#and we know he was in an easy to find place

[captain-hawks]

oh well... I mean... how about oliver x snowed in? do we manage not to punch him in the face by the end of it?

over easy 🎀 oliver aiku x f!reader

In which domesticity creeps into the all the cracks in you and Oliver's casual arrangement as you find yourself snowed in at his apartment.

1.4k — fluff, soft oliver, fwb, mentions of sex

It’s no good for your stupid, reckless heart—this predicament.

“Over easy? And two sugars in your coffee, right?” Oliver’s voice calls out from the kitchen.

It’s so fucking domestic, the way he says it. 

Like you’re not just some girl he fucks into his king size mattress in the middle of the night twice a week.

Like you’re not just going on your third morning of being stranded at his apartment because your car’s buried under several feet of snow that just keeps on coming down.

Like it’s okay that your heart fumbles meekly behind the confines of your ribcage whenever he tugs you back into his bed to stay the night. 

(That beats so hard it aches when he spins you around to kiss you in the doorway on your way out.)

You’re not dating.

You can’t date him.

Oliver doesn’t date.

But he’s handsome and charming and polite and funny and the sex is so good that you’ve never come so hard in your life and—

There’s no fucking Oliver out of your system unless it’s with Oliver himself.

And if you have some inconvenient feelings dangling on the sidelines, that’s your cross to bear on your own time when he’s not fucking you stupid in the backseat of his car or eating you out on his kitchen counter.

You don’t ask Oliver what he does on nights that he’s not with you. And you tell yourself it’s because it’s none of your goddamn business, not because you know his answer would probably hurt you too much to hear.

You assume, anyway.

But now it’s Christmas Eve, and you’ve lost any and all hope of digging your car out by tomorrow for your family dinner—not that you really wanted to go to that, anyway. 

And Oliver’s humming a Christmas song under his breath while he makes you breakfast, while you stand in his living room wearing nothing but one of his practice jerseys while perusing his bookshelf. 

It feels dangerously, terribly, awfully domestic.

And part of you thinks you’d be better off trudging across town home on foot than bearing the full weight of this walk of shame when the snow melts.

You’ve spent hours on his couch over the past few days, and he can’t seem to stop touching you. He scoots closer if you sit down too far away, places a hand on your ankle if it’s in reach, tucks your feet under his thigh. He puts his head in your lap or tugs yours down into his when you start yawning. He plays with your hair and your fingers—

And the two of you have been making your way through your favorite show, one that he’s never seen, one that you didn’t even think he would like. But it was his idea.

You even went down to his apartment building’s gym last night—something which didn’t feel strange in and of itself until Oliver kept appearing out of nowhere any time a guy tried to strike up a conversation with you, going so far as outright making out with you while you were on one of the stationary bikes. 

(The two of you barely made it through the door back up in his apartment before he was fucking you right there on the floor in the entryway.)

And you’ve yet to examine the feeling that stirred in your gut when you found oat milk in his fridge, knowing full well he doesn’t drink it. 

“Oh yeah, almost forgot to tell you. That’s for you, I picked it up the other day. I know you hate using regular milk in your coffee.”

—and the bag of mini dark chocolate bars you spotted in his cabinet last night.

“Yeah, yeah, you were right. Dark chocolate’s better.”

—and the brand-new, full-size bottle of your body wash that was staring you in the face when the two of you climbed into his shower the first morning, a mirror to the tiny travel bottle that you’ve taken to keeping in your purse for accidental sleepovers.

“It doesn’t make sense for you to have to carry soap around in your purse—”

You hadn’t even realized he knew you did that.

And yet now, as your eyes stray to the Christmas tree that sits in the corner of his living room between two large windows that overlook the city below, it’s the sight beneath it that promises to be your undoing.

Nestled between several gifts addressed to his parents and sisters is a box wrapped in gold paper with a blue bow on it. Your name is written carefully in his handwriting on the white tag stuck to the top of it. 

Your heart catches in your throat.

—and oh god you’re going to kick his ass if it’s some stupidly expensive piece of jewelry that he probably didn’t even pick out himself in there, one that’ll make you feel like you’re his even if you’re really not.

And you didn’t even get him anything because this is fucking casual—

“Wanna open it now?” You jump as Oliver’s voice comes up beside you, his chest against your back while he rests his chin on your shoulder.

“It’s not Christmas yet,” you stall, your noses brushing when you turn to look at him, but he spins you back toward the tree. 

“Yeah, I’m too impatient though,” he sighs, his breath hot against the shell of your ear as he reaches past you, arms hugging your sides while he places the package in your hands.

It’s oblong and light.

You’re glad, if nothing else, that he’s not directly facing you to see your uneasy facial expression. Slowly, with the tip of your finger, you begin to peel back the wrapping paper.

White bristles and bright green plastic greet you beneath it.

A toothbrush.

“Be my girlfriend,” Oliver whispers, nose brushing against your cheek. 

You choke out a laugh as your heart swoops. “You got me a toothbrush?”

Girlfriend.

“You would have thought jewelry was a tacky way to ask,” he hums, kissing the corner of your mouth.

You tilt your face into the kiss, murmuring against his mouth, “I didn’t get you anything.”

You almost did.

Several times, actually.

But nothing screams casual hookup gone rogue like a fucking Christmas present—and that was the last thing you wanted him to think.

And yet—

Oliver shrugs, spinning you around and cupping your face, the toothbrush still clutched in your hands. “You’re my gift.”

There’s no hiding the ridiculous smile that creeps across your face as he kisses you, tugging you with him as he walks backward into the couch, pulling you into his lap.

His lips are warm and soft as his mouth engulfs yours, kissing you in a way that you know now is far too familiar to be casual. Far too easy and gentle and intimate as he cups the back of your head and feathers a thumb against your hip bone and nips your bottom lip and laughs and—

He stops kissing you and looks at you seriously. “Oh, I also got you that dough mixer you kept looking at videos of when we were laying in bed that one night, but it’s going to be late because of the storm. I don’t want you to think I actually only got you a toothbrush.”

You blink at him.

“Oliver!”

He grins. “What?”

“I’m leaving right now to get you a gift,” you grouse, trying to hop out of his lap.

The room spins as he lifts you up, and you find yourself caged in beneath him on the couch.

“We’re snowed in,” he says, matter-of-factly.

“I’ll walk,” you frown.

“Nope,” he counters, hands sliding to pin your wrists above your head. “I’ve got the perfect gift already. Have you met my girlfriend yet?”

He reaches down into his pocket to pull out his phone, and you’re met with a photo of you laughing that you hadn’t even realized he took.

And it’s his wallpaper, for fuck’s sake.

Girlfriend.

“She’s beautiful,” he murmurs as he puts down his phone and cups your face, lips brushing against yours. “And smart.” Kiss. “And funny.” Kiss. “And—”

“I didn’t say yes.” 

Oliver stills, blinking several times as he looks down at you with a serious expression.

You roll your eyes as you thread your fingers in his hair and tug his mouth back down against yours.

“Yes.”

A pleased sound of satisfaction rumbles in his throat as his mouth skirts away from your lips, leaving a chaotic, hot, messy trail of kisses across your face, down your neck, across your collarbone—

The smoke alarm goes off somewhere in the kitchen.

[sonicboomrevisited]

A Sonic Boom Revisited Short Story:

"I'll Be Home for Christmas"

Written by @mama-qwerty with editing and inspiration from @multiisketch

Art by @multiisketch

NOTE: This story is NON-CANON to the SBR comic itself and is purely for holiday fun! Please Enjoy!

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

Twas the morning before Christmas and all through the lair, not a creature was stirring, not even–

"An eclair!" Cubot said, in an enthusiastic mood.

Orbot protested. "An elcair's not a creature, it's food!"

"Exactly!” said Cubot, hands on his hips. “That's why it ain't stirrin!"

Orbot scoffed. “Oh enough with your quips.”

The stockings were hung by the exhaust port with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be–

"Married!" Cubot shouted, sounding quite proud.

"Santa’s already married, for crying out loud.” Orbot sighed and shook his head in frustration. “Can you please be quiet and allow the narration?”

Quite. Anyway... the robots were nestled and charging in stations, while visions of sugar plums danc’d in their processing units.

"Hey," Cubot said, the word dragging out long. “Those words don’t rhyme, you’re doing it wrong!"

Rhyming is hard, and not something that’s forced. So you’ll deal with my attempts, for better or worst.

The robots went silent, exchanging a look. It always seemed easy when reading the book. They returned to the tinsel hanging duties assigned, when in walked the dastardly Robo-Sonic, his boss close behind.

"I just don't understand, truly at all, why those rodents won’t fight!" said Dr. Eggman, standing tall.

“Because they’re losers who know they won’t win,” Robo-Sonic said, his voice confident, and edged with a grin. “Seriously, Boss, it’s the smartest thing they’ve done. Why would they fight when they know that we’ve won?”

“It’s the principle!” Eggman shouted, his hands clenched in fists. “If they won’t fight, then I won’t . . . won’t . . .”

He threw his hands up. “Ya know what? I’m not doing this rhyming thing. Nope.”

But–

“NO.” Eggman crossed his arms, his lips pulled into a tight line.

How are we gonna tell a Christmas story without that well known rhyming couplet setup?

“Much better, because we won’t be locked into short little oddly worded sentences for the sake of rhyming.”

Ouch.

“Go on,” Eggman said, giving his hand a dismissive flick. “Just let it flow naturally.”

Fine.

“Oh come now, don’t pout.”

I’m not pouting.

“Then go ‘not pout’ somewhere else so we can get on with things.”

“Geez, Boss,” Cubot said, shaking his head. “That’s not very Christmas-y.”

“Quiet down, you imbecile, or I’ll remove your head.”

“That rhymed,” Orbot said with a shrug. “Although you technically rhymed ‘head’ with ‘head’.”

“Nevermind!” Eggman said, moving to his console and flicking some switches. The monitor along the back wall flared to life and scenes from the village dominated the screen. “As I was saying, if those rodents won’t fight me, I won’t get a good workout for my various inventions.”

Robo-Sonic turned to him. “So?”

“So, fighting so-called heroes is the best way for villains to work the kinks out of their dastardly plans and evil robots. It’s the first thing they teach you in villain college.” He turned suddenly, his voice edged with defensive anger. “Which I totally graduated from, thank you very much.”

Robo-Sonic flicked his ocular LEDs toward the ceiling. “Okay, so why won’t they fight? Other than the obvious reason that they’ll lose, I mean.”

Eggman tapped a few places on his control panel and twisted a dial. “I don’t know. But we’ll find out soon enough.

The screen flickered and centered on Meh Burger where Amy, Tails, Knuckles, and Sticks sat at a table.

“Are we still going to your place for Christmas Eve, Amy?” Tails asked. He poked at his burger. “It may be a good way to take our minds off . . . you know.”

“The fact that Sonic’s been turned into a glorified Eggman bot who hates us and wants to pound us into the dirt?” Knuckles asked, his voice low and frustrated. The others looked at him, their expressions a combination of annoyed and hurt. “What? I’m just summing it up in case you forgot.”

“We didn’t.” Tails’ ears flicked backward, and he looked away.

Knuckles seemed to sense he’d really stepped in it, and turned his attention back to his half-eaten burger. He let out a sigh, his shoulders dropping. “Right. Right. Sorry.”

“I don’t know if I should bother this year. It won’t be the same without Sonic,” Amy said, pushing her burger away and resting her crossed arms on the table. “We always baked cookies together.” A little smile curled her lips. “When he wasn’t trying to eat the batter, that is.”

“We’d always make popcorn strands,” Knuckles said, shaking his head with a smile. “That was a lot of fun.”

“Yeah.” Tails pushed his burger away, fiddling with his gloves. “We would trim the tree together. The lights were always my favorite part, and every year we’d fight over who put the star on top.” His ears flicked back. “This year was his turn.”

Silence fell over the group. Sticks looked between the others.

“Well I say we don’t let this get us down!” she said, pounding her fists on the table. “I say we get together and have the best Christmas Eve ever! We’ll show that Eggman and his new little robot henchman that they can’t stifle our spirits!”

She turned directly toward the camera filming them and shook her fist.

“YA HEAR THAT, YOU BIG CLOD! WE AIN’T BENDING!”

In the lair, Eggman let out a little yelp before cutting the feed, the screen going black. “That badger’s pretty astute for someone who thinks her doorknobs are alien spies.”

“Who’s she calling a henchman?” Robo-Sonic said, hands clenching into fists.

Eggman absently rubbed his chin with a hand. “Quiet, you.”

“Yes, Boss.”

Eggman’s brow furrowed slightly as he paced back and forth before the console. “Hmm . . . so the rodents are feeling all sad because their little blue rat is now my number two. That sadness is preventing them from really bringing their A-game during battles with me.”

“Perhaps you could offer to return Robo-Sonic to them for Christmas Eve,” Orbot suggested, hovering closer. “That way they can feel more motivated to fight when next you appear.”

Eggman whirled on him. “Are you insane? You’re suggesting I simply give Robo-Sonic over to those insipid rodents? All because they miss him so much?”

Orbot flinched back, as Robo-Sonic looked on, shaking his head.

“Oh, I know!” Eggman said, holding a finger up. “Maybe I’ll be a gracious arch-nemesis and offer to let Robo-Sonic fraternise with them for Christmas Eve, just to refuel the hope of getting their friend back and reignite that fighting spirit, before dashing their misplaced hopes to bits during my next attack! Ho ho, that is brilliant!”

“Yes, sir, very clever,” Orbot said with a sigh.

“Hey now,” Robo-Sonic said, hands on hips. “Who says I want to go back and ‘fraternise’ with those losers?”

Eggman turned to him, brows furrowed. “You’ll go and you’ll play nice. Because while you’re there you’re going to collect any information you can on weaknesses–other than you, of course–or soft spots I can use to my advantage in future battles.”

Robo-Sonic threw his hands up in exasperation. “But I already know their weaknesses and soft spots! I can tell you that right now!”

Eggman held up a hand. “Upp upp upp! Everyone knows that Christmas is when people show their softer sides and reveal hidden thoughts and desires no one knows the rest of the year. It goes hand in hand with Christmas miracles, holiday spirit and putting differences aside to show that not everyone’s all bad and all that touchy feely stuff.”

The doctor went to his desk, yanked open a drawer, and fished around for a moment before pulling out a crumpled card. He scribbled something inside, stuffed it into an envelope, and stepped over to slap it onto Robo-Sonic’s hands.

“There you are,” he said, patting the robot on the top of his rocket booster. “Off you go. Spread holiday cheer with your ex-friends, and then come back here and dish on the gossip you learn.”

Robo-Sonic heaved the robot equivalent of a sigh, before turning and heading toward the door.

“OH WAIT!”

He turned back to see Eggman digging through another drawer, before pulling something out and rushing over to him. The doctor slapped a gift sticker right above Robo-Sonic’s visor and adjusted a Santa hat on top of his head.

“There!” Eggman said, stepping back and perching his hands on his hips. “Ooh, you look so festive!” He waved in a dismissive manner. “Okay, get outta here. Go be merry and trim the tinsel and ginger the bread or whatever it is you people do during the holidays. Shoo!”

With an electronic groan, Robo-Sonic turned and drudged away.

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

Screams drew Amy from her book, and she hurried out of her house, hammer in hand. The chatter from her communicator indicated the others were on their way to investigate the trouble, too.

She hoped it wasn’t Eggman. While she never liked fighting Eggman in the past, at least it had been a little fun. Now it was painful. Seeing what the man had done to Sonic hurt her heart. And she couldn’t bring herself to hurt him, even if he was a robot now, and had no qualms on hurting them.

And, based on how lackluster the fights were when Eggman did attack, the others felt the same way.

As she neared the center of the village–seriously, everything always seemed to happen right in the middle of town–she found the chaos somewhat comforting. It was familiar and a good fight with the Lightning Bolt Society, or Barker, or even Shadow may help dissipate some of the anxiety that had twisted her stomach since Sonic changed.

When the fleeing villagers scattered, she skidded to a halt.

Sonic was standing in the middle of the town, arms crossed, and wearing a . . . Santa hat?

A quick flick of her eyes caught no sign of Eggman himself or any other attacking robots. Sonic–Robo-Sonic, she reminded herself–stood with his back to her, tapping his foot in that familiar impatient way that always made him look like he was waiting for a bus that was fifteen minutes late.

“Amy!”

Knuckles’ voice called out. Both she and Robo-Sonic turned to see him rushing over to her. He stopped a step in front of her, taking up a defensive stance, fists at the ready.

“Where’s Eggman?” the echidna asked, his brow furrowed and voice uncharacteristically serious. He didn’t like fighting Son–ROBO-Sonic any more than Amy did, and preferred to head straight for the doctor when attacks happened.

The quicker they took out the doc, the quicker he retreated and took the robot version of their friend with him.

“I don’t know,” she said, gripping her hammer tightly. “All I see is him.”

Tails and Sticks arrived soon after, each wearing similar expressions of confusion.

“This isn’t like Eggman,” Tails said, holding his wrench before him like a staff. “He doesn’t usually send robots without being there himself to gloat and claim early victories.”

“Finally,” Robo-Sonic said, rolling his head back in a familiar expression of exasperation. “You’re all here. Cripes, take a little longer, why don’tcha. It’s not like I can die of old age or anything.”

“What do you want?” Knuckles all but growled, baring his fangs. “It’s Christmas Eve. Can’t you take the holidays off from being a jerk?”

Robo-Sonic mostly ignored him and stalked forward. Knuckles threw an arm out, keeping Amy back. When the robot hedgehog stopped before them, he reached into his metal quills and pulled out an envelope. He thrust it forward, toward Amy, and Knuckles tensed.

Everything seemed to stop in that moment. Amy flicked her eyes from Robo-Sonic’s ocular visor, to the little gift sticker attached to his forehead, right below the brim of the Santa hat. Instead of a “To” and “From” note, it bore Eggman’s logo, as if he’d branded the robot before sending him to the village.

Her eyes then dropped to the envelope in his hand. When she made no move to reach for it, Robo-Sonic uttered what sounded like a sigh.

“Just take it, Ames.”

She flinched at the familiar nickname coming from a digital voice box. After a moment, she gently pushed Knuckles’ arm to the side, and plucked the envelope from Robo-Sonic’s hand. Keeping her eyes on the robotic hedgehog, she tore it open, before looking down as she pulled a battered card from the paper.

The front showed an image of Eggman dressed in a Santa suit, Cubot and Orbot beside him with little antlers on their heads. He had a large sack thrown over his shoulder. Above him read “Evil Season’s Greetings!”

She rolled her eyes.

Inside, she found a handwritten note, undoubtedly from Eggman himself.

"Dear Rodents, 

Since you insist on being frustratingly avoidant when fighting my newest bestie Robo-Sonic, I have deemed it acceptable to allow him to be returned to you for 24 hours. Make it count and bring your A-Game to the next fight! Happy Holidays! 

Love, Dr. Eggman."

Amy reread the note three times, before flicking her eyes back up to Robo-Sonic. He stood with his arms crossed and he, and Knuckles who also stood with his arms crossed, seemed to be having a glaring contest.

“So, wait,” she said, drawing their attention. “You’re here to spend Christmas Eve with us?”

Robo-Sonic heaved an electronic sigh. “Apparently.”

Amy exchanged a look with Tails.

“You don’t actually expect us to believe this, do you?” the fox said, hands on hips. “Like we’re supposed to just throw our arms open and pretend like everything’s normal?”

“I think he’s here to spy on us,” Sticks said, eyes narrowed and flicking back and forth. “He’s here to discover our deepest secrets, our hidden hopes and dreams!”

“Not my eggnog recipe!” Knuckles cried, hands to the side of his head.

“Knuckles, that’s just milk and eggs, mostly,” Amy said with a sigh.

He cast her a raised eyebrow. “Eggs?”

“Nevermind.”

“Look,” Robo-Sonic said, holding his hands up. “As stimulating as this conversation is, I don’t wanna be here any more than you want me here. But the boss said you get me for 24 hours and the clock’s ticking, so, whatever you wanna do with that time is on your head. If you want to just stand here and argue about it, be my guest.”

The group exchanged looks again. Amy gave him a tight little smile.

“‘Scuse us for a minute.”

She motioned for the others to follow her a few feet away, and lowered into a huddle.

“This is a trick,” Knuckles said, looking over his shoulder toward Robo-Sonic. “No way he’s not here for evil reasons.”

“I hate to admit it, but I agree,” Tails said, shaking his head. “Sonic’s not our friend anymore. As much as I want to believe he’s here because he wants to be, I think this is some kind of trap.”

“Of course it’s a trap!” Sticks said, gripping her boomerang tightly. “It’s obvious he’s here to steal our Christmas spirit, and maybe even all our decorations and presents and even our last can of Who Hash!”

Tails gave her a raised eyebrow. “Our what?”

“Nothin’.” Sticks narrowed her eyes, looking around suspiciously. “I’ve said too much.”

“Okay, look,” Amy said, drawing their attention. “I don’t think he’s here of his own free will either. But maybe we can use this to our advantage. If we do things we used to do with Sonic on past Christmases, maybe he’ll remember who he really is and come back to us!”

Tails shot a look over at Robo-Sonic, who was giving the evil eye . . . well, evil LED to any villagers who came too near. “I dunno, Amy . . .”

“C’mon Tails, we have to try.”

The others looked at her before exchanging a glance between themselves. Finally, they turned back and nodded. Although, they didn’t look very happy or sure about it.

She didn’t care. If there was a chance to get her . . . their Sonic back, she’d take it. As slim as it was.

She nodded back, before standing upright and moving toward the robot hedgehog once again. Knuckles was right next to her. She could feel how tense he was.

“Okay, Son–I mean, Robo-Sonic,” she said, stopping with her hands on her hips. “If you’re gonna be here, there are going to be a few rules.” She counted off on her fingers. “Rule number one, no fighting. Rule number two, no insulting us. Rule number three, you have to actually participate and not simply sit and sulk the whole time.”

His ocular LEDs narrowed for a moment. “And if I refuse these stupid rules?”

Amy shrugged. “Then we’ll just send you back to Eggman’s. You’ll have failed your mission and ruined Christmas for your new ‘boss’.”

He stood and glared at her for a long moment, before rolling his head to the side. “Fine.”

A smile curled her lips. “Good.” She clapped her hands together, giving a little squeal of excitement. “Oh, this will be fun!”

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

It was not, in fact, ‘fun’.

It had been hours. Hours of trying to have a normal Christmas Eve.

They’d all gathered at Amy’s house, as they did every year. She hadn’t been in a very festive mood after everything that had happened with Sonic, so the house wasn’t as decorated as she normally did. Knuckles and Sticks had helped pull her decorations out of storage, working to create a more appropriate holiday atmosphere, as Tails set about trimming the tree.

Supper was awkward. She’d made everyone’s favorite. Even the sweet potato chili dogs Sonic liked. But, being a robot now, he couldn’t eat them.

Okay, no problem, she could work around that.

