#and hope to take action to lessen the impact of the thing soon it just takes time ya know

[napping-sapphic]

hehe~~ i am soooooo sleepy and tired right now :3 i’m all cuddled up in all my blankets🥰 so warm and comfy hehe…..oh and also my past is haunting me😐

[dairy-farmer]

As much as I love the scenario where Ra's kicked Tim out of the window and Dick couldn't catch him in time, I want to talk about Damian's cutting Tim's line. And even though I really like it when everyone is in love with Tim, for this scenario some characters can be a little heartless... Well, I hope you will enjoy it

The moment Damian cut his line, Tim was actually prepared for this type of move. He just had only thought that given how Dick's parents's death happen, this little demon would actually think about his actions. And with every person he saw talking about how far Damian has became...

It was an instant death. Tim hit his head on a ledge as he started to fall, couldn't do anything to lessen the impact

Damian didn't control the corpse. He just thought Drake would just got up and start to annoy him again. Even something happened to him, who would care? Grayson choose him over this pretender, his father didn't come back right now, Todd hate him just like himself... He did something good for everyone

The body was not found by any of the vigilantes. One of the patrolling police officers checked in when he saw a trace of excessive blood in the alley, and was greeted by Red Robin's already cold body.

The first thing Commissioner Gordon did after turning on the bat light that evening was to send his condolences to Batman. When the person in the costume did not understand what he was talking about and looked at him with blank eyes, he got angry and shouted that how Red Robin was one of the children working for this goddamn city, saying that at least a proper funeral should be held for him

Dick could feel the control of his body slipping away as soon as the words Red Robin came out of the commissioner's mouth. He had seen Tim only yesterday, his younger brother's anger at him hadn't fully subsided, but at least he was starting to stop by the cave. And Damian didn't mention any problems with the patrol last night. Everything had to be a joke. A disgusting joke that won't be laughed at later on...

He only remembered that as soon as he saw the body, which had already cooled down and his eyes were open, he started screaming. The fact that all the police officers around him left him alone, that he whispered Tim's name by holding the body of his little baby that would never grow up again, that he returned to the cave with the body in his hand was done in a completely shocked moment and that if someone asked him to tell them, he would not be able to say anything

As soon as he regained consciousness, he had contacted Barbara and asked her to check all the cameras. If anyone thought that they could rip off his baby bird's wings and get the collar off, they were very wrong. This time, no one would be able to bring back the human or monster he will kill

The scenario with the Joker would not happen again...

But everything changed when he saw the records. When Tim tries to fly without a safety net, just like his parents, and Damian, who he believes has truly changed, cuts off the only thing keeping the boy in the air...

Everything became a chaos...

Dick grabbed Damian, who had just come from school, by the throat and stuck him against the wall, spewing poison in an instant. Alfred had to give Dick a sedative to prevent it from turning into a bloodbath, which shattered Dick's last shred of trust in everyone living in the Manor

Dick took care of all the funeral procedures without Bruce returning from the time stream. He took all of Tim's belongings from the manor from his old room to take them to the house he was going to move into, went into the room with Leslie, the doctor who performed the autopsy of the lifeless body, and took it upon himself to wash Tim one last time before putting him in the coffin

When Bruce came back and learned that Tim had passed away, he was, of course, devastated for a while. But then he decided to put his feelings aside and think rationally. He didn't do Damian's education himself, he wasn't in charge of his biological son during that time and Tim didn't expect Bruce to save him when he died, so unlike what happened the previous time, this Robin's death wasn't his fault, was it?

As soon as Jason found out he was thinking about it, he shot and told him that any bat would never be able to set foot on Crime Alley again...

He made the decision to leave the family completely and continued to talk to only completely collapsed Dick, who lived in his area. He tried to make sure his older brother ate at least one meal a day, remembering when Tim told him how everyone changed after Jason's death, seeing with his own eyes, Jason believed that at least he owed it to that little boy who was trying to save everyone

Dick never stepped into vigilante life again. He was constantly hearing Tim's voice around him and was trying to get on with his life completely collapsed with sadness. Whenever he tried to do any gymnastics moves, he remembered their first encounter at the circus, looked at the old photo and believed that he was cursed as the only living person out of the six there

For Damian, I think he'll really realize what he did as he gets older. And he'll want to use the name of his older brother, who will never be older than him and who he will never really know, to honor him.

Just one night, Red Robin soared through the skies years later. As soon as Dick gets the news of this, he will shout at Damian that he has no right to this kind of thing and will not let Bruce display it in the cave like he did with the other costumes, and take it back to his own house

For the girls, every year on the day of his death, Barbara would turn off her system and watch every single image she found about Tim over and over again. After Cass tried to kill Damian, because how dare he touched his baby brother, she wouldn't set foot in Gotham again except for the cemetery visit while Steph would visit the cemetery every week to talk about anything that came to her mind

Even if the body six feet underground will never speak again...

For Lazarrus Pit, I think after the days he spent on the League Tim would have a testament about his death and how he don't want anything Ra's offer... And everyone agreed to Tim's last request even it kills Dick over and over again with knowing how he can bring his baby back but he couldn't do it without someone knowing...

Or maybe he can?..

Tim will forgive him for not doing what he wants, he loves Dick so much just like his older brother loves him too...

He can be with his baby again... No one could ever come between them again...

for damian cutting tim's line i think it's very overlooked how VERY badly things would have gone had he actually suceeded. tim's death at the hands of a comrade would make waves in more than just gotham and his direct family.

because this wasn't a rogue who killed tim. this wasn't an anti hero. this wasn't some random accident or anything like that. the person who killed tim was a comrade- robin, batman's partner who dick had vocally advocated for, who he'd repeatedly told off people for when defending him. "just give him a chance!" is what he'd say. i feel like a lot of heroes would feel exceptionally chilled because if they can't trust their own comrades to have their back then that basically destroys 90% of vigilante work because you NEED to be a team player in their line of work, you have to be able to trust and be trusted by others. even if damian realized he made a mistake seconds after he made the decision to cut tim's line- he'd be standing on the rooftp, hurt and fury overflowing in him, he's breathing hard like an animal that's out of breath and he's so angry and waiting for tim to get up so he can scream at him but tim doesn't get up. and it sinks in very quickly what has happened.

to think he would get away with it, damian would have to be VERY certain of the strength of his relationship with the family and to be honest it's not in the best place. since tim left things are tenuous, dick is still working out being 'batman' they've grown closer, damian feels like he can rely on dick and on alfred and he thinks they'll understand why he got rid of "red robin" who abandoned them when gotham went to shit, left them to pick up his slack, actively avoided and dismissed dick's attempts to contact him, and then blasted into the city acting like he was an authority and treating damian like a hostile when he hadn't been in gotham for months. damian is angry but he's sure dick and alfred will understand even if they're upset with him.

he does not expect the immediate and severe backlash. he is not ready for dick having to be sedated just to stop him from strangling damian and he's not ready for alfred to refuse to meet his eyes when they learn what he's done.

damian loses every bridge and connection he was forming following tim's death. his luck outside of gotham is ever bleaker because no one wants to be on a team, work with, or help a "cape killer". damian can also absolutely never step foot inside san francisco, both superboy and impulse have made it clear that they'll crush his skull like a tomato if he even thinks of coming close. wondergirl is the leader of the titans and can't threaten another cape like that but she makes it clear he won't be treated as friendly if he steps foot in their city.

when bruce, batman, damian's father returns he is devastated. dick, who had already started neglecting patrol and pulling away from batman duties is asked why he didn't teach damian better, why he wasn't there supervising, why he'd pair the two of them up when tim was a known trigger for damian- he's asked why and its clear that bruce blames dick more than damian. he blames dick the way an owner would be blamed when a dog bites a baby. "why weren't you there? why didn't you stop it?"

it must be the push dick needs because he drops from the vigilante life completely after that. he leaves the manor, moves into tim's abandoned 'nest' in the city and no longer speaks to them.

damian, aside from the day dick found out what he did, was never punished. he wasn't pulled aside and reprimanded, scolded, wasn't told he did something wrong. he was just...pushed to the side. looked at. looked down on. with disgust. with distrust.

it was like some twisted irony. he killed tim for not trusting him and in doing so ensured no one would ever trust him again. batman takes him out sometimes. but only when he desperatly needed a pair of hands because bruce's lack of "punishment" for damian did not go unnoticed. and it cost him a lot as well. damian grows up angry and confused and then bitter and resigned when it settles in what he's done.

he's 17, the age tim was when he died in that alley. and the realization does something to damian's brain. damian never really knew tim. they'd met in passing, fighting most of those meetings. even when they'd lived in the same house they avoided each other.

damian knows nothing about tim but he knows killing tim had ruined his life and the life he could've had. it was his fault all because he couldn't control himself. tim was right to have not trusted him. it doesn't hurt any less to know that.

damian thinks of the mantle, thinks of how people never really forgot who was wearing the robin mask, about who should've been wearing it instead of him.

red robin hasn't flown in a long time and batman doesn't pay enough attention to him to notice. but people notice when he starts going around gotham as red robin and dick shows up to the manor for the first time in years. he looks horrible. like he hasn't slept lately but he screams at damian, asks how dare he do this, how dare he wear tim's mantle after what he did.

damian thought it wouldn't hurt after years of not seeing him but it does.

so damian avoids the part of gotham dick occupies. avoids where dick shops, where he eats, where he works at the little gym for preschoolers.

damian tries to. but seeing dick again after so many years...bruce isn't a good father. or a good batman. he's not like dick. he doesn't reach out, doesn't try to understand him, reassure him, doesn't try to reason with him....he just doesn't try.

damian tries to respect the clear boundaries dick has drawn with all of them. with bruce, jason, cass, alfred, barbara. dick doesn't want to see them, talk to them. he wants to be left alone.

but...damian can't ignore that want in his heart to see his...brother again.

so he learns and he sneaks and he visits the grocery store dick shops at, the take out places he frequents, the gym he works and...damian...notices...something.

not immediatly. it's just small things. like how dick hates sausage but he'll buy fresh links from the italian butcher. how when he's on his way home he'll buy things. flowers, a single rose, fresh bread, pastries from a bakery, chocolates, he even stops by a makeup counter and buys perfume.

it's not suspicious but it is strange. but then damian notices how when he buys groceries it's in large volumes and amounts like...like he's buying for more than one.

as far as damian is aware dick is a loner now. he doesn't even talk to old titans or that alien he used to be together with.

no one has seen dick, not since he came to the manor to yell at damian.

damian has no right to snoop, no right to know more about his....brother's life.

but...he can feel that there's something off. something that's tugging at the edge of his senses as he follows dick home, making sure to tail him only through binoculars. even after years of retirement dick had been a cape longer than damian had been alive- there was no doubt in damian's mind he'd spot him or sense him.

so keeps his distance. all the way up until he reaches...the nest. tim's old apartment he was converting to a base.

damian stops in his tracks and thinks of turning back but then dick is stepping up to the front door and...something in damian just...stops.

the front door creaked open and revealed a small, slim figure greeting dick with a huge smile. dick's rough, sterm features softened and he pulled the rose he'd been hiding behind his back out and presented it to...to tim who giggled all red cheeked and happy and full of life.

damian can hear his own heartbeat in his ears. he's pretty sure he's going to throw up because....because there's no way that's tim.

tim is dead and buried in the cemetery by his mother and father. his casket is enchanted to ensure decomposition so neither ra's or anyone could reanimate him. tim hadn't wanted to be brought back to life it had been clearly outlined in his unofficial will that was just a note in his computer.

the nest was going to be tim's base. damian had seen the blueprints once, he'd seen the equipment that had been shipped there including old machinery from the cloning facility he'd used during his break from reality.

it's like a puzzle piece in damian's brain clicks into place as he realizes with dawning horror that aside from lex luthor, tim probably had the most comprehensive manual on cloning in the world. hybrids like a half human half kryptonian were exceedingly difficult but a regular old human? especially one you have plenty of dna samples for on file? (damian thought of the pints of tim's blood that had been in the medbay on ice because they all stored away blood and plasma each month in case they were ever injured enough to need it, not to mention all the hair and skin samples likely littering the nest).

tim hadn't wanted to come back, hadn't wanted to return in this way (his will had never said anything about clones).

it's unethical. it's wrong. dick shouldn't have cloned tim and he certainly shouldn't have hidden it to protect....to protect whatever was happening.

damian swears his heart skips a beat when dick pulls tim into a deep kiss. dick had never been that affectionate with tim before, he'd certainly ever kissed him so intimately. as far as damian knew, dick had thought of tim as a brother and now he was...was together with a clone of him?

damian feels distressed and agonized watching. he wants to turn. to leave. but he can't.

because everytime he blinks he sees another scene of tim alive and breathing. and it does something to damian to see his mistake undone, to see the life he'd taken alive and well.

he should leave. he should confront dick.

but damian just stands there on that roof and watches.

[palmerhomes]

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[marimagines]

Night Care | Levi X Reader

Between - Levi x Reader

Genre - Fluff, modern!au

Words - 3,990 [kinda short but its cute :] 

Summary - You give Levi the care he oh so is desperate for and the sleep that his body and mind demand for. along with that care, you finally get a chance to introduce him to a routine that he promises to follow.

Warnings - none [just a little teasing] and just cute Levi :[

A/n - I came up with this while doing my night time routine and I just had to write. It’s just Levi being a soft baby and I’m here for it :( I hope you all like itttt

It was finally one of those nights when you and Levi would spend time together. His immense amount of work would always keep him occupied even when he’d be home sometimes. It had always distracted him from life or he’d have to ignore many things. Levi was one loyal and devoted person in your eyes. To his work but also his loved ones. No matter how busy he’d be, he had always managed to make time to send you a text or call you and if neither of those seemed like the options, he’d send a voice note of him just talking while his mind and body would be busy with work.

You always appreciated his effort that he put so passionately in everything he did. So whenever you went out or whenever you see him, you made sure that he didn’t have to worry about making you upset with his busy schedule. Thankfully, you always managed to make him smile. Well, you didn’t really have to try, Levi was already so soft and in awe with your entire existence. Everything you did left an impact on him and sometimes he’d just sit back and smile to himself by remembering something about you. Like how you smile when you see him, or how you hug him or how you’d act cute or funny. It was just you. He was soft for you and you could sit silently and he would still feel his heart flutter at that sight.

Tonight, Levi finally checked out of work earlier. He had finished everything that was due today and even managed to finish certain tasks before the future deadlines. You greeted him with a smile and he just went for an embrace. His hands resting in your waist and his face buried in your neck. He groans out when you asked about his day and that was enough to know how exhausted he must’ve been.

“I should have a talk with Erwin to let you off the hook and lessen this mountain of work on you,” you say as you place the food on the table for him, a pout settled on your lips. Levi had only chuckled at your words, clearly knowing the sarcastic tone you speak in. It was cute though. He lowkey would want to see you telling off Erwin.

“That’s just how it is, honey,” he replies softly before picking up his utensils. His eyebrows furrow when you stop him but as soon as he sees that you were going to serve him the food, his expressions soften along with his heart. A smile stretches his lips and he whispers a thank you before you both begin to eat.

Throughout dinner, the two of you share details of your day today or you’d share a comfortable silence. Levi wasn’t one to talk much when he ate so you always made sure to divide the silence and talking to a 60-40 ratio. He probably wouldn’t want to talk so much especially after a long day. But that silence was also filled with sweet eye contact or sweet actions like adding more food to each other’s plates or feeding one another every now and then. Once dinner was done, you sort out the dishes and put away the leftovers along with a mini quarrel of an attempt to stop him from washing the dishes. His defense was that you had a long day yet you still cooked so the least he could do was clean it up for you. You both were neat freaks. Your hearts find peace when things are organized and well put together so whenever one of you offers to do a job of cleaning or organizing, you knew to fully trust each other at that. That’s just how it is and you both were content with it.

Levi was busy drying the plates and utensils while you decided to run a warm bath for the two of you. These nights were the most important nights for you two. The nights you just unwind from all the world and just bask in each other’s existence. Even if you don’t talk or end up napping together, just knowing the other is here and near was more than enough to be grateful for these nights. Some nights you’d end up fucking or making love, some nights you’d take a stroll outside and enjoy the scenery and breeze and some nights... you’d both prefer to spend it in the expanse of your apartment. You anticipated these nights the most. Being able to take care of Levi was something you practically live for.

The sound of the faucet opening pops you back into reality and you smile at Levi who was staring at you with a certain glow in his eyes and his toothbrush in his mouth. As he proceeded to cleanse his face with his face wash, you turned off the faucet of the bathtub and move to take off your clothes. You could just feel Levi’s eyes on you as he was rubbing the product unto his smooth face.

Since you were done with your brushing and cleansing already, you slowly lower yourself into the warm bathtub which was now starting to feel and smell heavenly due to the bath salts and a new product you had purchased a few days back. One of your way of escaping the struggles of life was to go shopping not for clothes or shoes, but for things like candles or mists or body care such as shower gels or bath products. Anything that brought you a sense of tranquility in your soul. And whenever you found something you loved, you’d share it with Levi and sometimes even consider adding it to a treatment or package in your beauty salon. Working in the same place as Levi was always fun but your passion and goal had always been to open up your own makeup studio or a beauty salon and thankfully with Levi’s ultimate support and help, you managed to succeed in that goal of yours. Hence why Levi always trusted you whenever you brought him a product for him to wear though he could never keep a certain routine and only stuck to one moisturizer. Regardless, you were amazing at it. You excelled at it and that’s why you are where you are right now. He was proud of you.

Once Levi was done with stripping himself of his clothing too, he carefully joins you in the bathtub that you somehow made it feel so magical. He lets out a relaxed groan as he dips into the water and you giggle at him from behind.

“Don’t you want me behind?” He asks as he was usually the one who’d be behind but tonight you were the one who was leaning against the curve of the rose gold marble bathtub. Your entire apartment was a mixture of soothing colors of black, grey, white and rose gold. By researching and constantly trying to help your husband with his stress, you decided the house to be as minimalistic and sleek as possible. Too much clutter might make him feel suffocated. And due to your researches together, the two of you agreed to the beautifully neutral and minimalistic designed apartment you have right now.

“No,” you reply softly as your palms rest on his shoulders, carefully massaging them. “Tonight is about taking care of you, Mr. Ackerman.” You whisper and leave a kiss on his shoulder and neck. He lets out another groan at the feeling of comfort and leans towards your touch.

Your hands were caressing his body as far as your arms could reach while massaging him and helping him relax. He was quiet for the most part and you didn’t mind that either. Your baths together were sometimes silent like today’s. Levi was the one who would usually be washing you or caressing your body but today you figured it’s time he receives too. He leans back to rest his head between your breasts, and closes his eyes while your hand was teasing his member. He gasps silently when your fingers wrap around his tip and your hand moves up and down but neither of you had any sort of energy to fuck each other tonight and you both knew that. You pause the teasing when he holds your hand and interlocks his fingers with yours. He simpers silently, a look of cockiness on his face and starts to speak.

“You’re so tiny,” he remarks softly.

“I’m almost the same height as you,” you retaliate at his words, the audacity this man had to say that to you while he was on the smaller scale too.

“Still taller than you, honey.” He boasts.

“By an inch or two.”

“Tch,” he finally lets out his defeat remark.

“Tch,” you decide to mimic him.

“Tch.”

“Tch.”

“Tch,” he says as a grin dares to paint his face and you feel it.

“Tch,” you giggle out too. Your expression softens when he kisses your hand, the foam transferring from your hands to his face. You giggle once again and move your hands to wipe away the foam quickly before they enter his mouth.

“This smells good, is it new?” He hums out and inhales loudly, trapping the scent inside his nose. It really did smell nice.

“Yep, I got it recently. It’s from BBW’s aromatherapy line. It’s supposed to help you sleep,” you explain softly while Levi was silently gathering the foam in front of him and watching it. You end up smiling at his cute behavior and then it hits you. Does he really notice all these tiny things you do? “I didn’t think you’d notice this.” You whisper.

“What? I do. You enjoy these things and it brings you joy. Of course I’d notice,” he points out. “You leaving our work to achieve your goal was one of the best decision of your life. I saw your energy change. Seeing how this new work of yours makes you happy and express yourself makes me happy.” He adds as his hands play with yours. He was usually short and blunt with words but he could go on forever if it was you he had to compliment or talk to. That’s just how he felt, he trusted you and felt comfortable with you. You sit silently with a pout and kiss the back of his head.

“I love you,” you express yourself, resting your head on his whole happiness fills your heart. Though these three words weren’t enough to describe the fuzzy and warm feeling he manages to leave your soul with.

Once the two of you were done with the bath, you slip into your comfy night clothes; yours a short baby pink satin nightdress that stopped mid thigh and Levi decided to wear his dark grey sweats with his loose white top. You loved him in that outfit; he always looked so welcoming in it.

The two of you did a lot of things in sync but one thing was almost never in sync... your nighttime routine. You always took your time to apply the products on your face and body before you decide to sink into bed and today was no different. You sit on your long two-seater ottoman which you placed in front of your vanity. Even your vanity was organized. One side was dedicated to Levi; which had his body cream, his perfumes, his moisturizer. That was pretty much it but tonight there were some new products there. When you were out buying and looking at skincare products, you figured your husband should need to start his routine properly and picked up some new products to keep him feeling fresh and protected from sunlight, aging, and just keeping him glowing and looking fresh. You look up to see Levi from the mirror’s reflection, plopping down on the bed, his legs hanging from the edge as he grabs his phone to scroll through it. You were silently hoping this new bath foam you got would work and he’d get some sleep. Levi always had trouble sleeping and you were constantly trying this and that to make sure he got more than 2 hours of sleep. With the look of his eyes and eyebags, you knew he was desperate for sleep but he just didn’t know how to lure himself into that state.

