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abbysfrenchbraid · 4 years ago

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Beach Day Imagine

alright I give up on trying to find a header for this one, there are no nice pictures of Abby with short hair.

anonymous said: I have a request for a beach day imagine? It could be after the end of the game, just a nice day on the beach heh :)!

This is set after the end of tlou2, Abby and Lev have arrived at the Firefly base on Catalina Island and the reader has gotten to know them over the last weeks. Today they’re taking the two newly healed outsiders to the beach.

This is the first thing I’ve written in a while so I apologize if I’m not fully back in my best form, feedback is very welcome!

Warnings: light swearing, pushing someone under water playfully, mention of injury by being crushed under something heavy (ask to tag!)

about 5.6k words of pure fluff :)

“Hey, look what I got!”

You looked up from the gas canister you were currently using to fill up a truck’s tank and felt a warm rush of happiness fill your chest. Lev had just entered the garage and was holding out a red backpack.

“The teacher gave it to me so I finally have my own. And it’s even my favorite color!”

You stopped pouring the gasoline and screwed the lid back on the canister.

“Hey, you. So what are you bringing in your new backpack, then?”

The scrawny boy jumped on the back of the truck and crouched down, flipping the bag over and dumping its contents on the platform. With quick fingers, he arranged all the items to lie in a neat line, tapping them as he listed: “Water bottle, sandwich, apple, lighter, knife, towel, swimming trunks. Abby said not to take the bow because it’s a secure area.”

You nodded. “Good job, you’re fully equipped.” Catalina Island was a completely safe zone, the Fireflies had made sure of that. During the last few years, patrol teams had combed through the entire island killing infected and now anyone coming in from the mainland had to spend two days in quarantine to ensure their health. Carrying around a knife or gun at all times was just a habit none of the people who had ever fought infected or other groups would ever let go of.

“Lev? You in here?” Lev had been concentrating on putting all his supplies back into the backpack and you both jerked up when you heard the familiar voice in the corridor. It had been weeks and she still had the same effect on you. The tall blonde stepped through the doorway and your breath caught in your throat. She was wearing green cargo pants and black combat boots as always, but you could see the blue fabric of a swimsuit peeking out at the neckline of her grey t-shirt.

“Oh hey, there you are. Are we ready to go?”

“Your hair!” you exclaimed, in awe at the beautiful freckled face that was looking at you with excitement. Abby smiled and instinctively rubbed the back of her head that was now cut short. When she and Lev had arrived three weeks ago, they had looked horrible, dehydrated and full of bruises and cuts, their faces marked by the sun and the pain they had had to endure. Abby hadn’t said a word about her obviously violently cut hair but Lev had told you that she had always worn it in a long braid before the rattlers captured them. You tried to imagine her with long hair but it just didn’t seem fitting for the woman standing before you.

“I got it done today, Mario is a saint. Do you like it?”

Lev squinted at her for a moment, then he solemnly said: “It suits you very well.”

She had apparently finally gotten around to visiting your colleague, another mechanic who also worked at a barber on the side. Most men and some women just pragmatically shaved their heads themselves, but there were always a few people who wanted something more complicated. When Mario had visited you at the medical station after your accident and gotten to know your two new roommates, he had immediately offered his services if they ever wanted a haircut. Lev had declined, explaining that he always shaved his head himself, but Abby had thanked him and promised to come around when she was allowed to leave medical.

You smiled at her and before you could stop yourself you blurted out “You look hot.”

The blonde laughed and even though you felt yourself blushing, you knew you had said the right thing. She really did look hot. Mario had shaved her sides short and fluffed up the top, letting a few strands fall into her face. You wanted to reach out and gently brush them back, but you stopped yourself and snapped out of your daydream.

“Okay, my bag’s already in the front. You all set?”

Abby nodded and put her backpack on the back of the truck, positioning herself to jump on.

“Wait, can I sit in the back? I’ll be careful, I promise. I’d just really like to see what it feels like,” Lev pleaded. You looked at Abby who just rolled her eyes and grinned.

“Alright, kid. But no standing up, and if it gets bumpy you hold on tight!”

She squeezed the boy’s shoulder and grabbed her bag, circling around the back of the car to get into the passenger seat. Lev gracefully jumped in the back and closed the hatch, looking at you with a glint in his eye you had never seen on him before. For the first time since the two had arrived here, he seemed genuinely happy and excited.

You sat down in the driver’s seat and started the truck, maneuvering out of the parked cars around you and giving the porter a signal to open the garage door. Your hand still felt weak and fragile as you switched gears and drove through the two front gates or the base, absentmindedly clenching your fist and stretching out your fingers to get rid of the sensation.

In the corner of your eye, you could see Abby giving you a slightly worried look.

“You okay there? I can drive, too, if you want me to.”

You bit your lip in frustration and shook your head.

“Thanks, Abby. I just need to get used to using this stupid hand again.”

The blonde rolled down her window and let in the salty breeze, leaning her head against the frame and closing her eyes as the sun kissed her face.

“Alright. Just let me know.”

Turning onto the road down to the beach, you sighed and tried to let go of all of your anger and discontent with one long exhale. It would get you nowhere.

You had been lying underneath a car to fix some spots that had rusted through when your lifting jacks had made a weird noise. Even though you had been quick to try and slip out from under the car, you hadn’t been fast enough. The wheels had been taken off to change the tires and as the jacks collapsed, the side of the vehicle crushed your arm, your ribs and left you with internal bleeding.

It had been no one's fault, just a terrible misfortune. After undergoing several surgeries and spending four weeks in a hospital bed, two battered strangers had been carried in and kept you company for the next few days.

The WLF soldier also had a few broken ribs, several cuts and stab wounds. Other than a few bruises, dehydration and the extreme sunburn they had both suffered, the small Seraphite was surprisingly well off, and while you two older women had been laying around in your own misery, he had started trying to cheer you up, help your recovery and motivate you to look forward to the days to come.

Both of you had started carefully training your injured limbs again and encouraged each other on the tiresome, difficult journey back to health while Lev had explored the base, made some friends and working with a trainer to teach others how to shoot with a bow and arrow. Now that you were finally out of the medical wing and able to move without being in excruciating pain, you had decided to take the two out for a deserved day off.

You rolled your window down and inhaled the fresh sea breeze, immediately smelling the salt and hot sand, the earthy aroma of the bushes lining the road and the sun warming up the air and promising you a wonderful day. Without thinking, you let out a scream of joy and laughed into the wind that pulled on your hair and invited you to play. You turned to beam at Abby, who looked amused and a little surprised. Before you could say anything, you heard an attempted wolf howl from the back of the truck and looked in the rearview mirror. Lev was kneeling in the middle of the platform, his head thrown back and his hands at his mouth to amplify his cries. He took a big breath and howled a second time, laughing afterward and stretching out his arms to the side.

A small noise drew your attention back to your passenger. Abby was looking out of the window and her torso was shaking slightly. For a split second, you thought she was crying, but then her little chuckle grew into loud laughter and she whooped, also stretching out her arm and making wave motions with her hand.

“Jesus, Y/N, you’re amazing! This is amazing!”

She looked at you, eyes wide with excitement and a grin stretching across her entire face. You felt like your heart was going to explode. This really was amazing. You took another turn and there it was: the sea. Blue and wild, sparkling like millions of diamonds and dancing in the sun, calling out for you and inviting you to jump into the waves and join the celebration.

You decided to just drive down all the way onto the sand; the truck was made for the terrain and there was no reason to walk if you could just drive up to the perfect spot.

“Lev,” you yelled, “wanna choose a good spot?”

“Yes,” he screamed back, “over there by the palm tree?”

“Got it, boss!” You geared down and drove onto the sand, carefully testing the terrain. The car seemed to have no problem with the ground and you pressed down the gas, whirling up the sand behind you and making Lev scream with excitement. You came to a halt next to a sturdy palm tree and the boy had jumped off the back before you had stopped the engine.

He had taken off his shoes and immediately started hopping to the patch of shade, cursing about the hot sand and letting himself fall onto the cool safe haven provided by the tree. Abby laughed and got out herself, opening her backpack and throwing him a big blanket.

“Here, make yourself useful.”

Lev jumped up and started stretching out the fabric to make room for everyone, then he unpacked his towel and swimming trunks. You grabbed your bag and went over to the two of them, putting your towel down and stopping in your tracks when Abby suddenly pulled her shirt over her head, revealing a sporty blue bikini top. Her abs had practically exploded in only a week; the last time you had seen her stomach had been when she had gotten rid of the hospital gown and announced she was going back to training. Her skin was ivory, a ton of freckles spreading over her shoulders and arms. There were still a few bruises on her ribcage, already yellow and almost completely faded, and her upper arm was marked with a fresh, pink scar.

“What are you staring at? Don’t you wanna go swimming with us?”

Abby laughed at you and hopped around as she tried to take off her tight pants without falling over. You shook your head to get your brain running again and side-eyed her, trying to hide a grin.

“Sorry. You’ve already built so much muscle, it’s amazing.”

The blonde looked down and lightly slapped her stomach.

“Thanks, must be the food here. I’m getting back on track.”

You had already slid out of your pants and quickly took off your shirt now, a little shy about your black bathing suit. But there was no need to worry, now it was Abby’s turn to stare. Her mouth was slightly ajar as she looked you up and down, her hand hovering about her abs as if she had frozen for a second. Finally, she snapped out of her admiration and raised an eyebrow.

“You don’t look too bad yourself, without the bandages and all.”

While you two had been busy drooling over each other, Lev had already changed into his swimming trunks and now seemed to be calculating how many steps it would take to get to the water and cool his burnt feet.

Abby stepped closer to you.

“You ready, Lev? Bet I can beat you both to the water.”

The boy didn’t hesitate one second. He started like lightning, his red pants blown up by the wind as he yelled “ouch, fuck, ow,” trying to lengthen his jumps. Abby winked at you, then she started sprinting after him.

“Come on, Y/N!”

You quickly took off your socks and ran after them, loosening your ponytail and enjoying the feeling of the warm, soft hair dancing on your skin. Lev had beat Abby and was squealing as he jumped into the waves. The ex-WLF reached him a few seconds later, running into the sea and immediately diving under just to come up again with a scream of joy. She opened her arms as you came running towards her, cursing the hot sand and ready to tackle the blonde with full force.

She turned to the side and dodged your blow at the last second, letting you crash into the waves and jumping on top of you, pushing you under the surface for a second before pulling you up and blowing a mouthful of water into your face. You gasped for air as the two laughed at you, already plotting your revenge.

You slapped Abby’s shoulder but her rock-hard muscles easily took the hit. She raised her eyebrows at you and gave your shoulder a seemingly light push that made you topple back into the water. How was she so fucking strong?! You let yourself float on your back for a second, then you dove under and grabbed the surprised soldier by the ankles, digging your fingernails into her skin and pulling her feet out from under her. Pushing off the sand with your feet, you dragged her legs with you so she was pulled underwater. She managed to free herself and you both came up at the same time, laughing and coughing.

“That’s what you get, shark,” you grinned at her.

“Wait, are there sharks here?” A half-panicky, half-excited voice from further out told you that Lev had swum quite a bit and was now suddenly overcome by the realization that you three weren’t the only ones in the sea.

“Yeah, big ones,” Abby yelled, “you better watch out.”

She winked at you, then she took a deep breath and dove in Lev’s direction, who was facing the opposite direction and didn’t notice the big figure swimming towards him. As expected, he suddenly shrieked, started flailing his arms and fought with something that was pulling him under. When he realized what was going on, he couldn’t stop himself from laughing as he yelled Abby’s name over and over, trying to get her off. Her head broke the surface next to him and she shook her head, water spraying in all directions as her hair danced in the sun.

She was roaring with laughter and held out an arm for Lev to hold on to while he caught his breath.

“Believe me, kid, as much as you love them, you don’t wanna meet sharks face to face.”

He sighed and turned to look at the open water.

“I know. Maybe we can drive out with a boat sometime and try to see them.”

Abby rubbed his shaved head.

“You are unbelievably okay with danger, young man.”

He smiled at her with so much love and admiration in his eyes it made your heart feel like it was going to explode. These two had found each other. You slowly swam towards them and turned on your back again to float, Lev immediately copying you and looking at Abby to do the same.

“We shouldn’t be in the sun for too long, you two are still not fully healed.”

Abby groaned and splashed some water in your direction.

“Let me just have this for a moment, please.”

You felt a twist in your stomach. She had just been having fun for the first time in forever and you had to ruin it by reminding her of what she had been through. Why couldn’t you just shut up and let her be? You turned to look at her and were surprised to see her smiling at you, nothing but warmth and appreciation in her face.

“You’re right, Y/N, I know that. Thank you for taking us here and worrying about us.”

Lev had his eyes closed, but he nodded and mumbled something in approval.

“Come on.” Abby lightly tapped your arm and nodded in the direction of the beach.

“Let’s head back.”

“Can I stay here a little longer?” Lev sounded far away, completely at peace as he soaked up the sun and the salty air.

“Of course, but make sure you don’t swim further out, okay?”

The boy just hummed happily. Both of you didn’t say a word as you and Abby swam back, your mind spinning faster again as she took her last steps out of the water in front of you. Droplets were running down the back of her neck, the curves of her back muscles, butt, and thighs highlighted by the reflections of sunlight on the wet skin.

She turned around and absentmindedly slicked her dripping hair back, showing off her biceps and abs as she stretched and waited for you to come out of the water.

“You think the sand is gonna be less painful under wet feet?”

You stumbled out of the waves with little elegance but managed to stay standing up as a wave crashed around your calves.

“I don’t know, I think we should make a run for it.”

“Fair,” she nodded and held out her hand. “You ready?”

Ignoring the jump in your chest, you took her hand and she held yours tight, encasing it completely with her cool fingers.

“Let’s go!” Both of you started running, squealing and laughing as the sand burned your soles once more. You almost fell several times but Abby’s steel grip caught and held you up every time. Slightly out of breath, both of you reached the shade of the palm tree and let yourselves fall on the towels. Abby still hadn’t let go of your hand and you tried to hold your fingers completely still so she wouldn’t notice and let go.

You were both lying on your backs next to each other, panting and looking up at the green branches above you dancing gently in the sea breeze. Watching Abby out of the corner of your eye, you promised yourself you would always remember this moment. The heat of the sun peeking through the branches, the last drops of saltwater running down your torso, the stickiness of your skin as it dried and left behind tiny salt crystals, the rushing of the waves and the cries of the seagulls. The beautiful blonde next to you, her chest moving with every breath, the little specks of sunlight on her face and her mouth, slightly open as she looked at the sky, deep in thought.

It felt like this was the first day of your life, like you had been somewhere else every day before, somewhere grey and bitter and hard with little joy and too many worries. You never knew life could feel like this, like riding a wave, like soaring through the summer air, easy laughter, and warm touches. You were free.

You suddenly noticed that Abby had turned her head to face you, her eyes burning into your skin like the salt that was prickling your cheek with tiny needles. Holding your breath, you slowly turned towards her and were immediately pulled in by her gaze.

This woman had been by your side almost constantly for three weeks and you had known for a while. What you felt for her was deeper than any connection you had ever had with anyone. She understood you without words and she was never too much for you, as others often were. The blonde made your heart skip beats and your brain often stopped working when she was around, but you still wanted to be by her side every possible second. Through all the pain and trauma and all the terrible things that had happened, you two always found something to laugh about and a way to forget everything for a while, just enjoying each other’s company.

As you finally released the air from your lungs, you could hear the shakiness in your breath and the rush of your own blood in your ears. It was so loud that you were sure Abby could hear it, too. Your fingers twitched slightly and she immediately tightened her fingers around yours. Slowly, her eyes wandered to your lips and now it was you that could hear her breath catch up in her throat. The distance between your faces was small, maybe a hand’s width, but it felt like miles. It was the feeling before doing a handstand or jumping off a high platform, a move you had seen others do countless times but felt impossible to you, like an invisible wall in your chest stopping your breath and movement at the same time.

Abby softly ran her thumb over yours, her hazel-green eyes piercing yours. Your racing thoughts came to a halt. You could count every freckle on her face, every tiny salt crystal on her lashes, the faded scars from past battles. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

Just as she lifted her head ever so slightly to move even closer, there were distant thumps on the sand and you could hear Lev crying out in a mix of joy and pain. You expected Abby to snap back and let go of your hand, but instead she just smiled, sat up and yelled: “Come here, quickly! You don’t want me to have roasted children’s feet for dinner, do you?”

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Lev speeding up towards you.

“I’m not a child, Abby!”

He came to a halt in front of Abby, quickly glancing at your intertwined fingers before frowning at her. She patted the towel next to her.

“Alright then, sir. Come sit with us, we’re currently being hypnotized by the palm branches.”

“What’s hypnotized?” he asked as he let himself flop on the towel.

“Lay down and you’ll see,” Abby said as she lifted her free arm and rested her head on her hand, staring up at the sky again.

“It’s the feeling of watching something - or someone - and completely getting lost in what you see. Your head gets all quiet and you’re willing to do anything the person hypnotizing you says.”

Her thumb was drawing circles on the back of your hand.

Lev let out a big breath as he solemnly folded his hands over his stomach and looked up at the leaves waving back and forth.

You all lay there for a while, not speaking, just soaking in each other’s presence and the untainted beauty of the world in this very moment. Abby’s touch sent electrical waves through your arm right into your heart, filling your chest with liquid gold and having you fight down an ecstatic squeal of happiness. Did this mean she actually felt the same way?

