsed on top of him breathing heavily, as he recuperated his own breath under you, hugging you tightly against him.

“Stay like this”, he commanded, his dominant demeanor resurfacing, “I want it to stick”, you giggled softly

“It will”, you promised, even though you had no power over it. he caressed your naked back gently, making you tingle 

“I don’t mind if it doesn't”, he said then, “I don’t want to pressure you, don’t feel pressured, alright?”, he asked, and you nodded

“I know it scapes my control”, you said gently, and you heard him hum

“That is right”, he said

“I was thinking about our coming trip”, you said

“Yes?”, he encouraged 

“I was thinking…”, you said gently, your finger tracing imaginary figures on his naked chest, “we could fly towards the White Harbor… spend the night, arrange everything for our return, and then make the jump to Dragonstone early in the morning”, you whispered

“I think that is a brilliant idea”, he whispered, kissing the top of your head, “Lord Manderly is one of the most important men in the country and I would love for you to meet him”

“Great”, you smiled at him, happy he was agreeing with you, and he smiled back. 

“You looked so beautiful like this”, he whispered, his hand cradling your cheek, caressing you with his thumb. 

Your silver long hair was loose, and now a little wild, your pupils blown out, like the eyes of a kitten in the dark, your cheeks heated, your lips parted, for him you were the most beautiful and wild creature in this world.

“If we have children I hope they look like you”, he whispered, and you smiled warmly, leaning in and kissing him softly, he held you in his arms, caressing your back gently.

. . .

The week went by quickly… the nights… even quicker, your blood moon didn’t come, and you were so excited, but maesters said that was common, so you didn’t dare tell Cregan yet, you wanted to be sure. 

But he clearly noticed you had this dreamy smile on your lips.

The preparations were made hastily, there wasn’t much to take with you, only what you could fit in the mount in your dragon. Lord Desmond Manderly was expecting you in White Harbor, and you were excited to see it

They said it was a beautiful port, it was the biggest city in all the North, and the key to trading in the entire country. Many things that were coming to your storages for the winter came from the White Harbor, and though the White knife river, just a few miles from Winterfell.

You felt nervous when you suddenly realized you were about to make your first “appearance” as the Lady of Winterfell and in the arms of your husband. 

“We leave North in your gentle hands, my dear sister”, he said, grabbing Sara’s hands in his, she smiled, surely

“Of course brother”

“Anything you need, Lord Cerwyn is closest and he can assist you”, Cregan said, and Sara just smiled

“I am aware of that dear brother”, she said mockingly, Cregan just smiled, Sara knew as much as all the castles and houses as he did, everything and everyone was going to be fine

“Very well then”, he whispered, and he kissed her forehead.

When Cregan released her, it was your turn to hug her tightly

“Have a safe trip, please don’t let my brother fall of the dragon”, she giggled

“I wouldn’t dream of it”, you said back, smiling widely.

“I hope than when you came back you have some good news”, she said, and winked, you only blushed and nodded

“Let’s hope”, you said with a smile. 

Cregan and you left the safety of the walls of Winterfell, Vhaelar was waiting, looking at your every movement as you approached her. She looked at Cregan and showed her teeth in warning, and he stopped and look at her, nervous

“māzigon va, Vhaelar”, you reprimanded, “ao gīmigon zirȳla” [Come on Vhaelar, you know him]

Vhaelar whined

“ziry iksos ñuha valzȳrys”, [It’s my husband] 

She then lowered her head, in a sign of submission, you had to turn back and grab Cregan by the hand

“She doesn’t seem to want to…”, he said nervously, but Vhaelar stood still as you placed his hand on her snout.

She sniffed him, and then purred

“See? she was just playing hard to get”, you mocked. Once you got Vhaelar’s “permission”, you walked towards the mount, she had grown so big you had a small rope ladder to reach the saddle

“You first”, you invited Cregan, and you knew he was nervous, but he climbed that ladder anyway, and you followed closely.

He sat in the big saddle, and you in front of him, once you tied up the leather straps firmly, one around each thigh, and another one around his waist, and then you took your palace and strapped yourself.

He hugged you tightly, chuckling darkly

“You look so hot in your riding gear sweet wife”, he whispered kissing you under your ear - one of your weak spots-, but you just giggled and you nudged him

“Not silly business on top of my dragon”, you warned, and he only laughed

“Just a little bit?”