“Oh,” he suddenly says and you look back at him through the mirror reflection. He was sitting up now and looking at you. “Erwin gave us a day off tomorrow.” He announces.

“Well, isn’t that nice.” You smile at him as your hands were busy working their routine of applying products on your face and body; knowing exactly what to do. You never skipped your night routine and your hands simply knew by now what to do even when your mind didn’t.

Your eyes were planted on Levi; you just wanted him to come and do his routine but you didn’t want to bother your weary husband. Before you could even say or do anything, Levi gets up from the bed and walks towards you to join you on the bench; as if he heard the thought in your mind. His eyes centered on the new addition on his side and you suddenly realize what he was wondering. A smile creeps on your face when you notice the curiosity in his eyes, like a child who had entered a toy store or a bird who just left its nest and had the entire world to explore. The little glow in his eyes contrasted the furrow of his brows clearly indicated that this man right here was confused to what each of these did. Sure you had told him before but you knew he’d need more than just one push hence why you never stopped bringing him skincare along with yours. Tonight it seemed like the night you could educate him and use your expertise to convince him why he needs to listen to you.

“It’s for you. All of it,” you clarify and a nod comes from him. You chuckle at Levi when he pops open a moisturizer and moves to sniff at it.

“It smells nice,” he adds. “But I just need moisturizer, babe. You didn’t have to get all,” his hand proceeds to make a circle on top of the dresser as he continues, “this.”

“Yes I did,” you defend yourself. “We are turning old. We should take extra care of yourselves, don’t you think?” You get up and move to stand between Levi’s legs to which he automatically spreads them open to give you space. He looks up at you with eyes observing you. You lean against the vanity, your hands wrapping around Levi’s neck. “I will take care of you, Mr Ackerman, so you can get a tip or two.” You say nonchalantly with a smile. Levi ends up chuckling too since he knew your tone was the same tone you use at work. You grab a fluffy hair band that had bear ears on top and move to put it on Levi; pushing his hair back and revealing his flawless skin. Levi sat there glaring at you but you knew from the glow in his eyes that he could care less about it. You start with the routine as you grab a cotton pad and open up the toner bottle. “First of all, you need to apply a toner to bring back the moisture you lost from washing your face.” You explain as you bend over and come closer to his face while your hand moves to pat his face softly with the cotton. Levi’s eyes were on you the entire time you spoke; you didn’t even know if he was shy or if he was listening or why he was even staring but the entire time, his eyes never left your figure or movements. Never missed the product you used or the way his eyes would fall to your lips as you speak. It was almost as if his eyes were stuck on you. You still continue the routine, explaining each step as you go on, giving him tips he should know like to not rub in products aggressively but to pat them in more, or how he should apply them in an upward direction and avoid the downward direction, and you continuously remind him why each product is important. Levi listened intently and carefully, he knew that you knew what you were talking about but he was more in awe with how powerful you looked being in your element. “And lastly,” you twirl open the cap of a night cream. “The night cream.” You apply the cream onto your ring finger and gently apply it on his cheeks, his chin, forehead and then you grin as you put it on his nose, making a ‘boop’ sound, which causes you to earn a smile from him too. He was sitting there quietly the entire time you almost felt like he was a customer at your salon or like a little child, carefully trying their best to focus on your words or in awe with the knowledge you had. You rub and pat in the product and step back when he clears his throat, signaling that he wants to speak.

“How do I know what cream to put at night?” Your lips stretch into another smile as you hear how genuine curiosity wrapped around his tone. He was too cute tonight.

“It says it on the package, dear.” You point at the two creams behind you and move away slightly to let him see it. His eyes finally move away from you and land on the vanity as he silently nods in understanding like a student finally understanding a math problem. You give his face one final pat before you stand up straight and politely grin at him. “And we’re done,” you start to move away before he grabs your hands and kisses them.

“Thank you,” he says as his thumb gently draws circles on top of your hands. “Do you have coupons?” Your eyebrows furrow at his odd and random question and he elaborates more as he realizes that must’ve confused you. “I want to give it to the kids... Connie, Jean, Eren... you know. The kids.” He stumbles on his words when he notices the smile your face had. He was flustered because he knew that you know how soft he is for his team.

You nod silently and giggle. “Yes Levi, I do have coupons. Make sure you give it to the girls too.” You tease him, emphasizing on the word ‘girls’, as you sit down next to him and go through your drawer to look for the coupons. Levi looks from behind you too but then indulges at his new glowy skin as he pats his cheeks the way you had earlier. He suddenly feels proud of you again and a smirk paints his face as his eyes twinkle at the sight that is you. He notices you hadn’t brushed your hair yet so he gets up to stand behind you and pulls you back to make you sit up straight. Your eyes meet in the reflection of the mirror and before you could ask what he was doing, he beats you to it.

“You didn’t braid your hair. I’ll do it for you,” he leans forward to grab your hair brush and softly brushes your hair back and starts braiding it.

“The coupons are in this drawer. Take as many as you like,” you tell him after a while. He nods at your words.

“Will you do this every night?” He asks with a child like tone that wraps your heart with warmth. How could you even say no to him.

“Do what?” You tease him.

“This, my routine.” You knew he was flustered when he starts using small words.

“No,” you watch his lips quickly drop to a pout and a laughter breaks from your lips. “You have to do it too, Levi. We’ll do it side by side so you know the steps.”

“What if I use coupons?” Another laughter bursts out from your chest at how he tried to get this victory. You were pleased to know he liked it though.

“How about this, I’ll do your night routine for you three times a week,” you suggest as your hand raises three fingers and you wait for a response from him.

“Four.” He demands and attempts to negotiate.

“Three.”

“Four. I only use one coupon per week. You do it three times weekly and fourth would be if I use coupon.” He adds a new deal.

Feeling satisfied with the deal, you nod. “Deal.”

Once you were done with the time of sitting in front of the vanity, you both walk back to the bed but then you remember one last step. Body lotion. You bring the bottle to him and earn a “Tch” from him but he applies it regardless by watching you do it. Levi moves his hand to open up your braid too. It was something you always did, you didn’t sleep with your hair tied but you braid it before sleeping only to open it up after a few minutes. It helped your hair not to go crazy when you lay down. It melts your heart knowing how Levi knew even the smallest details of your routine and noticed things you didn’t think he would. You two share a loving smile as you continue to apply lotion together and joke around or tease each other a little. 

“Make sure to take care of your neck too, baby.” You remind him and you both work in sync in rubbing in the lotion onto your arms, chest, legs and neck. You apply your lip balm as usual and Levi shares it with you as you both move closer to perch in the middle of the bed. You two always shared your lip balm for some reason and you never complained nor minded it. To Levi, it made his heart fill up with love sharing your lip balm with you, patting his lips with the surface your lips had grazed over always made him go crazy inside. His excuse to why he did that was that he was too lazy to buy one or open a new one... even after he had confessed to it, he still rarely admitted every time you or someone else teased him about it.

After a while, your bodies were tangled with each other as you lay your head on his chest silently, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat and basking in the scent of chamomile that you both bathed in and lotioned your bodies with. The scent bringing about a feeling of calm and sleep which was slowly creeping its way up on both of you. You knew the new aromatherapy you brought was working when you realize how sleepy Levi was getting too. He swiftly changes position as he lays on his side, his arms wrapped around your waist as you both move to the embracing position. He pulls you closer, burying his face on your chest right on top of your breast and under your neck and chin as he sharply inhales and relaxes afterwards. He always seemed to love doing that, especially when he was really exhausted or needed to sleep. You could feel the way his breathing was getting stable and the more you played with his hair and gently scratched his undercut, the more he got pulled into sleep. It was like a spell.

“Goodnight,” he mumbles against your skin after a while and pecks your open skin, pulling you even closer towards him.

“Goodnight baby... it’s time you sleep.” You kiss the top of his head as you both slowly fall into deep sleep together.

[rivalry-trope-enjoyer]

Kaeya x GN! reader: Fake Dating AU

*Started a new series of the Genshin Impact boys as different romance tropes in one-shot form, starting with Kaeya! The list will go on soon and I plan for Diluc to be next. Disclaimer: May be a little bit OOC since this is my first time writing Kaeya. 

The Kaeya as far as you had known has always been a sweet talker that wooed all the people of Mondstadt with a mysterious and alluring charm. You, too, had fallen victim to his hand. 

Unfortunately, being a traveler with no permanent place to stay in all of Teyvat, it was customary to take someone like Kaeya with you on such adventures. You didn’t hate his company; he always loved to crack jokes even if it came with a flirtatious anecdote at the end. He had even already established sweet nicknames for you and even went as far as playfully calling you “sweetheart” or “dove” from time to time. 

Spending time with him casually already seemed like a nightmare for your poor heart, and commissions and tasks were the exact same story. 

This time around you were sent on an errand to take care of some Fatui agents with Kaeya around Mondstadt, the two most capable, arguably, of sneaking around when it came to the Knights of Favonius. 

Around this time relations with diplomats have soured from the incidents that had happened in Liyue, and a lot of secretive moves are needed to take care of the root of the Fatui in Mondstadt. 

The both of you have decided to embark on your journey, in which Kaeya had the faintest of ideas that he had under his sleeves on how to get through with the Fatui. 

Upon arrival you both decide to approach them, careful with how you act and greeted them politely. 

“What is your business with the Fatui?” they grab a blade under their coats as their masked faces pointed to you both.

Kaeya casually approached them and snaked his arm around your waist, pulling your closer causing you to blush instantaneously. 

“I apologize for the intrusion, but my significant other had run a shop in Mondstadt, we sell sunsettias and apples that we farm in springvale and we have gone bankrupt from the unfair trade system of this entire nation!” Kaeya had played his part well, a little too well to make you realize how much he had been acting around you. 

He had shocked you initially with his actions, and you had thought of it to be selfish to hold onto him like this a little longer and to just pretend. 

You slowly embraced him back, which caused Kaeya to flinch initially, but tightened the grip he had on you like a warm embrace. 

“He’s right,” you stated in a sullen tone. “My husband and I, we cannot make an honest living from this, and we had heard around that your code involved economics, so we hope that we can trust you to, even out the scales a bit,” you instantly lowered your head at them with respect and tugged at Kaeya to do the same.

Waiting for a response your heart tensed up ever so slightly, but when you heard a gruff “Fine” coming from the Fatui, your heart soared in excitement. 

“We will avenge your little fruit stand at dawn tomorrow. Mondstadt’s knights will know terror,” she muttered before walking away and signaled for the rest of the Fatui to do the same. 

Kaeya had immediately let go of you and the strong winds of Mondstadt had struck you ice cold. He gave you a flirtatious smile as he held your chin with his index finger and thumb close to your lip.

“You did a great job playing my significant other there, sweetheart,” he continued to call you these playful names that made your heart twinge in confusion and embarrassment.

Realizing his skills when it came to acting, you wondered if the affection that he gave you from time to time as well as this very moment was all a ruse. 

Giving him a sullen face you slowly pulled his hand away from your chin, backing away from him and walking back to the headquarters.

“Hm? What seems to be the matter? Nothing Captain Kaeya can’t fix,” he ran to stand next to you, but you looked away from him, terrified of what he could do next to you. 

“It’s nothing, Kaeya,” you wave him off. “Nothing you can do about it, anyways...,” you mutter the last line to yourself that he had barely heard with his own ears. 

It was difficult for Kaeya to help you in such a depressed state that he had, and thought going about it by giving you space. After what had happened in the past, he preferred for you to have your moments before he’d butt in himself. 

He distracted the thoughts by letting the Knights of Favonius know about the incident and prepare for a raid at dawn. However, when leaving Jean and Lisa had noticed something drastically different about Kaeya’s behavior; a worried look on his face. 

Dismissing it as part of the Fatui’s attack, he had never really felt total fear towards them and knew how easily he could take a couple of their members head on. However, he found himself checking up on you and did not dare step in the bar he loved, knowing that because of his actions he would be the last thing that you would want to see. 

In the mean time you spent a lot of time at the tavern, letting the bard’s music and lively atmosphere drown out your overthinking thoughts, as you waited till the next morning until you had to face the mysterious Kaeya yet again. 

With a sword ready in hand and the other guards at the front of the headquarters, you watched the Fatui approach and soon became no match for the Knights of Favonius, countering the surprise raid with ease.

At first your swordsmanship kept you protected, but upon seeing Kaeya in a distance, you fumbled consistently. Forcing yourself to get back up in battle, he looked back at you, too. Worrying for your safety, a feeling that you would have last expected from him. 

As you took on more of the Fatui agents than you can handle, one had crept up behind you, and aimed a blade towards your throat. 

Fortunately, Kaeya was quick enough to act and knocked down the Fatui with a couple of blows, aiming a sword at their neck. 

“Y/N! Quit slacking off you could have died there,” his normal cunning attitude and mocking remarks seemed to have lessened tenfold.

“What, are you acting about caring about my wellbeing now?” you were fueld with anger as you let it out on the enemy attacking, knocking them out in a similar fashion with swords clashing the blades of the Fatui. 

“Well-” Kaeya parried the shots being thrown at him. “-If you consider me hiding what I’ve felt for so long acting, then I must be the most talented actor in-” he was cut off by quick attacks from the enemy. “-all of Teyvat!”

You were shocked at your statement, and in the heart of battle, yours filled with adrenaline from Kaeya’s words. “Wait-” you continued to battle those in front of you, swiftly putting them out of their misery with quick blows to free room to talk to Kaeya. “-Wait, why now?” you panted out with tire. 

He let out a cocky laugh as he took on more of the agents. “Doesn’t matter when. Doesn’t matter if you thought I was faking it before. What matters is-” he grunted out of pain when he was forcefully hit at his side. “-That I got the message across, right?”

After hours of relentless battle he finally doubled down and the Fatui had retreated, leaving you with minor injuries but Kaeya taking on more than needed. 

Sitting at his side on the battlefield, you grabbed medicine that was strapped to your waist. “Lift up your shirt,” you disregarded what he had said earlier in fear for his wellbeing. 

“Are you sure you don’t need that medicine yourself, Y/N? You’re face is awfully red,” he outstretched a shaky hand to cup your face with a wry smile, his eye shimmering as he stared at you.

Your heart thumped rapidly when combining his previous words of confession and his present actions now. You froze in time to Kaeya’s cold touch and let him be in your company this time around.

“Shut it, Captain Kaeya,” you took out the medicine and poured it over his toned chest, hands shaking from the flustered feeling you had throughout.

“Ouch, who knew that someone without a cryo vision could be so cold to a person with one?” he winced at the stinging medicine covering his wound, and in return you held his hand cupping your face.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered to him. “It’ll only hurt a for a little bit longer before it heals, if it actually hurts at all,” you stubbornly let out. 

He let out another weak laugh. “I wish I was faking it this pain this time around, Y/N, but everything I’ve said on this battlefield is the truth.”

You were silent at this point, working diligently to bandage his wound.

“Holding you had felt like I cradled the world in my arms, even if it was a temporary moment, dear,” his fingers tapped gently on your cheek. “Even if the idea of us being wed was fake, the feeling that significant others would have for each other felt real to me.”

You smiled at his notion, staring into his glimmering eye with the weak smile and face caked in scars and dirt. 

Holding him close to you, you could not help but smile back.

“And you promise that you aren’t faking it this time?” you asked.

He laughed again, taking your hand and kissing your knuckles gently. “I promise what I feel is real, Y/N, and I’d love to show you for whatever days in Teyvat we have left.” 

And in that moment, that fog of mystery unveiled Kaeya’s true nature and colors in front of you in a moment of vulnerability, one you wanted to cherish every moment and label as real. 

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

[jeongyunhoed]

Past-Present-Future Black Dahlia

Two major tragedies bring Lee Mirae closer to the edge as she goes through the stages of grief in a more violent manner that would affect not only her relationships with her boyfriend Jeong Yunho and her half-brother Choi San, but also has her becoming closer with the immortal mutant Kang Yeosang. Fueled by rage, grief, and pain, along with a very rude awakening that has Mirae spiraling out of control and questioning everything she holds dear.

Group: ATEEZ Member: Yunho Pairing: Jeong Yunho / OC Genre: Action, adventure, angst, fantasy

Watch Out! : Violence, blood, death, grief and loss, major character deaths, use of weapons, some jealousy (but no cheating ofc), implied smut (not sure if there is any but i’m putting it out there nonetheless), mental illness (probably?), gambling and alcohol

Anything else? : Mentions of other idols of course as well as other characters. SuperM, Dean, Chanyeol, Zelo, soloist Park Jihoon to name a few.

Author’s Note: SuperM hello. Also, sexc car chase scene with Yeosang driving. This hasn’t been proofread much, so sorry for the errors you might see.

Listen to: Dark - Hans Zimmer 

Masterlist

Chapter 4

Yeosang glanced over at Mirae, who was still blankly staring out the window. She had been that way in the first few hours of the drive. He wouldn’t admit it, at least right away, but with the silence coming from her, Yeosang was even more convinced that she was that sad. Dare he say it, he was beginning to feel a little concerned yet knew that sometimes the polite thing to do was not to say anything about it. The music playing on the radio acted as white noise between them, and Yeosang was hardly even listening to the songs. 

Mirae looked down at her hands, feeling the deck of playing cards in her jean pocket. She barely had time to think about how expensive the clothes she was wearing were - Yeosang’s excuse was that the Dior boutique was the nearest. Mirae wanted to scoff right then and there, but she was impressed at how he got her clothes that fit her. 

Her thoughts were going back to how she left Yunho. How she left him unconscious in Yeosang’s apartment while hoping San got to him, or anyone at least. A feeling of guilt was setting inside even in the midst of the overwhelming feelings of sadness and rage. Was it even possible to feel like this? She wasn’t sure. “How did you meet them?” She suddenly asked. 

“Who, my dear?” 

“The one you’re taking me to.” 

“It’s not just one person. They’re a small group of people, people like us,” Yeosang replied, glancing at her from time to time as they entered a flyover, cars intersecting above and below them. “They felt they were above the place we lived in, so they uh, how should I say it? Created their own little world.” 

“So how did you meet them?” 

“I met them through another immortal. His name is Mark Lee. I’ve known him for centuries. We were rivals for the affections of Emperor Octavian’s daughter, Julia. Amazing woman in every way possible,” A smirk crept up on Yeosang’s lips as he remembered. “I nearly became an emperor if Mark hadn’t intruded that one night.” 

“To this day, I still don’t know how old you actually are.” 

Yeosang chuckled. “My dear Mirae, age is not important, especially my age. When I met Mark again, in recent… shall we day, decades? Or at least some few years ago, he introduced me to a group of mutants he was friends with. Some of them are quite powerful, one of them, I think, is an omega-level mutant like you.” 

“I guessed as much, if they thought they were so superior,” Mirae looked out the window. 

“We’ll see about that. Sometimes, mutants only intimidate others just by mentioning their powers, empty threats even though they could deliver on it, lessens the dirty work but it gets into their heads,” Yeosang said. Glancing at the rearview mirrors, he noticed three black cars in a formation behind them. “My dear, if you could assist me a little bit, I think we are being followed.” 

Mirae looked over her seat at the three cars that seemed to move closer while Yeosang kept his foot on the gas to drive faster. “I wonder who they could be,” She watched for any signs of movement from the driver’s seats. Mirae saw a set of small rockets come out from the lights on the bumper. “They plan to kill us. Do you know them?” 

“No I don’t, I promise you,” Yeosang swerved a few times past several cars only for the three black sedans to be able to keep up. 

Mirae shook her head at the sight of the sedans keeping up, one of which was already across from them. There were spikes that extended from the rims of the wheels. The car bumped into them, Mirae clutching the armrest. “They plan on destroying your car while they’re at it,” She said, her eyes glowing red as she stared at the car next to them. The tires exploded, sending the car skidding, the rear hitting their vehicle. 

“Damn,” Yeosang kept the car in its lane. “Very good, my dear Mirae. Perhaps you can do something about the other two?” He said, swerving several times so as not to bump into the cars surrounding them to get ahead. 

Mirae took out one card from her pocket and threw it as hard as she could at the other sedan that caught up to them. The sedan exploded, the impact of the explosion moving them forward. “If they’re your friend’s bodyguards, then I think they don’t want us coming,” She said, her eyes still glowing. “Not that I care.” 

She eyed the remaining black sedan that was following them that launched a rocket. Mirae looked at both the rocket and the car, both exploding in the middle of the road. The remaining cars began to cluster towards them. “Apparently, they were everywhere all along. The way must be heavily guarded, or that they don’t want us going,” Yeosang glanced at the rearview mirrors. 

Mirae stayed still, staring at all the cars in front of them. Her eyes were glowing brighter than ever as she kept her gaze on them, the vehicles exploding one by one. She glanced at the rearview mirror on her side, the cars behind them exploding one by one as well, the smoke from the explosions blocking their view of the road. 

“Thank you, my dear,” Yeosang drove on through the thick smoke in the air. “All this smoke means we’re getting close.” 

The color of the smoke changed from the usual gray and black to white as he moved forward. The glow in Mirae’s eyes faded just as the smoke began to fade, only to see that their surroundings had changed. 

Past the wide roads of the highway, they were at the entrance of a dreary lakeside village. “This is where they live?” Mirae glanced at him. 

Yeosang chuckled. “No, they live up there,” He pointed to the nearby cliff. There was a white mansion molded in the usual 1930s art deco style that Mirae noticed in the immortal mutant’s apartment. 

Mirae noticed that the residents in the village seemed to dress differently, as if wearing different variations of the hanbok. The anger seeped in again, knowing that they were approaching the home of who may have been behind the explosion of the Danger Room, behind the deaths of Chanyeol and Hyuk. Yeosang drove on, down the route of the mansion’s driveway, the sight of the house growing bigger and bigger until they finally approached the gate. 

