#and everything seems like it turned out fine - no major mishaps

[yuureimajo]

i got my xmas baking done tonight 🙌🙌🙌

[milequaritchsslut]

Aged Up Yandere Neteyam x Fem Reader Part 3

Warnings: yandere, yelling, inner voices, tainted reality, crying, kisses, lots of angst, manipulation, little bit of Lo’ak x reader, unresolved feelings, major jealousy, tension, reader being oblivious once again, major anxiety, presence of inner monologue, obsessiveness, control imbalance, pet names,

Word count: 2.8k

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 | Part 5

…

“I know what you did yawne” he huffed out, his voice was stern, vexation dripping from his core. You could tell he was mad by just the way he was standing. His hands were in tight fists, with his veins popping out. His gaze lowered to the ground, almost like he was too disgusted to look you in the eyes. He was infuriated, nobody was supposed to know about his little mishap with you. That was a secret you were supposed to have just between the both of you, and nobody else. So why did you have to go and screw it up for him? Why were you so disobedient sometimes? Why couldn’t you just be his perfect little girl, just the way he likes you?

His words shot through your core sharp, Neytiri had told him. What was he going to do to you? Your mind raced as he stood in front of you, his hulking frame daunting over your own. The realization sent shivers down your body, you were scared of him when he was so blunt. So scary when he wasn’t himself, you feared him in a way you had never with anyone else. Finally he met your anxious gaze, his darkening stare looking into yours. He had seemed perfectly fine with you at the table, how could he change so quickly? “I don’t ask for much y/n” walking closer towards you, causing you to step back “this was supposed to be our little secret remember?” He asked, bringing his hand to tilt your chin to meet his face. Your breathe was faltered, in and out at fast speeds. The room fell quiet with only your breathe being heard. His face beginning to twist in anger from your lack of action. He had asked you a question and you couldn’t even answer it after all you had already done? “I asked you a question!” He yelled, gripping your chin tighter as his breathe altered to his nose. “Y-yes i remember Teyam” you let out, tears poking at your eyes.

“So tell me why my mother asked me about the bruises on your arm? Hm? Do you have an answer to that yawne?” He asked, raising his eyebrows for an answer to his question. He stared into your pathetic little eyes, those eyes he saw so often. “Because I told her” your voice hardly under a whisper, trying your best to avert your gaze away from his dull eyes. “I’m so done with you y/n” his hand leaving your face fast, as he walked towards your door. Quickly you ran to him, tugging his hand back so he’d listen to you. “Neteyam wait, please!” You exclaimed, your hands wrapping around his wrist stopping his movements. “Let go of me” turning his head slightly towards you, anger popping through his skin as he spoke. “Please neteyam, I had no choice! I told her it wasn’t your fault I promise!” A tear dropping from your eye, your grip tugging him to turn towards you. “Please don’t leave me Teyam, I love you so much” you cried, leaving his wrist to bring yourself into him. Letting a few sniffles out you held onto him for dear life, you needed him, he was your everything. You couldn’t imagine a life without him, not that you even wanted to think about it. He was your soon to be mate, you couldn’t just let him leave you easily.

Caught off guard by your sudden embrace, his arms were hovering over your frame as he looked down at your fragile state. He would never leave you, that was far from what he had planned on doing. He just needed you to realize how desperately you needed him, how important he really was to you. He applauded you for being so dumb and naive, you were so easy to read. So childish and gullible you were, such an inexperienced young girl. So of course he had to take care of you, coach you through this confusing life. Be your best friend, your only friend, your boyfriend, and you’re soon to be mate. He would always be there for you, even when you didn’t realize. He’s always watching, watching for you to falter, just so he can pick you up and get back onto your feet. So you’ll see him for what he wants you to see, the only person you’ll ever need. He’s the next Olo'eyktan so of course he can supply your every need, anything you’d ever wish for he was there to give it to you. He would always be at your beck and call, your supplier. The man you relied on for everything, never having to ask for a thing, you’d already have it.

His little scene had worked just as he expected it to, you crying for him not to leave you. Wrapping around his strong physique, crying into him, realizing just how much you really need him. Everything fell into place, everything he had wanted was now here. You were nothing without him, not a single speck of being without Neteyam Sully. “I’m so sorry Teyam, I don’t know what I will do without you—please” you begged, fingernails digging into the flesh of his back, wishing you could mold into him, so you’d never leave each-other. “Oh my love..” he soothed, the heat of your body seeping into his own. The room seemed to raise in temperature, the warmth of his hands massaging your back, in turn calming you down. “Does that mean your not leaving?” You asked, tilting your teary eyes to meet his, he smiled, the pad of his thumb wiping the salty liquid off your rosy cheeks. “Of course not my love” his eyes seemed tranquil now, holding you close to him, his body touching your own. Happy with his response, you settled down, nuzzling into his chest. “You must never do anything like that again” emphasizing on anything, he was stern with his words. By agreeing you made a promise, a promise to never disobey him, a promise he would remind you of every so often, letting you know you belonged to him. “I don’t want to lose you my love” placing a peck on your forehead, you recollected yourself, following him to where your family was waiting.

…

Coming to meet Neteyam, you were met with a smiling man, his eyes seemed to glow in excitement. “Are you that excited to see me?” You asked, coming to place a kiss on his cheek before having dinner with his family. “It is something else my love” leaving you curious, he didn’t leave you any time to ask him any questions before walking into his family’s hut. “Hello y/n!” Kiri greeted, a sly smirk forming, as she purposefully tried to annoy her brother. She quickly got a death stare from Neteyam, his excited expression was soon replaced with his face twisting in annoyance. Why was she even talking to you? She doesn’t deserve to be greeted by you, you were an angel, a beautiful jaw dropping woman. Kiri was the last person who gets to look at you, and the least worthy to greet you, as if you’re one of her little friends. “Hello Kiri!” You nodded back, a smile propped up on your face. You still saw Kiri as your friend and much more, she would be your sister in law soon enough, so she deserved as much respect as the next person. “Y/n!” Tuk ran up, hugging your waist, a smile forming on her adorable face. “Hello Tuk!” Hugging her small frame back, feeling even more welcomed by her display of affection.

“We are happy to see you happy and healthy y/n” Neytiri added, moving her gaze to her son, still a bit uneasy by his actions towards you. “I am happy to be here” giving a smile in return, your arm was soon pulled by Tuk. “Come make bracelets with me and Kiri!” Excitedly bringing you away from Neteyam to sit next to Kiri. Looking at the display before you, there was a variety of stones, feathers and other things spread on the ground. Kiri seemed to be halfway down with hers, so you grabbed a purple bead, and began weaving a necklace. Neteyam left alone, made due with his situation by helping his mother with dinner. “So how have you been doing Y/n?” Kiri asked, placing a hand on your back, directing her attention towards you. “I’ve been good! Why do you ask?” Thinking nothing of your response, you went back to weaving after sending her a smile. “I know what Neteyam has been doing to you Y/n” keeping her voice low, not needing Tuk hearing your conversation.

Your movements stopped, your gaze was nailed to the wooden floor, you were frozen. How did she find out? Did anyone else know? Her hand seemed to be getting heavy on your back, and the room felt like it was getting smaller. It was suffocating, you needed air. Even though you didn’t have much on, your clothing felt substantially weighing on your shoulders. The fabric was jawing into your skin, as if it was leaving bruises on your delicate body. Why would she say that? You felt cornered, like you had no choice, no choice for what? You didn’t know that either, you just felt so small, the smallest in the room. Your palms turned to mush, as sweat began puddling inside of them. “I do not know what your talking about” you lied, leaving your gaze lowered. Her hand was suddenly removed, removed from your aching body, “You do not have to lie to me y/n” she finally let out, reaching for your hand. Before she could touch your skin, you moved it away, away from her grasp. You didn’t need to feel like a child, you were a grown woman. You didn’t need her worrying about you, you could handle Neteyam on your own. Not that he was a problem in your eyes. “I do not need your sympathy Kiri” you spoke, continuing on with your activity. “I just care for you, that’s all y/n” reminding you of her love towards you, she only wants what’s best for her friend. “I worry for your well-being when you are with him” adding onto her reminder, she waited for your response, hoping you’d see she’s only trying help. “I do not want to talk about this” ending the conversation, you reached for another bead. Hoping she would go to a different subject, letting you be how you want to. Letting you ignore the abuse he put you through, the lies he made you tell to your family and friends, the tears that he had caused to fall from your precious eyes so many times. So she did, she let you be, let you live in a reality that Neteyam forced into your sweet little brain.

The reality that said it was ok for him to treat you so horribly, but he just made a few mistakes right? He’s not going to do it again, isn’t that what he promised? Did he even promise it? All the times he had hurt you, he had never said he would stop. He just said his sorries and did it again and again. No that couldn’t be true, of course he said he wouldn’t do it again. Your just remembering wrong. Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right.

Was Kiri Right? No, if Neteyam says she’s wrong then it’s wrong. Right? Yes that’s right, whatever he says is right. He’s the clans next leader, of course he’s right. Everything he does is right, right, right, right. He only wants what’s best for you, he’s always looking out for you. He’s always right, no matter what. Right? That’s what he says isn’t it? He would never lie to you right? No he loves you too much, and when people loved each-other they don’t lie to each-other right? Yes of course, don’t be silly y/n! He does what he thinks is right! But is what he thinks always right? Uhm. Yes…?

“Yo whats up y/n!” Lo’ak said, entering the hut with his hunting gear on. “Oh—Hey Lo’ak!” You greeted, looking up at his exhilarated state. “How have you been? I haven’t seen you in forever!” Coming to sit next to you and Tuk. He was right, you hadn’t seen him, or anyone in general in forever. Neteyam refused for you to go out expect for training, other than that you were prohibited to see anyone. Before you and Neteyam we’re friends you and Lo’ak were pretty best friends. That’s how you met Neteyam in the first place. In all honesty you had the biggest crush on Lo’ak, even before you and Neteyam started dating. But you never told him, you were too shy. Too scared to be rejected, little did you know he still felt that way. He still saw you as the most striking girl in the clan, that was until he found out you had a crush on his brother. When you told him, he was heart broken, saddened by your confession. So now you two were back to just friends, but sometimes he wished he had confessed sooner. Maybe just maybe you would be his now, but that was just a delusion of his.

“Oh I’m good, how are you?” Whilst you two made conversation, Neteyam didn’ttaken his eyes off ever since his brother walked in. He knew, he knew how badly his brother wanted you, how much he wished that you were his. And he hated it, he hated every second of it, he hated seeing you be all friendly with him, it was so obvious that he liked you. Why couldn’t you just see that? Why couldn’t you open those bright eyes of yours for once? And see what was happening in front of you. His focus never faltered from your conversation with Lo’ak, not for one second. He despised the way his brother looked at you, the way his gaze looked so deeply into your own. How he acted all innocent in front of you, so sweet and kind. He loathed in the way his brother always made sure to look good in front of you. He abhorred his own blood, his family, his own brother. Obviously Lo’ak would never act on his feelings for you, he wasn’t that dumb of a man. He saw the way his brother looked at him, even now how Neteyam didn’t look away for a minute. He almost relished in the feeling, knowing he could make the man he was so jealous of, envious by just talking to you.

“Dinner is ready everyone!” Neytiri announced, bringing the food to the table. Getting up, you found yourself sitting next to Lo’ak and Kiri. Before Neteyam could argue, his mother signaled him to sit next to her. She was sick of the jealousy her son had for his own siblings. All she wanted was for him to get along with his brother and sisters. “Sorry I’m late everyone!” Jake stumbled, sitting down next to Neytiri. Greeting his family everyone began eating, after a long silence Neteyam was the first to talk. “Y/n, me and my parents have something we would like to tell you” meeting your gaze before speaking again. “We’re planning on having our mating ceremony next week.” Next week? Why hadn’t he told you sooner? That seemed to soon, wasn’t it? “Oh—so soon?” You asked, getting a silent table in return. Everyone’s gaze seemed to be placed on you once again, Neteyam shot you a confused look. It seemed like perfect timing to him, he was eager to mate with you. It was the only thing on his mind in the past week, you would finally be his. Only for him, stuck in his grasp forever. “Is it too early my love?” He asked, placing his food down, waiting for your answer. If you said yes, you’d look like a complete idiot. And neteyam seemed so happy for the ceremony, of course you couldn’t say yes. “No—of course not!” You lied, offering a smile to your soon to be mate. He frowned, frowning at your lies, did you really think that would work on him? But he wasn’t about to postpone it, he needed to bond with you as soon as possible.

“Then it is settled, the ceremony will be in 5 moons!” Neytiri gave you a smile, though she still wasn’t sure of you’re mating, she knew she needed to be supportive of her sons decision. Kiri and Lo’ak on the other hand couldn’t be more bothered by your decision, he did not deserve your sweet soul, their deranged brother was their last option for you.

“Are you excited baby?”

Taglist: @Riatesullironalite @iman-lu @neteyamsluvts @silententhusiastdreamer @liluvtojineteyam @itseidasworld @ihatethridperiod @im-in-a-pansexual-panik @h3l3na-pandora @afro-hispwriter @marybby @arminsgfloll

[beef-bakery]

The Lights Are On - Part 2

Rating: Luz x Amity - 2.8k words - SFW

Synopsis: wherein Amity confesses first; not without mishap, of course

Last Part / Next Part / Read on AO3 / Playlist

“Stop giggling,” Amity snapped, wiping away imaginary sweat.

“Settle down, Mittens,” Edric said, twirling a concealment stone between nimble fingers. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

“No, it won't!” Amity began pacing back and forth. “Mom and Dad could find out—or Luz could be asleep—or even worse! That house demon could wake up everyone and ruin everything!” Amity stopped, crouched down, grabbed her knees, and tucked her head in between her arms. “Everything could get messed up so easily,” she mumbled.

“It’ll be okay,” Emira said, crouching down next to her and rubbing her back soothingly. “If anything bad happens, Ed and I will take care of it.”

“Hey!” Edric protested. “I never agreed to that—”

“No offense, guys, but I kinda want this to be special,” Amity turned her head to press her cheek into her forearm. “I know I asked you two to help prepare, but I want the moment to be private.”

“You’re breaking into her house,” Edric snorted. “How private can it be? As far as we know, the Owl Lady could hear you, think you’re an intruder, and then totally decimate you!”

“Yeah,” Emira agreed, “that’s why you’ll need us.”

Amity groaned, stretching her legs out in front of her and leaning back against the wall. “But more people are just gonna increase the pressure!”

“What pressure?” Edric argued. “We were there when you had your first poo. Nothing is more embarrassing than taking your first sh—”

“Edric’s right,” Emira interrupted, side-eyeing her brother, “for once.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Edric asked, offended.

Amity let out a sigh of exhaustion, slumping against the wall as the twins argued. She really wanted this to go perfectly, but hadn’t that ruined so many things for her already? The need for perfection?

Maybe she just needed to relax, just like Emira said. Being comfortable with mistakes meant that there would be nothing for her to get upset about. After all, if she had no expectations, that meant nothing could go wrong, which meant everything would be okay, right?

Amity took in another breath, steeling herself for another round of ridicule from the twins.

“Alright,” she said, finally standing up. “So here’s the plan…”

~

The warm summer air brushed through Amity’s lilac hair as she stood outside the Owl House, feeling like a total idiot. The moon was a poor source of light, and it didn't help that standing alone in the dark made her feel like a major creep. Regardless, Amity had finally conjured up a plan— with no help from the twins, who seemingly couldn't do anything but mess around—and while it had seemed cool in her head, now she couldn't help feeling uneasy.

Maybe it was just because she was lurking outside of her crush’s house in the dead of night. She had everything prepared: flowers in hand, a confession tucked in her back pocket, and three various backup plans in case something went awry.

So why did Amity feel like something was wrong?

It was probably just nerves. Emira had said there wouldn't be a shortage of them. Amity tried to shake the feeling off, inhaling deeply.

“Mittens!” A hushed voice could be heard from the nearby bush.

“What?” Amity hissed back, turning around only to find a thumbs up pop out between the green branches.

“Good luck!”

Amity rolled her eyes and waved them off, heading up to the house, nerves abuzz. The paper holding the flowers together crinkled with every step she took, and Amity couldn't help but wince at the sound.

The house demon—Hooty—was asleep, snoring loudly and rocking the house with every breath. Titan, Luz must be a saint if she could sleep through this.

Stopping short of the walkway to the door, Amity looked up to observe the windows. She had been in Luz’s house before, and could probably recognize Luz’s window if she could spot it. Amity began to walk the perimeter of the house, surveying each stained glass window to find the one clear pane.

That had been her first thought when she entered Luz’s room; her room was the only one without colorful panels letting in multicolored light sift through. Amity’s eyes widened as she zeroed in on the window.

She’d found it!

Looking around to make sure the house demon wasn't watching, Amity conjured an abomination.

“Abomination, rise,” Amity’s voice was hardly louder than a whisper. Soon enough the purple goo had solidified into an almost human figure, and Amity took advantage of it, calling upon it to lift her to the windowsill.

Amity pushed at the window, which, to her horror, refused to give. She gave it another push, and when that did nothing, she decided to take things a bit more seriously. Fitting the flowers into her mouth, she bit down while her—now free—arm helped shove against the window. Giving it another, harshershove, Amity found herself rocking dangerously against her abomination with the force she exerted.

Eyes widening, Amity gripped onto the vines wrapping around the old stone house, praying that the structural integrity of the Owl Lady’s house was enough to keep her from falling to her death.

Despite her fear, Amity concentrated on the abomination below her, steeling it enough for her to regain her footing.

Just as she let out a sigh of relief—which came out more as a whistle due to the flowers in between her teeth— and regained her balance, Amity nearly fell again at a sudden voice.

“Amity?” Luz rubbed the sleep from her eyes, having silently opened the window.

“Oh, Luz!” Amity said, wincing at the way her words came out under-pronounced due to the flowers hindering her speech.

“Need a hand?” Luz smiled, offering a hand.

“Yeah, that would be great,” Amity tried to smile, but found that the flowers were slipping. She wanted to reach up and adjust them, but that would mean letting go of the vines.

“Here, let me,” Luz reached out and took the flowers, not caring that there was probably spit along the stems. “Thanks for the gift,” Luz called out, turning her back to Amity and beginning to walk away. Before Amity could process what had just happened, Luz turned back with a half-hearted smile. “That was a joke,” she said, reaching out for Amity’s hand, “if you couldn't tell.”

“I could,” Amity took Luz’s hand and smiled, a real smile, not one between petals and leaves. If Amity wasn't mistaken, she could've sworn that she saw Luz blush ever so slightly.

“Oof,” Luz grunted, pulling her up. Amity would’ve been lying if she said she wasn't the slightest bit excited by the way Luz’shand felt in hers.

“Oh, good,” Luz said, rubbing the back of her head. As her fingertips met hair, she must’ve realized what her freshly-awake-brain forgot to remind her. “Oh crap, I probably have terrible bedhead!” Luz turned away before Amity could speak, combing through her hair with her fingers. “Okay, it’s better, right?” Luz turned back, her cheeks even pinker.

“It looks good,” Amity said, blushing in turn. “Not that it didn't look good before—I mean you always look good—I'm going to stop talking now.” Amity tried to cover her awkwardness with a laugh, which came out too loud. “Sorry.”

Luz laughed softly. “It’s okay, I know what you mean.So, what brings you here at this hour?”

“Oh, well.” Amity reached for her back pocket, only to find that her written confession was gone. Amity barked out a nervous laugh, “Excuse me for a second.” Amity darted over to the window, looking down to see if she could spot the paper bearing her entire heart on it.

To no avail, the paper was gone, and Amity felt her heart drop to her feet.

“Well,” Amity laughed again, nervousness bubbling up her throat like a bad cup of apple blood. “I appear to have lost—uh, my paper.”

“What was on it?” Luz asked.

“Um, it's kind of complicated,” Amity was stalling for time, feeling regretful that she even came here at all. “I mean, like I can't just explain it in a couple words.” Amity’s laughs were coming in more frequent bursts, and were appearing to get louder with each passing second.

“Well, can you try to describe it?” Luz asked patiently.

“Uh—” Amity snuck a look at the open window, wondering how badly she’d get hurt if she hurtled out of the second story of the Owl House.

“Hey,” Luz interrupted her spiraling thoughts, taking Amity’s hand in her own. “Take a few deep breaths, I can tell you’re getting nervous.” Luz breathed with Amity, counting on her free hand to visualize it for Amity.

Taking time to slow her heart, Amity slumped as she regained her senses. She had totally ruined this night. While Luz hadn't been asleep and the house demon hadn't interrupted anything, Amity had lost the paper and probably woke up half of Bonesborough with her crazed laugh.

And worst of all, Luz probably thought she was a crazy weirdo! After all, Amity had interrupted her sleep by showing up at her window in the middle of the night with spit-covered flowers.

“I—” Amity started. “I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking, sorry.” Amity turned to the window, shame causing heat to rise to her cheeks. She was no longer worried about jumping out the window; her abomination would probably break her fall, and if it didn't, well it wouldn't be such a bad idea to never have to face Luz again.

“You know, you could use the stairs,” Luz said, gesturing to the door behind her.

“Oh, right.” Amity turned back around, felt like a total idiot.

“Come on, I'll show you the way,” Luz said, grabbing the flowers and opening the door to the hallway.

The walk downstairs was silent, sans for the tapping of Amity’s shoes and Luz’s socks against the hardwood floor.

“So here we are,” Luz said, awkwardly. The two of them stood in silence once more, waiting for the other to say something. “Oh, right, here are your flowers.” As Luz held out the bouquet, Amity’s heart sank. This moment couldn't feel more like a death sentence.

Amity mumbled out a thanks, taking the flowers in one hand and turning the handle with the other. Shameful tears pricked the corner of her eyes as she pulled the door.

It didn't budge. Looking over at Luz, Amity hoped that she didn't see the tears glinting in the dim light.

“Oh, sorry,” Luz laughed awkwardly. “It's locked, just… here.”

Luz reached over her, and Amity found that she held her breath as Luz drew close.

“Thanks,” Amity whispered. Titan, she was such an idiot, thinking that she could ever declare her love without a written confession.

“I'll head back upstairs,” Luz said, pointing with a thumb back to her room. “Have a good night.”

In a normal situation, Amity would’ve taken her leave, accepted her loss with grace. But as Amity’s back straightened, she realized this wasn't over! Amity hadn't been rejected, by Titan, she hadn't even confessed!

“Actually, Luz,” Amity turned back around, flowers held out in front of her, “these flowers are for you.”

“Oh!” Luz was halfway up the stairs and Amity reddened during the awkward silence it took for Luz to get back to the ground floor. “Thanks!”

“They have a bit of spit on them but I think they’ll be okay, if you show me your kitchen, I can rinse it off and put them in water. I would’ve brought a vase but that would’ve been a lot to carry—” Amity blushed harder as she realized she’d been rambling.

“Yeah, sure,” Luz took the flowers from Amity. “The kitchen is this way.”

Once again, the silence stretched for what seemed like an eternity. But Amity was determined to get her point out—er, confession.

“I'm not actually sure where Eda keeps the vases,” Luz laughed, handing over the flowers as she hopped up on the counter.

“I'm sure you’re wondering what I'm doing here,” Amity said, turning to the sink to wash off the flowers. She was glad her back was to Luz. She didn't think she’d be able to handle Luz’s reactions to her painfully awkward confession, not to mention her watching Amity turn into a tomato.

“I just wanted to tell you that I think you’re a pretty cool person and I like talking to you,” Amity swallowed thickly. “But it's more than that. It doesn't even have to be me that you’re talking to, I could listen to you talk for hours,” Amity paused, hearing her words for the first time.