But he spent the entire time glaring at Knuckles, who glared right back. Amy had shot the echidna a warning glance, and he’d sheepishly turned his eyes away, but the mood had been set.

After supper, she cleaned up the dishes as Tails helped Knuckles make popcorn for this year’s garlands. With a little coaxing, Amy had encouraged Knuckles to try and follow his tradition with Robo-Sonic.

It didn’t go well.

Robo-Sonic couldn’t string the popcorn before his metal fingers crushed the kernels. After five minutes, the floor around him was littered with broken bits of popcorn. Knuckles, for his part, tried to extend a hand of friendship, so to speak, citing that he knew what it was like to deal with more strength than you need most of the time. He tried to help Robo-Sonic pull it back so he could work with the popcorn without crushing it.

Things only went further south when Robo-Sonic revealed, in a fit of frustration stemming from the continued crunching of the kernels, that he never liked making the garlands–a waste of perfectly good popcorn, he claimed–and only did it so Knuckles wouldn’t look like an idiot doing it by himself.

The echidna gasped, eyes wide, before running from the room in tears. “Not cool, Robo-Sonic!”

Sticks fared a little better. She was always suspicious of wrapped presents–”You don’t know what’s inside! It’s not safe!”--so Robo-Sonic used his scanners to examine every one. He announced, loudly, what each box contained. This soothed the badger’s suspicions, until he announced what the gifts she’d brought held.

“Those boxes were supposed to be lead lined! X-ray proof! So’s the aliens couldn’t see what I got and report my preferences and kindness to their leaders, taking me hostage when they come to rule!”

And off she went, presumably to find whomever had sold her the supposedly impervious boxes, and deal some angry feral badger damage to them.

Tails was hit worst. He had brought the tree decorations, and hoped to have his and Sonic’s tradition at least somewhat salvaged. It started okay, but when it was time to put the lights up, Robo-Sonic took them from the fox and wrapped them around the tree in three seconds flat.

“Oh,” Tails said, ears flicking back. “We usually do that together.”

Robo-Sonic shrugged. “It’s not exactly a two-man job, kid. It’s done, now.”

“Right.” Tails reached across himself to tightly grip his arm. “G-good job.”

The fox quietly left soon after.

That left Amy.

She tried. She really did.

She pulled out the ingredients for the cookies she and Sonic baked every year. But there was no laughter as they mixed the ingredients together. No trying to keep him from dipping his fingers into the batter. No slapping his hands away as she tried to roll out the dough.

Robo-Sonic was focused and efficient. The cookies went in without issue.

“You’re really not him anymore, are you?” she asked, her voice soft.

He turned to her, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m better.”

She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “No. No you’re not.”

Amy turned, hoping to be out of the house before the first tears fell.

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

Robo-Sonic watched her leave, just like all the others had left.

He didn’t care. The less he had to deal with these losers, the better. He was only here because Eggman practically ordered him to be. He wasn’t enjoying this. He didn’t care about these stupid traditions and little holiday scenes the others insisted on.

He should leave. They all left, so apparently they didn’t care if he was here or not. He should just go back to Eggman’s lair, tell him the mission was a failure because these rodents couldn’t accept that he wasn’t the weak loser they remembered. They’d have a good laugh at the overly sentimental nature of these fools and that would be that.

He took a few steps toward the door, intending to do just that.

Then he stopped.

Turned and watched the oven timer tick down.

Less than ten minutes before the cookies were done. There was no one else in the house. He had no idea when they’d be back.

If he left and they didn’t return for a long time after, the cookies would burn.

The house might burn.

If these losers wouldn’t give him a decent fight because they were ‘sad’ about his change (his improvement), then they certainly wouldn’t be up for any challenging battles should Amy’s house burn down on Christmas Eve.

He could wait ten minutes.

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

“This is worse than when we thought he was gone,” Tails said, curling his namesakes around himself. He let out a long sigh. “This feels like a cruel joke.”

The group had met up near Sonic’s old shack. Knuckles stood with his back to the porch post, arms crossed. Tails sat on the front steps, staring out into the ocean as the waves licked the beach below. Sticks sat on the ground nearby, legs crossed beneath her, an angry pout on her face.

And Amy stood a little apart from them, staring into Sonic’s shack. The moon was full tonight, and lit the area enough to see.

The shack stood dark and empty, like it had since Sonic was changed.

“I’m sorry guys,” she said, her voice soft. “I thought . . . I thought if he was in a familiar place, if he was surrounded by his friends, doing things he loved, then he’d remember.”

“It was a nice try, Ames,” Knuckles said, rubbing a hand over his face. “But he’s not him anymore.”

She pulled her lips tight. “No. I guess he’s not.”

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

Popcorn was strewn all over the floor. Some were crunched from being stepped on, but most broken because of his metal fingers.

He looked down at his fingers now.

Sharp and cold. He couldn’t really feel anything now. Oh sure, there were pressure points on the outside plating, giving him the approximate sensation of ‘touch’. But he couldn’t feel.

The fingers curled into a fist.

Nevermind.

That wasn’t important. He was better. Stronger.

His LEDs flicked back down to the floor.

It wouldn’t be fair to leave Amy to clean up this mess, and he knew Knuckles likely wouldn’t help. Seemed a waste to throw out all that popcorn, though.

He checked his internal clock. Seven more minutes until the cookies were done.

He had time.

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

“He didn’t even try,” Amy said, moving to sit next to Tails. She pulled her legs up and hugged her knees. “He said he would try and he didn’t.”

“Actually,” Tails said, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand. “He said he wouldn’t fight, insult us, or sulk. That’s not really the same thing as trying.”

“But he promised he’d participate!” she said, and even to her own ears it sounded ridiculous. “He . . . he promised.”

“I guess he technically did participate,” Knuckles said with a shrug. “He was just being an irritable and impatient jerk about it.”

“On the bright side,” Sticks said, tilting her head to the side. “He did reveal a horrible injustice done to me by those shysters who sold me those boxes. I made sure they wouldn’t cheat anyone else like that!”

The others sighed, the mood not exactly feeling any lighter.

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

Robo-Sonic stood before the tree. The popcorn was all cleaned up, and now he stood with his arms crossed, staring at the wrapped presents strewn about, where Sticks had let them drop as he’d examined each one.

With a soft electronic sigh, he bent to gather them, stacking them neatly.

He picked up the final two, which were identically shaped, only with different wrapping. One was addressed to Tails, the other to him.

Well, to the weaker version of him, anyway.

He’d scanned them before, when Sticks had requested, and discovered they held matching scarves. Yellow for him, blue for Tails.

Probably hand crocheted by Amy herself. She liked to do that kind of thing.

He didn’t know why she bothered. That took a lot of time; it was easier to simply buy a scarf. They weren’t that expensive, really.

He stared at the boxes for a long moment, before placing them on the stack.

Glancing up, he flicked his LEDs over the tree at the lights he’d strung earlier.

They bothered him.

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

“I just . . .” Amy said, burying her face in her hands. “I hoped there was something left of him. Something that showed our Sonic was still in there.”

Silence answered her. It hung heavy before Tails gave a little sigh, reaching over to lay a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“I did too, Amy. I really did. He’s . . . he was my best friend. The idea that he’s gone is . . . well, it’s hard to accept.”

She nodded. “It’s so strange. He seems so much like the Sonic we remember, but . . . not.” She sighed, a harsh, frustrated sound. “I wish Eggman hadn’t sent him here. It’s making everything worse.”

Tails’ hand gripped her a little tighter. Knuckles moved to sit on her other side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“We could pay Eggman a visit and deck his halls, if that would make you feel better,” he said, a little smile curling one side of his mouth. “Want me to leave a knuckle sandwich in his stocking?”

Amy gave a soft giggle, shaking her head. “As tempting as that is, I don’t want to ruin anything any more than it already is. It’s bad enough that–” She gasped, her eyes going wide. “THE COOKIES! I completely forgot about them!”

She shot to her feet and ran toward her house with the others close behind.

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

“Oh no oh no oh no!” Amy nearly whined as she burst into her kitchen. She expected a house full of black smoke, possibly even flames shooting from her oven, but she stopped dead when there was no oppressive heat of an uncontrolled fire, no choking smoke threatening to smother her. “What?”

The others screeched to a halt behind her, piling up and nearly knocking her over.

The scene that met them was one she would not have believed just fifteen minutes ago.

Robo-Sonic was pulling the cookie sheets from the oven. He turned and placed them on towels he’d set out to protect her counters, before looking up and finding himself with company.

“Well look who decided to finally show back up,” he said, flicking the oven off and turning to plant his hands on his hips. “Figures you guys would all take off and leave me to do all the clean up.”

Silence answered him as the others stared. Amy’s gaze fell to the cookies currently cooling on her counter. “You . . . you stayed to take them out?”

He shrugged. “Boss said I had to stay, so I stayed. I’m used to picking up the slack for you los–” He caught himself. He’d promised not to insult them. “You left. The cookies were done. I pulled ‘em out. The end.”

Amy stared. This . . . this wasn’t what she expected.

“Hey,” Knuckles said, pointing to the other counter. “What are those?”

All eyes turned to a plate stacked with popcorn balls. Robo-Sonic shrugged as he pulled them over to place on the center island counter behind the cooling cookies.

“Ames would have had a fit if I threw away perfectly good popcorn,” he said, stepping back to lean against the counter. “So I made those.”

“Huh, that’s weird.” Knuckles stepped forward to pick up one of the popcorn balls. “How did you get the string to do that?” He took a bite, his eyes lighting up. “Hey! That’s really good! And no string to get stuck in my teeth!”

Robo-Sonic shrugged again. “Amy always has a bag of marshmallows hidden away. Thinks I don’t know about it. She uses them to sweeten her coffee. Which I always thought was gross, but whatever. Figured I’d use ‘em to make something better than those stupid garlands.”

Amy blinked. Sonic would regularly raid her cabinets, so it wasn’t a surprise he knew about her secret mallow stash, but the way he was talking . . . the things he did while they were gone . . .

This was absolutely not what she expected.

“Hey, what happened to the tree?” Tails’ voice cut through her musings. They looked into the living room where the tree stood dark. “Where are the lights?”

“Took ‘em off.” Robo-Sonic’s voice sounded almost bored, like there was an implied shrug even if his shoulders didn’t move. “They were bugging me. Not strung right. Some spots had the same colored lights all bunched up. I’m not good with that kinda detail stuff.”

More silence, and Amy dared to hope. Dared to think that her Sonic, their Sonic, really was still in there.

“Do you . . .” Tails started, his voice small and shaky. “Do you want to try again? I can make sure the colors are adequately distributed this time.”

Robo-Sonic stood still for a moment, as though contemplating. Amy expected a sharp retort. An annoyed “Fine” or “Whatever”.

But instead, the robot offered a simple, “Sure.”

A little smile curled her lips.

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

Just before midnight.

Wrapping paper was strewn about, tossed carelessly as the annual gift exchange had taken place. The gang sat on the floor before the tree–now properly trimmed and lit, thanks to Tails’ careful calculations of the optimal placement of the various colored lights–with the star perched atop. Robo-Sonic had placed it there, in keeping with his and Tails’ tradition.

Now soft snores floated over the living room. Sticks, Knuckles, and Tails were fast asleep, their gifts piled nearby, while Amy and Robo-Sonic sat a little further away, their backs against the couch.

Amy wanted to break the silence. Needed to break it. The longer they sat like that, the longer it went without at least trying to get through to him, the more she’d beat herself up over it later.

This was the perfect chance to try and bring him around. To try and reach the Sonic she knew was still in there.

After another moment of hesitation, she cleared her throat.

“I suppose I need to send a thank you note to Eggman,” she said, her voice soft. “For letting you come tonight.”

He didn’t respond for a moment. “You always were a stickler for manners.”

She swallowed, turning her head away slightly. The familiarity he spoke with. He knew her. As much as she tried to convince herself that he wasn’t any different from Metal Sonic, that he was just some robot who’d copied Sonic’s personality . . . she couldn’t fully believe that.

She spared another glance in his direction. The yellow scarf she’d crocheted him was fastened around his neck. When he and Tails had opened those gifts he’d hesitated before putting it on, but finally tied it in place, much to Tails’ delight. Sonic never looked right without that trademark scarf around his neck.

The color contrasted with the red Santa hat still perched on his head. Her eyes flicked back to that gift label above his visor. Eggman’s logo seemed to glare at her, a stark reminder that he was here on borrowed time. 

Another silent moment passed, and she turned away again. When she spoke, her voice was quieter. Hardly above a whisper.

“Stay.”

“No.”

The response was immediate. He didn’t even consider it.

“Why?” She turned back to him sharply, her tone pleading. “Why do you hate us so much?”

He turned his head away from her for a moment, before turning back. “Because you’re weak.”

“We’re stronger together.” She turned to him more fully and tried to pull back the pleading tone. “We were always stronger with you.”

“I can’t carry the whole team, Ames,” he said, his tone hard. “I can’t do what needs done if I’m worrying about the rest of you.”

“What are you talking about?” Amy said, and hated how pathetic her voice sounded even to her own ears. “Doing what needs done? What needs done is keeping Eggman from ruining everything, from destroying everything we love. We did that! And now you’re helping him. I just . . . I don’t understand.”

He didn’t respond right away, instead looking over where the others slept. Amy watched him for a few moments, before turning away when she decided he likely wasn’t going to answer.

“Sometimes protection isn’t just about bashing some bots and calling it a day,” he said, his voice softer. “Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to focus on the bigger picture.”

She stared at him, her brows furrowed. “What’s the bigger picture?”

He went quiet again, and this time it felt more final. Like whatever information she was going to get out of him had been said.

The two sat there in silence for a long time. Finally, Amy spoke, her voice a whisper.

“Merry Christmas, Sonic.”

He didn’t respond.

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

Time ticked on. Robo-Sonic watched the others sleep. He didn’t need to sleep anymore, although he sometimes went into standby mode. Not a ‘sleep’ in the traditional sense, but something that let him kind of ‘drift’.

Beside him, Amy’s breathing evened out, changing to a deeper, slower rhythm. He turned and found her head tilted against the couch, eyes closed, and mouth slightly open.

He watched her for a long moment.

Moving before he even knew he was, Robo-Sonic stood and gently lifted her, placing her on the couch and positioning a pillow beneath her head. She stirred slightly, and he froze, before she settled back into a comfortable position, her breathing deepening.

Pulling the afghan from the back of the couch, he draped it over her, tucking her in.

“Merry Christmas, Ames.”

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

Morning.

The sun filtered in through the windows, pulling Amy from her sleep. She sat up and stretched, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she got her bearings. It took a moment before the events of last night caught up with her, and she looked around, catching no sign of Robo-Sonic.

He must have gone back to Eggman’s.

With a sigh, she flipped the afghan back, preparing to head to the kitchen to start breakfast before the others woke. That’s when her eyes landed on a small stack of gifts on the coffee table, still unopened.

Her brow furrowed. That was odd. She could have sworn they’d opened all the presents last night.

Moving closer, she immediately recognized the sloppy, somewhat hurried wrapping style of one Sonic the Hedgehog.

She distinctly remembered helping Sonic pick out gifts months ago, in an attempt to keep him from being caught empty-handed come Christmas Eve. (Something that had happened on more than one occasion.) He must have wrapped them to have them done and ready back then.

But how . . .

Her eyes went wide.

Robo-Sonic must have gone back to Sonic’s shack and brought them here after she’d fallen asleep.

A little smile curled her lips. Her heart felt warmer than it had in months.

She had hope again.

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

“Ah, the blue rat bot returns!” Eggman said. He turned from the breakfast table, still dressed in his long underwear. “How went the whole ‘give your ex-friends false hope so they’ll fight me with more gusto’ plan?”

Robo-Sonic shrugged. “Fine.”

Eggman frowned. “Fine? That’s it? Just ‘fine’?”

Another shrug from the bot. “Yeah? Not sure what you want me to say.”

“Well, you could say that they spent the night bemoaning my successful plan to turn you into a robot; or that they tried to convince you to be some kind of double agent to get the goods on me in secret; or that they tried to appeal to your non-existent sense of loyalty to them in combination with the ‘spirit of Christmas’ to cast off your allegiance to me and rejoin them in their constant, infuriating destruction of every bot I painstakingly create!”

Robo-Sonic waved a hand. “Yeah, sure, okay.”

Eggman slammed his fists on the table, sending the silverware clattering. “Oh, you are just as infuriating now as you were when you were flesh and fur! I thought you were going to bring back some gossip or embarrassing tales of what happened!”

“What can I tell ya, Boss,” the robot said as he began to wander off. “Just a boring Christmas Eve. Same old, same old. Just like all the others.”

Eggman scowled. “Then what’s with the scarf?”

Robo-Sonic froze. The scarf. He’d forgotten he had it on. “What about it?”

The doctor smirked. “Seems a little sentimental, don’t you think? A lovingly hand knitted scarf from your little girlfriend.”

Robo-Sonic turned sharply, red LEDs narrowed. “She’s not my girlfriend, and it’s crocheted.”

Eggman scoffed. “My, my. Aren’t we touchy?”

The robot hedgehog uttered a little growl, before stalking toward the doctor. He yanked the scarf off his neck and slapped it on the table. “Whatever. I don’t need it.”

Eggman furrowed his brow. “Are you sure nothing happened back there?”

Robo-Sonic let out a soft scoff as he turned and walked away. “Nothing worth reporting.”

Eggman watched him go with a frown.

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

Robo-Sonic walked down a long hallway, the walls a polished steel here. He pushed the thoughts of last night away.

It was just a mission. He was sent there to spy. To gather intel. To give false hope so those losers would fight harder when he and Eggman attacked next.

Because if they fought harder, they got stronger. They needed to be stronger.

He only acted the way he did last night to foster that sense of hope. That he was still the Sonic they remembered.

That was the only reason.

His hand curled into a fist.

The only reason.

But that scarf . . .

A voice in the back of his mind whispered. Said things he knew weren’t true. Tried to make him soft. Make him weak.

He stopped and turned to face one of the walls. They were polished to a near mirror finish. He stared at his reflection. The gift label was still stuck to his forehead and that stupid Santa hat still perched on his metal quills.

But that wasn’t the worst part.

He almost saw the hedgehog he once was.

With a growl, he yanked the hat off and tossed it to the ground, before tearing the sticker from above his visor. It shredded, leaving behind sticky paper strips. Figures Eggman would have the cheapest, most residue-y stickers on hand.

Last night had been a mistake. He shouldn’t have gone.

Uttering a growl that bordered on a yell, Robo-Sonic drew his fist back and punched the wall, leaving a deep dent in the metal at the impact.

“No more weakness. You had your chance. You failed. Now it’s my turn.”

Robo-Sonic withdrew his hand from the crumpled metal, and continued along his way.

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

“Well, that was anticlimactic,” Eggman said after Robo-Sonic had walked away. He slumped against the table with his chin in his hand.

Don’t pout.

“I’m not pouting!”

Seems a good place to end things, doncha think?

Eggman let out a frustrated grunt. “You wanna do the thing, don’t you?”

Wouldn’t be a Christmas story without it.

A long sigh. “Fine.”

And with Eggman pouting from not getting his way, Happy Christmas to all and to all a good day.

“I’m not pouting!”

Hush.

Merry Christmas, Season’s Greetings, and Happy Holidays to all!

[seeingivy]

I think the ttpd requests thing is so cute I love that album!!! could I request i can fix him x toji fushiguro or i loved you the way that you were x satoru gojo (THE ANGST)? ilysm

i loved you the way that you were x satoru gojo

**part of my tortured poets concert event

--

“what did he do today?” 

at the sound of megumi’s voice, coupled with his footsteps getting menacingly louder as he tracks down the hall, you immediately slam the tattered cardboard box shut, haphazardly leaning over it in some misguided attempt to prevent him from seeing the insides. 

it partially does the job. true to your attempt, you covering the box with the weight of your body prevents him from seeing the contents. but the sight of you leaning over the counter, hands outstretched in a position so unnatural, doesn’t do the job of preventing him from asking again. or even raising the question as to why you were being so secretive in the first place. 

“what’s in the box?” megumi asks. 

“your birthday present.” you state. 

megumi narrows his eyes at you. 

“my birthday isn’t for another two months.” 

“never hurts to start getting gifts early! especially since december can be busy with the holidays and all.” you murmur. 

megumi narrows his eyes at you, his signal to you that he won’t necessarily drop his question, that instead he’ll be more adamant on the fact that he deserves the answer, as you retreat your hold on the box. 

“did you want to eat breakfast?” you ask. 

“sure. then, we can talk about what’s in there. and whatever tantrum gojo sensei threw this morning.” 

you glare at him. 

“it’s not a tantrum. he’s just…having a difficult time adjusting. it’s hard.” you insist. 

megumi rolls his eyes. 

“well, we’ve all had a difficult time. it’s not just him.” he mutters, the tone in his voice searingly angry. 

there’s natural symptoms that you can expect from the ordeal – of satoru being put back together, inches from death, of megumi having his body used as a puppet – that you anticipate. the ones that you can expect are easy to handle, because you know what they are. could anticipate before hand what they would be.

shock.

numbness. 

a loss of regular life. 

megumi doesn’t say anything for two weeks. sometimes it takes a good effort to get satoru to shower. the two of them are no longer particularly fond of eating. 

what you don’t expect is the disability. because in the aftermath of the loss, shoko can only put so much of satoru back together. and while mostly everything is intact – his limbs, his legs, his heart – the six eyes and the limitless technique don’t return. and in ways you can’t understand, it takes too harsh of a toll. 

he can barely walk straight, slamming into doors or hitting the side edge of the coffee table because he insists he couldn’t sense it spatially, whatever that meant. the loss of limitless means that most of the times, standing still feels like he’s drowning, not being able to manipulate the space around him leaves him debilitated to the point where you sometimes find him cowering in a corner.

rambling over and over again about how he’s unprotected, far too exposed out in the open. 

shoko can’t fix the six eyes or the limitless. and as long as you’re all concerned, they won’t ever return. 

and neither will the satoru gojo that you knew and loved.

his frustrations drive him to be angry, withdrawn, and closed off every time you see him. unable to even ask for help.

and the byproduct of it all is just as shocking. because satoru gojo’s newfound flagrance for life is something that drives megumi fushiguro insane. 

“satoru threw away his entire sunglasses collection this morning.” you state. 

megumi frowns. 

“isn’t it worth like…thousands of dollars?” he asks. 

you shrug. 

“he’s just insisting that he has no need for them anymore, so what’s the point of keeping them around where they’re just taking up space?” 

megumi sucks in his teeth. 

“i see. so why’d you go dig them out of the trash? you should have saved yourself the trouble than typing to help him when he’s intent on…on acting so pathetic.” he asks. 

“i didn’t dig them out of the trash.” you retort. 

megumi narrows his eyes at you. 

“the box smells. you kind of do too. and i could hear you from my window this morning rustling with the bins, it woke me up.” he states. 

you frown, before opening up the box, and reaching in for the set of sunglasses right at the top. they’re simple frames, silver on the sides, dark black shades, but now there’s a deep crack in the lens on the right. you’re afraid if you push it too hard, it’ll shatter into tiny pieces. but you throw away the thought, extending them out to megumi.