Two guards were standing by and stopped them. “Name?” They asked. 

“Kang Yeosang and Lee Mirae. One of them is expecting me by now,” Yeosang replied. 

The gates opened on its own and the guards stood by for their vehicle to enter the grounds. As soon as they pulled up, they saw someone standing by the front doors, dressed undoubtedly like he owned the place, but also that he was strikingly handsome. One half of his coiffed hair was blonde, the other side was red. His eye on the blonde side was also blue, the other a dark brown. He was smiling as they pulled up, opening Mirae’s door. 

“Hello,” He said as she got out, taking her hand and kissing it. 

“Taeyong, quite a greeting you’ve got there,” Yeosang pointed out, tossing the key to the valet. 

The male with the name turned to Mirae again. “Forgive my manners, or lack of. I’m Lee Taeyong and I own this house. It’s nice to meet you at last.” 

Lee Taeyong was an omega-level mutant like Mirae. Taeyong was an omega-level psychic that could not only read minds, but could also control a person’s mind and manipulate their memories. Taeyong also had the extraordinary gift of turning into organic diamond, making him almost invulnerable to harm and giving him added strength and a psychic shield. However, Taeyong’s limitation was the fact that he could not use his telepathy while he was in his diamond form.

Mirae glanced at Yeosang and before she could speak, he shook his head. “It’s not him you’re going to see,” He advised. 

Taeyong smirked. “You must be jumping for joy now that you’re on a drive with the apple of your eye,” He glanced at Yeosang. Turning back to Mirae, he let go of her hand. “That’s what he was thinking. He thinks very loudly.” 

“My thoughts are not for you to read, Taeyongie, as I’m sure your brother has taught you that much. Taemin, where is he?” Yeosang asked. 

“He’s attending a business meeting. He won’t be here until tonight. But Mark is here, I guess you haven’t seen him in a while,” Taeyong replied. “Come in, come in, I can’t read your thoughts but I can read his and I know who you plan on seeing. Don’t bother taking off your shoes in the main area.” 

He turned around to lead them inside. The interiors were decorated in shades of black, gold, and white on marble similar to Yeosang’s home. Mirae and Yeosang followed him further down the hall and they stopped in front of two mahogany doors. “At least one of us couldn’t be read,” She muttered to him. 

Taeyong opened the doors, leading into what looked like a parlor, with red velvet couches and chintz chairs, mahogany chests of drawers in the same art deco style, and a crystal chandelier in the ceiling. They saw two people by the fireplace drinking champagne in crystal flutes, watching a drama on a tv that was placed above the mantle. Mirae felt her heart drop as the two figures, whose backs were turned, looked familiar.

“They’re here,” Taeyong announced, making the two people turn around. 

Mirae’s eyes widened, looking like a deer caught in the headlights upon seeing their faces. “...Baekhyun? … Jongin?” 

The shorter and paler of the two, Baekhyun, smiled. “Mirae, Mirae, Mirae, long time no see,” He said.

Byun Baekhyun was skilled in manipulating and creating light and light energy. Baekhyun was also skilled in hand-to-hand combat, specializing in hapkido. Kim Jongin had the ability to teleport, leaving a wisp of black smoke in his wake.

“It’s been years, hasn’t it?” Jongin spoke this time, approaching her. “You look like you’ve been through a lot.” 

Mirae still couldn’t speak. She was too stunned to utter a word. All this time, Baekhyun and Jongin survived the Seoul attack but had never made themselves known. “Hello to you too, Yeosang,” He glanced at the vampiric-looking mutant, who nodded. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” He said to Mirae. 

“I couldn’t blame her, we haven’t exactly seen her since that day,” Jongin patted her shoulder. “Do you like our new place? It’s not underground like the Center, but it’s here in this little village, it’s cozy,” He gestured for her to sit down while they did the same. “Mark’s here too, by the way, he’s probably off playing tennis or something.” 

“So, what brings both of you here? I doubt it’s because the weather’s nice in this place,” Baekhyun poured her a glass of champagne. Mirae quietly accepted the drink, staring at the bubbles. 

“Don’t act clueless, you know why they’re here,” Taeyong chimed in, giving the elder a look.

“Taeyong, it’s rude to read other people’s minds without their permission,” Baekhyun chided. “Even if I already know, it doesn’t hurt to ask to make sure. They might be misleading you, even in that respect.” 

“I don’t have the capability to be paranoid when I can read everything like an open book,” Taeyong rolled his eyes. “Dinner is already prepared, by the way, I’ll call Mark-” 

He stepped back when out of thin air appeared Mark himself. Unlike Baekhyun, Jongin, and Taeyong, Mark was dressed in a pinstripe suit. Yeosang’s expression stiffened upon seeing him. Mark Lee was, like Yeosang, an immortal mutant whose fortune over the centuries led him to own a business empire that had bases in both South Korea and Canada. Mark had the ability to teleport anywhere and everywhere he chose while also possessing a strong telepathic ability. Mark was also considered a doctor among his peers who studied Languages though he barely put that knowledge of his to the test as he usually tackled his businesses. 

“No need,” Mark said, stopping at the sight of Mirae and Yeosang. “Brought her here to meet them, ‘Sang?” He asked. 

“As a matter of fact, I did. Ruined anyone’s pursuits lately, Mark?” Yeosang shot at him, watching him take Mirae’s hand and gently kiss the back of it in greeting. 

“As long as it’s your pursuits, which I can tell is this lovely woman in front of me,” Mark said. 

“I’m taken,” Mirae pointed out.

Mark glanced at Yeosang. “Oh? You have pursued her? This is going to be fun.” 

Mirae pulled her hand back, seeing Baekhyun and Jongin’s amused expressions. “I’m guessing you’ve been living your lives here all this time,” She said. 

“Well, yeah, since the Seoul attack,” Baekhyun nodded. “Before you two arrived, we were all discussing a business venture we were looking to carry out in the capital. Maybe you could help us out, Yeosang?”

“Me?” 

“Yeah, Mark and Taeyong have the capital to build it on, maybe some added manpower would help make the project solid. Let’s talk about this over dinner,” Baekhyun said, gesturing to the doors. Mark disappeared in an instant. 

~ 

The dining room of the mansion had a view of what was outside. Yeosang and Mirae noticed that it had gotten much darker, realizing how late it was getting. Mirae still couldn’t believe that Baekhyun and Jongin were alive all this time, that they actually survived the explosion from the Seoul attack, the impact caused by her own powers. She was still trying to process this new situation. 

Could they have been the ones who tampered with the Danger Room? The question reminded her of why she was there, having dinner with them, with other mutants who were also quite powerful, especially psychics as powerful as them. Mirae could only hope that Yunho would be able to read her mind at the moment, so he would know where they were. 

“So, as I was saying earlier, Jongin, Taeyong, Mark, and I are looking into setting up a new business venture and Yeosang may be able to give it the added credibility it needs,” Baekhyun broke the momentary lull when everyone else tucked into the food. Mirae poked around the courses on her plate as she listened. 

“Is that what you’ve been up to since the Seoul attack?” Mirae asked, glancing at him from time to time. 

“Yeah, killing monsters and aliens wasn’t fun for me anymore, I’m sure you understand that,” Baekhyun smiled. “Knowing that Taeyong, his brother Taemin, and Mark are businessmen, when Jongin and I found each other and in turn found them, the business world seemed a little more interesting.” 

“What kind of venture is it?” Yeosang asked. “I’d like to know what it is before I make any deal.” 

“It’s called Project Apocalypse,” Baekhyun said with a grin on his face. “Project Apocalypse is going to be the next big thing among mutants and non-mutants.”

“It’s more of a think-tank. People come to us for answers, we give them the answers,” Jongin added. 

“What kind of answers would those be?” Yeosang asked in between a sip of wine. 

“Political answers, mostly, economic answers, diplomatic answers, you name it,” Mark replied. “You and I both have the experience for that. Didn’t you meet the adviser to Chun Doohwan during the uprising?” 

“I have. I killed her,” Yeosang replied, both Baekhyun and Jongin looking surprised at how nonchalant he was about it. 

“She could’ve been useful to us, you know,” Mark said. “Oh right, I see. You killed her because she was trying to get to Mirae over here,” He added, having read his thoughts. 

Mirae sighed and ate a forkful of her salad instead. “You know, Mark and I can read everyone’s minds here, except for her. Why is that?” Taeyong raised a brow. 

“Psychic shield, Taeyongie. I remember Junhong telling us about it when we first started training,” Baekhyun chuckled, glancing at her. “If you can’t read her mind, her psychic shield must be that strong.” 

“We can’t read everyone after all, it would be too easy if we could,” Mark chimed in. 

“How is Junhong, by the way? Has he been well? He’s alive, isn’t he?” Jongin asked her. 

“Very well. Fixed my staff the first time we met again. He’s fixed a lot of other things, sometimes without me knowing,” Mirae replied. 

“The three of you go a long while back and yet you’re acting like you don’t know each other,” Taeyong chuckled in his place. 

“It has been a while since we last saw each other. We did, however, spend a few years together in the Center for Paranormal Research,” Baekhyun nodded, finishing the food on his plate. “I remember it was me, you, Minseok hyung, and Tao that were put forward because of our fighting skills.” 

“Do you have any idea what happened to them?” Mirae asked. 

“No idea. I thought I was the only one left, until I saw Jongin from the corner of the street, teleporting out of that place in time,” Baekhyun glanced at her. “I guess the same could be said of you.” 

“Yeah, and Hyuk, and Chanyeol. Remember them?” 

He smiled. “Why don’t we go take a walk? Just us, you can play catch up with Jongin after,” Baekhyun suggested. 

“Yeah, I’ll tell you more about Project Apocalypse after we pitch the idea to Yeosang over here,” Jongin nodded eagerly, exchanging knowing looks with the older male. 

Baekhyun and Mirae got up from their seats. Mirae eyed Yeosang, who had a look of concern all over his face at the suggestion. She followed him towards the patio doors and out into the well-manicured backyard of the mansion that had a swimming pool with a diving board and several patio chairs. The question was still nagging at Mirae as a silence came between them while they walked along the cemented areas of the estate. “To answer your question, I do remember them. Vividly, actually,” He said. “The tall dope and the guy I remember you used to like but is also your best friend.” 

“Years have gone by since the Seoul attack,” Mirae said. 

“I know. It changed everything. It changed everyone. You with that streak in your hair, still playing with the same stick you always used to lug around. It’s almost like a part of you, isn’t it? That staff of yours?” Baekhyun said. 

“I never leave without it. Even when I go to work, it’s with me,” She pointed out. 

Baekhyun nodded. “I see. No matter how much has changed, you still seem to be the same person. It didn’t help that when Professor Jang died, Ino took charge and started to play favorites.” 

“You were one of them, Baek,” She said carefully, remembering the nickname he would often go by. 

“That I am, Tao too. Minseok hyung too. We were like, how should I say it? Like the four horsemen of the apocalypse. We led the fighting for the rest of them,” Baekhyun grinned as he remembered. “Too bad things went the way it did, otherwise we’d all still be there, cooped up underground with all of those simulations.” 

“That’s a memorial now. A lot of things happened since then, at least to me,” Mirae recalled everything, feeling her heart sink further upon remembering Jihoon, then Hyuk and Chanyeol. 

They stopped in front of a ceramic bust perched on top of a small pillar. Baekhyun looked up. “What brings you here, then? You didn’t know I was alive, much less Jongin.” 

“I came here because Yeosang told me I’d find answers here,” Mirae replied. “Chanyeol and Hyuk are dead now, and I find out that the Danger Room was tampered with leading to them dying. I’m trying to find out who did it and why.” 

Baekhyun smiled. “I knew you were going to say that. Actually, Taeyong knew just by reading Yeosang’s thoughts over there. He was thinking of what you were going to find out upon coming here. I can hear him telling me now. Yeosang’s looking out for you, he’s kind of worried about what you will know, and how you’ll react when it’s all revealed.” 

“You know who did it, didn’t you?” Mirae stared at him. “All this time, you were alive and you never meant to make contact? Not even with Junhong? You didn’t even bother to look for us in the places you figured we’d be?”

The male chuckled. “For a trained assassin like yourself, you’re getting pretty bad at stealth, aren’t you? I’ve come across you quite a few times since then, but you never saw me, much less took notice of me.” 

She raised a brow. “Well I never got any message from you. Not even a hi or a hello.” 

Baekhyun shook his head. He leaned closer with a satisfied look on his face. “No, no, no. My way of making contact with you was through the tragedies you have experienced. Jihoon, and now Chanyeol and Hyuk. To be honest, I was surprised at how I managed to hit two birds with one stone with both of them. The tall dope and the music producer.” 

“What do you mean?” Mirae had a feeling she knew what he was about to say. 

“It was all me, Mirae. Jihoon’s death, Chanyeol’s death, and Hyuk’s death? It was all me,” Baekhyun revealed calmly. “I am the author of all your pain, of all the grieving you were and still are doing.”

Mirae stared at him, feeling a chill down her spine at the revelation. “Jihoon was killed by those Utopian cult thugs.” 

He shook his head. “I had a little help. I met Mark around that time, and when I told him what I wanted to do, he gladly possessed the body of the man who pulled the trigger on your dear friend, the friend you thought of as a brother,” He explained. 

Mirae was still staring at him, as if prompting him to continue explaining. “Jongin, you know, of course, teleported me there once Taeyong found out the location of the so-called safehouse you put up, saw that Junhong was creating a simulation room like the one we used to have. With his help as well, I was able to make a few adjustments like rerouting some circuits to overload,” 

“I was actually thinking of getting Chanyeol first, out of sentimental reasons. I knew him longer than Hyuk, so naturally I thought he should get the first strike. Little did I know,” Baekhyun smirked. “It would get Hyuk too. I doubt Junhong had a clue that the systems were hacked. Taeyong and his brother run a tech empire.” 

She could feel her eyes well with tears at the explanations, the tension she was feeling slowly getting replaced by sadness and rage. “It was you all this time. Why? Why are you doing it?” She asked. 

“Because I wanted you to know the pain and grief I felt after that attack happened,” Baekhyun replied, looking her in the eye. “My family thought I was dead when that came in. I was thrown into the ocean from the explosion you caused. They had given up on searching for me, in turn, they gave my brother all the money that was meant for me. Knowing you made the final blow to those goblins, all of the trouble I experienced, I knew I had to make you pay.” 

Mirae looked away, fighting back the urge to break down the more Baekhyun talked. He sounded so satisfied. “And now you’re all alone, Lee Mirae. And you know the best part?” He tilted his head as he looked at her. “Ino knew all this time. Ino knew it was me. Yet he allowed it to happen anyway.”

[obxsummer]

With You // John B. Routledge

word count: 2.6k

pairing: john b routledge x reader

warnings: near death experiences, yelling, cursing, topper being an ass

summary: you didn’t think breaking up with topper would end with broken bones and a concussion but then again, you never expected to fall in love with a pogue either.

requested: can you do a john b imagine where instead of him being pushed off the hawks nest it’s her?

a/n: reader takes sarah’s place in this scene. a few things are twisted around for this to flow so I hope that’s okay! thank you for 100 followers!! I’m so excited to see where this blog goes :)

masterlist

ask me stuff :)

--

Midsummers had easily turned into a disaster quickly. Your dress flowed in the wind as you danced around with friends, sneaking in some alcohol whenever you had the chance. You hated the fact that you were here with Topper, especially when your mind was on John B the whole time.

Someone grabbed your shoulder and spun you around mid-dance. “JJ?” You asked as you recognized the blond in front of you. He was wearing a white button down with black slacks, looking quite dressed up for how he usually would.

“Yep,” He responded as he twirled you around. He held a folded piece of paper in front of you. “I got a, uh, note from Vlad.”

“From-”

JJ cut you off by sushing you and pressing a finger to his lips. “Yeah.”

“From Vlad?” You asked as you continued to make it look like you were dancing with each other. “Okay?”

“Read the note,” JJ directed as he winked before he stepped away.

You smiled and turned to hide the note from the crowd as you unfolded the paper to read what it said.

Meet me at bag drop; Vlad

With a quick glance around you to see if your parents, or Topper was watching, you took off out of the crowd to walk up on the porch. Thankfully, the amount of people lessened as you approached the bag drop. John B was standing there in all of his glory, backpack on with a buttoned down shirt as usual.

“Vlad,” You whispered as you snuck up behind him.

He turned around at your voice, a smile forming on his lips as he saw you. “Wow. Um… you look beautiful.”

You laughed at the awkward nature before jumping forward to hug him tightly. “Hi,” You whispered as you buried your head into his neck while your fingers played with his hair.

“Hi,” He said back as he held you close. He was so grateful you were here, even in the midst of one of the biggest Kook parties of the year.

“Oh, my God. You would not believe what happened. As soon as I got home, I had to sneak past-”

John B held up his finger to pause you. “I-I I’m sure that’s great, but I-I gotta tell you something.”

You stopped your story and took a step back. “Okay.”

“I found… the gold.”

You swore you could’ve dropped to the floor right then. “You found it?” You asked in shock as you grabbed his forearms.

“Yeah, and you’re not going to believe where it is. It’s at Tannyhill,” He explained.

You shook your head slightly. “Wait, what?”

“Sh!” He hissed as he covered your mouth with his hand. You mumbled an apology as you looked to make sure nobody heard. “Look, I got the letter translated. Okay? There was this coded message, and I-I need the plat map. Know what a plat map is?”

“Yes, I know what a plat map is!” You defended.

“Okay, it’s like a blueprint of Tannyhill and it’s in your dad’s office, okay? If I get in, I can find the gold, and we can, that’s fine!”

You leaned forward to shut him up with a kiss. Nothing felt better than just holding him in your arms, even if everyone else thought it was wrong.

“Hey, Y/N, is that you?”

At the sound of Topper’s voice, you shoved John B to the ground with a curse. “Shit! We’ve gotta get out of here.”

John B crawled along the wood of the desk to get out of view. “Meet at the Hawk’s Nest at midnight. Bring the map.”

You saluted him before adjusting your dress and hair to go deal with Topper. With a deep breath, you turned on your heel to walk over where he was standing. “Hey!” You greeted as you rounded the corner to stop in front of him.

“Y/N, what are you doing out here?” He asked sternly. He continued glancing over to where you had been with John B as if the Pogue was going to pop around the corner.

“Oh, um, Scarlet told me she had hidden some vodka or something. I couldn’t find it though,” You lied as you fixed the flower crown on your head.

Topper nodded but you could tell he didn’t believe anything you were saying. “Is that who you were talking to over there?”

Your stomach dropped as you knew he had seen you. Maybe not necessarily who you were talking to, but he knew there was someone else involved. “I wasn’t talking to anyone.”

“Was I just seeing things? I thought, like, I don’t know, I was watching you have a conversation over there.”

You shook your head. “I was talking to people from the party.”

“Hey, what’s-” Topper reached out to stop you from leaving. “What’s going on? I just feel like… I feel like you’ve been a little off tonight.”

“No, I’m fine,” You defended as you tried to get around him again, “I’m fine, Topper.”

He grabbed your arm again and pulled you back roughly as you gasped. “Seriously, seriously. I don’t want to make a scene. Just tell me what the hell is going on. Just tell me the truth.”

“I am telling you the truth!” You argued as you stepped back from him.

“No, cut the shit. Just tell me the truth.”

“Okay, fine!” You ripped your arm out of his grip. “I can’t handle the constant interrogation, okay?” You walked away without another word back towards the party. You made eye contact with Kiara as JJ was being dragged out of the building. He continued to make comments the entire way out, grabbing Kiara and Pope as he went. You could see John B at the edge of the chaos, waiting for his friends to follow along. You watched with a smile, wanting nothing more than to kick off your shoes and run after them, but it would have to wait until later. You had a map to steal.

--

After a brief lie to your dad to get the maps and promise that you were going to be spending the night at a friend’s, you snuck out of the house to head to Hawk’s Nest to meet John B. Your heart was pounding as you waited amongst the wind and the sound of a storm in the distance. You held the map tightly in your hand as lightning lit up the sky amongst the clouds.

You looked over as you saw something cross your vision to see John B climbing up the stairs. “Hi,” You greeted him as he walked closer. “I got the map. Do you wanna see?” You opened the folded piece of paper slightly.

“Oh, shit,” He laughed as the wind threatened to take the paper out of his hand. “Holy hell.”

You glanced up at him. “Did you tell your crew you were here with me?”

“Did you?” He retaliated.

You shook your head as you pulled your hair up to keep it out of your face. “No, I will, though. I don’t care. And.. I’m breaking up with Topper.”

He stared at you in shock, the lightning reflecting off of his face. “Really?”

You nodded. “Yeah. What, you don’t think that’s a good idea?”

John B was quick to shake his head. “No, no, no. Um, it’s.. it’s uh. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.”

A huge clap of thunder exploded over your head, causing you to practically jump into John B’s arms out of shock. “Oh, my God!” You laughed as you continued to hug him. “What are we doing up here?

John B held you closer as the wind whipped around you while he looked down at you with a smile. “I have no idea. You wanna go down?”

You rested your head on his shoulder as your fingers sorted through his hair. You pressed your lips to his neck gently. John B’s hands were warm on your back and you wished you could just stay here with him forever. “No,” You mumbled. You leaned back to look at him.

“Neither do I.” His hands pulled you closer as he kissed you roughly. Rain started to sprinkle on your face as you cupped his cheek.

“I knew it, Y/N.” You broke away in shock to see Topper standing in front of you, looking drunk off his ass. John B pushed you behind him, the two of you backing up slowly. “I knew you were lying to me.”

You felt no remorse for your actions and instead, this kind of solidified your decision to leave him. “Topper?”

“You’re a stupid, lying whore. You know that?” He shouted at you.

