#also do you guys think i should change her jewelry from gold to silver?? but i didn’t want her to seem too similar in color scheme to athena

[the-storyteller78]

“Though I never thought that it would come to this…”

[fangirlfics]

What a Pirate (Harry Hook x reader)

summary: After the core four leave for Auradon y/n is left to fend for herself on the isle, it’s a hard and lonely life-then her path crosses with certain flirty pirate.

word count: 3,660

Evie tool y/n’s hands in hers, “don’t worry y/n, we’ll be back in no time.“ She assured her friend. Slowly she pulled her into an embrace before turning and ducking into the limbo from Auradon. 

“Yeah in no time.“ Jay confirmed with a smirk and a quick wink. He ruffled her hair lightly before getting in the limbo-hat in hand. Then y/n realized that the gold crown that was on the front of the limbo was gone. Smooth Jay, smooth. 

“I don’t even wanna go.“ Mal said-throwing her bag into the limbo. “Going to school with a bunch of prissy princesses sounds...gross. No way am I staying there long...“ With a wink she got into the limbo too.  

Carlos’s mom came running out after him but he had made it into the limbo quickly. “We’ll miss you!“ Evie shouted out to y/n and she smiled sadly.

“You guys better not forget about me.“ y/n joked.

Carlos stuck his head out of the limbo, “catch“ he said, tossing a shiny thing her way. 

y/n looked down at the item in her hand-a small silver pocket watch.“What’s this for?” She asked, looking back.

Carlos shrugged, “Now I have to come back to get my watch.” y/n smiled, nodding at her friend. Then the limbo drove off.  

Well that was almost four months ago now.

“We’ll be back in no time.“ y/n reminded herself, taking a big bite out of an apple. It was more bitter than she would have liked it to be but this was the Isle, and at least it wasn’t the worst meal she had eaten. She forced herself to swallow the food, trying to think of something positive. The only thing that she could think of were her friends-the hope that she’d see them soon.Without them she felt sad, forgotten...alone. But at least they could have better lives in Auradon. And if the cost of that was her being lonely- then so be it.  

 y/n continued to take bites out of her apple, eventually dropping the core when she finished. She stood, catching a glimpse of Auradon in the distance and stared for a moment. She reached in her pocket to feel Carlos’s watch, but it wasn’t there. Oh no. She checked her pockets suddenly feeling a small wave of panic when it wasn’t there. Great going y/n you lost it. She sighed, looking up at the sky and took a deep breath.

y/n got down from the building’s roof and was making her way through the cluttered market, keeping her hands in her pockets when she caught a flash of something shiny a couple of feet ahead of her. She stopped in her tracks, looking up and her mouth fell open. That was without a doubt Carlos’s watch. It’s chain hung motionless from someone’s pocket. A small boost of confidence made it’s way into y/n as she approached the person. Then she saw who was in possession of the watch and her confidence faded.

That was Harry Hook.

Harry freaking Hook.

Out of all the people that could have had the watch, it just had to be Harry. Pick pocketing him probably wouldn’t end well, it never did for anyone. But she glanced back down at the watch then to him, then to the watch again. He was distracted-talking to some girl. y/n bit her lip, feeling desperate. Just take it and leave she told herself, easy peasy. But that didn’t stop her legs from shaking as she made her way towards the pirate. Her eyes remained ahead of her as she lightly brushed against the boy’s side-fingers quickly slipping the watch from his pocket to hers. Ok go get away. She mentally yelled at herself, but she forced herself to keep her pace the same-not wanting to draw any suspicion.

Once she was a few feet away she looked back to Harry-he was gone. Her jaw dropped for a moment before she quickly hid behind the nearest wall. She quickly scanned her surroundings-noticing a ladder on the side of the building in front of her. Quick escape. She stepped towards it, reaching her hand out  but before she could grab hold of the ladder someone grabbed her wrist from behind, stopping her. Before she could react a she felt something cool on her shoulder and was spun around before being backed into the wall. Now against the cool wall,  goosebumps formed up her spine as she looked up towards her captive. Then she was face to face with Harry Hook. He had his infamous grin as he looked down at her-obviously pleased about having successfully trapping her against the wall. He was really quite attractive-but he could also be annoying. 

“Well, well...well.” He whispered in his Scottish accent. Raising his hook up to her face slowly, he stroked her jawline with the cool metal as a form of intimidation. “y/n...” He said widening his eyes a little.

“Hook.” y/n spat in response.

His smile widened at the tone of her voice. “aww...” He pouted sarcastically, “ye mad?” y/n stared directly at him with an impassive expression. Harry shook his head, “tsk tsk tsk. It appears ye’ve taken somethin’ of mine.” He lowered his hook, keeping her pinned against the wall. 

“What could I have possibly taken from you?” y/n sneered.

“Oh I don’t know....” He said glancing up in thought. “Maybe this?” He held up the pocket watch that had been in her pocket with his hook. y/n’s eyes widened as her mouth gaped open. “Ye know, ye should really be more careful when ye pickpocket someone...especially if that someone is me...” He breathed in her face, glancing down at her lips.

y/n got her expression under control again “Actually, you took that first. It’s mine.“ 

Harry chuckled lightly, “Well, now it’s mine.” He told her seriously now. “But that doesn’t change the fact that ye tried stealing from me.” He let his hook go back to her face, brushing her hair to the side. “And ye know what happens to people who steal from me?”

y/n smiled-only making Harry even more pleased-If anyone else was in y/n’s position they’d be trembling but she wasn’t, he smiled-enjoying the change in reactions. “I’m guessing you ‘hook’ them?” y/n answered.

“Correct.” He whispered, brushing her jaw lightly once more with his hook-he was really enjoying this. “But...” He thought, lowering his hook. “Maybe I can make an acception...for ye...maybe we can make a trade.”

“And what do you propose goes into this trade?” y/n asked.

“Well...ye get to walk away and keep this watch that you seem to be so obsessed with.”   

y/n raised a brow in suspicion, “that sounds too good to be true, what’s the catch?“

“Catch?“ Harry asked, pretending to be offended. “This is a deal, there’s no catch.“

“I mean what do you get? Why would you let me go?“

“ah...“ Harry’s smile only widened as he leaned closer to her. “Ye get to go because what I want...is a good price“

“And what do you want?” y/n questioned, “whatever it is can’t be good.”

Harry leaned in even closer, brushing his nose against y/n’s. The close proximity made y/n nervously shift her eyes to the side before quickly looking back at him-she hoped he didn’t notice, but he did. And he loved that he could make her nervous. “What I want...“ Harry said pausing for dramatic effect, “is...a kiss.“

y/n’s breath hitched for a moment as her mouth parted in surprise. “wh-” she closed her mouth again.

“Speechless?” Harry asked the girl, tilting his head he brushed his nose against hers once more. “It’s a fair trade if ye ask me, lass.” He whispered into her ear, making her shudder. Knowing the effect he had on her, Harry smiled-leaning away again he let his lips lightly brush against her jaw line. “So what do ye say?”

y/n looked at the boy then to the side. “I get the watch?” She asked. 

“That was what the deal...” Harry confirmed, smiling mischievously.

y/n stared at nothing for a moment before snapping her attention back to the pirate. “Fine.” 

Harry smiled wider, before making his move. He slowly leaned in closer, bringing his hand up to her chin to tilt her head back then placed his lips against hers. The kiss was way different than she thought it would be, it was slow, soft and Harry was gentle. He brought his other hand-he must’ve set his hook down earlier-to the small of her back to pull her away from the wall and closer into his chest. Then a voice rang out from somewhere further away-pulling the two back to reality. “Harry! Uma wants you!” Yeah that was Gil. Harry pulled away with a menacing look in his eyes-looking towards the direction where the voice came from. Strangely, y/n was disappointed with how fast that had happened.

“Well then.” y/n said quickly recovering, she put her hand out to Harry, palm up. Harry’s arm was still around her as he looked down, but he stepped back letting her go and pulled the watch out of his pocket.

“On second thought...” Harry smiled, looking down at the watch. “Of I keep this, ye got no choixe but te keep seein-”    

“Hook.“ 

“Ye can call me Harry ye know.“ Harry said, placing the watch in her hand. “Why’s that thing matter so much to ye anyway?“

y/n put the watch in her pocket, crossing her arms over her chest before looking back up to the pirate, “Someone important wanted me to hang on to it for a bit.“ She said truthfully, “as a promise.“

“A promise, eh? Who gave it to ye? Boyfriend.“

“That’s none of your business.“ 

Harry grinned once more, tilting his head to the side. “Nah, couldn’t have been a boyfriend. If ye had a boyfriend ye wouldn’t like me...yer not the cheatin’ type.“

“And who says I like you?“ y/n asked with a laugh.

“Well nobody had to say it.“ Harry responded, then he leaned in whispering into her ear, “If ye didn’t like me, ye wouldn’t’ve kissed me the way ye did.”

y/n opened her mouth in shock much to Harry’s entertainment. “Got to go.“ He said casually, putting his hook back on, “I trust that I’ll be seein’ more of ye.“ He started to walk away.

“What makes you think that?“ y/n asked louder so that he could hear.

He turned his head back to answer, “Well cuz I have this.” He held up one of y/n bracelet. For the third time y/n’s mouth fell open as she looked down at her right wrist-which now had no jewelry on it.

What a pirate.

[hanoella]

Affettuoso- With Feeling (Part 9)

Pairing: Bucky x Pianist!Reader

Set after the events of TFATWS: In an effort to start over and make a home in Louisiana, Bucky meets a friend of Sam’s who ends up being his landlord. With only a driveway to separate them, he finds that he’s not the only one looking for a fresh start.

Series tags/warnings: Slow Burn, Eventual Bucky x Reader, Mentions of Domestic Abuse, Canon Level Violence, PTSD, Mentions of sex, sexual activity

Part 9 Word Count: 8.1k

A/N: Sorry this one took a little while, I was super busy in real life! I went back an forth on it alot and I don’t think I’m going to write full on smut, but definitely there will be mentions and allusions to sexual activity. Thanks for being patient with me for this part!

Once again, thank you for all your support! Every heart and comment motivates me and is just so wonderful.

Taglist!: @vicmc624​ @officiallykuute​​ @undiadeestos​ @tailsoflightning​ @buckys2thicc​  @mischief-siriusly-managed​ 

On Christmas day, you and Bucky went over for dinner at Sarah’s. You had gone together in your car, gifts for everyone in tow. Hanging up your coat, you were greeted cheerfully by Sam, Sarah, and the boys. Bucky watched as you knelt down to hug the younger one. The warm glow of the entryway giving your hair an orange glow.

AJ grabbed Bucky’s hand and started dragging him to the living room.

“Uncle Buck, come look at the presents I got this year!”

You gave Bucky an amused smile when he looked at you first. Lifting your eyebrows, you nodded your head slightly. Watching him get tugged along, you chuckled to yourself before heading to the bathroom. You washed your hands before pressing them onto your cheeks to cool them. Letting your hands fall to the sink, your eyes fell upon the pearl earrings that were swinging from your ear, gold filigree glinting in the light. Delicately touching one of the pearls, you thought back to that morning.

You were in the kitchen, cooking up a special breakfast for the day. Normally, you skipped breakfast in favor of sleeping in, but with Bucky being up by 7 AM latest, you were starting to adjust to his natural schedule. It was hard to stay asleep when your personal heater got up and walked away. He had brushed the hair out of your eyes as you stirred, saying that he was going to go for a run and shower. Curse that beautiful fit bastard for waking you up every morning.

Not being able to go back to sleep, you had walked out of your room to find that he had also gotten the fireplace going. Alpine was curled up on the end of the couch closest to the fire. Now, you had a breakfast quiche and bacon going in the oven as you flipped the batch of pancakes on the stove.

“What’s all this?” Bucky said as he walked in through the front door, freshly showered.

“Special morning breakfast, of course.”

He walked over to you and kissed your cheek, crouching down to look through the window of the oven.

“Wow, look at that. What did I do to get so lucky?”

You chuckled as you put the last of the pancakes on the stack. Toweling off your hands, you opened one of the kitchen island drawers and pulled out a small blue box with a silver ribbon. You placed it on the counter in front of him, waiting expectantly.

“I got you something.” You were barely able to contain your excitement. Bucky held the box for a moment before gently tearing the wrapping paper. Quirking his head at the packaging, he looked up at you.

“Coms?”

It took you a second before you registered the lingo.

“Oh, no, they’re wireless earbuds.”

He opened the box and took the case out, flipping it in his hand to look at it in it’s entirety. You grabbed the manual and slid his phone over to you, turning on the bluetooth.

“Can you open the case?” you asked, not looking up from his phone. He did so, seeing the earbuds and a blinking green light. You tapped a few more things on the screen and the green light stopped blinking.

“Go ahead,” you said, nodding your head at him. He put in one earphone, then the other. You opened up Spotify, which you had downloaded on his phone for him to link to your account, and played a song from your ‘classics’ playlist. You could tell exactly when it started because Bucky’s eyes lit up and a huge smile started forming on his face.

“That sound quality is great!” He half shouted. You tried so hard not to laugh at the old man side of him. After listening for a few more seconds, he took one out of his ear and examined it.

“This is a great gift!” he said animatedly, pointing at the earbud in his other hand.

“I’m so glad you like it! I was thinking about the last time I sent you a recording of the concert, when you were on your last mission, and you said you didn’t have headphones.”

“That’s so thoughtful, thank you. But nothing will ever beat listening to you in person.”

The smile that he gave you as he said that made your face flush.

“I also have something for you,” he continued, fishing out a small box with a shiny gold bow from the pocket of his sweatpants. He held out the small maroon leather jewelry box for you to take. Looking at him curiously, you opened the box to see a set of dangling pearl earrings. The post of the earrings were reminiscent of French crest, the gold filigree encasing three tiny pearls. Hanging from each crest was a raindrop-shaped pearl.

“Oh my goodness, they’re beautiful, Buck.” You said as you laid out the earrings on your hand.

“Go try them on.”

He followed you to the bathroom where you put the earrings on and turned your head to admire them.

“These are beautiful.” You said as you turned to face him, linking your hands around his neck. “Thank you.”

“You look beautiful, and you’re welcome.” He smiled down at you, pulling you to his chest and resting his chin atop your head. “Anything for my best girl.”

Taking a deep breath, you smoothed out your sweater and walked back out to the living room where Bucky was letting AJ talk about all the different features of the toy dump truck he had gotten. You sat down next to Bucky and gave him a nervous smile. He smiled back and put a hand on your upper back, though it was quickly withdrawn when Sarah and Sam came in with drinks. You stood as you accepted one, looking at Bucky expectantly. Nodding slightly, he got up as well.

“Uhm, I have a small announcement to make.” You started nervously, your unoccupied hand tucking your hair behind your ear. The boys both stopped playing at your serious tone. Sarah tilted her head in confusion but Sam had a small smirk that was starting to grow.

“Bucky and I have started seeing each other.”

Sam’s smirk turned into a full fledged grin as he gave Bucky a hug.

“Congrats you guys. That’s amazing. I knew you two were great together.” He said as he moved to give you a hug as well. Sarah followed behind him, giving you an excited smile.

“What does that mean?” AJ asked, Cass answering him.

“It means that her and Uncle Buck are boyfriend and girlfriend, AJ.”

You laughed at the older one’s serious explanation.

“So does that mean they’re getting married and we should call her Auntie or Titi?” AJ continued.

You turned beet red, fanning your face as Bucky blinked, opening his mouth but not emitting any sound. Sam was laughing hysterically while Sarah tried to keep it together as she explained it to AJ.

“It means that they’re dating, so they like each other. No one’s getting married, at least not yet.” She said, turning back towards you and winking. You turned even redder, walking towards the kitchen while Bucky just grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his neck.

“I’m so ready for dinner. Is anyone else hungry?” You asked as you walked away.

Sam, now calmed down, smiled genuinely at Bucky, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m happy for you, bud. Are you happy?”

Bucky nodded, smile creeping onto his face.

“Very happy.”

“Good. You deserve it.”  

---  

That night, you settled into bed next to Bucky, propping your head up on your hand as you laid on your side facing him.

“How do you feel now that we’ve told everybody?” You asked, amused smile on your face.  

“I feel great. Sam was so happy for us, and the boys were so funny about it.” Bucky answered, turning to mirror your position.

“Weren’t they? I felt like I was going to die of embarrassment when AJ asked if we were getting married.”

He laughed and you leaned forward, wrapping your arms around his waist, your ear pressing against his chest as you listened to his heart beat. He brought his right arm up, rubbing your upper back soothingly. Humming in content, you nuzzled your face into your chest, bidding him goodnight.

“Goodnight, doll.” Bucky answered back, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. Breaths slowly syncing, you drifted off to sleep together.

---  

On New Year’s Day, you and Bucky were in the middle of making lunch. Breakfast had been slept through since you both had stayed up so late. Finally, you had triumphed over the man who always woke at 6AM. Alpine walked figure eights around your legs as you went around the kitchen. The last night had been spent in each other’s company, complete with champagne and a kiss to reign in the new year. You felt a flush come over your face as you remembered how his rough palm had slid up your leg and rested on your upper thigh. You had worn a sleek silky gold dress that showed a little more skin than you normally did. It was New Year’s Eve, you always dressed up. Bucky had offered to go change to match you, but you insisted he looked just as handsome in his dark-wash jeans and red Henley. You daydreamed about what might’ve happened had Alpine not jumped onto Bucky’s lap.

Your risqué thoughts were interrupted by the kettle whistling on the stove. Moving it off of the burner, you looked over at Bucky, who was looking incredibly domestic as he searched the fridge with his back to you. It has been a long time since you’ve felt anything akin to domestic bliss, yet it was hard to imagine anything else in its stead. Sitting on the barstool across the counter from him, you crossed you arms and leaned forward to catch his attention.

“Do you have any big plans for the New Year?”

Your question caught him off guard. He tilted his head to think, wiping his hands off on the dish towel hanging on the oven handle.

“Hm. I guess I hadn’t thought of it.” He leaned forward onto the counter, bearing weight against his forearms. “How about you?”

“I definitely want to spruce up the yard this upcoming Spring. You know, plant some flowers, make an outdoor seating area, maybe a pond?” Bucky nodded as you listed the various plans. You continued, voice growing softer. “I also want to finish physical therapy, to make this place into a home, to feel good about myself… Just really start getting my life on track. I’ve wasted so much of it already. Sometimes, I feel like I’m working so hard to swim to shore, but really I’ve just been treading water- moving nowhere. I want to be better, for me and for you.”

You looked down to the side wistfully, rubbing your arms as if to comfort yourself. Bucky reached out to put his hand over yours. He opened his mouth to say something, hesitating a moment to get his words straight.

“It’s frustrating when you don’t think you’re making progress. Everything you’ve been through feels like… yesterday and a lifetime ago, all at the same time. But progress doesn’t always look like what you think it looks like. Don’t sell yourself short. I think you’ve been doing a great job.”

He brought your hand up to his lips and pressed soft kisses against your knuckles. A shy smile came over your face as he pressed more kisses to your palm.

“Sam rubbing off on you, huh?” That earned you a quiet chuckle. “That does make me feel better… Thanks, Buck.”

“Of course. It’s the least I can do for you helping me with my one resolution for the new year.”

Your eyebrows lifted in curiosity. “Which is?”

“Spending more time with you.”

Your smile grew bigger and bigger before you leaned across the counter to kiss him. That was a goal you would happily help him reach.

---  

Sam needed to go to Washington D.C. shortly after the new year started. He was needed for a fundraising event for a new children’s hospital. Being the new Captain America, he was in a position to really help out if he made an appearance, so he signed up for the 5k race and the gala that was taking place the next weekend. How much better would it be though, if he had his right-hand man beside him? So here he was, in your living room, sitting across from Bucky as he gave his best pitch.

“C’mon, Buck. It won’t be so bad. You can outrun them, so you can avoid talking to people. Then later, you just have to take one picture with me in a tux, eat all the fancy food you want, and then escape back to the hotel!”

“I told you, I’m not really one for those big events.” Bucky responded as you made your way back to the living room with several mugs of coffee.

“Oooh, what big events?” You asked, handing them their respective cups.

“I was just telling Bucky that he should come to the charity event in DC for the new St. Jude facility.”  

“Oh, that sounds awesome! You have to go, Buck.” You chimed in excitedly, earning Sam a dirty look from Bucky.

Bucky slouched backwards into his seat. He really didn’t want to be apart from you, much less to be with a pack of sweaty people. It was hard enough to leave when it was absolutely necessary for Sam to have back-up. Now he was asking if he would do it recreationally? Not a chance.

“Could he bring a plus one? My holiday vacation extends through that weekend. I just need to be at rehearsal that Monday evening. Is that possible?” You faced Sam expectantly.

“We can definitely make that happen. The 5k is Saturday morning, and the gala is that night. You’ll have all of Sunday to travel back.”

It was Bucky’s turn to be looked at expectantly. Both you and Sam were staring at him with puppy eyes.

“Well, if you’re going, then it won’t be so bad.” He said, putting his arm around your shoulder. You and Sam cheered in victory, Bucky sneaking a glance at you as you celebrated. He couldn’t help but grin at the sight of you clasping your hands together out of excitement. Of course, he’d go if you did. Being without you was pretty much the only real reason he had to not go. After all, he has a New Year’s resolution to fulfill.

---

You checked into the hotel on Friday evening, Bucky easily carrying both his and your luggage. You passed by large glass chandeliers, luxurious seating areas, and a huge ballroom that would host the gala tomorrow night. It was the first time in a long time that you had attended any high visibility events like this, but theoretically, you were fine. The odds of running into any unwanted company were slim to none, especially because you weren’t even sure if said company was still in D.C. Besides, you couldn’t hide away forever.

Maybe you were just on edge because this was your first trip away together. While you did spend most nights together at the house, you always had the safety net of having separate places to retreat. After being confined for so long, it was difficult for you to do anything without having a way out, in case things got messy. It was less about how you felt with Bucky, and more about how you felt with yourself. You did feel better, however, whenever you met his gaze and he gave you that soft smile. So, you looked up at him as you waited side-by-side at the elevator, and sure enough, he gave you what you were looking for. Subconsciously, you let out a deep breath, relaxing your shoulders some.

“You alright?” He asked, noticing your uneasiness.

“Yeah, I’m just tired from the flight.” You smiled back at him. Before Bucky could inquire further, Sam jogged up to where you were waiting.

“Sorry about that, I was figuring out the route for tomorrow.” He said just as the elevator dinged.

“No problem! You guys have fun with that, I’ll be bundled up by the finish line.” You laughed as you stepped into the elevator, pushing the 7th floor button.  

“You’re not running?” Bucky questioned, raising one eyebrow out of curiosity.

“I’d much rather not. There’s a reason why I’m a musician and not an Olympic athlete. I’ll just be cheering you on from the sides.”

You nudged Bucky’s arm with yours as the elevator doors closed. Sam glanced behind him as you two grinned at each other in your own little world. A small smile formed on his face as he shifted his eyes back forward. He couldn’t remember the last time that either of you looked this happy. It had been a long time coming, but so worth it.

The elevator dinged as it opened to your floor. Above the floral arrangement that was sitting on top of a polished wooden console table, was a sign that indicated which room numbers were to the left and the right of the hall.

“We’re room 711.” Bucky read off of the keycard. That meant you were going to the left.