“do you remember these?” you ask. 

megumi takes the frames, holding them up to the light, as he inspects them. he gives you a halfhearted shake. 

“satoru wore these at our wedding. and every anniversary after, he’s…worn them to the dinner that we have together. makes some dumb joke about how he’s seeing me for the first time all over again.” 

megumi gives a nod, before gently placing the frames back in the palm of your hand. he lets his hand linger in yours for a little too long, something that you’ve come to understand is his way of comforting you in the aftermath, as you give him a nod in response. 

“he’ll be mad if you keep them. might even yell at you.” he murmurs. 

“well, i’ll cross that bridge when i get there.” 

--

you cross that bridge four days later. there’s only so many places to hide things in the apartment. your original thought – that hiding them in the kitchen because satoru can’t cook – doesn’t fare well when he decides to come poking for scissors. 

“y/n.” 

“hm?” 

satoru’s suddenly materialized at your side, enough for you to abandon the pie crust you’re failing to mold, with his eyes narrowed at you. 

“what are these?” he asks. 

he holds up the sunglasses in the space between the two of you as you feel the embarrassed warmth run to your cheeks, and slightly take a step back. 

“your sunglasses.” you murmur. 

“i can see that. my question is what are they still doing here?” he seethes. 

you shrug. 

“i just thought you might want to keep them. i was holding on to them for you.” 

satoru glares at you. 

“you know, when i make the effort of walking all the way out to throw something in the dumpster, i’m fairly certain i don’t want them anymore. they were where they belonged.” 

“i know, i know, i just thought…” 

satoru heaves an exasperated sigh. 

“thought what? that i’d need to use them again? i won’t fucking need to, because i can see just fine without them.” 

you bite down on your lip. and he makes no signs of relenting. 

“okay, but..” 

“what part of this is so hard for you to understand? i don’t need your fucking help or for you to hold on to shit for me because you think i’ll regret it later. i won’t. i’m just fine without you trying to walk around, waiting hand and foot on me, because you think i’m defective.” 

you frown, reaching forward to cup the side of his face. the mere gesture makes him flinch, enough for him to put distance between the two of you this time, and it makes your heart sink immeasurably. 

“i don’t think you’re defective. you’re still the same and i…i’m just trying to be there for you in whatever way i can.” 

“then why do you look at me like that?” he whispers. 

“like what?” 

“everytime, i walk into a wall by accident or brush against the table, you wince. you wince because i can’t find my fucking bearings with every stupid thing you’ve put in this apartment, and it drives me fucking insane because i don’t even want to look at you anymore. i understand it’s difficult, that you loved me the way that i was, but i’m just not the fucking same and i can’t do anything about it. you don’t have to make me these dumbass pies or cakes or whatever the fuck you’re trying to do everyday to celebrate my progress or whatever. i don’t care for any of it, so just give it a rest.” 

you frown, dropping your hands to your side, as you dust away the last of the spare flour that’s melded into your hands. you can tell that he’s watching you, maybe a little too keenly, as you untie the apron around your neck and set it on the counter. 

“you’re right, you know.” you mumble. 

“what?” 

“i loved you the way that you were.” 

satoru frowns. 

“the person i loved never raised his voice at me like that.” you whisper. 

you reach forward, for the sunglasses discarded on the counter, and look down at the crack. it’s gotten noticeably bigger, probably from how satoru was shaking it around in the air a few seconds prior, before you look back up at him. 

“the person i loved dragged these sunglasses out of his collection because they’re the exact ones he was wearing when i married him. he’d put them on and tell me that he was seeing me again for the first time, even though that wasn’t really true. and deep down, he probably knew that i thought it was a little cheesy, stupid even, but did it anyway because it made me laugh.” 

you shake your head. 

“he’d never throw these away. i’m sorry that i’m not…not as broken up that you’ve lost your six eyes or your limitless and i don’t know how to help you. i’m sorry i want to bake things and celebrate or whatever…but i almost lost you. i watched shoko sew you back together for hours, sat there for days when you didn’t wake up, and i was…just thankful that i got to see you again. in whatever state that you were. i’m sorry that it’s something that i thought warranted celebration, that the mere fact that you have the opportunity to struggle instead of be…be six feet under the ground…is something that i delight in.” 

you sigh, before setting them back down on the counter, the warm tears bubbling in your eyes. 

“but, please. by all means, throw them away. suppose they mean nothing to you when they’re not attached to the six eyes, anyways.” 

and on that note, you turn on your heel and leave. 

--

when you return home after three hours, there’s an almost pungent smell in the kitchen, so strong that it makes your nose water. you’re almost positive that in your absence the two of them made some horrible attempt at fixing themselves food, and you make a mental note to rectify their mess later. 

you make your way over to the balcony doors to clear the air, except for the fact that the sliding door is already open, that satoru’s sitting criss crossed on the floor with megumi at his side, looking at the view of the city below. 

you lightly wrap your knuckles against the door, the two of them turning their heads ever so slightly, as you lightly step out into the cold air. you crouch down, placing a hand on megumi’s shoulder and squeezing hard. 

“mind if i talk to gojo alone?” you ask. 

he gives you a polite smile, returning your gesture by placing his hand on your shoulder, and giving you a nod. the two of you switch spots, as you criss cross into the warmth megumi’s left behind, and hike your legs to your chest. 

“so, i just wanted to say that…” you start. 

satoru wordlessly slides two boxes in front of you. they’re dark black, a sparkling silver logo embossed into the material, tied together with a white ribbon. you shoot him a glare, before picking up the first box.

it makes you nervous, testing the waters with a joke when they were so tense when you left, but you do it anyways. 

“are you trying to bribe me, satoru gojo?” you ask. 

satoru gives you a smile. you note that it’s been extremely long since you’ve seen one. 

“would that work, princess?” 

“well, i didn’t marry you for your looks, pumpkin.” you joke, reaching forward to pinch his cheeks. 

satoru fakes hurt, dramatically pressing his hand to his chest, as you pull the ribbon off the box. the sunglasses, glistening in perfect shape and sans cracks, are sitting in the box. 

“oh, satoru. you didn’t have to…” 

“yes, i did. they’re my wife glasses.” 

you smile, reaching into the box and pulling the glasses out, and lightly pulling them around satoru’s ears. satoru shakes your hands off, only because you’ve horribly aimed for his ears, and readjusts them before leaning closer. 

“oh my goodness.” he murmurs. 

“what?” you whisper. 

satoru lifts his hands and places them on your cheeks, the touch warm, as he rubs circles into your cheeks. 

“my wife is so pretty.” 

you can’t help but grin, the warmth rushing to your cheeks. 

“is that right?” 

“so so pretty. and kind, and patient, and too good for me to begin with.” he responds. 

you shake your head. 

“not true. you…” 

“very true.” he insists. 

satoru drops his hands, fingers fast as he sets the sunglasses back in the open box, before interlocking his fingers in with yours. he’s looking down at your skin, tracing the callouses left behind on your palms. 

“you know the worst part of losing the six eyes?” he whispers. 

you shake your head. 

“i could feel your cursed energy all the time. and now i can’t.” 

he’s never told you that before. 

“really? was my cursed energy hot?” 

satoru rolls his eyes at you, an unmistakable smile on his face.

“unbelievable.” 

he’s quiet again, fingers outlining one of the red gashes leftover from months prior in your skin. 

“it was comforting. knowing you were around, all the time. that you were moving from the kitchen, or coming up the stairs, or…or sleeping. i’d reach for it sometimes, straining to feel it when you were far away in another classroom or something, whenever someone pissed me off. something to just calm me down.”  

you smile. 

“i’m still around. you might not be able to feel me…that way…but i’m still right here. all the time.” 

satoru winces. 

“kind of embarrassing, isn’t it?” he murmurs. 

“what?” 

“i’m sitting over here, reeling in the fact that i’ve lost…lost what you feel like to me, when you’re the one who actually had to live that.” he whispers. 

you flip his hand over in yours, mimicking his motions by tracing circles into his hand instead. 

“it was no big deal.” you joke. 

satoru narrows his eyes at you. 

“you thought i was dead, didn’t you?” he asks. 

you nod. 

“i didn’t just think it, satoru. you were dead. for a whole three hours, you were…no heartbeat. skin cold. the whole ten miles of…of dead people. i was sitting there thinking about how i was twenty-five years old and already a widow.” you respond. 

satoru sighs. 

“i’m still around too. and…still me in the ways that matter to you. you don’t need to follow me around like you’re worried i’m going to break. hell, i’m surely not as strong as i was before, but i’ve…i will put in efforts to safeguard myself so you won’t have to…cut your losses again.” 

you smile. 

“that would be appreciated, you know that?” 

satoru gives you a wink, before lifting your fingers to press a kiss against your knuckles. 

“it’s a deal, princess.” 

“also…i hope you know i regretted what i said earlier. right after i said it. i’d love you in any iteration. two eyes, six eyes, eleven.” 

satoru smiles, before closing the distance to press three featherlike kisses to your cheek. he retreats to slide the second box over to you, the one you left unopened, and places it in the palm of your hands. you slide the ribbon off just the same, pulling off the lid, to find what might possibly be the most unflattering glasses you’ve ever seen. 

bright green, hexagon shaped, and comically small. 

“well, that’s a choice.” you mumble. 

“if your memory’s failing you, these are the sunglasses you picked out for me on our third or fourth date. pretty sure you were half joking, but…but it felt right to buy them now. rebuild my collection.” 

“how much were they?” 

satoru pinches his lips together in a line. 

“well, i’d prefer to save myself from another lecture today, if that’s okay with you. ask me again tomorrow, princess.”

--

taglist: @7haze

[deliciousangelfestival]

The Christmas Shift | Bucky 🎄

Character: Bucky Barnes x Female! Reader

Prompt : We're doing a poor job hiding our relationship troubles at this family event. 

Part 1 : Holly Jolly Charade

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By the way, I publish my book Arrogant Ex-Husband on Kindle. 👉 Now available on e-Kindle Amazon! << here's the link.

Thank you to everyone who has read this chapter. Leave a comment and Reblog, please. I'd love to hear your thoughts. ❤️

It’s two days before Christmas, and you decided to go back home.

Your hand moved slowly to close the apartment door. It felt like you were forgetting something. Last year, he would always double-check the door before locking it.

This Christmas could be the last one, you thought, sighing.

You were headed to your parent's home for Christmas this time—mainly because your annoying aunt Teresa wouldn’t be there. On the ride, it was usually just you and Bucky, who started as a fake couple but ended up in a real marriage.

But it seemed like the honeymoon phase was over. You and Bucky had just had a big argument, which led him to stay at a hotel for a few days. That’s why you were here alone.

Your mom, Robin, greeted you with a hug. “Did the company lock you up?” she asked with a smile. “I’m glad you’re here before the storm.” She helped you take off your coat. “Bucky’s already here.”

You widened your eyes in surprise. He’s here?

“He’s got a much more relaxed schedule than you,” she added casually.

After Bucky resigned from the company, he invested in drone cameras and outdoor equipment. Since his hobby was photography, it seemed like the perfect fit. He made a good decision and gained a lot of profit. His work was successful, but his schedule was much more laid-back than yours.

As you walked into the living room, you saw Bucky talking to your dad and your cousins. He noticed you and made his way over to you, offering a side hug.

“What are you doing here?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’d rather be here than with my dad, who’s with his third wife, and my mom, who’s with her new boyfriend,” he whispered, his lips brushing your forehead.

You and Bucky were in the room, sitting on opposite sides of the bed. The distance between you both felt greater than it ever had before. The usual closeness you shared during Christmas wasn’t there. Both of you acted like everything was fine, but your parents noticed.

Robin, sensing the tension, quietly led you to the master bedroom. “What’s going on? It feels like there’s a wall between you two.”

You sighed, your hands nervously fidgeting with the hem of your sweater. “It’s…,” you hesitated, struggling to find the right words. “We…” You usually had the confidence to speak up at the company, but talking about your relationship with Bucky made your stomach knot.

On the other side of the house, your father was talking to Bucky in the living room. “Did you make a mistake with my daughter?”

Bucky looked at him, surprised. “How did you know?”

“Son, I’ve been married for 35 years. I would know. So, you did something,” your father said firmly, though not unkindly.

Bucky sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. “She wants a baby. I’m not ready.”

Your father’s brow furrowed. “Why’s that?”

Bucky’s voice softened, and his eyes looked distant. “Because I’m afraid. I don’t think I’ll be a good father. Look at my parents. You saw them at the wedding.”

Your father nodded, understanding the depth of his concerns. “Well… it’s complicated. But you’re you, not your father.” He placed his hand on Bucky's shoulder. “You're a good man for acknowledging your doubts. It's not a shame, son. Everyone feels nervous about being a parent.”

Meanwhile, in the master bedroom, Robin sat across from you, her hand resting gently on yours. “Listen, I know things aren’t easy right now, but you and Bucky can make it. There will be challenges ahead, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end. You’ve built something real together, and that counts for a lot.”

You looked at her, searching for the reassurance you needed. Robin gave you a small, encouraging smile. “You’ve both come this far. You’ll find a way through this too. Just remember, love isn’t perfect—it’s about sticking together, even when it’s hard.”

Later that evening, you finally found the courage to talk to Bucky. He was sitting on the couch, his arms crossed as he stared out the window. You walked up to him, and without saying a word, he pulled you into a tight embrace.

“I’m ready,” Bucky whispered into your hair, his voice low but steady. “I’m in it. If you’re in it.”

You held him tighter, your heart feeling lighter. “We’re doing a poor job hiding our relationship troubles at this family event.” You chuckled softly, pulling back just enough to look up at him.

He smiled, brushing a stray lock of hair from your face. “Yeah, but we’ll figure it out. Together.”

And the next Christmas, both of you came home—this time, with a beautiful, giggling baby girl in your arms. Bucky and you became the best parents this baby girl ever had.

Taglist:

@thezombieprostitute

@mostlymarvelgirl

@scott-loki-barnes

@kjah97

@jeremyrennermakesmesmile

[yellowjestertfs]

Altered State: Part Five

Alright second to last part! Read Part Four, Three, Two, and One here if you haven't. Just a warning, part is more action oriented then the others but still has the same tf and progression elements. Currently I am in the process of writing the epilogue which is a bit of a mess at the moment so the last part might be a few weeks (sorry) but hopefully not too long. Anyways enjoy and thanks for reading!

Edward's mind worked feverishly, processing his thoughts as fast as he could with his 19 intelligence. Part of him wanted to blow off the quest. The possibility of being a level one wretch, if defeated, seemed too big a risk to take. On the other hand, the love potion offered as a reward was excruciatingly tempting. The decision was made for him, Leon scooped him up in a firm fireman’s hold and then still naked, sprinted out the door and into the cool night, moving at a pace Edward couldn’t quite believe. 

His strides were effortless and long, and even with the added weight of Edward, Leon made an amazing time. The row of frat houses that everyone called “fratrow” was four blocks away. Leon reached in just less than a minute hardly even winded. 

It was fairly obvious which house was Sigma Alpha’s. Besides having the Greek letters emblazoned on its front, it was the only house on the row with loud music and voices coming from the backyard.

Leon set Edward down and it took a few seconds for him to get his bearings. According to Trent’s texts, the Alpha Sigma frat bros weren’t letting anyone leave. Edward had no idea why but he couldn’t imagine it was for any good reason. The backyard, enclosed by a seemingly hastily erected high wooden fence was where everyone was congregated. Two frat guys with their arms crossed stood outside, seemingly guarding the entrance to the backyard, and also the way out. 

Just above the fence, Edward could see the tip of a white-domed object peeking out. It looked like a satellite dish connected to the top of a projector screen connected with random metal scraps and duct tape. Sure enough, Edward could see a place on the side of the large two-story house with loose wires sticking out of it where the satellite dish was presumably held before.

The seconds ticked by. They had less than sixteen minutes remaining. “Alright, I’ll check out the backyard, and see if I can get everyone out. You need to go into the house and see if you can find Hunter or Alvis and shut down whatever it is they are planning” Edward said, the pressure making him decisive. As the one with the highest intelligence, if only by a few points, he felt responsible for making a plan. 

“You want us to split up?” Leon asked incredulously. 

“We have to. Besides you're much better equipped to do actual fighting.” Edward found his eyes drifting over to one of Leon’s strong pump pecs. He suddenly remembered that Leon was naked, a very easy thing to forget with Leon’s Naked Confidence perk. That meant he wasn’t carrying a phone, not that that would have been useful with Edward’s being basically dead. “If either one of us is in trouble make a bird sound or something. 

“A bird sound, are you for real?” Leon asked rolling his eyes. The comment broke Edward’s moment of seriousness and he moved to punch his friend in the arm, but then remembered the effect of his touch and thought better of it. 

“Shut up. Just call for help.” They now had only fifteen minutes left. “We got to go, stay safe.”

Edward pounded a fist against his muscular chest and faint hollow metallic sounds rang out. “Don’t worry about me.” Then in a genuine tender way, Edward hardly ever heard his friend use “you be safe too. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Edward felt his heart skip a beat. This was not the time to be having these feelings but god damn was Leon good at giving mixed signals. “Bet you I’ll get take out more frat guys than you.” Leon challenged.

“Suck my dick” was all Edward said. 

“Fine, but if I win you have to suck mine.” Leon shot back. 

“You're so on,” Edward said as the two snuck forward. Edward headed for the backyard, and Leon went up the stairs and to the front door of the frat. Once Edward got closer he could make out the two frat guys stationed at the door. He didn't recognize either of them. They looked young, maybe recent pledges. Edward wasn’t overly surprised when he saw they had floating names above their heads with classes and levels, but he thought it would make this a whole lot more difficult.

Luckily neither of the two guards was very high level. The one on the right had a floating tag above him that labeled him as Broden, a level four Jock. The other guy was a stranger. He wore a suit jacket and tie on top and only his boxers on the bottom. His name was Harold and he was only level two in a class called an Oil Baron. Edward shuddered to think about what type of boosts a class like that would give, though if these classes followed the pattern his and Leon’s did, which was hardly a guarantee, they hopefully wouldn’t have any abilities or techniques unlocked until level five. 

Edward adopted his best approximation of a bro walk and strode forward with all the confidence he could muster. The two young frat guys seemed as if they were about to say something but stopped when they saw the name and level above his name. 

“Yoo, what are you two bozos still doing here?” Edward asked in a dumb voice. He overdid it a bit and sounded like a caveman instead of a frat guy, but he hoped his high charisma and perks might make up the difference.

The two pledges just looked at him blankly. “Hunter sent you two out to get more duct tape like an hour ago. He’s going to be so pissed.”

“But bro, Hunter told us not to leave this door,” The Jock said, in a slow confused way that made it clear his class wasn’t giving him any boosts to intelligence.

“Don’t worry about it bro, I got it. No one gets in or out, I know the deal.”

The Oil Baron opened his mouth to object but a loud crash interrupted him. Edward suspected that was Leon making his entrance. Subtly had never been his strong suit. 

“Shit bro, that’s Hunter. You can’t let him find you here, I’ll cover for you don’t worry” Edward said. Fear instantly burned in both their eyes. Without another word, they both sprinted into the night. Edward waited until they were a few streetlights away before he opened the makeshift gate. The quest “defeat lesser members” changed from 0/26 to 2/26. As Edward watched that number went up to 3/26 then 4/26, presumably thanks to Leon. Edward would have to work faster if he wanted to win their bet.

Inside the party was packed like sardines. Judging from Trent’s texts Edward had expected people to be clambering to get out by the door but most people still danced and drank, unaware that they had been unable to leave in the first place. Edward navigated his way through the backyard. It was then that Edward missed the invisibility of being ugly. The second he entered the party nearly everyone was all over him. Strangers started to grind up on him, offered him drinks, and tried to chat him up. It made moving through the crowd a nightmare. His perks didn’t help matters either. His pheromones caused the people flirting around him to progress to making out and caused those already making out to progress further into outright indecent behavior. Edward did his best to avoid skin-to-skin contact but it was inevitable in a crowd so packed, he heard several yelps as people suddenly felt orgasmic pleasure on their skin anywhere Edward’s hands accidentally. 

Eventually, Edward reached the bubble of relative calm around the projector screen. He saw Trent and Tag talking to each other in low voices by one side of the fence, clearly unaware that the way out was open now. Edward briefly thought about going over to them but he knew neither would recognize him and he didn't have time for lengthy explanations. He needed to get everyone out, and quick. 

Edward glanced and saw two more frat guys standing by the door to the house while four others worked on the projector, taping wires down to the ground that led inside the house. All six had names, classes, and levels above their heads. Edward stopped walking realizing if he could see their level then they could undoubtedly see his. Sure enough, a level nine Keg Commander started walking towards him briskly. He looked older and in charge, and Edward doubted he could resort to trickery to deal with him like before.

Edward ducked back into the crowd, hoping the chaos would obscure his floating name tag. No luck, the Keg Commander along with two other floating tags, a level six Crypto Bro, and a level seven Hype Beast moved towards him. Edward pushed his way through the crowd much less carefully this time. More couples, affected by his pheromones got nasty with each other right there in the backyard, which Edward hoped would make the chase more difficult for his pursuers.

Edward heard a crash from inside the house. He checked the counter to see it was now at 6/26. Edward hoped Leon was being safe. He heard another noise, like a loud bubbling. Edward risked a glance behind him and saw the level nine Keg Commander wave his hand over a beer keg, the thing started shaking violently before it took off into the air like a bottle rocket. 

“Shit” Edward yelled reflexively, diving sideways into a group of guys who all let out sounds of shock and moans of pleasure as Edward pressed up against them. Edward’s dodge hadn’t been necessary. The keg went wide, flying over the party and landing with a bang in the neighbor's yard, spraying the gathered crowd with beer as it flew.

Edward kept moving, circling back around to the wall of the house. Behind him, the hype beast was letting out loud whoops and hollers that seemed to be riling up the crowd even further. The music started to build up to a beat drop and people started to mosh making it even harder for Edward to move through the crowd. Edward spied the source of the music, a giant speaker, at least the height of his chest. One of the frat guys, a level five DJ stood by it, making strange motions with his hands which caused the music to change in volume rapidly in a nauseating way. A plan formed in Edward's mind, with only thirteen minutes left he needed to be bold.

Edward made his way towards the speaker, careful to avoid the Crypto Bro who tried to cut him off. Once he was close Edward rolled up his sleeve and dove out of the crowd, running for the plug connecting the speaker to the outlet. The DJ tried to grab at him but Edward twisted so that he grabbed his arm instead. The bare contact with his flesh and the intense pleasure that resulted from it was enough to cause the DJ to drop his grip. Edward grabbed the plug and yanked. The loud music suddenly cut off, and there was a second of silence as the whole party looked toward the speaker questioningly. Edward took advantage of that moment. He climbed on top of the speaker and screamed a word as loud as he could manage. 