You shook your head, your anger getting the best of you. “Oh, so first I’m a prude and now I’m a whore?” The decision to not have sex with Topper always weighed you down, but now you wished you would’ve slapped him in the face instead.

“Topper, stop, man,” John B interfered as the blond attempted to hit him. “Hey, hey!”

You moved in front of John B to push Topper back but he continued to scream at you guys, “Tell him to back off, because I’m about to beat your fucking ass! I’m gonna drown him like your old man.”

“Topper, go home!” You shouted as he continued to fight against you. “Get out!”

Topper glared at you, “Shut the hell up, you bitch!” He moved to lunge for John B but you intercepted, stopping him short. The force of Topper’s arms sent you backwards as you fought to regain your balance.

There’s this saying that you don’t really have a fear of heights, but rather a fear of falling. You weren’t sure which it was, the only thing you could tell was that falling from a three story tower was absolutely terrifying.

You didn’t feel the impact of the ground, but you could feel the dirt under your fingers. Your whole body had gone numb. You groaned as you shifted slightly, feeling water pour over your face as it started to pour.

“Oh, my God.” John B’s face appeared above yours as he slid on the ground. You continued to blink, trying to clear the black spots from your vision, but you were so tired it hurt. He tapped your cheek gently as he pulled you in his lap. “Hey, hey. Come on, can you open your eyes, please? Come on babe.”

You groaned again, feeling the pain spread as he shifted you. “J, stop,” You mumbled as you grabbed his hand to hold.

“Hey, no, no, no. You’re gonna be fine,” He promised as he leaned down to kiss your forehead. “JJ! Somebody help! Pope! Kie!”

You let out a laugh at the name of your ex-best friend. “Kie’s gonna hate me for this.”

“Kie doesn’t hate you,” He reassured as he wiped rain drops off your cheeks. “I promise. You’re gonna be okay. You just gotta stay with me. I’m right here.”

The rushed sounds of his friends’ footsteps followed after a moment and suddenly, JJ’s face was looming over yours. “Dude, what happened?”

John B stood up with the help of Pope to make sure you stayed in his arms. “I-I don’t know what to do, we have to help her. Topper was trying to fight with me and-and she got in the middle and he pushed her and…”

“Where the hell is he?” JJ’s tone was angry as he looked around for the Kook.

“I don’t know, look it doesn’t matter!” John B snapped as he watched you. “Someone go get help, now!”

He couldn’t lose you, not when everything was just starting to come together, not when he was truly becoming happy with you by his side. You meant more to him than he would ever tell and if you didn’t recover from this, he would never forgive himself.

--

There were a few things you noticed when you woke up. One, was the annoying beeping noise next to your head that drove you crazy. Two, was the tightness on your left wrist that was itching nonstop. And third, there was someone’s thumb running across the back of your hand soothingly. You took a deep breath as you shifted slightly, forcing your eyes to open.

“Hey,” John B’s voice was quiet as he sat next to you, his hand in yours as he stayed at your side. He lifted your hand to kiss the back of it before standing up.

“Hey,” You returned as you tried to blink the sleep out of your eyes. “Where am I?”

He sighed, “St. Olive’s. You fell from the Hawk’s Nest. You have a concussion and a broken wrist.”

You looked over to see the black cast on your arm, already covered with John B’s scribble alongside a smiley face in silver marker. Despite the pain, you lifted your arm slightly to see his signature closer. “Did my dad find out?”

John B winced, “Kinda. He was here earlier but he said he wanted to hear the full story from you.”

You groaned, not wanting to explain any bit of what happened to your dad. He probably wouldn’t even believe you anyway, especially because of Topper’s influence in the whole event. You attempted to sit up, wincing at the effort.

“Whoa, whoa. Hang on,” He paused your actions. “Be careful.”

“John B,” Your dad interrupted the conversation as he entered the room. “Do you mind if I talk to her?”

John B shook his head and stood from his chair. “No, not at all, sir. I’ll see you later.”

As much as you didn’t want him to leave, you knew the conversation ahead wasn’t going to be fun. Despite the need for recovery, all you wanted was to be back in John B’s arms, loving the comfort and security he provided. Glancing down at the bandana tied around your wrist, you knew you’d be able to be with him again sometime soon.

--

You walked on the screened-in porch as quiet as possible. You were able to leave the hospital a couple hours after John B left you with your dad. You would’ve gone to him right away, but you were mandated bed rest at least for 24 hours, courtesy of your dad.

Walking through the door, you noticed the teen sleeping on the couch, completely oblivious to the fact that you were hovering over him. You held his bandana over his nose, just above his face. “Missing something?”

He startled away, his face smacking the piece of fabric in your hand. “Shit,” He mumbled as he realized it was you. “What are you doing here?”

You stepped around the couch to sit by his feet as you shrugged. “I missed you.”

“You missed me?” He repeated as if he didn’t believe you. You nodded. A smile formed on his lips as he reached forward to pull you with him, the two of you taking up every inch of the couch as you practically laid on top of him. You rested your head against his chest as he kissed your hair. “God, I missed you so much.”

“Yeah?” You asked as you looked up at him, kissing him softly. The warmth he provided melted away all of your aches and worries. You were just happy to be here with him.

He shook his head at you as you continued to kiss. He hoped this wasn’t a dream. He had waited so long to have someone like you in his life, and even though he never envisioned it to be you, he was so glad it was. Having you in his arms felt like home, and even if he was dreaming, he never wanted to wake up.

[rosesgonerogue]

How to be a Dad 101

Chapter 2 - Villain Attack

Jasonette July Day 3

Masterlist

Marinette had thought that her years of being Rena Rogue would have improved Alya’s need for documenting dangerous situations, or at the very least her impulse control. As much as she loved her best friend, she was beginning to sincerely regret being cajoled into going to Gotham, of all places. A part of her couldn’t help but speculate whether of not Alya had been hoping that they’d end up in Crime Alley.

Jason was an unexpected bonus to their trip, though. None of them were quite sure what to think of the native Gothamite, but he did make an excellent tour guide. He was attentive, and surprisingly knowledgeable about the city’s history. Although he initially came off as angry and intimidating, he was also witty and attentive, especially to Marinette.

Okay, he was also hot. Like, absurdly hot. While Adrien was attractive, Jason was… Marinette didn’t know what words she could possibly use to describe just how broad his shoulders were, or how defined those muscles seemed. At one point he hugged her into his (very firm) chest so an inattentive biker didn’t hit her while they were crossing the street. She was grateful that he took the time to cuss them out, or he would have seen her face as red as her Ladybug suit. At another point when he took off his jacket and she saw his arms, she nearly choked on her spit.

She was dangerously close to relapsing into the Marinette of her teenage years, and that was the singularly worst outcome she could picture. Something about Jason made her feel… safe, protected.

The first day of their acquaintance with Jason was blessedly uneventful. Marinette was a little sad to bid him goodbye for good, but when he dropped them off at their hotel, he asked, “So what time should I be here tomorrow?”

A blush crept up Marinette’s face. “You don’t have to do that, really. We don’t want to bore you–“

He met her eyes, his own piercing. He was evaluating her, and based on his smirk, he liked what he saw. “I’ll be here at ten.” Jason raised a massive, strong hand to brush an errant strand of hair out of her eyes. “Gotham would eat you up, and we can’t have that.”

When he stepped away, Marinette almost collapsed on the spot. She knew her face was flaming red, but she managed to stammer, “W-Well, we’re going to have breakfast at the bakery just down the block at seven, but we’ll definitely be back by ten.”

“I guess that’s safe enough,” Jason said with that same smirk. “But no more wandering around Gotham, you got it?”

“S-Sure.”

Even though he had just vacated her personal space just a second ago, he leaned in close enough that his breath tickled her ear. “Sleep well, sweetcheeks.”

He left them standing in the hotel lobby, Marinette completely frozen. Before the boys could do or say anything, Alya grabbed her hand in an iron grip and hauled her up two flights of stairs to the room the two of them were sharing.

“What was that?” Alya demanded, closing the door with a bang.

Still dazed, Marinette collapsed onto the bed. “What was that?”

“Do you suddenly have a thing for bad boys now? I just… and how did we bump into him? He’s like the buffest man on the planet.”

“He called me sweetcheeks. Is that a good thing?” Marinette mumbled.

“Marinette, focus,” Alya said, shaking her best friend. “I’m worried.”

Finally Marinette made eye contact. “But he’s safe. He protected us.”

Emerging from her purse, Tikki settled on Alya’s head. “Marinette, I don’t think that’s what Alya is talking about.”

Sitting up, infinitely more level-headed than moments earlier, Marinette smiled softly, eyes holding a depth of sadness that should have been unfair for a twenty-year-old. “I know that nothing will happen between the two of us, we fly back to Paris in five days. But I just… I just want to be a normal girl for a week. I was fine with coming to Gotham because it meant I had a week to just be Marinette, not Ladybug, not MDC. For once I just want to let myself get caught up in my emotions – and if I end up hurt, that’s fine, because it means I’m allowed to feel again.”

Tikki and Alya shared glances with each other before Tikki spoke. “I guess I can understand that. But are you sure you can handle whatever happens, Marinette?”

“I’m a big girl, Tikki.”

“Besides, did you see those biceps? That alone almost makes up for anything he might do,” Alya said, fanning herself.

********

When morning rolled around, Marinette was the only one awake. Even Tikki was worn out from staying up entirely too late giggling about Jason and embarrassing Marinette with Alya’s help. Used to helping in the bakery every morning since she’d graduated, the lack of sleep was nothing to Marinette when she rolled out of bed and tied her hair up as per usual.

She was a little nervous about walking around Gotham alone, but Jason had dubbed this a safe part of town, and it was just at the end of the block. Her phone and her wallet were safely secured to her person, so she couldn’t be pick-pocketed either. Besides, even if something did happen, she had been Ladybug for years. Even without being transformed, Marinette had developed a number of self-defense skills on her own. It would be fine.

Getting to the bakery was no problem because, as previously stated, it was only a block away. The streets were fairly empty, and the weather was pleasant. She’d heard that Gotham was almost always storming, but she had yet to see any of that.

The bread was still warm in the bakery. Marinette was mostly curious about the differences between French and American bakeries, and she knew her parents were expecting a full report of any special items.

It didn’t seem like there was anything too different about the bakery except the various vigilante inspired pastries, and Marinette refused to bring that up – she didn’t need to see Ladybug bread everywhere she went. They actually had a far smaller selection than she was used to, but she’d heard that that was to be expected in America.

She ordered a bit of everything, and after deliberating a bit, she ordered a few extra Red Hood donuts. They were vaguely gun-shaped and filled with raspberry jelly. It seemed like the sort of thing that Jason would find amusing, and if not, there were plenty of other things for him to choose from and Adrien and Nino wouldn’t complain.

Piled high with pastries and breads, Marinette left the bakery humming to herself. Bags swung f rom her arms as she skipped a few feet until she froze, an ominous feeling creeping up her spine.

Crouching in a nearby alley, Marinette looked out at the street for a sign of what had her on edge like this. Sure enough, only seconds later a roar shook the streets, and a villain she recognized as Killer Croc barrelled his way through, jaws snapping.

Marinette’s eyes widened when she noticed he was clearly heading straight for the alley she’d ducked into. Too late she noticed the open manhole cover just a few feet behind her. The telltale sound of vigilantes pursuing the mutant were enough to spur her into action.

Unwilling to put down the food, Marinette kicked the manhole cover back in place – it would slow Croc down for a few seconds. He was still about fifty meters away, causing mass panic on the street. Desperately hoping that the wheels were unlocked – and surprisingly gratified, Marinette body checked the nearby dumpster, shoving it right on top of the manhole. Without her Ladybug suit, this was the most she could safely do. Bolting to the nearest building’s fire escape, Marinette hauled herself up the ladder as quickly as she could without smashing the bags of food.

Killer Croc wasn’t far behind her, and when he saw the covered manhole, he bellowed. Marinette started moving more haphazardly as she clambered up, desperate to reach safety. It was only a metal ladder within a foot of most windows, and it was only anchored by a handful of bolts every few feet of the ladder.

Her hand slipped when Killer Croc roared beneath her, catching sight of her handiwork. A neatly wrapped pastry fell out of one of the violently swinging bags, bopping the reptile on the head.

“This was you!” he growled. “If the Bats are going to catch me then I may as well take you with me.”

Scaled hands grasped one of the bottom rungs. Marinette did all she could to haul herself up the ladder faster, but it was a thirteen-story building – making it to the top was sounding less likely by the minute. She would have leapt into one of the nearby windows if she weren’t convinced that it would end in a paranoid Gothamite taking her out before Killer Croc could do the job.

Metal groaned as the reptilian man wrenched the bolts out of the very brick they’d been anchored in. The ladder shook, and Marinette screamed as the section she clung to was ripped from the wall, leaving her stuck between a structurally questionable ladder, and a very pissed off crocodile.

“Going so soon? Our playdate was just getting fun.”

Marinette could have sobbed when she saw Nightwing enter the alleyway, flanked by Red Robin and Red Hood. In a deep voice, Red Hood said, “You two take down Croc, I’ve got the girl.”

The other two looked surprised, but conceded easily enough. While Killer Croc was distracted by the vigilantes, Marinette moved even faster up the ladder – she only had three flights to go before she was at the roof, but the ladder was shaking like it would fall at any second, and she really didn’t want to find out what that would do to her and the pastries.

She vaguely registered that Red Hood was demanding someone’s something hook, but Marinette’s sheer panic was lessening her grasp on the English language by the second. With his loudest growl yet, Killer Croc wrenched the ladder free of the building. Marinette screamed, her stomach clenching with dread as she released the ladder, trying to curl her body in a way that she hopefully wouldn’t break anything upon impact.

Something whistled through the air, and before Marinette could hit the ground she collided with something – a man, who wrapped an arm around her. She hadn’t realized she’d closed her eyes, but Marinette opened them to find herself face-to-face with the abomination that was Red Hood’s mask, but for the moment she could forgive the fashion crime.

He kicked off of the brick wall, giving them some distance from the ladder before it fell with a glorious clang. Marinette’s heart finally started beating, hammering in her chest as the vigilante slowly lowered them down to the ground.

When she finally forced herself to look, the other two had Killer Croc pinned and trussed up like a pig. Nightwing waved, smiling brighter than Marinette thought was allowed from someone who lived in Gotham. “The manhole cover and the dumpster? Brilliant move, we never would have caught him if he’d been able to get into the sewers. You made some risky moves, but I can tell they were calculated. Nicely done!”

Safely on the ground, Red Hood was examining her for any injuries. Clearly irked, he growled, “Since when are we encouraging civilians to jump into the middle of this sh-“

“Hood, she would have been involved one way or another just because of where she was standing,” Nightwing interrupted. “She saw us coming, and she just did a few things to slow him down while doing her best to keep herself safe. What’s up with you? Normally you’d be high-fiving a civilian for something like that.”

“Whatever,” Red Hood mumbled. “I’m escorting her to make sure she gets to wherever she’s going safely. Make sure the lizard doesn’t get away.”

Taglist:

@jasonette-july-2k20 @ira-sairain @myazael @pawsitivelymiraculous @nik-nak-3

Note:

I got a couple questions about this being a Mominette fic - it is, just not yet. This one is going to be a lot different from I didn’t so much fall in love - It kicked me in the face and I am stoked to see how you guys like it! If you want to be tagged in future chapters, just leave a comment, and once again, blow up Jasonette July! I’m super excited to see what everyone else has to say and write! 

[potscenarios]

Omg! So excited! May I please request how Sanada, Shiraishi, Atobe, Niou, and Kite would confess to their long time crush? Thank you and best of luck with the blog! ♥️ Love PoT so much, I miss the fandom :(

My very first request yay! I knew there are still people around!! Thank you so much for sending in something, sweetie! I hope to see you around ♥️

(Also I'm so sorry this turned out so long lol)

Sanada

Let’s face it, Yukimura and Yanagi are probably the ones who first noticed how different Sanada is whenever he’s around you, his crush. And since they judged that their friend’s crush has been going on long enough, they’re probably the ones who tries to get the ball rolling and hints at Sanada to just confess already.

Confessing is a big thing for this man, because he will only do so when he’s 99.99% sure that he wants to have a serious relationship with the other person.

Knowing his family background and his personality, of course he would get all traditional about the whole process (i.e. if you have an older brother, he would probably have tried to get his permission to 'court' you first before he actually does he's so precious omg)

He starts by inviting you out along with your friends and some of the tennis club members, so you won't feel awkward with him alone. It's also a good chance for him to get to know your friends more, which he will need to do when he becomes your boyfriend anyway. Sanada also knows he's not too good at talking so he wants you to get more comfortable around him in general. When your response is positive, then he starts to invite you out on real dates - just the two of you.

Throughout this whole process, only when he has verbally heard from you directly that you do enjoy having him around, he finally finds his courage and is convinced to take the next step. On the actual d-day itself, he's oddly out of it and you're probably going to misunderstand his silence as boredom or something like that, but when he finally, finally finds the opportunity to confess, it'll blow you away because of how unusually soft and sincere he looks.

"We have known each other for quite some time. This might sound unexpected to you, but I have found myself thinking of our future together on several occasions. I realize that all these time, I have been longing to stand by your side, not just as a friend, but as a partner. If you will... would you honor me with the title of your boyfriend?"

Shiraishi

Literally plans out everything for over a week down to a t. And by everything I mean everything.

Researches the best date spots (How far are they from your house? How busy will they be at the d-day? If it rains, are there any other alternative spots nearby?), the best restaurants to dine in (Are the food healthy? Will they adhere to your preferences? How many stars does the restaurant have? What's the best time to eat there?), the best possible place to confess (How atmospheric is it? Are there any risks of being interrupted? Is there any way he can reserve the place or something along the line?), the weather on that day (Sunny? Windy? Rain? Snow? Humid?), etc. Everything has to be perfect.

Shiraishi takes you to your most favorite places, opens the door for you and makes sure you're seated on your chair before going to sit on his own, politely rejects girls who swoons over him (which seems to always happen when you go out - one time you tell him he needs to stop looking like he just came out from a fashion magazine and he just laughs), and escorts you like the perfect textbook definition of a gentleman for the whole day.

Despite his research though, things can't always be a hundred percent perfect, so there are actually some parts / events of the date where Shiraishi isn't completely satisfied with, but you honestly don't notice because he had been so kind and accommodating, so of course a few mishaps here and there are tolerable (and they're probably mostly not his fault anyway)

He's composed when he finally confesses, but inwardly he's frantically freaking out and he's constantly trying to gauge your reactions because he will pull back as soon as you look uncomfortable - at the very least, if he’s rejected, he doesn't want to destroy your friendship.

"Hey, [Last_Name]. Do you think I'll make a good boyfriend? .... I'm glad that you think I would. Then... Do you think we'll make a good couple? I personally think we would. And honestly, I want to make that reality... What do you think?"

Atobe

He has the confidence and the means to make the most extravagant confession on Earth, so why should he hold back, right?

Due to being around him for quite long, though, you're most likely already used to his eccentrics, so you wouldn't think too much about it when he actually asks you to go somewhere with him, thinking that he just doing his usual 'this-ore-sama-will-show-you-his-prowess' antics.

He takes you to a newly built indoor 'garden', where a wide variety of plants are grown and cared for. Actually, ‘garden’ is an understatement. There are several 'greenhouses' that hosts different kinds of plants, apparently imported in from all over the world. Strange trees and flowers grows everywhere, the air is cooling and fresh because of all the plantations, and as you walk down the path surrounded by lush greens, you're very much awed and fascinated by everything.

But that's all nothing compared to the man-made waterfall he takes you to as your last destination. You can only stare in wonder as you watch the rushing water, not realizing that it's especially cold in this 'greenhouse' until Atobe gentlemanly drapes a shawl he prepared beforehand around you. He then takes you around the small forest around the waterfall and you both walk up the stairs to find that there's a modern looking restaurant that looks more like a villa, situated just at the right height and distance to have the perfect view of the waterfall and its surrounding area.

You'll find yourself sitting at the comfiest dining chair in your life, sipping the freshest orange juice, row upon row of your favorite foods coming out one after another. And just when you're finishing your dessert, all smiles and relaxed, and you thank him for the fun outing, that's when he confidently drops the question.

"Let me make this clear. Ore-sama doesn't just treat anyone this way. You're special. You're the only one who is good enough to stand equally beside me. Don't you agree? Of course, I'm only accepting nothing but 'Yes' as an answer."

It's only way later into your relationship when you realize that the place he took you to is owned and constructed by Atobe himself. When you ask your boyfriend about this fact, he finally admits (with a very proud smirk) that he built the whole thing just to confess to you lol

Niou

I personally think his confession wouldn't exactly be 'planned', in a sense.

He just has to tease you, his adorable crush, every chance he has. Just because he likes to see focus your attention to him and he thinks the angry / troubled look on your face is the cutest. But after a while it comes to the point that his pranks and teasing remarks are getting more and more frequent, and it’s getting too much to your liking. He doesn’t exactly take your verbal protest seriously, so you end up giving him the silent treatment, just to let him know that enough is enough.

Niou, who is already used to have you around and has taken your presence for granted, is suddenly left to his own thoughts because you're either running away from him upon seeing him, or isn't showing any reaction when he manages to catch up to you. Honestly you probably just want him to lessen his teasing, but the impact of your action is bigger than you think.

In the end, after a long lecture from Yagyuu (the lecture itself was boring but he was forced to sit seiza for a whole hour and his legs hurt like hell) and Yukimura's simple but straight-to-the-point comment ("Hm? Is [Last_Name] avoiding you lately, Niou? It's because you've been borderline mean to them, you know?"), he realizes that he has to make things right.

