#YOU gave me chest pains and difficulty breathing. just seeing YOUR DAMN NAME on my phone gave me panic attacks

[isildheir]

Honestly, my abuser saying Louis was just as bad as Lestat or basically implying they hate how people write Lestat off as more abusive than he is or that Louis was just as abusive was a red flag I should've put a lot more stock into.

[mi-rae07]

Jeong Yunho : Pain

Pairing : Jeong Yunho (Ateez) and named character (Park Yejin)

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A/n : literally just a drabble. Also, as the title says, higher levels of angst in here (although the story is quite small)

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Yunho : please, please don't hurt her. I…I'm so sorry.

His brother laughed at yunho, a hand coming to wrap around yunho's throat as he whispered

Yohan : you never gave her to me. I asked you, begged you, to let her go so I could have her instead. But you were stubborn, you kept holding onto her.

Yunho sobbed, trying to fight against the ropes tied around his body even though it had already started tearing through his skin.

Yunho : I loved her, yohan-ah. I was just…I was just trying to protect her.

Yohan : well then, now you will sit here, absolutely helpless as my men tear her body into half, draining her off of her blood, drop by drop.

Yunho weeped at yohan's words, feeling utterly helpless as his tears fell on the floor drop by drop. Yohan chuckled and watched it happen, a wide smile on his face as he saw his biggest enemy struggling like his life depended on it.

Well, in a way it did. But yohan was sure park yejin was half-dead by now. But even then, he liked to see his brother suffer. Just as he himself did, all those years.

Yunho : why won’t you just kill me instead, why WHY WHY! WHY MUST YOU DO THIS TO HER WHEN SHE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT ANY OF THIS JUNG YOHAN!

Yohan laughed, tilting his head as he whispered

Yohan : that's exactly why I must do this, yunho-ya. Because killing you is too easy, too painless. I'd rather watch you struggle like this, tearing your skin apart for that woman.

Yunho cried harder, his voice desperate and tired. He had no idea how long it had been since he was tied up in this unknown garage. He had just known that yejin had gone out in the middle of the night to buy something, and yunho had been half-asleep when she went out. He woke up hours later, realizing that two unknown men were in front of him. And before he could fight, they had knocked him out. And then he had landed here, his own brother showing yunho a video of yejin being beaten up by men as her screams echoed through the empty garage. That was all yohan had showed him, and that had been hours ago, yunho was sure.

Yohan : damn, this is so much fun! Watching you struggle like this, knowing park yejin will be dead by now, it's all so much fun.

Yunho did not say a word, only crying harder and harder as seconds passed. Yohan felt anger rise up to him, yunho's cries triggering his inner demon. Yohan walked up to yunho before kicking him tight in the chest, causing the chair to fall down, taking yunho along with it. Yohan took a jug of water that was nearby, pouring it all over yunho as he felt difficulty in breathing from all the sudden water. Yunho coughed hoarsely, feeling blood trickle down his lips.

Yohan : look at you, pathetic. I remember seeing you get sworn in as Director General of Police a few years ago, brother. How happy you were, how happy she was. Now look at the same person, struggling under my grasp.

Yunho could only let out a strangled sob, his body weakening as yohan continued to hit him harder. But he still held on, knowing that yohan was going to let him go sometime. And when he did, he would find his wife.

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Yunho walked up to the park that had been isolated a few years ago, because it had gone out of business. Now it was covered in a million different trees, that almost not letting yunho see properly. But he still did, he had trained for this back in training collage. Except now yunho was desperately looking for his wife with tears in his eyes, barely being able to walk. But yohan had finally let yunho go, and he was going to find yejin no matter what.

And soon enough yunho did, but when his eyes finally did land on yejin whose body was sprawled out on the floor, a guttural scream was ripped out of his throat. Yunho ran up to his wife's bloodied body, sobs falling from his lips as he fell on the ground and lifted her limp upper body to his lap. Yunho stared into the lifeless eyes of his wife, his body trembling as he shook yejin harshly

Yunho : wake up. Please no no no WAKE UP!

The practical part of yunho told him that yejin was already dead. Her lifeless eyes wide open, and the blood falling down her lips and nose, and the deep cut in her throat, it was obvious to anyone that she was long dead.

But she was the woman yunho had loved with his entire life, the woman he promised he would give his life to protect. And now, now she was dead. And their unborn child had died along with her.

Yunho hugged yejin as he cried as loud as he could, rocking his wife's upper body in his arms as he kept calling her name desperately

Yunho : how could you leave me, how…yejin-ah.

She did not respond, of course she didn't. instead her body laid limp as yunho continued to hold her with trembling hands.

Yunho : I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm so sorry I failed, yejin-ah.

Yunho still remembered the yejin who would smile at him, his entire world lightening up at that smile. He still remembered the happy sounds she would make when he took her to the beach, and her glowing eyes as the both of them gazed at the stars above them before going to sleep. He remembered their wedding day, when she looked like the most beautiful woman yunho had ever seen in his entire life.

She was the light in his life, and now she was gone, filling his entire body with nothing but darkness and solitude.

And so as yunho cried while holding his wife's dead body in his arms, he had decided one thing.

He was going to take his revenge, he was going to make jung yohan pay for all that he had done to yejin and their child. And he wasn't going to survive it.

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[randomshyperson]

Left Behind - Chapter 6 - Once a Promise, Always a Promise.

Gif was made by my official gif maker friend @abimess

Summary: The one where you lived in the apartment under the Maximoff family in Sokovia, or, your journey as a Sokovian civilian to Avenger.

Warnings: (+16) Violence, fighting, cursing, civil war environments, abuse of power, assault, torture, underage kissing, psychological torture, substance use, mention of assault/fighting of children, smut, kissing, teasing, insinuation of sexual and moral harassment, verbal offenses.

Words: 4.753k

A/N> It's been 84 years... I just hope someone still reads this haha Let me know what you think

All Works Masterlist || Read on AO3 || Series Masterlist

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Chapter 6 - Once a Promise, Always a Promise.

When you wake up, you get your ass beaten up by an unknown woman.

You awaken all at once, advancing against the woman who was watching you sleep. Her surprise only lasts a second, however, as the next she returns your blow and knocks you to the ground, a gun pointed straight at your face.

Wide-eyed, you realize where you are and raise your hands.

"Sorry, sorry." You can quickly. "I thought I was in the lab again. Who the hell are you by the way?"

The woman raises her eyebrow at you.

"Cap, get over here before I shoot her."

And the next second, a blond man is running into the area of the ship where you are, looking worried.

"Let's all calm down, okay?" He asks as he sees the gun extended, and waits for the woman to put it down. You sigh lightly, rising to stand up.

"I'm sorry I attacked you, Miss." You ask as soon as you are on your feet, and massage your shoulder, which hit the ground hard when she knocked you down.

"It's fine, you just got beat up anyway." She teases, making you give a short laugh.

You were about to ask if they could let you off the ship anywhere, but a low groan of pain beside you caught your attention.

Just then you noticed the man lying on the stretcher next to you a few feet away, a large wound in his rib. You are also able to notice the rest of the ship, there is a man piloting a few meters away, and two men sitting further ahead, talking to each other.

"Hey, I can help." You stated immediately, but as soon as you moved, the woman stood in front of you, looking at you with suspicion and defiance, and you swallowed dryly. "I-I can heal him." You clarified, but the woman only changed her posture when the man next to you touched her forearm.

"Can you do that?" He asks you, and you nod. You wait for the woman to take a step back to approach the man on the stretcher.

"Hey, are you guys sure of this?" The man lying down asked uncomfortably, and you raise your hands in the air.

"Hi, I'm Y/N, I won't hurt you, I promise. "You guarantee it." Can I heal your injuries?" You ask and wait for him to confirm.

The wound is deep, but you have dealt with much worse.

"How did you do that?"

"It was nothing." You say as you put your hands down. His skin was completely intact again.

"This sure is cooler than lightning, huh, Thor?" Commented the blond as he sat down on the stretcher, clearly feeling better. The long-haired man at the back of the ship looks at you curiously as he stands up, and when he notices his colleague completely healed, he looks impressed.

"This sure is an interesting skill for a mortal." He says to you, and you don't know exactly what to make of those words, but you don't have time to comment, because he is already approaching to introduce himself. "My name is Thor Odinson, god of thunder."

You frown.

"G-god of thunder?" You repeat confused. "Sorry, is that some kind of joke?"

The woman next to you giggles, moving to sit on the stretcher next to the man you healed. The blond man in front of you looks slightly offended, but his expression softens immediately.

"I understand that at first, mortals may be incredulous at such a..."

"No, I just thought the title was funny." You interrupt the blond man, surprising him. "You guys are the Avengers, aren't you? My master has already told me about you."

“Your master?”

It is the other blond guy in the blue uniform who asks. You mentally repress yourself.

"Damn, sorry." You say. "It's what I used to call the soldiers and doctors who gave me orders."

"Your files say that you disappeared in Sokovia when you were younger, and what we found at the base were the records of the experiments they did on you." He adds, and you twiddle your fingers nervously. "I just want to make sure you're not going to try to bring the plane down with everyone inside."

The attempted joke is enough to make you smile, but you are beginning to feel overwhelmed. You really were free. After all this time, the idea seemed almost absurd.

You try to control your emotion at once, and the man seems to notice, because his expression softens immediately.

"Hey, come have a seat." He asks, signaling to one of the empty chairs, and you obey. "My name is Steve Rogers, and I promise you're safe now. Hydra will never hurt you again."

You nod frantically, feeling the tears in your eyes. But you try to normalize your breathing, not wanting to cry in front of strangers.

"I'm sorry, I just... I've just been trying to get away for so long." You confess next, wiping your eyes quickly. "It's weird to think I succeeded."

"We are going back to the Avengers tower now. Is there anyone you would like to get in touch with?" He asks, and his words make your stomach sink.

"Yes." You say. "But I have no idea where they are."

"Who? Your family?"

You give a short laugh.

"Yeah, I guess so. They were..." You start trying to remember exactly. You didn't even know how long it had been since the time you saw the twins at the Hydra base. You had no idea if they were alive, but you wanted to believe they were. Taking a deep breath, you continue. "They were my friends. Wanda and Pietro, we grew up together. They... I saw them once. When I still had the serum in my head. I..."

Seeing your difficulty in organizing your thoughts, Steve interrupts you by touching your forearm.

"It's okay." He says. "We'll find the twins."

"So they really are alive?"

Steve smiles.

"Yes." He answers and you feel your body relax all at once. "They ran away, I imagine they were scared, but we'll find them."

You gasp, unable to control your tears. Neither Steve nor the rest of the Avengers seem to care.

When you calm down, Steve introduces you to the rest of the team.

You are not exactly happy to meet Tony Stark. The mention of his last name makes you frown, because you know it was a Stark bomb that blew up your home at Sokovia, but when you accuse Tony, he seems really upset.

"Well, I guess you can get on the list of people who hate me then." He grumbles and you cross your arms, the whole team sensing the tension in the air.

"You could at least apologize for blowing up half of Sokovia with your weapons." You retort angrily, and the man rolls his eyes, not getting up from the armchair you were in.

"Sure, no problem. I'm sorry, kiddo. Happy?"

You clench your jaw, but before you can say anything, Steve steps forward.

"Tony, try not to be a jerk, okay?" The captain speaks and the other man lets out a wry laugh. "Have at least some respect for the girl's story."

"I have respect, Captain." He assures as he stands up, looking impatient. "What I don't have is time to revisit the past while our enemies get more and more powerful." He says and you frown in confusion. "I've already banned weapons production in the industries, and we've already taken on Hydra in that place. Now we can move on, because I need to get back to the compound and understand exactly what that thing is."

He speaks and finishes by signaling to the opposite side, and it is only then that you notice the shining scepter on the far side of the room and let out a surprised exclamation, taking three steps backwards.

"How did you guys get this?" You ask horrified and the team looks at you curiously.

"Have you seen the scepter before?"

"Of course I have!" You reply. "That's what gave me the healing! The damn stone went through my chest."

Thor steps forward, looking at you in surprise.

"So Hydra were able to decipher the scepter?

You laugh humorlessly.

"If by decipher you mean press the scepter against my chest while preening me in an iron chair, then yes." You reply, but take a deep breath to calm yourself. "A yellow stone came off as soon as the scepter touched me. And well, it went right through my skin. When I woke up, I could heal. But whatever it is, it killed all the soldiers who were holding me."

Thor seems to consider your words as Steve tells you that he is sorry for what you went through in Hydra.

Suddenly you remember where you first saw him.

"The man on the bridge!" You exclaimed, surprising him, but you were getting your memories gradually, and your heart was racing. "You are Captain America.... My god, where is Bucky?"

"Great, another fan of the metal arm." Tony comments sarcastically, but no one seems to care.

Steve looks at you with a frown.

"Is he safe? Is he free? Can I see him?" You ask promptly next, and Natasha chuckles.

"Hey, calm down." Steve asks and you swallow dryly, trying not to feel so overwhelmed with so many memories coming back at once. "How do you know Bucky?"

You blink in surprise.

"He...he didn't talk about me?"

It takes a second, and then Steve's eyes widen.

“Oh my god, you’re the guardian!

"I am what now?"

Steve lets out an incredulous laugh.

"The guardian." He repeats as if you were going to understand what he meant.

Natasha clears her throat.

"Captain, perhaps you'd better explain." She asks and Steve gestures quickly.

"We've been looking for you for months." Steve then adds, causing you to widen your eyes in surprise. "Bucky he... he's been trying to find you since he escaped. But he didn't know your name. All he knew was the nickname you got from the soldiers. The golden guardian of death. It's been our only tip to find you."

"I thought it was just golden guardian." Clint adds next, Nat makes a noise of agreement.

"No, I'm sure it was just Guardian of Death." Thor comments, but you are barely listening to the teasing, feeling your thoughts racing.

Steve raises his hands to your shoulders.

"Thank you so much for saving Bucky." He says before hugging you. You feel your neck heat up at the sudden contact, but do your best to reciprocate.

Steve lets you go then, smiling.

"He's going to be so happy to see you."

"Where is he?"

"At the compound." Steve replies. "He cannot attend field missions, it's part of the pardon. It's too much bureaucracy to explain now.."

"I think he's just lazy." Tony adds wryly, making the Avengers giggle.

And Steve's smile dies briefly.

"What's with you today, anyway, Stark?"

Tony sighs impatiently, finally rising from his armchair.

"I'm sorry if I'm not reacting in the way you consider proper captain, but I'm concerned about getting to work soon." He says as he moves toward you two. “I need to find out what this thing really is.”

"No, Stark, you won't touch this." It is Thor who announces, and all the avengers look genuinely surprised.

"I beg your pardon?" Stark retorted, but Thor didn't hesitate before he looked at you next.

"Describe to me again how you got your healing, mortal."

You sigh lightly.

"They locked me in an iron chair and brought the scepter." You narrated. "But they lie me on the chair next, and I could only feel the metal against my skin, and then I saw a yellow light. Something went right through my chest, and then right through." You say. "I blacked out for a second, the room was completely empty like a vision. When I blinked, it was back, but all the soldiers holding me were dead. And then they knocked me out."

"Before you said you saw a yellow stone?"

You nodded in agreement.

"I dreamed of this memory for several days." You clarify. "I was back in the room, but this time I watched myself. I saw when they put the scepter to my chest, and when the golden stone came out and went through my skin. It was the stone that released the wave of energy that killed the soldiers .I don't know why I didn't die too."

"A single blow that killed a group of soldiers at once." Thor mutters more to himself than to the rest of the teams. "It's decided then, no mortal must touch this. It's clearly far more power than anyone should have."

"This is ridiculous." Thor accused the next moment, making the team look at him curiously. "You can't just deny knowledge about something like that and..."

"Why are you so insistent on this, Tony?" It's Steve who asks suspiciously. Tony sighs, and gives a short laugh.

"You guys are unbelievable, you know." He says. "I'm trying to find new alternatives to our problems."

"What problems?" Steve asks with a confused grimace, and Tony rolls his eyes, looking nervous.

"Our enemies, Captain!" He snarls. "In case you haven't noticed, it hasn't been too long since we faced an army of robots coming from a hole in the sky!" He accuses. "We don't have the power to face this kind of thing. The scepter is exactly what I need to prevent the worst from happening."

"Where did that come from, Tony?" Steve retorted confused.

Stark gave a short laugh, rolling his eyes.

"I don't have time for this." He grimaced and moved to grab the scepter, but Thor stood in the way, arms crossed. "Really?" Tony impatiently charges, but Thor doesn't move. Stark clenches his jaw before declaring angrily. "I had a vision, okay? I saw all of us, defeated. Defeated because we didn't have the power to win. And I... I could have prevented it."

The avengers look as confused as you are, and remain silent. Tony sighs and runs his hand through his hair.

"It was New York again, but this time the enemy won." He continues, visually upset. When he lifted his face in Steve's direction, his look was angry, but his eyes had tears in it. "And you told me that I could have stopped it."

“I wouldn't do that.” Steve says. “If we ever lose, I wouldn't blame you, Tony.”

Tony gives a short laugh.

“Wouldn’t you really?” He retorts. “I’m pretty sure you would, cap.”

Steve takes a step forward, his eyes soften as he looks at his friend.

“I promise you, Tony. If we lose, we lose together.” He declares. “That’s what being an Avengers means. I’m sorry if I was not clear before, and made you feel any different than this or…”

“Stop it!” Tony angrily interrupts. You flinch because you think you saw a familiar red light in his eyes. “Cut this sentimental crap, Steve. I’m just trying to do what’s necessary here.”

“Back off, Stark!” You order as you noted how he has moved his wand to the scepter, he seems surprised by the action too. You move in his direction as he takes two steps back, looking irritated. You gave him no time to answer however, as you raise your hands over his head and touch his forehead with your fingers before he can complain.

Immediately, you can feel the remnants of magic on Tony's head. You don't recognize it at first, but as your own magic removes the other energy, you sigh slightly. It feels familiar, but you don't know why. The energy is still harmful though, probably due to the intention of the one who cast it, but you manage to clean it all up.

You succeed because you coordinate your magic to wipe the other energy like you usually clear and heal wounds, and it seems to work, because Tony raises his hands to your wrist, his wide-eyed eyes soften and he looks almost startled.

"I'm sorry." He asks and swallows dryly. You remove your fingers from his forehead completely, watching with curiosity. He takes a deep breath, blinking several times as if waking up. "I'm sorry, everyone, I... Damn, it was like a horrible dream. I need to lie down for a minute."

And with that he leaves.

You don't ask questions anymore, because Steve is going after him, and you are trying to figure it out why you still feel the unknown magic tingling at your fingertips, as if it is trying to merge with yours.

//-//

You cry when you see Bucky again.

He lets out a disbelieving laugh, and then he's running up, hugging you tight.

Your conversation is long and intense, and is almost mostly made up of gratitude.

The other Avengers seem very happy to see the whole interaction, especially Steve.

Tony isolates himself in his room as soon as you arrive, and Thor looks upset. He and Bruce discuss something, and then they go to talk to Tony.

You don't pay attention because you are listening to Bucky tell you about getting all his memories back, and living with the Avengers since you helped him. He was now free from Hydra's control, and was pardoned by the state on condition that he was no longer the Winter Soldier.

Nat also added in his narrative the information that he and Steve were "making fondue" and the joke made him laugh with red cheeks but you didn't understand what that meant.

You are very happy to see him, but you can't help but think that he was not the one you wanted to find when you were free.

When he introduces you to the rest of the compound, and to your room, you hug him in appreciation, and you both exchange a knowing look, finally acknowledging that you are safe.

//-//

Your first night in the compound is a strange one.

After meeting the whole team, who were polite despite having fought you a few hours ago, you received a full meal and then locked yourself in your room.

But you were not used to having such a soft bed, not even before Hydra, so sleeping seemed kind of impossible.

Figuring that the Avengers wouldn't mind you taking a late night stroll, you left your room.

"Are you lost, girl?" A female voice suddenly sounded making you jump in fright. It was Natasha Romanoff, or as she introduced herself earlier, Black Widow.

"S-sorry, ma'am." You retorted clumsily, and the woman raised her eyebrows at you. "I can't sleep."

"First, I'm not old, so don't call me ma'am." She commented wryly, and you tried to smile. "Second, I know the feeling. If you want, I can distract you."

Your last social conversation with a woman happened a long time ago, and then you find yourself asking:

"Are you inviting me to have sex?"

Nat lets out a surprised laugh, crossing her arms.

"Where did that come from?" she asks, and you scratch your neck lightly.

"Sorry, I learned how to talk to women from television shows that Hydra soldiers watched in the labs. Bad references. What did you mean by distracting me?"

Nat laughed, impressed by your words.

"I meant like have some tea and tell a story." She clarifies, not sounding the least bit upset. You put your hands in the pockets of the pajamas you've been given.

"R-right. That sounds more appropriate." You mumble with flushed cheeks, eliciting another laugh from the woman. As you begin walking side by side, she comments.

"You know, I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with you around here. You are just as awkward as Steve and Bucky."

You end up hearing a story about agents in Budapest, but it seems Nat doesn't tell the whole story. It's nice, though, you missed talking to someone.

"That thing you did earlier with Tony, that was really cool." Nat remarks after a pause in silence.

You take a sip of your tea after shrugging, but she seems inquisitive.

"How did you know it was Maximoff who messed with his head?"

You almost choke at the sudden mention of the name and Nat's watchful gaze makes it impossible to disguise. You sigh.

"I... They are my friends." You confess looking down at the cup, "Or they used to be."

Raising your gaze to Nat again, she only seems curious to know, and you shrug slightly, deciding to trust her.

"We grew up together in Sokovia." You count twirling your fingers on the handle of your cup, "They were the only family I had in the orphanage. And well, it was for them that I broke into a Hydra building."

Nat listens to your story intently, and you swallow dryly before continuing.

"When they captured me, the serum, it... well, it didn't exactly leave me conscientious." You try to explain. "It was like pushing all my memories away, my mind would become completely empty."

“"Is that what they did to Bucky?" Nat questions and you shake your head.

"No, they used electric shock on Bucky." You return with a grimace. "With me, they couldn't hurt me permanently, so they needed something that would make me obey without me being able to heal. It was like being drunk, I guess, only much worse."

“I’m sorry.”

"It 's fine.” You say with a sad smile. “I was dumb enough to go there, i knew the risks.”

“Don’t say that.” Nat asks with a serious voice. “It’s was not your fault they torture kids.”

"And whose fault is it, then?" You retorted, upset, with yourself more than with Nat or anyone else. "My friends for being stubborn idiots? Of Stark for throwing a bomb in my building? I'm tired of looking for reasons to justify what happened to me. Nothing is enough, and I just want to see my friends."

Nat sighs lightly, and raises a hand on the table to reach for yours. You want to hold back the tears, but they are already falling before you can do so.

"I promise we will find your family." She assures you tenderly, and you feel your heart soar at the possibility.

You nod in understanding, taking a deep breath to stop crying.

Nat squeezes your hand, and it takes a moment for you to speak again.

"Wanda." You begin, and almost sob. It has been a long time since you have spoken that name. "She... She must have gotten her powers the same way I did." You say trying to remember everything you witness in Hydra at that moment. "I remember the soldiers talking about the twins being the only ones to survive the stone besides me."

"From Shield records, we know she can manipulate energy and Pietro can run really fast." Nat informs as she releases your hand. She sits thoughtfully for a moment."Maybe because you all got the magic through the same source, you can heal what she can do to Tony's mind. But that's not really my area, maybe you should talk to Thor as well."

You sigh lightly, wiping away the remainder of the tears falling on your face.

"I will." You say. "But I want to find Wan-the twins first." You correct yourself quickly, hoping Nat doesn't notice your flushed cheeks. She does, but says nothing.

"Try to get some rest." She asks as she picks up the teacups. "We have a party coming up, and then Thor is supposed to return to Asgard. I imagine you will want to have a little chat with Bucky before you return to Sokovia."

"I would go back to Sokovia right now if you ask me." You mutter making Nat chuckle lightly. "But I don't want to disturb any of you. I've waited for a long time, I can wait a little longer."

When Nat turns around after putting the glasses in the sink, she has a soft expression.

"You are not a nuisance here, kid." She assures with a smile. "We've just been caught a little by surprise with a new person, but it will be a pleasure to help you find the twins." She says and then has a mischievous expression. "I shouldn't tell you yet, but Steve is pretty excited about the whole thing. He wants you and the twins to join the team eventually."

"Really?" You ask in surprise and Nat just mumbles in agreement, still smiling.

She turns around on the countertop and before she leaves, she turns to you.

"If you ask my opinion, you seem to care a lot about both of them." She says. "I think that no matter how much time has passed, or if they are fighting on opposite sides, she will be happy to see you."

You swallow dryly, looking away.

Nat smiles one last time before leaving and you twiddle your fingers nervously, sitting for a while at the table before returning to your room.

With much to think about, you are surprised that you fall asleep almost instantly as you lie down.

//-//

The Hydra serum is still in your system.

You realize it in a rather embarrassing way actually.

After waking up on the couch, you went to the kitchen.

Bucky tells you that all the team is having a meeting and they will join you two soon, so you just lay against the wall while he reads the newspaper out loud for you.

The Avengers stay in the meeting room for a long time, and don't seem very pleased when they leave, but Tony seems intrigued.

You are surprised that he comes to talk to you as soon as he sees you.

"I didn't thank you for yesterday, kid." He says with a smile. "Whatever you did took away that bad feeling. Now I can work without having to hide that I'm trying to help."

You didn't quite know what to respond, but it didn't matter because Tony was patting you on the shoulder before smiling contentedly at the rest of the team.

"While I figure out a way to decipher the stone, which won't be hard since I'm incredibly smart." He begins his speech, causing the group to let out debauched laughter. "You guys can get busy with whatever old people do for fun. Except you Thunderlord, I'm going to need your help in the lab."

"Wow, Tony Stark asking for help." Thor teases and you watch the interaction with a smile on your lips, moving to join the table. "What a little magic doesn't do to your head, heh?"

"Don't tease me, Thundercat. I'll throw you out of this building, and you won't get any breakfast." He says with false seriousness and you laugh lightly as you pour yourself a cup of coffee. "Hey, kid, give me some too?"

"Ja, Master." You respond mechanically, perhaps even a little sleepily. The Avengers look at you with curiosity and confusion as they see you mechanically pour the coffee, and hand it to Tony, who looks shocked.

"He is not your master, kid." It is Natasha who breaks the silence, and you blink in confusion looking around for a moment.

"R-right." You say. "Sorry about that, Tony. Old habits I guess."

Tony thanks you for the drink, and you think the subject is going to die, but then Natasha keeps looking at you.

"Hey, Y/N, come over here." She asks and you move immediately. Shit. Natasha raises her eyebrow. "Take two steps to the left." Your body obeys. “Now to the right.” She asks and you obey again. This is terrible. The widow looks at you impressed.

"That looks bad." Tony quickly mocks before waving for Thor to accompany him to the lab, justifying that they should get to work soon.

Nat continues to look at you incredulously, but then Steve gets up from the table as well and snaps his fingers in front of your eyes, making you jump in fright slightly. He assumes a worried expression afterwards.

"You are obeying our orders as if we were your masters." He says. "Let's go see Bruce in the lab, he'll want to run some tests."

When you reach the lab, and Steve explains to Bruce what happened at breakfast, you are not surprised that he puts needles in your arm. You hope the news will be good when he finishes assessing your blood.

//-////-////-////-////-////-////-////-////-////-////-////-////-////-////-//

Tag List> @imapotatao / @aimezvousbrahms/ @ensorcellme/ @helloalycia || @mionemymind / @abimess / @stephanieromanoff / @yourtaletotell / @tomy5girls / @justagaypanicking / @thegayw1tch / @idek-5 // @myperfectlovepoem // @helloalycia // @ENSORCELLME // @aimezvousbrahms // @drpepperobsessed // @sighsam // @olsensnpm // @sxfwap // @table57 // @madamevirgo // @causeitswhatjesuswouldfreakingdo // @emptysince18x // @xastrydx || @yuhloversxx || @ymzki-haruki || @wouldirunofftheworldsomeday || @lostandsearching || @lezzzbehonesthere || @musicinourlips || @chaekhan || @diaryoflife

[idkcantthinkofaname]

It takes time/ 16

 Pairing: BTS x Reader

Gene: angst, smut(certain chapters), Dark themes (in certain parts)

Warning: blood, death of minor characters

Summary: after finally getting the house y/n always wanted, she find a hybrid hiding in an old shed. Unlike most people who find strays, y/n doesn’t turn him into h.c mainly because there was a lot of shady things that happened with the hybrid control in the area.

prev

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A whole week had passed with no sign of Jungkook, the boys didn’t seem worried and I tried really hard not to...but something wasn’t sitting right. Most of the time when I would ask about him, they would distract me with mentioning what happened between Hobi and I, Which I would get red in the face. The foxes kept saying it was unfair and would cling onto me for most of the day. Hobi would just glow and I swear he would brag to the boys. Because at least one or more would show up and cuddle me, growling any time that Hobi would get near.  

I clocked out of work and headed to my truck. Today had been an early day, and I was going to use this time to drive around to see if maybe I could come across Jungkook. I know the others told me not to worry about him. I had to do something, seeing how him leaving was partly my fault. So, I headed towards my truck.  

