#WINTER MADE ME REMEMBER HIM; I COMPLETELY FORGOT

[siixkiing]

I completely forgot about the Sun Wukong inspired Sonic Character Monkey Khan XD

[mandoalorian]

if this is war, i surrender — prologue

Revenge had a price. You just didn’t expect it to feel like this.

Pairing: New Avenger!Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

Synopsis: You wanted revenge. He became the reason you hesitated. He was the ghost from your past—the one who took everything. But getting close to him meant playing a dangerous game. And somewhere between hating him and pretending not to care, you forgot the one rule you swore you'd follow: don't fall for the enemy.

Word Count: 2,700

Rating/Warnings: 18+ for eventual smut - and there will be a lot of it, mentions and descriptions of abuse (both physical and emotional), enemies to lovers, canon typical violence, death of a family member, Sam/Bucky aren't friends.

Author’s Note: SPOILERS FOR THUNDERBOLTS* (and is tagged accordingly) — as promised, a brand new fic series for our beloved New Avenger!Bucky. And it's an Avengers Tower fic! I am so excited for this. If you want to be tagged, let me know.

Masterlist | next chapter

You’d lived your whole life feeling what others couldn’t hide.

Anger that simmered beneath polite smiles. Grief was tucked behind practised charm. Lust, hatred, envy—emotions wrapped in flesh and bone and lies. Most people were predictable once you knew what they’d do before they did it.

It wasn’t magic. Not really.

It was you—something twisted into your blood long ago. You could read them. Sense the weight of a person by the colour of their aura, the heat of their intent. It made the world feel like a game of chess, you were always five moves ahead in.

And still, somehow, you’d lost everything.

No family. No justice.

Just a face burned into your memory—cold, unfeeling, and soaked in your brother’s blood.

The Winter Soldier. 

You’d read all the self-help books and spent years in counselling and therapy. God, you had tried everything to get over it. But you remembered it like it was second nature, so much so that your Void Room felt like a nightmare you’d been used to for the past twenty years. It wasn’t reliving trauma, because you had never left. You were only a small child when it happened. You remember the fear that outlined your brother when he was cornered by the Winter Soldier, and the Soldier’s aura? Nothing. Like he was cut off from the world. Not an ounce of feeling or emotion. 

But how could that be possible?

They said he was reformed, that he was out in the city under a government pardon, trying to live a ‘normal life’ after the Battle of Earth. There were traces of his presence a few years ago, working alongside Captain America to disassemble the Flag Smashers. And since then, a brief stint of being Brooklyn's Congressman.

Seriously, who would vote him into power?

You had been waiting for the world to hand him a spotlight, a new beginning, because that always seemed to happen to men like Bucky Barnes. 

A fresh start. Forgiveness. 

You were okay with waiting because a plan like this had to be made with precision, and precision took time. You couldn’t fight him with fury or fire. 

You’d get close. You’d make him trust you. And when the moment came, you’d watch his world fall. 

But for now, you worked at McCready’s bar in Lower Manhattan.

The neon lights outside the bar flickered in a lazy rhythm as you wiped down the counter for the umpteenth time, the stale smell of spilt whiskey and cheap beer lingering in the air. It was a Tuesday, but the bar was packed — a sea of half-drunk faces and the kind of conversations that never mattered. You hadn’t expected much from the job, but at least it kept you afloat. Barely.

The tips were inconsistent, the hours long, but it was all you had. Living in New York City wasn’t kind to anyone who wasn’t swimming in money, and you weren’t even close. You’d gotten used to the way the city hummed around you, indifferent to your struggles, just another face in the crowd. At least you weren’t completely alone. Shane was always there, hovering in the background like a constant reminder of the life you were stuck in.

He was your roommate, sure — but the lines had blurred long ago. It was more than that. You couldn’t leave him, not because you loved him, but because you had nowhere else to go. Shane had a way of turning everything he touched into a mess, and you were caught in the fallout. He was just… volatile, always drunk, always angry. His mood swung like a pendulum — when it was good, it was fine, but when it was bad, it was a storm. And you were always the one caught in its path.

Tonight was no different. His eyes were bloodshot, his speech slurred, but you knew better than to challenge him. You knew the look, the one that came just before things went south. You had learned how to move quietly, how to keep your head down when he raged. It wasn’t the first time he’d lashed out — and you hated yourself for staying, for letting him control so much of your life. But you couldn’t leave. The apartment was cheap, and it was better than being homeless. The city wasn’t kind to women on their own, and you weren’t naïve enough to think you’d be different.

So you endured.

The clink of glass broke through your thoughts, pulling you back to the bar. Another customer. Another drink to serve. You plastered on your best smile and handed over the next round, trying to ignore the ache in your chest, the one that never went away. The ache that was there every time you realised you were stuck in a life that wasn’t yours to begin with, with a person who only made it harder to breathe.

But then, he crashed against the bar when your back was turned.

You felt it before you saw him.

A tight heat in the centre of your chest, like a warning flare under your skin. The aura rolled in a moment later—dark, pulsing red, bloated with alcohol and laced with something sharp. Bitterness. Rage. Shame. It wrapped around you like smoke, familiar and suffocating.

Shane.

You didn’t even need to look up. The aura was unmistakable. Predictable. He always came into your orbit like this—loud, drunk, and looking to pick a fight he could pretend wasn’t his fault.

You braced your palms against the sticky bar top and sighed.

“Didn’t think you worked Thursdays,” his voice slurred from your left. He leaned heavily against the counter, already swaying.

“I switched shifts.” You kept your eyes on the glass you were drying, steady and detached.

Shane scoffed. “Of course you did. Probably duckin’ me.”

You didn’t answer.

He leaned in closer, breath hot and sharp with whiskey. “You can’t keep avoiding me, babe. We’ve got things to talk about.”

You turned to face him. “We broke up.”

His jaw twitched. You saw the spike in his aura before he even moved. The humiliation—how quickly it curdled into fury.

He slammed his palm down on the bar. “You can’t just cut me off like that! I still have your stuff!”

“And I’ll pick it up tomorrow when I get off work.” You spoke calmly, but your fingers curled against the wood.

“You act like I was the problem. Like you’re so perfect.”

You felt his emotions boiling up, the weight of everything unsaid pressing into your ribs. Your powers made it impossible not to feel it all—the guilt, the desperation, the jealousy eating holes in his brain.

He reached toward the shelf behind you, fingers clumsy and quick.

You saw it in a flash—his intention. The movement. The bottle. The shatter.

“Shane,” you warned, voice low.

But he grabbed the glass anyway.

And when you didn’t flinch—didn’t react—he hurled it at the far wall. The sound of shattering exploded through the bar like a gunshot.

Conversations cut off. Heads turned. The bartender at the other end shouted something you didn’t catch, but you didn’t move. You stared him down, heart steady even as your powers screamed with the heat of his spiraling aura.

“Get. Out.” Your voice didn’t rise. It didn’t have to.

Shane scoffed again, as if that might somehow make him look less pathetic. He backed up with slow, jerking steps, flipping off the room as he staggered toward the door.

“You’re gonna regret this,” he muttered, just before the door slammed shut behind him.

The silence he left behind was louder than the glass.

You let out a breath, realising you’d been holding it. Then you grabbed the broom from behind the bar and swept the shards into a dustpan, the sharp scrape of glass grounding you.

Your skin still tingled from the contact with his rage. You hated that you felt it all—the fear before it turned violent, the hurt beneath the anger. You hated that your powers made it impossible to just forget someone.

But maybe that was the curse of being who you were. You always saw what was coming. You just couldn’t always stop it.

As the last pieces of glass clinked into the bin, you finally straightened. The bar had settled again. Conversations resumed. The music picked back up.

“Rough night?”

The voice came from the far end of the bar—smooth, level, edged with something you couldn’t quite name.

You looked up. Black hoodie. Cap pulled low. Sunglasses indoors. He didn’t look dangerous, but he looked like someone who could be.

“Getting there,” you replied.

He offered a small nod. “Water, please.”

You poured it and slid it over. “You don’t seem like a regular.”

He chuckled. “I’m not.”

There was a pause. You watched him closely, brushing your senses over his aura. It was… quiet. Centred. Strong in a way that didn’t shout. But frayed at the edges. Worn. Heavy. You sensed something simmering—like a soldier forced to sit still while a war started without him.

“You handled yourself well earlier,” he said, not looking up.

You blinked. “You saw that?”

“I saw enough. Most people don’t know when to walk away. You did.”

You tilted your head, wary. “You following me?”

“No. Just watching.”

That didn’t make it less strange. But your instincts didn’t scream danger—only mystery.

You turned toward the corner TV to anchor yourself—something normal. Background noise. Distraction.

Instead, your stomach dropped.

You hadn’t meant to keep watching.

The TV had always just been background noise—old games, muted news reels, the occasional infomercial to fill the gaps between orders. But tonight, the screen was impossible to ignore.

A navy-blue backdrop. Stark white letters:

LIVE: O.X.E. GLOBAL INITIATIVE PRESS CONFERENCE

At the podium stood Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, sharp in her suit, that perpetual half-smile like she knew something the rest of the world didn’t.

“Today,” she said, “marks the beginning of a new era.”

You barely noticed the sound of glass clinking behind the bar as someone restocked. The world had narrowed to that screen.

Val continued, cool and poised. “A world in chaos needs structure. Direction. Accountability. O.X.E. was founded for that purpose—and now, I’m proud to announce its greatest achievement yet.”

The camera panned as she lifted a hand, gesturing to the five figures standing just out of frame.

Your heart skipped once—no reason. Just instinct.

“Earth’s new protectors. A team not built on nostalgia or outdated legacies. But on precision, strength, and experience.”

The screen cut to a slow pan across the group.

First: Yelena Belova.

You recognised her instantly—shoulders squared in sleek black tactical gear, expression unreadable. There was something fiercely restrained in her stance. A storm with a chokehold on itself.

Next: Ava Starr.

Ghost. Gloved hands in her pockets, hood half-drawn. She looked like she wanted to vanish right through the floor. Her energy vibrated through the screen—quiet, unstable, barely contained.

Then: John Walker.

U.S. Agent. Chin high, arms crossed like he was daring someone to challenge his spot. The smugness rolled off him like oil.

After that: Alexei Shostakov.

The Red Guardian. Smirking like he thought this was a stage play. You remembered his face from news clippings—over-the-top patriotism paired with brute force.

And then—just as the camera reached the final spot—

You felt it before you saw him.

Cold steel wrapped in guilt. A storm buried under a thousand locked doors. It hit you like a tide and settled in your bones.

Bucky Barnes.

He stepped forward into frame, silent. Dark clothes. Gloves on. That familiar stare—the one you’d only ever seen in flashes, or in the brief security footage you weren’t supposed to find. The one from fourteen years ago.

Your grip on the counter went white-knuckle.

His name appeared below him in bold, unmistakable letters, sub-titled with the words Team Leader. 

The world faded around you. The bar. The people. The music. It all disappeared.

There he was. Front and centre. Standing tall like the past never happened. Like the blood on his hands had been scrubbed clean.

Leader. Hero. Forgiven.

And just like that, the plan began to form.

Because if he was back—if he was leading this new world—then this was your chance.

You’d get close. You’d get answers.

And you’d finally make him pay.

“Mind if I use your phone?” The voice cut your thoughts off with a sharp snap.

You hesitated. “Landline’s under the register. Doesn’t do long-distance.” 

“That’s fine. He’s local.”

The man in the cap dialled quickly, voice low as he turned away from the bar. You stayed close, listening despite yourself.

“Yeah. It’s me.” Cap said. That was the nickname you’d given him. It felt fitting. You read his aura, and found it laced with anger. But it wasn’t like Shane’s anger. It wasn’t volatile or red, but instead, it was muted and hurt. Betrayal.

A pause.

“No, I saw it. They didn’t clear it. Val went public without warning.”

Another pause.

“No, he didn’t tell me. Look, Torres. He knew— he knew about my plan to restart the Av—”

His jaw clenched before stopping mid-sentence, aware of his audience.

“Just be ready. If this gets worse, we’ll need to act fast. I’ll call him tonight.”

He hung up. Didn’t say goodbye.

You crossed your arms. “You talk like someone important.”

He gave you a look, unreadable behind the glasses. “Depends who’s asking.”

You lifted your chin, refusing to back down. “I’ve had enough people lie to my face tonight.”

For a beat, he said nothing.

Then, with the tiniest smirk, he pulled off the sunglasses and tucked them into his hoodie.

“I’m Sam.”

Your breath hitched.

Captain fucking America.

────✪────

Bucky’s phone lit up the second the press conference ended.

Sam Wilson.

He stared at the name a moment longer than he needed to, then answered with a clipped, “Yeah.”

Sam didn’t waste time.

“You really let them use the name.”

Bucky leaned back against the edge of the hotel desk, jaw tight. “It’s just a name.”

“No, it’s not,” Sam snapped. “It’s our name. You think you get to let some corrupt agency parade it around like a branding tool? Like Steve’s legacy didn’t mean a damn thing?”

Bucky said nothing.

“You stood up there like it was nothing,” Sam continued. “With Walker. With Val. You think this is what Steve would’ve wanted? You think he’d look at that team and—”

“Don’t,” Bucky cut in, voice suddenly cold. “Don’t bring him into this.”

Sam didn’t flinch. “Someone has to.” 

Bucky exhaled, short and sharp. “I didn’t choose the name. I didn’t write the headline. I chose a mission. That’s it.”

“Yeah?” Sam snapped. “Well, congratulations. You just handed the Avengers legacy over to a bunch of government puppets.”

Something burned behind Bucky’s eyes. He clenched his fist.

Bucky’s silence was answer enough, and Sam could feel his partner’s stoic glare through the line.

Sam exhaled, like he was holding back something worse. “You think this is justice? You think you’re fixing something?”

“I’m doing what I can with the mess that’s left,” Bucky said through gritted teeth. “Same as you.”

“No, I’m trying to honour what came before. You—? You’re just trying to outrun it.”

That struck a nerve.

Bucky stood straighter, voice low and clipped. “You think I give a damn about your approval? I don’t need your permission to do something that matters.”

“Oh yeah?” Sam snapped. “Since when do you care about legacy?”

The air between them tightened, stretching thin with unspoken names and unforgiven history.

“You’ve got no idea what I care about,” Bucky said coldly.

Sam paused, just long enough for it to sting. “Maybe that’s the problem.”

Click.

Bucky hung up first.

The fourteen months that followed weren’t peaceful.

────✪────

Sebastian Stan taglist: @notreallythatlost @houseofaegon @bunnyfella @sunday-bug @wintrsoldrluvr @maryevm @mcira @monsteraddicts-world

Fic taglist: @ruexj283

[renren-006]

Obsession | Bucky (Winter soldier) x reader

plot: WS meets you once and develops a severe obsession with you.

warning: SAPPY

a/n: I heard an audio on TikTok that sparked this idea!

When Bucky first met you he wasn’t himself, he was the Winter Soldier. You were much younger than him when you met.

He was on an assignment at the Red Room when he saw your face. It cracked the mental shield holding Bucky away, a face worth remembering. You couldn’t have been older than 16 at the time. You were in the training room, a small smile planted n your lips as the older girls taught you special moves. He saw the smile disappeared when the adults running the facility enter, the same mask he was sworn to wear around others. Your eyes found his after a while and he could read the pain behind them, the fear, like his own. You both just watched each other until you had to turn back and twirl your operator. Bucky wanted you saved, The Winter Soldier began calling you his mission.

Three years later you saw each other once more. You looked older, entirely different while he was the same. This time he was sent after you for running. You were still in Germany, hiding out int he woods when he came across you. The tiny cabin you found was an obvious place for WS to end up looking. You were huddled on the couch, with three blankets keeping you warm when he walked in the door. You were too weak to move or fight, having heard him when he entered the property 5 minutes ago.

“If you’re going to kill me, at least don’t make it when i’m already frozen” you stuttered out. He just stared at you.

“My objectives compromise MY mission” he said. The ‘my” caught you off guard. He wasn’t talking about HYDRA or the Red Rooms that asked of him; no, he had something he wanted to do.

“Your mission?” you asked

“YOU” he said, “You are my mission”

“What kind of mission…” you asked hesitantly.

“Safety. He wants you safe” At that he walked over to you and picked you up, not harming just caring. He took you to the town that night, making sure you got the door of a motel and enough cash so you could escape. When he turned back around to leave, making sure you knew that the person you were before was dead and to pick a new identity, you shouted after him.

“Come find me again someday” you told him.

Bucky nodded his head at that, promising you that chance.

He never forgot about you or stopped looking for you. It was another three years before he was awakened in New York, where he conducted his own mission after completing one. His handlers had conveniently lost sight of him, allowing him to uncover where you were.

He often visited the rooftop across from your apartment, watching you when he could to make sure you were still alive.

You didn’t see him until you were almost 27 years old.

New York was bustling in the summer, and you were doing your best to make your way through the crowd. You made it to the crosswalk when you noticed a face in the crowd. There he was, looking almost the same as he did 8 years ago. You stopped walking, letting everyone else pass you by. He walked across the street towards you, making your head turn upwards as he got closer to you.

"Your back" you said.

"You told me to find you again" he said. "i havent stopped watching out for you"

"I know" you told him. "Iv always known you were in the shadows"

"Im not...him anymore" Bucky spoke. He was almost unsure if he truly belived it.

"Your Bucky again?" you asked smialing at the man you knew for quite a long time.

"Yes, but I have no place..."

"Well, it's a good thing you found me, then," you told him.

[sugawarassoulmate]

no nut november - nov 20

they put up a good fight but still couldn't make it...

(peachy had a very busy month so we're gonna ignore that this is late bc she wanted to finish it 😤)

farmer!ushijima & best friend!iwaizumi

word count: 330 & 531

cw: fem!reader, fingering, mutual masturbation, dubious consent (ushi and reader are drunk), infidelity (kind of), minors dni

farmer!ushijima

it might just be the alcohol in ushijima's veins telling him this isn't a bad idea but you're looking pretty in the dimly lit alley

he doesn't drink often but he'd thought he'd treat himself for a few at the bar after harvesting the last of his fall crops

it was a good season, one that exceeded his expectations, leaving him completely prepared for the cruelty of winter

you were already two shots in when you saw him, quickly challenging him to a drinking game and, uncharacteristically, ushijima accepted

and now the two of you are pawing at each other behind the saloon, ushijima's fingers already down your pants

and his fingers are so thick, filling you up more than your smaller digits would ever allow

"toshiii," you groaned, humping against his hand

you completely forgot about the stupid bet you made with your friends on a visit to the city last month

you were sure you could last the whole 30 days - you were single and aside from the occasional flirty jokes with a usually oblivious ushijima, there wasn't anyone else you were interested in

but now you're reaching into his jeans to pull his cock out

you're both gasping and breathing heavily into each other's mouths, desperate to get off

it feels nice to have ushijima, a massive, stoic man, groan with every flick of your wrist

you want him to cum first but once his thumb starts circling your clit, you don't stand a chance

even in the pleasure of your orgasm, you have enough sense to take care of ushijima, stroking him as the bliss racks through your body

within a few seconds, you can feel the warmth of his cum coating your hand

the two of you clean up as best as you can when ushijima mumbles, "sorry that you lost your game."

you can't help cracking up, finding it hilarious that he remembered the drunken conversation the two of you had earlier that night

best friend!iwaizumi

"uh huh," iwaizumi says, mindlessly tapping away at his controller. "no, you're so right, i can't believe he did that."

you're calling him again to complain about your boyfriend again

it was some stupid argument about whose family you were spending thanksgiving with - iwaizumi couldn't really care

"and then he just tells me to 'do whatever i want,' can you believe that?" you scoff

"no that's terrible, such a dick move," iwaizumi drones on, all of his focus on the game he's playing at the moment

every other week, you call up iwaizumi to have the same conversation with him - how much your boyfriend pissed you off and you want to break up

and, being the good friend that he is, iwaizumi lends his ear to listen (and his dick to comfort you after a breakup)

"i'm so done, he can spend thanksgiving alone. and the rest of his life for that matter," you huff but your threats hold no weight when the two of you are constantly getting back together

"can i come over? i don't want to be alone..." you ask after a few beats of silence

without thinking, iwaizumi agrees and you quickly end the phone call with a "okie dokie!! see you soon!"

it doesn't hit him for a few minutes but he suddenly remembers that he, oikawa, matsukawa, and hanamaki were doing that stupid no nut november thing again

you and your boyfriend seemed to be doing fine the whole month so and it wasn't like iwaizumi had any other prospects - not that he wanted any

but with you coming over (and being freshly single) there was no way he'd be able to keep his streak going

but iwaizumi is more disciplined than that and the two of you have been friends way before this weird....arrangement went down

he knows how to keep it in his pants and he can resist you no matter how hard you try

iwaizumi hajime is an idiot

it took less than half an hour for his dick to end up inside you

"fuck, haji, just like that!"

it was so embarrassing—your panties pushed to the side and iwaizumi's sweats scrunched only halfway down his legs

neither of you had enough patience to actually take the other's clothes off, like the moment was fleeting and could be ripped away at any time (and most of the time it felt that way)

"feels good? that's why you keep coming back, huh?" he grunts, pulling you into a kiss

you bite your lip, not wanting to admit that he was right but iwaizumi pins you to the mattress, plunging his cock deeper inside your cunt, forcing guttural moans from you

"not gonna admit it? that's fine, i already know, baby," he says, laughing when you cum around him

he follows soon after, not bothering to pull out cause he knows you enjoy the feeling of him filling you up

iwaizumi rolls off of you, taking a second to stare up at the ceiling. he knows the others will rip into him when they find out

reaching for his phone, he decides to get it over with before he helps you clean up.