He's surprisingly gentle and serious when he asks you to have lunch with him one day, and you feel a little bad for making him feel so guilty, so you accept. It's already shocking that he hasn't done or said anything that's remotely playful all the while you're walking to the place you're supposed to have lunch in, but he's treating you so gentlemanly you almost suspect he switched places with Yagyuu.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you hate me, and I didn't think I would annoy you that much. I've reflected. I should have treated the person I love more preciously. I promise I'll be better! So don't hate me, yeah?"

“.... Niou? Did you just say..... ‘the person I love'?”

"Huh? .... Puri. I guess the cat's out of the bag, huh? ... That's right. I really like you. I find your teary face really adorable, but I still like it best when you smile. So will you go out with me? I promise I'll never let you cry from sadness."

Kite 

This scheming and calculating man!! Kite will only confess if he has already studied up your behavior and has determined that you do harbour interest in him as a love interest. From there, it’s a strategic battle for him to bring you two even closer.

He would subconsciously condition you to be more dependent or just overall be closer to him. I can actually see him create certain situations where you would have no choice but to accept his help, or for you to offer your help, being the kind soul that you are.

Like the time where he invites you to watch the tennis club practice, and it just so conveniently rains, and it just so happens that you lost your umbrella, and so when he offers you to walk you home, what can you do except comply? And if on your way he purposefully timed your walking pace so that the car on the street drives by a rather big puddle, resulting in him 'shielding' you and getting his uniform all wet, how could you not invite him into your abode so he can dry off first? If he doesn’t have the opportunity to be alone with you, trust me, he will create one.

It's not that he's doing all those things with ill intent in mind though, and he's definitely not trying to hurt you. His goal is to make you feel like you need him. It's just his way of getting you to fall in love with him lol

Surprisingly though, I think his actual confession would be pretty 'normal'. Okinawa generally has nice beaches, so he would take you to a nice and relaxing beach walk, finishing off with dinner on an outdoorsy type restaurant overlooking the sea, where you both can watch the sun set against the horizon with soft live music in the background. Overall, when the atmosphere is nice and solemn just shortly after the sun finally sets, that's when he finally speaks.

"[Last_Name]-san. You are a wonderful and intriguing person. To be honest, I didn't think you would still be sticking around after all this time, but as with many other times, you continue to surprise me. At first, I was merely curious about you, but soon enough you flawlessly turned my curiosity into attraction. This is troubling. I will have you take responsibility by going out with me."

[loveislattes]

Take You Away (DarkXGN/AFAB!Reader) Chapter 1

Commission prompt: 

Dark/afab gn!reader: the reader is naturally submissive with a praise kink to end all praise kinks—dark likes to fluster & tease the reader with praise until all they can do is whine and whimper needily?  Mixed with- DarkxReader- Dark is a mythical, eldritch, being who lures curious souls into his forest. Similar to InfelixXReader.

Alright, if you know my writing by now, you know I almost always gotta come up with a back story. So this first chapter is all world building and fluff. 

Only warning for this first chapter is it talks about the death of a grandparent.

@underthedark13

@moriimae

@oi-fischfuck

@beck384

@book-of-roses

@therealcap

It was fitting, empathetic almost really. Grandma had cried herself practically empty and so the clouds above were drizzling their own tears for the family. A melancholic smile turned your lips up the slightest bit as you watched your grandma get up from her second home in the dirt of the small garden, wiping her hands clean on her old apron. It wasn’t until you realized she was going to attempt to carry the over-filled basket of vegetables that you finally sprung into action.

“Hey, why don’t you let me carry that?” you offered gently.

At first, you thought she was going to refuse your offer, that familiar stubborn look coming into her eyes until she relented with a sigh. 

“I suppose,” she grumbled.

After handing off the basket, she took a few of the potatoes and carrots off the top. 

You offered her a grand smile and said, “It’s the least I can do after lazing around and just watching you do all the actual hard work.”

“Yeah yeah.”

She waved you off and started toward the back door but not before you spotted the little grin she now had. It felt like a victory of epic proportions after how down everyone had been the past few days. The toll of your grandpa’s death had dealt a mighty blow, which is why you were staying an extra week at home with her. Not that you minded. You needed the break from work and it had been a long time since you’d seen her in person. 

“You coming or not, child?” she chastised warmly from the doorway.

Chuckling and giving her a little shrug, you replied, “Yep, sorry! Got lost in my thoughts.”

It amused you to no end that, despite being over eighteen for however long, she still called you child just like when you stood at her knee height. Some things never changed. Just like how she stood at that same spot every night to cut up the ingredients for supper, and how she always kept her coffee mug just a little too close to the edge for your liking. 

Setting the basket on the floor by the pantry, you slowly worked to get all the vegetables put away while listening to the steady chopping of the knife on the board and the gentle sound of her humming. The instant you were finished, you joined her at the counter.

“Uh-uh. You know I love you dearly, child, but you’ve been clucking around me like a mother hen all day. You and I both need a break. Leave me to do my work and go get some fresh air. Maybe go see if that Walmart boy you used to like so much remembers you.”

At the mention of your middle school crush, the Walmart greeter who was at least a generation older than you, you barely managed to hold in a cringe-laced groan.

“Uh, no thanks. I’m good on that front,” you muttered, rapping your knuckles on the counter rhythmically, “But I’ll find something to do.”

Before you had even finished the sentence, you knew exactly where you were going. You’d been dying to explore the woods outside the house since the day after the funeral but didn’t want to leave your grandma alone too soon. You’d spent most of your summers there as a kid until your parents stopped bringing you here.

“Go. Have fun. Act like the young adult you are and get into a little mischief. Not too much though!” 

You slipped your jacket on and called out a reminder to your grandma that you were only a phone call away before running out the door. You noted, thankfully, that the slow drizzle from before had lightened up even more into a sparse sprinkle so you had the option of keeping your hood down. As your feet moved towards the familiar path through the back gate, your mind began to wander.

You knew it was a stupid hope. It had been over a decade since you’d last visited, so logically you knew that the little meadow you had claimed as your own so long ago might not even exist anymore, but you just had to see. Every summer when you’d come to stay with your grandparents, you’d spend hours upon hours in the woods exploring. The plentiful greenery served to be your escape from reality. You imagined colonies of fairies and hollows of trolls, eternal life springs, and animated Ents. At the center of it all had been the one and only imaginary friend in your childhood; a man named Dark. 

As you got older you realized there had to be some psychological reason you had imagined a distinguished eldritch being in the forest named Dark as your friend for many years but you never did figure out the reasoning. 

“To be fair, my childhood wasn’t that great,” you muttered to yourself. 

While contemplating the psychological impact a rough childhood might have on one’s psyche and emotional growth, you continued on the long-familiar path, somehow traipsing carefully around every root and limb with precise muscle memory that shouldn’t even exist. 

“Well, well, what do we have here? Little Mx. Red has come to see me again after all this time?”

The sudden deep voice nearly sent you careening to the side out of pure shock and terror. Your eyes swept from the forest floor to the clearing you hadn’t even yet noticed in front of you. And there he sat, the perfectly imperfect being of your dreams, in the same delicately grown throne of vines and limbs that you remembered from so long ago. Just as stunning as the first day you’d seen him. 

“Dark?” you asked warily.

A sly smirk parted his lips as he tipped his head your way.

“Mx. Red.”

As your brain fought your tongue to find some semblance of words, your eyes danced over him and soaked in every visible inch. You didn’t quite remember him being so… attractive. Then again, you were a child the last time you had seen him. With his pristine white suit and contrasting black shirt, he painted a portrait of class, but his unshaven face and messy black locks gave off the exact opposite vibe. It would almost be funny how human he looked if it weren’t for the fact you were utterly transfixed. When he suddenly lifted a wine glass to his lips and took a sip, it broke whatever spell you had been under.

“Wait, you remember me?” you finally asked in return.

“I remember everyone that I promise to save.”

A little bout of excitement and embarrassment wriggled through your gut uncomfortably as you thought back on everything you ever told him. So many secrets. Blown way out of proportion thanks to a child’s view on life. 

“Yeah, about that. I thought some stupid stuff as a kid. I wasn’t really being treated as badly as it seemed, at least not as bad-”

At an inhuman speed, the eldritch being leaped from his throne and came to stand mere inches from you, interrupting your train of thought and forcing silence to blossom in the slight space between your bodies. 

“Don’t. Do not compare your plights to others. Their pain does not lessen yours,” he demanded roughly, “Alas, you seem to have forgotten that I was able to see into your head and verify your fears.”

With the touch of his fingers to your temple, suddenly you were transported back a decade: Tiny little you standing face to face with the kneeling man whose face was screwed up in concern. The strange little twirl of magic that danced along your skin and billowed your hair around you. The exhilarating excitement of being allowed tea parties with playful imps and fairies. The twisting feeling of defeat when you’d have to leave at the end of each summer. 

Your legs went weak beneath you and your stomach felt like it was dropped miles below as you were suddenly back in your adult body. You braced for impact with eyes shut tight only to be yanked into the firm planes of another’s body. Through process of elimination, your mind brilliantly deduced that the only person who could be holding you was Dark and immediately your face began to burn hot. You jerked away quickly and he relinquished his hold with grace but kept a steadying hand on your shoulder. 

“My apologies,” he spoke softly, “Are you okay now?”

A little nod was all you could manage in return but that seemed enough to soothe his worries. 

“It seems that it’s been long enough since I’ve looked into your mind that your body has built up a resistance.”

“That’s… interesting?” you murmured uncertainly, “It might also be the shock of discovering that you’re actually real and not a figment of my imagination.” 

He watched as you shoved your hands into your pockets nervously but didn’t say anything in return. The weight of his eyes was heavy and built the intensity brewing in your belly to a boil. So many conflicting emotions were assaulting your mind and body that you physically couldn’t handle much more than staring back at him just the same. And at the same time, everything was suddenly serene, down to the muffled humming of the forest creatures around you. 

You weren’t sure how long it had been before the first chirping ring of your phone went off but suddenly you were alerted to the fact that you were standing much closer than you had been originally, a trembling hand halfway up to his face. Said hand instantly shot into your jacket pocket and brought your cell to your face.

“Uhm, h-hello?” you answered meekly.

“Dinner’s almost done. You coming back soon?” your grandma asked, the sound of a pot lid banging in the background.

“Sure thing. Be there in a few,” you replied. 

When you looked back up at Dark after shoving your phone away, you were surprised to find him with a little smile on his face.

“Go. I will be here when you return. I’m always here,” he coaxed.

You licked your lips nervously before giving him and slight nod and saying, “I’ll be back in the morning. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

[yeslordmyking]

Happy 27th Birthday Jackson Wang

My Journey With Jackson Wang

For Jackson's birthday this year, I've decided to share why Jackson's birth is so important to me personally. I'll walk through the emotional journey that ensued once Jackson entered my life.

(Images and gifs are not mine)

Fun Beginnings

It all started when I decided to explore more kpop groups than just Bigbang. The last month of 2016, I discovered GOT7, the group that sang A and Hard Carry. I learned they were having a comeback very soon, so I studied up everything I could on them. The member that caught my eye was Jackson Wang.

Beneath the Surface

I won't pretend I had this amazing ability to go beyond what was shown to me. Not at first. I saw Jackson as the biggest goofball in the group. He was loud and fun and extra. Honestly I thought every GOT7 member was fun and crazy, but Jackson in particular stood out to me. Then, I found this moment.

When Jackson burst into tears and collapsed into his Mom and Dad's arms. As an empathetic cryer, I was obviously using my sleeves to dry my own eyes. That was when I realized there was more to Jackson than the compilation videos were showing. After studying up from some good Jackson fans, I learned he was a gentleman, he had a soft side, he likes compliments and attention from his members, he had olympic level athleticism. These were all nice things to learn, but things only got deeper from there.

Stanning in 2017

Flight Log: Arrival era. My first GOT7 comeback. Poor Jackson got sick for a little while. When he returned, I saw how everyone welcomed him back so warmly. I remember seeing GOT7 joined Monsta X backstage- who I was also im the process of stanning- while reacting to their performance at a music show and everyone just seemed so happy for him to be there. They all loved each other. Jackson got along with basically every idol. Jackson must be very loved.

As I continued to stan, I learned just how good of a person he was. Stories from his past showed that Jackson was the kind person to care for complete strangers as close friends. He cared for elderly women who felt lonely or neglected. He spent hours talking with someone who was too depressed to live another day. He stood up for fans that may be jostled by security, even if it was ultimately for his protection. He made sure the women in his workspace were comfortable and respected. He shook hands and made contact with every person involved in working alongside him. He thanked God for his success in his letters. To me, Jackson seemed to be nothing short of a complete angel. Who could deny it?

Then, Jackson announced his solo career. That was when I saw things how they really were. The amount of hate that I witnessed towards Jackson was crushing for me. So imagine how bad it was for him. Physically, mentally, I saw him hit a wall. People were telling him what kind of music he was and wasn't capable of. They spread lies about him. Then they wondered why he stopped smiling as much.

They only saw him as a comedian or a joke. I just couldn't believe someone I thought was so wonderful was so despised. He was human. He may make mistakes, but he made an effort to correct them. No matter what, he still had feelings. He wasn't a robot or a clown. He could get tired. He could hurt. This was when I decided that I was going to be a ride or die Jackson fan. Because someone so kind and talented didn't deserve anything but love and to be supported for his dreams. I wanted to give it to him.

The Jacky Life

There was a lot of ups and downs after this. Jackson started Team Wang. This is where I saw a new side of Jackson. The hardworking Jackson, in real time. He showed the world his work ethic as he began to work from the ground up to make Team Wang a strong label. Through every release and every appearance he made, he gave 1000% of his effort. To the point where fans were afraid he was going to push himself too hard. He went through endless performances, intense dance competitions, long variety show shoots while enduring exhaustion, anemia, back pain, mental illness all without a complaint or a sign of lessening his passion for his art. I was so concerned, often breaking into tears over my worry. I didn't know what to do to let him know we were proud of him, we supported him, it was ok to rest. But I understood his mindset. He wanted to be taken seriously. He wanted people to see what he was capable of. He wanted the world to see him as Jackys already did. Then one day, it clicked for him. He stopped focusing on what negativity came his way. He learned and grew from it, and focused on improving himself. It was an amazing journey to witness.

It Gets Personal

Jackson continued to blast off as a solo artist, and participate in GOT7, all of which gained immense success. But then it was my turn to hit a wall. In my own life, I'd had doors slammed in my face over and over again, wearing me down more and more. I couldn't move forward. It seemed I wasn't meant to achieve my dreams. I started to kill my own dreams and believe they weren't meant to be pursued. My self worth and hope plummeted. Then Jackson's brand began to grow. "Know Yourself. Make Your Own History." He began to give more and more insight on how he left behind a secure future of olympic fencing to pursue his dreams. He talked about taking risks, learning from failure, not having regrets and at least trying to make your dreams come true. And these weren't just empty words for Jackson. He was living proof. I actually witnessed him rise like a phoenix from the ashes as he began to manage his health better, released his first album Mirrors, launch his own fashion brand, all while remaining his remarkably humble self. Other artists from all over the world flocked to be participants in his career. In his music, he expressed what his fans' support meant to him, and in his interviews he gives Jackys so much credit for getting him where he is now. It felt unreal to be acknowledged by someone I admired so much, and to hear someone who seems so out-of-my-league successful and talented encourage me to do the same. To say it so much that I truly believe he wants us to reach all of our dreams.

Team Wang For Life

For me, being a fan of Jackson Wang is beyond just liking his music. It's a source of love and motivation that I often have trouble giving myself. I see Jackson Wang as a blessing and a guide for me to help me take steps in my life I would've been afraid to were it not for Jackson's words and actions. So I'm extremely grateful for his existence on this earth and his decision to be a goodhearted and determined human being. His birthday is a day that I go back and think about everything he is and appreciate it.

Happy birthday Jackson Wang. Your journey so far has helped me in so many ways, and I will support you in whatever way I can. Thank you for making your presence on this earth so impactful. To me, you truly are a king, that I will continue to love through the ups and downs of this world. You're never alone.

~♡Sincerely, Your Princess♡~

[tangent101]

More thoughts on writing LiS

So. One trick someone has stated is that to work through a scene, write a summary. Thus when trying to work through a scene leading up to the “awkward dinner” but you have problems coming up with the wording, it’s said to block off a section. For instance:

[insert thing on what Max's parents do for work. Thoughts - seeing Arcadia Bay was a fishing town, Ryan probably was a boat mechanic. Wild thought - what if Vanessa has a degree in Library Science? Check to see what their salary would be. Retail is another option.]

The problem is? Story flow. All this does is tell me what happens there. But there is no ebb and flow to the story. My next line was going to be this from Chloe:

"Yeah, that's nice, but can't you interrogate her while she's eating? Look at her, she's famished! She's not eaten all day!"

But it doesn’t work. Why did Chloe say that? What led up to this? How does it work? At least with dialogue, sometimes you need those elements leading up to it. Otherwise you have a shoehorned conversation that is jarring and fails to let things pick up from there. 

So let’s look at what led into this with Max trying to diffuse an argument between Chloe and Joyce:

"Nice save, kid. You're still smart. So Chloe said you're attending Blackwell now?" She sighed and tsked at me. "I had high hopes for Chloe at Blackwell, but she had to... well, I'm sure she's told you."

Fucking... my eyes narrowed and I tried to lessen the venom in my voice as I responded. "Yeah, I did. I don't keep secrets from Max. And you know? She didn't get in my face about it, or try to shame me about it."

"Um. What are you making, Joyce? It smells divine!" Max interjected.

Joyce turned back toward Max, seemingly grateful for the distraction. "I made a batch of cioppino. David will be off work soon and I thought it would be nice for us all to sit down for dinner and get reacquainted. It's a shame your parents didn't stick around, it would have been nice to connect with them again."

Max shrugged apologetically. "They wanted to try and get home before it gets too late. They have work in the morning."

Chloe is already in an adversarial mood, and it’s related to Joyce acting disapproving toward her daughter - especially as Max is back, and Max is everything Joyce thinks she wants in a daughter. Quiet, obedient, unlikely to get into trouble. Chloe is most definitely not that. 

So how do we merge the two? Well, first we know that Chloe knows Max hasn’t eaten all day. She even jokes to Max (just before her argument with her mom starts) that Max is just there for her mom’s cooking (Chloe having invited Max to dinner and hearing Max’s stomach gurgle). And rather than letting Max and her grab food (before Step-Douche shows up to inevitably ruin things) Joyce is making small talk.

The next step is ensuring this remains in Joyce’s voice. It’s easy to put words into a character’s mouth, but if you’re not careful it can be difficult to differentiate them. And it’s not just a few key catchwords. Sure, Chloe uses “hella” all the time but near the end of LiS we even have Max starting to use “hella” once or twice. It’s more the context and knowing how a character talks.

For instance, Max is frequently more passive and ambivalent in her dialogue prior to Rewinds. You can think of the Rewind as Max going “okay, this is what I should have said” and rewording things (and to be honest, LiS would have been better done if we had frequent instances of Max choosing entirely different lines of dialogue because she thought things out, Rewound, and spoke that new phrase - and even moments of her goofing up and needing to Rewind to fix it!). Chloe is more confrontational in her comments and dialogue. She is more action-oriented and active. And Joyce? Joyce is more “maternal” in some ways but also tends to talk down to Max and Chloe. She’s the adult and they’re kids. She even coaches her own need to explain her actions as such. Take this moment:

Joyce: I was hoping you could be a good influence in her life now...

Max: I will be. Promise. I know things were hard for you and Chloe. I feel bad I didn't call. Now my folks are in Seattle and I'm all alone at Blackwell. It's my karma.

Joyce: You did the right thing. You moved forward with your life. I did, after William passed on. Chloe...Chloe chose to stay angry... Anyway, I hope we see more of you. Chloe needs an old friend again.

She’s telling Max what to do. But more, she’s explaining away her own actions. She married David so quickly after William’s death because she was moving on and it was for the best. So Max not calling? Was doing the right thing. It doesn’t matter that it hurt Chloe - that both of them hurt Chloe. They were right and Chloe is wrong and her anger is wrong.

Looking at that, it’s clear seeing what the conversation could turn out as, and also why Chloe starts getting angry because this is how Joyce talks to Chloe all the time. Her own anger and frustration is ignored because Chloe is the child and Joyce is the adult and the adult is always right.

“I’m glad to hear they’ve gotten back on their feet. I know you didn’t want to move away, but you needed to move forward with your life. I did, after William passed on. Chloe...” she stared at me sadly, “Chloe chose to stay angry.”

Yeah, talk about me like I’m not here. No, don’t say anything. We don’t need to fight before we get noms... I clenched my jaw and somehow forced myself to remain silent. 

“So, what are they doing for work? Did your mom finish her degree to become a librarian?”

Okay fuck this bullshit...  "Yeah, that's nice, but can't you interrogate her while she's eating? Look at her, she's famished! She's not eaten all day!"

And now we can see how this flows. 

Blocking off text can work, mind you. But it’s best if used for concise points rather than to put off entire parts of progress. You can also use a specific series of characters to point it out. For instance: 

“So, what are they doing for work? Did your mom finish her degree to [>What degree does Vanessa go into?<]”

Thus when you do a Search for incomplete sections, just search for the [> string of characters, and know that <] closes out that thought sequence. That way, the dialogue continues to flow and you don’t pause to research specific points... but also don’t just postpone a certain bit of dialogue that could end up impacting what other elements are mentioned.

[elmidol]

Static Communications

Three Blind Tooke Part Three Death is an Art

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Three Blind Tooke 

 Part Three: Death is an Art

 Chapter Sixty-Four: Static Communications

 We stand and we fall,

United/Divided in this war.

I hope that soon

We’ll achieve what we’re fighting for.