“I’m in room 730 so I’m going this way. I’ll see you guys bright and early?” Sam asked, walking backwards towards his room as he pointed to you.

“Yup!” you replied.

“Yeah, see you then.” Bucky said as you both turned to walk towards your room.

Inserting the keycard, you opened the door to your suite and he followed behind, dropping the bags next to the bed. The room was definitely on the larger side, with the whole wall facing the city being glass. You walked over and pushed the floor length curtains to the side. Bucky pulled off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack before walking over to you.

“The view is amazing.” You admired, still in your coat and clasping your leather-gloved hands together. The different lights of the city gleamed like precious gemstones in the dark winter night. When you could finally tear your gaze from the window, you grabbed Bucky’s arm and looked up at him.

“What?” He questioned with a smile on his face.

“Nothing. It’s just exciting traveling with you.”

You tugged on his arm lightly to get him to lean down and kiss you. He gave you a teasing look but gave in regardless. Afterwards, you slipped off your gloves and started to shrug off your coat. Bucky quickly moved so that he was behind you and took hold of it so that he could hang it up for you. It’s little things like that, that show how soft and polite he was on the inside despite the gruff exterior he put on the outside for everyone else. He was always so gentle too. Between the door-openings, the coat takings, and the soft kisses he liked to press onto your hand, it could almost make you cry. Feeling the heat rise in your face from your overwhelming emotions, you cleared your throat and took a deep breath.

“Buck, I’m going to take a shower, do you need anything?” He hung your coat up and came back over to you, putting his hands on your waist.

“I’m okay. Enjoy your shower.” He said, pressing a kiss to your cheek before picking the remote off of the table and turning the television on. Upon entering the bathroom, you shut the door with a soft click. You started running the water and glanced at your complexion before stripping down and stepping into the steaming water. It felt wonderful to wash the airport germs off. You opened the packaging of the complimentary soaps and shampoos, relaxing at the smells of lavender and green tea.  

The shower did wonders calming you down. Giving yourself a few more seconds under the hot water, you closed your eyes to appreciate how much nicer it was to stay at a hotel for recreation instead of escape. You cut off the water and rung your hair out, stepping onto the cushiony bath mat. It was then that you realized you hadn’t brought any clothes in with you. You cursed in your head as you wrapped on of the towels around you. You could ask him to bring the suitcase or pick out the clothes but you bit your lip as you made your mind up. Securing the towel around you, you cracked the door to the bathroom open. Now or never.

“Bucky, I just forgot to grab clothes, sorry.”

Bucky had been reclined back on the bed, one arm propping his head up so that he could see the TV. At the sound of your voice, he turned his head towards the bathroom and saw your reflection on the mirror across from it. His eyes followed your reflection until you yourself actually came into view. He swallowed hard as you walked past to the far side of the bed. Your eyes stayed trained on the floor, but the blush across your cheeks gave you away. You crouched over your suitcase to fish out some clothes, using a burst of courage to look up at Bucky. He had turned his head towards you, eyes shifting downwards to watch the droplets of water travel down from your wet hair onto your collarbone, then follow the curve towards the valley of your chest before it disappeared into the towel. Bucky coughed and then quickly shifted his eyes forward, apologizing as the red crept up his neck to his ears.

“Sorry…”

“Don't be.” You said quickly to put him at ease. Gathering the clothes in your arms, you got up to go back to the bathroom when he gripped your forearm. Your head snapped towards him and you stared at each other, the air seemingly growing thick in the room. Bucky opened his mouth to say something, glancing down your body once more before letting go.

“Sorry, I’ll let you get dressed.” He said sheepishly, bringing a hand the back of his neck as he looked downwards.

“Do you want to…?”

He looked up as you let the sentence dangle in the air. He wanted to say yes, but he couldn’t find the voice to say it. The notion of being together physically was still foreign to him and he was… insecure about his body. How attractive could it be to have all that scarring right at your eye line? And it wasn’t like he didn’t want to be with you that way, it was just daunting to leave himself completely vulnerable to someone when he had never been seen in that light before. The anxiety started to close in on him. Noticing his discomfort, you bent over slightly to meet his eye.

“Hey, there’s no pressure. Let’s give it some more time, Buck. There’s no rush.” You reassured him as you cupped his cheek with one hand, holding the towel to your chest with the other.

“I know. I’m sorry. I really want to. I’m just… nervous.”

“Hey, that’s okay. That’s totally fine. Here, let me get changed and then we can cuddle. Besides, we have an early morning tomorrow.”

Bucky agreed with you, giving you a weak smile. You smiled back at him and walked to the bathroom, getting dressed in your sleep shorts and t-shirt. After drying your hair, you walked back out to find the TV off and Bucky dressed in his usual shirt and boxers. He was half under the covers, avoiding your eye as he scrolled on his phone. Sliding into bed next to him, you gently took his phone from his grasp and leaned over to set it on his nightstand. Then you leaned over his face, cupping his cheek again.

“Are you alright?” you asked.

“Yeah. I am. Sorry about all that.”

“Don’t be sorry. I should’ve just asked you to bring my bag.”

“There was definitely nothing wrong with that. You’re just so attractive, it’s hard for me to not react.”

Your cheeks grew flushed as you smiled at him.

“I mean it.” Bucky said, now sitting up, causing you to lean back. He slowly leaned towards you until you were switched positions- you on your back and him leaning overtop of you. Your breath got caught in your throat as he leaned down to kiss you. The kisses were hungry, passionate, slowly growing deeper. Then, as you moved your arm to put around his neck, it brushed the length that was straining against his boxers. He let out a small groan into your mouth and you both opened your eyes in surprise, him pulling away. His words were breathy as he spoke first.

“I’m having a trouble… keeping it down. I’m sorry to make you uncomfortable.”

You sat up. “Bucky, are you kidding? We’re kissing. In bed. I’m kind of surprised I haven’t felt you get hard before.”

He blinked, the flush growing even warmer on his face. You were still slightly catching your breath as your expression softened. You gently put your hand over his, scooting closer to him. Your tone was gentler this time.

“Do you want help with it?” You nodded your head downwards. “I can touch it for you.”

Okay, Bucky didn’t think he could get any redder but he definitely just did.

“I’m… a little embarrassed.” He trailed off. You could definitely understand him being shy. You had been like that when you were still new to physically showing love. Thinking back, you remembered one thing that helped.

“How about I turn off the lights? Do you think it’d be okay then?”

There was a long pause before he answered quietly.

“Yeah.”

You gave him a reassuring smile before leaning over to your nightstand and turning off your light. Then you laid to face him as he turned his off. Now completely dark, you reached out until you felt his chest, coming closer until you were in his arms. Your hands slid upwards to cup his face, letting you know where to lean in to kiss him. You kissed for quite some time, sucking on his lower lip as your hands eventually slid to his chest. When he seemed to relax into that, you brought your hand lower until it brushed over the front of his boxers. It caused him to tense again, so you asked once more.

“Can I?”

You felt his chest rise and fall deeply before he whispered.

“Yeah.”

---  

Bucky felt the cold morning air come into his lungs as he took a controlled breath in. His grey hoodie was almost too warm to run in, even though it was the heart of winter. At the beginning of the 5k, he had kept the same pace with Sam. He had no interest in being the first to the finish line. It wouldn’t be fair to everyone else. It had been going swimmingly until Sam started poking his nose where it didn’t belong.

Sam had noticed that something was different at breakfast. While they ate a light meal in preparation for the race, you had sipped on coffee as you talked animatedly about the different charities you had associated yourself with. Sam had been listening intently when he noticed how Bucky’s eyes kept shifting back and forth between the bagel on his plate and you. Sitting next to him, you hadn’t noticed. Being the astute observer that he was, Sam had watched as Bucky nervously chuckled when you turned to him for a response. You had made eye contact with Bucky and your complexions had grown flushed. To ease the awkward nervousness, you had quickly turned to Sam. He had squinted his eyes momentarily as he tried to figure out why Bucky was acting so strange, though he shoved the thoughts to the back of his mind for later.

Later turned out to be a couple of hours after breakfast, in the first half of the race. You could tell Bucky was antsy from the crowd, so you settled on just squeezing his hands encouragingly before wishing him luck. Then, they were off. After outrunning the crowd and cameras, Sam and Bucky were now in a much more private setting- not quite jogging close enough to anybody else to make conversation.

“So,” Sam started, taking advantage of the seclusion, “How’re things going with her?”

“Good.” Bucky answered simply, sensing that there may be more follow up questions.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. She’s great. We’re doing great.”

Sam slowed his pace slightly so he could catch his breath. “Just wanted to make sure. You seemed a little off at breakfast. Did something happen?”

Bucky swallowed and couldn’t hide the flush of red creeping up his neck as he remembered the previous night. It hadn’t taken him long to finish. Nobody had ever touched him intimately, and even if they had, it had been a long time since. You were more than happy with the extent of the physicality last night, all too satisfied to let him ride out his high, spilling into your hand with his face buried into the crook of your neck. But Bucky couldn’t stop the overthinking. The hesitancy, along with the telltale signs of embarrassment, gave Sam an inkling what it might be about.

“Oh, I take it something did happen.”

Bucky was not at all thrilled about Sam’s avid interest in the subject.

“Like I said, things are going well. But sometimes I get so wrapped up in my head about stuff.” Bucky said, moving past that subject. “It’s going a lot faster than I thought it was going to. Things were a lot… slower in the 40’s. And now that Steve’s gone, she’s one of the few people I have to lose, except she’s not a super soldier and she doesn’t have a powered-up suit to protect her.”

They jogged in silence for a moment.

“Honestly, it’s terrifying. Sometimes, I feel like I should’ve never started this because if something happened, I don’t know what I’d do.”

“You know, if she was here right now, she’d probably smack you upside your head.”

Bucky gave Sam a look that could’ve withered a plant, but Sam just chuckled at him.

“Listen, what you’re feeling is normal, with anything there’s a risk. You’ve literally risked your life, for your entire life. Why?”

“Well, because it was the right thing to do.”

“Right. You always do the right thing because doing the right thing makes you feel good and gives you a sense of fulfillment. She also gives you positive emotions, but you’ve come up with a hundred reasons why not to be with her. Yes, you don’t want anything to happen to her, but you’re also hesitant because you don’t want something to happen to yourself. You’re afraid of getting hurt. We all are, that doesn’t make you weak. But missing out on what is potentially the best thing that ever happened to you, solely because you were afraid, makes you a coward.”

Bucky made another face but it was one more of resignation, regardless of how much disdain for Sam he had at the moment. He was telling the truth. If he stopped the relationship because of the potential outcome, he would be a coward for doing so. Whether he lost you emotionally from it not working out, or physically because of any potential enemies, if he were to stop now, he’d be a coward.

“Think about how much she’s putting on the line. She’s smart, Buck. She knows what she’s getting into and she knows the risk. But being with you is worth more to her than the potential risk. I think you feel the same way about her. If you feel anxious about it, talk to her. I’m sure she’ll reassure you. I will also reassure you if you ask me, but I’m sure you’d much rather talk to her.” Sam chuckled. “Sorry for being harsh, man. But, I think you needed to hear it.”

“I did… Thanks, Sam. You’re a good friend.” Bucky said, looking towards Sam

“Anytime.”

They jogged comfortably at their slower pace, letting a few joggers say hello and pass them. Once they were out of earshot, Sam got his classic mischievous grin and wiggled his eyebrows.

“So, what happened between you two last night? Or is it too Rated-R to say out loud? Just asking, because your skin is, like, glowing. You look refreshed and ready to go.”

Bucky threw his head back and let out a frustrated grunt before picking up the pace and sprinting to put distance between him and Sam.

“Hey. Hey!” Sam yelled as Bucky got farther and farther away, despite his best efforts to catch up to him. Once Sam was just a speck on the trail behind him, he relaxed into a more sustainable pace. He caught his breath and looked back, laughing at the image of a far-away Sam, shaking his fist at Bucky.

As much as he and Sam joked back and forth, he was thankful to have good friends. It’s definitely helped him feel better about missing Steve. Steve was afraid that if anything ever happened to himself, that Bucky would be left in the lurch. What really helped him at the time, was knowing that Sam would be there. So, when he had brought the idea up to Bucky, he mentioned that Sam was a good man, and that he would help Bucky a lot, but if Bucky needed him, then he’d stay. Bucky knew from the bottom of his heart that if he said that he didn’t want Steve to leave, Steve would’ve stayed and not resented him one bit. But Bucky would’ve had to live with that on his conscience for the rest of his life. So, he gave Steve a pat on the back and told him to go, and that he’d be fine with Sam. He deserved to be happy. Bucky, however, did not.  

And so, he damned himself to a life of continued torture and solitude. He ignored all of Sam’s texts and calls. He punished himself by going to lunch with the dad of a victim who was plagued by his son’s mysterious death- a son that was made a victim at Bucky’s hands. It took such a shock as a new replacement “Steve” to break the cycle. Then, it was just pure anger. It was anger at the world for doing Steve wrong, anger at the world for doing Sam wrong, anger at John Wyatt for besmirching the mantle that his best friend worked so hard to establish. It was anger at himself for being slow on making amends, anger at himself for still waking up shaken from the nightmares that haunted him. It was anger at himself for telling Steve that he would be just fine if he left.  

At the time, it was a bold-faced lie. Though, overtime it did end up being the truth. He helped the real Captain America take back the shield, and in the process, he saved people who had actually thanked him for it, as if it wasn’t what he was longing to do in the first place. He finally finished making his amends, giving peace to a number of families and himself. He even allowed himself to have a little bit of happiness by believing, even if just for a moment, that he belonged in the community that accepted him so easily in Louisiana. And now, he had you too. Beautiful, talented, kind you. You, who had embraced him with unabashed love. You, who wasn’t ashamed of who he was.  

Steve would’ve loved you.

Bucky hadn’t noticed the tears until one slipped onto his cheek, accentuating the cold. Somehow, though, this cold served to remind him that he was indeed alive. Despite all odds, he was here. What a fool he was to think that he would have been protecting you by staying distant. Bucky coughed and then sniffed, shaking his head before quickly wiping his cheek. Determined to see you, he ran at a steady pace until he saw you waving and cheering him on by the finish line. You were against the barrier about ten yards from the end of the race, slightly separated from the other crowds of people. Ignoring the finish line, he ran straight to you and gripped you by the shoulders.

“Buck, what’re you-”

He kissed you openly, surprising both you and the racers who gawked as they jogged past the scene to the finish line. You eventually pulled apart and looked at him with an incredulous giddy expression on your face, accented by your fingers gently touching your lips as if you didn’t believe what just happened.

“I love you.”

You blinked several times to process it before bursting into a grin that couldn’t get any bigger. Breathlessly, you responded.

“I love you too.”

---  

The gala was a huge success. They announced during the introductions that they had met their fundraising goal, which was greeted by a tremendous amount of applause. They spotlighted Sam, and subsequently you and Bucky, as they thanked Captain America and his right hand man for their support. After you had finished dinner, they whisked them both away for publicity. You felt a little bad as you watched Sam and Bucky get assaulted by camera flashes as every bigwig who donated towards the cause insisted on taking a picture with Captain America. Fortunately, you were watching from the comfort of your own seat, nursing a glass of wine while trying not to stain the glass with your lipstick.  

You then turned your head to watch the dance floor where a lot of the party was congregated, dancing in pairs to a waltz. Normally, events like these started off as a classical ball and ended in an atmosphere more like a nightclub after the older sponsors went home. You did love dancing, to either kind of music, but you weren’t sure if Bucky was the dancing type. Still, you wished that you could have at least one dance with him before it got too late. It was then that you heard someone call your name. Not Irina, but your name. You turned your head warily towards the voice.

“Hey! I thought that was you!”

“Oh my god Dev, you startled me!” You said in relief, standing up to give your friend a hug. He hugged you and then sat in Bucky’s unoccupied seat.

“I haven’t seen you in so long! You kind of disappeared off of everyone’s radar.”

You couldn’t miss the glance he took at your shoulder. The dress you were wearing, one of your favorites for the wintertime, had a flowing tulle champagne skirt that had gold floral accents. But from the waist up, it was a velvet red fluttered off-shoulder top with thin supporting straps that perfectly framed the scarring. You hadn’t really been planning on seeing anyone you knew so you hadn’t bothered covering up your shoulder.

“Yeah, I’ve been trying to keep a semi-low profile.”

“Well, whatever you’ve been doing has been working. You worried a lot of us. If it weren’t for Jules letting us know you were still alive, we would’ve called in a missing person’s report.”

You looked down sheepishly, embarrassed but happy that after all this time, your friends still remembered and cared about you. You tucked your hair behind your ear and fidgeted with one of the pearls on the earrings that Bucky had gotten for you.

“Yeah, I’m so excited for her wedding, you know she made me a bridesmaid?”

Unaware of your skillful redirection of the conversation, he replied excitedly.  

“I’ll be there too! Super happy for her. Her and Raul have been dating forever. It’s about time they get hitched.”

“Agreed. Speaking of, how’re you doing these days? Any lucky ladies in your life?” You leaned back in your chair and resumed your glass of wine.

“No ladies, but I did just get my big break.” He said with a wide secretive smile.

“Really?” You perked up. He leaned in as if he was going to tell you something confidential so you mirrored the movement. In a low tone, he explained.

“I just got hired to compose the musical score for a Netflix series. I’ve been working on it for months, and now we’re recording in three weeks at a studio in New York!”

“Dev!” you exclaimed loudly, “That is absolutely amazing! I’m so happy for you! You’re going to be the next John Williams, I just know it.”

He gave you a big smile. Across the room, Bucky was looking in your direction, attention caught by your excitement.

“Who’s that?” He asked Sam discreetly between pictures.

“I don’t know. Maybe a fan?”

Bucky’s eyes lingered in your direction until the photographer called his attention.

“You know,” Dev started, “We’re still in the selection process for the piano player since we were torn between two options, but you blow them both out of the water.”

“Wow, that sounds amazing. I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes though.”

“Nonsense. I’m the composer so I get to choose my orchestra! And you’ll love the series. It’s about an orphan in the 1960’s who’s a chess prodigy. She destroys different chess tournaments and battles addiction. She ends up playing the best of the best in Russia by the end of it. It’s called Queen’s Gambit- based on a book with the same name. Who better to have recording for Queen’s Gambit than the Reigning Queen of Russian Classics? You can come see Jules too. The studio’s not far from her place.”

The offer was extremely tempting, but you weren’t sure how ready you were to throw caution to the wind. He must’ve caught onto your hesitation, so he gave another pitch to you.

“I know you’ve been out of the limelight for a long time, but this is your chance to bring your name back into the mix. And the series won’t be released until later this year so no one will know you’re in New York if that’s what you’re worried about. Not until long after you’ve finished recording.”

You bit your lip. You’re resolve was crumbling.

“How long is recording?” You asked tentatively.

“Our target is three studio days, but we booked four just in case- Monday through Thursday. Is that okay?”

“Well… I’m performing right now under a stage name with an orchestra. But the rehearsals have been going really well since we’ve been playing together all season. I could give them a recording of me playing the pieces for that week that they could practice to. Before I get ahead of myself though, can I just ask one thing?”

“You can have whatever you want.” You cracked a smile at that.

“Can you keep it a secret that I’m going to be there? You can use my name in the credits but I don’t really want any media coverage while I’m in New York.”

“Absolutely. Done.”

It was hard not to feel absolutely giddy. If it were someone you didn’t really know, you wouldn’t do it, but you trusted Dev to abide by your wishes.

“Well, I’ll email the orchestra head and if he says yes, then I’m in.”

Dev cheered, causing several heads to turn towards him. You could barely hold your laughter as he quickly apologized to those around him. When you both settled, the lights started to dim slightly, and the music switched from instrumental to lyrical. You and Dev looked out to the dance floor. Still slower paced, but modern, perfect for slow dancing to.

“Care to dance?”

Your head snapped towards Dev who was holding out his hand.

“I think that I might be ahead of you in line, pal.”

Bucky placed a hand on the back of the chair you were sitting in. Happy that he was back, you set one of your hands over his and looked up at him.

“All done with the paparazzi?” You joked with a big smile on your face that reassured Bucky.

“Yeah, finally. Who’s this?” He nodded his head towards the man sitting in his seat.

“This is Dev Addison, a friend of mine from Julliard.”

Bucky extended his hand in greeting, Dev standing up to shake his hand.

“Dev, this is Sergeant Barnes.”

He looked to you and then back to Bucky incredulously.

“Wow, it’s nice to meet you. Thanks for always keeping us safe.”

“I’m happy to it.” He responded as you got up as well.

“Well,” you started, straightening out your skirt. “I think I’ll have to ask for a rain check, Dev. I’ve been waiting all night for them to be done with him.” You said with a grin as you looked up at Bucky, him reciprocating.

An amused smile came upon Dev’s face as he saw the look between you two. You looked happy. After so long, it was good to know that you were at least okay.

“No problem,” he said good-naturedly. “Let me know ASAP when the orchestra head replies!”

“Will do!”

You both waved goodbye and you started walking hand in hand with Bucky to the area where people were dancing. You put one hand in his and the other on his shoulder as he put his other on your waist, tentatively swaying to the music together.

“So, Dev offered me a job. It’s a four day contract to record music that he composed for a television series. It’s going to be at a studio in New York at the end of February.”

“Wow,” Bucky said with raised eyebrows. “That’s exciting. Are you going to take it?”

“I think so.” You said slowly but firmly. “I just have to wait for the orchestra to approve it.”

“That’s great.” Bucky said encouragingly, noticing a different emotion mixed in with your excitement. “What’s wrong?”

“I just haven’t been to New York in a while. It just makes me feel a little nervous about getting back out into the world. I know you know how that feels, on a much bigger scale. But another part of me is excited to get back into big projects like these.”

Bucky nodded his head in agreement. “But I think if you want to, then there’s no harm. It’s only a few days and it’s just for recording. You could stay at a hotel so you could have some space if you don’t want to stay with your friends.”

You looked like you were thinking, so he didn’t say anything else. Instead, you danced together closely as you listened to the lyrics of the song.

And you say that you’re not worth it

You get hung up on your flaws

Well, in my eyes you are perfect

As you are

“John Legend, I think.” You said quietly as rested your cheek against his shoulder. Bucky hummed in response, touching his lips to your forehead.

I will never try to change you

I will always want the same you

Swear on everything I pray to

That I won’t break your heart

Bucky glanced down at the necklace that rested perfectly in the space between your collarbones, the one that you had fixed with the brooch he gave you. The emerald was now fitted in gold plating, set between two delicate pearls. It matched the earrings he had given you perfectly. You could’ve worn or bought plenty of other jewelry, but you continually wear these because they make you happy and they show off to the world that he favored you.

I’ll be there when you get lonely

Keep the secrets that you told me

And your love is all you owe me

And I won’t break your heart  

“If I go to New York, will you come with me?” You looked up at him with an endearing look, the dim chandelier leaving a residual glimmer in your eyes.

“Of course, I will.” He said softly, giving you a classic Bucky smile. You laughed as he twirled you once before dipping you. He held you like you weighed nothing, pressing his lips against your cheek as you giggled.  

“I love you.” You said, a dreamy look on your face. A huge smile spread over Bucky’s face, and he reciprocated while gazing at you from under hooded eyelids.

“I love you too.”