©sugawarassoulmate 2023 all rights reserved - please do not repost/translate my work on other platforms!

[really-fanny-longbottom]

second chance

rhysand x reader (platonic), rhysand x feyre | rhysand tells feyre about his favorite person. warnings: mentions of blood/abuse (nothing descriptive), reader doesn't make a appearance. words: 2.4k a/n: hi! so this is my first fic ever. english is not my first language, so sorry if there's any misspelling. i've been wanting to publish this for a while but didn't have the courage but i finally got it, so here you go.

series masterlist | general masterlist

it was her fourth day in velaris, and feyre still couldn't believe how beautiful and magical the city of starlight was.

it felt like a dream that she could not wake up from, too good to be real, but there she was, staring out the window one more time.

the little noise from her stomach made her break her gaze and remind her that she hadn't had breakfast yet.

feyre looked at the city one last time and then made her way to the dining room where rhysand was already waiting for her.

he was immaculate as always in his black attire and with his perfect styled hair.

rhysand was sipping on his tea as feyre made her way towards the table, took a seat, and started serving herself.

"how did you sleep?" rhysand asked while he looked at feyre pouring food on her plate like he was assessing if it was enough or not.

"very well," feyre responded while meeting his gaze. "the city is beautiful, i couldn't stop looking at the view." she admitted after a moment of silence.

"thank you. i take pride in it," he respondend while giving another sip on his tea.

geyre looked at his hand and noticed the little mark that lay in the space between his thumb and his index finger.

she had noticed that mark before but was never close enough to understand what it was.

now that she was sitting right next to him, she realized that it wasn't just a simple mark but tooth bites.

"are those tooth bites?" she asked while pointing at his hand.

rhys took a look at his hand, and a genuine smile appeared at his lips while setting his cup back on the table. "yes, they are."

feyre couldn't help her curiosity, and before she lost her courage, she asked, "how did you get them? pissed someone off?"

rhys chuckled, "actually, a little girl did it," he said with nothing but amusement in his voice while he stared at the mark.

shock and confusion settled on feyre's face at his words, but the love in rhys eyes and his smile while still looking at the mark, probably from remembering the memories from how he got them, didn't went unnoticed by her.

"a little girl bit you? what do you mean?" feyre asked him again.

she was so intrigued at this new information that she completely forgot about her breakfast.

never breaking his smile, rhys looked up again and met her gaze "well, she's not a little girl anymore but she was at the time she gave me these" he said while gesturing to his hand.

he chuckled again. "it's a long story."

feyre didn't even hesitate to respond, "i love stories, and now that i'm immortal, i have nothing but time, so please tell me about this little girl that bit you. i like her already." she finished with a smile playing on her lips.

rhys gave a big laugh that went around the room, and in that moment, feyre wanted to make him laugh more often just so she could hear that sound again.

still with a smile on his lips, rhys replied, "her name is y/n, she's my little sister."

another set of shock and confusion settled at her face.

he had another sister?

she remembers rhys telling about his mother and sister, about what happened to them at the hands of Tamlin's family, but he never mentioned your name before.

so why didn't she meet you yesterday at dinner with the rest of the inner circle?

feyre went through her memories from last night's dinner, trying to remember if at any point one of them had mentioned your name, but she came up with nothing.

seeing her confusion, rhys explained, "you didn't meet her yesterday because y/n it's not in velaris at the moment. she's in winter court taking care of some matters for me, but she returns today, so you will meet her in few hours."

"why didn't you mention her yesterday when you talked about your mother and your other sister?" feyre asked, trying to understand why were you kept a secret until now.

rhys smile faded, and a hint of sadness made his way into his features "y/n it's not my biological sister. when i met her, i was already high lord, and a century had passed since my family's deaths."

"how did you meet her then?" feyre asked, her voice a little more quiet after the mention of rhys family.

rhys gave a long sigh before answering. "me, cassian, and azriel found her one night. we were returning from one of the illyrian camp's, i don't know why but we decided to fly that night instead of winnowing like we always did but i'm glad we did otherwise we wouldn't have found her. on the flight back, one of Azriel's shadows detected movements near our border, so we decided to go check."

Feyre noticed that rhys got distant, like he was probably remembering that night as he spoke.

he looked at her before continuing, "when we got there, we immediately smell blood. there wasn't a lot, but there was enough for the scent to linger in the air. we followed the scent, and that's when we found her. laying on the floor, her eyes closed, not moving, and her dress had blood all over."

feyre gasped, and rhys continued. "she was so small and so skinny, we thought she was dead. but then, like she read our thoughts, she moved. So i tried to approach her, and when i touched her shoulder, she turned around so fast that i barely noticed and bit my hand." rhys laughed at that, and the air became lighter.

feyre couldn't help but laugh at the thought of a little girl biting the hand of the most powerful high lord in prythian's history.

"and after that?" feyre asked, amusement in her voice.

"after that," rhys said while laughing more, "she got up and started running. cassian tried to catch her, but she dogde and kicked him in the nuts."

"what?!" feyre said, disbelief all over her face and a big smile on her lips.

"yep," rhys confirmed, "she kicked him right there before passing beneath his legs and lauching at azriel. he tried to catch her too but also failed. she managed to grab az's leg and ripped truth teller from his hip right before pointing it at us." rhysand concluded with the biggest smile on his face.

for a split second, feyre could've swear he looked like a proud father.

feyre gasped again before replying, "no way! she actually did that?" she asked, shocked, and when he nodded, she asked again, "how old was she?"

rhys started laughing again and shaking his head. "seven. she was seven and was able to make three full-grown illyrians males feel like stupids."

still to this day, rhys couldn't believe how you managed to dumbfound the three of them.

feyre couldn't hold her laughter. "what happened after?"

rhys locked eyes with her, amusement written all over his features. "you mean after she humiliated us?" Feyre gave a big belly laughter while nodding her head. "i said we weren't going to hurt her. she didn't quite believe us, so i went inside her head and saw what led her there."

feyre's smile faded when she noticed how serious rhys got and how a flash of anger passed his face.

"what was it?" feyre asked, afraid of the answer but wanting to know any way.

rhys looked at his mark again, "she ran away from home. her stepfather was abusive and used to hit her. her mother died when she was just a baby, and she never met her father, so it was just the two of them. one day, she decided it was enough and ran."

by the cauldron, feyre couldn't even begin to imagine what you had to went through so young.

sure her life wasn't easier either but at least no one ever hited her. you must've been so scared.

"what happened to the male?" feyre needed to ask — she needed to know.

rhys didn't tear his eyes from her when he respondend firmly "me, cass and az took care of him, after we found out who that bastard was."

"good," feyre replied whitout a trace of regret from her words, "and the blood on her clothes? from that night?" feyre wondered, praying for that abusive male not be the caused of it.

"it was from the wounds she got while running away. we found her barefoot, and the dress she wore wasn't enough to protect her skin." rhys said.

feyre released a breath she didn't know she was holding, somehow relieved that the wounds weren't for a worse reason.

"how did you bring her here? you said she was pointing truth teller to the three of you." feyre said.

"she was," rhys said with a smile returning to his face. "i got into her mind again and put her to sleep. she had no mind shields at the time, so it was easy."

feyre noticed how he said 'at the time', so she had to ask, "did you teach her how to create mind shields?"

"i did." rhys smiled, a proud look in his face. "i also taught her how to read and write." rhys added with a sarcastic smile all over his lips while looking at her with amusement.

feyre laughed and reciprocated the look, "let me guess. you told her to write 'rhysand is the best high lord ever' and 'rhysand is the most handsome high lord ever'. am i right?"

rhys gave a big belly laughter "no."

feyre gave him a look telling him that she didn't believe him for a second.

rhys laughed again before saying "i told her to write 'rhysand is much stronger than cassian' and 'rhysand is much smarter than azriel', things like that." rhys concluded, still laughing.

feyre noticed the love and the pride in his eyes and couldn't help but look at him with admiration.

noticing the way she looked at him, he asked, "why are you looking at me like that?"

without a second thought, she said, "you really love her, don't you?"

surprise passed in his eyes before replying, "yes. Very much. i basically raised her. me and the rest of the inner circle, of course, but mostly me and cassian."

rhys paused for a moment looking at the window, a sad smile settled in his lips before returning his look to feyre.

"y/n is my second chance. losing my sister was one of the most painful things i ever had to go through but y/n," rhys paused, looking at the bite marks again "she helped me heal that part of me. she's the best thing that ever happened to me and to my inner circle. finding her that night feels like a blessing, like the mother gave me another chance, and i'm not going tolose her this time. she's cassian second chance too, you know? after losing his mother the way he did, y/n helped heal that part of him, too."

feyre nodded, somehow understanding his feelings. for a few moments, she wondered what it would be like to have a relationship like that with her sisters.

"so what is her position in your inner circle?" feyre questioned, thinking why were you in winter Court.

"she's my emissary. usually, she doesn't go to others' courts alone, azriel's always by her side," rhys said it with a certain amusement in his voice before he continued "but she was born in winter and has a very good relationship with kallias. i trust him and i know he would never hurt her," rhys scoffed, "gods help him if he did."

feyre noticed the amusement in his voice at mention of his brother's name, her curiosity speaking louder, "y/n and azriel?"

thys snorted, "honestly, i don't know. sometimes they flirt with each other but i don't know if it's just for fun or not. their relationship was never like ours. while me and cass always saw her as our little sister, azriel always saw her more like a friend and y/n too. she always saw him as a friend and as someone to run to when cass and i started acting too much like dads to her."

feyre snorted and caught rhys looking at his hand again.

she saw him caressing the mark and wondered, "why didn't it heal?"

rhys understood what she meant without taking his eyes from his hand.

"i don't know, but i'm glad it never did. this," he said while gesturing his hand in the air, "is what kept me sane and going during all those years under the rule of amarantha."

feyre gave him a small smile, and before she could say something again, cassian entered the room in a rush.

"am i interrupting something? he asked.

rhys was quick to reply, "no, you're not. what is it?"

cassian had the biggest smile on his face, "our little star is back. she decided to come home earlier and arrived a few minutes ago. she's at the house."

rhys face lights up at this new information and is quick to stand with the warmest smile on his lips."finally."

feyre notices his shoulders relaxing, like a pressure was taken of from them.

feyre asked, confused. "little star?"

cassian and rhysand answered at the same time, "y/n."

feyre let's a giggle escape her at the cute nickname they have for you.

"well," rhys held out a hand, and feyre was quick to grab it. "would you like to meet her?"

feyre snorted, "would i like to meet the girl who bit your hand, kick Cassian in the nuts, and stole azriel's precious dagger? yes. yes, i would." feyre replied like it was the obvious thing in the world.

cassian laughed. "seriously, rhys? out of all of the stories that there is about y/n. you had to tell that one?"

rhys could only laugh and shake his head. "i know, i know."

rhys looked at feyre again. "shall we? i don't want to stay one more minute without seeing her."

cassian snorted. "cauldron, you're such a dad. it's only been six days."

rhys gave him an unfazed look. "like you weren't acting the same."

cassian scoffed. "shut up. now let's go before mor drags her to go shopping."

rhys laughed, knowing very well that his cousin is absolutely doing that.

he looks at feyre one more time, love, and affection all over him. "ready to meet my favorite person?"

feyre nodded at him before answering, "ready."

a/n: thank you for reading!

dividers by @cafekitsune

[alicenchanted]

I love your Taryn series so much. I have a request you're free to reject. Would you do Nyx being outright rejected by his mate, completely refusing to give him a chance (Elucien style but unlike Elain, no trauma reasoning is involved) and the IC discussing it? He could potentially go insane over this so I am really curious about whether they would meddle. You could make her anyone at all, just not directly approachable so some High Lord's daughter, maybe Eris?

Lords of Choice, Part 1

Eris Vanserra’s Daughter X Nyx Archeron

Summary: Eris Vanserra's daughter Enid attends the Winter Solstice revel in the Hewn City to show respect to the Night Court. After finding out her mate is Nyx Archeron, she finds her respect slowly running dry. Her attempts to reject the bond spark concerns amongst the Courts, and their leaders most of all.

Pairings: Broken Mating Bond!! Nyx x Vanserra!OC, Feyre x Rhysand, Nesta x Cassian, Elain x Azriel

Word Count: 5,652

Warnings: mentions of groping, but nothing really terrible

Author's Note: Hello guys! This was my very first request so I hope I did it justice!! I absolutely loved taking this prompt, thank you so much lovely anon. I wanted to post the first bit so you don’t think I forgot about you bc this is lowkey getting long. Enid Vanserra is an original character. She and Nyx are both adults in this fic, which probably means second century of life? Idk Fae math. Also, I typically favor Elucien, but Elriel just worked too well for this fic... but no spoilers for part two. This is a little indulgent and slice of life-y but i couldn't help myself oops

Read on Ao3

“Agh, not so tight, Dad-” 

Eris clicked his tongue at the grumble. “Hush now, it's almost perfect. And remember, you call me ‘father’ once we’re in the Court of Nightmares. ” He teased the strands of deep red hair atop Enid’s head into an elegant knot. She would need it out of the way at a revel, not swishing down past her waist with every twirl. Her hair gleamed, coated in some kind of pomade that smelled like nutmeg and horribly burnt herbs. “There… beautiful.”

“Thank you, father.”

“Better.” He smiled, his expression fond for only a moment, before dropping into a cool indifference. Enid wouldn’t- couldn’t- blame him for the distance her father had to keep from her. The Night Court could see her as his weakness. 

Snow billowed outside the window of the Autumn Court’s manor as Enid made the necessary last minute fixes. Her dress, a satin burnt umber, made her look pale. That was the beauty standard in the Hewn City, where Night fae hated the complexions of those allowed outside the cavernous mountain. Her hair was perfect, pinned with brass leaves and chips of ruby. It was the Winter Solstice, but she felt proud to be a child of Autumn. Eris had an eye for this sort of thing. Elsewhere, it was a mother’s job to prepare a daughter for a gala. Enid did not know her mother, and did not need to. 

Her father was very honest with her about her birth. Her mother was a high fae from the Autumn Court. Enid’s grandfather, the late Beron Vanserra, had coerced her into carrying Eris’s heir. Eris had many brothers, her Uncle Lucien was her favorite, but many of them were forced into the position of soldiers as soon as Eris’s strength gestured to his eventual lordship. A few of his brothers had died on the front lines in the war against Koschei almost a century ago, and the need for Eris to have an heir became urgent.

Not having a mother around didn’t really make a difference in her life, Enid felt. Whatever protective instinct that existed innately for a mother, Eris had ten fold. He was as doting as a hen… aside from the Court revels. 

“Don’t wear those shoes,” Eris scolded, passing into Enid’s bedroom to chide her. “You’ll look like a fool. Wear these.” He held out a pair of slippers. “They’re enchanted,” he said proudly, a smug grin on his face that told her he knew exactly how perfect they were.

As she slid them on, she watched the color change, slowly darkening from a simple brown into the exact same shade of cinnamon as her dress. Enid’s eyes lit up at the sight, and she hugged her father tightly. Eris only indulged her embrace for a minute, but it was enough for her. She cleared her throat and stood up straight. “Thank you, father.”

He smiled, “You’re most welcome, Lady Vanserra.”

She did not bristle at the title, though it felt strange. Would it be High Lady, one day? The idea of leadership plagued her mind as Eris held her arm, winnowing them both to one of the entrances to the Hewn City. 

They stepped through that invisible path through space, entering a snowy grove. Enid watched the white, grassy path in front of them fade into dull rock as they began the descent into the ground. Flickering sconces of cold, bright faelight flickered to life, guiding them into the mountain’s heart. She looked up at her dad- father, but he stared ahead, his eyes trained on the ballroom ahead of them. Eris was a picture of unyielding strength, everything she herself wanted to be when- if- she were one day High Lady. 

As of right now, there was only one High Lady in the seven courts of Prythian. Enid made eye contact with her as they entered the ballroom. Feyre Archeron. She sat atop a throne of onyx, equally as impressive as the High Lord of Night’s throne. The High Lady held Enid’s gaze for a few moments, and she smiled just a little when Enid didn’t back down. And then the Lady’s gaze was elsewhere, searching through the crowd for someone else to torment with her stare. 

Enid felt her father stiffen. It would be imperceptible to the crowd, but not to her. They walked carefully, neatly up a velvet carpet. She had practiced this moment. Eris halted at the end, standing before the Lord and Lady’s thrones. He dipped his chin, a show of respect to his equals, but only Lord Rhysand returned the gesture.  Enid followed suit, curtseying as low as she could without faltering, a gesture proper for her own station. Everything about these ‘revels’ was rigorous social play. Calling it a party, or a festival, was so generous it became a lie. 

Enid watched the entourage of fae behind Rhysand, the Inner Circle. According to her lessons, they would also be required to bow. Eris’s position trumped their own, even if the festival was hosted by their court. Only one did, though. A female that looked similar to Feyre, though much duller in Night Court black. Enid recognized her as her Uncle Lucien’s mate. They had never sealed the bond, though she wasn’t privy to the reason. The Morrigan did not look at Eris, nor did she look at Enid, and she felt her fire rise up in anger. 

But she had practiced this, too. She took a breath as her father pivoted, leading her to the edges of the ballroom, and she let the fire inside her bank into smoke as she exhaled. 

“Make sure you say hello to Lord Keir. I must keep up the pretense of alliship with him, he’s an important asset to Autumn.”

Enid tilted her head in a subtle nod. It was impolite to whisper, but more importantly, Eris didn’t want anyone thinking that their whispers were important. The man to Rhysand’s left… his shadows were spies. They coiled around his broad, scarred wings, searching without eyes. They frightened her. Eris followed her line of sight. He had put distance between them, playing the part of a bored, heartless father who was cursed to have a little brat instead of a son. Despite the distance, he still whispered, “Fire is the greatest fear of those who dwell in darkness, daughter.”