“No!”, you laughed, grabbing the reins, “ready?”

“Always”, he said

“Sobes Vhaelar!”, you commanded, and she used her strong legs and opened her massively big wings to raise herself from the ground.

Soon you were in the skies, Cregan’s armas tightly against you, and as you looked down, you saw all the people of Winterfell and Winterstown, certainly wanting to catch a glimpse of their Stark Lord riding a dragon.

And you left, for your first diplomatic mission. 

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[lolasimms]

a lots gonna change pt.4

Summary: Married life isn’t great, infidelity ensues and things change.

next chapter

Your home felt lighter with the presence of your sister. She'd spent the better part of her visit getting her niece to warm up to her. The crisp spring weather allowed for the four of you to indulge in picnics, spend time at the beach and shop at different farmers markets.

Lila had taken an instant liking to your sister, and you were glad to see the two get along. While Nara was here, you're sure she attended at least 15 tea parties over the course of two weeks, who's to say she didn't enjoy them, after all she loved the role of Aunt.When the day came, you were sad to see her go, but nobody expected the outburst Lila was to cause when she caught wind of her aunts departure. She whined and whined, which made Nara feel guilty but you quickly promised that she'd be able to visit her soon enough. As a treat, Ellie agreed that Lila come with her to the airport to see off her aunt, and to your surprise she was happy with the compromise.

-

The house felt hollow without the extra presence of your sister, making you feel somewhat sad. The days following her departure felt like the feeling when you'd return from a vacation, and long to go back, home not feeling like it usually did. Except the vacation in question was Nara. You missed your sister dearly and the quietness of the house wasn't helping.

It was now 12 in the afternoon and you were sat on one of the bar stools, eating away at a tasteless bowl of soggy oats. Ellie had set out for an early workout around 8, so she would be back anytime now. You were surprised however, when you hadn't heard any noise from your daughter, which was weird, as she was usually up before you on most mornings. You shrug it off, thinking maybe it's just the hard work and play from preschool that's got her burnt out, after all she was still settling into the routine of consistently attending school. You gaze outside the window, that grants you access to the backyard and smile once you notice your cherry trees had begun to bloom. You'd make a reminder to show Lila once she'd awoken.

You're scrolling on your phone, looking through emails when you are startled by a set of hands grabbing at your waist and the loud sound of ...

"Boo!" Ellie laughs as you shriek loudly in fear.

"What the fuck, was that for" you groan as you clutch your chest , the rate of your heartbeat increasing from the sudden rush of adrenaline.

"I'm sorry baby it was the perfect moment, I had too" she laughs, bringing her head down to kiss you. You accept it and then pull back taking a look at her. Her hair is damp with sweat, and her face is flushed red.

"Whatever, I'll only forgive you cause you look really good right now" you roll your eyes at her as she gives you the biggest smirk.

"Really, you like me all hot and sweaty?" She's returned to kissing you, while also speaking into your mouth, which leaves you all hot and bothered.

"Yeah" you squeak, causing her to laugh at how much of an effect she has on you post workout.

"Where's Lila?" She questions, as she moves to the fridge, and reaches for the water pitcher.

"I think she's still sleeping"

"Really, she's usually up at like 6, that's not like her" she lifts the glass up to her mouth, her eyebrows remain raised.

"That's true, I should probably go check on her" you make your way off of the bar stool and rush up the stairs to Lila's room.

-

You open the door and hear her whispering, letting you know that she's awake. You enter, expecting her to stand from her crib and call out to you but instead, she stays lying down and you can faintly hear her gurgling.

"Lila?" You ask as you walk towards her crib. Lila turns her little face towards you, and you're immediately filled with worry. Her face is red and she's breathing heavily while small tears drip down her cheeks.

"Baby?" You rush to pick her up. Your baby's skin is burning hot, and you can tell she's got a fever.

You go into to Lila's bathroom as fast as you can in search of a wash cloth. Once you've found it you wet the cloth with cool water and dart back to the crib to wash your daughter's face with it. She murmurs quietly, but doesn't fight off the cloth, nor does she pull it to her face.