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Hi! I saw that you might be interested in writing fics about Sigyn x Loki and it’s totally fine if you don’t want to do this because it is a little angsty and doesn’t really fit your description of what she was doing during Thor but could you maybe write something where Sigyn dies somehow a little before the events of Thor happened and Sigyn’d death was what lead Loki to do New York. And maybe he was pardoned and joined the avengers and they notice that Loki wears a ring and they start getting really curious. Maybe they ask him or Thor about the ring and find out about Sigyn. I know it doesn’t really fit what your version of Sigyn was doing during Thor but I would really like to see how you write this.

A/N: You’re right, this isn’t how I picture Sigyn in the MCU. I want her to be a more active character and really don’t like fridging my ladies if I can help it. That all being said, it’s a fun thought experiment.  Consider this just an AU where Sigyn dies.

Also, this kinda turned into a thing, so enjoy!

Word Count: 3.3K

The transition was gradual, to say the least. Nobody really trusted Loki, apart form Thor. But then again, Thor would trust a rabid dog not to bite him if it asked nicely enough.

He had vouched for his brother’s changed ways and Loki himself hadn’t done anything directly to contradict Thor’s word. Plus, it was hard for them to deny how he had come to the rescue on their behalf and the world at large.

Still, there was an unspoken understanding to stay out of each other’s way. Only occasionally did Loki interact with the rest of the team outside of missions and even then it was mildly antagonistic, like a little kid looking for attention from their siblings.

Eventually, it just got comfortable, for lack of a better word.  They’re weren’t friends, but they weren’t enemies either and that seemed to be enough.

So perhaps it wasn’t a surprise it took them almost six months to notice the ring.

Natasha was the first to catch it.

She stood on the edge of the mat, watching Loki spar with his brother. 

It was just a casual observation.  She spent most of the match counting how many times one of them missed a weak spot of the other. Finally, Loki took the advantage and managed to disarm his brother, but not before something fell out of his shirt; a silver chain with a solitary gold ring dangling from the end of it.

Natasha frowned, her eyes focusing on the tiny object. It was just a simple band, no jewels or markings from what she could see. The only thing which struck her as odd was the size.  It was much too small for the likes of Loki.

Her eyes darted to the man in question, who stared back at her with a guarded expression.

Without a word he helped his brother to his feet, and tucked the necklace away.

He wasn’t telling and she wasn’t asking.

The next was Steve.

He couldn’t sleep, which wasn’t so unusual.  Even before he went into the ice he wasn’t much of a sleeper.  The scientist who worked on him said it had something to do with the serum. He just didn’t require as much sleep as the average person.

On nights like these he found himself wandering, allowing his thoughts to shuffle lightly in and out as he feet carried him where they liked. It therefor came as a surprise when he noticed one of the lights in the kitchen turned on and a single figure sitting at the island.

Steve stayed in the shadows, watching with suspicion and curiosity.

Loki did not seem to know he was there.  A long forgotten mug of something sat on the surface beside him.  His eyes were only for the ring between his fingers.

Steve stiffened waiting for something, anything to happen.  Knowing Loki it was a magic ring of some kind.  Perhaps he was working out a kind of spell or curse.  But, the longer Steve waited, the more he realized nothing was going to happen.

His eyes then turned away from the ring at to the man holding them.  His heart twisted.

Sorrow permeated Loki’s features, and the resignation that it was all there would ever be.

Steve knew that look.  He had worn it often enough on sleepless nights.

“Do you require something, Captain?” Loki said, turning his head up to meet his gaze.

Steve immediately stiffened, automatically preparing himself for a fight.

“No, just getting some air. What are you doing up?”

“The same as you,” he said, smoothly.  “Just getting some air.”

It was obvious neither bought what the other was selling, but it was also obvious neither were in a position to ask any further questions.

“I’ll leave you to it then.” He turned to leave, but found himself pausing before he could stop himself.  The familiar ache was back in his gut.  It was what had woken him up and it was back with a vengeance, recognizing it’s own pain in another.

“I’m sorry,” he said, before he could stop himself.

Loki’s gaze darkened, but still his grip on the ring remained ever gentle.  “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

Steve shook his head. “No, I think you do.  And I’m sorry.”

The other man remained silence, but gave a small nod.

Steve took it as his leave to go and walked away.  It wasn’t his place to ask and so he wouldn’t.

It was Clint who finally got it out of him.

He never trusted Loki, for obvious reasons.  The rest of the team might have been able to buy the changed man act, but none of them had had their mind permanently screwed with like his had. He played nice while on missions, but was soon as they were off the Quinjet, he kept as far away from Loki as possible.

So, when Natasha told him about the ring, he was more than a little suspicious.

There had to be something about the ring.  It had to be a talisman Loki could use to trick them.  Maybe it turned him invisible or he used in for illusions or whatever magic crap he called it.

Clint started to keep his eye out.

Once he was looking for it, it was obvious Loki took it wherever they went.  It was always tucked away, buried under clothes and armor.  Even when they were back at the compound, Loki never let it leave his body.

Once in a while, he’d catch Loki running the metal between his fingers in thought, followed almost always by some sort of interjection about whatever mission was at hand and how to improve it.

He had to begrudgingly agree that most of Loki's suggestions were decent ones.  Maybe the ring gave him a type of insight; seeing into the future perhaps? 

Either way, his suspicion was growing stronger everyday.  There had to be someway to figure out what it was. 

It took about a month for him to get his chance.

Loki always kept the ring on while he was around other people; however, he wasn’t so careful while he was alone. Through some carefully place cameras, Clint discovered he did slip it off before going to sleep and whenever he went into the shower. 

Sneaking in when he was sleeping was out.  Clint observed easily enough the man was a light sleeper.  Even with all his training, he doubt he could come up with a decent excuse if he got caught, which only left one other option.

He waited until the end of a particularly grueling mission.  Everybody was exhausted and a hot shower seemed like heaven, just the opportunity he needed. 

Clint followed Loki to his room.  He didn’t enter until he heard the water running.  After that, it was easy enough.  In a flash he was in and out, holding the cool metal between his fingers and booking it to the lab.

A part of him felt childish. It was more like stealing a few bucks out of his brother’s wallet, rather than a high stake’s espionage to reveal a traitor.  Desperate times, he guessed. 

Just his luck, Tony and Bruce were already tinkering away when he burst in.

“How quickly can you guys analyze this,” he said through panting breath.

The two scientist looked up in confusion.

“Somebody sell you a knock off ring?” Tony said, dryly.

Clint shook his head, not having time for jokes.  “It’s Loki’s.”

That got their attention.

“What does it do?”

“How’d you get it?”

“I don’t know and it doesn’t matter.  We have maybe ten minutes before he realizes it’s gone.”

Bruce shot Tony a skeptical look, but Tony ignored it.

“Let’s see it.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, Clint handed it over.

“I’ll get a sample and see what it’s made out of. If there’s anything not of Earth we’ll find it.  Bruce?”

Banner gave a reluctant sigh.  “I can check for energy readings.  If it’s anything like Thor’s hammer, something might turn up.  But, I honestly not sure what I’m looking for. You never said was Loki was using it for.”

Clint shrugged.  “I don’t know.  I just know he won’t go anywhere without it and he keeps it out of sight as best he can.  Nat only spotted it on accident and apparently he gave her this really weird look.”

“Weird how?”

“Just weird, like she saw something she shouldn’t.”

“Good enough for me,” Tony said, already placing the ring under a microscope. “Ten minutes you said?”

“Eight now.”

“Let’s get to work.”

Two minutes in Tony discovered the ring was mostly gold.  There were trace amounts copper and nickle, but only enough to keep the metal from being malleable.  Really, it wasn’t anything one wouldn’t find at a local jewelry store. 

Bruce meanwhile, found nothing.  No radiation, no magnetic field, no anything to indicate it wasn’t just a completely normal ring.

Clint ran his hand through his hair in agitation; they had three minutes at most.

“There has to be something!”

“I’m telling you there isn’t,” Bruce insisted.

“It can’t be, why else would he have it?”

“Sentimental reasons? Maybe it’s his mother’s.”

Clint scoffed, but a nagging sense of doubt crept into his gut. “No.  You missed something.  Tony?”

“Not much, just that it’s stronger than it should be.”

Clint perked up at this. “How do you mean?”

“I mean there isn’t a scratch on it. If it has the amount of gold the computer says it does it should have some kind of wear on it, but nothing.  It’s perfectly preserved.”

Clint turned to Bruce.  “See, that’s weird right?”

Bruce rubbed his hand behind his neck.  “It is a little weird, but let’s not forget Loki isn’t exactly a local.”

“You’re defending him?” Tony accused.

“I’m not saying that.  I’m just saying we have to look at all the options.”

Clint opened his mouth to protest, when the doors slammed open behind him. 

They were out of time.

“Stark,” Loki snapped. “I want a look at those cameras you–”

He stopped, physically halting in his place as he eyes quickly shot to the ring on the table.

His expression remained cool, but Clint was just able to catch look of panic flash across his features. 

“Ah, there it is,” he said, smoothly.  “I’ll take that back now, if you don’t mind.”

He made a move toward it, but Tony was faster.

“You were looking for this,” he questioned.

Loki’s eyes narrowed.  “Yes.  I had misplaced it, but now that it’s found, I would like it back.”

“This is yours then?”

“Of course it’s mine.”

Tony nodded, giving a “what do you know about that” expression.

Clint straightened.  He could feel the tension rising between the two men.  Something was going to happen, he just had to be ready for the signal.

He was so focused on the scene in front of him, he failed to notice Bruce sneak carefully out of the room.

“It’s an interesting ring,” Tony said.  “Sturdy.”

“Indeed,” Loki said.  His mask was slipping, the frustration slowly melting it off his skin.

“I’m curious," Tony continued, "what exactly is so special about it? I’ve been running every test I can think of and nothing’s wrong with it.  Absolutely nothing.  It’s literally, the most perfect ring I’ve ever seen.” He took a pause, casually glancing in Clint’s direction.  “Might want to step back from that Barton, highly corrosive.”

Clint looked behind him to see a full beaker of bubbling liquid behind him.  Holding back a smile, he instantly understood.

“That’s all very well,” Loki said. “But it does not stop it from being mine.” He held out his hand.  “Return it to me, now.”

Tony smirked.  “Think fast.”

In a second, the ring was in the air, not towards Loki, but right for Clint.

He caught it mid-air, just in time for Loki to pivot towards him with murder in his eyes.

Clint didn’t hesitate.  Spinning around, he held the ring over the beaker silently daring the so called “god” to move.

Loki stayed in place, even as he vibrated with rage.

“Careful with that,” he warned, his voice sharp and cold as a knife.

“What is it, then?” Clint challenged.

“It’s a ring. Nothing more.”

“Really? Then I don’t see what I can’t just…” The chain slipped between his fingers.

“Don’t!” Loki snapped.

Clint caught it.  The ring remained intact, swinging dangerously close to it's demise.

Loki visibly sighed in relief, but something in his eye gave Clint pause.  It wasn’t just anger or even fear, it was pain.

He pressed his lips together, his mind whirling with what it could possibly mean.

“Why do you care about this?” Clint asked, again.

Loki’s eyes never left the glinting metal, as he shook his head.  “You wouldn’t believe me.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes.  Clearly you’ve already convinced yourself it serves some nefarious purpose.  You will not accept anything short of that explanation.”

“Give me a better one then.”

Loki lip twisted.  “I think not.  You see Agent Barton, I believe it’s perfectly within my power to take my ring back from you. The only choice you have is whether you want to keep it or your hand.”

With a flick of his wrist, a knife appeared in each of his hands, glinting sharp and ready.

“What is going on?” Thor’s voice echoed in the small room.

On instinct Clint turned his eyes away from Loki.

It happened in an instant. The sting of the cut. The cool metal slipping between his fingers.  A blast from the corner of the room. A brush of air. And a knife embedded in the wall behind, with the small chain dangling from the hilt.

Clint turned to see Loki thrown across the room.  Tony’s now armored arm was still raised, and ready for another attack.

Looking down at his own hand, Clint could see a trail of blood sliced across the back.

“What the hell?!” he snapped.

Loki struggled to his feet, leaning against the wall for support.  His brother was at his side in an instant.  Bruce stepped in the middle of it all, his arms spread wide.

“Everybody, calm down,” he said.  “Let’s not make this a bigger mess than it already is.”

“You’re seriously showing your belly, now?” Tony accused.

“Take it more like a warning growl,” Bruce countered. 

The threat was obvious, making Tony visibly shocked.  He backed down, lowering his arm.

Thor supported Loki, bringing him fully to his feet.

“I’ll ask again, what is going on?” Thor said, will all the authority a prince of Asgard could muster.

“Just a little disagreement over stolen property,” Loki said, smoothly. 

Thor’s eyes went to the necklace still swinging against the other wall. The anger on his features nearly matched Loki’s.

“Stark?”

“Me,” Barton interjected.  “I wanted to know what Loki was hiding.  From the length he’s willing to go to to get it back, it must be something.”

Thor shook his head.  “Do you have any idea what you might have done?”

“No, that’s kind of the point,” Tony said.  “What is it, the One Ring or something?”

“It’s a personal matter,” Loki said.

“No good enough.”

“Clint, drop it,” Bruce snapped.

“No! What is it? What the hell can be so important that you’re willing to finally drop your changed man act to get it back?!”

Thor let out a long sigh. “Barton, you can not–”

“Enough, brother,” Loki cut in. “You wanted a story Agent Barton? I’ll tell you one.

“Once upon a time in a land far away, there lived a prince.  Second born of his family, he grew accustomed to being looked over by others; his subject, his friends, even his father would easily pass him over."

"Does this have a point?" Clint interrupted.

Loki said nothing. 

Clint's frown deepened, but it was obvious there was no other way he was going to get an answer out of the would be king.  So, he kept his mouth shut, until Loki started again.

"The prince grew resentful, turning deeper and deeper into himself. It came to the point where nothing else existed, except the darkness.  Until one day, he came upon a maiden practicing spells in a garden."

For the first time in Clint's memory, a soft smile came to Loki's lips.

“She was beautiful and intelligent, and the prince offered to teach the maiden what he knew.  She asked what he wanted in exchange, and the only answer he could give, was her company. And so they practiced and talked, and little by little the darkness around the prince began to fade. He was still second to many, but their opinions no longer mattered.  In the eyes of the maiden, he found light.”

He shook his head.  “The prince was never sure what the maiden saw in him, but it was enough for her to agree to marry him.  He then presented her with a ring.  An ordinary ring to some, far too simple for a soon to be princess, but in it held a spell.  The ring would never fade or tarnish, as long as his love for her survived.”

He blinked, his expression darkening.  “But love cannot protect one from death.  Long after they were married, but not nearly long enough, a plague tore through the kingdom.  It infested every corner from the lowest commoner to highest lord, until finally, it arrived at the palace gates.  The prince’s eldest brother, his mother, and wife all caught the disease. After weeks of uncertainty, it was determined they would pull through, save for one. The maiden, his light, died in his arms while they slept."

Loki paused, swallowing down the emotion clearly rising in his throat.

“The darkness returned with a vengeance, to which the prince succumbed.  He turned against his brother, his father, and everyone else he blamed for his failings. Slowly but surely, he pushed them all away until he found himself falling to an abyss, completely and utterly alone.

"But, that was not the end of the prince’s story.  For you see, the prince was not as alone was he thought.  Another found him, and offered him something he had no had in years; hope.

"He told the prince he sought six stones, that when combined would bend the universe to his will, including bringing back what was long dead."

Loki's eyes grew even more distant, his hand going to his chest, instinctively reaching for a familiar chain.

"He promised the prince he could bring back his light.  All the prince had to do was conquer a single planet. A simple task, the prince thought.  And so he went, ready to burn a world for the chance to see his love again.”

A sardonic smile spread across his face.  “But the prince failed and in his failure, he realized while he might be willing to pay such a price for his love, she would not feel the same.  And so he set to make amends, all the while keeping a symbol of their love close to his heart as a reminder of the light he must always remember is there.”

Loki paused, looking up to his captivated audience. In a room full of people compelled to give the have word, not a sound was uttered.

Maintaining the silence, he walked passed all of them to where his heart hung.  With a small tug, he pulled the knife from the wall, and lay the necklace gently in his open palm.

“Does that answer your questions, Agent Barton?” he asked, taking a moment to run his finger over the flawless gold.

Clint blinked, unsure of what to really say.  He really only had one question left to ask.

“What was her name?”

Loki glanced at him, and for the first time Clint saw him, not as a would be god, but as a man, tired and filled with regret.

“Sigyn.”

[perhapsthanatos]

10:32 pm with yuta ♡

nct’s yuta x fem!reader (got inspired by a dream of mine & found the idea really cute)

alternate title: be the james dean to my audrey hepburn

genre: fluff. a pinch of angst. non idol au. badboy!yuta au.

word count: 1400~

playlist: chinatown by wild nothing, lover’s rock by tv girl & work this time by king gizzard and the lizard wizard.

warnings: featuring johnny (not a warning though). smoking cigarettes. cursing. lowercase intended. not proofread.

a/n: hi i was supposed to post a vampire!haechan fic but i really wasnt happy w it in general :( the plot or overall idea of the fic was really good, but i just felt as if i didnt do it justice so here we are :( but ngl, i kind of like this concept more? maybe bc i can see it more vividly? idk, i feel like my writings r getting repetitive & its getting on my nerves lmaoo this is getting long im sorry do u guys even read this part anyway? i would also like to apologize abt the amount of projecting im doing lmao ive been having some rough days & i love my sister but hate being compared to her so often so this is a way for me to rant abt it ig? also so sorry its coming out a little later bc i woke up late today (& procrastinated for the rest of it so here i am posting really late at night) & decided to go to the convenience store to get ice cream (& a ton of other bad shit pls dont do this its rlly unhealthy) for breakfast bc i can :) any who, enjoy lovelies <3

“oh my, y/n! you’ve grown up so well! just like your sister!”

“oh! i’m sorry i’ve almost mistaken you for your sister! y/n is your name, correct?”

“y/n, darling, you are looking so dashing! you really do resemble your sister, don’t you?”

“ah, you must be y/n! i’ve heard all about you and your sister from your father!”

you swear that your reddening cheeks are threatening to fall off any moment now from all the fake smiling. the hundreds of superficial compliments, the insincere flattery and the need for these people to constantly compare you to your godforsaken sister makes you feel even weaker than you are. it gets harder and harder to keep up with a big persona that isn’t at all you. as lucky as you are to live such a lavish lifestyle, you can’t help but hate how your family has to be so perfect. you hate how you have never fit in with them, even if you are so good at faking it. you hate how you have always been stuck in your sister’s shadow, constantly haunted with the reminder that you yourself aren’t good enough. you hate how you now have to entertain the rich and brainless guests at your parent’s gala because she’s gone for some stupid prodigy competition and everyone is only talking about her in front of your face. so what if she’s better the better sister? you still have the right to earn respect, right?

you’re exhausted from all the small talk. your facade gets more brittle by the second under all the pressure. your body feels as if it's gonna give out due to your brain shutting down after all that interacting. you try to keep on going with the night as it unravels itself by being the perfectly poised poster child, trying to make your parents proud. but alive yet almost completely devoid, you decide enough was enough. what if you left right now? no one would notice, would they?

after pulling up your phone discreetly to send a few text messages, you pass through lots of people dressed in gold and finery in a way that wouldn’t have you noticed right away. keep your head down and don’t you dare make eye contact with anyone. nearing the end of the room, grabbing the first glass of whatever alcohol you see and downing it in one gulp, you start walking away as quickly as possible from the ballroom. “ignorant privileged fucks,” you angrily whisper to no one in particular, setting the now empty glass on whatever surface and begin to head to the main exit where no one could spot you running away.

“and what do you think you’re doing here, miss?”

a voice interrupts you, looking up you see that it is your father’s head butler; johnny. he is dressed in a simple black suit that makes him appear taller than he is. his long brown hair is slicked back and his bowtie seems brand new. you have known the man since he started working in your household less than ten years back. you were a reckless child, often trying to find ways to sneak out, finding a way to escape from this life and he sympathized with you. after all, he could barely imagine living your life, never catching a break for yourself and always pretending to be someone you weren’t. he often helped planning when you would sneak out into the night, scheduling things like what time you should leave and what time you should be back, more specifically a time when no one would notice. he would take care of your form of transportation and have your location on at all times, just to be extra safe. as much as he wants you to have fun and have a bit of freedom, he still worries that something might happen to you. because of all this, you two have grown to have a very strong bond. you could confidently say that he is most definitely a parental figure in your life since your parents (and even your sister) are often overseas for work.

“what do you think i’m doing? you think i wanna be in a room with those half-baked bipeds? fuck no!”

“i know, i was just joking. you looked like you were about to explode in there, i wish i could help.” he laughs, pulling out his phone preparing what you might need. “so what will it be for today? the driver? we just need to pay him to keep his mouth shut. a taxi? it’s cheaper than paying the driver, but you still need to pay… not like that’s a problem for you though. maybe an uber would be good enough—“

“actually, i got myself covered. thanks.”

his jaw slightly drops and his eyebrows furrow. he looks straight at you in shock. “what do you mean you got yourself covered?”

you look down at your feet, a nervous habit. “i got myself a ride, you don’t need to help me. i’ll be back as soon as dawn comes.”

he raises his eyebrow. “who’s your ride?”

“doesn’t matter,” you glance down at your phone seeing a notification and wave a goodbye, leaving rather suddenly. “i gotta go, i’ll text you when you need to open the gates!”

“y/n! wait! who’s your ride— and she’s gone.” johnny sighs, watching as you run towards the front gates, tossing your stiletto heels away on the grass while you’re at it. he heads back inside, silently hoping you’ll be fine.

knocking the window of the old black mustang parked outside behind the big bushes, the driver rolls down his window and sends the most charming smile.

yuta in his black beanie, long blonde hair, worn out doc martens, signature leather jacket and black skinny jeans. it almost makes you laugh on how he wears the same thing almost everyday but still manages to look so good.

he is most notable for having a big bad boy reputation and you knew that he was the breath of fresh air you needed in your life. a person who can understand having the pressure of having to be or to fulfill your persona. a person you can completely be yourself around. a person who is full of warmth no matter how cold he may seem on the outside.

“get in, princess.”

and that was all you needed. you tiredly walked to the other door and sat yourself in the car. rolling his window back up, he looks at you. you are wearing a simple yet stunning black dress along with silver jewelry adorned on your neck and wrists. your makeup is perfectly done but still struggles to hide the fog in your eyes. he has the sudden urge to clear them away. he softens at the sight of you. no one is perfect, but he finds you being perfect enough without ever having to dress up.

“where to?” he asks as gently as he could. he knows that you are most vulnerable during these moments and that it is hard to finally break down your walls after a day full of stress, so he doesn’t pry immediately. all he wants to do is to keep you here, safe and away from your burdens and for you to stay comfortable with him, even if it couldn't be for long. but is that too selfish of him to ask? he hates how you hate your life and it is taking every bone in his body to not run away with you. but who is he to tell you what to do or what to change anyway? all he can do for now is try to find a way to make you genuinely smile.

“take me anywhere,” you whisper to the latter. “i just want to be as far from myself and my life as possible. miles away or the nearest convenience store, just take the long way home before dawn.”

you look down at the cup holders, spotting an open cigarette box. you tug one out of the nineteen and light it with the lighter you kept in your pocket. you lean back and close your eyes. he only admires as you bring the cigarette to your lips, exhaling a cloud of smoke afterwards. letting the radio play quietly, he starts the car and begins to drive away from the mansion. he can’t help but wonder how you (an elegant daughter) and him (a bad boy) are millions of worlds apart, but more similar than you think.

