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ultralightpoe · 10 months ago

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Vigilante Shit - Bucky Barnes

Authors Note: Never liked this one which is why it stayed in the drafts fr so long, it just always seemed empty. It's definitely missing something.

REQUESTS ARE OPEN

Word Count:9,131

Warnings: Cuss words, reader was once apart of the red room

Apart of my MIDNIGHTS EVENT.

Main Masterlist

Enjoy!

Draw the cat eye, sharp enough to kill a man

You did some bad things, but I'm the worst of them

Sometimes I wonder which one will be your last lie

They say looks can kill and I might try

I don't dress for women

I don't dress for men

Lately I've been dressing for revenge

It’s the pity on her face that makes you want to claw her eyes out, or maybe the happy family photo sitting on her desk staring and taunting you with their stupid smiling faces. Each of her children smiled like nothing was wrong in the world, like they didn’t have to worry about earning their way or surviving the day.

Dr. Aquinos children would never know pain.

But that was a given, they weren’t bought and sold off. They weren’t tortured and abused for years only to be torn out when Natasha fucking Romanoff decides to free everyone from that chain and force them into the real world.

Did it make you pathetic to say you missed it?

In the red room you had a cot, a meal at least once a day and training. Out here you were no one. No trace of you existed. No ids, or photos, no friends or family. You were nothing.

Even ghosts had more than you at this point.

“You know it’s common to feel this way about it? That longing to have it back? It’s the pain and the change, you feel like you have nothing right now but I can assure you that’s not true.”

You say nothing.

“Have you given any thought to our last session?” The therapist asks, voice saccharine amount of sweet that tells you she knows your looking for a fight today and she won’t be giving into it. You hated that she knew you would try that, you hated these sessions all together.

“Yes.” Lie. And judging by the quirk in her smile she knows it too.

“I think it’s extremely important for you in this next step, to get rid of the suit. What was it they called you?” You don’t reply for a minute, your own little form of rebellion, but she doesn’t let you get away with it for long. “The…. Cobra?”

“The. Viper.” You bite out, grinding your teeth together and fisting your hands at your side. “The Red Viper to be exact.”

“Can you explain to me why it is you got that name? I mean your other counter parts all follow a …..widow theme….. but you don’t?”

“It just….. happened that way.” You lie. “How much longer do we have?”

Why did she not have a clock?

“Ah. So the story has something to do with Bucky Barnes.” She smiles and you fight back the sneer.

“Nope.”

“You always ask for the time when memories of him are brought up.”

Not. True. You don’t bother arguing because that might prove her point.

“Can you recall what he looked like?”

A flash of ice blue crosses your mind, his eyes. Followed by roses and ballet slippers. A small opening to freedom right there in your grasp, his smiling face….. replaced by that of betrayal, the pain and torture you suffered for weeks after because he-

“No.” You lie. “I only knew him as the winter soldier.”

“Have you tried reaching out?”

“No. And I never will.” Not until you were able to kill him, get your revenge.

Your therapist didn’t know about your revenge list though,she would have you imprisoned for it. The list of names of every mastermind and agent that did you wrong, and at the very end of the list was the one person you actually managed to trick you, the one person you gave everything you had left to.

Bucky Barnes would be the last person you killed in this life, and you would make sure to enjoy every second of it.

It’s not everyday they pull you from your training program and load you into a transportation vehicle, and you don’t know whether to be scared or excited by the change in routine.

You decide on excitement, because a widow is never. Ever. Scared.

The keepers transporting you all avoid eye contact and you bite back the smirk, knowing that you installed that fear when you bit the thumb off the last guard that tried to touch you inappropriately. You might be hydras toy but you were not a plaything for these half wits.

“Your mission will be in direct partnership with the Winter Soldat.” The agent in front of you explains, watching you load up your widow uniform with hidden weapons “there’s a list of names that needs to be taken care of, and it might take a minute so they are pairing you both. They want no mistakes, only the best.”

“No traces no trails. No chances.” You answer, already having it memorized, biting down on your tongue when you remember the poor girl you left as a witness to your last mission.

Hydra never found out, but her scared scream when she caught you killing her father will haunt you.

You wondered if you might have had someone to scream over at one point.

“He won’t speak to you so don’t bother.” The agent grunts as the vehicle comes to a stop and he slams his fist on the side to let them know it’s safe to open the doors.

They all cast you another look as you try not to roll your eyes at the drama. If you truly wanted out of this vehicle you could slaughter them all, you just knew that hydra would track you down no matter what so what was the point?

They lead you down hundreds of gray halls, each getting darker than the last and the smell of mold and desperation heightened with each step. Finally at the very last cell door they all raise their weapons and slide it open, muttering something in Russian before a figure emerges.

The glint of his arm catches on the shit light above you first, and then he is there, glowering and confused in the same go.

“Soldat. This is the widow.” His mentor speaks in Russian, gesturing to you which makes the soldier give you one look. That’s it. One brief look of disdain and he goes back to looking at the mentor like you weren’t even there.

This mission is going to go well.

“You’re making progress Bucky.” Dr. Raynor hums, her eyes glinting as she watches him over the pad of paper she hasn’t scribbled on in the past hour. He likes to think that it’s a good sign, but he also tries not to get into his own head about it. “But I’d like to go a little deeper if you’ll let me.”

“Don’t really have a choice doc.” He mutters, but his tone lacks the usual bite.

“Funny. Have you slept in a bed recently?”

“I’ve made it to at least 3 hours of sleep in my bed.” He nods, not mentioning he thought the laundry detergent smelled like your shampoo.

“You bought any home decorations? Anything at all?”

“There’s a welcome mat by the front door.”

“Inside or outside?”

“…..inside.” He wasn’t brave enough to put it out in the hall yet.

“I just want a house that has a welcome mat and that cookie smell. Something to call home.” Those were your words, whispered to him the night before the soldier…..

“Tell me what you have been up to lately.”

“Lunches with Yori….missions with Sam…. And I’ve been…. Trying to find someone.”

“Someone from your time as the soldier?”

“Yes.” His throat is tight and he might throw up.

“For revenge?”

“No…. Well she might want revenge…… I just want her.” He admits.

Dr. Raynors eyebrows shoot up, and she tries to keep neutral as she asks the next question. “The viper then?”

“She didn’t like that name.”

“How did she get it?”

“Me.”

“And what did you call her if she didn’t like the name?”

“Flower.”

I don't start it but I can tell you how it ends

Don't get sad, get even

So on the weekends

I don't dress for friends

Lately I've been dressing for revenge

The roof of the bagel shop on the stupid block you were on was probably the worst spot to be.

Best, if you’re focusing on the fact that it’s the perfect hideout for the sniper gun you are aiming and the fact that you’re able to lay at a slant so your legs don’t falls asleep while you focus.

Terrible for the fact that you could smell the pizza shop next door perfectly, and your stomach was beginning to rumble in hunger.

But you had to focus, your target was supposed to be in his apartment right now, Viktor Aubrel, the man that sold you in the first place.

Your intel told you he should have been home an hour ago and yet you were still waiting in the winter air that sent a shiver up your spine, too focused on the aim to realize the two figures now on the roof.

“Are the widows that oblivious now?” A deep voice laughs causing you to whirl, knife out as you spot none other than the winter soldier and the new captain america, both watching you.

It was the captain that taunted you, a sneer making its way into your lips as you prepare yourself to launch. The winter soldier extends a hand out, blocking the captain with a skeptical look.

“Sam. A little forewarning, she doesn’t fight like the others.” He mumbles and you all but hiss, not giving either of them a moment before you’re launching at them.

They track your movements well, both standing to fight as you run across the roof, jumping up on the ledge to give you the upper advantage and launch yourself at them. Starting with the easier target, the man with the shield. Wrapping your arms around his neck and spinning your body until you have his weight thrown in the air. He manages to catch himself standing but you’re ahead of the game, jumping so your feet are planted on his chest and shoving him off the roof right as the winter soldier gets to you.

“I don’t want to do this.” He mutters and you hiss again, lunging with a knife out, slashing expertly over and over as he dodges as much as he can. “You don’t need to do this.”

The knife catches in the elbow of his metal arm and his flesh hand comes up to grab your wrist so you twist, kicking his knee down and flick another knife from your uniform.

“I want to.” You mutter in Russian, voice dripping with disdain as you raise the knife and bring it down. Only to get blasted across the roof.

The air leaves your lungs as you skid across the concrete of the roof, splayed out staring at the sky and blinking away the pain.

“She’s quicker than the rest.” Captain America huffs, helping the soldier up.

“A lethal experiment. Taking a trained widow and injecting her with mutated blood of some guy named Logan Howlett.”

“Where does the viper come from?”

“Her knives are all laced with venom and poisons. One touch to your skin and it doesn’t matter if it was a fatal wound or not. You’re out.” You hear them both approach, pretending to be passed out before they get close enough and you can kick the soldier in the stomach. He catches your foot, twisting so your body would have to twist with it or break, but you’re already pulling out a knife and launching it at the other.

A shout of warning leaves the soldier's lips as the knife nearly gets his partner's thigh, you take this weakness and twist until you are wrapped around him and launching you both across the roof. But he is already working his way out, twisting so you slam into the roof once more, his metal arm on your throat holding you down as you claw at it.

Panic attacks your body, scratching at the metal as the captain comes into view.

“Stop. We can help you.” The man sighs.

“Y/n.” The soldier mumbles, eyes pleading. “Let us help-“

Your foot bends to smash into his jaw and send him sprawling back.

“That’s. Not. My. Name.” Your voice is scratchy from the choking and it hurts to talk, but you don’t have time since you’re already dashing to clear the roof.

But the captain throws his shield and hits your ankle sending you falling until Bucky catches you and twists you with his metal arm so your back was to his chest and he can hold you.

“It is. You told me so yourself. Remember?”

“I wanna see my life before all this. I want to see my family and tell them I’m alive. My name was y/n. I found my file and I just-“

You were disgusted that you ever told him such things.

“LET GO!”

“We can help with your list.” It’s the caption saying this, his face holding pity. “We can’t kill but we can help take them down. If you’re willing.”

“They all deserve to die!” The one holding you counted in that.

“I’m not arguing that. But I am setting boundaries. Justice by more death is not the way to do this.” The man tries to ease, attempting a smile. “I’m Sam. You already know Buck-“

“Let me go!”

“We’re proposing a partnership. We help you take them down, get them arrested and you don’t kill any of them.”

“Right. And I get thrown in a cell right after I’m assuming.” You sneer, trying not to focus on the scent of hazel and coffee coating your senses from the soldier.

“You will be pardoned. You had no choice back then and we are giving you one now. Pardoned.”

“And what do you mean by taking them down?” What choice did you have?

It had been a week with the soldier when he finally showed a small amount of emotion. Insane.

You had been huddled in the corner of the abandoned hotel you made camp in, keeping close to yourself for warmth as he pretended to sleep by the wall. You knew he wasn’t actually asleep, not trusting enough to do so. And you don’t know when he does get sleep, all you know is you fight to the last possible moment your eyelids can stay open and you don’t sleep long.

The exhaustion and the cold were beginning to wear you down, a week in and you had yet to kill a single person on this list because the Soldat refused to listen to how you can manage it. With him it’s all silent and watching, your missions were usually more lively. You wore disguises and set traps. Hydra liked sending messages and it’s what you did.

They want a quick and efficient widow? They send Belova. They want a widow that draws attention to their dangers? A prize possession? They send you.

Which is why this entire mission is so weird. Why send you if- before you can finish your thought you are being pelted with a warm jacket, the Soldat glaring at you.

“Your teeth chattering is keeping me up.” He mutters in Russian, sitting up and checking all his weapons.

“As if you sleep.” You reply back in Russian, rolling your eyes. His eyes flick to you in surprise for just a second before he trains them again, watching the window in the opposite corner. “What’s your name?”

“Soldat.”

“What’s your real name?”

“I….. should the viper be asking questions?” He snaps, glaring once more before you roll your eyes and stand up. He watches your every move as you toss his jacket back and cross the room. “Where are you going?”

“To be a viper.” You sneer back, enjoying the way the Russian makes the words bite out more.

He stands up quickly when you move to climb out the window but you send him a glare and descend quickly, making sure he does not follow.

When you get back three hours later, he is standing in the center of the room with his arms crossed and a glare on his features.

You simply walk past him to grab your list, crossing off the first name. “Can we get an actual hotel this time? I need to shower some of this blood off.”

As you move to walk past him his arm shoots out to grab you, pain erupting as he bends your neck to look at him. You would allow this, because is his anger is on you then he won’t look into the 2 little children you helped vanish tonight after you killed their father.

“You do not make moves without me. Understood?”

“Yes Soldat.” You try to nod before he lets go.

“Viper.” He hisses. And you would allow it, because if anyone knew what you had done you would be killed.

The three of you ended up in a warehouse not too far away from the roof you had been scouting on, bucky carrying your bag of weapons on his shoulder as he tried not to look at you while Sam paced back and forth.