Pity swells deep in your belly as you watch your daughter tiredly yawn. Lila is usually picky with water, she either loves it or she hates it. So seeing such a neutral reaction from her is odd, this isn't like her at all.

You finish wiping her face, and she is coated in sweat. Her breathing is still ragged and she continuously takes deep breaths, fighting for air and that's the final straw for you.

Despite the weight of your daughter, you quickly make your way down the stairs, to the kitchen where Ellie is stood, looking down at the stove. "Baby!" you call out to her.

She lurches forward at the sound of your panicked voice and turns. "What's wrong y/n?" She asks, shocked. "What's wrong?" She asks, again, rushing over to you as you make your way towards her, with your sickly child in your arms.

"It's Lila," you say, trying to keep the stress out of your voice. "She's really feverish, sweaty, she seems to be in pain, she's struggling to breathe..."you say as you look down at her.

Her face goes ashen. "Let me see her," she says, already reaching out her toned arms.

Lila whines as you hand her over to Ellie and she takes her in her arms. She rubs a hand across her forehead. Her eyebrows creasing.

"I'm going to make a doctor's appointment" she sighs.

-

Lila's paediatrician came to the conclusion that it was just a common cold, and her breathing would be compromised because of some nasal damage she had endured during her birth. Both you and Ellie were instructed to keep watch on her and ensure she was medicated every few hours. You found that your daughter was extremely irritable when sick, refusing to let you or Ellie engage in any activities that did not include giving her attention. Unfortunately for her, the weekend was coming to an end meaning you'd be returning to work the next day.

"Sleep with momma ?" Lila asks Ellie as she carry's her up the stairs. Her head rests on her shoulder, giving you a view of your daughter's tired face, as you follow behind them.

"No baby, you've got to sleep in your crib and be a big girl" as soon as the words leave her mouth, she begins to whine. You couldn't wait until this sickness passed so her clinginess would stop. Ellie sighs and begins to rub her back, just as you make it to the top of the staircase.

"Fine, you'll sleep with us, baby. Don't cry" she gives in to her and she tiredly smiles over her shoulder. You make it into the bedroom, and Ellie changes her into a comfortable set of pyjamas whilst you slip into your night gown.

The three of you sleep together throughout the night, keeping your child calm and soothed whenever she'd cough, sneeze or heave. Lila's tears eventually fade, and she relaxes between the two of you, drifting into a restless sleep.

Ellie's eyes nearly gleam pure green in the dark of the room, as she lifts her head to look you in the eyes. "I... she begins. "I never knew it was possible to love someone this much" she whispers, so as to keep Lila from waking up. "I adore her so much, she's...she's the best thing to have ever happened to me, aside from you."

She reaches out to stroke Lila's face, and her sleeping form nuzzles into her. "I'm so lucky, so so lucky, to have the two of you in my life." She gives the statement, a pang of guilt surges throughout her body, seeing the irony behind her claims.

You smile at her and speak. "M-me too..."

"I never knew it was possible to love someone as strongly as I do you and her," you whisper, as you press your cheek against her hand. She strokes your skin with her thumb before letting go and smiling at you.

"I love you, so much" she whispers gently"

"I love you more" you reply, slowly shutting your eyes and holding a protective arm over your daughter that reaches Ellie. She takes your hand and you fall asleep this way.

Once you're beaten by sleep, Ellie slowly treks down the staircase and retreats to the outdoor patio. Your words cause guilt to spread within her, making her feel like a piece of shit. She was selfish and she knew it, the only thing that let her sleep most nights was denial, denial that what she was doing was wrong. She knew it was time. She had finally decided that tonight she would cut all ties with her. Her, the other woman that is. She contemplates on whether or not she wants to do it, looking down at the contact name with a sickness. The look on your face as you confessed your love and dedication to both her and her child pops into her mind and she finally presses dial.

"Ellie?" Her voice rings through her ears, she can tell she had been sleeping.

"Hi, I- we need to talk"

"Oh- ok... I?" she rambles on, and she can't help but feel even more guilty. She was destroying two lives and it never registered to her that Amelia too had feelings.

"Look, this needs to end, for real this time." Ellie finally lets the words come out of her mouth.

"You said that last time, and still fucked me the next day" she laughs, not taking her words to be serious.