Maybe it was a good thing she had a tendency to rewrite her essays to the point of perfection; because if this was the sort of thing that came out without prior thought, she was in for a rude awakening.

“Titan, that sounds creepy. I don't mean like I want to listen to you talk to other people like a degenerate, I mean that l like being around you and I like your company.” Amity rambled as she dropped the towel she used to dry the flowers, keeping her back to Luz. “I just…” Amity turned around, eyes squeezed shut and flowers in hand. “I just really like you.”

The silence was unbearable but Amity couldn't bring herself to open her eyes. It was only when Amity felt her fingers being pried open did she open them. Luz was smiling bashfully, vase in hand.

“I didn't know you felt that way,” Luz said, her voice a hair above a whisper. “The same way I do, I mean.”

It took a while for Amity to register what she said, and it was only after the flowers were submerged in water did she finally process it.

“You like me,” Amity asked, awestruck, “too?”

Luz laughed, leaning against the sink. “Yeah, for a while, actually. To be honest, I was planning on asking you out tomorrow.”

“What?” Amity’s eyes widened.

“Yeah,” Luz tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “I had this whole lights show set up and even convinced Willow to let me use the conservatory.” Luz smiled to herself, a soft thing, it almost made Amity want to ki—

Amity nearly smacked herself with how fast she shut that thought down. This was not the time to be thinking about that sort of thing. With that thought in mind, she’d soon be as red as the Owl Lady’s dress.

“Point is,” Luz continued, oblivious to Amity’s predicament, “I was going to ask you if you wanted to go on a date with me…” Luz looked at Amity nervously.

Amity could only gape, her mouth as wide as the abominations she controlled. “Yeah! Of course, I—I would like that. A lot.” Amity was flustered, and judging by the heat she felt in her cheeks, she was probably glowing red.

“That's amazing!” Luz beamed. “What would you wanna do? See a movie? Get brunch?”

Brunch? Movies? Amity had never heard of such things. As she opened her mouth to ask, there was a sudden crash from upstairs.

Luz and Amity’s gazes were captured by the Owl Lady, who appeared, disheveled at the top of the stairs. A sleep mask dangled from one ear, eyes fuzzy with sleep.

“Luz!” she shrieked. “There's an intruder!” She barrelled down the stairs, broom in one hand. Lilith followed behind, staff raised threateningly. “Oh, Luz, your…” Eda squinted at Amity without stopping her trek to the front door, “friend is here.”

“Yeah—” Luz started.

“Alright, Hooty,” Eda called, finally at the threshold, she planted her slippered feet in a fighting stance and readying the broom above her head. “Let ‘em in.”

A muffled hoot could be heard from beyond the wooden door before it was wretched open, the house demon’s head entering and depositing the twins. Amity wanted to smack herself.

“Blights,” Eda hissed, lifting her broom higher.

“Eda, no!” Lilith grabbed the broom, only to be lifted with it as Eda brought it down.

“I'm too young to die!” Edric yelped, lifting up his hands to shield himself. Shield himself from a blow that would never come; the broom was levitating, Lilith still hanging onto the end.

“Eda!” Luz looked incredulous as the thrum of magic vibrated between her fingertips and the glyph she held. “They’re kids, not intruders! We know them!”

“Kids?” Emira craned her neck to make eye contact with Luz.

“They’re still Blights,” Eda eyed the twins with distaste.

“Are you kidding me, Edric?” Amity asked, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You couldn't’ve used magic?”

“Magic?” Edric asked, dumbfounded. “Oh, right. Magic.”

“What are they doing here anyway?” Luz asked, turning to Amity.

“Oh! It’s a funny story, actually…” Amity giggled awkwardly, the weight of the gazes on her turning from confused to suspicious. “Yeah, it’s a funny story.”

[sweater-daddiesdumbdork]

Real Life Tasks With Ransom Drysdale

An Advent Calendar Of 24 Normal Human Tasks As Performed By A Huge Man Baby

Day 20: New Fashion Trend Ransom? 

Warnings: Bad Language Words

Pairing: Ransom Drysdale x Reader

A/N: Everything is Ransoms enemy. @what-is-your-plan-today​, @jennmurawski13​ and I have proved that. No matter how hard he tries. 

Series Masterlist

Ransom had just poured himself a scotch, kicking his feet up on the coffee table while he used the remote control to flick through the thousand stations on the TV. Of course it seemed like every single one was blasted with commercials of some kind, making him scowl at the predicament. “Fucking 200 stations and not a god damn thing on.” He sputtered till he hit a game, which made him pause. 

Lakers vs Celtics, he had money on this game so he decided he might as well see how it played out. Of course the money he put on the Celtics would be going straight into the kids college fund, he already promised that any gaming money was going to college funds, private school funds, that whatever his kid needed funds. Didn’t bother him any, it made you happy and he still got that gambling thrill that he sought from his old lifestyle he mostly had given up. 

Sure it mellowed out, his playboy lifestyle since he met you. But would he give it up? Fuck no, you were probably the only person who ever gave a actual damn about him and once he accepted it, well he found he really liked it. Liked mattering to someone, and not just be some asshole prick people tolerated. 

Plus now you were pregnant, which he couldn't get enough of honestly when you were feeling good. To watch the little changes happening, knowing you were growing his son, well at first it scared the shit out of him, not going to lie. Ransom Drysdale a father? His own had been a disaster, he was just striving to be better than any of his family. To actually give a shit. 

That's why he tried to do as much as he could for you, attend all the appointments, make sure you wrote down the chores you needed taken cared of. He even attempted cooking for you, but that was proving a challenge. He would get it though, cause fuck it he wanted to spoil you. Another first for him, wanting to make someone happy before he was.

Soon he was engrossed in the game, sitting on the edge of the seat while waving his hands. “Come on, down the court! Down the court!” He yelled and you crossed through the room, slipping on your coat. 

“Hey Ransom, whoo hoo, Ran.” You called to get his attention, and he sprang up, hitting the off button quickly almost like he got caught watching something he shouldn't have been. 

“What's up… where the hell are you going?” He asked once he faced you, taking in your appearance. 

“I got a check up Ransom.” You say as you double check your purse for the things you needed, one hand resting against the over sized bump stretching before you now. 

“Oh, I can drive, let me just get some shoes on and a coat.” He started and you shook your head before he could walk away. 

“Oh you don't have to go to this one Ransom. Dr.Sitwell is just giving me some information and diet restrictions for the pregnancy.” 

Ransom seemed to stall, unsure about letting you go alone. “You sure? Cause I promised you Princess I would go to all the appointments and such. Plus you are huge now and what if something happened?” 

You scowled at his comment, flipping him the bird. “Don’t forget who did this to me. Fucking huge?” 

Ransom rolled his eyes, hands falling to his hips. “You know I didn’t mean it like that. You are so far along now, I don’t want anything happening to you.” 

You shook your head at your idiot husband, knowing his mouth spoke typically before his brain had the sense to process his words. ���Remind me why I married you again Ransom? I appreciate the offer, but I have a small honey-do list I really need help with instead. And besides, I promised to go out to lunch with Meg afterwards.” 

“What does the little liberal bitch want to complain about now?” he said with zero affection in his voice towards his cousin. 

You scoffed and smacked his chest slightly. “Ransom that is your cousin, be nice.” 

“What? I was being nice Y/N.” he rubbed at his tee shirt he was wearing, scowling at you. 

“She invited me, and I said that I would love that. If you're lucky, maybe I will bring you back something.” You walked away towards the door to slip on your shoes, Ransom following right behind. 

“You don’t have to.” He started and you gave him a look while shouldering your purse and slipping your feet into your sneakers. Ransom immediately went to a knee to tie them for you, knowing bending down was almost impossible for you now. The move itself made you smile softly, carding your fingers through his hair. He really was trying, more then you had thought he would. 

“I will surprise you Ransom. And I already sent an email on what I need done.” You said as he moved back to a stand, going to tiptoes to peck him on the lips. “Love you, don't destroy the house while i'm gone.” 

“You know… this place was just fine even before you lived here.” Ransom scoffed at the insinuation, and you were out the door laughing and cringing at the same time. 

“I don't even want to know what went on here before I lived here with you.” You climbed into your car and Ransom watched while leaning in the doorway, recalling a time before you. 

“Yea, you really don't wanna know Sweetheart.” He said to himself while going back inside while pulling out his phone to check on this list you emailed him.

1.Bleach the bathroom

2.Wipe down counters and stove

3.Take out garbage

The list went on from there, all easy tasks except for one. The bleaching the bathroom he cringed at. That was work you hired someone to do, not get on your hands and knees to do it yourself. He contemplated seeing if he couldn't get Harlan’s housekeeper over, he was sure a hundred bucks she would do it. But that would almost be more of a hassle in case she mentioned anything to someone like Meg who would just LOVE being a snitch and ratting him out to you. No, might as well just do it himself. First the easy stuff though, get it out of the way. 

It was an hour later and Ransom was actually feeling pretty good about it all. No major mishaps happened, and the house actually did look a lot better then when he started. But the bathroom loomed on his mind, and even after a break to check the games scores could he not put it off any longer. 

“Fuck my life…” He muttered to himself while stepping in the bathroom with his hands to his hips, looking it over. The downstairs bathroom wasn't huge or fancy, but in this moment one of the smallest rooms in the house seemed huge, daunting, like it was laughing at him. 

This just set his resolve more, as he stepped into the bathroom. “Pay people to do this? Fuck they are ripping us off.” He muttered while digging out some bleach and bucket from under the bathroom sink. “Y/N is right, waste of money when we can just do it ourselves.” He ran the tap in the tub and filled the bucket, sure to add way to much bleach to the solution. Lifting it out, he grabbed your yellow elbow high gloves and a folded up hand towel (one of your good hand towels) and knelt on the floor to start washing the floor. It went smoothly at first, shuffling back and bringing the bucket with him, he didn't notice the little splashes from when he was plunging the towel into the bucket and wringing it out. It wasn't till he happened to jump hearing the door slam shut, and unknowingly he smacked his hand into the bucket, the water sloshing over the edge of it and landing in his lap that he cursed out.

“Fucking Christ!” He sprang up the water running down his leg, and almost immediately the dark blue of his jeans started to turn bleached white almost, all up and down his legs the spots kept appearing. 

“Ransom?” You had wandered through the living room and was staring down the hallway towards the bathroom where you saw the light on, and there you saw him. His yellowed gloved hands were on held out to his sides, his head dipped down as if in utter disgust, looking at himself. You couldn't help the giggle that escaped you, which you covered your mouth to try to stifle it when his head tilted up enough to see you standing in the doorway. 

“These were brand fucking new jeans.” He said hostilely, and that just made you bust out in a laugh, wrapping an arm around your side and gripping the door frame to keep from doubling over at how ridiculous he looked. “What's so funny.” 

“You, you wore high end jeans to bleach the fucking bathroom. Ransom, why would you wear nice clothes?” 

“I only have nice clothes Y/N! Why would I keep shitty old clothes?” He said while peeling off the gloves and tossing them in the sink, thoroughly done with his ‘Honey Do List’ now. 

“For moments like these Ransom, when we have to do the messy shit.” You looked him up and down once more, a giggle escaping you again. “I mean, maybe you will be the one to bring back acid wash jeans?” 

“Right in the fucking garbage is where these are going. Who in their right mind would wear shit like this.” 

“Your parents probably did?” 

“Just give me another reason Y/N to hate this all that much more.” He glared at you while brushing past you to go change. “I told you we should just hire someone.” 

“We are not hiring a maid for the thousandth time Ransom.”

[theeasternempress]

Little Shadow

Summary - Tech couldn’t help but notice how Omega has been silently watching him work for most of the morning. When he finally asks if she’d like to come help him, she gives him a bright smile that sends a warm feeling straight to his heart.

Word count - 3.3k

AO3

Tech started his morning as he always did: checking the ship to make sure everything was functioning properly. Nothing major jumped out at him, but there were always little things that had to be repaired. After years of fixing this ship, Tech prided himself on the skills he’d learned that would make an ordinary mechanic green with jealousy. 

Still, Tech would dedicate as much of today as possible to repairs of the ship and his inhibitor chip scanner. The cooling system wouldn’t take long to clean and fix since there were only three vents that ran throughout the ship, so Tech started on that. 

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d done this, so he knew he was in for a mess. He was used to keeping a careful schedule of repairs, but the end of the war and rise of the Empire had ruined that. 

Tech had barely gotten two screws off of the first vent when, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Omega silently watching him work. He was used to the ever-inquisitive child watching him do his repairs and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy it a little. 

Tech saw his younger self in her and remembered how he longed to have someone teach him how to do repairs and build things with his hands. He’d still managed to learn just fine on his own, but his younger self craved the bond that would have come from a teacher. 

Omega was whisked away a moment later by Hunter with the promise of breakfast, and Tech found himself missing the small girl’s presence. She’s only been on the ship for a few days, but Tech found that she was quickly becoming part of their team. Tech acknowledged that he was initially apprehensive about having a child on the ship but now, he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Tech had just finished cleaning the exterior and interior vent when he noticed that his little shadow had returned. Omega was still watching silently, but Tech knew that a thousand questions were on the tip of her tongue. 

Finally deciding to be the teacher he always wished he could have, Tech turned to invite Omega over only for her to get scared by him catching her staring. She gasped and turned away from him as she began to walk away with her gaze down on the ground.

“Omega, if you’d like to come back, I have some things I could teach you,” Tech spoke, stopping the young girl in her tracks. 

“You’re … you’re not upset that I was watching you?” Omega asked with a nervous tone to her voice. 

Tech shook his head and replied, “Of course not. Why would I be upset with you for being curious? It is expected of someone your age.”

Omega quietly padded across the floor until she stood directly below Tech. He was about to move over to give her some space when she said, “Nala Se didn’t like my curiosity. She said that it would only get me into trouble.” 

Tech wasn’t sure how to reply to Omega's words. He’d figured that Nala Se was overprotective of Omega, but he hadn’t thought of how that would have affected Omega’s young mind. 

“While Nala Se is correct in that curiosity can sometimes lead to trouble, it can also lead to new discoveries. As long as you know when to stop and turn around for your safety, curiosity is welcome aboard this ship,” Tech stated. 

“Thanks, Tech, I like how I can be myself around you all,” Omega replied, her gaze moving from Tech to to the air vents he’d been working on. 

“Ah yes, let’s start working on this,” Tech began, “We first have to unscrew all four screws in each corner of the vent before carefully cleaning it of any dust. Then we’ll remove any dust inside of the vent before closing it back up. It should be a simple but repetitive task.” 

Omega eagerly exclaimed, “Okay, let’s get started!” 

All that was left to do on the first vent was to screw the vent back into the wall. Tech showed Omega the four screws and demonstrated how to use the screwdriver. She watched with wide, unblinking brown eyes as she eagerly took in all of the information Tech was giving her. It seemed like such a simple thing to him, but he could tell it meant the world to Omega. 

Almost immediately, Tech noticed a small problem: Omega was far too short to be able to reach the vents. Tech himself was tall enough that he only had to stretch a little bit to unscrew the vent from the wall, but Omega would never be able to reach it. From the sad look on her face, Tech could tell that she noticed as well. 

A brilliant idea popped in his head as he asked, “How about I screw in the first three screws, then I pick you up to let you do the final one? You can also hand me the screws as I need them.”

Omega’s eyes lit up and a smile spread across her face as she replied, “Okay!”

Tech gave a small smile in return and began fixing the vent back in place. He talked her through putting the screws in again, making sure she was watching him as he carefully lined everything up in its correct place. Even though she was just handing him screws for now, he could tell she was happy. 

Tech finished his three screws in less than a minute, finding that he was working faster than usual in order to give Omega her chance. 

He turned to her and spoke, “Alright, I’m going to pick you up now. Remember, use both hands and a good amount of pressure.”

Omega silently took the screwdriver from Tech’s outstretched hand and he picked her up under the arms, holding her eye level with the vent. 

Omega lined the final screw up with the vent and asked, “Is this good?”

“Yes, that should be fine,” was Tech’s reply. Omega had a bit of difficulty with getting the screw to go in straight but after a few careful pointers from Tech, the first vent was fixed. 

Tech set Omega back on the ground with an, “Excellent job, Omega. Let’s continue and see how your skills improve.”

Approaching the second vent, Tech asked, “Would you like to try removing these four screws on your own?”

Omega eagerly nodded her head and replied, “Yes, please!”

Again, Tech lifted the girl up so she would be able to work. Omega struggled with initially getting the screws loose, but she eventually managed to start getting screws off. As Omega finished getting the final screw off, the vent came crashing off of the wall and sent a cloud of dust up with it. 

Tech swung Omega around to try to avoid her inhaling a large amount of dust, but the coughing fit coming from the child in his arms indicated otherwise. He carried her a distance away and set her down on the ground.

“Are you alright, Omega? Tech asked, patting her on the back to help with her coughing. Her clothes and hair had clumps of dust in them, which Tech did his best to remove as Omega’s coughing fit died down. 

“Yeah, I’m okay. I’m sorry that the vent fell,” Omega replied with sadness in her voice. Tech had noticed that every time she made a mistake, she always became sad and overly apologetic about it. He had his theories as to why, but they were yet to be confirmed. 

“It was a simple mistake, Omega. I should have told you to grab onto the vent when you were almost finished. You can use your mistake to learn for the future,” Tech stated, hoping his words would help ease Omega. He knew that patience would be the best aid to her learning and hoped that she would want to continue. 

Omega stayed silent, looking down at the floor and refusing to meet Tech’s eyes. Tech could tell that she was ashamed and embarrassed from her small mishap, but he didn’t want that to ruin her learning. He could tell her as much as he wanted that it was okay to make mistakes, but that didn’t mean she would accept it. 

That’s when Tech remembered how a few days ago, he’d taken Omega for a walk near a lake and they came across an Arsinari dwarf frog. Omega had been instantly fascinated by the bright red creature, quickly declaring it her new favorite animal because it could live on land and in water. Tech had privately researched the animal and found several reports detailing the frog’s evolution. Maybe if Tech related how the Arsinari dwarf frog learned to evolve to Omega learning from her mistakes, it would put her at ease. 

Tech kneeled down in front of Omega and began, “Omega, I know that you're upset, but mistakes do happen. Do you remember when I took you to the lake a few days ago and we came across the Arsinari dwarf frog? It had to learn from its ancestor’s mistakes. They primarily live in the red clay surrounding the lake, so they needed to evolve to have their skin be the color of the clay in order to camouflage with their environment. You can be more like the Arsinari dwarf frog by learning from your mistakes.”   

“So I just have learn to catch the vent before it falls like how the Arsinari dwarf frog learned to evolve?” Omega asked, the sadness in her voice gone and replaced with her usual curiosity.

“Precisely, Omega. You’re a very fast learner,” Tech complimented. A smile spread across Omega’s face, and Tech knew his idea had been a success. 

Most of the dust that would’ve been removed from the vent came free when Omega dropped the covering, so Tech instead showed her how to clean it up and dump it in the trash bin. Tech knew that it wasn’t much, but the smile on Omega’s face told him that it meant so much more to her. Omega was hesitant to put the screws back in due to her earlier accident, so Tech finished the job. 

“Now, the final vent is in the cockpit,” Tech began, “It’s usually the hardest to clean, but you should be able to stand up on a chair to reach it. Are you ready to move on or do you want a minute to rest?”

“Let’s go, Tech! Can I try to do this one by myself? I promise to be careful!” Omega asked, bouncing in place with excitement. He gave her a nod and she squealed with joy, grabbing his hand and pulling him up to the cockpit. Echo and Hunter were there and gave the pair a confused look as they entered. 

Omega ran over to Hunter's chair and said, “Tech is teaching me how to take care of the vents, and it’s the most amazing thing ever!”

Hunter smiled at the girl and replied, “That sounds like fun, just make sure you’re careful.”

Tech smiled at his older brother’s protectiveness of Omega. Almost as soon as Hunter and Omega had met, they’d formed a bond that Tech had not yet observed from his brother. It didn’t take him long to realize that the role his brother had taken in the girl’s life was one of a father-figure. Of course everyone aboard the ship cared for her, but he’d adopted the main role of ensuring her health and safety.

In turn, Tech didn’t miss how Omega was almost instantly drawn to Hunter. She followed him everywhere, mimicked his movements, and did her best to listen to his instructions. For as adventurous of a child she was, Tech knew it was hard for her to be told to stay in one spot, but she did so if Hunter asked her to. 

Tech was broken from his thoughts by Omega tugging on his hand and dragging him under the air vent. She dropped his hand and stepped onto the chair directly under the vent with Tech’s screwdriver clutched tight in her hand.

Echo and Hunter’s expressions turned to shock at the sight in front of them and Hunter moved forward with his hands out to pluck the girl from the chair, but Tech was quick to cut in, “I have everything under control. She will not fall.”

Echo relaxed while Hunter stayed tense, his eyes never leaving Omega. 

“Okay Tech, I’m ready!” Omega exclaimed, “I’ll do a really good job, I promise. I’ll hand you the screws as I go.” 

Tech moved to stand to the side of Omega and lifted his hand out to allow her to drop the screws into his open hand. She had the same difficulty as before with getting the screws loose and Tech could see Hunter move forward to help, but Tech subtly waved him off with his other hand. 

Even though she still struggled a bit, Tech could tell she had improved since her previous turn. She hadn’t let the vent fall from its place in the wall and had used just the right amount of pressure to remove the screws. 

“Excellent job, Omega. Now, use the cleaning cloth to collect the dust like I taught you,” Tech told the girl. She nodded in reply, swiping the dust from the vent cover and removing all the dust she could from the interior. 

Tech kept a careful eye on her as she worked, jiggling the screws around in his hand to pass the time. He knew that there was nothing dangerous about this step, but Tech feared his oldest brother’s wrath if anything happened to Omega under his watch. Tech himself knew that he could never forgive himself if any bodily harm came to Omega while in his care. 

When Omega was finished removing all of the dust, Tech looked over it to ensure that it was properly cleaned before allowing her to put the screws back in. She did much better at replacing the screws than removing them, and Tech made a mental note to let her try that more in the future. 

Tech offered his hand to Omega, who grabbed it and let Tech help her out of the chair.

“How’d I do, Tech?” Omega asked, clearly hoping he would tell her that she did well.

“You did excellent, Omega. With more practice, I’m sure that your skills will vastly improve,” Tech responded.

Omega smiled brightly and ran over to Hunter to say, “Did you hear that, Hunter? Tech said I did excellent!”

Hunter smiled and ruffled her hair with a, “I sure did, kiddo.” 

Omega giggled and ran off, swiping her trooper doll off of the floor before disappearing out of the cockpit. 

While the repair and cleaning of the vents took longer than Tech originally intended due to the addition of Omega, Tech couldn’t find it in himself to care. If it were anyone else, Tech would have likely gotten annoyed at the extra time spent on such a mundane task but with Omega, he found that not a second of time was wasted with her at his side. 

He knew now that he was beginning to form a soft side for Omega. As nervous as he initially was about having a child on board, there was no denying that she fit in with their team. 

Watching Omega run off to grab her trooper doll and start playing with it, Tech realized just how few belongings Omega had and how everything that she owned she’d acquired on their travels. She made no complaint about it, but Tech knew that a child deserved better than that. 

Tech decided to make her a small toy of some kind, even though his knowledge of children’s toys was very limited. There was still plenty of time in the day, and his work on the inhibitor chip scanner could wait until tonight. 