You sat on a fallen beam, seeming bored and uninterested as you picked at your nails. But Bucky knew that was your game, to let the world think you were a valid assassin with little to no care.

But he knew you cared, he knew how much effort you had put into saving kids back then. You had always been so warm without even realizing it.

But maybe that all changed, after it….. all happened he hadn’t heard about you again and after he was freed by Steve he couldn't seem to find any of the children you had saved.

“What happened to them?” He finds himself asking, his chest pinching at the sight of you. His flower. But that look in your eyes, the betrayal and anger…..

“The first three on my list? I dumped their bodies in the river.” You smile, turning your glare to Sam. “How about that pardon now?”

“The kids. The ones that you-“ you stand before he can finish his sentence , both him and Sam preparing for a fight as you seem to try and ease yourself.

“What kids?” Sam snaps, anger and protectiveness rolling off of him. “Did you hurt-“

“No. She used to smuggle them out.” Bucky explains. “When she got missions if there was a kid in the family she would pretend to kill them, and help the kid out.”

“I thought hydra confirmed kills by bodies.”

“Not when you’re the best.” You smile, that vapid venomous smile that made Bucky's stomach churn. “And Soldat is right. I used to smuggle the kids out.”

His chest hurts at the name you use, but he assumes that it’s fair. “Where are they now?”

He wants you to look at him, to tell him they are all safe and that he didn’t ruin everything. But you keep your eyes trained away, pain flashing through your features as you explain. “After you…. Told them….. they got the names and locations from me and sent out the shadow widow.”

“Kaltain Amerie.” Sam nods, recognizing the name. She was married to a fancy rich guy now, had been the one Yelena found.

“She took care of what I couldn’t. She did the job.” You nod, hands fisting at your sides as the words clang into Bucky. “And I was punished for my failure.”

“And the missions you got after they caught you?” Sam asks, casting a brief look to bucky at the word caught.

“I had a partner, and they always made sure I did my job.” Fuck.

He was going to puke, how many kids had…..

“You mentioned an alliance. Not an interrogation.” You snap, obviously uncomfortable. “And if you want to revoke my pardon because of-“

“I don’t.” Sam says gently, nodding. “And I’m sorry that it happened.”

“I’m not.” It was a lie and Bucky could taste it. Anything to keep both of them away, that wall you built up when he first met you.

“Okay. The name on your list. Let’s talk about how to get him.” Bucky changes direction, wanting to get you to ease again, not liking the pain in your eyes.

You continue to avoid looking in his direction, and he continues to stare at only you.

She needed cold hard proof so I gave her some

She had the envelope, where you think she got it from?

Now she gets the house, gets the kids, gets the pride

Picture me thick as thieves with your ex-wife

And she looks so pretty

Driving in your Benz

Lately she's been dressing for revenge

It’s a month into the mission when the Soldat tells you his name.

Gone were the days of sleeping on opposite sides of the room, now you both shared a bed. Gone were the days of him not sleeping, and he was now the one that fell asleep first.

Tonight being one of those nights, with you sitting against the headboard of the hotel bed, his forehead pressed into your thigh as he falls asleep slowly, letting you play with his hair as you review footage of your next name. The third on the list.

“My name….” He mutters, this time in English which still shocks you everytime he does. “It’s Bucky.”

“Bucky?” It tastes like vanilla on your tongue, your chest lightening as you whisper it a couple more times. “I like it.”

“What’s yours?”

“My file…. My file says Y/n.” You whisper back and he tilts his head up to look at you.

“You don’t seem to like it.”

“I….. it just doesn’t feel real.” You admit. “It feels wrong for me to use it.”

“I think it’s a wonderful name. It suits you well but… I think you’re my flower.” He murmurs back, moving to press his forehead into your thigh once more and finally lets sleep claim him.

The next morning you both work in tandem, cleaning weapons, he gives you time to make sure that your knives are still potent with venom as you try to come up with a plan to get the 5 year old girl out of the country without the soldier knowing.

But the betrayal of it hurts your chest, watching him work around you as a smooth unit. A team. That’s what you had become.

“Ready?” He asks in Russian, coming up to fix the hair that had fallen out of your braid, using his flesh hand to push it behind your ear as his thumb traces your jaw.

“Always. You?”

“With you my little flower? Always.”

It was ironic the way you and the Soldat still worked in tandem, moving with an effortless grace.

Sam, the captain, watches with wide eyes as you both move around each other.

“Do we have-“

“Yes we have enough intel.” You snap, closing the camera footage the second you spot the young boy running down the hall of the mansion when both him and his mom get home. The pain in your chest could be blamed on the image, and or the stupid soldier standing too close to you. “I can smell your breath.”

“He ate a cheeseburger for lunch again?” Sam chuckles and you stand straight, giving him wide eyes as the Soldat rolls his own. “You know you can’t get in trouble for calling him an idiot, right?”

“I’m aware.” Your words come out clipped and you try not to shudder at the way Sam snickers, catching your lie.

“Say it.”

“Say what?”

“Call Barnes a dumbass.”

“I won’t speak to the Soldat.” You reply, moving to clean your knives.

“Oh come on. Try it. It helps me..” sam laughs, sitting across from you at the kitchen counter as the Soldat shuffles closer to help you clean the knives. You could feel the warmth radiating off of him.

“You….. are a dumbass.” You squeak out, not looking at him. You hear him snort behind you and he reaches across to grab another knife. You roll your eyes at the way he presses his body next to yours.

“That was lame. Try again.” Sam laughs.

“Fine. You’re a DUMBASS!” You snap out, watching both their eyes widen before laughs break out and they start cracking up.

You feel your stiff spine loosen a little, the anxiety easing as you start laughing as well, all three of you cackling. His flesh hand finds its way to your lower back to keep you stable as you both drop the knives to laugh. And finally, after three weeks of working with them you drop the angry front, and give in to their warmth even though everything in you screams to not fall for it.

“Is this….. proper mission food?” You ask from the spot you had taken at the window, watching Bucky and Sam come in with pizza boxes and beer in their hands, both laughing at each other .

Bucky had, sort of tripped up on the stairs which sent Sam in a spiral of making fun of him, but the second they laid eyes on you that humor fell out the window, both going quiet.

“You don’t think pizza and beer are good?” Sam asks, offended. “This is the best combo.”

“Is it…. Allowed?” You ask again and Bucky feels that pang in his chest before he passes the box to you and opens it smoothly.

“You get the first slice pick.” He offers and Sam gasps at the counter.

“That….. oh that’s just cruel to me.”

“It’s an honor to pick the first slice then?” You quirk your eyebrow, humor written on your face, the spark in your eyes setting him on fire. “This is a New York custom?”

“Oh indeed.” He smiles, pushing the box closer to you. “It would be a great dishonor to refuse this.”

There is a second of discomfort, he watches you contemplate it before you reach for a slice, grabbing the largest slice and raising your eyebrows as you wait to see their reactions.

“Perfect choice!” Sam grunts, reaching around you to grab another slice.

“I was going to choose that one.” Bucky smiles, watching you bite it immediately then stick out your tongue at him before taking up a spot on the couch as both of them find their own seats in the living room. You seem tense still, obviously not used to this sort of freedom anymore and his lungs constrict at the thought that this was caused by him.

Back then you had been so… warm and open. Even as an agent you melted the ice exterior the soldier had around him. And through the muddled haze of his memory every memory attached to you was always crystal clear, like a flame in the fog.

“So…. you guys knew each other back when he was the Winter Soldier?” Sam asks, popping the lid off of a beer with ease, he leans forward on his knees and pretends to be more interested in the pizza box. Making it seem like he was an open book, a comforting thing.

“Yeah, we had a long list of enemies that they wanted us to deal with.” You answer, looking to the window rather than either of them.

“It seems like it went wrong…”

“It went fine.” Bucky is quick to snap.

“It was fine. We made it through half the list, before Hydra had to get involved.” You snap as well moving to set the rest of your slice on the plate left on the table for you. “I made a mistake.”

“It wasn’t-” Bucky goes to argue, chest tight.

“I let emotions muddle my task.” You explain to Sam. “I got too attached and ruined it. And then I got caught smuggling the kids out- I was further reported for my behavior and handled accordingly.”

“Hey, this isn’t Hydra.” Sam tries to ease you. “I think what you did was very noble and-”

“All I did was give kids hope where it didn’t belong.” You sneer. “I will never allow myself that weakness again.”

You cast Bucky a glare, his palms sweating and chest blistering as he watches you disappear into the bathroom and the shower running a second later.

Sam continues watching Bucky, eyebrows pinched together. “You reported it?”

“I… as much as I broke away at that time I was still under the soldiers spell.” Bucky admits, gulping down half the beer in his hand. “I…. I had sent in a mission report. Well I had to send it in and I had caught her plan a little bit before that.”

“I’m sorry that happened, Buck.”

“I am too.” He sighs. “I got rewarded and she… well they broke her.”

She don't start it, but she can tell you how it ends

Don't get sad, get even

So on the weekends

She don't dress for friends

Lately she's been dressing for revenge

“You need to be careful in the upper levels.” He warns, keeping his flesh hand on the small of your back as you both move to start scaling the side of the house.

“I know.” You growl out, keeping your voice low as his eyebrows pinch in frustration. “Don’t be a worry wart.”

“Stick to my side.”

“The job is quicker if I take care of the kids.” You mumble, leaning up to kiss his cheek lightly, the closest you had ever gotten to actually kissing him, no matter how much you wanted to. Three months with him and you were hopelessly in love.

“Fine.” He grunts out, his Russian sharp. He nods once before moving to his starting point, checking that you had begun scaling the wall to the kids room before heading in to handle the parents. But you had been so caught up in Bucky that you didn’t check to make sure both the children were asleep.

The girl screamed first, followed by the boy and you began rushing to ease their worries, kneeling by them and trying to swipe the tears away. “No no. Easy my little ones. It’s okay. I just need you to listen-”

But the boy screams again, this time at something behind you which makes you whirl to find Bucky in the frame of the door, watching intently with blood on his arm.

“No! Please!” You beg, up on your feet and shoving yourself in front of the children as he cocks his head to the side. “Please.”

“Move.” He orders, raising his gun. It seems he’s already assessed the weakness and was willing to handle the problem. “Now.”

“No!” You hadn’t even realized that tears were falling down your face until you could taste the salt, moving forward to grab his gun. “Please!”

“The mission-”

“They are children.” Both of you were speaking Russian, which seemed to be scaring the kids even more as they wailed, and you turned to ease them again. They dash into your arms, holding you tight as they sob. You would die before letting anything happen to them.

When you turn to see him again you see that he has lowered the gun and is merely staring at you, something sparking in his eyes.

You wait for the blow, but it never comes. Instead he nods his head and moves to pick up the boy. He helps you get them out, aboard a ship and hidden from Hydra. When you make it back to the hotel you pace a bit, waiting for him to finish you off.

But he merely stands in the center of the room, watching you closely.

“I’m sorry.” You sob, hand on your chest as you turn to him finally. “I failed the mission and-”

He moves forward in three easy strides, his hands grasping your jaw to bring you up into a searing kiss, arms wrapping around you tightly as he lifts you off the ground to keep you close. And all anxieties peel away, as he lifts his hand to undo your suit. Giving yourself to the soldier that night, and once you were done you stay huddled together, whispering your dreams of the past and future.

And for once you felt like…. You were home.

The next morning tensions were gone, and you seemed to have forgotten about the night before. Or at least you were pretending to, and Bucky didn’t know if he should be happy or angry at the fact.

You had combed through all the footage of the target, piling it all into a folder and he had sent the flash drive to the people needed that would be able to get him arrested. And after that had been sent you had sent out another envelope to his wife, with proof of an affair so she would be able to divorce him.

And just like that another name was taken off your list, and Bucky tried not to feel the pressure at the fact that he was sure you would be gone the second the list was done. And he wouldn’t have an excuse to see you anymore.

He’s lucky Sam went along with this plan in the first place.

“Where is Sam?” You ask from your spot at the counter, legs crossed as you play with one of your knives, watching him closely where he sits on the couch.

“He went to go check on his sister and her kids.” He answers, looking up to you. “They are really close.”

“That’s nice.” You hum, dropping the knife out of boredom. “What comes next?”

“You got another name?”

“Are we allowed to start without Sam?” You ask, eyebrows pinching together.

“Yes. We can. Your list?”

“Front pocket of my duffel.” You hum out, something having caught your attention. He reaches for the bag and checks for the list as you shuffle closer to his open laptop. For a second he hears you hesitate, but he had already made it clear that you had access to anything so he nods and lets you look as he finds the paper you wrote the list on.

His eyes skim across the names, landing on the very last name as his heart stops. ‘Bucky Barnes’ , and no matter how many times you blink the name does not disappear. Why did you let him see this? Was this a trap set?

He whirls, only to find you staring at the screen unblinking. “Flower?”

Your head snaps to glare at him as he shuffles closer, shoving your list in his pocket and looking at what had caught your attention. He finds an old sitcom, a scene with a mother curled up with her kids and reading them a bedtime story.