"No, I - I mean it this time. I have a kid and a wife, who I very much love."

"If you really loved her, you wouldn't have cheated on her for what... 5 months straight?" She's being a smart ass, as she knows it will get to her.

"I don't care ok, I'm done. I realised now that this was a huge mistake, I love her and my daughter and I can't keep being selfish, we're done. I don't want us to be on bad terms, if you want some money I'll give it to you, whatever you want just leave my family alone" the silence is deafening and she sits their waiting for a reply from her.

"Fine. But just so you know Ellie, you're making a big mistake." She scoffs and ends the call immediately. Deleting her contact off of her phone and shakes her head, who did she think she was to threaten her? Although she's angry she also feels like a weight has been lifted off of her shoulders, and she can now be the mother and wife both you and Lila deserve. Her affair was just a minor bump in the road, nobody needed to know about it. It was a secret she would have to carry to her grave.

She returns to the bedroom to find Lila fast asleep, with her hands gripping your nightgown, she slowly shuts the door behind her and makes her way to the bed. She sets herself down slowly, as to not wake the both of you up but you are risen from your sleep when you hear the rustling of the comforter.

"Honey?" You question tiredly as you squint, trying to make of her shadowed figure.

"Shhh, go back to bed baby" she whispers, while sweetly stroking your shoulders and you obey.

-

"She'll be fine, just go or you'll be late to work" Ellie is-currently shooing you from the house, as you're reluctant on whether or not you should call off work for Lila's sake. She assures you that she'll be fine and you finally give in and make your way out the door.

-

"It's very interesting, it's so good to have someone so passionate on this topic to talk to, all my friends think I'm a bore" Abby says, as the both of you chat away in your office.

"I 100% agree, my partner previously worked in this field but now she thinks it's a mundane line of work, which to me is quite offensive" you say, making sure to mock Ellie's voice at just the right pitch.

"You're kidding?" She feigns shocked.

"No I swear, she said it was boring. Which is why she switched to pursuing law, she always been good at arguments."

"She sounds pretentious" she says, with a smile.

"Oh she is, but in the best way possible" you say, a smile on your face just thinking about your wife.

Abby hums and the two of you are interrupted by the sound of your phone ringing, the vibrations coming from inside your desks draw compartment. You apologise to Abby for the interruption and pull your phone out to check on who was calling.

Incoming call, Ellie

"Speaking of the devil, she's calling right now, excuse me for a sec" she silently nods, at your request and you answer the call.

"Everything okay honey?"

"No, Lila won't stop crying, she says she wants you" she sounds exhausted and you can hear the sounds of your child crying in the background.

"Babe, I can't leave work right now" you retort, smiling at Abby as she looks at you with raised eyebrows, her way of teasing.

"So what do I do, she won't stop?" Ellie sounds desperate and you wish dearly to put her out of her misery, but you couldn't leave work, it was only your second week back and you wanted to make up for the year you had spent away.

"Why don't you bring her here, come for a little visit. It's almost my lunch break anyways" she sighs and agrees, and you're happy to come to a conclusion that benefits all.

"Everything okay?" Abby asks as you set your phone down on the desk.

"Yeah, just my kid. She's been sick recently and she wants to see me. Her moms going to bring her over... probably spend my lunch break with them" she gives a strange pout and you smile at her, confused.

"What's the pout for?" You question, bringing your hands to sit under your chin.

"We always spend lunch break together" you swallow at that, was she trying to flirt with you?

"Oh my god" you shake your head at her silliness.

"What? It's true. How could you put your daughter over me?" She pretends to act offended, which only makes you laugh.

"Your funny, plus I would never put my daughter over you, what kind of mother would that make me?" You play along with her joke and she can't help but smile bashfully at you.

-

Abby decided to leave you to complete some work, and you were certainly relieved when she made her way out of your office. Sure she was nice, but you couldn't help but feel like she was getting a tad bit too friendly. She knew you were in a relationship right? It's not like you hadn't brought up the fact that you had a wife and a child more than once, so why did she feel comfortable just openly flirting with you?

The sound of your desk phone rings and you reach for it and answer.

"Ms. Y/ln, speaking how can I help you?"

"Y/n, this is Uyen, your wife is here requesting to see you, should I let her up?"