© perhapsthanatos (efa)

[bunnyywritings]

a birthday wish

tenya iida x gn!reader

[a/n: so I got home later than I thought I would and it was a bit of a rough day but here’s a little something for class rep on his birthday, hehe I’m a complete mess when it comes to this boy right here🥺...like I don’t understand how he’s not everyone’s favorite but I guess not everyone has taste ✨✨ anyways, I gave reader wings as their quirk, enjoy! -yours truly, bunnyy -`ღ´- ]

Work studies were going great so far. You were doing yours under Keigo Takami aka Hawks. He helped you with training that focused on strengthening your wings and using them in combat.

You flinched as the earpiece crackled to life, “That’s enough for now (y/n), let’s go on patrol.” You made your way down to where he was standing on the rooftop, a groan leaving your lips once your wings ceased their flapping. This caused Hawks to chuckle, “Tired?”

“No.” You scoffed at his teasing. “Not at all.” That was a big fat lie, your wings were sore. Every time you took a step, it jostled them painfully. However, you pushed the pain to the back of your mind and went on the patrol as scheduled.

Back at the dorms, everyone was gathered in the common room, trying to relax after a day full of classes and pop quizzes. Denki was flipping through the channels when a familiar face made him stop and turn up the volume.

“Woah! Guys check it out! It’s (y/n)!” The call of your name caught Iida’s attention, he grabbed his mug and made his way towards the couches. A smile on his face as he saw you on the tv, your dazzling grin on display for everyone to see as you were on patrol. He felt his heart beat a little faster at the sight of you. He was a bit somber at the fact that you wouldn’t be there for his birthday.

He’d want nothing more than to be able to cuddle you to his hearts content and sleep with you in his arms, sure it was against to rules but when it came to you, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for you. Plus, the thought of waking up to you in his arms on his birthday was probably one of the best gifts he could receive. Especially after not seeing you for a whole week. He fished his phone from his pocket and took a quick picture of your guys’ classmates gushing over you.

To: my darling angel ♡

‘You look absolutely dazzling on the big screen darling and it seems that everyone thinks so too.’

You ignored the buzz in your pocket, you knew it was a text but taking your phone out on a patrol wouldn’t really be the smartest idea, so you continued on. Stopping for photos and autographs before you were back in the agency office and having lunch.

“So? Did you consider my offer?” Hawks asked as he popped a nugget in his mouth.

“Well I did, and after speaking about it with a-uh a friend...” Keigo definitely caught onto the blush that made its way to your cheeks. “and once I graduate, I’d love to sign with your agency.” A triumphant grin split his lips.

“That’s great!” His grin turned into a mischievous smirk. “And who’s this friend of yours?” He wiggled his eyebrows as your cheeks turned a bright red.

“He uhm, his name is T-Tenya Iida.” You avoided his gaze.

“Tenya? Wait- he’s Ingenium’s brother?” You nodded sheepishly. “Is he your boyfriend?~”

A laugh rumbled in his chest as he saw your wings ruffle and puff up. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Then you remembered that he had texted you a while ago so you grabbed your phone and unlocked it, heart fluttering so loud you could hear it in your ears.

“Uh hey lovebird...” his call broke you out of your trance, that’s when you realized that the fluttering you heard wasn’t your heart seeing as you were a few feet above your chair. Embarassed, you fluttered back down until your butt was back in the chair.

“S-Sorry...”

You finished your lunch and helped with some paperwork since it was a rather uneventful day. You were exhausted but being in the city for an entire week was an amazing experience.

“Hey uh how would you like to get home early?” His offer made your eyes widen.

“Wait...really?”

He shrugged, “Yeah, of course. You can just finish your work study next week. I’ll email Aizawa the paperwork in the morning. You should get back to that boyfriend of yours. It’s his birthday today.” You were even more shocked, how did he-?

“Am I right? You said something about some boy’s birthday earlier this week.”

“I-well yeah, you’re right.”

So you showered in the locker room as he readied the paper work and he accompanied you to the station.

“Well, little one...it’s time to go back to your dorm life.” He chuckled sadly, ruffling your hair.

You dropped your duffle bag on the ground and wrapped your arms around the blonde “Thank you Takami...I really appreciate it.” He smiled and wrapped his arms around your shoulders.

“Don’t get all sappy on me kid and plus...two years goes by like nothing.” He gave you a little squeeze before pulling away. “You’ll probably be way more powerful than me by then anyways.”

After a tearful goodbye at the train terminal, you boarded on the 3 hour ride back to Musutafu.

You leaned back in your seat and tried to catch a small nap. You were shaken awake by another passenger, she gently called out to you until your eyes were open and she kindly let you know that you were at your stop.

Slightly embarrassed, you thanked her profusely before climbing out and making your way out of the car. You pulled out your phone and called a few of your classmates to try and keep your arrival a surprise. Midoriya and Shoto had convinced Iida to go on a run with them. And Sato had gotten started on baking a cake. They had known it was Iida’s birthday but he had made it very clear that he didn’t want anything too wild but that wasn’t gonna fly with you.

Once you arrived, everyone greeted you excitedly but kept the questions down as they helped you set up and whatnot.

When the boys had sent you a text that they were a few minutes away, you went and hid.

“You guys? What is this? I thought I said not to waste time on a party.” Iida gently reprimanded his classmates.

“Well maybe this will change your mind...” Mina giggled and that was your cue. You stepped out from around the corner.

“Surprise!!” You held your arms out and there was a grin on your lips.

Everyone watched with warm hearts as Iida’s eyes widened and slightly glossed over before he sped over to you and enveloped you in his arms, lifting you up and spinning you around before he let you back down onto the ground and held your jaw in his hands and brought you into a deep yet sweet kiss. The action surprised you but you melted into it and moved your lips against his.

“Eww! Get a room!” Denki jokingly groaned.

“Trust me, we will.” Iida’s deep voice rumbled quietly in you ear.

Your cleared your throat and pulled away, face flushed. “O-okay, well uh now that I’m here let’s eat some cake!” Sato brought out a beautifully made cake and placed some candles on it. You watched with a smile as Iida enjoyed the singing from his classmates and the cheers as he was blowing out the candles. As much as he said he didn’t want a party, he sure was enjoying himself.

He opened a few presents, thanking everyone but also scolding(?) them for spending money on impractical things but once the night died down, he thanked everyone once more but insisted that they all get to sleep at a reasonable hour. While he took a shower, you took the time to ready his presents. They weren’t anything too special but you had hoped that they were enough. Sighing, your tried to fight off sleep but it felt like your eyelids weighed tons, and sleep was tugging at your subconscious but you stayed awake because you wanted to have some much needed cuddles with the birthday boy. Not really caring about whether you’d get caught or not.

As Iida made his way into his room, he was filled with a fuzzy warmth that was only caused by you. The way you sleepily watched him move about the room, the way you looked in his t-shirt.

“Now, it’s finally time for your gifts.” You grinned, holding out a box for him.

Playfully rolling his eyes, he took the box from your hands and sat beside you on the bed. With tentative fingers, he carefully unwrapped the box and pulled open the lid. He froze. It was a pair of shoes that he had been wanting for training but they were seemingly sold out everywhere, even with the money that he had, he couldn’t get them.

“How did you-?” He looked at you with wide eyes, the butterflies he got from your lazy grin made him want to pin you down and smother you in kisses.

“Don’t worry about it.” You coyly shrugged and before he could ask once more, you held a little gift bag out to him. Your triumphant expression turning sheepish. “This isn’t anything special really b-but I just thought you’d like to have it.”

He took it and pulled out the colorful tissue paper, and there was a long, rectangular box in it. Pulling it out, he opened the box. Inside was a shiny silver chain necklace with a white gold feather hanging from it, his and your initials ingraved on it.

The silence was killing you.

“I-It’s okay if you don’t like it! I-well I just thought that-“

He could tell it was expensive, he had seen expensive jewelry before and this definitely could easily be something that his mother or father would have in their drawer.

“I love it...it’s gorgeous.” The feather reminded him of your wings. “But, please don’t tell me that you wasted your money on me like this?” He was conflicted because he was grateful but he didn’t like the idea of you spending a pretty penny on him.

“Okay! Then I won’t, it could never be a waste when it comes to you because I...I love you Tenya. So much.” When he didn’t respond, you sighed and stood up and stood in between his thigh and cupped his cheeks in your hands. “Please don’t worry about it, this is something that I wanted to get you. You spoil me all the time and I wanted to spoil you, even if it was just for a bit. You deserve the work Tenya.” He looked up into your eyes as you ran your a hand through his damp hair. “You’ve had so much on your shoulders. Taking Ingenium’s name for yourself, trying to live up to Tensei’s name, being class rep...you don’t give yourself enough credit. You deserve being spoiled, you deserve being loved...” you leaned down and pressed your forehead against his. “You deserve to feel special. You are so powerful sweetheart, I’m proud of you. That may not mean much but-“ you were cut off when he pressed his lips to yours. His hands gripping your hips as you smiled into the kiss.

“I love you too darling, very much.” You nuzzled your nose against his.

“Now let’s get to bed! I’m exhausted.” He chuckled, laying in bed and pulling you to lay on his chest to not apply uncomfortable pressure to your wings. He wound his arms tightly around you as you snuggled into his warmth.

“Happy birthday tenya...” you lazily placed a soft kiss on his lips.

“A very happy one indeed, I’ve got the best gift right here in my arms.” His grin was slightly lopsided as he blindly pressed kisses all over your face. “Now go to sleep, you’ve had a long week.” He muttered as he closed his eyes and snuggling closer to you. His warmth made your eyes finally shut, a small sigh leaving your lips as he ran a hand through your hair and lightly ran his fingers across your scalp. You finally gave into the pull of deep sleep.

His wish was granted. You were in his arms and that’s all that could matter to him.

[shes-an-oddbird]

Merry Christmas to my Fitzsimmons Secret Santa giftee @springmagpies​  ironically started working on my Christmas at River’s End Mall fic a couple of weeks before I received your fantastic prompt: working at the mall during the holidays! It was a fun coincidence and it was nice to work on this as a stand alone fic that could exist in the same universe as that story. 

I also wanted to make a moodboard to go with it since I’m so inspired by yours! I hope you enjoy it!

The Good & The Bad Of Seasonal Jobs 

Summary:  Leopold Fitz hates his seasonal job demoing the poorly made gadgets on the top of everyone's Christmas lists. Jemma Simmons loves her seasonal job wrapping those gifts. Together they make a a perfect team, even if they haven't officially met yet. Until Jemma is presented with a task that dampens her Christmas spirit and her and Fitz team up to get it back.

His expertise is being wasted.

Fitz is convinced they’ll be by to revoke his credentials any moment now.

If he sells one more shotty piece of home gadgetry with the promise that it will improve their customers everyday lives he might as well tear up his doctorate degree.

But he’s still short the cash he needs to get home for the holiday so here he is. Standing in a crowded mall, demoing cheaply made drones, remote control cars and robotic animals. Couldn’t one of these manufacturers create a monkey instead of the typical dog and cat? Are opposable thumbs that much of a challenge?

He knows the morning rush is starting to settle when he can hear the slightest jingling coming from the gift wrap kiosk across from him. A noise that would normally put him on edge has become a bright spot in his day. It came from the silver bell worn by the gift wrapper, Jemma, who worked the kiosk. She kept the bell tied around her neck on a long blue ribbon and with every move she made it rattled a cheery sound that added to the festive atmosphere in the mall.

He wasn’t much for Christmas cheer himself. He wasn’t a complete grinch, despite what Hunter might say, but if all of his income from the lab didn’t go straight to student loans, rent and food he definitely wouldn’t have bothered with the seasonal work at all.  

Every time his spirits started to fall though, he’d glance over at Jemma to find her glancing back at him. No matter if it was irate customers or screaming children or an upset manager, she was close enough to hear and observe and would shoot him a supportive smile.

They had yet to actually speak to each other but they had found other ways to communicate. One of the most in demand drones of the season utilized a camera and messaging system. She had taken to writing notes on scraps of wrapping paper that he could read through the drone camera and he was able to send back messages to her.

He would love to talk to her in person but the more and more he learned about her from their notes the more and more nerve racking that prospect became. She was brilliant. A double PHD. She worked for a lab he interviewed at a while back but had ended up recruited for a project at another lab across town. He almost regrets taking the project now, the one she was in the middle of sounds fascinating and he thinks they’d make a good team.

But then again, that would involve talking directly to her.

Which would happen, eventually.

It’s early afternoon, kids not yet out of school but late enough that mall walkers and nannies with young ones were heading home. This was the time when they usually found a chance to “chat.” He readies the drone to fly it over to her station but stops when he sees she’s got a customer. A well-dressed man, expensive suit and a pair of matching jewelry boxes in his hands. He spends a moment talking to her, a charismatic smile on his face. She’s not impressed if he’s flirting. She nods curtly back at him as she takes the boxes and he leaves.

Fitz watches her shoulders sag and her demeanor change as she examines the boxes before setting them aside and turning to fetch some paper. Her bell jingles and she stops in her tracks. She removes the necklace and tosses it aside before returning to the task.

Fitz doesn’t know what it was the man said or did to ruin her day but after she’d done so much to improve his bad moods, he felt like he should do something. He quickly packs up the drone and waves to his manager that he’s going on his break.

****

Jemma couldn’t imagine a better holiday job.

When Daisy had told her she could probably get her the open gift wrapper position at the mall she had jumped at the opportunity. It wasn’t exactly science, although Daisy claimed she’d made an art out of it. Just because she liked her patterns to precisely line up and her ribbons to match, it wasn’t that special.

She does love the look in her customers eyes when they pick up their presents.

She also loves the light in the customers’ eyes when they hand her their gifts to be wrapped and she just knows they had found the perfect thing for their loved one. Sometimes the gifts would come along with a story, the hours they waited in line, the dozens of stores visited, the didn’t-plan-on-it-but-I-saw-it-and-thought-of-them. She loved that. It made her want to wrap each gift with just as much love and care.

She thinks that might also be why she maintains her Christmas cheer while Fitz, who works at the shop across from her station, is so grumpy all the time. Poor Fitz. He gets the customers before she does. When they are frustrated from having been on their feet all day with the end not in sight. Their kids tugging and pulling and screaming and begging for this and that. And a manger breathing down his neck, pushing him to sell drones that she knows he thinks are poor quality and will inevitably break.

He’s an engineer, she found out one day when he was messaging her about the poor controls on the drone after apologizing three or four times for nearly hitting her with it.

The day is starting to quiet down for the afternoon lull. She’s caught up on all of her work and is gathering up scraps to write her notes to Fitz on when there is a tap on the wooden counter. She looks up to see a tall well-dressed man waiting for assistance. He’s got just two matching boxes in his hands so she thinks she can knock them out quickly and still have plenty of time to chat with Fitz before the afterschool rush hits.

“Yes, how can I help you today.”

He grins down at her with a charming smile and an unconvincing look of innocence in his eyes.

“Yes, you certainly can, I’ve got a sort of special task.” He places the identical jewelry boxes down between them. “You see this one here, is for my wife,” he slides the first box forward, “and this one,” he places his hand on the other box, “this one if for, well not my wife.” Jemma narrows her eyes in confusion, “so you understand it’s important not to mix them up right?”

Then it hits her and her stomach fills with dread. She looks at the boxes again. They’re branded on the side with the logo of the expensive jewelry shop down at the other end of the mall. “May I?” She asks, reaching out for them. She opens the first to reveal a pretty gold bracelet with a woman’s name engraved in cursive and three sparkling charms. She opens the second box to find a second bracelet, exactly the same except for the name. “Um, they’re lovely.”

“So we don’t have a problem here?” He asks.

Did they? Could she refuse service to this guy because he was cheating on his wife and possibly misleading some other poor woman? Its certainly what she’d like to do.

“No, I suppose not.”

“Perfect, I’ll be back for them this evening, dinner with the girlfriend first, then dinner with the wife.” He taps the counter again. “Do them up real nice for me.”

Jemma nods and collects the boxes. She moves them to the back worktable and starts to select a wrapping paper when the bell on her necklace jingles and she stops. Her bell was tradition. She wore it all through the holiday season thinking the gentle sound was a pleasant way to spread holiday cheer. But now, now it was like it was mocking her.

She takes the bell, pulls the ribbon over her head and tosses it aside.

Maybe it’s a side effect of her frustration or maybe it’s her desire to give the woman being two-timed something individually beautiful; whichever it is she wraps the two bracelets exquisitely. The paper is elegant, the ribbon satin and she even takes the time to add little decorations like pine bristles and bells. She carefully inscribes the cards for the top and gently tucks them under the ribbons before placing them with the rest of the gifts ready for pick up.

It’s exhausting. She has an overwhelming desire to close-up for the day or call out early so that she doesn’t have to be here when he comes back for them. Fitz isn’t even at his usual post, ready to make her laugh.

Someone clears their throat behind her and she spins around on her stool. Fitz is standing at the front counter, two to-go cups in his hands. She’s unsure how to proceed for a moment. Her and Fitz hadn’t actually spoken in person since they started their seasonal worker comradery.

“Hi.”

“Hey.” He shifts back and forth unsure what to say either.

“Thirsty?” She asks, curious about the two cups. Maybe one for now and one for later?

“Oh, no, um one is for you, I hope hot chocolate is okay.” She feels a smile fight its way through her gloom. She can’t help it, hearing his voice for the first time is thrilling. He’s Scottish. Which she had learned from their messages, he was trying to earn money for the ticket home, but it still threw her off just a bit.

“Thanks, but why?” Why today, she really wants to ask.

“I don’t know, you’re always so positive and then that guy came by earlier and you looked upset, I just thought this might cheer you up.”

“Oh, thank you.” She except the cup and the warmth spreads through her chilly hands. She takes a sip and the warmth runs through the rest of her. She savors it for a moment then cringes. “Was is that obvious, that I was upset I mean, do you think he noticed?”

“I doubt it, seemed a bit self-absorbed to me.”

“He’s horrible, bought his wife and his girlfriend the same bracelet for Christmas and didn’t want me to mix them up.” She gestures to where the boxes sit on the very top of the pile.

Fitz face scrunches up in disgust. “What a wanker – sorry.”

She tries not to laugh. “Its okay, he really is, would you like to sit down, I’ve got a second stool back here.”

“Sure, I’ve got a little time.” Jemma excitedly sets aside her beverage and flips up the countertop so he can join her. They settle onto the stools and he swivels his back and forth nervously. “Its strange talkin’ to you in person.”

“Not bad strange, I hope.”

“No, no definitely not bad.”

She ends up asking him about how his work project is coming along and he tells her about the snags they've hit but that its really coming along. He thinks they could use a good biotech person to which she has to decline, being in the middle of her own project. Their conversation slows and Fitz chugs the last bit of hot chocolate before looking for a bin.

"Its under there." She points to the trash can next to the stacks of gifts. Fitz tosses the cup and examines the mountain of presents.

“So why not just switch the cards on these?” He asks as he grabs the bracelet boxes off the pile and places them in front of him.

Jemma frowns. “I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Fitz asks as he traces the cards with his finger. “Its not like the guy doesn’t deserve whatever would come of it.”

“Well yes he would but it’s my job, I can’t just let my personal feelings effect how I do things, besides he could take it out on the mall if he wanted to, May shouldn’t have to deal with that.” She reasons.

“I think May would on your side.”

“I still can’t Fitz.” She insists as he slides free the tags.

“Fine.” He slips the cards back onto their respective boxes. “Still want to get back at him for ruining your day.”

“Fitz I promise, today is turning out to be pretty great, here – “ Jemma picks up her discarded silver bell necklace and carefully loops it around Fitz’s neck. Her fingers graze his neck, just above the collar of his work polo and she draws them back quickly.  

“What um, what’s this for?” He asks reaches for the bell.

“It’s for spreading Christmas cheer, I think you’re doing a better job of that right now than I am.”

****

Fitz promises Jemma he’ll return her bell at the end of the day. They’re both working open to close and by nightfall the mall is bustling. Friday nights are always busy, usually with teenagers but now with everyone shopping for Christmas its wall to wall people. He’s out demoing drones again. They draw the biggest crowd into the store and the manager had convinced May to let them project the camera’s video feed on to the big screen downstairs at the mall’s Christmas set up.

It keeps him busy. Trying to find interesting things to focus in on. He does enjoy the opportunity to stray farther and farther from the shop. From the balcony he can swoop the drone down to the kids waiting in line for Santa. They wave excitedly and screech with joy when they see their faces up on the screen.

As he retreats the drone back to him there is an audible ‘aww’ of disappointment but if it gets too far away it’ll loose connection and he’ll have to go fetch it when it crash lands. As it comes back up over the railing he does a fancy little spin hoping Jemma is watching. The bit of trick flying always earns him a smile and an eyeroll but when he looks over he sees she busy.

The man from earlier is back to collect his packages. He wishes Jemma would have swapped the cards on them or that he had just done it for her. He knows he shouldn’t but he swings the drone around anyways, he’s a good distance from the guy but its enough to startle him when it wizzes past his head.

“Watch it with that thing!” He snaps.

“Sorry, shotty controls.” He apologizes and holds up the remote guiltily. Still scowling the man take just one of his packages and leaves in a huff.

“Fitz, that was dangerous.” She chides but doesn’t sound as cross as he suspects she could be about it.

“I wasn’t gonna hit him.” He lands the drone on Jemma’s workstation. She’s fiddling with the bow on the man’s other gift. “Why didn’t he take that one?”

“Dinner with his girlfriend, didn’t want to be caught with it.”

Fitz rolls his eyes before returning to the store.

Their long day continues on and the crowds slowly start to dwindle. There are a few stragglers getting in last minute purchases but most of the patrons are either waiting on restaurant reservations or letting out from the evening’s first seatings.

Fitz has just finished charging up the camera drone before locking it up for the night when Jemma rushes into the store.

“Okay, I can’t take it anymore I have to do something or say something.”

“What are you talking about?”

“That guy, that horrible, horrible man just kissed his girlfriend goodbye and marched right over here to get the bracelet for his wife who is waiting for him at the restaurant literally around the corner and I just can’t take it, he’s so arrogant and and awful and – “

“Okay, okay, calm down.” He places his hands on her shoulders gently hoping to sooth her frantic motions. “I thought your hands were tied, that you could do anything.”

“They are,” she stresses, “but it’s so unfair Fitz.”

“Okay well,” Fitz doesn’t know how to help in a way that doesn’t get them involved. He could march right up to the guy and confront him but he suspects that will end very badly. If there was away for them all to figure it out on their own maybe with just a push on their side.

“You said you saw the girlfriend?”

“Yes.”

“You think she’s still here?”

“Maybe, I saw her head downstairs, I assumed that she was leaving.” Fitz takes Jemma’s hand and rushes her over to the balcony. Her eyes scan the small crowd below. In a small seating area by the North Pole set up a woman has set down her things on an armchair and is pulling on her gloves, Fitz sees the shimmer of a bracelet on her wrist. “That’s her.”

“Okay, go try to keep her there.”

“But I can’t tell her, I can’t just delivery that sort of news she may not even believe me.” Fitz is already shaking his head at her protests.