 Due to his piloting expertise, Poe Dameron had been one of the individuals that had volunteered to aid in locating the various remaining First Order strongholds that were potential fortresses for Supreme Leader Armitage Hux during the final battle. Not final of the entire war, merely final of his reign. Taking comfort in this knowledge, you were able to dismiss the possibility that all Order of Ren pilots on reconnaissance missions might perish before relaying whatever information they were able to obtain. It would have also been a blow to consider that they could die after they had transmitted the data to nearby Order of Ren allies. Thus you chose to focus on what you could control alongside the positives in your life.

 Ushar and Finn had taken a sort of liking to one another, and the pair practiced communications through the Force as well as with comlinks. It had been decided that Finn would lead one of the Force sensitive squadrons on the ground of whatever planet was chosen while Ushar provided further support, just as Ap’lek had discussed with you before. Rose worked with two Order of Ren officers and three technicians to develop scramblers for the comlinks that would prevent the First Order from hacking into the feed. Ushar and Finn were content to work as test dummies for the new equipment. They were seen wandering around the Star Destroyer, sometimes together and other times apart, speaking into the devices while others with standard First Order tech worked to override the scramblers used.

You sat beside Rose while sipping a mug of caf to help warm yourself. The temperature in this section of the Star Destroyer was purposefully cooler, and you wore loose garments that properly covered the bruises Kylo Ren had left on your body. He had, to no surprise from you, insisted you use bacta to lessen the damage from an assortment of the bites. You had not argued with him, aware that his concern dealt with the upcoming battle. You wanted to be at your best, and he knew this. You rolled your shoulders while watching Rose’s fingers in motion. She had finished speaking with one of the technicians and was busy making an adjustment on her own to check if one spotted error was fixed with the alteration.

 She rarely looked in your direction, although this was largely due to the presence of Cardo. He set many people on edge simply by standing there. You remembered how the Resistance had treated you similarly when you had returned. This similarity allowed you to develop a stronger sense of camaraderie with Cardo, who had taken to gravitating towards you. “Will jammers baffle the scramblers?” you asked, leaning closer to inspect the device in her hands.

 Rose gave a nod without hesitating. “Yeah. There aren’t many ways around that. Finn and Ushar perfecting Force communications might come in more handy in that case. Although Rey says that it drains your energy the farther away the target is.” You recalled how Snoke had bridged together Rey and Kylo’s minds; he had been the one using his energy to assist in those communications, which had then lessened the toll on the two. You sometimes took that for granted, your memory skewing events.

 Cardo set a hand on the edge of the container on which you were seated. “Have a team devoted to taking out the jammers.” His voice had an echo-like quality to it that came and went. As he spoke in that moment, it was present and more pronounced with the quiet enveloping the room. An officer jumped in surprise then shuddered. You pinched your lips into a thin line while trying to keep from reacting to the others. “I’ll speak with Kylo.” Despite his words, Cardo did not dismiss himself nor walk away, which indicated that he would complete this task at an unspecified time in the future.

 “Ye...yeah,” the officer that had startled most visibly stuttered out, likely to fill the awkward silence that you had allowed to descend. You were annoyed with being one of the few to acknowledge Cardo as an equal. Forcing others to do the same was for their own good in your opinion.

 Inwardly you were screaming: He’s the one who just helped adjust your armor to withstand more damage, to help you survive run-ins with terror troopers. You looked over your shoulder to find that Cardo’s mask was dipped in your direction. He could sense it. All of the Knights of Ren were Force sensitive, and you were more and more convinced that absorbing some of Not-Rey’s life force during his revival had indeed increased his control over the mystical power. Where others avoided him, you wanted him beside you on the battlefield. Not that this came as any sort of surprise; you had been on missions with the Knights of Ren, and you trusted all six of them with your life just as they had trusted you with theirs.

 Cardo, Kylo, and you had all three died and then come back. You were set apart from the others. Cardo’s subtle ostracization was more noticeable than yours had been. Kylo Ren self-isolated socially and thus it was easy to miss the occasions that his choice was stripped, that he was ignored. It was funny, to you, that Kylo had once upon a time mentioned the Rule of Two when your life seemed to latch onto groups of three instead.

 “Okay, Finn, come get this and try again.” Rose spoke into a second comlink that was in her possession. Finn’s voice came back moments later to acknowledge her. Rose considered you. “Do you plan to be part of that team?” Your mind raced through scenarios, weighing pros and cons of devoting yourself to taking out towers that would be blocking communications. It could take you closer to Hux or it could draw you away from him. You took another sip of your caf while shrugging, committing to nothing. Rose shook her head. “We’re going to win.”

 “I want to be there,” you said, lowering your mug. Before she could say anything more--her mouth was open to do so--you continued. “Not to kill him myself. I want to watch him die though. After everything he did, I want to see it.”

 The discussion might have been longer had Finn not arrived, causing Rose’s attention to shift back to her job. It was unknown how swiftly the Order of Ren would have to spring into action once the information was retrieved by Poe or the other pilots. You moved up onto your feet, walking away from the group. Cardo trailed after you, his steps soft, controlled.

 Your mind shifted focus, working through the list of weaponry that the First Order would deploy against the Order of Ren. The AT-M6 Walkers would be among the most troublesome due to their reinforced limbs, which would make them harder to bring down. That was where aerial support would be most beneficial. If any of these behemoths were stationed in a location that defended shields--a high likelihood--it would be best if you focused there. Bringing the shields down was imperative. The First Order’s starfighters would be picking off ground troops and Order of Ren ships alike. The AT-M6s were also armed with anti-ship cannons, which was a benefit when it came to the few that the Order of Ren was in possession of. The issue was landing them on the ground without the First Order picking of the transports first. That was not your responsibility, however it nevertheless impacted all that you would do.

 Cardo brushed his arm against yours as he arrived by your side rather than following you. You switched your cup of caf to your other hand, took a sip, and gave him a nonverbal cue that you were listening. “Kylo and Rey believe that Hux may use taozin amulets. Even if we know which planet he is on, pinpointing his location will be an issue for them.”

 “So… We have to buy them time.” You felt your shoulders sag as you spoke. Better understood why it was that Cardo had not commented on Rose’s question or insistence of victory. He had not wanted to seem as though he was siding with her. When it came to matters of the Force, the others were less inclined to listen to him or remain open-minded. They would have insisted on speaking with Rey first before forming an opinion. “Where will you and Ap’lek be?”

 Ap’lek, you were told, would be leading one of the squadrons that contained both Force sensitives and non. Kuruk would be providing him cover; the Night Buzzard would not be in use due to its noise and the need for stealth before the battle broke out. You did not know how any of the Knights felt about this, nor did you ask. You were in favor of the decision, which would make things awkward if you learned for a fact that they were opposed to it. As for Trudgen and Vicrul, they would be working together in a unit designed to clear the way for Kylo and Rey. This left Cardo, who gestured to you, confirming that you were going to be together on the battlefield. You instantly relaxed.

 “That wookie is going to be with Kylo as well. Insists it.” 

 Your lips twitched, although you were not able to fully smile. It was hard to say if Chewbacca wanted to be by Kylo because of their history together before Kylo had joined the First Order, or if it was because of a lack of trust. That was not even to delve into how Kylo himself felt. The arrival of Lando along with a few others that had served in the Rebellion had been met with silence from him. Lando and Chewbacca had each been close with Han. They might serve as nothing more than a reminder that Kylo had killed his own father.

 A chill ran through you, one that you did your best to squash, to shrug away. Concerns regarding his reception once the war ended would wait. You were not ignoring them completely. Neither was he. Kylo Ren had chosen where to place his Knights based on strategy. The same with other members who held any leadership positions. It was another reason that Rey would be fighting at his side; she would not betray him, that you knew with an absolute certainty. This was meant to be a two-way war now that the Resistance had joined the Order of Ren. Of course, there were always radicals that would break rank at a moment’s notice to further whatever agenda they had in mind.

 “They won’t be able to rely on the Force to locate Hux,” you said, returning to a different issue. One that you could better navigate, that would not drive you crazy with paranoia. “Do we have anyone or anything good at tracking?”

 The echo-like quality to his voice returned when next he spoke. “Jannah stated that there was a planet her squadron explored while Snoke was in command. Akk dogs once served Jedi, and their hides are resistant to lightsabers, which will make them plenty capable in battle. She returned there after joining the Resistance. They’ve been training a few. There were other creatures as well. Orbak. They’re on a different ship in the fleet.” Now you did smile, it striking you that the Force, that the galaxy, was gathering together to fight against the First Order. It was joining under Kylo Ren, a balance being created.

 You need only remind yourself that the Resistance had worked to locate First Order officers for years without being able to use the Force. You had, for one. Prior to missions, during your training, you had not been able to use the Force to complete your tasks. This nervousness that you were feeling, you were able to let some of it go, realizing that it was nothing more than a waste of time and energy.

 Unaware of how much time was left to you, you decided that you would seek out your mother. Whether she would speak to you or not, you were unsure. Her moods varied. She had not recovered from the destruction of Naboo, and you doubted that she ever truly would. You drained the last of the caf from your mug on the way, handed the empty dish to a droid you passed, and asked Cardo if he wanted to be present when you visited her. He grunted, noncommittal. His presence or absence would not change a thing for you. Allowing him an opportunity to leave without it becoming awkward, however, had felt important to you.

 Though he did not leave you, Cardo slowed his pace. This resulted in you being nearly a yard ahead of him when you located your mother, who was seated near a collection of supplies that were being inventoried by a team made up of former Resistance members and Order of Ren stormtroopers. She had a doll in her hands that you recognized as belonging to one of the former Resistance tech officers that had children hidden away with their father. You stared at the doll as you eliminated the last of the distance that remained. Cardo, on the other hand, fell back another few steps and stopped, possibly to offer you a bit of privacy in the rather public area. You shifted onto one of the crates that was beside hers.

 You curled your legs so that your feet were no longer touching the ground and arced your body to help you grow nearer to your mother. She hugged the doll tighter to her body, her hand cupping its head against her chest. She was not in a hopeless state nor did you believe that she was feeling that death and loss were inevitable. This woman was tired. Ready for the war to end. Ready for a peace that she had believed had already arrived after the Rebellion had ended. You reached out a hand to touch hers. She did not flinch away. Her eyes drifted towards you, slipping along your hand and up your arm until she could explore your face with her gaze.

 “I wanted your father to be wrong. I wanted you to be wrong.” You nodded--what else could you do? You had wanted her to be wrong as well, however you had accepted the truth. It was why you had joined the Resistance. “I’m sorry. I let this happen to you.”

 A puff of air escaped your lips. You had to struggle to hold in the laugh that threatened to emerge. Bitter. Amused. Content. Relieved. It should not have taken her this long to get to this point of acceptance, and yet… And yet she was your mother. You saw at last the stubbornness that you had displayed when Kylo had tried to help you understand the gray areas of war. Stubborn, just like your mother before you. You smiled, rolled your eyes, and shook your head.

 “I don’t blame you.” She nodded, whispering I know, and lowered the doll to her lap. “He won’t win. I know it won’t bring back everyone that he killed, but we are going to stop him from killing more.”

 “You have your father’s strength,” your mother said, touching your shoulder. You felt your stomach swoop at her words and at the physical display of affection. “I believe in you.” Your throat felt impossibly thick with emotion, with the threat of tears. You swallowed, scooted nearer again. She wrapped her arms around you. The doll rolled onto the ground, and your mother made no move to prevent this from happening. You were her priority, her focus.

 Together the pair of you sat until a chime came from a communications device that she had with her. She was helping to keep track of equipment as well as advise on political matters so that communications could be maintained with other Resistance allies that were wary when it came to the Order of Ren. Your mother patted your hands, stood, and left after giving the top of your head a kiss. You watched her go, your gaze drifting towards Cardo only after she was no longer in your line of sight.

 Joining with him for a second time, neither of you said a word; there was a silent understanding for where you would be headed next. For your mother to be called away, you were under the assumption that one or more of the teams out for reconnaissance had returned or else been eliminated. You wanted confirmation on this, which meant that you planned to go straight to Kylo Ren. As Supreme Leader, he was one of the first being fed any new information. This was undisputed by the others since Rey was at his side, or at least had been the last you had been updated.

 Along with Rey there were other members from the former Resistance, many of whom you recognized as having been leaders. They offered you dismissive glances before turning back to one another. The multitude of conversations that were taking place revealed that your suspicions were correct. You passed two of the Knights of Ren before arriving in front of Kylo. He flicked through information displayed on a datapad  as a mini holoprojection was expanded to give a more detailed layout of one potential base on which Hux might be hiding.

 “What planet?” you asked, keeping your voice low so that you did not interrupt anyone.

 It was Rey who answered you. “Bakura.” She turned next to Cardo. “I was discussing possible pieces of armor that would be quick for you to help me with.” She pinched at the white cloth that she wore, and you wondered how it was she had kept it from growing dirty as well as where she had gotten it from. The two left together, their voices fading and quickly drowned out by distance and other discussions.

 Kylo Ren did not speak although he seemed to you to relax as you drew nearer to him now that Rey was no longer present. You read the report without any interference. There might have been members in the room who would have objected to you looking at the data before some of your superiors, but if there were then they kept their mouths closed. Getting into petty squabbles or irritating Supreme Leader Kylo Ren was not going to benefit anyone besides the First Order. Four individuals joined together to form a group as another transmission came through. You wondered if it was another team returning or if it was a report of failure and death.

 “How likely do you think it is that he’s using Bakura?” you asked, twisting back around after observing the group. He gave a nearly imperceptible shake of his head that you were able to take note of solely because his hair shifted. You crossed your arms over your chest, let your head loll back, and stared up at the ceiling. Given the fact that the data regarding Bakura indicated a generous amount of life, you should have been pleased. Instead you were frustrated that the information sought remained elusive--unless the new report would prove to be exactly what the Order of Ren required.

 Kylo flicked the data away in favor of pulling out a different report, one that detailed how the Order of Ren would be divided in the upcoming hours. The First Order had many resources at its disposal that it could use to destroy and enslave more of the galaxy while its enemies focused on the mission of killing Supreme Leader Hux. This was another reason that your mother’s work remained important. The connections that she had with others would aid in convincing them to, even if only temporarily, joining the Order of Ren in its endeavor to fully defeat the First Order. Waiting for another to crown themselves Supreme Leader before engaging in battle with any not in the same sector as the fleet defending Hux would hand them victories, would cost lives that could be spared. These allies could pull together available ships and pilots. Smugglers, rogues, pirates, anyone who was willing to fight against the First Order. This was not about absolving people of past crimes or grievances so much as winning the war.

 One of the documents available for your viewing was a list of individuals who would hold lead positions in these other battles. Near the top was Lando Calrissian. You could not say that you were surprised with this or with other names that were familiar to you from both the former Resistance and original Order of Ren members. Beside their names were expandable lists that contained information on personnel and vehicles along with weaponry that would be devoted to their units. Kylo slid the device from his hands into yours before reaching for another on which he was able to access the same information.

 You muttered out a quick thanks while expanding the lists. Jannah would be working with Lando, the Orbaks going with them save for a small number necessary for other missions. Their cover would come from old Rebellion allies that had remained in contact with Lando as well as rogues from his past. Other Force sensitive stormtroopers and officers would accompany him, although their numbers were minimal. Given their destination, which would be key in securing more weaponry from the First Order, it made sense. Rose was set to go with them, which you understood was due to her capabilities as a technician. She would be working with slicers to take control of one of the First Order’s remaining planetary training facilities, which potentially held records that could identify silent partners that might work against the Order of Ren when the battles ended. Lando would be given the Millennium Falcon for the mission.

 “Supreme Leader, we may have received confirmation of Hux’s whereabouts.” Your head snapped quickly enough that your neck gave a protesting crack. Setting a hand against the area, you massaged it while listening to the report, which had come originally from Poe Dameron. It was the amount of weaponry on an Outer Rim planet that had heightened the Order of Ren’s suspicion of the area. That had been increased. Walkers were in place, shields raised, frequencies jammed on one side of the planet. Along with one of the scouting party’s ships there had been three starships that had entered real space near First Order Star Destroyers only to be shot down. They were taking no chances. Too hostile. And they were already aware of the Order of Ren’s intentions to hunt them.

 Poe had had the foresight to send in members of his squad from different angles, which had allowed one of the parties to properly infiltrate the planet for a cursory scan, which had been uploaded to their ship’s databanks then transmitted to two others in case they were shot down. It was thanks to this strategy that the Order of Ren was in possession of the information. The pilot had been killed shortly after completing this final act of duty. You said a silent thanks and hoped that their death had been swift, that they had not had to suffer. Poe had met with a different Order of Ren Star Destroyer to relay the information since the vessel would be more capable of long-range transmissions whereas his X-wing was not. There had not yet been a return from Poe or his squad members, and there would not be. They were ready to fight, did not want to risk endangering the flagship with a hyperspace jump. The Star Destroyer in question that he had gone to had already been in position to fight should the situation call for it.

 Kylo Ren seized your upper arm and began to steer you towards the door. “Allocate resources for the remaining targets. Ready all squadrons.” He pointed to Kuruk. “Ensure we have all necessary data.” Kuruk gave a stiff nod, passed the two of you on his way to the officer that you had just left, and began speaking. “You will land with me.”

 That was one of the most dangerous parts--getting past the fleet and making it to the ground. You appreciated that he wanted to protect you, to ensure that whatever ship transported you to the planet was not obliterated. His long strides were making you jog to keep up; you would have been walking faster naturally, however your mind was working through where each person you knew would be. Kylo had a comlink on his person that he raised to his mouth, speaking to someone who released an inhuman response. Chewbacca, your mind supplied. The wookie was being informed that he would not be on the same ship. It was not a permanent separation, Kylo argued, his voice stern, leaving no room for argument. In order to infiltrate such a well-guarded stronghold, the wisest course of action was to attack from both sides. This would divide the First Order’s resources as well, would prevent the First Order from relying on its ability to potentially fatigue Kylo before he reached his destination. They could not attack in layers. A grumble from Chewbacca indicated that he understood even if he did not fully agree with the fact that he would not be at Kylo’s side.

 There was a fondness to Chewbacca’s tone, or so you believed, that helped to calm you. Blood was not the only kind of family. Kylo had more who accepted him than he knew, even if they had a strange way of showing their support. They would learn one another in time.

 In the meantime, you had to focus on the upcoming battle. As Kylo released your arm, you were already starting to split off in order to finish gearing up. You knew where to meet him without being told. It had been one of the first things discussed before scouts had been sent out. This way no time would be wasted with needless scrambling. Already there were announcements sounding through speakers. You did not listen to any of those. You required no instructions. Others, though, paused in their steps. Thankfully they were aware enough to step off to the side, which prevented any pileups from occurring. You raced past multiple groups. Gradually your speed increased until you were running at top speed. You did not need a name for the planet, whichever one it was, to choose what armor you would wear. The one that Cardo had modified regulated your body temperature for multiple terrains. The majority of the handicaps that had existed since you had been impaled by Kylo Ren’s lightsaber all that time ago would not stop you as they would have before.

 As you dressed and readied, you were on your commlink, receiving updated targets and lists of locations in the form of coordinates that would be pertinent to your assigned tasks. You listened more than you spoke. What few words you did speak were to request confirmation on anything you might have misheard or to gain a name for individuals you would be in contact with. Visual data was sent to you, which you scrolled through at a fast pace. There would be things you might miss, however you did your best to commit everything to memory and would be relying on your allies to assist in filling any gaps that might exist in your knowledge just as they would do with you.

 Your mother was waiting by the ship that would take you to your destination when you arrived in the docking bay. Kylo Ren slipped an item into her hand, and then she was turning to you, speaking and completing the task she had set out to do before you could respond. She, too, understood that there was no time to be wasted. You would figure out what was said after you were on your way to the planet. The transport was capable of hyperspace jumps, which allowed this flagship to be left out of battle and used instead as a base of operations and supply house. 

 Other Star Destroyers would join the transports for the battle and provide cover. Many of those were also in possession of the Walkers, which would be deployed as quickly as possible. From the ramp of the ship, you watched your mother head for a different transport that would take her to safety. You turned back around after releasing a quick breath. You did not want to cause any delays, did not want sentiment to interfere and cause the deaths of everyone onboard. Which would, in turn, more than likely cause the defeat of the Order of Ren.

 Aris did not look back like this. She was brave, you though while nodding and settling into place. The others joined you in fastening themselves into the ship. Some, like you, used the restraints. Others had the Force to anchor them to their seats so that no amount of turbulence would jostle them. The ramp lifted. You heard other ships going through the same motions all around. Some would be joining you, while others had different destinations. Poe Dameron would be there already. So, too, would ships that belonged to other Resistance allies. Order of Ren allies, you corrected yourself, finding fault with the continual separation into two entities.

 The jump occurred when the ship was a safe distance away from others after exiting the docking bay. From the view port, you were able to watch the dots of stars elongate into streaks. You closed your eyes, settled back, and felt your helmet hit against your seat. There were coughs, the sounds of breathing, small noises; nothing that could be constituted as conversation, yet there was no full silence in the cabin of the transport. It almost took you back in time to when you had first joined the Resistance and were headed for a new base with other recruits. No one wanting to say anything stupid. Everyone waiting to see if someone else would speak.

 It was the pilot who began talking, outlining the two units that were inside the transport. Reminding each individual of their mission. Not that anyone was dumb. It was all too easy to become overwhelmed when you landed on the ground, though, and this was truer now more than ever. You could lose focus due to the fact that you knew Armitage Hux was down there. The Akk dogs would be ready to seek him. If there were no taozin amulets, Kylo and Rey would have the Force to locate him. You did not want to be away from them for any period of time, however it was going to happen. Based on the information that had been used to brief everyone, there was no way around it.