"Ofcourse"

-

Your office door opens, and in comes Ellie, with a tired looking Lila sat in her arms, her other hand carries a bag of what you were assuming was takeout.

"Mommy" Lila reaches out to you and you happily walk over to Ellie and take her into your arms. You kiss her temple and lean forward towards Ellie. She meets you halfway for a brief kiss and then proceeds to kiss your temple.

"I got you lunch, figured it would be easier than leaving" she says as she places the brown paper bag on the coffee table.

"Thanks honey, how's her fever?" You ask as you sit down on the couch and press your hands on Lila's neck and forehead.

"Fevers going down but her nose is still blocked"

"Poor thing" you say, looking down at your daughter who's head is tucked into your chest. Ellie makes quick work at opening the paper bag and handing you three different boxes of food.

"Stir fry?" You question.

"And spring rolls and dumplings and a fortune cookie" she smiles, knowing these were your favourites.

"I could kiss you right now!" You exclaim.

"Please do" she smirks, before setting the wooden cutlery down and leaning in for a kiss, you lean towards her to grant her her wish. Lila whines again and you roll your eyes at her theatrics.

"Can I put you down on the armchair, so I can eat?" You question and she shakes he head, no.

"So I can't eat my lunch?" You feign shocked at the drama she's putting on display.

"Stay with mommy" she holds onto you tighter and you sigh. You'd be eating lunch with a toddler in your lap and there was nothing you could do about it.

"Lila give mommy a break" Ellie says and she simply looks at her and musters the best eye roll she can. Both you and Ellie are amazed at her attitude and can't help but laugh.

"Where did she learn that?" She asks, her eyes wide and bewildered by her daughters newfound display of attitude.

"I don't even know" you laugh, then cover your mouth. This wasn't the kind of behaviour you would want her to think was okay, but you'd let it slide only because she was sick and easily irritable. You continue eating, occasionally feeding Lila, whenever she'd allow you to. You take a sip of your bottled water, when there's a knock at your office door.

"Am I interrupting?" Abby asks as she walks into the office, with a grin on her face.

"Oh of-course not Abby, have a seat" you say, slightly glancing to Ellie who is seated next to you, expressionless. Abby sits on the armchair opposite the couch and smiles at Ellie.

"This is my wife, Ellie and this is my very grumpy daughter, Lila" you lift Lila's hands and wave to Abby. She irritably brings it back down and nuzzles deeper into you.

"Nice to meet you Ellie, and Lila, she's very cute" you whisper a small thank you. And Ellie finally breaks her silence.

"Nice to meet you to Abby" she says and Abby nods at her.

"I didn't want to break our tradition so I figured I'd bring you a cupcake from the cafe" Abby holds out the clear box and you delightfully accept the treat.

"Oh, thank-you, I was craving one of these all day" you inspect the cupcake and place it on the coffee table.

"What's your tradition?" Ellie interrupts, looking from you to Abby.

"Oh y/n and I spend our lunch breaks together, at the cafe downstairs, they've got great food" Abby says and Ellie nods.

"We'll, just thought I'd deliver the treat to you myself. But I should get going, wouldn't want to interrupt family time" she stands up and shakes Ellie's hand and then makes her way over to you, leaving a kiss on your cheek. If you could, you're sure you would be blushing from embarrassment. Abby leaves the office and Ellie's fists are clenched.

"I don't like her" she mutters, turning to look at you.

"Ellie, I-" you're cut off before you can even complete your sentence.

"Who the fuck is she to be bringing you TrEaTs" she mocks Abby's voice.

"Are you seriously mad?" You're laughing now, the fact that she found there to be any competition between herself and Abby was humorous to you.

"Yes and the kiss on the cheek, really?"  You shift Lila in your laps and continue looking at Ellie.

"Everyone does that it's etiquette"

"Fuck etiquette, this isn't France" you can't help but laugh at her clever joke.

"Enough of that, can we just enjoy the rest of our lunch break in peace? As a family" you make sure to add in the last part as you know it will coax her well enough to drop the subject of Abby.

"Fine" she mumbles, trying to suppress a smile. You shake your head at her pettiness and reach for your fortune cookie.

"Okay fortune cookie time, but remember we can't tell each other okay?" She reaches for her cookie and nods.