In the midst of all the joy you felt in that moment, there was a tiny voice in your head telling you that this was just an exceptional situation and things would go back to the way they were once you returned. Abby liked you, that much you were sure of, but was she really willing to go a step further and open up to you like that? Trust someone with that kind of vulnerability?

You swallowed hard, trying to fight down the tiny storm of panic brewing in your throat. There was absolutely no reason to ruin this moment for yourself. You let go of Abby’s hand to prop yourself up on your elbow, turning your body towards her.

There was confusion in her eyes and a slightly worried look.

“Everything okay?” she whispered.

Looking up over her shoulder, you saw that Lev had fallen asleep. He looked like a little vampire, pale from the lack of sunlight on his newly recovered skin over the last weeks, lying stone still in a perfectly straight line with his hands still folded.

You lay back down just a little bit closer to Abby than before, this time facing her completely. You could feel her breath on your lips and couldn’t stop yourself from raising a hand to push a strand of hair out of her face. She closed her eyes for a second at your touch, then she leaned into your hand. You cupped her cheek, drawing your thumb over her cheek and her bottom lip.

“More than okay,” you breathed as you ran your fingers through her hair and down the back of her neck, making her shiver despite the heat.

Slowly this time, you sat up and whispered “Come with me.”

Both of you stood up and now it was you that held out a hand. The Firefly took it and you both hurried towards the water again, trying not to be too loud and wake up the boy in your care.

Finally on wet sand, you sat down and pulled Abby down with you as the water lapped at your ankles.

You took a deep breath, glancing at the blonde’s questioning look and quickly looking down at your feet.

“I’m so glad we finally got out of the base and came out here. You guys haven’t even seen all the beautiful places on Catalina. We could do this more often, I know my way around the Island.”

Abby drew circles in the sand, the tracks of her fingers immediately washed away by every new wave. Squinting against the sun, she softly said: “Yes, I’d like that. It really is beautiful here.”

Your heart was pounding again. What were you thinking, taking her away alone without even knowing what to say? She was obviously waiting for you to tell her something Lev shouldn’t hear. You wanted so badly just to tell her how you felt, but your head was just completely devoid of words.

She had mercy with you. “Where else would you like to take me?”

Her? Alone? You bit your lip, trying frantically to come up with something good.

“There is a bay called Little Harbor, the water is bright turquoise and it’s on the west coast, so you get some amazing sunsets there. There’s a hunting cabin there, too, back from when we hadn’t fully secured the island yet. I could get a friend in admin to give us a check-up mission, let us check the electricity and stock up the hut. Only if you’d want to, of course.”

Abby nodded. “That sounds amazing. I’m cleared for missions starting next Monday, I need to start doing my part anyways. We could go whenever it fits your schedule.”

You smiled at her. “Great. I’ll let my friend know.”

“Are we going to stay there overnight, then?”

You could hear the amusement in her voice. She knew she was making you all flustered and nervous and was just teasing you now so you elbowed her, stifling a laugh.

“It could be arranged.”

She placed her hand on your knee, looking at you to catch your reaction. You couldn’t help but blush and pressed your lips together, trying to hold it together.

“Y/N.”

Her face was now directly next to yours, her breath warm on your cheek again. It took everything in your power to turn your head and look her directly in the eye. Well, you tried to, but her eyes were on your lips again, her tongue quickly running over her bottom lip only to disappear again.

And finally, after weeks of uncertainty, of pining and yearning and trying to get her out of your head, she grabbed the back of your neck and gently pulled you in. Her lips were incredibly soft, cushioning your movement as you pressed your mouth on hers, desperately trying to stay in this moment forever. She tasted like the sea, but her warm skin still smelled like the forest. It always did.

You leaned into her, deepening the kiss as she put her arm around your shoulders and ran her hand over your thigh. Nothing had ever felt better than this.

The blonde pulled away slightly, peeking at you through long eyelashes and licking her lips again.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time,” she confessed, never releasing your gaze.

“Me too,” was all you got out under your shaky breath before she kissed you again, sweet and smiling, placing tiny kisses on your cheeks and jawline before moving up to graze her lips over your nose and forehead.

“I’m so lucky,” she mumbled against your temple. “After everything Lev and I have been through and of all the places in the world…”

She wasn’t the type to speak much about her feelings and this was probably the most you would get from her for now, but it was more than enough for you to understand. You rested your head on her shoulder as you both stared out to the open water.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’ve never felt like this with anyone before.” It felt like a weight had been lifted off your chest. You knew this was a lot to reveal, but you trusted Abby to not get scared away easily.

“You know, Lev is going to be so relieved.” Abby snorted and turned around to see if there was any movement in your little camp, but the little Seraphite seemed to still be enjoying his afternoon nap.

Your brows almost hit your hairline. “You’re gonna tell him right away?”

She laughed and slapped your thigh before tightening her grip around it.

“Sure, he’s been listening to me debating my next step for the last week. He was so excited for today because he thought you’d make a move.” You couldn’t believe what you were hearing.

“He has zero faith in me, you know. He knows I easily face any kind of danger and I always win my fights, but he thought I didn’t have the guts to kiss you.”

You rolled your eyes. “Okay, Miss Warrior, you’re the toughest. I remember Lev telling me something about crane bridges?”

She acted shocked. “I trust him with all my secrets and he just goes and tells you about them? What a little brat.”

You both had to laugh; it was clear that no one loved Lev more than Abby and no one could ever really be angry with him.

“No seriously, I tell him everything. He’s all I got left.” She looked down and smiled to herself, no bitterness or sadness in her voice but a deep appreciation and nothing but love for her partner through thick and thin.

Her last sentence stung a little, but you knew it was going to be a while before Abby would know just how much she could count on you to be there for her. Trust had to be earned.

You spent the rest of your day in the shade with Lev, eating the fruit you had brought, playing cards, reading, and stealing kisses while the boy went for another swim in the ocean. Lev was sad you couldn’t light a bonfire as it got dark, but you had to get back in time for dinner.

Both you and Abby promised him another beach day with stick bread at the campfire as soon as you both found the time again. Meanwhile, he could try to find some friends to come along.

As you packed up your things, the sun was setting behind the green hills of the island and painting the sky pink, orange and purple, delivering a spectacle almost as wonderful as the one going on inside you.

Lev jumped on the back of the truck without asking this time and both of you got in the front. The drive was quiet, all of you deep in thought, reminiscing about the day you had had.

“Thanks again for doing this,” Abby said, playing with a strand of your hair. The windows were rolled down and the cool evening air was dancing through the cabin, filling your lungs and clearing your mind.

“You’re very welcome.”

“I can’t wait for our cabin trip. A sunset just for the two of us,” she remarked, looking at you from the side.

Finally back on the main road, you placed your hand on her thigh. You had wanted this for so long and now you would do everything in your power to win Abby’s heart entirely.

“When do I see you again?” you asked, scared to hear the answer.

“Tomorrow morning? You could pick me up from the gym for breakfast if you want. I’d offer to train with you but I think your doctors would feed me to the sharks.”

You laughed at the thought; it had taken forever to convince the medical staff to let you go today. It was going to be a few more weeks of physiotherapy to get your body back on track.

“Okay. I’m pretty sure they’re making pancakes tomorrow. A commander’s birthday, I think. Pick you up at 8?”

She placed her hand on top of yours and squeezed it.

“I’ll be waiting.”

#abby anderson #abby anderson fic #abby tlou #abby tlou2 #abby fluff #abby anderson fanfiction #tlou2 fanfiction #tlou2 #lev tlou2 #catalina island #abby anderson x reader

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thirstystarkey · 4 years ago

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HATE CAN SOUND LIKE LOVE • JJ MAYBANK

Summary: JJ and Y/N have always fought, since everyone can remember. They both have short tempers and a endless love for surf and chaos. But what happens when they have to pretend to be a couple? Well.. people always said that hate can sound like love sometimes.

Warnings: Mention of underage drinking, drugs, minor violence, some smutty scenarios and a ton of sexual induendos, JJ being a hot idiot and Y/N a wild girl brat

CHAPTER 07

When Y/N got home from her little encounter with JJ she couldn’t sleep. Her body tigled and her mind raced like a fast car in a free highway. Eventually she forced herself to rest, dozing off in a suggestive dream with JJ, she woke up in the next day with the sound of the bell ringing. Sleepy still she rubbed her eyes returning to reality and cursing herself for dreaming about JJ.

“Oh shit, fuck, fuck!” Y/N screamed in a whisper while she made way through the stairs to the front door.

Her mom was almost leaving to work, but know certainly she’d stay a bit longer to receive Y/N’s visitor, who was her fake boyfriend who her mom thought was real.

“It’s for me mom.” That’s what Y/N said before opening the door.

There he was, JJ Maybank in this usual white t-shirt and black shorts, this time with a red snapback taming his wild blonde hair. He had a smile on his face, who wasn’t directed at Y/N but her mom who watched the whole scene behind her daughter.

“Good morning Miss T, Y/N invited me for lunch before surf.” JJ explained slightly hugging Y/N’s side. “If that’s okay of course.”

“That’s totally okay.” Her mom said with a sweet smile. “There’s leftovers from last night dinner if you guys want.”

“That sounds good.” JJ smiled back.

“I have to head to word but you two behave.” Tina warned and even though it was all fake JJ still got nervous.

“We’d mom don’t worry about that.” Y/N kissed her mom goodbye and Tina gave a small hug to JJ, probably whispering something in his ear along the lines of “if you hurt my daughter you are a dead man.”

Once free of her mom Y/N pushed JJ off of her getting her hair in a messy ponytail.

“I like your mom.” The boy complemented as they enter her kitchen.

“She’s the best.” Y/N smile while JJ looked around, observing the pictures displayed in the fridge.

“You’re lucky.” He whispered but Y/N didn’t understood for she was to busy with lunch.

“Vegan pasta with grilled veggies.” The redheaded had a wide smile in her face but JJ made a disgusted expression at her words.

“This is the reason this relationship isn’t going to work.” He mocked her choices. “I can’t date a rabbit.”

“Fuck you JJ.” She laughed, genuinely. “I swear it’s good, you just need to open your mind.”

“My mind is very open sweetie.” JJ said, slyly.

After lunch JJ finally agreeded, the vegan pasta with grilled veggies was indeed good.

“I told you it was good!” Y/N affirmed with confidence after placing her plate down in the kitchen sink, brushing her shoulder playfully against JJ.

“I’ll let you have this one.” JJ said mimicking her actions. “It’s probably because I was starving.”

“Yeah right. Excuses.” Y/N cutted him off. “We still need to figure this situation out.” She started making her way back to her room.

“Didn’t expect you to take me to your room so soon.” JJ joked tugging on her sides.

“Don’t make me regret it then.” Y/N turned around, they were close enough for her to feel his breathing. She placed her hands on his chest. “Behave Maybank.” She pushed him backwards.

After Y/N opened the door to her room JJ seemed surprised with the view. Honestly he never imagined Y/N’s room but still he was very surprised. He felt like he was one step closer to her, seeing her safe space besides the ocean. It was simple yet everything screamed her name and her smell.

The walls painted in a soft baby blue complemented all the polaroids she hang up last summer with Kiara and Sarah’s help. Her bed and all her furniture was white which brightened up the room. Y/N was a quiet girl who sometimes passed was the lone wolf so she enjoyed having her space. JJ sat at her window while she picked up a sundress from her dresser. A baby blue one. Soon enough JJ realized Y/N really liked blue. She excused her for a few moments, begging JJ not to touch anything, while she got dressed in the bathroom.

Y/N made her way back to her room, a bit anxious. She was never alone with JJ and now there she was, alone with him in her room. He looked her up and down, not to discretely which made Y/N rolled her eyes at him.

“Keep looking at me like that and I’ll open the window.” She threaten and JJ raised both hands surrendering.

“I’m so sorry mademoiselle.” JJ tried his best at faking a french accent. “It’s just that you look good in baby blue.” JJ was smooth in his moves and he didn’t understood why he said it, but he did and it was true. She looked good in baby blue.

Both teenagers sat in Y/N bed, trying to get at some kind of agreement about their mischievous plan, not getting far and feeling a bit frustrated Y/N laid back into her bed and JJ followed her turning his head to the side.

“Look Y/N the point it’s that every guy in this island will be jealous enough not to notice if this is true or fake.” JJ states making Y/N blush hard hiding her face in a pillow at his words.

“That’s a lie!” She cried into the pillow.

“No it’s not.” The boy laughed taking away the pillow from her face. “And you must be blind not to see that. Even the stupid kooks wish they had a chance with you.”

“JJ stop.” Y/N laughed trying to hide her shyness from him. “Thats not the point.”

“I know. The point is to prove our dear friends we could in fact date.” JJ added. “If we wanted to.” He blushed slightly.

They could hear in the back the waves breaking off in the shore, softly because there was almost no wind today. Y/N got a sheet of paper and a pen ready to write a list of things they need to do.

“You need to hold my and and do all that pda stuff that’s mad awkward but it’ll make it believable for others.” JJ said waving a finger in the air while passing back and forth in her room, walking in circles.

“We need to go out without the pogues.” Y/N added almost cringing at her words.

“Yes!” He exclamated loud. “We also need to post something on social media, pretending we actual go on dates.” JJ suggested. “Also you should be seen in my hoodies.”

That’s how they spend most of the afternoon, planing and actually talking like normal people without jumping at each others neck. Once the sun started setting they were done for the day.

“I need to meet my mom at the diner.” Y/N said grabbing a coat. “I said I’d help tonight.”

“I can take you there. It’s late.” JJ offered and Y/N was surprised by the suddenly change of attitude in the boy in front of her.

“Oh cmon Y/N what type of boyfriend would I be if I let me girl walk alone at night.” He joked. “Besides I could use a free diner as well.” JJ said making Y/N laugh.

Tag list 💞

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#jj maybank #obx #outer banks #rudy pankow #jj #rudy #jj smut #jj x reader #jj x y/n #rafe cameron #pope #john b #kiara #sarah cameron #jj maybank x y/n #jj maybank x reader #obx jj #jj fluff #jj maybank headcanon

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ninak803 · 4 years ago

Text

So I wrote another thing! I try to write something happy the next time, I promise! But for now I just have this. Also this turned out much longer than I expected. I hope you enjoy it never the less!

A huge thank you to @heyitssmiller for helpin me through the weird english punctuation problem! And also for encouraging me to post it!

The Prank

“Re, I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry…” Sirius said abashedly.

“What the hell were you thinking?!” Remus shouted at Sirius.

“I wasn’t thinking, I just -”

“That’s damn right! You weren’t thinking at all!” Remus interrupted him, his voice still raised. “Sirius Fucking Black didn’t think about what he was going to do! He didn't think of the consequences his stupid idea might have! Because he never gives a damn about consequences! I trusted you! And you just abused my trust like that! I’m so done with all your shit! And I tell you what. I’m done with you. We’re done.��

Sirius looked up at him, his face full of concern and pain. Remus had never shouted at him before, but then he’d never been that angry with Sirius. Right now he was just so damn irate. It was the day after the full moon and he could still feel the wolf under his skin, trying to gain some control over him, feeding on his anger, pushing it further.

“I know, you have every right to be angry with me, just let me…” Sirius started to say, but Remus interrupted him again.

“Save it, Black. I don’t want to hear anymore of your sad excuses. Save it.”

Remus took a deep breath, then looked over Sirius' shoulder to James, who was standing in the background, his head low, looking to the ground, his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

“Thank you, for making him tell me. And for having my back.” Remus said directed at James.

He looked up from the ground as Remus spoke to him, and smiled a bit, then nodded.

They were standing in the middle of their dorm, Remus just came back from the hospital wing. The air was thick, filled with rage and regret.

Remus walked over to his bed and sat down.

“Come on now, Sirius.” James said.

Sirius gave Remus a desperate look again, Remus was sure he wanted to say something. Wanted to explain himself again. But then he left the dorm with James.

Remus exhaled.

How did this happen? Why did Sirius do this? How could Remus have been so stupid to tell them his darkest secret? He should’ve known that something bad would happen. Something like that. Sirius went to Snape and told him to go to the Shack. On a full moon. While Remus was in there, transforming into a damn werewolf. If James wouldn’t have stopped Snape, Remus would’ve killed him! And now Snape knew. He knew what Remus was. He really should’ve known better.

He clenched his hands and punched against his bedpost, trying to find an outlet for his anger. Then he stood up again, took off his pants and layed back on his bed. He closed the curtains around it.

He knew something was wrong, when he woke up all alone in the Shack that morning. He still felt the wolf inside him, who complained that he was all alone that night, all his friends missing, especially the large, black dog. And now both of them were angry, the wolf and Remus.

He took another deep breath, trying to calm himself down a bit. He had to sleep. Everything was hurting right now, every muscle, every bone inside his body were still aching from the transformation. And now his heart was also hurting after everything today.

He closed his eyes, trying to find some rest.

After a while the exhaustion overwhelmed him and he fell into a dark, dreamless sleep.

He didn’t know how long he had slept, but the feeling of betrayal came back a split second after he woke up. He heard footsteps coming closer to his bed, then they stopped right in front of it.

“Leave him be, Sirius.” James whispered in an admonishing tone. “You really did enough today. He needs to rest, you know that. Go to bed.”

Remus could hear a small sigh from Sirius, then he heard him walking over to his own bed. He heard the rustling of bedsheets, while both James and Sirius went to bed.