He thought for a moment before a brilliant idea for a toy popped in his head. With Omega distracted by her trooper doll, Tech began building what he hoped would be the perfect gift. 

-

“Thank you for taking me with you on your walk, Hunter!” Omega said, the images of all of the beautiful wildlife she saw still dancing around in her head. Hunter had wanted to take a walk to clear his head and offered to take Omega with him. The sun had set hours ago, but she still enjoyed getting to see this planet’s nocturnal wildlife. She had searched for the Arsinari dwarf frog but to her disappointment, she couldn’t find it anywhere. 

“You’re welcome, Omega. Get yourself ready for bed now, alright?” Hunter responded, noticing how her adrenaline was the only thing keeping her awake. 

Before climbing up to her room, Omega made her nightly rounds to everyone on the ship to say good night. Wrecker ruffled her hair, Echo patted her on the head and wished her good dreams, and Tech gave her a soft smile. Omega thought it seemed like Tech was trying to hide something from her, but she dismissed the thought as she climbed up to her room. 

As Omega made her way up, she saw something small and red resting on top of her pillow. When she picked it up, she found that it was a little red frog with the numbers “99�� painted on its back in addition to a crank on its side. Omega immediately recognized it as the Arsinari dwarf frog that she’d seen with Tech.

She laughed and practically launched herself downstairs, clutching her new toy in her hand. The four Bad Batchers were sitting together talking quietly, but all conversation stopped when Omega rushed in. 

She ran over to where Tech was sitting on a crate and threw her arms around him. She squeezed him tight and a moment later, he wrapped his spare arm around her. 

“Thank you for the frog, Tech! It’s perfect, it even looks like it’s a member of our squad!” Omega said happily, her words slightly mumbled against Tech. 

“You’re very welcome, Omega. Have you tried spinning the crank yet?” Tech asked. 

Omega shook her head and pulled away from Tech to see what he was talking about. Tech plucked the toy from her hand and spun the crank a few times before placing it on the ground. To Omega’s bewilderment, the toy frog began hopping around the ship as if it were real. It gave a few big jumps before coming to a stop at Wrecker’s feet, who was completely frozen in fear of breaking Omega’s new toy. 

She giggled and hugged Tech again, mumbling another thank you to him. 

She pulled away a moment later to plead to Hunter, “Hunter, can I please stay up a little late to play with my frog? I promise I’ll go right to sleep when I’m done!” 

Hunter sighed but smiled, “Alright, you can play for fifteen minutes.” 

Omega laughed as she kneeled on the floor and cranked the toy. Wrecker kneeled down a few feet away from her and the two played together, laughing as the little frog hopped between them. Echo leaned himself against the doorway and watched them with a soft smile on his face. 

Tech felt Hunter pat him on the back and whisper, “Good job, brother.”

Tech nodded to his brother, proud of his work. Maybe someday, Tech would be able to teach his little shadow how to make herself toys. For the time being, Tech enjoyed being able to make her smile with his own inventions. 

[justletmeplayminecraft]

xisuma doesn’t smooth over a server glitch fast enough. the others have to save him from the consequences.

in this fic, i play loosely with minecraft mechanics to create angst. very loosely. don’t think too much about ‘em. you can also date how long i’ve spent on this by the projects they’re working on. 

featuring: being an admin gives you a connection to the server, xisuma has a less than stellar day, angst/comfort, zed is an ender hybrid, false & tango are minor admins, getting stuck in blocks is not a fun experience, the hermits care a lot about each other.

warnings: sensory deprivation, starvation, suffocation, its a death loop babyyy, a fair amount of panic, fighting code, glitches, helplessness, it’s pretty whumpy before the comfort. let me know if something’s missing here.

also on ao3. link in replies.

Xisuma sighs as the sun beats down on him. It's barely let up, even on the outskirts of the jungle. He enjoys the brief stints in the shadow of the giant quartz walls. Even then, waves of heat come off them. All of the structures in his base are a heat trap. Clearing out several layers of dirt and stone is a necessity he should've left for another day. With a click, he tugs his helmet off his head. The humidity outside is worse than his filtered air. He tucks the helmet under his arm, pushing sweat slicked hair from his face.

He's made good progress levelling this arena space. He leaves his helmet on his bed and heads to the temporary storage chests. They're filling up quickly, he notices, as he starts emptying his inventory into them. Except, something's broken. The stacks of blocks aren't all moving. He tries a few times before sighing, ruffling his hair. When he turns to the area he's been mining, it's still empty. It's been a long time since they've had desync this bad. He's not even sure when it started.

Stepping gently across the stone, he can feel the heat rising from them. He'll rollback the world and then he'll relax by Keralis's river. The farm is delightfully cool. Anything will be better than this oppressive heat.

He's almost reached his bed when something takes hold in his chest and pulls.

He stumbles forward with a gasp. Of course, the server decides to fix itself this time. He forces his feet forward, trying to reach his helmet so he can smooth things over. He only makes it two steps until his eyes are forced shut as the server reloads. For a split second, all he feels is the chill of the void as chunks reload around him.

He opens his eyes to darkness. It feels like he's suspended in space, unable to move. There's a suffocating pressure around him. Though it's with shallow breaths, he can still breathe. Did something go wrong? He blinks hard. All of his limbs are accounted for, he's certainly present. Even when he's working in the void there are still particles around him. His attempt to raise his arm fails, finding it impossible to open his back up admin panel. His helmet is- where even is his helmet?

His breath hitches, a feeling of panic escaping his controlled calm. He feels like he can't breathe. He can't move. He's trapped in his own body.

What's happening?

-

[MumboJumbo] anybody else just experience some major desync?

[Keralis1] Oh, is that what that was?

[Zedaph] I had nearly finished my redstone! All of that work, gone!

[FalseSymmetry] didn't you notice you weren't actually... losing anything from your inventory?

[Tango] he was probably too caught up in his supposed mastery

[FalseSymmetry] everybody okay though?

[Grian] all good here!

[Zedaph] Only my pride's wounded.

-

False looks down at the bedrock layer at her base. Like half an hour spent placing glass, all gone to waste. She groans, closing her chat as it pings away. Sure, she can rib Zedaph, but that doesn't change the fact she just did the exact same thing. She kicks off the sidewalk, gliding to the bedrock layer. She can feel the cold of the void float up with specks of grey.

"Good going, False," she murmurs. Some patches of glass survived. It's almost worse, that's going to be so much less satisfying to fill in. She takes her goggles off, tugging her hair loose to tie it in a low ponytail. Usually Xisuma gives them a warning before the server resets like that. It always messes up her hair, leaves it floaty and static.

She adjusts her goggles on her head, opening the player menu. Xisuma's currently online. She checks chat. He hasn't said anything. She considers it strange, but it's not unusual. Maybe he's been at a farm and isn't AFKing. She types out a private message, sending it across to him.

[FalseSymmetry to Xisuma] hey x, server blipped, might need to check it when you get back.

She'll see if he returns her message. She's got glass to place.

-

Iskall looks through his in-progress sorting system with a frown. It's broken somewhere. The stupid server reload has glitched it out and he can't find how. He's checked the redstone, he's checked the hoppers and he's checked the chests! Which means it's glitched. Either Xisuma reloads the chunk for him, or he's going to have to tear it down.

Actually, he'll probably have to tear it down anyway. Reloading the chunk will only roll it back.

At least he's not the only person who's redstone has been ruined. The thought brings some comfort. If he has to be miserable, somebody else should be too. He opens his communicator, checking who's around at the moment. That might take his mind off it.

He notices that Xisuma's online. Their admin has been quiet in chat since the reload. Maybe there's something going on behind the scenes he's having to sort out. He'll reach out to Mumbo and Grian, but first, he sends a message X's way.

[iskall85 to Xisuma] hey is everything alright? nothing broke?

[iskall85 to Xisuma] don't forget you can reach out to us if you need help.

-

He has no idea how much time has passed. Usually he's connected intrinsically to the server. It helps him keep track of the world, dig out any errors or mishaps - sometimes before his suit alerts him. It's essential for his job in order to keep things running smoothly. The server is always there, at the edges of his consciousness.

In this nothing, he can't even keep track of his internal clock. Perhaps it's his own panic, but the code he tries to reach out to feels fuzzy. It feels like it's glitching, sending shooting pains through his head if he focuses too hard. He couldn't take a guess how long he's been trapped. His breathing still comes too fast and shallow, ignoring his attempts to calm down.

He's completely helpless here. And he doesn't even know where here is.

-

Tango stares up at the stars on his ceiling. He checks his inventory again, counting aloud. He flicks it off with a frown. Yeah, he's definitely missing some. It's not a massive deal, Impulse will be happy to help out. But if he's having problems then some of the other hermits might be. Perhaps they fell and despawned in the reload. Either way.

"Tangoooooo!" The cry is accompanied by several rockets, something hitting the ground and the sound of damage. He chuckles, stepping away as Zed soars over the edge, stumbling forward with a flutter of his elytra. Tango straightens him up with his free hand.

"No, I'm not doing your redstone for you." Zedaph gasps, dusting off his jeans. He bounces up with a grin.

"You really think I'd come all this way for that?" Zed questions.

"So why have you come all the way here?"

"I'm bored," Zed replies. "And it still stings too much to do my redstone again." Tango laughs, opening up his chat. Xisuma's online, though Tango doesn't expect an immediate response.

"How do you feel about some wither grinding?" He types a message to Xisuma, Zedaph attempting to peer over his shoulder.

"Mmm, I don't see why not."

[Tango to Xisuma] Hey, seem to have lost some stars when the server reset

[Tango to Xisuma] might wanna check nothing important got eaten.

"Right, let's go."

-

Keralis hums, staring at the plot he was about to start building on. The area has been a bit... Funny. He'll break and replace a block, only to have it switch again. He might have to work on another area until it sorts itself out. His attempts at working here started after the reload, so he doesn't know if that caused it. He's not been able to spot Xisuma nearby either. He's been online, but Keralis hasn't spotted him in chat for a while.

He sighs as he watches the last blocks he placed switch back as if nothing happened. Crossing his arms, he examines the area. He wonders how big this is. Definitely more than one chunk. His new house is going to have to wait. He was excited to show Xisuma around, too.

With a glance at the sky, he realises it's late afternoon. He yawns, stretching his back out. Perhaps it'll be best to settle in his office and work on some future designs. He'll drop a message in chat first, in case this is affecting anyone else. It might give him an excuse to hunt down Shishwamy. He always feels guilty bothering him about things. Their admin takes far too much responsibility on his shoulders. They’re all adults. Keralis wishes he’d ask for help sometimes.

-

[Keralis1] Has anyone else been having glitchy blocks?

[iskall85] some of my redstone is broken but it's no biggie

[Tango] lost some of my nether stars with the reload but it's been fine since.

[FalseSymmetry] been placing glass without any problems since the reset

[MumboJumbo] I haven't had any problems either.

[Keralis1] A bunch of chunks around our bases are glitching

[Keralis1] but it seems like Shishwamy is busy :(

[Grian] well it looks like he just went afk

[iskall85] that answers that lol

-

His mind is becoming blurry. It's hard to focus on... Anything. He can't tell if it's because he's struggling to breathe, or something further, tugging him down and away. He tries to fight against it but there's nothing he can do to stay present. He can't hear anything, barely even his shallow breaths. He can only feel the consistent pressure on every inch of his body, the wet tears on his cheeks. He tries pulling on every one of his senses, but nothing comes up.

He slips under.

-

False empties the last of this glass stack, stepping back at a job well done. She smiles, rubbing her aching hands. It's nice to finally work on this part of her base. Even better now it's not going to pick itself up. At least she hopes so. She'll be right annoyed if it happens again. Something's been tingling at the back of her head, though. She wonders if it's because of the reset.

She looks up at the late afternoon sky. That's enough work for today. As she stretches, she can feel each and every ache in her body. She brushes away her hair, already falling loose. Maybe she'll have something nice for dinner. Some steak, potatoes and pumpkin pie. If she has pumpkin, of course. Xisuma was planning to build a pumpkin farm, wasn't he? His traditional pumpkin and melon combination. She chuckles to herself as she pulls out her rockets.

No matter how things change from season to season, there will always be things that don't. Hermits might come and go, but they'll always be her family.

She launches up, shooting through the water barrier. It's fast enough it doesn't stick. She lands gracefully, making her way to the kitchen. She hopes this nudging in her head doesn't get worse. She just wants to enjoy a nice meal. That's all.

-

"Well, I think we have a plan," Grian declares, grinning from his perch. His legs are crossed, hands resting in his lap.

"I mean, we didn't exactly need a plan to fix our redstone," Mumbo replies, slouched in his chair the way he only ever does in front of them. Iskall chuckles, resting his hands behind his head. They've really helped take his mind off the broken redstone. Mumbo had a similar problem, so tomorrow they'll meet up again and attempt some fixes.

"Always helps," Iskall says, shrugging. "Especially when one of us spends so much time in the Nether depths, now." Grian laughs, his legs kicking.

"Hey, I'm doing good work out there!" Mumbo yawns, looking between them.

"Well I don't know about you two, but I'm exhausted."

"Food then sleep?" Grian suggests. Iskall nods. It's been a long day.

-

It's dark as Zedaph and Tango return from The End. Zedaph yawns, running a hand through his hair, messing it up. Tango rubs the side of his own hair. Something's been bothering him, but he can't tell what. Like there's something just not... Right. Zedaph is chatting beside him, a bounce in his step. It's like he doesn't feel it at all.

"Do you want to have dinner together?" Zed asks, twirling his sword by his side. They've repaired their tools, done everything properly. It's been a hard day's work, but they've achieved a lot, even with the setback.

"Yeah, dinner sounds good." He looks at the night sky, squinting his eyes. Zedaph tilts his head at him. The purple eyes are concerned, particles floating up in his worry.

"Tango, are you okay? You seem... Off." Tango sighs, waving Zedaph's worry away.

"Something's nagging me. It's not a big deal." Zedaph's still frowning, but the particles die down.

"Let's just get you something to eat, yeah?" Tango nods, leaning into Zedaph when he squeezes his shoulder.

"Sounds good to me."

-

Keralis watches the night sky overhead. He's sat in the doorway to his office, a blanket around his shoulders. The stars are always a beautiful sight. It's the perfect way to relax after such a, hm, busy day. Not busy in a conventional sense, no, but still busy. His specially commissioned noteblock song plays in the background, a perfect accompaniment in the peaceful night. He thinks it's strange how the stars always seem the same no matter what world they're in. Maybe he should ask Xisuma about it in the future.

He pops up his screens open. Xisuma is still afk. He misses seeing his neighbour out and about. Xisuma often spends time at his farms, it's nothing new. But Keralis enjoys saying hello to him! Especially after missing well... Years of his life. He tries not to think about that.

With a sigh, he lies against the doorway. Time for bed soon. He laughs at the sound of Bubbles' voice in his head. His communicator beeps and he glances over to it.

Huh. That's interesting.

-

Xisuma is thrown into full consciousness. His stomach is still cramping with phantom hunger. He opens his eyes and finds...

Black.

No, no, he died. He died. Why has he respawned here? He chokes on his sob, realising no air is entering his lungs. His cheeks are still wet with tears, more leaking out as he gasps at nothing. His lungs burn, unable to take the shallow breaths he needs to. Would it even help? He wants to curl up, clutch at the growing pain in his chest. But he can't move an inch. Heaviness sinks into his limbs and head.

He wakes again in the same place. He doesn't know if he wants to scream or cry. There's not enough air for him to scream, anyway.

-

[Xisuma starved to death]

[MumboJumbo] X?? mate?

[Tango] X?

[FalseSymmetry] do we need to get your stuff?

[Keralis1] I'm by his base.

[Tango] he's not afk anymore

[Grian] x???????

[iskall85] maybe he's getting his stuff rn

[Keralis1] Shishwammmmyyyyyyy

[MumboJumbo] starving isn't a nice way to go

[Zedaph] It really isn't.

[Xisuma suffocated]

[iskall85] oh no

[FalseSymmetry] x???? im going over

[Keralis1] so am i

[Tango] this isn't right, this really isn't right

[Xisuma suffocated]

[Grian] what's going on???

-

False shimmies back into her elytra, reaching for the one jacket potato that finished cooking. So much for having a sit-down meal. She rubs her head, pushing away the fear that has something to do with this. Her communicator continues beeping as she grabs her rockets. She runs to the entrance, kicking off and launching into the air.

-

"We should go and help," Iskall decides, already picking up his armour.

"Thought you'd never say." Mumbo straps his elytra on, grabbing a spare shulker box and an ender chest. Grian nods with a seriousness that doesn't fit on his face.

"Let's go."

-

"We're going?" Zed asks. He's already stuffing food into his mouth. Tango rubs his temples, nodding. He takes the elytra that's thrusted into his hand.

"Yeah. We're definitely going." He watches the particles floating off Zed in waves, glowing the same purple as his pupils. Tango presses his eyes shut against another spike of pain as their communicators beep. "C'mon."

-

Keralis scrabbles until he balances on the tower roof. He's searched each one and not found X anywhere. Tapping his foot, he meddles with his communicator to turn some settings on. He has no minor admin powers - that he has to leave to False and Tango - but he can at least try this.

"Ah-hah!" He grins as hitboxes light up beneath him, hopefully a better clue where his currently red coloured friend may be. He scans the towers closely, trying to spot anything out of the ordinary. There are a few mobs, especially as night sets in. Then he sees Xisuma's new build.

He has to take a step back at the sight. The chunks look- a mess. The outline of the blocks are overlapped or flickering. It hurts to look at. Blocks aren't meant to highlight like that. He glides across the treetops. It not only covers the area he was trying to work earlier but spreads into Xisuma's current build. Yeah that's- that's bad. That's not good. His communicator has continued to beep with messages as he searched. He goes to read it, and spots different colours in the mess. The red of an eyeline. He stands on his toes, leaning off the leaves. The outline flickers in and out, accompanied by a beep.

He thinks he's found X.

-

[Xisuma suffocated]

[Keralis1] he's in his new build!

[Keralis1] I think I can see him in the ground

[Keralis1] it is very very broken

[FalseSymmetry] tango? you on your way?

[Tango] as we speak

[Tango] been a long time since we've had to use these powers

[FalseSymmetry] not long enough

-

Tango and Zedaph are the first to land by Keralis's side. They kick up loose powder from the road, taking in the massive structure in front of them. Tango's shoulders raise, cringing at the sight.

"That's definitely broken," he agrees, his eyes twisting as they focus.

"And Xisuma's in the middle of it?" Zedaph looks at Keralis. He nods, usually big eyes sharply focused. He points beyond the walls.

"You can just see his name tag. I think the glitched blocks have got him stuck. I tried to build there earlier but nothing would stay." Tango presses his lips together in thought as False lands. They nod to each other in acknowledgement.

"How long does it take until the blocks pop back?"

Keralis hums, tapping his chin before answering, "About ten seconds, I think."

"That's not going to be enough time to reach him," Zed says. "Can't you just teleport him?" He looks at Tango and False. Tango opens his console menu, typing something in. Zed can tell the answer before Tango says it.

"What ideas do we have?" Keralis asks. "We can't just leave him there!"

"Of course not!" Tango replies, sounding shocked at the suggestion. "We just- need a plan." False nods.

"We're not as powerful as X," she explains, "Together we should be able to roll back these chunks but- I have no idea what that would mean for Xisuma. We don't really work with player code." She brushes her hair back. The conversation is paused as the trio of Grian, Iskall and Mumbo land beside them. The three slot in, listening as they're caught up.

"There has to be something that's making him spawn there." Iskall points out, his hand held towards the structure. False searches through the control panel, whilst Keralis and Tango simply examine the messed up blocks.

"He has a bed in there," Tango answers. False taps where Xisuma's spawn is tied to on her screen.

"Since the blocks are glitched, it must mean the bed isn't like... Registering them. Since they don't fully exist." She thinks about it carefully, putting the pieces together as she explains.

"So if we break the bed, he'll respawn at the world spawn?" Grian suggests.

"But how do we get down there?" Mumbo turns to look. It's pretty far down in the ground. They'd have to move quick to get near where Xisuma is.

"There's a few of us." Iskall waves at the gathered group. "I say with enough TNT and manpower, we could do it."

"Wait-" Zedaph holds his hand up, "-Get me close enough and I can teleport in there, get the bed. Less blocks to destroy."

"Zed." Tango turns to him, glaring at the blond. "That's a stupid idea, don't you get how dangerous that is-"

"Xisuma is stuck in a death loop, Tango!" Zed cuts in, raising his voice. The others fall silent, not sure how to handle this exchange. "Sure, I might die a bit! That's nothing compared to what Xisuma's currently experiencing."

"TNT will destroy a fair amount, but it already puts us on a time limit," Grian adds, a sideways agreement.

"I'm willing to do it. Either we reach the bed, or I teleport in." Zed says it with finality. The others don't argue. False checks his spawn point. Zedaph will respawn back in his cave, safe and sound. Even if it goes wrong, it'll be recoverable.

"We need to be ready to roll back the chunks," False says, focusing on Tango. "If I have this headache for much longer I'm going to go insane." Tango smiles tiredly.

"Fine. Let's try this." He shrugs. "I don't think we have a better idea."

"Well, come on! Let's go!" Keralis claps, placing an ender chest. Tango sighs, typing in a command.

"I think I'm allowed this time," he says, a stack of TNT appearing in his hand.

"And other times?" Grian asks. Even through the teasing, they can hear the fear in his voice.

"Don't push it."

-

There's noises. He blinks his eyes open into the unending darkness. He tries to focus past his burning chest and the weight of his body. There's... Definitely noises up above him. It sounds like explosions. The space he's stuck in shakes slightly. After another lapse, he gasps back to life in the same position. He wants to scream, tell somebody he's down here. This opportunity might not come again.

Then he feels a sharp stab of pain. Something is there, near him. Everything hurts and he still can't breathe. For a moment, he thinks he hears the trill of an Enderman. His tired mind can't figure out how as he runs out of air.

He wakes up to a chill. He slightly opens his eyes, spotting yellow sand as he falls, blacking out.

-

[Xisuma suffocated]

[Zedaph suffocated]

[Grian] have we done it?

[Keralis1] he's at worldspawn! got him!

[iskall85] YES!!!

[Zedaph] Oh thank goodness I don't want to do that again

[World reloaded]

[Tango] Z, you okay?

[Zedaph] I'm good. Bring my stuff? I'm going to worldspawn

[FalseSymmetry] will do

-

"Keralis!" Zedaph's elytra beats as he lands, feet digging into the sand. "Is he okay?" Keralis nods. Xisuma's head is resting in his lap. The admin's eyes are closed as he breathes slowly. His expression is relaxed. It's a good sight to see. The spawn island is lit up well, but Keralis keeps his eye on the surrounding oceans.

"He's sleeping," Keralis says, messing with strands of brown hair. "I don't think I'm strong enough to move him on my own." Zedaph drops onto the sand next to them, crossing his legs. There are still bright particles floating off him, his eyes fully purple. "What about you, Zee?" Zedaph seems to notice Keralis's focus, ducking away to hide his eyes.

"Um, not the best. That kind of sucked. But, it worked, and that's what matters!"

"Make sure you look after yourself, too," Keralis tells him. "Fighting the server's code isn't easy." Zedaph laughs, resting on his hands.

"Can say that again. Forgot we have anti-enderman griefing." Keralis cringes, realising why Zed looks so much like he might collapse. It'll pass, but it's never fun to go against programming like that. The architech trio arrives next. All of them look relieved to see the three on the island.