“You never told me why.” He mutters, sitting on the couch with you on the floor staring at the screen again.

“Why what?”

“Why did you risk your life for all those kids?”

“Because they… because no one fought for me back then.” You admit, turning to look at him. “What is this show?”

“Full house. I don’t know, Steve put it on my list.”

“Your list?” You ask and he nods.

“Things to catch up on.” He smiles. “Like the star wars series.”

“The what?” He blinks slowly at your question, purely shocked.

Three hours later you are both sprawled out on the couch, pillows and blankets thrown about with snacks everywhere. Bucky had dragged you out to the store, buying tons of snacks that you had never tried before and before you knew it the apartment cupboards were packed with snacks and you were preparing to see the first star wars.

“Should we… have brought all this to the mission base?”

“The what?” He laughs, leaning forward to snatch a gummy worm from the bag you were holding.

“The… this apartment. Are we allowed to use it for this?”

“It’s my apartment.” He shrugs, and you blink slowly.

“It’s empty though.”

“I have a couch!” He scoffs. “And a tv!”

“No bed, no plushy towels or…. This is your home?” You didn’t know why this upset you. “You live like this?”

You want to kill him. You want to kill him. Why does this matter?

“I have a welcome mat.” He points to the door.

“That’s an ugly welcome mat.”

“Is not.”

“That would scare away any child on halloween.” You snap. “Are you trying to ruin their halloween?”

“No one really comes up here on halloween.” He shrugs again. “Why does it matter?”

“You… you’ve been free! You have been free this whole time and this is how you live and- I…..”

“I had other things to worry about besides Hydra. And John Walker. Tony Stark and the snap and- well I was trying to find you.” He admits.

“You were trying to find me?” Your chest constricts, as you watch him. “You tried to find me?”

“I did but after I was freed it was like they made you completely disappear and I’m assuming it’s because they knew I would start looki-” Before he can finish his sentence his phone rings and he sees Sams name, giving you an apologetic look before picking it up. You take a moment to try and fix yourself, taking deep breaths in. “He WHAT?”

This catches your attention, sitting up to watch him carefully as he stands. “I’ll be right there.”

He hangs up and nods. “I gotta go help Sam. Stay here and-”

“I’m coming with you.” You snap, moving to grab your duffel.

“No, we have a situation with John Walker and I need to-”

“I am coming.” And just like that you grab your suit, giving him your best glare as he shakes his head. “You both are helping me. The least I can do is help you.”

“You don’t have to.” He mumbles.

“But I will. Let’s go.”

Ladies always rise above

Ladies know what people want

Someone sweet and kind and fun

The lady simply had enough

“Thank you.” You whisper, keeping your head on his chest as you trace patterns along his skin. “Thank you for helping.”

“If you got away what would you do?”

“Me? I….. I would find the kids and make sure they made it. I would buy a house and get a cheesy welcome mat for it. I would decorate for halloween and….. And I would adopt a kid and-” You could taste the freedom, imagine it right there. A happy life.

“That sounds… amazing, flower.”

You lift your head, smiling softly as you lean up to kiss him, and he smiles back before moving to kiss you back.

You feel him stiffen before sitting up quickly and reaching for his knife. “Bucky?”

“I’m sorry.” He mumbles. “I’m so sorry.”

Before you can realize the door is blown open and agents rush in to grab you.

“Oh…. oh I like this duo.” John Walker smiles, watching you stand slightly behind Bucky with your arms crossed. He doesn’t say a word and neither do you, both giving him a good glare. The Winter Soldier and The Viper. “I hadn’t realized that Bucko boy came with his very own sidekick.”

“этот идиот знает, что от него пахнет рыбой?” (does this imbecile know he smells of fish?) You ask, sneering a bit and taking a step closer to Bucky. “и так небрежно использовать свое имя. Я могу сломать этого человека за считанные минуты.” (and to use your first name so casually. I can break this man within minutes.)

“Я с нетерпением жду этого. Еще я очень голоден, мармеладных червячков мне не хватило, чтобы поесть..” (I look forward to it. I'm also very hungry, gummy worms were not a sufficient meal)

You nod, trying not to smile as he gives you a look over his shoulder while Walker shuffles uncomfortably on his feet. “Shouldn’t we all speak english?”

“Maybe.” Sam shrugs. “But I find it’s easier to let these two do their thing. You said something about a raid?”

“There is a train heading down south here in 30 minutes and I know for a fact that there are rebels planning on stealing what’s on it.”

“What’s so important about what’s on the train?” Bucky asks, casting a look towards you and you see him catalog each and every one of your weapons just as he always used to do as the soldat. You give him a glare and he shrugs.

“Weapons.” John mutters. “And if we can intercept the rebels then-”

“You get your job back?” Sam snides. John stutters for a second and you snort, enjoying the panic on his face. He glares at you, preparing to say something as you step forward to grab one of your knives. You had no clue who this man was but it was easy to know that he was not an ally.

“Get your-”

“She’s not a dog.” Sam snaps, as Bucky sneers. “We’ll help, but on our terms. No one gets hurt and no one gets pummeled without cause.”

“Fine. Let’s see what you guys can do.” John sneers at you both, and Bucky sends you an easy smile over his shoulder as you smile back.

“Устроить им ад?” (Give them hell?)

“следую твоему примеру, Барнс.” (Following your lead, Barnes) You smile back, both of you swiveling to Sam and moving together.

You stand with him on a bridge, keeping a hand on his arm to stabilize yourself as you keep an eye on the ledge, fixing the comm in your ear with your other hand as he does the same.

“I….. I never wanted to betray you.” He blurts, as John tries to convince Sam to give him one of their comms, his argument of ‘I’m part of the team!’ almost making you snort. But Bucky’s words kept your attention as you tried to play it cool. Keeping your eyes trained on the bridge before you.

“Is this a good time to talk about this?” You mutter in Russian, just in case Walker could hear you both like you could hear him.

“It was the status report. They were making me do it every month and….. I fought it. I really tried to fight it.” He admits in russian, casting a look to Walker before turning back to you, his hand shooting out to wrap around your arm as you lean to prepare a landing. “Careful.”

“I thought…. You were…. Nevermind it was my mistake.”

“It wasn’t a mistake.” He snaps, pulling you closer. “It… It was everything to me.”

“I shouldn’t have. I should have kept my eyes on the mission and I ruined it and I ruined it for those kids. You were a weapon dangled before me, they knew I would fall for it. They knew I would fall for the freedom of it. And I’m sure they already knew that I was helping those kids and they just needed to prove-” The words are spilling out and you just can’t seem to stop them, tears beginning to fill your eyes. “I just wanted… I just wanted to help them.”

“You did.” He mumbles, moving until his chest is pressed to your shoulder. “Please look at me.”

“I messed it all up.”

“You didn’t mess anything up-”

“I did. I fell in love.” You finally look at him, tears in your eyes as he takes a deep breath in.

“I-”

“Incoming.” It’s Sam's voice in the comms that makes you both jump before you look to see the train coming.

“On it.” You mumble back in english, stabbing a knife into the brick beneath you as Bucky keeps a hold on your arm.

“Be careful, we’ll be right behind. Keep a knife ready and-”

“I’ve got it.” You laugh, watching the train get closer and closer.

“I just worry.” He admits, leaning forward to kiss your cheek softly. “And just so we are clear, I fell in love too.”

You try not to smile, giving him one last look before using the chord and launching down as you hear Sam count down in the comms, feet landing on the top of the train with a thud before you dive for the top grate and begin working on tearing it off.

You manage to tear it off in time to duck and lay flat as a sign under the bridge appears, managing to avoid it before crouching and climbing in as the train breaks from the bridge, three heavy sets of footprints hit the top of it while you climb across boxes to get to the end of the cart.

“Viper?!” Walker calls, landing in the crate followed by Bucky and Sam. You don’t bother answering, too busy trying to lift the shaft on the cart.

“You good?” Sam asks, coming to your side.

“I’m fine.” You mumble. “I can handle the mission sir-”

“Did you just sir me?” Sam laughs, leaning to help you with the shaft, letting the sunlight break in as the wind snaps in both your faces.

“You guys see anything?” John yells across the way as Bucky hops over a box and reaches you both.

You have just enough time to turn, ready to bite a response to Walker when you spot the bomb taped to the far wall. Your mouth opens in an attempt to yell a warning but it’s too late. It all blasts to shit.

There was nothing but pain as you hung suspended in the cell, the Shadow Widow sneering at you from her spot in the corner while Valkov took a break from torturing you. Your breathing is ragged, blood falling out of your mouth with the saliva as your eyes water.

You can no longer feel your legs, and your fingernails had been torn out first. Sobs racking through your body as he asks the question again, his russian loud.

“WHERE ARE THE LOOSE ENDS?!!”

You couldn’t betray the kids, you couldn’t do it. So when he picked up the drill you closed your eyes, sobbing once more as you try to blink Buckys face out of your memory, succumbing to your punishment.

Heat blasts against his back as you scream out, Sam yelling loudly, all three of you grasping anything you can as the train keeps going.

Bucky’s metal arm finds purchase on a broken handle of the train, trying to pull himself up as Sam grips the side grates of the train trying to activate his falcon wings while you struggle to keep hold of what is left of the floorboard in the train car, nails scraping as you grimace in pain while your legs stay suspended in the air.

“HOLD ON!” He calls, reaching his flesh hand for you before the metal of the door groans and he has to freeze.

Walker appears, bleeding from his ears and looking frazzled as hell, but Bucky breathes out a sigh of relief when he sees the idiot reach to help you. Hope that you would make it out of this mess, that is until John stumbles as he reaches for your hand and ends up making you lose your holding.

You scream out, nails scraping as you slide out, nearly all your body suspended in the air. Both Bucky and Sam scream, reaching for you before they realize they can’t.

“When does this fucking bridge end?” Bucky snaps, looking down to the hundreds of feet below, memories flashing in his mind.

“Language.” Sam grunts, exhaling in relief when he sees you manage to grab the final woodboard, your last chance at holding on.

“Complete the mission.” You snap. “I can get up.”

“We don’t leave each other behind.” Bucky grunts, using his flesh hand to reach for a rope connected to the roof of the train car.

“Hydra tells us we need to complete the missi-”

“This isn’t Hydra and I’m not leaving my girl on this train.” Bucky snaps and Sam whoops out a loud ‘fuck hydra’ as they both struggle to get to the main opening.

There are thuds on top of the train and you risk a look to see multiple hooded figures with bags getting ready to ransack the weapons. A grunt of anger passes through you as let one hand free from the board, much to Bucky's chagrin as he yells out for you before you reach and grab your compact launcher you had hidden in the belt of your suit and shoot the roof with the grappling hook, pulling yourself up right in time for Walker to fall back into the car.

“This manchild is useless.” You sneer, reaching for Bucky immediately, hands grasping his tactical vest and dragging him as much as you can into the train car as Sam struggles to get in as well.

“There are about 15 figures. We should have about 10 minutes before they blow the rest of this train up.” You explain, keeping your hands on his shoulders as you assess him. “Are you hurt?”

“No I’m-”

“I’m hurt!” Walker calls, making you hiss an unappealing word at him in russian before moving to look at Sam.

“Do you want the viper or me on this mission?”

“Viper would be nice.” Sam nods, looking at all the weapons. “Viper for sure.”

You nod, turning to assess Bucky one more time before he nods at you and you both begin working.

While he was doing lines

And crossing all of mine

Someone told his white collar crimes to the FBI

And I don't dress for villains

Or for innocents

I'm on my vigilante shh again

You both work in tandem, every punch he throws shoves the person straight into your kick. You slash your knife at anyone that gets too close to him, slicing their skin easily as he snipes out anyone rushing to the train.

Sam is finding the rest of the bombs, disarming them to the best of his ability.

You hiss in pain when you get hit in the jaw, but Bucky is there smashing the butt of his gun to the back of their head as you blink away the tears. His hand finds your jaw, assessing the damage before turning and nodding to the path you guys need.

“So…. what’s the plan after this?” He asks, huffing as he gets to the slate you had originally been planning on clearing.

“After this? Probably dinner.” You laugh, bending to break the controls. He adjusts himself so you were back to back, him watching to make sure you were good.

“I mean…. After this mission.”

“I….. I want to finish the list.” You answer, tearing out a board to access the rest of the control panel.

“Does that list still include me?” He blurts, making you freeze. When you don’t answer he looks down to see you already staring up at him with wide eyes.

“You saw that?”

“On your list. Highlighted and everything.” He nods, snapping his attention to a thud across the way, finding it empty. It was enough to get you back to work, focusing on the wires and buttons again. “I would understand if you wanted to-”

“I don’t anymore.” You snap. “I don’t think I ever would have been able to but it’s not like I planned to make it far after I got out. I didn’t have a plan. Everyone else had a plan and I was left! I was tortured and maimed for wanting that freedom, and when the time came I was the only one that had nothing to live for.”