He couldn’t fall asleep again and he knew Sirius wasn’t sleeping either. He could hear Sirius’ breathing, not even enough to be asleep. Serves him just right.

Remus swallowed hard. The anger faded away a bit, just to leave more room for feeling betrayed, feeling the pain of a broken heart. He had trusted him, with his life. Remus wiped away the tears that appeared on his face.

He took out his wand and casted a silencing spell over his bed, just to make sure no one would hear him. It’s been a while since he felt the urge to cry himself back into sleep, but tonight was such a night. And after all that happened, who would judge him for that? So he cried over his broken heart, the broken trust, the friend he’d lost, his uncertain future.

He weeped until exhaustion swept over him and he fell asleep once again.

Remus woke up as a hand gently touched his shoulder. He opened his eyes and looked into James’ face.

“Sorry, Re, but I thought you’d like some breakfast before classes.” James said with a small smile on his face.

Remus nodded.

“Thanks for waking me up…” Remus yawned and set up. He tried to look around James to see if the dorm was empty already. He really didn’t want to see Sirius.

James knew what he was looking for and said: “He’s not here, he left really early. I’m not sure if he slept at all.”

Remus stood up and shrugged.

“I really don’t care if he ever sleeps again. He better stays out of my way.”

And that was the problem. How do you stay out of someone's way if you’re literally living together? They shared a dorm, a bathroom, they had the same classes.

Remus went into the bathroom, brushed his teeth and changed into his clothes. Then he went into the Great Hall for breakfast with James.

Luckily Sirius wasn’t here. Remus just realised how hungry he really was. He skipped lunch and dinner yesterday, so he had to make it up now. He was really glad that James woke him, so he had enough time for a real breakfast.

Their first class today was Transfiguration. He went to the classroom with James and Peter, just to see Sirius was already sitting there. On his usual spot. Remus stopped, swallowed and looked at Peter.

“Let’s change seats today, Wormtail.” he said to Peter.

The other boy nodded, he knew what had happened of course. So Peter willingly took Remus’ seat next to Sirius and Remus took his seat. He was sitting now three places away from Sirius, which still wasn’t enough.

The anger he had pushed down so far, came back just as strong as it was yesterday. Is this how things are going to be now? Will his heart always break apart a bit more, when he sees Sirius? Remus took a mental note: Never fall in love with your roommate again, it’s going to end bad and you’ll suffer a lot.

He changed seats with Peter in all the other classes too and Sirius obviously didn’t like that.

Remus skipped lunch that day, he stayed in the library between classes to do some research for his History of Magic homework, so when he finally went to dinner that night he was starving. He delayed going back to the Great Hall as long as he could, because he really dreaded to see Sirius there, surrounded by all the other people. They somehow had to act normal, didn’t they? Otherwise there would be so many questions. Questions he would rather not answer.

When he entered the Hall, Sirius was still sitting there, next to him James and Peter. Remus went over to them and took a seat next to Lily, across from James.

“Sorry, I’m late. I’ve been working on some homework.” he said, taking some food.

“You must be hungry, I haven’t seen you during lunchtime” Lily said.

Remus nodded.

“Yeah, I had to catch up on the stuff I missed, when I was ill.” he smiled at Lily.

She smiled back at him genuinely.

He talked with Lily, James and Peter for the rest of dinner. Sirius didn’t say a single word. Remus didn’t look at Sirius once. Why should he have?

In the middle of the conversation about their potions homework, Sirius suddenly stood up and left the hall without a word.

Lily frowned.

“He’s acting weird today, isn’t he?” she asked.

James shrugged.

“He’s fine.”

Remus knew this was a lie, but he was relieved, that Sirius finally had left. He took a deep breath and finished his dinner.

Back in the common room, he told the others that he was tired and went up to their dorm. He didn’t know where Sirius was, he was neither in the common room nor in the dorm.

Remus sat down on his bed.

He’d felt Sirius’ looks on him all day. Remus had seen the desperation and the guilt on Sirius' face out of the corner of his eye. Remus didn’t look at him directly. He didn’t speak to him. Sirius didn’t deserve it.

So Remus finished some homework, then laid down in his bed, curtains closed. But he didn’t sleep.

He kept thinking about Sirius and how he just gave everything what they had away so easily. Sirius was furious with Snape, because of some stupid thing he said or did. He wanted to give Snape something to think about. Scare him a bit.

Remus shook his head. He knew Sirius was impulsive, but he’d never thought he would do something that stupid. But that’s how you can be mistaken in someone you trust.

He heard the others entering the dorm quietly, trying not to wake him.

He fell asleep shortly afterwards.

That’s how the next days and weeks went by. Sirius was already gone, when Remus got up. They didn’t meet until their first lesson. They didn’t talk, Remus didn’t even look at him. Sirius still gazed at him all the time, his pain becoming more visible every day. But Remus didn’t care. Sirius should suffer.

During lunch and dinner Remus stayed as far away from Sirius as possible. Remus talked a lot with Lily and Mary about homework and classes. They knew something was terribly wrong, but didn’t ask him questions. Maybe James told them roughly what happened, at least a version of it. He really liked the girls and they did a good job at distracting him from this whole mess.

Most of his free time Remus spent in the library, learning for his exams or doing his homework. He tried to occupy his mind as much as possible, so he didn’t have the time to think. Otherwise he would just start to think about Sirius, how he missed his laughs, his jokes, his touches, their late night conversations. And how things are never going to be the same again. And then his thoughts would just end up in a loop and he wouldn’t get any of his work done. And feel truly depressed.

Additionally he was really sorry for James. He knew James suffered a lot due to this situation. He wanted to be loyal to Remus, James was angry with Sirius too, but Sirius still was his best friend. And his best friend had a really hard time and also needed his help. So things were quite complicated between the marauders at the moment.

At nights, Remus was lying in his bed, thinking about all the things he denied himself to think about during daytime, the things that went all wrong. So unsurprisingly, he didn’t get much sleep, his thoughts kept him awake almost every night.

Remus was sitting in the library on a Saturday evening, working on his Transfiguration essay, when James sat down next to him.

“Hey.” he said, sounding concerned.

“What’s up?” Remus asked, putting his feather quill away.

James was chewing on his lip, before he said: “I know, it’s not your problem and I have no right to ask you that, but… I don’t know where Sirius is. He wasn’t at breakfast, lunch or dinner today. The last time I saw him was yesterday, before we went to bed. He took the cloak and the map with him… Do you have any idea where he might be?”

Remus looked at James' worried face, then sighed.

“I have an idea. I’ll check that for you, okay?”

“Thank you, Moony. Thank you.” James sounded relieved already.

Remus smiled a little, stood up and put his books and his quill back into his bag.

“I tell him to go to talk to you.”

Then he left the library.

Remus went to the lake. He and Sirius had spent a lot of summer days here, in the shadow of a large tree. Those were very joyful days, days he tried not to think about right now.

When he came closer to that tree, he could hear someone's heartbeat, but the place was supposedly empty. He sat down, next to where Sirius had to be.

“I know, you’re there Sirius.” Remus said, looking at the water.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sirius appear out of thin air. Remus kept looking at the water, while Sirius looked at him.

“Stop being such a dick. James is worried, you’re not fair to him.” Remus said, looking at Sirius finally.

He could see him swallow hard. His face was pale, the struggle of the last weeks clearly written all over his face. The look on his face broke Remus’ heart just a bit more, if that was even possible. Sirius opened his mouth to say something, but Remus held his hand up to stop him.

“Whatever you have to say, I still don’t want to hear it. I’m here, because James asked me to look for you. I’m not here because I want to talk to you. Go back and talk to James. Soon.” Remus stood up and left, he didn’t turn around for another look at Sirius. He had to take some deep breaths, that was harder than he’d thought it would be. He still loved him, after all.

He went into the Common room, where James was waiting.

“I found him. Told him to talk to you.” Remus said.

“Thank you, Remus.”

Remus just nodded and went straight to bed after that.

The next day, when he entered the dorm after dinner, there was a piece of parchment lying on his bed. He opened it and it showed Sirius neat and flawless handwriting. It said:

Dear Remus,

I know you don’t want to talk to me, but I beg you to read my letter. Please read what I have to say to you.

I am so incredibly sorry for what I did. You were right. I didn’t think about the consequences this might have. I should have just ignored what Snape said, like you told me so often to do. I know that now. I knew I made a mistake the moment I told him to go to the Shack. There was just no way to unsay what I said. So I went straight to James and told him what I’ve done. He ran off at once and saved Snape. James always knows what to do, you know how he is. He had to save my ass way too many times.

But what I did there was the biggest mistake I ever made. And I will forever regret it. There’s no way to tell you how sorry I am, Moony. I really am.

You’re not talking to me, you’re not even looking at me and it’s killing me. Every day. And I deserve it. Every time I hear your voice my heart breaks, because I know there is no way you’re ever talking to me again. Not because you want to talk to me, just when someone makes you talk to me.

I miss you. I miss us. I miss everything we had. And I hate myself for destroying everything, just because of my stupid pride.

I have no right to ask you for forgiveness, so I’m not asking for it. But that doesn’t mean that I’m not hoping for it. And I try to make it up to you, I know I can’t, but I try anyway. Every day for the rest of my life.

You’re the best person I know, Remus. You’re so loving, full of life, smart, funny, sarcastic (which is really sexy by the way) and you’re the most caring person I know. And you’re beautiful, Moony, just so damn beautiful. You’re gorgeous.

You’re the best thing I ever had in my life and I don’t know how I earned your trust in the first place.

I know you regret trusting me now. But I’ll do my best to show you that you can trust me. Something like that will never happen again. It shouldn’t have happened in the first place, I know. But I can’t undo it, so I have to show you how sorry I am. I’ll never stop trying.

I know I’m fighting against windmills here, because there just is no way you’re ever going to forgive me and that’s alright. I don’t deserve it any better. I wouldn’t forgive myself if I were you. I’ll never forgive myself for what I did.

This letter is a bit chaotic, because there’s so much I want to say and I just don’t know how. You’re the one who’s good with words, that’s another thing I love about you. You just always know how to express what you’re feeling, I wish I could do that right now.

I love you, Moony. I will love you forever, nothing’s going to change that. Nothing.

Once again, I’m so sorry for what I did.

Love,

Sirius

Remus swallowed hard after he read the letter for the first time. His head was spinning. He could see Sirius in his mind, bend over his desk, his feather quill in his hand, writing this letter. He could see him, chewing on his bottom lip while thinking about his phrasing, then write it down anyway.

Remus had to take some deep breaths to calm himself a little. He missed Sirius deeply. There’s no way to deny that. But he’s just so disappointed, he’s hurt.

Remus sat down on his bed, the letter still in his hand. He read it three more times, feeling more dissolved every time.

He looked up as the door to their dorm opened and Sirius stepped in. He stopped in the door, seeing Remus with his letter in his hand. Remus swallowed hard and saw Sirius doing the same. They looked at each other, the tension rising in the room.

Remus crawled into his bed, closing his curtains around it, the letter still clutched in his hand. He wasn’t ready for this encounter right now. He heard Sirius leaving the room without a word.

Remus was sitting in the Great Hall for breakfast. Sirius was sitting across from him. It’s been a week since Remus read the letter. Sirius showed up for the breakfasts since then.

“James, would you please hand me the butter?” Sirius asked.

Remus pushed the butter a bit further in Sirius' direction. He looked up at Sirius, to see a small glint in his eyes, a smile playing around his lips.

“Thanks, Moony” he said quietly.

Remus nodded, then looked back on his plate.

It was just a small gesture, but Sirius kept smiling the whole day. Maybe things are going to be okay, someday.

#harry potter #hp marauders #sirius black #remus lupin #james potter #wolfstar #the prank #remus x sirius #Remus John Lupin #Sirius orion black #marauders era #hp fanfic

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the-moon-prince · 4 years ago

Text

The Last Of us~Kurapika x Reader ~Chapter X

AN: Hi my lovely fellows!

I’m sorry for the delay! Thank you so much for your patience and support! I’m here with the new chapter! I jope you will enjoy.

I wish you a pleasant read, and I hope you’ll enjoy the new chapter of my story. (Chapter I) (Chapter II) (Chapter III) (Chapter IV ) (Chapter V) (Chapter VI) (Chapter VII)(Chapter VIII)(Chapter IX) (Chapter XI coming soon!)

Paring: Kurapika Kurta x GN! Reader

Word count: 2 652

TW: Mentions of Hospital ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The swings.

(Y/n) loved swings. So charming and amusing.

Even if they couldn't play like the other children, they could always go to the swings. Waving forward and then backward. Heights frightened them and even now terrified them. But with the swings, it was not like that. They felt brave and free. They had visited many. However, they remembered one in particular: the one that his grandfather gave them. The one in the garden of the house where they grew. When they swung, they could see the clouds and the sky. Knowing that their family saw the same azure as they did. They remembered the wildflowers that flourished at the end of the tubes that held it. They had quite a few memories of that swing. That also took place in that location. Their mami's face of horror at seeing them on the ground coughing blood tormented them for a while.

They were back in the hospital. They knew that they would return. The lonely hours where no visits were allowed seemed long, even reading.

The moments when they were able to be with their grandparents were joyous. Perpetually trying to smile so they wouldn't worry about them.

"(Y/n)!"- a voice cried their name.

They lifted as fast as they could, responding as well as the tubes in their throats allowed.

"Julian!"- They felt so relieved to see him. Each night they spent awake, believing that they would never see him again. The boy, despite being simply 2 years older, was much taller than them. He ran to them sobbing and held them as if they were going to vaporize.

Because that's what they believed.

"(Y/n)!"-he sobbed their name again-"I'm so sorry; I'm so sorry; I shouldn't have left you alone that day. Not because you can't play ball with me, I want you to leave me."-his grip tightened.

They were weak, and their arms were shaking. Yet, that did not prevent them from returning the hug with all the strength that their small body had.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I'm not upset right now."- they consoled.

If they were in his village, the two of them would look more like animals. Julian's tail would surely shake restlessly, and (Y/n) would rub their cheeks into him. They would be cat and dog, but they loved each other so much. Regularly playing clapping games, going for walks, reading together, or playing video games together. It's not like (Y/n) had someone else. From an early age, they had had difficulties relating to other cubs, including adults.

"Julian, watch out for running! They are going to scold us!"- a sweet voice called. Immediately two elders entered, their hands full of bags and gifts.

"Mami, Papi! Hi!"-they greeted, already smiling.

It was an afternoon full of laughter, cake, sweets, and gifts. They played cards and chess - matches (Y/n) won- watched movies, read new books, and hugged stuffed animals. Except it was not (Y/n)'s birthday.

Only visiting hours end sooner or later. And their company had to withdraw. The only difference was that the man stayed a while longer. Opposing hospital rules, which, as a doctor, he had never done previously. (Y/n) stared at him for a moment, not delivering eye contact, until they looked up.

"Papi, I'm going to die?"-they were looking directly in his eyes, searching for a response.

They had a particular method of expressing their feelings, but that didn't mean they did not feel-they possibly felt with more intensity than the majority. Most would expect a kid their age to cry in that situation, but they did not cry. They were smiling.

"(Y/n)..."-the old man whispered and sat near them. He hadn't the courage to say it.

"I can't tell you that. However, if I can tell you one thing."-he took out a small case from the pocket of his trousers. He held their hand and placed the present in their palm-"Whatever happens, I'll be with you. Wherever you go, you will not be alone. And if so, you have nothing to fear."

When they parted the lid of the box, in its inside covered in red velvet, laid a pair of earrings. They were drop-shaped pearl pendants. A peculiar gift for a kid their age. Most would give jewelry like this to someone older.

"My grandfather gave them to my mother, she gave them to me, and today I give them to you."-he continued-"When you have them on, I will accompany you wherever you go. Since our auras live in flowers, a part of mine lives in those earrings. I'll be reminding you who you are and where you come from. So don't forget that you have a home to go to. Don't be afraid (Y/n)..."

The room's door was locked, and the curtains were down. The old man did not own the same appearance as moments ago; he resembled a massive wolf. Intense but soft fur and a spot on the right ear. He knelt to be at the child's height. They looked into each other's eyes, which some say are the door to the soul, for a long time. Without vociferating a word.

"I love you (Y/n)."-he wept, holding his tears.

The mentioned one offered him a smile.

"I love you, Papi."-they mumbled. They leaned forward to hug him, taking the opportunity to snuggle in the older's neck fluff.-"But I am not afraid. Not at all."

The man hugged them back. His paws were so big that they would definitely fit them into just one of them.

After that, he left, promising that they would return the next day.

What they told was a lie, they were afraid. They sobbed enormously that night, except they didn't want their family to see them that way.

Kurapika opened one of his drowsy eyes, not feeling the embrace anymore. For a moment he was scared of being alone, that it was all a dream. Though (Y/n) was right next to him. Sitting on the mattress, their backs on the bed frame. They were not sleeping, just staring at the emptiness.

"(Y/n)?"-he groaned, the voice hoarse from sleep.

The appointed blink, as if dispersing the spirits that had them trapped.

They turned their heads to detect where the voice was originating from.

"Kurapika?"-they whispered, the speech clear.-"My apologies, did I wake you?"

"No. Rather, what are you doing awake?"-he was already awaiting the worst.

"I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. Don't trouble yourself, please."-they quietly answers with a smile.

How could they request him not worry for them? You can't stop caring about what you love.