I had been driving around downtown for about thirty minutes now. This was part of the town that I unfortunately had to drive through but never liked too. It always gave me the creeps. I slowly drove down the streets looking both ways to see if I saw any movements. Most that I did end up seeing was stray cats and dogs... no hybrids. I sighed, maybe I should call it a night. If I stayed out any longer the boys would start to think something is up. I turned towards the main road when I noticed a H.C. Truck that was parked on the corner of a road a block over. I barely caught a glimpse of it, I pulled over and parked my truck, I needed to get closer and my truck would be too easy to spot. I could hear voices coming from the block with the truck.

 “You are a wild one, aren't you?”  

“Thought you gave us the slip a couple days ago?”

“should had stayed home with your pack and little who...”

A growl echoed off the buildings and what sounded like jerking of chains. Other men snickered “let's get him loaded up in the truck. He won't be much threat once the injection take full effect.”

I could hear the footsteps of the men walking away from where I hide at a corner of a building. ‘Did they have him?’ I stepped out before thinking through.  

   “Jungkook?” I stood there shocked... I found Jungkook...and he was half beaten and still fighting against the H.C. members that were dragging him towards their truck. Upon me saying his name he looked towards me, eyes going round in shock for a moment then narrowed as he continued to thrash against the other men. From where I stood, I could see him bleeding from his head. They had a chain collar around his neck and two on his ankles. I started to lean out to run towards him, but what could I do? Even if I called the others boys, they wouldn’t make it in time... I wanted to help but I'm useless... But I got to try. I started running towards them.

 “DONT!” yelled Jungkook.

 I stopped in my tracks, tears peaking the edge of my eyes.

 “Don't you fucking move” One of the guys hold a chain wrapped around Jungkook neck had turned towards me with a gun. “Little lady, I would suggest that you just turn around and go on home.” 

Jungkook jerked “Leave!” he shouted again. 

They were loading him up in the back. I had to do something, but the guy still held the gun towards me. “Don't make me pulled this trigger y/n. You are just caught in the middle of something. Wouldn’t want an innocent one like you get hurt.”  

I was breathing heavy, ‘caught in the middle?’

 “Now go on and get back home.” His radio went off, ‘another one was sighted just south...’ he covered his radio. 

“Alright boys, you got this one?”

 “yes sir” he lowered his gun and walked to get into one of the cars behind the truck. They turned and headed off.  I took off back towards my own truck...there was one thing I could do...  

   I jumped into the truck and started her up. I buckled myself in and gripped the steering wheel as I closed my eyes and took a deep breathe...this was going to hurt.

   As their H.C. truck started to move forward the intersection. I threw the truck in drive and floored it. My truck launched forward, jerking my head back slightly, but the grip I had on my steering wheel didn’t allow me to go all the way back against the seat. I hope I timing this right. I flew fast towards their truck. I could see it getting closer and closer. No backing out now.

    I slammed hard into the cab of their truck. Glass shattered all around me, sounds of metal hitting metal and screeching tires echoed all around. I felt myself jerk against the belt and whipped back towards the seat. My head bounced off the streeling wheel before I covered it with my hands. I kept my eyes closed as I felt the truck whipped around.  

   Ringing in my ear was loud as I slowly opened my eyes. I blinked several times to get my vision to clear up. The hood of my truck was covering where my windshield had been before. I slowly lowered my arms from my head, pain shot through every time I moved. I slowly looked down at my seatbelt to unhook it, and with a few tries I managed to get it undone. I tried to open up my door but it wouldn't budge. I looked around and noticed that the window on the passenger side was open. I moved towards the window to crawl out. I could feel my body screaming at me in pain, But I had to get to Jungkook.  

   I placed my feet on the ground and stumbled slightly, leaning on the truck to get my bearings. Their truck was turned over on Its side. I slowly started to stumble my way over to the truck, I managed to get towards the back and tried to open that door. Gripping the handle and jerking. ‘damn it was still locked.’ they really made sure whoever they put in there was not getting out of there.

   I leaned back against it for a second. One of the people in the front have to had a key. I slowly moved towards the front of the truck. I managed to climb up on to the top of it and looked through the broken glass. There hung one of the men that loaded Jungkook up. He had so much blood coming from him, he was just hanging there against the seatbelt...I looked down towards the one on the side that I hit and almost lost it. He was pretty much a part of the truck now... I didn’t know where he began and the truck ended. I took a deep breath and try to calm my nerves... ‘I had just killed someone...two someone's...’

I tried to steady myself as I looked back down to try, there hanging on the drivers' belt was a set of keys... I leaned down to see if I could see the keys in the ignition. With some difficulty I manage to get a look at the keys, there was only one key on that hook so, the key had to be on the ring on his belt. ‘Great.’

I could feel my stomach turn as I moved my hand down to reach for the keys, they were cross the man that was just hanging there. I closed my eyes ‘I can't do this; they would have hurt Jungkook.’ with that in mind I used my other hand to steady myself as I tried to unclip the keys from his belt loop. I struggled with it, I huffed and got my knees in position so I could support myself better

The man’s hand gripped mine and pulled. I placed my other hand on the dash to keep myself from falling into the cab. I stared wide eyed at the man. He was smirking, even with all the blood running down his face, he was fucking smirking. “I think we underestimated you.” He pulled tighter and His other hand reached for something on his side.  

My eyes opened wide as I see a gun comes out of its holder. ‘fuck, why didn’t I notice that.’  

As he went to go aim it at me, I launched to the side and slamming my shoulder into his shoulders and I gripped the gun with my hands. “you little bitch, do you know you are protecting killers?”  

I jerked forwards and managed to get the gun from his hands. “stupid bitch...” he stopped talking as I pointed the gun towards him. “Give me the keys.” I held out my hand

He eyed me for a moment, “You don’t have the guts.”

“I just drove my truck straight into yours. Tell me again I don’t have the guts to pull the trigger.” I stared at him. Though my heart was hammering in my chest and I was scared shitless at this moment, I was trying so hard to seem like I wasn’t affected by this heavy gun in my hand threatening to take a life. I didn’t want to...please don’t make me do this.

He seems to stare and slowly lower his hand to get the keys. I watched his every movement. I heard the click of the seat belt just as he fell on top of where his partner was. I jumped He was moving to get up the side. I closed my eyes and pulled the trigger. The guy screamed and dropped. “You shot me!”  

“hand me the keys!”

“okay, okay here.” He quickly unhooked the keys and handed them up to me. I snatched them so fast and jumped off the truck to run towards the back of the truck.  

‘please be okay’  

As I gripped the door handle and opened the door my eyes grew wide.

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Mr. Steeler sat at his desk working on some paperwork, He was not in a good mood. His office door swung open. “Don't you know how to knock?”

He didn’t look up from his paperwork. “I think I know how to get that pack you have been looking for.”

Mr. Steeler looked up and smiled “why hello there officer Charlie.”

Charlie sat down in the chair in front of the desk. “And how are we going to get this pack?”

Charlie smiled “Well you know how you mention we might need to kidnap the girl?”

Mr. Steeler nodded. “I think we should, I think they all care about her enough that they will do anything for her. Especially after what she managed to do to my guys to save that wolf.”

 Charlie smirked

“and how do you think we should go about doing this officer?” Mr. Steeler wasn’t dumb, He knew that Charlie wasn’t really doing this to help him, He had been obsessed at getting y/n back.

“The only real time she doesn’t have them things near her is when she goes and comes from work. So I think that we need to do a ‘traffic stop’ and get her there. She wouldn’t think twice to pulling over for a police officer.”

Mr. Steeler smiled big “I think that is a great Idea, but what is it that you want?”

Charlie smiled. “I just want her back, She was always mine.”  

Steelers nodded. He would agree to this for now, but he had plans for her as well, to get the boys to work with him without a fight. “I agree. But how I handle her before we have them you can not interfere with it.”  

“Agreed, I am only here to help you sir”

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next

Note: ATEEZ is coming soon

Tag List

@beach-bitch-bitch-beach​ @ghostkat23 @jiminslye @4evahevah @vantaescupid @calling-dips-on-j-hope @jennyjq @purplelady85 @sana-b @deeepvibes @purelyecstacy @peachyjk97 @sinceritythatcouldntbedelivered @j3ngkoo @unicornbabylover @yourlipssoirresistible @shileh @sometingreallycool  @beeeb05 @fanoffandomss @ambersaesthetics @ ego-allie-bap

If I missed anyone I’m sorry!

[purefrostbyte]

Temptation or Distraction

Dabi One-shot

Rating:  Mature

Smut

 Dabi had only ever seen you in passing. You would come in once or twice a week, speak with Kurogiri and Shigiraki and then leave. He didn’t know why he found himself staring at you whenever you did come in, he didn’t know why he would secretly hope to bump into you or get you alone somehow. He had never been good with emotions, and he hated the very idea of love. A past like his can do that to you.

You were Shigiraki’s trusted best friend. You had killed groups of people at a time on his order and you would continue so that your dream of a world without heroes would be a reality. This was how you had found yourself with another kill order for a small group of heroes currently situated in a nearby warehouse, only difference with this mission was that you weren’t alone. Shigiraki had insisted you take Dabi as a precaution and you hated the idea. You could handle the heroes on your own, that and  the fact Dabi was more of a distraction than help to you.

Dabi to you was nothing short of dark and dangerous, and unfortunately that turned you on profoundly. You couldn’t look at him without some twisted thought or desire popping into your head and it infuriated you to no end. You were here to make a better tomorrow, you couldn’t effort distractions you told yourself. But the more you were around the base, the more you noticed that Dabi couldn’t seem to stay away from you either. You noticed the staring, the times he would sit near you and subtly order you drinks. Once he had offered to light your cigarette, and the smirk you got when you agreed had made your knees weak.

Now you found yourself outside of the warehouse with Dabi by your side. “Stay here.” You command as you take a step towards the warehouse. Dabi’s eyebrows furrowed, “Excuse me? I’m not doing shit.” He had a hold on your wrist and it’s sent sparks up your spine. “Look, I do this for a living and I don’t need a temptat- distraction,” you corrected at the last second hoping he didn’t notice.

Unfortunately he had. “Temptation?” he smirked, pulling you closer to him. “Am I a temptation to you Doll?” Heat rushed to your cheeks and you pulled yourself from his grip. “No, now stay here and let me do my job.” You wouldn’t let him win, you couldn’t. Dabi smirked, “Sorry Doll, but Shigiraki would kill me if anything happened to his best friend, though I can promise that the faster we get this done,” He stepped closer trapping you against a wall of the warehouse, “The faster I can tempt you into something a whole lot more fun.”

He walked off, leaving you blushing against the wall. It was only when you hear the yelling form inside that you snapped out of your trace. “God damn it,” you muttered before going in to help.

 The fight had taken no more than 15 minutes. The heroes hadn’t expected it, and were completely unmatched for your and Dabi’s abilities. Only problem was that Dabi had gotten cocky and now had a metal pole sticking out of his shoulder. “Fuck,” he cursed leaning against a few crates as he held his shoulder. Bodies scattered across the floor but you couldn’t care. The base was too far from here, but your apartment wasn’t. You bit your lip, this was a bad idea you told yourself but it was too late Dabi need medical attention.

Dabi was now sat on your couch while you attempted to pull out the pole from his shoulder, “This is gonna hurt,” You muttered as you gripped the pole firmly. Dabi chuckled, “I gathered as much.” You look at him and then the pole, “On three. One-“. You pulled it out. Dabi hissed as you dropped the pole on the floor, not caring about the blood stains it would leave. “Fuck, you said on three.” You rolled your eyes, “I lied.”

The wound was at an awkward angle, one that no matter where you sat on the couch you couldn’t reach. Dabi noticed you problem, a light bulb flickering in his head before a smirk spread across his face, “You seem to be having difficulty there. Why don’t you sit on my lap doll?” You gulped, it wasn’t a bad idea, and you would be able to get to the wound easier. Taking a breath you slid onto his lap and started to clean and bandage the wound.

Dabi didn’t even feel the pain anymore, how could he with you on his lap. As you finished bandaging his wound his good arm came to wrap around you waist and pull you closer. This made your breath hitch. You could feel something pressed against your core, and you knew it wasn’t his leg. “Something wrong doll?” he teased as you swallowed the lump in your throat. That’s when you made your discussion, to hell with everything.

You moved your hips against his, a move he hadn’t expected. He groaned in pleasure as you ground your hips against his, enjoying the sensation. You stopped when he got really into it, causing him to growl in annoyance. “What’s wrong Dabi? Don’t like being teased?” you mocked moving your hips slightly and then stopping. Dabi growled again and soon you found yourself pinned against the couch. Dabi loomed over you, and the sight made your thighs squeeze together. “I’m gonna make you regret that doll.” He threatened and you couldn’t stop yourself.

“Is that a threat or a promise?”

Once minute you were on the couch and the next you were being tossed onto your bed. Dabi shed his top, as he stalked towards you. Grabbing your ankles he yanked you towards him, ripping off your clothes leaving you in a bra and panties. You sat up, trailing a hand down his chest before reaching his belt. You look up at him as you give it’s a tug, and then completely undoing it. Before you could throw it away Dabi took it from you. He laid it on the bed next you before pushing you to the floor between him and the bed.

“Be a good doll, and suck.” He commanded and you obeyed. Unzipping his pants and pulling them and his boxers down you were brought face to face with Dabi’s member. You lick from base to tip before taking the tip into your mouth and kitten licking it. Dabi weaved his hands through your hair as he groaned, “Fucking tease.” Soon you started taking more of him in, your hands working what you couldn’t fit. Soon you started popping your head and working your hands in a way that had Dabi groaning and moaning, slightly. “That’s it Doll.” He panted as you worked him past your gag reflex, ignoring your need to breathe. You were staring at him through your lashes as you sucked and licked him the best you could, and from what you could tell he was definitely enjoying it.

He pulled you off his member, which confused you because he hadn’t cum yet. You stared up at him as he panted, “What? You want me to cum down that throat of yours?” You nodded causing Dabi to smirk. He thrusted his member back into your mouth and took a hold of your hair once more. He was now face fucking you, using you to reach his high and the though made your thighs clench. Dabi cam with a groan, still thrusting through his high. When he pulled out he made sure you swallowed every last drop and smirked when you had. “Such a good doll for me.”

The statement made you mewl happily and soon he lifted you back onto the bed. Undoing your bra and throwing it to some unnamed corner of your room, he took pleasuring in just staring at you squirming beneath him. He grabbed his belt and tied your arms together above your head, before running his hands down your body. “What a pretty little thing you are.” He stated before pinching one of your nipples, causing you to gasp and arch you back into his touch. “That’s it doll, moan pretty for me.”

He bent down to take one of your nipples into his mouth, enjoying how you squirmed in pleasure. He made sure both breasts got equal treatment of squeezing, pinching and sucking. When he was finished he kissed down your stomach to the seam of you panties. Using his teeth he pulled the article of clothing off you and threw it away, “We aren’t going to be need that now are we Doll?”

All you could do was pant and squirm as he pushed you thighs up and dipped down to you core. He dragged his tongue up your slit causing you to arch your back and moan loudly. You had never been touched like this, you had always put off normal things for your dream. You felt a sudden intrusion as Dabi stuck a finger in you, moaning as the feeling. Dabi moved around, noticing the tightness and how you withered. “Oh, Doll. Are you a Virgin?” You froze momentarily before he pushed another finger in. “Answer me Doll.” He started moving his fingers in a scissoring motion. “Yes Dabi,” You gasp, he adds a finger and starts pumping as he smiles sadistically at you.

He couldn’t help but thank whatever god was up there. Not only did he was he about to fuck you, but you were a virgin too? “Oh it’s my lucky day.” He said as he pulled out his fingers causing you to whine. “Don’t look so disappointed doll, I’m just getting started.”

Dabi lined himself up, holding one thigh against his hip. He pushed in slowly, wanting to savor the feeling of you taking him in. “Oh God Dabi.” You gasp as he buries himself inside you. “God Y/n you feel like heaven.” He groans and soon he slowly starts rocking his hips. He buried his head in your neck kissing, suck and biting as he thrusted into you. All you could do was moan and gasp, words not formulating in your head. The only word you seemed to be able to say was Dabi, chanting and moaning his name as he rocked your world.

His thrusts picked up speed, the need to make you cum and to full you was driving the most primal parts of Dabi. He wanted to make you fall apart, wanted to be the only one to ever see you like this. So logically the best way to make sure that happened was to fuck you better than anyone ever could, that way you would always come back to him. “Dabi, Dabi,” you chanted, a coil forming in your stomach. God why did it feel so good.

Dabi shifted slightly, and suddenly you were weeing stars. If the loud scream like moan you gave was an indication, he had found you sweet spot. “That’s it Doll, scream for the world who makes you feel this good.” He commanded as he pounded that spot with vigor. “God Dabi, you-AHH.” The feeling of pleasure over took your body, high washing over you. Dabi kept thrusting prolonging your high and catching his own. “Dabi, it’s too much. I can’t,” You sobbed in pleasure. “Yes you can Baby Doll, be a good girl for me and hand on ok?” He said as he kept thrusting. He was close he just need, suddenly your walls clenched hard around him and he cam with a groan. She gasped at the feeling of him painting her white. He thrusted sloppily through his high before collapsing on top of her, head in her breast.

The room was filled with heavy breathing as you both came back to earth. Dabi pulled out before collapsing next to you. You were dazed and Dabi couldn’t help but smirk knowing he had done that. “Come back to me Baby Doll,” he whispered as he tucked a stand of hair behind your ear. You look over at him and a small smile graces your face. Dabi smiled back, something rare but not unheard of. “So am I a temptation or distraction Doll?”

[twitchstoleyourbagel]

So I’m posting my fic here until my AO3 account gets approved :) this is my first fic, please enjoy!

EC - 8538

Gender - Female

Chapter 1

85 walked down the blinding white, lifeless halls of the Kaminoan cloning facility. Most if not all of the cadets who had passed her raised a brow or stared at her as they passed, and she didn’t blame them. A human female living in the same facility as a bunch of boys who had probably never seen a girl before would be an odd sight. 85 was an experimental clone, she had been told there was another experimental female but she never had the chance of meeting her.

There had been a few batches that the Kaminoans took creative liberty with but none survived. All but one anyways. Though she didn’t know if the squad had a name or not (she wasn’t told much) like most batches such as the Domino squad, or Hurricane squad, she did know that they had enhanced senses or something like that. One had good eyesight, the other was really big and apparently strong, one was smart and the other could feel things. She didn’t even know if those were the actual enhancements of the squad, she had only heard it from other cadets talking about them.

Finally she reached the training facility, apparently she was going to train with the Spirit squad today, hopefully she stays with this one. After so long of jumping around, training with different squads trying to see if she got along with any of them, this better be the last one. She quickly changed into her training gear and ran out to meet the clones. They turned to meet her and their eyes grew wide.

As expected. She internally sighed to herself.

“Hey guys, I’m EC - 8538, or you can just call me 85.” The girl with fluffy purple hair stuck her hand out for them to shake which instead they just stood there, glancing at one another. That was until one of the clones with longer, curly hair, stepped forward and shook it firmly.

“Pleasure to meet you, 85. I’m Hopper, that’s Quill, 77, and 24.” He gestured to himself and then pointed to the men behind him. They had to be 7th or 8th year cadets, Hopper was extremely professional and cut to the chase. 77 gave her an awkward wave and a lopsided smile, his messy hair fell down into his eyes and he reached up to fix it, not looking as happy as he did a second ago. And 24 nodded but kept quiet

Huh. He looks a little shy? Or just reserved?

She brought her hand back to her side and it twitched, soon her neck followed suit and she cursed under her breath. Damn Kaminoans and all their testing. Hopper raised a brow when her face scrunched up while her neck twitched.

“Hey she twitches!” 77 called out like they couldn’t all see. He received a smack in the arm by the brother standing next to him. “Ow.”

85 cleared her throat and rolled her neck, trying to shake it off. Hopper still looked at her as if waiting for an explanation and Quill had a concerned look on his face.

“It happens all the time, don’t worry it doesn’t affect my fighting if that’s what you guys are worried about.”

Quill glanced at Hopper and then back at the girl.

“Are you an experimental clone? Are you even a clone at all?”

She barked a Hah! At his question. It wasn’t a bad question, in fact his curiosity was to be expected. However she made a bet with herself on the way to the facility. The bet was if someone was gonna ask something along the lines of that question.

“Yeah, I am. I know there’s been a few batches before me but none made it. I know of one that is out on the field, I think there’s also another female clone who’s been dispatched with a squad but I never met her.” She frowned at the thought, staring at the ground thoughtfully.

The doors hissed and the trainer walked in. Joy. A tall, red, Togrutan male walked through the doors with his hands folded behind his back. Reese glared at them and they immediately snapped to attention, staring straight at the wall. 85 tried to hide the shudder that the trainer had sent down her spine as he walked by. She felt a twitch coming on from nervousness but tried her best to keep it down, however her hands did begin twitching.

“You are going to be doing a level 8 difficulty training exercise today. With a new.. addition to the team,” He flicked his eyes to 85. “I want to see how you 5 will work together as a team dynamic. EC - 8538 is an experimental clone, her particular… difference and skill I want to see today is her enhanced reflexes,”

Quill shot a quick glance at Hopper while the trainer wasn’t looking.

Kriff kriff kriff-

Her neck jerked to the left and her arms were brought up to her chest. Rule number one when a trainer is addressing you (especially one as strict as Reese) do not break attention. And that’s exactly what she did.

“Is there a problem, EC - 8538?” Reese snapped in her face. She tried her best not to flinch and get back to attention.

“No, Sir.” She stood straight, chin up, chest out, shoulders back, stomach in.

“Stay at attention when I address you. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Now, as I was saying, you will be running a level 8 training course today, and if you do not pass, you will restart.”

Tension arose in the room after 85 was yelled at by Reese, it only escalated when he threatened to restart the simulation if they failed to complete it.

“Grab your guns. The test will begin momentarily.” With that, he turned on his heel and made his way to the top of the room where he could oversee the course.

Hopper glanced at her before picking up one of the training blasters provided and handed another one to Quill. She sighed and found one for herself. 77 came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded to her. What kind of nod it was supposed to be was unknown, but she liked to think it was a ‘you got this’ notion. She smiled at him before taking her place on the floor, waiting patiently for the rest to join her. Hopper stood next to her and the rest followed after him.

“Alright everyone, take your positions. 85, I want you with me.” He glanced around at the squad and then to her.

“Yes, Sirrrr.” She raced after him behind cover and the simulation began. The ultimate goal was to take the ‘capital’ preferably without losing a team member. Granted they would only be stunned but it still didn’t help much. Hopper peeked over the cover they were standing behind and landed a few shots on a B1 training battle droid, taking it down. Across the left to them, Quill yanked 77 down just in time for a blaster bolt to skim over his head. With wide eyes he nodded his thanks to his vod before peeking over again.

The girl stayed by Hopper through most of the simulation. After 30 minutes they had finally advanced to the capital, all they had to do was to take out the droids inside. Rushing into the building, a battle droid aimed and shot for her. A bolt skimmed right by her nose but due to her enhanced reflexes she had dodged it just in time, right after it had passed she raised her blaster and killed the droid.

“Nice work, 85!” Hopper praised through comms. Across the room she could see him take down two droids

“Yeah! Twitchy here is doing pretty good!” 77 chirped in her ear as he pushed 24 out of the way of what was going to be a direct hit.

Twitchy… I like it.

“Why thank you, gentlemen. Not so bad yourself.” If there was one thing she was certain about in life it was that she liked this squad. When she was first told she was training with the Spirit squad she had low hopes. Like the rest of the squads she had trained with, they had seen her differently, not as a sister but a freak.

“Man, they really weren’t joking when they said level 8!” Quill yelled while running from three droids, all firing at him. 85 whipped around and downed two of them, Hopper finishing the third one. He bent down to help his brother up from his hiding spot from the floor. “Thanks, vod.” With a nod, he ran off with Quill following close behind.

“Almost there, boys!” She ran down the hall and began to vault herself over the wall to reach the mark that ended the simulation. Sudden searing pain in her abdomen sent her crashing into the ground, her gun falling out of her hands. When she looked up to see what had hit her, a training commando droid was rushing towards her.

“Commandos!” She was able to choke out through the pain. It wasn’t as painful as a real blaster wound but man did it still hurt. Her neck jerked to the side and her legs seized up.

Not good, not good, not good-

77 came crashing through the course, shooting the commando droid with Hopper to his left, taking out any threats. Once the droid fell he rushed over to 85s side and tried to help her, but he wasn’t Quill. He didn’t know what to do in a medical situation! Nervously, he tried to hold her legs still and calm her down, which seemed to work a little. “C’mon, twitch. We’re almost there.”

She groaned and slowly sat up, after a few seconds she braced herself on 77 arms and stood up. He bent over and handed her the gun she dropped, giving her an encouraging smile. “Alright, let’s go! I don't wanna do this again!” They ran side by side, shooting droids and climbing over the obstacles. After a few more minutes of running and vaulting, the pole was in sight. All they had to do was show Reese that they had the pole and he would end the simulation. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she and 77 booked it for the finish, soon enough she could hear the rest of them following.

77 was the first to reach the pole and yanked it out of its place cheering in excitement, Hopper, Quill, 24, and 85 all gave each other pats on the back.

“Great job everybody!” Hopper praised everyone and playfully punched Quill's shoulder. He looked back with a smile but his focus remained on the girl, she had taken a blow from one of the blasters and it seemed to have a decent effect on her. The training simulation shut down and the squad was released to their barracks to change and head to the mess hall.

_______________________

85 slipped on her boots and hurried to catch up with her new squad. “Heeeyyyyy!” She raised her hand for a high five at 77 once she saw him in the hall, instead he just stood there. “... you’re supposed to hit my hand. It’s a high five?” If these boys didn’t know what a high five was, there might be a slight problem. He hesitantly tapped her hand with his and she smiled.

“Nice job back there! You got some good reflexes.” He began walking down the hall that led to the cafeteria.

“Thanks. That’s my ‘enhancement’ or whatever you wanna call it. I got freaky fast moves.” She wiggled her fingers. Before 77 could reply, the rest of Spirit Squad came up behind them. They walked through the doors to the cafeteria and got in line with their trays. 85 could practically feel the others' eyes on her but she tried her best to just ignore them and get her food. Once she filled her tray, she followed Hopper to an empty table and sat across from him. The rest followed, 77 sitting next to her while Quill and 24 sat on Hopper's side.

“Welcome to the squad, 85.” Hopper smiled at her, happy to have a new addition.

“Twitch.”

“What?”

“Twitch, my name is Twitch.”

It was at that moment she saw 77 grow the biggest smile she had ever seen on a person, he was pretty much grinning from ear to ear.

“Well, Twitch,” Hopper's cup rose in the air. “Welcome to the Spirit Squad.” They all raised their cups and clinked them together before taking a sip. Everyone was smiling, even the more shy, 24.

“It’s good to be her-“

“Well well well, if it isn’t the freak. How did a lab rat end up in a squad like this?” Another clone squad passed their table, taunting Twitch. They laughed at the clone's harsh words but were cut off when Twitch replied.

“You lookin’ for a smack in the face, shabuir?” She had turned around to fully face the clone and stare him directly in the eyes. No bullying today, she would not let these idiots ruin her good day. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the rest of her squad stiffen, they seemed shocked like this wasn’t a regular occurrence.

“Oh it talks!”

It? Oh you’re dead.

Anger bubbled up inside of her and she reached up and grabbed his wrist, twisting it backwards causing him to drop his tray and food. He broke free from her grip and if looks could kill, she would most definitely be dead right now. The squad behind him puffed up their chests, ready for a fight. While she really didn’t want to fight, she was having a nice lunch with her new squad, it was their fault they picked on her. She couldn’t help the way that she was. Her neck twitched to the left and she sighed when they started snickering,

Hopper stood up from the bench he was sitting on to speak. “Listen, Fellas. We don’t want any trouble, just go your own way please.” The clones looked at Twitch once more before walking over to their own table, still side eyeing them occasionally.

“Sorry guys, I didn’t mean to start trouble-”

“Why are you apologizing? They should be the ones asking for forgiveness, you don’t deserve that. No one does.” 77 placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to get his point across.

“Yeah, Twitch it’s okay. We’re not mad at you, but… does that happen often?” Hopper scooted back into his seat.

“Uhm…” She didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, it did happen a lot. So often she just accepted that it was normal. “Yeah… yeah pretty often, but I shouldn’t have grabbed him, I don’t know.”

“Well he deserved it.” 24 piped up. That was the first time Twitch had heard him speak, and it was defending her. “Next time anyone does that to you, you have every right to fight back.”

“Thanks guys.” She took a bite of the food that was on her plate, casting a glance at the table that the clone who mocked her moved to. One locked eyes with her for a second but quickly looked away, snickering to the table.

Yeah, you guys are real comedians.

77 slid his hand off her shoulder and continued to eat. Quill had that look on his face, one he had seen too many times, the one where he wanted to ask a question but was unsure of how to approach it. He very slightly motioned to Twitch, who was very focused on her food, all her spark had fizzled out. Oh if he could beat up those clones right then and there he would’ve, but he didn’t want to start a mess hall fight, those happened too often and he didn’t wanna get written up for misbehavior.