"Oh, Zedaph, I have your stuff." Mumbo starts emptying it out, the few things Zedaph couldn't fit in an ender chest. Zedaph smiles, tugging his helmet on and feeling a lot more comfortable. He tries not to meet anybody's eyes.

"Tango and False will be on their way. They're just checking everything's good," Grian tells them, hands moving quickly as he talks.

"Should we try moving X somewhere safer?" Iskall suggests. "The shopping district isn't that far."

"If you're willing to boat him." Keralis is firm. "I don't want him dropped in the ocean."

"I swear nothing will happen to him under our watch." Grian puts his hand on his heart. Iskall and Mumbo nod in agreement.

"It'll be the safest boat journey on the server." Iskall's hands are on his hips. Keralis tilts his head up.

"Look into my eyes and nothing but my eyes, if anything happens to my Shishwamy, I will not hold back." The architechs look suitably threatened.

"Can I boat with someone?" Zedaph asks. "I nearly crashed so many times flying over here."

"Hop in the back of mine!" Iskall calls, placing one in the water. Grian plucks Xisuma into his arms, carrying him to the edge of the water. He sets the admin in the boat before climbing in himself. Keralis checks him over before nodding and allowing Grian to keep him.

"I've told the others to meet us there," Mumbo says. "I'm going to fly across and see where's best to bunker down. I think we could all use some sleep."

Zedaph looks at the moon hanging overhead, "Yeah, I think we could."

-

[MumboJumbo] we're heading to the shopping district.

[FalseSymmetry] thats a good plan

[MumboJumbo] any idea who's shop we could stay in?

[FalseSymmetry] my dimension shop is pretty empty

[FalseSymmetry] plenty of room for some beds. pretty warm.

[Tango] we'll get it set up for you

[MumboJumbo] ok. ill protect the others

[Keralis1] so will I.

-

The first thing Xisuma picks up on is the talking. He stays still, trying to tell if his brain is playing tricks on him after so long in the nothing. His body is like a rock. He's barely able to move. His lungs still ache and it takes some conscious effort to continue breathing. He blinks his eyes open, wincing at bright lights. Light. There's light. He rolls forward, a sob leaving his lips before he can catch it.

"Xisuma, hey, hey." The voice is soft, casting a shadow over him. Xisuma forces his eyes open now the worst of the brightness is blocked out. Keralis is crouching in front of the bed. His fingers gently brush across Xisuma's cheek. For once, Xisuma doesn't feel the dried tears that had become his constant. "You're okay, you're safe. We got you." Xisuma takes a shaking breath in, squeezing his arms to feel the pressure of his own touch.

"Do you want your helmet?" He flits to look at False. The mere sight of his helmet is overwhelming. He reaches out and wraps it close to his chest. Keralis laughs gently, scratching through Xisuma's hair. The admin sighs, his eyes slipping closed once more.

"There you go." He can hear the smile in Keralis's voice. "We've got you, right here." The sound of movement. Cracking his eyes open reveals False sitting in front of the bed, weaving her hand into Xisuma's. He squeezes it gently.

"You're in my shop, in the shopping district," she tells him. "It's past midnight. You're completely safe here. We've got things sorted, there's nothing you need to worry about." A tear slips from his eye. Keralis wipes it away.

"What happened?" He can't make his voice louder than a whisper, and even that hurts.

"Something went wrong with the world reload," False tells him. He can trust her not to sugarcoat things. "We all had a few bugs, but the chunks around you glitched out badly. Created a bunch of like... Invisible blocks, but they were visible, if you get what I mean? They weren't fully there. Ugh, Tango's better at all this technical stuff." Xisuma tries to peer around for him, but the light still hurts if he looks for too long.

"You were stuck in a bunch of them," Keralis finishes. "We didn't realise until you starved and got stuck in a death loop. I'm really sorry, Xisuma."

"We broke your bed to get you out. Well, Zedaph did. The others got him close enough then Tango and I fixed the area. It's all sorted." Xisuma forces his sluggish brain to put the pieces together. He didn't dream up that enderman sound. That was-

"He's over there, sleeping. Tango's with him." Keralis points at a bed nearby. Tango's back blocks any sight of their part Ender friend, but Xisuma can see purple particles floating into the air. A concerning amount of them.

"What did Zed do?" He asks, the vice around his lungs tightening in concern.

"Um," Keralis answers, False looking at him. "He mentioned fighting the anti-enderman griefing code? So I think he picked the bed up." Xisuma's stomach drops. He tries to push himself up but collapses onto his back again.

"Hey, X, careful," False warns. Her voice is stern but Xisuma shakes his head.

"No- I-" He shuts his eyes, fighting off disorientation. "The server's going to keep fighting him. I've got to reset it." False helps him sit up, but she still watches him with concern. He picks up his helmet, pulling it on and relaxing slightly as all the displays flicker to life. Now when he looks at Zedaph he can see the extent of the damage. His very code seems to be fighting itself. "Help me up?"

False gets an arm around his chest. He ends up leaning his weight against her to stand, his legs shaking. She's firm, grip only tightening to accommodate his need. Keralis hovers nearby, ready to jump in if he has to. They take slow steps across the room. Xisuma strains to see under the light, but the tint of his helmet helps. He can see the architechs sat nearby, watching without any attempt at discretion.

Tango looks up as they approach. Xisuma can see the resignation on his face.

"This isn't going to fix itself, is it?" He asks. His hand in clasped tightly in Zedaph's, whose usually bright expression is twisted in pain. His skin is all too pale, black freckles spreading into larger patches across his face. He doesn't open his eyes, not even as Tango moves so Xisuma can sit down. The grip on each other's hand remains tight.

"I need to reset the code that's attacking him," Xisuma explains. His words have a tired slur he can't quite hide. "I'm gonna write an exception, I can't believe I haven't already just- not right now. Don't wanna do it wrong."

"Xisuma, it's okay." Tango smiles, pinched but genuine. "I'm sorry you need to do this." Xisuma shakes his head.

"It's nobody's fault," False says, "Do what you need to do, X. Then you're going back to bed." Keralis hums in agreement. Xisuma laughs softly as the command screens in his helmet boot up.

He zones out the others around him, leaning on Keralis's shoulder when his friend perches beside him. He scrolls through information as he brings up Zedaph's data on one screen. With one eye on it, he unlocks the data packs, searching through them. He gives voice instructions with his microphone muted to the outside world. Finding the pack he needs, he disables it and checks Zedaph's data. It looks like his code is straightening out again. Thank goodness. He makes sure all activity is deactivated before he turns the pack back on.

"That should do it," he mumbles, before realising his microphone is still off. He reactivates it before repeating himself.

"Maybe you should teach us a bit more sometime," False squeezes his shoulder, helping him up. Xisuma slings his arm over False with a nod. That would be good.

"Thank you, X." Tango smiles. He rubs his thumb across Zedaph's hand. The ender hybrid has relaxed, face slack. It looks like he's properly sleeping now. Xisuma can finally rest.

"Come on. Don't you fall asleep here, I don't want to carry you across." Xisuma hums, too tired to commit to any words. Before he knows it, he's sitting down on the comfortable bed again.

"Shishwam, lemme get your helmet." Xisuma nods, tilting his head up so Keralis can unlatch it and bring it off. His head rolls onto his shoulder the moment it's gone. Keralis giggles, ruffling his hair. "Come on, sleepy time." False lies him down, his helmet tucked safely in his arms. Keralis's hand slips into his. Xisuma shuts his eyes, before blinking them open again.

"Stay?" He asks, too tired to worry about being needy. He doesn't want to be alone in that darkness again.

"Of course," False replies.

"We're not going anywhere," Keralis adds. Xisuma smiles at them both, eyes slipping closed. The darkness is manageable with his friends by his side.

-

"Don't you dare wake them up," False hisses, watching as Grian and Iskall play with redstone. The morning sun is beginning to shine through the cracks in the windows. She's exhausted, having only caught a quick nap. Keralis is asleep next to Xisuma, sitting on the floor with his head resting on the bed. Tango's slid into bed beside Zedaph, holding him close to his chest. Mumbo's dead to the world across the room.

"We won't!" Grian calls, trying to figure out the game he could make out of this mechanic. Iskall has a Statues book open, an armour stand sat in front of a piston.

"You know, this would be a lot easier if the two people who have done this with armour stands were helping," Iskall points out, flicking through the pages.

"We're fine, it's part of the adventure!" Grian watches as the piston shoots the armour stand across the room. False smiles, leaning back against the bed. Some of the other hermits have been coming online with the early morning. Thankfully, they don't seem to know about everything that went down yesterday. It's best things are quiet for Xisuma whilst he rests. She's sure he’ll tell them about it. She'll make sure he does.

As the sun grows higher with the dawn, she dozes off again. Grian is yawning, him and Iskall only catching a few hours of sleep. He's still buzzing with activity. He'll crash later, easy enough.

It's to this quiet atmosphere that Xisuma wakes up. Iskall and Grian are still experimenting. Grian’s laughter rings out as the armour stand bounces in the air. The beat of the piston is monotonous, but they're nearly falling over each other at the sight. Xisuma watches with a soft smile, eyes barely opened.

"It we got one on top, do you think it would-" Grian holds his hand up, demonstrating an armour stand shaking up and down aggressively. Iskall chuckles, shaking his head.

"It's only the morning, we don't need to break physics yet."

"It's for science," Grian protests. He sounds breathless, half-delirious with his need for sleep.

"Please don't make me do work," Xisuma whispers, all too aware of the sleeping hermits around him. Grian perks up, Iskall turning to him with a grin.

"'Suma!" Iskall calls. Xisuma smiles at both of them, making no attempt to move. He's comfortable here and he doesn't want to wake his friends.

"Exy-Suma!" Grian slides across, leaving a gap from the sleeping hermits. Iskall stands by his side, resting his hand on Grian's shoulder. "How are you feeling?" Xisuma wraps his arm tighter around his helmet.

"Not the best, my friend," he answers honestly. "But I'm certainly better than before."

"Well, we'll just have to make that even better then." Grian is committed to the cause now. He's going to make Xisuma's day.

"You don't have to rush back into things," Iskall says, offering a smile. "I'm sure we can handle ourselves today."

"I don't think I'm getting out of this bed anytime soon." Xisuma looks down at Keralis, dark hair brushing Xisuma's chest plate. False is asleep slouched in the chair beside him. Even without being able to see the other occupants of the room, he can still tell they're sleeping. "Feels a bit weird not going for a jog at this time, though."

"I'm sure your legs won't wither away after one morning, X," Iskall jokes. "Be lazy like the rest of us." Grian grins.

"We could always play some mini-games later, too!" Xisuma laughs, stretching as much as he can without shifting Keralis. He's beginning to regret sleeping in his armour, but it's too late now.

The three chat with each other, Xisuma offering advice now he's awake. They're gradually building up a system to launch the armour stand across the room. Sure, they'll have to clean it all up later, but it passes the time and it makes them laugh. Hearing Xisuma laughing is good for all three of them, despite the roughness reminding them of last night's ordeal. It's safe to say that nobody envies Xisuma's experience.

The three jump at a strange, shrill noise, until the realisation kicks in. Zed is sitting up, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Hair is falling into his face, ruffled from sleep. Tango remains slumped against him. He even rolls into the warmth Zedaph leaves behind. It takes a few seconds until the hybrid notices his audience. Zedaph jumps, smiling sheepishly.

"Oh, hi, sorry! Forgot I wasn't alone." His eyes are glowing brightly in the morning light. He looks down at the arm lazily clinging to his waist. "This oaf is used to it."

"No, no, you're okay," Xisuma tells him. False is stirring beside him, blinking to life, but Keralis remains out. "How are you feeling?" Zedaph taps his chin, resting his finger on his lip.

"Pretty well-rested, actually." Then his attention turns to Xisuma. "What about you? I should be asking you that question!" Xisuma laughs, flexing his fingers against his helmet.

"I'm okay. Taking it easy." He tilts his head towards Grian and Iskall. "Whether I like it or not, it seems."

"Too right," False agrees, yawning. "T'others can handle admin duties for today. You're ours."

"Is that a threat?"

"We can make it one!" Iskall tells him, his voice a lot more cheerful than the implication of his words. "We just need a good leash-"

"Oh absolutely not! Don't you dare!" Keralis pokes his head up next to him, trying to tune into the conversation. Zedaph laughs from across the room. He's tugging a bleary Tango to rest on his shoulder so he can wrap the blanket around them both.

"Oh come on, X, it'll be fun!" Grian wraps his arms around Iskall's shoulders. Xisuma shakes his head.

"You two are terrible. Absolutely terrible. Goodness me."

"I'm sure X will agree to take a day off willingly," False says, sounding far too threatening as she rubs sleep from her eyes.

"I already agreed. No leash required!"

"Why are we talking about leashes?" Keralis finally asks, looking more confused than anything. They break down into laughter.

-

[Grian] hello everyone

[iskall85] HALLO!

[iskall85] we are stealing your admin for the day!

[Grian] yeah he's ours.

[falsesymmetry] x had a rough night so he's having a day off

[falsesymmetry] so if any admins besides tango, x and i could step up please?

[cubfan135] yeah I'm on it.

[joehillssays] of course, and send our well wishes to our dear admin!

[Xisuma] your dear admin thanks you :-)

[Xisuma] please try not to break anything

[Etho] have a fun day lol

[joehillssays] don't make us lock you out of your screens, x!

[Keralis1] Nothing will get past us.

[iskall85] he's been suitably threatened.

[Renthedog] Should uh... We be concerned?

[Grian] about x-i-sooma finally getting a break?

[falsesymmetry] he's in safe hands. promise.

-

"Should we get this day started?" Tango asks. Grian is about to answer, only to yawn. He covers his mouth, face turning red.

"Another hour of sleep first?" False suggests. They look around the room, everyone in varying states of awareness.

"It never hurt anyone." Iskall shoves Mumbo over, fitting into bed beside him. "See y'all in an hour." Keralis smiles at Xisuma. He bumps their heads together.

"You deserve a break without being traumatised first, you know that Shishwamy?" He checks. Xisuma laughs, pressing their foreheads together.

"Yeah, I know." He leans back. "And I think I've got some good friends to remind me." False pats his back, getting comfortable enough to doze off again.

"And don't you forget it." Xisuma looks around the room. The architechs are fighting over the bed, Tango and Zedaph curled back up on theirs. He smiles, the fear from last night already on its way to being a distant memory.

"Don't think I can."

[babybottlepop96]

Moving On (Sasha x Niccolo)

Summary: Sasha goes through a rough break up, so her friends take her out to cheer her up. There she meets a cute boy.

A/n: This was an AO3 request!

Sasha was always known for her loud mouth, bluntness and the ability to never gain weight even when she ate more than enough for three armies times ten. But tonight, Sasha wasn’t in the best of moods, sad and upset at the fact that her boyfriend of the last three years, Connie Springer, ended things. The two met at the beginning of freshman year at Paradis University, instantly hitting it off, the two started dating a couple months later until recently, about mid way through senior year. The two were so fun to be around and the looks of admiration and love that were silently passed to each other, their friends were quite surprised when Connie said he ended things. The reason behind it all? No one knew for sure, Connie said it was because he wanted to focus on his studies but everyone knew that was a big pile of horse shit. Connie never studied nor cared enough about his grades since middle school. It was a wonder how he managed to get into one of the most prestigious universities in the country to begin with.

After the breakup, Connie would post pictures to his instagram, Connie_Shpringa586, with him at clubs and bars to spontaneous road trips to amusement parks and arcades in an entirely different state. These pictures caused Sasha so much grief, she couldn’t understand how he seemed to not care about the three years they spent together, it was like he just never cared and her heart was in shambles.

 Ymir, Historia and Annie were very concerned for their friend, the light of their eyes, the ball of energy at a party and the girl who could eat any man under the table, now a sad, heartbroken shell of the girl they loved. “Okay, get your ass up. Enough moping around, we're going out tonight!” Ymir spoke authoritatively toward her fellow brunette.

“I really don’t want to.” Sasha sighed against her bunk in the dorm she now shared with Annie, boxes of her belongings still no unpacked from her move from Connie's apartment. 

“Sash, it’s been three weeks, you need to move on. It’s just the bar in the neighboring town, Connie won’t be there! We bribed Eren and Jean to keep him busy.” Historia spoke, smiling gently. 

“Do I have to?” Sasha whined as she flopped backwards onto her bed. 

“Yes! Now put this on.” Annie spoke as she walked into the room and threw a lime green tube top and some black, ripped skinny jeans at sasha. “I also got you a pair of black open- toed ankle boots, you’ll be the sexiest woman there!”

“Fine! But I won’t enjoy myself.” Sasha walked to the bathroom to get ready. Later that night, Sasha was drunk. She had three shots of captain morgan and four frozen strawberry margaritas and was now grinding on a particularly cute blonde boy. “So, what's your name handsome?” Sasha slurred a bit as she turned to wrap her arms around the man.

“N- Niccolo.” He stuttered, blushing at the close proximity of the beautiful brunette in front of him. “I’m a s-student at M-Marley Univers-sity.” He stuttered again. 

“And what is it that you study Mr. University man?” Sasha grinned happily, ‘This guy is soooooo hot. So much hotter than what's his face!’ She thought.

“F-food. I want to be a chef.” Niccolo looked down almost like he was embarrassed by his major.

“I love food!” Sasha shouted as Niccolo’s eyes widened from the outburst. “I can eat EVERYONE under the fucking table! It’s-it’s like I’m a black hole!” Niccolo smiled at the girl, “You have to make me food some day!”

“I would like that, very much actually.” Sasha then patted around Niccolo’s ass. “Wh-what are you-”

“I’m looking for your phone cutie! I gotta give you my number if you're gonna make me some food!” She spoke like it was the most obvious thing in the world. She may have also wanted to feel his cheeks, cause damn did they look fine in those washed out blue jeans. “Found it!” She took his phone and entered her name and number, hopefully the correct number. “I think that's right.” She squinted at the phone screen.

“How about I give you my number? That way you can know for sure?” He asked, his blushed increasing tenfold as the gorgeous creature in front of him gave him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. 

“Perfect!” Suddenly, Sasha leaned forward and vomited all the alcohol that didn’t make it into her bloodstream, Niccolo stood frozen. “I am sooooooooooooooo sorry!” She apologized, her big brown eyes widened in horror thinking she just ruined everything.

“It’s okay, just hand me your phone so I can give you my number.” He smiled even though on the inside he was freaking out from the vomit to the fact he was about to give this girl his number, he was never this bold. Passing her phone to him she went for napkins to help him clean some of the vomit off. He handed her the phone back and grabbed the napkins. “Thank you.” 

The next day Niccolo woke up to a message on his phone, Sasha. 

Hey Niccolo, sorry about the uh… mishap. But if you’re still interested, I’d still like to taste you cooking.

-Sash

Niccolo smiled and texted back.

No problem and of course! Send me your address and I’ll pick you up at seven.

-Niccolo

Sasha smiled and thanked her friends, this was the best step towards moving on she could’ve hoped for.

[maxineswritingcenter]

You Saved Me - Derek Hale x fem!reader part 26

 --------

Back at Castle McLeod, I was unpacking my bags once again. I hadn’t really planned on staying more than a couple months but knowing Beacon Hills... It could be a while. A soft knock made me look back towards the door. Lachlan was leaving against the thick wooden door, arms crossed over his chest. 

“You’re back early.” He said, walking into the room. 

“Yeah.” I shrugged, closing the top drawer of the dresser, “Scott talked me into coming back to keep me and little tyke safe.” I patted my stomach. 

“So... How’s Derek?” 

“Alive and well. Unfortunately, Derek was put under a spell. It seems like that woman really wanted to keep him distracted.” I put my hands on my hips, “Speaking of, why were you so supportive of me pulling a ‘Michael’?”

“I can hear you!” Michael shouted from the next room over. 

Lachlan chuckled, “I supported you because you have to at least have someone supporting you. And I knew you wouldn’t kill him. You love him too much.” 

“Why didn’t you try to stop me if you knew I wouldn’t?” 

“Because you need to make your own decisions. Your own choices.” He picked up the family photo album that I placed on the bed, smiling down at the crest that decorated the front, “Our parents made a choice for us, we need to make our own.” He made a good point. I guess it was easier to talk with Lachlan about my situation because he had been through the same thing. He lost a part of his life, he lost his partner. 

He set down the photo album, “I came because the other members have gathered in the main room to discuss their hunter situations. We were hoping, well, I was hoping that you would come in and share your tale.” 

Sighing, I rubbed the back of my neck, “I... I don’t know.” 

“There’s no judgement here.” Lachlan said, “I’ll be by your side every step of the way.” His eyes were kind and genuine. He seemed so wise but he was still so young. One could only imagine what he had been through. 

“Okay.” I nodded, “Let’s go.” 

-

After getting a little more gussied up, Lachlan led me down to what could have been a movie set for the knights of the round table since there was a large, wooden round table with chairs around it. Each chair had a tapestry draped over the back with what I was assuming were the crests from the different clans since the tapestry on the chair Lachlan pulled out for me was my family’s. They were at least five other werewolf clans there. They all started their story the same way, everything was fine. There were working well with the hunters in their area, a mishap here or there that was resolved. When it got to me though, that was the interesting part. 

“And finally, our last member (Y/N) of the (Y/L/N) clan.” Lachlan motioned to me to the whole group. Everyone was staring so intently. 

“Uh, hi.” I said awkwardly, “I’m (Y/N). And uh the hunter situation hasn’t been great.” I stood up, “You all knew my father’s deal with Chris Argent, weapons in exchange for safety. He became a friend to our family. But he was the only one who wanted that. After abusing my partner as a child, his sister, Kate, succeeded in murdering the majority of the Hale pack which prompted my parents to conduct the Wolf Eclipse spell on me. She didn’t stop there. Laura Hale had figured out who helped her start the fire. Unfortunately, Peter Hale then killed her and took matters into his own hands and started killing off her list. This scared Kate, so she returned to Beacon Hills to finish what she started. She tortured my partner and I, and led her niece down the same path as herself. A path where cruelty and death were right. After Kate’s death, their father Gerard came into the picture. That’s where I learned how bad Kate could be. Gerard is dead. Chris’ wife is dead after being bitten, and his daughter is on the brink of becoming just like her aunt. So... The situation isn’t great.” I sat back down, “I’m sure Chris will be fine working with us, but to say that things are fine is wrong.” There was silence. It almost seemed like the rest of the clans were uncomfortable with my statement. I’m glad they got to have  The meeting adjourned soon after. 

-

SIX MONTHS LATER

MICHAEL

“What do you mean you have no idea what you’re doing?!” (Y/N) roared, her eyes bright red. Michael had accompanied her to the mainland to do some shopping for last minute baby things when she had started to feel cramping. They had gotten a hotel room on the mainland since the ferry didn’t run this late. So now it was just Michael and (Y/N) in a hotel room and he probably wasn’t going to get his security deposit back. (Y/N) was leaning back against the bed, holding her large baby bump. 

“Do you know how many times I’ve been in this situation?! Zero! Zero times!” Michael tugged at his hair, trying to stay calm in this very not-calm situation. Michael really didn’t have too much training from the Lunar Circle as a bodyguard. He had been dead for a couple months so it was safe to say he missed the werewolf delivery class. He was screwed. 

“Well, you better do something before I rip your HEAD OFF!” Her roar was cut off by her whining in pain.

“Let’s just calm down, alright?! I’m doing the best I can!” Michael pulled his phone out of his pocket, calling into Lachlan’s office. 

 “Praetor McLeod speaking.” 

“Praetor, it’s Keaton, I have a bit of a situation here-” A loud crash made him look back at his guard. (Y/N) had thrown a lamp at the wall. Yeah, definitely not getting that deposit back. 