"What hour is it?"- he inquired, a bit bothered about the fatigue they might receive in the morning. At least it was Sunday, meaning neither of them had to labor. They would have the possibility of recovering hours of rest if they required it.

After a few seconds of silence, they answered-"4:37."

Kurapika knew the hard nights when attaining rest in a lonely bed seemed tedious. The difference is that they were not abandoned. He was there for them and wasn't intending on leaving anywhere anytime shortly.

At least they hadn't had a nightmare, if so they would have told him so, right?

He lifted the blankets as a symbol for them to lie down next to him over. He didn't know if they would. Simply with them reclined anew, he would be satisfied. They paid obeisance to him, approaching and lying down nearby him. They came face to face. Kurapika enveloped his arm over their body, they did not hug him back. Yet, they pressed their forehead on his chest.

The morning was peaceful and pleasant. Kurapika and (Y/n) were sipping coffee and eating leftover cake from the night earlier in the salon. A disk was playing on the record player. The melody was smooth, the saxophone and the lyrics combined quite well. The silence among the two was charming. From time to time, they were silent, in the same room, just savoring the existence of the separate person. Not because they had nothing to tell. Rather, it was a matter of having their own spaces without isolating themselves.

Except, the silence always finished up breaking.

"I suggest we watch a film tonight. Today you can choose it if you'd like."- Kurapika enunciated, happy to spend quiet time with his lover. Having relaxing nights was rare.

"I...I deem the most convenient thing is for you to come home."-they hesitated, to resume right away-"Not that I don't want to be with you. I'm pretty occupied tonight, and I don't wish for you to miss a night of rest."

The answer surprised him at first.

"Are you going to cover someone in the unit anew?"-he questioned fully of irritant. They were profiteers with (Y/n). His companions rested on their professional integrity and goodness. Kurapika got tired of seeing his lover could stay awake nights in a row to cover night shifts or take care of delegated documents. He knew they would not leave a patient to their own fate; although he foresaw to have a discussion concerning it with them.

"No, not this time."-(Y/n) disclosed. If it was simple paperwork, they did it often with him, as long as he did not interrupt them.

"What will you do?"-he scoffed this time, no commitment had been mentioned to him. Although they had a poor mania to omit some points, not maliciously; globally they were details. That was not a detail.

They resembled uncomfortable. Kurapika already recognized their body language, and despite their perpetual smile, he could read them.

Their gaze was downcast, shoulders hunched, and they played with the edges of their sweater sleeves.

"I'm going to reclaim someone from my clan..."-they wept after a moment of the uncertain reserve.

From the beginning, (Y/n) had helped him regain scarlet eyes. Getting information and accompanying him. Nonetheless, they hadn't mentioned anything about getting their clan back. No contact, no remains, no meeting. Until today. Why? They were trying to preserve him? Did they want to avoid him at a distressing moment? Kurapika believed that retaining such secrets had ended since their discussion. That stubborn part of them that dedicated obstinately to secrecy frustrated him.

"(Y/n)."-he scolded once more.

They narrowed more as if craving to hide from his gaze. He wasn't mad at them. But it frustrated him that he was powerless to help them.

"(Y/n), I'm not angry."-his tone softened-"I desire to accompany you."

Their posture decompressed, though they started to fidget more.

"It will be a rather longspun night. It will be tiresome."-they maintained.

"I do not tend."- He would stand firm with this.-"I am here to assist you."

They suspired-"Thank you, Kurapika."-They had communication difficulties to solve, and weren't oblivious.

"What time will it occur, where and with whom?"-he hinted, making sure to know the circumstances.

"The event will be held with a private collector. At his residence at 8:40 pm."-they specified-"Only that there is a relevant detail."-they added with a cautioned voice.-"The collector is another hunter."

The collector is another hunter. Not for lack of ability, but for the votes that restrained their children. It would be necessary to rely upon the strategy to evade some violent confrontation. On top of that, their identities could be in check.

"As it is clearly practically impossible to hide the fact that I am a hunter, I presented myself as a mere fellow hunter fond of oddities."-as suspected they already had a method.

"Regarding your company, we can pivot on my weak appearance."-they continued with the strategy-" He will never believe that a hunter would require a bodyguard, but an assistant is plausible. He told me that the "merchandise"- saying that last word with disgust-"will be weighty."

"I perceive that you had the strategy ready. That's why I don't worry. I'll stick with it."-regarding the tactical abilities of (Y/n), Kurapika did not waver. Their experience was remarkable.-"Still, you must tell me these genera of things."

"Reasonable, my apologies."-they bawled.

Kurapika wasn't going to reprimand them. He was aware that they were not doing it maliciously, the communication obstacles were rather difficulties. He could never get mad at them for having some kind of challenge.

The place concluded up being in an upper-class suburb of YorkNew. For the other hunter to live there, it had to be wealthy. And to be wealthy he had to be skillful. For this occasion, (Y/n) did not use its own vehicle. They rented a truck with a roomy hood. Once the house was spotted, they parked the truck far enough away for the details not to be well distinguished -being black it was conveniently camouflaged with the darkness of the night-but close sufficient to get there quick running.

Before going down, (Y/n) was silent for a short moment. Without moving from the driver's seat. Their pupils would look very dilated if it weren't for the contacts they were wearing. They both wore, so as not to give any kind of clue about their origins. Followed by that silence, they closed their eyes and pronounced a rhyme while poking their chests with two fingers, in a language that Kurapika did not understand. A mantra for good luck, perhaps.

There was no security of any kind seen from the facade. They walked to the front door, which was quite high and made of black wood. Shortly after the bell rang, the door opened. Revealing a man, about 31 years old, but he looked younger. It couldn't be said that he had good taste in dressing, but the clothes they wore were of great quality. His hair was somewhat lengthy yet shorter than Kurapika's and ash-black in color. His aura felt dense and heavy. It was easily deduced that he had no intention of hiding it.

The man, like his aura, was imposing. He made them notice it as if testing their courage and challenging them to enter. Almost as if they were unworthy.

"I presume you are (Y/n)."-he said, waiting. His voice was considerably gruff. The kind of speech that tilts in your eardrums.

"Precisely, a pleasure."-(Y/n) greeted, pulling their hunter license out of their wallet and showing it.

"Good, and he?"-the man pointed at Kurapika.

"Kurapika is here to assist me. I remember listening to you specify that the object was going to be substantial."-they reported hurriedly. Their tone of speech did not denote fear or insecurity. They weren't happy with the rudeness of pointing their lover

"I see. To be a hunter you look frail."-he expressed-"Come in, come in." The walls of the house were wide and the ceiling high. The interior was mostly light gray. The decor had a pretentious modernist tendency. A large number of objects stood out. Of all kinds, but all rare and peculiar. Shelves placed well in sight, figures, frames, vanities. They followed the man through corridors to a small bar, its wall full of bizarre exoticisms.

If it weren't for the assiduousness they were displayed in, one would say that the person was an accumulator. The idea that the person had become a hunter just to gain privileges and the ability to purchase ostentatious exclusive treasures was more and more evident.

"Let's sit down and have a drink."-the man bossed.

"Oh, don't bother. We-"-they got interrupted by the man. It was clear he was vulgar despite his money.

"I don't bother. I want to make sure that I'm not selling one of my prized items to anyone."

#kurapika kurta x reader #kurapika x reader #hxh scenarios #hxh x reader #hxh #kurapika hxh #kurapika kurta #hunter x hunter #kurapika imagine #kurapika x (y/n)#kurapika

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sooibian · 4 years ago

Text

Paragons of Virtue

image from pinterest

🚸 pairing: sehun x fem!reader

🚸 description: “the dog ate my homework!”

🚸 themes: innocence, friendship, fluff

🚸 au: childhood au

🚸 word count: + 1.7k

🚸 a/n: the EXOs are 12 year olds! no, really. in this universe they are! this one-shot kicks off the ‘Back To School With EXO’ series of drabbles/one-shots for all individual members. hope you enjoy!!! @is-that-baekhyuns-shirt you have the craziest elementary school stories! thank you so much for sharing

_______________________________________________

Your parents never ‘mistakenly shred your homework to bits just to show you how a paper shredder worked'. Neither did your homework ever ‘blow away in the wind while you were walking to school’. Because a: you hardly ever walked to school - your mother drove you everyday and b: your worksheets were always neatly stacked and sealed in shiny new folders (you’d even devised a foolproof method of avoiding unsightly smudges of fingerprints on the transparent ones). If academic learning was your one true love, simple but highly functional stationery was a close second - colour coded writing equipment, neutral notebooks (the ones with animated characters were a guilty pleasure), even your year old geometry tools were as good as new.

A stringent schedule did now allow for any embarrassing dents, cracks, or cavities wherein lived the perennial ‘I did not have the time for homework’ excuse. Come hell or high water, you were always at the top of your game.

Additionally, your greyhound was a well-behaved, not-so-little fella, so the dog never ‘ate your homework’

….until he did. His choice of breakfast this morning was your Geography worksheet. Ravenous, he obliterated your hours of work in a matter of seconds. You fought tooth and nail to salvage it but his grasp on the paper was ridiculously strong.

So just like that, all of your hard work was reduced to shreds of chewed-on paper.

If there was one thing worse than ditching school, it was turning up without having the homework done. So you clutched your stomach with clasped hands and cried wolf, “Mom, my tummy hurts! I don’t think I can go to school today!” Just then the corner of your mouth twitched ever so slightly and her keen eyes didn’t miss the movement.

This awfully weird sudden convulsion happened every time you told a lie.

Stupid twitchy mouth was a dead giveaway.

The car ride to school, although a short one, felt like an eternity. Mother told you a story about a gardener boy who became king only because he told the truth. But you were no gardener boy! And you didn’t even want to be a king --- queen! All you wanted to do was to lie low and maintain your grades (and a spotlessly bright impression in the staff room - like a shiny new pencil holder, or a stainless steel writing pad).

The wall clock loomed over the green chalkboard, ticking away frighteningly. If you told your mother about your tummy ache now, your mouth wouldn’t twitch.

The bell rang. Your heart sank.

It was time for the short ten minute break.

Feeling helpless, you put your head down on the desk only to be startled by a sudden tap on your shoulder. A lanky boy stood blinking at you, his eyes covered with unruly bangs and lips stretched into a rationed grin.

It was the science teacher’s son - Oh Sehun.

Vacantly, you blinked back - hands still folded upon the desk, posture crouched somewhere in between sitting up straight and spiralling back into the comforting state of denial.

You wonder how he manages to read at all with a vision obstructed by a cloud of black frizz.

You’ve never bothered about Oh Sehun before (or anyone else for that matter), except for the one scarring thing you’d once witnessed him doing - truth be told it had left you a little concerned. It was really stormy one day after school and the grounds were empty. You’d stayed back to complete an assignment and he was probably waiting for his mother to wrap up her teacherly duties.

The wind motioned in circles, swirling dry leaves and whatever else it could muster in its rotations. Oh Sehun stood in the middle of this ‘mini-typhoon’. Hands outstretched, mouth open, eyes shut, eyebrows raised, head thrown back toward the dark skies, he pronounced, “I am the God of Wind! Bow before me you lesser mortals!”, to absolutely...no one.

He’s blissfully unaware that you’ve been witness to his indignity and you’d like to keep it that way. For one, he’s always stood second in class and never vied for your top spot (his consistency, you think, is commendable) and secondly - and most importantly - he is the son of an authority figure.

The boy's still hovering. Shifting his mingy weight from one foot to the other. Despite your inner turmoil, you plaster a polite smile onto your face and ask, “Can I help you with something?”

“No, but I think I can?” grin still rationed, eyes still clouded, uninvited he takes the empty seat to your left.

“You can what..?” Your eyes follow his frame as he parks his bony bottom on the worn out wooden bench.

“Help you with something? There’s obviously something wrong with you today.” He rests his chin in his flattened palm and purses his lips. Blinking.

Am I that obvious? You have an indescribable urge to shake his hair out of his eyes - to get an idea of what he’s thinking exactly.

“What makes you think there’s something wrong with me?”

Moon Taeil, the class rep, is dusting the chalkboard clean for Geography but you know his ears are on your conversation.

“Your hand didn’t shoot up once during any of the lessons today...are you okay? Do you need to go to the nurse’s room?”

Your face flushes out of embarrassment and this is….an invasion of privacy. This scrawny boy is making you uncomfortable. But you know that you could use a friend right now. Is this what friends do? Share embarrassing secrets?

“I didn’t do my Geography homework”, you start and beneath the mop of hair you notice his eyebrows skyrocket to his hairline so you hurriedly explain, “I mean, I did the homework but...”

Blink. Blink.

“My dog ate it”, your hand slides down the pocket of your skirt and you pull out shreds of paper.

You fully expect Sehun to laugh, but he doesn’t. Instead he raises his twig-like index finger and says, “Wait.”

He dashes out and returns with his backpack dangling down one shoulder and slumps back into the seat to your left. He takes out a spotless transparent folder and hands it to you.

It’s his Geography worksheet.

“There’s no way I’m copying this! I, obviously, can’t now...Madam Park will be here in like, five minutes.” You’re mortified at your desperation.

“I want you to have it. Also, Madam Park is on leave today onwards since she’s going to have a baby and all that... A new teacher is coming in who, obviously, won’t know what your handwriting is like. You can submit my worksheet instead.”

“A new teacher?” Your mouth goes dry, completely aware of how important first impressions are.

He nods.

“But why?” You notice he’s left the space given for personal details blank.

“Loyalty.”

Eyes narrowed, you shrug, utterly bewildered.

“Toward my classmates. We’re all friends first. And if this is so important to you, you can have my worksheet.”

He can’t be serious (or not serious)!

“Are you some sort of a “Homework Peddler”? Won’t people take advantage of your -” generosity, you wanted to say, “of--of you?”

“I’m not stupid, A+...I have a system.” He relaxes into the chair and you can practically see the ‘bow-before-me-you-lesser-mortals’ aura around him.

Students are trickling back in and you’ve consciously kept the cruel clock out of your sight. Sehun doesn’t go back to his seat, instead he settles besides you.

I don’t want to be queen.

“What’s that?” He quips.

With the corner of your mouth twitching again, your gaze drops. You take the sheet from his hands and gently put it down between your outstretched arms on the desk, “Nothing...thank you.”

His lips curl upward. Faintly.

The after-break cacophony dies down as the new teacher introduces herself as Madam Jung.

In exchange for her introduction, she wants all of yours. So to submit worksheets, she individually invites every student before the class to introduce, and to say one good thing about themselves.

She starts from the row to your right and your stomach clenches.

One good thing? I am incapable of making friends. I am careless about my homework. There’s nothing good about me!

Your eyes flit between Sehun (who is annoyingly unperturbed) and the worksheet which boasts of his loyalty and illegible chicken scratch.

When you realise it’s your turn next, you glance over at Sehun one last time (who is now twirling a pen between his fingers). He feels your eyes on him and catches your worried gaze and nods as if to say that it’s okay.

Feeling yet another telltale convulsion rise, you quickly scribble into the personal details space as Moon Taeil drones on about his fourth “good quality” and Madam Jung seems mighty impressed.

Before stepping in front of the class, you shove the worksheet back into Sehun’s hands. He first gapes at it which has his own name written on it and then at you - your surprisingly confident stance. Chin up, shoulders back, although your breathing is a little heavy.

Madam Jung encourages you with a motherly smile and you return it.

After introducing yourself you say, “I don’t think I have any impressive qualities, dear friends”, from the corner of your eye, you catch Sehun intently studying your face, “unlike some of you here who are complete embodiments of friendship and loyalty...”, you nod in Sehun’s direction. His wide grin makes his eyes crinkle. He sticks his tongue out and sinks into his seat, making himself tinier.

“...but I’d like to think of myself as an honest person and, Madam Jung, I hope you’ll believe me when I say that my dog...” a now wide-eyed Sehun is shaking his head furiously, “ate my homework.”

You produce scraps - a week’s worth of toil - and lay them on Madam Jung’s desk, and the class erupts in laughter. Pursing your lips, your eyes catch Sehun’s who wordlessly encourages you to laugh along.

Shoulders relaxed, you look at your classmates with an inexplicable sense of achievement. The kind Madam Jung chuckles, shaking her head and patting your back and your new friend (you dearly hope you can call him that now) - Oh Sehun - stands up amidst the cheerful ruckus, applauding you.

#exowritersnet #exosnet #sehun #exo #exo fluff #sehun fluff #exo oneshot #exo oneshots #sehun oneshot #sehun oneshots #sehun drabbles #sehun drabble #exo drabble #exo drabbles #exo scenarios #sehun scenarios #oh sehun #please don't judge this is healing writing!!!#exo childhood au

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roseoilmuse · 4 years ago

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𝔥𝔢𝔞𝔳𝔢𝔫

Summary: Ares Trevino finds out he’s going to be a father, and instead of being responsible, he decides to do everything in his power to forget his current reality, while also ruining his life in the process Characters: Ares Trevino, Aspen Spader, mentions of Eulalie LaVelle and Persephone Trevino, Joy Pepper) Setting: the Trevino mansion, Aspen Spader’s storage unit Word count: 1,583 Trigger warnings: mention of drug use (marijuana, cocaine, heroin), mention of selling of drug, mention of mental illness (bipolar, disassociation), mention of sexual activity

It is Saturday, June 27th.