“So… if you don’t mind me asking,” Quill finally voiced his curiosity. “Why do you twitch? And wouldn’t it throw out your neck if you did it enough?”

“No, I don’t mind at all. You actually have a really good question there. I personally have no idea why I twitch, it could be the result of testing or just that I’m an experimental clone. It could just be a defect,” She shrugged. “My neck takes the brunt of it and it’s sore sometimes, some days worse than others. Apparently,” Twitch rested her elbow on the table, holding her fork. “I twitch a lot when I’m experiencing ‘extreme emotions’ at least that’s what the Kaminoans say, I’m not told much.”

“Oh…” He wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to that. “W-Well if you have a sore neck sometime I might be able to help.”

“Quill here has a dream of being a CMO so he takes whatever chance he gets to practice medical.. things.” 77 explained.

“Hey, that's not the right term!”

“Oh who cares.”

“Uh- I do??”

“Guys, guys. No bickering.” Twitch raised her hands to shush them before anything else could be said. “Quill, that would be awesome if you could help my neck sometime, it’s been giving me some problems lately.” His eyes lit up and he nodded.

Hopper sent a kind smile her way before he continued to eat his food.

Once they finished in the mess hall, Twitch was summoned to the medical bay. With a very heavy sigh, she waved bye to her squad and trudged down the cold halls reluctantly.

If you got this far, thank you! ♥️

[imalifegen89]

A Legacy Left Behind - Chapter - 7 - When the Past Unfurls - Part I

Rating: Mature

Category: M/M

Fandoms: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, Hawaii Five-0 (2010)

Relationship: Steve McGarrett/John Sheppard

Characters: Steve McGarrett, John Sheppard, Danny "Danno" Williams, Evan Lorne, Bates (Stargate), Laura Cadman, Alicia Vega, Kono Kalakaua, Adam Noshimuri, PO Higgins (OC), Samantha "Sam" Carter, Jack O'Neill, John McGarrett, Dr. Lam, Catherine Rollins, Wo Fat, Original Goa'uld Character(s), Original Characters

Additional Tags: Action/Adventure, Action & Romance, Military, Hurt/Comfort, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Violence, Character Bashing, Not Catherine Rollins Friendly, No DADT, Swearing

Summary :

"Sure John, I'll call," He promised as the SUV came to a stop in front of them. He and Danny both got in and seated themselves. He then gave a short wave to John who was still standing there by the exit watching them leave. Steve hoped what John had told him would be true, that his dad would be able to make it through. He was not ready to lose his only remaining parent. ‘God please, not again! Not so soon ...' His mind was repeating the mantra as Steve let out a weary sigh and closed his eyes."

Steve will find out about what happened to his father, who was involved in it, why it happened and so much more than he ever bargained for...

Hello All, Here's the next part of the series, and it's a two-parter. There are some plot twists on the way and hope you all will enjoy it.

Aethir - Thank you so much for your hard work and for finding some time to help me with editing, commenting, and giving out very helpful tips and suggestions. Idea bouncing and snark is always so much fun with you!!!

Part 1 - Honolulu General

Honolulu General Hospital

Hawaii

The six-hour-long flight in the old and noisy Globemaster had left both SEALs travel-weary and sleep-deprived. Neither had talked much during the flight, trying to catch a few hours of shut-eye, but among the jarring engine noise, the comms chatter, the endless shuddering, and the training maneuvers, that had been impossible. At the end of the flight, they had thanked the crew and disembarked with relief, each carrying their single duffel.

They were both on leave and therefore in civilian clothes, and instead of the usual armory they carried around, they only had their handguns and with extra clips in their bags. Although they were only making a visit to the hospital, neither of them was willing to go completely unarmed.

A short taxi ride brought them to the hospital from Hickam closer to the midday visiting hours. They figured if needed, they could wait in the hospital until they could see John McGarrett.

……….

"Hello, My name’s Steve McGarrett, I got a call last night about my father. Somebody named Curtis called me," said Steve, presenting his credentials to the male nurse manning the reception area of the Outdoor-Patient-Department. The nurse - L. Rider, according to his name tag - gave Steve and his ID a once over and started accessing his system.

"Yes, Mr. McGarrett, your father's been moved from the ICU. He’s in room 308. You can take that elevator to the left," he informed.

“Thanks.”

Steve and Danny both took off towards the given directions.

The room Steve's father was in wasn't hard to find. It was located on the third floor and the room had the number and the name 'John McGarrett' on a plaque clearly displayed. It also had 'Dr. Leonard T. Lester - Cardiologist' listed as his primary care physician.

"I'm going to go look around and find some coffee. Do you need anything?" Danny asked. He was going to give his friend some time with his dad before going in.

"Yeah sure, I could use some coffee.”

……….

During the six long hours he’d had to think about what happened, Steve’s mind had been busy contemplating some horrible scenarios. He hadn’t realized that he had been subconsciously bracing himself for the worst. Nobody in his family had any history of heart attacks and he didn't know what to expect, what to do or how to prepare. Being the trained planner that he was, Steve found the lack of knowledge rather unsettling.

What the nurse at the reception told him, gave him hope though. He theorized that since his dad's already been moved from the ICU to a regular room, his condition shouldn't be that bad.

Steve took a moment to compose himself, watching Danny as he walked away. Then he took a deep breath and knocked on the door before entering room 308.

……….

He stood still by the door to take the scene in.

His dad was lying on the bed and a white and blue hospital gown was peeking out from underneath the white blanket. There was a monitor attached to his chest and Steve could see the leads disappear through the opening of his gown. The apparatus was quiet and its screen indicated a steady rhythm while John McGarrett slept. Steve noticed there was an IV connected to his dad's left hand as well. He scrunched up his nose when the strong odor of antiseptics hit him in the face, contrasting starkly with the smell of gun oil and Old Spice aftershave he usually associated with his dad.

McGarrett senior was sleeping peacefully and didn't seem to be in any pain. Steve was content to let his dad be, preferring to let him wake up on his own. As he stepped further into the room, he saw a chair by the bed and lowered himself to it slowly, mindful not to make a sound. Then he placed his duffel bag on the floor and settled in to wait.

Maybe it was his instincts of being an active duty police officer - John McGarrett surfaced from his slumber knowing that there was somebody in the room with him, within a few minutes of Steve’s entrance. The slight change in the rhythm of the heart monitor alerted Steve to the fact. Not wanting to startle him, Steve leaned forward and addressed his father softly.

"Hey dad," he reached to touch his hand, the one without the IV needle.

"Steve!" His dad's eyes went wide, realizing his son was sitting by the bed. "What are you doing here?" John knew Steve was deployed and he was the last person he expected to see in the hospital this early. He hadn’t even been in here for 24 hours.

"The hospital called me and told me you had a heart attack," Steve explained. He was relieved to see that his dad was speaking clearly and wasn't showing any signs of disorientation or pain. In fact, he looked quite normal. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright," John smiled at the raised eyebrow he received from his son at that. So he elaborated. "Just a little tightness in my chest area. But the doctor says it's normal after an attack. Other than that, I really am feeling fine. To be honest, I didn't even know what it was. I only knew I had a heart attack when Dr. Lester told me this morning," He was more curious as to how his son got here so quickly. "Where were you when they called you?"

"Colorado Springs." Steve smiled. He couldn't really get into details about his deployment or his whereabouts other than that, but he was glad that he was in the States to make this trip.

"Hah, and you’re here already. That was quick,"

"Yeah, I got lucky and caught a transport.”

Steve was more than happy to just sit there and exchange pleasantries all day long. But he needed to know what happened first. He got up to go and fetch a glass of water for his father from the bedside table. "Dad, what happened?"

His dad took it and drank some water before handing it back to Steve. Then he turned on his bed to fully settle on his back. Steve put the glass away and leaned towards his dad, giving him his full, undivided attention.

"It was the weirdest thing, kid," said the senior McGarrett, frowning as he cast his mind back to the chain of events that led to his sudden health failure. “I was in that small grocery shop by the filling station near home. I had just finished filling up the tank on the truck and was getting some stuff for the weekend. I remember walking towards the counter to pay and that’s it - for the life of me, I can't remember having any pain or calling for help or anything. I was standing there one moment and was waking up on this bed the next.” He paused to take a deep breath and then exhale slowly. “Then there’s this fellow - Dr. Lester - is telling me how lucky I was to come back from a severe myocardial infarction with no visible damage to my heart,” he made a face, remembering his earlier conversation with the overly cheerful doctor who described the incident in vivid medical detail.

“How’d you get here?”

“He said that the shop owner called for emergency services and sent me here. Apparently, I coded on the way, but they managed to get my heart started again without much fuss. And now, here I am.” John finished recounting the incident.

Steve rubbed a hand across his face, trying to take it all in.

“I wouldn’t obviously know what to expect, it’s not like I’ve had a heart attack before - but I'd have thought that at least you get some kind of a warning sign, you know? Like breathing difficulties, chest pain or something,” McGarrett senior continued after a moment. “Not this going about your normal day-to-day business, and then a complete blackout, followed by waking up in a damn hospital bed - it just doesn't feel normal,” his frown deepened.

Steve didn’t say anything for a long while. He just took his time to sit there and watch his dad who seemed to be doing pretty much okay after going through such an experience. He was immensely relieved and was happy to take his time to enjoy the feeling, letting go of the worry and stress that had built up since the moment he’d received the call.

A knock on the door interrupted the comfortable silence in the room and Danny Williams entered carrying two styrofoam cups of coffee.

“Ah there you are, Cap, how are you feeling?” He asked, handing over a coffee to Steve and coming closer to stand near the bed railing.

“I’m feeling alright, considering,” John smiled crookedly. “Where’s my coffee, Williams?”

“Hey, I don't think coffee is on the approved list for you,” Danny grinned. He was glad to see the man looked healthy enough for someone who had just had a serious health scare, fit to be up and making demands. “Besides, this hospital swill is so bad it might just give you a different problem or three,” he sipped his coffee and grimaced theatrically to prove the point. “So when are they letting you out?”

“Don't know yet, my doctor is supposed to drop by any time now. I don't think I need to stay here any longer at all.” John stated confidently. He was not accustomed to sitting around on a bed all day, especially when he wasn’t feeling different from any other day.

“Let’s let the doctor decide that, yeah dad? As you said, this is the first time something like this has happened to you and they just might need to keep you under observation for a bit - just saying,” Steve cautioned.

He knew his dad and he could see the stubborn man was already planning on going home, to start acting as if nothing happened. He might even insist on going to work unless the doctor gave him strict orders to rest and take it easy for a while.

“Which reminds me, do they know at the station that you are here?” Steve asked his dad before he could start protesting about staying put in the hospital. “I tried calling Kelly before I left, but it went to voicemail,”

“No, I’m on leave - only due back the day after tomorrow,” his dad replied somewhat petulantly.

The room door opened again, this time granting entry to a short, balding Hawaiian native. The name tag embroidered over the chest area of his white coat identified him as Dr. L.T. Lester. He smiled cheerfully at all of them and went to the nearest monitor connected to McGarrett senior.

“So how are you feeling today, John?” the doctor inquired while studying the monitor.

“I’m fine doc, when do I get to go home?” John got straight to the point.

The doctor continued taking readings and making notes with an amused smile on his face. Then he went to unclip the chart hanging on the bed railing and made a few notes on it. After that, instead of answering his reluctant patient, the doctor turned to Steve and Danny to introduce himself. At the end of exchanging pleasantries, he finally turned to address John.

“Well, Mr. McGarrett, I can see you’re doing quite well and your readings are good. But, as I explained to you earlier, what you went through is quite serious and you might have damage to your heart muscle.”

Then sensing the alarm from the visitors of his patient, the doctor hurried to explain. “It’s what happens during a heart attack. The blood flow into the heart gets interrupted and it goes into a sort of overdrive trying to restore the flow. This overactivity can cause damage. Your dad was quite lucky that people near him reacted quickly and sent him to the hospital on time.” The doctor smiled again.

“So, what’s next, doc?” Steve asked.

“We do need to assess the possibility of damage and the cause of the infraction. The most common reason is usually coronary artery disease, which means cholesterol clogging the arteries. There are some instances this could happen if you were experiencing a seizure with severe spasms and contractions. We’ll need to run some tests to determine the cause and then plan steps for the recovery,”

“And how long will all this take?” The McGarrett senior looked crestfallen, resigned to the fact that he wasn’t going to get out soon.

“I actually have you scheduled for some of the tests now. Some blood work, an EKG, and a scan. An attendant should be here shortly to take you for those,” Then the doctor turned to Steve and Danny. “The tests will take about an hour or so. If you need to step out and have a meal or something, now would be the time.”

An elderly female attendant entered the room quietly, pushing a wheelchair as the doctor finished, and started unhooking Steve's dad from his various monitors. Steve took the doctor's advice and took his leave with Danny, after letting his dad know that they’ll be back once the tests were done.

……….

“Well, I’ve gotta admit man, your dad’s right. That does sound weird.” Danny said after listening to Steve about what happened.

“Why?” Steve frowned.

“My uncle Mario had a heart attack a couple of years ago. The man was moving some heavy boxes around. He’d been sweating buckets and breathing through his mouth for about an hour when my aunt found him and made him take a break. Then he felt pain in his chest and aunt Rea took him to a doctor. The doctor took one look at him and sent him to an ER. He’s been suffering from a heart attack for hours by then,” Danny paused and tried to remember the exact details his mother told him about what happened to his uncle. “He is fine now. He had to have a bypass and has to stay away from all the greasy food and the alcohol, but he made it,” he said inspecting the sandwich he took from the vending machine. They were both seated in the hospital cafeteria with bottles of water and sandwiches.

It was crowded and almost all the tables were full with families huddling together having lunch - most probably waiting for news about their loved ones. It wasn’t that noisy, despite being crowded to capacity - and nowhere near cozy or inviting - as one would expect from a busy dining area. It felt as though the sense of expectation, the sense of happiness, and the overpowering sense of grief had all tangled up together to create a very subdued atmosphere. Even the smell of food mixed with the underlying odors of disinfectant contributed to the gloom that pervaded over the souls lost in their own private worlds.

“Wow, I’ve forgotten how crappy the hospital food is. This doesn't look like a roast beef sandwich man,” Danny sniffed at it. “Sure doesn’t smell like it either.” Then he shrugged and started eating. It didn’t taste much better either, but he was hungry after the long flight.

Steve didn’t say anything as he nibbled on his food. He wasn’t really hungry but knew he had to have something to keep his energy up. He was thinking about his dad’s recounting of the incident. He hadn’t said anything to his dad earlier, but the more he thought about it, the less it made sense. What Danny was telling him also made it clear how unusual the whole thing was. He made up his mind to pop into the shop his dad was in, later when they left the hospital. Maybe he could talk to the shopkeeper and even have a look at their security footage if they had any. He might even find something that could explain his dad suddenly suffering a heart attack. Maybe there was something that his dad had forgotten to mention.

He needed to get in touch with Sheppard as well, to let him know his dad’s condition. He knew that John would worry until he heard from him. Taking the last bite of his sandwich, he decided now would be the best time to make that call.

“Listen, I need to call Shep and let him know dad’s alright. I’m just gonna be over there by that balcony,” he told Danny as he stood up, fishing his phone out of his jacket pocket. Then he walked to the area he pointed, dialing Sheppard. “Be right back.”

………..

The sweet and subtle smell of her perfume reached Danny first, as he realized the lady who was wearing it was standing right in front of him. He looked up and saw the familiar, smiling face of Lieutenant Catherine Rollins looking down at him.

“Well, hello!” He grinned. “Fancy running into you here, of all places,” he gestured at the seat Steve had just vacated. “Take a seat,”

“Thanks,” Rollins smiled charmingly as she sat. “I’m just here visiting a friend of mine. She just had her second baby - a cute little baby boy,” her face took on the same expression all women wore when talking about babies. “I popped in here to get a drink and then I saw you,” she said. “I thought you guys were in Colorado? Is everything ok?” Her expression turned into one tinged with concern.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. I’m here with Steve, actually. We got a call about his dad, but he’s alright. We just saw him,” Danny explained without going into much detail. He noticed the Lieutenant perking up at the mention of McGarrett junior.

“He’s over there, on a call.” he pointed with his head.

Steve was leaning over the balcony with his elbows resting on the railing and busy talking to Sheppard. He didn’t see the new arrival as he had his back to them.

Danny saw the wattage of Cathrine’s smile go up as her eyes ran over the view the oblivious SEAL presented. He hid the grin and blinked at her innocently when she turned back to face him.

“So, will you guys be here for a few days then?” She inquired, her gaze snapping back to where Steve was, almost unintentionally.

Danny knew she was mostly interested in finding out whether Steve was going to be around for a while.

“Well, that depends.” He hedged. “We have to see his dad’s doctor and see how it goes,”

He didn’t want to give any definite answers or any other details without Steve’s say so. He opened his bottle and drank some water, wishing Steve would soon return. So that he could decide what to tell this infatuated Lieutenant who was back to staring at Steve’s ass with a dreamy look on her face. Then something started to nag at Danny about what she said earlier, but he couldn’t place it. He pushed it away to sort out later as he saw Steve finishing his call.

……….

“Yeah, so that’s what happened. He seems alright and man, that’s a relief. Depending on what his tests and scans show, it’ll be a day or two more. But I’ll message you when I find out,” Steve said to John, who was quite relieved at the fact that Steve’s dad was fine. He insisted that Steve take as much time as needed to make sure his dad got all the support he needed. He also made Steve promise to message him with updates and implored him to take care of himself before finally ending the call.

Steve put his phone back inside his jacket with a smile. He very much appreciated the time he was given to take care of his dad. Moreover, he was deeply touched by the way Sheppard sounded over the phone. He had been really worried and the relief that poured over from his lover through the call was almost a tangible thing. Steve made a mental note to send regular updates as promised. It wasn’t something he would have done for anyone else, but he knew Sheppard would stress otherwise. It felt nice to know that he had somebody who cared that much about him.

He felt the good feeling wilt away when he turned back to see the penetrating gaze of Catherine Rollins directed at him. He was pretty sure he caught her in the act of staring at his ass. She smiled brilliantly at him and waved. Steve was somewhat reluctant to wave back and tried his best to summon a smile for her. He was sure it looked more like a grimace instead.

Steve didn’t have anything against beautiful women. He was definitely not opposed to being the subject of desire of one, either. He had gone out with many pretty women and Catherine Rollins, with her long black hair, soulful brown eyes, and radiant smile was exactly his type. But he was very much invested in another hazel-eyed brunet and he didn’t see himself veering off anytime soon - if ever at all. Even if he wasn’t, Steve knew that he still wouldn’t be interested in this particular woman. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something off about Lieutenant Rollins - something that rubbed him the wrong way - that made him want to be on his guard whenever she was nearby.

“Hi, Steve,” Rollins greeted cheerfully as he walked towards them.

Again, he was instantly put off by the overly friendly greeting. They had only known each other for about 48 hours, hadn’t they? He had to make a conscious effort to return the greeting without letting his true feelings show.

“Hello, Lieutenant,” He asked, more or less politely. “What brings you here?”

Danny cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes, picking up on Steve’s discomfort instantly.

Rollins either didn’t notice or didn’t let it bother her because she launched into the story of her friend and her cute little babies with great enthusiasm.

Steve kept the smile plastered on his face as she talked. Then he made a show of checking time and gestured to Danny. “Hey, listen, it’s nice bumping into you here. But Danny and I’ve gotta run. My dad should be done with his tests now,” he said to the woman as Danny got up from the chair to go with him. Steve didn’t want to give her any details about their visit here and hoped Danny hadn’t run his mouth either.

With that somewhat curt parting, he turned and walked out of the cafeteria, with Danny following closely behind.

“So, it isn’t just me, hah? She gives off weird vibes to you too?” Danny asked, turning his walk into a half jog to keep up with Steve’s longer strides. Steve was eager to put as much distance as possible between them and Rollins.

“Yeah, you didn’t tell her why we’re here, did you?” Steve asked while stabbing the buttons on the elevator.

“Nah, not really. Just told her that we’re here for your dad. That’s it.”

“Is she following us?” Steve was staring at the shiny surface of the elevator door.

The reflections on it were slightly distorted. But Danny could discern the shapely figure of Rollins in tight-fitting jeans and green sleeveless top, slowly making her way towards them.

“Forget this,” Steve spat, pressing a few more buttons for various floors on the keypad. Then he swiftly walked away to the nearest staircase and started climbing two steps at a time. He knew his behavior was a bit irrational; she was just a colleague after all, not another enemy combatant gaining on him. Nevertheless, he wanted to get away from her as soon as possible.

When they finally reached Steve’s dad’s room, the man was already there, enjoying his lunch. It didn’t look much better than what they had either. John McGarrett insisted that there was no need for them to hang around since he was just going to take his pills and take a long nap anyway. He could see the boys were tired and wanted them to go home and catch a few hours of sleep for themselves. Steve relented and promised his dad that they’d drop by later around dinner time. He made him promise to call them if he needed anything before that and then finally hugged him fiercely, before taking their leave.

[captain-yeet]

Oops, That Happened (Demetri Volturi x Reader One-Shot)

Request by anonymous; "One shot where the reader is Bellas sister and she goes with her to Italy and when Demetri and Felix show up she mumbles something about Demetri topping her not realizing everyone can hear her."

My friend. This request gave me so much LIFE THANK YOU, I hope I do it justice.

Warnings: Swearing, goofs and s e x u a l  TENSION. A little NSFW, oops. HOO WEE ZOO MAMA, let’s go!

Your sister sure knew how to get herself into the most ridiculous, most insane of situations as of the past few months or so. Seething with rage and a healthy dose of fear, you chased after your little sister Bella as she ran through a crowded Italian street.

If you had your way you never would have let her leave the house with her Cullen friend - and you certainly weren't letting her go to Italy alone for the guy who dumped her and made her spiral into a deep depression. So you left a frantically scrawled note to your father, telling him of what was happening and how you were going after Bella to keep her safe.

The poor man. But you were determined to bring your sister back safe - no vampires were going to get in your way, or so, you hoped.

"Bella!" You cried out, losing your sister in the crowd. Everyone was wearing red cloaks for some reason - not that you cared as to why. You just wanted to find her, get her stupid ex and leave the country.

Finally, you spotted her... running through a fountain?

"Bella what the actual fuck..." you groaned, exasperated. You decided to go around, trying to keep an eye on her as you weaved through the crowd.

Making your way to the opposite side of the fountain, your heart skipped a few beats; you couldn't see her. I swear she was right here! Where did she go!? You thought frantically. I promised Dad I'd protect her. I can't find her. God help me, I can't find her.

A firm grip on your wrist pulled you away from the brink of hyperventilating. Alice lowered her glasses, golden eyes concerned yet focused. "It's okay, I know where she is."

Leading you toward a tower with old medieval style doors, without any difficulty Alice broke the lock of the door. "Come now guys, it's a festival," she said cheerily, letting go of you to lower her headscarf as she entered.

You followed behind her and saw your little sister, safe. Ignoring your surroundings you rushed over to her, taking her face in your hands and scanning her for any sign of injury or pain. "Bella, Bells are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Y/N," she replied quickly, gripping onto something white and pale like her life depended on it.

Your eyes traveled up to the face of the boy who'd caused your sister so much grief and who she was currently clinging to. "You," you snarled, glaring at him.

Edward. Oh, how you grew to despise the copper-haired boy who stole your little sister’s heart. The nights where you’d hear Bella screaming in her sleep, see her sitting on a chair staring blankly out the window, her reckless behaviour... he’d sent her into such a deep depression that you had the following thought on the plane over to Italy; If these Volturi don’t kill him, I sure as hell will find a way.

"Y/N don't -" Bella began but you ignored her, stepping up so you were inches away from Edward's face.

"Do you have any idea how much pain you've caused her? You broke her you selfish son of a bitch!"

Instinctively, you pulled your fist back without thinking to strike him, but a coldness took your wrist and pulled you back. Ready to argue, you turned to who you thought was Alice only to be shocked when it wasn't her, but a rather handsome man with eyes the colour of blood.

And holy shit, he was handsome. They weren't kidding about the whole vampires are so hot they practically blow you away, you thought to yourself feebly, dumbstruck. Blond hair carefully styled yet so soft looking, and a strong jawline and cheekbones that defined his perfectly sculpted face.

"There's no need for violence, my dear," his smooth voice made you shiver involuntarily. You couldn't place his accent but it sounded somewhat British.

"She's a feisty one," said a second voice, "I like her."

He let go of your wrist, and that's when you finally took in what was happening around you. The rage that clouded your senses as soon as you saw Edward made you unaware that not one but two cloaked vampires, both of whom shared the same red eyes, were in your presence and the soft echoing footfalls down the hallway alerted you to a third vampire.

The third, Jane, began leading your group down a hallway and into an elevator. It was crowded and you tried to remain calm, but a certain blond man stood directly behind you and you could feel his eyes burning into the back of your head.

At one point, your little sister whispered to you. "I'm so sorry I brought you into this Y/N."

"I wish you didn't jump the gun and run after Sparkles here like you did." You gestured to Edward who simply ignored you. A deep chuckle came from the taller Volturi guard, and the blond walked ahead of you to join Jane, the two murmuring to each other.

"... I don't have a response to that," she barely whispered in reply, eyes downcast. Bella's lower lip trembled and you tried to hold back a sigh.

Great, now I've made her cry. Well done, Y/N. "Hey, we’ll be okay, I promise.” You don’t know that. “Well it could be worse I guess," you murmured, speaking to both your sister and honestly yourself. You eyed the blond man who was trailing just ahead of you, behind Jane. "Being led to my probable death by an attractive vampire couldn't be one of the worse ways to go."

Bella looked at you like you'd grown a second head.

You shrugged, leaning into your sister's ear. "Just saying, Blondie up front could bite and or top me any day and I'm sure I'd die happy."

A couple things happened after you confided that thought to Bella. One, she hissed your name in warning but you barely registered that. The second? Said blond man in question quickly looked back at you, made eye contact and winked.

Heat rushed to your face, flooding your cheeks as you stared incredulously. “He could hear that...?” The sound barely escaped your lips. You hadn’t thought much about how heightened a vampire’s senses could be - in fact, you tried not to think about vampires too much in general. Finding out about the supernatural gave you a migraine.

Blondie merely smirked in response, eyes trailing up and down as if to take in your appearance before turning away, leaving you thoroughly flustered.

You were right about the near-death thing. After nearly being drained of life by a gaggle of thirsty vampires, somehow you and Bella made it out alive - with the promise that you were both to be turned into vampires. Of course, Bella agreed, but you? Immortality was terrifying.

 “Shh, Bella, it’s okay.”

 “I think she’s going into shock. Maybe you should slap her?”

 “Alice!”

Sighing, you looked over to Bella, who was currently cuddled up on Edward’s lap, gripping onto him for dear life with a vacant frozen look of horror in her eyes. The Volturi had led in a group of unsuspecting tourists for “lunch” and it affected her. That and the Volturi themselves did just threaten her with imminent death.

You were shaken too but you tried to be brave, for her sake and your own sanity’s sake.

 “Pardon me for interrupting,” a familiar smooth voice interrupted your thoughts. Snapping your head up, you locked eyes with none other than Blondie himself. He paid no mind to the others, addressing just you. “May I have a moment of your time?”

 “Am I in more trouble?” you deadpanned defensively.

 “No. This is more of a... personal matter.” Offering his hand, he gave you a confident, winning smile. “May we speak in private?”

 “Demetri...” Edward growled in warning. Locking eyes with you for a brief moment he shook his head in warning.

If you were in your right state of mind you’d probably have heeded his advice. However, today you were tired in many ways possible and Edward was right at the root of it all.

So, you took Demetri’s hand and let him lead you away from your group.

Ending up in what appeared to be a study of some kind a few halls down, you found yourself distracted by the decor; it was old, you didn’t know your history well enough to determine what era or century all the furniture and art were from. But it fit in with the rest of this Italian castle’s aesthetic and architecture.

 “So, what was that thing you said earlier that involved me?” The question pulled you back to the present and you stared at Blondie - no, Demetri you remembered - incredulously.

You crossed your arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you fibbed, your attempt at a staunch expression laughable.

Closing the distance between the two of you, you felt Demetri’s hands press themselves against your waist, pushing onto you and making you walk backward until you felt something hit your back. A stray book falling to your feet confirmed that it was a bookshelf. He was so close to you that you could see every little detail of his gorgeous face.

 “Don’t play coy with me, love,” his voice was low and sent a jolt of something electric down your spine. “If I remember correctly, you said you wanted me to ‘bite and or top you’, is that correct?”

A shaky breath. “That - that may have been what I said, yeah,” you stammered.

Demetri chuckled quietly, leaning down into the nape of your neck, making you let out a small squeak as he did so. Lips brushing against the skin there, you felt your soul ascend from your body as his tongue swirled almost experimentally in a slow circle. You leaned into him, biting your lip trying to keep a moan back.

If this is how I’m going to die, then dying feels so damn good.