 It was not a heavily forested planet though neither was it a desert. There would be an assortment of flat lands on which the Walkers would have an advantage. No high grounds with cover that you could use to shoot at enemies from a distance. You had a list of names from other transports--just as they had your name--and a frequency to use in areas that comms worked. Poe Dameron had your number as well, so to speak. He had asked for you by name--by Supernova, which had made you smile--and you had immediately agreed to be his eyes on the ground.

 Exiting hyperspace, you again watched out of the view port to count the number of Super Star Destroyers that the First Order had present. The Order of Ren’s were arriving all around. Streaks of blaster fire gave light to the darkness of space. The pilot and copilot of the transport ignored this aside from ensuring that the ship was not struck. The ship headed nearer to the planet, breaking atmosphere in under a minute of entering real space.

 What called upon the storm could have been any number of things, yet you somehow did know that it was a natural phenomenon rather than made by man. Starships caught by lightning strikes would go on the fritz. That was not something that Armitage Hux, as desperate as he might have been growing, would risk. He was patient, not foolish. The cover of the storm’s darkness would give an advantage to the Order of Ren’s ground troops once they made land. It had been wise for Rey to abandon her white clothing in favor of garbing herself in black. The armor that Cardo had assisted in fashioning for her was lightweight, much like what you wore. She did not have a helmet like you did. That might have been too great a difference that swiftly turned into a hindrance. Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the starfighters that were ahead of the ship you were in. You leaned forward to look at them. Felt Kylo shift in the seat to your right, no doubt observing you.

 Adrenaline coursed through your veins, setting your limbs trembling. Your teeth clattered together before you clenched your jaw to silence the sounds. There was a vibroblade sheathed at your hip. A second on your ankle. A pistol on your other hip. The blaster rifle that would serve as your main weapon was in your hands, its safety currently on. X-wings and Y-wings both were flying alongside the transports that carried stormtroopers, officers, and the Knights that were in different squadrons. Your heart felt like a hammer pounding against your chest, threatening to burst through your sternum and ribs. Finn and the others were out there. Poe Dameron was in an X-wing, though you did not know which. It was too dark to tell.

 The Walkers being deployed met resistance in the form of First Order ships, ground-to-air missiles, and other Walkers. Across from you, Cardo was drumming out a gentle beat with two fingers. This was not to calm himself. He was calm, eerily so, not dissimilar to how Kylo and Rey displayed a sense of peace that most others were deprived of. You would have been more calm if it were not for the fact that you were meant to temporarily split away from Kylo Ren. Underneath your armor, you wore the chain that held your wedding rings. Some strange reminder that you were always together--it had been your mother’s idea, and you were unsure how you felt about it now that the departure loomed so near.

 Another flash of lightning, this one crackling, spreading, capturing a ship with its might. Your heart stuttered, your mind working to identify which side it belonged to. Should you cheer for its failure? Pray that it recovered? You closed your eyes and made an attempt to rid yourself of all thought. You had to focus, to ground yourself, or you would drive yourself insane. This was not difficult for you to do when you set your mind to it. The Resistance--Ip specifically--had taught you well. These practices were how you had survived against Kylo when he had been your enemy, when he had been working to break you. When Armitage Hux had worked to break you as well.

 The landing gears were deployed. Shuddering, the ship rocked as it began to lower its ramp before it was fully down. All around you there were people unlatching themselves. You felt your restraints sliding off of you as well. You were on your feet, opening your eyes only after you had started to head in the direction of the ramp. Cardo was at your side, Rey behind you along with some of the troops, and Kylo was in front of you. His cape billowed behind him without allowing the hood to whip off his head. It would protect him from the rain, the droplets of which were thin, reminiscent of needles that felt as though they wished to cut through your flesh.

 Kylo Ren activated his lightsaber the moment he was clear of piercing any equipment or allies. In the skies above the ships engaged one another. TIEs circled, the same ships that had tried to shoot you down on the entire journey to the planet’s surface. You spared a quick look at the sky to witness the Star Destroyers firing at one another. Hundreds of thousands of lives would be lost with every one of them that was destroyed. You sent a silent prayer to any and all deities that those losses would be First Order lives. Your feet carried you towards Kylo, your heart aching with the foreknowledge that the minutes were transforming into seconds before the parting would occur. You should have continued to watch the sky or the enemies moving on the ground, however you chose to observe him. The grace with which he walked. The power that he utilized when carving through the first of his adversaries as though they were nothing, which was precisely what he had reduced them to.

 Cardo tapped on your shoulder. You jerked your gaze away, forcing yourself to, aware that if you did not then you never would. With a nod, you assessed your surroundings. Durasteel structures melded with the natural formations of the land, which was not entirely different than Starkiller Base had been save for the absence of snow and the reduced amount of trees. You crouched, slipping along one of the other transports and using it as a shield from enemy fire. Cardo prepared one of his concussion grenades, sending it towards an AT-M6 that had cut through one of those belonging to the Order of Ren. The two of you paused after taking cover behind another transport, which shook. You grunted, your legs tingling as the ground shook beneath you. Cardo’s body shielded yours, which you knew to be in case any fire from blasts made its way too near. His flame-resistance Riftiaworm-hide coat was one you would have otherwise envied.

 The stormtroopers and two officers that were assigned to stick nearby rejoined the pair of you when the trembling of the earth under your feet lessened. It would not fade entirely, not with all the explosions nor with the Walkers that were heading towards one another. One of them brought up a comlink, speaking into it to gather intel on which other squadrons were in their proper locations. There was a jamming device closer to the compound. Delaying going further until more of you were in place would be wise, however you could not expect to have time be a resource that could be wasted. Your finger flicked the safety off your blaster rifle while the officer received a response from two of the other squadrons and three pilots that would be able to provide cover for a short period unless an enemy managed to chase them away.

 “As we discussed,” Cardo said, his voice so clear through the chaos because of its inhuman quality, “I will damage any shields around the tower. You aim for its weak spot.” You nodded, a frown pulling at your lips. It was easier said than done. The blueprints that had been available in the information gathered by Dameron’s team during recon could be old. They had not had much time to get in and out, and what they had managed to obtain had been added to old files from the Order of Ren’s days as the other half of the First Order. Fast repairs or alterations would have eliminated the weak spot, in which case the enemy would know your position and be able to attack before anyone had an opportunity to adjust strategy. “Keep her covered.” Each of the others in the squad gave verbal confirmation. Now that you were in battle, there was no fear of the Knight from them.

 Take out the jammers so that we can communicate while destroying the inner shields. That way Kylo and Rey can work on tracking Hux. Inhaling deeply, you calculated the distance from your current position to the next transport shuttle. Just as you were finishing, you swore aloud; a Walker fired upon it in unison with a First Order TIE on a strafing run. The transport exploded, its shredded parts flying across the battlefield. Those sliced through enemies and allies indiscriminately. A stormtrooper to your left fumbled their weapon. You reached out with one hand to assist them. Grateful that they had not removed the safety from their weapon, you advised them that they do so as well as be more careful. This was not their first battle.

 “It’s my largest one yet,” they said, not arguing so much as expressing how small they felt. You sympathized, nodding, and giving a verbal you’ll be fine, stick by me that you hoped would not become a falsehood.

 A different stormtrooper took lead after finding a different path to take. You followed without comment, as did your other allies. Cardo walked behind you, firing in the direction of a group of enemy soldiers that were on land mounts, some organic and others machine. He took out two-thirds of them easily, damaging and injuring others. Three stormtroopers fired their weapons after him, picking off even more. You spared a glance over your shoulder at them, chose to leave them to it so that your weapon would be at the ready should you encounter more First Order troops coming in the opposite direction.

 The tower was coming into your field of vision as you ventured farther away from the transport shuttle that had taken you to the planet. Surrounding it were multiple weapons turrets and another three Walkers that were further guarded by ground troops stationed behind a barricade and weak shields. Damaged ships and firefights brightened the dark sky between bursts of lightning. You touched a button on your armor that activated a tiny electronic torch that was attached to your helmet. You did this in bursts then shut off the light, waiting a mere handful of seconds before receiving a response from another team. They would work with Cardo to bring down the obstacles that would prevent you from destroying the tower.

 “Once the third team is in place, we need to go for it,” you said, earning a grunt of disagreement from an ally who went on to voice that they wanted to wait for more aerial support and a fourth squadron. “In the meantime they’ll pick us off. You think the enemy won’t have noticed those signals?” Your tone was harsh, just as you had intended. Instead of recoiling, the officer countered with the accusation that you should have waited if that was such a concern.

 Cardo shoved the man with his forearm, the one without the arm cannon, and looked directly at you. “You don’t want to wait.” You gestured to the sky milliseconds before a fresh flash of lightning struck. “The storm is getting closer.” A nod from you. This effectively silenced the officer, who had been ready to speak against the Knight as well as you. He was bold, and you had to respect that on some level. What you did not respect was his foolishness, his inability to properly survey his surroundings and account for the presence of the storm.

 Thankfully he seemed to have caught onto the fact that he had been in the wrong. He held his tongue, nodded, and worked with you and Cardo rather than against you. The Knight of Ren kept you covered with his body as best he could while also providing proper offensive and defensive shots that eliminated many of your enemies. As had been stated, your position was not entirely secure due to the signaling. The third unit, however, was swift in falling into place. As the storm overhead raged on, Cardo and the others began to target the shields that prevented the tower from being hit by the shot that you were meant to take. You ensured that you did not empty your weapon’s power when you directed it at First Order troops that managed to survive the blasts from your allies.

 Two X-wings streaked past from overhead. You knew them by the sound of their engines, and so you did not look up, which allowed you to keep focus on the target at the other end of your scope. The shields were weakening. You noticed blasts slipping through cracks in the barrier, and you would have been at a choice position to fire at the tower if not for the fact that the First Order was readying a more volatile assault. You swore as Cardo seized hold of your arm. He yanked you along with him, and your allies shuffled to keep up as a lobbed grenade landed where you had just been. A shout of agony alerted you to the fact that not everyone had made it. Your stomach churned, but you did not look back. Had you done so, had you paused for even a second, you would have been crushed by debris that rolled through and silenced the cries of pain.

 “There are four others who will attempt the shot if I can’t, right?” you asked, seeking clarification more because doubt had begun to seep into you. That was the plan, however some individuals would ignore these commands in favor of fulfilling other duties that were not tentative in nature. Cardo muttered something under his breath, something that you did not quite catch and that he did not repeat. You dismissed it, decided that you did not care about the answer, and checked your surroundings to better recenter yourself. You were farther away from the direction that Kylo had headed. This realization had you gritting your teeth, a snarl breaking out across your face. That was two things wrong already.

 I have dealt with worse odds, you reminded yourself as Cardo’s helmet turned in your direction. You wondered what it was that he felt through the Force, or if he was simply more familiar with you personally now to the extent that he could read and predict your moods. The Knights of Ren had been enjoying battles since before the First Order had revealed itself. Likely since before the Resistance had been formed, you mused. You appreciated his calm demeanor.

 “Get me closer to the tower. I’m firing.” The words left your lips as your group merged with one of the others. There were nods and voices murmuring agreement. Some of the members fanned out in order to ensure that you were all not a single, easy target for the enemy. The ground reverberated under the feet of Walkers, which had started to pepper the area in front of themselves with blaster fire. You noticed that the First Order held little regard for the lives of their stormtroopers. They fell just as swiftly as did your allies. More quickly, in fact. Defect. It’s not too late. If you don’t, I will kill you.

 Though you thought this, you knew that you would not be targeting any of them for the next several minutes. The Order of Ren soldiers around you would, however, and you trusted them to properly cover you so that you could fulfill your mission. As soon as you did so, you were going to break away from this group. You had to find Kylo, and you knew that Cardo was aware of your plan. He would come with you. There was no need to speak about this, to discuss what was going to happen the moment you downed the jammer.

 Lightning struck and thunder roared; another ship was caught in one of nature’s snares in the sky. It began spinning on its descent, crashing into one of the Walkers, which was pushed off-balance. It rocked against its neighbor, both of them shaking. The starfighter exploded, its force successfully shoving the two Walkers onto their sides. Death traveled along the land. It swept through the huge wave of carnage that had resulted from that single lightning strike.

 This granted you an opportunity to rush for a new position that was superior to the one at which you were originally set to take the shot. You thanked whatever it was that had allowed this--fate, a deity, chance, random luck. Dropping down to one knee, you took a steadying breath. Your allies were spread out around you, not one of them obscuring your vision. If an enemy targeted your group, you would be one of the last hit save for if some freak accident occurred. You were completely grateful for the bravery exhibited by those you fought alongside. It was because of them that you were at long last able to take the shot so that you could focus next on rejoining Kylo Ren.

[oswildin]

The Thrill of The Fight ~ Dhawan!Master x F!Reader

Request: Big fan of your fics! idk if you've done anything similar but could you do a master x reader where the reader ends up killing someone for the first time to save the master. And either they enjoy the buzz of killing or they're disgusted with themselves, or disgusted that they like it, i don't know if that makes sense, have fun 😅 ( @hannahlilyyx )

Summary: (Y/N) did what she had to do... On the surface she knew it was wrong, but deep down... she kinda liked it.

Warnings: Maybe a bit of toxicity... Idk, didn’t mean to write it that way lol

The Master and (Y/N) had travelled together for a while now. Time almost didn’t feel like a thing when you were constantly jumping around to different planets and time periods. She didn’t know if it had been a month, a few or a year. At first she felt terrified by the man. His anger, his outbursts... the violence... however, it had lessened over the time she’d spent with him. Somehow, she felt she almost made him try to be a better person. She didn’t know if that was just her ego, hope or sheer truth. She tried her best to give him other options than to just killing.

At first he hated the way she would try to lecture him, teach him better ways to deal with his emotions, but eventually he subconsciously began to listen to what she was telling him. The Master knew who he was. At least he thought he did until (Y/N) came along, making him question everything he’d done or would do.

It had only meant to be one trip. One trip after she had witnessed an alien stand off on a street on Earth. That was not how she expected her day to end. At first he pushed her. See how far the little human would go on their adventures. It was almost like an experiment. The amount of times she threatened to leave. Not that he cared. Or at least he told himself he didn’t care. But every time she would stay and soon he even began to apologise for his actions.

The Master had currently been taken hostage by a group of weird lizard alien people... She thought she heard the Master say ‘Silurian’. She was hiding behind a pillar in the underground chamber, watching as the Master tried to talk his way out of his situation. However, she could see it wasn’t working. They looked like warriors. It also appeared they believed he was The Doctor...

“You stopped us last time, Doctor, but you can’t this time.” The female leader hissed. “You destroyed our colony, you killed our leader...”

“For the last time, I am not the Doctor.” The Master said, his tone disgusted as he mentioned his old friend. “He wasn’t the only Timelord to survive Gallifreys destruction.”

“Either way! We will kill you! Destroying the chances of Gallifrey and the Timelords ever rebuilding!” The Silurian spat as two Silurian guards pushed the Master down to his knees. He groaned at the impact, looking down before manically laughing.

“Do it.” He challenged. “Silurians, you were once the inhabitants of Earth, now look at you. Forced away into the dark.” He smirked. “Would be warriors...” (Y/N) shook her head, annoyance rising as she wished he would for once shut up. The lead Silurian held up her gun, aiming it at the Master.

“We will rise.” She spat in return as she was about to shoot the man. (Y/N) felt her heart stop, before she looked over, seeing a Silurian guard stood close, his gun by his side. She didn’t even think, rushing out from her hiding spot as she grabbed it from the alien, quickly aiming it at the leader, not even hesitating before shooting the lizard lady. She yelled in pain as she fell to the ground, motionless. The Master quickly pulled out his tissue compression device, miniaturising the two behind him. An alarm sounded as he jumped up, rushing to (Y/N) as he looked at her in surprise. The other Silurians began to make a move towards them as the Master grabbed her hand as she threw the gun down, lasers being shot at them as they ran.

The pair ended up back in the TARDIS, safely getting away. (Y/N) hadn’t said a word since they returned. She sat on an armchair that was placed facing away from the console. The Master watched her closely, analysing her from afar.

“Someone got brave.” He commented, breaking the silence between them. “Also i think you may have just started world war three between the humans and Silurians.” He put his hands in his pockets as he walked over to her. He was shocked to see her with tears down her cheeks as he stood beside her, looking down.

“I killed someone.” She croaked out. “What does that make me?” She swallowed hard as she kept replaying the scene over and over in her head.

“Human.” He answered as she peered up at him finally. “So very human.”

“How?” She shook her head. “It’s not every day a human just kills another person is it?!” She argued as he tilted his head in a ‘you’re right’. She sighed, wiping her face with her hands.

“True. But it makes you human, because you allowed emotions to get the better of you.” He told her, sitting opposite her in another armchair. He leant forwards, resting his arms on his legs. “But it also makes you powerful and in control.” He spoke lowly. She furrowed her brows at his words. “Tell me... Did it give you a little buzz? A sense of self you didn’t know you had... a sense of control.” She looked away for a moment, as she tightened her jaw. She didn’t want to admit it, but he was right. She didn’t want him to be, but he was. “Listen, it was gonna be me or her. You chose her.”

“But it wasn’t my choice to make!” She exclaimed, biting her nail as she felt anxiety take over. “And now... I have all this... energy... this... electricity! I don’t understand and I don’t want to.” She told him as he nodded slightly. “But I also feel guilt. I feel anger, and sorrow. What I did... it was wrong.”

“But it felt so right...” He smiled slightly as she shook her head, tears forming once more. “It’s ok... That’s how I feel... we’re the same.” He smirked as she looked at him almost appalled.

“We are not the same.” She told him sternly. “I would not kill a whole planet of my own people, I would not kill for fun, I would not kill just to get this buzz.” She told him as he raised a brow, before his expression turned dark.

“Do you think I wanted to destroy my home?” He spat. “Do you really think that’s what I set out to do?! See... it’s in my nature. I know nothing else.” He explained as she listened, her expression softening. “Humans... you do as you see.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have stayed with you.” She told him in a whisper. “I didn’t want to become this.” She told him as he stood from his seat, before kneeling in front of her, placing his hands over her own.

“But here you are... and you won’t ever leave.” He told her as a matter of fact. “Cause you enjoy this too much. The thrill. The adrenaline... So what you killed someone?” He shook his head. “Morally it’s wrong. But in the situation it was right.” He looked at her as she stared down, glassy eyes as he suddenly leant up, crashing his lips to hers. He had waited to see this side of her for so long. The vulnerable, spontaneous an dangerous side of her. It appealed to him. Although he may have tried to be a better person, he couldn’t change his feelings. He instead buried them. She didn’t have time to react as he pulled away, holding her face with his hand. “Don’t let this destroy you... let it make you.”

~

Taglist: @drapetxmaniia @imagine-whatever @dannighost @blamerogertaylor @asupersonicwoman @a--1--1--3 @yourlocalspacebisexual @the-sweet-space-bi @impalasquiptyseven

[wordywarriorwrites]

Chapter 20: Evermore

Masterlist: The Boss of Brooklyn  A03 Story Link Author: @wordywarriorwrites​ Summary: When it comes to being The Boss, James Buchanan “JB” Barnes rules with an iron fist. For him, there’s no room for sentiment, and certainly no time for distraction, even if it is in the form of an old flame. Steve Rogers had bowed out of the life a long time ago, but a twist of fate brings him right back into the fold, and face-to-face with a man he once loved. When a game of cat and mouse turns into a matter of life and death, both will be forced to decide whether they’ll be loyal to the business, or faithful to each other. A/N: Bucky Barnes Mob Boss AU. Stucky. For: @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan Star’s Multi-Fandom Follower Celebration with the prompt, “Why did you do it?” & @sherrybaby14 Sherry’s Fall Into You Challenge with the prompt, “Show me. Prove that you can handle me.” Warnings: Language, violence, drug use, alcohol, smoking, explicit sexual content, illegal activities. *Re-blogs are welcome. Plagiarism isn’t. *

One Month Later…

The Tuileries and Carousel Gardens, adjacent to the Louvre, between the museum and the Place de la Concorde – that’s where Mason tried to convince Steve to meet him for the final time.

It was a very public and neutral spot, but there was nothing impersonal about the situation they’d found themselves in. Mason had explained the photographs and made recompense to Bucky, and for the sake of his own sanity, Steve accepted it, and felt the subject was closed. Mason, on the other hand, believed they had unfinished business to discuss, and wanted to talk about it in person.

As Steve stared out at the view of the Eiffel Tower, Mason went on speaking, and pointed out the facts as he saw them. He believed they were good together, the attraction was mutual, and in the short time they’d been in each other’s company, they’d been happy. To him, it was as simple as that, and he couldn’t understand why Steve would choose to give it up so precipitously.

“You wouldn’t understand,” Steve told him. “And you won’t change my mind.”  

The hedged response hung in the air for some time before Mason called out the proverbial elephant in the room. He asked if he was going back to Brooklyn to be with Bucky, and since Steve still respected him enough to be honest, he didn’t lie. Mason was a tenacious man, but he wasn’t ignorant, and he didn’t press for further explanation.

“Tu retournes chercher ton cœur,” he bemoaned. “I cannot be angry at you for that.”

The conversation ended as amicably as he could’ve ever hoped for, and when Steve hung up the phone, he was suddenly hit with a mixture of relief and apprehension. He wasn’t just leaving France and what might’ve been; he was returning home to the unknown, and the uncertainty of it all was overwhelming.

He and Bucky and been in a bubble. Two weeks of in-patient observation, two weeks of out-patient recovery, and a final post-op physical to determine whether or not he was well enough to travel. A month of nothing more than one-on-one talking, listening, and getting used to each other all over again.