It was the reassurance she needed. She brightened, her spine straightening with pride. They would not dare touch her here. 

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There was something wrong inside the ballroom. Magic. The sharp tang of it filled Nyx Archeron’s nose, and he ducked behind the face of an elegant column. He had a gift for that sort of thing. Wrongness. He was a product of it, after all. Were it not for the Cauldron, he and his mother, his father too, they would have died. Nyx was the product of a bargain, and that made the circumstances of his life wrong. 

He felt a sharp tapping against the bone white shields of his mind. He hated when Feyre used her magic on him. Pulling magical rank on family should have been outlawed centuries ago. 

Nyx reinforced his shields, keeping her out. A few moments later, a dark, shadowy presence tried again. His father, too? How was he supposed to do anything with them breathing down his mind? 

Something was wrong. He felt it pulling in his gut. Tugging at him. He tilted his head around the column, glancing at his parents. They were still atop the dais, but the rest of their Circle had moved into the crowd. They must not have felt it.

It moved. Rather, someone moved. The source of the tugging was across the ballroom, flitting back and forth, weaving through the crowd. It felt dangerous, it felt… hot. Burning. But it wasn’t the kind of burning that ate and ate until everything was gone. It was low and slow, something that would survive on scraps of whatever it could find. Somehow, he felt that kind of fire was more dangerous. 

He joined the revelry, taking the hand of some nameless high fae. Nyx felt the presence of his parents fade from his mind, a great sigh of power. He must be in the sights of Feyre, or one of his aunts, and thus safe. 

The female in front of him smiled, as flirtatious a look as she could give to someone like him. Nyx smiled back, the dimple in his cheek flashing as he pulled her in by the waist. Whatever it was, the wrongness, someone was carrying it with them on the floor. Nyx slid his hands along the fae’s back, down to her full hips. No secret trove, no deadly artifact or enchanted vials beneath the tulle. He spun her into the arms of another before moving on. 

A lesser fae now. Gauzy wings draped down her back like sparkling cobwebs. She wore a dress that was certainly too scandalous for the Winter Solstice, but it worked in his favor this time. Nyx grazed her small thigh, his hand slipping under the skirt of her slip briefly. She cawed in delight as his fingers met her bare skin. No deadly ash weapons.  She attempted to run her nails across the sensitive membrane of his wings before he shoved her off, moving to the next. The nerve.

He turned about the room with fae after fae, carefully groping for whatever it was that felt so strange. Nothing.

This wasn’t working. It was time to do what he should have done in the first place, let the High Lord and Lady deal with it.  Nyx was weaving through the throng of fae, crawling back to his parents like a fool, when he bumped straight into Eris. The tugging feeling in his gut grew unbearably hot, and then it simmered out. Wait- that wasn’t Eris, it was a girl. Sometimes Eris looked like a girl from the back, but that was definitely not him. She was too young, too short.

Nyx pushed aside the people around him, keeping his eyes set on her as she moved. He was grateful that the crowd parted for him like water. He didn’t want to use his skills as a daemati right now. It would draw too much attention.

He found the Autumn fae, snatching her wrist up with a firm grip. “Where is it?” 

She looked up at him with momentary shock before her face turned to steel. It reminded him of his Aunt Nesta. The look was cool. She was calculating him. 

“Where is what?” She looked at him as if his title was the only reason she bothered answering. Prince of Night. It had its perks. 

He grabbed her by the waist, skimming his fingers along her ribs. Daggers could be hidden in the boning of a corset. It was a trick the females of his court often employed. He felt proud to know such a secret.

The Autumn fae grabbed his hand, yanking it away from her body. He felt a searing pain bubble beneath his skin. Dim red flame skittered across his wrist, grazing the edge of his sleeve in warning. He snatched his hand back, biting his tongue to keep from bringing attention to it. 

“Give it to me, and I won’t have you executed for treason.”

“Treason? I would have to be a member of your court for that to be my crime.” Whatever- it didn’t even matter what the technical term for it was. He’d have her head on a spike if anyone saw her embarrass him. It was a very beautiful head, though. Stunning, really. He liked her long red hair, the elegant curve of her face. Her eyes…

 He watched those beady black eyes narrow. They were as sharp as coals, but not as sharp as her tone. “I have nothing to give you, run along.”

Who did she think she was? She was younger than him by at least half a century.

“You do realize I’m Crown Prince, right?”

“Do you take me for a fool, Nyx?” The posh apathy in her voice slipped. Fiery. He liked that.

“You’re a fool to lie to me,” he said, dropping his voice the same way his father did when he was threatening someone.

“You’re right about that. And I am not a fool.”

He took a breath, focusing on that feeling deep in his gut. It felt like a natal cord, like something forged along his soul. He gripped it with a shadowy hand. He pulled. The girl flinched and squeezed her eyes shut.

“You do have it!” A few eyes turned his way, and he lowered his voice. He shouldn’t be excited about an assassination attempt on his parents, but maybe they would finally trust him enough to send him out on real work.

He watched the girl clench her fists, grunting in anger at being caught. “I have nothing. What am I supposed to have?”

Nyx clicked his tongue. Each lie would only dig her into a deeper hole, but she didn’t seem to understand that. “If you keep denying it I’ll just have to find out for myself.”

Her brows crinkled in disgust. “Are you going to search me?”

“What? No.” He looked disgusted for a moment. “I would never do that.” He wouldn’t tell her about how he had been doing exactly that only a few moments ago. “I wouldn’t. Not when I can do this…” Nyx brushed against her mind, scaly darkness overtaking it. 

The girl had shields. Thick ones, actually. Surprising. He pushed against them harder, slithered between the thick, ashen brambles until he felt her go still. He must have been improving with his daemati skills. A sudden wave of fear hit her. It was so strong that he somehow felt it, too. Deep in his gut. 

I won’t hurt you, just confess.

A flickering ember billowed into shape, looking more and more like a figure, the girl, with each crackle of light. Nyx watched her soul take shape. This had never really happened before. Not when he practiced on Uncle Cassian, or Morrigan. He was definitely improving, then.

He could see only the vague details of her body, but he did not miss her glaring black eyes. She was remarkably stupid not to be afraid of him. That bothered him for some reason. 

What’s your name?

That’s what you’re going to ask? She looked at him as if he were the stupid one, and he bristled. His shape here was strange. Some kind of beast, black and shiny, scaly but winged. He stretched his wings. They felt far bigger than usual. If you’re going to admire yourself, can you do that outside of my mind?

He rolled his eyes. The spectral ones. He wasn’t even sure what was happening to the real ones right now. 

He turned away from her brightness, looking for her thoughts. Somehow, he couldn’t find the access point. That library full of memories was not reachable from where he was. It was a different space entirely. He could only talk.

He tried to play it cool. She didn’t need to know how royally he was fucking this up. You won’t even tell me your name? That sounds suspicious. I should just hand you over to the High Lord.

Do it.  

Dammit. She wasn’t supposed to call his bluff. Why won’t you just cooperate…

Enid He blinked. The Autumn Court specialized in strange names, then. Something in his core sparked, turning warm again. She shivered a bit, cupping her abdomen. My name is Enid Vanserra. Now will you stop doing that? It’s making me sick. 

Nyx left her mind, drawing back through flame and ember until he was looking at Enid. They were close, nearly shoved together by the press of bodies around them. The music had grown louder, the revel in full swing. Nyx grabbed her by the hips before she could get any ideas about slipping away. “Vanserra?”

“Don’t you know your noble families?”

“Of course I do,” he said flatly. “It’s not my fault you breed like rabbits. There are a million of you. Which Vanserra sired you?”

“Eris,” she said, almost smugly. She was the High Lord’s little brat then. Everyone knew how much Eris hated her. Nyx almost couldn’t blame him. She certainly enjoyed making things difficult. Now nothing made sense, though. Eris was an ally to the Night Court. Even the Court of Nightmares. She would never get away with disturbing the delicate balance of alliship. 

Nyx reached deep inside himself again. That wrongness, it was a cord of pure light. It was easy to find, still remarkably present. He pulled on it again.

Enid gasped, made a small sound that had a blush rising beneath his tanned skin.“Is this some sort of strange trick to make me talk?” she grumbled. 

“You feel that?” He pulled again and she leaned into him, bracing her hands on his shoulders in a mockery of a waltz.

“Yes.” She sent another glowering look his way. “If it’s supposed to hurt, you’re not doing it right.”

Nyx’s eyes narrowed. “I’m taking you to see my pa- The High Lord and Lady.” He wound his fingers around Enid’s wrist, dragging her through the crowd and toward the dais. She didn’t fight him, and he became less and less confident in the idea that she was up to something.

As they approached, he felt her straighten, almost instantly forging herself into fae nobility. Nyx followed a moment later, lifting his wings tight and straight. 

His mother looked at him with a tinge of worry, though only amusement glimmered in his father’s eyes. “Nyx,” Rhysand said. “Lady Vanserra, to what do we owe the pleasure.”

Nyx spoke before she had the chance to, brushing back his dark hair until it was neat. “She has given me reason to be suspicious.”

Enid looked bored. Her gaze was trained on Mor, almost as if playing a game of chicken. Enid was winning. 

“Suspicious?” Feyre said warily. 

Nyx nodded. Now wasn’t the time to be uncertain. “Yes. I can feel the mark of the Cauldron on her. She has something dangerous, maybe something Made.” It sounded better than ‘I don't know exactly but there’s something wrong with her.’ It was a good guess. ‘Wrongness’ was usually the Cauldron’s doing.

Feyre looked to Aunt Nesta, who nodded. Nesta approached Enid carefully, her eyes flickering with liquid silver. Nyx felt a phantom flame breathe in his soul, an echo of the instinctual fire that rose to life in Enid. It was a strange feeling. Wrong. Rhysand watched carefully.

Nesta shook her head a moment later. “I sense nothing Made.” His mother nodded, pleased, but the look on Rhysand’s face was… delighted. Shocked, but delighted. Nyx could almost see the gears winding up in his father’s mind. 

“Mates,” Rhysand breathed.

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“What?” The High Lady of the Night Court sat up in her seat. Enid watched her nostrils flare, scenting the air. She swore, biting at a perfectly manicured nail.

Anxiety rose in her stomach, but she wasn’t sure now if it was her own, or if it belonged to the prince beside her. Nyx Archeron was her mate.

Enid felt the booming footsteps of her father echoing behind her. Eris marched his way up the dais, coming to a halt a few feet behind Enid, though he did not look at her. “Is something wrong, High Lord? Lady?”

“High Lady,” Rhysand corrected. His voice was tight, but she could see the glitter of stars in his eyes. His face smoothed into an almost cocky grin. “Welcome to the family, Eris.” 

Prick… but Enid stayed quiet. She watched her father’s already rigid frame go still, like a petrified tree in an ancient forest. “What do you mean?” Eris said. He sounded calm, but Enid knew he was anything but. 

“Your precious, darling girl is my son’s mate.” Rhysand crooned. “Will we be expecting you at family dinners from now on?” He was deliberately taunting her father, she knew. It was a cover for whatever plans had set themselves into motion behind his eyes.

“No,” the words left Enid’s mouth before she could stop them. It was impolite, but she found herself unable to care. Her father finally looked at her, one eyebrow lifting at the interruption.

She turned back to the High Lord and Lady. Feyre was smiling at her, looking at Enid like she was a little girl that had gotten lost in the woods.“Our families are allies, Enid, and we would be happy to see our courts united,” Feyre said softly, politely.

“No,” Enid repeated. The thought of being anywhere near them… she did not like it. She did not like that they played games with their allies, forcing Eris to stick his neck out at the risk of her Grandfather’s wrath many years ago. She did not like that their women were either caged or turned into weapons. She did not like that their kindness was just as lethal as their rage.

Nyx’s wings flared, the look on his face petulantly irritated. It seemed as though he wanted to speak, but wouldn’t dare interrupt the back and forth taking place in the minds of his parents. 

After a few full seconds of silence, Rhysand propped his arm against the throne, resuming his apathetic surveillance of the crowd. “Enjoy the revel, we’ll be in touch.”

Enid looked at her father. The muscles of his jaw were clenched, though he said nothing. He put a hand on Enid’s shoulder, guiding her off of the dais with a light pressure, but a tight grip.

From behind her, she heard the High Lady mutter, “Stay.” The hesitant rustle of wings told Enid that Nyx had listened. 

Eris led her straight out of the mountain. She felt herself finally able to breathe as they veered onto the rocky path. She wasn’t sure if the pause in her breath was because of her nervousness, or simply the dense air that swelled in the cavernous ballroom. Her father gripped her arm, winnowing them back to the Autumn Court as soon as they were past the mountain’s wards.

“Explain,” was all he said as they tunneled into the den. Fires crackled to life in the hearths of the Vanserra manor. It kept out the cold, but that was only an indirect effect. The hearths were black with soot and ash from every time Eris had needed an outlet for the magic building inside him.

Enid sat down in one of the plush armchairs, sinking into the archaic upholstery. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know.”

Enid just looked at him. She didn’t really know what to say.  

“I suppose this could work for us…” Eris said as he began to pace. He had trained himself on stillness in front of rivals, but in the safety of their home he couldn’t keep himself from muttering. “Hmm, and then they wouldn’t involve themselves… might need to use my bloodhounds… trust her with information.”

She was only able to catch snippets of his whispers, but she quickly grew queasy with the thought of being sent to the Night Court. “Will I have to live there?”

Her father paused, turning to look at her. “Once you are mated you’ll never want to be apart.” He said it so openly, so matter-of-fact. It was as if the Cauldron had already tipped, its rough waters etching her future into stone. 

“I thought we were already mates.” Maybe they were wrong, then? She wasn't at all looking forward to meeting Nyx again.

“Nyx is your mate, yes, but you still have to accept the mating bond.”

“I have to accept it?”

“You don’t want to accept it?” Her father looked at her curiously. 

In all of Enid’s lessons, she hadn’t really been schooled much on mating bonds. She was taught the basics of court partnerships and romantic etiquette, but Eris had made sure to instill a sense of independence in her. He did not want her to be reliant on a male when so many of them were fools. He knew that from personal experience, of course. 

“I don’t know,” Enid said, her voice coming out as a warbled murmur. She had never given thought to finding her mate. She knew one existed for her, as there was for all fae, but finding one’s mate in the vastness of Prythian- let alone all the other fae realms- seemed impossible. 

Eris continued. “Different courts have different traditions regarding the acceptance of the mating bond. The Autumn Court’s tradition is… very dramatic.” He winced a little at the thought. “It’s called the Burning. The female is tied to an oak of the same age as her. She uses her magic to light the tree on fire, and the male must brave her flames to untie her. True mates cannot hurt each other, so if the male comes out unharmed and with his bride in hand, the bond has been accepted.”

“What if he doesn’t?” Enid asked as neutrally as possible, but she swore amusement flashed in her father’s eyes. 

“If the female freely rejects the bond, the protection from her magic fades, and the male will likely run screaming.” His eyes softened, the corner of his lips quirked in a small smile of understanding. “I suppose it would be unwise to have Nyx attempt the Burning?”

Enid trained her eyes on her shoes. She didn’t want to be the cause of ruined relations between courts. The Night Court was often unpredictable, and her rejection could be seen as an insult. After all, she had allowed Nyx no grace period, nor the benefit of slow courtship. She had simply said no, and left.

Eris sat beside her, the fires in the blackened hearths having cooled. “I would never be upset with you for denying a male. The Night Court is known for treating mating bonds as… Cauldron-given rights,” his lip curled, “not that the Autumn Court was any better under my father. Beron’s roots run deep, and our traditions hold fast.” He turned to face Enid. “You are free to make your own decisions. However, I would ask you to consider. You are your own person, but you are also an extension of my court. Unfortunately, I cannot only back your decisions as your father, I must also support them as High Lord, which is far more difficult.” He stood, bending down to press a kiss to her hair. “Take your time, Enid. And rest. The answer will come to you with some reflection. Do not let the flame of your whims guide you, as the Vanserra’s too often do.” He squeezed her shoulder, then left the den. 

The hearths turned to ash.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆

Please, Enid

No

Can I at least come to visit? You won’t even give me a chance…

Nyx watched her fiery form, the image of her along the bond, flicker and sputter out. A pang echoed across the tether of light, twisting in his gut. Enid would not be talking any more today. 

Cassian snapped his fingers in front of Nyx’s face in annoyance, startling him out of that dream-like state. “It’s your turn. Nesta is creaming us, dude.” 

His aunt smirked as her ball bounced against the long table, arcing gracefully before plinking into the center goblet. Liquor swished as the ball sank. Azriel gave Nesta a fist bump. 

Cassian groaned. “Azriel is helping you cheat! I see his shadows moving.” Azriel’s shadows wriggled, as if insulted. 

“We don’t need to cheat,” Nesta said smugly as Cassian lifted the goblet, drinking down sharp liquid. “You would think the Night Court’s General would have better aim.”

Cassian grimaced at his mate. “I should’ve thought twice before inviting you to play a drinking game.” He turned to look at Nyx. “What’s wrong with you today, usually we’re at least tied by now.”

Nyx looked down at the table. His Aunt Nesta and Uncle Azriel had only two goblets left to win. He and his Uncle Cassian still had five. Nyx tucked in his wings defensively, taking the ball from Cassian’s hand. “My turn.”

Cassian shrugged, stepping back to watch as Nyx carefully threw the ball into the polished surface of dark oak. His angle was off, and it merely skittered and rolled over the edge. Cassian groaned. “What was that?”

It was hard to focus. When Nyx had first met Enid on Winter Solstice, he had found it impossible to ignore that strange magic between them. Now, after almost two weeks of her refusal to talk, the cord that linked them felt… tight. His Aunt Elain had even caught Nyx pacing the halls of the River House, nearly ready to fly out to the Autumn Court.

Nesta and Azriel put Cassian out of his misery, each of their balls plunking into the final two goblets as they ended the game. “Drink up,” Azriel said, his shadows still tucked away, holding a grudge. 

Nyx lifted one of the goblets, taking the shot as Cassian finished his own. It slid down with a burn. It wasn’t nearly as satisfying as the burn of Enid’s presence. Cauldron boil him, he was a mess. 

“I’m never playing with you again,” Cassian muttered to Nyx, but Nyx supposed the sentiment was also meant for his Aunt Nesta.

A tinkling sound echoed as the High Lady walked into the room, her silver bangles announcing her presence. “I thought I told you to stay out of the business wing with those games. And stop corrupting my son,” she said snappishly to the Illyrians, but mirth swirled in her eyes as she smiled. This had been his mother’s only dream. A family that stuck together, that truly lived. 

“The tables in the personal wing aren’t as big,” Cassian said with a grin. Azriel grabbed one of Feyre’s fancy hand towels from Cesere, wiping down spatters of alcohol from the glossy table. “And Azriel will gladly clean it all up,” Cassian added cheerfully. 

Feyre only rolled her eyes, turning to Nyx. “Any luck?”

A blush crept across Nyx’s cheeks, his tan skin flushed with rose. His mother had a habit of being nosy. “No,” he said sheepishly. “Not yet.”

Her eyes narrowed as she pulled Nyx into a hug, pushing his face into the shoulder of her soft, cable-knit sweater. “I’ll have Rhys visit the Autumn Court.”

“Not yet,” Nyx insisted. He kept himself from tugging on the bond, from calling to her. It was embarrassing.

“Eris needs to keep that girl in line.” Feyre turned to Nesta, “Or you could go, Nesta.” His mother smirked. “Eris tried to make her his bride once, you know. That would’ve worked out poorly for you, Nyx.”

Nyx stepped back from his mother’s hug with a grimace, but he smiled a little when he saw his Aunt bristle. “If you send me,” Nesta said, “the Autumn Court might declare war.”