Demetri’s lips moved from your neck to your ear, moving a hand from your waist to tuck your hair behind your ear. “Tell me what you want.”

 “I want more of that,” came your husky response. Hands finding some strength, you pushed very gently against his chest till he pulled away. The two of you stared at each other for a moment, time coming to a halt. Raising a hand carefully, watching his expression for any sign of disgust or discomfort, you placed your hand against his cheek.

To your surprise, he didn’t pull away; he leaned into the touch, closing his eyes. “You... are confusing to me.” Opening his eyes again, the red had darkened to a dull almost black shade of red. “I shouldn’t be doing this, but I’ve gone this far already so I might as well not withhold anything.”

He moved the hand that was in your hair to your cheek, mirroring your actions. Instinct taking over your sense of rationality, you kissed him. Gripping your waist tighter, he responded eagerly to your affections, kissing back with an intensity that began to cultivate a certain ache within you.

A low growl sent vibrations down your throat and against your lips, you gasped when Demetri’s hands slid down to the back of your thighs, lifting you up. Locking your legs around his waist, you swore he purred in response to your body’s reaction, moving his lips from yours back to your neck once more. The moans couldn’t be held back anymore and you knew that this only egged him on further.

 “I think I’d like to see more of you,” he commented in between kissing your neck.

 “Feeling’s mutual,” you replied, tangling your hands in his hair.

The kissing ceased, and to your dismay, Demetri set you down. Seeing your appalled expression, he laughed; the sound brought you out of your lust-fueled mind state, as it was unlike any laughter he’d done previously. This laughter was him. No secret intentions or undertones to it. “As much as I’d really enjoy continuing this, I believe your friends are about ready to head off soon.”

Running a hand through your hair, you breathed deeply to try and calm your wired emotions. “So uh, I guess this is it then, huh?”

Demetri raised an eyebrow. “Whatever do you mean?” Shaking his head, he caressed your face once more. “If you think I’m the ‘fuck you and leave you’ type dear Y/N, you’d be sorely mistaken.” With a wink, he added, “That would be my friend Felix.”

His crass language took you aback. You didn’t expect him to speak so... normally? You assumed with vampires they’d be all formal and old-school with their way of speaking - and in a way yes, you were right. But right now, Demetri wasn’t speaking as formally as his coven mates did.

 “So, you actually mean it when you say you want to see more of me?” you questioned him. “As much as I enjoyed... that, I’m not a one-night stand girl.”

 “I’m glad to hear it because I don’t intend for this to be a once-only event,” he replied smoothly. You smiled at him as your heart skipped a beat happily. A small smile made it’s way to his face, and he held out his hand once again for you to take. “Come on, I’ll lead you back to the others.”

When you arrived back to the waiting room, Edward and Alice eyed you suspiciously. Oh they know, you sighed internally. Giving Edward a look, you gave him a wee mental note. “I don’t need to explain myself to you. Let’s keep it that way.”

Jaw clenched, he dropped the eye contact to glare at Demetri. “Can we go now?”

Demetri nodded curtly. “Yes, the sun is down now so it’s dark enough for you to take your leave. Gianna will escort you out.” As your group began to follow the human receptionist who trotted over from her desk to lead you away, Demetri called out to you. “I’ll be in touch, Y/N.”

 Out of sight from the watchful eyes of the Cullens and Bella’s surprised stare now boring a hole into the back of your head, you winked at him. “You better be,” you replied with a grin, still running off the adrenaline of your earlier make-out session.

The last thing you saw of Demetri was a wide grin of his own before your group turned away.

As the elevator doors closed, your sister rounded onto you. “Y/N, what was that about?” Bella asked.

You turned to look at your little sister; she was exhausted. Running a hand through her hair affectionately, you gave her a calm smile. “Not quite sure yet, but nothing for you to worry about, kiddo. Let’s go home.”

[skaryskylar]

Toss A Coin To Your Witcher

Pairing: BakuDeku, DekuBaku Switch

Type: One-Shot

Prompt: Twin Stars Week/Day 1-Fantasy

Rating: Explicit (18+)

Warnings: All the smut, Minor KiriKami, Dubious Consent, improper Use of Magic

Read on AO3

His stomach growled as he settled into the darkest corner of the inn. The ale in his cup had already gone warm, but he didn't dare waste a drop. It was bitter on his tongue, dry and heavy on the hops. Swishing through his jaws with difficulty, it seeped rather than flowed down his parched throat.

But it was all he could afford.

The pouch at his waist was depressingly empty, silent without the jingle of coin. He needed to sit and wait. See if something cropped up. But the inn didn't seem to be overflowing with those in need. No, it was fool's night. The bard atop a table strummed his lute, singing a tale of a honeyed, fair maiden chased down by a horrible beast of a bear. It was a lewd little ditty. If he could, he'd scrunch his face in disgust.

But that would mean he wouldn't look 'approachable'. In this line of work, and with a pocket as barren as his own, he needed to keep an easy going appearance at all times.

He tried to direct his ears elsewhere. Some of those gathered at the bar-common townsmen and farmers out for an evening drink-were whispering amongst themselves. It wasn't hard for him to pick up on the murmured sounds.

"-'s him. I'm sure of it."

 "That's not him! He's short! They say that this Witcher is ten feet tall, wide as a bear and twice as fierce!"  

"I heard he's got a hound's gnashing canines for teeth and blackened claws on his hands."

"He walks with a peach-colored wolf. It used to be white, but blood stained the damn thing's fur red so many times it started to grow out a strange, rosy color."

Ochako whined at his feet. Her dark eyes peeked up from under the table, ears downcast. Those assholes. Didn't they know she had a sensitive soul?  Smiling at her comfortingly, he scratched behind her ears, a silent apology.

"Fool! He doesn't walk with a wolf! He is a wolf! When the full moon hangs low beneath the clouds, they say he transforms into a monster neither man nor beast."

"Shh! He can hear us! Don't you know he has ears large enough to hear for miles? See how they peek out from that head of dark curls!"

"I keep telling you that's not him! What would the Symbol of Strength, the Slaughterer of Shigaland, the Devil's Wicked Right Hand, Izuku of Yuuei be doing here of all places?"

"Perhaps he's come to slay the dragon."

Izuku perked up at that. His stomach groaned in protest but he had long ago learned to pay hunger no mind in the face of work. A dragon's head huh? That would fetch him a pretty penny. Perhaps enough for him to make it to the next town over with a sackful of dried meats, bread, berry...

And a horse. By the gods, how he needed a new horse. He lost the last one in a nasty encounter with some graveirs a while back. Travelling was a royal pain in the arse without a horse.

He stood to his full height, pushing his day-old ale aside as he made to go stand by the bar, leaning some of his hefty weight against the creaking wood of the counter. It was warmer there. Whether it was the heat of their fearful gazes or the warmth of human touch, he didn't care to find out.

He had something better to focus on.

"What's this I hear of a dragon wreaking havoc on innocent citizens?"

He went for a charming smile. The same that had maidens fall over him all the way from Shiketsu to Aldera. It didn't work. Men were less susceptible to his charm. They took one look into his eyes-saw how unnatural the green was with its sheen and flecks of gold, and knew he was not of their same blood and bone.

(No, he was stronger. Faster. More cunning and full of tricks. Without the folly of their emotions to weigh him down. A symbol of strength just as his master had been a symbol of peace.)

Sure enough, the one closest to him with the greasy black hair and gaunt face took one look into his gaze, and immediately blanched, tugging his mug of ale closer to his chest.

"M-M-Mind yours Witcher! Yer not welcome here!"

"It's not the Witcher." One of his friends snorted into the foam of his drink. "Don't mind a fake trying to trick his way into some coin."

Rather than speak to defend himself, Izuku drew his sword from its scabbard. The inn went silent in the wake of its gleam, watching how the silver glinted and shone even in the dim light. It was a beautiful piece of work, made from the finest goblin ore and elven wood, forged by dwarves in the deepest fires of Mount Rocklock.

It had passed from worthy hand to worthy hand till it found its way into his own calloused grip. The feats performed with it granted it a name fitting for its prestige.

"One for All." One of the men breathed. He reached out as if to touch iy, but Izuku was quick to slide the blade back into its sheath.

"Now," He grinned cheekily. "About that dragon."

The dragon, he learned, was terrorizing the farm lands towards the edge of town. It hadn't done much in terms of fire damage, just a few burnt stables here and there. A rabbit hutch for one man.

But it was surely taking its fill. A shepherd had lost half his flock while they were grazing in the hills, and that was just the beginning of it. Chickens, goats and cows had all fallen under the things clutches. There was no blood spilled so it naturally ate them whole.

But to spite the farmers, the thing had even stolen barrels of cheese and crates of milk, just throwing salt into the festering wounds. Slowly but surely, the little bastard was creeping closer and closer to the main villages. It wouldn't be long before it ran out of animals to eat.

Maybe then it'd decide it fancied human thigh instead of lamb.

"Listen, us farmers, we have a pact," The most reasonable out of the bunch, Inasa the dairyman, approached him with a fresh drink and a hot plate of roasted chicken. He was about to descend upon it with vigor, when a paw reached up to settle on his knee.

Ochako stared at him from under the table, brown eyes wide. Sighing, he split the meat in half, offering her the larger share.

"We'd be willing to pay if you can get the damn thing out of our hair. It won't be much in the way of coin, but you'd be guaranteed food for the next month at least. My wife and I can offer our place for you to rest your head for a night upon your return to sweeten the deal."

Izuku's stomach growled in response, the meager meal having not been enough. He willed an embarrassed blush to fly up to his cheeks, painting the backdrop of his multitudes of freckles a rosy red.

"Sounds like we've got a deal." He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

(If the farmer and his wife renegaded on their part, he would leave them out during the upcoming full moon and have Ochako rip them limb from limb.)

Promise of food stuck fast in his mind, he collected his things and began to walk out. The wolf was quick on his heels, gnawing at an abandoned chicken bone as Izuku adjusted his sword at his hip. He was only a few paces from the door when a voice called out,

"Wait! Witcher! Mister Slaughterer Sir! Wait!"

He nearly didn't stop. If Ochako hadn't spat out her bone to growl, he wouldn't have.

Certainly not for the bard. He was young. Mature in human years but his jaw was still smooth with youth. Neither hair nor scar marred his features, boyish grin bright with a fool's bliss as he clumsily stumbled his way over, golden eyes taking the setting sun's last rays into their depths to shine bright as day in the encroaching darkness.

"Let me come with you."

Izuku smiled.

"No."

Turning right on around, he once again set off on his journey. Ochacko huffed at his side as the bard continued to follow them. He maintained a distance just outside of his sword's reach so if Izuku fell prey to the building desire to turn and gut the man where he stood, he'd have to put some effort in.

And that was energy he did not have.

His stomach rumbled. The wolf at his side gave a keen whine.

"-can sing songs about our travels! Of who we meet and what we dare to do! I heard you're setting out to kill a dragon. Imagine what limericks I could reap from that!"

He pulled out his lute, cleared his throat and sang,

'The dragon with tongue of fire and death

Nearly killed us all with one sniff of its breath'

Izuku stopped in his tracks. He gave the other man a long, soul-searching look. The bard scrambled to get back, saying some nonsense about how he'd work on those horrible lyrics. In his haste, his hat ripped from his head, exposing long locks of flaxen hair, a single stray jagged line of black towards the side. But that anomaly wasn't what caught Izuku's attention: it was the pointed nubs of batlike ears that pointed through the matted fray, of a paler complexion from the rest of the man's skin due to the lack of exposure to sunlight. Immediately, his hands left the lute to cover them up, pulling his green flouncy hat low beyond their tips once more.

"You're an elf."

"Half-elf!" The man protested. "My mum's about as human as they come." After a beat of silence, he picked his lute from the ground, inspecting the wood for damage.

Izuku's smile widened.

A half elf. This was perfect. The only thing dragons enjoyed more than sheep was a roasted, honey-eyed elf. The bard would be a useful trap.

"What's your name stranger?"

"Denki Kaminari."

"You may come along. Don't get distracted, nor can you distract me. Dragons are dangerous after all."

It would've been an easy trip if the fool didn't talk so much. He had an easy voice; it chimed like bells. All the masculine grit stuck to the back of his throat, leaving only light melody to flow from his lips.  It made him sound naturally friendly and open. Izuku wished for that. Every tone of his own words had to be thoughtfully considered before he spoke, lest he fall into the same gruff, monotone of his kinsmen.

That wouldn't do. He had to be personable to get jobs. Strong to make results come to fruition and cunning to ensure he always had his way.

His master was not lazy with his tutelage. One could not become the Symbol of Peace without accumulating centuries of wisdom, and that same wisdom was bestowed upon him with each lesson; each fletching of an arrow, crushing of yarrow root in mortar with a pestle, and adjustment of his manner of speech came with some kind of warning. It was the warning that made him careful. It was his care that made him great.

But the bard, Denki, wasn't taught. He wasn't raised as he was. He was just...human. Well, half-human.

And fully annoying. So, so annoying.

Like a pest he flew around Izuku as they walked, commenting on his height, how his arms were twice as thick as his own. He was writing songs as they made their way up the hills to the farmlands.

If he had to hear another comparison of his 'wild, curly locks' to a 'dewy clearing on the first morn of spring', he would cut off his ears and throw them to Ochako to eat. At least then one of them wouldn't be starving.

"And your eyes! Cut from the finest jade no doubt! They say Witchers can see in the dark like a cat. They say your kind prowl the forests at night searching for prey from a young age, and that's how they find you, bloody babes wrapped in wolf skins. Is it true?"

"You are not born a witcher," Izuku said idly, coming to a stop. They had arrived at the appointed farm. He could see the burnt rabbit hatch; how meager the gathering of cows was in the field.

But this story didn't add up.

"Witchers are made. It is not a path suited for every man. Be happy you're a bard."

"I'm terribly fond of my profession good sir. There's nothing the fairer sex fancies more than a man who can sing their troubles away."

"Is that so?"

The scent. The scent was wrong. He knew what dragon smelled like and this wasn't it. There was smoke yes. The anger, of course. The acrid scent of soot and all-consuming fire, but there was a sweetness that betrayed its magical origin.

Dragons did not smell sweet. They smelled like a viper pit after a night of rain, like the petrichor seeping off the ground before lightning struck true. They stank of death and doom with the smoky after notes of all-consuming rage.

At least, that's what he knew from his own experiences. Perhaps this one was a runt.

"They quickly find my tongue has many uses. Singing makes it nimble and quick. Easy to fit in, uh, tiny spaces if you get my meaning."

He did, but refused to give any indication that it was so. Humming good-naturedly, he moved towards the main cottage without a word, letting the bard talk him down the stone path.

If it was a dragon, then the bard would draw him out. If it wasn't, he could still use the man as a distraction as he created a better plan. Win-Win situation.

The woman that answered the door was thin. Her head of hair had already started turning gray, and there were dark circles beneath her fearful brown eyes. She spoke in whispers and murmurs, as though she thought speaking about the dragon itself would bring it back to harm her. Izuku ignored the usual talk about the terror the victim felt, how helpless they were in the face of such a mighty beast, and focused on the facts.

The attack happened two days ago, which meant the scent would still be fresh if he tracked it down. They were missing all their rabbits, half their cows, and a barrel of cheese. The first two was nothing out of the ordinary. Dragons weren't known for having a small appetite.But the barrel of cheese was strange. Even stranger yet was the missing cherry pie.

"I remember leaving it on the windowsill to cool that morning, but when I came back it was gone." She said, pressing a hand to her head.

He would've written it off as a common thief taking advantage of a disaster, if the last detail she uttered hadn't set off all his alarms.

"The worst part was its laughter."

"Laughter?" The bard spoke the question on his mind between bites of apple pie. "What kind of dragon laughs?"

She sighed, pressing her eyes to her hands as if she were about to weep.

(Izuku hoped she wouldn't. He didn't do well with females, nor their tears. They made him...unsettled.)

"It was horrible. My husband and I went out to put out the fire and we heard the thing just laugh and laugh and laugh. It sounded almost human, but there was a darkness to it. It was small, but if you heard it you'd notice. No one, not even the worst of the worst sinners, sounds that evil."

Izuku set off with suspicion in his heart and a bit of dried meats in his pouch. The bard kept trying to break into his head, see what plans he was making behind his 'jolly demeanor' but he remained silent, smile locked to his face as if it were an iron mask. Ochako had no such patience. When the bard got close enough to brush Izuku's shoulder with his hand, she barked and snapped her teeth, sending the man running several paces back.

"Control your dog Witcher!"

"She's a dire wolf." Izuku corrected cheerily. The good little pup snarled her agreement. He didn't need to look to see the man was terrified. The sharp scent of a little piss was one of the wafts in the air.

The trail was leading them into the mountains. It would be a day before they reached the end of it. Izuku would've walked through the night with his wolf at his side, but elves, half or not, were prissy about darkness.

They settled at the foot of the mountain. Izuku set a fire with ease, magic crackling electric green in his palm before shooting out to the bundle of sticks and tinder. Ochako took her place at his back, licking her fur for a quick clean before settling on her paws and falling asleep. Her snores rang out throughout the land, imposing and fearsome, letting all woodland creatures know that a direwolf was present and ready to rip out their throats if they strayed too close.

He could sleep easy so long as she kept snoring.

"Witcher,"

But not as long as the bard insisted on speaking.

"This dragon...I've got my reservations about it. Wouldn't we have seen its claw marks in the dirt?"

"Dragons fly bard." The Witcher answered, eyes shut as he lay against the direwolf's back. She was warm beneath him, fur tickling the skin of his neck as he shifted to get comfortable. There were a few moments of darkness and blessed, blissful silence.

Then:

"I can't get that laughter tidbit out of my mind. What kind of dragon laughs Witcher? Will we face a particularly fearsome one?"

"The fiercest." Izuku replied, because he couldn't resist. The bard's 'eep' of fright sparked a distant amusement in his chest.

"Perhaps if you tell it a funny tale or two, you'll distract it long enough for me to take its head."

He felt the vibrations of the bard laying out a bedroll. (Made of fine material no doubt. Ever the prissiest those elves) The ground gave a slight shake when the man threw himself upon it.

Izuku's eyes remained closed as Denki gave a long sigh.

"Hopefully I'll live to see another night."

Izuku did not hope. He had been told he inspired such a feeling in others but he himself was immune to such irrationality. He was a man of facts, of odds and probability, of notes scrawled on paper well into the night, of the smell of ink lingering on calloused hands.

He did not hope. He predicted, anticipated and prepared.

His odds of survival were high. There was an off-chance he would perish: burning to his demise or falling off the face of the mountain seemed to be the top two contenders for the 'final blow'. But the probability of him strutting out of there with a dragon head slung over his back and Ochako gnawing on rawhide at his side was greater by far.

The bard though?

...Hmm.

The man continued to talk to himself through the night, attempting to assuage his own fears. Groaning, Izuku turned his back on him, and tried to fall asleep to the anxious melody.

       The first thing he noticed upon waking was the silence. Ochako's warmth was still at his back. He could feel her chest rise and fall with each breath, but the loud fearsome snores that should've been ringing out were muted. He could taste the magic of the silencing spell in the air before he could taste the bitterness of morning. Hand already at his scabbard, he leapt up, only to get slammed back down by a leather boot.

Crimson eyes cut from ruby and forged in flames leered down at him. The wicked, sharp grin of his attacker loomed inches above, teeth sharp and white blotted red with blood, so close he could taste the copper of it.

He thought of the bard. A quick sniff told him the man was still alive. Terrified, if the whimpers and more than subtle waft of piss meant anything, but still alive.

He quickly scanned the attacker. His chest was bare, golden skin not marred with scar nor birthmark, immaculate and smooth save for the rolling hills of his abs and pink peaks of his nipples, stiff in the mild morning frost. A cape the same color as his eyes gave a few flaps in the easy winds. It was clasped by a silver dragon around the neck, white fur lining the shoulders above his defined collarbone. Clearly a luxury, but not a symbol he could put a royal family name to.

His pants were dark, but made of fine material. He had only seen kikimore silk once before in his life: at the royal wedding of Prince Shoto of Endeavour and Princess Momo of Creati. Her dress had been made from two yards of it and a stunning, hand-sewn lace. It was a white so pure it glistened when the sun hit it, rivaling the shade of the snow as it fell upon the pair underneath their wedding arch.

This was that same material, but dyed a black so harsh it absorbed all color, cuffs tucked into his boots. Lined with that same white fur as the cape, they had spikes beneath their soles.  Armor was strapped around the man's knees, sharp points tacked on so they could be used as a weapon if need be, Every inch of this man was a weapon. Sharp. Dangerous.

And he smelled nothing like a human. Izuku didn't recognize this scent. Sweet and sultry, like golden ambrosia presented before an altar, or the exotic perfumes of a passing noblewoman. He had to lean away to catch the fresh winds and clear his head from the hazy mist that threatened to settle over him at the smell of it.

But there was something else on that wind. The smell of a viper pit after a heavy rain. He looked to where the edge of the attacker’s cape billowed in the gentle breeze.

Hmm.

Izuku slipped on an easy smile. It was second-nature by that point, but it only seemed to make the man angry. His eyes narrowed into slits, confident smirk morphing into a bitter scowl.

"Don't play innocent with me Witcher. I've met others of your kind. You don't have the heart for kindness."

Smart one. Arrogant asshole. Izuku made a point to smile harder, quirking a brow in what he hoped would look like a playful jest, as if the man were an old friend rather than the next victim of his blade.

"Now, now. I'm sure we can talk about this-."

He saw the dagger coming down before it was even raised. Heaving, he got the man away from him by turning suddenly, rolling across the ground. Grabbing Ochako by her scruff, he tossed her to the screaming bard and went to face his rising opponent.

Izuku reached for his sword, only to find the scabbard empty.

The other man twirled it about in his hand, checking his reflection in the blade. The tip was already stained red. If the beheaded, mangled deer towards the edge of their camp signified anything, it was that his blade was stolen from him while he slept then used to hunt breakfast.

Which meant that this one who appeared in the image of a man, licking the last of the blood from his teeth, was definitely not mortal. Izuku could sense other life forms even while unconscious. No one touched anything so close to him without his fist closing around their neck. This one was...was...

"Who are you?" The bard yelled. He was bound in rope, hands behind his back and ankles together. His cap still covered his ears securely. Izuku angled himself so the stranger wouldn't see the elf's face, lest he catch the spark in his eyes and begin to suspect.

"I am Prince Kacchan."

"Prince of what?" Denki snorted. "Thieves?"

There was that rage from the farm, smelling of soot and ash. It was thick in the air, hot and violent. Sparks skittered up Izuku's skin as those eyes came to meet him again. They looked him over, slowly, with intention.

Then there was the glint of a smirk full of salacious promise and scandal.

"I think you look better beneath me Witcher."

"I think I'm going to need my sword back Prince Kacchan."

He didn't miss the shiver that racked through the man at the sound of the title. The air was heavy with their auras, challenge and intrigue passing between the two of them, neither willing to drop their masks.

Until a pained roar came down from mountain high, sending birds squawking away from shuddering treetops as the ground rumbled. Kacchan leapt up at once, landing on a branch in a show of nimbleness.

He tossed back a wink.

"Come find me Witcher. I have need for some company." He said before taking off. Leaping from tree to tree, he kept the sword still in his grip as he disappeared into the foliage.;

Izuku bit back a curse. Gathering his things, he used the blade he kept within his boot to cut the bard free. Ochako led the charge as they ran, kicking up dust and dirt in their haste. The bard was too slow to keep up so Izuku swung him onto his shoulders, matching Ochako's pace with ease.

"Where do you think he ran off too?"

If the scent that clung to the man's cape was right, then he had run off to meet their dragon. Izuku didn't reply with this, gritting his teeth as he set a faster pace, thoughts of his sword flashing through his mind along with the possible outcomes of the situation.

The higher up they went, the worse the options became.

The scent was thickest at the very top. There was a cave or rose quartz, large enough for a dragon, but decidedly empty of its large hulking mass. There was no camp set up for Prince Kacchan, only a couple large stones here and there.

Izuku knew better than to judge by first glance. He moved to enter the glistening cavern when the bard pounded his shoulder.

"There is no way I'm going into that cave without a battle plan Witcher! What if it drops from the skies and roasts us where we stand?"

"Then we die," Izuku said simply. Though the bard screamed and yowled his protest, he did not release him, edging his way into the dark cave overflowing with the sharp scent of dragon.

And blood. So much blood and death.

His eyes adjusted to the darkness quickly, narrowing on everything in his path. Kicking aside a cow's skeleton, bones white and licked clean, he brought his tiny party further to the back of the cave, where the smell was strongest and the warmth of fire began to trickle through.

"I'm not too sure about this Witcher."

"Just sit up there and smell pretty bard."

"What do you mean by-?"

A deafening roar cut them off. The ground shook beneath his boots, dust falling from the pale pink stalactite above. He leapt back as one of the spikes dropped, bursting into shards in the same spot he once stood. Deeper and deeper he went as the roar continued. The more he listened, the more pained the cry seemed. It was...off. This wasn't anger. It wasn't lashing out. He doubted it even knew they were in there at all.

He crept closer to the scent of fire, inching along the wall of the cave, straining his ears to hear beyond the wail.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It hurts. Quit wailing you big baby. You're acting like you lost a ball sack."

That was Prince Kacchan. The jackass who stole his sword. Clutching the bard's ankles tight, he dared to creep in further, murmuring a spell to hide his and Ochako's scent.

Bracing himself, he peeked around the corner.

It was a dragon alright. Definitely not the runt of the litter though. It was huge, looming several feet above his own head even in a crouch. Its horns were long, thick as a tree trunk, curling around his head like that of a rams. Its scales were  red so dark they were almost black, taking in the light of the fire, each as long as Izuku's hand.

But it wasn't its massive size that drew his attention.

It was its wounds.

A gaping hole tore through one wing, the other folded at an awkward angle behind him. Broken, no doubt. Its claws were long and sharp on all three limbs.

The fourth was missing. Its dark eyes were glued to the spot where it should of been, watering with unshed tears of pain as Prince Kacchan cleaned and wrapped the wound. At the blonde's side was Izuku's acclaimed sword, sitting still and idle, waiting for him to grasp it in his hand once more. The discarded bandage pile was where the stench of blood was strongest. Izuku sniffed, identifying the sour smell of infection in the cloth.

"Whoa," The bard breathed and, immediately, all eyes darted to their location.

Izuku could've killed the man himself, but it seemed like the dragon wanted to take a go first. He let Denki go, dropping him to the ground when the thing raised its head to strike, then rolled to snatch his sword before it was too late.

Two things happened then.

The dragon gave a keen whine, then began to collapse in on itself, shrinking in a blaze of red light till a man stood where the beast once sat. His spiky hair was the same shade of crimson as the scales, and his build more similar to Izuku's own bulk than Kacchan's lithe muscle. There was a bandaged stump where his left hand should've been, a clean cut slicing just above the wrist. His eyes were curious, a light reddish-brown as they fixated on the bard and the bard alone.

He was also completely nude.

The second was that Izuku reached for his sword, fingertips brushing the hilt when lava burst from the floor below, wrapping around his ankles and wrists, pinning him to the ground. He grunted when the familiar sensation of a spiked boot stepping on him came from his back.

"We meet again, Witcher."

His face in the dirt, Izuku dropped any mask, letting a cold fury envelope him as he struggled. He was close. So close. One inch more and One for All would be where it belonged.

But the Fates did not will it to be so. Kacchan gave a savage, mocking laugh as he plucked the sword up from the floor. He did some kind of magic to turn Izuku over so that he was facing the ceiling.

He couldn't see Kacchan, but he could feel his witchcraft. Powerful, it thrummed through the air, enveloping his limbs like a restraining caress till he was immobile.

At least the dragon found the bard. If he could enjoy nothing else, it would be the fact that he could hear the annoying little man being ripped limb from limb before he died.

...But the Fates didn't will that to be so either.

"You're an elf!"

"A-A-And your prick is out sir! I implore you to get a covering. Where are your trousers?"

"Oh! My apologies. I didn't mean to offend."

Izuku sniffed. Sweet and heady. Nervousness. Anticipation. Attraction. Arousal-.

Oh fuck.

"I've never met a real elf before. My mother says your kind are as sweet as honey and have eyes of starlight. If I may see your ears?"

"I-I don't really like letting people look."

"But they're beautiful!" The dragon insisted, as if scandalized. "Elves are the most beautiful creatures in all the land. I should know! I'm a dragon! My kind collect pretty things."

There's the sound of someone shifting. Probably the elf, blushing like a maiden at the flattery.  Izuku fought the desire to throw them all off the mountain.

"I have a cousin, Mina. She courted an elf. At their celebration, there wasn't a dry eye on that mountain top. From envy of course. A good half of our family was ready to kill her to take her place."

Gritting his teeth, Izuku made a mental note to rewrite the segment on Elven-Dragon Relations in his journal.

"So I assume you're the one that's been harassing the farmers then," He said, trying to get Kacchan's attention. Maybe Ochako would be able to catch the man by surprise if he kept him distracted. "You need to feed your friend after all, and he's not fit to hunt."

"Hey!" The dragon-shifter's voice was stunned, and a little hurt. "I thought we agreed we'd live off the land."