An intimacy, attention starved Ares Trevino has just experienced his very first episode of disassociation. He has hardly even regained cognizance, a ringing starting to build in his ears, but he can faintly hear the cries of his girlfriend, followed by the soft coos of his sister. The fog of his mind was strong, but still his flight instincts told him that he had to leave. Now. As his astral body snapped back into the physical, he noticed a picture in his hand, but not just any picture, this was a sonogram. Scribbled on the back was Eulalie’s handwriting.

“I’m sorry”

The small pain of a headache had started, and reading the message only made the pain amplify. His flight sense was screaming, he needed to leave, so he did. His ear rang, louder than anything he’s ever heard before as he quickly grabbed his keys and wallet and bolted out the door. Still through the ringing he heard the faint cries, and soon heard angry footsteps. Persephone was pissed, he could feel her energy, which pushed him to practically gallop down the stairs. He didn’t say anything to anyone, just started booking it to his car, having a push to start so it was ready to go before he even stepped foot in. The only trace of Ares was the sonogram, with Eulalie’s handwriting, sitting on the floor of the sitting area of his room.

He drove aimlessly, his goal was to get as far from home as possible, as far from whatever reality his mind decided to separate itself from. The engine roared angrily as he bobbed and weaved in the afternoon traffic, cutting people off, and gunning the engine at yellow lights to barely make it. The ringing in his ears had subsided, but the slight numbness from the heavy episode of disassociation felt like weights. He was halfway through a joint and felt nothing. He remembered he had bought an eightball of coke and left it in his glove compartment, so he went for that, just spilling some onto the webbing on his left hand and snorted it. Nothing.

More.

Snort.

Nothing.

Nothing. Nothing. He felt nothing, his whole face was numb and the drip was making it practically impossible for him to even take a full breath in. He needed something better.

“Maybe it’s cut?” He asks himself out loud, though he knew it was a lie, the guy he went through, Aspen Spader, hands down, has the best drugs money can buy, and that’s who he needed to see. Luckily he was always a phone call away.

Aspen knew what it meant to see the name Ares Trevino flash on his phone screen and In a matter of minutes, Aspen set up a rendezvous spot for them to meet. It was a storage unit, as per usual, that Aspen had set up for moving his bigger weight. Being that Ares was already a loyal customer, he trusted Ares enough to directly come to the source, to a certain extent. So there Ares finds himself pulling up to the outdoor unit, and Aspen motioning him to quickly come in. He’d been there once or twice, Ares knew, don’t touch anything unless asked to.

It seemed Aspen was just having a chill day, the plumes of marijuana and tobacco hung in the air. Aspen explained to Ares this was something he considered an after hours journey, but still he figured they could chill for a bit and get a little fucked up.

He watched anxiously as Aspen laid all the little pills, and powders, flower and oil, carefully setting them in parchment, or filling up various sized baggies, weighing them, and reweighing them whilst also passing Ares a joint, or a blunt, or whatever else they were getting into. Aspen could feel his anxiety. Ares could feel Aspen feel his own anxiety, and though, by choice, Aspen never delved too much into either of their personal lives, he almost felt like he should.

“You okay, dude?” Aspen raised a brow over to Ares, his tone wasn’t nearly as serious as the loaded question, even his expression was light, but Aspen knew he needed to get something off his chest.

“Huh?” Ares was still in a bit of a haze, and while the drug didn’t help, he knew it was more than just that, “oh yeah, just thinking, ya know.”

“Yeah, I can tell dude, you’re far up in your own head today,” Aspen ashed the joint, and placed it back in between his lips, “yah wanna talk about it or are you going to mope all night?”

Aspen’s words stung Ares a bit, only enough to respond sternly, “no, I just don’t even want to think, so unless you have something that will take away this shit then yeah, I actually may just mope.”

A pause, Aspen let out a chortle, handing Ares the joint, and looked as if he was weighing not only his drugs, but a suggestion. The blonde haired man visibly came to a conclusion, setting things down in front of him and moving to a rolling tool box. He dug around for a moment before pulling out a white baggy. The glint in his blue eyes made Ares feel almost hopeful for a solution. The bag soared through the air as it was tossed from one side to the other, Ares luckily catching it, knowing that whatever it was, it had to have a bigger value than most.

Ares stared at it long and hard, feeling as if he stared any longer he might burn a hole straight through it. Cocaine? He thought to himself, pushing his shaggy dyed, black hair out of his face, I already did this today and it didn’t help. His disappointment was palpable, though he continued to stare because he wasn’t one to turn down free drugs.

“Heroin,” Aspen told him, crossing the room back to the table of various drugs, hardly making eye contact, acting far too cool for what he just tossed the younger boy.

“Heroin,” Ares echoed, holding it up to the light. He could tell them it wasn’t cocaine. It looked more powdery, even more… tempting.

“Only if you want to try it,” Aspen again spoke with such calm demeanor it was almost unsettling to Ares.

He questioned his next move hard, though in real time it was a matter of seconds. There were always cautionary tales about heroin, but then again there were cautionary tales about every single thing he ever ingested, ranging from marijuana to even sugary sodas. What harm could it really cause?

His curiosity got the best of him, and before he knew it Aspen was making two little lines for the both of them. It shocked him how little one was, while the other was bigger, it wasn’t even significant. Aspen snorted the bigger line up, and immediately his eyes glossed over, the blues turning practically fluorescent. They were beautiful, even Ares could admit that, to himself though, not out loud.This made his curiosity peak even more. So he leaned in, and sniffed the table.

There was an instant rush. All the hairs on his body stood at a point. The warmth, the relief, the absolute bliss…. No.

The 𝕖𝕦𝕡𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕒.

Ḩ̸̩̰͍͕̣͓͉̕E̷͖͈̋̉̐A̶͓̲̜̭̩͖̮͍̔͛̽͊͘V̴̙̻͕̠̲̹̦̠̜͖̅E̸̢̢̡͍͎̩̣̘̿̽̑̅̈̓̕N̵̛͚͋

It is Thursday, or Friday… Maybe Saturday?

He couldn’t remember, all he could process through the heroin haze was the heat. A July kind of hot… or maybe it was an August kind of hot. Whatever time of the year it was, his world was his own. Right now his main domicile was his expensive sports car. He was splayed out in the reclined drivers seat. The light beamed through the heavy smoke as he hotboxed his car, slowly smoking his joint. What little light came through kept his almost fully closed eyes from shutting. Ares had no idea where he was physically, but his body swam through the euphoria of his new true love.

White China heroin.

It is Tuesday, September 1st.

A girl by the name of Joy seems just as desperate for human affection as Ares is. He was thankful for that. She didn’t even seem to notice how strung out he was, driving to his house. Sneaking her in was no problem. Ares went in first, greeted his mother, grabbed a water-- two, he claimed to be thirsty. Oh he was.

Opened his window.

Crawled out.

And brought her inside. Even in the car when he picked her up, he wanted him. He never understood this. She was actually really nice, beautiful, and seemed nervous so what was Red Riding Hood doing shedding her robe for the Big Bad Wolf?

Shed she did, and Ares realized the heroin made him more carnal than ever. Joy was elated. And after September 1st,

The whole month of September he spent in bed with Joy, alternating smoking and snorting heroin. He smoked in his room all day, even the air purifier couldn’t clear the smell completely. He only left his room for Door Dash, or Uber Eats, or whatever food delivery system that made it so he could never leave. He laid in bed, with Joy, buying her whatever she wanted, and pretending to listen about her fucked up family and her fucked up life. He could have cared, but the heroin made him so detached from reality, there was no such thing as care.

Only 𝕖𝕦𝕡𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕒.

Only Joy.

Only heroin.

Only,

Ḩ̸̩̰͍͕̣͓͉̕E̷͖͈̋̉̐A̶͓̲̜̭̩͖̮͍̔͛̽͊͘V̴̙̻͕̠̲̹̦̠̜͖̅E̸̢̢̡͍͎̩̣̘̿̽̑̅̈̓̕N̵̛͚͋

#para: the chosen one #the chosen one

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flipflap-flipflap · 4 years ago

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[Alright take-two on this damn post. First one got eaten by post editor right as I was ready to post. You see how long this is? Save to drafts, kids.]

I’m here to shove a manga on you: Ookami Shounen Wa Kyou Mo Uso O Kasaneru (The Boy Who Cried Wolf Also Told a Lie Today). It’s a gender bending romance. Despite how awful that probably sounds, it’s actually really fucking good and I do not say that lightly.

(No spoilers, this is all in the first chapter) A high school boy insecure about his intimidating face, Itsuki, has fallen for a shy loner girl, Tokujira, who does not seem specifically phased by his naturally scary face. So he takes a risk and confesses, but she turns him down brutally. Itsuki goes to his sister to lament his insecurities about his face, which he (more or less correctly) attributes as why he can’t make connections. To give him a new perspective on his appearance, his sister (trans btw) gives him a makeover while he’s sleeping and then kicks him to the curb of her salon - fully crossdressed. On his way home, Itsuki (♀) ends up bumping into Tokujira, and she mistakes him for a boyish girl. Under this misunderstanding, she asks "her” for a favor...

She has androphobia, and she has it bad. So much so she can’t even look at men without snapping violently or becoming physically ill. And Itsuki (♀) is just boyish enough to trigger her, but not enough to lock her down. So she asks for “her” help, to see if she can desensitize herself to her phobia. Itsuki’s in a bind for a couple obvious reasons, not the least being the guilt of deceiving Tokujira. But nonetheless, he genuinely wants to help her. So, he decides to continue crossdressing, diving into a lie that he soon finds he has no easy exit from.

I really recommend this manga. I cannot say that enough times. It is phenomenal, shattering tropes left and right in fun and interesting ways. Do yourself a favor and give this manga a try.

Personal feelings and meta analysis below the cut. It’s, uh, ungodly long, and will get very spoilery. But I will flag spoilers. And there will be pretty pictures?

(Also, no, I did not go into this planning to compare a manga about crossdressing to the abolitionist writings of Frederick Douglass, but reality deserves to be a bit absurd sometimes.)

Before you think I’m getting spoilery, with the intro I gave or anything I don’t mark as spoilers, I’m really not. Everything outside of spoilers is right on the package at the start. It sounds like I’m spoiling late-game stuff, right? That’s something that was really fantastic to me: this manga doesn’t spoon feed you. There’s no arcs of pure silent angst, even at the lowest point in the story. These kids are smart, they think and intuit on the spot, and they share what they’re feeling with each other like good friends do. Like that next panel down there with Itsuki introspecting about his confidence level while crossdressing? That’s from the first chapter! These kids are smart. And god damn that is so nice to see.

There was a lot I liked about this manga, but at the top is how compelling the protagonist and his internal conflict are. Right from the first chapter he’s already wracked with guilt about what he’s about to do: deceive this girl by pretending to be a safe space. But Tokujira told Itsuki (♀) she hopes to one day be able to fall in love, and Itsuki wants to ensure she can have that - even if it’s not him that gets to confess to her. He’s fully aware of exactly how fucked up what he’s doing is, and is appropriately beating himself up over it in a really realistic way. But although the guilt never fades, it slowly gains company in happiness. He enjoys this new, fragile life he has constructed around the two precious new friends he's made as a girl.

It was probably easy to gloss over in the synopsis, but arguably the biggest part of Itsuki (♂)’s conflict is his complex about his face. He looks dangerous, and because of that he is afraid to even lift his head or smile in front of others. But as Itsuki (♀), he smiles and laughs without fear. It becomes immediately clear to him on the first day that he's a more confident person while crossdressing. Happier in a way he can't be as a man.

Botan is easily my favorite character in the series. She’s introduced early on, as Tokujira’s first and only friend before Itsuki (♀). At the start she’s a dangerous third wheel, a serious threat to Itsuki’s ability to keep up his lie. And though the situation is (thankfully) defused rather quickly, she becomes a massive source of internal conflict for Itsuki. Nonetheless, she becomes a dear friend for both Itsuki ♂ and ♀. She’s just so...*chef’s kiss*

^This face is the repository of all my love and affection.

Mark my words, this is the first and I assume last time I will ever say this: love triangle good. You know it’s inevitable in a romance genre piece, but this manga approaches the trope in a new and compelling way. [Spoiler] Needless to say, it’s between Itsuki, Tokujira, and Botan. But...there’s two Itsukis involved, ♂ and ♀, and in the center of it all is this lie. His lie stops being about him: it's about not hurting these two girls he cares so much about. [/Spoiler]

On a more personal note, I saw so much of myself in Itsuki’s older sister, Ibuki. She runs a salon, catering especially to crossdressers and transwomen. She’s a self-described “Youthling”, an alien from the planet Youth, obsessed with observing the exciting and turbulent lives of the youths of earth. For more or less for the same reasons most of us do: transpeople don’t tend to get the youths we want, if we allow ourselves to experience youth at all. So it’s nice to be able to enjoy it vicariously, through this younger generation that is able to more fearlessly pursue the lives we couldn't.

^Incidentally, one of my favorite interactions in the manga.

Despite getting Itsuki into this crossdressing mess, she’s someone he can always return to and confide in, and get good, helpful advice from. Her whole philosophy is to give young people agency to explore their identities and find themselves, and though she tells Itsuki the road he's taking is dangerous as soon as she learns what he's doing, she'll always support him however she can.

That, I feel, is what separates her from other, more creepy/pedophilic enabler types, like Sawako from K-On! or Lucoa from Dragon Maid. It’s a refreshingly honest and respectful portrayal of a quirky adult just trying to be a good older sister.

The last thing I want to say, and I’m not going to even mark this as a spoiler because of course it’s going to happen and if you can’t predict that then you’re not my problem, is that Itsuki of course eventually has to drop his lie. All I’ll say about it is that it is probably going to live in my head for years. Everything about it, the lead up, the execution, the fallout, and the recovery, are all so masterfully crafted for maximum emotional impact.

That’s all I want to say exclusively about my personal feelings. On to analysis. There will be a lot more contextual spoilers here that, even without reading the parts I’ve specially blocked off will probably leak through. Read at your own risk, but I would recommend revisiting after you have finished the manga.

One thing I really want to talk about is language. That’s right, I’m going to compare a crossdressing manga to The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the autobiography of a freed slave turned abolitionist. Douglass talks about a concept that has remained imprinted on my mind ever since I first read it: how and why slaves struggled to comprehend the concept of freedom. This wasn’t anything to do with fear or “racial inferiority” like pro-slavers would argue, but rather with a lack of vocabulary. They have all of these feelings and things they know to be true, but lack the words to make meaningful sense of them. For Douglass specifically, his life completely changed when he learned the word “abolition.” It was like a floodgate burst, as he was suddenly able to put meaning to feeling, create context from chaos.

And that’s right, we see that happen in a big way, with Tokujira. This should be an obvious development, but as it happens late in the manga I will mark it [Spoiler]. As Tokujira and Itsuki (♀) practice things like talking, eye contact, holding hands, etc., Tokujira naturally starts to fall for Itsuki (♀). But she doesn’t understand that. An important part of her character is that, growing up, she focused on expanding her vocabulary as much as humanly possible in the hopes of being able to better articulate herself. So words are very important to her. It’s not until she sees a work of lesbian fiction on display that she finally realizes that’s the word she’s looking for. The floodgate bursts, and all of her emotions suddenly make sense. She realizes she loves Itsuki (♀). [/Spoiler]

And I think that is a vital and underexplored concept when discussing LGBT youth, especially in countries where even knowledge of these concepts is taboo. The reason so many LGBT youth struggle with their identities, especially trans youth, is because we do not have the vocabulary to conceptualize our feelings. I am always excited to see this concept play out, especially in this context. It’s such an important thing that needs to be addressed more broadly.

Moving on, I want to talk about historical context of the genre as it relates to what the author did here. Notably, I want to talk about a specific trope rampant in Japanese queer fiction, specifically early lesbian fiction: the idea that queerdom is a meaningless, youthful phase that children will naturally and inevitably grow out of. It’s problematic for obvious reasons.

[HELLA HELLA SPOILERS] My kneejerk reaction to the ending of this manga was that the author fell into this trope. In the end, Itsuki comes to the conclusion that he does not need to crossdress. So again, kneejerk. But...it really wasn’t like that. He never had any dysphoria; crossdressing was always just a necessity of his circumstance. Nonetheless he learned to analyze and value his experience crossdressing as a woman, and because of that grew as a man. And as part of his journey to understand his identity we, through him, see why some people crossdress. Along with his example, we see why his sister, a bona fide post-op transsexual, has made it a permanent change to her life. Likewise, we see Miyama, who crossdresses purely for the gender euphoria, but has no (stated) interest in going all the way. These are all presented as valid and meaningful. [/Spoiler]

Crossdressing, and gender nonconformity in general, is portrayed not as some one-dimensional fetish like cultural taboo would depict it to be, but rather a meaningful exercise for exploring and critically analyzing your own identity. For some, yes, it’s a phase, but an importantly transformative one when done right. While for others, it is a gateway to a new way of experiencing and enjoying life. Or, it’s fun just for the pragmatic reasons...

I honestly cannot recommend this manga enough. Tragically, I cannot imagine it ever getting an official english translation, so you’ll have to settle for a scanlation like the one I linked in the title up top (and here, again). It’s a really good translation, though the site is predictably sketchy. Warning for lots of NSFW ads.

Read it, and then come talk to me about it!!! There is basically zero fan community and I need to fangirl with someone!

#long post #and I mean REALLY long post #Ookami Shounen Wa Kyou Mo Uso O Kasaneru #The Boy Who Cried Wolf Also Told a Lie Today #the boy who cried wolf tells a lie today also #analysis

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onthesandsofdreams · 5 years ago

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A Love that bloomed from hope

Fandom: ASoIaF Pairing: Rickard x Rhaella Rating: T Summary: Rhaella wishes nothing more than to escape her prison.