'Your road to glory will be rocky, but fulfilling'

"Oooo mine is really good, what about yours baby?" You question as you scrunch your fortune and make a mental note to remember it. Ellie opens her cookie and proceeds to read her fortune.

'A guilty conscience, needs no accuser'

taglist;

@moonlightdivine @maybe-cece @macaroni676 @sawaagyapong @katiemars @ellieseater @dakota-dream @joliettes @hebrokeimup

[rpgsandbox]

Official photos of the upcoming LEGO Dungeons and Dragons Red Dragon’s Tale set (21348) are officially here! Stacking up to nearly 3,800 pieces, the upcoming set celebrates the RPG’s 50th anniversay with six all-new minifigures, a giant Cinderhowl red dragon, and tons of other fiends.

The set has officially been named LEGO Ideas 21348 Dungeons and Dragons Red Dragon’s Tale – a departure from the fan-submitted model, which was called Dragon’s Keep: Journey’s End by original builder Lucas Bolt (known as BoltBuilds). The differences between the model that’s actually hitting store shelves and the original creation aren’t all that noticeable, but there are some adjustments!

LEGO’s first Dungeons and Dragons kit celebrates 50 years of the role-playing game from Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro. It stacks up to 3,745 pieces and assembles a fantasy scene. There’s a medieval building on the left, which is integrated into the stone of a dilapidated castle. There’s an extra 700 bricks from the original version. That increase goes towards a more detailed model, as well as giving some more love to the side build.

We’ve covered the Dungeon, but what about the Dragon? The LEGO set includes a massive giant Cinderhowl red dragon. It can perch on the castle tower, or just fly around in your own little adventure.

Alongside the actual model, the new LEGO Dungeons and Dragons set includes a handful of minifigures, as well as creatures for them to do battle with. There are six adventurer minifigures, including an Orc Rogue, Gnome Fighter, Elf Wizard, Dwarf Cleric, a Bard, and more. You also get three LEGO skeletons, too. The kit also includes a Beholder, as well as the Displacer Beast. We also get a small glimpse of a brick-built Gelatinous cube and the Owlbear. It’s a really solid mix of figures and beats for them to do battle with.

In true Dungeons and Dragons fashion, the LEGO set also includes a digital download for an adventure to recreate with the included figures.

You’ll be able to buy the LEGO Dungeons and Dragons Red Dragon’s Tale set (21348) starting next month. It officially goes on sale to the public on April 3, but LEGO Insiders will be able to get this one early – as per usual. It’ll drop at midnight on April 1 for those with a free account. It debuts at $359.99. The LEGO storefront page is at this link.

Plus, a Collectible Minifigure Series on the way

Alongside the main LEGO Ideas set, the collaboration will be continuing over to a Collectible Minifigure Series based around Dungeons and Dragons. The lineup will debut later this fall as a second installment of the 50th anniversary action and will include 12 different characters from the role-playing game. That includes Tieflings, druids, bars, and even the Mindflayer. The LEGO Group has now confirmed that it will launch in September.

Here’s a full breakdown of the Dungeons and Dragons Collectible Minifigure Series. Each of the blind box LEGO figures will sell for $4.99, and includes a minifigure alongside a fittingly-themed accessory. 

Tiefling Sorcerer with Red Baby Dragon

Golden Dragonborn Paladin with Shield

Tasha the With Queen with Cauldron

White Aarakocra Ranger with Dog

Mindflayer with Intellect Devourer

Dwarf Barbarian with Axe

Strahd von Zarovich with Sword

Githyanki Warlock with Knife

Halfling Druid with Bird

Halfling Bard with Lute

Lady of Pain with Cube

Szass Tam with Skull

[rhiannswork]

s. reid || art isn’t supposed to look nice.

warnings: mentions of anxiety, hotch being reid’s dad, sensitive reader idk?? ummm angst and fluff

a/n: sorry guys, i’ve been awol. a lot has been going on mentally and i just needed some time to myself. i seen that i have requests in my inbox but it won’t let me view them fully. i’ll try to fix it, other than that enjoy ><

12:43 am. you gazed at the tv, engrossed in a monster high compilation, losing track of time. it wasn't until you realized that spencer hadn't called yet, breaking his tradition of always reaching out before midnight. now, it's almost a quarter to one, and you're left wondering.

you snatched your phone and dialed spencer's number, waiting as the faint sound of the ringing echoed from your cell's tiny speaker.