You were seething, and he could only agree. He hated the other widows for what they did to you, that would never be forgiven.

“I wanted a family. That’s all I wanted.” You whisper, finally breaking the right chord. The lights immediately die out and the train lurches as it comes to a complete stop.

“Is that still what you want?” He whispers back, holding his hand out for you to grab and help you up.

“I don’t deserve it.”

“You are the only person in this entire universe that deserves that.” He snaps. “And it’s important to me that you know that.”

“It’s not like I have much of a future open.”

“Well I think you have a bit of a future in the vigilante game if you ask me.” He smiles.

I don't start it, but I can tell you how it ends

Don't get sad, get even

So on the weekends

I don't dress for friends

Lately I've been dressing for revenge

“I’m sorry, you used to what?!” Sarah laughs, coming around the kitchen counter to grab a bottle of soda from your hand, eyes wide. “Dip your knives in lethal poison.”

“It made things easier. Even if I didn’t hit a vital organ I still knew the job was done.” You explain, shrugging a bit as she laughs. You still got nervous when talking about your past, but Sarah seemed anything but judgemental.

Sam's sister ended up being your very best friend on this earth, which surprised you to no end. You loved her kids and you loved her. You especially loved girls night because you never thought this would be an option in general. Nonetheless you had friends now. You had a home, with a silly little welcome mat that was left on the porch for the trick or treaters every year.

The very same one that was getting trampled on every time Sarahs kids ran through with your adopted children, covered in mud and laughing loudly.

“Hey! Mind your mess!” She snaps out but you can’t stop smiling as you watch your adopted 4 year old chase after one of her sons.

“What are you up to?” Bucky asks, coming in from the garage with Sam and Joaquin smiling from ear to ear as he rushes to kiss at your jaw.

“We are getting ready.” You laugh, shooing him away.

“For?”

“The Eras movie. You have daughters now Barnes. You need to get with the program.” Sarah scoffs playfully, making her brother laugh as they pick up the snacks and head to the living room.

“Hey…. I just wanted to say thank you for your help on the mission the other day.” Torres smiles before following the rest into the living room leaving you with Bucky.

“Hear that? Vigilante shit right there.” You laugh, leaning forward to kiss him.

“Still waiting for you to kill me.” He whispers against your lips, winking before heading to catch your daughter as she tries to dash past, making her laugh loudly and reach for you.

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edosianorchids901 · 14 days ago

Text

To What Are The Stars Fastened?

@sherlocktember2024 prompt - "stars"

Holmes had never appreciated the stars quite enough. They were distant, far off things. Beautiful, perhaps, but entirely irrelevant to all but the smallest fraction of his cases.

Now, as he lay on his back in the Park, he found himself appreciating them rather more. They were quite captivating, especially on such a cold, clear night. They held his attention. Kept him awake.

And that was quite a good thing, as he was reasonably certain that falling asleep immediately after being struck over the head was inadvisable. Similarly, he was bleeding more than slightly, and it would be better to stay conscious until Watson caught up to him and could do something about the not-inconsiderable wound on his neck.

He contemplated the stars again. They glittered like the most stunning gems he had ever recovered, and why? Such faraway points of light were irrelevant to everyday light on Earth. And yet, there they shone, enhancing the appearance of the night sky.

“Holmes! Holmes, where are you?”

Ah, that would be Watson, having received his note about going to investigate a possible case. Excellent. If all else failed, Holmes would much prefer to bleed out in his arms rather than to die alone in the path.

“Holmes!”

Answering him would likely be wise, although Holmes had no wish to shout. It would worsen the considerable pounding headache. Hardly the worst blow to the head he had ever suffered, yet it made noise rather unappealing.

“For God’s sake, Sherlock, where are you?”

The sheer panic in Watson’s voice cut through Holmes’ fog, and he stirred himself to reply. “Here, Watson.”

His head throbbed, and he winced. But Watson’s rapid running footsteps crunched down the path to him. “Holmes! Can you hear me?”

“Evidently, as I have replied.” Holmes flashed a quick, pained smile as Watson’s knelt beside him. “My dear Watson. Would you be so good as to… put pressure on my wound? It is difficult to keep my hand...”

He ran out of both breath and the ability to keep his palm pressed against his neck. His hand thudded to the ground, and the blood soaked handkerchief followed.

“My God!” In an instant, Watson’s warm hand was against his neck, applying pressure. After only a brief delay, fabric replaced it. Watson’s scarf, no doubt. Holmes had forgotten his own, which was unfortunate as it would have been most useful. “Holmes, who did this to you? Where are they?”

Holmes waved a hand vaguely towards the icy pond. “The assassin is in there. I managed a considerable blow of my own, and he… seemed unconscious when he fell in.”

“I cannot say I have any pity for him. If this cut had been at a slightly different spot or angle, you would have been killed.” Watson was breathing too hard, trembling as he applied pressure. His free hand settled on Holmes’ cheek, turning his head. “Holmes, can you see me?”

Yes, and he was eclipsing the view. Holmes tried to look around him. “I saw stars, Watson.”

“Yes, your head is bleeding as well. I think you’ve had a considerable blow.”

“I do not mean that, Watson!” Holmes snapped. “The stars are remarkably bright tonight. I… Dear me, my head hurts.”

“That is because you’ve had a considerable blow.” But Watson turned, glancing up at the sky briefly before turning his attention back to Holmes. “Ordinarily, I would be delighted that you are taking a moment to appreciate nature, but we have more pressing concerns right now. And in fact, I’m a little worried that you’re appreciating the stars instead of claiming they’re irrelevant.”

“Well, they are irrelevant to my work. They are extras.” Holmes managed another quick twitch of a smile, although he was shivering quite badly by now. Blood loss did not aid in his existing intolerance to cold. “Like the flowers, Watson. The stars, too, give me much hope.”

Watson quickly shed his coat, laying the warm fabric across Holmes. “Very positive words for a man who is currently bleeding to death from an assassination attempt.”

“Nonsense. You would never permit me to bleed to death.” He would have liked to pat Watson’s arm in reassurance, but that would expend energy he could not afford. He merely shivered, still chilled, and tried to keep his attention on those points of light. “And I knew you would come.”

Although he had been less certain that Watson would arrive in time. It had all been contingent on when Watson returned to Baker Street from his consulting room. But as Watson was not weeping over him, Holmes assumed all would be well.

“Of course I came,” Watson said softly. “I am only sorry that I was not with you when the attack happened.”

“It’s all right, Watson. It is my responsibility for pursuing my work without my trusty companion at my… ow!” Holmes glared up as Watson applied pressure to his head wound as well. “Is that necessary?”

“Unless you wish to lose still more blood, it is necessary.” Letting out a long, shaky breath, Watson relaxed somewhat. “You’ll be all right, old man. Once this bleeding slows, we’ll return to Baker Street and get you patched up.”

“Ah. Excellent.” The pounding in Holmes’ head had not fully diminished, but he attempted to ignore it. Pain was irrelevant at the moment, as it was merely an indicator of injury, and his injuries were already being tended to. “In that case, my dear Watson, shall we gaze upon the distant stars together?”

Watson’s expression softened, and he nodded. “Yes, Holmes. I would be very happy to do so with you. Perhaps sometime, we could even stargaze when you are not bleeding profusely.”

“Mm.” Holmes rather suspected that he would find the stars much less compelling when he was not bleeding profusely. They were beautiful, yes, but matters of Earth would always take precedence. Still, Watson did appreciate such things, and time spent with Watson was never wasted. “Very well, my dear fellow. We shall stargaze again at a later, less bloody date.”

#sherlock holmes #john watson #granada holmes #hurt/comfort

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shunin-gumis · 7 months ago

Text

Nagi Hachinoya Novel

Essence of a Bouquet

Track 03 - Healing that occurs when you awaken your Empath Chakra

Hideko "Everyone is looking much brighter now, a huge difference from when you had first joined. Can you sense your happiness approaching? Now, today we shall awaken our chakras together-"

Master Hideko seemed divine and full of love today as well, just like a Goddess.

Black cat avatar "Wow, today was a great gathering as usual! When Master Hideko awakened my sixth chakra, I felt a whole new world open up in front of me. Is this what they call a vision!?"

Nagi "It's cool that you managed to see it Norisuke-san."

Norisuke "Aw Negi-kun, you couldn't see it? I thought we'd be buddies who opened their chakras at the same time too…"

At the usual lobby in mahorova.

Norisuke-san was the person with the black cat avatar. Though he said it was a fake name. That's why I gave him a fake name too; "Negi".

This is our 4th gathering. Norisuke-san has attended every one so far, and always makes sure to sit beside me. Master Hideko's sermons were helpful, and I was happy that I was getting along better with Norisuke-san as time passes.

Norisuke "By the way, it seems like they'll be holding an offline meeting at their company building in two weeks. I think it'd be great if we could meet Master Hideko in the flesh…"

Nagi "That does sound great."

Norisuke "Right? …Oops, look at the time, I gotta go! See you at the next gathering!"