“What was that?”

“That’s the situation, sir. (Y/N)’s gone into labor.”

“What?!” He shouted, “How far apart are her contractions?”

“I don’t know...”

“Well, ask her!”    

Michael looked back at (Y/N), “Hey (Y/N/N)? How far apart are your contractions?” (Y/N) had fully shifted, her fangs looked ready to bite down into me. She roared loudly in response. 

“I’d say pretty close.” Michael squeaked out. 

Lachlan groaned in frustration, “Dammit! Looks like you’re going to have to deliver the baby.” There was shuffling around, “I’m gonna get on the next flight to the mainland.” 

“Wait-wait-wait, what? I can’t deliver a baby!”

“I’ll be there soon.” Lachlan hung up. Michael turned around slowly, dropping his phone on the ground. (Y/N) was on her hands and knees on the ground, screaming through her teeth. 

“Okay... I can do this.” Michael said confidently. The look in her red eyes made the confidence fly out of him like a bat out of hell. 

“I can’t do this.” 

-

They made it back to the castle in the early morning. Lachlan and Michael stood outside of the infirmary, waiting to get inside. 

“So how’d it go?” Lachlan asked, hands behind his back. He honestly looked stressed. When he had run into the hotel room, he looked disheveled with new parent panic, which was interesting. 

“Uh...” Michael looked down at his arm in a sling. During a contraction, (Y/N) had pulled and dislocated his shoulder, “All things considered?” He looked back at Praetor McLeod, “Pretty well.” The door in front of them opened, a nurse waved them inside. 

(Y/N) was on the bed, holding a tiny baby in her arms. She didn’t look at them when they walked in, refusing to take her eyes from the infant. She was smiling so bright, a twinkle in her tired eyes. The child was sleeping peacefully.

“Well, look at you.” Lachlan grinned, “Tiny little thing.” He went to her side, looking down at the baby with such adoration. 

It had been a while since Michael had seen a baby, and the feeling that overcame him when the baby was born... He could only compare it to being a father. 

Michael stepped forward, looking down at the little boy, “Look at all that hair.” He said in awe. Even as a newborn, his head was covered in thick dark hair. 

“Have you seen Derek?” She chuckled, sweeping some hair from the little boy’s forehead gently with her fingertips. 

“Excuse me, Miss (Y/L/N).” All of their heads were brought to look at the home nurse that had come from the local hospital, “We have all the paperwork ready for you to look at.” (Y/N) looked up at the nurse. 

“Oh yeah, sure.” 

The nurse clicked the pen, “Alright, what’s the wee lad’s name?” 

“Nicholas Noah Hale.” She said. Hale? She was really giving him his last name. After everything?

“Is it safe to give him Derek’s last name?” He asked, tapping his foot. She narrowed her eyes at him in confusion. 

“It’s fine.” She shook off his concern.

“And the father’s name?” The nurse asked. 

“Derek S. Hale.” Even hearing his name made his blood boil. 

-

(Y/N) 

The infirmary - mostly Lachlan- wanted me to stay in the infirmary overnight for observation. I guess being a werewolf certainly helped with the pain management. After calling Uncle Noah and Stiles, it was time to call Nicholas’ father. Although I’m sure he felt the pain I went through already. I had sent him a message that I was going to video call him, I just hoped that he was in a place where he could. 

I had the laptop set up on the table that was attached to the medical bed. I pressed his name then hit video call. I watched as the virtual call ang, praying that he could answer. Finally, it connected. The video feed opened, showing Derek. He was in the office of the depot, Peter was in the background, looking over his nephew’s shoulder. 

“Ugh.” My smile fell, “Why’s he here?” 

“It’s his laptop, I didn’t have a choice.” Derek grumbled. 

“Come on, show me my little great-nephew.” Peter whined, leaning in closer. 

Shaking my head, I bent the screen down to show Derek and Peter the sleeping baby in my arms. 

“Wow...” Derek said, grinning brightly, “I wish I could be there to-...” He blinked a few times, “I should be there.�� 

“I wish you were here too.” I smiled sadly, “He looks just like you.” 

“Poor kid.” Peter mumbled. Derek looked over his shoulder. 

“Go.” Derek growled, “Now.”

“But-” 

“Now!” Peter quickly moved out of frame and out of the office. Derek looked back at me, shaking his head a little. 

Little cries brought attention to the little boy, “Somebody’s hungry.” I started to unclasp my hospital gown. I had breast fed him previously but it was still a weird feeling. 

“I’m in love.” Derek said softly, “I love you... So much. I love him so much.” He looked determined, “I’m gonna make Beacon Hills safe again. Safe for both of you.” 

“I know you will.” I said softly, stroking Nicholas’ cheek softly, “But please be careful.” 

“I’m always careful.” My glare changed his smug expression, “Okay, maybe I’m not. But I promise to be extra careful.” 

----------- 

Read part 27 here!

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[pandemilkbread]

devil 007 (prologue)

devil 007 (Bakugo Katsuki x Reader)

summary:

(demon!au)

Turns out Bakugo Katsuki never wanted to eat your soul, rather he just needed someone to play video games with.

ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ's ɴᴏᴛᴇ: ʜᴇʀᴇ's ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏʟᴏɢᴜᴇ. ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ :>

                                                    ☆     ☆     ☆

𝑖. 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑢𝑒

“That was a fucking accident.”

“An explosion that big is not an accident!”

You might be wondering how the hell were you hanging on the tallest building in the underworld holding on to a pipeline for your dear life. While your notorious partner-in-crime Bakugo just watched as you dangled ninety feet in the air. 

“I swear if I die I will shitting haunt you for all eternity! You’d be fed up with all my shit the moment my soul reaches your territory. Just imagine, me annoying you fore—“

“Jump.” He grumbled. 

No. Jump? Hell no. You’d rather die than jump into his arms. Bakugo was more likely to miss, and you’d fall (probably five storeys) before he dare tried to save you. 

You wanted to scream. How all this happened in the first place, you hardly remember. No, you did remember. 

It was all because of that stupid book. 

☆     ☆     ☆     ☆     ☆

It was a mishap, really. The wrong book got delivered to the wrong place at the wrong time, and exactly the wrong thing happened as a consequence. 

You were a college student who had just finished the semester, and frankly... a miserable one you were. Failing a quiz was one thing, but you had to mess up your finals so badly a retake wouldn’t suffice. You had to take up the subject all over again. 

Sighing, you lay flat on your back. The ceiling had this magical property to suck up all the negativity in your life. 

(it didn’t. but you’d like to think so.)

You had all the time in the world to repeat the subject. The problem? Cash. Having a scholarship at a prestigious university wasn’t easy. One measly failure could mean bye-bye free tuition fees and hello student loans that could last centuries + a liver.

Doomed you were, honey. You groaned. At least the treasury board approved the student allowances; which meant? The poor student (you) finally bought the heavy shitass syllabus for your major. The subject you failed. 

It could take weeks for the parcel to arrive. What did you expect? You only ordered it days ago. The sooner it gets here, you’d be studying your ass off until 5 A.M. for weeks. Hooray. 

A sudden ring of the doorbell awoke you from your senses. Huh, it did arrive earlier than you expected. You scooted towards the door and twisted it open. There lay a box wrapped in tape, a sticker with the words ‘fragile: handle with care’ shone in bright yellow. 

You picked it up and shook the item. It was lighter than you expected. How the heck did a 700 page book become as light as a diary? Did they send you the wrong thing? Crap. You scoured the whole box to find neither details about who the recipient nor who the sender was. 

Oh, well. Did that mean you could keep whatever was inside? You grinned. Opening up the box, you find out it was a vivid red book entitled:

Ultimatum Wishes: The Ultimate Spellbook for Summoning Demons! All your wishes will come true! Follow the instructions inside. 

Yeah, right. Like you could summon a demon to send you a trillion yen.

(apparently, doubt didn’t stop you from trying.)

☆     ☆     ☆     ☆     ☆

First of all, what the actual fuck. 

Your curiosity got the best of you. The instructions were pretty easy; sugar, salt, dirt, water, a jar of mayonnaise, a drop of blood— basically, the usual ingredients for summoning demons. Like that’s shitting normal? You had to mix them all together and spread them into the circle you drew on earlier. 

Second, did you really summon a demon?

You were obviously not in your dorm room. It was bigger, darker, and colder to what you were accustomed to. After saying a stupid chant, you make a wish and boom! demon comes to you. So the instructions said. 

It was a joke, really. You never thought the book was actually real! Once you said your wish, a bright light flashed and... you were here. A basement like room devoid of light, making your fingers the only things you could see at the moment. 

You were sprawled on your back, staring at your hands. If only your eyes could adjust to the light then you would be on your merry way to finding the exit. Except, that you didn’t really need to adjust. The lights opened with a flash and you were met with red eyes:

“Took you long enough, brat!”

Lastly, who the hell was this?

The moment you and this miniature bomb exchanged looks, and he realized that you weren’t the person he was hoping for, the man grabbed the collar of your shirt lifting you high up to the ceiling. 

“How the fuck did you get here stupid human? Pretty gutsy of you to just waltz in like you own the place, hm?” He growled, slightly shaking you with every syllable he uttered. 

You barely registered it, you-know before you were lifted up, but this person in front of you was terrifying. He radiated waves of “answer properly or i’ll rip you into shreds” and you didn’t want to die.

(not at least before smacking this crappy brute.)

“Put me down you—you crappy dog! Treat me nicely and I’ll tell you everything,” You choked. 

He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. “You’re really haggling with me now, maggot? The last time I checked I could easily squeeze the fucking life out of you—”

“T-The book! Shitty book! Followed it and I’m here!”

And with that you were dropped onto the floor. You yelped upon impact, rubbing the area of your neck with your fingers. That hurt.  Your eyes hovered to your assailant and saw his frustration building up. Hoo, a little bit more and he’d be on fire. 

“...How’d you get it?” 

“Sent to my doorstep. D-Didn’t think it was real I thought—”

“You opened it knowing it wasn’t yours?”

“Oh, no you aren’t! Don’t blame me for your shitty mistake in the first place!”

“Watch your tongue, human.”

You sighed. Everyone knew you were someone who wouldn’t back down from a fight, but your senses told you otherwise. There was a fine line between pissing him off and stabbing you in the heart, you knew you were likely closer to the latter part of the scale. 

“Fine. Whoever that package was sent to, it came to me instead. Why am I here?”

He contemplated for a while, searching for the right words to spout out. Oh God no. Were you brought here as a sacrifice? You shook your head. Anything but that! Sweat dribbled down your forehead. Why wasn’t he saying anything?

“...to kill...”

Yeaph. And with that, you blacked out. 

(imagine, fainting from your own demolition. oh, you hope you didn’t actually break a bone or two.)

☆     ☆     ☆     ☆     ☆

You awoke to a strange tapping noise, more like a smack, and groans of infuriation. The vivid colors of black, pink, and yellow caught your attention, making you stare in awe. Was that Mario Kart...?

The clicking sound came from the blonde who sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes drawn to big television screen in front of him. While you were on a black couch around three hands away from the man. Seemingly, he could sense your tiny movements as you sat up, compelling him to chuck a controller at you. 

“You gonna play or what?”

Huh? You took the object, feeling the texture in your hands. It’s been a while since you held a controller; even longer since you played a game at all. The game home screen flashed, the cursor hovering over the “new game” button. He clicked it forcing the game to switch into the character screen. 

The man picked Bowser. Ah, not surprising. You grinned as you chose Princess Peach.

The game began immediately after and you thought, wow. You sucked at this game! Your cart hit track walls, bounced on boulders, special items that you sent managed to hit you instead. Rigged, this must be rigged! Just because the last time you played the game was ten years ago, doesn’t automatically mean you were shit at it.

Your companion thought differently.

“You’re crappy at this game.” He sneered.

You rolled your eyes. “It’s just the first game! A warm-up, you’ll see.”

And yes, he did see. See you fail round after round, time after time, the twenty games you played seemed to only prove your awful skills at a simple multiplayer game. You groaned. How was it possible to lose this much? Even the computer controlled characters beat you senseless. 

Gently placing the controller on the sofa, you wrapped your arms around your knees. Was this a test? A test to see whether if you were worth killing? Oh boy, you would have been slaughtered at the first playthrough. 

“Are you going kill me now?” You murmured. 

If this was how you were going to go, at least you had fun. Well, you did lose more times than you could count. But hey, it was enjoyable. 

“Ha. You think I’d let you go that easily?” He stood up, turned and grabbed the controller. “You made a pact with me, and now you’re gonna run away?”

His other hand reached for your chin and pulled it up, your eyes meeting his. 

“What’d you wish for, princess?”

alright. so that’s the prologue! thank you for reading. i’ll have the chapter one ready soon. so pretty much, what happened was: you received a package. bored as you were followed the instructions and summoned a demon. except, you were actually summoned somewhere else to bakugo no less. 

the introductions come on to the next chapter!! please leave a like if you like it aaaaa it would mean alot ;;;;

[slyttherins]

Unexpected flame (part 1) | Fred Weasley x Sirius Black’s daughter

December 1993

This year, Christmas fell on a full moon. Remus felt guilty about leaving Juliet for the holidays, but he had no other choice. Staying with her on a full moon was dangerous and endangering her was the last thing he - and Sirius - wanted.

''It's okay. You can't control the moon.''

''Wish I could.'' Remus flashed her a sad, apologetic smile. Although he had grown to accept his fate - or curse -, he still hated that part of himself. The wolf. ''Have you packed your bags yet? The train is leaving tomorrow morning, right?'' he asked, changing the subject.

''Yes.''

''Good.'' Remus nodded. ''I talked to Molly, she'll be picking you up at Kings Cross.''

In the red leather chair, Juliet sighed. Much like Remus, she didn't like when people made a big fuss or went out of their way for her. It made her very uncomfortable. ''I could've stayed at school, you know. Some students stay here for Christmas.''

Remus brushed her off with a whisk of his hand. ''Nonsense. Molly and Arthur promised it was no trouble. And, you and Ginny are good friends. You'll have great fun at the Weasleys','' he promised.

''I'll miss you.''

''Me too, darling.''

''Remus?''

''Yes?''

''If he returns-''

''I'll send an immediate owl to the Weasleys and let you know.''

.

Ginny by her side, Juliet joined the rest of the Weasleys after getting down the train. There were so many students at the station, but, lucky for her, their red hair were easy to spot in a crowd.

A round woman with a bright smile and ginger hair was waiting on the side. She greeted each of the kids with a tight hug, happy to see them after four months away from home.

''And you must be Juliet?'' she said, seeing familiar a pair of grey eyes. ''I haven't seen you in so long. It's crazy how you've grown!''

Juliet smiled politely, having very few memories of the woman. ''Thank you for having me, Mrs. Weasley.''

''It’s no problem. Remus is a friend of family and we’re always there for family. You can call me Molly.''

.

''You’ll be staying in Ginny’s room. It’s on the first floor,'' Mrs. Weasley announced when they crossed the Burrow's front door. She looked around, searching for her daughter who was a couple meters behind, struggling with her own bags. Why did she bring so much stuff? ''Ginny! Can you help Juliet set a bed? I've put extra blankets and everything you'll need on your desk.''

The younger Weasley nodded and grabbed Juliet's hand and led her up the stairs, excited to have a friend over and having a sleepover.

The room was small - not to say tiny - which was to be expected with such a huge family. The girls put their stuff away and set Juliet’s bed right by Ginny’s. It was a bit cramped, but it was only for a couple days.

Once everything was set, Juliet came back down and followed the yummy smell to the kitchen.

''Where's Ginny?'' Molly asked.

''Bathing. Neville wasn't sitting when the train took off and spilled pumpkin juice on her shirt,'' Juliet explained, shaking her head at Neville's mishaps. That boy was so clumsy!

''Well, come and sit. Dinner should be ready soon.''

Juliet pulled one of the many mismatched chairs and sat down. One of the twins was at the table, but she couldn’t tell if it was Fred or George. Hopefully by the end of the stay she’ll be able to tell them apart.

''So...you’re Black’s daughter?'' Fred asked as he subtly tried to steal some cookies that were cooling on the counter while his mother's back was turned.

Since Sirius' escape from Azkaban, it was difficult not to bring up her father every time Juliet mentioned her name. It didn't help that she looked so much like him. She had become well known over the past year despite Remus' attempt to hide her from the wizarding world. Not the magic, but people.

Although the Black family was part of the sacred twenty-eight and very high in the wizarding world's hierarchy, Sirius Black was considered a traitor. Therefore, as his daughter, Juliet was considered as so too. People could be so vile and quick to judge - even toward a fourteen years old girl.

Fred, though, didn't mean any harm.

''In the flesh,'' Juliet responded proudly.

''What does it feels to have a father on the run?''

''Fred! Don’t harass our guest,'' Molly warned, eyes on the cooking pot. ''And don't think I didn't see you stealing cookies.''

The two teenagers chuckled.

''It’s fine, Mrs- Molly. It doesn't bother me. I can handle the questions.''

''Well, you two can do that later. Dinner is ready.'' She turned to her son. ''Go get your father, he's in the yard studying another bizarre muggle invention he got his hands on.''

Fred left and she then proceeded to call out the rest of the kids, making Juliet jump. She had not expected Molly to have such a loud voice.

Seconds later, everyone stumbled in the kitchen, scurrying for seats. Ginny, freshly out of her bath, sat next to Juliet, telling her all about the delicious dish her mom had prepared tonight - and the desert. Ron arrived next, sitting on her other side and making a dash for the bread in the center of the table, taking a big bite and chewing like a cow. How charming.

''Apparently it's called a toaster. You put bread in it and it springs up when they are grilled and ready. It's bloody brilliant!'' Mr. Weasley explained as he walked in, Fred on his heels. He kissed his wife’s cheek and made his way to the table where all the kids were. ''Smells good in here.''

''I've never met him. Sirius. He was wrongly sent to Azkaban before I was old enough to remember him. I've only seen him in pictures,'' Juliet told Fred when he sat down beside his twin.

''Our father says he killed thirteen muggles and an old friend, Peter Pettigrew,'' Percy said, reaching for a piece of bread from the basket on the table.

''Percy...'' Mr. Weasley warned loosely.

''There is no proof. There was no body-'' the raven haired girl defended, only to be interrupted by Percy.

''Where is Pettigrew then?'' he asked with an eyebrow raised, scoffing when Juliet didn't respond. ''Sirius Black is a murderer. I hope the dementors find him very soon and put him back where he belongs. He deserves to rot in Azkaban for his crimes.''

Tears welled in Juliet's eyes at Percy's words and accusations, but she refused to let them spill. Was this what Percy really thought? Or was he repeating what he's heard from his father and other wizards?

''Percy!'' Molly scolded. ''That is no table talk.''

.

By 10pm, Ginny had already gone to bed, tired from the day. Juliet had been a bit bummed, but she stayed downstairs with the other Weasleys. Ron and George were disputing a game of chess in the living area, making the most of the time they had left before their bedtime. She had watched them for a few minutes, but then decided to get some fresh air.

She sat on the small wooden patio and raised her eyes to watch the stars, secretly hoping she could put her astronomy lessons to application. Since she was a kid, Juliet always loved looking at the starry night sky. It helped calm her mind. Maybe it was part of her bloodline? The Blacks had a penchant for astronomical names and took their names from stars or constellations. Even Juliet had carried on with the tradition. It was subtle, but Sirius had chosen the name very carefully.

''What are you doing out here?'' Fred asked, coming from behind. He had a thick sweater - most likely knitted by Molly -, shielding him from the late night air.

''Looking at the stars, although I can’t seem to find any stars I’m looking for tonight.'' Juliet frowned, disappointed and annoyed. ''I thought it'd be easy. I’m usually pretty fast at finding stars and even constellations in Astronomy class...''

''Ah! That’s because Professor Sinistra makes sure what you’re looking for can be seen from where you are. I'll help you.''

Fred took a seat beside her and looked up. He had never been an astronomy nerd, but he could recognize a few. Constellations were harder to find though.

The sky above the burrow was almost always clear which made it easy to see the stars. The view was even better from Ron's bedroom, being on the highest floor of the house.

Fred felt himself close having a crick in his neck when he finally found what he was looking for. A smirk curled on his lips. ''Can you see that one? Over the pond, right beside the Orion constellation.'' He pointed his index in the direction, helping the younger witch find her way in the night sky.

Juliet followed Fred's direction and nodded. ''The one that shines so bright it's almost blue?''

''Yeah. It's the Dog Star, also called-''

''Sirius,'' the raven haired girl finished with a smile, amazed by her new find. She had been trying to find her father's star for months, but Grimmauld Place wasn't ideal for stargazing and she didn't dare ask Professor Sinistra, worried she wouldn't help her because of the star's name.

''How did you know it was that one? Are you a secret nerd, Weasley?''

Fred shook his head, looking down with a small laugh. ''No. You should see my marks... But Bill, my older brother, had an astronomy phase a few years ago. He had a telescope in his room and all. From what I remember, the Sirius star is part of Canis Major which is a winter and spring star pattern. Sirius is the constellation's dog’s nose.''

''Thank you. For showing me this. It’s rare these days that when someone brings up my father’s name it doesn’t have murderer or criminal in the same sentence.''

''Sorry about what Percy said during dinner. He’s a git sometimes. Don’t listen to him.'' Fred didn’t have to apologize on his brother’s behalf, but wanted to, knowing Percy was stubborn and would never. Whether he believed Sirius was guilty or not, he didn’t have to be so cold and crude.

''Perhaps he’s right.'' Juliet sighed, putting her head in her hands in despair. ''I don’t know who or what to believe anymore.''

''It’s okay to be confused. The whole situation feels like it’s missing pieces of the puzzle,'' Fred admitted, platonically putting a hand on her thigh, trying to bring her comfort.

Juliet raised her head and stared ahead. ''If he didn’t kill Pettigrew, where is he? No one has seen him since that night at London. All that was left was his finger.'' The frustration and desperation were clear in her voice.

Fred wished he had answers for her, but he was just as in the dark as everybody else. ''What does Remus think of this?''

''That he’s innocent.''

When she turned old enough to understand what Azkaban was, Remus had revealed her father's whereabouts. He had insisted to be the one to break the news to her, not wanting untrusty wizards or loud mouths - or worse, students - to twist the truth. He told her about the Potters, about...Voldemort, and the wizarding war. Nothing was very jolly, but Remus insisted that she knew. Most importantly, that she knew her father had been accused of crimes he didn't commit.  

Fred thought for a moment, putting his words together. ''Want to know what I think?'' She nodded, turning to look at him with her grey irises. ''I think Remus is the only person alive that knows Sirius well enough to judge your father's intentions and what he's capable of. I also think there a hidden part to every story.''

Juliet frowned, confused. ''I don't get what you're trying to say...''

''I don't think Remus would feed you lies solely to make your father look like a good man to your eyes. If Sirius really did kill those people, he would've warned you about him being the dangerous murderer the Ministry claim him to be.''

[davidmann95]

Thoughts (if any) on DC's April 2021 solicitations?

Let’s take ‘em in order! I should be able to muster up a comment on just about everything one way or another.

Green Lantern #1: Oh this is gonna be bad. Heard only the worst about Thorne’s Future State: Green Lantern, and I assume Jo Mullein’s DCU debut will be wasted here to either function as some kind of ridiculous ‘popularity contest’ with Teen Lantern for who gets the bigger push, or as a way to put TL over with a few “good work kid, you got a future” comments. Also, and granted I don’t know how Morrison will end or this will begin, is the New Guardians angle being immediately dropped?