“That’s the thing about Christmas isn’t it, adults don’t believe in Christmas spirit and Santa and all that because for them seeing is believing,” Fitz rushes back into the shop and grabs up the camera drone. “Let’s give them something to see.”

****

“Excuse me, Ma’am, excuse me.” Jemma races up to the pretty blonde woman who has just finished pulling on her coat and scarf. The woman looks at her startled.

“Yes, can I help you?”

Jemma froze. She didn’t want to be the one to pass along such horrible news. But she only needs to buy Fitz some time. “I, I – I’m sorry you don’t know me, my name is Jemma Simmons, I work upstairs at the gift wrap station, I actually wrapped that lovely bracelet you’ve got there.” She says, pointing to the piece of jewelry the woman is trying to free from her coat sleeve.

The woman smiles. “You did an incredible job, my boyfriend wanted to claim it was his own work, but I knew he could never manage anything like that, he can be such a slob.”

“Among other things.” Jemma mutters quietly but not enough that the woman misses it. Her eyes narrow suspiciously.

“Is there a problem?”

“Um, no, well yes you see – “

“Aww, check out the big screen.” Someone calls and both women turn to the large television. Jemma recognizes the feed from the drone immediately. The camera is trailing along a line of guests waiting to be seated at the restaurant upstairs. They wave cheerfully at the camera which comes to a stop on the man and his wife as he gifts her the bracelet and she excitedly rips open the package and throws herself towards him in gratitude.

Jemma worriedly turns to the woman who has lowered her attention from the screen back to the bracelet. One identical to the one on the screen. For a moment she looks terribly heartbroken.

“I’m so sorry, I feel like I’ve just ruined your holiday.” Jemma’s not even sure she hears her. She’s about to ask if she’s alright but then a look of determination crosses her face and she looks up at her with a smile.

“Thank you, um, you set this up?” She gestures to the screen.

Jemma nods cautiously.

“Prefect, can you make the feed go away, there are children here and they really don’t to see what’s about to happen to him.”

Jemma breathes a sigh of relief. “Consider it done.”

By the time she texts Fitz and returns to her kiosk he is already there looking rather pleased with himself. “You’re not even going to ask if it worked first?”

“Didn’t have too, heard the woman coming when I was clearing out of there.”

“Oh dear, I hope it doesn’t get out of hand, I still feel awful.” She says as she leans against the counter next to him.

Fitz nudged her shoulder with his. “Jemma they were being two-timed, if it was you you would have wanted to know right?”

“Yeah I guess so.”

“Then let it go, please, because I need you to go back to being the cheerful one, it’s too much work for me.” Jemma laughs and nudges his shoulder back. He slips the bell off from around his neck and carefully drapes it back around hers. She looks up at him, her whole body feeling jittery and her eyes land on his. She thinks, and blushes at the thought, that she would kill for a bit of mistletoe right now.

She aims for his cheek instead. Landing a thank you kiss on his scruffy jaw and watching happily as he turns a cute shade of pink.

“Um – “ He stutters out.

“Excuse me.” Jemma and Fitz step apart quickly. Standing a few feet away are the blonde woman from downstairs and a second woman who looks elegantly dressed and perhaps a little frazzled. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to interrupt, I was told I might owe you both a thank you?”

“Oh no, it was nothing – “

Fitz cuts her off. “No please thank her, she’s convinced she’s ruined your Christmases.”

“Well, its certainly taken a turn, but for the best in the long run.” The second woman says. She looks between the pair of them. “Actually, as a thank you, would you two like our reservations, someone should have a romantic date night.”

Jemma blushes and Fitz clears his throat. “Oh we’re not together and we should really be working actually –“

“Yes working, right.” Fitz scoops up the drone and hurries off.

Jemma watches him go before turning back to her company. “Thank you, that was very generous of you to offer.”

“Of course.” She says. “And please, don’t worry over this.”

“Yes, its our problem and its being delt with,” the blonde woman agrees. “Should have known something was up, all the time we were together, and he never once looked at me the way that man there looks at you.”

Jemma doesn’t know what to say in response. She looks back at Fitz who glances up at her at the same time and sends her a boyish smile.

“Have a good night Jemma, you’ve given us a lot to think about, maybe we’ve given you something to think about as well.” The women leave and Jemma is left standing at her gift wrapping kiosk, fiddling with the silver bell around her neck.

[hamsterboos]

Playing Santa for the Olympians

🎄Day 7 of 12 Days of PJO Christmas🎄

Percy had enough.

After the last two years of the gods messing up his Christmas breaks, he was ready to mess with them right back.

The only issue, though, was the fact that he couldn’t just go up to the 600th floor of the Empire State Building without a specific invitation, despite being involved in two Great Prophecy and saving the world twice.

But of course, that is why he forgave his father for the last two Christmas ordeals under the deal that he would help him prank the gods.

PSA: These drabbles are canon-compliant till HoO and just acknowledge the existence of Estelle. Also technology use is a thing.

Read on AO3

~~~~~

Percy was sitting on the floor in his cabin, wrapping up presents with a sparkly decorative red and green wrapping paper when Annabeth came into the room. She walked in with a bright ‘hello’ before coming over to stand behind his back. 

“Hey,” he greeted, turning to look at her. It was the first time he’d seen her since breakfast because she’d been busy dealing with supervising the sparring ring, and he’d immediately holed up in his cabin to gather all the presents up and started wrapping them up properly the best he could. 

She looked down at him with a bright smile, and she leaned down to brush her lips against his. He pulled away from her first, sending her a grin in return, and he watched as her eyes moved around the room to take in the roll of wrapping paper and the boxes he was surrounded by. 

“Are you actually still wrapping presents?”

“Yeah, I am,” Percy confirmed, nodding. Annabeth moved to sit on his bed, crossing her legs underneath him. 

“Percy, I know I’ve said that you have a talent to piss off the gods, but this...this is insane,” Annabeth spoke up incredulously. Percy looked up at his girlfriend, and he simply grinned. She rolled her eyes, and he knew she was well aware that there was nothing she could do to talk him out of this.

After the last two years of the gods messing up his Christmas breaks, he was ready to mess with them right back.

The only issue, though, was the fact that he couldn’t just go up to the 600th floor of the Empire State Building without a specific invitation, despite being involved in two Great Prophecy and saving the world twice. 

But of course, that is why he forgave his father for the last two Christmas ordeals under the deal that he would help him prank the gods.

“That’s the plan, babe. Dad’s helping me anyways, so it’s all okay.”

Annabeth sighed. “My mom’s going to kill you.”

Percy scoffed as he wrapped up a Kidz Bop CD, the gift he got for Apollo. Honestly, he wasn’t entirely sure whether or not he’d actually, genuinely enjoy the CD.

“Oh please. I don’t have that big of a death wish. I may want to prank the gods for Christmas at their Winter Solstice meeting, but I don’t want your mother to brutally murder me. At least I know the others would hesitate before killing me long enough for me to convince them not to kill me.”

“So she’s the only one that didn’t get the prank present?”

“Yup,” he responded, holding up a small jewelry box that was next to his ankle. He rested his elbow on his knee and put his chin on his hand as he watched her open up the box. Percy had contemplated what to get his girlfriend’s mother for a really long time, but he remembered that she had liked the necklace that Annabeth had gotten for Christmas senior year of high school, so after a week of searching, he had found the perfect gift.

Once he watched Annabeth let out a soft gasp at the sight of the bracelet, he knew he made the right decision. He had bought a thin silver bracelet with a gold owl charm hanging right in the center of the bracelet. The charm looked a lot like the one on Annabeth’s necklace, and he was hoping that her mother would genuinely like it.

Of course there was a chance that the other gods would be supremely pissed off about the entire situation, but that was something to deal with later. 

“Percy,” she called out with a sly smile. 

“What?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows. He did know she loved him, and he loved her as well, but there was something off with the way she was smiling at him and the way her eyes were shining mischievously. 

“Did you just match the bracelet with my necklace?”

Percy glanced down at his hands, suddenly feeling shy. “Maybe.”

“That’s so cute that you’re trying to impress my mother.”

“Well considering the fact that it’s been four years since we started dating, and she still hates me, I figured it was worth a try to bribe her into liking me.”

“Valiant effort, Perce.”

Percy huffed a laugh but turned back to wrapping the rest of the presents. He heard the bed sheets shuffle as Annabeth moved off the bed, and then she came to sit down next him, their knees brushing. She leaned into him a bit, and he welcomed the warmth she brought with her. He shifted slightly so she could easily lean on him but he could also easily continue wrapping the presents. She settled her chin on his shoulder, and they sat in silence as eventually she picked up one of the boxes and started wrapping it as well, helping him. Percy reined in a smile. He knew that despite her open judgement, she was excited to see the gods freak out at their presents. 

He knew he definitely was, but suddenly a thought came to mind.

“Hey Annabeth?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you think I should bring Nico and Jason with us just to make sure my dear uncles don’t murder me?”

“Probably.”

“Good talk.”

~*~

An hour and half later, Percy had managed to wrangle Nico (who wouldn’t come without Will), Jason (who ended up dragging Piper), and Annabeth into coming up to Olympus with him. 

They were in the elevator — the normal elevator music having changed to Jingle Bell Rock —, each person holding a stack of boxes to give to the gods, and Percy couldn’t stop vibrating. He was excited, but there was also that slight tinge of worry he felt that he was going to be immediately struck on down the spot.

If anyone asked him, though, he would immediately deny the worry. 

He was the Savior of Olympus.

He was fine.

“So, what’s the plan?” Jason asked, looking at the stack of presents in his hand. He looked apprehensive, which was fair enough considering it was his and Piper’s first time going up to Olympus. Will hadn’t been up there either, but he didn’t seem all too worried. 

“We go up there and just say that we’re surprising them for Christmas, and then hand out the presents.”

“What happens then?” Piper asked. 

“We hope that Percy isn’t immediately murdered on the spot,” Nico responded dryly.

Percy groaned. “I’ll be fine.”

“Then why am I with you?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

He had a point there. 

“Because,” Percy responded, stretching out the word slightly, “I needed people to carry the presents up with me.”

Nico blinked at him a few times and sighed. “I can’t believe I liked you once upon a time.”

Annabeth snorted as Piper barked out a laugh. “I heard the story about Percy traveling with Rachel, you and Annabeth. All three of them liked him at the same time, and he was still so oblivious.”

Percy watched as Jason bit his lip in an effort to not laugh, but his shoulders were shaking, and Will simply grinned. 

“How did this turn on me?!” Percy whined, looking between his friends and girlfriend.

“It took me making the first move twice before he asked me out,” Annabeth spoke up, grinning as she bumped her shoulder with his. He swatted her away with his free hand.

“I was more occupied with trying to live past sixteen!”

“And here you are at twenty, still waiting for me to make the first move.”

Percy narrowed his eyes at her and started speaking without thinking, “You certainly didn’t make the first move when we—”

“Okay! We don’t need to hear about your sex life,” Jason groaned. Annabeth blushed, and Percy just laughed. Thankfully, they were almost to the 600th floor, which saved Percy from having to reply fully. 

The elevator doors opened with a ding, and they walked up to Mount Olympus and into the gathering room.

The 12 Olympians and Hades were sitting in their chairs in their ten-feet tall God form, discussing something that Percy wasn’t too inclined to pay attention to. Poseidon had turned  to look at him first, and his father sent him a wide smile, immediately standing up and cutting off whatever Hera was saying. 

“Percy!” his father greeted, walking towards him and changing into his smaller, more human form as he walked closer.

“Hey, dad,” he greeted. He heard the other gods stop talking, now paying attention to them.

“What are you doing here?” Poseidon asked, a wild glint in his eyes. Percy tried not to laugh at the overexaggerated acting.

“We brought Christmas gifts! We knew that everyone would be here for the meeting, so we decided to play Santa and surprise you guys.”

“Oh that’s wonderful!” Aphrodite exclaimed, also walking closer in her human form. Percy tried not to glance at her too much. With the few glances that he took, he realized that she looked like his girlfriend, and he wasn’t going to lie, it was kind of messing with his brain. He was aware, though, that she made her way over to Piper. 

The rest of the gods had slowly made their way over, and they all decided to try to move towards the center of the room. Percy was excited to let the gods open their presents, but he was also appreciating just how open the gods looked at their arrival. Apollo had wrapped Will up in a hug, and Zeus was awkwardly standing by Jason, both of them looking like they’d rather be anywhere else. Nico was talking to Hades, and he looked over at Annabeth smiling softly at her mother. 

“Is everything ready?” his father asked, bringing Percy’s attention back to the matter at hand. Percy grinned. 

“Yup.”

“Alright, then. Everyone, Percy says the presents are ready to be given out,” Poseidon announced. Percy shared a quick glance with Annabeth, and she shrugged as if to say this is it, good luck.

Percy, Jason, Nico, and Will first gave the presents to their respective fathers, and they all returned to their original spots to distribute the rest of the presents as Piper and Annabeth gave the gifts to their respective mothers. 

Within minutes, everyone had their presents, and at first, the gods looked at the Big Three, waiting for them to open them first. Percy bit his lip to prevent any preemptive laughter escaping him as they opened the presents. Poseidon had promised to be fine with whatever present he got as long as it wasn’t good to make sure he wouldn’t get caught as being in on the plan. 

Zeus opened his long, thin wrapped box first, and he paused as he pulled out an incandescent tube light with the words LIGHTNING ROD scribbled over it. 

His father opened his gift only for him to pull out a pack of Korean seaweed, and Hades just paused when he took out an anatomical skeleton with a pack of chocolate pomegranate seeds with a post-it note that read For Persephone. 

“What is the meaning of this, Jackson?” Zeus boomed, and Percy quickly glanced down, trying not to laugh. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his friends also all shaking with the effort to stay quiet and for the first time he was glad that none of them had seen what he had bought because their reactions were absolutely hilarious. 

Noticing that those three gifts were clearly prank gifts, the other gods quickly opened theirs. Hera was given a Ken doll wearing a tux and a Barbie doll wearing a wedding dress, clearly for playing house. Ares was given a stick with a note that explained that it was a weapon, and Percy watched as he immediately just flung it across the room, the stick hitting a wall and falling to the ground. Hermes opened his to find a glitter explosion as he pulled out fake fairy wings with so much glitter that it was flying everywhere. He just grinned, though, laughing at the prank. He winked at Percy, clearly pleased by the idea and the execution. 

Aphrodite gasped in outrage when she opened hers to find a makeup palette for kids with the most boring colors that he could find while Hephaestus groaned in confusion when he opened his to find an Easy Bake Oven.

“Percy Jackson!” screamed out Dionysus as he pulled out a bottle of grape juice with the words WINE scribbled over the original label, and that must’ve been the only time in the last year that he had called Percy by his real name. 

Artemis snorted when she saw that she was holding a Rudolph plush with a small card that read “It’s nice that they made one of your deer hunters a plush,” and Apollo happily pulled out his Kidz Bop CD, rushing to find a speaker to play it with. Finally, Demeter groaned as she opened hers up to find a Costco size package of Wheat Thins. 

They all, except Hermes, Artemis, and Apollo, looked absolutely appalled at their gifts, and Percy had to admit that his father had gotten better at acting. Athena was the only one who hadn’t received her gift yet, and that was only because Percy didn’t want to make it such a big deal at the moment, and he was hoping that the goddess would see the present in his hands and would wait till later to ask about it. 

“Care to explain yourself, Jackson?” Hades hissed just as the Kidz Bop CD started playing a cover of Oops...I Did It Again. That was the breaking point for the demi-gods because Percy and his friends doubled over with laughter, even Nico. Percy couldn’t believe how perfect the prank ended up working, and he sincerely wished that he had a camera to record the entire thing.

“Man, everytime Annabeth said that Percy had a gift for ticking off the gods, I didn’t realize she meant that literally,” Piper gasped, leaning against Will. “Percy, I don’t need anything from you this Christmas. This was enough of a gift.”

“Gods, that was priceless,” Will responded. Percy looked up at the gods again, and most of them had realized that it was kind of funny because their lips were twitching. 

“How dare you,” Zeus complained, moving towards Percy (probably to strangle him), but Poseidon stepped forward.

“Brother, it’s Christmas. Let it go. Besides, your room could use some lighting.”

Zeus growled at Poseidon, but backed off regardless.

“There better not be a next time, Jackson,” Hades warned, and Percy saluted in response, his cheeks hurting from the laughter. The gods started breaking up, speaking to one another and his friends went to talk to them as well, taking the chance to reconnect with their parents. 

Percy and Annabeth made their way over to Athena in the meantime who had simply been standing off to the side, watching.

“I assume my present isn’t a prank?” she asked once they got closer.

“Uh, no,” Percy responded. “I didn’t think it was a good idea.”

“You were scared.” It wasn’t a question, and Percy didn’t feel like responding so he simply handed her the present with Annabeth quietly watching.

She took the present and opened it slowly. 

“It’s a bracelet matching the necklace you got my daughter,” she spoke, lifting it up slowly and looking at the necklace around Annabeth’s neck. “Thank you.”

“Not a problem, Athena.”

“You...are not as bad as I thought.”

Annabeth smiled at Percy, and he beamed, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“Thank you.”

Percy was surprised at how well everything had gone because usually, things didn’t go his way.

Until Apollo cried from across the room.

“How come she got a proper present?!”

“What?” Aphrodite cried.

“Percy!” Poseidon exclaimed. Percy winced; he hadn’t told his father about that part of his plan.

“Woops?”

~~~~~~~

This is the last of the Christmas with the Gods plotline for the 12 days! I’ve really enjoyed writing these haha

Day 1 || Day 2 || Day 3 || Day 4 || Day 5 || Day 6

[purplesurveys]

1220

The person you had the strongest feelings for dies, do you care?  I imagine so, yeah. I’d check up on her family and help in any way I can, if it’s still welcomed.

Is there something you’re happy about at the moment?  I share this all the time in surveys at this point but I’m just really giddy that it’s a Friday evening hehe. Also, I’m seeing Angela, Hans, and (finally!!!) Reena later! We’ll be going to UP to shoot some photos since Angela and Reena are graduating this year and we wanna take pictures with the sunflowers in the campus before they die out. I also never got to take sunflower photos when I graduated last year, so it will be my chance to do so as well.

Do you want someone dead?  Wow, no.

Do you ever wonder what your ex is up to?  It almost never crosses my mind, honestly.

Have you ever fed or taken care of a stray animal?  I’ve fed many of them before, yup.

What is something you tend to worry about?  Pending deliverables at work, especially ones that are out of my control.

What is something you do that is unhealthy?  Be in front of a screen as soon as I’m awake until the second I turn in.

What is something you do that is good for you?  I’m no longer afraid to prioritize myself when necessary.

What last caused you to force a smile?  Ooh I’m not sure. I haven’t had to do that in a while, which is a good thing. What was the last video game you played? Was it fun?  Probably Mario Kart on the Switch, but it’s been a WHIIIIIIIIIIIIIILE. Yeah it’s one of my favorite series for a reason.

What is something not many people know about you?  The fact that I’m obsessed with anything classic Hollywood and I’m a big Audrey Hepburn fan. The topic never gets brought up so I don’t really get the chance to say anything about that interest of mine.

What word describes your basic style?  Casual, laidback. I’m more than happy with just a simple t-shirt and denim jeans these days and I think I’m over my jumpsuit/romper phase haha.

Have you ever been told you were going to Hell?  It was referred to/threatened to me, but not directly with these words.

Have you ever wanted to kill yourself?  It was a regular occurrence before.

If yes, what convinced you not to go through with it?  I think overall I was just scared of fucking it up and fucking up my brain for life as a consequence. Also I knew no one was going to take care of Kimi as well as I do, and I would never leave him behind.

Have you ever rejected a guy, only to have him push the issue by asking “why?” and insisting that you just need to get to know him better?  Nope.

Is there something that you believe everyone should do and you can’t believe that some people don’t do it (e.g., recycle or go to the dentist regularly)?  It’s definitely an Asian thing but it will sometimes hurt my chest when I see people wear shoes in their homes.

Regarding the last good choice (healthy choice, kind choice, selfless choice, etc.) you made, what was your real motivation behind it?  I wanted to be kind to myself and finally let go of what had been keeping me from starting to be happy and pleased with where I am and have.

What is something that you have had to practice at to get the hang of it? If you can’t think of anything, that’s okay, what’s something you are currently practicing at and trying to master?  This is such a shallow answer lol but I’ve recently gotten into this rhythm game called Rhythm Hive that I found impossible to master at first, but after weeks of practicing I now breeze through all the songs at their hardest level.

Have you ever gone to the store to buy something, like a video game, when it came out at midnight?  I haven’t done that, but I’ve watched a movie premiere at midnight - for both times the Breaking Dawn movies came out.

Regarding the last novel you read, was there a romance included? If so, was it central to the plot?  Yes and yes.

Have you ever done relaxation meditations or listened to relaxation guides or positive-thinking/healing recordings?  Nope, they don’t really work on me. I have my own outlets that help me relax.

Do you have any interests that are also often shared by children?  Coloring is one. Also animated movies; I never grew out of those.

Is there something that could be a solitary activity but you really only like to do it with other people (e.g., watching movies, playing video games, etc.)? Definitely eating out. I’ve done it a couple of times before by myself and it does feel nice, but I also always can’t help but think it would be a lot more fun and that I would be much happier if I was sharing the experience with someone else.

Are you satisfied with the interior design or decoration in your home? Or do you think it needs a total home makeover?  Ugh god I need to rearrange and upgrade my room STAT. My K-Pop merch are starting to pile up but they’re all currently in just lazy heaps scattered around in my room since I don’t have any shelves or anything to properly display them on.

Is there something that you’d like to own but you can’t find it anywhere? If not, can you a remember a time when you wanted something? Did you ever end up finding it or did you eventually stop wanting it? This is always me with BTS merch...

Who makes you smile the most?  My friends.

What piercings do you want/have?  Just one on each earlobe. I’m not looking to have any more.

What's your favorite website?  Twitter.

Do you own a fish tank with fish?  We never had one, no.

Do you like the movie 300?  I’ve never seen it and will probably never have plans to. It’s not my cup of tea.

Do you pop your knuckles?  When I feel stressed or when my knuckles feel strained, yes.

Do you have Photoshop?  Nope, I have no use for it.

Do you use tinypic or photobucket?  Way back in the day. I’m not even sure if those websites still exist.

What’s your favourite song from the 1980s?  Heaven Is A Place On Earth.

How about the 1990s?  I’m not sure I have one.

Have you won anything recently?  Yeah we played this online game over Google Meets with my co-workers just this afternoon, before clocking out. My team won twice.

How often do you make Excel tables? What for?  Oh everyday. I work on a handful of sheets every single day at work, but I also like making spreadsheets for personal use haha. Right now the one I’m currently super invested in is my tracker for all the merch I’ve been buying so I can keep note of my pending payments and which ones I should already be asking for updates on.

What was the last baby animal you saw in the wild?  Not sure, I’m barely outdoors.

Are you always available or online?  Yup.

Do you have dietary restrictions? Or do you just eat what you like?  No allergies or restrictions.

Do you prefer gold, silver or steel jewelry? Or no jewelry at all? Silver.

Have you been binge-watching any shows lately? If so, what?  Not really. I’ve stopped watching Hwarang for now, but I do have plans to come back to it someday. I guess I just haven’t been in a K-drama binge-watching mood lately.

If you dye your hair, do you do it yourself or go to a salon?  I’ve never had my hair dyed.

If you have any, do you like your in-laws? I don’t have any. < Same.