"Those beasts were on land." The Prince said arrogantly. "Our land. Those hills belonged to my kind long before these filthy mortals claimed the earth as their own."

That shortened his list. Demi-god? That'd be a bitch to take down. He would have to go off of rumors for that. The last Witcher to take down a Demi-God was centuries ago. One of the Vampire Fathers maybe? They walked the world long before his own kinsmen did, but their weakness to silver was common knowledge. He just needed One for All back and he'd make it work. It wouldn't be easy, but it would be possible.

But that wouldn't explain the fire.

He'd never heard of a vampire capable of making molten lava out of rose quartz then cooling it quick enough to bind a Witcher.

"Those farmers are poor and scared. They've sent us here to kill the dragon ravaging their homes," The bard said because he had a big mouth and just couldn't shut up. Izuku tried to think, tried to run through all the information he'd gathered so far to find a way of this mess. He strained against his binds, but even with all his strength, they wouldn't budge. Fortified by a dark magic no doubt. He would need to wait and build his power to counter it.

That could take days. Months even.

He'd be dead by then if Prince Kacchan wished it so.

"That's horrible," The dragon was saying. "I'm terribly sorry this has happened. I had no idea where he was getting the food. We'll leave if that would please you...and, uh, the farmers of course!"

"Oi! Shitty hair! We're not leaving! Do you know what I went through to find this place-!"

"Splendid! Did you hear that Witcher? A bit of diplomacy and we've saved the townspeople!"

Izuku gave a long, tired sigh, smile straining as soon as he pasted it back up.

"Wonderful," he said through grit teeth, failing to keep the sarcasm from his tone. "Now if I could get my sword, we'll be on our way."

At the sheer implication, the dragon hissed. Izuku shut his eyes to the sound, already aware of the sharp claws that were undoubtedly reaching out for the bard to stuff him further back in the cave. Territorial little bastards, those dragons. And if his gut was right, he wouldn't be letting the bard go anytime soon.

"By the gods, what is it man?"

"Oh! Sorry! The claws, they, uh, do that sometimes. It's normal."

Izuku could taste the lie on the air, sweet as cherry wine and just as deceptive.

"But you all don't have to leave now," The dragon continued. "Let us feed you! We've got plenty of food to share! And that lute! You're a bard, aren't you elf? Tell me some of your tales!"

The bard, like a fool, agreed.

To his credit, Izuku did not resist as he was lifted roughly to a stand. Prince Kacchan's fist was wrapped in his tunic, pulling him away from the ground even as his other hand wove sigils into the air, completing the stone cuffs around his wrists and ankles into dark circlets. He pulled his aching arms down to his chest, bending his elbows as he was hopped over to a smooth raised stone by the fire.

He took the seat, lips pressed tight as Kacchan sat right next to him, avoiding eye contact with all lest they see the calculations in his eyes. The fire rose high, hot against his front, with pointed wooden spikes at its base. If he kicked out at the right angle, could he launch one into the Prince's chest? Once he was gone, Izuku could take a lame dragon with Ochako's help.

The direwolf sat at the edge of the light, watching the Prince with wary eyes as he went about roasting the cow. Ever a loyal girl. Izuku didn't deserve her.

"Let's share names then," The dragon-man said, now with a fresh pair of breeches covering his bits. "I'm Eijirou the Wild. I'm from the mountain range of Kirishima."

"I'm Denki, a bard. Half-elf." He emphasized. "And that's Izuku of Yuuei. The Slaughterer of Shigaland and the Devil's Wicked Right Hand. He's a Witcher."

"And I'm already bored of this conversation. Eat and then leave bard."

"Don't be rude Kats!" Eijirou the Wild smiled, a grin with sharp pointy teeth and fawning eyes for the bard alone. Kats. What was that short for? Was Kacchan not his 'true name'? What kind of creatures needed to hide their names?

"Don't mind him. He's been sour ever since his mother tossed him out for stealing her favorite plaything."

"She didn't kick me out," the Prince said sourly. "I left of my own accord."

But his words went ignored. The dragon and the bard were already well on their way to a rousing conversation, speaking to each other in fervent whispers, inching closer by the minute till they could pick the remnants of meat off each other's laps. No one asked the Witcher about his life, because they didn't care. Prince Kacchan was too caught up in his own annoyance. and the dragon just wanted to know more about the bard, looking at him as if he was the one who cast away the moon to hang the sun in the sky.

Honestly, how did he get 'Elven-Dragon relations' so wrong? Didn't they have a lesson about this at Kaer Morhen? His old master would be so ashamed.  

The bard of course played right into their hands. He relished the attention, even got comfortable enough to take his hat from his head, shyly allowing a clawed hand to wondrously prod at the pale tips of ears.

When he pulled out the lute, the Witcher knew they were in for a long night. He played song after song, growing more loud as they opened a barrel of orc gin and passed it about. Izuku sat there, small smile beginning to ache, ears ready to bleed as they began a new ballad,

'A dragon there was, a dragon, a wild one

All red and fierce and ready for fun!

The dragon! The beast! The wild one!'  

He was going to beg for the sweet release of death. There was no other choice. The bard was annoying the shit out of him.

"You're annoying the shit out of me bard." Prince Kacchan spoke for him. Tossing the last of his scraps into the fire, he stood and emptied the contents of his waterskin on his hands to clean them. Wicking them out to dry, he commanded, "Find yourself elsewhere."

"Don't talk to him like that-!"

"Leave!"

Eijirou frowned. Pointedly snatching up Denki's hand, he led the bard off towards the edge of the fire's light, in the direction of the cave's entrance, continuing their rapid fire conversation about some frivolity. Izuku didn't trust the bard with the dragon alone. Silently, he looked to Ochako. The direwolf rose to her feet. Huffing her displeasure, she heeded his wordless request and turned to follow the pair.

It left him and the Prince alone, only the crackling of the fire to fill the gap between them. He kept his eyes on the flames, watching the wood split and burn from their heat.

"You're a quiet man Witcher. What's in that head of yours?"

His smile froze.

"I'm trying to figure out what you are."

A partial lie that left his mouth dry. He chanced a glance at his unfortunate companion. Kacchan's expression betrayed nothing but a fox's cunning. There was trickery afoot. Izuku took pride in his ability to catch it

"How about I let you guess? Hmm. Three tries."

A game then. The Prince doubted the extensiveness of Izuku's bestiary. He could see a vision of victory already dancing in the man's eyes, and swore to keep it as was: a vision rather than a reality.

"If you win-,"

"Then I get your true name."

The man's eyes narrowed into slits. A tell if any. That narrowed his list once more. Vampires didn't give a damn about 'true names'. Maybe an elder member of the fae?

"If I win then I get to lay claim to what's yours."

Tricky wording. Fae then. He'd seen a good share of their cunning.

But when he spoke his guess aloud, the man only smirked.

"You could break a fairy with one sweep of your hand couldn't you Witcher? Just snap them in two."

Red eyes traced the length of his biceps, something unreadable in their gaze. Izuku gave a sniff but he couldn't smell anything past that heady perfume. It clouded his head, made his mind lazy even as he resisted. He used his eyes instead, studying the curve of his collarbone, the path of a bead of sweat down his pecs, past the taut skin of his stomach to the low hanging hem of his trousers. There was a coil tightening in his gut, the pressure of a low flame.

"Vampire." He said hoarsely, throat suddenly parched. The scent got closer as Kacchan slid even closer. Every inch of skin pressed to his side burned hotter than any fire ever could. Crimson eyes dancing, the man dropped his chin to the butt of his hand, pouty lips forming an arrogant smirk at the end of a short, "Nope."

His last guess. Izuku was silent, eyes searching to see what his nose couldn't smell. He looked like a human. A dangerous human but a human nonetheless. What creatures could adopt this form, especially one as easy on the eyes as this? He wished he had his notebook in hand rather than down at the inn. He would have taken his time going through old pages of lessons till he found the right one.

Now he had only his intellect and his gut to guide him, and the former was fading fast, lost to a rosy haze of heat and need.

Wait...wait...wait...There was magic at work here.

"You're human. A sorcerer that's filled with trickery and cunning."

Kacchan gripped him by the arm, fingers digging into his skin like little daggers before swinging his other leg over. He nestled himself into Izuku's lap, firm thighs on either side of his waist as a hot breath caressed the shell of his ear.

"Wrong. Honestly Witcher," He shifted. Izuku felt his arousal twitch once through the fabric. "Have you never met an incubus before?"

"...Ah."

"Yeah."

"You said you were a Prince."

"Prince of Corrupted Virtue."

"Is that what they're calling it this age?"

"Fuck if I know," The Prince's voice lowered into a growl as he pounced. Again, Izuku was one his back, hands and legs pinned to the ground as the incubus nuzzled its nose to the junction where his jaw met his neck.

"You smell good Witcher. Of magic and strength, pine, firewood and all those-Mmm," He fidgeted as a breathy moan got caught in the air. "All those other manly things. You owe me a prize, don't you?"

"How about a pat on the back?" He asked sardonically. With each twitch he made, the other just tightened around him, hot hands locked on his raised biceps as an armor-less knee kept his legs apart. Kacchan pressed a gentle kiss on the lobe of his ear, then changed his mind, switching for a long, slow swipe of his rough tongue against the shell.

(He shivered reflexively, a heat beginning to spread in his loins.)

"Come now, Witcher," He said the title with a voice promising sin. "A demon's gotta eat."

"I don't suppose we could negotiate terms?" He tried squirming out from his grip, but the Prince only laughed, low and raspy, descending upon his neck to bite down on every bit of bared skin.

His hands ventured under the hem of his tunic, hot against the cool skin, ripping the fabric apart to leave his chest bare. Izuku made a keen sound of annoyance. The old forgotten sensation of self-consciousness tried making itself known, but he beat it back with a fierce refusal. He had scars. It came with the job. There were many. They were gnarly. They were hideous.

He had a lengthy kill record to match.

Kacchan was not afraid. He took his time with each one, pressing his lips to the scarred skin as he were a lover rather than a parasite. Izuku squirmed with each caress, grinding against a firm thigh in search of any friction.

"You're a fighter," he crooned. Izuku hissed when teeth grazed his nipple. Kacchan licked a long stripe up the area in apology, flicking the tip back and forth till the nub was a pert peak of pink. "Why do they call you the Devil's Wicked Right Hand?"

The question was meant to distract him from the fingers inching toward his belt. Did he have anything under there that could help him? He sold his dagger months ago. His potions stock was low but there were some salves.

Nothing magic. Nothing useful.

He bit back a curse when the fingers met their target, one hand ripping the belt away while the other palmed at him through the rough cloth.

"Answer me," Kacchan demanded. Izuku groaned when his slick tongue dipped into his navel, pressing kisses down the curly trail of green leading past his trousers.

"They say I do his work for him," He gave a stuttered gasp as the Prince squeezed. "I've sent both man and monster to fill his domain. More than he could ever ask for."

"She's got more space down there than you think."

"Your mother I-ah-I'm guessing?"

Kacchan rose. A thin string of spit connected his rosy lips to Izuku's abs, snapping in sync with red eyes gone to look him in the face.

"Do you always talk about your partner's mothers before you fuck? I know your kind are socially inept, but really?"

"Let's get this over with then. Eat your fill and let me go."

The Prince smirked, yanking at the loose band of his trousers till his cock sprang free, already at thick with his arousal, tight against his stomach. He watched as Kacchan fondled it in his rough palm, shame and anticipation at war in the back of his mind. He bit down on a gasp when the demon finally descended upon his cock like a man starved. His warm, slick mouth wrapped around the length, cheeks hollowing out to deliver a firm pressure as his tongue swept at the bead of pre-cum, slow and careful on the slit.

Izuku watched, breath heavy with lust, as the tufts of flaxen blonde bounced with each suck, straining against his stone cuffs to be able to reach out and tug at it, to retain some sense of dignity and control.

But he had no intention of letting him free. As if sensing his efforts, he laughed, a deep vibration in his throat that made the witcher try and lock his legs with a pained grunt, beating back a tidal wave of pleasure with sheer spite alone.

"You're going to have to come eventually Witcher." Kacchan huffed as he let his prick loose, a pop sounding out when the tip left his lips. "Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be."

Tin and canisters of salves had rolled out from his pockets when his trousers were tugged. The demon selected one at random, removing the cork with a careful sniff, then emptied some the contents on his palm, rubbing the oil between his fingers then turning to look at his prey with mischievous eyes.

Izuku took one whiff and was overrun with the scent of mint. He recoiled as much as he could, knowing the other's intention before he could even act.

"That's for muscle pain."

The Prince's smirk was wicked. Wild.

"Then it's perfect."

"Not that kind of muscle pain. It's a salve from the Isles of Chiyo. It's meant to-,"

A low scoff was the only warning before a discarded shred of his tunic was stuffed into his mouth, the salt of sweat heavy on his tongue.

"You talk too much."

The demon stood. Casting his cape to the side, he took off his boots, then his own trousers, standing bare and golden in the wake of the fire. Izuku tried not to stare at the taut muscle, the shadows cast by the dim glow, and the arrogant grin on the man's face as he returned to his place above him.

(He failed. Miserably.)

"Stay still Witcher. This won't hurt." Izuku glanced at the salve again, wincing at the sharp scent of fresh mint. "I hope."

Izuku knocked his knees as soon as the man approached, eying the slick between his fingers with wary eyes. Kacchan tried to pry his thighs open, but Izuku was stalwart, shaking his head like a virgin bride on her wedding night.

The demon huffed.

"You have to consent. It'll taste bitter if you don't come willingly."

'You're the worst seductress I've ever met,' Izuku said through the cloth. 'I've met common prostitutes that're better.'

The demon's gaze flickered from his prick, still standing at full attention, to the sheen between his fingers. A blush filled his face, redness darkening the sharp planes of his cheeks.

"Would it be easier if I..?" He glanced away, stubbornly glaring to the ceiling.

And wasn't that a tale to be told? A shy incubus? Where was the bard when you needed him? Izuku almost pitied the little Prince. Almost. He gave a grunt, shifting back and forth. His knees relaxed slightly in the process and red eyes locked on the movement.

The demon must have taken this for a 'yes'. Leaning on his haunches, he gave Izuku a full view as he prepped himself, two fingers scissoring back and forth, in and out with sinful, slick squelches and low, halted groans filling the space between the crackling of the fire. \The heat pooling in his stomach began to simmer. He wanted to touch- to be touched- but his hands remained atop his head, He was painfully unable to do anything but watch as the demon rocked onto his own fingers, the other hand wrapped around his cock, pumping steadily till it was a pretty, flushed rouge.

When he decided he was ready, he crawled forward, pulling himself atop Izuku till he was lined up properly.

When he finally sank down, he could only hold onto his hands, biting down on his teeth to distract himself when the simmer in his gut turned into a raging boil.

The Prince was a tease. There was nothing shy about the way he lifted himself till the tip was barely brushing the tight ring of muscle, then rocking down to the hilt, one hand braced against Izuku's chest and chest fondling his balls-coaxing him to come with a masseuse's touch and sultry whispers. But he refused to be the first. He met every buck with one of his own, eyes never straying from that of his partner. Every twitch and spasm had the demon tightening around his length.

"Be a good boy, Izuku." Even his name came out in a hiss, arousal evident in every vowel, so thick he could practically taste it in the air.

Red eyes flinched a little when Kacchan's hand reached to touch himself, shutting completely as he alternated between spat compliments and insults.

"You're taking too long. Do all Witchers have this kind of restraint?"  

"God you're so thick and-Ah! Oh, oh fuck."

"How many people have seen you like this? At their mercy? Lain out beneath them like a common whore?"  

Izuku spat the cloth from his mouth, fire in his lungs and tears in his eyes.

"Faster," He demanded in a low groan. The demon smirked, slowing his pace to something torturous. He snapped his hips up, silently making his plea known, but the demon only pressed down against his chest, peppering kisses up his clavicle as his cock slid against his navel. The smell of mint was ever-present, but not as strong as that of fire. Ash and soot clung to the air as the crackling of the flames became a roar. The wood split in deafening claps, flames climbing higher as the demon's breaths quickened.

He gave up on the slow rolls, bouncing up and down on Izuku's cock desperately, cleaning around him as keening into his jaw with a low whine till finally, the incubus found his release. And with it, he lost control of his powers. Izuku's wrists and ankles sprang free. He sat up just as the flames hit the ceiling, licking at the stalagmites as his hands went to grasp the demon's hips, holding him down as he fucked into his tight, wet hole, chasing after the tide that was once so keen to swallow him whole.

Soft fingers ran through the hair at the nape of his neck. A quiet, murmur was in his ear, begging him to "go, go, go" till he came with a shudder that racked through his spine. He blinked back red and green stars. Collapsing on the warm, lithe body beneath him, he took a moment to steady his breathing, enjoying the post-coital bliss.

He cleaned them off with the remains of his tunic then cast the scrap into the fire pit to sit with the soot. The smell of mint and ash was strong. The salve was particularly potent. He couldn't feel any part of his groin, numbness spread to even parts of his backside which was concerning, but not as much the one lying next to him. The fire had snuffed out, plunging them into a darkness so deep, even his vision was blurred. A voice spoke into it, raspy from use, gentle with its curiosity.

"...What is your name Witcher? Your true name?"

He was at ease, but he was no fool.

"They called me Deku as a child. Some in Kaer Morhen came from a place where such a name meant 'uselessness'. Weakness. They taunted me for it, so I cast it away."

He turned to the side, where he knew ruby eyes shone upon him.

"And you, Kacchan? Any childhood nicknames you didn't favor."

"They wouldn't dare," He said, puffing out his chest. "I would've ripped out their tongues if they had tried. Disrespecting me is disrespecting the devil herself."

Izuku made a sound of disbelief. Crimson eyes narrowed. "You doubt me?"

"I just...I'm sure there was something. Everyone has a nickname."

"Except for me."

The tunic that was tossed burst into flame, small and timid but still hot enough to destroy the fibers. He was getting somewhere.

"And we can't forget that you're royalty. They had to have called you something when you turned your back. Sparky?"

"No."

"Smoky?"

"They called me Prince Katsuki or nothing at all." The demon snarled.

Then he froze.

Izuku smirked.

"Katsuki," he tried. The name was fire on his tongue. Every syllable screamed of power "Prince Katsuki."

"Don't do this Witcher."

  Izuku saw him moving before he even thought of it. He stopped the blackened claws from plunging through his heart at the last second, strong grip on the wrist. He looked straight into crimson eyes as the pupil swallowed the irises whole, engulfing the red in black with the force of his rage. The tension in the air was strong enough to become a physical weight bearing down on his shoulders. His grin never faltered.

"Katsuki," he said sweetly. "I forbid you from harming any member of my party."

Those eyes narrowed into slits. The fire roared once more to life, lighting the cave into a brilliant scarlet.

"How dare you command me-?"

"Katsuki, I forbid you from harming farmer, common man, shepherd, and from stealing any of their property."

"You're making the worst mistake of your life! My mother will find you and rip you limb from limb-."

"Katsuki, I order you to hand me my sword."

The demon stiffened. Gritting his teeth the entire while, he rose as if he were a marionette pulled by invisible strings. His movements were blocky as he made his way through the dark to the discarded blade. One for All glinted in the light, a startling green sheen to the metal as Katsuki laid it flat against his palm, kneeling before him like a knight did his king.

Izuku accepted the offering with grace, not bothering to resist the urge to ruffle soft blonde tufts after the blade was safe in the scabbard.

"That wasn't so hard was it?"

"DAMN YOU WITCHER!"  

"What is going on here?"

The bard and the dragon stood at the edge of the shadows, eyes wide as they took in Izuku's state of undress. Shameless, he took his time in collecting what was left of his clothes, watching the demon screaming insults and threats all the while. The demon never moved to harm him, but a good Witcher was always careful.

"Nothing," he answered the question terribly late, so much so that Denki jumped when he answered. "We'll be taking our leave now. The problem's solved."

He saw the way the bard and the dragon looked at each other, then held back a groan.

"-WILL SLAUGHTER YOU AND EACH OF YOUR BASTARD CHILDREN YOU GREEN SOD-!"

"Where's Ochako?" he asked wearily. At the sound of her name, the wolf gave a short howl from the direction of the cave's entrance.

As long as she was safe, he could go. If the bard wanted to stay, marry a dragon, and live forever as a prissy hoarder in bliss, he couldn't care less. The demon wouldn't pose a threat. The dragon wouldn't dare harm an elf. He could tell the townspeople the bard died gruesomely during his battle, and his absence would serve as the proof he needed for payment.

Everyone would leave this encounter happy.

"-FAIR-FACED FRECKLED FUCK! I'VE MET STABLEBOYS WHO WERE A BETTER ROMP THAN YOU! YOU SMILING SIMPLE LIMP-DICKED-!"

Everyone that mattered would leave this encounter happy. Without even a backwards wave, he left the trio behind. Ochako fell into his pace with ease, and together they went down the path into the night, bare-chested with his trusted blade at his side. Screamed curses rang out into the dark, carried by the smooth glide of the wind. Izuku smiled, small but true.

The sounds were greater than any song the bard could write.

The pouch of coins slammed against the counter, a few gold coins spilling out onto the wood. The attendant behind the wood stared at him with blank violet eyes, hair of a similar shade a messy mop atop his head. A pipe hung from his lips, steady stream of smoke billowing through the air.

"A horse," Izuku said with a tired smile. The man stared back with dead eyes. "Please."

Groaning, the attendant set his pipe aside. Ten minutes later, Izuku walked away from the stables with a mare of his own choosing. It was an easy day in a new town. The whispers followed him as they always did, curious eyes following him as he walked his horse through the town.

Only one was brave enough to break through them all. A little girl with hair of silver and eyes a familiar scarlet.

"Witcher," She began with the familiar tones of a plea, pale hands clutching at the edge of her frumpy gown as tears swan in her gaze. "My-My cat! It's been taken by a d-d-dragon! Please help me get it back before it's too late!"

Izuku took one long look to the mountain range. As if sensing a possible repeat scenario, his prick began to burn uncomfortably. His hesitation must've shown on his face because she dropped to her knees, hands clasped in a plea.

"P-Please! I would've gone myself, but his laugh was so scary I couldn't move!"

Ah, then there was no doubt. Swinging onto his horse, he offered the girl a small comforting acceptance, then set off to the mountains, Ochako running at his side.

At least, this time, he had a salve more...suitable for salacious cause.

[dirt-cup-draco]

Natasha x Reader- So This Is It (3/3)

Natasha’s eyes opened in the early morning light and found you fast asleep, crammed into a tiny arm chair across from the bed she was in. She tried sitting up but cursed softly, hand going to her wounded side. Right. She had messed up last night and thought if she was going to die, she wanted to at least see you once more. That was stupid thinking, she realized, yet she had no regrets. Waking up surrounded by all things you gave her more peace than she’d felt since the day she’d left you with a broken heart. 

She could still remember the tears soaking her shirt as you clung to her beneath the covers of your shared room, begging her not to do this. Natasha vaguely remembered someone else in the apartment, another woman. Sammy? Yes, that was her name. Natasha took a steadying breath and tried to slide out of your bed with some difficulty. She would be gone before she could cause anymore issues for you. 

When she got to the living room she let her eyes study the space fondly. Everything from the plush throw pillows on the couch to the photos stuck to the fridge screamed you. You were so warm, so loving. This space exuded that and Nat just wanted to stay wrapped in it forever. She saw the nearly empty bottle and the rumpled blankets and it dawned on her that you had been busy with a date last night. She shouldn’t get satisfaction that you had dropped it all to help her, yet she did. You’d always have her heart, if only she hadn’t thrown yours away. 

Often she lay awake wondering what it would be like if she hadn’t let you go. She walked to the fridge and studied a picture of your lips pressed against a woman’s. The same woman that had Natasha had seen before falling unconscious. The woman you were on a date with. It appeared you had been seeing her for some time. Her heart constricted painfully and she turned away from the picture. She was met with you standing still at the end of the hall. Eyes bleary from sleep and hair perfectly tussled. You were still in last night’s clothes, blood splattered on your blouse. 

Your lips were parted and chapped and Natasha wanted nothing more than to pull you to her and kiss you senseless. “Y/N,” She said, just to hear your name spoken from her lips again. It had been far too long since she had uttered your name, saving herself from the pain that she had inflicted. 

“You have an issue with leaving while I’m asleep,” You spoke with amusement but Natasha winced at the meaning behind your words. She had left you vulnerable and broken in the early morning, not being able to leave if you were to wake up and beg her once more to stay. She’d had to go. 

Natasha was tongue tied and had no come back that could save her. You were her weakness, her undoing. One word from you and she was an incapable mess. You were the one thing that broke through years of training and self preservation and brought her to her knees. So she simply shrugged. You shuffled to the kitchen and Natasha gave you a wide berth, as if a simple touch from you might collapse her already feeble stability. 

“Sit. You’re eating breakfast.” You said simply, taking out some eggs and bacon. Natasha was a slave to your words and did as you said. Watching you cook with great pleasure. It had been so long since she could admire you in your element. Relaxed, sleepy, soft and perfectly domestic. You were the softness to her hard edges and she missed your with every fiber of her being. 

A short time later you had a heaping pile of eggs, bacon and pancakes set in front of her and she grinned at the sight. You knew the way to her heart was through her stomach and you made the best food she’d ever had. It was made with love and that she always knew for certain, seeing as you had made her favorite. She raised her eyebrow at you as you sat down with your own plate, a small smile on your face as you gave her your own shrug. 

“What can I say? Old habits die hard,” You explained. It was so easy to fall into an easy routine with Natasha. How many times had you stitched her up and then woke her up with kisses and breakfast, demanding she rest? 

“Thank you,” Natasha finally said, after shoveling half the plate down. 

“She speaks!” You teased, an easy smile on your face. 

“I’ve missed you,” Natasha found herself saying and that easy smile tensed. 

Fuck.

“I um-” You were startled as someone knocked on the door yet grateful for the distraction. Natasha’s words had your heart pounding uncomfortably and you were afraid of what you might have said if there hadn’t been a convenient interruption. You opened the door to find Sammy, shuffling her toe into the carpet. 

“Can I come in?” She asked as you stood there, saying nothing. 

“I thought you weren’t coming back until Nat was gone,” You said, wincing as you realized that wasn’t the best thing to say. 

Sammy’s eyes narrowed as she ducked her head past the door, seeing Natasha eating the breakfast you had made for her. Natasha lifted her hand easily in a wave, a smirk playing at her lips. She was useless when it came to you but she could make a show for the woman you had been dating. You glared at her however as Sammy walked in and she toned it down. 

“Well, I trust you, figured I would come check up on you regardless of who is here,” Sammy seethed, purposefully ignoring Natasha. 

“If you trusted her why are you here? Could have sent a text,” Natasha said, bored. 

“Nat!” You scolded. 

“Stop that! Why you have to call her that? Why do you have to sound so fucking affectionate? She isn’t your girlfriend anymore, Y/N!” 

“Hey don’t talk to her like that,” 

“Not now Natasha!” You said with more venom in your voice and she backed down. “I can’t just call her by her name? Since when has that been a crime? And since when have you been so jealous? What has gotten into you?” You asked Sammy, more softly as your words continued on.

“Since I realized you still loved her,” Sammy said, a pointed glare going to the red head. Natasha’s heart thudded to a stop in her chest before kickstarting. You still loved her? 

“I-I....” You stammered, not ready for the confrontation. How could you deny it with her sitting right there? It was easy enough to deny when you hadn’t seen her for months but having her here, having her close, brought back far too much. You had never gotten over her. 

“I fucking knew it...” Sammy scoffed humorlessly. “I wish things were different Y/N, good luck,” She said before leaving in a rush, tears streaming down her cheeks, your chest feeling empty. Anxiety burning through your veins. 

Natasha whistled long and low to break the silence and you spun on your heel, pointing a finger in her face as hot tears burned at the corner of your eyes. “Why?! Why did you have to come here?” You yelled, frustrated, angry, confused. “You left me! Why can’t you let me be happy? God you’re so selfish! You leave me, tell me how it won’t work and it’s for my own good and then you have to show up and ruin the only relationship I’ve been able to commit myself to since you broke me!” 

Natasha listened carefully, no matter how much it hurt. It was the truth after all. “You’re right, I’m selfish. Leaving you was the most idiotic thing I’ve ever done. Showing up here wasn’t fair either but when I got hit, I thought it was over. You were the only thing on my mind, Y/N. Seeing you again was all I could think about. You gave me the power to hang on, to get here so you could save me.... Did she mean it? O-or was she right? Do you still love me?” She said, feeling scared now. 

“Of course she was right....” You whispered, Natasha could detect no bitterness, only sad admittance. “But does that even mean anything to you? I loved you then as I do now and you still left.... It’s so fucking typical of you to change your mind the second I try and find some peace...” You said, tears turning your voice raspy as your shoulders shook with the sobs that were taking over. 

Natasha stood and held her arms out. You quickly went to her, sobbing into her chest like you had nearly a year ago. And damn it, if she didn’t still feel like home. “Fuck you Nat,” You sobbed as she rubbed your back gently. 

Natasha smiled, kissing your temple, relishing in the fact that you relaxed at the touch. “I know, Y/N, I’m the worst,” She said with a grin. 