Nagi "See you later."

~~~~

After logging out of mahorova, I couldn't help but feel liberated. I head towards the living room, wondering if there was anyone there. I was feeling so elated I skipped my way there.

Ryui "The hell you prancing around for. Some of us are trying to watch TV here."

Toi "You look like you're in a good mood Nagi-kun, did something good happen?"

Toi and Ryui were watching television in the living room."

I bow slightly in apology for interrupting them, and look at the screen myself.

…Apparently it was some news about some fraud company getting exposed.

Ryui "Lately there's been some shady business going on, something to do with fake spiritual goods and techniques and what not."

Nagi "Ooh that sounds scary."

Toi "Isn't it unforgivable!? People and spirits alike, we all just want to be happy. I can't believe there are people taking advantage of others' good will to try and make money off of them."

Nagi "Yup. It's unforgivable."

That's right, everyone is searching for their happiness. That's why we give it our all everyday.

That's why, after I test it out a bit more, I want to share this with everyone at HAMA Tours. About Master Hideko's power, and how great Secret Energy is.

Ryui "Claiming that your dead kid is suffering, that your ancestors require a memorial service urgently… People who take advantage of other's weaknesses and make a whole business scam out of it ought to get the death penalty."

Toi "Yes… I'm sure God is watching over us. Right…?"

Toi and Ryui were talking about spiritual business scams.

Meanwhile, I-

'If only I had access to Secret Energy back then…'

Then maybe I could have been of help to Minemori-san. I couldn't help the feeling of regret that welled up as I remembered her face.

The autumnal sky was clear that day, and left a deep impression on me.

Nagi "Huh?"

I came by the laundromat as I usually do, but it was closed right now. Even though it was normally open at this time. I found it strange, so I went around the back and pressed the intercom button.

Mrs.Minemori "Ah… Hachinoya-kun? The shop's closed today… no, we'll be closed for the time being."

She was crying.

I rushed to her immediately.

Nagi "What happened?"

That's when I learned.

That her husband was hospitalized after falling off a ladder and breaking his hip. That the bluebird they took care of flew out of the window and never came back. That someone had scammed them out of a large sum of money by using the name of their disowned son. They had reported it to the police, but it didn't seem like it would be resolved any time soon. This series of unfortunate events had turned their life upside-down overnight

Mrs.Minemori "The shop has been struggling lately… even if we turned it around now, we'd still be in debt…"

Nagi "……"

Mrs.Minemori "I was thinking that maybe it was time I closed up shop…"

Minemori-san, who was always so bright and smart, seemed very frail right now.

I couldn't bear to see her like that, so I couldn't help but blurt out-

Nagi "My kidney."

Mrs. Minemori "What?"

Nagi "I'll sell one of my kidneys, so please use that money for your store."

Mrs.Minemori "What in the world are you saying child!? We're really ok, so you should just run along! You have a part-time job to head to don't you?"

Not wanting to worry me, she gives me a brave smile. As if trying to convince herself, she keeps repeating that they'd be ok, and closes the door on me.

Nagi "Are you pleased with this?"

Customer "Wow! It's so cute!"

Whenever I make a bouquet for a customer, I receive a bright smile. A face of "happiness".

It was raining outside. I'm sure it was raining where the laundromat was at too.

Someone like me, who has no family nor money… the only thing I could do was tie some flowers together, and send it to them.

Nagi "Senpai, could you take the cost of this bouquet off my pay?"

Pink roses, baby's breath, and lily of the valley. With my knowledge on flower language, I hoped it would provide them some strength, even if only a little.

Even for just a moment, I want them to remember the scent of happiness.

Nagi "Muuun…."*

I already have enough happiness, that's why, I wanted to give it back, no matter how little. That was my wish.

Nagi "I'm sorry for bothering you again."

Mrs.Minenori "Oh Hachinoya-kun, what am I to do with you… I told you, we're alright…"

Nagi "Actually, I-"

I've lived with unhappiness every step of my life.* That's why I'd be ok even if I can't be happy. That's why, I wanted to give my happiness to these two irreplaceable people instead. Because they were kind to even someone like me-

Nagi "I was the child that was abandoned here back then."

With this bouquet, let me protect the both of you and your store.

Notes

Flower Language for the flowers Nagi picks for the couple (taken from Japanese websites for closer accuracy to original intent) Pink Roses: Gratitude Baby's breath: Happiness Lily of the Valley: Return of happiness

*'Muuun' is the sound he makes when he's instilling his happiness energy/thoughts(念) into the flowers, literally.

*Nagi literally says "My existence is like unhappiness itself" but that sounded a little off so I changed it. What he means is he's been unhappy all his life and is used to it already.

Part 1 / Part 2/ Part 4 / Part 5

#18tlip #18trip #18trip translation #hachinoya nagi #nagi novel #always emo over his usage of flower languages

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cantstoplovingjude · 5 months ago

Text

To Steal You Away: Alfons Sylvatica Ch.2

This is from Ikemen Villains EN, Cybird owns everything.

Kate: "We don't have to hold hands, but... can I just hold onto your sleeve?"

(He's definitely going to tease me now...)

Alfons: "Of course. Whatever you wish."

I looked up at him, surprised by his kind response, but then saw a smile curving on his lips.

Alfons: "Did your heart skip a beat just now?"

Alfons: "You can grab me anywhere you like. Go on."

Kate: "This is fine. Thank you."

Alfons: "Are you sure? Such a reserved little robin. You should be more demanding sometimes, you know."

His reply was lighthearted and airy. However...

I noticed he was walking slower than usual.

(Is he matching his pace to mine?)

If he was indecent and dishonest and the stuff of nightmares, then I should keep my distance.

(So why does he make it so hard for me to do just that?)

I kept those feelings to myself as we began looking for any stolen items that might've been stashed away here.

Alfons: "This place is just packed with things. It looks like Elbie's room!"

(This is what Lord Elbert's room looks like...?)

I had to admit that this sort of light chitchat was the best way to stay calm in dark, scary places like this.

But I felt the fear creeping up on me again and blurted out the first thing that came to mind, as if to ward it off.

Kate: "Liam told me something the other day."

Kate: "He said you two often go out together late at night."

Kate: "What in the world are you two doing together?"

Alfons: "Do you what to know because Liam's involved? Or because of me?"

(There he goes again, teasing me.)

Kate: "I'm the Fairytale Keeper, so I thought I'd ought to know."

Alfons: "What a boring, trite answer. However, I'll indulge you just this once."

Alfons: "Due to his curse, Liam must satisfy his curiosity on a regular basis."

Alfons: "Which just so happens to align with my hedonistic views, as I love a good time."

Alfons: "So before we knew it, we both started looking for new thrills to satisfy our curiosity together."

Kate: "What exactly does that mean...?"

Alfons: "Well, we have a game where we jump from rooftop to rooftop while drunk. If you fall, you're out."

Alfons: "There's also a game called Chicken where we race horses to the edge of a cliff."

Kate: "That's definitely beyond what I'd imagined."

Alfons: "Oh, I'm pleased to hear that!"

Alfons: "There are other delightful things we get up to as well, but I shouldn't share those with others. Would you like to tag along next time?"

Kate: "Sorry, but I think I'll pass."

Alfons: "Ah, what a shame."

Alfons chuckled and picked up a dusty marble that lay at his face.

Kate: "Hm?"

It let off a dull glow as he held it in his hand.

Alfons: "Liam needs to forget about reality sometimes."

Alfons: "You're starting to pick up on that fact, aren't you?"

Kate: "Yes... I had a feeling."

Liam wasn't just satisfying his curiosity because of his curse.

When I was having a hard time or was feeling sad, he always the first person to come to me.

He generously gave me his time to try to cheer me up.

I had a feeling the reason he was so good at doing so was because he empathized with people's pain and sadness.

So, there must have been a lot of suffering and sadness in his past.

Maybe he was keeping himself going through his dark and dreary everyday life by coloring it with curiosity.

That reminded me of what Alfons had said to me before.

It was the first time he'd used his ability to rewrite perception on me.

-Flashback-

Alfons: "Life is a tragedy. There are many painful realities that can't be changed even if we try."

Alfons: "So what's wrong with escaping into dreams?"

-Flashback Ends-

(Back then, I was so confused about what he was doing that I didn't think too deeply about what he meant.)

But those words had lingered uncomfortably inside my heart.

Alfons was a thrill-seeking hedonist who loved having a good time and enjoyed making people see illusions.

However, now he told me that he was aware Liam had something he wanted to forget, and that was why he went out with him at night.

(Maybe it's just convenient for me to think this way because it's what I want to believe.)

(But what if...)

(What if Alfons really is showing people illusions to help them escape from painful realities that plague them?)

Just then, I heard a noise from the back of the hallway and exchanged glances with Alfons.

Kate: "Is it the culprit?"

Alfons: "I suppose we shall find out. Get behind me, Miss Kate."

I turned and peeked over Alfons's shoulder, but saw someone very unexpected.

==========

Elderly Man: "...Who are you young'uns?"

An old man with white hair was settled deep in an armchair.

(Somehow I have a hard time believing that man's a thief and a murderer...)

It certainly looked like he was the owner of this house.

Alfons: "Our cat wandered in here, so we came after it. Terribly sorry to come in without permission."

Elderly Man: "Oh, I see... I thought you were another one of those fools barging in here again."

Alfons: "What do you mean?"

Elderly Man: "Well, some lads have been sneaking in here at night without my permission."

Elderly Man: "Just because I had a spare room, they thought they could take advantage of me and make themselves at home."

He lived here alone and seemed to be turning a blind eye to the criminals using this place without permission.

(But why are they leaving him alive?)

It was definitely risky to keep him around.

All he had to do was tell one person who'd call the police and that'd be the end of it.

They'd supposedly already killed before, so it wasn't because they were hesitant to kill...

Elderly Man: "Oh, I'm sorry. I was so absorbed in my guests I forgot about you."

(Huh? Is there someone else here?)

I looked around, but we were the only ones in the room.

And then, I realized he was speaking to a portrait of a woman on the wall.

Elderly Man: "Will you forgive me? Yes, I know. You've always liked guests."

I was confused, but then heard Alfons whisper into my ear.

Alfons: "Oh, I see. He's senile. That's why they kept him alive."

Alfons: "What should we do about him, Miss Kate?"

Kate: "What do you mean?"

Alfons: "If I use my ability, I might be able to bring him to his senses."

Alfons: "That way we can get his testimony and our mission will be easier."

I wasn't sure how the old man viewed what was happening here.

But I did know that he looked blissfully happy as he gazed at the painting.

Kate: "I..."

==========

We decided to seize the stolen items we recovered as evidence and move forward with the condemnation at a later time.

That way, we wouldn't cause any harm to the old man who lived in the house.

Alfons: "Why didn't you want to bring him out of his dreams back into reality?"

When he'd asked me before, I told him I wanted to leave the old man alone.

Kate: "He needs that dream in order to survive. So I don't think it's a bad thing."

Kate: "Even if the dream was just a convenience."

Kate: "Also..."

Kate: "I thought that's what you would do, if given the choice."

Alfons stared at me for a moment.

Then without warning-he pulled me toward him and hugged me against his chest.

The next thing I knew, I heard a gunshot ring out. A nearby potted plant in the garden exploded from the bullet.

(What's going on?!)

Man with Stubble: "You think you can just barge into our hideout, huh?!"

A man loomed before us, his eyes fixed on the stolen goods we'd confiscated.

(He's one of the culprits!)

Man with Stubble: "I can't let you outta here alive now. I'm gonna kill you!"

Alfons: "That's pretty rich, considering you're the one who trespassed into someone else's home."

Alfons swept behind the man in a flash and twisted his neck, rendering him unconscious in an instant.

Alfons: "Whoops, I forgot that we trespassed too. Oh, well."

Alfons: "Shall we confiscate him, too?"

==========

After we safely delivered the stolen items to Jude's warehouse, we walked through the city at night.

(Oh...)

Only then did I notice my hands were trembling slightly.

The sound of the gunshot brought back memories of the previous night.

(I hate this... I just want to forget about last night and get rid of all this fear inside me.)

(I don't want it to control me forever.)

I clenched my hands into fists to try to stop shaking, and then Alfons tapped me on the shoulder.

Alfons: "Miss Kate. Miss Kate...? Do you have more time to spare?"

Kate: "Huh? Oh, yes. I don't have any other plans for tonight."

Alfons: "That's a relief. How about staying with me a bit longer, then?"

Kate: "For what?"

Alfons: "Since Liam's away, this is the perfect opportunity to do all sorts of shameless and indecent things to you."

Alfons: "Now that our mission is done, we can extend our date. The excitement's only just begun."

End Ch.2

#ikemen villains #alfons sylvatica #ikemen villains alfons #ikevil alfons

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cyb3rscoups · 2 years ago

Text

Nightmare

A/N: Explicit Content ahead, Minors DNI

God forbid she closed her eyes again. Rest hasn’t been so kind to her lately. No matter how tired she was, she always suffered when she slept.

Queen Mother, her own mother and father, W’Kabi. They became images of torture and pain in her subconscious that caused her to jolt up in a cold sweat.

“Attuma..” She whispered into the night. “Are you there?”

Looking out in the vast waters of the beach, Okoye hoped her lover was listening. He always had keen hearing when she called.

Moving herself closer to the water, she spoke again.

“I need you tonight. My mind is torturing me.”

“What does it show you?” Attuma’s head rose to the surface, his face bare from a rebreather.

“Horrible things.” Okoye watched as he sunk back down into the depths. “Attuma? Are you ignoring me?”

“Never.” He popped up again, the distorting face covering on his mouth now. “Take me to your home.”

An exhausted Okoye was something Attuma wouldn’t stand for. The warrior swayed as she walked, like she could pass out on the ground any second.

But then one of those cursed images would jolt her awake and back to her senses.

When they arrived to her place, Attuma took a thorough look around. Okoye giggled as he crouched down into cabinets and searched cupboards.

“Are you looking for monsters or something, Shark?”

“Yes.” Attuma searched in seriousness, moving her aside to check under the sink.

“You’ll find none here. My home is clean.”

The shark huffed as she guided him to her bedroom, turning out the lights he had flicked on.

“I see my Queen, my husb- my ex, and my parents. They all come to me, faking kindness and then-“

Attuma finds his way behind her, resting his head on her shoulder as he shushed her words.

“No more. I will get you to sleep peacefully tonight.”

“Well if you took my offer, we could sleep peacefully every night. Together. You end up here most of the time anyway.”

Attuma chuckled, his hands snaking around her body, one resting across her waist, the other dipping into her waist band and cupping her sex.

“Okoye, you are never satisfied.” He parted her lips and pushed pressure to her clit.