Yes, Nyx thought, maybe sending a Valkyrie to his mate’s front door was a bad idea.

Nyx watched Azriel straighten as Elain walked through the door, a smile brushing his lips. Elain glided to his side, and he took one of her hands in his own, the scarred flesh of his fingers gently caressing her knuckles. “Dinner is almost ready,” Elain said. She noticed the charged energy of the room, cocking her head to the side. “Is something the matter?”

Feyre pursed her lips. “The Vanserras. Always causing trouble.” 

Elain nodded, but it was a contemplative gesture, not one of agreement. Nyx had met his Aunt Elain’s mate before. Lucien Vanserra was one of the High Lord’s surviving brothers, and he occasionally came to visit Elain and Feyre. Though Elain had never fallen in love with Lucien, they were friendly with each other, and talked often. 

Nyx waited for Aunt Elain to speak, but she didn’t, only adding after a few minutes that they should all reconvene in the kitchen. 

Rhysand was already seated, nodding his thanks to the disappearing wraiths that had helped Elain cook. “I’ll go tonight, Nyx,” his father said by way of greeting. It seemed Feyre had already filled Rhys in, likely through their mating bond.

This time, Nyx did not object. He gripped his own bond, deep inside himself, wanting to see if Enid would answer. One more chance, he thought. Once his father went, hell would likely be raised by the High Lords. The line inside him was cold, but she couldn’t avoid him forever. Maybe it really was time for the court to intervene.

Rhysand’s brows furrowed as he saw pain flicker in Nyx’s blue eyes. They were soft and gentle, exactly like his mother’s.  “I’m sure this is all due to some misunderstanding. Who knows what kind of vitriol Eris has spewed to her.”

Nyx nodded, settling into one of the plush seats at the dining table. He folded his wings around the back, letting the cartilage rest against the carved wood. “Wings up,” his father chided. “It looks lazy.”

Cassian and Azriel snickered. “You sound just like your mom, Rhys,” Cassian said. Nyx watched his father smirk, chewing thoughtfully on the roast duck carefully plated before him. 

“My mother always knew everything,” Rhysand said proudly. Nyx barely listened, staring at his plate, digging the tongs of his fork into duck meat. It was perfectly cooked, well seasoned, but he couldn’t eat it. His stomach turned.

Azriel nodded to Rhys and Feyre, “As mothers always do.” 

Feyre played with her wedding band, smiling quietly to herself.  She seemed determined to keep their little family together. Perhaps a family was all Enid needed. He hoped that was the case.

Part 2

[aperrywilliams]

Under the Rain (Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader)

(Not my gif. Credits to the creator!)

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Author Masterlist

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Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader.

Summary: Reader is waiting for Spencer in a restaurant to celebrate their 2nd anniversary. What happens when Spencer doesn't show up?

Word Count: 2.3k

Warnings: Angst with a happy ending. Spencer fucked up but Reader loves him.

A/N: It's winter on this side of the world, and the rain makes me kind of sad.

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Is there anything worse than your boyfriend standing you up in a fancy restaurant on your 2nd anniversary? Yes, being stood up by your boyfriend in a fancy restaurant on your 2nd anniversary day while outside it’s raining cats and dogs.

That's worse. And pathetic.

You feel pathetic, sitting in that chair, all dolled up and waiting. You arrived at 19:30, and now your watch reads 20:45. No sight of Spencer.

What the fuck?

He was the one who suggested a romantic dinner in this very restaurant. He was the one who told you to make reservations. How could he forget it? You knew there wasn’t an active case. The very Penelope told you it was paperwork day when you texted her in the afternoon.

In the past hour, you dialed his number several times. You were worried at some point: what if something terrible happened to him? But you know bad news travels fast, so you assumed he didn’t show up just because he forgot. Deep down, you wanted there to be another explanation because if he only forgot, that would strengthen the idea of how little you mean to him.

Sensing the pitiful looks the hostess and the waitress sent you occasionally, you only wanted to dig a hole and disappear.

When the clock marked 21:00, you gave up. You asked the hostess for your coat and left the place completely silent.

The rain pouring outside was the perfect scenario for your current mood. You thought about calling a cab in front of the restaurant, but you only wanted to be far from that place as soon as possible, so you started to walk in the rain.

Goodbye to the stylish hairstyle that took you hours to achieve. Goodbye to the makeup you put so much effort into doing.

Striding along the sidewalk, you made sure to step on each water puddle you found along the way as you recalled every moment in the past months you felt Spencer away from you. And not only physically as when he was in a case. It was more than that. It was each morning he didn’t say I love you before leaving your shared apartment. It was each text he didn’t send telling you he was coming home or leaving for a case. It was each coffee you didn't share in the morning. It was each animated chat in the middle of the night you didn't have.

Were you being dramatic? You knew Spencer’s tendency to distract and engage in whatever his job could present him. In any other circumstances, you could have understood. Not tonight, though. Not when it was supposed to be your night together celebrating this milestone. The two years of love you thought were strengthening your relationship. How blind you have been. How naive.

You kept wandering on the streets with no destination. You didn’t want to come back to the apartment. You didn’t know where else to go either. So you kept walking.

-

Spencer Reid is a man with an eidetic memory. Everybody knows that. He can remember every piece of information people usually wouldn’t recall. He knows almost everything about anything. But even with his big brain, he sometimes has trouble keeping track of his own life. Like today.

Engrossed in a pile of manila folders from old cases, he lost time. A task meant to take just an hour or so kept him occupied and entertained for almost four hours. Emily’s voice was the only thing that brought him back from those files to reality.

“You still here?” Emily asked with a frown. Spencer looked at her oddly.

“Yeah. I was looking for patterns in our last cases in the northwest. What Tara said about the mixed murder weapons sounded familiar to me,” he explained before rubbing his eyes. He didn't notice how tired he felt until Emily interrupted him.

“Spencer, it’s almost 10 pm. And there is no active case. You can resume this tomorrow. I even thought you had plans today?”

‘10 pm’ and ‘plans today’ was enough to bring Spencer to realization.

“Fuck!” He yelped, jumping from his seat and freezing immediately, not knowing what to do.

“What?” Emily asked, seeing the panic in Spencer’s eyes.

“Shit. Shit. Shit,” he repeated over and over as he reached for his phone in his satchel.

“What is it, Reid?”

“Emily. I was supposed to be in a restaurant with (Y/N) tonight! It’s - uh - it’s our second anniversary,” he, visibly embarrassed, finished the sentence.

Emily shut her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Are you fucking kidding me, Reid? How on earth do you forget something like that?”

“I don’t know! I - I don’t really know. Fuck. I’m an asshole!” He checked the phone: twenty missing calls. Why he left it on mute?

“Stop complaining and do something! Come on! Move your ass out of here if you want a chance of not being precisely kicked in the ass by her,” Emily instructed. She knew Spencer needed directions when he was freaking out.

Spencer rechecked his watch. It read 10:05 pm.

Swearing under his breath, he dialed your number, which went straight to voicemail. Putting his coat on, he tried again while rushing to the elevator. Maybe you were still at the restaurant? Getting in the first cab he found, Spencer headed there.

Once he arrived, he asked the hostess about you. The girl told him you left after 9 pm.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

He called you again with no success. This time you turned off your phone. Spencer’s stomach was a knot, and his heart hurt imagining you sitting alone, waiting for him.

Were you at home? Spencer guessed you wouldn't want to see him, so it was less probable. Should he go there anyway and wait for you? No. You deserved better than that. He would look for you even if it could take all night. Taking a cab, he decided to check the apartment - just in case - and grab his car keys.

As expected, you weren’t in the apartment. Spencer faced the darkness and coldness of the place, and a chill ran down his spine—the fear of losing you forever.

In the car, he thought, where you could be. It was still raining, and Spencer feared you were getting soaked and frozen, God knows where.

It was at this kind of moment Spencer wanted his eidetic memory, and all the knowledge in his brain could help to compensate for the dose of common sense he lacked.

‘Come on, Spencer. Think. For once in your life, do it for what is really important for you.’

-

Spencer parked and rushed out of the car, hoping his hunch was correct. He was in a park. Not any park, though. It was where he met you three years ago—where his life changed forever and for the better for once.

You were in a swing, moving softly back and forth, your feet touching the ground. Your eyes focused on the rain collecting in the nook you created with your feet in the mud.

“(Y/N)!” Spencer called once he spotted you. The rain muffled the sound of his voice.

Your eyes didn’t leave the ground. At first, you thought you were imagining things. It could have been wishful thinking that your boyfriend really cared about you. He called again, and now your brain obliged your eyes to look toward the voice’s source.

Spencer was in a corner where the park's playground began. He was looking at you and wanted to run to you, but the fear you could run away made him stay there, as the rain dampened him.

The sight of you broke him. You were utterly soaked. Your coat and lovely black dress were ruined, and your face with traces of smeared makeup. He could even spot your bloodshot eyes, swollen from crying.

He caused that. And Spencer hated himself for it.

Seeing you didn't say anything, barely acknowledging his presence, Spencer dared to take some steps forward. Your numb body didn't even flinch.

“(Y/N). I’m sorry,” were his first words. Expectable but useless for you. “I fucked it up. I’m sorry. I should have been there. I wanted to be there with you,” he apologized, giving a few steps closer to you. Not looking at him, you mumbled.

“But you weren’t. And if you really wanted to have been there, you would have.” Your voice was low and husky. You sounded tired and defeated. It was worse for Spencer. For him, you should be yelling. Telling him how hurting you were. How an asshole he was.

“Baby, there is no excuse for what I did. The last thing I want in my life is to hurt you. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Spencer’s voice broke with each word.

What had he done? Why? How can he be so stupid? He loves you. You’re the most important person in his life, so why did he do that to you? How can he fix it?

Still not looking at him, you spoke again.

“I can’t understand, Spencer. It was our anniversary. You were the one who suggested doing it,” you remind him. He nodded, kneeling in front of you. It didn’t matter the mud, and it didn’t matter the rain still falling. Spencer needed to look at your eyes to explain himself.

“I’m an idiot. I lost track of time and forgot,” he mumbled. You held up your head and finally looked at him.

“You forgot? So it's true I’m not that important to you,” you concluded sadly. Spencer’s eyes widened.

“No! Don’t say that!” he pleaded.

“Am I wrong? I don’t think so.” Your chin wobbled, but you needed to say it. “I know your job is important, Spencer. I do. And I never wanted to compete with that because I thought I didn’t have to. But after these past months, I think I need to get used to the idea I lost you already,” you acknowledged with a pained sob betraying you. It was the pang of the meaning behind your own words.

The memories of the past months flashed before Spencer's eyes. And there he saw it. The kisses he didn't give you, the 'I love you' he didn't tell you. The nights he didn't sleep by your side—all the things he has been missing.

He realized that although he never doubted his love for you, he stopped nurturing it and took it for granted.

Crying, he took your hands, and by divine grace, you didn't push him away.

No words he could say would be enough to convey how sorry he was. But he needed to try because he didn’t want to lose you. You needed to know he loved you and that you owned his heart. You needed to know he just realized he made a mistake, and he wants to fix it.

“The first time I saw you in this very place, you were slowly swaying in this exact spot with your eyes focused on the book in your hands. I was so mesmerized that I never thought I would get the nerve to talk to you, you know? But I did. And when I saw the warm look you gave me when I asked you if you had read the author's biography, I felt my heart warming as never before. And when I heard your laugh after I clumsily tried to flirt with you? I swear it was the sound I wanted to hear for the rest of my life,” Spencer confessed, eyes sparkling at the memory. You fondly recalled it too. You never liked to talk with strangers all of a sudden, but with Spencer? It felt natural and right.

“You let me in in your life. You opened your heart to me and taught me how to do that too. You realized I’m not the best student in those matters, though,” he chuckled, seeing your nod.

“Despite that, you believed in me. You gave me a chance to love you, and I swear loving you has been the most natural thing that has ever happened to me. You have made me so happy (Y/N). You have no idea. And that is the problem. I have not known how to love you the way you deserve. I hadn't realized what I was doing. I'm sorry. I spent much of my life fending alone, not walking with anyone by my side. And I know that does not excuse my behavior. Even so, I dare to ask for an opportunity to prove you do not have to compete with my job. Give me a chance to prove to you I can be better. I can be the man who deserves your love. Please let me gain back your love and the privilege to hear you laugh again."

Spencer was almost out of breath when he was done speaking. You mulled in his words as his hands enveloped yours, patiently awaiting your response. Would you give him a chance?

As the rain continued pouring down, your eyes focused on him, still kneeling before you with hopeful eyes.

You know he loves you. Even if he needs to be better at proving it to you. And you love him even if you feel hurt for what he did. You both would have to work to make it work. You both deserved the chance, though.

The answer to his question was clear then.

You hopped off the swing and kneeled, not releasing his hands grasp and pulling him to catch his lips with yours. He kissed you back with everything he had. When both parted, you smiled at him, and Spencer was trying to figure out what that meant. You spoke to make it clear.

“Please, just don't make me regret being in this same place three years ago.”

Spencer earnestly shook his head.

“I won’t. I promise,” he told you before kissing you again under the rain.

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Spencer Reid's Taglist: @dreatine​ @nomajdetective @jayyeahthatsme @rosalinasam2 @averyhotchner @tvandfanfic​ @lovelyxtom @princessmiaelicia @pastelbabygirl19 @reidsbookclub @alexxavicry @gspenc @spencerreidisbae123 @calmspencer @pauline5525mgg @disaster-in-waiting @anamiad00msday @milivanili99 @laylasbunbunny @leahblackk @miaxx03 @missabsey @taintedstranger

[mjr-acourtofdreams]

Didn't Love Me. I Ain't No Fool.

Azriel x Y/N

warnings: angst...? I don't know if there is anything else?

summary: you meet Feyre at the paint studio you two clicked right away and became good friends, soon enough you got to meet the rest of the IC and started forming friendships with them. Azriel and you had a spark at the beginning or at least you thought you did... you two started seeing each other shortly after, keeping each other company in the deep hours of the night and telling each other the darkest parts of each other, he said he loved you but oh how things couldn't have been anymore different...

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Winter Solstice a time where we gather with our family and friends to exchange gifts, drink and visit with each other it is a wonderful time of the year, it has always been my favorite time of the year... been.

Everyone has made their way back to their rooms for the night dinner went well lots of laughs and stories told. I am not exactly part of the inner circle but after becoming great friends with Feyre she invited me to a family dinner one time and the rest is history, these people are like my family now. I picked up my glass and took the last sallow. I was the last one in the living room making my way back to my room, I changed into some comfortable night clothes and was about ready to rest for the night when I remembered I forgot some gifts that I didn't put under the tree.

Making down the hallway with the arm full of gifts I stopped dead in my tracks has I heard hush talking coming from bottom of the stairs slowly making my way the top of the stairs I peeked down staircase my whole body teased, there standing was Azriel and Elain. They were so close oh so close to each bout ready to kiss, I can smell the arousal from here it was too much I took a step back feeling a hard body behind me glancing form the corner of my eye I seen Rhys then I felt him trying to get past my mental shields I drop them "go to you room y/n." I gave him a small nod and sped walked to my room and locked the door behind me.

~~

I shouldn't be upset about what had happened I have seen the way he looked at Elain and how he started to get closer to her and seeing me less and less. We were never really an official thing I mean we talked a lot and we slept together, and I would be crazy not to say it wasn't the best sex I had in a while but with all of the bonding that we had and a strong friendship even if was with benefits I would be lying if I said I didn't form feelings for the shadow singer. The deal was sold one night after he snuck into my room after a mission, and we spent the night together we didn't just have sex we made love and after we cuddle close to each other before he drifted off to sleep, he told me he loved me I believed him. What a fool I was to let him break those walls of mine to let me fall for him, I know better now.

I stood in front of the mirror looking at the work I put into this outfit a smiling being bought on my face. I wore a black gown that had sparkles all the way through it that looked like starlight, with slits coming up both legs and stopping at my hips, the back was open while the straps gently wrapped around my neck with a soft chain then it drops down to a plugging neck line, my eyes were done with a smokey look and my hair was pinned off to one side and my natural waves danced across my back. Tonight, everyone is going out to Rita's it seems like it's been forever since I see them all together it will be nice to catch up with them all and with the news a heard from Feyre a couple weeks ago, she told me that Azriel and Elaine made it official to everyone. Since that night I caught them in the hall I decided to completely stop going over there and seeing them other than Feyre but that is going to change because I miss the friendships, I formed those amazing people and it look those weeks or months to build myself back up from the heart break if that was even worth calling what Azriel and I had it was just one siding but now since back to a better self and not going to go crawling back to a man that clearing never really truly wanted me, he is going to truly see what he is missing.

Short time passed and stood in front of the packed bar the music and laughter poured out to the empty streets taking a deep breath I made my way to the door. It didn't take me long to spot the whole inner circle in the booth they always sit at while here, looking them all over before I make my way to them, I seen Aziel and Elaine sitting to close together there wasn't room to even breath through and he had his arm flung around her shoulders she was resting her head in his side while he smiled down at her fondly I let a small hurt smile flash across my face and shake my head realizing right there that didn't love me and never did.

Azriel POV

Smiling down at Elaine while she leaned into my side I glance back up to where Cassin was going on about the building he destroyed in summer when my eyes landed on and focused on the figure that was making their way over to our table blinking and swallowing hard, I realized that it was y/n straighten up and slide my arm from Elaines side and sit up and looked me with questionable face but I couldn't take my eyes off of y/n as she comes to the table she looked absolutely divine, I haven't seen or heard from her since solstice and I haven't been able to seek her out busy with missions and well Elaine, oh Elaine glancing over to her on my side she was now talking to Mor on the other side of her.

"Hello everyone!" the sweet voice that was sweet has honey now sounds like it has been hardened. Feyre jumped up and pulled y/n into a hug. "I'm so glad you came!" Feyre's smiled beamed at her friend y/n's smile matched hers but there was less sparkle in those beautiful eyes, she slid into the booth right across from me I couldn't take my eyes off of her something felt like it was pulling me towards her even my shadows wanted to leave their master to go to her sides. I cleared my throat it all of a sudden feel dry, to dry. "Hello" she picked up her drink and slowly took a drink and looking down into the glass "How are you?" I tried again to get her attention one of my shadow flew over the tabletop and wrapped around her wrist she glanced up them looking straight into my eyes it felt like she was looking into my soul cutting right through me. "Hello, shadowsinger." there was ice in her voice I felt my body flinch at the coldness in it, this wasn't right I shake my head and looked her back in the eyes "what is going on with you, haven't seen you in weeks, months and you are so cold." I paused and looked her watching her face for any changes she let out a small low chuckle that sounded more like a huff like she hasn't laugh forever then she looked at me the hurt in her eyes were too much to bare to look at then she spoke with no emotion in her voice at all "well, that what happens when love lets you down." she stood from her spot and walked away through the crowded and I felt it then something shattered into a million pieces and I couldn't stop the tears from falling.

[masonmontz]

hello :) everyone agrees that mason is a girl dad, right?

REMEMBER: english is not my first language

dad!mase, fluff word count: 1,2k

it was inspired by a tiktok i saw a few days ago, but i couldn't find the link for you :(

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

“Good morning sleeping beauty.” You picked Annie up when she appeared in the kitchen, she clung to you, still sleepy. “Did you sleep well?” 

“Yes mummy.” She yawned, and you smiled at her messy hair, the same color as Mason's. “I'm hungry.” 

You sat her down on the chair, and you were drinking tea and reading a book, like you used to do almost every morning while Annie was still sleeping and Mason had already left for training. 

“Do you want eggs? Or bread?” You asked her, and she spent a few seconds thinking. 

“Eggs.” 