“Damn right you are,” You sniffled, pulling away and rubbing at your eyes. 

Your back straightened and you looked at the apartment around you as if you were seeing it in a different light. Natasha had never been here before but of course she had known where you’d be. Sammy wouldn’t be coming back. You were single again. You were still in love with your ex. It had been a shitty two days. 

“This doesn’t make up for anything,” You said, finally looking Nat in the eyes. 

“I know,” She said softly as you stepped towards her, hands going to her cheeks as her hands went to your hips. 

“We still have a lot to discuss,” You said, eyes scanning over her face, dropping to her lips. 

“I know,” Natasha said, throat dry and heart pounding as you stroked your thumb across her cheekbone, stepping impossibly closer. 

“If you have time to fix this, then so do I,” You said and Natasha snapped out of it for a minute to look at you in shock, 

“You do?” She croaked. “Y-you’ll take me back?” 

You let yourself smile as Natasha’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “Only if you promise to never let me go again, I may want kids Natasha but I told you once before, I need you more, kids or not,” 

Natasha laughed and let a tear fall, breath catching in her throat as you leaned forward, lips brushing against her jaw to catch it. She slipped her hand to the back of your neck and pulled you to her, lips attaching to her’s in a sweet dance that she had missed. 

She moaned softly as you kissed back, your own tears cascading down. She tasted salt on her tongue. With you against her, she felt right again. Whole again. There was a lot of shit you two had to work through. She knew that you would hold guilt over Sammy and that you wouldn’t immediately let all that had happened go but for now you were willingly kissing her like neither of you had lost any time. 

Natasha couldn’t have been happier to fail at pushing you away. You were it, after all. The only one for her. No matter what, you two would make it work .

[patchworkofstars]

I Look At You And I’m Home

Relationship: Remile (Remy (Sleep) Sanders / Dr Emile Picani)

Synopsis: When a bad day at work for Emile derails the couple’s plans for the evening, Remy decides to give him the best possible date night at home!

Word Count: 4,444

Genre: Hurt/Comfort that rapidly turns into pure fluff

Characters: Remy (Sleep) Sanders and Emile Picani, brief mentions of Roman, Virgil, Logan, and Patton

Warnings: Mentions of past insomnia, mentions of a breakup between unnamed characters

Notes: Autistic Emile because I can. Implied autistic Logan because I can do that too. This was supposed to be a short hurt/comfort fic, but then Remy took a small unplanned detour and a whole heap of fluff ensued!

***********************************************************************************************

The sound of the door was his first clue, a soft click followed by a weary sigh. Usually, it would be half-slammed with enthusiasm, and a cheerful cry would ring out of “Remy, I'm home!" or, on special occasions, "I'm back and I brought Starbucks!" But although he strained his ears, he heard nothing more.

“Hi, Em!” he called out, his frown deepening as the silence lengthened. He stretched to see around the side of the sofa, peering over his trademark shades. “Em?” he called again, “Are you okay?” There was only one explanation he could think of for the silence, and it wasn’t a pleasant one.

His fears were confirmed a moment later when his boyfriend finally appeared through the doorway from the hall. From the dishevelled state of his hair, it was clear he’d run his hands through it repeatedly. His necktie was loosened and hung at an odd angle, and his shoulders were slumped. A small shake of his head was his only response to Remy's question, and even that motion seemed weary and defeated.

“Babe!” Remy was at his side in an instant. “Hey, girl, are you down for a hug?”

Emile nodded, and Remy wrapped a reassuring arm around his shoulders, hugging him close. Emile buried his face in the crook of his boyfriend’s neck, breathing in that faint but reassuring aroma of leather, Starbucks, and something uniquely Remy that for him always meant home.

Remy leaned his head against Emile’s, feeling the soft purple hair tickle his cheek. “Sofa?” he suggested, and Emile nodded in reply, clinging on tightly and barely raising his head as the taller man guided him gently over to the couch. There, he finally let his knees give way, and collapsed into the welcoming embrace of both the soft cushions and Remy.

At last, some of his tension began to ebb away, encouraged by Remy’s comforting murmurs of “It’s okay, babe, I’m here”, and “You’re home now, you’re safe, it’s gonna be fine.”

Gradually, his grip on Remy’s shirt relaxed, his white knuckles unfurling until his palms were laid flat against his boyfriend’s chest. He slid them down and around Remy’s waist, hugging him tightly before finally moving back to give him a watery smile.

“Bad day, huh?” Remy asked gently, when experience told him Emile’s voice might be ready to return. “Was it, like, a patient you couldn’t help?” The therapist took most of the stresses and difficulties of his job in his stride, priding himself on finding ways to get even the most reluctant clients to open up. But when his methods failed and he couldn’t help someone in pain, the feelings of not having done enough, or been enough, hit him hard.

Emile nodded, his hand finding one of Remy’s and giving it a squeeze of acknowledgement and thanks.

“So, do you wanna talk about it?”

Emile shook his head. “Can’t. Patient-doctor con… confidentiality.” His words were soft and halting, but determined.

“Oh yeah, that thing. The gossip-killer.” Remy sighed. “Well, could you at least give me, like, an outline? No names, just the part that’s upset you, so I’ll know how to help.”

Emile took a deep breath and released it slowly, considering. Then he nodded. “It was the last session of the day”, he explained. “New patients for couple’s therapy, a man and a woman. The guy was a bit quiet, withdrawn, but that's the way it goes sometimes. I told him no pressure, he could speak when he felt ready to.”

“And I’m guessing he did?”

“Did he ever”, Emile mumbled, scraping both hands through his hair and grimacing. “Halfway through the session he suddenly leapt up, like he couldn't keep it in anymore. He said, ‘I'm sorry, I'm gay. I'm in love with a guy from work.'"

“Damn, girl, that sucks”, Remy murmured sympathetically. “Did the woman yell at him? I bet she yelled.”

Emile took another deep breath and buried his face in his hands before continuing. “Yeah, she did. At him and at me. And she was so loud...” He shuddered at the memory, pulling his cardigan sleeves over his hands and pressing them to his ears.

“That’s rough, babe.” Remy rubbed his boyfriend’s back soothingly.

"Comes with the job, sometimes", Emile mumbled. He sighed, pushing his sleeves back up so he could rub his face with his palms. "I didn't like it, but I understand how she felt. All that time together and it was never real. Two words and it all came crashing down!" He looked despairing at Remy, his face wet with silent tears. “It got me thinking, what if that happens to us?”

Remy took his hand, expression serious, and looked him in the eyes. “Babe”, he said, “I’m gay. I’m in love with a man, and his name is Emile Picani.”

Emile made sound between a giggle and a sob, taking back his hand to swat Remy gently with sweater– or rather cardigan-paws before nestling against him once more. I just got scared, that’s all”, he explained softly, his eyes tracing the geometric pattern of the frieze running around the walls of the room.

He closed his eyes, the pattern suddenly becoming too much. Reaching out blindly, he found Remy’s hand once more and curled his fingers around it, brushing his thumb over the familiar shapes and textures.

“I got scared, Rem”, he repeated in a murmur. “What would I do without you?”

“You’d keep on shining like the gem you are”, Remy told him, his voice low but firm. “But I’m not going anywhere, babe, this fusion is stable. The real question is what I’d do without you to lure me into bed each night with cuddles, and out of it each morning with breakfast.”

At last, Emile's lips overcame the tears to curve into a smile, and he wrapped his arms tightly around his boyfriend. “It's for everyone to eat together, that's the essence of together breakfast", he quoted, looking up to meet Remy’s eyes.

“You’re darn right it is, babe! And it’s, like, a billion times better than the caffeine I used to live on.”

Emile gave a lopsided grin, reaching up to ruffle Remy's dark hair. "Seems to me you still live mostly on caffeine", he teased.

Remy stuck his tongue out. “Sure, but now I have, like, actual meals too, because I get to look at a gorgeous guy while I eat. Speaking of, what do you wanna do about food tonight?”

He glanced across at the calendar on the wall and Emile followed his gaze, knowing what he was thinking. From this distance, it was too small to read, but they both knew what was written in today's square: "Date Night!" in Remy's bold handwriting with a heart drawn around it by Emile, a reminder they scarcely needed of their regular evening devoted to each other's company.

They usually went out on date nights, to see the latest animated movie, or to eat at their favourite restaurant, or sometimes even for a gaming session at the local arcade. But there was no way Emile could cope with that tonight. After the emotional meltdown he’d endured, his heart and his nerves would need more time to recover before he’d have the strength to face the outside world.

“I’m sorry”, he mumbled. “I know you were looking forward to the movie, and it will have stopped showing by next time.” He forced a smile at Remy. “You go without me. I’ll make a hot chocolate and watch a couple of episodes of Ducktales, then have an early night.”

“Hell no!” Remy shook his head firmly. “You think I wanna see a movie without you, babe? We can wait and watch it together on Netflix. I am not-” - he reached out and booped Emile’s nose to punctuate his statement - “Not leaving my Em all alone after a shitty day at work. Would David ditch Nani for a movie? I think not.”

“You’re darn right he wouldn’t!” Emile’s face relaxed into a grin and he leaned his head on Remy’s shoulder, wrapping an arm around him. “I guess they’d make the best of it and find a way to have a fun date night at home.”

“Mm-hm”, Remy agreed, pressing a kiss to Emile’s purple hair. “Then that’s what we’re gonna do. Tell you what, babe, you go change out of your work clothes into something more comfortable. Gimme five minutes to set up, and we’ll make this the best date night ever.”

Emile gave him a tight squeeze and a quick kiss on the cheek, then headed to their bedroom to find his favourite comfort clothes. As soon as he was out of sight, Remy set to work transforming their mundane living room into a cosy and intimate venue for a date.

If there was one thing Remy excelled at, it was turning anywhere into a comfortable place to nap. When Emile returned, wearing an oversize Steven Universe hoodie and his softest sweatpants, he was greeted by a magnificent pillow fort, large enough to house them both while still feeling snug and secure.

The sofa and chair cushions had been upended and stacked to provide a structure over which almost every spare blanket in the house had been artfully draped. The remaining few covered the floor inside, with a comforter spread on top to give the couple a place to sit or lie as they chose. At one end stood the cornerstone of the fort, the sturdy back of their sofa, positioned to provide a leaning place as well as the main support.

“How did you do all this so quickly?!” Emile exclaimed, flapping the dangling sleeves of his hoodie.

Remy shrugged nonchalantly, grinning. “Babe, when you have brothers like Roman and Virgil, you get a lot of practice building dens! We were always making castles, or caves for dragons, or just places to hide from everything.”

Emile laughed, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend. “You’re so talented!” he joked, rubbing their noses together. “Coffee connoisseur, fort-construction expert, fashion icon, and cuddler extraordinaire! I hit the jackpot with you.”

“Nah”, Remy murmured, leaning his head against Emile’s. and closing his eyes. “I’m the lucky one. Thanks to you, I’ve figured out what I want to do with my life.”

“Hmm? And what’s that?” Emile asked, letting go to smile questioningly up at him.

Remy turned away, pushing up his ever-present sunglasses as a rare hint of pink coloured his cheeks. "Doesn't matter. Come on, let's get this date night started. Want to sort out some music while I make us drinks?”

“Tell you what, you choose the music and I’ll make the drinks”, Emile suggested. “I know how many marshmallows I want, and that number is all of them!”

Remy rolled his eyes and groaned in mock horror. “Girl, I don’t know how you can stand all that sugar. I don’t even like whipped cream on my Starbies!”

As Emile laughed and turned to head to the kitchen, Remy added under his breath, “And besides, you’re sweet enough already.”

Emile spun back around, his face lighting up with a gleeful grin. “What did you just say?” he asked eagerly.

Remy’s blush deepened. “Nothing. Just go get those drinks”, he mumbled, making shooing motions.

“Hmm~?” Emile leaned closer, a smile teasing his lips as he peered at Remy. “It didn’t sound like nothing. It sounded like my sassy boyfriend said something mushy!”

“If you heard it the first time, there’s no way I’m gonna say it again!” Remy whined, hiding his red face in his hands.

Emile laughed. “Well okay then, but I’m watching ya, sweetheart!”

He disappeared into the kitchen, and Remy turned to their music collection to pick a soundtrack to their evening. Steven Universe songs usually helped to lift Emile’s mood, but any playlist including It’s Over, Isn’t It would be a terrible choice this time. Something else, then. Emile had handed the decision over to him, so maybe… His hand hovered over his Queen anthology, then drew back. Tonight was for comforting Emile, not twirling him around the kitchen singing at the tops of their voices. There would be plenty of other evenings for that.

Instead, he settled on something classical, turning the volume to a level they’d be able to hear but could comfortably talk over. Swaying a finger idly along to the opening bars, he closed his eyes and breathed in the mingled aromas of brewing coffee and hot chocolate from the kitchen. He could hear Emile begin humming softly to the music, a sure sign he was already feeling more at peace. A rare softness came over Remy’s face as the sound and the scents combined to fill him with an overwhelming feeling of warmth and love. He hesitated for just a second, debating with himself, then slipped into their bedroom to collect something in case he wanted it later.

When he re-emerged, he found Emile making himself comfortable in the fort alongside a tray containing his own hot chocolate, Remy’s black coffee, and a bowl of sweet and salted popcorn. Remy settled down beside him with a grin, slipping one arm around his boyfriend’s waist as he picked up his drink with the other, breathing in the aroma with a satisfied hum.

The steam clouded his sunglasses, so he took them off and placed them to one side. There was no need for them in here, no bright lights or strangers for them to shield him from. Here there was only Emile, and Remy had no need to hide from him.

Looking back at his boyfriend, he met warm eyes shining gently behind rounded frames. He smiled, letting his gaze wander to take in the fading purple hair, the freckles that scattered and danced across pale skin brightened by a faint pink blush, and the soft lips they’d agreed he wouldn’t kiss directly, but whose touch was a frequent delight on his cheeks, his nose, his temples, his hands.

The familiar soft creases formed around Emile’s eyes as he smiled back, wriggling to get comfortable before leaning back into Remy’s embrace, sipping his hot chocolate through a thick layer of melting marshmallows.

Watching, Remy suppressed a chuckle at the pink and white moustache accumulating on his boyfriend’s upper lip. “Hey, Em?” he murmured, his voice a soft rumble.

“Hmm?” Emile looked around, and Remy gently swiped the residue onto his thumb, then licked it away. “You genuinely are, like, ridiculously sweet”, he told his boyfriend, with a grin.

Emile laughed, a bubbling sound of pure joy that filled Remy’s heart with warmth and light. He gazed adoringly back, wondering how he’d ever worried they might not be the right fit. He would gladly spend an eternity hearing that laugh, seeing that smile, tasting the sweetness of Emile’s presence in his world.

He wrapped his arm around his boyfriend once more and Emile hummed contentedly, leaning against him and resting his head on Remy’s shoulder.

“So, how was your day, sweetheart?” Emile asked. “I sure hope it was better than mine.” For a moment his smile faltered, and Remy gave him a sympathetic squeeze.

"I had a pretty lazy day, tbh. I went to the mall and had lunch at Starbucks, then came home and watched that space documentary your nerd of a brother lent me."

Emile sat up abruptly, beaming. "That's great! Logan will appreciate it. I know he sometimes goes overboard trying to ‘educate' you, but he’s just sharing his special interests because he likes you!"

“Yeaaahhh~", Remy drew out the word, grimacing as he did so. "Well, in that case I guess I'm gonna have to try again, because I fell asleep about ten minutes in." He groaned. "God, he'd better not test me on it. The last thing I want is a pop quiz next time I see him. Like, I get that he means well, but some of us are happy wallowing in our ignorance."

“I know." Emile leaned his head against Remy’s. "But I am proud of you for trying. I think Logan just feels left out sometimes, because you're happy to taste all Patton's new recipe ideas and talk with him and me about cartoons. L thinks real space facts are more interesting than Steven Universe, and it frustrates him that none of us feel the same."

“Yeah, I guess so." Remy stretched his legs out before him, wriggling his toes. Then his lips twisted upwards into a wicked grin. "You know, I'd kinda like to see him face off against Virgil. Logan's Scientific Space Facts (TM) versus Virge's alien conspiracy theories. We should, like, get them talking about it sometime, then sit back and watch the fireworks."

Emile stuck his tongue out at him. “You said that about Logan and Roman, and look what happened! They ended up having a three-hour argument about Shakespeare in iambic pentameter!” He booped Remy’s nose. “You’re an agent of chaos, Remy Sanders. Pure, unstoppable chaos.”

“And gorgeous with it!” Remy smirked. “You love me, babe, admit it.”

“Mm-hm.” Emile wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, kissing his forehead. “You’re right, I do love you. You’re the most entertaining real person I’ve ever met.” He winked. “I hadn’t planned on finding you quite this entertaining, as Rose said to Greg, but here we are.”

“Here we are”, Remy murmured, nuzzling Emile’s hair. “It’s been a while, huh, babe?”

Emile smiled, picking up one of Remy’s hands and beginning to trace gentle shapes with his forefinger on the palm. “Mm. I’m glad I stopped by Starbucks on the way home that night.”

“Yeah, me too”, Remy murmured softly. With his free hand, he began idly playing with Emile’s hair. “That was such a crazy night. You probably remember more of it than I do; I was, like, a total wreck back then.”

Emile closed his eyes contentedly. “Maybe, but I still like hearing you tell your side of the story.”

Remy grinned, drinking in the view of Emile’s relaxed smile and the gentle rise and fall of his breathing. “Sure thing, babe”, he agreed. “So, that night? It was kinda late and the place was practically deserted. I was sitting all alone in a corner, drinking, like, my third espresso because sleeping after dark always gave me nightmares.”

Emile waved an arm, his eyes still closed. “You had a bad case of loneliness”, he said. “You needed more cuddles and cartoons!”

“You know it, babe.” Remy chuckled. “Anyway, there you were, looking like I felt, with your hair a mess and bags under your eyes, but you were still the cutest thing I’d ever seen.”

Emile laughed, his cheeks glowing pink in the soft light. “It had certainly been a tough day. Too many patients who didn’t want cartoon analogies for their problems.”

"Yep! And just like today, your voice had decided it was sick of trouble and was gonna hide from everything. So all you could do was point at the menu and mouth what you wanted to the barista."

“But she didn’t understand.” Emile groaned at the memory. “She got more and more frustrated, and so did I, and then...” He grinned at Remy, an unspoken cue for him to continue.

“Well, I could lip read because of Virgil having the same problem when he gets, like, panic attacks. So I put down my coffee, rocked up to the counter, and said-”

"'Just get the cute gentleman his grande Caramel Cocoa Cluster Frappuccino, with whip. And I'm gonna pay for it because he looks like he deserves a break!'" Emile burst in, blushing brightly and grinning at the memory. "I hadn't even noticed you before that, but when I turned around you looked even more exhausted than I felt."

“Yeah”, Remy smiled wryly at the memory. “Insomnia’s a bitch, babe, and she had her claws deep into me back then.”

Emile reached up and gently kissed his cheek. “I know, and I promise I’ll be here so you don’t have to go through that again.”

Remy interlaced their fingers with a relieved sigh. “You’re an angel, Em.”

Emile smiled wryly. “Not everyone would agree with that. Remember, I’ve been kicked out of three different offices for ‘excessive noise’, ‘disturbing other users of the building’, and inappropriate ukulele playing during a tenants’ meeting’.”

He sighed, reaching up to run his fingers through Remy’s hair. “Face it, starbabe, you’re one of the few people willing to put up with me on a daily basis.”

Remy leaned into his touch, contentedly closing his eyes. “Yeah, we’re both disasters, babe. But I was, like, way more of a disaster before I met you.”

“Likewise”, Emile murmured, kissing his cheek again. “I don’t know what I’d have done without you, today or back then.”

“You turned things around pretty quickly, even then”, Remy pointed out. “We kept giving each other awkward smiles the whole wait, and when your drink was finally ready, it just, like, made sense to sit together. And after a few sips of that ridiculously sweet mess, you recovered enough to say thanks, and to... talk with me. We just, like, started chatting, and one thing led to another. I still don’t know how I managed not to scare you off.”

“Gay magic”, Emile suggested, leaning affectionately against him once more.

“Sure.” Remy snorted. “I mean, that would certainly explain how I ended up lying on the sofa, with my head in your lap and you playing with my hair. Because otherwise I have, like, no idea.”

Emile grinned. “Well, magic or not, it was definitely gay! I suggested therapy might help with your insomnia, and you refused because you said if I were your therapist, you wouldn’t be able to date me. And I pointed out that you could always get a different one, but… I think your brain was a bit scrambled by that point, because you put your arm around me and told me firmly that you didn’t want to date another therapist, you only wanted me.” He blushed. “I said you should sleep on it and see if you felt the same way when your head was clearer. So you decided to try to sleep on my lap, which you did.”

Remy nodded, grinning. “It was the best I’d slept in years, and when the barista woke me up trying to tell you it was closing time, I opened my eyes, gazed up at your adorable face, and said, ‘That was amazing, babe, you’ve gotta let me sleep with you again sometime!’”

Emile laughed, his face burning at the memory. “And I said, ‘Only if you take me on a date first’, and then you said-”

“’You’re on, how about Starbucks?’” Remy chuckled. “You asked if we could at least catch a movie first, and I told you sure. And then you got all eager and started telling me about every animated movie that was on, and asking which I’d most like to see. You just, like, lit up with enthusiasm, and I realised then that I was gone. I wanted to spend the rest of my life seeing your smile and hearing you talk about the things you love.”

“That’s so pure and cheesy, Rem”, Emile teased affectionately, reaching out to cup his cheek.

Remy leaned into the warmth, closing his eyes. "I guess you have that effect on me, babe", he murmured, pressing a kiss to Emile’s palm. His face was burning, and he wondered if Emile could feel the heat of it.

When Emile moved his hand, Remy slid down to nuzzle his boyfriend’s neck, breathing in the sweet mingled aromas of coffee, marshmallows, and Emile. A scent so similar to the one that night, five years ago, but now it filled his heart with a warmth and contentment he could never have imagined back then.

God, he was really going to do this, wasn’t he? The gift in his pocket, which had started out forgettably light, now weighed heavy and constant on his mind. He was going to do this, here, now, tonight. His heart was pounding, his mind scrambling to recall the words he had planned through a giddy haze of nerves and excitement. He took a deep breath, and when he spoke, there was a hoarse edge to his voice.

“Emile?”

“Hmm?”

Emile's small noise of response, and his questioning, expectant, utterly intimate expression were enough to conquer Remy's final shreds of hesitance. He was ready. They were ready. It was time.

He kept one arm wrapped loosely around Emile’s waist, while the other reached surreptitiously into his pocket, fingers closing around the small box hidden there. He swallowed, trying to keep his voice light so it wouldn’t betray his nerves.

“You know, babe, I bought something for you earlier. I was gonna wait for, like, the perfect moment, but I guess I’ve realised now that every moment with you is perfect.”

“Sap”, Emile mumbled, grinning as a bright blush spread over his face.

Remy shrugged, giving him a lopsided grin in return. “Yeah, but Olaf was right, some people are worth melting for.” He took a deep breath, trying unsuccessfully to calm his racing heart. “I thought this Remy rider could keep on riding alone, but now I just wanna be wherever you are. So...”

He pulled his hand from his pocket, opening the box to reveal a gold ring inlaid with a ruby, a sapphire, and a garnet. He raised his eyes, full of hope and anxiety, to meet his boyfriend’s. “Wanna make this a permanent fusion, Emile?”

Emile’s eyes widened, and his mouth fell open with a squeal in the back of his throat that grew in volume and intensity until as last his brain recovered enough to translate his emotions into words.

“That is the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard!” he yelled, volume control temporarily forgotten in his excitement.

“Uh, yeah”, Remy mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “I got Roman to help me figure out what to say, although most of his suggestions were Disney references and, like, way over the top.”

Emile shook his head, his eyes shining. “It was perfect, he said firmly, taking the ring and slipping it onto his finger. “Perma-fusion, activate!” He launched himself into Remy’s arms, then added as an afterthought, “Oh, and of course I’ll marry you, too!”

Remy laughed, his face ruby red as he hugged his fiancé tightly. “Yeah, I got that, babe”, he murmured, pressing a kiss to Emile’s cheek. “And I’ll stick around for good, I promise. Life always tastes sweeter when I’m with you.”

********************************************************************************************

@metaphoricalpluto @the-prince-and-the-emo @musikasworld @softestlittlepuffball @evilmuffin @xxladystarlightxx @suyun-doo @pearls-of-patton @patton-in-name @shesavampirequeen @daring-elm @gabe-killed-me-with-ace-cream

Also gonna tag some people who like Remile:

@coconut-cluster @fiive-second-cookies @gryffindorofcabin21 @lovesupportandcookies @tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors @sandersfanders

[telleroftales-blog]

Perit, She Who Sculpted The Earth

In the age of Dardanus, father of all, of the gods It was decreed the word which would become law  She who perched her nest high atop Tomor mountain Among those who claimed descent from the Eagle  Must seek the spirit of the mountain, queen of the rocks That all who would seek to rule the land and their children  For without her blessing all the desires and dreams of Man... Zana be her name, the all powerful, the very soul of the land  She Zana, spirit of the mountains and the hills  With Ora of the lakes and rivers, streams and waterfalls... Without her blessing all endeavor would certainly fail  As a horse might falter slipping on a rock  Watching over the terrain, it was they who guided Perit   She, who did flatten the plains, allowing the fire   From within the earth to belch forth  Her forge and bellows for her handiwork Did she carved the river gorges and shaped   The mighty mountain peaks, the inner caves of the Earth   To hide the gems and precious stones for a future day  To the lowland swamps where men plowed the fertile fields  To gain of their sustenance, toiling daily Thus she formed volcanoes, and also the hot springs   Of boiling water, the smell of sulphur ever present  Fermented by the mud and dirt cast down from high places  After years of toil and sweat carving the Earth as we know it 