“Flee” he yelled, the word echoing loud and powerful as he imbued it with the energy of his Silver Tongue technique. His energy pool which had fully regenerated in the hours he had spent with Leon now dropped to 14/19. 

The effect was immediate and jarring. Every single person at the party fled in a wave emanating from Edward. The exit quickly clogged as hundreds of people all tried to leave the party at once. Edward watched horrified at the stampede he had created as students pushed at each other to get out as if death itself were chasing after them. Some students in their haste to get out decided to climb the tall fence, jumping off it into the neighboring yards before continuing to run into the night. 

In a matter of seconds, the entire backyard was empty and silent. Edward stood on the speaker, amazed at his own power. Though he had feared someone might be trampled it seemed that everyone had gotten out safe at least. It was a good reminder to him though that he needed to be careful with this power. 

His words had caught up a fair number of the frat guys causing them to flee as well. The counter now read 15/26, though he wasn’t sure how many of those he could take credit for. Still, Edward suspected he was kicking Leon’s ass when it came to their bet. He also noted that the quest item “Put a stop to the legion’s plans” was still marked as incomplete, meaning whatever it was they were planning involved more than just trapping students in their backyard. Edward thought of the love potion again and felt a nauseating mix of hope and guilt.  

Edward didn't have long to revel in his victory. From the second floor, he heard another loud crash then the unmistakable sound of an Owl’s hoot, or Leon’s best attempt at one, in truth it sounded more like a fart noise.

In a second Edward was off the speaker and racing toward the house. He entered a side door into the kitchen. Six low-level frat guys were inside, protected from Edward’s ability by the thick glass door. All of them were looking at the empty backyard in shock. They were even more shocked when the level eleven Snake charmer ran in. 

Edward didn’t have a thought in his head except the safety of his best friend. “Defend me,” he said, embossing the words with another ten of his remaining energy points, leaving him with only four more. Instantly the frat guy's faces went from confused to blank as they robotically followed him into the hallway and up the stairs as Edward followed where the wires connecting to the project screen led.

Edward raced upwards two stairs at a time towards the sounds of voices and struggles. A circle of frat guys, most of them level ten or higher encircled the kneeling form of Leon. Two purple and white bands bound both of Leon's wrists to the floor despite the obvious effort he was exerting to free himself.  A level fourteen Pledge Master with a sinister look to him held a red solo cup to Leon’s lips and was saying something in a low scolding voice too soft for Edward to hear with all the blood rushing in his ears.

Edward let out a yell as he and his frat protectors charged forward in the doomed defense of his best friend.

-

Leon strained at the colorful bamboo restraints binding him to the floor. The harder he struggled the tighter the traps bound him. He activated his Inner Strength ability and wrenched upwards, it was a bad idea. The sudden burst of strength was redoubled against him and he was forced to his knees, naked body beginning to sweat with the effort. Above him the level thirteen Prankster laughed. He had the same flawless complexion as Edward that indicated a high charisma, only his features looked mischievous and impish, nothing like the kind angelic features of his friend. 

Leon still found it hard to believe that god of a man he had slept with was Edward. And yet when he looked hard he could see the resemblance. His eyes had the same gentle genuineness in them, his lips, now thick and oh so kissable, still twitched the same way when he wanted to laugh but was trying to be serious. 

The Prankster above Edward let out a laugh that bordered on deranged as he watched Leon struggle. He and his other two frat brothers circled around Leon, a level ten Drug Pusher, and a level eleven Vape Mage, moved aside for a new figure. This one, a tall skinny man with dark hair and dark handsome features that made it clear he was also a charisma class, walked forward. His dark perfect eyebrows arched sharply, making him look like a cartoon villain. The floating name tag above him listed him as a level fourteen Pledge Master. Leon recognized him as one of them men who had been with Hunter earlier that day during the with the Dagorhir players, thought he hadn’t been nearly so handsome or intimidating when they had first clashed. Those events now felt like a lifetime ago. 

His hands glowed with an eerie brown light then a red solo cup appeared in them, full of a sloshing brown liquid inside Leon didn’t think was beer. “We have a new pledge I see. Hunter told me to watch out for you.” He took a step closer and a strange aura washed over Leon, he suddenly felt as if he would do anything this man told him to. It made him sick, nothing like the warm feeling he got from being around Edward. “You can join our frat if that's what you really want, but first don’t you know that new pledges have to suffer.” 

Leon blanched. He hoped Edward hadn’t heard the bird sound he had made when he was first trapped. He hoped Edward would escape now while he could. These frat guys were too powerful, too high-level. Leon had no idea how they had managed to gain so much experience in such little time. They must have received their classes after Leon and Edward had and yet even the two Leon had faced downstairs had been nearly his equal in level.

Leon supposed he and Edward could have been faster if they had been more efficient, and hadn’t spent several hours fucking like bunnies. Still, if those were to be Leon’s last moments on earth he was endlessly glad at how he spent them. He only wished he had told Edward how he felt, though that would require him to first understand what it was he felt, which was mostly confused.

Since the day they met in freshman orientation, Edward had been his best friend, his partner in everything. There had never been even a hint of anything more though. Leon was straight and Edward wasn’t interested in him besides. Now their dynamic had shifted. For Leon it wasn’t so much a big deal he had slept with a man, sure that was new, but his attraction for Edward burned just as bright, if not brighter than any he had for a woman. The part that was making him so on edge was the fact that it was with Edward. 

Leon knew with the way Edward now looked he could have any man he wanted. There would be no reason for him to want anything more than something physical with Leon. And yet Leon could swear that he saw something more than lust in those expressive eyes. He knew it was probably wishful thinking.

It wasn’t particularly worth dwelling on though, considering Leon’s current predicament. He had been so cocky when he had first entered the house. The door had been locked but a quick Inner Strength-enhanced kick busted the thing wide open.

Inside were two frat pledges, just sitting in the entranceway as if they had been expecting him, one, a level eight Louisville Slugger gripped a wooden baseball bat in his hand. The wood was a strange ashen gray as if it had been petrified to stone. The level eight swung his bat hard into the side of Leon’s face.

Leon’s whole skull rung like a bell as the bat that felt more like stone then wood bounded off his armored skull. The man moved to swing again but Leon took a step forward and shaved the man causing him to crash back into the stairwell. The other guard, a level six Tattletale made no move to attack, instead he opened his mouth, and a grating blaring almost robotic alarm came out, filling the whole house. Leon dashed forward and slammed his hand over the man's mouth, muffling the sound but not cutting it off. Leon wrapped his hand around the man's throat and squeezed, careful not to be too rough with his prodigious strength. Within seconds the Tattletale was unconscious. Leon made sure the man was still breathing before moving out of the entranceway. The counter was now at 4/26, meaning he and Edward were tied. Leon needed to move fast if he wanted to win and get another of those life altering blowjobs from Edward. 

Still he paid one last glance at the two unconscious men and noticed something odd. Both of them seemed to be changing, shrinking. The level nine Louisville Slugger was a muscular dude, tall and clearly athletic. Yet as Leon watched the guy's muscles deflated and he shrunk in height. The level above his head changed to seven to six counting down to level one as his stats drained away. Finally, as the guy started to look plainly average his class switched to one called a “Wretch” and he was defeated further, losing muscle height and likely some charisma based on the way his face twisted unattractively and broke out with acne. The Tattletale also lost much of his charisma-enhanced beauty and became an equally pathetic level-one wretch with his friend. Leon flashed back to the note about the quest being a correctional one. He supposed the two were considered defeated and therefore suffered the punishment of failing the quest. It was a horrifying fate. Leon imagined the muscles and perks he had so come to enjoy draining away and found the thought terrifying. He couldn’t go back to his old life, he wouldn’t.

Both the Tattletale, and the load noise of kicking in the door, had ruined any chance of surprise Leon might have had. He assumed other members of the frat would soon come to investigate the noise, meaning he needed to move. Leon wasn’t exactly sure where though, several hallways with bedroom doors on either side connected to the entranceway, along with hallways connecting to a massive kitchen and eating area that ran along the back of the house. A large lounge for hosting parties or doing school work was to Leon's right, and a set of stairs right in front of him led upwards, presumably to more rooms and potentially another lounge or hang-out area. Leon wasn’t exactly sure what he was looking for, either of the bosses he supposed. He poked around a few of the hallways but they were all abandoned and all the doors were locked. Eventually, Leon decided he should go upstairs. 

That was where the trouble started. Up the stairs, there was a long landing that let off to lots more rooms. In the hallway stood four older-looking frat brothers, all with classes and levels above ten. The Prankster and the Drug Pusher noticed him first, while the Vape Mage, and level twelve Beer Pong Champion stood with their backs to him.

Leon didn’t wait for any of them to react. He rushed forward and shoved the Beer Pong Champion hard. The man went flying into a wall behind. The attack caused Leon to come into proximity with the Drug Pusher which caused his head to start to feel funny, like he was drunk and high at the same time. The effect was unbalancing enough that the Prankster was able to grab his hand. He activated some sort of ability or technique and suddenly through his hand waves of  painful electricity washed through Leon’s whole body. It felt like one of those prank hand buzzers only one hundred times more powerful. His whole body shook, completely unprotected by his armored skin. Leon was too stunned to react as the Prankster used yet another ability on him which caused those bamboo restraints he currently struggled against to bind him to the floor. Leon struggled for a few seconds before he spotted an open window that faced the backyard and made his best approximation of a bird call. 

The three frat guys looked at him funny but they were too cocky with the thrill of their catch that they didn’t seem to care. They called out for the pledge master who came out of a hallway a few moments later. Now Leon looked up at his eerily perfect face and felt a wave of revulsion and loyalty at the same time.

“Let go of him!” Leon snapped his head away from the frat guy's face as he heard a familiar voice yell.  Edward raced up the stairs trailed by six frat guys all also running. Leon could only watch as Edward flung himself at the Pledge Master, skinny body bringing the other man to the ground. To Leon’s surprise, the frat guys who Leon had assumed were chasing Edward rushed into his air, charging their own comrades with first and foot and claw in the case of one guy with the Party Animal class who turned into a puma wearing a party hat before Leon's very eyes. The Vape Mage opened his mouth and a stream of light pink smoke emerged, quickly filling the room and limiting Leon’s slight to only the area directly around him. 

Leon could just make out as the Pledge Master flipped Edward onto his back, pinning him. Edward brought one hand up to rest upon the Pledge Master’s cheek almost lovingly. The man screamed out in orgasmic pleasure and Edward used that moment to break free of his hold and flip him onto his back, the two disappearing from view into the cloud of cotton candy-smelling vape. 

Around him, Edward’s frat guys fought against their own compatriots. Though they had the numbers advantage they were younger, and less high-level, lacking the truly influential perks and abilities to match their opponents. Leon continued to struggle in vain, wanting desperately to join the fight and come to his friend's air.

Edward’s presence was like a strong clean gust of wind, clearing away the other aura and effects that had been clouding Leon’s thoughts, allowing him to think clearly for the first time since he had been trapped. He took a deep breath of the cotton candy fog. All of these classes were thematic. The ability he was trapped in was from the Prankster class, which meant it had something to do with pranks. Leon looked down at the colorful interlocking bamboo pattern of the trap and realized it looked familiar. It reminded him of those Chinese finger traps sold for tickets at arcades or behind glass counters at roller rinks. The trick to those was simple, the harder you pulled the tighter it bound. All Leon had to do was relax. He let his arms fall loose and felt the bounds on his wrist loosen, he relaxed further and suddenly he was free. 

Leon swung about in the cloud of cotton candy smoke. He caught a brief glimpse of a few different frat guys fighting with each other but in the chaos, Leon couldn’t tell which were friends and which were foes. He needed to find Edward. 

At level eleven Leon’s Inner Strength cooldown was at 109 seconds. Though he has used it to try to escape the countdown was almost up. Leon waited the last few seconds then activated the ability, feeling strength surge into his body. Leon splayed his large hands wide, admiring his now considerable wing span, then brought his palms them together with a colossal force that would have likely broken both his hands if not for his armored skin. 

A loud boom shook the room and a pressurized gust of air ripped from his hands. The force wasn’t enough to do more than startle any of the men fighting each other on the ground but it was enough to temporarily clear away the lingering vape cloud in the room. 

Leon instantly spied the Pledge Master and Edward struggling near the stairs, the Pledge Master sat on top of Edward using some ability that made his hands glow brown and seemed to have paralyzed Edward. Leon wasn’t capable of feeling fear anymore but he felt something distinctly like it as he saw his friend helpless on the ground, that and a bubbling red rage he had never felt. As the room once again filled with smoke from the Vape Mage’s mouth Leon rushed towards the pair. He ripped the scrawny Pledge Master off of Edward’s body as easily as he would lift an insect and flung him down the stairs. The man tumbled down, sprawling at the bottom in a heap, out of the fight but still breathing. Leon watched the first level tick away and knew he would soon become a harmless wretch. 

From the ground, Edward looked at him with a mix of awe, fear, and relief. Slowly he regained control of his limbs and then sat up and wrapped his arms around Leon, squeezing tightly onto Leon’s muscular back. Leon laughed feeling an overwhelming flood of relief. He hugged his friend back tight, not caring that the skin-to-skin contact made his naked dick instantly hard. 

Leon continued the embrace until he felt something bounce off his butt. He turned around to see the Beer Pong Master, who he had thought was out of the fight, lift his hand and shoot a ping pong ball out of it with considerable force. More and more shot out in a jet towards the two friends. Leon positioned himself to block Edward from the barrage. The plastic balls stung but his Armored Skin prevented them from doing any real damage. Leon rushed forward and delivered a hard punch to the gut that finally defeated the man who began to turn into a wretch as well. The counter was now at 21/26. Whatever Edward had done outside and to control those guys had taken out a majority of the lesser frat guys. Leon was so relieved that he didn't even care he was losing the bet. He would be glad to give him friend a blowjob if they lived long enough for that.

The pink fog slowly began to clear and he and Edward were left facing down the remaining five frat guys. Edward’s method of control seemed to have warned off and the two remaining, a level seven Party Animal and a level nine Bully looked pissed. Leon readied himself for a fight. He didn't relish the idea of being mauled even with his armored skin but he would do it to protect Edward.

He was spared the trouble. A beam of purple energy shot from Edward’s hand and into the Party Animal. The frat guy's eyes glowed the same purple shade for a second, then he adopted a look of pure horror and ran right past him and Edward down the stairs, a visible wet spot in his pants. Edward had told him about his new emotion bomb ability but he hadn’t known it would be so potent.

Not wasting the opportunity Leon raced forward and quickly subdued the Vape Mage with a punch, then the Drug Pusher with a knee to the chest, then did a quick uppercut which finished off the Bully who went down to the ground groaning as he slowly became a level one wretch.

That left Edward and Leon facing only the Prankster. The sinister-looking man tried the same hand buzzer trick on Leon again but this time he was ready. He grabbed the man's hand and slapped it onto the guy's own chest causing him to electrocute himself instead. 

Finally, alone Leon and Edward stood in trashed hallways breathing heavily. Edward had a small cut on his arm and a blossoming bruise on his perfect symmetrical cheek which gave his handsomeness a rugged quality, a quality broken by his wide innocent grin. “So you want to suck my dick now or later?”

The quest marked itself up to 26/26 and he and Edward both heard a ding as they leveled up. 

“You have reached level twelve. You receive attribute points based on your class: +3 Strength, +1 Charisma, + 0.3 Intelligence.” 

“You have gained a class perk.”

“Punchable Face: If moved to sufficient hostility, creatures are more likely to attack you than your allies. Note: This effect scales off both Strength and Charisma. Note: Creatures with higher intelligence will be more resistant to the effects of this perk.”

Leon felt the now familiar feeling of leveling up as each of his attributes increased. The intelligence gains Leon got at each level were too small to be perceptible, though he supposed he noticed a small difference now that he had an 11.3 compared to his previous base of 8. His charisma boosts per level were larger, though also hard to exactly quantify. When Leon had looked hard in the mirror he had been able to pick out ways his face was a bit more handsome than it had been, thought it was hard though to know what was due to his charisma boosts and what was from the changes to his body composition. Still, his eyes were brighter, his features more symmetrical, and his skin clearer than it had ever been before. Despite gaining twelve points Leon didn't feel like he had gained Edward’s easy effortless charm, though his jokes that always sounded so funny in his head but never when he said them out loud did seem to be landing more frequently and he was starting to pick up on social cues that would have once flown over his head. This level up Leon actually did think he could feel something shifting in his face though he chalked it up to placebo. 

His strength though Leon was sure he could feel. His body stretched another quarter of an inch taller, and he gained another five pounds of muscle, all packed evenly onto his body. Though he didn't store fat according to his Metabolizer perk his muscles didn't have the dehydrated malnourished look of extremely low body fat. Instead, they all looked full and strong, tight on his dark skin. His biceps were like softballs, his legs were becoming thick as tree trunks, and his abs seemed to only get tighter, six-pack verging on an eight-pack. 

Besides him, he saw Edward experience a level-up. It was the first time he had actually witnessed it, last time he had been too busy fucking his friend's ass to see. Now he watched as Edward's already perfect features became somehow more perfect. Leon had thought his skin was flawless before but it now took on a somehow otherworldly shine. His teeth became blindingly white and even straighter, making the grin he shot Leon somehow more adorable and endlessly distracting. His jaw looked like it could open a beer bottle and his hair was so gold it could be spun from hay. Watching his friend change mixed with the proximity to Edward’s pheromones made Leon hard, his massive penis springing forth with the velocity of a jouster.

Leon opened his mouth and then closed it. Edward's beauty had always been distracting before but now he was stunned stupid by his charisma. The act of talking seemed too complex when he looked at Edward so he just sort of moaned and drooled a little. 

Edward had that far-off look that meant he was reading his notifications. He looked up and laughed at Leon’s cross-eyed expression. “Oh god. That’s my new perk.”

“New perk?” Leon asked. His face was all but paralyzed which made his words come out slurred and almost unintelligible. This only made Edward laugh harder. 

“It's called Dazzling Presence. Apparently, it gets less effective the more time you're around me.” Leon felt himself slowly come back to earth, though not fully. He found it intensely difficult to look away from Edward or think in more than caveman “me horny” thoughts.

“I think it's supposed to temporarily stun people when I first interact with them to give me the upper hand. It should wear off soon. Edward squinted his eyes as if he suddenly noticed something, he took a step forward so their faces were only inches apart, a move that was not helpful in Leon’s attempts to break free from his horny hypnotic state. “Oh my god your face!” Edward started laughing again, harder than before.

“What's wrong with my face?” Leon asked concerned. “I got a perk called punchable face.”

“Punchable face?” Edward asked still laughing. “More like a kissable face,” he leaned in and pecked Leon on the lips, the touch making Leon somehow harder. “Go look at yourself in a mirror.”

Leon had enough control now to hobble to one of the communal bathrooms, he stepped over a groaning unconscious level-one wretch, maybe a man who had been the Vape Mage or the Drug Pusher, it was hard to tell them apart now. In the glow of the automatic lights, Leon saw what Edward had meant. He groaned to himself. He had a serious case of Jock Face. He looked like a cartoon high school bully, with thick eyebrows, a broad forehead, head the shape of a square. The mustache he now had was not helping. Small dark beard hairs had already started to grow on his cheeks making him look like a dad coaching little league baseball who took the game too seriously. Leon felt the urge to punch his own reflection.

“It's not that bad” Edward called from the hall, knowing what his friend's reaction would be.

“I look like a Neanderthal!” Leon shouted back. His body was one thing but he had never expected this class to affect his face so much. 

“No, you don’t!” Edward said encouragingly coming into the bathroom to stand beside his friend. “I think it’s fitting. You look like a sexy Viking.”

Leon turned to look at Edward. His presence was still extremely distracting but Leon could now at least have a conversation with his friend. “It's worth it I guess. The perk says people are more likely to attack me now than you.”

Edward rolled his eyes. “Alright, knight in shining armor. If I remember correctly you were the damsel in distress.” 

“Yeah,” Leon said awkwardly color flushing his cheeks, the blush looking strange on his now hyper masculine face. “I’m sorry about that, I got overconfident.”

“No I’m sorry,” Edward said grabbing Leon’s hand in his own. “I sent you in there alone. That was stupid of me, from now on we stick together.”

Leon nodded wordlessly, unable to get anything past the lump in his throat. He didn’t know exactly what he was feeling, not fear, he wasn’t capable of feeling fear but he still felt anxiety and guilt and a deep love for his friend. Suddenly he felt it all crash down on him. Everything that had happened in the past ten hours. Even with his Animal endurance perk Leon was exhausted. He realized he hadn’t eaten since that one protein shake so many hours ago. He couldn’t imagine how Edward felt.

Leon glanced at the countdown timer and felt his heart skip a beat as he saw they only had eight minutes left. There would be time to talk to Edward about what he was feeling and where their friendship stood after they completed the quest. 

The main hallway on the second floor led to a set of large wooden double doors. Leon was ready to kick them down but they were unlocked. He poked his head in and wasn’t quite sure what he was seeing. There was a large room, obviously meant for holding mixers and formals. A long bar sat on one end of the room, a dance floor near it. Leon’s attention however was more focused on the contraption directly in front of him. 

It looked like a doomsday device out of a science fiction B movie. A mishmash of repurposed tech and scrap metal welded into a crude but ominous tower of technology. Strips of LED screens, ripped from discarded tablets and smartphones, lined the upper frame, flickering in erratic patterns, casting eerie reflections off the exposed metal. At its core was the familiar “Altered State” video game cartridge, nestled in a nest of wires and circuits that branched out to hacked Wi-Fi routers and a jury-rigged motherboard, all held together by zip ties, duct tape and sheer ingenuity. A large fully extended TV antenna was on the top of the contraption which buzzed and pulsed every few seconds with electricity. Leon hadn’t a single clue that the machine did but it looked intensely complex and dangerous. He had played enough video games to know that to complete the quest he and Edward probably had to destroy the thing. 

There was something else in the room that caught Leon’s eye. A figure paced back and forth in front of the machine, snorting and grunting occasionally as he moved. Leon had seen a lot that had challenged his understanding of reality today but the name tag above the creature's head sent him reeling. Hunter, level seventeen Roided Out Berserker. The Frat president was unrecognizable. He had always been a large man but Hunter now was a giant, eight feet tall, muscles like swollen overly ripe fruit, huge and crawling with protruding veins that looked like worms, glowing a sickly green. He was naked with an inhumanly large penis and a matching set of balls hanging in-between thickly muscled massive hairy legs. His arms were like veiny boulders, his neck a thick stump, and he had a massive roid gut ballooning out his belly.

His face, never particularly handsome was now a twisted mask of permanent anger, more animal than man, and the spark of cruel intelligence that once lived behind his eyes was gone replaced by a feral mindlessness. 

Quietly as he could Leon closed the door and pulled Edward away from it. He relayed what he had seen much to Edward's disbelief. 

Edward’s disbelief grew as Leon told him his hastily constructed plan. “Didn’t I just say we were going to stick together? You're going to get yourself killed if you go in there alone,” Edward insisted trying to talk him out of it. 