"hello, this is doctor spencer reid. unfortunately, i'm unable to answer your call right now. please leave your name, contact number, and the purpose of your call, and i'll return your message at my earliest convenience."

a loud beep pierced your ear before you ended the call, attempting to quell your growing worry, although your anxiety continued to escalate with each passing minute.

you made an effort not to dwell on it, yet sleep eluded you without the comfort of his soothing voice, reciting a romantic passage he had once come across in a book.

1:56 am. you dialed once more, the ringing filling your ear again, but this time spencer finally answered the call.

"what?" he replied with an irritated tone, causing your eyes to widen at his response. "um... i was just wondering how you were doing. you hadn't called," you stammered, a hint of concern in your voice.

"well, it's because i've been incredibly busy, y/n," he spoke sternly, his stress evident. you sensed his tension, a departure from his usual demeanor. "i’m sorry... i’m just used to you calling me before midnight. i’m sorry," you added before he hung up.

a feeling like your heart had been crushed by the world's largest hammer washed over you. your eyes began to well up, but you fought back tears, reminding yourself that he must have been under immense stress and didn't mean to come across so moody.

[ back @ the BAU ]

hotch observed the confrontation unfold, a sigh escaping him as he witnessed how spencer had spoken to you. "reid," he uttered with slight disappointment in his voice.

"yeah?" spencer turned around, rubbing his temples. "you need to go home... you've been awake longer than you should, and it's starting to impact your work," hotch advised.

spencer turned back to the large bulletin board, covered with crime scenes, maps, and other pieces of evidence waiting to be linked. "that wasn't a suggestion, reid," hotch's voice thick with authority. "it's an order."

"are you seri—" spencer began to protest, but hotch interrupted him. "spencer," hotch's tone was firm, cutting off any further argument. spencer could only manage a small scoff before he reluctantly complied. "go," hotch commanded, his gaze locking onto reid's for a final moment before he turned away.

he grabbed his coat and slung his crossbody bag over his shoulder, leaving without uttering any goodbyes. this particular case had pushed him to his limits.

twenty minutes later, he arrived home, the drive having given him some time to calm his emotions. during the drive, he reflected on how he had exploded on you over the phone.

he entered the bedroom quietly, noticing your body facing the door, a common sight. his gaze fell upon you cuddling his pillow, the one he usually slept on.

the pillow held his scent, offering comfort that helped you drift off to sleep. despite always missing spencer dearly, you hadn't gone to the extent of hugging his pillow before now.

the tv continued to play autoplayed cartoon shorts, casting a gentle glow that allowed him to see your face more clearly. "y/n... baby..." he whispered softly, concern lacing his voice.

spencer crouched down beside you, allowing you to wake up and meet his gaze. he extended his hand, his thumb gently stroking your face as you began to stir, emitting a soft hum as you gradually woke up to find spencer before you.

"hi, my love," he murmured, planting a tender kiss on your forehead. it took a moment for everything to register, but then the earlier phone call came rushing back to your memory.

"hi," you finally responded, your voice tinged with a hint of anger. turning over, you positioned yourself with your back to him.

"i'm sorry," spencer's voice held sincerity, "i'm just incredibly stressed about this case. i promised that mother i'd find the demon who took her family away."

"you sounded so upset with me..." your voice quivered, tears welling up once more. "oh, baby, please don't cry," spencer implored, leaning closer and planting a gentle kiss on your neck. "you know how much i love you... i'd never do anything to hurt your feelings."

spencer managed to coax you to scoot over in bed, allowing him to settle right under you. somehow, you found yourself in his embrace, his arms holding you close.

"do you want to hear the quote i've chosen?" his fingers traced soothing patterns up and down your arm. you raised yourself slightly and nodded, before resting your head back on his chest.

“she looked like art, and art wasn’t supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something…. from eleanor & park by rainbow rowell.”

"do you feel something when you look at me?" you murmured softly into his chest, your fingers tracing delicate patterns on his slim stomach.

“i feel everything when i look at you.”