Perit rested, sweaty now and panting from exhaustion  Lonely now, she desired company... For she was alone and the silence was far too much for her  So she separated her male half from her female side  For she was of two genders, the right and the left  The male and the female powerfully intertwined as one   And thus she created Man, whom she named Burri  A companion and accomplice, in love and harmony   Did the two dwell together  Perit was a goddess of action and will   She gave to Burri all that he desired and needed   In joy and in ecstasy did she proclaim her deed...  “I brought ye here, therefore it is I who must provide for you Ask and ye shall receive, for thou art my companion   I shall be here for you always, my love and my soul As we both will dwell in this place together, happily  The carved mountains and valleys, the gouged river gorges  This place which I have created with my arms and muscle  That give a path of relief to the raging waters   From the heavens above, all this I share with you"  One day Perit gave birth to a baby girl   And the couple were overjoyed Her name was Bija, a child of light with precious eyes  Perit and Burri were happy and they celebrated  For many years, day after day they partook of the dance of life  Singing unto the spirits of the mountains and rivers   A song most joyous and happy Until the day of darkness arrived.... The day that their daughter Bija became a maiden, a woman  Her eyes were full and bright like the Moon now  Burri eyed his daughter with evil intent, with a lustful heart Her figure shapely, her breasts ample, her curves inviting  Burri, not knowing work, the skills of the hunt or seeking sustenance   Knew not the responsibility of maintaining life and property   He fell prey to his inner lust, the call to damnation  One day as Perit was out hunting, seeking rabbits for food  But she didn’t have difficulty finding game Nor did she need to seek and stalk this time, as she always did For a lone hare came to her, and told her prophecy-  “Accept me as thy sacrifice, for today your life will change Throw thy spear surely into my heart, for on this day   You too shall be wounded deeply This is the price you must pay for daring to imagine   That ye could create anything on your own Thou has carved the rocks and cleared the forests  Rendering them into plains and fields   And into mighty mountain ranges that encircle the seas  Oh goddess, hast thou not heard the cries of pain   From those trees and stones as ye cut and forged them? When ye thought to render them to your own desires?   There is a price for everything you touch   There is a price for living, a price for even being alive"   Perit could not fully comprehend what the hare   Was trying to say, thinking these words a ploy   To ward off impending death at the throw of her lance  To escape his fate which awaited him She Perit, spoke- “Think thou not that thy words might spare ye, oh grey hare I shall slay ye and eat of thy flesh, yes  I and my Man, and my child, for we must endure Survival is the way of the living, not the dead  Thy flesh will taste sweet when it roasted over an open fire This is my world, my land, and thou art but an inhabitant  You have a home due to my carving of the rocks   Into mountains and valleys have I rendered them  Be still, as your death will be swift indeed"   And with that she cast her spear with all her might  It entered the hare’s chest and protruded from it’s other side The animal closed it's eyes and died in an instant   Perit carried her motionless catch on her back   She brought it home where she was to prepare a fire So as to cook her prize to feast upon that very evening But as she gathered some wood for the fire  To her amazement she heard human cries and moans   Coming from behind a great rock  She went to investigate and witnessed the unthinkable The unimaginable, the greatest impossibility...  There was Burri, mounted atop his daughter, Bija  Engaged was he in a most lewd act  Bija was crying and screaming, and resisted his advances  Having scratched and bit at her father’s face  In an attempt at defense The bloody marks upon his visage were evidence   Of her attempt to ward him off   But she was powerless to resist his muscular strength   Which pinned her as a lion pins a gazelle   And he continued his savage thrusts amid her cries  Unaware of Perit’s arrival he continued  Deaf to her approach, blind to all awareness  Due to the state of lust he had entered into Perit, enraged at this betrayal, came to the aid of her daughter  And firmly took hold of Burri’s legs   And in the throes of her anger she, with all her force   Threw him over the rock, over the mountains   Where he landed forcibly in some lonesome valley  However, poor Bija, so enwrapped tightly as she was  Caught within his mighty embrace That she too was accidentally thrown along with him Burri landed on the soft side of a riverbed  But the beautiful daughter had fallen now from his grasp  And fell to her death in the chasm below  Her mangled body now crushed, ripped and bloodied   Lying upon the rocks forged by Perit’s own handiwork   Perit stood silent on the cliff’s edge, unable to speak  Tears filled her eyes but she was unable to look down below  Into the valley where her beloved daughter lay  Her body motionless and still, once breathing now dead   Perit was in a state of shock and disbelief  Still not able to understand what had just occurred, or why Now she began to contemplate the prophecy of the hare who informed her  That as he would be wounded by her spear  so she would be as well...  Death for a death, a deed for a deed, this is the law of life   She took a deep breath and let out a great moan Like that of a wounded she bear  Or as a wolf howling at the Moon on a cold Winter’s night After she was able to compose herself, the great Perit called out to Burri from atop the mountain home that was once his   Given in love, joy and generosity  Perit cried out in a stern voice that echoed across the valley- “Be it known that thou hast broken my trust  Oh wretched man!  What a despicable act you have committed   With all that I have done for you! Never will you dwell here with me again And you shall live out your days  In that lonely valley, with snakes and scorpions   As companions and friends  From this day forth, let there be a solemn word for all   Who enter into an agreement The solemn word shall be called Besa, a sacred oath   Of loyalty and fealty  And let there be death for those who dare to break this word A thousand curses on those who break the Besa  Upon them and all their families For a thousand years, until their name and memory   Is wiped from the Earth, forever  Thou hast broken my heart  Until now did I think myself immortal I shall live out my years here alone, until the day I pass   From this miserable existence  Once again is the dominion of the Earth returned   To the great spirits of the mountains and the lakes  Praise be to Zana and Ora!  Who will watch over the land and the people   Never granting power to tyrants and evil doers  Reminding all that we are powerless  For our existence is but a dream  The land survives, that which I carved with   The muscle of my arms and the sweat of my brow... The mountains, the river gorges, the plains   The rocky shores, all of it  All there for the future generations, to live upon   Or to make war upon each other  As humans see fit, as men will see fit  For men will surely destroy this world  Though they be created of women, they are   The breakers of trust and the greediest of beings  May all their doings be cursed with vagueness   And their work regarded with much suspicion”   Perit ordered some eagles to fetch   The broken body of her abused daughter   And bring it back to her proximity   When they returned she clutched Bija tightly Kissing her forehead repeatedly  Rocking her lifeless body to and fro  As she did when she was an infant in her arms Blending her tears with her daughter’s now bloodied face  Singing in monotones that song which would become known as vajtim The chant of the dead...  “Oh my dream, my vision, where have ye flown?  Innocent one, ‘tis I who brought you into this world And I who dared to think I could create your destiny  Nor will you carry on my lineage Never will you embrace the arms of a lover  Never will you know the joy of the hunt   The pleasant song of birds are not for your ears Or the sound of fish splashing about in the rivers  Forgive me, for it was out of love and need that I acted  Fooled and tricked by the man I created for my own desires The old hare was correct, there is a price for everything in this life…the hare paid this price with his...  I pay with the life of my daughter! I damn this creation which I alone have brought forth  Woe is me and mine, forever, woe unto me and mine   For what we have done!”   Then she Perit once again stood on the precipice  And called out to all the world- “From this day forth let it be known   To all the descendants of generations to come For any of you to be a ruler among the nations and the tribes   Know that they must come to this mountain   And seek the guidance of the great spirits Zana and Ora Who will surely test them as to their dedication   And as to their truthfulness  And if these would-be chiefs are proved worthy   They will be granted their blessing  If they are proven not worthy   Let them be cast down into the chasm below Their crushed bodies a reminder of   My own poor Bija’s crushed body  Which lay there alone and innocent  Her young blood mingling with the river's flow   For those who pass the test of Zana and Ora  They who rise forth to take command of the clans   And lead their people to victory Let their lives be a story recounted when they die So that when they leave you, sing of their glories  Or sing then of their evil deeds  So all will know who they were and what they did in life  Sing the vajtim and sing it loudly!   This will be a warning that would insure  They live a life of noble gratitude and justice   Rather than one of trickery, evil doings and lust”  These last commandments were thus delivered   Echoing in the valley until the coming of men Citing that all beings will do what they see fit in their time  Though humans have no knowledge of what the future may hold or how one’s actions will affect others on the morrow  Perit looked up at the mountain peak where Zana and Ora  Dwelled among the clouds that enshrouded these mountains  She asked for their forgiveness, to which they gave With that Perit closed her eyes and without hesitation  Leapt from the cliff, plunging into the valley below Her blood and her being blended with the fast moving river  The violently churning waters became now   Like the foam and bubbles produced by   Those helpless unfortunates drowning, thrashing about  To save their own lives… Thus the swiftly flowing water became known for all time   As Lum i Shkumbi, the River of Foam How foolish then, are the created ones?  Those beings, all of them, Men and Beasts  Born into this prison of existence Nothing can be done about our situation  As we have no choice in the matter  No chest of gold or silver will deliver us from our destiny  There is a price we pay to be alive, to be, costly indeed   For the very experience of living But to live accordingly, with honor and dignity  With the knowledge of trust and law  This is what helps the pain of the reality  So we can pass on to our children our stories They who will dwell in a realm we can never hope to see... That we might be remembered one day by those  Who come after us, who will tell our stories and recite our tales… In the realm of multiple tomorrows

[fixxofvixx]

BLOODRIGHT - VAMPIRE JAEHWAN AU - CHAPTER 6

Hello!!!! I hope everyone is doing alright during this challenging time. I also hope that an update or two will help distract you from reality a bit. Please enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think!!!!!

🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️

You were sitting on a dry patch of dirt just outside the stables. You felt apprehensive about just going in. Although, Jaehwan had told you to do just that.

His tour of his castle was tiring but exciting. He promised a tour of the grounds but Min came to him with some things that needed his attention. He told you to familiarize yourself with your new steed and perhaps come up with a name for him. The thought was a bit overwhelming to say the least. What kind of name would be fitting for the magnificent creature behind that ornate wooden door? None of the animals had names in your old house. Usually the horses were identified by their color or breed. You thought about asking Charlie. Perhaps he could think of something. He was imaginative and smart. Your thoughts were cut short by the sudden sound of a horse. You smiled, fancifully imagining that your new friend was calling you. Well, your mindset was never going to change if you kept living in the past.

You took a deep breath and stood. Walking towards the door, you could see how badly your hands shook as you reached for the handle. Pulling the door, a rush of air came towards you and you smiled. The smell of a stable probably wasn't on many people's lists of favorite things. But your mind went beyond the smell of the usual scent that accompanied horses. In your mind, you identified the smell of the wood surrounding the animals, the leather that hung next to them for their bridles and, of course for the saddles. You could smell the fresh hay for food and bedding and the metal of their shoes to protect their hooves. You instantly felt calm and content. You felt like you belonged here. This stable was much, much fancier than the one you took care of back home but it felt welcoming.

A flash of movement to your left brought your focus back to the beautiful white horse Jaehwan had gifted you. You walked up to him slowly and he nodded his head, sending you a welcoming chuff.

"Well, hello to you, too." You slowly raised your hand and let the stallion make his first move. You wanted to get started on the right foot. Eventually, he nudged his nose into your hand and you smiled. Horses were such magical creatures.

"What shall we name you? Do you have any suggestions? I would imagine a stunning man like yourself would need a suitable name." You noticed the small area next to the horse which included all manner of riding gear. Smiling, you didn't think twice about reaching for the heavy saddle.

"Perhaps we can think about it while we wander about?"

After a few minutes, the horse was ready to ride. Speakly softly you let the horse become comfortable with with the gear. Once he seemed settled, you hauled yourself up into the saddle. You were never one to sit side-saddle like you were supposed to. You felt as if you couldn't control the horse and it was uncomfortable.

You started out slow. Taking in the beautiful trees and plant life that surrounded the stables. As you continued through the trees, you came across a small path. It looked like a simple walking or riding path. Definitely not big enough for a carriage. Pleased with your discovery, you excitedly turned the horse towards the pathway.

"What do you think? Looks like a good way to explore."

The horse took the path easily. The weather was perfect for a ride. You could hear the birds and various wildlife all around you. Thinking about how your life was so much more different a few days ago almost brought tears to your eyes. You would have never been able to be this relaxed and carefree. Jaehwan was responsible for that. He had changed your mind so completely about how your life would be here. You certainly would not complain.

Before you realized, you noticed that must have been reaching the end of the property. A wooden cattle fence caused the path to take a hard left so you followed it. Curious about the rest of the property, you kept going. Soon, you reached another section of dense woods. You could still see the fence to your right and the road to town on the opposite side. You pondered for a moment what your parents were doing. You thought about the shop owners you would see when you went into town for supplies and shopping.

Suddenly, the horse stopped and gave several nods indicating something was wrong. He made nervous chuffing sounds and you looked around for a possible snake or something else that would spook a horse. After looking for the tenth time, you heard a voice behind you.

"Well, if it isn't the princess herself."

You froze, immediately knowing who the owner of the voice was. Looking to your left, you saw Mr. Timms on his own horse, looking as if he had swallowed something sour. A cold shiver ran down your back when you saw different emotions cross over his face. You had never been friendly and he was always all too happy to deal out punishments.

"You know, I just came from seeing your prince."

Surprise must have shown on your face because the older man chuckled.

"I'm guessing you didn't know I was here."

You shook your head. You assumed Mr. Timms was the business that Jaehwan had attended to earlier. You gripped the reins tighter when he moved his horse closer to yours. He still held his ever-present walking stick in his hand. You watched him warily, ready to take off on the horse if need be. You knew what that walking stick was capable of.

"Your prince is rather rude, you know." Mr. Timms spoke in snobbish tone. You bristled at the insult and felt the need to defend the only man that was ever nice to you.

"That's not true."

Before you could think to dodge, Mr. Timms let his walking stick fly and struck your face. Pain erupted over your face and you cried out.

"I don't remember giving you permission to speak! You've learned nothing from your years of training I see. What a waste!"

Frightened, you pulled on the horse's reins and tried to take off. You only made it a few yards before he caught up with you. He grabbed your hair and yanked your head backwards. Your body followed and soon you were tumbling off the horse with a short scream. Mr. Timms was off his horse in a flash and rushed over to you. His hand was over your mouth before you could scream for Jaehwan. Your ankle and shoulders hurt. You couldn't tell if anything was broken. Your face still felt like it was on fire where from where he'd hit you with his stick. You struggled against him but he had always been stronger than you.

"You will do well to shut up and listen! Your damned vampire wouldn't agree to my requests so you're going to do it for me!" You shook your head but it just made him squeeze his hand over your mouth that much more. You tried to hit at him with your hands but he caught one and pressed his knee on it so you couldn't move it. The other one he clasped in a bruising grip. His face came closer and you could see the insanity in his eyes.

"You're going to get money for us from your vampire. That creature has means well beyond what he needs. He doesn't use the banks which means it's in his castle somewhere. You're going to get it for us. You'll bring it to us until we're satisfied. If not, we will not stop until he is dead and you along with him. I'll save good ol' Charlie for last to torture. We will have what we want!"

He must have been talking about your parents. They were probably still sore about the compensation they had counted on. There was no way Jaehwan would give them anything. When you shook your head no again, he released your wrist only to produce a knife from his boot. Panicked, you tried to grab for his hand but you missed and the knife sliced the top of your shoulder. Your cry of pain was muffled by his hand over your mouth.

Suddenly, a rush of wind washed over you and Mr. Timms was no longer on top of you. In a flurry, you saw Jaehwan grab Mr. Timms by his collar, pull him from you and slam him--hard--on the ground. The man cried out, half in pain half in rage. You rose to a sitting position and pressed your hand over the cut on your shoulder. You thought Jaehwan would start yelling but instead he stood there, with his boot pressed firmly on Mr. Timms' chest, seething.

"Get off me, you filthy creature!" He struggled but couldn't move Jaehwan even an inch.

Jaehwan was quiet. He didn't say anything, he just pushed his boot further down into Mr. Timms' chest and the man writhed in pain. You couldn't see Jaehwan's face completely but his hands were clenched in fists and his head was turned in an odd angle that made him seem almost beyond reason. He was breathing heavily and looked as if he wanted to tear the man apart.

"I-I was only assisting y/n after she had fallen from her horse. It seemed a right nasty stallion and she was having difficulty controlling him. Women don't belong on horses, you understand." Mr. Timms' voice was raspy due to the pressure Jaehwan was putting on his chest.

"What I understand is that you believe me to be stupid. I have lived several lifetimes more than you and have killed men for less important reasons. What makes you think you are special?" Shock filled your thoughts. How many people had Jaehwan killed?

"You have no idea what you're doing! I'm a very powerful person in this town. You'd have a bounty on your head before sundown!" Jaehwan chuckled darkly and leaned down towards the man under his boot, his voice sinister.

"Do you think I'm scared? Do you see me trembling? You have no clue as to the power I possess in this world, much less this town. You are insignificant!" Jaehwan's voice rose a bit at the end of his sentence as he reached down to wrap his hand around Mr. Timms' throat. The man thrashed wildly, trying desperately to break free.

A strangled gasp came from your throat when you realized he was being killed right in front of you. Jaehwan's head turned just an inch in your direction but you couldn't see his face fully. Jaehwan removed his hand from the man's neck and rose to his original position.

"I want to kill you.....I should kill you for touching what's mine. She is under MY protection. But, instead, I want you to deliver a message for me. For now you will be spared. Use your time wisely. Inform the two specs of dirt that claim to be y/n's parents that they will get nothing from me. It would be in their best interests to leave this town far behind and you with them. Deliver my message and don't show your face around here again. I will have no remorse in draining each of you dry."

Jaehwan took his boot off of his chest and Mr. Timms breathed deep. He stood up and hobbled over to his horse and struggled to mount it. He didn't take his eyes off of him until he rounded the fence and took off towards town. Jaehwan then turned to you and made his way over. You instinctively tensed as he got closer, not sure if his mind was still in the haze of anger. In an instant, you were in his arms and he was speeding back to the castle. When he stopped, he placed you on a sofa in a room you didn't recognize. He knelt before you and gently touched the spot on your face that Mr. Timms had hit with his stick. You closed your eyes, waiting for him to reprimand you for roaming about.

"I'm sorry." Your eyes shot open and you could only stare. You looked at Jaehwan's face and still saw traces of the rage he'd displayed just moments ago but his eyes had softened.

"S-Sorry?"

"Yes, I'm sorry you were hurt. I should have been with you."

"I-I shouldn't have been wandering around. I went into the stables and---" Your words were cut off by Jaehwan inching closer to you. His eyes were fixated on the cut on your shoulder. A line of blood trickled from the wound but thankfully wasn't deep. You sat absolutely still, waiting for what he would do.

"Y/N...."

"Yes?"

"I wonder.....if you'd allow me to fix this." His hands held onto your arms but he didn't look at you.

"Oh, of course, but I can patch it up lat--ah!" You flinched when you felt Jaehwan's tongue on your skin. Your hands flew up to his chest as a reflex. Your body was frozen. He closed the wound slowly until all the blood was gone. You tried to breathe normally but it was proving difficult.

"Relax, I'm not going to bite you. It's just....this is the easiest way to heal a cut." Jaehwan's voice was barely a whisper and you could feel puffs of breath over your skin. He turned his head slightly towards you and you could see the bright red of his eyes.

Finally, he leaned back but he was still only a few inches from your face.

"I wish I could heal the bruises."

"Oh.....um, they'll be okay. I learned how to make a balm that will help reduce the swelling so if you will permit me the ingredients...."

"You can have anything you want." He said it with such urgency you couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you." Jaehwan was quiet for a moment or two before he spoke again.

"What did he want?" He looked like he was struggling to control his anger again. Without thinking, you covered his hand with yours in an attempt to calm him.

"Money...of course. I assume my parents are upset about the compensation they thought they would get. He wanted me to steal the money for him. He said if I didn't he would kill us all."

Jaehwan scoffed and made an amused noise.

"Don't tell me you believed him?"

"Not entirely. I knew he couldn't do anything to you....but...."

"But?"

"Charlie and I....we have no strength like you do. He's very persistent and I don't really believe that he'll just give up."

"Do you honestly think I wouldn't protect you? Both of you? You may not be a vampire, but you have control of one."

"C-Control?"

"I am yours to command." He smiled and your heart actually fluttered.

You were quiet for a moment, think back to what he'd said while talking to Mr. Timms. You were conflicted about asking about it.

"What are you thinking so hard about?"

"Have you really killed people before?" You asked him quietly, not confident of the outcome. He looked at you, conflicted emotions written on his face. After a while, he answered softly.

"Yes."

[intomyshadow]

Meet Noyo

Word count: 1800 (5 to 15 minutes) | Rating: T | Story: Into My Shadow

Note: Swearing, body transformation mentioned,  post-apocalyptic setting, fantasy races (common and original), magic

Read Dira’s character introduction

Year 1: Shrouded Era

Next to Garres, this farming town was small. Central buildings were stone or brick, but most homes were logs or timber beaten down by rain. It was a matter of resources, and Noyo knew that before crossing the fence bordering the town with smoke and nightmares not far behind. One pressing in closer than the other. Chaos filled in the size difference, spreading through the group of survivors from the capital like an illness. They’d felt the danger had passed as they made beds and chairs out of anything that would work in this makeshift medical space. It was alright to panic now, at least in their minds. That was never true.

Still, some people cried while others called for people they couldn’t find and may never again. Noyo guessed it was some kind of closure to know there was no reason to look for the people they’d lost.

“Hey,” a tanned man interrupted their thoughts. Stout and built under a layer of padding from age rather than a lack of activity, they guessed he was the kind who built places like the hall they were in. He was certainly old enough to be their father despite their starkly different lifespans. His dark, fine hair was cut close, excluding his long stubble, and his deep-set eyes seemed weary despite their sharpness. From Noyo’s place on the bench against the wall, he looked taller than he truly was. “Fekhi’s ready to see you.”

Standing, they were at eye level with him. He led the way to a hall on his left and presumably toward Fekhi, their impromptu mayor. Leaders manifested in a crisis, often without even trying. Who knew what Fekhi was before? Now she was overseeing a town and more people than they likely ever had as guests. So far, she was managing. The lanterns dotting the halls showed the place was well-kept, if worn, and the occasional vase or landscape painting added some life to it. Before people fled to their village, it would be quaint. But they acted fast and on good advice. That was a promising sign that Noyo stood a chance of being listened to.

“I’m Enis,” he started, polite but clearly leading towards something. He turned a corner and held close to the wall while two mages passed in a hurry. Probably more survivors. The town was sizable to some, that was true. But they were running low on space as it was, and crowding would lead to desperation.

“Noyo,” they offered all the same. There was only one thing he could want from them, and it would be painful to mention no matter how they went about it. Given the choice, Noyo preferred the faster route. “You know someone in the capital?”

He looked away, focused on the path ahead with shoulders squared. “My son. Haven’t seen him among the survivors.”

“I’m sorry.” What else was there to say? If he wanted answers, he would ask for them and give a description. Approaching a plain oak door with a carved flower mounted in the center, he did exactly none of that.

“So am I.” With two knuckles, he rapped on the office door and nodded for Noyo to enter. “Head on in.”

Turning the doorknob and stepping inside, Noyo was instantly crowded out by crates, bags, and stacks of supplies piled wherever they would fit. A tower of bins leaned ominously against the wall beyond the open door and they had toe a tied-off bag aside on the way to the burdened desk where Fekhi stood staunch. Making a casual, sweeping gesture past piles of parchment and a half-filled tankard, the dwarven woman in charge extended her invitation.

“Take a seat if you can find one.”

A rich auburn braid threaded with grey hairs hung over her shoulder, and she offered a tired smile with her hospitality.

“I’m fine.”

“Suit yourself.” Having a long drink to polish off the tankard, she sighed and stared out a window Noyo couldn’t fully see through past a different stack of crates. Not that there was much to see but watching the horizon get swallowed up in the spreading shroud, hour by hour. Days away from this place, which was not much of a comfort.

“Damn it all. Just about every soul that fled Garres is half out of their wits,” she said, as if that much wasn’t clear already, “So it all comes down to you.” Setting down the tankard with a hearty clank, Fekhi got to the point. “What happened?”

“I’m not certain on the details,” Noyo admitted. Honesty would get them further than fabrication, and they needed her trust. Sometimes, that meant delivering bad news. “I came across a Union member before that smoke reached us, and he gave me the equipment your people took from me.”

“And you’ll get your mask back when our Union is done figuring it out.”

A flat stare and slight tilt of their head said all Noyo had to. Anything that was taken in secret while they were treated by healers wasn’t likely to come back, and they both knew better.

“You’re with the Mages’ Union, I take it?”

Strange, to ask a question so pointless. Even if Noyo hadn’t been, any mage outside the Union would never be so reckless as to confess to it. “I am.”

“Then trust them if you can’t trust me.” In that short sentence, it was clear why her people did trust her. Willingness to meet Noyo in the middle, or what she thought was the middle, was an impressive gesture considering Noyo wasn’t one of her own. They raised their eyebrows in response, and Fekhi only shrugged. “You know that was the only thing protecting you from whatever’s out there. We need to find out how it works to make more.”

“You’ve got barriers,” Noyo observed, not prepared to yield regardless. This conversation would uncover where Fekhi’s limits were for patience. A promising start meant nothing for the future. “It’s only those, but smaller.”

“That’s not the point.” Exasperation bled into her voice with a breathy hiss, and Noyo expected that small shake of her head would be the end of it. “Listen,” Fekhi began, working her way around the desk to plant herself in front of Noyo with only some difficulty. “I promise you’ll get it back. First, here and now, you need to tell me what’s out there.”

Tilting her head back to make eye contact took away some of the effect, but Fekhi deserved credit for crossing her arms and continuing anyway. And Noyo did find themselves believing in her integrity. Taking a seat on a crate after all, they nodded.

Quirking a brighter smile, she nodded back to Noyo. Some of her bangs fell loose from the braid, a fact that went ignored. “Good.”

“The smoke is changing people. Some faster than others.” That was putting it lightly. Some people preferred that to the gruesome reality, although they’d all find out soon enough what Noyo meant. Still, they had to begin somewhere.

“Changing them how?”

“Their skin looks badly bruised at first. They get scared, and it gets worse. Then they get violent.” Another understatement. It would do. “Some get sick too, and their body changes. Claws, horns, fangs…” Tapering off, Noyo took a moment to close their eyes and gather their thoughts. The danger hadn’t passed yet. Now was not the time to get lost in unimportant details. Fekhi waited in silence while they took a slow, steadying breath and opened their eyes again. “It’s not consistent. It’s like magic, but nothing I’ve found in my studies.

”Muttering some harsh dwarven phrase, Fekhi flicked the braid over her shoulder and set her hands on her hips. “Will the fences hold?”

“No.” It was only the truth of the matter, and part of the whole reason Noyo asked to speak to Fekhi to start with. “But the foundation is there for something that will.”

“Oh, no you don’t,” she said through a chuckle and wagging her finger like Noyo was an errant child. As a fraction of Fekhi’s age, Noyo supposed they were little more than that to the mayor. “You’re barely an adult by elven standards; you leave this to us.”

“Building it up will take days. You’ll need help.”

Brushing that off with her whole hand this time, Fekhi got more insistent rather than less. “We’ve got the barrier—”

“To keep smoke out, not those who transformed.” The implication weighed heavy between the two of them, between the violence and the distortions made for tearing, biting, and piercing. Even as a mage, Noyo knew there was a limit to what magic alone could achieve.

“I know that.”

“Then you know there’s no time to argue,” they offered in agreement. Fekhi had centuries of knowledge and an effortless command, and Noyo was one of few survivors with a clear mind thanks to that mask. Together, they could turn Brook Mills into a haven and an example for other settlements to follow.

Fekhi rubbed her chin and weighed the options she had, which were not many with no guarantees among them. Clicking her tongue, she made her decision. “Tell me your plans, and we’ll bring it to the Union, see how it works with the barriers.”

Noyo frowned, casting yellow eyes to the worn floor. The Union shouldn’t be trusted just yet. Why did they have barriers ready to activate before the smog even appeared in Brook Mills? How did they have that so soon, but claimed not to know about the protective masks from the capital? Too many questions, and never enough answers. Anywhere it went, the Mages’ Union never looked kindly upon people asking questions.

“What is it?”

Looking to her again, Noyo studied Fekhi for a moment. And again, she was patient. Noyo’s options outside of the mayor didn’t amount to much either. In a way, that made them the best choice for each other to achieve what they wanted. “We should meet with them now.” Fekhi barked a laugh, clapping a hand against her chest. “You’ve got initiative, I’ll give you that.” Snatching up her tankard and a stack of papers, the mayor marched back to the hall ahead of Noyo. “You got a name, miss? Sir?”

“Noyo,” they introduced themselves, quietly glad Fekhi asked at the end once the business side of their discussion was handled. They didn’t have much reason for happiness after the people they lost in Garres, so it was nice to have what little they could. “I don’t go by miss. Or sir. Just Noyo.”

Dark elven culture allowed for a spectrum of genders, but not everyone had the same concepts in their upbringing. Yet Fekhi just shrugged and took a left out of the room, walking deeper into the building. “Noyo it is.”

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[illogicalhusbands]

The Game is Afoot - pt. 4

Bill Masters x Alec Hardy Masters of Sex / Broadchurch Crossover Link to Part 3

So sorry for the long wait! Both my co-mod and I have been extremely busy with our personal lives. I’ve come down with the flu and also had to deal with an emergency that led me to move homes so I’ve had my hands very full. But this update became unexpectedly long, so there actually will be one more part to follow! (Though I feel I’ve been saying that for the past two updates already). Also, wow 300 FOLLOWERS! I am FLOORED. Thanks everyone for the support! I hope the newcomers are all enjoying the content here. I’ll also be putting up a navigation page for the blog soon so it’ll be easier to find the fanfics and fanart that we make.

-

Everyone was staring.

It was one of those rare days that Masters had gotten him to agree to get something that vaguely resembled a complete meal for breakfast, yet by the time they had sat down Alec was quickly losing his appetite.

Pushing thin-rimmed spectacles up the bridge of his nose, he pointedly ignored the sticky feeling of several pairs of eyes on him as he perused through the list of fifty or so names and phone numbers in his hand, taunting him.

“Holmes.”

Alec groaned. He was nowhere near cracking this case than he had been a week ago. There had to be something that he was missing!

“Holmes.” A hand shot out to grab his forearm. Alec looked up to Masters’ steel blue eyes lit up with… worry? “I know this serial burglary case has been driving you mad, but you look horrifying. Just, please, eat something.”

Alec blinked blearily at him. “I’m fine, Watson,” he said, mustering up all the vitriol that he could onto that last word.

“That’s doctor Watson to you,” said Masters, on the slight edge of teasing once again. “But in all seriousness, I am an actual doctor, so you better listen to me when I say you need to take better care of yourself.”

Alec snarled. “I bloody hate doctors.”

“And I’m sure they find you an absolute delight to be with.” Masters took a sandwich from Alec’s plate and held it up to his face. “Now, eat.”

There was something about the doctor’s tone that was so commanding, in a way that never failed to grab Alec’s attention. It was always paired by those cold blue eyes and set jaw. Alec could tell he wielded this weapon on more than one occasion. He could picture Masters talking down rivals or even superiors, looking every bit like the prim and proper man that he presented himself to be, the presence of danger in his eyes the only indicator of his vicious intent. Masters probably never had much difficulty in getting anything he wanted.

Damn, Alec thought, And why did this bastard have to be so bloody attractive?

Alec was able to hold down half of his sandwich. He managed to convince Masters that he would finish the rest at a later time at work. Masters looked doubtful, but that seemed to satisfy him enough.

The whispers restarted when they got up from their seats. Alec grit his teeth. Did this town have nothing better to talk about than what other people got up to? He took a deep breath and nearly prayed that Masters hadn’t noticed at all that the entire bloody town thought of them as an item and could not seem to shut up about it.

Masters walked a step ahead of him and opened the door. “Pleasure as always, Mr. Holmes,” he said with a smooth grin. Please, please please don’t notice how other people have been talking about us. Above all, please don’t notice how much I want them to be right.

Alec startled at the hand on his lower back, gently pushing him out the door. He tried to look more relaxed, but he could see Masters had taken note of it.

They stepped out onto the pavement. Alec lingered, not wanting to leave things awkward between them. They spoke at the same time.

“Look—”

“I’m—”

“You first,” Alec said.

“Holmes…” the doctor started, eyes darting around nervously. “You know what? It’s nothing. I enjoyed breakfast today. And your company, um… thank… you for that.”