Would it bother you, if your partner had cut contact with their parents?  It depends on the story behind it, but mostly no. How close they are with their family isn’t a priority matter for me.

Have you ever wondered whether you were adopted? All the time, especially as a teenager who wasn’t getting any emotional support at home.

What’s the best physical feeling in the entire universe?  When you work on something and expect mediocre results and feedback, but it ends up getting praised instead and you feel all the hard work pay off.

Have you ever grown a berry bush?  Nope.

Have you done something new to your hair recently?  It’s been untouched since the very start of the pandemic. My sister actually suggested that since I had it cut right when the pandemic started, I should wait out till the end of it and see how long it’ll reach. It sounded intriguing enough so now I’m indefinitely growing it out hahaha.

Do you have bad anxiety? If so, do you take any kind of medication for it? I’m sure I have it, I’ve just never been diagnosed before.

One thing you’ve experienced that you thought you never would have?  Managing to get over a rough breakup quicker than I ever expected to.

What was the last thing someone said to you that kept repeating over & over in your head?  It was when I was leaving Angela’s house yesterday and an “I love you” to her parents rolled out of my tongue so naturally I almost didn’t notice it; and when they said it back in a heartbeat. It’s when I realized that her parents are really like my second parents and that her house is a second home at this point. My heart was filled the entire drive home.

How often do you have late nights out?  Never because we still have a curfew.

If you could, would you work from home? Do you think that would make you more or less productive?  I don’t have a choice; it’s the set-up we’re required to live in. I’m pretty productive here at home but then again I don’t have a point of comparison considering I got my first job already in the midst of the pandemic.

If you had the ability to change the weather, what would you change it to right now?  I would like to bring snow to the Philippines.

Is there something that you really need to do, but can’t seem to get motivated to do it?  Upgrade my room and invest in shelves and other home decor/interior design stuff that would make the space more comfy and homey. Right now it just looks like a warehouse with my merch piled up in scattered places.

Most disturbing movie you have ever seen?  Eraserhead or I’m Thinking of Ending Things.

Has a life goal or dream ever come true for you yet? If yes, what is it? If no, do you think you’ll achieve it?  I have multiple life goals - some of them I’ve achieved, like getting into my dream university and simply getting employed, and some of them I’m still working my way towards, like getting a promotion. Yeah I feel like I’ll achieve my goals someday. I don’t like losing LOL so when I want something I usually put it above everything else.

Have you ever had food poisoning?  Yup.

What are you listening to?  Blue & Grey by BTS.

Do you think there will be a WWIII? I find it inevitable at some point down humanity's future. People are too hateful for it not to eventually. < Yeah, let’s go with this too.

Has anyone ever asked you if you were emo?  No.

Has someone ever liked you that you never thought would?  Yes. Tbh I never expect anyone to like me so I’ve always been surprised when I hear about someone who does.

In all honesty, can a person be too nice?  Yes, especially if they’re starting to be taken advantage of.

Has one of your friend’s boyfriends ever tried to cheat on them with you?  No.

Is mental abuse really as bad as physical abuse?  Any abuse is bad. :/

Do you shop at Sephora for make-up?  Nope.

Zelda: Twilight Princess or Ocarina of Time?  Twilight Princess only because I grew up with it and never got to play Ocarina of Time.

Do you own a rosary?  I did - I went to Catholic school. But I lost mine all the time because I didn’t really care for them lol I always had to buy new ones at the school bookstore.

If you were homeless, how would you cope? I don’t know.

[higuchimon]

[fanfic] Weapon of the Amber Goddess

There was nothing quite like the feeling of her stake slamming into whatever twisted, desiccated organ vampires had that roughly served as a heart.

Except perhaps the smooth sensation of her sword cutting off the creature’s head.

Cleaning up after a slaying never took too long, not where taking care of the body itself was concerned. Once staked and beheaded, a vampire’s body crumbled into dust in a matter of moments. No muss, no fuss, no grave needing to be dug. All Asuka had to do was sweep up the mess and then sort through whatever they left behind in the way of prisoners and possessions.

This one had a solid five captives it had drunk from on a regular basis, and a treasure horde that could equal a young dragon’s. Asuka released the prisoners and provided each one with a small share of the treasure to help them start their lives again somewhere else.

“Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, warrior,” one of them said, starting to kneel before her. Asuka shook her head, gesturing the woman to her feet.

“There’s no need for that. Just go out and do your best.” That as all she’d ever asked of people – and to hopefully avoid the night to be caught by a vampire again.

She did send them on their way with something else – a tiny chip of amber set in a small scrap of silver, perfect for wearing around the neck.

“These have all been blessed, but if you think the protection might be wearing thin, you can have them blessed again at any local temple,” she told them before they headed off.

Full of thanks for their rescue, the former captives headed for the nearest city, while Asuka started to make plans to get all of the remaining treasure back to the nearest Order stronghold. She wanted to get as much of it packed up as possible before he showed up.

“Nice haul!”

Too late.

He leaned against her wagon, wings spread ever so slightly, admiring one of the necklaces she’d put in there. “Hey, could I have this? I know this really cute djinn and this would match his eyes so nicely.”

Asuka rolled her own eyes. “Will it keep you from bothering me?” The Order could suffer the loss of one necklace.

“Maybe.” The emerald necklace vanished so quickly she almost suspected him of being a pickpocket instead of an angel. “So, how’ve things been with you, little sister?”

She shook her head. “I wish you wouldn’t call me that.” But the angel Fubuki always called her that, and never explained why. All he ever said was that she’d know eventually.

There were times she thought she knew, but she refused to think about it too much. There were things she didn’t want to know right now.

“Want some help getting all of this on the cart? It’s going to take you forever on your own,” Fubuki offered.

“With or without magic?” Asuka demanded, though she knew the answer.

He sniffed, tips of his wings twitching. “Magic, of course. Your little cart can’t take all of that without some help. This guy hoarded treasure for at least three centuries. Might have been four or five.” He shrugged. “Don’t worry. If anyone shows up, you’re the only one I’m visible to.”

Asuka raised one eyebrow. “Really. So anyone else would just see treasure floating from there to the cart, and the cart holding a lot more than it should.”

“You’re part of the Order of the Amber Goddess!” Fubuki’s eyes went wide and innocent. “Do you really think anyone would report you for that?”

Everyone knew the Order of the Amber Goddess had access to certain abilities. None of which had anything at all to do with stacking more treasure into a cart. But she sighed.

No one else is going to come poking around here. Everyone as too afraid to come check the place out. That might change once those she’d released started to spread their stories around, but now remained the best chance to get it all taken care of.

“All right. But let’s hurry.” She started towards the open door, not especially looking forward to going back in there. Like most vampire havens, it was cold, damp, and cramped. Since she’d thrown every window open to let the sunlight in – what sunlight found its way here – the smell wasn’t as musty as it had been, but she still didn’t like it.

Fubuki rested one hand on her shoulder. She shivered at the touch – the feeling of angelic flesh touching her own had never felt right.

Or if she wanted to be truthful with herself it felt very right, and she knew that it wasn’t supposed to. Mortals weren’t supposed to be touched by angels.

She pushed his hand off of her and stepped away. “I’ve told you not to do that.” She was about to enter the fortress again, but he stepped in front of her.

“You don’t have to do that.” He gestured with one wing. “Go sit down. You’ve already done enough today. I said I was going to do this and I am.”

Before she could take so much as another step, he waved one hand in one of the most extravagant motions she’d ever seen. Asuka didn’t even think words existed to describe it. Did he also wiggle? She thought he wiggled.

Between one breath and the next, the treasure, heaps of gold and silver and gemstones, bars and coins and jewelry and items of all kinds, nestled into her cart. The horse hitched to it shifted and twitched, tail lashing a little. Asuka went to soothe the gelding; she suspected animals could see Fubuki, but she’d never been able to be sure.

“I think that’s everything,” Fubuki said. He flickered out of sight, then reappeared. “That’s everything! Your horse should be able to pull it all – at least as long as I go with you.”

She drummed her fingers on her arm for a few heartbeats while he smiled sweetly at her. Nothing she said would deter him – she knew that very well. This wouldn’t even be close to the first time that he came back with her – the head of the Order even marveled before at how much she could stack into a simple cart and still have the gelding being able to carry it all.

I think she knows, Asuka mused as she settled her gear into the cart and got up into the seat. Fubuki settled next to her, one wing companionably folding around her. Once again he wasn’t going to listen to her.

But it did make for a comfortable ride back. Under normal circumstances the cart wasn't uncomfortable, but when he rode with her, she could almost convince herself she relaxed in bed in her own personal rooms at the main stronghold. At least until Fubuki said something to remind her of his existence.

Slowly the horse moved forward, taking them away from the vampire’s crumbling lair. She’d never enjoyed tiny, cramped vampire lairs. Horrible planning, in her opinion.

You’d think that they would take the time to build something with some room to it. They’re immortal.

At least immortal until she got to them. A stake and a sword finished a vampire quite nicely. She suspected many of those she hadn’t reached thirsted for her blood – but they would never have it. She not only carried defensive charms to protect herself asleep or awake, but she never let herself sleep anywhere a vampire could reach her.

Always within four walls and always with her best charms and wards active, with no fewer than three stakes, her sword, and three knives close at hand. She gave no quarter and expected none.

She’d lived like that ever since she’d first left the stronghold at the age of fifteen. Always keep yourself protected, her teachers told her. Those vampires who sought to slay and enslave without remorse knew that the Hunters of the Amber Goddess would come for them sooner or later. They would be ready for her so she needed to be ready for them.

Sometimes she wondered what the Goddess really looked like. Like most of the gods and angels – and sometimes even demons – there were never any true descriptions of them. All of her holy symbols were images of the sun with a sword and a stake crossed beneath them – those who served the Amber Goddess were the antithesis of all evil undead. Perhaps she’d find out one day, when her luck inevitably ran out.

I’ll have to put up with him forever then, she mused, letting his babble flow over her without really listening to it. She had years of practice doing that.

Perhaps once she stood in the presence of the Goddess, he would find someone else to pester. But something deep in her heart told Asuka she’d have to put up with Fubuki for a very long time.

The End

Notes: I have other interesting ideas - like what happens if Asuka met demon prince Ryou. Her speciality is vampires, but who knows...

I originally wanted this to be a part of those drabbles I wrote using 'kneel' but then it grew another thousand words.

Also, the randomly generated words were: report, visible, open, quarters, personal, grave, deter, and loss.

Lastly, guesses on who that green-eyed djinn is?

[loveistherootofhappiness]

Written for my new Countdown to Christmas series. It’s that time of year everyone, let’s get sappy!

Mainly written for @maddiehans who wanted a Madney Christmas fic based off the 3A finale and had them opening Christmas presents. I went off theme a bit, but I hope you still enjoy it.

Word count: 1766

Summary:  “honestly, I wouldn’t have cared if you hadn’t gotten me anything. I love you, Maddie, I’m just happy to spend the holiday with you.”

Also can be read here.

-----

The firehouse was lively with Christmas cheer and conversation, as Maddie looked around at the group she’d come to know of as friends and family. She could hear all the kids laughing, playing, enjoying themselves. She smiled at the sound. It was amazing what Karen had done for them and she remembered overhearing some of the kids say this was the best Christmas they’d ever had. It was then that an idea formed in her head.

She ultimately decided to keep the money and cash the check before the banks closed for the holidays, placing it in a separate account from her checking and other saving account. She didn’t need it, she wasn’t wanting for anything, but she wasn’t going to let it go to waste. She decided to keep some in case her family ever needed anything and give most of it to charity. And she knew the first place she wanted it to go. She excused herself and went to her car to grab her bag.

After she returned, everyone enjoyed themselves for another hour before things started to wind down. Shifts were coming to an end and everyone was starting to leave. She received another hug from the mom that was thankful to be back with her son on Christmas. Maddie was thankful she was able to make it happen. Not soon as she they left she saw a woman that worked with the group home director and couple of other employees coming to get the children.

Maddie took a deep breath and walked over to her, “hi, excuse me,” she said getting her attention. “I was wondering do you guys take donations?”

She greeted Maddie with a bright smile and questioning eyes, “we do...”, her words trailed off, obviously wondering were this was going.

Maddie reached into her pocket, pulled out the folded check and handed it to young woman. “Merry Christmas.”

She unfolded the check, eyes widening “holy shit,” words slipping past her lips loudly. She chuckled nervously, not meaning to say it. Buck and Chimney, who had been helping gather all of the children’s Christmas presents came over towards them at the outburst. Peering over the woman shoulder Buck whistled and Chimney smiled at Maddie knowingly.

“This is amazing,” the woman sputtered, “and too much, I mean, $5,000? I- we-“

“Take it, please. I don’t need it and I wanted to do something, hoping it would help.”

“It will. Thank you so much,” the woman leaned in and gave her tight hug.

“You’re more than welcome. I hope all of you have a happy holiday.”

“You do the same. Thank you so much! All of you, for everything.” She folded the check and put it in her bag as she walked away.

Maddie watched them all leave over the railing of the loft, Chimney came up beside her and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I see you found a use for that money after all.”

“Yeah, I did,” she said as she wrapped her arms around him, leaning into his side.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, “you know,” she heard her brother’s voice say, “since you’re in such a giving mood, sis, I could use a small loan. A couple of thousand should hold me over.” She shrugged out of his touch and rolled her eyes. She looked over at Chimney to see him doing the same. Grabbing his hand they walked away from Buck and down the stairs. “Oh come on, Madds, I was kidding, unless you wanna give it to me... and you’re still walking away... I’m gonna remember this...” the sound of Buck’s voice started trailing off as they walked further away.

Maddie turned on the light as she and Chinmey walked into his home. After saying their goodbyes to everyone, they went back to his place, as she wanted to go there. They were greeted by the sight of the decorations she had put and finished decorating.

“Wow, did you?” Chimney eyes were wide in surprise not expecting the sight. Maddie  simply nodded. “When?”

“I kinda stole your key and came by to finish decorating earlier today. After... I, um, just realized that my healing starts with letting go and learning to move on. I want to do that and, most importantly, I want to do that with you.” She stepped forward to kiss him. “If you want that, too.”

He took her hands on his, “of course I want that. Actually, I want to talk to you about something. And all of this has been the perfect segue into it” He kissed her again. “Hold on,” he said before running towards the back, leaving Maddie standing in the middle of the living room. She walked towards the tree and fiddled with branches as the lights twinkled. She took a seat on the floor near it, spotting her present for Chimney underneath.

Almost as quickly as he left, Chimney returned carrying a small box shaped gift, wrapped in red wrapping paper and a metallic silver ribbon. He wordlessly sat on the floor near her and  held out to her. Maddie smiling as she took it. “I thought long and hard about what to get you,” he paused taking a deep breath, “it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while now. I kept warring with myself about if it’s the right time or not and well.., I should stop talking and let you open it.”

“O...kay,” Maddie had no idea what to make of anything Chimney just said. It only served to heighten her excitement and anticipation for what he possible could have gotten her. She untied the ribbon and ripped off the paper not caring that all of it fell to the floor. It gave way to a solid white box. Opening the the top and placing it under the bottom, she found another slightly smaller box, black velvet, an obvious jewelry box. She smiled up at her boyfriend, “Howie, what is this?”

“You’ll see, just open it.” He encouraged. Though, he was smiling she could still see the nervousness radiating off of him.

Maddie did as she was told. As soon as she opened the box she gasped audibly. The rose gold, diamond heart pendant necklace was beautiful. She ran he fingers over it before, “babe, this is beautiful.” Her voice cracked with emotion.

“There’s more.” Chimney said simply.

“There’s more?” Confused, Maddie looked back at the jewelry box. So caught up in the necklace she missed the little note in the lid  that said “lift me” and had an arrow pointing to the latch above where the necklace lay. Putting the box down on the ground so she could do this carefully, she lifted the compartment and took it out, finding a gleaming silver key at the bottom. She took it out and held it up. She stared at it for a moment before, the realization hit her, it looked just like his house key.

“I can see by the realization on your face that you’ve figured it out.”

“Howie-” She started and stopped, at a loss for words as the tears welled in her eyes.

“Maddie, I want you to know that this doesn’t mean anything you don’t want it to. I just thought with how everything is going between us and the fact that you’re over here more often than not, your stuff has taken over most of my drawers,” they both laughed at that, “I just thought that I wanted you to have that to come and go as you pleased.”

“Babe, are you- are you asking me to move in with you?”

“Yes, I mean, no. I mean yes, I would love it, but that wasn’t my purpose for giving you the key. I wanted you to have it regardless. I know moving in together is huge and I didn’t want to pressure you-“

“I’d love to.” Maddie jumped in, interrupting him before he got too far.

He looked at her, stunned. “You would?”

“Yes.” She placed the key back in the box and leaned forward to take his hands in hers, “Like you said, I’m already over here more often than not. Plus the lease on my place is almost up, so it works out actually. And it’s something I’ve thought about too, living together. Let’s do it.”

“Let’s do it!” Chimney’s lips met hers. When they broke apart she wiped the tears from her eyes and marveled at her amazing boyfriend. He took the necklace out of it’s place and held it up, “may I?”

She nodded and turned her back towards him. She moved her hair out of the way as the cool metal touched her skin. She dropped it when she heard the small click of the clasp. She turned back towards him, clutching the pendant. She couldn’t believe he had done all of this. It was so simple, yet meant so much to her.

At this point, she was hating the gift she got for him. It was no where near the caliber of what he’d gotten her. It was too late to change now. Reluctantly she reached for the gift she placed under his tree and handed it to him.

“For me? You shouldn’t have,” he said cheekily as she handed him the gift. She rolled her eyes in the jest. He made a show of shaking it, getting a small rattling sound. “I wonder what it could be.” She just gave him a look. “And Christmas Dalmatians, that’s cute.” He chuckled at the themed wrapping paper as he ripped it. She watched as he popped the tape on the light blue box, unfolded the tissue paper inside, and pulled out the brown cashmere, buttoned cardigan that she’d bought him. “Woah, this is nice!”

“Really?” She asked nervously.

“Yes, really,” he ran his hands over, “and feels so soft.”

“You were talking about how much you needed a new sweater and I came across this one. I thought you’d like it.”

“I love it.” He leaned towards her and kissed her on the cheek, “so thoughtful.”

“Nowhere near as thoughtful as your gift.” Maddie grumbled.

“Hey, that’s not true. You paid attention to something even I forgot about telling you and got me something I needed. That’s pretty thoughtful in my book,” Chimney put the sweater back in the box, “honestly, I wouldn’t have cared if you hadn’t gotten me anything. I love you, Maddie, I’m just happy to spend the holiday with you.”

She could feel the emotion swelling again as she said, “I love you, too.”

[ladyshandioftheendless]

~KISS AU writings 23~

The end is here, KISS fam and it’s a long one!! Thank you so much for reading my crazy stories~ I hope you all enjoyed!

~Shandi

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~MODEL AU Part 10~

Featured Pairing: Bruce Kulick/Paul Stanley

Special Guests: Peter Criss, Vinnie Vincent, Gene Simmons, Mick Mars, Vince Neil, Heather McMann (OC created by @misslivvie ~)

Summary: As Bruce and Paul start a relationship together, an old friend comes back into Paul’s life~ (told from Bruce’s POV)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun would be up soon.

I gently stroke Paul’s hair. He’d fallen asleep holding me tightly with his head laying on my chest and he’d never left my side throughout the night. Being with him makes me feel…I just don’t have to words to describe how good I feel. I lay there thinking of his loving kisses and soft touches. The way he watched me undress. The loud moans of my name as he climaxed. It was perfect..just like him~ I hated moving him but I slowly lay him on his back so I can get up and make coffee. 

Paul’s going to have quite an interesting day today. Dinner with his boss and his ex? It has to be stressing him out a little, even if he doesn’t want to worry me by showing it. I want to do something for him to ease his tension for tonight, but I’m not sure what. Maybe it will come to me over coffee. As the scent of drifts everywhere I hear my bedroom door finally open. Paul comes out dressed only in his robe, yawning and rubbing his eyes. “Mmmm..that smells heavenly~” I pull him close and kiss his forehead. “It should be ready soon. Why don’t you get yourself all prettied up? I want to take you out today~”

“Oh~? What’s the occasion~?” 

“No occasion..I just wanna spoil you~” 

“Are you sure~? I might get used to it~” 

“Would that be so bad~?” 

“Well haven’t you heard? I’m a selfish, bitchy diva~ All I do is shop and complain about my weight~”

“I also heard that you’re incredibly beautiful~” 

“Careful..all that flattery might go to my head~”

“I’ll risk it~” 

I kiss him again and go to make our coffee while he goes into the bathroom. I think that was a really good start to the day~

After we’ve both showered, changed and had breakfast I take him to Rodeo Drive where he could shop until his heart was content. It was adorable watching him fawn over clothes, makeup and jewelry. He was just so wonderfully, uniquely feminine~ It also amazed me how much he knew about fashion, how he could tell one brand from another or how he could spot a counterfeit from 10 miles away. It just proved my point that there was so much more to him than his appearance. While in the Dolce & Gabbana store he starts looking over various suits with great interest. “Brucie..when’s the last time you were fitted for a suit?” I’m a little taken aback by the question. He’s not thinking what I think he’s thinking..is he? “Um..I’m not sure. The last time I wore a suit was for my brother’s wedding so..its been a few years.” He shakes his head vigorously. “Oh no that just won’t do. If you’re going to parties with me I’m going to make sure no one else gives you dirty looks ever again.” I couldn’t possibly! The least expensive suit in this store costs over $2,000! “Paul, NO.” 

“Yes, Brucie~” 

“These prices are outrageous!” 

“Only the best for my Photopup~” 

I obviously no longer have a say in the matter. He’s already called someone over to take my measurements. I guess I’m going to have myself a nice fancy suit for the next party~

Back at my place Paul tries on some of his new clothes, asking for my opinion on how he looks. He should know better. I’m absolutely biased~ One outfit however looks particularly fetching. A black tank top under a purple off the shoulder top made from the finest lace, black leather pants and glittery purple boots. With heels of course~ “That’s perfect~ Wear that tonight~” He smiles and kisses me. “Thank you, Brucie~ Will you do me a favor while I freshen up? Time me?” I raise an eyebrow. “Why?” He blushes and looks away. “People are always telling me I take too long to get ready. I want to try to..not do that as much..” I laugh and kiss him again. “How about this? I give you a time limit and see if you can stick to it?” I look at my watch. “It’s 4:00 now and your dinner’s at 7:00. Think you can get ready in an hour?” 

“A-an hour..? I don’t know..” 

“Okay I’ll go easy for your first time. Hour and a half.” 

“I can try..” 

“Good! Your time starts now! Off with ya!” 

He makes an adorable squeak and heads off to the bathroom. I love him so much~ I keep a close eye on my watch while he’s in the bathroom. I hear the door open at around 5:15. He comes back into the living room looking amazing. I knew he could do it~ “Congratulations, you beat your time limit~”

“Oooh do I get a reward~?” 

“Later tonight~” 

He pouts. “You’re gonna make me wait?” 

“I don’t wanna mess you up before your dinner date~” 

“Fair enough~” 

We sit on the couch and watch one of his favorite tv shows before he decides it’s time to leave. “You’re going to be fine~” I tell him, kissing his cheek before he goes out the door. I still worry for him as I watch him drive away, but I know he’ll call me if anything happens. 