Aerys, Duke of Dragonstone, her older brother and head of her house has her in almost complete isolation. She wishes she had someone who could help her. Someone who could take her away, but Aerys has refused several noble men her hand, without any consideration of her wants.

Aerys is cruel, lives in bitterness since the woman he loved married someone else, and as such, he feels the need to make her own life miserable. And she is running out of hope. There’s no one to champion her.

That is, until King Edwyle throws a party in welcome for some foreign Princess. Words: 2030 Notes: For @asoiafrarepairs‘s ‘A Dream of Spring’ event. Day 3 hope | sun. Alternative Universe - Royalty/Nobility, Role reversal.

Read @ AO3

Rhaella wishes nothing more than to escape her prison.

Aerys, Duke of Dragonstone and head of her house has her in almost complete isolation. She wishes she had someone who could help her. Someone who could take her away, but Aerys has refused several noble men her hand, without any consideration of her wants.

That is, until King Edwyle throws a party in welcome for some foreign Princess.

Aerys and Rhaella attend as it’s their duty. Aery’s grip is firm on her arm, firm enough that she knows that she will find bruises later on. But she’s wearing her best dress and jewels that match her eyes, and even if it’s for a night, she can have a dance or two.

She dances with other noble lords, some men of the army and lastly - much to her surprise - Prince Rickard. The King’s only child is kind, there is a portly elegance to him, his eyes are clear and empty of the anger she’s used to seeing in the eyes of her brother. Also free of the desire that some of the men who have tried to court her, some, she knows only did so because she’s Aerys’ heir.

“You look sad, Lady Targaryen,” The Prince says while they dance. “Is the dance not to your liking?”

She blushes fiercely. “No my Prince, I promise. I am not sad.” She gives him the best smile that she can, one that she hopes it’s reassuring.

But the Prince’s look is one of doubt. “Forgive me for speaking boldly my Lady, but your eyes speak louder than your words. I must ask, is everything alright?”

Her eyes widened in surprise, she had not expected for Prince Rickard to be this perceptive. ‘Wolf’s eyes’, she thinks. “I - I am well my Prince. There is no need for you to worry.”

“Mmmh,” Prince Rickard replies. “I only have one question, if I may be so bold?”

“Yes, my Prince?”

“Why is it that one of our most exalted Ladies remains unwed? I have known of men who asked for your hand, and yet, here you are, unwed, much like Lord Targaryen.”

She’s unsure of what to say. Tries to think of a convincing lie, but nothing comes to mind. Fortunately, the dance comes to an end, saving her from having to answer the question. Prince Rickard nods at her, she bows in turn and hurries back to a sitting area.

She doesn’t dance nor speak to the Prince after that. That night, she dreams of herself leading a pack of wolves through the snow. It’s strange and wonderful, and above all else, it’s freeing.

A week later, she receives the shock of her life. For she finds that King Edwyle has written to Aerys, for he declares that Prince Rickard wishes to court her. Aerys is wroth, yells and curses and she feels a knot in her throat. But she also feels the little flame of hope shine a bit brighter. For she knows that Aerys will not have a good excuse to deny the King. She takes to avoiding Aerys as much as she can in their manor.

****

Her courtship with Rickard starts slowly. She finds that the Prince is very sharp eyed, very wolfish in nature, and she can’t help but to think that beneath the veneer of diplomatic politeness, hides a predator. She shivers at the thought, but she finds herself drawn in.

Prince Rickard is clever, has ambitions for the Kingdom that, if they pay off, they could propel it forward. He is kind, surprisingly gentle and very tender. Writes her the loveliest poems that she hides in a secret compartment in her doll cradle. Takes her to the theater, gives her books - both fictional of nature and relevant affairs. Talks to her, listens to what she has to say, in turn, he talks to her and he allows her to know him a little. She has dinner with the King and the Queen, who welcome her like a beloved daughter. And the flame of her hope burns brighter.

Prince Rickard makes her feel safe and protected.

“Never lose hope, Rhaella,” Rickard - as he insists she call him in private - says. “Monsters may seem impossible to escape, but then, one day, they are defeated.”

“Of course,” she answers, ponders just how much Rickard suspects Aerys' poor treatment of her. She never speaks of his cruelty, it would be terrible to do so when simply courting. One day she might tell him everything, but not yet. At least not while she must still return to Dragonstone. And Prince or not, it would not do to have Rickard have a go at Aerys. Aerys would lose that match rather quickly and easily, for Rickard’s broader and stronger than Aerys is.

“Have faith, Rhaella, have faith.” Rickard says and gently kisses her hand. His eyes are full of love.

And her heart leaps in her chest, full of hope and full of dreams.

In the end, when the Prince asks for her hand in marriage, Aerys can only grit his teeth and agree. Rickard’s smile is sharp and his eyes are hard as he stares at Aerys without an ounce of fear. The smile of a man who knows he’s won. She can’t help but to relish in Aerys’ ill concealed fury.

*****

Their wedding is a grand affair, as befits for the heir to the throne. She has the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting attending to her, making sure that everything is perfect. She is dressed in a diaphanous gown of pale lavender, it’s something of a dream; it brings out a rosy color to her skin and cheeks. Her hair is placed in an elegant bun, with diamond and amethyst pins woven into it. She wears rose oil as perfume, and places her late mother’s jewels on her, a diamond and amethyst parure that goes well with her gown.

Queen Marna comes, gives her a look of approval. “You look absolutely heavenly, dear Rhaella. Rickard will hardly take his eyes off you.”

She blushes. “Thank you, my Queen.”

Marna smiles gently, caresses her cheek with tenderness. “There is no need to thank me, you will be my daughter in an hour or so. So it would please me greatly if you were to call me mother.”

She smiles, her mind set at ease by Queen Marna’s words. “I will, mother.”

Queen Marna beams at her. “I will leave you now, I will see you in the Godswood my dear.”

*****

Aerys doesn’t speak to her when he escorts her to her wedding. She can feel his arm being tense, the veins in his neck stand out, his eyes are hard and unforgiving. She resists the urge to flinch away from him. She will soon be free of him.

She walks to the Heart Tree with her head held high, a smile on her face as she looks at Rickard. He looks so handsome in a deep charcoal and white uniform. She never takes her eyes off him, nor he of hers.

They recite their vows, they kiss. And she finds that she likes Rickard’s - her husband’s, her mind supplies - lips. They are firm and demanding, yet there is a softness to them. People cheer them on, they cheer her name as Rickard places the traditional crown on her head, declaring her his Princess and future Queen.

They feast and she finds herself beaming with joy. Until she looks at Aerys. His face is frozen with fury, instinct makes her move closer to Rickard. He notices.

“Are you scared?” He asks, whispering in her ear. “Don’t be. From today onwards, I’ll always protect you.”

She believes him. She’s finally free of Aerys.

*****

She feels like she is fit to burst with joy when she finds that she is expecting. Marna cries when told, Rickard holds her and swears that she will lack for nothing. Edwyle is pleased, wishes her an easy pregnancy.

It is. And during her childbirth, Rickard remains with her, sitting behind her as she lays against his chest, pushing their child into the world. It’s a boy, one who screams loudly and squirms in her arms; he’s red and angry and she is madly in love with her boy.

Brandon they name him.

And she is absolutely delighted in her little family. Rickard is an excellent husband and father, he shares in the childrearing with ease and little complaint.

Five months after Brandon’s birth, Aerys dies by poison. An inquest is made, but no one has answers and there is little to do. She dons black, but she is not sad to see her brother go, he is quite surprised that he lived that long. She’s now Duchess of Dragonstone of her own right. And life simply moves on.

*****

She gives birth to another boy, Eddard two years later after Brandon. Edwyle passes, sudden sickness takes him away during his sleep. People mourn their King, Marna is inconsolable, but finds solace in her grandchildren. Rickard holds her closer than ever.

They are crowned in a grand ceremony. She takes her duties as Queen seriously, much like Rickard takes his. Years pass and Rickard’s plans move forward, pushing the country into a new era. Then she births a daughter, whom they call Serena and lastly a son, Benjen.

Marna dies when Benjen is four and she weeps. She mourns for the woman who loved her like a mother, consoles Rickard and their children, mourns the fact that neither Serena or Benjen will remember much of her.

But time keeps going.

She watches as their children begin to grow into adults. Sees Brandon marry Catelyn, firstborn daughter of Duke Tully, Ned follows by marrying Lady Ashara Dayne, daughter of Earl Dayne.

Serena marries Jaime Lannister, and she is glad to see her wild daughter settle down. Only Benjen remains unwed.

Grandchildren begin to arrive and she delights in them. Rickard takes the role of grandfather with the same ease he did of father, they love their grandchildren and the love they have for one another never dwindles.

In fact, she’s sure that she loves Rickard more than what she had first thought possible. He became her life, a solid foundation to the castle of her dreams. She loves everything about him, that secret smile he saves only for her. Those poems he recites in her ear late at night, that passion that never really went away, that care and tenderness he always has in him for her.

But they grow old and Rickard’s older than her. She knows when his time is drawing near, sickness has fallen on him and she doesn’t move from his bedside.

“Was I a good husband, Rhae?” He asks, voice hoarse and tired. His eyes are glazed over. “Did I make you happy?”

“You were the best husband I could have ever hoped for,” she says, tears in her eyes and her voice cracks. “You made me the happiest woman ever.”

Rickard gives her a tired smile. “Good, at least I did you right.”

She kisses his forehead. “You did more than right, you saved me. When I had almost no hope left, you swept like a knight from a fairy tale. You saved me from the monster and allowed me to discover my own dragon. You gave me a family, I am the happiest woman that ever lived.”

“Good. I love my Queen, my beautiful silver Queen. My She-dragon. Always remember that.”

“And I love you, my Wolf-knight. Know that, I love you with every ounce of everything that I am.”

Rickard passes away in his sleep. She mourns. And even when grief clings to her like an old lover, she lives for her children and grandchildren. The life she led was full, loving and beyond anything that she could hope or dream for.

When her time comes, she leaves the world with no regrets and a smile on her face.

#asoiafrarepairweek #asoiafrare #rhaella x rickard #rickard x rhaella #rhaella targaryen #Rickard Stark #pre asoiaf #au: royalty #au: nobility #au: role reversal

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flowerfuneral · 7 years ago

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#Ookami Shounen wa Kyou mo Uso wo Kasaneru #The Boy Who Cried Wolf Also Told a Lie Today #speechless #mycaps

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ilovemesomekillianjones · 6 years ago

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Happenstance 5/10

Rated T 1.7K ao3 ffnet ch1 ch2 ch3 ch4

Summary/ A/N: Here is the next chapter, more shenanigans by my favorite villain to villify, some awkwardness, and a confession. Thank you @hookedonapirate for lending your services and helping me fine tune this story.

Chapter 5

After Emma’s birthday she and Killian were inseparable; there were even more nights that they spent together talking about everything from current school events, to what they were going to do when they left, to the silliest debates over the best flavor of ice cream. They were also around David and Mary Margaret a fair amount of the time. They celebrated David’s birthday, much like Emma’s, at the Nolan household. Thanksgiving had them all at David’s again, where Ruth put together a feast fit for royalty. Christmas was a welcome break from school, although Emma and Killian found themselves on their own as their friends had traveled to check out Mary Margaret’s college, and the city that they would call home.

“It’s Christmas Eve, Swan, what shall we do?”

“It’s Christmas Eve morning,” she grumbled, “what time is it?”

“The day is wasting away! Come on, let’s get out of here, go find some fun.”

“Ugh, you are way too chipper in the morning,” she complained, throwing her arm over her eyes.

“Killian?” They both heard Ingrid calling from down the hall.

Jumping out of the bed, Killian scrambled to the door and cracked it open. Despite the innocent nature, Killian did not want to have to explain being in Emma’s bed. He sat down at Emma’s desk then called out, “In here, Ingrid.”

Ingrid appeared in the doorway, “Can you come out to the kitchen, Killian? There are two officers here to see you.”

He looked at Emma, confusion on his face. She returned his look, equally confused as to what was going on. Killian got up from the chair and trudged down the hall, nervous as hell, even though he couldn’t think of a thing he’d done to incite a visit from the local PD.

The two officers were standing by the dining table, Ingrid brought them each a cup of coffee and invited them to sit down. Felix was already seated in one of the chairs. Killian glanced at Neal’s lemming with barely concealed distaste as he sat down at the opposite end.

“Are you Killian Jones?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’m Officer Humbert and this is Officer Booth. We’ve received a complaint this morning, you’re being accused of stealing the personal property of one of your housemates.”

Killian locked eyes with Felix, staring the other boy down, “Neal put you up to this?”

“Who’s Neal?” Booth questioned.

Killian continued to eye Felix, wondering what angle they were playing. “I haven’t stolen anything officer, from anyone.”

“Felix, what is it you think Killian took?” Ingrid asked gently.

“I didn’t take anything!”

“Okay,” she said, putting her hand over Killian’s balled up fist that was tensed upon the tabletop.

“He took my watch,” Felix accused.

“What bloody watch?” Killian exclaimed.

“Maybe you misplaced it?” Ingrid suggested.

“No, I saw him take it last night, he thought I was asleep. Check his room, I bet it’s in there.”

“You mind showing us your room?” Officer Humbert asked Killian.

Knowing that he had nothing to do with Felix’s missing watch, he confidently showed the officers to his room, and let them look for themselves. Killian, Ingrid, and Felix stood at the doorway.

“Is this yours?” Humbert asked as he pulled a watch out from under his pillow.

Killian’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the planted watch. “No it’s not, but I also don’t sleep with a watch under my pillow.”

“That’s my watch, I knew it,” Felix piped up.

Killian could feel the anger bubbling up inside him. Even though Felix was the accuser, Neal wasn’t going to get away with this. Killian could see the setup for what it was, an attempt to make him look bad in Emma’s eyes, and anyone else who’d believe this sack of horseshit scheme. He turned to Felix, “You might want to end this now, they aren’t going to find my prints anywhere on that watch and you know it.”

Felix’s eyes went wide for just a moment before he regained his composure. “I want to press charges,” he sneered.

“No, Felix,” Ingrid pleaded with the boy, “we can work this out here.”

Felix didn’t answer, except to avert his eyes like the coward he was.

“Sorry, son,” Officer Booth said, approaching Killian. “We won’t cuff you as long as you come quietly, we’ll need to get your statement down at the station.”

“Don’t you think this is a bit much?” Ingrid questioned. “He’s never been in trouble.”

“Sorry, ma’am, this is standard procedure, the value of the watch is reported at over five hundred dollars, making it a felony offense.”

The officer began to recite Killian’s Miranda rights when Emma appeared in the doorway.

“What’s going on?” she asked Ingrid frantically when she saw the officer leading Killian out by the arm.

“Shhh, it’s okay Emma, let me take care of this,” Ingrid said.

“No! Felix, what the fuck is going on?” Emma demanded, knowing something was off.

“Emma!” Ingrid scolded, “there’s no need for that language. Felix says Killian stole his watch last night.”

“No he didn’t,” Emma said, voice strong with conviction.

“He did too, I saw him take it myself,” Felix said.

“Oh, you saw him yourself?” Emma asked suspiciously. “Is Neal paying you to lie for him? What do you get out of this?”

“Who is this Neal person you guys keep referring to?” Booth asked.

“He’s my dumbass ex-boyfriend, and I know he is using Felix to set Killian up,” Emma told the officer.

“He ain’t using me, I saw him take it with my own eyes,” Felix insisted.

“No, you didn’t!” Emma yelled, stalking toward Felix. “There is no way you saw Killian take your watch last night,” she accused, stabbing her finger into his chest. “You’re a liar!” Emma pushed the boy, the anger she felt at Neal’s puppeteering boiling over.

“How do you know?” Something in Emma’s self assured tone made the officer probe further.

“Because Killian and I were together all evening and he slept in my room last night,” Emma stated matter of factly, arms folding over her chest.

Ingrid’s mouth fell open, and Killian’s neck audibly popped when his head snapped up so hard to look at Emma.

The officer withdrew his hand from Killian’s arm, then turned to Felix. “What do you have to say, son?”

“No- Nothing, he stole the- I mean…” Felix stuttered all over the place, before glaring at Emma. “Neal’s right, you’re a fucking slut.” He smiled viciously, enjoying the way her veneer cracked under his hateful words.

Killian charged toward Felix, but Emma stepped in his path before he could do any harm. “He’s not worth it, Jones,” she whispered, looking into his eyes. “If you go off and get yourself arrested for assault, my confession will be for nothing.”

Killian turned to the officers, “Am I free to go?”

Humbert nodded, then looked at Ingrid. “If there’s nothing further, we’ll get out of your hair. But maybe have a talk with the boy who cried wolf, about making false accusations.”

Killian and Emma snickered lightly when Felix scoffed loudly at the officer’s joke. They were headed back to Emma’s room when they heard Ingrid, “Not so fast you two, I want to talk to you guys when I’m through with Felix, go wait for me at the dining table.”

They nodded at her, then headed out to the kitchen to await their lecture. Emma worried what Ingrid would do. Killian sat staring at her, he couldn’t believe she’d get herself in trouble to help him.

Emma knew she didn’t have any reason to fear the woman, she just always had that underlying feeling that she’d be let go. Feeling Killian staring at her, she turned to him curiously. “What?”