“It’s the only way. Besides you can always step in and save me like before,” Leon joked trying to ease his friend's tension. He wasn’t sure if his confidence was warranted or if it was reckless arrogance from his No Fear perk but he just knew he couldn’t bear to see his friend in danger again. Before Edward could further talk him out of it he walked over to a window and ripped down the ratty red curtain, then he marched back over to the set of doors and got ready to open them. “Be safe” Edward said looking at him with those deep soulful eyes.

“I will,” Leon said back tenderly. He wanted to say more, to sweep Edward off his feet and kiss him but the timer was at six minuets. There would be time after if he survived. Besides if they did this right his quest reward might just help Leon show Edward exactly how much he meant to him.

Leon burst through the double doors, red fabric trailing behind him like a cape. “Hey Hunter you ugly motherfucker. They say imitation is the more sincere form of flattery, but I think for you it might just be fattery.” The joke didn't actually make any sense but Leon stopped for a second to admire his on-the-spot wordplay. Maybe his higher charisma was having more of an effect than he had thought. 

Hunter growled and snorted like a bull, staring at Leon with undigested loathing as Leon entered the room. “Me fucking kill you.” He said in deep halting English, like he was Frankenstein’s monster. He and Leon started circling each other like two cats in an ally waiting to pounce. Leon’s new Punchable face perk ensured that Hunter kept his attention on him and not Edward not so subtly head peaking through the doorway. Leon hoped if Hunter did decide to go for Edward he would be stunned by the Snake Charmer's new perk but even so, he was determined to keep the Berserkers attention on himself. Leon waited until he had circled the whole room and his back was to the machine before he shouted.

“Now!” Due to the fast regeneration from his high charisma Edward had regenerated just enough energy points to perform one last Emotion Bomb. A beam of red energy leaped out from his hand, striking Hunter from behind and causing his eyes to glow red for a split second.

Any human part of Hunter left died at the moment as he was overcome by an overwhelming wave of anger and became fully animal in his desire to kill Leon. That was the result Leon was hoping for. He knew he wasn’t stronger then Hunter but he could hopefully be smarter, if he survived long enough. Hunter charged forward hands extended to tear Leon apart. Leon flourished the red fabric in front of him like a matador before jumping away at the last second to avoid the man’s charge.

As Leon had hoped Hunter charged straight into the device Leon had been standing behind. The whole contraption shook with the force, small electrical bits falling off the side. A few of the more ominous-looking red wires connecting to the game disk in the center disconnected but the contraption maintained its structural integrity. Hunter recovered and had somehow grown angrier. Leon flourished the red cape and began to circle again trying to lead Hunter into another charge at the machine. He shouldn’t have known it wouldn’t be so simple.

Hunter activated an ability. It was one similar to Leon’s own Size Up ability except rather than growing in overall proportional size the ability only affected Hunter’s muscles. The veins prominent on his body grew a brighter shade of green for a moment then each one of Hunter’s muscles ballooned to inhuman size, making the man even more grotesque. His dick grew to at least three feet in length and likely would have brushed the floor if it didn't become erect. 

Leon hoped the sudden growth might have decrease the big man's speed but it seemed the opposite was true. Hunter charged at him like a bullet and Leon just barely jumped aside at the last second.

As Leon’s plan crumbled to dust he realized once again Edward had been right. His plan, lure Hunter into charging at the device, toppling the contraption and trapping his foe all in one ironic blow, was a stupid one. The device at the center of the room was large but not nearly large enough to keep the now colossal Hunter pinned. Leon suddenly felt like David facing Goliath without a sling. Still, he had to look as if he was in control lest Edward rush in and do something stupid. Leon at least had a chance against the massive Hunter, but Edward would be trampled in seconds with his unenhanced strength. 

Leon shot Edward’s worried face peeking through the door a cocky wink and gave his makeshift red muleta a showman-like shake. He thought briefly about activating his own size-enhancing ability and decided agains it, he couldn’t overpower Hunter, not when the man had five levels on him. Sizing up would only make him a easier target and the last thing he needed was to get pinned down.

Hunter charged again. This time Leon moved too late, though he dodged Hunter’s attempt to grapple him he was clipped by Hunter's shoulder as he spun away. The slight contact was enough to send Leon skidding across the smooth wooden floors like a rag doll. 

He had no time to recover from the crushing blow. From the floor, he heard the sound of rushing feet. On instinct, Leon activated his Inner Strength ability and launched himself into the air just in time to soar over a rapid charge from Hunter. With momentum and reflexes of the ability, he flipped once in the air before landing on his feet, crouched low next to a windowed wall ready for Hunter’s next attack. The loss of his only safety net for the next 108 seconds would have made him fearful if he could still be. Instead, it made him focused, and ready. In the tumble, he had lost a scrap of red fabric, and seriously injured his left shoulder even through his armored skin. He tried to move his arm and felt a shooting pain, dislocated or broken he couldn’t tell which. He would have to hope his animal endurance would heal it soon. 

Hunter’s charge that Leon had dodged taken him right into the far wall and he had gone through it, revealing a messy bedroom on the other side. Leon guessed that once he started charging it was hard for him to stop. Maybe his original plan had some merit after all. 

Hunter turned back around eyes insane with rage, spit flying from his mouth as he screamed and grunted unintelligibly. For a moment Leon felt bad for what this game had done for him but then he remembered how Hunter had been in life and felt the pity leave him. “Hey, Cassie just called and she said she didn't want to date an Incredible Hulk knockoffs.” Leon wasn’t sure if it was just the loud noise attracting Hunter attention or if the beast could accurately process the jab thrown his relationship. Either way he charged big bare feet tearing up the floor as he rushed at Leon with inhuman speed.

Leon took a deep breath, crossed his fingers, and gave one final wink to Edward, hoping his friend would remember him fondly if this didn't work out, then he ducked and rolled.

Hunter sprung like a cobra. If Leon had still been there the hit would have broken every bone in his body. Leon however was not there, and instead, Hunter charged right into the wall. It was a testament to his strength that he took nearly the whole side of the second floor with him, glass, drywall, bricks, and electrical wires all fell down in a shower of debris as Hunter fell to the dark ground below. Leon had to throw himself forward so as not to go down with the collapsing floor under his feet. He heard a crash then a slash then silence. 

Edward rushed forward and the two of them peered through the giant hole in the house to the yard below. Hunter lay with his swollen belly up floating in the frat's outdoor hot tub, his body having crashed through the tiled roof of the hot tub like paper. Leon watched as Hunter shrunk, first as his ability ran out then as the levels fell away. Hunter began to look like himself again before shrinking further into a scrawny ugly thing labeled as a level one wretch. The quest “Defeat Legion boss” updated itself to 1/2, though the “Stop the Legion’s plans” still remained at 0/1 which was concerning.

“That was amazing,” Edward said voice tender. He looked down at Leon’s shoulder and sucked in a breath. “Does it hurt?”

Leon looked down and winced at the way his muscular shoulder was twisted at an unnatural angle. “Yeah” he answered truthfully laughing weakly. Leon took a deep breath and prepared to pop his shoulder back into place. He didn’t feel fear but he still felt pain.

Edward stopped “may I?” He asked reaching out his hands. Leon nodded and Edward placed his hand on the hard dark metallic surface of his skin. Instantly the pain was replaced with an orgasmic pleasure that felt warm and intensely comforting. Gently at first then harder when Leon didn't flinch Edward wrenched Leon’s shoulder back into its socket. 

Leon smiled up at him. “Thanks,” he said simply, he was too tired to think of a joke or anything more to say. 

“I should be thanking you,” Edward said cheeks flushing. The two of them weren’t normally like this. They normally teased each other like brothers and let the mutual love they had for each other go unspoken. Now all the changes had them flitting about like scared middle schoolers. Leon wanted to wrap Edward up in a big hug and tell him it was alright but it was clear his friend had more to say. 

“Look I know this might not be the time, but I have something to tell you,” Edward said. Leon still found it hard to do anything but think about fucking when he was around Edward but he sensed his friend was serious and tried to pay attention. “I know everything is happening so fast, and our relationship just became physical which I feel bad about. I really didn’t know it was you I promise, but well I like you Leon, I have always liked you and not just in a friend way or a sexual way but also like you in a -“

Leon blinked and suddenly his friend was gone. He heard a faint scream getting more distant. His brain took an embarrassingly long time to process what had just happened. Edward had been right in front of him saying, well Leon couldn’t bring himself to think about what Edward was going to say, when he was ripped through the hole in the wall. Something metal had grabbed him around the waist and hoisted him into the air like a fish on a line.

Leon rushed to the opening and couldn’t quite believe what he saw. On the street a giant thing had Edward in its hand, no claw. It was a machine Leon realized. It looked like it was made from a refrigerator, parts of a playground and a car, all deconstructed and reconstructed into a giant vaguely humanoid mech. Leon felt his blood boil as he saw a red bumper with a familiar license plate. Mother fucker had made his car into a mech. 

Leon’s rage continued to build as he saw Edward struggling to get free. His friend was saying something to the person inside but he was too far for him to hear. Leon looked back at the machine still humming behind him. He grabbed a loose brick from the rubble of the caved-in wall then hurled it at the center motherboard as hard as he could, hoping that would put a stop to whatever the contraptions purpose was. Then he activated his Size Up ability, growing 70% his original size, spine expanding, pecs ballooning, legs growing longer and thicker, penis growing to well over a foot long. His strength doubled and Leon for the first time felt the intoxicating rush of true power. He knew he now had to be one of the strongest man on the entire planet. Leon needed more. He activated his inner strength ability, taking his already monstrous strength to godly levels if but for a moment. Leon bent his legs and then jumped into the cold dark night cracking the floor underneath his feet. He sailed in a long ark landing just behind the mech with a powerful earth shaking impact.

The street outside was cold but his blood boiled hot. Leon couldn’t make out the face of the mech’s driver but he could see the name tag floating above its head, "Alvis, Level 22 Technocrat.” Leon smiled humorlessly and balled up his hands into fists now the size of thanksgiving turkeys. He was going to get back his roommate, his best friend, even if he had to rip apart his other roommate and every machine in the whole city to do so.

[tiyawnyana]

Could we get Vander x male reader with him using toys on them, please?

Thank you for the submission!!!!

A/N: thanks for your patience! Had fun writing this, definitely a challenge since I haven't written too much m x m fics but a good challenge :))

Characters: Young!Vander x Male Reader

Warnings: smut, slight voyeurism, handjob, use of toy (dildo), praise

MINORS DNI

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Quiet Time

Nighttime in Zaun was never really quiet.

There were parties at bars, people fighting in the streets.

It's a typical night as usual, The Last Drop slowly becoming more popular, the usual Zaunites vacating the building.

Soon enough, the night begins to end. People start to leave, heading home to their families or off to other bars that are open all night.

Vander locks the doors after ensuring the place is empty.

He was sure you were already asleep, carefully opening the door, the slight creek making him scrunch his brows in frustration before he realizes you're awake.

Low, soft moans can be heard in the room, echoing out into the small hallway as he approaches the door to the separate bedroom.

His gaze widens as he peeks through the door, spotting you fisting at your weeping cock and thrusting two fingers into your hole.

He can't help but watch for a moment, almost entranced. You're desperate, your face is scrunching up as you attempt to remain quiet but can't seem to hold in the tumbling moans and whimpers.

The door creeks open as he steps in and you jolt, eyes shooting open.

"Don't stop on my account," he speaks with a smirk, toeing off his boots and unbuckling his belt to toss it on the small dresser.

"Vander-" you try to speak but embarrassment holds your tongue hostage.

"Hey, easy there," he slides into the bed, scooting closer until he hovers above you,"Not mad, just wish I could've helped ya, is all," then leans down to kiss you earnestly.

He's pulling back, eyeing you over with a coy smile.

"Sorry- I.. you've been so busy with the bar and-"

"I know, handsome," he strokes over your chest,"I'm sorry we haven't had much us time."

You frown slightly before jolting with a punched out moan when he wraps his other hand around your cock, giving it a few rough jerks before his gaze catches on the phallic object beside you.

He doesn't say anything, only bringing his gaze up to yours with an uplifted brow.

Your cheeks warm, embarrassment obvious on your face as you mumble sheepishly,"Bought it down at Babettes.."

"Oh, did you now?" He smirks down at you, lifting it before huffing out a laugh,"This isn't close to my size."

You huff with an annoyed scowl,"I know- shut up!"

He laughs at that, squeezing your hip fondly before situating himself between your legs as he moves them apart.

"Missed me, did ya?" He teases.

"Are you gonna fuck me-" you snark,"Or do i have to do it myself?"

Her quirks a brow again, coy smirk on his lips,"I'm almost tempted to make you."

But he shrugs, instead finding the lube placed beside you on the bed.

Vander carefully lubes up the phallic object before scooting closer on the bed as he gazes down at your twitching cock.

"Eager, aye?" He muses fondly.

You narrow your gaze, face warm,"Just- c'mon, Vander-"

"I don't think you're in the position to be making demands," he chastises, a disapproving look on his face.

You almost want to be snarky, give attitude and fight back- but it's been too long since you've felt his hands on you.

"'M sorry, Vander," you murmur,"Just needy-"

"I know, handsome," he huffs a laugh then carefully prods the tip of the toy to your entrance,"Just be good for me, will ya?"

You're nodding profusely, body automatically tensing as the tip presses in, the pressure slightly overwhelming but his warm hand on your thigh is a comfort.

"Easy, easy there," he coos, talking you through it until his hand grazes your behind, the toy bottoming out.

You shudder, shiver and pant softly. His hand moves from your thigh, trailing up your stomach to pet over your pecks softly.

"You're doin' good," he praises, smirking slightly at the shiver that visually rolls down your spine at his words.

He lets you adjust for a few painstaking moments, taking delight in the way your stomach and ribs lifts with your erratic breathing, the way your cock twitches, a drop of cum dribbling onto your pelvis.

Vander then pulls out carefully, tugging the toy back before pressing in just as careful.

"Unnn-" you tilt your head back, panting harder as the toy brushes that spot inside, sending electric shocks of pleasure up your spine.

His hand slowly trails back down to your stomach, thumb stroking the quivering skin with a coy smile before drifting further until it wraps around the base of your cock.

You choke on a moan, back arching slightly as he thrusts the toy in and out, picking up slight speed and his hand tightens before gently stroking up, thumbing at the tip.

"Good boy," he murmurs, speeding up his grip around you along with the base of the toy.

He just watches you- the blush in your cheeks, the redness of your lips as you bite at them, the clenching of your fists in the sheets as your hips jerk with his movements.

He speeds up his hands.

"Van-Vander-!" You moan as his large hand tightens around your cock, jerking it harder.

"Please-"

"Please, what?" He says smoothly, a teasing glint in his eyes.

You manage to narrow your eyes at him before your head tilts back with a low moan.

"Please- please, let me cum-"

"Atta boy," he praises. Another shiver rolls down your spine at that.

He keeps the pace, thrusting the toy harder and quirking it up, fist jerking around your cock and thumbing at the weeping tip.

Your back arches, moans ripping from your throat.

"C'mon," he speaks smoothly,"You can cum, now."

Your hips roll into his fist then back onto the toy as you cum, white blinding your vision as you spill across your stomach.

You heave for breath as you feel him pull the toy from your body and his fist leave your length for a brief moment.

Vander gets up from the bed, unbuttoning his pants and boxer briefs before tugging off his shirt.

You're slumped against the sheets, a flush to your cheeks as you flutter your eyes open with a surprise when he's lifting your hips to lay a pillow beneath them before you feel his length press up against your backside.

You give him a bewildered look, watching as he lubes himself up.

"You didn't think we were done, did you?"

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A/N: thanks again for the submission! This one feels a little short but nonetheless still fun to write :)

Steadily working on some now and the rest of this week :)) send some more, I've got no plans for Christmas

[gatorbites-imagines]

I have a prompt idea, Trans reader (ftm) in the 1940s being bullied, steve and bucky find reader and help him, start to friends to poly lovers (steve x bucky x reader), fluff with a little angst and soft smut, just an idea

Steve Rogers x Bucky Barnes x FTM reader

Headcanons

I don’t actually know a whole lot about the era for trans people, especially in Brooklyn during those years. So, I’m just writing on a feeling and adding what feels right. Have I ever mentioned that pre-serum Steve is one of my favorites?

Writing this actually reminded me of something I wrote forever ago, called party of one, two, three? You can read part 1 and 2 here, if you are interested. I wasn’t really in the mood to write detailed smut, so.

Being a trans guy in the 30s and 40s wasn’t easy, but was anything during that time? Depending on where you were from and when you came out, you might have had the chance to live as a man.

If let’s say you moved to Brooklyn when you were old enough to know that you were a man, and you had always presented as such, then you might have been able to get a job, and if you knew the right people, fake documents.

If you had always lived in Brooklyn, then it was a lot harder, as most just assumed you were a lady who dressed like a lad because you didn’t want to “do your duty” as a woman, or whatever they had on their minds.

Either way, Steve and Bucky were some of the few people who supported you no matter what, if they only knew you as a man, or if you guys had grown up together. If you fit in Steves clothes you could borrow his, and if Steve was too small, well, then bucky had a closet with clothes too.

Being picked on was hard to avoid, in either situation. The first would be because you were such a small, scrawny and feminine guy. The second because you were a lady that needed to be put in her place.

The second was always more dangerous. The first, theyd just rough you up a bit and taunt you a little, but it always ended up as more of a “haha we are just taking the piss”. The second? It felt like the men who cornered you had something to prove, to you or themselves you didn’t know. But they wanted to prove that they could “fix” or “correct” you.

Living in Brooklyn and being a weirdo like you meant you knew how to fight, somewhat at least. Enough to not go down without a fight. But no matter how much you practiced, keeping up with multiple fully grown men was difficult.

If you already knew Steve and Bucky or not, the two would step in when they saw this. Steve first, being the righteous guy he is, would run in swinging. Scrawny arms and wheezing breaths, eyes burning with the fury of a thousand suns, the blonde so incredibly enraged at the very idea of someone treating another person this way.

Steve never lasted long though, but luckily Bucky was never far behind. In the end, Steve always looked as beat up as you, and maybe it was because he bruised and bled so easily with how sick he was.

Steve struggling to his feet and holding out a hand to pull you up, eyes still sparkling and teeth bloody as he grinned, was enough to make your heart race.

Bucky at least didn’t look like he was the main victim of your group of attackers. He was a bit ruffled up, sure, but he still looked mostly put together.

It should shock no one that Bucky easily led you and Steve back to his and Steves apartment, where Bucky got to work patching you both up as they made you talk about the guys who did it, and why. Steve because he wanted to go back out there and smack them straight, and Bucky to be on the safer side.

Be it the first or twentieth time they save you from your so-called bullies, Steve and Bucky stayed just as intense and caring. Even when they didn’t have a lot, or Steve was sick, you always felt like you belonged and was as much of a man as them.

When you three started dating it got a little easier. Everyone already knew that Steve Rogers as built like a twig, but would swing until there was blood if he needed too. He was snarling, snapping and as feral as those starving alley dogs. He was as protective as one too, not just of you but Bucky too.

Bucky wasn’t much better, though he hid it more successfully. Everyone thought that Barnes was the charming, sweet talker, who liked to talk it out without fighting. But they were wrong, when it came to you and Steve, Buck could be worse than Steve.

Both your fellas were protective and possessive in their own ways, but you couldn’t say you didn’t feel the same. You wanted to drown the men who antagonized Steve for his height and sickness in the piers. And jealousy reared its hideous head when the pretty ladies fluttered their lashes at Bucky whenever he passed.

The three of you were all a mess, but you were each other’s mess. You and Bucky never saw Steve was just his disease and lack of stature. Steve and you never just saw Bucky as his handsome face and face charm. And they never saw you as a lady, you were as much of a man as them.

The only time it ever became a challenge, your biology being different, was when you guys got intimate. But it was never made a huge problem. There were days when Steve couldn’t get it up because of his health, or where he could even participate because of his lungs. And there were days when you didn’t want to be touched because your body made you sick. You guys just found ways to make it work.

Sometimes you and Steve would just sit back on a chair each, one you’d dragged in from the kitchen, to watch Bucky pleasure himself and show off in bed. It was like your own litter theater, and Bucky really loved to be watched and praised by you two.

Sometimes it was Steve lying in bed carefully touching himself, at times it was just him caressing his own torso and telling you two all his wildest fantasies, his face and chest bright red from his flush.

And there were even times when it was you, when dysphoria wasn’t swallowing you whole and howling that your body was wrong. You never looked at yourself when you would be with them, but having two men with their own naked bodies made it harder to focus on your own.

Some days you would imagine that their body was yours, and the dysphoria wouldn’t be so bad. It also helped that Steve didn’t grow as much body hair as Buck, meaning Steve was almost as naturally hairy as you. Part of you just basked in the fact that one of your partners looked like you in that way.

The days you were fine with touch, Steve and Bucky never let it go to waste. You couldn’t fuck them like you three all wanted, they didn’t really have toys like that at the time, or at least accessible to you three. This just meant you guys had to get creative.

God gave humans hands and fingers for a reason, and you all had mouths. You always wore so many layers anyways, so the many hickeys your lovers left on you were easily hidden. The chest was always off the table though, and neither of the men complained.

Bucky was the best at praise, so naturally gifted that Steve would joke that he should become some pulp writer, that he should write those cheap sappy romance novels the ladies liked.

This didn’t mean that Steve wouldn’t praise you and Buck, he did, just in his own ways. The blonde always struggled with forming the right words and getting them out, but his sketchbook filled with pages and paged of you and Buck was all the praise you needed.

They would be good partners. Neither have a label for what you guys are, or what their sexualities are, they just know you three love each other, and that’s all that matters.

[aftermiiidniiight]

It was a little nerve wracking, the idea of him reading through something she'd notated. Sure, it was a children's book, and the notations were nothing too interesting, but still - it was a look at the inside of her mind, and the idea of him seeing that side of her made her a little nervous. So she simply nodded and let it go.

"Yeah, to China." Maybe he could feel it - the way that Cora relaxed a little more in this moment. She loved it, the process of planning an adventure, going and immersing herself in the culture, losing herself a little in a new place. "I'm working for a few days - general stories about the Great Wall, the Forbidden City." Spending her time trying to find a new angle to old places. "Once work is done, I'll just let myself get a little lost for a couple of weeks." It was a careful balance - wanting to make sure she saw certain tourist hot spots, but also wanting to make sure she was fluid enough to let the experience guide her. "If you've got any suggestions, let me know."

"Ahh, apologies, I thought you meant she wanted to go to London and Orlando. But avoiding Orlando is always a good idea." Shrugging off what felt like an easy mistake, she looked back at him, giving him a small smile. "Hmmm." She didn't point out that it seemed like she and Lily shared some similarities, not wanting to a ruin a good thing. "What day in May? Her birthday, I mean." It could seem like none of her business, and he didn't have to tell her. "I wonder how many days apart we are. Mine is the 14th."