He doesn’t come back until well after midnight. I hear him come into my room, undress and get into bed with me. He rubs my shoulders and kisses my ear. “I’m home, baby~” 

“Mm..did you have fun..?” 

“It was wonderful~” 

“I’m glad.. Sorry..I can’t give you your reward tonight..” 

“It’s okay..you have plenty of time to make it up to me~” 

I turn so I can hold him, and we fall asleep in each other’s arms. 

As the months pass Paul and I only grow closer. He spends so much time at my place he practically lives there~ I continue taking photos as a freelancer for Catwalk. Mr. Criss never hires me officially but I don’t mind. It just means I can be close to Paul without worrying about being fired~ One August afternoon while we’re doing a shoot in the studio Mr. Criss comes in carrying a gold envelope. “We’ve been invited to a birthday party.” Paul becomes ecstatic. “Oh yes, Vinnie’s birthday is this weekend! You’re gonna tell him we’re going right? It’s only one of the biggest fashion social events of the season!!” Mr. Criss rolls his eyes. “I suppose I am. You’ll bitch at me for weeks if we don’t go.” 

“Damn right I will~” 

“Yeah yeah I’ll do it. Get back to work, Diva Star.” 

“Yes, sir~” 

Looks like I’m finally getting an opportunity to wear that expensive suit that’s been sitting in my closet for months. 

Sunday night Mr. Criss drives us to Vinnie’s Malibu beach mansion for his birthday party. Paul and I sit in the back seat together so we can hold hands. “You look so good in that suit, Brucie~ Do you like the cuff links I bought you~?” I smile and adjust my sleeves so I can admire them again. They were smooth turquoise stones set in silver. “I swear you’re trying to spoil me rotten. These are really too much~” He giggles. “Oh, hush up and let me spend money on you~ I haven’t had a good boyfriend in a long time~” Mr. Criss sighs loudly. “Will you two shut up before you give me diabetes?” We laugh. It’s nice to know he’s not serious all the time~ 

We’re lucky to find a parking space once we get there. The property is packed with cars for miles around. One of the biggest social events? Looks like THE biggest to me. I suddenly start feeling a little anxious. I’ve never been around this many people before. Paul squeezes my hand. “Hey~ If you start feeling like it’s too much we can always go.” I nod and smile. I love that he understands~ We go inside, weaving through the crowd to look for Vinnie. Fortunately he always dresses in gold so he’s incredibly easy to find~ We finally find him by the bar getting his glass refilled with champagne. A taller man dressed all in black leather and a copious amount of silver jewelry stood beside him with his arm around his waist. Paul’s curiosity is immediately piqued. “Vinnieeeeee~ Who is this and why haven’t you introduced me to him yet~?” Vinnie turns with a smile on his face, welcoming Paul with a long hug.” The gold glitter on his eyelids and lips make him look fantastic~ “Paulie, I’m so glad you finally made it~!” He comes over to hug me. “Lovely to see you again too, Bruce~” 

“Thank you, Vinnie~ Happy birthday~” 

“Oh, thank you~ It’s so nice to have all my friends here tonight~” 

Paul motions to the guy in leather again. “So who’s this friend~?”

“Mmph I’m being so rude aren’t I? This is Gene~ I met him while on a trip to Israel last month~ Isn’t he gorgeous~?” 

Paul can barely contain his excitement. “He’s a dream! Is he your boyfriend?!” Vinnie’s blush is all the confirmation he needs. He covers his mouth to keep from squealing too loudly. “Oh, Vinnie I’m so happy for you! What do you do, Gene~?” 

“Fashion designer. I��m hoping to showcase some of my new styles in the U.S.” 

“Ooh I’m intrigued~ If you need a model give me a call~” 

“I’ve found one already but I could always use more~” 

“Really? Who?” 

“Take a guess, Paulie~” 

That voice makes our blood go cold. Vince Neil stands behind us with the same cocky smirk he had at the last party. If he was here to start trouble with Paul again I wasn’t going to have it. 

“Sorry, Paulie. Once again you’re stuck with second place~” 

Paul crosses his arms. “Maybe so..but you can’t sleep your way to the top with him.” Vinnie clears his throat loudly. “Pardon me but I will not having anyone starting fights during my birthday party. Take it outside if you must.” Paul just turns and goes to the bar for a drink. “I’m perfectly fine, thank you. I’m just here to have a good time.” Vince is glaring daggers now. If there’s one thing he hates it’s being ignored. “Are you afraid to face me? Why don’t we go outside? It’ll save ya from being humiliated again~!” I’m just about to give him another piece of my mind when a woman’s loud voice cuts me off.

“EXCUSE ME!!” 

Annoyed, Vince turns to her. “What do you want, bi–!!” He doesn’t even finish his sentence before she decks him right in the face! He hits the floor, making everything screech to an abrupt halt. The woman flips her blonde hair with a satisfied look on her face before looking around. “What? None of you can tell me he didn’t have it coming.” With no one coming forward to disagree, the party just continued as usual. Mr. Criss stands beside her with his arms crossed, and right next to him is Mr. Mars. “I think your boy needs some help, Mick. Why don’t you take him home? He’s already had too much.” Nodding, Mr. Mars picks Vince up off the floor and carries him to the door. “That’ll teach ya to open your big fat trap next time won’t it?” I hear him say. It probably won’t but we’ll just have to see~ Paul looks at the woman in shock. “H-Heather..?” That name sounds familiar. I'm sure we've met before. She snorts. “Oh, you remember my name? Miracle of miracles! Now come over here and gimme a hug, you idiot~!” Paul laughs and hugs her tightly. “Of course I remember! It’s so good to see you again..it’s been so long! Where have you been?” 

“Oh, I went out of the country for a while to ‘find myself’ or whatever you wanna call it. While doing some makeup work in Milan I happened to stumble into in one of Vinnie’s fashion circles, and when he invited me to his party I figured what the hell? I had no idea you were here too, but Peter ran into me and brought me over~” With tears in his eyes he hugs her again. “I’m so glad he did~” I smile and rub his back. “O-oh..um..Heather you remember Bruce. He’s my boyfriend now~” She smiles at me and shakes my hand. “Nice to meet you officially~ Any friend of Paul’s is a friend of mine..but listen, tall, dark and handsome..I love Paul here like a brother. If you disrespect him in any way I won’t have any problems punching your lights out too.” She laughs to lighten the mood but I know that she means it. I spend the rest of the night with Paul as he catches up with Heather, who agrees to come back as Paul’s makeup artist. He’s overjoyed at the news and I love watching every moment~ We watch Gene lead Vinnie out to the middle of the floor and dance a special waltz with him for his birthday present. For the first time in our lives Paul and I don’t have a worry in the world. 

We have each other~ 

~END~

[barefoot-joker]

Yandere!Jeremiah Valeska X Reader One Shot Pt. 5

Hey, guys! Welcome back to the next installment of Yandere!Jeremiah. I was just going to let you know it does get a bit spicy at the end so if that’s not your thing you won’t miss much. As a side note I’d also like to say that I don’t condone things that Jeremiah does in this chapter and if any of you find the ending uncomfortable I can change it. Otherwise feedback is appreciated and I will see you in Part 6!

https://barefoot-joker.tumblr.com/post/182328341418/yanderejeremiah-valeska-x-reader-one-shot

https://barefoot-joker.tumblr.com/post/182409053588/yanderejeremiah-valeska-x-reader-oneshot-pt-2

https://barefoot-joker.tumblr.com/post/182862984808/yanderejeremiah-valeska-x-reader-one-shot-pt-3

https://barefoot-joker.tumblr.com/post/183226748438/yanderejeremiah-valeska-x-reader-one-shot-pt-4

https://barefoot-joker.tumblr.com/post/183601483818/yanderejeremiah-valeska-x-reader-oneshot-pt-6

https://barefoot-joker.tumblr.com/post/184215467078/yanderejeremiah-valeska-x-reader-oneshot-pt-7

https://barefoot-joker.tumblr.com/post/184513626468/yanderejeremiah-valeska-x-reader-oneshot-pt-7

https://barefoot-joker.tumblr.com/post/184712916978/yanderejeremiah-valeska-x-reader-oneshot-pt-7

https://barefoot-joker.tumblr.com/post/185001873563/yanderejeremiah-valeska-x-reader-one-shot-pt-7

https://barefoot-joker.tumblr.com/post/186623351048/yanderejeremiah-valeska-x-reader-one-shot

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Beep.

  Beep.

      Beep.

           Clench.

I felt my fists tighten around the fabric of my skirt, my heart pumping wildly. Jeremiah was going to marry me?! At the sound of the door opening behind me I quickly swiveled to see Ecco, her body now in a long, skintight red and black dress. Her eyes instantly lit up as soon as she saw me, her lips spread in a smile. “Oh, Y/n. Don’t. You. Look. Gorgeous! Boss was right, you are the most exquisite woman in all of Gotham!”

She giggled as she walked to me, her heeled boots clicking the wooden floorboards beneath us. “Ecco, where’s Bruce?”

“He’s been taken care of don’t you worry.”

Taken care of? Don’t tell me he’s-

“He’s not dead, sweetheart. Boss made sure he came to your special day!”

Ecco began smoothing the fabric of my dress down and fluffing my veil to give it volume. As she did her pretty work the door opened once more to reveal Jeremiah, his attire being that of a suit in dark red, black, orange and dark blue. His black dress shoes scuffed the floor as he came towards us, my gaze lowering to the ground. “Don’t you look beautiful, darling!~ If I knew blue was your color I would have had you wear it all the time!”

“Isn’t it considered unlucky if you see the bride before she walks down the aisle?”

Jeremiah chuckled and lifted my chin which caused my gaze to be fixed on him. “Not in my mind its not.”

He side glanced at his proxy and waved his hand, her taking the hint and leaving. As much as I didn’t like the both of them I wish Ecco would have stayed. It would have been better than being with the beast alone. As soon as her heels radiated down the hall Jeremiah leaned in and gave a kiss to my neck, I flinching upon contact. “We’re going to be so happy together, dearest. It’ll just be us ruling this city together and no one will stop us, not even your dear Brucie.”

“What did you do to him? I swear if you hurt a single hair on his-”

“I would never! Bruce is just as special to you as he is me,” I turned away in disgust. “But you’re my top priority~”

“Why can’t you understand that I don’t want to be yours? Jeremiah, I don’t-”

Before I could finish he put a pale finger to my lips. “Shh, don’t say that. I know this whole thing will take some getting used to but we have our whole life ahead of us! If you don’t love me now surely it will come later.”

I sighed and closed my eyes. There was no point in trying anymore. Jeremiah was just too far gone that no matter what I said he wouldn’t change his mind. “It’s almost time for the ceremony, my love. But before I go I have something for you.”

Reaching into his blue jacket pocket, Jeremiah held up a silver chain necklace with a pendant on the end. Sadness reflected onto my soul as I instantly recognized what it was.

{Flashback}

“Miah, come on! Let me open my eyes!”

“Just wait a second.”

I playfully sighed. Jeremiah had called me down to the bunker for some unknown reason and I was hoping it wasn’t because he was in danger. My bad thoughts were removed when I walked into his study, the area decorated with birthday decorations. According to my ginger friend he was upset that he had missed my special day so he and Ecco arranged to have a small party with just the two of them. I will admit it was sweet of them to think of me but they didn’t have to go through with all of the trouble. Currently I sat on a couch with my hands over my eyes, footsteps rustling in the background. “Okay, you can open them.”

I did so and saw he held a small box with a green bow wrapped around it. “Miah, you didn’t have to get me anything!”

“I know but I wanted to stick to customs.”

I sighed and took the box from him, pulling off the bow and opening it. I gasped. Inside lay a simple silver necklace, a blueish green pendant on it. “M-Miah, it’s-it’s beautiful! Oh thank you!”

I got up and hugged him. “No problem, Y/n. I’m just glad you like it.”

“Could you help me put it on?”

“Of course.”

I spun around and moved my hair out of the way so he could clip it. It took him a second or two but as soon as he got it I turned towards him. “So, what do you think?”

I gave him a big smile as I posed with it, my friend not saying anything. After a few moments he shook his head and smiled. “I think it looks perfect.”

{End Flashback}

“This should complete your look.”

He came behind me and pushed my hair and veil out of the way so he could clasp it together. I felt my heart lock up as the cool metal dropped to my neck, it seemingly sealing my fate. “It looks just as perfect as it did all those months ago.”

I wanted to cry, scream, do anything. Everything was tumbling down for me. “See you out there, dearest.”

Quickly he pecked my cheek and left me to my own devices. Quietly I turned back towards the mirror and looked at myself. My reflection looked back at me with sadness in her eyes and in that moment I could see the cage that surrounded me, the one that no matter how lovely I sang or flew about the owner wasn’t going to be unlocking any time soon. Taking a deep breath I turned away and walked through the door, Ecco waiting for me outside. She handed me a bouquet of red roses before gently taking my arm and leading me down the hall to a pair of closed doors. My stomach twisted as I bit my trembling lip, nerves fluttering throughout my system. Suddenly the doors flew open and an organ began playing the infamous bridal processional tune as the dirty blonde woman led me down the aisle, her swaying us back and forth. My eyes scanned the room and I couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped my mouth. Sitting in the pews tied up and gagged was Alfred, Jim, Barbara, Harvey and Bruce, all of them dressed nice and fancy. Before I could go to them Ecco tightened her grip on my arm and pushed me forwards, Jeremiah catching me. Pulling me up to his level the madman gave me a huge grin before nodding to the pastor who looked like he was about to faint. The poor man flipped through his Bible in a nervous manner while mumbling to himself as Jeremiah gave him a glare. “Could we hurry this up a little?”

“U-um..of course, M-Mr. Valeska-a.W-We are gathered h-here today to join these t-two in h-holy matrimony-y. If there are any objections p-please say n-n-now.”

I looked back at my captive friends, all of them trying to say something. I looked over at the organist only to find a person holding a gun to their head. Suddenly my head was brought roughly back to look at Jeremiah, his pale fingers digging into my cheeks and chin. “Eyes up here, darling.” he hissed.

I gulped and he let go, his hands wrapping around mine in a tight grip. “Continue, Father.”

“D-do you pledge your lives t-to one a-another, to w-watch over the o-other in bad t-times? Do y-you promise to l-love each other-r tenderly-y and p-passionately, care for one another and c-cherish each moment?”

I wasn’t about to reply but I felt a gun pointed at the back of my skull so I changed my answer. “We do.”

“Do we have the rings?”

Jeremiah nodded and a random minion scurried off, returning with Selina’s corpse on a dolly holding the rings. I took in a shaky breath and watched as the minion made it seem like Selina was giving us the pieces of jewelry, her hand cold against mine. “R-repeat after me, Mr. V-Valeska. I Jeremiah p-promise to h-have and to h-hold this w-woman I take on as my w-wife. I p-promise to l-love and cherish her e-each day, for better or for worse, for richer, poorer, in sickness and in health till death do we part.”

My groom did as he was told, his blue eyes staring down into my soul and a big grin stretched across his lips. “W-with this ring I-I thee w-wed.”

Jeremiah slipped the gold band onto my ring finger, the blue jewel glinting in the candlelight. A perfect fit.

“Now repeat after me, Miss L-L/n.  I Y/n p-promise to h-have and to h-hold this m-man I take on as my h-husband. I p-promise to l-love and cherish him e-each day, for better or for worse, for richer, poorer, in sickness and in health till death do we part.”

“Jeremiah, you don’t have to do this. Let all these poor people go!”

“I can’t do that, sweetheart. We need witnesses. Now, say your vows.”

My eyes searched for any remaining humanity in my former ginger friend’s but his grip on my hands tightened and a shadow passed over his blue orbs. “Say. Them.”

I looked over at my friends but I heard the gun cock behind me so I returned back to home base, repeating every word in a trembling voice. “With t-this ring I thee w-wed.”

Silently I slid my gold band onto his ring finger, his having an e/c stone in the center. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”

Quickly Jeremiah leaned and captured my lips, Ecco the only one clapping. Everything faded into white noise as I stood there enveloped in the madman’s grip.

This is it.

Beep.

You’re trapped forever.

Beep.

No longer will you be able to be with Bruce.

Beep.

You’ll just be a caged bird for the rest of your life.

Beep.

Living your days as a cooped up housewife.

Beep.

                                There’s no escape...Y/n Valeska.

My newly appointed husband pulled away by a few inches, his breath hot against my lips. We stared at each other in the heat of the moment as Ecco pranced about us throwing flower petals. I was numb as Jeremiah leaned down again and kissed me, his excitement and bliss not reaching my body. “Hurray, Boss! You did it! Congratulations you two!”

As Ecco continued her excited chant Jeremiah pulled away and held me close. I felt a few tears fall as my friend’s disappointment clouded my mind, them struggling in the background. “Come now, Ecco! Let’s take the celebrations elsewhere.”

Jeremiah gently took my hand and led me back down the aisle, him turning back to his minions. “The rest of you kill and destroy.”

“NO!”

I screamed as gunfire rang out and smoke piled into the church, the greenette casually walking us down the aisle as if nothing was wrong. In an attempt to get away I hit my husband several times but he just continued dragging me along. I looked back desperately at my friends who tried to get away, my eyes landing on Bruce. Time seemed to slow as I stared into those dark eyes and memories of my happiness came back to me in waves.

Bedside chats.

   Embraces.

Laughter.

    Dinners together.

Our kiss.

“BRUCE!” I shrieked at the top of my lungs. Don’t let me go.

I heard Jeremiah growl and turn towards the dark haired male, a smirk on his face. “I did it, Bruce! I won! Y/n’s mine!”

He chuckled and raced us out the door, I screaming my true love's name. Suddenly I was thrust into the backseat of a car, it speeding off with Ecco as the driver. My heart beeped in my chest as the two clown’s laughter filled my ears, my body getting hot in my dress. The night sky seemed to twirl as I felt my back collide with seat, my eyes closing. Bruce…

I don’t know how long I was out for but when I woke up I was lying on a couch with Ecco standing over me. She smiled upon realizing I was awake and helped me sit up, my surroundings new and unrecognizable. “W-where are we?”

“Your new home, Y/n! Boss has been looking forever for the perfect place and now here we are!”

I blinked a few times and looked around. The room I was in seemed to be a living room as there were several chairs strewn about and a few picture frames up. The fireplace was currently burning some wood making the room nice and toasty. “Well we better get you upstairs. Mr. J has been waiting for you to wake up.”

Gently, Ecco eased me up off the couch and up the stairs across the hall, stopping us at a door at the end of the right hallway. She opened the door and led me inside, a fire dancing in the center of the far wall mantle. “Boss told me to get you ready for when he comes back and that he’s sorry for leaving you in such a hurry. I guess some business came up that he needed to take care of.”

Delicately she removed the veil from my head and placed it on an armchair in the corner before going to a dresser and pulling out a green nightgown. She returned to my side and helped me out of my dress before slipping the pajamas over my head, onto my body. Humming she picked up my wedding dress and set it over by the veil, returning to me with a hairbrush in hand. She had me sit on a footstool as she sat behind me, tenderly brushing my locks. “We’re all going to be one big happy family after tonight. If something should happen in that body of yours Mr. J will be pleased.”

I froze. I forgot about that part of weddings. My fingers dug into my legs creating marks. As if on cue Jeremiah strode through the door with a smile upon his face. Ecco stood and curtsied, making her way out and shutting the door behind her. I gulped and turned away, flinching when I felt his arms wrap around me. His nose tickled my neck as he gave a content purr, my body shaking at the thought of what was next. “You’re finally all mine, Y/n. No longer will I have to worry about someone stealing you away.”

His hand reached up and slid one of the straps down on my shoulder, I clutching his wrist tightly. “Please don’t.”

“Dearest, you don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for this moment. Imagine how much more happier we could be if you gave birth.”

“I don’t want to! Please, Jeremiah!”

“Shh. You’ll be alright. Everything will be alright.”

I cringed as the other strap fell and I knew instantly that tonight was going to be a long one.

                                “Now...let’s have our date with destiny.”

[sdohertys]

GENERAL:

NAME: Scarlett Marina Kaufman Doherty

NICKNAME: Some people call her Scar, much to her irritation. It’s not even a cute nickname.

BIRTHDAY: January 16

AGE: 34.

GENDER: Cis Female.

PLACE OF BIRTH: Petaluma, California.

PLACES LIVED SINCE: Oakland, CA; Walnut Creek, CA

CURRENT RESIDENCE: Walnut Creek, CA

NATIONALITY: American.

ETHNICITY: Ashkenazi Jewish.

PARENTS’ NAMES: Adina and Vadim Kaufman.

NUMBER OF SIBLINGS: None.

PERSONALITY TYPE: ESTP- A - THE ENTREPRENEUR

body image mention, abandonment, death (cancer)

RELATIONSHIP WITH FAMILY: Strained. One-sided. Basically non-existent. When Scarlett hit her teen years, she’d come to the conclusion that her mother wanted a child, but she didn’t want to be a mother to that child. Their conversations consisted mainly of Scarlett’s appearance and body image, pushing her to be the most prim and proper of ladies. Her mother never called her beautiful. Vadim, on the other hand, was never around to have a real conversation with his daughter, having gone out to meet with his mistress of the year. Might as well not even have a father. She’s cut herself off from her family to the point where she legally changed her last name so she could pretend she was not related to them. After getting many phone calls from her mom when she first moved away, Scarlett changed her phone number and blocked her mom from every social media platform.

CHILDHOOD TRAUMA: When Adina found out about her husband’s many affairs, she blamed Scarlett’s birth, having said that if she never gave birth to Scarlett perhaps her figure could still be desirable enough for her husband. She then proceeded to send ten year old Scarlett away to live with a Filipino couple in their mid-50s in Oakland, who raised her until she turned 17. Scarlett continued to feel unwanted by her own mother.

PHYSICAL:

HEIGHT: 5′4″

WEIGHT: 120 lbs.

BUILD: Slim and petite.

HAIR COLOR: Dark brown.

USUAL HAIR STYLE: She styles it differently every other day, but when she’s concentrating, she pulls it back in a high ponytail. When it’s down, the length is just two inches below her shoulder blades.

EYE COLOR: Her right eye is green-blue and her left eye is a hazel color.

GLASSES? CONTACTS?: Neither.

STYLE OF DRESS/TYPICAL OUTFIT(S): Scarlett dresses in very trendy, designer clothing. A casual coffee outfit would be a cream colored blouse with dark wash skinny jeans and a pair of brown booties, with her hair in a messy bun and gold hoop earrings.

TYPICAL STYLE OF SHOES: High heels.

JEWELRY? TATTOOS? PIERCINGS?: She got her belly button pierced in high school, and she also has her ears typically pierced.

SCARS: She has a scar toward the back of her neck, right below her ear from trying to cut her own hair when she was nine years old. Her mother was less than pleased, to say the least.

UNIQUE MANNERISMS/PHYSICAL HABITS: She’ll lick her lips almost every time she takes a sip of coffee. When she’s drinking wine, she likes to tap her index finger just below the rim.

ATHLETICISM: She’s not into fitness, like at all. She loves to eat and she loves to drink. Her main source of exercise is walking for miles in her heels and running around stores.

HEALTH PROBLEMS/ILLNESSES: None.

INTELLECT:

LEVEL OF EDUCATION: High school diploma.

LANGUAGES SPOKEN: Fluent in both English and Russian, but English is her first language. She also can have conversational French. Conversational Tagalog also.