“Nothing, I mean, it’s just…” Killian stuttered and rubbed nervously at his neck as he tried to explain to Emma what he was feeling, without embarrassing himself. “No one’s ever stood up for me like that since…”

“Since what?” she asked as he trailed off. When he didn’t respond she grabbed his hand from across the table. “Tell me,” she whispered.

“Since Liam passed,” he mumbled.

Emma started to ask who Liam was when Ingrid came back into the kitchen. She sat down and looked between the two, noting their hands clasped across the table. Emma could swear she saw Ingrid’s mouth turn up in a half smile.

“Ingrid, I’m sorry, I know-”

“Emma, it’s okay,” Ingrid spoke quietly. She placed her hand over their joined ones, “I’m glad you two have each other. You two know the rules though.”

They both nodded their heads. “What are you going to do?” Emma asked. She could feel the anxiety pulling at her insides.

“Hmmm, that is the question,” Ingrid answered cryptically.

“Please don’t separate us!” Emma blurted out.

“Separate you?!” Ingrid laughed loudly. “Emma Swan, I’m not sending either of you away. Why would I break up a bond as strong as yours. I was an orphan too, I was lucky enough to be adopted by the Arendelles, a good family, but I know what it’s like to be lost as well. Just, be careful, okay.” She gave both of them a stern look. “I can’t stop what you’re going to do, you’re almost adults. But if you need contraceptives, or to talk, you can come to me.”

Emma’s jaw dropped, while Killian turned an inhuman shade of maroon.

“It’s not like that, I mean, we’re just friends, he’s my best friend,” Emma spit out in rapid fire succession. She pulled her hand back from Killian’s, and covered her burning face.

“Ingrid, I promise you, we would never do anything to get you in trouble,” Killian vowed.

Ingrid was looking between the two of them with confusion. “You mean you two aren’t…” she trailed off, “you could have fooled me.” She had a confused and disbelieving tone about her. She just laughed a little laugh before getting up, “Merry Christmas you two. Will you be here for dinner?”

“We are going to go find something to do today, but we will be back for dinner,” Emma mumbled through her hands.

“Good,” Ingrid answered.

@laschatzi @hollyethecurious@winterbaby89 @kmomof4 @resident-of-storybrooke @artistic-writer @jennjenn615@snowbellewells @xhookswenchx@ultraluckycatnd @emeraldwitches @nikkiemms @galadriel26 @roseyflush @a-faekindagirl@ @killianjonesownsmyheart1 @effulgentcolors @onceuponaprincessworld @captainswan-shipper88 @andiirivera @teamhook@tiganasummertree @deathbycaptainswan @kday426 @sherlockianwhovian@mayquita @captswanis4vr@effulgentcolors@welllpthisishappening@princesseslikepirates @officerrogers @therooksshiningknight @thisisforcs @freechoicedreamer

#cs ff #cs fanfic #cs au #cs hurt comfort #captain swan

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hysterialevi · 5 years ago

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When the Devil Cries pt. 29

Fanfic summary: (NO SPOILERS IN THIS STORY) After arriving in Saint Denis, Arthur ends up falling in love with a seemingly innocent pianist, only to find himself in a battle with one of the most notorious outlaws to ever emerge from America. Now, between working for Dutch and robbing money for the gang, Arthur has to also protect the man he loves as the two of them try to find their freedom.

Pairing: Arthur Morgan/Male OC

Previous chapter

This story is also on AO3

From Arthur’s POV

TWO DAYS LATER, AFTERNOON

BEAVER HOLLOW

Striding across the camp, I quickly paced in Eddie’s direction with my rifle danglin’ off my back as I pondered the best way to approach this robbery, letting out a quiet sigh.

This had to be one of the most reckless ideas Dutch ever had in my twenty years of knowin’ him, and if I was being honest, the thought of running away with Eddie was looking better and better by the minute.

Dutch meant everything to me, it was true. He, John, and Eddie were really the only ones left who I considered to be family -- and despite how much the first two might’ve annoyed me sometimes -- the last thing I wanted was to leave ‘em behind.

I mean, I would’ve been dead if it weren’t for Dutch comin’ to my rescue when I was just a boy. He saved me. Educated me. Gave me a new life. But now...part of me feared he was gonna be the reason I’d lose that life again, and...normally, I wouldn’t care. But with Eddie in my family now, I knew I couldn’t leave that boy alone. I couldn’t get killed.

It was just because of my goddamned loyalty and stupidity that I refused to desert the gang. It was my own conscience that was holdin’ me back, but I knew that if I wanted to keep myself and Eddie alive, we wouldn’t be able to stay here any longer. We would have to run the second we got the chance, and never look back.

Walkin’ up to Eddie, I found the pianist sitting on a wooden crate next to Jack as he helped the kid read a storybook, his finger steadily inching across the page while Jack slowly mouthed out the words.

“...and the wolf guarded the injured deer as his f-fearsome fangs quickly scared...the other beasts away.”

The pianist turned the page, encouraging him to continue. “Good. Go on.”

Jack tilted his head in a puzzled manner. “Wait, I’m confused. Why would a wolf protect a deer?”

Eddie smiled warmly at the kid and glanced in my direction, his eyes twinkling with an affectionate spark.

“Well, perhaps some wolves aren’t as bad as they appear.”

Following Eddie’s gaze, Jack suddenly noticed my presence and perked his head up in excitement, pointing to the book.

“Uncle Arthur!” He greeted. “I finished another chapter today!”

I stepped closer to them and knelt in front of Jack, praising the boy.

“That’s great, Jack. You’re learnin’ fast. How you like reading now?”

He thought for a second. “It’s still kind of hard, but it’s more fun now. D’you wanna read with us, Uncle Arthur?”

An apologetic sigh escaped me. “Ah, I’d love to...but I’m afraid I got a job do to at the moment. Same with Eddie.”

He lowered his head out of disappointment. “Oh, okay. Maybe next time?”

I nodded. “Maybe next time.”

“Great! I’ll make some necklaces for both of you. But right now, I have to find momma. Bye Uncle Eddie. Bye Uncle Arthur.”

Hopping off the crate, Jack grabbed his book and scurried off to Abigail who was sitting in her tent before excitedly callin’ for her attention, leaving me and Eddie alone.

The kid seemed to be doin’ okay despite all that was going on -- probably because John and Abigail were sheltering him from it -- and I had to admit, it was nice to see some form of innocence still wandering around the camp. Things had gotten too bloody and brutal in the outside world recently, that it warmed this old outlaw’s heart to be near someone like Jack.

I imagined it wouldn’t last for much longer though. I knew Marston shared Eddie’s ideas of leavin’ the gang -- and considering the direction Dutch was headin’ at the moment -- it wouldn’t have surprised me if he went through with those plans.

I just prayed John knew what he was doing. It was hard enough when the gang lost Lenny and Hosea, but if I had to watch a person as young as Jack fall at the hands o’ those monsters...

...I didn’t know how I’d deal with it.

Slowly standing up from the crate, Eddie took one last look at Jack before solemnly returning to reality and bringin’ his attention to me, his eyes filled with dread.

“...Is it time?” He asked, noticing the weapon on my back.

“...Yeah.” I replied, lettin’ out a discouraged breath.

Eddie nodded in understanding and picked up his own rifle, slinging the firearm around his shoulder.

“Then we should get going. Come on.”

Walkin’ side-by-side to our horses, the two of us hurriedly made our way outta camp before mounting up and galloping off into the woods, eager to get this robbery over with as we bolted past the trees.

“So,” Eddie started, ridin’ in front of me, “what do we know about this stagecoach?”

I scoffed. “Hardly anything. Only that it belongs to Leviticus Cornwall, and apparently, has somethin’ mighty valuable in it. He’s sent a whole lotta guards to keep it safe. Dunno what it is, though.”

The boy was quiet for a second. “...Leviticus Cornwall. I’ve heard Dutch mention that name before -- in a rather hostile tone, actually -- but I’ve never seen the man for myself. Who is he?”

I lightly snapped the reins. “He’s an oil man. Quite a big one, too. And Dutch...well, he’s got quite a history with him. We robbed one of his trains up near Branite Pass a couple o’ months ago, y’see. Robbed a stagecoach in Rhodes, too -- though that was more Uncle’s idea. And now, it looks like we’ll be hittin’ another one.”

Eddie quirked a brow. “And you think this is a good idea?”

I loosely shook my head. “No. Truth be told, I think it’s one of the worst ideas we’ve had in a while. You ask me, I think we should lie low. Rob folk that no one cares about. But we rob someone as big as Leviticus Cornwall, and I guarantee it’s gonna ruin us more than Blackwater did.”

The pianist seemed surprised at the thought. “You think?”

“Think about it,” I explained. “Back in Blackwater, we only had the law to worry about, and our bounty wasn’t nearly as big as it is now. But these days, we got every Pinkerton in America lookin’ for us, Cornwall’s funding them, and Atticus wants to burn our entire camp to the ground. There’s also the fact that Atticus already knows Dutch is in this area. The minute we hit this stagecoach...it’s gonna be like lightin’ a beacon in the dark. Everyone’s gonna know we’re here.”

Eddie rode across a bridge, his horse’s hooves clacking on the wooden surface. “And there’s no way to talk Dutch out of this?”

I sighed heavily. “Oh, I’ve tried. Believe me. But...my words always seem to fall on deaf ears with that man.”

The boy reluctantly agreed. “Yes...it seems Micah’s voice is the only one Dutch actually listens to nowadays. Why he listens to him is beyond me, but...anyways. Tell me, Arthur, have you...thought about what we discussed? About leaving the gang?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I still don’t like it, but the more Dutch loses his way, the more I’m startin’ to think it’s our only option. If we wanna stay alive, that is. I just don’t know where we’d even run off to.”

Eddie came up with an idea. “Maybe we could go back to England.”

“England?” I repeated. “You think life would be better for us there?”

“Well, there’d be more civilization, so it wouldn’t exactly be the ideal environment for you, but we’d be out of the country and overseas. It could give us a fresh start.”

I still wasn’t sure. “...I guess.”

Eddie instantly picked up on my tone. “I’m sorry, Arthur. I know this...isn’t an easy decision to make.”

“Well...if I’m being honest, at this point, I’d rather be in a safe place with you than riskin’ my neck for a Dutch I don’t even know anymore. I ain’t givin’ up on him just yet, but that old man is destroying himself, and everyone in the gang knows it. But...we can talk more about this later. Right now,” I picked up my pace, “let’s just rob us a coach, shall we?”

A WHILE LATER

SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE ANNESBURG

Crouching in the tall grass, Eddie and I waited silently beside the road as we used the shady trees to shield ourselves, keepin’ a close eye out for the stagecoach.

I didn’t know exactly how many men were gonna be guarding this damned thing, or what we were even gonna earn from this robbery, but I figured the best way to approach this would be an ambush.

After all, it was just me and Eddie against what would probably be a dozen guards. We didn’t have the luxury of attempting to stop them with intimidation. If even one of them decided to grow a backbone and shoot at us, both of us would be dead immediately. We’d probably just have to shoot them on sight.

I only hoped this would be worth all the trouble.

“...So,” Eddie whispered, “have any idea how we’re gonna rob this stagecoach?”

I adjusted my binoculars, stayin’ low in the bushes. “Well, there’s no way the two of us are gonna be able to fight that many men on our own. I’m thinkin’ we’ll have to kill them as soon as they show up. Take ‘em by surprise while their guard’s still down.”

A look of uncertainty spread across the pianist’s face. “Kill them in cold blood? Are you sure, Arthur?”

I put the binoculars down and looked at Eddie, giving him an apologetic expression.

“I know, but we don’t have a choice, Eddie. We gotta do it this way. Otherwise, neither of us is walkin’ outta here alive.”

Despite still showing signs of reluctance, the boy went along with my plan and got into position, pickin’ up his rifle from the ground as he began to wander away.

“...O-Okay. I understand. In that case, I’m gonna go the other side. That way, we can hit them from both directions.”

“Alright,” I agreed. “Remember, shoot them the minute you see my signal. I’ll flash some light your way to let you know when it’s time. Be careful.”

Eddie pulled his bandana up. “The same goes for you.”

Sneaking across the road like a little mouse, Eddie hurriedly made his way into the gatherin’ of trees on the other side and hid behind a thick trunk, peeking out every once in a while to see if anyone was coming.

Judging by the lack of fresh tracks in the dirt, I assumed that no stagecoaches had been through here just yet, and luckily for us, the roads in this area were pretty quiet.

Most of the people here were too busy blowin’ up the mines in Annesburg to spend much time wandering about, and considering the absence of any good meat in Roanoke Ridge, I doubted we’d run into any lone hunters out here either.

I mean, we’d already seen how sickly the animals in this region were. If anyone was gonna do some hunting, my guess was they’d probably travel further west or south. Only thing worth shooting up north was the people...and I already had a few faces in mind.

It was just gettin’ to them that’d be the tricky part.

Breakin’ my train of thought, the distant sound of men chattering and horses neighing reached my ears as I quickly exchanged looks with Eddie, the both of us makin’ ourselves scarce while we waited for the coach to roll into position.

From what I could see, it looked like there was about ten men protecting the vehicle including the drivers, and they were all armed to the teeth just like I expected.

Some of them were clearly Cornwall’s employees -- dressed head-to-toe in the itchiest lookin’ fabrics with flat-caps on top -- while the more conspicuous ones were most-likely Atticus’ boys.

So far, it didn’t seem like any of ‘em had noticed us just yet, and with the speed their coach was traveling at, I assumed that they was in quite a hurry. We’d have to hit them hard, and we’d have to hit them fast.

Now was our chance.

Pulling up my bandana, I cocked my rifle and eagerly waited for the precise moment to strike as the stagecoach approached us, its wheels shaking up and down on the bumpy road while the horses huffed heavily due to fatigue.

I wanted to make sure I had a completely clear shot of the driver just so the horses wouldn’t run off when we started firing, and I also wanted them to be far enough that the guards behind the vehicle wouldn’t be able to shoot back at us in time.

It was gonna be a tricky job to pull off, for sure, but if Dutch was right about this robbery, and the cargo was really worth the risk, then this money would be more than enough to keep us fed for a long time.

Then again though, there was always the chance...that it wouldn’t be.

Tiltin’ my rifle slightly, I reflected a bit of sunlight off the frame and flashed it in Eddie’s direction, silently signaling him to get to work.

Without even a moment’s notice, both the pianist and I instantly started firing into the crowd relentlessly and shot one bullet after another, causin’ the horses to rear in panic as their riders frantically glanced around in confusion before getting blasted in the head, their blood splattering all over the stagecoach’s walls.

“What the hell--?!” One of them shouted, only to receive a bullet in the chest from Eddie.

“Son of a bitch!” The driver yelled, practically flogging the horses as he fled the scene.

Before he could run off though, I immediately aimed my gun at him and fired an array of ammo in his direction, makin’ extra sure that he wouldn’t be able to ride away with all the cargo as he collapsed from the driver’s seat.

“Goddammit!” Another guard exclaimed, desperately tryin’ to pinpoint our location as they blindly rode around in circles. “Keep the coach safe! We’re bein’ robbed--!”

A bullet hit him in the shoulder, leading the man yelp in agony as he clutched his wound and toppled from his saddle, tumblin’ onto the dirt below.

“Where the fuck are they?!” The others called out, getting lost in the gun smoke.

Reloading his rifle, Eddie fell silent for a brief moment as I carried on the fight and gunned down any remaining guards, causing dirt to go flyin’ everywhere with the amount of bullets I was shooting and with how much the horses were trampling all over the chaotic scene.

“They gotta be around here somewh--”

Resuming his assault, Eddie instantly got back to work once his gun was ready and didn’t spare a single bullet as the two of us flattened the entire entourage with a storm of ammunition, turning the road into a newfound cemetery.

By this point, it didn’t look like there was anyone left. All the guards were lyin’ on the ground in puddles of their own blood along with bullet holes and hoofmarks in the dirt as the smoke finally began to clear out, allowin’ us to see things better.

Thankfully, the stagecoach appeared to be intact -- aside from the shattered windows -- and judging by the material of the door, I didn’t think it’d be too hard to break into...but we’d have to move fast.

If there was anyone in the surrounding areas, then it was highly-likely that they just heard the gunfire from all the commotion, and I had no doubts that the law would be here soon. This was our only opportunity.

Rushin’ outta our hiding spots, Eddie and I quickly put our weapons away as we stepped over the corpses, eager to see what was inside the stagecoach.

“You okay?” I asked the boy, lookin’ him over.

“Yeah,” he answered, slightly outta breath. “What about you?”

“I’m good. Search the bodies, will you? I’m gonna open the door and get whatever’s inside.”

Eddie nodded. “Alright, but try to hurry. Who knows how many people heard that?”

Flippin’ my rifle around, I slammed the butt against the lock a few times with a series of metallic bangs, eventually breaking the mechanism off as the door loosely swung open.

It was pretty dark on the inside and I couldn’t see much with the sun glarin’ in my face, but once I climbed through the tight door and squeezed into the small space, I realized it actually wasn’t dark at all...

...It was just empty.

“...The hell...?” I muttered under my breath, digging through the coach’s seats.

Contrary to the piles of lockboxes and chests and cash I was expecting, it didn’t even look like there was a speck of dust in this goddamned stagecoach. Only thing occupying the seats was shards of glass from the broken windows, and even then the vehicle still felt pretty empty.

Where was the cargo?

“Find anything yet?” Eddie questioned.