And then the ease was gone for a moment, Cora feeling the tension in him. Okay. A line had been hit. So she took a few beats, letting herself relax, not interested in both of them feeling uncomfortable. She let out a small, silent exhale, that surely he could feel with his arms around her.

"You're you. You're this very important man. You have your business, so you have your employees and that stress." She was speaking slowly, fingertips grazing over one of his arms lightly, trying to ease any tension that may still be in the room with them. "I'm sure there are plenty of people I can't even think about that you're responsible. Then there's your family." And a full circle moment, "And then there's you."

She wanted him to understand she didn't have ulterior motives, that she wasn't trying to angle for more from him. But she also didn't know how to express that the longer they did this thing together, the more she would inevitably care about him. She just didn't know how to untie those parts of herself. "So while you're busy making the world turn." This was not a joke, this was said with sincerity. "Who is making sure that you're getting whatever it is that you need - rest, fun, relaxation, food - who is making sure you're not going to crumble?"

"I'll think about it." His next kiss was just as gentle, a little higher, placed just beneath the lobe of her ear. "Bring it by, and I'll have a look." He wasn't exactly eager for Lily to know about Cora at this point, but he supposed he didn't have to tell his daughter who the book had come from. And if Cora was as smart as he thought she might be, her observations in the book might even be educational to Lily. And that, he would never deny her. So he'd look through it, peruse her annotations, and if he deemed them worthwhile, he actually, surprisingly enough, would let his daughter read Cora's copy.

"To China, you mean?" He smiled a little, imagining Cora's energetic personality among the Chinese. "It's an interesting country to travel, though a few weeks isn't long considering the size of it - how are you prioritising your time there?" He might have come off a little patronising, like the well-travelled older man that he was, but his tone was affected with enough genuine curiosity about her trip to avoid it.

"It's not a theme park," he corrected gently, "there are no rides or anything of that nature. The Harry Potter World you'll find just outside London is more like... a museum. It's a Warner Brothers studio tour of sets, props and costumes from the movies. It's supposed to be quite an interesting experience... if you're a Harry Potter enthusiast." His broad shoulders shrugged lightly. "My PA is planning a trip for us in May next year for her birthday."

Her next question took him by surprise, enough for his back to tense up momentarily. He straightened, automatically taking her with him as his arms were still locked securely around her. "Taking care of me?" He then questioned, his tone calm enough but without the easy energy it had possessed just moments earlier. "Taking care of me how?"

[angelltheninth]

Every Time He Leaves

Pairing: Miguel O'Hara x Fem!Reader

Tags: fluff, suggestive, reunions, teasing, family planning

Word count: 0.8k

Ko-Fi | Rules | Fandoms and Characters

A/N: I heard that the sequel isn't coming in 2025 but that won't stop me from writing fics for this amazing man.

"Mi vida, I'm home." Miguel heavy footsteps echoed through the halls, a good sort of comfort now in your current state. "Baby? Are you asleep?" You could pretend to be. Like you pretended all those night before, then wake up in the morning and wonder if he would be there or not. No. Not this time.

You waited for him to open the door, his charming, soft smile thrown your way, almost shaking your resolve.

"You didn't have to wait up for me you know, I don't mind cuddling up next to my-" He stopped talking once his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the bedroom and he saw your eyes red from crying, "What's wrong? Are you hurt?" You nodded. You were about to explain when he was in front of you in a flash, his hands pressing and prodding, looking you over. The bed dipped to one side under Miguel's weight, his worried expression turning a little angry, " Where does it hurt? Who hurt you? I'll make them regret it!"

You let out a long heavy sigh. Taking one of his hands you placed it above your heart and then pointed your finger at him, finally meeting his eyes with your being full of tears, "You hurt me."

"What?" He looked like you just slapped him, which would have been preferable, he would hardly feel that. But your words, they cut deep. "What do you mean? Was I rough with you last night? You told me it was-"

"Oh for gods sake Miguel, I'm not talking about that. I'm not physically hurt." You backed up a bit, putting some space between you two. It was a little empty space, easy to close, yet it felt like you were worlds, universes apart, "I don't ever see you anymore. You go on missions, you come back, you... fuck me and then you leave. Do you really not get how that makes me feel? How... used and alone I feel?"

The sex was good. The sex was damn good. Perfect even. He was so close to you, he was smiling at you, you were one with him, holding him, feeling him everywhere, kissing him. But those moments, they passed way too quickly for your liking and then you were empty and alone again.

"Is that really how you feel?" He sounded like he couldn't wrap his head around what you were saying. At the same time you could see it on his face that he was putting the puzzle pieces together. "I love you, more then anything, you're the most important person in this or any universe to me. I... would stop. If you wanted me to. We could settle down, buy a bigger house, start a family, like we talked about."

"How? How can you say that when you leave without... without even telling me? Your job is important, I understand that, but for the love of god Miguel, I'm your girlfriend! I at least deserve to know when you're leaving don't I? What if... what if one day you... what if you don't come back to me?" You started hiccuping while you cried, your body shaking from the wave of emotions that you were finally able to unleash. There was a part of you that felt like it was selfish, that Miguel wasn't yours to keep and that doing so would mean a lot of people would get hurt. Did you deserve him in the first place?

Miguel's arms wrapped around your smaller frame, you could hear his heart beating quickly, you could feel him shaking along with you while he balanced himself on his knees, his suit flickering on and off. "I would never abandon you. Even if I have to crawl back from Hell itself I'd find a way to come back to you. I made up my mind long ago, when I die it will when we're both old and I lost all my hair."

"And we have grandkids running around?" You whisper against his chest, voice still raw from crying and nose stuffed from sniffles.

"So many grandkids. We're gonna have a big family, just like we planned. I know its hard right now but its almost over okay? Then we can settle down anywhere you want." Miguel cupped the back of your head as his lips pressed to your forehead, lingering there for the longest time, "Nothing is more important then you. Nothing."

"I want at least three kids." He nodded, "A big house in the country side." A nod, "A big, cuddly dog." Another nod, "And you in my bed every night." He kissed you, not caring the least that you tasted like tears. But he didn't stop there. His hands lifted you up by the hips, your legs wrapping around his body as you felt yourself being lowered on the bed.

You felt his suit vanish and warm muscles take its place, "Three kids. That's a lot of work. We should practice as much as we can." Miguel smirked like an idiot while he undressed you, ready to prove his love to you.

[spotsandsocks]

Hiiiii Spotty 💕💕💕

🎅+fireplace

-❤️🪐

Hello my friend… let’s see what fireplace cooked up in my head 😉 just short of 600 words here we go.

Buck had been walking right behind him, close enough so they kept bumping into each other. He’d been talking too, nineteen to the dozen about the history of Christmas cards of all things and why it’s sad they’re falling out of fashion, but he’s not doing either of those things anymore. Eddie’s taken at least four more steps than Buck has back into the room, he can tell because his back feels colder without the ever present warmth of Buck’s body. He’s also stopped talking, mid sentence, not much stops Buck when he’s on a roll so Eddie knows something is wrong. Twisting round ready to investigate he’s surprised by the expression on Buck’s face, he looks like he’s about to cry.

It’s hard to imagine what’s caused the sudden swing in emotion, Eddie closes the gap quickly, rests his hands on the swell of Buck’s impressive biceps, catching hold of his watery eyes.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

Buck isn’t looking at him, he’s looking at something behind him.

“What’s that?”

Looking over his shoulder in the direction indicated Eddie can’t see anything that would make Buck cry.

“What’s what?”

“That!” Buck pulls away from him and moves to his fireplace and suddenly it’s clear. He answers the question, it’s not a particularly hard one anyway.

“It’s a stocking.”

“Why’s it got my name on it?”

Another easy and fairly obvious answer.

“Because it’s your stocking.”

“Mine?”

A quick flash of blue then Buck refocuses on his stocking, pinned to Eddie’s mantle. His fingers are tracing the embroidered letters gently. Buck is far too focused to notice the expression on Eddie’s face which is lucky, he knows that all his complicated feelings about Buck are on display right now but Eddie allows himself the moment, he’ll put it all away again in a second but right now he can let his heart break a little at Buck’s shock and sadness and quiet joy that he’s got a place in Eddie’s home, that he’s finally found somewhere to belong.

It hurts to know why it means so much to him, to find a stocking with his name here in Eddie’s house. Eddie hates what Buck's parents did to him, he deserves better, so much more, so much love.

Eddie takes a breath and wipes his face clear of most of the love he has for this man, leaving only the acceptable parts on display.

“Not many other Buck’s around here are there?”

The tone is light and teasing, his friend probably can’t handle much more right now, maybe one day soon he’ll tell him everything else, how much he means to him, how much he wants with, but not right now.

There’s almost no warning when arms are flung around him, forceful enough to make him stagger backwards a little. He always forgets that Buck’s surprisingly fast for someone so large. Engulfed in a strong embrace it’s pure instinct to lift his own arms and hold on tightly too. Buck hugs him tight, head buried into the crook of his neck, words whispered there too.

“Thank you.”

The two words are quiet but full of emotion. Eddie indulges himself just a little, presses his lips to Buck’s curls and whispers back. “This is your home, Buck, you belong here, with me.”

Arms tighten, both Buck’s and his and Eddie sees no reason to let go anytime soon. Buck’s stocking is on his fireplace and Buck is in his arms and everything is just as it should be.

Yes I know more fluff! Hope you liked it 😊

[just-dreaming-marvel]

Caught In A Web ~ The Child(ren)

CAUGHT IN A WEB MASTERLIST

< previous chapter

Word Count: 3,000ish

Summary: After a mission doesn't go as planned, you and Tony find out some news.

Warning(s): injuries, panicking, pregnancy, miscarriage, birth

Notes: SHOUT OUT TO @carellmcu! Couldn't have gotten this out without you! There is actually going to be ONE MORE chapter of this series! We're not done yet! I hope y'all enjoy it! Please share your reactions!

This was the eighth morning in a row that you had woken up and rushed to the bathroom. You barely made it to the toilet in time before you were throwing up. The soft padding of feet came up from behind you. A gentle, calloused hand rested against your back and began rubbing in small circles.

“Honey,” Tony’s concern was clear, “we need to get you to a doctor.”

“I’m fine,” you coughed. “Just a bug.”

“I’m not so sure about that. I think you should skip out on the mission with Barnes today, and we go to the med-bay to see what’s up.”

You sighed, leaning back against him. “I’m fine, Tony. I’ll take some meds. The mission isn’t that big of a deal, anyway. We’re just scoping out an empty facility.” You lifted your arms. “Help me up, please?”

Tony took your arms and pulled you up before gently turning you around. “I don’t think you so go.”

“I’ll be fine. You can be on comms the entire time. We’ll call for help if needed.” You went in for a kiss, and Tony pulled away.

“Not a chance until you clean your mouth.”

You laughed. “But I’m your wife!”

“Doesn’t matter. Germs!”

~~~

“So far, the coast is clear,” Bucky stated as the two of you walked the darkened cement hallways of the empty facility. Bucky was leading the way, gun at the ready.

“It better stay that way,” you replied. “I promised Tony this would be easy.”

“Oh, yeah, I got an earful from him before leaving. He said you aren’t feeling well.”

“I’m fine. It’s just been in the mornings for the last week.”

“Mornings, huh?”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Liar.”

“Just… have you thought about taking a pregnancy test?”

“No…”

Bucky shrugged as he turned the next corner. “Maybe you should.”

Your hand rested against your stomach, nerves growing at the thought of possibly carrying Tony’s child. Lowering your guard, you failed to notice the trip wire in the room you entered. You tripped over it, and a quick beeping started.

“Get down!” Bucky shouted. 

He leaped on top of you, throwing you to the floor as the building began to collapse around you. Hitting your head on the concrete, you got knocked out as Bucky tried to protect you from the collapsing building around you. With the building stopped moving, the two of you were buried deep beneath the concrete. Bucky groaned as he moved off of you the best he could.

“Y/N,” he called, gently shaking you. “Y/N, wake up.” Bucky placed his hands gently on your head, only to feel a warm liquid. He pulled his flesh hand away to see blood. “Shit.” He immediately began scanning for other injuries as the concrete shifted. Bucky leaned over your abdomen as a large piece of concrete fell on your legs. “Damn it!” His hand came up and tapped the comms device in his ear three times. “Stay with me, Y/N. Helps going to come.”

You groaned. “Bucky…”

“There you are. Stay with me, doll. Tony’s already going to be pissed.”

“I— AH!” You screamed as the pain hit you.

“I’m going to try to move the concrete. Hang on.”

“No, no! Don’t move it! It will only make it worse! And we… we don’t have a lot of air in the hole. We have to be careful.”

~~~

“I knew something was going to go wrong!” Tony fretted as he paced the quinjet. 

Bruce, Vision, Wanda, Sam, Natasha, and Steve had joined him. Bruce and Natasha were readying the medical supplies while Sam was piloting and Steve was watching over Tony. Vision and Wanda were sitting nearby, observing everything.

“Bucky and Y/N are capable,” Steve tried to remain calm. “They just need some help. They will be fine.”

“You don’t know that!” Tony yelled. 

“We’re coming up on the facility,” Sam informed. “You guys may want to see this.”

Tony punched the button that opened the ramp, and the group looked down at the facility. It was destroyed, a thick layer of dust filling the air.

“Someone, see if you can get a hold of either of them!” Steve ordered. “Tony, wait—“

But it was too late. Tony threw himself out of the quinjet and flew around the facility. FRIDAY immediately started scanning the area, sending the feed to the quinjet.

“Vision, Wanda, and Sam join Tony in the air!” Steve continued. The three were quickly out of the quinjet. “Natasha? Can you get a connection?”

“I’m trying,” she responded, working frantically on one of the computers. “Barnes? Y/N? Come in?”

“Romanoff,” Barnes coughed through the comms. “We’re under the rubble… Almost out of air… Y/N’s unconscious.

“I’ve got a location!” Tony announced over the comms. “Maximoff, I need you to move this cement carefully.”

“On my way,” Wanda replied.

Natasha, Bruce, and Steve watched from the open quinjet as Wanda used her powers to safely remove the cement. Eventually, Bucky and you were visible. Tony was flying down there before anyone could stop him, Sam close behind.

“I tried, Stark,” Bucky wheezed. “I couldn’t keep her awake…”

“You did your best, Buck,” Sam comforted, knowing that Tony’s full focus was on you.

Tony’s eyes scanned you, noting the cracked head and broken legs and the blood. He carefully picked you up and flew you to the quinjet.

“Get her on the stretcher,” Bruce ordered. 

Tony set you down as the others entered the quinjet. Sam rushed up to the cockpit and got the quinjet moving. Steve gripped Tony’s shoulder and tugged him back.

“Give Bruce and Nat some space,” Steve urged.

“She’s my wife!” Tony argued.

“Where’s this blood coming from?” Bruce mumbled as he and Natasha tried to stabilize you. “It’s not coming from her legs or her head.”

“Barnes, Rogers, keep Tony back,” Natasha demanded.

“What? No!” Tony tried to lung toward you, but Steve and Bucky were quick to grab him.

“Wanda, do something to prevent Tony from seeing or hearing us.”

“What?” Wanda questioned.

“Do it!”

With a flick of her wrist, Tony went unconscious, body going limp between the two super soldiers.

“What is going on, Nat?” Steve asked.

“The blood…” She whispered. “It’s coming from between her legs.”

“FRIDAY,” Bruce called. “I need a quick scan of Y/N. All the damages and prognoses.”

Everyone waited in silence for FRIDAY to respond.

“Mrs. Stark has lost a lot of blood,” the AI started. “She needs staples for the laceration on her head. Both of her legs are broken in multiple places… And it seems that Mrs. Stark is having a miscarriage.”

Bucky’s metal hand went through one of the computer screens. Wanda and Vision held each other while Bruce tried to keep the big guy calm. 

“Sam, get us to Wakanda,” Steve ordered. “Y/N needs the best care possible.”

~~~

You couldn’t tell if you were in pain or you were numb. It was a weird feeling, something that you didn’t like. As you blinked, you realized you were in a dim room in a glass case. Looking around, you could see Tony in the chair beside the case. He was hunched over, head in his hands.

“Tony,” you rasped, moving your hand against the glass.

Tony’s head snapped up, revealing his swollen, red eyes. “Y/N,” he breathed out. He dragged the chair closer.

“Where are we?”

“Wakanda. Shuri’s lab.”

“Why?” You could see Tony’s eyes swelling with tears.

“The facility you and Barnes were in collapsed. You broke your head open, and both your legs broke. You… you lost a lot of blood…” You looked down at your legs. You couldn’t feel them, but they looked fine. “Shuri performed surgery on your legs as soon as you arrived. You should be fully back to normal in about a month, she said.”

“Okay…” You had a feeling that none of this was why he was crying. “What else happened, Tony?”

“You…” He shook his head. “God, I should have made you go to the med-bay. I should have dragged you down myself.” His watery eyes met yours. “Y/N, honey, you were pregnant.”

You gasped. “Were?” Tears slipped down your face before you could realize it.

“You had a miscarriage… I’m so sorry, honey.”

You began sobbing. Tony stood up, pressing his hands against the glass case that separated the two of you. You were too caught up in your own world to hear him shouting at someone to get you out of there. You were gasping for air as black shrouded the edges of your vision. You failed to notice the case open and Tony holding you.

“I’ve got you… I’ve got you…” He whispered, trying to ground you.

The Team watched from the balcony above as you sobbed into Tony. 

~~~

Shuri placed you on bed rest for two weeks before physical therapy would start. She let Tony and the others take you home and said that she would be regularly checking in and sending a team for physical therapy when it was time. 

Steve benched you and Tony as well as Bucky. Bucky was struggling with the fact that he couldn’t do anything more to help you and save your unborn child. Everyone had told him it wasn’t his fault, but he was still taking it hard. You were practically his sister, and he always sought to protect you. Besides Tony, Bucky was at your side the most. You mostly slept or remained quiet, trying to process everything. There were rare moments when you were alone that you let yourself break down. Eventually, Tony caught you in the midst of one of your breakdowns.

“Honey,” he came over and wrapped you up in his arms. 

“It’s all my fault,” you cried. “I should have listened to you, Tony… I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, stop that, please.” He pulled away and cradled your head in his hands. “No one is blaming you. You didn’t know. No one knew.”

“And… you still love me?”

“Nothing could ever stop me from loving you, dear.”

~~~

As the months went on, you healed physically thanks to Shuri, but the mental and emotional healing was still a work in process. Tony and you had pulled yourselves off missions for the time being, focusing on each other and the projects in the lab.

“Hey, Y/N,” Bucky greeted as he came into the lab. 

“Hey, Buck!” You greeted. “Here for an arm tune-up?”

Bucky chuckled. “I guess.” He sat down in his normal chair, allowing you time to gather the needed supplies before going to him. Bucky watched you carefully as you worked on his arm. “Are you… How are you doing?”

“I’m good,” you shot him a smile.

“How are you doing for real, doll?”

You sighed. “I’m fine, Bucky… good moments and bad moments.”

“Yeah,” he nodded.

“I know you’re still blaming yourself. You need to stop.”

“If I would have just noticed the tripwire—“

“Stop it. Tony and I do not blame you for any of what happened.”

“You should.”

“Bucky, I’m serious. Shuri actually told us that if you hadn’t shielded me, I might have died. So what you actually did was save me. I technically owe you my life.”

“I’d do it again in a heartbeat, doll. You know that.”

“I know… and one day, when Tony and I have a kid, you’re going to be the best uncle to it.”

“Uncle Bucky?”

“Uncle Bucky.”

~~~

“Sweetheart,” Tony said from across the dinner table. 

Your brows pinched together at his nervousness. “Yes, Tony?”

“I’ve been thinking… It’s been a few months since the accident, and if you’re not ready, that’s okay, but I was wondering if we could try for a kid?”

“You want to?”

“If you want to.”

You gave him a soft smile. “I do.”

~~~

It was a little over a year from the accident when you walked out of the med-bay with a smile on your face and a secret. You quickly went to the store, having a plan in place to tell your husband and teammates the news.

You were grateful that Tony was alone in the lab. You came in holding a small gift bag.

“Hey, tin-man,” you greeted, “you busy?”

“Never too busy for my wife.” He wiped his hands on his pants as he turned around. His brow rose at the sight of the gift bag. “What’s that?”

“Open it.” You handed it to him.

“Okay…?” With caution, Tony pulled the tissue paper from the gift bag and looked inside. “A t-shirt?”

“Pull out the t-shirt, Tony!”

Tony pulled out the shirt and froze at the words on the front of it. In his signature Iron Man colors, the shirt read: IRON DAD.

“Are… are you serious?” Tony stammered, staring at the shirt. 

“Very,” you smiled.

The shirt got thrown to the side, and Tony launched himself at you. You laughed as he held you tightly. You could feel his tears as he buried his head into your neck. 

“I love you so much, honey,” he told you. “I’m so happy right now.”

“Me, too,” you responded.

~~~

Your teammates were informed a few weeks later with t-shirts saying SUPER UNCLE or SUPER AUNT. They were all so excited and promised to do anything they could to help out with the pregnancy and when the babies came. 

It was another few weeks when your doctor broke some news to you.

“Twins?” You repeated. “I’m pregnant with twins?”

“Yes,” your doctor smiled. 

Tony’s hand slid over your growing stomach. “There’s two babies in here?”

“Yes, Mr. Stark.”

“That’s… wow… that’s… honey, your body is amazing.”

“I can’t believe we’re having twins,” you mumbled.

~~~

Tony was anxious for the twins to arrive and was extremely grateful for his teammates for being willing to step up so that Tony’s focus could solely be on you. You were anxious, too, especially at the nagging thought of your powers. Were they affecting the babies? Would the babies have complications or powers because of you?

You were caught up in your spiraling thoughts, hands over your belly, as you stared out to the New York skyline. Tony exited the elevator with a soft smile as he saw you standing there. He quietly came up from behind you and wrapped his arms around you. You jumped a little as he kissed your neck.

“You okay?” Tony asked, noticing that something was off.

“I’m worried,” you admitted quietly.

“About what? Is something wrong with the babies?”

“My powers… I’m scared of how they can be—how they are affecting the babies.”

“The doctor hasn’t seen anything concerning. Neither has FRIDAY nor Bruce.”

“Yes, but we don’t know everything. I’ve been doing some research, and there are tests—“

“No. I am not risking you or the babies to run some tests that don’t matter.”

You pulled away from Tony and turned to face him. “These tests do matter! What if my powers are negatively affecting the babies? What if I cause something that risks their lives? What if—“

“Hey, hey, hey,” Tony’s hands came up to your arms, rubbing up and down. “Will any of what these tests say affect our love for these babies?”

“No…”

“We will love these babies no matter what. The Team will love these babies. Nothing will change the fact that these babies will be the most loved and cared-for babies in the entire world. Okay?”

“Okay.” You sighed, leaning into him. “Thank you for calming me down.”

“Yeah, well, it was about time your anxiety got the best of you instead of mine.”

~~~

“Are you sure you shouldn’t be on bed rest?” Bucky asked as he followed you into the common room of the Compound. “These babies can come at any moment.”