“…That’s…not true..” She reached around to cup his cheek as he rubbed tight circles on the bud.

“Then all I want to hear from you is your cries of pleasure. Nothing else.”

“Okay..O-okay…Ah fuuck..Just keep doing that.”

Okoye, slumped over in his arms, her grip on his wrists as he covered her in his mass.

His fingers got sloppy as they covered in her slick and her legs snapped closed as he dipped two fingers into her walls and thrusted shallowly.

“Come on…open up for me hm? Let me satisfy you.”

Another shiver down her spine as her legs turned to jelly. Attuma let out a satisfied hum into her neck.

“Ooh..right there!” Okoye’s nails dug into his wrists as he angled his fingers to brush her spot with every thrust. Her praise urged him on as his pace quickened, his breathing into the mask ragged.

Before she knew it, she was clenching around him and soaking his fingers. Bliss she felt as the knot in her stomach released.

“How long can you breathe without that thing again?”

“About 3 minutes before the air starts feeling suffocating. 5 before I faint.”

Okoye turned in his arms with a sigh. “Can I take it off?” Attuma nodded and allowed her to take off the rebreather.

His lips spread in a dopey smile as she looked at him.

“I don’t get to see you often enough.” Okoye’s hands cradled his cheeks as his stayed secure around her hips.

“You see me everyday..”

“No.. I see that dreaded rebreather everyday. I want to see you.”

His brows furrowed as she continued to look at him like it had been a millennia.

“Okoye..”

“Attuma..”

“By the gods, kiss me.”

Okoye giggled as she rose to her toes and connected their lips. His breathing became labored as he braced his weight against her. Regrettably he had to pull away fast and secure his rebreather back to his face.

“I’m sorry..” He sighed.

“Don’t be sorry. I’m still not tired so you have work to do.” She smirked.

#alex livinalli #attuma #attoye #attoye fanfic #attuma x okoye #black panther #wakanda forever #danai gurira #mcu okoye #okoye x attuma

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brrrkdslek · 1 year ago

Text

QUADRILATERAL LOVE!

✦ 014 — WONYOUNG STRIPPER ERA⁉️💸🤑

the four girls ran down the streets as they reached a cafe, in front of it was no other than ms jang wonyoung having her pictures taken by yeosang as san stood at the side awkwardly.

"yah, wonyoung!" chaewon marched towards the two as wonyoung immediately scurry behind yeosang. he physically held his breath at the smell of her, "nooo get away!"

the other two girls at your side shared a look before charging to tackle wonyoung to the ground. you decided to go buy a latte inside the cafe since it was early. san watched you walk into the cafe, following like a lost puppy.

as you were about to pay, san slid his card across the counter and flashed you his usual gentle smile. "san! you were there? i didn't even see you." you gave him a warm hug as he returned the hug, he could hear his heart beating through his ears.

you two chat a bit when you were waiting for your latte. "ugh, i can't believe you were the mc! i'm so jealous of the other guys, i wanna mc with you too!" you found it amusing how san whined and stomped his feet on the ground like a baby.

you giggled at his antics and pat his head with him freezing on the spot, "it's fine, besides i can see you everyday if i wanted to, right?" his cheeks reddened as he nodded shyly, melting into your touch.

"vanilla latte!" you jogged over to the counter when you heard one of the baristas call for your order. after you retrieved your drink, you and san left the cafe and started to walk back towards the dorms with the others a few streets ahead of you.

"so... i watched your recent live." your eyes widen as you blushed a bit, looking down. "oh, haha. honestly it was kinda embarrassing to talk about." you turned to look at him, the way he was staring at you made your stomach turn.

"you're staring." you point out, "oh..! sorry- but the live was good, i loved listening to you talk about how you produced and wrote the songs. i almost cried when you talked about the concept and the meaning behind the song and lyrics!" he rubbed the back if his neck,

"really? was it that good?" "definitely! i also think it's impressive how you started making money for your family at 14, personally i would die." he looked at how you became quiet after he brought up your family. "a-ah! i'm sorry for bringing up a sensitive topic, i was just amazed by how well you do things..."

you turned and gave him a small smile, "no it's absolutely okay if we talk about this. i was just thinking, that's all! ask me anything." san swore his heart stopped for a second when you smiled at him. "could you tell me about your brother...?" he saw how your smile slightly dropped at that, "you don't have to! i was just curious since-"

"boomi." "what?" "his name is boomi, he's 11 this year." "that's such a cute name!" he smiled at the thought of a little brother, "which school does he go to?" "ah... he doesn't go to school actually." he read through you really easily, your face said it all. "you don't have to force yourself to talk about it if you don't want to." he pat your back in encouragement.

you were quiet for a few seconds before speaking up again, "no, it's about time i talked about it with someone. chae said it's not healthy if i avoid it all the time, but i hope you won't openly tell people." san reassures you and tells you to keep talking.

"boomi actually suffers from leukemia. it's been a few years since he was first diagnosed," san's expression dropped for a while, just as he was about to speak up, you cut him off. "don't tell me 'i'm so sorry', or 'that's horrible'. i don't want to hear it."

"...is he doing well?" you took a sip from your latte, "currently, yes. the doctors said he might be able to go outside next week, he was so excited and talked about it nonstop when i went to visit him a few days ago." you smile to yourself as the picture of boomi jumping around the garden played.

you looked at him with your pretty eyes, making him flustered for a bit. "he's actually a huge fan of ateez! he was so happy when i brought hongjoong to see him a few months back. he really wants to meet the rest of the guys in the future!" he cocks his heaad in confusion.

"hyung met him before?" "oh yeah! me and joong actually gotten pretty close during my trainee years, we hit it off since we both liked rapping and producing. he decided to take me as his 'daughter' and taught me everything he knew about producing and rapping.

the reason i got this far was mainly because of his help, we talk to each other about our problems and things related all the time! he's a great person to he around and i love making music with him."

san got a bit jealous hearing how close you were with hongjoong, "do you think we could build that kind of relationship too?" you blushed a bit, he looked so much like a little puppy, so cute. "of course! we'll get there eventually." you two walked in comfortable silence as you neared the dorms.

you bidded him goodbye but before you could walk away, san pulled you into a warm hug. "y'know i'm so proud of you, y/n. you've been working so hard all this time, you're literally so amazing...!" your eyes watered as you felt your cheeks heat up.

"thanks... i really needed that." san cooed at you and kissed your forehead a few times before his phone rang in his pocket, "ah, crap! i had practice today and i totally forgot, gotta go!" he planted one last kiss on your forehead before running off towards the company building.

you stood dumbfounded for a few more seconds before you turned and went back to the dorms.

<PREV𖤐NEXT>

#jongho x reader #mingi x reader #seonghwa x reader #hongjoong x reader #ateez smau #san x reader #wooyoung x reader #yeosang x reader #yunho x reader #ateez fanfic #ateez x reader #ateez

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sanddusted-wisteria · 1 year ago

Text

Unpotable [oneshot]

GN!Builder/Qi; crack

Warnings: None

Also on AO3

Summary: Unpotable Summer Sand Tea: A strange green gooey substance sprawled out on a plate. Everything about it implies its impalatability, but its forbidden nature compels you to try it.

In which Qi somehow manages to mess up tea. Cut him some slack, though, he's only made it…several hundreds of times before…

A/N: Happy update! One of the new mechanics added is that your spouse can cook for you! Which is really sweet. Only issue is that not every spouse can cook all too well (Qi downright admits on multiple occasions that he cannot cook)…and they always have a chance of flubbing the dishes. One of Qi's options is summer sand tea…and yes, he can somehow screw it up. The description for bad food is generic across all the dishes, but it really seems to fit for the tea. I've had this half-finished since I've been beta testing this update, but the update came out sooner than I expected, so here you go! Enjoy!

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

It’s gelatinous.

The builder slowly tips the glass sideways. The green substance stays put, until at about a 60 degree tilt, when it starts to slide out. They quickly right the glass again. The jelly falls back down to the bottom with a quiet flump.

The builder blinks and looks up at Qi with a look of barely-restrained horror.

“I…don’t know how this happened,” Qi says, pursing his lips.

It’s tea. At least, it’s supposed to be tea.

“D…Does all your tea end up looking like this…?” the builder asks meekly.

“N-no, no! It doesn’t. The pitcher is perfectly fine, see?” He holds up the fresh pitcher of tea. It’s all still liquid in there.

“Uh-huh…” The builder goes back to staring at the peculiar stuff in the glass. They shake it around a little, and the mystery goo jiggles with it.

…Does it still taste like tea?

They lift the glass towards their face.

“No.”

Would it feel like jelly in their mouth? Or would it just dissolve instantly?

“Do not.”

Is it chewy? Crunchy on the inside? Sticky? Gummy?

“I implore you.”

Was this like one of Fang’s weird potions that turns them different colors? Or maybe it would turn their bones to jelly…or knock them out…or melt their tongue off…or—

Qi snatches the glass out of their hand with an exasperated look on his face. “H-How about we safely discard this substance and not risk our lives consuming it?”

The builder freezes, tongue halfway out. “Aw, come on! It’s for science!”

“Science does not involve pouring unknown substances down every orifice. And kindly remind me to bar you from entering the Research Center whenever I’m running any experiment with chemicals.”

The builder snorts. “You know, I still have that bottle of sulfuric acid you gave me somewhere…”

“I’m confiscating it immediately.”

“Aw…” The builder slumps, but they can’t hide the mischievous grin on their face.

Qi lets out a sigh. It wasn’t everyday that he was the voice of reason among them. He inspects the glass again with a frown. “Hold on…”

The builder raises an eyebrow.

After a brief turnover of the glass, Qi's eyes widen. “Ah, that makes sense. This is one of my glassware pieces.”

The builder feels the blood drain from their face. “...From your home office…?”

“Yes, I was wondering where this one went. A couple days ago, I used it in an experiment where—”

“We need to pour that tea into every glass we have.”

“Eh? Wh-what—?”

“How much glassware are you missing?”

“Um…I believe I’m still missing one other glass— Ah.”

And so begins a process: line all the cups in the cabinet out on the table, pour a little tea into one of them, and swish it around a bit. If nothing happened, rinse and repeat with the next one.

Glass number 6 turns the green tea a very unappealing brown.

The builder and Qi exchange a look.

“...We need to label these.”

“...Indeed. Lest we want to suffer an unpleasant demise.”

The builder looks down at the pitcher. It’s almost empty now. “Shame about the tea. Wasted a whole lot of it.”

“Unfortunately so. I…can brew another kettle?”

The builder smiles and nods. “We’ll just drink straight from the pitcher this time.”

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

A/N: Btw, sometimes some spouses have a chance of making "gourmet" or better than average dishes with better perks. After trawling through the text file of the game, there appear to be no such options for Qi's dishes (summer sand tea, milk chestnut, tea porridge, tea egg). So poor Qi can always mess up his dishes, but can never make anything better than average.

It's okay tho we still love him

#the use of the word 'unpotable' kills me #this liquid is diseased #my time at sandrock #mtas fanfic #mtas qi #shady's fics

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neollias · 8 months ago

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La Noia lyrics literal + translation notes

---LITERAL--- How many drawings have I made? I stay here and look at them Nobody takes life This page is lazy ¹ I'm in a hurry And they told me that life is precious I wear it head-high on my neck ² My necklace doesn't have pearls of wisdom They gave me the coloured beads For little girls messed up with trauma To be unraveled slowly with rage Yet I'm having Easter, see? Zero drama ³ I almost switched cities again That staying still comes to me (comes to me) Boredom x4 I die without dying, these days used ⁴ I live without suffering, there is no greater cross All we can do is laugh during these burned nights A thorn crown will be dress code for my party ⁵ Ahh, it's the cumbia of boredom, mmm ⁶ It's the cumbia of boredom Total Ah, it's the cumbia of boredom It's the cumbia of boredom Total How many people see evil in things? It makes you want to run away as they start talking And I'd like to tell them that I'm fine, but then they look at me badly So I say it's difficult to making a living Business, you speak of business Meanwhile, I close my eyes to sign contracts, mmm Princess, he calls you "Princess" So now, stop washing the dishes I die without dying, these days used I live without suffering, there is no greater cross All we can do is laugh during these burned nights A thorn crown will be dress code for my party Ahh, it's the cumbia of boredom, mmm It's the cumbia of boredom Total Ah, it's the cumbia of boredom It's the cumbia of boredom Total So, do you write songs? Yes, songs of love And I don't want to bore you But someone has to sing them Cumbia, I dance cumbia If I risk tripping, at least I'll stop the boredom So, I'm having a party I'm having a party, since it's the only way to stop, to stop, to stop, ahhh Boredom x4 I die because dying makes the days more human ⁷ I live because suffering brings the greatest joys All we can do is laugh during these burned nights A thorn crown will be the dress code for my party It's the cumbia of boredom x2 Total Ah, it is the cumbia of the boredom It's the cumbia of boredom Total Total 1. "This page is lazy" while yes, "pigra" is lazy and is often used to describe people, from an English-speaking perspective, it can also be seen as the writing itself may be lazy. 2. "I wear it head-high on my neck" is quite literally the Italian version of wearing something "Proud on your shoulder/chest". 3. "Yet, I'm having Easter, see? Zero drama". Where they host Easter, yet, the family gathering has hidden drama. 4. "I die without dying, these days used". Where the singer (or rather, the character the singer is portraying), this line talks about how they're not dead, yet, everyday is a drag and nothing of note ever happens. Thus, making the days seem wasted as life just drags by, feeling like they're dead. 5. "A thorn crown will be dress code for my party". The thorn crown (or crown of thorns), is what Jesus wore in the Bible. The symbol was used as a mockery of him, so, this line may talk about how for their party, they'll wear a similar crown to be mocked at. 6. "It's the cumbia of boredom". Cumbia is a genre of music from Latin America. But what makes it ironic, is how cumbia music is traditionally more festive and emotional, so in a way, they contradict each other. Calling festive music often played at family gatherings boring, it may show how much tension there is in the family. 7. "I die because dying makes the days more human". This means to me that the singer/character wishes death, since during childhood and throughout their life, family issues have lead to trauma, which leads to overall disdain and bitterness with life. Then, they believe they'd able to feel human through death. - Nero

#translation #translator #italy #italia #noia #new music #music #musica #music video #marina satti #la noia #italian #european #eurovision #esc 2024 #eurovision 2024 #eurovision song contest #esc24