Steve had nearly forgotten what it was like to be so in tune with someone, and there were moments when he would look at Bucky and feel as if there had been no time, distance, or animosity between them. They had never been nor would they ever be strangers, and their shared experiences had bonded them in profound, inexplicable ways, but they weren’t delusional about the effort they’d have to put into making it work. They’d hurt each other severely, and neither of them could erase that pain or rebuild several years’ worth of trust overnight, but the true test of their mettle would be when they got back to Brooklyn…

A soft knock on the adjoining door brought Steve back to himself. He called out that it was open, and a moment later, the subject of his thoughts stepped out on the balcony.

Bucky excitedly declared the doctors gave him a clean bill of health. Steve nodded at the good news, which was followed up by Bucky stating they could leave as soon as that very evening. He must’ve made a noncommittal sound, because the following morning was also deemed acceptable.

“Or we could stay forever,” he offered nonchalantly. “I could become a Moulin Rouge dancer, and you can, I don’t know – paint nude portraits of Frenchmen with their poodles.”

Steve turned to him and furrowed his brow, “I’m sorry - what?”

Bucky laughed and shook his head, “You worried about going home?”

“Honestly? Yeah, I am.”

The Families and the West Indies were still very sore subjects, but they hadn’t tip-toed around them. Bucky knew Steve didn’t want to fall back into old habits and Steve knew Bucky had to get back to running the business that had been sorely neglected in his absence. Playtime was well and truly over, and pretty soon, choices would need to be made that would impact them both.

“We don’t have to figure it all out right away.”

“You know that’s not true. They’re going to expect--”

“The decision isn’t theirs to make,” Bucky interjected bluntly. “And the seat will remain vacant until you say you want it back or you tell me to fill it.”

“And you think they’ll just accept that?” Steve countered.

“They’ll do what I fucking tell them to do.”

An unwavering declaration and an absolute unwillingness to bend – a terse retort that was both the long and the short of it. Bucky had essentially issued a blank check with no void date, and in the event of a battle, he’d be colonel, cavalry, and cannon fodder. A Boss always shouldered the brunt of the weight, and until Steve decided he wanted to carry a share of it, a debate was pointless.

He let Bucky know that he preferred to return to New York the following day, and once the itinerary was finalized, Bucky declared he reeked of hospital chemicals, and wanted to take a shower. After so many weeks of being a de-facto caretaker, Steve followed on reflex. He entered Bucky’s bedroom on autopilot, headed straight for the bathroom, gathered towels, turned on the water, and put down the bathmat.

Like an old-school English valet, Steve undressed Bucky with impartiality that had been easy to maintain because of the discomfort it caused and the need to be mindful of the wounds. Shoes, socks, jacket, tie, belt, pants, and shirt – practice had made the process efficient, but when Bucky dropped his boxers without warning, and invited him to join him in the shower, the detachment Steve had sensibly developed nearly evaporated.

“Please,” Bucky insisted.  

Steve could’ve ignored the entreaty had he not met Bucky’s eyes and saw it wasn’t sex he was after this time. A blatant, vulnerable expression had bled across his features, and the emotion was too real and raw to put words to. Steve knew just by the set of Bucky’s jaw and the way he held his breath that he didn’t want to be coddled or nursed anymore.

Getting undressed and beneath the spray had been the easy part. The dimness of the heat lamp; the steam within the glass enclosure; the complexity of intimacy; and the simplicity of a familiar and welcomed touch – it was a different kind of nakedness and it exposed them both.  

French, triple-milled soap rinsed down the drain and the Egyptian cotton bath sheets were forgotten on the floor at the foot of the bed. They settled into the double king-sized mattress, beneath a down comforter, and atop of too many damn pillows. Bucky rested on his side, back pressed to his chest, and Steve couldn’t stop himself from placing a protective hand over the still-healing injuries.

Bucky’s contented sigh was what Steve fell asleep to, and when he woke several hours later, darkness had fallen, but the room was subtly glowing. The glimmering light from the Eiffel Tower had created sparkled patterns over the ceiling, walls, and bed, but the splendor wasn’t what held his attention.

Blankets kicked off, flat on his stomach, and face buried in a pillow – a repose that was wholly innocent and utterly tempting. The rich scent of Bucky’s soft skin, the warmth of his body, and the reassuring sound of his every inhale and exhale -- he was painfully stunning and completely captivating, and even without asking, Steve could sense he’d also been wakened by the light show.

“Does this happen every night?” Bucky muttered.

Steve made a noise in the affirmative and Bucky let out a huff of annoyance. Bare skin cradled by golden light flexed and moved across the sheets, and he listened and observed as Bucky stretched and groaned beside him. Dark, unkempt hair gave way to a furrowed brow and sleepy eyes, but Steve’s amorous perusal was brought to an end when he abruptly rolled away, grabbed the blanket, and covered himself from shoulders to toes.

Though they were mere inches apart, Bucky’s actions had put a discernable, unspoken distance between them. He’d hidden both his expression and his body, and when the lights of the Tower finally stopped glittering, the room dimmed considerably, and the tension turned palpable.

“I want you,” Steve rasped into the darkness.

“Do you?”

There was no trace of brashness in his voice; if anything, he brooded, as if he were unsure whether or not the passion Steve had for him had somehow lessened. Their journey had left them both shaken and broken, but the one thing Steve knew for sure was that his desire for Bucky had never been lost along the way. He responded to the question not with words, but with deliberate action, and started by pushing the covers down and out of the way.  

Steve roved his palms and tongue purposefully and hungrily from the crook of Bucky’s neck to the base of his spine. When Steve rolled him onto his back, he repeated the process, and reclaimed Bucky’s body. Steve buried his teeth into his abs, coaxed bruises from the flesh of his hipbones, and used his hands and mouth until he beckoned gut-wrenched pleas of mercy that prompted Steve to release him long enough to issue a guttural demand.

“Come for me, Buck,” he ordered lowly. “Come for me right now.”

Bucky’s surrender and his orgasm hadn’t just been a physical release; it seemed to free him from whatever doubts he may have had and revived his confidence. He basked in the afterglow for a few minutes before he got up, rushed to the bathroom, and returned with a bottle of lube and a handful of condoms.

Both were tossed down in the middle of the mattress, and Steve’s heart raced when Bucky crawled back into bed, and kissed him until his brain shorted out. The force and intensity of it sent him falling back against the pillows, and he couldn’t help but moan as Bucky sucked hard on his tongue and stroked his erection from base to tip.

“Nobody else is allowed to have you,” Bucky panted as he issued a sharp bite to his lower lip. “And I will kill anyone who tries to hurt you or take you from me.”  

The possessive assertion was punctuated with a particularly tight squeeze, and the highhandedness continued with hot, open-mouthed licks and nips that blazed a path down his chin, to the base of his throat, and across his chest.

Steve was completely lost in the officious tenor of Bucky’s voice and caress, and by the time he opened the lube and really started working him over, Steve was painfully hard, and hanging on by a thread. Bucky continued to take his time, used his fingers with pitiless and relentless accuracy, and didn’t roll on a condom until he was wrecked and had all but blathered and begged for it.

Situated on his knees, Bucky nudged his thighs wide apart, and guided himself inside until he was seated deep. Bucky intertwined their hands and pinned Steve’s arms above his head. Chest-to-chest; eyes locked and focused; an unhurried rock and roll of hips; heady, potent kisses that left them both breathless and a little dizzy. Steve hovered with Bucky over the precipice -- desperate, unafraid, and more than ready and willing to fall -- and when he did, Bucky fell right along with him.  

“I love you,” Bucky whispered against the shell of his ear.

Steve closed his eyes and let out a ragged breath, “I love you, too.”

Translations: Tu retournes chercher ton cœur – You’re going back for your heart.

Epilogue: The Bosses

Everything: @jennmurawski13​ @nerdy-bookworm-1998​

Steve Rogers: @patzammit @hearttoearth​ The Boss of Brooklyn: @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan​ @jamesbarnesappreciationsociety​ @captain-rogers-beard​ @lilliannaansalla

[jacklynnfrost]

Melizabeth Week #3

Submission for DAY THREE of Melizabeth Week @melizabeth-week This piece is Beta’d by Sinfulfics! Thank you for all you do to polish up these works.

Chapter Three: Precious By JacklynnFrost

The storm is brutal, his hand gripping hers as he fights against the winds rushing them farther through only to stop when he feels the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He turns, pulling her into his chest to wrap his arms around her cloaked head intending to take the brunt of the strike if it finds true. There is a crack, sounding like a whip snap amplified in the winds above, then a deep rumble that he can feel reverberating in his chest.

With a free hand, he reaches to pull his sword, intending to send the strike right back from where it came from as her whimper into his chest spikes his alarm. He can take a hit but she’s delicate. A flower in the desert. This wretched wasted desert and his shining, perfect goddess don’t mix well.

Meliodas’ head rises to the mass of energy above, pinning it as his enemy for threatening his charge. She’s his kill, he tells himself but with Elizabeth so softly reaching to embracing him there is no veracity behind his internal affirmation. When was the last time he was held like this? He couldn’t even remember touch being so gentle.

That’s when the skies above opened as a bright glow burned light in a wide circle around them that closed in as if warning where the strike will hit. He realizes quickly it is them at the epicenter. “Run!” Meliodas howls, but as he shifts to push her in a direction her hold turns protective, and stunned, he meets her gaze. A cold sweat starts, his eyes dilating as he draws his blade, his body used to a brutal fight while surprised.

It’s part of how his fathers trained him, but they are far from his mind at what he sees in her.

Her eyes, they are still the consuming blue, but inside are the glowing goddess triskelia shining from within in each orb reminding him of the floor in the tower that leads to the wastes in Ishtar. Elizabeth’s arms lift from his torso, rising to cross at her wrists as he shifts to a solid stance at her side. At the last minute, their trusting gazes shift away to the incoming threat, the bolt snapping ominously before it charges with an audible crescendoing hum.

The first lightning strike lights up the area in a blaze, blinding them and as Meliodas raises his blade to meet the energy Elizabeth erupts in a blue glow. From her hands, energy that resembles a shooting star bursts up to meet the bolt. Midair the two energies collide and it rains burning sparks as the two powers war.

Meliodas is awed, standing there watching her glorious display of raw potential and any notion he had of her being a helpless little princess flees. She gasps, bracing further as her arms bend under the pressure. She’s holding her own against an ancient power, but he knows it’s too much for her alone.

Good thing she isn’t.

He unleashes his own dark energy, jumping with enough force for the winds around them to change direction from his momentum. With a howl, he reaches, slicing through the resistance to impact with the point of collision. “Full Counter!” he roars, his voice lost in the swirling winds but the Lightning jolts back from where it came, but her attack does the same. As he sinks back into the sand he spots Elizabeth.

She’s collapsed, little jerks affected her as her own blue glow trickles and fades. “Fuck,” he mutters, sheathing his sword as the rumbling cloud above groans like a mountain about to avalanche. The flare above is plenty of indication of what is about to occur and wasting no time at all, he dips to scoop her limp body up to tuck close and runs. The cracking and raw energy sparking behind them is volatile, the sands and winds shifting to be sucked back rather than blow ever onward. Meliodas pays little mind to their direction or where they need to go as getting her out becomes his only focus.

With his raw might, he fights the pull, the lights reflecting in the sand before him but he doesn’t need the show to know just how much that power storm disagreed with his full counter. The hairs on his neck stand up, his cold sweat shivers down his spine and a feeling he hasn’t experienced, as it was always beat out of him, turns in his stomach.

Fear. And not just for himself.

His hearts beat faster, his legs working overtime to escape before the big bang he knows is coming and even though he could move faster without her he refuses to give her up. He thinks it’s his fault, that if he would have angled his blow from his blade better her power wouldn’t have ricocheted back to hit her. But as the ground rumbles, beginning to crack he knows that’s not why he won’t leave her to her fate.

Somehow, over the past two days, he’s gone beyond tolerating to liking Elizabeth.

“Fuck,” he hisses as he feels the power behind him swell, like a bubble stretching beyond its limits and he regrets his choice of action all the more. Meliodas feels his failure, his muscles tensing as if his fathers are behind him with this imminent attack, knowing he deserves it. Then, her arms wrap around his neck, her face snuggling closer to his and their bare cheeks touch.

“You didn’t leave me,” she hushes, her breath tickling his hair and something inside his chest clenches, his legs finding the strength to pump harder. Meliodas doesn’t respond, breathing too heavy as the ground splinters and he leaps across the sudden shifting sand in the opening gap. Elizabeth embraces him, his eyes sting and his teeth grinding, but he’s too focused on getting her away to process the little blooming of something soft deep in the pit of himself.

Just as he lands, bending his knees to brace them both against the impact a sonic boom bursts. A surge of power ripples across the sand and rather than fight the force, Meliodas clutches Elizabeth closer and rolls into the push, taking the brunt of the blow. He feels her grip him tighter, her mouth opening in a scream he can’t hear but feels while pressed so close and as they stop he rolls them once more to protect her body with his.

The ripples of sparks zing, lashing at Meliodas and through gritted teeth, he endures. It isn’t until she arches under him that he pulls his head back to look down at her face, but he doesn’t catch on, confused as her legs wrap around his hips. They line up, their cores slipping against one another, and before he can process what she is doing his body responds. Then, she flips them, her hands on his chest as she’s suddenly above him, sitting on his waist and glowing once more as her arms dance through the pelting rippling waves of slicing, power-filled, wind.

In a residual burst, her own magic spreads from her, resisting the winds and soon enough her shield funnels to a point and the ripples simply accommodate them as if they are a stone in a river. From below he stares at her, liking her weight on him and the feel of her cool light, soothing after the days of blistering sun. Even in her shapeless cloak, her curves cannot be fully hidden and his stiffness only increases.

She is protecting him. His brow furrows as he tries to think of a time anyone has ever tried. He’s safeguarded Zeldris, he is the oldest so of course it falls to him, but even before that, he has no memory of anyone shielding him. Meliodas blinks, shudders and focuses on resisting his urgent need to roll his hips against hers.

The waves are starting to lessen in severity when her face turns and her burning eyes meet his. In his wildest, deepest imaginings, he hopes the fire there is from attraction and not from the exertion of fighting off all that ancient energy. When the world around them settles, her hand falls with her fading glow and they stare for a few quick heartbeats before a smile spreads across her sunkissed, dry face, transforming it from beautiful to absolutely stunning.

“We made it,” she scratches from her raw throat and while Meliodas wants to get up from the sand the incentive of feeling her atop him is enough to curb any and all of his irritations, physical and otherwise. Slowly, he nods, agreeing while soaking in the sight of her. When Elizabeth dips forward, her hair cascading from her cloak to tickle at his face, her bosom nearing and her hips teasing, he groans deep in his throat.

Then her weight is gone and she’s standing over him, looking all around them. She heard his guttural reaction to her body against his and she is not unaffected, her core warm and pulsing. Elizabeth swallows, not knowing where they are but when she looks up her heart beats even faster as her excitement doubles over on itself. “You... destroyed that storm.”

By the time she looks over at him again, hot in the face and the panties, he’s upright and dusting himself off. He barely gives a shrug at his accomplishment before his hand extends motioning to her satchel. In seconds she passes him the map and in the calm after the storm, Elizabeth can see the vast nothingness far better than she has ever before.

Remnants of a ruined city are to their left. On her right is a rock formation so far away it almost shimmers in the still heat and she looks to the side of Meliodas’ concentrated face for any hope they hadn’t lost their way too much. He hadn’t left her, when things got rough he stuck by Elizabeth and although she’s always thought he was good looking, he is more handsome somehow after saving her the way he did.

He turns, looking behind them and she does too, seeing the crumbled rock formations closest and the dips in the sand that truly do look like wave ripples that have been frozen in time. “Let’s head toward the buildings, it seems like the town is our next marker.” Meliodas takes two steps, stops and frowns before meeting her gaze. “You, uh, you are more powerful than you look.” His eyes fall downcast before he scowls and starts leading the way with stiff shoulders.

They ease as soon as her soft giggles escape between her lips. “Thank you, I think,” she whispers but they fall into silence as they trek on, nearing the sinking city and what was left of the buildings falling apart from age and the harsh winds. Elizabeth is grateful there aren’t people frozen in stone silently screaming around them, and while it crosses Meliodas’ mind he’s more focused on and concerned about Elizabeth than before.

He side-eyes her pack, wondering if she is over-encumbered and if she has enough water. With him being used to the harshness of going days without food and drink, he decides to cut back on his own consumption in case she needs it. They enter the city with wariness and it isn’t until they see the weeping angel statue, her hands over her face and shoulders slumped that they stop in the middle of the ruins.

“This is our checkpoint?” he ponders out loud. The sun is up but a few hours, tops, from the darkness of night. They made good time from the running they had both done through the storm. Yet, as Meliodas looks around he sees where they should be bedding down. There used to be a building behind the statue, but it’s obviously collapsed and he has a sinking feeling something large stepped on it, or perhaps the cloud they destroyed struck it from above as it looks forcefully caved in.

“What are we going to do?” Elizabeth questions worriedly as she steps nearer the rubble. He’s already checking for another secure location in the area but she squares up. “We’ll just continue on.” Her firm determination shines in her tone and although he realizes there isn’t a safe place here, he knows traveling at night is a risk. “What other choice is there?” she doesn’t expect an answer but he scowls regardless as she starts walking once more.

“You need rest, your species requires more of it to be... okay.” He follows after her, settling into this new plan with tension in his shoulders. “Neither of us knows this land well enough to traverse by night, the dust clouds block out the stars and after that power burst both of us are not at our peak for fighting whatever roams the night here.”

“We’ll freeze or be found if we stay.” Elizabeth doesn’t stop, but she looks back over her shoulder and when he sees the pinching of her brow and the set of her mouth he doesn’t argue. With a nod from him, they go on, Meliodas taking the lead once more. He sets their pace, hoping they can make it to the next safe zone without any more complications.

The wastes are rough.

Night comes, their path harder to navigate but Meliodas can make out enough in the dark. Elizabeth can see very little and when the night grows heavier, she takes his hand as even Meliodas starts to disappear into it. His grip is reassuring but with the silence, she doesn’t dare even whisper her inquiry about how far he can see.

Most of his focus is on Elizabeth, but he has a destination in mind as shapes near the stone formation come into view. Her breathing has shifted, and when he looks back he can see how dry her lips are, how tired her eyes look. There has to be a place to stop. He is going off the path marked on the map, something she already said would be dangerous but they are already pushing their luck.

“Can you see?” he hushes, but he already knows the answer when her head raises toward his voice but she doesn’t meet his eye. He knows then that her dark vision is far more limited. “We’re coming to a town, we’re going to stop there, even if we have to huddle against a wall to blocks the wind.” She frowns, but nods in his general direction, a little cough sounding from her throat making his concern spike.

Somehow he cares about her well being, and his goal of killing her at the temple wars with the feeling. She’s been gentle, kind and powerful, but more than that- the few feelings she’s been able to get out of him, ones he thought long dead, it makes her precious to him.

A roar sounds, closer than ever before and he stops, forcing her to do the same but pulling her closer to his side. He doesn’t have to tell her to be quiet, his attention pulled from her as half the rock formation shifts, moving and groaning as it comes to a stand. The massive beast stretches, dark and twisted with three tails and a long neck that unravels from it’s previously curled position.

He isn’t able to make the details out, but soon enough his long steps reach and tromp parallel to them. Meliodas isn’t sure if they have been spotted but pulls her lower, squatting while his other hand raises to the hilt of his sword. The beast pauses, shaking out it’s back before howling. Elizabeth tucks closer, her free hand gripping at the front of his cloak but he doesn’t dare offer her reassurance outside of squeezing her hand in his.

Its steps start again, getting farther and farther from them and when his lungs restart he smiles to Elizabeth in an attempt to calm her. “It’s going.” He speaks lower than a whisper, realizing she still cannot see. Her trust in him is staggering, freezing him in place more than the beast had. Meliodas shakes his head, trying to push down the tenderness bubbling inside.

When he fails to keep it at bay he focuses on his task, tugging her up and along. He gives the crumbling town a once over, finding an alcove in a room that’s still standing, it’s roof mostly still covering them. “No fire tonight,” he directs, tugging her pack off for her and setting up her bedroll before guiding her to it. “We’ll have to sleep close, for warmth,” he explains, but his voice hits a deeper timbre.

He gives her his waterskin, making her take a second deep drag from it while searching her bag for quick food. Fruits and pieces of bread are the only thing on the menu once more but neither complain. When she asks to change he says he isn’t looking but he watches her undress. The task taking longer with her having to feel around her clean outfit for the seams.

Meliodas praises his dark vision, taking in the smooth flawlessness of her pale skin. He swears she naturally glows in the night, that her curves are made for his hands but he does not dare move, let alone touch. Not when she is so clearly perfect and he’s... well, he’s tasked to harm her, to kill her, To be the one that removes all of her from this world. But with her bare before him, wiggling on her clean pants, he cannot remember a single reason why he should.

What a sin it would be for him to never have the chance to see her, touch her, or hear her soft chiming voice once more. Then his heart grows cold, his mind seeming to clear as Chandler's voice echoes in his head, ‘Her kind ruined the demons, we are on the brink of extinction, killed just for what we are all because of her and those like her’. 

Meliodas turns from her, finally abiding by his previous words about not watching her dress.

It isn’t until they are laying back to back, her blanket over them both that she speaks after so long of being silent. “Thank you, Meliodas,” she whispers, her emotions being held at bay clear in her voice and his eyes shoot wide, his own feelings warring once more but he feigns sleep, trying not to like her or give any fuel to the fire she started within.

“I’m glad fate has thrust us together,” Elizabeth speaks even lower than before, as if not to disturb him but disturb him she does. Right to his core, as the angry ball of tangled mess inside, starts to unravel. He needs that mess of rage to accomplish his mission. He swallows thickly, wondering what he’s truly gotten himself into and how the fuck he can kill her when he seems to... like her.