LEVEL OF SELF-ESTEEM: It had taken a while for Scarlett to be comfortable in her own skin, just because her entire life she was told by her mother that she was never good enough, never pretty enough, or smart enough. As she continued to build her business, slept around with as many people as she desired, her confidence grew. People tell her she’s beautiful, and she never disagrees.

GIFTS/TALENTS: Public speaking, flattering, styling and outfitting someone. Pretending her parents don’t exist.

MATHEMATICAL?: NOPE. The only time she’s mathematical is when she’s figuring out how much she’ll save on a sale.

MAKES DECISIONS BASED MOSTLY ON EMOTIONS, OR ON LOGIC?: Both, I wanna say. Scarlett can be impulsive and controlling at times, but that’s driven by anger, irritation and lust. She usually cuts off most emotions when it comes to people.

LIFE PHILOSOPHY: When you don’t have your shit together, you have to dress like you do.

RELIGIOUS STANCE: She was raised Jewish but she’s not particularly religious.

CAUTIOUS OR DARING?: Daring.

MOST SENSITIVE ABOUT/VULNERABLE TO: Her childhood. Having moved across the country where hardly anyone knew her at the age of eighteen, it was a chance to have a fresh start.

OPTIMIST OR PESSIMIST?: Pessimist.

EXTROVERT OR INTROVERT?: Extrovert.

RELATIONSHIPS:

CURRENT RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Bisexual.

PAST RELATIONSHIPS: ( cancer tw, death tw)Scarlett has only ever had one serious relationship when she was 25. He was the definition of the perfect boyfriend, everything she thought she should want but nothing seemed right. Two years into their relationship, he proposed and impulsively she accepted believing she was in love with him. Just days later she regretted her decision. Thinking she would catch wedding fever, she stuck to the engagement and continued to plan out the wedding but emotionally became distant from her fiance. A year into their engagement they were married, and just six months after they finally wed, she decided she was going to divorce him. She met with an attorney and was near ready to serve the papers when he told her he was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. He fought for 7 months. She’s harbored a substantial amount of guilt knowing that as he was dying, she wanted to leave him.

Nothing else is worth mentioning. She usually keeps her relationships casual, hardly sleeps with anyone more than twice, and even that’s pushing it.

PRIMARY REASON FOR BEING BROKEN UP WITH: Emotionally distant, doesn’t want another serious relationship.

PRIMARY REASONS FOR BREAKING UP WITH PEOPLE: Doesn’t want a serious relationship.

EVER CHEATED?: No, not at all. She would never do that to someone because she saw the damage her father did from his multiple affairs.

BEEN CHEATED ON: No. Other than her three year relationship, she hasn’t been in a relationship serious enough for it to get to that point.

LEVEL OF SEXUAL EXPERIENCE: She doesn’t date, but she frequently has one night stands.

STORY OF FIRST KISS: Her first kiss was with her best friend in 8th grade during a sleepover when she suggested that they should kiss since Scarlett said she was bored.

STORY OF LOSS OF VIRGINITY: It’s nothing exciting. In fact, it’s quite cliche which she hates. She lost her virginity the night of Junior Prom with a guy she had AP Bio with.

A SOCIAL PERSON?: Superficially, yes, but he’s very particular with who he deems as a close friend.

MOST COMFORTABLE AROUND: A bottle of red wine.

OLDEST FRIEND: CONNECTION OPEN.

HOW DOES HE THINK OTHERS PERCEIVE HER?: Charismatic, witty, beautiful.

HOW DO OTHERS ACTUALLY PERCEIVE HER?: Brutal, pretentious, beautiful

SECRETS:

LIFE GOALS: Still up in the air.

DREAMS: To be a stylist on a Hollywood-type of level.

GREATEST FEARS: Not living an exciting life/growing complacent.

MOST ASHAMED OF: Her parents.

CRIMES COMMITTED (WAS HE CAUGHT? CHARGED?): Underage drinking, but I mean, lmao. She also stole a pair of shoes from a department store when she was 14, but was never caught.

DETAILS/QUIRKS:

NIGHT OWL OR EARLY BIRD?: Night Owl.

LIGHT OR HEAVY SLEEPER?: Heavy sleeper.

FAVORITE ANIMAL: Eh.

FAVORITE FOOD: Sinigang and rice. Half of her childhood consisted of her learning how to make Filipino dishes because of who she lived with.

LEAST FAVORITE FOOD: Highkey salad. Highkey, anything vegan.

FAVORITE BOOK: Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg

LEAST FAVORITE BOOK: Doesn’t care enough to have a least favorite book.

FAVORITE MOVIE: She’ll say Roman Holiday but it’s really Terms of Endearment.

LEAST FAVORITE MOVIE: The Notebook.

FAVORITE SONG: Linger by The Cranberries but anything by Barry White. She loves Motown.

FAVORITE SPORT: She loves basketball and is biased toward the Golden State Warriors.

COFFEE OR TEA?: Wine. But coffee, yeah.

CRUNCHY OR SMOOTH PEANUT BUTTER?: Crunchy.

TYPE OF CAR HE DRIVES: Silver Rolls Royce.

LEFTY OR RIGHTY?: Right-handed.

FAVORITE COLOR: Burgundy.

CUSSER?: All the time.

SMOKER? DRINKER? DRUG USER?: She used to smoke, but quit after she ended her engagement. But yes, drinker. Loves to drink. It’s her favorite hobby.

BIGGEST REGRET: Letting her marriage go on for too long.

PETS: None.

[snowflake-apocalypse]

🍎 The Big Apple Caper

Musical inspiration: But it’s Better if You Do; Panic! at the Disco

Team Red arrives in New York, they start scoping the area and discreetly gather intel on the stock exchange. Carmen, decked out in jeans, a t-shirt with a ball cap, is walking through the Grand Central Station when someone places a hand on her shoulder from behind. Carmen whips around,

“Jules!-Julia. What are you doing here?”

“Here to arrest you, of course...

And if there was ever an ultimate look of dread, Carmen was wearing it.

“I’m joking. Player called me. Said you were capering the stock exchange. I thought you may need some help. And I was worried about you. I’m sorry I stormed off like that,...I just couldn’t bare what you were doing to yourself.”

Carmen, now wearing a small, sad grin. She missed Jules.

|7 Days & Counting|

|Monday|

A week before the planned caper, Julia goes to the NYPD and sets them on a false lead, gets them as far away from the Manhattan Bridge as possible. In disguise, the ground Team went around and looked suspicious as Julia took some pictures.

||Tuesday||

Team Red, disguised as punks and ruffians with their sunshades on, hit the streets of the White Plains district. Objective: Stir up suspicions in the area. (Note: Zach and Ivy are wearing their outfits from “Where on Earth?” respectfully.)

Zach: “Okay, gang.. how we gonna do this? I could run up and down the streets, knock some trash cans over... jump on some cars-“

Cut to Ivy, who’s listening to this like “WTF?”

Carmen: “Zach, we want to look suspicious, not get arrested.” Carmen states from her spot on a bench, scoping out the area.

Zach: “Right, yeah. Got it. Calm down, Zach.”

Team Red gets to work, Julia is snapping pictures from various rooftops.

Carmen: “How are we looking, Jules?”

Julia: “Oh, very photogenic.” Causing Carmen to blush, while attempting to control a smile.

Ivy: “Oh, you flirters...” Ivy mumbles under her breath, amusement in her voice. Ivy is walking up and down streets, alley ways, looking into cars, hands in her jacket pockets.

The team continues being “shady” frequently over the next three days.

||Friday||

And one flash of the ACME ID, and Commiss is all hears.

Julia: “Hello, Commissioner Lock, I’m Agent Sliver. My office has intel to believe that banks in the White Plains district are being targeted for robbery. My suggestion is to increase security and patrols in that area should anything arise.”

Julia shows the “evidence” to the Commissioner.

Lock: “I see. Well, New York is such a big place, it’s hard to catch everything. And I’ve heard of trouble stirring up in that area from my officers... I’ll have my departments look further into the matter. Thank you for the tip, Agent.”

Julia: “And thank you for your time, Commissioner.”

Then from her ear piece,

Player: “Brr-haha!”

Julia: “Ehh.. what do you think? Too on the nose?”

Player: “No, not at all, Julia. That was great. Besides, V.I.L.E doesn’t keep any of their moo-la in the White Plains area. We won’t be going anywhere near there.”

Then further in the week, Player just starts setting off random bank alarms in the area. He’s having way too much fun with this caper.

||Monday||

Now the day of capering is upon the team. Carmen goes to the Manhattan Bridge, and she’s announcing that she’s about to make a heist, by dancing. 2-25 different dances.

News Anchor: “Breaking news: Carmen Sandiego has just been spotted, the first time in months actually, on the Manhattan Bridge and she’s.... dancing..? What in the world is she up to...?” And she and Player are naming off different dances..

Carmen: “And slide, jazz hands...”

Player: “Waltz.”

Carmen: “Tango.”

Player: “The Mash Potato.”

Carmen: “Hey... Macarena.” And their just having a grand ole time, this goes on..

And then moments later... the entire stock exchange crashes. Just stops.

Player: “And... freeze.”

Letting the world, and V.I.L.E. know that she’s alive and about to wreck them. All the stiffs on Wall Street begin to freak out, trying to unfreeze the system. But, the deed is done.

Player: “And... done! Get out of there, Red.”

Carmen: “Awesome job, buddy. Goodbye New York, thank you for the warm welcome back!” She winks and bows at the helicopter camera coming her way, and disappears without a trace.

|Part 2|

Player: “Hey, Red. Looks like V.I.L.E. also keeps safes in New York as well.”

Carmen: “Well, seeing as we’re already here...” She says with a smug smile.

This is the night after they robbed the stock exchange, took more than 10 billion from V.I.L.E.. They anticipate there only being about 5 million in total revenue in this safe. But once in..

Carmen and Shadowsan, who just opened the safe: “😦 uh, guys... this is more than 5 million... We’re gonna have to make two trips. Fast.” There are gold and silver bars lining the walls, certificates worth 10,000 each.. just loaded. So this is where Team Red acquires their large sum of liquid. Between the 5 people in the field, they split up the bars and cash and such and go their separate ways for a bit. Player puts the certificates in many separate fake accounts.

|The next day at VILE:

The faculty are watching the news of the big screen, and it’s December 1st, so Cookie is there.

News Anchor: “Yesterday after the abrupt freeze, more than a dozen corporations at the New York Stock Exchange mysteriously went bankrupt. (Cookie just smirks and barely holds back a laugh.)

Dr. Bellum: “Something funny, Ms. Booker?” Dr. Bellum is furiously looking up all the financial records for all the fake corporations they made to spread their wealth out.

Cookie: “Oh, no. Not at all, Sara.” And she mumbles to herself: “Huh, the kid listened to me after all..” Proud mother moment.)

News continues...” Many are saying Carmen Sandiego was responsible. The scarlet thief made her reappearance after nearly 2 months of no activity. Authorities have yet to locate Ms. Sandiego for questioning. She remains at large.”

Maelstrom: “Coach Brunt, increase security at our banks in New York. I have a feeling she isn’t done yet.”

Brunt: “Too late.” She has a 😐 look on her face. Brunt is on the phone with their bank manager in New York. Maelstrom just buries his head in his hand out of frustration.

|Later with Team Red...|

Everyone is in the current hideout, they’re all watching the same news as V.I.L.E., Zach and Ivy cheer,

Player: “Okay, numbers crunched.”

Player just crunched the numbers and everyone is like 😮.

Ivy: “That’s a lot of zeroes, you guys.”

Carmen: “We gotta get rid of this.”

They donate a lot to charity, art & culture museums.. etc. Everyone takes a handful of turns on what they want the money to go to.

Founder of a Children’s Home: “On behalf of our gracious private donor, I would like to announce that we will be developing over 50 new homes worldwide. We will work tirelessly on construction, and to hold to our mission statement, that no child is left out in the cold.”

They take turns in deciding where the money gets donated to. They been around the group at least 5 times already.

Player: “Julia, you’re up.” As the group is circled around a table in a hideout, eating ice cream out of the bucket.

Julia: “Hm.. The Children’s Music Society.”

Player: “You got it. Shadowsan?”

Shadowson: “The Koi Fish Protection Foundation.”

Player: “Koi fish, very nice.”

So tonight everyone mostly donated to the kids,

Zach: “To the kids!”

The group: “To the kids!” They all hold their spoons up in a toast.

Ivy: “And the koi fish!” And then everyone shares a laugh.

Then still have some left over. They start expanding. And I want to be clear, Player is using pocket change in what they stole.

Carmen: “Merry Christmas, Player. Can you make the last of the stash disappear?”

Player: “Oh, I’m sure I can work something out.” As he looks to the rough draft drawings he’s made of Mission Control.

| Continues in OP: Mission Control|

|Epilogue|

So the Team is in Rome, a week since they robbed V.I.L.E blind. Most of the stash has been donated, with a little bit going to of the Team. Carmen is out browsing the city.

Player: ”Whatchu up to now, Red?”

Carmen: “Oh, just spending my cut.” As she stops in the front window of a very posh jewelry store, eyes set on a pair of 1 1/2 karet diamond studs.

Carmen: “Hey, do you think you could make another set of communication earrings?”

Player: “Sure. No problem.”

| Then story picks up in Rome, where Carmen asks Julia to officially be apart of Team Red.|

[witch-chester]

Where Mischief Lies Pt. 2

Seeing the black impala almost brought tears back to Mariah’s eyes. She had been waiting outside her motel room since Dean had sent her a five minute away text and she all but launched herself into his arms the moment he got out of the car. It really should have bothered her how much comfort she got from this man she barely knew, but the feeling of his hands stroking her hair and rubbing her back eased away the tension in her body.

Dean let her go, touching her face briefly with a few words of comfort before she greeted his brother. hey all went into the room and Mariah curled up at the head of her bed while the boys looked around. Dean saw the map and blood covered pendulum laying on the floor. “What’s this?” A silver knife was close to it so he picked it up. It too still had fresh blood on it.

“Oh,” Mariah help up her badly bandaged hand. “I did that. Spell to help find her.” She tucked the bloody hand back under her arm. “Didn’t work.”

Dean cursed and walked over to her, pulling her hand so he could look at it. Numb to everything at that point, Mariah didn’t fight him. Sam was at her laptop looking through the same articles she hadn’t bothered closing. “You guys were hunting demons?” He asked.

“Not really. Just looking for cases close by. Just happened to be a whole lot of demonic,” she said without looking at him. Her attention was focused on Dean while he unwrapped her sorry attempt at helping herself. The cut across her palm wasn’t very deep but it had been difficult to wrap one handed.

“Was it a demon that attacked you?”

Mariah did look at Sam then. “We aren’t idiots. This room is warded against demons.”

Sam help up his hands. “Ok. Sorry. Just trying to help.”

Mariah sighed. “I know. I’m sorry I just feel on edge.” She looked back down at her hand. It was still bleeding and Dean gave up trying to fix her patch job and took the soiled gaze off all together.

Dean got up to get more first aid items. He didn’t like how pale Mariah was. She wasn’t as put together as she normally would be. Makeup faded. Hair down and messy. She was still a looker but he knew what it meant for her to be like this. He paused a minute, thinking hard about how he could possibly know her state of mind from just her face. Not wanting to think to much about what it could mean, he grabbed the bag Mariah must have pulled out to fix her hand the first time and went back to the bed.

He knelt back down and took her hand again, tugging it gently so she would turn to face him. She relented and let her legs fall on either side of him as he cleaned and rebandaged her hand. He noticed color on her legs. Tattoos of the planets and moon phases decorated with watercolor splashed around them were bright on the ivory skin of her thighs. Dean had noted vine like tattoos on her wrists that he didn’t remember but has written it off at being unobservant. But he knew he would remember ink on her legs.

Sam was back to asking her questions. He was trying to track Kit’s phone. Mariah was arguing that she had tried it. Something was blocking all forms of trace. Magical and technological. His odd knowledge of the witch’s feeling and moods aside, he knew his brother better. The two of them were bother getting frustrated with one another and Dean tried to diffuse the situation before it turned into something.

“You have tattoos,” Dean said off handily.

Marathon blinked. “What?”

“Tattoos. You didn’t have them before.”

Mariah raised an eyebrow. Dean was focused on her hand and his tone seem neutral. He was trying to distract her. She smiled just a little. “I did actually. I just used a spell to glamor them.”

“Why? It’s nice ink.”

“Tattoos are easier recognized than a face.”

Dean pursed his lips and nodded. He tied off the gaze. “There.” But he didn’t let go of her hand. Her fingers were like ice. “We will find her, Mariah. I promise.” His green eyes were warm and it made her smile for real. “Thank you.”

Dean stared at her a long minute then cleared his throat. “Any luck, Sammy?”

His brother shrugged. “No. I really don’t get this. Some guy with powers that you say can’t be a witch just pops in on two witches by accident?”

Mariah bit her lip. “It might not really be by accident. He was looking for us. Or rather, looking for Kit.”

Dean’s brow furrowed. “You said you didn’t know him.”

“I don’t. But Kit might have.” She was playing with one of the several rings on her fingers, not meeting either of them in the eye.

“What’s going on Mariah?”

She sighed and said, “Last month at the auction, Kit kinda stole a necklace.”

“What!?”

She flinched at Dean’s shout. “She said it could be dangerous. It had Enochian symbols carved into it.”

Sam held up a hand. “Enochian? As in the language of angels.”

She nodded.

“Kit can read Enochian?”

Again, she nodded.

The brothers exchanged looks. Then Dean growled out, “Cas!”

Mariah stood up. “What’s wrong?”

Before they said a word. A man in a long khaki trench coat with dark hair and breath taking blue eyes was standing behind Dean.

“Yes Dean?”

Mariah reached for her gun but Dean help up a hand. “It ok. He’s a friend. Kinda. Cas, this is Mariah. Mariah, the angel Castiel.”

Mariah stared for a long minute, eyes shifting between all the men in the room. Then she burst into a fit of giggles, plopping back onto the bed. Cas looked confused. Sam looked nervous. Dean looked concerned. She might have finally cracked.

“Mariah, what’s so funny?”

Mariah tried to breathe and answer Dean. “Y’all are fucking with me right?”

“Mariah, this isn’t a joke.”

Her giggles stared to fade as she took in their faces. “He’s-he’s not really an angel.”

No one smiled. No one even moved.

“He can’t be an angel!” she shrieked.

“Why not?” asked Cas.

“You’re to pretty!”

“Mariah!” Dean put his hand on her shoulders. She looked like she was going to cry again. The events of the day seemed to be to much for her. “I’m getting you food.” Mariah was still staring wide eyed at Castiel. “Hey, let go grab some food.”

She blinked a few times then focused on him. “I’m not hungry.”

“You need to eat. I saw the bag from earlier. You barely touched it and it’s cold by now. You can fill Cas in then I’m taking you to get something in your stomach.” Dean didn’t want her to get hysterical. Food was the best distraction.

Mariah stared at him. His green eyes were hard and she knew he wound or give up. Stressed and to drained to argue she just nodded.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The feel of silk moving against her skin as she moved was making Kit feel on edge. This was Mariah’s field. She couldn’t flirt and be coy. Dazzling strangers in fancy gowns and glittery jewelry. She much preferred using her magic or her fists. She wasn’t girly in the slightest. Kit peeked once again at one of the many mirrors that line the obnoxiously large dining room. Loki had also glamored or spelled or whatever he had done makeup onto her face. Her eyes were smokey and winged like a cat’s. Lips full and slicked a dark plum.

She took a deep breath and tried to suppress her anxiety. Moving the gold plated fork around the butter seasoned vegetables and perfectly cooked steak. Everything smelled delicious but the churning of her stomach made her afraid to take a single bite. The glass of bubbling champagne was completely out of the question.

“I said dinner in exchange for answers,” Loki breathed from across the table. “Not staring at you fidget and move a perfectly good porterhouse around.”

She glared at him. “Maybe being kidnapped ruined my appetite.”

He smiled. “You’re a guest, not a prisoner.”

“Still doesn’t change the fact that you knocked me out and brought me here against my will.”

He sighed heavily and set the flute of champagne down. “If I give you a few answers will you calm down? You look ready to crawl out of your skin.”

“Maybe. Let’s see.”

“Ok. Ask away.”

“What are you?”

He laughed. “Going for the kill are you?”

“Answer.”

“I told you. I’m Loki.”

She rolled her eyes. “So I’m just supposed to believe that you are the trickster god Loki?”

“You’re a witch and a hunter. Is you’re mind really that small.”

“Bitch!” Kit gripped the fork tightly in her fist.

“Oh, did I hit a nerve?”

Kit dropped the fork and shoved herself back from the table. “Where are you going?” Loki called out after her.

“Fuck you and your answers.”

“Wait!” He was right next to her grabbing her arm. She turned, gripped the wrist that was holding her and rolled him over her hip. There should have been a loud thud of his body hitting the marble, but the room stayed silent.

“Well.” Kit turned and saw him leaning against the table. “That was fun.” He was smirking and once against sipping his champagne.

Rage boiled and quickly killed her anxiety. She wanted to punch him but the stupid look on his face told her he like making her angry. “Did you have a reason for bringing me here, or are you just playing with me?”

“Both.”

She really wanted to smack that stupid grin off his face. How did Mariah deal with these creeps.

“Take me back, I don’t care what this stupid necklace has to offer if it means I have to deal with you.” She started to pull the necklace over her head.

“Alright. Alright. I’ll stop. Just keep that on.”

“I don’t want it.”

He shrugged. “To bad. It’s yours now.”

“What the hell do you mean by that?”

“Sit down and I will actually give you answers. No more games.” He placed his hand over his heart. “Trickster’s honor.”

“That means bullshit.”

He winked at her. “Take it or leave it buttercup.”

“Stop with the stupid nicknames too. My name is Kit.”

He nodded. “Kit. Understood.”

Kit huffed and dropped back into her chair.

He didn’t sit. He leaned over the back of the high backed chairs and stared at his hands. Kit figured he was trying to figure out how to answer her questions without really answering. Years on the run and watching Mariah run dozens of cons, she knew that face. “I’ll ask a simpler question if who and what you are is so difficult.”

He looked up and smiled at her. “Go ahead. I promise to answer this one.”

Kit narrowed her eyes and thought hard for a minute. “What is the point of bringing me here? I was willing to give you back the necklace but you said no. If it’s no longer the reason then why?”

He tilted his head. “I told you. I am very intrigued by you.”

The twists and knots filled her stomach again. “But I don’t understand why. Explain what so intriguing about me.”

“We might not have time. I told your friend I wouldn’t have you out for to long.”

“Can the sweet talk.”

Those hazel eyes sparkled. “You are fascinating! Such a beautiful woman that hates being treated like a queen.”

“I’m a hunter. Not a queen.”

The smile grew and he said, “So fascinating. But to give a more specific answer to your question.” He moved and sat back down. “I brought you here because of the necklace.”

Kit gritted her teeth. “You just told me to keep it.”

“Not to take it from you. To see what it chose you.”

“Chose me?”

Loki nodded. “You’re a smart witch. Despite what I said earlier I know you are. That necklace has a protective charm on it.”

She nodded. “Yeah I got that from the Enochian.”

His eyes widened. “You could read it?”

“Well yeah. I’m the only living witch that I know of that can.”

He stared at her in shock for a long time then simply whispered, “Fascinating.”