Robin #1: Dope suit, art, and premise, but it’s Williamson so I don’t care.

Batman: The Dark Knight #1: I’ll read this and I expect to like it, but between this being Kubert’s first big Batman project since Master Race, the ‘old but not quite retirement age yet’ angle, and the title, I’m concerned the shock ending here is that it’s actually a stealth DKR prequel.

The Next Batman: Second Son #1: So they really are committing here, though weird that this kinda makes Ridley’s Future State book basically a longform teaser for this. And I’ll get it as it comes out since it turns out this won’t be in that John Ridley’s Batman collection after all - sorry Dustin Nguyen, I love your stuff but I won’t buy an entire trade of material I otherwise already own just for one new story by you.

The Batman & Scooby Doo Mysteries #1: I got that whole great-looking Scooby Doo Team-Up run by Fisch for free on Comixology, I should read that sometime and see if this’ll be worth getting too as well, because it sounds like a hoot.

Challenge of the Super Sons #1: Glad people who want it are getting it, I do not care.

RWBY/Justice League #1: WILL BE GETTING A POST ALL ITS OWN

Action Comics #1030: His powers waning definitely won’t help the standard pre-run fuming by a lot of Superman fandom, but it’s an interesting pairing with PKJ apparently doing mainly cosmic Superman adventures so I’m curious where he’ll go with it. That it’s particularly cited as being tied to Death Metal might validate my suspicion that the new ‘everyone remembers their entire mainstream publishing histories’ thing will play into Johnson’s description of Clark really feeling his age at the start of the run. And Janin on covers even before he gets in on the book proper! And that Midnighter description!

Superman #30: This sounds like where Johnson’s gonna start with that worldbuilding he touted, and I’m curious; definitely reads in this instance like him shoving Clark and Jon into some swords-and-sorcery-esque territory he’s familiar with.

American Vampire 1976 #7: Not reading, don’t care.

Batman #107: I assume ‘the events at Arkham Asylum’ are the ‘A-Day’ ominously brought up in Future State solicits. Tynion Batman, Jimenez as the regular artist now, whatever the Unsanity Collective is, all entirely my shit. More importantly than any of that though, GHOSTMAKER BACKUPS. And drawn by Ricardo Lopez Ortiz, artist on Steve Orlando’s excellent The Pull! Dope!

Batman: Black & White #5: Any other issue and ‘Jamal Campbell doing a life story of Nightwing’ would probably be the highlight, but in case you somehow hadn’t heard Gillen/McKelvie are making their DC debut on a Batman vs. Riddler story here, absolutely wild.

Batman: Urban Legends #2: Even more excited for this now that I’m onboard for the Grifter and Outsiders stuff given how much those features pleasantly surprised me in Future State.

Batman/Superman #17: Injecting it isn’t enough anymore, I need to be on some kind of constant IV drip with this book. I was wondering whether it’d take the premise to further generational riffs or follow a history of mass-media Supermen and Batmen, but instead it’s veering off in a direction I never could have guessed and I couldn’t be more excited.

Batman vs. Ra’s Al Ghul #6: NOTHING CAN STOP THE ADAMSVERSE. NONE MAY DARE TRY.

Batman/Catwoman #5: Wondering how this Harley involvement plays in - I don’t imagine it’s quite what it seems given how King’s written her before. And love that Joker by Mann on the cover, major Clown at Midnight vibes.

Catwoman #30: No reason to assume this run won’t continue to rule.

Crime Syndicate #2: Dammit, I don’t think this book is going to be good, but I’m kinda tempted.

Detective Comics #1035: Wouldn’t be psyched, but Dark Detective was another pleasant surprise so I’ll give this a chance.

The Dreaming: Waking Hours #9: Again, not reading.

Far Sector #11: Sucks a little knowing we’ll never see that little ‘Young Animal’ label in the corner again after this wraps. At least it’s going out on its highest note.

The Flash #769: In a vacuum this would sound dope but I have less than no faith in this, and goddamn that’s a terrible cover.

Harley Quinn #2: I’m sure it’ll be fine, no interest.

The Joker #2: I wanna believe Tynion will be able to make this work, he keeps talking like he has more freedom on this than he has some other books, but everything about this reads like the price he has to pay for relative post-Joker War freedom on Batman.

Justice League #60: It’s Bendis/Marquez on Justice League, lots of people will complain but I’ll mostly dig it. More interested in Ram V briefly getting to write the main crew in the JLD backup.

Man-Bat #3: I’d ask why this exists - and as a matter of fact I still do - but checking out some of DC’s digital-first output recently I see Dave Wielgosz has something on the ball, so maybe he’ll be able to make this work? Perhaps I’ll check it out in trade someday if worth-of-mouth is on its side.

Nightwing #79: I maintain, this is gonna be huge. And clever move to make for how to justify Nightwing keeping up his standard way of business after Bruce loses most of his money.

Rorschach #7: A comic I will purchase and let’s continue leaving it at that.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #109: DC’s highest-numbered comic (that hasn’t gone through an interim renumbering), astonishing. Not getting it myself, but respect.

Sensational Wonder Woman #2: Can’t say this sounds like my thing.

Suicide Squad #2: I’ve been swayed into checking out the Future State debut, but that’d have to really blow me away for me to follow into the main book.

Superman: Red & Blue #2: Sadly if unsurprisingly DC’s clearly not stacking this with AAA attention-grabbing names in the same way as this latest version of Batman: Black & White, but there do seem to be some interesting names from outside the usual big two roster here. And the main and Bolland cover may disappoint but holy cow that David Choe variant.

The Swamp Thing #2: I have no doubt it’ll be incredible but time and again I learn I simply don’t have it in me to care about Swamp Thing regardless of the objective quality of the effort put into him.

Sweet Tooth: The Return #6: Another one I’m not interested in.

Titans Academy #2: Oh lord so this is where they stuck Billy Batson.

Truth & Justice #3: I continue to have no idea what if anything the unifying idea of this anthology is supposed to be.

Wonder Woman #771: Wonder Woman as troubleshooter for mythological mishaps isn’t a permanently sustainable or desirable status quo but I’m down for it for as long as it lasts if it’s any good (though that Immortal Wonder Woman preview...concerned me, in spite of Jen Bartel’s jaw-dropping art).

So that’s 19-23 out of 37 I’ll be getting - if DC’s standard for success with Infinite Frontier is the proportion of their line people will be checking out, I guess it’s winning with me.

[c-c-cherry]

HELL YEAH I HAVE SOME BRUNO :D

I fuckin love Bruno. Can’t really explain it, stoic/parental characters and found family tropes are just drawn to me and writing it just gives me immense joy! It’s time to dive right in this, babey >:)

Also I’m sorry for the recent inactivity. School’s been kicking my fucking ASS and I need to put in more time for that right now, so things might be slower until Holiday break. Hope y’all can bear with me a bit :)

//content warning for whump-related shit (sickness, major injury, drugs etc..)

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

Pain Tolerance

-When it comes to physical injury, he can handle almost anything with grace

-With a job like his, it always helps to be quick on your feet and resourceful enough to save your life

-He’s not stupid, either. When he’s hurt in a way that he can’t fix himself, he doesn’t hesitate asking someone who actually can help

-He doesn’t particularly like it when people help him out because he’s supposed to be this omnipotent leader figure, but he won’t be stubborn when it comes down to it. He hates wasting time more than he hates showing weakness

-No one can tell him that Sticky Fingers ≠ instant stitches because that stand can get shit done

-Is it sanitary? Not really. Does it hurt a shit ton? Yeah. Does he care? Take a fucking guess y’all >:)

-This man is used to putting up with shit in order to survive and trained himself to take pain in waves. If he can just ride through it, he’ll eventually be able to function again

-Sometimes hesitating isn’t an option. Neither is acknowledging that the bullet wound in your side is bleeding out and logically you should be unconscious from how painful it is

-It takes a certain person to quite literally hold off on their own pain to help others (partly because they aren’t ready to acknowledge it) but Bruno is definitely that saviour-complex, martyr type

-He could have a fucking bullet still in his side but he’s too busy to worry about it because Narancia might have a concussion or Fugo’s arm is broken or they can’t find Giorno amid the stand battle the possibilities are endless

-The one thing he can’t seem to shake off? Getting drugged.

-He almost always has control over his surroundings with any other mishap but once his brain is messed with like that, he’s basically done for

-It doesn’t really help that he’s a lightweight with recreational things in general, but heavy stuff used for spiking or kidnapping absolutely fucks with him

-His stand completely shuts down, he loses control of all his surroundings,,,basically everything he relied on to get through stuff in the past is off the table

-It doesn’t happen very often, but when the gang has had to deal with him like that, its like watching someone’s entire self completely break down

-Suddenly any kind of feeling or pain is amplified and it’s unbearable. It’s awful seeing someone who’s usually so stoic act in such a manner, but it’s almost,,,,cathartic? It reminds all of them that he’s human and his stoicism shouldn’t be taken lightly

Injury

Rule #1 of Bruno’s moral code that doesn’t really make sense but you can’t really argue with him on it: DO NOT BRING HIM TO A FUCKING HOSPITAL.

-He’ll flat-out refuse to go

-Things are much easier now that Giorno is on their team, but things used to be borderline nightmarish during pre-canon missions that went awry

-He’ll have no problem recommending getting professional medical help to anyone else on the team, but there’s no way in hell you could make him go himself

-He hasn’t set foot in a hospital since his father was in one, and and plans to never go in one again

-To him, the medical system failed him (even though there was nothing they could virtually do)

-It’s an irrational way of thinking, but he refuses to talk about it either way

-Even when he is injured enough to require going to a doctor he can usually repress it, usually because he’s in shock, and his mind convinces him that he’s absolutely fine

-His refusal to acknowledge when he’s injured sometimes can get him in deep shit though

-Abbacchio is beyond counting on his fingers how many times a mission will be over and Bruno will be cooking dinner or reading a book and suddenly stop and get this look and Leone will be like “you good?”

-And Bruno just sets his book down and says:

“I fractured my arm and dislocated my elbow earlier today. I should probably look at it now, shouldn’t I?”

in the calmest fucking voice on the planet.

-Sometimes Bruno will just go on about his day and won’t have the chance to tell them calmly because suddenly blood is leaking out of the side of his head or they find him passed out oN THE FLOOR INSTEAD

-Needless to say it gives them all fucking heart attacks all the damn time

-Its actually so common post-canon that the gang has to do routine checks on each other to make sure no one is “withholding any injuries” (but they all know who the rule was really created for)

Sickness

-The. Most. STUBBORN MOTHERFUCKER

-Extremely irritable and hates not being able to do anything. Most people when they’re sick either get very clingy or very bitchy and we all know which one he’d be

-This is nothing like injury. He’ll KNOW he’ll be fine because it's just a fever, so to him that automatically means that no one is obligated to know and/or care regardless of how shit he’s feeling

-He either pretends it’s not happening at all, or he hides away in his room or some zipper dimension until he’s totally fine again

-Hates, and I mean HATES it when people try to take care of him

-Maybe he wants it. Maybe he doesn’t. Either way, he feels too selfless to “make someone do all that” for him

-Though Abbacchio and Fugo would refer to it more as self-destructive than selfless (but they aren’t exactly ones to talk)

-Seriously high fever? It’s just really hot in here, better turn the heat down.

-Can’t fucking breathe because he’s coughing so hard? No no, they still have another mission today to get through. Just have some tea and you’ll be fine

-So nauseous that he can barely stand up on his own? Probably just need to drink some more water today

-The KING of sick denial. The embodiment of the “parents don’t get sick because they don’t have time to” myth

-The times when they do catch him before he can disappear is when stuff is really bad. He’s gotta be too weak to move for them to pounce on him and force him to take care of himself, and even then he will only let Abbacchio do things for him because he doesn’t want to seem like a weak role model for the rest of them ;-;

-Bruno makes the best soup for when the rest of the gang catches something but Mista pulls out the good shit and makes the best fucking food for sick Bruno and it’s very wholesome and nice :)

Emotional Stress

-Bottles up everything, and I mean EVERYTHING until his limbs are fucking shaking and he’s unable to do anything else but sit there and cry

-He feels like he has to be stoic and emotionless most of the time, and although everyone knows that Bruno’s a bleeding heart, he’s also very reserved when it comes to what he really needs

-Things like nightmares or his father or things that happened to him in the past or things that you need to talk about to get off your chest are things that he keeps to himself

-Taking on too much and overworking himself is how he distracts himself from most things. He’d rather just pretend that things aren’t happening then confront it and end up breaking down

-It always comes out in the worst ways. He’ll start snapping at people when he normally would never, stops sleeping and eating, drinks too much even though he knows that it does nothing for him

-He hates the fact that he doesn’t tell people when he’s hurting, but he can’t bring himself to do it without thinking about how weak it would look on his part

-He zips himself away and cries in secret, but everyone can always tell when his nose is too red or the light is gone from his eyes later that day

-When things get bad, his hands will shake. It's almost an unconscious action that happens when he’s thinking too much about things or when he hasn’t gotten nearly as much sleep as he should, but it's extremely noticeable and he despises the fact that he can’t do anything to stop it

-His face and body will look completely put-together but the gang’s eyes will drift to the trembling paperwork that his hands are holding

-Fugo or Abbacchio will usually pull him aside and ask him if everything’s alright and the answer is always arguably a no

-It usually ends up with Leone dragging Bruno somewhere alone or kicking the rest of them out and just letting him let everything out

-Sometimes it’ll take hours and these giant “blow-ups” happen more often than they should, but Leone’s just glad that he’s communicating, even just a little bit

-Once things blow over, they actually talk. They find solutions as much as Bruno doesn’t want to, and things really don’t seem as bad once he starts actually talking about them

-The rest of the fam comes home and makes dinner/finishes up his paperwork for him and they all watch a warm-hearted movie together :3

-He loves giving people hugs because he’s all about that family love, but asking for one is a whole other story (good thing Narancia and his impeccable emotional intelligence always swoop in for a hug when Bruno looks like he’s on his last legs) :))))

-No one said opening up was going to be easy, but he’s got his supportive Passione fam to help him out when he needs it most :’)

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

I actually had some fics in mind while writing this list! If you want some Bruno whump to inhale, here’s what I was thinking of while writing this: 

The Mighty Fall by @lady-wallace​

Only Bend When It Breaks  and Night go Slower by roktavor

and Yet here he was by Your’s Truly!!

[deathlikesdeep-dish]

Inspiration (Zoro x Reader)

Hi all!! 

This is one of my submissions for the lovely @nakunakunomi​‘s 750 followers event! Many well deserved congratulations for reaching that milestone! 

Cliche: Everyone thinks we’re already dating, but we’re just best friends. Oh wait--

 Random word to include: Inspiration

Word Count: 1906

No warnings, just some cussing as per usual! Takes place Post Enies Lobby, Pre-Thriller Bark. Gender neutral reader pairing!

(read after cut)

He is normally able to keep these sorts of thoughts at bay, however, there are particular, special moments--like when the morning sun warms your skin and seems to melt the anxiety from your features, or when you let out a contented mmm when you eat your favorite food, or when your laugh is so boisterous that it instantly attracts everyone’s attention--in which Zoro is unable to ignore their quiet insistence. 

You’re beautiful, he thinks.

The first time he had that thought, it caught him completely off guard. Before, Zoro had not considered ideas such as beauty. Sure, he found that his swords were beautiful, but not necessarily in an aesthetic way, though they were certainly visually pleasing. Their beauty, he decided, was more in what they represented, rather than their corporeal make-up. They represented power, assiduousness, and loyalty--a promise that he made long ago, and a promise he made to his captain. 

But you. You have redefined this word, and many other words, for Zoro. 

Never one to trust easily, Zoro had been wary of you at the beginning. Following the events at Enies Lobby, Zoro knew that the Strawhats would be targeted now more than ever. Each new place they encountered was rife with opportunities for mishap, and Luffy had a bad habit of inviting strangers into their world and asking questions later. But Luffy hadn’t been wrong so far. And he wasn’t wrong about you either.

You’ve been talking for the last few minutes, he is peripherally aware, but he has missed pretty much the entire conversation. 

“Zoro?” You ask, and he is pulled from his thoughts.

“Mmm,” he responds, not looking up from his weights. The two of you spend the majority of your off time together in the Crow’s Nest. Zoro does his training, and you are content to read a book, take a nap or occasionally spar with him if you’re feeling brave. This fact, of course, was only fuel for the rest of the crew to concoct rumors of your “secret romance.” 

“Zoroooo!” Chopper had asked Zoro one day. “Franky said that you and y/n were, I think he called it “bumping uglies” and I’m wondering what that means and if it’s happening.” 

Zoro had throttled Franky for that, which naturally only made things worse and confirmed the crew’s suspicions in their minds. None of it was true, however. You and he were nothing more than friends. The best of friends.

In all of his life, Zoro had never found someone that was quite as compatible for him as you. Yes, he swore his fealty to Luffy from the moment Luffy had set him free from his Naval bonds, but this compatibility was different. You and he moved together, in sync without trying. It was almost as if the two of you had been charged with the same energy, and separated by time and space only to be brought back together by some fated cosmic event. Zoro would have rolled his eyes at the concept in the past, but there was something between you that he could not explain. 

So, as with everything social-emotional component of life that Zoro did not understand, Zoro tucked these thoughts and feelings away, deep down in a place that only he could access. He wasn’t sure if even you were aware of their existence, but he certainly was.

“Zoro,” You try again and he puts his weight down.

“Yeah?” He replies absently. 

“What’s going on with you today? You seem...off,” You say.

He turns his back, knowing that you will see something behind his eyes should he show them to you. He replies. “I’m fine, y/n. Didn’t sleep much last night.”

“Well,” You say with a quiet laugh, walking over to him. “That is a cause for concern.” You fold your legs and sit down in front of him. He avoids your gaze and does not respond. 

You are worried, he figures. 

“Nah, don’t worry about it, y/n,” He says. “Just had crazy dreams all night, I guess.” 

He can tell that you are not satisfied by his answer, but you don’t say anything further. He is grateful for this, because he doesn’t know exactly how he would respond if you pushed him any further. 

“Mm,” you say, unsatisfied, and pick at your fingernails anxiously.

It is silent for another long few minutes. Zoro can feel the air thickening in the room. He doesn’t like being so uncomfortable around you. In fact, he hates it. It had been such a rare occurrence up until recently. But things had shifted between the two of you as of late. One day last week, you and Zoro were hanging out as you normally did in your down time, when Sanji called the crew down for dinner. 

“Bout damn time,” Zoro had grumbled, hopping to his feet and holding a hand out for you to take. When you grabbed his hand, he had pulled a bit too forcefully, resulting in you losing your balance and tumbling directly into Zoro’s arms.

He was immediately aware of your closeness, the thin fabric of your shirt allowing your warmth to seep onto his bare chest under his coat. Suddenly, his senses were heightened. Your faces were so close that your noses were touching, and he could feel your breath fan across his cheeks and his lips. He had let out a shuddering breath when your eyes met, and he could tell that you were also experiencing the current of electricity flowing between you. 

“Zoro! Y/n!” Luffy had called obnoxiously, jarring you both. “It’s time for foooood!!” 

Zoro immediately let go of your hand and took a step back. He was able to clear his mind when you were a few paces away. 

“We should go,” You had mumbled, averting your gaze and walking ahead of him.

Zoro’s mind went back to that moment. It couldn’t have been more than 30 seconds, but it had felt like far, far longer. Every inch of skin that had made contact with your body was warm and tingling. Even now, he could feel the remnants of your presence. 

This is Y/N. Zoro reminds himself internally. We’re best friends. You know how hard it is for you to make friends. You can’t jeopardize this relationship by letting that kind of shit get in the way. 

Little does Zoro know, you’ve been thinking about the same moment. But unlike Zoro, you’re not going to let this tension go unresolved. You know that Zoro would let this go forever without saying a word. He’s patient like that, you’ve realized. And as much as he tries to hide it, he’s terrified of losing people. Of losing you.

“Zoro, we need to talk,” You finally say.

His stomach drops and his heart begins to race. Ah, shit. He thinks to himself. 

“Yeah?” He replies, clearing his throat. He still hasn’t looked at you. You need him to look at you.

“Look at me.” Your voice is low and serious, pleading.

Zoro’s silver eyes finally reach yours. He is immediately disarmed, as he knew he would be. Your gaze is quiet and tender. He feels his chest tighten at the sight.

“What’s going on?” You say quietly. “Are you--” You pause for a moment, shifting closer to him. “Are you angry with me? About the other day?”

He hears the fear in your voice, and he is taken aback by the question. “Angry with you? What could I possibly be angry with you about?” Zoro is almost offended. How could you possibly think he could ever be angry with you? How could you possibly think that you are anything but his inspiration? Sure, Luffy was his motivation to be a better swordsman. But you. You were the reason for him to be a better man.

“You’ve been distant,” You insist. 

He runs a hand through his hair, balling his fist frustratedly at the nape of his neck. “I’m not trying to be,” He says through gritted teeth. “I’ve just…” He starts to say, but immediately regrets it. “Never mind.” 

“You don’t get to do that,” You object, raising your voice slightly. “You don’t get to just shut down. We tell each other what’s going on. We’re best friends!”

“Well, maybe I don’t want to be anymore!” He bursts out. The room falls immediately silent. He can hear nothing but his heart in his ears as he watches your face. Crestfallen, he sees silent tears forming at the corners of your eyes and he knows that he has not been clear.

“Goddamn it,” He mumbles, ripping his hand from his hair and clenching his fist tightly at his side. He looks away from you. He knows that he won’t be able to speak if he sees your face. 

“I don’t want to be your best friend.” He says again, pausing for a long moment before speaking again. “I want to be more than that.” 

“Wait, wha--” You start, but Zoro holds his hand up to you, pleading for silence.

“Please, Y/N, let me get through this,” He replies. You close your mouth and wait. “I want to be more than your best friend. I’m--I’m not the best with words or feelings or whatever. But, but...fuck,” He groans frustrated that he can’t articulate his emotions. “I think I’m in love with you. The other day, you were just so close and you smelled so good and your body felt…” He trails off. 

“Zoro…” You whisper. 

“Y/N, I can’t keep things like this anymore. I need…I need more. And I know I’m not in a position to ask for that kind of shit and you for damn sure don’t owe me anything, but, I just need…” 

You’ve crossed the small distance between your bodies and quiet his speech with your finger. “Zoro,” You say again, more gently, smiling. You feel him shiver, the current flowing through his entire muscled body to the finger on his lips, the air sending chills down your own spine. “I think I might be in love with you too.” 

The words land on his ears and he almost feels as if he could burst into tears. His sigh of relief is palpable and the hand that has been gripping his thigh moves to thread through your hair, pulling you closer to him. “Thank fucking god,” he murmurs before pressing his lips to yours. 

The heat that he felt between the two of you that day was nothing compared to the heat between the two of you now. He groans, the pit of nervousness in his stomach slowly dissolving to a different sort of pit. He feels each line of your body pressed against his and makes himself pull back. He wants to be slow. He wants you to be sure. 

He extricates his lips from yours with discontented sigh. “Y/N,” He whispers. “We have all the time in the world. I don’t want to rush you.”

You smile at his thoughtfulness. “I love you, Zoro. You’ll always be my best friend.” 

He smiles in return and kisses the tip of your nose gently before resting his forehead against yours. He is nearly overwhelmed by his joy, relieved beyond belief that you felt the same way. You are his best friend. And now you were more than that too. He can’t find any other words to say. 

“Yeah,” He says. “The very best.” 