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blossom-works · 2 years ago

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Together We Give Our Hearts

Erwin Smith, also known as the Iron Commander of the Scout Regiment. A well-respected man by his subordinates and fellow commanders. A disliked man by the public and the nobles he serves. When he became the thirteenth commander of the Survey Corps, Erwin had to say goodbye to his humanity. Ironically, it was the only way to save humanity. Many of his comrades and friends died under his command. All so humanity can survive in their cruel world, and so Erwin can make his dream into a reality. He is a man who died alongside majority of his regiment.

With one arm he led them and himself to their deaths. Flying boulders were hurled at them by a creature known as the Beast Titan. Erwin Smith died from extreme damage to his abdomen which caused him to bleed out. He died before he can uncover the secrets of his world, before he could prove his father’s theory to be true. When Erwin Smith died, he was freed from their cruel world. He bittersweetly left the rest of mankind’s burden to his closest friends.

Luckily though, this is not the cruel world Erwin Smith was born into. No. This is a world where things like the Beast Titan do not exist. One where Erwin Smith did not have to give up his humanity to save humanity. In fact, humanity does not need saving. No need for all that suffering. Here, Erwin Smith is a history teacher at Paradis Academy in his early thirties. Not a commander but a teacher. Sounds like a better deal, does it not?

“Erwin! Where have you been? We were waiting for you at the teacher’s lounge!”

“Where do you think he’s been four-eyes? It’s clear that he’s been burying himself in his paperwork, again.”

“I see that, but it’s our lunch break. Time to take a break from grading papers and put some food in our belly.”

Hange picks up a few of the student’s papers off of Erwin’s desk. Levi blankly looks at his science fanatic friend before looking at his history fanatic friend. Sure enough, Erwin is not even paying attention to them. He is too wrapped up in grading his papers. Erwin’s thick brows are furrowed as his blue eyes scan the papers left to right, marking whatever the student missed or got incorrect. Hange tries again to get the blonde’s attention but to no avail. She did, however, start messing with his stacks of papers which did get his attention.

“What do you want Hange? I’m a little busy right now.”

“I can see that, but you need to get something in your stomach. If she sees that you haven’t touched your lunch she would raise hell about it - You know that. Plus, it isn’t good to work on an empty stomach. I should know. Imma scientist!”

“Hey, you’re too loud! We’re adults, not the brats we’re paid to babysit.”

“Oh, shut it, Levi.” Hange goes into Erwin’s personal bag and grabs his lunch with no problem. She pushes the container of food into Levi’s hands (which earned her his famous glare) and starts pulling on Erwin’s arm. “Let’s go!”

No matter how hard she pulls, the man would just not budge. Hange knows Erwin works out at one of the local gyms, but damn! Huffing, she uses her science filled brain to come up with the best possible way to solve the problem. Ah ha! Pulling out her phone she unlocks it and her thumbs start going mad. The phone tings with every key she presses. Her right thumb smashes the send button, and not a minute later Erwin’s phone starts buzzing. Knowing what Hange did, Erwin gives his friend a knowing look and slices the “answer” icon.

Before he can get a sound out, immediately he is yelled at by the caller.

“What does Hange mean that you’re working during your lunch break! Erwin Smith, I do not make you lunch everyday only to have it be ignored.”

“You know I eat my lunch, dear. My tupperwares are always on the dish rack by the end of the day.”

“Yes, but there’s a reason why you have something called a ‘lunch break’. A break from work so you can eat your lunch, so you don’t go starving for the day.”

“Yes, but-”

“No, buts Smith. Hange better text me that she saw you eat all your lunch before you leave for work or else.”

Oh, boy. Does Erwin not want to find out what the “or else” would be. He loves you but you can be a scary woman sometimes. Even for him, your finance. Yes, in this life Erwin Smith found love and stayed in love. Before, in the world full of titans, Erwin fell in love with a woman named Marie but never followed through with it. He dedicated his life to fighting titans. A job that does not guarantee safety. Falling in love and having family was a no go as the Iron Commander.

But now, Erwin is in love and is going to marry the woman he loves. Not Marie though. You. The two of you met during your college years. You were studying psychology and Erwin, world history. Your schools were teaming up together for a community program. You volunteered to help with your friends while Erwin got volun-told by his. One of the first things you said to him was this, “Your name is spelled Erwin, but it’s pronounced Air-Vin.”

Sure enough, you made an impression on the man.

The program lasted for three months. You and Erwin used that as an advantage to get to know each other better. When the program ended, he asked you out on a date. Then a few more. Then you asked him on a couple of dates. He asked you to be his girlfriend. You agreed. You two became college sweethearts. Moved in together when you both finished school. Got a dog. He met your parents. You met his father. Erwin proposed and you said “yes”.

When you hung up the phone Erwin accepted defeat. He gets up from his chair, pushes it in, and takes the container that Hange threw at Levi. Jumping at joy that she beat her stone like friend with just a few clicks, Hange skips behind him. Levi huffs in annoyance at how troublesome his friends are, but deep down, he enjoys them. They are the only people he will willingly surround himself with.

Walking into the teacher’s lounge they head straight for their everyday table. Similar to the kids they teach, Erwin and his group of friends have a designated table just for them. An unofficial, official claim on a seating area. Erwin, Hange, Levi, Miche, Moblit, and a few others sit there. A friendship that runs deeper than beneath the surface. These guys are like family. Brothers in arms.

“It’s about time you guys got here. I was beginning to wonder if you three bailed and went home.”

“Oh, come on Miche. They’re not a group of delinquent students. We all know why they had trouble getting Erwin away from his desk.”

Hange steps in. She has a blush on her face and her hands are laced together. “He’s getting married tomorrow!” She sings.

The reminder brings a small smile on Erwin’s lips. He sure is. Tomorrow will be Saturday. On that day, tomorrow, Erwin will be married to the woman he loves - you. The blonde takes his seat and releases the tabs that secure the top to the container. His lunch is supposed to be eaten hot, but it is not bad cold.

“OooO, what did she make for you this time?”

“It’s just leftovers from yesterday’s dinner.”

Like they are children again, getting ready to graduate, their collected voices orbit the table. So carefree they are. No worries about man eating monsters on the loose. No government in their asses. No mourning over lost comrades. Just academy employees enjoying their lunches together.

When three am hits, Erwin scrambles to gather his things. He makes sure that the papers on his desk are neatly piled in their designated spot with the appropriate sticky note on it. He checks to see if his rosters are easily seen and any notes the substitute should keep an eye on. His students can get a bit rowdy, but they are good kids. Erwin’s preparations are just a precautionary measure. He rechecks everything another time and then another after that. Satisfied, he closes his door, locking it, and heads to his car.

Some of his coworkers greet him along his way. Most of them congratulated him on his upcoming nuptials. Students wave at him when they spot their favorite history teacher. While his teaching subject is inherently boring and even hard, Erwin makes it fun and engaging to his students. It is one of the things that makes Erwin Smith one of the greatest teachers in the academy’s history.

Erwin’s blue eyes spot some of his students waving to him and like his coworkers, congratulating him. When Erwin’s students found out that he is getting married, they lost their minds. As far as they were concerned, Mr. Smith was not a man who had any interest in the opposite or the same sex. Erwin does not talk about his personal life to anyone who he is not close with. Anytime a student of his would ask about his life outside of work, he would give vague answers. Erwin never shut down their questions, no matter how personal they got.

When his coworkers found out that Erwin is getting married and the fact that he was dating someone all along, there was a slum of emotions. A good bit of his female coworkers was disappointed that they never stood a chance and his male coworkers were stunned that he kept quiet for so long. When the academy found out about Erwin’s relationship status, he was bombarded with multiple questions.

Erwin tosses his bag in the passenger seat, revs his car, checks his mirrors, and heads home. Right now, is rush hour. Schools are dismissing their students and staff and others are getting off work. The academy is close to the city so traffic can be a huge pain. Erwin especially since he lives in the suburbs. He chose to live there for its quietness, and for the space to raise a family. A little surprising since Erwin grew up in the urban areas.

He was totally fine with living in an apartment or penthouse with a family, but when he met you, that changed. Erwin wanted his kids to have an actual yard to play in. He wanted to renovate his home the way you told him to. He wanted to hear his children’s footsteps coming up and down the stairs, and to have enough room to run around in the living room. Erwin cannot have that if he and his family were to live in a tall, city building. So, suburbs it is.

Now, some may be thinking that there is no way that the Erwin Smith is rushing to get home. The man is always calm and collected in any given situation. But this is not just any situation. Erwin wants to get home to you. He is in a rush to see his fiancé for one last night before he is able to call you, his wife. Only those closest to him and you know that Erwin Smith is easy to read when it comes to the woman he loves. On more than one occasion during your early dating stage did the man choke on his own words. Miche even once told you that Erwin had to give himself a pep talk before taking you on a date. Honestly, you have the man wrapped around your pinky finger.

Driving down the familiar street, Erwin lightly presses the brakes. Turning his wheel right, he pulls into the driveway. He presses a button on his visor which opens the garage. Erwin always parks on the left side of the garage and you the right. Just like how Erwin sleeps on the left side of the bed and you the right of the bed. Gathering his thinks and turning off the engine, Erwin closes the garage and walks inside your shared home.

The layout of the house is pretty simple. The garage door opens into a hallway that has a bathroom, storage closet, and a guest bedroom. When Erwin goes left from the garage door, he enters a smaller hallway that connects the living room, kitchen, dining room, and foyer. Nails scratching against the wooden floors get louder and louder. Before the blue-eyed man can put his things down, he is hit with a big, hairy body.

Nelson. Named after a childhood hero from a book Erwin read. Also, a two-hundred-pound English Mastiff. You two bought Nelson on a whim. You were scrolling through social media and saw that a breeder nearby was selling English Mastiffs. While scrolling through the breeder’s page and looking to make sure they are reputable, you shoved your phone in Erwin’s face and begged him to allow you to get a puppy. Your (then) boyfriend was hesitant. You both have full time jobs so taking care of a dog may shake things up. You then proceeded to tell him all about the breed’s temperament and even present him with a power point. Erwin has to say, you do a better job at presentations than his students.

Giving into your request, Nelson was brought home. An energetic pup that quickly grew to the two-hundred-pound dog he is today. Nelson is spoiled by both his parents, but mainly you. Out of the both of you, Erwin is stricter with Nelson. One of the first things Erwin taught the dog is to not jump on people. Not only is it widely unwelcome, but Erwin was worried for you. You are a little bit taller than Levi, but still small and petite. Nelson can knock you over in an instant and possibly hurt you.

“Hello there, Nelson. Where’s your mama?” Erwin asks as he ruffles through the dog’s fur. Nelson’s excitement at seeing his father has him quite literally drooling. That is one downside to having a dog like him. The drool never ceases to stop, and do not get Erwin started when it comes to food or treats.

The mastiff gives out a deep bark and runs out of the hallway. Erwin presumes that Nelson is leading him towards you. Sure enough, there you are. Sitting on the couch, on your laptop, wearing one of his t-shirts. Nelson sits himself right next to you and paws at you, demanding attention and pets. Being the dog mom you are, you give him what he wants. Honestly, Erwin can only imagine what it would be like for you to be a mom mom. The couch is an L-shape, and your back is facing the opening from the hallway, giving Erwin the perfect advantage to sneak up on you.

Quietly, he sets his things down on the floor and tiptoes behind you. If Erwin Smith, Commander of the Survey Corps could see this, he would have no idea what to think. Never had the Iron Commander ever sneak up on someone, let alone his lover. Waiting for the right moment he grabs your shoulders and shouts “Boo!”. The scare shakes you so much that you drop your laptop on your feet and whip your head around to see who it is.

“Erwin! I dropped my laptop because of you!” You scolded him with a pounding heart. The man knows you scare easily, and he uses it to his advantage. His deep laugh echoes in the cozy room as Nelson gets comfortable on his spot on the couch.

You scramble to bend down and scoop your laptop off of the carpeted ground. Thankfully, nothing seems to be broken. You huff and go back to looking at your Pinterest board for the wedding.

“I thought you said that you were going to take it easy the night before the wedding.” Erwin repeats as he sits down next to you.

“I am. I’m just looking over everything to make sure we’re not missing anything.”

Erwin looks at the screen and then looks up to your face. Your brows are scrunched together, and your lips are doing that little pout you do when you are concentrating. He takes the device out of your hands and places it elsewhere. He then scoops one arm under your legs and the other behind your back and sits you on his lap. Nuzzling his nose on the top of your head he says, “We’ve gone over the board plenty of times in the past year. Everything will be perfect tomorrow, so don’t think too much about it.”

His beautiful blues get lost in your eyes. With his sweet nothings Erwin presses kisses all over your face with his slightly chapped lips.

“Now, let’s spend some time together before Hange comes in and steals you away from me.”

Erwin places a firm kiss on your lips, allowing your lips to moisten his. Giving into his wish, you reciprocate his kiss. Wrapping your arms around his neck you pull your bodies closer.

Breaking the kiss you say, “I love you, Erwin.”

A couple of years ago he gave himself permission to give you his heart, and you his. Since then life has gotten better. Sure, there were ups and downs in your relationship, but who does not. Each trial only made him love you more, and he only hopes that you two can care for each other’s hearts until death.

“I love you too.” He whispers.

#attack on titan #erwin smith x reader #aot erwin #fanfiction #x reader #alternate universe #shingeki no kyoujin fanfiction #snk erwin #shingeki no kyoujin #commander eyebrows

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bridgertonbabe · 2 years ago

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May we please get a Benophie babies hogwarts sorting hat ceremony Drabble!!