“I can get myself some water, Bucky,” you responded, waving him off as you hobbled into the kitchen. 

“Yes, but I’m saying that you don’t have to.”

“You’re as bad as Tony.” You grabbed a cup and filled it up.

“Yeah, well—“

“Ah!” You gasped, the glass breaking in the sink. Your hands went to your stomach.

“Y/N!” Bucky rushed to your side. “What’s going on?”

“Get—Get Tony! It’s time!”

“Oh my gosh! Okay, okay! I’ve got you!” He easily picked you up.

“I—I need—Tony!”

“FRIDAY! Get Tony down to the med bay. The babies are coming!”

“Did I just hear that babies are coming?” Steve questioned, rushing over.

“AH!” You screamed again as another contraction hit you. 

“Yes!” Bucky replied. “And they do not want to wait any longer!”

“Then let’s go!” Steve said. 

The two men ran down to the med bay, where the others had already gathered. Tony ran up to Bucky and you.

“I’m here, honey,” he said, wiping the sweat forming on your forehead. “I’m right here.”

“Tony,” you whimpered.

“Let’s get her prepped for a c-section,” your doctor stated, abed being wheeled out to you.

Bucky set you down on the bed. Tony grabbed your hand as the doctor, and nurses pushed you back into the room.

~~~

Tony had a lopsided grin on his face as he returned to the waiting room to see his teammates. They all stood up at the sight of him.

“They’re beautiful,” he told them. “They’re here and they’re beautiful. Y/N’s resting, and so are the babies.”

“What are their genders? And their names?” Bucky asked.

“There’s a girl. We named her Jamie Marie Stark.”

“What?”

“Wow, Buck,” Steve smiled as he prevented Bucky from failing over.

“And there’s a boy,” Tony continued. “Peter Howard Stark.”

“Those are perfect, Tony,” Wanda commented.

“They’re perfect… And Y/N… she did amazing… The c-section is a long healing process, so—“

“We’ll help in whatever way you need us to,” Natasha offered. “We’re all family here.”

“Family,” Tony sighed with a smile. “Yes, we are.”

next chapter >

[blitzsicedcoffee]

Post Sinsmas Ficlet- Happy New Year Part 1

About time I post one of my ficlets at 2 in the morning. Enjoy and happy Sinsmas to you and yours.

"What do you mean you, 'celebrate the new year?'" Stolas asks, arms crossed. Blitz just blinks.

"You gotta be kidding me. You study fucking space and you don't celebrate the turning of a new year?!" He asks, face contorted in confusion.

Stolas looks away, eyes cast, "Well I-dont celebrate much of anything. There was...birthdays for Via and Fathers day. That's...about it".

Blitz winces and grabs his hand, "Well, more new things then! Exciting. Loony and I usually go to Wrath to watch the fireworks with M&M. Since it's such a wide open space. Would you wanna come with?" He asks, looking up at him. Stolas hesitates then looks down at Blitz's genuine smile. He can't say no to that face.

"I suppose...I don't really feel good about going back to Wrath though without my powers. They already hated me as I was before", he says nervously, writhing his hands.

Blitz leans on him, "Don't worry, we'll be with Millies family and they love me! We all won't let anything happen to ya". Stolas smiles, "Okay".

"Now, wanna get a new outfit for the occasion? Something more...country?" Blitz asks with excited eyes and Stolas rolls his own.

"I suppose. I do love shopping", he smiles and Blitz nods, "Don't I know it. Gone through about three of mah paychecks for it!"

Stolas frowns, "I'm sorry is...that too much? I dont-you offered". Blitz widens his eyes, "No no I'm sorry I uh, just something us commoners so sometimes. Complain about not having money".

Stolas looks to the ground when Blitz interrupts his steady dissociation.

"I promise, it's fine", Blitz reassures and Stolas gives a small smile, taking his hand.

They go shopping for clothing again in Pride, this time to a wooden building with a cowboy hat on the sign. Walking in it smells like tobacco and polished wood. It's much more casual than the place they'd been before, with racks upon racks and only one changing room.

Blitz smiles, holding up a brown vest with dangling pieces off the bottom.

"Watcha think? Would I be a tootin cowboy or a tootin cowboy?" He chuckles and tries on the vest. But before Stolas can response, the man behind the counter pipes up.

"Hey! You try it, you buy it", he says in a gruff voice. Blitz sighs, "Fuckin ripoff. You're lucky it looks good on me mister", he points to the cashier, slamming down a 20. The man could give no fucks, just grabbing the bill and looking off again into the distance.

"I don't know uhm, if I'm going to find something here without trying it on", Stolas says meagerly, flipping through the myriad of button down plaid shirts.

Blitz ponders, "Hmmm. I think this one would look cute", he holds up a purple plaid shirt to him and Stolas blushes, "Really? The pattern is rather bold".

"Aww come on you're in Pride, Stolas! Amongst the people! You gotta be bold in this world", Blitz comments and hands him the Purple button down. Stolas smiles, "Okay fine", and tries it on. To his surprise, Blitz knew his exact size. As soon as he tries it on the man stands up to speak again and Blitz slams down another 20. The man sits back down.

He looks over Stolas in the shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbows. His face must look love drunk but he can't help it. Stolas looks amazing in anything.

"You like it that much, hmm?" Stolas asks, still skeptical. Blitz pulls him in closer, holding his waist.

"You're just so sexy in anything you wear, Stols", he quips and Stolas's face burns red. Becoming flustered, he pulls the shirt off, "W-well, we'll take it then". Blitz chuckles, "Already paid". Stolas blinks, "Oh! Well, let's go then".

Ever since being back on his meds for a few days he feels a little more normal. The fog slowly lifting from his head. He's been clearer headed, and starts wishing for idle things to do with his hands, besides writing in his diary. Being a secretary at IMP is an easy job and all, but he finds himself craving more to do. Which he can't believe he'd ever say.

"So uhm, what are we going to Wrath for again? A party?" He asks Blitz as he comes out of the bathroom from getting ready. "Uh do ya mind?" He asks and Stolas widens his eyes, "Oh. Yes of course", and turns his body away so he can't see as Blitz gets dressed. He forgot however, about the mirror on the other side of the room. A tall one Blitz bought so Stolas could see his whole self. And apparently all of Blitz as well.

His face blushes again and he almost doesn't pay attention when Blitz finally answers him.

"For fireworks silly! Big bang light shows. You'll love it. Like what we saw in the human world. Member?"

Stolas hears about half of that, watching Blitz pull up his jeans over the bulge and buttoning. Then as he pulls his shirt over his head, Stolas is lost in that chest.

"Stolas? You...listening?" Blitz asks, pulling the shirt down and grabbing the new vest. Stolas panics, "Uh yes. Yes! Of course. Light show. Sounds great".

"Uh huh...", Blitz narrows his eyes then throws Stolas his new purple button down, "Then get dressed silly! We got a little ways to go to get to Wrath in the van".

Stolas quickly grabs the shirt with one hand, holding it at his chest for a moment. Then when Blitz goes back into the restroom, he screams into it a little. Having restraint might be harder than he thought.

[tenebraevesper]

With Light In My Heart, Entry 4: Fears To Fathom

''I will forge through smoke and steel, breaking free, but can I heal? The answer waits beyond the fire, a pyre built from my desire. What's the price for what I seek? A future grim, a heart too weak? The line I walk is burning clear, yet I press on, despite the fear.''

– Embers of the Abyss by ABOKAI Release (Sonic X Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings)

xXxXxXx

Sonic stretched his arms, shifting into a more comfortable position, placing his arms behind his head and relaxing. He was lying on the soft grass beneath a tree, enjoying the shade as he had taken a nap. Shadow was sitting next to him under the tree, arms folded across his chest and eyes closed, but unlike Sonic he remained alert.

They had been travelling for a few days now, having left the urban areas. Sonic, as usual, had no plan or goal on mind, telling Shadow to just enjoy the sights. Shadow, on the other hand, felt that they should at least know their destination, but he kept his thoughts to himself, reminding himself that Sonic was in charge of this adventure. So, when Sonic suggested to take a little nap, Shadow didn't really object, as he actually enjoyed the peace and quiet, even if he couldn't fully relax. He still felt that he need to remain vigilant in case something happened.

''Hey, Shadow, are you okay?''

Shadow blinked in surprise, glancing at Sonic who had turned his head to him, giving him a curious look. There was something about his gaze, something perceptive.

''I'm fine. Why are you asking?'' Shadow replied in his usual guarded tone.

''You seem to be a bit on edge, but that might just be how you carry yourself,'' Sonic replied, with Shadow furrowing a brow, wondering if Sonic was teasing him again or just making an observation. He didn't really get the time to respond as Sonic got up, stretching his arms again and looking ready to run off.

''I suppose you're done with your beauty sleep,'' Shadow said as he got up, with Sonic giving him a sheepish smile.

''Hey, it is the main reason why I always look so handsome,'' Sonic replied, intertwining his fingers as he did a few more stretches. ''Maybe you should also be taking naps to help you with your grumpiness.''

''I prefer to remain alert in case something happens,'' Shadow replied, arms still folded across his chest.

''As I said before, you're always on edge. Would it kill you to relax and take it easy for once?'' Sonic asked. ''You did great at Twinkle Park.''

''That was a different matter, and for your information, you taking things easy didn't always end up in your favour,'' Shadow reminded him. To his surprise, Sonic went silent for a moment as if reflecting on his words, but then shrugged it off.

''I suppose you're right about that. Still, you could allow yourself at least a little bit of unwinding,'' Sonic said, with the two starting to walk away from the tree.

''Actually, I did enjoy the peace and quiet while you had your nap,'' Shadow said, taking note of Sonic's smile, only for it to vanish when he added, ''At least until you started to talk.''

Sonic snorted. ''I'll take what I can get. How about we try to see where we end up next?''

''Because it's all about the journey and not about the destination,'' Shadow repeated the words he had already heard several times.

''Exactly!'' Sonic replied in a chipper tone, with two starting their run.

''I'd prefer if there was a bit more meaning to the journey then,'' Shadow said, skating alongside Sonic. The cobalt hedgehog hummed in thought.

''I guess I could add that to the itinerary,'' Sonic said, his answer catching Shadow off guard and leaving him baffled.

''You have an itinerary?!''

''Eh, not really…'' Sonic gave him a sheepish smile, scratching his chin. ''But, I'll keep it on mind. I want this journey to be as enjoyable for you as it's for me.''

Shadow sighed, having figured that this would be the case. He couldn't help but find it a bit amusing, noting how this was just typical for Sonic, as well as feeling a sense of warmth flicker in his chest. Even if he wasn't going admit it out loud, he did appreciate Sonic's attempts to look out for him. He knew that, despite his own hesitance to be emotionally open, Sonic cared deeply and was trying to show it in his own way. Sometimes, it irritated Shadow, and other times, he felt that there was something much deeper to Sonic's actions, but his rival was unable to properly explain himself. Shadow could understand that, as he wasn't exactly approachable either and he figured that Sonic may have also been frustrated by his own reserved demeanor. That was simply how they were, and Shadow doubted that anything could change that.

''What… happened here?''

Shadow's attention was drawn to the hilltop Sonic suddenly ran off to, with Shadow following him, only to be met with the same sight that left Sonic stunned. Below them was a small village, but something was wrong with it, as there were no people there, as if ti had been abandoned by its inhabitants. Shadow felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, a sense of dread spreading in his chest. He turned to Sonic, who was staring at the village in disbelief, still processing what he was seeing. He then quickly ran off without a word, with Shadow following him in silence.

''Hello?! Is anybody here?!'' Sonic put his hands into a funnel and shouted as loud as possible, hoping to find someone, anyone. Meanwhile, Shadow took a closer look at the houses, some of which had broken windows and doors, and even spotted one missing a wall. He furrowed a brow, aware that some kind of attack must've occurred and he sincerely doubted that there were any people here. Sonic turned to Shadow, looking rather perturbed by their find. ''Do you think that Eggman had attacked this place?''

''It is possible, but if that's the case, it couldn't have been a recent attack,'' Shadow replied, with Sonic giving him a confused look. ''Take a look around. It is impossible for nature to take over so fast.'' Sonic listened, his gaze falling upon the grass and weeds that were growing between the remnants of the houses. He knew that Shadow was right, but he still wanted answers. ''If I'd have to estimate, I'd say that it had been months since the attack had happened.'' Shadow started to walk, having spotted something in the tall grass, both him and Sonic feeling a chilling sensation flowing down their spines when he picked up a broken and dirty Wispon. Shadow continued, his tone calm despite the eerie sensation he felt, ''They had tried to fight back, but ultimately failed.''

''I don't understand. The Restoration would've helped them to rebuild…'' Sonic trailed off, starting to walk. It was quite disturbing to see a village being abandoned like this, as even during the worst of his attacks, once Eggman's Badniks had been scrapped, people would return and carry on with their lives.

''There may have been several reasons why this place had been abandoned. The inhabitants didn't want to return or couldn't return,'' Shadow said, his tone grave. ''Or, there was no one left to return and rebuild.''

Sonic suddenly felt cold, as if someone poured a bucket of icy water over him. He didn't even want to think about the implications of Shadow's assumption. He closed his eyes, shaking his head as he tried to rationalize the situation, trying to make himself believe that the people who left this village were safe and living somewhere else. He wished that he had been here to save them, but he knew that this wouldn't have been possible. He didn't know when or why the attack had happened, nor where he had been during the whole ordeal. Perhaps, there was no way for them to send out a call for help to the Restoration.

Shadow stared at Sonic, knowing that despite his attempts at trying to stay optimistic, his rival was unsettled by the whole situation. They had little to no information about what may have happened, but even if they did piece the whole story together, there as nothing they could do to help. Shadow distracted himself with his own search for more clues, wondering if this was even an Eggman attack. He could hardly imagine anyone else attacking a small village like this, but even then, this place held no significance. If the mad Doctor wanted to conquer something, he would've chosen a location that was more important.

Unless… Shadow lowered his gaze, aware that there were only two events that during which this village could've been abandoned, and neither of those held any pleasant memories. He lifted his head, walking towards one of the houses and peering inside. The windows and doors had been broken from the outside, as if someone had kicked them down. He knew from experience that Eggman's Badniks wouldn't bother with any of that, focusing on blasting their way through everything, leaving only destruction in their wake. This only left him with one option, and it wasn't better than the the other one.

''I might have an idea what could've happened to this place,'' Shadow said, with Sonic looking up at him, his expression a mix of hope and anxiety. ''To make it clear, this is pure speculation on my part and we will probably never learn what had really happened.''

''What is your theory?'' Sonic asked.

''There have been only two events in the past months when this village could've been attacked. My mind went first to the war against the Doctor and Infinite, since they had managed to take over 99% of Earth within months,'' Shadow explained, with Sonic's expression darkening.

He still remembered what things were like during the Eggman War, even though he was imprisoned for most of the time, joining his friends during the build-up to the final battle. He had only seen the aftermath of the devastation that Eggman and Infinite had caused, not knowing the true extent of it until the Resistance started to send people to cities and villages to aid them in fighting off the remains of the Eggman Army and rebuilding their homes.

''Unfortunately, this is only one possibility, as there was another event that could've had the same result,'' Shadow continued, his sharp gaze meeting Sonic's weary one. It took him a moment, his emerald eyes widened as it dawned upon him what Shadow was referring to.

''You mean, the Metal Virus,'' Sonic said in a quiet, if firm tone. Shadow nodded.

''The Zombots wouldn't have had a problem of damaging the village, breaking the doors and windows to get to the survivors and then just left searching for more victims. We know that many people had been displaced due to the Metal Virus, so it is possible that after that ordeal had ended, they decided against returning, finding a home somewhere else,'' Shadow continued.

''That's… That's possible,'' Sonic muttered. Even though this option was more acceptable, as Sonic knew that everyone who had been infected by the Metal Virus had been saved by him and Super Silver, it still left a bitter taste in his mouth. Both were silent for a moment, with Sonic's gaze falling on his own hands, a cold, clammy sensation returning and biting into his fingertips. He shook his head, trying to push the memory out of his head and shoot a half-hearted smile at Shadow. ''In any case, we should leave since there isn't any reason for us to stay here.''

Shadow nodded, following Sonic out of the village. He wasn't fooled by Sonic's smile or his nonchalance, aware that the cobalt hedgehog was bothered by what had happened, but he still pushed through regardless, deeming it as just another adventure. Shadow could understand why he wouldn't want to be reminded of those events, also hating to bring up things he wished to forget, but at the same time he knew that they owed each other a proper conversation. There had been so many things left unsaid between them, and even though Shadow had told Sonic that he regretted what he had told him during the Metal Virus Incident, he still felt that they needed to talk.

The issue was, neither of them were good with these kind of talks. It was one of the traits they shared, with Sonic hiding his emotions behind jokes and snarky comments, while Shadow would refuse to talk at all. However, the recent nightmares had reminded Shadow that, if he kept pushing away whatever emotional turmoil he was suffering from, it would come back to haunt him until he gave into his anger, and if that happened… Shadow knew how dangerous he could be when he was set loose.

Shadow and Sonic suddenly stopped, their ears perking when they heard the low rumbling of a thunder as dark clouds formed above them. They glanced at each other, with Sonic stating, ''We should find shelter.''

Shadow agreed, with both hurrying through the woods, both searching for a place to stay when they heard the roar of thunder above them, followed by a sudden downpour. ''Over here!''

Shadow pulled Sonic towards a hollow tree, managing to make it without getting drenched in the rainstorm. There was enough space for both of them, but they still had to sit close next to each other. Sonic sighed, staring at the rainstorm outside their shelter.

''I had no idea that it would get this bad,'' he said, leaning back. ''It was so nice earlier.''

''I suppose you should also add 'checking the weather' to your itinerary,'' Shadow remarked, causing Sonic to snort in amusement.

''I guess we're stuck here, for now,'' Sonic replied. Shadow hummed in agreement, with both falling silent for a moment, listening to the rain pouring outside their shelter. The dark hedgehog wondered if he should finally talk to Sonic about what had happened, but he still had some lingering doubts about bringing it up. Perhaps, he should move on rather than stay in the past.

''You were right.''

''What?''

Shadow gave Sonic a puzzled look, the cobalt hedgehog giving him a forced smile. ''The whole situation with the Metal Virus.'' Sonic gave Shadow a firm look. ''To make it clear, I don't regret giving Mr. Tinker another chance, but what happened afterwards…''

''It's not your fault.'' Sonic gave Shadow a look of surprise, having not expected to hear that. ''I meant it when I said that I regret what I had told you during the whole Metal Virus Incident.''

Sonic fell silent, unsure how to respond. He knew this conversation was long overdue, but he still felt awkward talking about it. ''I appreciate the apology… But, I know I should've done more to prevent Mr. Tinker from turning back into Dr. Eggman.''

''Rouge had told me about Dr. Starline in detail, and I don't believe that anyone could've predicted his involvement. If you still believe that it's your fault for what had happened, then I'm also at fault for just leaving without ensuring that nobody would come to search for him,'' Shadow said.

''You were the only one opposed to my decision to leave Mr. Tinker on his own,'' Sonic stated, still remembering their argument.

''I was, and after reflecting on that, I had realized that I was a complete fool,'' Shadow said, only to hear a soft chuckle coming from Sonic.

''Woah, didn't expect you to admit that,'' Sonic said, meeting Shadow's deadpan gaze. ''Still, I guess I could've handled it better.''

''I don't think you should've been the sole person to carry the burden of deciding what to do with the Doctor, even if he was completely harmless at the time,'' Shadow said.

''The Chaotix and Rouge knew that I've been dealing with Eggman for far longer than anyone else, so I understand why they asked me to make the final decision,'' Sonic replied. ''I don't know how things would've turned out if it weren't for Starline, but something is telling me that Eggman would've returned regardless.''

''I suppose that's something we can agree on,'' Shadow said, both falling silent for a moment, only for the dark hedgehog to add in a quiet tone, ''You didn't deserve to get infected. Not to mention, I made things worse due to my own arrogance, believing that just because I was the Ultimate Lifeform, that I was immune to the Metal Virus.''

''You did last for a while, didn't you?'' Sonic noted. Shadow nodded.

''I did, but it didn't matter because I refused to listen to you or to Rouge. You tried to warn me, and I just ignored you. If I hadn't, maybe I could've somehow helped you fight off the Zombots,'' he continued.

''Honestly, I don't know how much you would've been able to do even if you managed to keep the infection at bay,'' Sonic replied, his eye-lids lowering as he sighed. ''I had so many close calls because I tried to help people, only to forget that I'd be hurting them by touching them. I barely slept because I had keep on running to prevent the Metal Virus from spreading, and fighting the Zombots didn't help. I kept thinking about what you had told me, and even got a reminder later on from Espio that I was responsible for everything. I also ended up running into Eggman and Starline, and I was willing to leave them at the mercy of the Zombots.'' Sonic frowned, lowering his head and rubbing his temple. ''I was so exhausted that I couldn't think clearly anymore, and all I could do was to watch innocent people fall victim to the virus, including my own friends, and that doesn't even include the whole mess with the Deadly Six and them taking the Chaos Emeralds. Thinking back to it, one mistake could've cost us everything, even if Silver and I had managed to save everyone.''

''We both made mistakes that almost cost us everything,'' Shadow muttered, his eyes narrowing. ''I had also let someone go who later on became a world-threatening terror and helped Eggman to enslaved the world for months.''

''You mean, Infinite?'' Sonic said, with Shadow nodding. ''Is that why you were so adamant about eliminating Eggman when became Mr. Tinker, as well as Starline at White Park?''

Shadow didn't answer, but that was enough of a confirmation for Sonic. Instead of answering Sonic's question, Shadow responded, ''I have witnessed the brutality of Infinite's actions first hand and I have watched you fixing my mistake. In the aftermath, all I could think about was to ensure that someone like Infinite wouldn't rise again. I had a lot to make up for.''

''That would explain why you'd grown more rasher, prideful and violent than you were previously,'' Sonic said, with Shadow lowering his head in guilt, his ears pinning back. ''But, you're still the Shadow I know.'' Shadow gave Sonic a look of surprise, a bit puzzled by the response, with Sonic adding, ''You might not be the most approachable guy, but I know that you care deeply.'' He noticed Shadow raising an eyebrow, causing Sonic to chuckle lightly. ''I mean it. If you didn't care, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now and instead probably fighting.''

''I'm surprised that we're even having this conversation instead of completely avoiding the matter,'' Shadow said.

''Well, I did say that this was kinda long overdue and that I want to talk to you more openly. It's something I picked up back on Starfall Islands by talking to Amy, Knuckles and Tails. I had figured that you should be next on my list,'' Sonic replied, giving Shadow a warm smile. ''I actually feel better after this. What about you?''

''I… I don't feel the same burden as before,'' Shadow replied, only for Sonic to playfully elbow him.

''Hey, that's behind us now, isn't it?'' Sonic tried to cheer him up. Shadow nodded, having to admit that Sonic was right. At least he could leave this part of his past behind and focus on the present… right?