[write-something-new-again]

Second-Degree Burns (Dream Team one-shot)

~DreamNapFound (Established Polyamorous Relationship) ~ Warnings: Burns, Major Character Injury, Crying Nick wakes up to sobbing. It’s a rough morning. 

Nick woke up to sobbing. There was a long moment of him laying half awake while his brain revved back to life. While he blinked away the tiredness, he started to notice that the bed seemed short the weight of one person- someone had left. Suddenly he understood what had woke him up.

He shot straight up in bed. Something was very wrong. George softly snored beside him, oblivious. As much as he absolutely hated waking up his boyfriends, this was important. He hesitantly jostled the other boy’s shoulder. “George, wake up, something’s-” A metallic crash and another strangled cry from somewhere downstairs jolted both of them wide awake.

After flinching at the sound, George quickly propped himself up on his elbow. Still wiping the sleep off his face, he mumbled. “Where’s Clay?” The two shared a worried, blurry look. The crying continued. It clicked.

They were out of bed in an instant. With both of them in a frenzy, the doorway and stairs proved difficult to bypass without injury. Minor mishaps and panic aside, they had to find Clay. Now.

It was when the two skidded around the corner into the kitchen that they saw it. Their boyfriend, sitting on the floor and bawling his eyes out. His face was stained red, tears were just streaming right down his cheeks. For a brief second, all they could do was watch him shake with every sob. The sight was just... heartbreaking.

Nick cringed. The boy’s hands trembled in front of him, his fingertips were painted crimson while his palms were singed white. The room was warm with steam, sparkling hot water coated the floor. Not good, not good, not good at all.

In a second flat, George was on his knees and gently holding his trembling wrists. So audibly anxious, he pleaded “Sweetheart, what happened?” It was obvious what had happened, he still felt the need to ask. Clay tried to pull away, tried to curl in on himself and shut all sensory input out. His hands, his head, his chest, everything hurt. Despite the crying and tugging, George held firm.

He had woken everyone up. His hands stung, and so did his eyes, but he had woken everyone up, and that was so much worse.

George didn’t know what to do. His boyfriend was sobbing on the kitchen floor, what was he supposed to do? A hand came down on his shoulder. “Here,” Now Nick was leaning close beside him, a tense smile on his face. His voice was quiet. “Go clean up, I’ve got him.” George cast one more sorrow glance back before letting Nick take his place.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Nick was patient, and he didn’t get frustrated when Clay started shaking his head. He tried again, this time with his hands resting in the wounded boy’s lap. “Yes, it is okay. Let us help, alright?” He tried to ignore it- the sound of his boyfriend choking on his worn down throat. He tried to ignore it and focus on helping instead.

Eventually he was able to wrap his hands around the boy’s wrists without protest. Slowly but surely, the two got back on their feet. As soon as they did, Nick abruptly found himself caught in an awkward sort of hug.

Clay had draped his arms around the boy’s shoulders as best he could while keeping his far away from any kind of touch. He was still whimpering, still wheezing, and still way too overwhelmed. Nick could feel Clay’s chest shuddering. This was torture. He hugged back, trying not to squeeze too hard.

They were both standing up, so at least some progress had been made. While that thought was somewhat comforting, the boy’s hands were still scorched. Nick couldn’t help but grimace, he didn’t know how to treat a burn...why didn’t he pay more attention in health class? He hesitated pulling away, but ultimately decided that the physical safety of his boyfriend was a bit more important than emotional support. Even if Clay was now staring down at him, looking just about ready to fall apart all over again.

“Uhm, let’s go sit down, alright?” A solemn sniff was all he got. Nick squirmed underneath his misery flavored gaze. He bit his cheek and muttered a quick “Good enough,” mostly for his own peace of mind. Immediately, he ushered towards the kitchen table. Wood screamed against the tile as he dragged out a chair.

A few timid steps later, Clay flopped down in his seat. Although he had quieted down, he was obviously no less upset. Nick shifted on his feet. Okay, Clay liked seeing people happy, he knew this much. If Clay saw someone worrying, he’d worry too. It was one of his most endearing qualities, he just hoped it still worked under the current circumstances.

Lowering himself to his knees left him level with his boyfriend’s tear-stained face. Somehow, he managed to suppress his concern in favor of flashing a reassuring grin. “Hey!” It felt wrong to be smiling. Clay’s breaths were heavy and uneven, his face was all shades of red, his hands were singed, and Nick was smiling. Keep it together. “We’re gonna get your hands fixed up. Sounds good, right?”

A moment passed, filled with nothing but the sound of towels sweeping the floor. Then Clay started nodding. Nick almost deflated in relief, they were getting somewhere. He set his hands on the injured boy’s knees and started pushing himself back to his feet. "Alright, I'm gonna go get some stuff to-" Mid-way through standing back up, elbows came down on his hands. His heart skipped a beat as he somewhat stumbled back down to his knees. Nick huffed. "Yes?"

The low-pitched whimper that Clay gave, it only made him feel worse. He didn’t need to hear the words, Nick got the message just fine. Disappointed, pleading, upset eyes begging him please don’t go.

Internal conflict made his head spin. He wanted to do something more than sit pretty. At the same time, Clay’s elbows pressed on his knuckles. How could he leave? Except, duh, he didn’t have to. There were three of them.

Knowing what he was about to ask made his cheeks flush. He brushed his thumb over the hem of Clay’s jeans. “George?” A squeak of acknowledgement, a short hum of curiosity. The british boy’s stare was blank. Nick sighed, this was just pathetic. “Can you...look up how to treat a uh, hot water burn?”

To be completely honest, George didn’t look any more well prepared than he was. “Yeah, just let me get my phone, it’s upstairs.” The boy threw one last towel onto the tile and pulled it flat with a foot before speeding around the corner and out of the kitchen.

For the first time, Nick took a moment to assess the damage. The air was still fogged up with steam, every breath made his nose and lungs warm. A limited array of pots and pans sat in a heap on the counter. As he slowly shifted his gaze down, he couldn’t help but hold a little tighter- Because it almost hurt just looking at Clay’s fingers. It was all just ugly shades of pink, and splotches of red that looked like blood rushing underneath his skin. Hysteria was still on his face with the way his bottom lip trembled. Pale palms, puffed up eyes, not a pretty sight.

Nick took his time adjusting positions until he had his hands gently cupped around Clay’s face. “Love, what happened?” Green eyes stared back at him, dim and gloomy.

The next breath that Clay took shook like an earthquake would LA. “I just…” His voice was undeniably raspy, all sorts of unsteady. “I wanted to make you guys breakfast.”

Ouch. He should have figured that was the case, but still. Ouch. It felt like Nick swallowed a pity-guilt-cocktail, and now his stomach felt sour. Clay wanted to make them breakfast, the sweetheart. Sitting impatiently on his tongue were apologies, kisses, and all the soothing words in the world. The urge to collapse in a puddle of comfort was overwhelming. Unbearably enticing. His brain wanted nothing more than to break down in sympathy and smother everything with unhelpful affection.

He shouldn't. In situations like this, Clay was an emotional mirror. Suck it up, dude. Don't make him upset. Alright, new goal: Keep it calm.

Nick swiped away another one of his boyfriend’s tears before peering back at the kitchen casualties. He couldn’t help but wonder. “Hey,” The pained expression on Clay’s face quickly turned expectant. In the most casual tone that he could muster, Nick cocked his head and asked, “What were you gonna make us?”

The air hissed around them. Clay looked down at his hands. After that, the stove. Then he locked eyes with Nick’s again. His face became unreadable somewhere along the way. “Pancakes...and bacon.” If Nick were to guess, it was grease that did his boyfriend in. Tragic.

But he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. The smell of food was faint, and there was almost no trace of ingredients in sight. Unshelved plates and utensils, they were suspiciously absent. Nick shook his head with a snicker. “Doesn’t look like you got very far,” He teased.

What started out as a wheeze swiftly degraded into a coughing fit. In hindsight, humor might not have been the best route to cheer up someone who had just previously cried away the lining of their throat- but it worked nonetheless! Clay’s feet drummed the floor in delight as he pulled his elbows close to his side. He always did that when he laughed, an adorable idiosyncrasy.

Just as Nick began running a hand through damp and dirty blonde hair, another pair of feet came bounding down the stairs. With it came a subtly panicked voice, “Okay so it says we should run his hands under cool water, not cold, for about 20 minutes.” Eyes still on his phone, George carelessly caught his shoulder on the doorway with a thud. “Ow- uh, it also says we should go to the hospital. Just in case.” Nick twisted around, a frown quickly forming. That’s definitely not what he wanted to hear.

He only noticed that he’d been grinding his teeth when it started giving him a headache. While he himself felt sick with concern, George looked completely lost. With a sharp inhale, Nick did his best to mouth out “Will the water hurt?” It was hard to tell if the message got across or not, because all he got was an overly-bewildered shrug.

“Alright…” His voice held an undertone of dejection, almost defeated. Nick finally rose to his feet, making sure to keep a hand on Clay for solace’s sake. “That’s what we’ll do. We’ll go to the sink, yeah?” Green eyes stared up at him, afraid, vaguely betrayed. He tried to ignore it. A lack of protest would have to suffice.

It hurt walking away, it really did. But readying the sink seemed a little more appealing, even if it granted him only a moment of peace. Behind him: hushed words of encouragement, the sound of wood against ceramics, and slightly staggered footsteps. Cool, but not cold. He shook the water off his hand.

Three pairs of arms soon rested on the rim of the sink. A severely restless vibe buzzed between them. Seeing how Clay had himself hunched over with his hands hovering, wobbling above the water, something in Nick’s head told him yes. This would in fact hurt.  The morning was really off to a wonderful start.

Both Nick and George leaned so that they could share a look behind their boyfriend’s back. A look that said a lot. One that said ‘Do we really have to do this?’, and ‘I don’t want to hurt him on purpose...’ alongside a million ‘What if?” questions. Nick swallowed hard. Excuses sat in his mouth like lead. Set the timer, see if they had any gauze, go find his keys first. In the end, all they would do was postpone the pain- which was arguably worse.

With a deep exhale, Nick forced the words out of his mouth. He went ahead and took a hold of the injured boy’s forearm. “It’ll be alright, we just need to get you all cleaned up.” Except this is when Clay decided that he was no longer on board with this whole ‘having his burns be treated’ thing. He definitely made a valiant effort to tear himself away, but weakened and outnumbered, his boyfriends swiftly overwhelmed him.

“Sweetheart, let’s just get this over with.” Nick so badly wanted to cover his ears. The running water couldn’t quite drown out the sound of Clay hissing in pain. In an instant, the boy jerked his hands out of the water and was trying to wriggle his way back to the kitchen floor. Teeth grit, hearts already broken, Nick and George reluctantly pulled his hands back under the water. Twenty minutes of this? He didn’t even know what to think.

Five minutes in, and Clay was crying again. Crying, stuttering, muttering, tearfully giggling his way through the pain. Both other boys took their turns pointlessly gushing apologies and anything heartening that came to their heads. Everything went understandably unanswered. At some point, Clay had downgraded to shaking his head and shuddering, caught in an endless loop of flinching and twitching. While George’s chin lay resting on a harshly shaking shoulder, Nick decided it was time to pull something he for sure would consider a pro gamer move.

Things almost fell apart the second he stepped away. Taking his hands off Clay’s back alone earned him a metric ton of disapproval. Clay’s face whipped around to face him, blotchy, confused, every shade of frustrated. George on the other hand looked helpless beyond recognition. Looked dizzy with uncertainty. They didn’t want him to go but…

Nick held up a finger, silently saying ‘One sec’, before stalking away towards the living room. Despite every event that had occurred in this train wreck of a morning, they still had a failsafe. Something he knew would help (it always did).

Luckily it was right there on the couch. Sitting innocently with her limbs neatly folded under her, Patches. Wide green eyes stared up at him, blissfully unaware of all his human struggles. Her tail swished and curled behind her. Clay loved Patches. A lot. Every piece of bad news, every distressing thought, every failed recording ended with her in Clay’s arms. She didn’t seem to mind.

After scooping her up to his chest, Nick couldn’t help but plant a quick kiss on her forehead before carrying her back to the sink. It was impossible not to, she was invitingly soft. Adorable. Admittedly very huggable. And smart, too, considering that at the sight of her favorite person crying, Patches immediately began to wiggle out of Nick’s hold. He let her hop onto the countertop and watched her trot up to Clay’s face. She leaned far over the water, just to be closer.

Green eyes- they matched. They matched, both pairs of green lit up like sunshine would the day. Even when Clay went briefly silent, the water kept on running. “P-Patches!” Cool, just not cold.

Patches licked her nose, the white on her chest bristling. Both Nick and George carefully wrapped a hand around their boyfriend’s waist. One last sniff of precaution, and Patches rammed her forehead right into Clay’s face. She twisted and rubbed her ears against his cheeks before settling down on the edge of the sink.

For once, the sound of water was drowned out, and elated giggling took its place. “Thank you for the bonk, Patches.”

Second-Degree Burns

[440mxs-wife]

Merry Ketchmas

Pairing: Arthur Ketch x reader. Other characters: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester

Word Count: 5600-ish (I seem incapable of writing anything short)

Warnings: Slight description of injuries, a kitchen mishap, a little angst but mostly fluff

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was mid-morning, and you were partway through your to-do list for the day. You took a basket of dirty clothes to the laundry room then loaded them into the machine to be washed. You added soap and set the dial for the correct cycle, humming as you left the room.

You had returned to the library and were about to resume reading when the bunker doors flew open. Sam and Dean were trying to maneuver down the spiral staircase, carrying someone in between them.

"Sweetheart?? A little help please?" Dean called.

You ran to the bottom of the stairs to see who was wounded and the extent of the injuries. Your heart flew into your throat as you recognized the man being carried down the stairs. It's Ketch. He's been hurt. Your mind went into overdrive with worry as the trio reached the bottom stair. "What happened?" you asked.

"Werewolf's claws got Ketch in the left leg, and we think he also might have sprained his right ankle," Sam informed you.

"I certainly hope you lads have stocked up on the good anesthetic this time. Not that cheap swill you usually drink," a distinctly British-accented voice drawled.

"All right, I'll meet you guys in the infirmary," you called over your shoulder. You raced ahead of the boys to get everything ready.

"Oh, good, a pretty nurse is here to doctor me back to health. Or, is it a pretty doctor is here to nurse me back to health? Hmm? Lads?" Ketch asked as he began to chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah, pretty nurse, pretty doctor," Dean muttered. "Let's just get you to the infirmary in one piece," he grumbled. Dean was thankful that you were out of earshot before Ketch made his 'nurse/doctor' comments.

By the time the boys arrived in the infirmary, you had the medical supplies set up, such as suture kits and bandages. You also had a washcloth with a basin of warm water on standby.

When they entered the infirmary, you took a quick glance at what you could see of Ketch's injuries. Although he was wearing black pants, you could see the sheen of fresh blood splotches on them. A makeshift bandage was tied around his leg to try and reduce the blood loss.

"All right, fellas, let's get him up on this bed so I can get to work," you directed.

"Darling, shouldn't you allow me to take you out for dinner and dancing first before you get me into bed?" Ketch smirked.

You rolled your eyes at his remark, but your lips were twitching, trying to hold back a grin. You grabbed the scissors to cut his pants leg away so you could see what his wound looked like. You cleared your throat and stared straight into his ocean-blue eyes before speaking.

"Now, be still Arthur, and don't move. If you don't do as I say, I might 'accidentally' slip with these scissors and rid you of something you'd rather keep," you warned. Your voice sounded so ominous that even Sam and Dean backed away from you. "Will you two please hold him so I can cut this away and see what I'm dealing with?" you asked.

From that point on, Ketch mostly behaved himself for the rest of the time it took you to clean his wounds and stitch him up. He was quiet, except for the occasional hiss of pain, at which you mumbled your apologies. Ketch assured you he knew you were doing your best to tend to his medical needs.

You saw that his right ankle was a bit swollen, but determined that it was only lightly sprained. As a precaution, you wrapped it in a flexible bandage, then propped it up on a few pillows to keep it elevated.

As you finished, his adrenaline seemed to have worn off, because he was starting to fall asleep. He was also grumbling about being in pain, so you gave him one of the pain pills from the cabinet. Ketch popped it in his mouth and washed it down with the bottle of water you gave him. You gestured for Sam to hand you one of the extra blankets laying on the other bed. You then draped it over Ketch to keep him warm and from possibly going into shock.

Before you could completely escape, Ketch sat up a bit and caught your hand in his. "Goodnight, Love. See you in the morning," he replied with a drowsy smile, then collapsed back on to the pillow, fast asleep.

You grinned back at the handsome--now snoring--Brit and turned to lean over him. You placed a feather-light kiss to his forehead and directed your attention to Sam and Dean. They both eyed you with quizzical looks on their faces. "What? Oh, shut up," you muttered.

Dean chuckled. "We didn't say anything, did we Sam?" he asked, to which Sam shook his head in amusement.

"Let's just go see about you two idjits, hmm?" you grumbled.

Fortunately, Sam's and Dean's injuries consisted of cuts and scrapes, nothing major or requiring stitches. While they showered and changed clothes, you got to work preparing a pot of chili for dinner. As you put together the components for the chili, you thought about the man currently recovering in your infirmary.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You first met Arthur Ketch after he rescued Gabriel from Asmodeus, and had brought the archangel to the bunker. At the time, Ketch was working for the Prince of Hell as a means of survival after the final battle with the British Men of Letters. When Ketch saw what was happening to Gabriel, he felt it was worth the risk to his own safety to rescue the archangel. Although Ketch wasn't fully trusted by Sam and Dean, he was at least no longer considered an enemy. You, however, had always found him somewhat fascinating.

Arthur Ketch....certainly a handsome devil, with his dark brown, almost black hair and captivating, aqua-colored eyes. His suave and confident demeanor, not to mention that sexy accent drew women in like a magnet. You were no exception, but considering the type of women he was used to being with, you knew you didn't stand a chance. So, you settled for working with him on a few cases here and there. And you tried like hell to keep in mind that his attempts at flirting with you didn't mean a damn thing.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You were so wrapped up in your own thoughts that you didn't even hear Dean come into the kitchen. He placed his hand on your shoulder, which caused you to jump a little, but you quickly recovered. "For cryin' out loud, Dean, warn a girl next time. Scared me half to death," you chided, putting your hand on your heart.

Dean chuckled a little, but apologized for scaring you. "Hey, you okay?" he asked. "You seem a bit distracted right now. Doesn't have anything to do with you having a crush on a certain British patient in the infirmary right now, does it?" he wondered with a smirk.

"I'm fine, Dean. And no, I'm not distra--wait, what are you talking about?!?" you exclaimed.

"I'm talking about your crush on Ketch. It's not like it's the first time I noticed something there, either. Remember that one time you were paired up on that siren hunt, where you were a singer in a nightclub?" he asked. "I could tell that Ketch was definitely 'intrigued' as he would say," Dean remarked.

Sam appeared in the doorway, and had heard what his brother said to you about Ketch. "Yeah, I remember that case. He seemed like he was interested in you, told me that you had the 'voice of an angel'. AND said he was a bit jealous of the guys in the audience you paid attention to during your performances," Sam added.

You continued to stir the chili, not exactly sure what to say to Sam's and Dean's remarks. You remembered the hunt they were talking about. At one point, you thought there might have been something between you and Ketch. Then as soon as it was there, it also seemed to quickly disappear, as did the man himself. Today was the first time in months that you had seen or even heard anything from Arthur Ketch.

"Guys, I hear what you're saying, but I don't think he has any 'feelings' like that for me. Anyway, he's used to being with a higher caliber of female companion. You know, more worldly and refined. I'm just....me," you finished softly.

"Sweetheart, you know--" Dean started but you interrupted.

"No, Dean. I'd really rather not talk about it anymore, so change of subject. Christmas is coming up, and I want to know, what kinds of special foods do you guys want me to make?" you asked, then held up your hand. "Before you say it, Dean, I already know you want pie. I'm asking for other ideas, because I'm starting a supply list," you said.

The boys each thought about it while you continued to work on making dinner. In the end, Sam requested chicken wings and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. In addition to pie, Dean requested meatballs with barbecue sauce and chili-cheese dip.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You wondered if you should ask Ketch about his food preferences, but you didn't want to wake him. With any luck, he was still getting that much-needed rest from his werewolf encounter. With his injuries, there was no way he was going anywhere until well after Christmas, possibly even New Years.

After some research, you found that there were some subtle differences in American vs. British traditions at Christmas. To pull this off, you would be needing supplies not only from the supermarket, but also from a craft store. You made note of these items as you worked.

Making this happen for Ketch had grown to become very important for you. Chances were, it had been a long time since he'd celebrated Christmas properly, if at all. You were determined to show him that he has a family of sorts with you and the Winchesters.

For your grocery list, you wrote down what you would need based on what Sam and Dean had told you earlier in the day. You added a few things for yourself, like for making cinnamon rolls and a breakfast quiche. Your list also included a small turkey, parsnips, Brussels sprouts and tea as items for a British Christmas meal.

In addition to the food, you needed supplies from a crafts store to make Christmas crackers. You'd seen them enough on those British rom-com TV shows and movies you love to watch. You were familiar with the concept of a paper tube covered in foil and twisted at both ends. Two people each take an end, then you both pull until it pops open. What comes out from the inside the tube is usually a small trinket and a paper crown.

After dinner, you stopped by Dean's room and gave him your list. Although he grumbled a little, he agreed to find a craft store that would have what you need. You gave him a hug and thanked him for seeing how important this was to you. He teased you a little more about your crush then got serious for a moment.

"Hey? For what it's worth? I think you are just as beautiful and worthy of Ketch's attention as any of those other type of women you talked about. You're smart, funny, caring and do an amazing job of running this place.

"You have one of the biggest hearts out of anyone I know, because you're always thinking of others first. All of that is part of what makes you beautiful, and if Ketch can't see that, he's not worth your time," Dean finished. He pulled you back for one last hug and kissed the top of your head.

"Thanks, Dean. For everything, running my errands and for everything you said. Goodnight," you replied.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," he returned.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After leaving Dean's door, you went back to your room to change into some pajamas. Your plan for the evening was to check on Ketch, then hang around for a while in case he woke up. You grabbed your book from your nightstand and headed for the infirmary.

You walked over to Ketch's bedside and could see that he hadn't moved much since you put in his stitches. You touched your wrist to his forehead to feel if he had a fever, which could indicate an infection, but his temp felt normal.

Your hand caressed his face as it slid down from his forehead, with your thumb gently stroking his cheek. He seemed to lean into your touch and a noise of contentment escaped his lips. You withdrew your hand, but placed a soft kiss to his cheek.

Once you were satisfied with Ketch's condition, you pulled a chair up close to the right side of his bed and sat so you were facing him. You opened your book to read, but it wasn't long before your eyelids began to droop closed from exhaustion.

Your grip on your book eventually relaxed enough to let it slip off your lap and onto the floor. Eyes still closed, you turned in your chair so that you could lean over and place your crossed elbows on the side of Ketch's bed. Then you rested your head on your left elbow and drifted back to sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You woke to the feeling of someone gently running his fingers through your hair. A couple of times, you'd swear a soft pair of lips pressed themselves to your temple in a lingering kiss. You smiled then opened your eyes, gasping in surprise to find Ketch propped up on one elbow, grinning at you.

"Good morning, darling," he drawled. "I see you drew the short straw for patient watch duties," he quipped.

You giggled. "Good morning to you, Arthur. We didn't draw straws, I came down here of my own accord," you assured him. "Now that we're both conscious, what would you like for breakfast? I can make eggs, pancakes, French toast, omelets so take your pick," you remarked.