His mother had sobbed when she cuddled him tight and kissed his cheeks in abundance as she bade him farewell on Platform 9 and 3/4s. His father had worn a watery smile as he told him to be good and squeezed him into a hug. His brother Alex had asked him to write everyday and tell him all about Hogwarts before flinging his arms around him and whispering how much he would miss him. His five year old sister Violet had begged him not to go, tears streaming down her little red face and she clutched him tightly for several minutes. His brother William had grinned and informed him he was going to move into his bedroom while he was away (their father assured his eldest that no such thing would happen and gripped a reprimanding hand on his youngest son's shoulder).

And then Charlie had waved goodbye to his family as the scarlet train departed the station, waving alongside his cousins David and Miles until the engine's steam clouded their loved ones from view.

Charlie wasn't nervous about starting Hogwarts. It wasn't like he was without family at Hogwarts anyway. David, Miles, and John were in the year above him; Carrie and Georgette in their third year; Oliver, Amanda, Edmund, Belinda, and Benedict in their fourth; and Amelia and Sophia were starting their fifth; he was in plenty of company with so many cousins looking out for him.

There was no reason for Charlie to be nervous. It wasn't as if he had put on a brave face to spare his little sister's tears and to grant his mother peace of mind.

No. Not at all. He was fine. Really.

Even as he waited in line in the Great Hall to be sorted in front of the entire school he wasn't nervous. Nope. He was fine. All he had to do was sit on a stool and plonk a talking hat on his head. There was nothing even remotely nerve-wracking about that.

And so what if the Sorting Hat sat silently on his head before clearing it's throat to politely announce that actually a mistake had been made, that Charlie Colin Bridgerton was a squib and shouldn't have been invited to Hogwarts in the first place? These things happen, and he would simply shrug it off and go home and everything would be fine. Really it would.

"Bridgerton, Charlie." Professor Danbury beckoned.

He definitely didn't look like a pig walking into a butchers shop as he walked up to the wooden stool and took a seat. His lip definitely wasn't trembling as he looked out on a sea of faces staring back at him. He definitely wasn't trying to swallow back the lump in his throat.

Be brave. Be brave. Be brave. He kept telling himself as the hat was placed on his head.

"Be brave?" a small voice said in his ear and Charlie's breath tightened. "But what is there to fear?"

N-nothing. There's nothing to fear. Because I'm brave.

"Ah. And do you pride yourself on your bravery?"

And it was only then that Charlie thought about it and realised that yes, perhaps he did in fact pride himself on being brave. Ever since he was five and had suffered from a rare mysterious flu-like illness and his mother had sat by his bedside night and day telling him he was her brave little soldier. He wanted to prove himself to his mother that he was in fact the bravest little soldier there ever was, that he was her very own brave little soldier. With the mightiest determination he soldiered through the illness until he was well again and from then on he had always striven to be courageous in everything he did.

He bravely chased off the pesky garden gnomes whenever they tried infiltrating the garden of My Cottage. He bravely ignored the monster he had convinced himself lived underneath his bed. He bravely told his Uncle Colin that yes his butt did look too big in those jeans and should consider going up a size.

Yes. Charlie swallowed - if he wasn't brave, what was he?

"Are you sure?"

Yes. I am brave. I'm nothing but brave.

"Well then, if you're so certain... GRYFFINDOR!"

The hat was pulled off of him and Charlie was met by applause, especially from the table on the far left. He hurried over to the Gryffindor table (not because he was desperate to no longer be the centre of attention but because he wanted to be with his cousins) and was met by Sophia, Edmund, and Miles who were all ecstatic for him to join them.

And once he was sat among them he relaxed; he wasn't nervous at all.

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Alexander could admit to feeling a bit scared - after all, it was normal to feel like that. Even his big brother Charlie had said he had been nervous when he first started. It was nothing to feel ashamed about.

For the last two years Charlie had written to him, telling him every little thing about Hogwarts and it had excited Alex to know one day in the not so distant future he would be joining his brother at school.

And now that day had come.

He had held onto his mother extra tight and for a while longer than he normally did (and his brothers teased him for being a mama's boy enough as it was) when he was saying farewell to her. The night before he had shared his anxieties with her, how even though he'd have Charlie and all his cousins there that he'd still miss home and her and dad and William and Violet and Colin the cat and Clement and Ember and sleeping in his own bed and painting in his dad's studio with him in companionable silence and her cooking and talking to her everyday.

His mother had assured him that it was natural to feel the way that he did, to already feel homesick and how he might be sad during his first week away but that once he'd settled in he'd grow to love being at school and be able to call Hogwarts his home away from home (and she promised she'd write to him every single day if that was what he wanted).

He had shared a compartment with Charlie and their cousins on the train and they provided him with enough welcome distraction from the gnawing feeling of missing home that had already formed a pit in his stomach.

But it was when he shared a boat with other first years across the lake to the great big castle that lay up ahead that he began to terribly miss home. How could the looming castle that approached him ever be as homely as My Cottage with all his creature comforts and his family?

"Bridgerton, Alexander." Professor Danbury called.

He somehow managed to walk across to the stool and sit down and gripped onto the seat, half-wishing the Sorting Hat would refuse to put him in a house and send him packing back home where he knew he belonged.

"Why do you feel like you don't belong?" a small voice spoke to him.

I do belong. At home. With my mum and dad.

"Ah yes. Sophie Beckett and Benedict Bridgerton." The Sorting Hat mused. "They didn't think they would belong either."

What?

His mother had assuaged his fears before he left by sharing with him her own Sorting Hat experience. How she had fretted about being rejected and feared she would be forced to go live with her cruel step-mother who hated her. How scared she was to find herself not belonging yet again - and then much to her surprise and relief the Sorting Hat couldn't make it's mind up of what house she belonged to; it considered her worthy of belonging to any one of the four in equal measure.

He knew of his mother's insecurities - he never knew his father had feared he would never belong.

"Mmhm. Your father was scared of living up to his brother's expectations." The Sorting Hat elaborated. "That he wouldn't live up to the hefty expectations of the Bridgerton name. He wanted to be his own person but he didn't want to stand out, he still wanted to belong."

Alex had never known that. He had always looked up to his father and admired how self-assured and confident he was. To think of him ever feeling uncertain about his place in life was baffling and yet all at once Alex felt reassured, knowing both his parents had felt similarly to him when they had once been sat where he was right now.

"You belong. Just as much as they both did... RAVENCLAW!"

And with a crooked smile on his face, Alex slid off the stool and pelted over to the Ravenclaw table, being welcomed by Carrie and John and then joined later by his friend Julian Granville-Wetherby. He caught his older brother's eye from the Gryffindor table and received a wink and a thumbs-up from Charlie, and as he settled into the feast, Alexander felt at peace knowing that Hogwarts would become as much as a home to him as it did to his brother, his cousins, and his parents.

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"Now I'm warning both of you; behave!"

"What was that?" William cupped his ear. "Beehive, did you say? You want us to find a beehive in the Hogwarts grounds and send it back home as a present?"

Charlotte giggled whilst their fathers furrowed their brows at the pair, thoroughly unimpressed with how unserious they were being.

"William." his mother sighed. "Please. Just try not to wreak too much havoc. Please restrain yourself from your impulses enough to not send Professor Danbury into an early retirement. Please? For me?" she implored and cupped his cheek.

And as much as William loved winding up his father, his uncle, his siblings, and his cousins; he always drew the line when it came to his mother. He would never do anything to intentionally annoy her at the very least.

"Alright." he sighed and his mother pulled him into a hug. "But if she just so happens to retire while I'm at Hogwarts, it doesn't mean I tipped her over the edge."

"For your sake, you'd better not." his father clapped him on the back.

He had bounded onto the train, waving goodbye out the window with Charlotte and his brothers and he had guffawed when he watched his little sister trip over as she had tried to run alongside them as they departed.

During the train ride he had blown the majority of his pocket money on candy from the trolley and had pigged out on it throughout the duration, provoking Charlie into groaning with exasperation when he realised William had eaten every last chocolate and sweet he had purchased.

"You're not going to have any room left for the feast, you do realise?"

"The feast!" William gasped in awe. "I had almost forgotten about the feast!" he murmured to himself as his imagination began swimming with the thoughts of the self-refilling plates and of all the food that would be on offer for him to indulge in.

"Well when you end up sick, don't say I didn't warn you." Charlie tutted in a very matter-of-factly eldest brother tone.

"Bridgerton, William." Professor Danbury wearily waved him over after Charlotte had hurtled over to the Gryffindor table.

He had pranced forward and hopped onto the stool, eager for the lively debate he would have with the Sorting Hat for it to house him in Hufflepuff since their common room was closest to the kitchens -

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

What? You've made your mind up already?! You're not even going to humour that I might be in Ravenclaw-

"Ha!" chortled the voice in his ear.

Oh I see. You think you're so funny, don't you?

"Why are you complaining? Did you or did you not want to be in Hufflepuff?"

... Well, I suppose-

And before Professor Danbury could take the hat off of him, William had whipped the hat off, not remotely caring it had fallen to the floor behind him as he traipsed off to the Hufflepuff table.

He waited impatiently for the sorting to be over (why did he have to be one of the fist to be sorted, being a bloody Bridgerton?) and then the plates magically filled up with food and instantly his mouth salivated.

And, contrary to his brother's belief, William didn't end up bringing back up his food. Instead he proudly paraded his pot belly down to the Hufflepuff common room, much to Charlie and Alex's shared embarrassment.

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Violet had beamed with glee as she ran onto Platform 9 and 3/4s and saw the scarlet engine, her heart racing with anticipation at the prospect that she was finally going to be able to board the Hogwarts Express. She was eager to push her own trolley, to be just like her brothers and older cousins as they pushed along their own trolleys.

"Dad!" she groaned as her father got a hold of her trolley and assisted her in pushing it along. "I can push my own trolley!" she insisted (and ignored the fact that he had helped give the trolley a push through the barrier onto the platform, otherwise she wouldn't have got much momentum out of it by herself).

"Sweetheart, it's too heavy for you to push by yourself."

"No it isn't!"

"I helped pushed your brothers' trolleys on their first day; you're no different from them."

She wanted to argue but as she looked back on the days her brothers were brought to the station to board the train for the first time, she reluctantly acknowledged that her dad had in fact helped push their trolleys along. And she supposed her trolley was quite heavy, what with the trunks, school supplies and owl cage piled on it.

And so she allowed her father to push on the trolley's handlebar with her as they followed after her brothers. They met Kate and Anthony where they were waiting with Charlotte and Violet's cousin squealed in greeting, eagerly as thrilled to see Violet joining Hogwarts for the first time.

Her mother insisted on taking photos of all four siblings by the train, since it would be the first and only year they would be at Hogwarts together since it was already Charlie's seventh year, and then when it was time to say goodbye their mother got misty-eyed at the prospect of returning to a home empty of her children. And while typically he had always remained strong, it was the first year that their father had openly wept and he held onto Violet tightly, stroking through her hair and constantly reassuring her she would be okay, even though she had shown no sign of anxiety (and she quietly acknowledged that her father needed the moment more than she did).

Violet had fizzed excitedly all throughout the train ride as the countryside flew by and then when she sailed across the lake she had been in awe of it all as the famous castle beckoned the first years closer. She gazed all around as as they entered the school she had heard so much about over the years and then she gaped in wonder around the Great Hall as Professor Danbury led them in.

"Bridgerton, Violet."

She sat down on the stool and waited for the hat to be placed on her head, wondering if it would be up for a discussion or if it'd shout out her house instantaneously.

"What a surprise; another Bridgerton." a small bored voice remarked. "And which house do you suppose you belong to?"

Oh. Well... I guess wherever you think is best?

"Really? You'd be happy to be in any of the houses? It doesn't matter where you end up?"

If there's a house I suit more than the others then does it really matter what I think?

"But if you had to choose... which one?"

And though Violet was genuinely open to any of the houses, held no particular dislike towards any of them - there was one in particular she would be lying if she said she didn't have her heart set on it.

Well I suppose if I had to pick... I would want to be in Ravenclaw.

All her life she had wanted to be in Ravenclaw. It was the house both her parents were sorted into, the house Alex was in, the house her Uncle Phillip and Aunt Francesca had been in. She had long pictured Ravenclaw tower and had seen her father's sketches from his time at school; from the panoramic views from the turret, the coziness of the common room, and the bronze eagle knocker that would only let you enter if you solved it's daily riddle. Her father would even wrap her up in his old Ravenclaw scarf to keep her warm on their winter walks and as a result she felt as though she was already a member of the house her parents had both been sorted into.

She liked to think she was worthy of the house; she felt she was smart and creative and witty enough to earn her place; though just because she wanted it, did it mean she had any right to be a part of it?

"That's more like it... RAVENCLAW!"

And Violet beamed with delight as she hurried over to the table decked in blue, embracing her brother Alex as soon as she had reached him, elated to be in the same house as one of her brothers (specifically a brother that wasn't William).

That night she had ecstatically written to her parents to inform them she was officially a Ravenclaw just like them and the very next morning she received a letter back from her father sharing his elation at the news on a clearly tear-stained parchment.

#requests #harry potter au #bridgerton drabble #benophie babies #charles bridgerton #alexander bridgerton #william bridgerton #violet bridgerton ii

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