I took one last look under the seats, hittin’ my hand against the coach’s wall in frustration.

“There’s nothin’ here!”

The boy paused. “What--? Are you sure?”

“I checked everywhere,” I confirmed, circling around the stagecoach. “But...hang on. Maybe it’s in the back. In the meantime, you keep searchin’ the bodies. They might have some money on them.”

Taking my revolver out, I hastily fired a bullet at the box hangin’ off the coach’s rear and damn-near tore the lid off, only to find nothing but a few cans of food and some cigarettes inside.

“...This can’t be right...!” I whispered through gritted teeth. “Leviticus said he doubled the security for this damned thing. Well, what the hell were they protecting? There ain’t shit in here...!”

“Arthur!” Eddie suddenly called out, tearin’ my attention away from the loot. “One of them is still alive!”

Whipping around in bewilderment, I decided to leave the vehicle alone for now and stormed over to Eddie who had his foot planted on one of the guards’ chest, both of us towerin’ over him like a pair of hungry lions.

“He still breathing?” I asked.

Eddie shrugged, observing the man. “Barely. He’s slipping away quickly, but you should still have time to ask him anything you want.”

“Oh, this son-of-a-bitch will talk...”

Takin’ matters into my own hands, I crouched down and grabbed the man’s collar with an iron grip before hoisting him off the ground, causing him to start shaking.

“Where’s the money?!” I demanded.

The guard’s voice heightened with fear.

“W-What?! What money?”

My jaw clenched in annoyance. “The money y’all are protecting -- what else would I be talkin’ about?”

That didn’t seem to clarify things at all, and the other man only continued to whimper.

“...Look, th-there is no money...!”

I fell silent in response and came to a sudden stop, furrowing my brows in confusion as a pang of anxiety hit me.

“...What...?” I said. “What d’you mean there’s no money? What the hell was the point of sendin’ all these men if there ain’t nothing to protect? Answer me, goddammit!”

He coughed a few times, tryin’ to speak through the blood gathering in his mouth.

“You’re...you’re some of Dutch’s boys...ain’t you? That fella...he said you’d try to rob this coach, so Leviticus...d-delayed...the delivery. Decided to bring the shipment on a different one, and use this coach as bait...to lure you out...”

“Feller?” I pointed out. “What feller? You mean Atticus Rose?”

The guard weakly shook his head, clearly wishin’ he was dead already.

“No...not him. I mean...the fella from your gang...”

My blood turned ice-cold at that, and I could’ve sworn my brain stopped functioning for a second.

What the hell did he just say?

“...Our gang...?” I breathed out in disbelief. The guard nodded.

“Yeah...at least, I-I think he’s one of yours.”

I tightened my grip on his shirt, causin’ my knuckles to turn white.

“Who is he?! What’s his name? Say something!”

“I...I don’t know his name...!” The man stammered. “H-He never told us!”

“Well, what’s he look like?”

He frantically blurted out a description. “U-Um...blond! Long hair! Has a m-mustache! Wears a white hat, too! That’s all I know! I swear!”

Freezing with realization, Eddie’s expression turned into stone at that and he glanced down at me, his wild, green eyes widened with a sense of anger and betrayal.

“...Micah.”

Blankly starin’ at the ground in defeat, I mindlessly loosened my hold on the guard’s shirt and retreated into my own thoughts, suddenly realizing how obvious it had been all along.

I didn’t wanna believe what the man was saying, but...the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. It explained so much.

It explained why Micah was always tryin’ to stay on Dutch’s good side. Why he pushed anyone away who might’ve been smart enough to expose him, and why he never really seemed to care when someone in the gang was killed. It was ‘cause...it was all his fault. It was his doing.

He was the one who told Atticus about our plans to rob the bank in Saint Dennis. He was the reason Rodrick was able to corner us on the riverboat. He was responsible for the deaths of Hosea, Lenny, possibly Strauss, and the situation that the rest of us were in right now.

All our suffering, all our losses -- every goddamned struggle we had been through these past couple of months -- it was because of Micah.

And like the big brute I was, I had been too stupid to see it.

“Arthur?” Eddie said, bringin’ me outta my head.

Ignorin’ the boy, I dropped the dead guard onto the ground and hurriedly stormed over to my horse, wanting to get back to camp immediately.

“That bastard...” I cursed, climbin’ onto my saddle. “I’ll kill him with my own, two hands! C’mon! We gotta go tell Dutch! Who knows what other secrets that rat has spilled? If Atticus already knows we’re in this area, then there’s a good chance he knows our location, too.”

“W-Wait! Arthur!” Eddie exclaimed, forcing me to calm down for a minute. “Just hold on. How are we supposed to tell him this? It’s not like we have any proof, and we just killed our only witness.”

I sighed in a regretful tone, hangin’ my head low.

“I...I don’t know,” I admitted. “Hell, I don’t even know if Dutch’ll listen to me. But...maybe, just maybe he ain’t completely lost. If the old Dutch is still in there somewhere, I know he won’t be able to ignore this.”

Eddie mounted his own horse and joined me, trotting to my side.

“Then let’s hope he is. But we need to be prepared, Arthur. If Dutch doesn’t listen to you, o-or if things go wrong -- we need to run. Far away. No hesitation. Otherwise, we’re dead men.”

I nodded in agreement, finally comin’ to terms with the end that we had always been powerless to stop.

“...You’re right,” I replied, my voice softer than I expected. “You’re right. As much as I hate to say it, this whole thing...it’s over. ...We’ve spent our whole lives running, stealing, cheating, killing...but it’s done now. This world...it don’t want us no more. The age of gangs and outlaws...is passed.” I gave Eddie a grim expression. “...Our time’s up.”

#red dead redemption #red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 #arthur morgan #eddie ryan #arthur morgan x male oc #rdr2 fanfic #rdr2 story

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stereksecretsanta · 6 years ago

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Merry Christmas, @NikoleStilinski24!

Dear @nikolestilinski24,

You asked for Online Dating and Misunderstandings or Alive Hale Family Christmas with kids. I chose to do Alive Hale Family Christmas and Kids since I absolutely suck at writing the kind of witty dialogues you need to create a credible online persona lol. I don’t know if this is as fun as you wanted it to be but I hope you like it! Merry Christmas!

*****

5 times Stiles started a Christmas tradition with the Hales + 1 time he didn’t have to

One: Movie and Hot Chocolate

Stiles had known about the Hales. It was impossible not to when you lived in Beacon Hills. Cora had been his classmate, Laura had babysitted him a few times when his mother was ill, Daniel had been a the top scorer at his favourite game at the arcade and 18 year old Derek Hale had been the one that made 12 year old Stiles realise he liked boys too but this was the first time he had seen so many of them together.

A few months back Derek had returned from New York after completing his Masters and opened a bookstore. Stiles had not thought Derek could get any more attractive but the sweater wearing, tea drinking, bespectacled Derek that had greeted him had been way more attractive than the kind but cocky jock young Stiles had had a crush on. A few deliriously happy months and some wonderful dates later and Stiles was attending his first Hale family Christmas.

It was kind of intimidating to see Derek’s immediate family, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and what seemed like dozens of kids under one roof but the house was warm and smelled like gingerbread cookies and he could feel Derek's arms around him as they cuddled on the couch.

Derek kissed him on top of his head and whispered, “You okay?”

“I’m great. So how long have you been doing this for?”

“Oh forever. Granma Hale started it when Mom was born. I think the gingerbread cookies started when Cora was born though.”

“Dad and I watch Die Hard on Christmas.”

Stiles knew Derek’s stance on Die Hard not being a Christmas movie and enjoyed the way his nose scrunched. “We can do that tomorrow if you want.” Derek said finally.

“No need to get so excited about it honey.”

Derek kissed him again, “I don’t care what we watch as long as it’s together”

Cora who had been silent until now despite sitting next to them gave them a dirty look and said, “Not all of us are lucky enough to have someone to cuddle with this Christmas. Maybe you should shut up before I barf all over you.”

Stiles snickered and cuddled closer to Derek. He was feeling pretty lucky tonight. It wasn’t something he had done before but he was sure he’d enjoy watching It’s a wonderful life and drinking hot chocolate every Christmas Eve with the Hales.

Two: Full Moon Run

The Hale house was a flurry of activity when Stiles got there. He waved at Talia who was standing outside directing the people putting decorations all over the lawn.

“Hey Talia” Stiles said and hugged her. She kissed his cheek and smiled at him fondly.

“Hi honey. I’m glad you’re here. Laura and Derek are trying to bake a cake.”

“Together?” Stiles said suddenly feeling a little scared. Laura and Derek while decent bakers on their own, were an absolute disaster when they tried to do it together. Both of them had a pretty mean competitive streak and were never satisfied with each other’s process while baking.

Talia shuddered a little. “Yes. James is keeping a watch but maybe you should be there too.”

“I will. Dad is coming over to help out with the grill after his shift.”

“That’s great. I haven’t seen the Sheriff in so long!”

Stiles walked into the kitchen and could feel how tense the atmosphere was. James, Laura’s husband winked at him and mimed slicing his neck. Stiles stifled a chuckle and went and wrapped his arms around Derek. “Happy Christmas Full Moon” He said and kissed Derek’s cheek.

He could feel the tension drain out of Derek as he laughed and gave himself an imaginary pat on the back. “It’s not called that.”

“Why not? The only reason you have a party along with a run this full moon is because it’s Christmas time. That’s the perfect name” Stiles said exaggeratedly.

“Whatever you say babe. Laura, I’m not baking anymore. I need to show Stiles around.”

“At least come up with a believable lie DerBear. Stiles has been coming to the house for years, I’m pretty sure he knows where everything is.” Laura said as she made a face at Derek.

“Okay then. I missed my fiancé because he’s been working a lot the past few days and I’d like to go and make out with him now.”

“Fiancé” Stiles sighed, “I don’t think I’m getting tired of hearing that anytime soon.”

“Wait till I start calling you husband.” Derek said and kissed him. Stiles kissed him back and moved his fingers to Derek’s hair.

“Hey! Take that out of my kitchen. You’re contaminating the cake.” Laura shouted.

Stiles laughed and followed Derek out into the yard. Hours later they were lying next to the bonfire watching the kids run around. “I could get used to this” Stiles said as he ran his fingers through Derek who was currently a wolf. Derek woofed and licked his cheek.

Three: Our own tree

One of the things Stiles loved most about Derek was how he could always surprise Stiles. If anyone had told him that Derek Hale who hated crowds and preferred staying at home and watching a movie instead of going out for dinner would navigate him expertly through the crowds in Target two weeks before Christmas he never would have believed them.

They’d gotten married this summer and giving presents together or signing Stilinski-Hale on cards was a novelty he didn’t want to get used to anytime soon. Derek was holding his hand and scanning the aisles for items from the gift list they’d made together. Stiles was pretty sure he had a sappy smile on his face as he looked at his husband but he couldn’t help himself.

It took him a moment to realise they weren’t walking anymore and he saw that Derek was standing in front of an aisle full of ornaments.

“Hey” Stiles said as he nudged Derek. “I thought we weren’t getting a tree of our own”

“Maybe we should.” Derek looked a little nervous when he turned towards him. “I know we go to my parents house for the holidays but I want one with you. A tree we can add ornaments to every year. Something to decorate with the kids.”

“Kids? Getting a little too excited aren’t you Mr. Hale?” Stiles said teasingly.

“Mr. Stilinski-Hale” Derek corrected him and pinched his nose. “So? What do you think? Do you want to?”

“I think I hit the lottery when I walked into that book store years ago.” He said smiling softly. “Let’s get the tree and the ornaments but I’d like some more time to keep you to myself. Maybe we’ll have a kid when we come shopping in a few years”

“Maybe we will” Derek said and kissed him.

Four: Matching Pajamas

The past two years had been one of the hardest of Stiles life. He had always known he wanted kids but with the high probability of transferring his mom’s disease genetically he had also been pretty sure he would adopt. With Derek being a werewolf and looking forward to teaching his kids all the wolfy things he knew it was a surprise to everyone but the two of them when it took them no time to decide to go for surrogacy using Derek’s sperm.

Finding a woman in the know who would keep the kid safe was a different game altogether but after months of searching they’d found a werewolf from Satomi’s pack who was willing to be their surrogate. The months that followed that decision had been exhilarating and terrifying and the only reason Stiles hadn’t had a nervous breakdown was because Talia had been with them every step of the way.

As Stiles sat next to the Christmas Tree with six month old Jasper Hale in his arms he knew all of it had been worth it. Jasper had been born with a strong set of lungs and a dense sets of eyebrows that left no doubt as to who his father was.

He felt more than saw Derek sit next to him and leaned into his husband of 5 years. “John came to the store today.”

“Did he need something?”

“No, he left a package. Said he saw in the store last weekend and thought of us.”

Stiles wiggled excitedly, “Open it then!”

Derek laughed and started opening the package carefully. Stiles knew from past experiences that no amount of needling would get him to just tear the wrapper off so he settled for showing his impatience through his body language.

“Matching pajamas?” He said when he saw the opened box.

“There’s one for Jasper too” Derek said and then started laughing, “Here look at this”. There were two pajama sets and a onesie. All three of them had bear motifs over them with a patch saying ‘Bear Bottom’ on the butt.

“This looks nice. I wonder if we can find any wolf themed ones.”

“We’ll look for some next year.” Derek said and hugged him and Jasper tightly.

Five: Missing loved ones

For as long as he could remember Stiles had been reading the Polar Express every Christmas Eve. It happened when his dad was working nights and only his mom was there to read to him, when his mom died and his dad made sure he took some time out every 24th to read it with him, when he started dating Derek and they spent an hour cuddled together before bed as Stiles read to him and it kept happening even when Jasper was born.

Stiles was pretty sure he cried every time he read it ever since his mom had died but neither his Dad or Derek called him out on it and until now Jasper had been too young to notice how bittersweet it was to continue something even when the one who started it was not there.

This was their first Christmas with Sophie, a ten year old werewolf that had come into the Hale territory when on the run from hunters. Her pack was dead and her mother had asked her to hide and run as fought the hunters alone to buy her some time. It had taken months for her to feel safe but Stiles was glad to see her coming out of her shell recently. It was good for Jasper too who had recently turned six.

They’d had dinner and were sitting in the lounge when Jasper came in running with the book and thrust it in Stiles hand. “Read it, Papa.” He demanded with the trademark Hale pout on his face.

Stiles knew his heart had done something weird when his three wolves looked at him with concerned expressions. He opened the book and was about to start reading when Sophie said. “You have to read the message at the beginning too.”

Stiles felt Derek squeeze his hand and gave him a small smile. “Dear Mischief, You’re the most magical thing that happened to me. Remember to keep believing if you want to hear the bells. Love, Mama.”

By the time he finished the book Stiles could feel the tears running down his face. “It’s nice that your mommy left you a story to read every year”, he heard Sophie say and felt like crying all over again. He cleared his throat and put his arms around Sophie, “Why don’t you tell me a story about your mommy?”

“And then you’ll tell me about yours? And Daddy too.”

“You’ve met my mom honey. But I’ll tell you about my Dad.” Derek said as he ran his fingers through Jasper’s hair.

“I don’t have a mommy. But I have two daddies so it’s okay.” Jasper said suddenly. They had talked to him about different types of families before he’d started school, Stiles was glad the lesson was sticking.

“I’ll start. So you know grandma’s name was Claudia. She was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen…”

“Better than Lydia Martin?” Derek smiled teasingly and raised his eyebrow.

Stiles gasped and then laughed. “Of course. But don’t tell her that! Now shh, I’m talking.”

And every year since just after Polar Express they talk about the people they wish they were sharing Christmas with.

+ (plus) One time he didn’t have to

Stiles woke up feeling overheated. He was pretty sure the sun hadn’t risen and his face was smushed into Derek’s chest. Opening his eyes he saw Sean lying next to Derek and Jasper and Sophie cuddled next to Stiles. All of them were fast asleep.

He had no idea when it had started but for the past few years he had been waking up with his whole family next to him on the bed. Derek believed it was because they were werewolves but Stiles was pretty sure it started because Sophie was quite attached to them and where she went, her brothers followed.

It felt nice, Stiles decided as he walked to the bathroom. With two of the pups being teenagers now, tempers were high more often than not in the house but it was a comfort knowing the kids would be there on Christmas mornings even if they had been arguing the night before. At least they would be until Sophie went to college in two years, something Stiles didn’t want to think about right now.

He freshened up and stared at his family. They had been pretty content with 2 kids but one day Isaac who worked for child services had found a werepup who had been left outside the fire station and a few weeks and favours later, Sean Stilinski-Hale was the newest member of their family.

Derek who now a bit of grey in his beard and hair still made Stiles just as giddy as he had when he was a young werewolf running around playing basketball. Some days Stiles couldn’t believe what a wonderful life this man had given him. He placed a soft kiss on the pups and Derek and climbed back into bed. Derek pulled him closer and kissed his forehead.

“If I didn’t know you I’d think the way you were staring at us was creepy.” Derek said in a deep sleepy voice that sent tingles down Stiles’ spine.

“I’m feeling very content right now so I won’t react to that comment” Stiles said and heard his voice catch a little.

Derek immediately looked concerned. “Hey, you okay?”

“I’m great” Stiles said. “I couldn’t be better. Merry Christmas baby.”

Derek smiled and kissed him deeply. “Merry Christmas. Love you.

#NikoleStilinski24 #stereksanta15 #*fic18 #*gifts18

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