"I see this is a full-service infirmary," he chuckled. "In that case, I would love an omelet with whatever ingredients you have on hand, along with a few rashers of bacon? Perhaps a few slices of buttered toast? If I may, that is," Ketch replied.

"Absolutely, it's no problem at all. I think I have some onions, mushrooms, some diced ham and definitely cheese," you remarked, rising from your chair. "Give me a few minutes to take a shower, then I'll get all that put together for you and bring it in here," you said.

"Sounds wonderful, love. In the meantime, could you perhaps help me to the toilet facilities?" Ketch asked.

"Here, I've got it," Sam called out, much to your relief.

"Thank you, Sam," you replied. "I'll be back as soon as I can with your breakfast," you said over your shoulder as you left the infirmary.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Did she stay here all night?" Ketch asked as Sam helped him to the bathroom.

Sam shrugged. "She might have, I dunno. All I know is that after dinner, she was researching something. Next thing I knew, she had given Dean a list of stuff to get at the supermarket and a craft store today," he replied.

"A craft store?!? What on earth would she need from there?" Ketch asked incredulously.

Sam hesitated before answering. It was a perfectly normal question, but to answer it would give away your surprise of a British-style Christmas for Ketch. "She has a project she's working on, and I can't tell you any more than that right now," he answered.

Ketch eased his way back into his bed, being careful to prop up his sprained ankle. "Hmm. Certainly very mysterious, Sam. In any case, whatever it is she's working on will undoubtedly be a rousing success," he remarked.

After about 30 minutes, you reentered the infirmary, breakfast tray in hand. "Here we are, breakfast is ready!" you grinned. You waited until Ketch seemed settled and ready to be served. "We have an omelet with onions, diced ham, mushrooms and cheese, six slices of bacon and four slices of buttered toast. Let me tell you, getting six slices of bacon set aside for you with Dean around was nothing short of a miracle," you chattered.

Ketch looked at the plate of breakfast fare before him and his mouth began to water. "This looks fabulous, darling. Thank you," Ketch remarked softly.

You felt your cheeks grow warm at the compliment and the endearment. "Well," you replied shakily. "Ring when you're done or if you need anything else. I have some Christmas preparations to attend to. A surprise for you-um, I mean, ev-everyone," you stammered.

"What are you up to, my little minx?" Ketch said as he playfully narrowed his gaze.

"N-nothing, Arthur. Well, something, but you'll see when the time is right," you replied with a wink as you left the infirmary. You tried to slow your hammering heart from his flirting in the amount of time it took to walk back to the library.

While you waited for Dean to return from the errands you'd given him, you tidied up the kitchen from making breakfast. By the time you had finished the dishes, Dean had returned from the supermarket and the craft store. He assisted you with preparing the fresh turkey for roasting in the oven and helped clean and cut the vegetables.

Once dinner was in the oven, you turned your attention to making the Christmas Crackers and paper crowns. Sam popped in to check your progress, and to see if he could help you with anything. You sent him to one of the bunker's storage rooms, #12, because you had seen some Christmas decorations while snooping around one day.

What Sam had found was a tree, lights, some garland and you added your box of ornaments from your childhood. He called Dean in to the library, and the two of them got to work putting up the tree and decorating it. You continued to work on constructing the Christmas Crackers until you had a decent supply of them, all ready for popping.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You took a short break and went to your room for some packages you'd bought earlier in the week. When you returned to the library, you brought out your stocking and the ones you had purchased for each of the boys. One for Sam, one for Dean and one for Arthur, because you knew they were hunting together around the holiday. You bought Arthur a stocking in the hope that he would maybe stick around the bunker and celebrate.

After bringing out the stockings and ornaments, you went into the kitchen to check on dinner. The closer you got to the kitchen, the more something didn't smell quite right. "Oh, no no no no no," you panicked. You quickened your pace and yanked open the oven door, only to have a cloud of thick smoke come rolling out of it. “Dammit!” you shouted.

Sam must have been right behind you and reached the kitchen in time to see the cloud coming from the oven. He yelled for Dean, who gently but firmly ushered you out of the way so he could help Sam to get rid of the smoke. They brought in a couple of large industrial-sized floor fans to push the smoke from the kitchen and out the back door.

You sank into one of the chairs at the Map Table, numbly staring at the floor. Silent tears streamed steadily down your face. You couldn't understand what went wrong, how Christmas dinner was now ruined. As soon as it was safe, you were going back to the kitchen to clean up your mess and figure out what happened.

Sam and Dean walked over to you at the Map Table. Each of them laid a hand on your shoulders and knelt in front of you. You slowly lifted your head to look at them. "Are you guys okay? Anyone get burned or anything?" you asked, your voice thick with emotion.

"No, we're fine. We had to throw out dinner, pan and all. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I know what this meant to you," Dean replied softly.

You gave a half-hearted shrug. "It's not your fault, Dean, or yours Sam. It was mine. Somewhere I made a mistake, and now dinner is ruined. I really wanted this to be a special dinner. For all of us, but especially for Arthur.

"I really wanted to give him a bit of home, observe some English traditions. I doubt he's had an opportunity to celebrate many Christmases in his current and former line of work, much like us. I guess I can't even do that right," you sniffled. "If you guys don't mind, I think I want to be alone for a while," you said as you stood up from your chair, headed for your room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ketch cleared his throat as a way to announce his presence. "Lads? Is everything all right? I heard shouting and smelled smoke," he asked. Ketch had found a pair of crutches and hobbled his way into the War Room.

Sam explained to Ketch what had happened, that you had researched British Christmas traditions. He said you were trying to make a traditional British Christmas dinner for all of them, but that it somehow went wrong. "She went to check on dinner, but when she opened the oven door, a bunch of smoke came rolling out. She's pretty upset about it, too. Wanted to make this special for all of us, but especially for you," Sam finished.

"So that's what the little sweetheart was working on, with the craft store list and all," he mused. Ketch felt a warmth in his heart to know that you had gone to such lengths to try and make his Christmas special. Then, he recalled everything you'd done for him since he limped in from the last hunt. You did seem to pay particularly close attention to him and his medical care after the werewolf injuries.

Before Sam mentioned it, Ketch didn't know anything about the type of research you'd done. However, he did remember that you were a bit flustered this morning when talking about your plans for the day. When you add it up, he realized that you'd done those things because you care for him. Maybe even have feelings for him, seeing him as more than a friend.

Ketch started to examine his feelings about you. He's seen how you interact with people, how you give the best of yourself to each and every person. When he limped down the bunker stairs, he noticed how scared and worried you were for him. He saw how you pushed those thoughts to the side in favor of focusing solely on the job of healing his injuries. He knows you're tough enough to run this bunker as well as you do.

But Ketch knows you also have your softer side, with your smile and your laughter, which lighten his heart. When you talk about a particular subject that interests you, your eyes seem to sparkle like the stars in the night sky. And though your hands appear to be soft and delicate, he knows from experience that they are strong and steady. Hands that he wouldn't mind if they explored his body as his hands took their time to learn yours.

"Where is she? I need to speak with her," Ketch asked.

A grinning Sam and Dean both pointed in the direction of your room. They each took a side and escorted Ketch to your bedroom door to make sure he got there safely. Once they were at your door, Sam and Dean left Ketch to speak with you alone, because they had their own mission.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You sat on the edge of your bed for what felt like hours, going over in your mind how things had gone so wrong. The Christmas Crackers had been made, and you thought maybe you should at least share that with Ketch and the boys. You decided to end the self-pity party, and salvage what was left of your attempt at a British Christmas.

As you opened your door, you gasped when you noticed Ketch, standing at your door on his crutches, hand raised as if ready to knock. "Arthur? What are you doing out of bed? Are you all right?" you asked. You took a deep breath to keep yourself from rambling any more. "Please, come in," you said as you guided him into your room and closed the door.

There wasn't anywhere available for Ketch to sit in his current condition, so you helped him to sit up on your bed. His back was against the headboard, with the pillows you put behind him. "I'm just fine, love," Ketch affirmed as he watched you climb up onto the bed, facing him. "Well, I was fine, until I heard about dinner," he replied.

You dropped your gaze to your hands in your lap. "Yeah, me too. I'm so sorry, Arthur. I really wanted to give you a traditional British Christmas. I made Christmas Crackers, which is why Dean had to go to the craft store," you chuckled lightly.

"I confess, I was a bit curious about that when Sam mentioned it," Ketch chuckled in return.

"Well, dinner was supposed to be an oven-roasted turkey with parsnips and Brussels sprouts. That went up in smoke, and I have no idea what I did wrong," you sighed. You looked away, because tears were threatening to start again.

Ketch leaned forward and reached for you to tilt your face up with his index finger. "Maybe it wasn't anything you did, sometimes these things just happen, darling. But, do you know what the upside is?" he asked, to which you shook your head. "You get a chance to make new traditions," he replied with a wink.

"Thank you, Arthur. I appreciate your understanding," you answered shyly.

"I must say, though, I'm flattered. No woman has ever gone to such lengths to capture my attention," he started. "But then again, you've always had it, along with my heart," Ketch remarked softly.

You felt your cheeks get warm again as the meaning behind his words sunk in. "Arthur, what are you saying? That you like me, as in more than a friend?" you whispered as you shifted nearer to him on the bed.

Ketch carefully moved forward, his hand sliding around to the back of your head, his fingers tangling in your hair. With your eyes trained on Ketch's face, you inched closer until your mouths were nearly touching. "So beautiful.....," he said as he smiled softly before closing the gap and capturing your lips with his own.

You sighed into the kiss, reveling in the softness of Ketch's lips as they moved in tandem with yours. His tongue swept across your bottom lip requesting entrance, which you readily granted. Your hands moved up to cradle his face, with your thumbs caressing his cheeks. A small moan escaped your lips, which encouraged Ketch to deepen the kiss.

When the kiss broke, it left both you and Ketch trying to catch your breath. "Wow," you whispered. "That was amazing, Arthur," you remarked.

"Even better than I had imagined," Ketch murmured. "Ever since that siren case, I've been thinking what a mistake it was to have left you, my darling. I hope you can forgive me for being away so long," he said.

You shook your head. "Nothing to forgive, Arthur. I understand the nature of this life. As long as you know that there's a heart, right here, waiting for you to come home to," you affirmed.

"How fortunate I am that you have entrusted me with this heart of yours," Ketch murmured. He took your hand and held it to his chest, above his heart. "Then it is only fitting that as I have your heart, so shall you have mine," he declared.

"Sounds like a perfect arrangement. And have no fear, because I will keep it safe," you promised.

You and Ketch continued to talk in your room, with your conversation occasionally punctuated by kisses and tender touches. Some kisses long and luxurious, designed to take your breath away and succeeding in their mission.

Some kisses were hot and feverish, only going so far until you reluctantly pulled back. You were mindful that Ketch was still recuperating from injuries. However, he hinted that he was looking forward to picking up where he left off after receiving an 'all-clear' on his recovery. Ketch was pleased to see the color rise in your cheeks at his suggestion.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

While you and Ketch were sorting things out between you, Sam and Dean had run into town to replace the ruined turkey dinner. Fortunately, your favorite Chinese restaurant was still open, so they brought back a variety of entrées and appetizers to choose from.

You fixed a plate for Arthur, complete with a little of everything. You placed it in front of him and leaned down for a slow, tender kiss, which he was all too willing to give. This turn of events did not go unnoticed by Sam and Dean, though neither of them said anything. Dean, however, gave you a knowing wink and squeezed your shoulder as you fixed a plate for yourself.

After dinner was finished and the leftovers were put away, you suggested for you all to watch a Christmas movie. You helped Arthur to get situated in a corner of the couch, his right leg stretched out parallel to the back cushions.

Once he was comfortable, he held out his arms, inviting you to snuggle with him. You carefully positioned yourself between his legs, your back leaning against his chest. You covered your bottom halves with the quilt your mother had made for you. Ketch closed his arms around you and took both of your hands, intertwining your fingers with his. He pressed a soft kiss to your cheek, drawing a sigh of contentment from you.

For some unknown reason, Dean was allowed to pick the movie for the evening. For a moment, you thought he was going to pick Die Hard. However, he picked White Christmas, because he knew it was your favorite. From within Ketch's arms, you turned as best as you could to catch Dean's attention and sent him a silent thanks. He winked back and settled in to watch the show.

When the movie was over, Sam and Dean noticed that you and Ketch had both fallen asleep. The boys chuckled, but were happy that you'd found each other and finally confessed your feelings. "They look so cute together," Sam remarked.

"Disgustingly so," Dean agreed. He reached down and gently shook your shoulder, which was enough to wake you.

In turn, you nudged Ketch to wake him up. "Arthur?" you mumbled, still half-asleep.

"Mmm, yes darling?" he replied.

"Time to wake up, so we can go to bed," you murmured as you slowly stood. You held out your hands to assist him in getting up from the couch. Once Ketch managed to maneuver into a standing position, he wrapped his arms around you.

"Shall we, sweetheart?" Ketch asked, then he pecked your lips.

"Right this way, my love," you answered, handing him the crutches. When he had them under control, you slowly walked to your room. You nudged open the door with your foot as you guided Ketch through to the inside. "Bed's big enough for two. Unless you'd rather sleep alone in the drafty infirmary?" you questioned.

"No, no, this is fine. I know I said something about dinner and dancing before you get me into bed. But I suppose it would be all right, since we've done dinner and a movie," he quipped, a sly grin crossing his face.

You giggled, remembering his earlier attempts at flirtation while injured. "You're right, we have had dinner and a movie. Not sure you're ready for dancing quite yet, though," you replied. "Can't wait for that," you remarked huskily.

Ketch climbed back up into the bed as he had done before and waited for you to come out of the bathroom in your pajamas. You were dressed in red plaid flannel pajama pants and a rock band T-shirt. Ketch held his arm out for you to snuggle up to him, resting your head on his shoulder. Once you were settled, he curled his arm around you, holding you close to his side.

You wrapped your left arm around Ketch's midsection and tilted your head up to catch a glimpse of his ocean-blue eyes. Ketch leaned in to press his lips to your forehead, then pulled back a little to tuck a wayward lock of hair behind your ear. "What are you thinking, my love?" he asked.

"I'm thinking....we didn't get to celebrate with the Christmas Crackers I made," you pretended to pout, then broke into a shy smile. "Nah, what I'm really thinking is how happy I am to have you in my life. I love you, Arthur," you replied softly.

"Well, I was kind of anxious to see how your Christmas Crackers turned out, so I could compare them to what I remember from childhood," he remarked. His response earned him a playful swat on his chest from you, then he tightened his embrace a little. "I also am happy to have you in my life, darling. I love you too," he declared, pressing his lips to yours in a slow, sweet kiss.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tags: @janicho88 @yourelivingwrong @akshi8278 @magssteenkamp @swiftlymoniquesblog @lyarr24 @miss-nerd95 @distefano123 @hobby27 @deanwanddamons @jessica-noel94 @wayward-mikaelson @jawritter @jensengirl83 @supernatural-jackles @deangirl93 @ellewritesfix05 @idreamofplaid @like-a-bag-of-potatoes @winchesterprincessbride

[hela-avenger]

poison & wine- part 10

Author: hela-avenger

Word Count: 1810

Summary: Prince Loki of Asgard is in need of a date to take back home. That’s where you come in with a task of your own to make the whole trip with an insufferable prince worth it. Too bad that things don’t always go as planned and you end up giving more than you can take. Fake-Dating AU.

A/N: A little backstory for ya which ends with a pleasant surprise! Shoot me a message if you’ll like to be tagged!

Hela-Avenger Masterlist

Loki takes you on a tour of the royal garden. You knew he wasn’t doing it out of the kindness of his princely heart. He wanted more than you already gave him and you wondered what it could possibly be. Loki knew that you knew something was up and so he decided to just get ahead of it. 

“I have questions,” Loki states. “Questions pertaining to you and your half-immortal life.” 

“Oh, so now you want to get to know me,” you sneer at him. “Funny how things change.” 

“Now that I know you’re not completely mortal, I find you interesting enough to actually want to,” Loki remarks sensing your annoyance immediately. “So let’s start shall we? How old are you?” 

“I’m sure that question is rude to ask a woman in every realm in this universe,” you point out, earning a scoff from him. “But fine, I’m… I’m about 198 years old.” 

“And in Midgardian standards?” 

“24ish.” 

“Hmm,” Loki hums. You were young as he previously suspected you to be. “Does anyone else know about your true lineage?”

“Only Tony and Steve,” you answer. “Tony because he was told by Fury after his death and Steve because… because I knew him from before.”

“From the war? You were there with him?” he asks surprised. You nod and he tries to make sense of it. “You were there when they first found the tesseract.” 

“Contrary to popular belief I never encountered the nuisance of an object,” you tell him. “It wasn’t until later that I found out that it even existed.” 

Loki couldn’t help but stare at you wondering what else you’ve lived through. You were aware of his intense focus on you and you tried very hard to ignore it.

“My story is a long one,” you tell him as you let yourself get distracted by the flowers that seem to reach out for your touch. “It’s best if I start from the beginning and work my way till the end.”

Loki nods in agreement and prompts for you to begin.

“I was born in 1822,” you answer. “Grew up fairly normal and comfortable to my mother’s content, managing to hide her secret for the first twenty years of my life before it all came to a stop.” 

“You stopped aging,” Loki comments.

“I did,” you sigh out. “After turning 19, aging seemed to have grown to a stop. I remained that way for another fifty years. I watched my mother age and die alone because she was afraid of what people might think if they saw me.” 

You take a deep breath trying to relinquish the pain that had taken hold of your chest. 

“I found her journals soon after her death,” you answer. “And I couldn’t… It took awhile for me to actually read them. Found some oddities in the entrances before my birth and that was just the first hint of many that I wasn’t normal.” 

“I was on my own after that,” you tell him. “I left her estate to be taken care of by distant relatives and had to keep moving in order to avoid getting caught on this ageless lie. I managed to avoid all of the wars in my travels. Lying became second nature wherever I went and I avoided getting close to people because of it.”

You shake your head out of the thought knowing you were giving more than was necessary. You hope Loki didn’t notice but he did. He caught the emotion on your voice. 

“Anyways, I avoided the first world war,” you mention. “I was helping out where I could and everything was in such a disarray that no one questioned my agelessness or my not having a husband or kids. Once the war was over, I was on the move again. Time was slipping by quicker by then that I didn’t even notice the change.” 

You pause as you recall the horrors you’ve seen. 

“Another war started up,” you continue. “It was more awful than the last that I couldn’t stand idle on the side anymore, I had to help. I managed to get my hands on some false documentation that allowed me to sign up to be a nurse.” 

You couldn’t help but snort at your cluelessness then.

“I worked my way up the ranks so easily,” you tell him. “I didn’t know why I was so immune to the many diseases going around at the time, nor my inability to get gravely injured or healing as quickly if I did end up hurt. I felt invincible… I hadn’t realized then that I technically was. And because of this mentality, I volunteered to go to the most dangerous locations which then led me to…” 

“The Howling Commandos,” Loki interrupts knowing this story from Thor. “The good old brave Captain.” 

“Yeah,” you laugh. “He was… He was amazing to work with. Not as much fun as…” 

You stop yourself at the thought of him but he’s already invaded your mind. The sound of his laugh echoes in your mind. You feel the brush of his lips against your ear as he quietly sings the word of the song you’re closely dancing to. 

Loki notices your pause and from the look on your face he recognizes where your mind has gone off too.

“You had a lover?” 

“No, I mean… I…” you quickly stammer out a response. “We didn’t have a label on it but we were close. Bucky and I…” 

“Wait,” Loki interrupts. “This Bucky isn’t the one they call the Winter Soldier, is it?” 

You sigh at the label even though it was true. 

“Yes, he is,” you answer. 

“So he knows about your lineage too?” 

“He’s aware there’s someone besides Steve from his past,” you correct him. “He doesn’t know it’s me.” 

Loki glares down at you and you don’t comprehend as to why. 

“Carry on with your story.” 

“Well, from there it’s kind of all textbook,” you answer. “We were turning the tides of the war, releasing so many of our trapped troops, and regaining enemy territory but of course, nothing good ever lasts.” 

“The Man of Winter plummets to his death and soon after the Captain crashes the plane to bury the tesseract.” 

“Against all the rules I had set for myself, I managed to break them,” you sigh out. “I got too close to the squadron and I suffered the consequences of loss. I promptly resigned which in a way didn’t matter as the war had already come to an end.”

Amidst your walk, Loki had led you to a beautiful marble fountain. A bench was nearby and Loki prompted you to take a seat. 

“I disappeared because I had to and I was on my own again,” you tell him. “And I returned to my family estate in need of some change. I repaired what was damaged in my home, updated it, and opened it up as a home for orphan children. I helped run it for as long as I could but had to leave it once the kids started to grow older. I left it with my trusted staff and checked in when necessary.” 

You pause as you notice the figurines in the fountain shift into a different position before freezing up once more. You marveled at it in distraction amazed at the action. 

“What happened next?” Loki asks snapping your focus back to him. 

“Nothing really,” you answer as you turn to him. “I travelled the world like I always do until I was caught by SHIELD, most specifically Director Fury.”

You chuckle at the memory. 

You had been in the middle of the frozen section at some grocery store trying to decide which pint of ice cream to take home. Nick had just plucked one and thrown into your basket making the decision for you. That was the only time you let him do as he pleased when it came to you. 

“Apparently, Thor’s arrival on Earth prompted them to do some research which then made them aware of an incident two hundred years prior,” you explain. “And that’s when Fury found me, realized who I originally was, and made me aware of my true lineage. He tried to convince me into working with him but I refused. Threatened to lock me up and I laughed.”

Loki can’t help but join you in your amusement. Fury was not a man he was fond of and it seems you hadn’t liked him either. 

“In the end, he let me go. Said he would keep an eye on me in case I tried something,” you tell him as your laughter died down. “But then he calls me up again, hoping that I would be able to help him with a private matter.” 

“Steve Rogers…”

“Yes,” you answer. “And that’s how I got reunited with an old friend. I tried to help him acclimate to the modern world but it became disrupted upon your arrival. Fury tried to have me stay back and help but I feared for the aftermath of war and knew that my help was needed there. So I aided New York in recovering from the attack and that’s how I became acquainted with the rest of the Avengers. They all think I was a very brave civilian but Steve, and later on, Tony knew better.” 

Loki nods happy that you skipped his role in your story. He did not enjoy being reminded of his failures. 

“Things kind of blur together from there,” you tell him. “There was that mishap in London, Fury’s death, Hydra, Bucky being alive, Ultron… and a few bumps and bruises later here we are now. The end.”

Loki rolls his eyes at your conclusion knowing you failed to mention one very major detail. 

“You wasted a lot of time on information that I could frankly care less about.” 

“Alright, your majesty,” you mutter in annoyance. You had hoped your tale of woe would satisfy him but it hadn’t. “What is it that you want to know?” 

Before Loki could ask the remaining burning question in his mind, he hears a chorus of laughter nearby. He seeks out the source noting the familiar dresses of his mother’s ladies in waiting from across the fountain. Loki didn’t enjoy their new audience and curious gazes on them. They were most likely gossiping already which after slight consideration could work for him if he played it right. 

The opportunity for Loki to ask you about your father is gone but he was still able to gain something out of you. 

“Loki?” you ask, gaining his attention once more. “What did you want to ask me?” 

Loki’s grin makes an appearance again and you grow weary of it. 

Your suspicions are confirmed right as he takes a gentle hold of your chin and sets his lips onto yours.

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