Alec felt his cheeks warming. “Y-yeah? I mean, alright. It-it’s fine, I—” he could see Masters slightly pursing his lips. “You know people talk, right?”

“I imagine they do little else,” said Masters flatly.

Alec scratched the back of his head. How can he get his message across without sounding too presumptuous? “I mean they—ah, they seem to think that we… are together.”

Masters blinked. “But we are together.”

The blood in Alec’s veins turned to ice. “W-what do you—”

“Right now, we’re here. Standing. Together. Is there something so scandalous about that?”

Alec tried to look for any signs on Masters’ face that he was kidding, but there was none. His brow was furrowed in concentration, mulling over the oddity in Alec’s statement.

“O-oh, you meant—I mean, yes! Yes, we are indeed, um, together.” Crap! He’d completely misread the situation. He scolded himself. Don’t look any more like a bumbling idiot in front of him! What was he even doing? Bringing this up with Masters was a surefire way of sending him running for the hills. Alec internally sighed. What kind of respectable man would want to be associated with a “shitface” disgraced detective? If Masters had any idea that the people of Broadchurch had branded them as the town’s Couple of the Year, he’d never want to see Alec again, much less be seen with him. “I suppose I’m just worried about your um, privacy.”

“My… privacy.”

“Yes! You know how it is in here. Everyone’s always up in other people’s business and—oh, would you look at the time!” He raised his wrist and realized a bit too late that he’d forgotten his watch. “I best get going. This was…” There was no reason to look like a flustered schoolgirl, he told himself. “Great, uh… mate.” And before he could stop himself, his fist bumped dejectedly onto Masters’ arm.

For Christ’s sake.

Masters looked at his miserable excuse for social communication and thankfully said nothing.

“I’ll see you around.” Masters gave his arm a firm squeeze that sent electric jolts straight to his chest cavity and left.

Alec kicked the pavement—and inhaled sharply at the contact and the stabs of pain that coursed up his foot.

 -

Just to add a cherry on top of his already messy, bloody cake, a whole bag of bad news greeted him at work. Cold leads, no new suspects, and inconsistent witness statements. Alec spent the next six hours bent over files and data cards, shutting off all his bodily functions and channeling his energy into coming up with anything that might be able to make sense of this increasingly complex case.

“CCTV brought up nothing, sir,” said Miller, looking not much better than he did. “I searched all night-”

“But that’s impossible!” Alec rifled through his own notes, skimming across messily scrawled witness accounts. “You should able to find that red van on the corner of Ivy and Hodges. Without that, our entire case is just mere speculation!”

“I don’t know what to do, sir. I’m just astounded as you are.”

Alec groaned, taking off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose. “We can’t be caught theorising, Miller! We need evidence.”

“Hang on, I’m working on it!” Miller put her hands on her hips, indignant. “Don’t have to make it look like you’ve been doing all the bloody work. You know how many all nighters I’ve put on in this office?”

“I’m not accusing you,” said Alec, rubbing his entire face, trying to keep himself awake. He could feel his mind floating off elsewhere and that was not good.

“All the while you were off gallivanting with Doctor Masters—”

“Do not bring him into this, Miller. He’s got nothing-”

“Oh don’t put that ‘we’re strictly acquaintances’ bullshit on me! I’m happy for you, really I am. And you definitely need to unwind more than all of us here.”

“It’s not bullshit. We’re barely even friends.”

Miller rolled her eyes. Her expression shifted drastically from the hopeless look she sported before. “At this point, it’s not even cute anymore. You’re just being very annoying.”

“Glad to see I haven’t lost my charm.”

Alec raked a hand through his hair, fighting through a pounding headache. “Masters has given no indication whatsoever of him… caring for… in that way. Just let it go, will you?”

A voice from the main entrance halted their conversation.

“Delivery for a… Sherlock Holmes?” The poor delivery girl was holding up a brown paper bag in her arms as she read the card with pure confusion on her face. She flushed. “Oh no. I-I think this may have been a prank. Is anyone of you actually-”

Miller shot a pointed look at Alec, who stood frozen with his mouth open.

“No, luv, not to worry! He’s right here.” said Miller, walking over to free the girl of the package.

Alec briefly snapped out of it enough to process what he was seeing. “H-how much is this?”

“Oh, no, it’s already been paid for by card, Mr. Holmes,” said the relieved girl. “Have a nice day!”

Alec still couldn’t move by the time Miller had brought the paper bag over to him.

“Go on, then. Open it! This is probably the only entertainment I’m getting today.”

Alec glared at her. “Entertainment. Really, Miller, we’re not a soap opera.”

“Hardy, I have had a very long week and things are very bleak right now with the case, so either you open this bag or I open your skull. Your choice.”

Alec opened the bag.

Inside was a box of takeout from one of his favorite Thai restaurants nearby. A sticky note taped on the top read—I’m aware we’re both busy. Consider this my way of buying you lunch. (Finish all of it.) W.

Miller had been reading over his shoulder again.

“This doesn’t mean anything,” Alec said.

“I swear to god. I can’t deal with this right now.” Miller groaned loudly and cradled her head. “God, I need a coffee.” Alec heard her retreating footsteps.

Alec took out the food from the bag, staring at it as if it were on fire. What did all this mean?

The whispers came back full force. Apparently the entire office had a good view over what just occurred. It was clear the package was addressed to Alec, and they could only think of one person who it came from and they, unfortunately, were correct.

Alec grabbed the food and stomped over to his office, slamming the door behind him. He needed to put a stop to this. The situation was getting out of hand. If people got more ideas about him and Masters, it would ruin everything they had at present. Why, oh why did Alec have to always want more than he deserved? Why couldn’t he just be content with what he was given? Why did he have to develop shoddy feelings for the man?

He of course knew the answer to that. Masters was striking. He commandeered a presence in every room he entered. But more than his appearances, he was also interesting. Alec could never quite tell if he was a being a righteous asshole or just plain blunt. He’d only known Masters for five months, but the companionship between them grew with hardly any effort from either side. He was intelligent and funny, often without meaning to. Alec saw him and instantly felt the need to smoothen his suit, or fix his hair and just try his might at keeping up with the brilliance of this man, to impress him somehow. To make any sort of impression on him, really. He orbited around Masters, held in place by a natural gravitational force.

He absolutely cannot ruin this just because of some vastly exaggerated stories from the grapevine. Still, these people showed no sign of slowing down. He resolved to the one thing that was left for him to do: slam on the brakes.

He needed to avoid Dr. William Masters.

 -

The next day was barely any better. They had made no progress with the case, and both Alec and Miller were at their wits’ end trying to piece everything together. Alec hasn’t handled a case as harrowing as this in about a year. He stayed in the office all night so that Miller could go home and check up on her kids. Alec ran through more CCTV footage and transcripts from witness’ statements. He could feel the answer nearing him, almost within his grasp. He just needed to know which direction to take his hands.

Alec downed the rest of his tepid tea. He set the mug down. When did he get two mugs? It was only then that he noticed his vision spinning. He shook his head. There was no time for sleep when the truth was only millimetres away from his fingertips!

The vibrations from his phone woke him back up. He turned to look. Why was Masters calling at this hour?

“What?” His voice was gruff from disuse. He’d been alone in the headquarters for hours now.

“Ah, so you are still at work.” Masters’ voice was infuriatingly proper and formal, as always.

“Did Miller tell you that?”

“Ellie sent me a text saying you’ll be out all night. I see you’ve not had any luck on the case,”

Alec huffed. “Have you come to gloat?”

“Gloating’s not really my style. However, I will share with you the fact that I’ll be accepting an award next week for my groundbreaking research on improved strategies for in vitro fertilization.”

“That hardly sounds impressive, Watson.” It was very impressive.

“If properly adopted, they could increase IVF success rate by up to forty percent.” Alec could sense the excitement radiating off him through the phone. “Fertility treatments used to be so taboo, Holmes. But we live in an age where these conversations have been opened up in the vernacular. If these techniques—these conversations about the human body—could be made more accessible, imagine how many people can live without that social pressure burdening their shoulders, how many women would not be made to feel so-so ashamed of their bodies! This… This age is a turning point, Holmes, I can feel it. And I would like a part in it. Dabble my footsteps in it, so to say.”

“You’ll leave the most impressive footprints,” Alec found himself saying as a fond smile made its way over to his face.

“Will I?” said Masters, a little flirtatious.

There was no one around at the moment. Alec allowed himself to bask in it, his heart only a little bit broken. “Guarantee it. Be a goldmine for Forensics, I say.”

“Well, I’m glad you have so much confidence in me. Not very many people do.”

Alec took a glance at the clock. 2:17 A.M. and no signs of finishing work anytime soon. He took a deep breath—eyes opening in shock as the air rushed into his lungs like knives.

“Is everything alright?”

He clutched at his desk, making feeble attempts at normalizing his breathing, but the panic only grew stronger. His vision was blurring. Masters’ voice on the phone sounded much farther away.

The last thing he registered was the voice from the phone yelling out his name. His name. And then he blacked out.

TO BE CONTINUED

[etlunainmorte]

🖤 I See My Future Before Me 🖤

***

XXXIV

***

“One of these days, and it won’t be long,

You’ll call my name and I’ll be gone,

Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well."

Those were the words that you wrote for him on that tear - stained note, which you left in your bed three months ago. And he has kept that fragile piece of note since then. He remembered each painful word, each awkward curve of the letters, and each trembling line in that poem.

He has kept it close to his heart since then.

And now, he's standing before you, repentant, sorrowful, and full of guilt and regret.

And he would make this right. He would fix everything. Right his wrong.

" ... and so,... thee came,..." He uttered, his eyes fixed on yours and yours alone. And as his eyes wandered on your form, he couldn't help but feel even more guilty and hurt. You looked,... terrible. Pale, hollow cheeks void of life, tired, bloodshot eyes that were almost dry due to endless bouts of tears, streaks of silver - gray among thinning strands of (H/C) hair,...

... and the noticeable, little cracks on your skin, especially on your face...

It was clear to V that you were suffering with the same thing he went through before, of him wasting away and disintegrating.

Those faint glimpses Cassandra had of you the moment he stepped foot in the island,...

At first, he was mystified as to the lack of the entity's vision of you, hence, his difficulty in searching for you all those months ago. But, now, as he let his gaze wander on your form, he finally understood.

You were dying.

And it was all his fault. Everything.

And as you realized what's probably on his mind upon gazing at you, your breath hitched. You abruptly turned away from him, not wanting him to see what you have become.

Patty sighed, nodded at V whilst giving him a hard look, and stepped away, letting him have his moment with you. How she wanted so much to push this man away, to inflict physical harm upon him, to make him realize what he's done to you.

But, she knew it was too late. And the only thing that was left for him to do was to say goodbye one last time before the inevitable,...

"My Lady,..." V whispered as he reached out a single hand in front of you. You noticed this and drew further back away from him, not wanting him to feel you. And this made his chest twitch in utter pain. "Listen to me, please,..." He tried one last time to reach out to you but, you refused.

You had to.

"Don't touch me!" You hissed at him, wanting him to get as far away from you as possible. He has probably heard everything you've said, of how you missed him, of how you were sorry for everything, for all the hurt and pain,...

... of how much you loved him,...

It was a mistake. You should not have let yourself be swayed by your emotions like that. You only wanted to let everything out, to pour your heart out one last time before going for good, to say those words that your weren't able to say before.

But, now that he's here, clearly wanting to fix everything, you felt that you made the biggest blunder of your life, if that was even possible.

With your words, you poured out your true feelings for him. However, with those same words, you just gave him false hope - false hope, because you knew you would never be together. He would never see you smile again, he would never see you dance again, he would never feel your touch against his, ever again. And the last thing he would see is your horrible earthly form. Dying without grace, wilting away like an old flower,...

... cracking like a disposed, antique porcelain.

And you knew that he would blame himself for the rest of his life because of this.

No! You screamed internally. I must push him away! I won't let him see me like this! I refuse to hurt him like this! He deserves more, not this! I must save him,... one last time!

"You heard what I said." You uttered coldly, your back still turned against him, successfully hiding your true intentions from him. "Goodbye, V. I will never see you again. Leave. Now."

With those words, V slightly drew back. Indeed, he finally saw glimpses of you upon arriving on the island. He saw bits of your future with him. He saw you, looking as lovely as ever, sitting on a blanket underneath the shade of a huge tree as you watched and listened to him play the violin. He saw the two of you in your very own house, little, yes, but full of warmth and love.

And lastly, he saw something else. Something,... that gave him warm feelings of affection and undying devotion towards you. Something,... that his human heart had craved and longed for all those years of dread, misery, and loneliness.

And for it to become a reality, he must see this through. He must fix everything between you. He must save you, and he knew exactly how he would do it.

But, the way you said goodbye, it simply gave his heart a new kind of pain that he never fully expected. He never cared about this, actually. He knew he deserved this kind of reaction from you. He hurt you, after all.

What he did care for and worry about was the sudden and strange tear he saw in your future upon hearing those words from you. It was like,... he suddenly forgot how you looked like on that future. The little house was suddenly and abruptly wiped out, and that thing he craved for,... it was erased completely off his vision.

Then, he realized,...

"My La - "

"Stop calling me that!" You cut him off, mustering as much anger as you can to discourage him. "I' am not yours!" And the moment you denied him, more and more details of your future were wiped out.

He was right. The more you refused him, the more your future vanished.

I will not let this happen! Thought V. I must make her realize how much I love her! I will not let her future vanish like this! I will save her,... and not let her go like this!

"Listen to me, please." He pleaded one more time. "You did nothing wrong. I should be the one who must apologize. I have learned from my own,... mistakes. I was foolish, I did unspeakable things that cost lives. I was foolish,... for letting you go that day. And I want to apologize for everything. For hurting you. For,... this."

"I learned my lesson, too." You answered as you folded your arms over your chest to not give him a glimpse of your cracking and disintegrating skin. "Now, don't make this any harder for the both of us. I'm letting you go, V. You should be - " you were abruptly cut off as a streak of unbearable pain crossed your heart, making you draw back and clutch your heart in alarm. What,... just happened? " ... glad."

"Glad?" V, who clearly saw how your body convulsed just now, retorted. "I searched all over for you, crossed seas to look for you. The only thing I'm glad for,... is seeing you again. Of being able to hold you in my arms,... once more. To hear your voice again. I,... it ached,... so much. It hurts,... not seeing you. I feel so alone,... and hopeless. I want you back, and I'm not,... leaving. I refuse to leave you!"

He saw how your shoulders tremble and rise as you inhaled sharply. He knew his words affected you as much as it affected him. Everything he said was true. His heart ached more and more with your absence that he thought he's dying. He felt so alone more than ever before. He felt,... empty,... without you. How he wanted to hold you in his arms, to lavish you with the affection you deserved, to ease your pain and start all over again,...

And you felt the same. Oh, how you wanted to drop this cold facade you put up, to turn around and throw yourself at him, to show him how much you missed him.

To tell him how much you loved him,...

But, you can't. You physically can't! And you knew it would only hurt him more if he saw you pass before his very own eyes. You can't just allow it! He has to leave,... now!

I love you so much, V! "Don't you understand anything?! I don't,... want you!" I want to hold you close to my heart! "Didn't you get what you want from me?!" I want to show you how much you mean to me! "You've got everything! Power! Immortality! You were saved from your own death!" I beg you! Don't leave me, please! "You're only wasting your time here!" Promise me! Don't leave me! Don't leave my side! Please! "Leave me alone! Please!"

Your hands automatically went to your eyes to wipe away the tears that fell, and still, you went on with your act.

And V knew this. He knew you were only putting on an act to make him leave you. He even rightfully sensed that you don't want him to see you like that. He knew!

But, those words you just said,...

... it erased every bit of vision he has of you, leaving only one,...

... of you standing before him, dull and emotionless,...

... the only light that shone in the midst of darkness,...

... and yet, you were smiling,...

... you were bravely smiling through your own pain and suffering.

You were ready, after all. You have made up your mind. You accepted your fate. You just don't want him to see you go. He knew you were doing him one last act of kindness with this. After everything he did. After everything you went through.

... and it hurts so damn much,...

The pain,... was simply unbearable.

With one last effort, he tried to get close to you, to reach out his hand towards you, to touch you. Only for you to bow your head lower and draw further away from him.

Despite this, despite your vanishing form in Cassandra's vision, V still tried to pierce through your carefully raised barrier. "My Lady, my love, please,... give me another chance. I will prove to you,... that I' am no longer the person you thought I was. That I' am no longer the villain in your story. I will,... love and protect you,... for as long as I live. No. I will love and protect you beyond life and death. I promise."

After a few agonizing moments, you only shook your head as you held unto the chair for support. "You wouldn't want,... anything to do with a useless person like me. You don't deserve someone like me, a trash, and a disposable thing. You deserved,... someone better."

"You're not useless! And you're not trash. I refused to see myself with another! My Lady, please - !"

"Go, now." Once again, you cut him off, but this time, in a much lower voice that sounded hoarse and extremely tired. "Before you regret. Go. Live. For your own sake."

V sighed, feeling his shoulders slump and his spirits drop. He lost. No matter how much he tried, he knew you would only push him away. Your resolve,... was just that strong.

With that unbearable pain in his chest, he looked down at the luggage he left on the floor the moment he entered the room, grabbed it, and went over to the nearest table, opening it and taking the gifts out, carefully placing them on top - Dante's Guarneri, Alicia's embroidery, Sister Christina's hand - made hoodie, even Cagliostro's small framed camellia painting, and Petya and Natasha's bottle of French vodka. Lastly, he reached for his almost empty luggage and took out his own gift to you - the porcelain doll that was Galatea, and the pair of shoes you wore the first time he met you. They’re not even enough as gifts but, he did plan on putting them on your feet, himself. He planned on handing you the antique doll, and he planned on proposing to you right then and there. Then, he would wrap his arms around you, engulfing you into his embrace, and kiss you,...

But, now, he could no longer do any of those things. How could he save you now? How could he prevent your future from vanishing? How could he - ?

At the final hours of the evening and the last radiance of the wounded moon, the past will weep, the present will kneel, and the future will die.

"(Y/N)!" V heard Patty shriek, and as he turned nervously around, he saw you sprawled on the floor, barely unconscious.

Leaving everything behind, the gifts, his plans, his thoughts of your future with him, he ran towards the girl who has become his everything in a short span of time. He kneeled before her and took her in his arms, and when he turned her over, he saw,...

V closed his eyes, unable to look at the girl, unable to face the consequences of what he has done. His tears falling silently, his heart dying along with hers, he gave her one last look as he cradled her broken face in his hand.

Then, she slowly and weakly opened her now milky - white eyes.

"W - w,..."

"My love, what is it?" V whispered gently, his voice trembling. He could no longer contain the overwhelming sorrow. He simply let it engulf him whole as punishment for this. And after all that, he knew that the agonizing pain he's feeling was never enough for his own crimes.

"Where a - am I?" The girl asked, her voice hoarse and broken. "I can't see,... anyt - thing,..."

"Oh, God!" Patty cried as she covered her mouth in shock.

"I'm here. You're here with me, darling." V whispered as he took her cold and cracking hand in his. Holding it close to his lips, he gave it a kiss and hoped it provided her warmth for even just a short while.

Despite her blindness, she struggled to turn her face towards him. She took a labored breath and spoke, "Who,... are y - you?"

V gritted his teeth as he closed his eyes once more. He wanted so much to knock anything out in his frustration but, he can't. And how could he not feel angry and frustrated with himself? Not only was the girl he loved blind, now, she couldn't even remember a thing about him.

It was like she aged rapidly within mere seconds.

"W - who are y - you? Where am I?" She asked once more as her eyes rolled and darted in many directions as if in search of some kind of light to see her surroundings, making Patty cry even harder next to her.

"It's alright, my love. Just relax." V pleaded as he rubbed her back and held her hand tighter. "Everything,... would be alright now,..."

"Your v - voice,..." the girl uttered, her voice slowly getting weaker, her face gaining more and more cracks and wrinkles, and her hair rapidly turning white. "H - haven't we m - met? I k - know you,... I,... k - know you,..."

"Do you,... still remember?" V uttered, desperately wanting her to remember everything. For one last time. "The day we first met? Y - you were the most beautiful, and most angelic thing I have ever laid eyes on."

The girl didn't say anything but, he knew she was listening.

"Do you still remember,... the very first time we danced? And the second time? Do you remember when I read poetry to you? How we slept next to each other, feeling safe and warm. Do you,... still remember what you said? That you would never leave me?" V took a sharp breath as he noticed his tears falling onto her face. As much as his heart wanted to cease, he went on. "I told you,... to do our best to not lose the people we love. And how,... and how we talked about doing silly things! Like,... fishing, and watching movies,... and,..." he stopped, feeling his own heart slowly collapse as his sight get blurry with the overwhelming tears. " ... and seeing the world that my favorite poems described. Remember,... how I asked you to do those things,... together?"

The girl opened her mouth as she probably tried to say something. But, only one thing managed to come out of her dry and bleeding mouth. "N - no,..." she uttered. "I c - can't rememb - ber,..."

V prevented his sobs from coming out as he thought of another way to make her remember. If this is the last act of kindness he will do towards her, then so, be it. He looked all over the room, trying to figure out what to say next, when he saw Patty and remembered something,...

I forgot! Today’s supposed to be the day that they’re gonna have a rerun of LaLaLand!

I've waited a hundred years but, I'd wait a million more for you,...

"A little chance encounter could be the one you’ve waited for.” V quoted as he held her gently, remembering the lines from the movie he watched during the girl's absence. "Someone in the crowd could be the one you need to know. Somewhere, there’s a place where I find who I’m gonna be. Somewhere, that's just waiting to be found. We stumbled on a view that’s tailor - made for two.” He gulped down, still trying to suppress the tears and sobs, then went on. "Here's to the ones who dream, foolish as they may seem. Here’s to the hearts that ache, here’s to the mess we make.”

Do you know Titanic, V?

Nothing prepared me for what the privilege of being yours would do,...

“I mean, I got everything I need right here with me. I got air in my lungs, a few blank sheets of paper. I mean, I love waking up in the morning not knowing what’s gonna happen or, who I’m gonna meet, where I’m gonna wind up. Promise me you’ll survive. That you won’t give up, no matter what happens. No matter how hopeless."

How about Moulin Rouge?

If I had only felt the warmth within your touch. If I had only seen how you smile when you blush, or how you curl your lip when you concentrate enough, well I would have known what I was living for all along.

What I've been living for.

"It's a little bit funny this feeling inside. I'm not one of those who can easily hide. I don't have much money but, oh, if I did, I'd buy a big house where we both could live. If I was a sculptor but, then again no. Or a man who makes potions in a traveling show. Oh, I know it's not much but it's the best I can do,..."

The Fault In Our Stars?

Your love is my turning page, where only the sweetest words remain,...

"You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I' am eternally grateful."

The Time Traveler’s Wife?

Every kiss is a cursive line, every touch is a redefining phrase,...

"I never wanted anything in my life that I couldn't stand losing. But it's too late for that."

I surrender who I've been for who you are. For nothing makes me stronger than your fragile heart. If I had only felt how it feels to be yours, well I would have known what I've been living for all along,...

What I've been living for.

Everything went silent for a while. V stopped quoting, even Patty stopped crying. 

It wouldn't be long now.

This is,... my last chance,...

"Do you believe in destiny?" V quoted once more. "That even the,... powers,... of time,... could be altered for a single purpose? The luckiest man," As the girl's eyes slowly closed and the heaving of her chest gradually lessened, V laid his forehead against hers, wanting to feel her for the very last time. He covered her in his arms and rubbed her back. " ... who walks in this earth is the one who finds,... true love,..." He closed his eyes, letting the words engulf the both of them. “I have crossed,… oceans of time,… to find you.”

"There is always a p - princess,..." V heard the girl as she struggled to keep up. He looked at her once more and saw her wet eyes.

And her smile,…

She remembered! That one movie she never mentioned to him. That one dvd from her collection that was worn out due to so much use.

Her most favorite movie of all,...

" ... with gowns,... flowing white. And her face,... oh, God, her face,... is a river. The p - princess, she's a river,... filled with tears of sadness and h - heartbreak."

"You will be cursed as I am, and walk in the shadow of death for,... all eternity. I love you too much," the poet stopped as his tears stained her pained face once more. " ...to condemn you!"

"Then, take me away,... from all this,... death,..."

Though we're tethered to the story we must tell. When I saw you, well I knew we'd tell it well. With a whisper we will tame the vicious seas. Like a feather bringing kingdoms to their knees,...

She quoted her favorite line for the very last time, making her true intentions known to him. She never wanted to push him away. She lied when she told him that she didn't want him.

She loved him,... and she wanted him to save her, after all.

She loved him,... until her death,...

Can you quote something from Shakespeare? After all, Griffon always calls you Shakespeare,…

V closed his eyes, feeling the life and vitality leave her body. He remembered her request that night, of him to quote something from Shakespeare.

... and he couldn't believe that after all this time,...

... after Galatea's efforts to bring him back to save her,...

... he couldn't believe that he's doing it again.

He can't believe,...

... that he's watching her die a second time.

“Oh, here will I set up,… my everlasting rest and shake the yoke of,… inauspicious stars from this,… world - wearied,… flesh,..." He uttered, feeling her body grow heavy and her arms drop. “… eyes look,… your last. Arms, take your last embrace. And lips,… oh you the doors of,… breath,… seal with a righteous kiss,… a dateless,… bargain,… to engrossing death,…”

And before her last ounce of her breath, he inched closer to her and gave her that one last kiss. As his lips gently moved against hers, he felt his tears fall against her cracked and bloody face. As his hands moved against her back, he felt her getting colder and colder. As he gave her one last kiss on the forehead, he felt her suffering end with one last rise of her chest.

And when he looked at her once more, he saw her calm and peaceful face, one that went through so much agony and hurt.

She was gone,... leaving him all alone in the vast, cold, and uncaring world.

Leaving him,... with all the memories she had with him.

The only memories,...

... where he was happy, loved,... and protected.

***

🖤 Again, a special thanks to @harlot-of-oblivion for helping me with the language of the flowers. 🖤

🖤 @la-vita , @shadowrosess , @micaelagua , @beyond-the-mirror , @gothghoulfrend , @lessy86 , @ceruleanworld , @diabeticsugarush , @vergils-daughter , @yepps , @heaven-on-a-landslide , and @krazy06 . 🖤

***

It took V and Patty a few more minutes of silence as they let the storm pass. She's gone, and they have to let her friends know.

They have to let them know, no matter how hard it would be.

Thinking how Dante would surely skewer him with his Devil Sword after breaking the news to him, he wiped the tears from her face. Even in death, she remained graceful and perfect, despite her argument earlier.

God, how would I live my life now? V thought as he carefully lifted her body off the ground as an unfamiliar numbness took over his entire body. How could - ?

All of a sudden, he felt her twitch.

His eyes widened and his breath hitched. Was it his imagination?

"V, we have to get her out of here now." Patty told him. "V?"

The poet was about to answer when he felt her twitch once more! It felt odd, creepy, and disturbing, but - !

"V, what are you doing?!" Patty demanded as V hastily made his way towards the nearest sofa to lay her down.

And he was right! She was moving! She - 

"What the hell?!" Patty cursed as the two of them watched her restlessly move from side to side. They were both frightened and amazed by what's going on, and as the changes on her body occurred, they couldn't help but be utterly shocked and happy!

White hair turning back to (H/C), cracks on the skin rapidly healing, wrinkles slowly vanishing, and flesh starting to fill up those now pink cheeks,...

"(Y/N)?" V and Patty called simultaneously as her now pink and healthy lips slightly opened. 

V took her hands in his, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he felt her warm blood flowing once more through her veins.

But, what's more, those visions of her future,...

... they were back! And with more! Of them dancing together, of them laughing hard together until their stomach hurt, of them walking hand in hand, of them watching the sunset together, of them having movie marathons,...

Visions upon visions of happy memories flooded his mind, and as he waited for those beautiful eyes to open and gaze at him once more, he couldn't help but smile like an idiot! And no one could blame him for that!

And he could only utter two words. "My love,..."

Patty and V smiled as they saw her smile, clearly hearing everything he just said.

"... and my life." She sweetly replied, her voice sounding like chimes in his ears. Oh, God! How he loved that sweet voice of hers! "Always."

She opened her (E/C) eyes and gazed up at him.

"My love. My dearest. My darling,..." V stuttered in his happiness upon seeing her alive and well, he felt that his heart was bursting with utter gladness! He kissed her hands over and over again, then, gave her a passionate kiss.

And, oh, those lips! They felt so soft, and inviting, and warm!

And he was losing himself!

"Ahem!" Patty cleared her throat, making the two of them look at her. "Get a room, whatever?"

V chuckled as he let her go for a while. With a sheepish smile, he, then helped her sit and wrapped his arms around her once more. He was really glad with how things turned out. He couldn't explain it, himself, but, who cares about it now?! What's important was that -

All of a sudden, they heard some strange noises just outside the door.

V let you go and nodded at Patty as he stood up, his eyes darting cautiously on the door. He slowly walked towards it, grabbed the brass door knob, and flung open the door - !

***

🖤🖤🖤

***