Annie is already four years old and she is the smartest little girl you'd ever seen. She is identical to Mason, the eyes, the mouth, the hair color and they even had a birthmark in the same place.

Mason is completely in love with her, she is the sparkle in his eyes. His little girl. 

You had a little chat with Annie for a bit while you made her breakfast, and she loved to talk, even when she didn't know all the words yet, anyone could communicate with her. 

“What day is it today?” She asked and you looked at her blankly, because Annie still has no idea of ​​days or hours. 

“Today is Saturday, honey. You don't have school today.” You placed the plate with eggs in front of her, sitting next to her in another chair to wait while she ate breakfast.

Her eyes welled up when you told her what day it was. 

“Daddy told me he was going to take me to training with him when Saturday came.” You sighed as you remembered the deal she made with Mason, but she was sleeping so soundly when Mason was changing for training that you didn't want to wake her up to say goodbye to him. The day was cold and it would be bad to take her out of the house to go to Carrington with Mason. 

“Oh, honey, daddy didn't want to wake you up.” You ran your hand over her face, noticing how upset she was that she hadn't gone with him. “It's so cold outside, you and daddy can have a movie afternoon when he gets home.” 

“But he promised he would take me with him to training.” Her voice was shaky and you felt sad for her, you just wanted to comfort your little girl.

“I know, but daddy goes to training almost every day, so he can take it when winter is over, what do you think?” You ran your hand through her hair and left a kiss on her cheek, seeing that she still wasn't convinced and was sad because her daddy didn't take her with him. 

“We can cook together today, what do you think? And then we can watch some movies. Would that cheer you up?” You asked as Annie went back to eating the eggs you made for her, and she nodded, still with a sad look on her face.

✦‎۟    ࣭   ⊹

“You're in trouble, Mason Mount.” You told him as soon as you saw him, you were getting out of the shower and Mason came home from training. 

Annie fell asleep after lunch, and she was still sad with Mason, but you knew that the moment he talked to her, she would be happy again, because she is in love with Mason. Annie is a daddy's girl, but she wants your comfort as much as Mason's. But she's still your best friend, and you two usually have girls' day every week, ‘cause that's what best friends do, according to Annie.

You walked up to Mason and he smiled seeing that you were only wearing a towel wrapped around your body, so he pulled you by the waist, leaving a kiss on your lips and then on your neck.

“Hello, gorgeous.” You wrapped your arms around his neck, and Mason looked at you. “What did I do?” 

“You didn't take your daughter to training, and she remembered that today is Saturday.” Mason closed his eyes, disappointed as he remembered the deal with Annie.

“Shit, I actually forgot I said I'd take her, but I'm so nervous about tomorrow's game. Is she disappointed with me?” Mason whimpered when you nodded, and he placed his forehead in the crook of your neck, breathing in your after-shower scent. 

“I tried to talk to her and she pretended she was fine, but I know my girl, she's sad.” You walked to the closet to look for some comfortable clothes and Mason followed you. He had already showered in Carrington, so he just looked for some sweatpants to spend the rest of the day lying around. 

“Is she sleeping?” 

“Yes, she slept a little while ago.” 

“Should we just cuddle until she wakes up?” He asked and you agreed, so you and Mason went down to the living room to find a movie to watch. 

A little over an hour later you heard small footsteps coming down the stairs, and when you looked, Annie was coming down looking sleepy and wearing her warm unicorn pj’s. 

“Hey babe.” You said, but Annie just stared at Mason as she walked quickly to the couch.

“Daddy, you forgot me.” She spoke tearfully, and you felt your heart melt when you saw that she was so sad, thinking that Mason had forgotten about her. “I wanted to go with you to training.” 

Mason pouted, and you could tell he was blaming himself for not taking her.

“No, my love, don't talk like that, daddy will cry.” Mason pulled her into his lap, hugging her as he left a few kisses in her hair. 

“You said you were going to take me with you.” She spoke, still not accepting Mason's apology. She was looking at him with tears in her eyes, and you didn't know who was sadder, her or Mason.

“I know, but it was very cold and daddy didn't want to wake you up.” 

“I wanted to go with you.” She repeated and you smiled, because Mason was suffering at her hands.

“Don't say that, you'll break my heart.” Mason hugged her and looked at you, begging for help, because he didn't want his little girl to be hurt by him.

“Annie, how about we make some popcorn and the three of us can watch a movie together? Daddy is staying with us today.” She nodded, giving a smile and looking at Mason.

“I still want to go with you to training one day.” 

“I promise I'll take you my love, don't worry.” Mason got up from the couch, and the three of you went to the kitchen to make popcorn, which was Annie's favorite.

When Annie went to her room to get her doll, you and Mason hugged in the kitchen, waiting for her to come back.

“I felt like I was going through an endurance test.” You laughed, because you knew Mason was at Annie's mercy. 

“She'll give you trouble when she grows up, and you're so silly, you'll always be in her hands.” 

“I know, and I'm scared.” You kissed him, hearing Annie call you to help her, so Mason stayed in the kitchen to finish making the popcorn while you went to her.

They were your favorite days, and Mason's too, because nothing was more important to him than seeing his girls fine.

[22ayla21]

Hi, can I request a Honey cake and Strong Espresso for Jack Howl?

"Honey Cake and Strong Espresso"

Event: "Sweet Stories, Intoxicating Feelings"

Jack loved her quietly, like a winter morning in the snow-covered mountains. He didn't shout about it, didn't flaunt it. He simply lived through her: in every glance, touch, silent gesture directed at her. She was from another world, with different habits, a different element, but from their very first meeting, Jack understood – she would become his home. And the more he got to know her, the stronger this conviction became.

Love for him was like a fragrant honey cake – delicate, sweet, and multifaceted. Beside her, he seemed to discover secret after secret: the light vanilla in her voice, the spicy cinnamon in her laughter, the caramel tartness in her gaze when she was angry. Her love was like a homemade dessert, made with soul, where in every layer he felt sincerity, warmth, soft care, and a fragility he wanted to cherish like a treasure.

He remembered once when she leaned against him after a difficult day, nestled her nose into his chest, and was silent. In that silence, everything was said: acknowledgment, gratitude, a plea to be near. He stroked her hair, inhaling her subtle but so familiar scent, like the aroma of honey in the sun. Then he understood: this was happiness.

But love wasn't always soft. Sometimes it burned, like a strong espresso, giving a jolt of passion and energy. There were moments when they argued – heatedly, with fire in their eyes. She wasn't one to silently agree; she responded, objected, spoke the truth to his face if she deemed it necessary. And Jack, instead of getting angry, fell even more in love with her. Her strong character awakened something primal, wolfish in him: a desire to protect, to hold on, to be there no matter what.

In such moments, love ceased to be a calm honey cake, transforming into a sip of bitter but invigorating espresso, making his blood boil. Their quarrels could be stormy, but they were always followed by a reconciliation – stronger than before. He was never afraid of her honesty because he knew that behind every sharp phrase lay sincerity, a desire to be real with him.

He admired her. Her ability to laugh even in difficult times, her confidence in her decisions, her attention to details that he himself wouldn't have noticed. She was his complete opposite: bright, noisy, swift. But that's exactly what drew him in. Jack was earth, she was wind. He was stability, she was change. But together they made a whole world.

When they walked along an alley rustling with leaves, he held her hand tightly. Even if the world around them was collapsing, even if uncertainty lay ahead – she was there, and that was enough. She knew how to laugh as if it were the last day and live as if tomorrow wouldn't come. And Jack was learning this from her. Learning to let go of fears, to trust, to be softer. She taught him to talk about his feelings, to accept care, and not to be afraid of being vulnerable.

Once, when she was sitting in the kitchen eating that very honey cake, he came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and whispered softly, "I love you, even when you're eating the last piece without me." She laughed – a ringing, sincere sound – and turned to kiss him on the cheek. That simple moment encompassed everything: love, warmth, home.

Love, as it turned out, wasn't always a great drama or a storm of passions. Sometimes it was just two cups of coffee in the morning: one with milk, the other – black and strong. Sometimes – shared laughter over a ridiculous movie or an argument about who forgot to turn off the light. But it was from these little things that true happiness was made.

And Jack was happy. With her. In their small but full world, where love was both honey cake and espresso. Deep, real, alive.

[bambisworlds]

the winter soldier's weakness

bucky and y/n have been free from Hydra for two years, trying to make a life of their own. but that becomes a struggle when bucky is framed for a bombing (3,036 word count)

*I might make this into a series :)

content warnings, mdni 18+

both bucky and user are victims of hydra, violence, husband!bucky, telekinetic!reader, telepathic!reader, established relationship, PTSD struggles, brief mention of sexual assault, kidnapping, psychological and physical torture, angst, let me know if i forgot anything x

my masterlist

Bucky and Y/n have been free from Hydra for nearly two years and are beginning to build their own lives. When Hydra took Bucky in the 1940s, they couldn't get him to break in the way they wanted. They weren't able to remove his humanity entirely. No matter how often they wiped his mind, Bucky never forgot his wife. His mind clung to her memory, and they knew they couldn't control him without her.

Growing up, Steve, Bucky, and Y/n were a trio—best friends. They were inseparable. But as time passed and they got older, Bucky and Y/n's friendship became romantic. Bucky and Y/n married shortly before Bucky was sent off to war.

Hydra kidnapped Y/n from her and Bucky's home in Brooklyn and began running experiments on her shortly after Bucky was brought into their containment. She developed similar abilities as Wanda Maximoff, but her power was inconsequential compared to what Wanda would come to be. Nevertheless, they used Y/n as a bargaining chip to get The Winter Soldier to cooperate; they made her his partner on his missions. Or, they would threaten to kill her if he didn't complete the missions he was sent on. Even in the dark ocean that was The Winter Soldier's mind, his subconscious still clung to his love for Y/n.

Y/n never became a hardened killer like Bucky; she, too, clung to her humanity. But she knew if she refused to complete her orders, she would be tortured or killed. Or worse, they would torture Bucky to punish her.

Y/n had been sent with Bucky when instructed to kill Steve Rogers and prevent him from stopping the Heli carrier launch. So, when all was said and done, Bucky dragged Steve and Y/n from the river. He left Steve behind but scooped Y/n up in his arms and set off with her. However, Steve doesn't know that the woman with Bucky is Y/n because she wears a mask like Bucky.

Ever since, the two have been trying to put the pieces of their new life together while overcoming their PTSD and mind control. They wanted to start over and be good people. The longer they went without getting their minds wiped, the more memories from their life together in the 1940s came back. All they wanted was to live a semi-normal life as husband and wife and leave their life with Hydra behind them.

Y/n and Bucky were having a typical day, or their version of normal, when they saw an article in the newspaper saying Bucky had bombed a building in Vienna. The two of them quickly returned to their apartment, preparing to flee and find somewhere off the grid to live, when Bucky stopped midstep, gripping Y/n's arm as his eyes landed on Steve Rogers, who stood in the middle of their apartment.

Steve turned to look at the two of them, and he flinched at the sight of Y/n, who was positioned protectively behind Bucky. "You're..." Steve muttered to himself as he looked at Y/n, blinking rapidly as if she would disappear. "You're alive." He gaped, and Y/n shifted on her feet nervously. "When I came out of the ice, I looked for you... they said you died of natural causes in 1998. But you're..." He swallowed roughly, trying to decipher if she even remembered him or if Bucky did, for that matter.

"Do you know me?" Steve asked the two of them. Bucky swallowed roughly, nudging Y/n further behind him. He wasn't sure of Steve's intentions. The last thing the two of them wanted was to be drug off to some facility and get their minds picked apart by doctors. Bucky would rather die than let Y/n be subjected to another form of captivity. She was struggling immensely with her PTSD, maybe more so than Bucky, and he refused to put her in a distressing environment like a psychiatric facility where the two of them would be separated. All they knew was each other.

"You're Steve. I read about you in a museum," Bucky says flatly, his metal hand resting possessively over Y/n's abdomen to keep her behind him.

"Is that all you know about me? What you read in the museum?" Steve asks, his voice trembling slightly as he looks between them. Y/n looked up at Bucky anxiously as they heard a voice say, 'They set the perimeter' in Steve's earpiece. An average person wouldn't have been able to catch it, but they both had enhanced hearing.

He's come to take us away. Y/n said telepathically to Bucky, jumping to conclusions. He's distracting us so they can trap us.

"The bombing... we didn't do it," Bucky says cautiously, his hand still blocking Y/n from moving closer to Steve.

"The people who think you did are coming here now, and they're not planning on taking you alive," Steve warns, and Bucky bristles.

"Nobody's laying a finger on her," Bucky says lowly, and Y/n shifts on her feet anxiously as she hears people outside their apartment.

Steve scrambles for something to say as the authorities surround the apartment, "You pulled me from the river, why?" he demands. Bucky ignores him, pulling Y/n against him in a protective gesture.

"We're getting out of here," Bucky mutters quietly to her, and she nods. Using her telekinetic abilities, she pulls her and Bucky's emergency bags across the room and into their hands. Bucky quickly puts on his backpack, and so does Y/n.

Y/n gasps, and Bucky cradles her head with his hands as two grenades get thrown through the window, but Steve quickly covers the grenades with his shield, stopping the blow.

Officers and agents begin to breach the apartment. Driven by pure instinct, Y/n begins to fling the men out of their way as Bucky leads her out, using his strength to force the men out of their path. "Stay behind me, baby," Bucky calls over his shoulder as he punches one of the men into the wall. Y/n glances back, catching a glimpse of Steve fighting off the men in her and Bucky's apartment.

Y/n takes Bucky's hand and uses her telekinetic powers to propel them flyingly down the many flights of stairs. Once they land on solid ground, Bucky takes her hand and hastily leads her towards the exit, punching his way through the row of men while Y/n shoves any other lingering threats out of the way with her powers.

The minute they step out of the apartment building, they're surrounded by hundreds of men with large guns and a helicopter hovering over them. In the middle of the wall of men was T'Challa. Bucky comes to a halt, Y/n bumping into his back. He spins around, grabbing Y/n's wrist to take her with him as he attempts to escape through the building, but Steve is blocking his way.

"If you fight it, you'll only make it worse," Steve tries to reason. Bucky's breathing was erratic, driven by the desire to keep Y/n out of harm's way. Y/n looked around at the people surrounding them, holding onto Bucky's jacket tightly.

"She's my wife, Steve," Bucky pleads with him, hoping he'll somehow give them a way to escape.

The agents close in on them, knocking Bucky and Y/n to their knees as they cuff them. The officers had unique cuffs designed to remove Y/n's mutant abilities so she couldn't use mind control on the men. She nearly fell forward once the cuffs were secure, growing weak from the debilitating handcuffs.

"Buck..." she mutters weakly.

"Take those cuffs off of her!" Bucky demands, fighting against the officers who were trying to subdue him. Hydra often used similar cuffs on Y/n so she couldn't escape, so he knew how weak they made her. Not to mention, they were a PTSD trigger for her.

"It's for our protection until you're both evaluated," one of the officers insists as they yank Y/n to her feet, her legs wobbling beneath her. Her breathing grows shallow as she realizes she cannot defend herself, panic brewing in her gut.

Seeing Y/n's distress, Bucky fights harder against the men as they restrain him. Bucky grunts angrily, realizing he can't fight off all these men, "I'm right here, doll. Just breathe, baby," Bucky calls to her, his voice shaking with barely contained rage, "You don't need to use those fucking cuffs on her," Bucky growls as they pull him to his feet.

"She's unstable. We can't risk her using her abilities on us," one of the men says as they start shoving Y/n and Bucky toward the transportation vehicles, tugging Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson behind them. Silent tears began to stream down Y/n's face as she tried to look over her shoulder at Bucky.

"I know, baby," Bucky said as he caught a glimpse of her face. "I'm right here, it's gonna be okay," he said, his voice tinged with desperation.

She nods slightly as she's shoved into the vehicle. She could see Steve, Sam, and T'Challa being put into a van behind theirs out of the corner of her eye.

The officers force Y/n and Bucky into the vehicle, strapping them into restraints so they could hardly move. Y/n's breathing was erratic, and her body trembled as they finished strapping her in. Hydra agents used to strap her down to partially keep her from escaping but also so she couldn't move when they did vile things to her.

They strapped Bucky into the seat opposite hers so they were facing each other. "Please, " Y/n whispered to herself, unsure of what she'd be pleading for.

Bucky's eyes bore into her face, "I'm right here with you, doll. I'm right here. Nothing's gonna happen while I'm here," he promised, his body trembling with the urge to touch her.

"I don't like this," Y/n says, her voice trembling. Bucky grimaced from her sob, the sound cutting through him like a knife.

"I know, but we're gonna be alright. We have each other. That's all we need," Bucky says to reassure her and himself. He knew he had to try to keep her calm.

"I heard them say they're going to separate us when we get there," she says shakily, "They're scared I'll influence your answers when they evaluate us."

When they arrived at the facility, the two were separated. Y/n was put in an office with Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson. Y/n sat at the table in the office, tapping her foot anxiously. She hasn't been away from Bucky for at least 70 years. Even when they were trapped in Hydra's facilities, they were still together.

"What happened? How are you alive?" Steve asks Y/n.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asks rhetorically as she watches the footage of Bucky getting evaluated.

"I'm sorry," Steve says earnestly. Y/n glances away from the screen, nodding in acknowledgment at Steve, before focusing back on the video of Bucky, "How did you end up with Hydra?" Steve asks cautiously.

Y/n sighs, fiddling with the cheap wedding band on her finger. She and Bucky got them not too long ago since they couldn't afford wedding rings. Hydra took their real ones away in the 40s, "After Bucky was subjected to all of the experiments, he became the perfect weapon. The only problem was he wouldn't obey them; even with his mind wiped, he kept trying to break free from where he was kept. To get to me," she says, "I guess they thought he would listen to them if I was under their control. So, they took me. The rest is history." she explains, looking back at the screen.

"Here's a receipt for your gear," Sharon Carter says as she enters the office, handing a paper to Sam.

"Bird costume? Come on," Sam scoffs.

"I didn't write it," Sharon says as she subtly turns the audio to the video on so they can hear. Y/n had tried to turn it on with her abilities, but the cuffs were still firmly placed on her wrists so that she couldn't access her powers. She was defenseless without them. She wasn't a skilled fighter like Bucky and didn't have super strength, either.

Y/n perks up in her seat as the audio comes through, "I'm not here to judge you. I just want to ask you a few questions. Do you know where you are, James?" the interviewer asks, only to be meant with silence, "I can't help you if you don't talk to me, James."

"My name is Bucky," Bucky says weakly. Y/n fidgets in her seat. She wants to be with him and help him. She watches the screen intently, reading his every microexpression as Steve talks with Sharon and Sam.

"Why would Task Force release this photo to begin with?" Steve asks.

"Get the word out, involve as many eyes as we can?" Sharon suggests.

"Right. It's a good way to flush two people out of hiding. Set off a bomb, get your picture taken. You get seven billion people looking for the Winter Soldier." Steve says.

"He didn't bomb anything," Y/n says defensively.

"So, someone framed him to find him?" she asks.

"We looked for Bucky for two years and found nothing," Sam adds.

"We didn't bomb the UN. That turns a lot of heads," Steve quips.

"Yeah, but that doesn't guarantee that whoever framed him would get him. It guarantees that we would," Sharon says, and their heads turn toward the screen.

"You need to take these off me," Y/n begs Sharon as she rises from her seat, holding her wrists before her, "If Bucky turns into... him... I'll need to use my powers."

"I can't do that," Sharon says seconds before the building lights go off. Everyone freezes.

"Take them off!" Y/n demands shakily. Sharon sighs and types a code onto the cuffs, making them pop open. The minute the cuffs are off, Y/n's mind searches the facility for Bucky in an attempt to locate him. She knew he would be racked with guilt if he accidentally hurt someone. She wanted to stop that from happening.

"Sub-level five, East Wing," Sharon says, and Y/n immediately takes off in that direction. Steve and Sam are hot on her trail. While she runs through the halls and down flights of stairs, she tries to reach out to Bucky with her mind, but she's met with a mental wall. He wasn't Bucky anymore.

"I need to find him," Y/n says frantically as she rounds a corner, Steve and Sam trailing behind her, "And you can't be there when I do," she says firmly. Y/n stops in her tracks as she spots the interviewer lying on the floor, weakly asking for help. Rage boils up in her stomach, and she launches him up with her powers, yanking him over until he is hovering in front of her. He gasped for air, her powers cutting off his oxygen supply, "Where is he?" she demanded.

"Y/n, stop," Steve tries to reason, but he's thrown into the wall by The Winter Soldier. Y/n immediately drops the interviewer onto the floor with a thud and whirls around to face Bucky.

"Солдат! (soldier)," Y/n addressed Bucky. He froze at the sound of her voice, releasing Steve as he slowly turned to face her, "Он не наш враг. (he's not our enemy)," she said gently, approaching him cautiously.

"Y/n," Bucky mutters, standing like a statue as Y/n walks over to him.

She smiles softly, holding her hands up in a submissive gesture, "Ты знаешь, я бы никогда не причинил тебе вреда (you know I would never hurt you)," she says softly as she carefully takes one of his hands in hers, "Моя задача защитить тебя, а ты защитить меня (it's my task to protect you, and for you to protect me)," she says as she interlinks their fingers. Steve rose to his feet slowly, watching anxiously. Bucky's head snaps in Steve's direction, his hands quickly grabbing Y/n to yank her behind him.

"Нет, нет! Он не угроза (no, no! he's not a threat)," Y/n says quickly, tugging on the back of Bucky's shirt.

"Steve Rogers враг Гидры, угроза для вас (Steve Rogers is an enemy to Hydra, a threat to you)," Bucky says, his voice void of emotion.

"Нет (no)," Y/n says softly but firmly, turning Bucky to look at her, "Он твой друг (he's your friend)," she insists. Bucky's eyes scan over her face with an almost medical-grade sense. Y/n smiles softly, thinking he's understanding, until he lifts her and throws her over his shoulder. She yelps in surprise; Bucky punches Steve with his free arm, knocking him to the ground, "Bucky, stop!" Y/n says, fighting against his grip.

Bucky forces his way out of the building, holding Y/n firmly over his shoulder. In a moment of desperation, Y/n slips into Bucky's mind. She floods his thoughts with memories of them as children and teenagers, some including Steve, then memories of them together in Bucharest. Bucky stumbles slightly, still holding onto Y/n firmly.

Bucky shudders, letting out a shaky breath as he loosens his grip on Y/n so she can stand again. Bucky blinks rapidly as if he's trying to decipher what's real.

"It's okay," Y/n says gently, reaching up to rest her hand on the side of his face but he grabs her wrist roughly. His eyes snap to her face, and he lets out a puff of air. He realizes it's only her, and he releases her wrist. "You're safe," she says softly, resting her hand on his face.

"We're not safe as long as we're here," Bucky says gruffly, glancing around the building. Y/n lets out a shaky breath, rubbing the side of his face with her thumb, "I don't want to be a weapon anymore," he says with a tremble in his voice, "I want to live a life. With you," he swallows roughly.

Y/n smiles and stands on her tiptoes to rest her forehead against his, "We can live whatever life we want." she whispers. Bucky shuts his eyes, exhaling shakily.

Steve approaches the two of them cautiously, clutching his side from the harsh blow he received when Bucky knocked him to the ground, "I can help you," he says shakily, "I can help you hide. Please."

if you have any requests including the people on my masterlist please comment them below any of my posts or in my submissions!! (check here: about my blog  to see what things i'm not comfortable with in regards to requests <3)

[bettymylove]

hi so i want to ask something like mattho x reader fluff and she has major depression issues and her mind wanders a lot when she is having a hard time with it? like she cant keep long conversations at all and forgets some of them?

im dealing with it and i have problems like this :') if you wrote something like this i would be so happy

Winter blues

pairing: Mattheo Riddle x reader

a/n: I totally relate to you, I have adhd as well depression and I go through bad phases like these, sorry for making you wait<33

You knew you came in the library to do something, something you can't quite remember now that you've entered the room.

It agitated you to no end, how you knew not even a moment ago but now your mind was blank. You knew why this happened, the winter blues had started to hit and you knew the repurcussions of it.

Holding conversations were never easy, given that you wanted to have one, you stumbled over your words and quite often forgot what you were saying but your friends understood and so did mattheo, in fact he was the only one with the enough patience to deal with you.

You returned from the library that evening and after some time you saw pansy enter the room as well. "Why did you blow me off? I waited for you at the library for at least an hour"

She didn't yell though her tone was sharp, and now you could very well remember the conversation you had with her where you confirmed that you will be at the library.

You apologized profusely and hoped it made her feel a little because you sure didn't. Heading up to your dorm you could only think how much you burdened and disturbed other people.

Your dorm was unfortunately not empty, your boyfriend, Mattheo was sitting on your bed when you realised you hadn't even talked to him all day.

"Alright, darling?" He got up from the bed heading towards you, you slowly fell into his embrace, his tight hold making you feel secure, making you feel something.

"No-I'm not alright, I'm such a bad friend, I try so hard and still I can't seem to help it" He looked at your face confused as if you've said something completely diabolical.

"It's not your fault, I hope you know that, You're a wonderful person and your friends don't blame you, no one does" He hugged you tighter and it made you feel just a little bit better.

[steamtrain52]

No Ordinary Boy - Chapter Twenty

Hey guys!

This next chapter will take place in between Seasons Two and Three, as it always really irked me that they jumped a solid five months ahead. At least, I think it was five months. I'm not quite sure.

Anyway, read on, and welcome back!

  As Jessica began to drive away from the school, she decided to call Taissa Turner. The would-be Senator would most likely want to know about the progress she had made.

  “Yes?” Taissa’s voice sounded over the phone.

  “I’ve interviewed all the people you asked me too. They don’t seem like blackmailers to me.”

  She waited, but there was no reply.

  “Should I… try interviewing the other survivors?”

  “Fuck.” Taissa’s voice was quiet. “Okay, fine, do it. Offer money, book deals… whatever you think is best.”

  “Alright. How many of you are left?”

  “I’m not sure. I haven’t talked to some of them in so long… maybe try Misty first? I think she’s closest to you.”

  “Okay”, Jessica said. She should leave it there, she knew that. But something about the way Principal Vance had acted… she couldn’t help it; he’d piqued her curiosity.

  “What about Tommy Scott?”

  There was a pause, and what sounded like a glass breaking.

  “FUCK!” Taissa sounded out. She didn’t sound so quiet now.

  When she spoke, there was an underlying tone in her voice that took Jessica by surprise.

  “Do not contact Tommy. I don’t care what else you do, but you do not go anywhere near Tommy Scott. It might end up being the last thing you ever do.”

  Jessica blinked. “Jesus. Okay, fine, but… why? Is… is he dangerous?”

  “Just. Don’t. Contact. Him. And for that matter, don’t contact Natalie either.”

  Now Jessica’s curiosity was boiling over into full-blown fascination. Who the hell was this guy?

  When she arrived at the place she was staying at, she reviewed the information she already had.

  On just about every testimony, every interview, at least one of the Yellowjackets was crediting Scott with their survival, stating that they would not have made it through their time in the Canadian wilderness without him.

  Especially Natalie Scatorccio… she seemed entirely besotted with Scott. Jessica remembered Vance’s words about how they had been dating at the time. Had they remained together, afterwards?

  Rather than heading over to Misty Quigley’s place, Jessica decided she would spend the rest of the afternoon trying to find everything she could on Scott.

  Heading over to LinkedIn, she searched the name ‘Thomas Scott’ into the database. To her frustration, there were quite a few Thomas Scotts in there, but eventually she came across a profile where the man depicted matched the photos of the Thomas Scott she was searching for.

  Doesn’t look very threatening, Jessica thought to herself.

  Then she looked at his profile, at what he had done since the rescue, and felt her eyes widen as she gaped in shock.

  No WONDER they don’t want me talking to him. 

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  Tommy stretched and yawned as Natalie stirred in his arms.

  Ow, he thought as he cracked his neck. Sleeping in the sitting position was never a comfortable experience.

  “Hey”, he whispered to her.

  “Hey yourself”, Natalie mumbled.

  Slowly, the two of them rose up and started to move out of the plane, when Tommy saw something on one of the seats.

  Oh, my God. 

  Jackie’s winter coat was still bound up with rope, but Tommy still felt sick at what he knew lay beneath the wrappings.

  Quickly, he leaned down and picked up the heartbreakingly small package, storing it into one of the overhead compartments.

  “I honestly completely forgot we put her here”, Natalie said quietly.

  “Yeah, me too”, he replied.

  Stepping outside, they gazed out around them. The day was bright and sunny, without a cloud in the sky. It was hard to believe it had only been a single night since Tommy had seen the Yellowjackets chasing Natalie across the ice, before he…

  He couldn’t even finish his thoughts, but he knew what had to happen next, as he heard a pair of boots crunch in the snow behind him.

  “Tommy? What do we do now?”

  Turning around, Tommy gazed at Javi.

  “We have to get back to the cabin, see what we can salvage. The fire should have died down by now.”

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  As the cabin came into view, Natalie struggled to keep her emotions in check.

  There were a few smouldering flames, but overall, the fire seemed to have burned itself out.

  That was the only good news. The cabin was utterly destroyed. The roof was gone, the walls were wrecked… there was no chance of this place being a shelter for them again.

  What on earth could they do? Despite Lottie’s words, Natalie knew there was no telling when winter would end for them.

  What if another snowstorm sprang up? They would all freeze to death. Maybe they could seek shelter where Coach Scott had gone?

  Coach Scott just tried to burn us all alive. I somehow doubt he would be quite so accommodating.

  After dousing the few remaining flames with snow, their group slowly moved through the cabin, picking through anything they could use.

  The ammunition left behind had all exploded in the fire, it seemed. There was nothing but shell casings left. Luckily, not all of the pots and bowls were damaged. Nor the cutlery. Natalie was looking through one of the lanterns to see if it could still work when she heard someone speak.

  “Hey, guys? Come check this out.”

  Natalie turned to see Misty… pulling up a floorboard?

  “What are you doing?”

  “This floorboard is loose. So are the two on either side of it. But the rest are nailed together. Either it’s a design flaw, or…”

  Or there’s something underneath. 

  They pulled up the floorboards, only to see nothing but dirt beneath. Immediately, they started to dig, until Natalie felt her fingers scraping something solid.

  It took a few minutes, but eventually they pulled what looked like an old, large suitcase from the ground. There was no name on it, no identifying marks, but Natalie knew it had to have belonged to the cabin’s previous owner.

  “The guy who lived here must had stored this for emergencies”, Van said.

  As they opened up the suitcase, Natalie looked inside… and was disappointed by what she saw. A flashlight that turned out to not work anymore. Cash, which was utterly useless out here. Several sets of underwear, which Natalie could only hope had been clean when it was stored.

  Gross. 

  Then as they pulled more similarly useless items from the suitcase, Natalie saw something else. A book.

  Then Natalie read the title, and saw the pictures of man-made tents on the cover.

  Art and Architecture of the Ancient World.

  “Holy shit”, she whispered, as she showed the book to Tommy, smiling at she saw the incredulous look on his face.

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  This is it. This is how we survive.

  Tommy opened the book up. It was even better than he could have hoped for. There were actual, honest-to-God instructions on how to build long-term shelters from forest materials.

  “I think our luck has just turned around”, he grinned, showing the book to the group.

  The mood for the rest of the day was definitely a good one, as they began gathering branches from nearby trees using the hatchets that had been salvaged.

  Though he didn’t want to give himself false hope, Tommy was sensing the tension of the previous twenty-four hours beginning to melt away.

  If only the snow would melt with it, he thought.

  Fortunately, the meat shed had been untouched by the fire, and after a short discussion amongst themselves, they brought out what remained of Mari and cooked it, eating the last of the meat from her bones then and there.

  Looking around, Tommy could see the expressions on everyone’s faces. Their act of cannibalism was certainly not one to celebrate, but everyone certainly seemed more… relaxed? Was that the right word? Tommy wasn’t sure.

  Regardless, they had what they needed to build new shelters. The trick would be finding the right place for it.

  The map they had taken so long to properly put together was little more than a pile of ash, but there were a few pieces of paper that had survived the blaze. As Tommy shifted them over in his hands, he heard Natalie draw up beside him.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Trying to see where we can set up the shelters. We’ll need a spot that’s wide open, but close to water. Any ideas?”

  Natalie bit her lip. “You remember the space that’s close to the crash site? I think the stream’s not far away from it either.”

  “Sounds good. Let’s check it out.”

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  The moment they drew up to the clearing, Natalie knew it would be perfect. There was enough space for all of them, and the stream was barely ten minutes’ walk away.

  The main problem, of course, was the fact that none of them had any idea when winter would end.

  Using the instructions from the book, they slowly began to construct the first shelter. It took hours, but eventually, as night fell and they travelled back to the plane for some sleep, Natalie felt as though, just this once, things were starting to go their way.

  The next day, she and Tommy set out early on a hunt, while the others travelled back to the clearing. Tommy had carefully counted the remaining rounds yesterday.

  “Only three hundred and thirty-seven left”, he said to Natalie as they walked through the woods. “If you get an animal in your sights… make sure there’s no chance of you missing.”

  “Got it”, she whispered.

  Neither of them expected to catch anything, after the dry streak they had had recently, so it was to their immense surprise when a full-grown doe crossed their path. After shooting it, the two of them sat down to wait the customary half-hour, before checking the deer was dead.

  Something had been bugging Natalie for the last two days, and now that they were alone, she finally had a chance to address it.

  “Was it really true, what you said the other night? Was… was something really telling you to get back to the cabin?”

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  Tommy hesitated. “Something just felt… wrong. I can’t really explain it. It’s… hard to put into words, but… yeah. I felt like something was telling me to head back, so I started running towards the cabin, away from Ben.”

  He cleared his throat. “To be clear, I still don’t believe in Lottie’s bullshit, but… yeah. It was definitely… yeah. There was something there.”

  “Dang”, Natalie said, and to Tommy’s surprise, he saw she was grinning.

  “Were you really running? It must have felt serious.”

  “Okay, yeah, very funny”, Tommy snipped, but Natalie’s giggle was already making him smile.

  “It’s good to hear you laugh again”, he said to her. “I… I missed you, you know? I know that doesn’t make any sense, we’ve been together every day here, but-”

  “No. No, I get it.”

  Natalie scooted closer to him. “I missed you too. I miss… I miss how things were before all this. I wish… I wish…”

  I wish we could go home.

  “I understand”, Tommy murmured, drawing Natalie into his arms. She stank a little bit, and felt hot and cold at the same time, somehow, but he tightened his grip on the girl he loved, burying his face in her neck.

  “I love you”, he murmured.

  “I love you too”, Natalie whispered back, as she craned her neck to place her soft, warm lips on his.

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  Though Natalie had hoped beyond hope that winter would end soon, it still came as a shock when, almost two weeks after the cabin burned down, she and Tommy set out on another hunt, only to see grass poking through the snow.

  “This doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods yet”, Tommy warned. “We’re in the ‘false spring’ stage of the seasons now. A snowstorm could still happen any day.”

  Natalie nodded, but couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face. As they continued to travel through the woods, she was delighted to see some edible plants beginning to rebloom, and they quickly dug them up to bring them back to the clearing.

  Thanks to the book, the shelters were beginning to take on a more proper shape now. They had decided to construct eight overall, pairing everyone off amongst the sixteen of them. Natalie had paired off with Tommy, of course, and was becoming more and more proud of their work each day. It felt like they were building their own little house. One where they could shut themselves off from everyone else and enjoy their time together in peace.

  Everyone was still sleeping in the plane, as it was too cold to stay in the incomplete shelters just yet, but Natalie knew, with the worst of winter behind them, it would only be a matter of time.

  Tommy was still worried about snowstorms, of course, and Natalie knew he was right to feel that way, but as the days slowly passed them by, and turned into weeks… no storm sprang up to freeze them to death.

  The area around them was growing more and more green with every passing day, and the game was starting to return. The birds, the rodents… and of course, the deer. It seemed that almost every day now, Tommy and Natalie were bringing back food for the group, and everyone went to sleep with full bellies for multiple consecutive days.

  Tommy warned them to not take their good fortune for granted, and Natalie tried valiantly to bury the growing hope within herself, but she could see it. They all could see it.

  Winter was behind them. They had made it through.

  Finally, the day came where it was determined to be warm enough for everyone to officially move into their completed shelters.

  After they finished their celebratory dinner (comprised of deer, beaver, muskrat, and a healthy number of cattails), Natalie shut the shelter’s door behind her and Tommy, and turned around to face him.

  Barely a minute later, the two of them were naked, rolling around on the bed of furs they had constructed together. As Natalie viciously bounced up and down on top of Tommy, trying and failing to keep her moans under control, she leaned down to kiss his stubbled face, pouring all her joy and passion into the boy she loved.

  As they finished, Natalie collapsed on top of Tommy, kissing him all the while as he kissed her back.

  “We made it, my darling”, she said to him. “We made it through winter together, like you said we would.”

  “I couldn’t have done it without you”, Tommy replied. “None of us could have done it without you.”

  Natalie felt the tears come to her eyes as she kissed him again.

  She didn’t want anyone else. She refused to even consider falling in love with anyone but Tommy. When she looked at him, she saw everything she never thought she could have, lying within her grasp.

  Even if they never made it home… at least she would know what love, true love, felt like.

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  As time passed, Tommy found himself wondering what had become of Ben. Was his brother even still alive?

  Ben knew everything Tommy knew about survival, but out there on his own, and with only one leg… Tommy tried not to let it show, but every time he and Natalie set out, he was secretly terrified of coming across his brother’s emaciated corpse.

  Of course, Tommy knew where Ben was staying. But Natalie was the only one who knew that he knew, and she hadn’t asked him where the location of the cave was. Tommy appreciated her for that, but the others had been a little harder to convince.

  The first day after the clearing had been discovered, Taissa had approached Tommy when he and Natalie dragged the dead doe back towards the group.

  “Look, I know… I know the last few days have been… crazy, but… do you know where Coa- where your brother might have gone?”

  “No”, Tommy lied. “We still hadn’t found where Javi was staying when I left him to… head back.”

  Taissa shifted uncomfortably, and Tommy made sure to keep his gaze on her.

  “I know what you’re thinking”, he said. “But I do not believe Ben burned the cabin down-”

  “The doors were jammed”, Taissa said, and Tommy got the feeling that, despite her speaking calmly, Taissa Turner was one wrong word away from exploding. “Can you explain that?”

  “No, I can’t, and I don’t care to try. But why on earth would he burn down the cabin with me inside? Would you burn your own brother alive?”

  “I’m an only child.”

  “Then I would not expect you to understand”, Tommy said shortly, dragging the deer past Taissa. “Ben didn’t burn down the cabin. End of discussion.”

  “But- no, wait-”

  “He said that’s the end of, it, Tai”, Natalie snapped. “Leave it alone.”

  Taissa did not push the matter with Tommy, but he saw her talking to Javi later that day. Fortunately, Javi did not answer any of Taissa’s questions about where he had stayed, and as Tommy saw Taissa stomp off in frustration, Javi gave him a nod.

  Tommy was surprised, but nodded back. He had not expected to find an ally in Javi, but the young boy at least seemed to understand the bond between brothers.

  With that in mind, Tommy did his best to try and help Travis through his grief as time passed, but the older Martinez brother seemed to have entered the same catatonic state as when he believed Javi to be dead.

  Of course, there was no mistaking the fact that this time, the person Travis grieved was well and truly gone, and despite the circumstances that had led to it, Tommy felt an immeasurable wave of guilt whenever he saw Travis shuffling around the camp.

  He himself had changed as well, of course. He couldn’t gut an animal without being reminded of sliding the knife between Jackie’s ribs, nor pull the trigger on the rifle without being reminded of the moment Mari had crumpled and fallen forward on to the ice, like a puppet with its strings cut.

  It didn’t take long for the nightmares to come, in the aftermath of that terrible day. Not long at all.

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  As time passed, Natalie became more and more worried about Tommy. While some of their nights together would pass by peacefully, every so often, Natalie would be woken by Tommy thrashing around in his sleep, covered in sweat and shaking like a leaf, as she struggled to comfort him.

  One night was particularly bad, as Natalie woke to hear him scream right in her ear.

  “Tommy! Tommy, it’s okay, you’re okay-”

  “I missed”, Tommy said, tears running down his cheeks. “I saw them chasing you, and I kept firing, and I k-kept missing, and they caught up to you, and-”

  He dissolved into sobs, as Natalie rained kisses down on him, struggling to keep her own tears back.

  “It’s okay,” she soothed him. “I’m okay. I’m okay because you saved my life. You’ve saved it every day we’ve been together. Every single one.”

  Tommy’s breathing started to grow more even, as Natalie held him close to her.

  “Go back to sleep”, she whispered. “I’ll be here when you wake up. I will always be here when you wake up.”

  She saw Tommy hesitate.

  “Sleep, my love”, Natalie whispered, and waited until she heard Tommy’s breathing even out completely, and she knew he had drifted off.

  She didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t a psychiatrist. She didn’t know the proper techniques for guiding someone through a traumatic event. How could she help him get past this?

  In the end, a potential solution would come from the last person Natalie expected, as she was surprised to be approached by Lottie, of all people.

  “I know we’ve had our differences”, Lottie said to her. “But… I want to help. Tommy needs to lead us. He can’t do that if he can’t sleep. I can… I can teach him to meditate, if you think it would help him.”

  Natalie hesitated. She didn’t trust Lottie. Despite her apparent surrender, Natalie still felt her skin crawl whenever Lottie was in her sight. But she wanted Tommy to get better, and Natalie decided to roll the dice.

  “Alright,” she said. “But I’m doing it with him.”

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  Naturally, Tommy was sceptical at best when Natalie proposed meditating with Lottie, but he figured he had nothing to lose.

  At least Natalie would be doing it with him. Tommy desperately wanted their nights together to be a time of peace once again, not a time of him flailing around and accidentally hitting Natalie. That hadn’t actually happened yet, but Tommy figured it was only a matter of time, and if he did hit her… he knew he would never forgive himself.

  They were now approaching two months since the cabin had burned down, and as two became three, Tommy was surprised to find the sessions were actually working, as slowly but surely, he and Natalie began to enjoy sleeping together in peace again.

  Tommy had never meditated before, but he was surprised to realise how much he enjoyed it. It was just so… calming, and it showed in his demeanour.

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  Natalie was thrilled at the changes she saw in Tommy. As they passed through the third month since the cabin burned, the nightmares Tommy suffered through appeared to dissipate, to her relief.

  Of course, Natalie had suffered through more than a few nightmares herself in the aftermath of her own teammates chasing her, but once she woke, all she had to do was burrow herself back in Tommy’s arms, and she would always sink back into slumber soon enough.

  In the back of her mind, Natalie was very much aware of how dependent they were becoming on each other, but she was just so relieved at Tommy trying to move on from the death of Mari, she couldn’t bring herself to care.

  She never thought she would have Lottie Matthews to thank for bringing her boyfriend back to her, but life was full of surprises out in the wilderness, Natalie had learned.

  As the temperature warmed, the water in the stream nearby warmed with it, leaving the two of them to bathe together. It became quite common between them for Natalie to lie in Tommy’s arms in one of the deeper parts of the river, moaning and grunting softly as he ran his hands through her hair, when he wasn’t carefully cleaning every inch of her naked body with the utmost precision, which would in turn lead to some extremely passionate lovemaking, either in the water or on the shore.

  In regard to food, things had never been better. Besides the generous amounts of game she and Tommy were bringing back every other day, they had started to grow a vegetable garden, and Akilah was beginning to raise a number of rabbits and ducks in the new animal pen they had constructed, using the invaluable book they had found as a guide.

In addition, at the request of the girls, Tommy and Javi had gone out to the plane and disconnected several of the seats, bringing them back to the clearing for everyone to enjoy. Javi was starting to get bigger and stronger now that he was eating as well as he did, making him extremely suited to the task of carrying heavy objects. 

  Did the Yellowjackets choose to exploit this particular fact as time went on? Maybe a little, but Javi seemed happy to help. He no longer seemed like the small, scared child he had been when the plane crashed, and Natalie was happy for him. Everyone was. 

  Overall, it seemed as though things were starting to settle down for them… though there was one problem yet to be solved, in the form of the new addition to their group.

  It had started small. One night, during their first week sleeping in their new shelters, Jeremy had been unable to stop crying, keeping Shauna up until morning.

  Tommy had entered Shauna’s tent in the morning to find Shauna passed out from exhaustion, with Jeremy wailing in her arms. Being the insightful person he was, Tommy had gently taken Jeremy from Shauna to look after, just until she woke. Jeremy had seemed happy enough with Tommy, so nobody paid it any mind.

  Nobody except Shauna, that is, who came bounding out of her shelter like an enraged mother bear and snatched Jeremy out of Tommy’s arms. Jeremy had instantly begun shrieking again, much to the frustration of everyone else, and Shauna had stomped back into her shelter, ignoring them all.

  Another time, they had all been sitting around a fire, eating their dinner, when Jeremy had begun to fuss. Shauna had opened her shirt to nurse him, but it wasn’t long before Jeremy started crying again, wriggling in her arms.

  Then the infant caught sight of Tommy… and to the incredulous surprise of everyone there, held out his tiny arms towards Natalie’s boyfriend. Shauna had looked horror-stricken, but Jeremy would not stop whining and fussing until Shauna reluctantly handed him over to Tommy.

  Once he was in Tommy’s arms, Jeremy had acted calmly for the rest of the night, before snuggling himself into Tommy’s shoulder and falling asleep. It was, without a doubt, the most adorable thing Natalie had ever seen, and she couldn’t help cooing at the sight of them together. Akilah had a theory that Tommy had imprinted on Jeremy somehow during the birth, like birds and dogs did with their young.

  “He probably thinks Tommy is his dad”, Akilah said to Shauna. Natalie was sure she meant it kindly, but Shauna looked wounded all the same.

  They decided to test it out the next day. Jeremy would whine and cry whenever one of the girls or the Martinez boys held him, but when Tommy picked him up, Jeremy gurgled happily, reaching up to grab Tommy’s nose.

  “PARP!” Tommy said, imitating a buzzer.

  Jeremy looked shocked for a moment, before starting to laugh, his giggles filling the air.

  “He’s gonna make a really good dad, one day”, Natalie heard Robin say next to her, as Jeremy reached for Tommy’s nose again.

  Yes, he is, Natalie thought, smiling as Tommy said “PARP!” again.

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  As Tommy looked over to see Natalie smiling at him, he felt his own smile reach his face. She would make a good mother one day; he was sure of it.

  In that moment, Tommy knew, without a doubt, that Natalie was the only person in the world he wanted to be the mother of any future children of his. But would they end up with children one day, way out here?

  As he had done before, Tommy concluded that having a child with Natalie made for a nice idea in theory, but the reality of their situation placed them far away from civilisation, with nothing even close to medical treatment if something went wrong during the pregnancy. There was no guarantee that either Natalie or any child of theirs would survive, whether in pregnancy, in childbirth or the aftermath of both.

  Tommy remembered learning in school about the high infant mortality rates during olden times, before the invention of modern medicine. Out here, they might as well be stuck right back in those times again.

  Tommy brushed his thoughts aside, as he cradled Jeremy. One baby was enough to deal with, at least for now.

  He went to hand Shauna’s son back to her, but as soon as she took him, Jeremy began to wail.

  Shauna’s face darkened.

  “I’m sorry”, Tommy said to her. “I don’t know why he-”

  “If he wants to be with you so bad”, Shauna snarled, “you can have him. I’m sick of this. You feed him. You bathe him.”

  She paused, then wrinkled her nose. “And you change him as well. God knows I’ve done it enough times.”

  Change him? Tommy wondered.

  Then the smell coming from Jeremy hit his nostrils, and he struggled not to gag.

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  “It’s okay, we’ll get you nice and clean, yeah?” Tommy said, moving Jeremy away from the group.

  Natalie decided to check on Shauna, who had already gone back into her shelter.

  “What do you want?” Shauna snapped at Natalie.

  “Just… checking up on you. Are you alright?”

  “Oh, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be? We’re miles from civilisation, my best friend is dead, and my baby prefers the guy who killed her to his own mother. Who wouldn’t be fine with that?”

  “Uh…” Natalie had no idea what to say in response, and the burning look in Shauna’s eyes convinced her it would be a good idea to leave.

  Things unfortunately did not improve as time went on, and they began their fourth month in the clearing. Jeremy would of course stay with Shauna overnight, or when it was feeding time, but otherwise he would always cry whenever Tommy wasn’t within his sight.

  Natalie knew having a child out here was a bad idea. She knew there was a very real chance that if she fell pregnant, neither she nor her baby might survive.

  But seeing Tommy carrying Jeremy around, swaddling him, or changing the various animal-skin loincloths they had made the young infant in place of diapers, or cleaning up any spit or puke that came out of Jeremy’s mouth, stirred something within Natalie that she had never felt before, as she considered the reality of their situation.

  She was aware that she probably wasn't thinking straight. She was also aware that Tommy might be unintentionally clouding her judgement. But all of a sudden, the idea of letting time slip through her fingers while they were out here felt absolutely ludicrous.

  Things might be good now amongst the group. But they all knew it was only a matter of time before winter came back.

  Who was to say any of them would survive it? Who was to say they wouldn’t begin to starve again, and resume their acts of cannibalism?

  Fuck it. If it isn’t now… it might be never. 

  And Natalie Scatorccio did not want to know what it would be like to die without ever knowing what it was like to be joined to another person, in a bond that had been considered blessed and holy long before civilisation had been created.

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  As Tommy carried a sleeping Jeremy around the camp, rocking him gently, he saw Natalie come up to him.

  “You’re so good with him”, she said, whispering softly. The look in her eyes was so tender and caring, Tommy felt himself smile at her.

  “I honestly have no idea what I’m doing half the time”, he confessed. “I wish… I wish I had instructions on how to do this properly.”

  “Pretty sure kids don’t come with a manual”, Natalie grinned.

  Tommy saw her jerk her head away from him. “Do you wanna… go on hunt? Stores are getting a bit low.”

  “Sure”, Tommy shrugged. Carefully walking back to Shauna’s hut, he placed Jeremy in his crib. Shauna, who was scribbling away in her journal, didn’t so much as turn her head in acknowledgement, and Tommy quietly left her alone. He didn’t want to make things even worse between them.

  As he set out with Natalie, his girlfriend started to ask about who they might train to be the next hunter of their group.

  “Taissa, maybe, or Van? I think with some practice they might get better at it-”

  “I’m not sure it’s such a great idea to train a new hunter.”

  “What? Why not?”

  Natalie looked confused, so Tommy explained the thoughts that had been swirling around in his head, whenever he had remembered the day of the hunt that had led to Mari’s death.

  “We both know it’s only a matter of time before winter comes back. Our food supplies will start to dwindle again, and everyone will get hungrier… and angrier, too. For all we know, someone might end up suggesting another card draw.”

  Lottie had grabbed the pack of cards when she was escaping the burning cabin, and Tommy got the feeling it wasn’t so she could play with them.

  “The group knows neither of us will tolerate the murder of the other. I know they can be… crazy… but they’re smart enough to understand that killing the two best hunters of the group may… put a dampener, so to speak, on their food intake.”

  “Oh. Yeah, that makes sense, I guess. What… what about Travis and Javi?”

  Tommy hesitated, before speaking again. “Neither of them have hunted with us since the cabin burned down. They’re probably hopelessly out of practice by now. The group most likely knows they would make poor substitutes for us.”

  Especially Travis, Tommy thought. Their old hunting partner had not emerged from his catatonic state yet… though deep down, the idea of handing Travis a loaded weapon gave Tommy pause for thought, considering what he had done to the other boys’ girlfriend.

  They travelled on in silence for a while, before eventually coming across a deer. As they sat down to wait after Tommy shot it, Natalie started to speak again.

  Tommy never could have imagined, in his wildest dreams, what their next discussion would be about.

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  “Um…” Natalie said, twisting her fingers. She couldn’t say it. Why couldn’t she?

  You know why.

  “What is it?” Tommy asked. His eyes were gentle, and his tone was soft, and it gave Natalie the courage to say what she needed.

  “I know… I know this might sound crazy. But…”

  She swallowed nervously, and took a breath. “None of us know how long we have left. Not out here. None of us might make it through the next winter, and I… um, I…”

  She felt her face growing hot. “I don’t wanna die without knowing what it’s like for you to be mine. Truly, completely mine.”

  She saw Tommy’s eyes widen. Did he realise what she was about to say? She hoped so.

  “Thomas Matthew Scott… will you… will you marry me? Please?”

  She gazed into his eyes, holding her breath as she waited for his answer.

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  Tommy gazed at Natalie in shock. He’d always imagined, if they ever did get married, he would be the one to propose, following tradition.

  But Natalie had never been what one would call a traditional girl. It was one of the things he loved about her.

  And as he gazed into her beautiful blue-green eyes, he reached out a hand to run through her steadily darkening hair, while his other hand lightly stroked her cheek.

  There was only one answer he could give. Only one answer he would ever give.

  “Natalie Elizabeth Scatorccio… I will marry you. Of course I will marry you.”

  “Really?!” Natalie exclaimed, tears beginning to run down her face.

  “Yes. Yes, of course”, Tommy said, feeling his own tears come as he pressed his lips to Natalie’s, feeling her reciprocate with enthusiasm.

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  Natalie started bawling with happiness as she pressed her lips even harder against Tommy’s, and it wasn’t long before she felt his hands begin to lift up her shirt.

  “And one more thing, just… wait…”

  “Yes?”

  “I want a baby, Tommy. I don’t… I don’t wanna die, not knowing what it was like to have one with you.”

  She gazed at him lovingly. “I know it stupid, I know we’re too young, but… I’ve seen how you are with Jeremy. You’re gonna make the best dad, I know it.”

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  Despite the hopeful look on Natalie’s face, Tommy felt himself pause for thought.

  It was stupid. It was reckless. It was risky. And of course… they were far, far too young.

  But as he gazed into Natalie’s eyes, Tommy couldn’t bring himself to say no. Natalie had been through far too much, both in Wiskayok and out here, for him to refuse her.

  “Okay. Let’s do it.”

  Natalie’s eyes widened. “Really?” She whispered softly.

  “Yes. Really.”

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  Natalie pressed her lips to Tommy’s again, and it wasn’t long before they were naked and writhing against each other on the grass.

  As she clung desperately to Tommy while he fucked her, Natalie wondered what it would be like to do this at home.

  We will get there, one day. Eventually.

  Natalie brushed her thoughts inside, and focused on making love to her fiancé.

  Oh, my God. Tommy was her fiancé. She could call him her fiancé now, not her boyfriend.

  The realisation brought a fresh wave of overjoyed tears to Natalie’s eyes, and as Tommy finished inside her, she gasped in ecstasy as she came in his arms in response, transported to a world where nothing existed but the two of them.

  Hopefully soon to be the three of us, Natalie thought, as Tommy’s lips descended upon hers.

  000000000000000000000000

  Lottie watched silently as she saw Shauna feeding Jeremy. He was getting bigger, that was for certain, but he still seemed so small to her.

  When it had been her turn to hold Shauna’s son, Jeremy had almost immediately begun screaming, and Lottie had quickly handed him off to the next person. The experience had not helped her confidence in regards to bearing her own child.

  But as she gazed at Travis, Lottie knew it was time. The wilderness had waited long enough.

  As she began to walk over to the older Martinez boy, Lottie checked once more for the psychedelic mushrooms in her pocket.

  What was about to happen wouldn’t be pretty… but it would, in the end, prove necessary for them.

So, what did you think?

Will Natalie and Tommy's happiness last? Will Lottie get her way with Travis? And what in the holy hell is going to happen with Shauna?

Next chapter coming soon! Can't wait for you to read it! 😊 ❤️

[ducktoo]

Syncing Dream [Aespa x M!Reader]

4. Day off…not?

Note: just fluff

Masterlist here

Y/n woke up to the sound of nothing. No buzzing alarms, no frantic phone calls about schedules, and no urgent notifications lighting up his screen. For the first time in what felt like forever, it was quiet. He stretched lazily, savouring the peace. It took him a moment to remember what was so special about today—his first day off in weeks.

"Finally," he muttered with a smile, sinking deeper into his pillow. No errands, no last-minute crises, just a day to himself. Maybe he’d stay in bed all day, watch some TV, or—

Ding. The unmistakable sound of a text message cut through the silence.

“Please don’t be whoever I think it is..” Y/n groaned and lazily reached for his phone on the nightstand. It couldn’t be work; the staff knew he was off today. Still, out of habit, he checked the screen.

Ningning:

Oppa, can you do me a huuuge favor?

“Yizhuo, u kidding me…”

Y/n rubbed his eyes, blinking at the message. He hesitated, half-considering ignoring it, but something told him that wasn’t an option. His thumbs hovered over the screen before he typed a quick reply.

Y/n:

Ning, it’s my day off.

He felt a small surge of pride for setting boundaries. Today was about him. He wouldn’t get sucked into their usual chaos—

Ding.

Ningning:

But I forgot to pick up my laundryyyyy 🥺 Please, Oppa, I’ll owe you big time!

Y/n sighed, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. Of course, Ningning had a way of getting what she wanted. He typed out a reluctant, “fine,” and tossed the phone aside. Maybe he could do just this one thing. How hard could it be?

As he moved to get dressed, his phone buzzed again.

Ding.

Giselle:

Y/n, I think I lost my keys… help?

Y/n stopped mid-motion.

“Seriously?” He thought, staring at the screen. This was supposed to be his day off. He shook his head and responded.

Y/n:

Aeri, it’s my day off.

Ding.

Giselle:

I knooow, but it’s an emergency!

Sighing deeply, Y/n realised the quiet, relaxing day he had envisioned was rapidly slipping away. He grabbed his jacket and keys, already resigned to his fate. First stop, laundry for Ningning.

-

The laundromat wasn’t far from aespa’s dorm, so Y/n made quick work of grabbing Ningning’s clothes and heading to drop them off. On the way, his phone buzzed again. He didn’t even need to check the notification to know who it was.

As always, the comedy (pain) comes in 3 acts.

Winter:

Pabooo, can you get me some snacks? You know the ones I eat all the time. Pleaseee?

Y/n:

You do realise I’m not working today, right?

Winter:

That’s why I’m asking! You’ll be free later, right?

Y/n:

You dipsh-

Y/n sighed. He couldn’t win with these girls. After dropping off Ningning’s laundry and being thanked with a bright grin and a peace sign, he made his way to the convenience store. If he was going to spend his day off like this, he might as well commit.

-

By the time Y/n reached aespa’s dorm, bags in hand, he felt more like a delivery boy than a manager. He pushed open the door, greeted by a mix of tired-but-not-really faces and a familiar tension in the air—mostly from Karina, who barely acknowledged him with a curt nod.

"Didn’t expect you here on your day off," Karina said, arms crossed, her tone neutral, but Y/n could feel the underlying coolness. She still wasn’t completely over the fact that he had been thrust into the role of their manager with little experience.

"Yeah, well, apparently days off don’t exist when you’re the manager," Y/n replied dryly, his eyes briefly meeting hers before shifting to Winter, who was eagerly waiting for her snacks.

Winter popped her head out of the practice room and grinned. "Let’s goooo, good job, Y/n!” she chirped, grabbing the snacks he had brought. "I knew you couldn’t resist helping your best friend."

"I had a flipping choice?" Y/n quipped, though he couldn’t help but smile. He watched Winter tear into the bag like a kid on Christmas, feeling the warmth of their friendship creep in. Despite the tension with Karina, Winter’s presence always brought a sense of ease.

Karina, though, stayed reserved. Even now, after weeks of working together, there was still a quiet unease between them. It wasn’t like they openly disliked each other, but there was something unsaid lingering between every glance and conversation.

-

Later that day, Y/n had finally managed to leave the girls alone and get some semblance of quiet when his phone buzzed again.

Ding.

Giselle:

Any update on my keys?

Y/n rolled his eyes. He had scoured half the dorm for those stupid keys, and they were nowhere to be found. He groaned, heading back to the practice room where Giselle was crouching on the floor.

"Aeri" he sighed, "Where did you even lose them?”

"If I knew, I wouldn’t have lost them, would I?” she replied with a grin, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Karina, who came to help out, leaning against the wall with her arms folded, shot Y/n a look, as if to say, “You see what I deal with?”

"Let’s retrace your steps, I guess," Y/n said, rubbing his temples, though he couldn’t help but smirk at Giselle’s casual attitude. Karina reluctantly followed suit.

-

As Y/n sat up from the couch he accidentally crashed in aespa’s dorm, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, the sound of giggling caught his attention. Ningning, Winter, and Giselle stood over him, smirking in a way that made him feel a little uneasy.

"Good morning, oppa," Ningning teased, barely containing her laughter as she nudged him lightly.

Y/n frowned, still groggy. "What time is it?” he groaned, trying to shake off the fog in his brain.

"Late," Winter replied, tossing him a water bottle. "Didn’t know you’d stay all day.”

"Neither did I," he muttered, taking a sip of water.

Something felt….off. The way they were all staring at him, the mischievous grins they were failing to hide—it didn’t sit right with him, but he was too tired to dig into it.

Just then, Karina appeared at the doorway, arms crossed as usual. "Go home," she said, her voice softer than usual. There was an unfamiliar warmth in her tone. "You’ve done enough for today. Sorry that you have to deal with these children even on your day off.”

Y/n blinked, a little thrown off by the sudden kindness, but he wasn’t about to question it. "Don’t have to tell me twice,” he mumbled, getting to his feet.

"Y/n, you look... different," Giselle said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Ningning and Winter tried to stifle their laughter, looking away.

"What are you talking about?” Y/n asked, confused. He glanced down at his clothes—everything looked normal. Shrugging, he grabbed his jacket and started to head out the door.

"Nothing! See you tomorrow, Oppa!” Ningning called out, bursting into giggles.

"Yeah, see you...idiot” Winter added, her voice trembling from trying to hold back her laughter.

Y/n gave them a suspicious look but didn’t press further. He was too tired to deal with their antics tonight. He left the building, heading out into the cool night air, finally ready to go home and get some real rest.

-

As Y/n made his way through the convenience store to grab a drink before heading home, he noticed a few people staring at him strangely. A cashier gave him a weird look as he paid for his drink, and a couple of girls passing by couldn’t stop giggling when they saw him.

“What’s their problem?” he thought, feeling a little paranoid. Shrugging it off, he pulled out his phone to check the time. But as he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the dark screen, his eyes widened in horror.

There, scribbled all over his face in colourful marker, were ridiculous doodles: a poorly drawn moustache, cat whiskers, and the words “Manager Oppa” and “Best Idiot” written across his forehead.

Y/n stood frozen for a moment, processing the full extent of what had happened. Those friggin devils! No wonder they’d been giggling! He must have looked like a complete idiot walking around with his face like this.

With a sigh, Y/n rubbed his temples—thankfully, the markers weren't permanent. Grabbing a napkin from his bag, he tried wiping it off, but some of the ink had already settled too deep for a quick clean-up.

“I can’t believe I didn’t notice…of course Kim Minjeong was the mastermind of this crime…”

As he walked out of the store, trying to hide his face from any more passersby, his phone buzzed. A message from the group chat appeared on his screen.

Ningning:

You looked soooo cute with your new look today, oppa! 😂

Winter:

We’re so proud of you, “Best Idiot” 😸

Giselle:

Thanks for being such a good sport!

Y/n groaned, but couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips. Sure, they’d tricked him, but it was harmless fun—typical aespa chaos. Tomorrow, though? He was going to make sure they paid for it.

With that thought, Y/n trudged home, already mentally planning his revenge…after he had his sleep.

-

The next day, after washing off the colourful madness on his face since he was too tired to do so last night, Y/n was just about to fully enjoy his day off on his bed when his phone buzzed again.

He sighed, part of him tempted to just throw it under the pillow and pretend the world didn’t exist for a few hours. But when he glanced at the screen, he saw three unread messages, all from the aespa group chat.

Giselle:

Y/n, I lost my keys again...

Ningning:

I tried washing my clothes but messed up the detergent ratios. Now there’s foam everywhere.

Winter:

Please get some snack. Thanks lol

Y/n rubbed his temples. “Day off?” He scoffed to himself. “Yeah, right.”

Despite his fatigue, he found himself grabbing his jacket again and heading back out. He figured he could at least get Giselle’s keys sorted, swing by Ningning’s place to fix the laundry disaster, and grab Winter’s snack in one go.

But first, he made a quick stop at a nearby convenience store.

-

By the time Y/n got to Ningning’s place, it looked like a small laundry soap apocalypse had occurred. She stood in the middle of the room, her hands covered in suds, giving him a sheepish grin.

"Help..." she pleaded, pointing to the washing machine, which was overflowing with bubbles. "I thought more detergent would make it cleaner, but now it’s like this.”

“Well, they clearly not, Ning.”

“I know! Help me out please!”

Y/n let out a deep sigh, but couldn’t help smiling at her cluelessness. "Alright, step back." He quickly adjusted the machine’s settings, drained some of the excess water, and cleaned up the foam. "Next time, use less detergent, okay?”

"Thanks, oppa!" Ningning beamed, but before Y/n could leave, she added, "Oh, and can you fix my bed too? It keeps creaking loudly for some reason."

-

After taking care of Ningning’s detergent disaster and bed crisis, Y/n swung by Giselle at the practice room to help her find her keys. They were wedged between the couch cushions—again.

"You really need a keychain or something, Aeri" Y/n sighed as he handed the keys to her.

"I know, I know... I keep losing them," Giselle admitted with a grin. "But hey, you’re always there to help, so thanks Y/n!”

Y/n chuckled. "Yeah, maybe I should start charging."

“Aren't you already charged from the company?”

“Yes, but I’ll get my overtime from you all.” Y/n joked.

-

With those dilemmas sorted, Y/n made his final stop: Winter’s room. She greeted him at the door with an eager smile, immediately grabbing the bags of snacks from his hands.

"Finally! I was starving." She didn’t waste any time ripping open the snacks.

Y/n rolled his eyes. "You could’ve just walked out and bought them yourself, you know.”

"But then what’s the point of having you around?" Winter teased with a grin. "Besides, you do the whole manager thing so well now. It’s almost like you're used to dealing with all our nonsense."

"Am I now?" Y/n muttered, though he couldn’t deny that things had become somewhat smoother lately. "But seriously, don’t call me on my day off unless it’s an emergency."

"Is snack hunger not an emergency? Is your best friend wanting to snack not one at all?” Winter retorted, eyes sparkling with mischief.

Y/n shook his head with a sigh. “You’re lucky you’re a small bean, Minjeong.”

“I know, I’m abusing it.” Winter snorted.

-

As he walked out of Winter’s dorm, he hesitated before making one final stop. Karina’s room was next on his mental checklist, though she hadn’t messaged him today. Their tension had been palpable for a while, and he figured it couldn’t hurt to try and lighten the mood.

Knocking lightly, he waited a moment before Karina opened the door. She looked surprised to see him, after he fully declared he will enjoy his day off.

"Uh, hey," Y/n began, rubbing the back of his neck. "I... uh... didn’t get any distress signals from you, but I brought you something anyway."

Karina raised an eyebrow, curious. Y/n handed her a small bag containing her favourite snack. "Just... you know, a peace offering or whatever," he added awkwardly, not quite sure how to approach the tension between them.

She stared at the bag for a moment, then back at him. A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Thanks," she said quietly, taking the bag from him. The awkwardness between them hung in the air, but something in her expression softened.

"Karina," Y/n continued, fidgeting a little. "I know we’ve been... off lately, and I just wanted to... you know, make sure we’re cool. I mean, I’m still figuring this whole manager thing out, but I don’t want us to be at odds all the time."

Karina looked down at the snack in her hands, then back at Y/n. "It’s not that I don’t appreciate what you’re doing," she said slowly. "You’ve improved a lot since the beginning... it’s just..."

She hesitated, as if searching for the right words.

"I guess it’s hard to adjust to someone new in the group. Especially someone who used to be a trainee, like us, with skills that does and does not correlate with the role" she finally admitted. "But I don’t hate you or anything. It’s just... a weird transition."

Y/n nodded, understanding. "Ahhh, I get you.”

Karina took a deep breath, then gave him a rare, genuine smile. "Thanks for the snack, though. It helps."

Y/n chuckled softly, feeling a bit of the weight between them lift. "No problem…Jimin. Just... don’t let the others know I’m handing out free snacks. They’ll start demanding a whole shop."

Karina laughed lightly, the sound easing the remaining tension between them. "Deal."

As Y/n turned to leave, he felt a little more hopeful about where things stood between him and Karina. Small steps, but steps nonetheless.

-

Heading home after the day’s unexpected chaos, Y/n finally felt like he might actually get that day off... tomorrow, maybe. But for now, he’d settle for some well-deserved rest. He pulled out his phone one last time and texted the group chat:

Y/n:

Next time, I’m charging you all for manager duties on my day off.

$50 USD per hour. Take it or leave it, suckers.

Unknowingly, Winter replied.

Bet.

[lizpaige]

I really would to see more Lynch brothers/Adam interactions, if you’re up to it 🫰🏻

hiiiii anon tysm for the prompt! sorry it took a minute. i'm back at work so prompts will take me longer to get through. shameless plug once again for my fic, fáilte, which has some more lynch bros/adam interactions. but hope you enjoy some more Declan being sus of Adam! (and Adam helping Matty with his calc homework)

It was winter break and despite spending most of it in DC, they (Matthew) decided to spend a week at the Barns. Declan was only slightly surprised to see Adam Parrish's jalopy in the driveway when they arrived. He and Ronan were dating. That was also news that didn't surprise Declan... well, maybe a little.

Now, Declan sat in the living room in direct eye-line of the kitchen, where Adam was sitting at the round table with Matthew going over his calculus homework. Of course, Declan was pretending not to look, instead typing idly on his phone an email that was long overdue but his focus was on the kitchen. It started like this:

Declan found coffee in the pot early in the morning, although Ronan was not a coffee drinker. He poured himself a cup anyway, nearly jumping out of his skin when he heard a noise behind him. He turned to find Adam Parrish at the breakfast nook, coffee next to him, textbooks, pens, and an open refurbished laptop illuminating his freckled, exhausted face. He looked up for a moment, nodded to Declan, and then resumed his studying.

He wanted to make breakfast, but his stomach churned wearily. He wanted to make some toast, but the toaster always made him feel uneasy. Instead, he grabbed his black coffee, went into the living room, and sat silently on Aurora's old sewing chair, watching the doorway to the kitchen. Could he trust Adam Parrish? Maybe. Possibly. He needed more data.

Matthew bounded in sometime later, sleep rumpled and beaming. He had no qualms about disturbing Adam in the kitchen, waving and sharing a cheery "Hey, man!" before rummaging through the cupboards for cereal. Declan's coffee sat untouched and cold on the end table next to him.

"He's the worst! He gave us like 100 problems to do this break," Matthew said loudly, his mouth full of cereal. His voice always carried, even when he was trying to be quiet. In a stage whisper, he continued, "I haven't even started yet. Don't tell anyone."

Adam's mumbled reply was too quiet for Declan to hear, but Matthew's response wasn't. "You would? Gee, thanks, I completely forgot what we were learning so that would help."

Matthew left the room and came back with his calculus textbook, notebook, calculator, and pencil case. Declan narrowed his gaze and set his phone down in his lap. Interesting.

Adam Parrish seemed to be the type of person who would never do anything for free. What does he get out of helping Matthew? Points with Ronan? The better question to be asking is what does Adam get from dating Ronan? A lot. Too much. Could he be trusted? Where will Ronan end up when Adam inevitably gets whatever he needs and wants from him? Will Declan be able to pick up the pieces?

Declan needed leverage in case it came to that, but he knew very little that mattered to Adam. His family was out of the picture, Declan knew that after Ronan came to blows with Robert Parrish (and Declan's subsequent research into the emancipation case). Adam cared about Aglionby, but with the rate he was going, he'd easily make valedictorian. He cared about school; Declan heard a rumor that he applied to four ivy league schools, but he thought the number was a bit low.

Adam cared about Ronan. Or at least it seemed that way.

When Ronan came through the mudroom door into the kitchen after his morning chores, boots kicked off, mud up his forearms, his grin was shocking and foreign to Declan. His happiness was apparent and genuine and Declan could hardly remember a time after their dad passed that he saw Ronan smile like that. Ronan moved to the other side of the room and Declan couldn't see him, but he could hear the sink running as Ronan washed up before coming around to stand across from Matthew and Adam.

Adam said something too quiet for Declan to make out, and Ronan flipped him off, but Matthew laughed. Declan quickly grabbed his phone as Ronan started walking toward the door. "-fucking nerds, I'm going to shower and then make some pancakes, sound good?"

"Ooh, chocolate chip, please!" Matthew called.

Ronan stopped in the doorway of the living room, eyeing Declan for a second. Declan didn't look up, feigning focus, losing sanity. "Pancakes good with you?"

"Hm?" Declan was going to crack Adam Parrish. "Yeah, sure."

"Ooh-kay," Ronan said slowly as if Declan was the one being weird and not everyone else in this godforsaken house.

[lina-lovebug]

USM characters dating an Avengers daughter

- you knew his about his not-so-subtle crush on your dad when you first met, and decided not to tell him

- you adore him but whose to say he won't just use you as an excuse to hang out with your philanthropist billionaire playboy dad?

- but you'd been dating awhile, and had met Aunt May (who adored you), so why were you avoiding the subject of your dad?

- that was until you were fixing your suit and Peter walked in, gave you a kiss and offered to help. You forgot the little engraving your dad left you on your suit, "be careful and kick ass, love dad"

- "aw, that's sweet," he smiled, "when can I meet him?"

- "you. . .already have," you said, trying to gage his reaction, "he made me my first suit. . .and yours"

- it took him a few seconds but then it all clicked. His super amazing genius girlfriend whose dad bought her a Porsche at fifteen was Tony Stark

- his idol

- "I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner, but you idolize him and I was scared and-"

- he understood - completely shocked but understood

- he does ask if that means he can drive the Porsche now tho

- you and your mom? Best friends

- danny and your mom? Not so much

- being the daughter of Black Widow herself came with a lot of trust, and many secrets so you never intended on dating because of it

- but then this handsome motherfucker gentleman comes along and you're on cloud nine

- you told him you have a complicated past and he respected that, waiting until you were ready

- but he's Iron Fist, King of K'un L'un and an Agent of SHIELD so he took notice when you'd disappear from team sessions

- he admits he got curious and followed one day, and there you were: training with Black Widow herself, and doing it flawlessly

- and at the end of it, his suspicions were confirmed once you hugged and said, "thanks, mom"

- "So are you gonna introduce us or does he always do that?" She made DIRECT eye contact with him and it honestly sent a shiver down his spine

- he introduced himself, remaining calm and collected, which impressed her but she also knows that people can hide how they rlly feel

- she GRILLED HIM

- "where'd you grow up?" "K'un L'un" "who are your parents?" "Heather and Wendell Rand" "if you're a billionaire, why do you wear five dollar flip flops?"

- you knew she approved of him, but she liked to keep him on his toes

- "beloved, I love you, but your mother scares me"

- oh how does one BEGIN to explain to their bullet proof boyfriend that their dad is Thor?

- he knew you had to be other worldly, and not just because he thinks you're a Goddess you accidentally struck him with lightning one time

- you wanted to keep it a secret for a bit before the Almighty Thor comes in and demands to know Luke's intentions

- "babe, why is Thor asking me when I'm proposing?"

- being a God came with perks, so Thor knew not long after you guys started dating that something was amiss with his daughter

- (you stopped remembering to being him poptarts and he got upset)

- "how do I know if he is worthy of your hand?"

- "He makes me laugh :) and he's bulletproof so. . ."

- they get along great

- his first trip to Asgard was a bit intimidating but seeing as you're half human, your mom reminded him that love between you guys was possible

- "I recommend a traditional Asgardian ceremony-"

- "dad we're sixteen"

- o h b o i

- talk about overprotective father

- you're a minute late, who were you with? What were you doing? I want their names, addresses, social security-

- if you guessed Winter Soldier a.k.a Bucky then you guessed right

- he knew something was up the moment you two lingered for a bit after training, and watching from the top deck this man SPOTTED your hands brush and asked Fury for Novas' personal file

- but knowing your dad, you were actually able to keep your relationship a secret for two months before he put the pieces together himself

- you both were out on a picnic date, Sam having made a cute cake, and a very threatening man with a metal arm came up sat down, smiled at him, held his hand out and said, "Samuel Alexander, sixteen, last Nova, grew up in Carefree, and 5'8, correct?"

- you were LIVID

- meanwhile Sam was like "omg he knows my name :0!!"

- you had told Sam long before dating that your dad was extremely overprotective, but Sam being Sam was just excited that his badass girlfriend has a badass dad!!

- and Buckys like "wtf this kid isn't even remotely terrified"

- Sam asks question after question, and it even turns into a third wheel - as in they're bonding and you're just there

- Bucky likes him but still tries to be somewhat intimidating, being the infamous Winter Soldier and all

- "Babe. . .baabe. . .when's your dad gonna be back? I wanna ask him if he likes my new helmet look"

- so like where do I even start

- you and Ava had been dating for a couple of months before she started to realize that she hadn't met your family

- you told her that they were just really intense and you didn't wanna scare her

- but who could scare White Tiger? So she insisted and you said "your funeral"

- also how does one explain to their partner that they technically shouldn't exist because your dad is a robot and your mom is a witch?

- your brothers LOVE her

- Billy and Tommy immediately recognized Ava, seeing as they'd work with the team from time to time and said "ooh our sisters dating the smart one"

- and Ava like, "babe I think I kicked one of their asses in training"

- Wanda adores Ava, she thinks she's good for you and might as well have someone mentally stable in your life

- Meanwhile in Avas' mind, "omg omg her mom is Scarlet Witch, her dad is Vision - wait is that why she's so smart? Is my girlfriend a robot?"

- no you're not a robot

- Vision likes her, and he knew about you two before you two even started dating. Why? You rambled about White Tiger during dinner once and Vision CLOCKED that look in your eyes

- needless to say, Sunday dinners with your family are now mandatory with Ava