Shadow sighed, aware that it wouldn't be that easy. In fact, he knew that he lost himself once again, despite his own promise to move on and fight without any anger in his heart. He felt like he failed himself and he failed everyone else… Maria especially. He had made this promise to her and to himself, and he couldn't keep it.

''Shadow?''

Both Sonic and Shadow were startled by the sudden roar of thunder, sounding more like an explosion. The two hedgehogs exchanged glances of concern, with Sonic adding anxiously, ''Let's hope that we picked a good shelter.''

''I could use Chaos Control in case something happens,'' Shadow pointed out, with Sonic nodding in response. Shadow then gave him a curious look. ''You wanted to ask me something.''

''Yeah, um… It's a bit difficult to explain…'' Sonic said, fidgeting. Truth to be told, it was rare for him to be so openly vulnerable around another person. Even when he felt despair gripping him in a deathly embrace, he simply refused to show any hopelessness or anguish, keeping on smiling regardless of the pain. His adventure on Starfall Islands was a show of his unbreakable will, having endured the cyber corruption long enough to save Amy, Knuckles and Tails… Sonic's ears suddenly drooped when he was reminded that the cyber corruption also left him at his most vulnerable. He closed his eyes, pressing his hands against his temples as a familiar jolt of pain spread through his body. He knew it was just in his mind, but that didn't make it hurt less.

''Sonic-''

Sonic suddenly opened his eyes when he felt a hand on his shoulder and a gentle voice calling out for him. He turned his head towards Shadow, who appeared to be equally surprised that he actually reached for Sonic in order to comfort him. The last time Shadow attempted to reach out for Sonic like this, it was in an attempt to console the grieving hedgehog as the entirety of Green Hill decayed around them. He never succeeded due to his own reluctance, but he got more opportunities later on. However, he had no reservations this time, gripping Sonic's shoulder firmly and giving him a considerate look.

''If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to,'' Shadow told him. He knew all too well that talking so openly wasn't easy for either of them, and he wasn't going to push Sonic unnecessarily into something he wasn't comfortable with. Sonic shook his head.

''It's fine. I just lost myself a bit thinking about something else…'' Sonic replied, giving him an assuring smile, but Shadow didn't buy it. He knew there was something on Sonic's mind that was clearly bothering him and nothing that his rival said could fool him. To his surprise, Sonic turned his head towards him, his gaze rather melancholic, but he still smiled, trying to hide how he really felt. ''The truth is, when you brought up the Metal Virus, I was reminded of something that I sincerely hope will never happen again.'' Sonic narrowed his eyes, staring ahead, his voice now firm. ''That I would be too slow to save anyone.''

''That is a reasonable fear to have,'' Shadow said, his response surprising Sonic. Sonic then smiled sheepishly, scratching his cheek.

''Reasonable, maybe? But, it's also kind of stupid… You know what, just forget that I said anything,'' Sonic said, trying to move on from the topic.

''I don't believe that it is stupid,'' Shadow responded, lowering his hand and folding his arms across his chest. ''After all, you said that you hope it won't happen again. That would mean that you failed to save someone.''

''I…'' Sonic's eyes widened upon hearing this, and he lowered his gaze as he fell silent again. ''It's something I keep thinking about every now and then…''

''You don't have to say anything. I understand,'' Shadow told him, his tone even. Even if the dark hedgehog didn't know the details, he understood well how it felt to fail to save someone. He was the Ultimate Lifeform, perhaps the most powerful being in the universe, and despite all of that power, he couldn't save the only person he cared about. The pain he felt still lingered, breaching from time to time no matter how hard he tried to ignore it. Even if he had gotten some closure when he met Maria once again in the White Space, he knew that his regrets and the ache in his heart would never go away.

''It's not a big deal, really…'' Sonic protested, but he didn't sound too convinced in his own argument.

He knew that nothing he went through could compare to what Shadow had to deal with, but Shadow clearly didn't share the same sentiment. Still, he didn't question him further about it, which Sonic was thankful for. It was a lot to process for both of them and despite appreciating the conversation, Sonic felt emotionally drained, certain that Shadow felt the same. Part of him wanted to move on from this conversation, to bounce back as he usually would, but he found himself unable to do that. He could put up a brave face for his own friends to assure them that everything would be fine, but he couldn't do the same for himself.

Instead, he remained silent, listening to the downpour outside of their shelter. In a way, the sound of the constant rain was quite calming, allowing him to ease his nerves. It reminded him of the days he would spend at home relaxing and reading books. He hummed in thought, muttering, ''Maybe we should go find a library next…''

Shadow rose an eyebrow upon hearing that. ''Why would you want to go to a library?''

''Uh, heh, did I say that out loud?'' Sonic was startled, giving Shadow a sheepish smile. Shadow nodded. ''I was just thinking how I'd usually read books on rainy days. Something to distract me when there's nothing to do.'' Sonic gave him a curious look. ''Do you have any hobbies? I mean, there has to be something else you do besides brooding.''

''I don't brood,'' Shadow responded in a slightly irked tone, but Sonic didn't buy that. ''If you have to know, I also read in my free time…''

''So the Ultimate Lifeform is a bookworm!'' Sonic said excitedly. ''Yeah, now we definitely have to visit a library. You could show me what kind of books you like to read and I could recommend you my favorites.''

''I had told you before, you're the guide…'' Shadow started, only to get interrupted by Sonic.

''Yeah, and I also want you to enjoy yourself,'' Sonic told him firmly. Shadow took note of Sonic's resolute gaze, realizing that Sonic won't back down and relenting.

''Fine. Do you have any specific location on mind?'' Shadow asked.

''In fact, I do. But, it might take us some time to get there,'' Sonic said, a grin forming on his lips. ''Or, we could use the Chaos Emerald.''

Shadow reached for the green Chaos Emerald hidden in his quills, holding it up. ''Where are we going next?'' Sonic told him, with Shadow expressing interest upon hearing the name of their next destination. ''I can get us there. Are you ready?''

''Dude, I was born ready!'' Sonic said, clenching his fist as he gave Shadow a confident look. Both got up, with Shadow holding the Chaos Emerald.

''Chaos Control!''

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[beef-brisket]

It took Lucifer a few moments to realize that Adam was rocking him slowly. He was so exhausted, so Lucifer just leaned to Adam's chest.

Adam held him for a few hours. He was surprised that he didn't find himself minding the king being in his arms. In fact, if he wasn't careful, he would surely be blushing from the fact that Lucifer went to find him for comfort.

Once Lucifer was asleep and breathing a bit better, Adam placed him in bed and pulled the blankets on top of him.

He was sick of Lucifer not telling him anything. Adam hated watching him die. He was a pain in the ass, but he didn't deserve this.

Adam slowly and quietly left his room and went to find Charlie. Hopefully, Lucifer has spoken to her about everything going on.

And lucky for Adam, she was just coming out of her office, and her guard dog wasn't with her.

Adam: Hey rainbows.

Charlie jumped and turned to face Adam. When she saw him, her face beamed.

Charlie: Adam! You're out of your room! And on your own! That's amazing!

Adam really hated that he actually liked Charlie's praise. But he'd rather die again than tell her that she was actually helping him.

Adam: Uh- yeah, thanks. I need to talk with you, are you free?

Charlie: Wow, Adam. Two therapy sessions in one day? I love the excitement, but spilling your feelings is exhausting, and it's probably best we leave this be a two appointments a week kinda thing, Adam.

Adam rolled his eyes: It's not about me, it's about your old man.

Charlie: O-Oh! Right! Come on in!

She held the door open for Adam and followed him inside. Charlie tried to hide the nervous ticks she had. She's really hoping this meeting will help her dad.

Adam: Right. Look. Your dad is... currently dying. And he won't fuckimg tell me anything, and it's driving me nuts.

Charlie: I understand, he won't tell me much either.

Adam sighed: Just... I want to kill the fuckers he's crushing on. Lucifer won't do the surgery and refuses to talk to the bastard doing this shit. So, if you know who it is, I'd like to know.

Charlie: ...you... want to kill h-them?

Adam: Yeah. Killing sinners is kinda my thing. What's one more?

Charlie: Oh, Adam. That's really adorable! Oh my god! You want to help someone!

Adam groaned: Look, princess. I may be hot, but that doesn't mean I'm a cunt, alright? He's in fuckibg pain, and as much as I... dislike him, I'd feel better disliking him when he's not on his death bed. So, do you know who he's got the hots for?

Charlie beamed again: You don't hate him anymore?!

Adam: Charlie! Come on, man! I'm really trying here!

Charlie: Okay, okay, sorry... yes. I know who da has a thing for.

Adam: Okay. Great. Where are they?

Charlie tried to hold back her smile: At the hotel~.

Adam: What?! It better not be that radio bastard! Actually, I hope it's him, I've been meaning to finish the job...

Charlie: ...what? You want to kill Al?

Adam blinked: Uh... no. Anyway, is it... a chick?

Charlie: A-Adam! The only chick's here are Vaggie and Nifty!

Adam: ...yeah?

Charlie: No! It's not a chick!

Adam: A dude? I knew that fucker was fruity... alright. The cat? He'd be easy to kill-.

Charlie: No! It's not Husk-!

Adam: The porn star? I mean, I get it. Four hands are kinda hot.

Charlie: It's not Angel-!

Adam: Hm... who else is here...? Bitch, you don't have many guests, huh?

Charlie rolls her eyes: There's one other guest here, Adam.

Adam: ...hm....

Charlie wanted to die. He was actually thinking about this?

Adam: ...Oh no. It wasn't that snake fuck, was it? Shit. My bad-.

Charlie: Adam! It's not Pentious!

Adam: The fuck are you yelling at me for?!

Charlie pulls at her hair: Did you lose some of your brain when Dad beat you up?! It's you, Adam! Fuck!

@things-arent-what-they-seem66 @fanofstuff01

Hanahaki Disease

The day of the failed extermination was the end of many things for Lucifer. The end of Heaven's terror, the end of his isolation, the end of the Exorcists, but most importantly, it was the end of the First Man.

He had his fun, taunting Adam for anything and everything, his weight, his wives, his attitude. He knew there was no way in Hell Adam would ever be able to beat him, let alone hurt him. But it was fun to rile him up, fucker did put his hands on his daughter. He deserved it.

Feeling Adam's mask break open under his fist was so incredibly satisfying, but not as much as feeling the bones in Adam's face crack and snap as he landed blow after blow. Just when he was about to do something horrific with his Hellfire, he felt a warm touch on his shoulder.

Looking up, he was met with the face of his daughter, begging him for mercy. Of course, Lucifer felt a teeny tiny weeeny bit bad when he saw how much golden blood covered Adam's face and clothes. But that feeling quickly left when he crawled out of that crater to spew more self-righteous bullshit.

After that, everything was a blur. The sudden silver blade sticking out of Adam's chest, to him falling, landing on the ground with a sickening crack. The tiny maid on his back, stabbing him over and over. And laughing while doing it.

Lucifer watched as an angel with one arm ran over to Adam and pulled him onto his back. Her begging was hard to listen to. It was affecting a deep part of him that was making him feel sympathy for the pathetic bastard. He couldn't have that.

So, he threw them out. Every single one of them. Forcing the army to leave their dead to be feasted on by the cannibals.

Lucifer helped his daughter rebuild. He even cooked some pancakes for everyone.

It wasn't until he was sure everyone at the hotel was asleep that he went out to check the carnage. At least, that's what he told himself. But it was a useless lie as he beelined for Adam's body.

Lucifer felt sick as he saw the state of it. Most of his stomach was gone, his limbs bitten down to the bone. But the most painful thing was his wings. They were broken, snapped, and torn apart. Eaten.

He was eaten.

Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, the man twitched. And groaned. A bubbling noise escaped his throat, golden blood running out of his mouth.

He's alive.

Lucifer knelt down, his hand hovering just above his chest. It was definitely raising and falling. It was very weak, but it was still happening.

That's when Adam said his final words.

Adam: ...h-hate... you...

Lucifer watched as his eyes became empty. No feeling or purpose behind them. No holy light.

The day of the failed extermination was the end of many things for Lucifer. The end of his old friend. The end of all the good memories he had from Eden. The end of his hope to repair things with Adam.

But, the day after the failed extermination was the start of many things for Lucifer. The start of seeing Adam's chest slowly start to raise again. The start of Adam's stay at the Hazbin Hotel. The start of Lucifer's own personal Hell. The start of hanahaki disease.

It started the first day Adam was at the hotel. The man looked broken and defeated. He didn't even argue with Charlie when she told him about what he'd need to do to stay here. And she wasn't holding back, and neither was Maggie.

She had her spare pressed into Adam's neck the whole time. But the light in his eyes was gone, the need to fight back. He was still healing and was quite the horrid sight, but even that didn't give him any mercy from the members or workers at the hotel.

He watched Adam limp his way to the room Charlie said was his. The whole time, he said nothing, even when Lucifer made a few small threats to his life of he tried anything.

Lucifer felt a tickle in his throat, and he coughed and cleared it.

Lucifer: Hm. Weird. Better not have caught anything form those fucking angels.

Little did Lucifer know that was the start of something truly horrible.

[little-jana]

Mistletoe Series: 🎄David Rossi (4)

"Holiday Wisdom"

Pairing: mentor!David Rossi x reader

Genre: fluff

Warnings: fatherfigure!Rossi, talk of burnout, forehead kiss

Words: 1.5k

Summary: A fatherly kiss under the mistletoe from a certain Italian.

The BAU Christmas party was in full swing, and it was exactly what I expected from Penelope Garcia—a riot of color and glitter. The bullpen was draped in twinkling lights, garlands hung from every corner, and ornaments dangled from desks and cubicles. The crowning touch was the mistletoe—strategically placed in seemingly every doorway and corner of the room.

It was festive, cheerful, and a little overwhelming. I sipped at a mug of cider, lingering by the dessert table, watching my team. Emily and JJ were by the bar, laughing over something Derek had said. Spencer was standing in a corner, deep in conversation with Rossi, no doubt unloading a detailed history of holiday traditions. Hotch was nearby, his rare, faint smile softened by the glow of the lights.

This was my family. My sometimes dysfunctional, always dependable family. And tonight, for once, we weren’t chasing monsters or piecing together the horrors of human behavior. We were just… us.

“Enjoying yourself?”

I turned to see David Rossi standing beside me, a wine glass in hand, his expression equal parts amused and curious.

“Trying to,” I said with a small smile. “It’s a bit much.”

He smirked, gesturing around the room. “That’s Garcia for you. Go big or go home.”

“She definitely went big,” I replied, my smile widening.

Rossi chuckled, his rich, warm laugh cutting through the noise of the party. “You look like you could use something stronger than cider.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What, like your fancy Chianti?”

He held up his glass, swirling the deep red liquid. “Chianti Classico. Pairs beautifully with everything, including over-the-top Christmas parties.”

“Of course,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You’re insufferable.”

“And yet, you keep me around,” he said, smirking.

There was something comforting about Rossi’s presence. He had a way of grounding people, of offering guidance without being overbearing. From the moment I joined the team, he’d taken me under his wing, doling out advice, teasing me when I needed it, and giving me the occasional nudge in the right direction.

“Seriously, though,” he said, his tone softening. “How are you holding up?”

I hesitated, knowing he’d see through any attempt to brush off the question. “I’m okay,” I said finally. “It’s just… a lot. The cases, the travel, the holidays. Sometimes it feels like I don’t know how to stop.”

Rossi nodded, his expression thoughtful. “That’s the thing about this job. It doesn’t leave much room for balance. But you need to find it, Y/N. Burnout doesn’t just happen—it builds. You’ve got to know when to step back.”

I smiled faintly. “You make it sound so simple.”

“It’s not,” he admitted. “But it’s necessary. Trust me, I’ve been where you are. It’s easy to pour everything into the job and forget about yourself in the process. But if you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of anyone else.”

I looked at him, surprised by the earnestness in his voice. “You’re really good at this, you know. The whole dad thing.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “I prefer to think of myself as an older, wiser mentor. But if you want to call me your BAU dad, I won’t argue.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Thanks, Rossi. I mean it.”

He smiled, the kind of warm, genuine smile that always managed to put me at ease.

“Y/N!”

We both turned as Penelope bounded toward us, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She had a sprig of mistletoe in one hand and a step ladder in the other, and I immediately knew where this was going.

“Oh, no,” I muttered.

“Oh, yes,” Penelope said, grinning. “You two are standing in the *perfect* spot.”

“Garcia,” Rossi said, his voice tinged with exasperation.

“Don’t even try to argue,” she said, cutting him off. “Rules are rules. Mistletoe means you’ve got to kiss.”

I groaned, glancing up to confirm that, yes, we were indeed standing directly under a sprig of mistletoe. “This is ridiculous.”

“It’s tradition!” Penelope said, crossing her arms. “And you know how I feel about tradition.”

Rossi sighed, his expression a mix of amusement and resignation. “Fine. But I’m doing this my way.”

Before I could protest, Rossi turned to me, his gaze soft. He stepped closer, resting a hand lightly on my shoulder.

“Merry Christmas, kid,” he said quietly, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to my forehead.

It wasn’t romantic or awkward—it was warm, reassuring, and full of affection. The kind of gesture that reminded me just how much Rossi cared, even if he rarely said it outright.

I blinked up at him, my heart unexpectedly full. “Merry Christmas, Rossi,” I said softly.

Penelope sighed dramatically. “Okay, fine, that was adorable. Not what I was going for, but I’ll take it.”

Rossi chuckled, shaking his head. “Don’t push your luck, Garcia.”

She flounced off in search of her next mistletoe victims, leaving us standing there.

“Thanks,” I said quietly, looking up at him.

“For what?”

“For… being you,” I said, feeling a little foolish but meaning every word.

Rossi smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Anytime, kid.”

As the party continued around us, I couldn’t help but feel grateful—not just for Rossi, but for all of it. This team, this family.

And in that moment, under the twinkling lights and the ridiculous mistletoe, I realized just how lucky I was to have them.

[bokutosbabe]

actually I was just passing by and scrolling on tumblr (using the school computer cuz I dont wanna go to class yet and because it has wifi) and I wanted to try and take my chance in your recnt post which I just saw and it made me pretty interested in who you would pair me up with

I have "take a chance with me" by Niki as my top song (of course) and Seventeen as my top artist for this years spotify wrapped, very interested to find out who you would pair me with, thank you again!!

if take a chance with me by niki was your top song and seventeen was your top artist, i'd pair you with...

isagi yoichi

જ⁀♡⊹｡° say what we we want, say what we feel

♡ a/n — for my spotify wrapped event - masterlist -

♡ content — isagi yoichi x gn! reader, gn! reader, childhood friends, friends to lovers, awkward isagi, unrequited love for a second, mention of picking soccer and reader

♡ synopsis — you've always loved isagi yoichi, but when he finally tells you how he feels, your friendship could crumble.

You and Isagi always shared a quiet understanding. While the world saw him as a rising star, someone who was destined for greatness, you were the person who saw his true self—the quiet boy who feared failure and the overwhelming pressure to be the best.

It had always been like that, even when you were younger. He’d train, head down and focused, always trying to get better, and you’d be the one who kept him grounded, reminding him of the simpler things in life—the fun of just playing without the weight of expectations.

But those days felt so far away now. You’d grown up, he’d grown into a national hero, and the distance between you both seemed unbridgeable. Still, you couldn’t help the way your heart beat faster every time you saw him. Even now, after all this time, that same rush of emotions stirred inside you.

It was a rare thing, this moment—a simple, quiet day. Isagi had invited you over to his apartment after a long day, the kind where he'd just played a big match with his team, and you, as always, attended from the sidelines, cheering him on. Now, you sat on the couch, the warm glow of string lights and Christmas decorations creating a peaceful atmosphere as you both relaxed. You didn’t know why he insisted on movie nights like this. Maybe it was the closest thing to normal he had.

You hadn’t seen him in a while. With the constant traveling and the endless responsibilities that came with his career, you knew it wasn’t easy for him to keep in touch with everyone, but somehow, he always made time for you. There was something so familiar about him, but also, he felt like a stranger at times.

"Hey," Isagi's voice breaks through the silence. He's looking at you, his gaze soft but intense, like he’s deciding something, something important.

"Yeah?" You glance over at him, heart skipping a beat.

He shifts uncomfortably, one leg crossed over the other, eyes tracing the floor before meeting yours again. "I don’t know when things changed. When... you became more than just a friend. But I realized I’ve been putting this off for too long."

You blink, your heart hammering. "What are you talking about?" Your voice is barely above a whisper, betraying the sudden nervousness settling in your chest.

"I’ve never been good at expressing myself," he chuckles softly, the sound both familiar and a little sad. "I thought maybe I could just ignore it, or maybe it would go away, but... I don’t think it will." He looks at you, eyes full of something you can’t quite place, but it’s vulnerable. Raw.

You swallow, trying to make sense of what he's saying. It feels like he's been talking around this moment for years, and now, it’s finally come to the surface. "Isagi..."

His gaze softens, and for the first time, you see that faint trace of doubt in him—the same doubt you used to reassure him about back in the day. "I don’t want to regret this. I don’t want to look back and think that maybe I could have... I don’t know... tried something with you. I’ve been holding back because I didn’t want to mess things up, but now..." He exhales shakily. "I can’t pretend like I don’t want you in my life, in my future. I want to try, but I... I’m scared. I don’t know what to do with all these feelings."

His words hang in the air, and your heart feels like it’s been pulled in two directions. Part of you wants to reach out to him, to tell him that you’ve felt the same way for so long, that all of this time spent apart hasn’t dulled your feelings for him. But the other part—the part that’s always been afraid of taking that leap—wants to stay safe in the distance, to preserve what you have, even if it means holding back.

"You’re scared?" you finally manage to say, laughing softly. "You’re the one who’s been scoring goals in front of thousands of people, and you’re scared of this?"

Isagi chuckles nervously, his eyes bright with a mixture of relief and frustration. "Yeah, well... this is different. You’ve always been someone who just... made sense to me, you know? But now it feels like everything’s spinning so fast, and I’m not sure how to make it stop."

You let out a slow breath, your heart racing as you finally let yourself speak the words that have been trapped in your chest for so long. "I feel the same way, Yoichi."

His eyes widen, as if hearing it out loud for the first time is what makes it real. "So... does that mean you’d...?"

"I don’t want to pick," you admit, your voice barely above a whisper. "I don’t want you to choose between soccer and the future we could have, or... whatever we are now."

Isagi’s expression softens as he inches closer, the tension between you both now palpable. His hand brushes against yours, fingers lightly grazing your skin. "I don’t want to pick either, but I have to try. So, let's just... try."

You can see it now, the sincerity in his eyes, the way he’s finally letting himself be vulnerable with you. And in that moment, you realize that even though the future may be uncertain, you’re both standing at the edge together, finally ready to leap.

With a shaky breath, you reach for him, your fingers curling into his hand, offering him the chance you both deserve.

soft isagi they will never make me change you

i hope you liked it!

likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated!