#as far as i can tell its just somewhere you can store your ocs | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

bratkook · 4 years ago

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eleven months. (m) myg. two.

masterlist.

pairing: min yoongi x reader genre: fluff, slow burn!!!, eventual smut, warnings: brief non-descriptive mention of death, otherwise none word count: 7k author’s note: here’s some more backstory on both of them as well as more interaction beyond yoongi hunting down an album by the cure lmao. like i said before, i’m really soft for yoongi in this story so lmk what you think! (also..because i hate myself and love piling up wips, theres mention of oc having a previous love interest that’s actually part of another story that takes place in this universe that’s a prequel soooo...coming soon lol) taglist (open): @min-yus summary: it’s been years of yoongi living his routine life, accustomed to his pace of living, going with the flow and simply existing. until you come along. yoongi absolutely can not see the logic in the way you live, but he weirdly craves it. craves the feeling of not being afraid of not knowing what’s coming, being able to just let the cards fall wherever they land. and maybe you can help with that.

In the next coming weeks it becomes obvious that Yoongi is in fact a regular. His routine visits allow you to remember the usual days and times he’d pop in, so you knew if you’d be working on his chosen days.

Somewhere in between his casual drop ins, the two of you had formed somewhat of a friendship— or the beginning stages of one at least. Yoongi liked your sense of humor, how open and friendly you were to anyone you encountered, always having something to say about anything. Conversation came easy to you, never running out of stories. It left Yoongi thinking you’ve definitely lived about ten lifetimes compared to him.

In turn, you liked how he let you steer the conversation any way you chose. Most people would probably watch on in horror at the way you’d go from talking about a specific song or band, and then switching to a story about how you chased a pickpocketer during your travels before moving on to talking about your roommate’s cat. None of it gave him whiplash though, seamlessly flowing into the next topic with a grin on his face, never feeling like he had to think too hard to keep it going. It worked best this way. Yoongi was observant by nature, a great listener above it all, so if you were the one doing most of the talking it was fine by him.

Everyone at Rkive360 had taken notice that Yoongi’s usual five minute visits had turned into ten, and then twenty, until it became very clear he was lingering inside the store. No one told him anything, besides the fact that he was bestfriends with the owner and had immunity, all of you were fond of him. Taehyung enjoyed the sly remarks Yoongi would make, Sana just enjoyed ogling at him, Namjoon would never mind seeing him, and you would take any chance you could to attempt to wow him with your small knowledge of music.

It was a nice distraction whenever he stopped by, always heading straight to the back where the vinyl was kept. Sometimes he had a specific album in mind, other times he was simply browsing, but he only ever bought one at a time. It was routine, maybe even a weird ritual of sorts if he really thought about it.

On the days you knew he’d be coming you would spend a little extra time in the beginning of your shift picking out a few records to suggest to him if he didn’t have one in mind. Because of this, he had stopped his usual path to the bins and now came directly to you, the first stray off his usual routine.

Today you’re standing behind the counter, ringing up a customer when he walks in, a smile on your face as you chat away. He patiently waits at the far corner, leaning back against it as his eyes roamed the interior of the store, taking note of the way Sana and Taehyung were trying and failing to build a giant display. It looks like a mess of parts, scattered around with no instruction manual in sight— definitely Taehyung’s idea to toss it judging by Sana’s look of frustration.

He tears his gaze away from them beginning to argue when he hears you wish the customer a good day as they leave, pushing away from the counter and shuffling your way with a grin on his face. You smile back at the way his doughy cheeks push out, high points of them reflecting the light from above.

“Any shirt facts of the day?”

That had also become another common occurrence. Whenever you decided to wear a band shirt, he somehow always had random facts about whoever it was. It didn’t matter if it was some obscure french band or a 90’s rapper, Yoongi knew something about everyone, like some walking encyclopedia of musical artists. So when you take a step away and spread your arms out, he sees your shirt of choice today is The Doors, and he scoffs. Too easy.

“The Doors were the first band to ever advertise a new album on a billboard.” He nods his head slowly, almost as if he’s telling you yes I know, amazing right?

A hum leaves your lips at his fun fact, slightly impressed by it. “Interesting. Like always, I did not know that.” You peek under the counter top at the selection of records you kept stowed away for him, safe from any undeserving customers. “Now, do you want to see my daily, hand picked selection just for you.”

This was his new favorite pastime, getting to see the random albums you’d group together for him, wanting to know what you thought was worthy for him to listen to. When he nods, rubbing his hands together in excitement, you haul up the stack and carefully spread them out across the top.

The genre of the day was R&B, he can tell that much as he sorts through the albums. You’re familiar with the way he clumps together certain records, marking them down as albums he already owns, until he gets to an orange colored cover. The words The Internet fill the top right corner along with Ego Death on the bottom left. This he had never heard before. He picks it up and flips it over, scanning the song names with interest.

His eyes raise up to yours with curiosity, the same sharp gaze that somehow still makes you nervous holds the obvious question being passed between you with no need for words: are they any good? And the way you nod your head immediately convinces him enough. “Alright, I’ll give them a shot.”

A small sense of pride fills your chest, a tiny victory whenever he decides to pick something from your stack, trusting whatever music knowledge you had somehow convinced him you have. “I promise you’ll love them.”

When you hand him his change and the brown paper bag, you immediately check the time and clock out, dipping back under the counter and grabbing your bag from its hidden spot.

“Are you off?” Yoongi finds himself asking, no longer used to leaving immediately after he purchased something. The usual fifteen minute conversation you two had was missing today, and he’s not too sure how he feels about that.

“Yes I am, you were my last customer. The store will now be run by those two heathens. Here’s to hoping they don’t bite each others heads off while they finish building whatever the fuck that is.” Taehyung is now standing up, lazily holding up a part of the display as Sana tries to screw something together, angrily giving Taehyung commands but he only mimics her with a ridiculous face. And when she socks his thigh, her fist aiming a little too close to home, you let out a laugh.

Yoongi highly doubts that’s going to be possible, Namjoon would probably have to be the one left to finish building the display while also putting them on opposite sides of the store whenever he came in for the day. It was truly a shock that they had gone this long working together without an actual fist fight breaking out. If it came down to it, Yoongi had his money on Sana being able to whoop Tae’s ass.

“Do you know any good take out spots nearby? I’m starving and I’m still new to the area so I’ll take any recommendations.” Your voice snaps him back, his eyes looking at you briefly as the question registers within him.

“Oh, yeah. There’s a place not too far from here that has pretty good jajangmyeon.”

“Hell yeah.” Your hands pat your belly softly, coming up to readjust your bag as you walk around the counter and head for the door, shouting out a goodbye to Taehyung and Sana as you leave the store. When you exit the shop, your hand holding the door open behind you, you glance back inside in confusion when you spot Yoongi still standing by the counter with wide eyes. “Well, aren’t you coming?”

Truth be told, he had been wanting to talk to you outside of work for a while but he was scared to ask, not wanting to make you feel obligated to say yes just because he was a regular at your place of employment. Something about you seemed familiar to him, and to be quite honest he just craved social intimacy. His job consumed him and coming into this record shop was the small escape he needed, you being there was just a newly added plus.

You’re on the same page he is, wanting to hang out with him just as much as he had, something about the way he seemed like a half open book interested you. Throughout all of your adventures you had forced yourself to come out of your shell, no longer afraid or bashful when it came to initiating friendships. If you wanted to get to know someone better, then you’d bite first. And you definitely wanted to get to know Yoongi better.

It takes him a moment to react, his gaze switching from you to look back over at your coworkers, seeing Sana sending you a curious glance. Yoongi was about to attempt to muster up the courage to ask you to hang out and you beat him to the punch, but after a second he grins at you with a nod. Of course he was coming.

The weather in Seoul is forgiving today, the usual cold of autumn being prevalent in the air without the need to bundle up, the slight wind not stinging your skin as it blows around you. This was probably your favorite season, comfortable enough for you to do whatever you want without feeling restricted by heavy layers or sticky from the heat.

A soft smile is on your lips, hands shoved into the pockets of your baggy cardigan, and a small pep in your step as your eyes take in the world around you. That feeling you get when you visit a new town on vacation, how you’re just passing through for a brief moment in a place so many call home, it makes you realize how small you actually are.

It’s a feeling you always longed for, to experience a new place and make it home, it's the main reason you always bounced around so much. Staring at all the shops around you, taking in all the people just going about their daily life, you’re content with your new choice of scenery.

Too lost in your own head as you take in the shops and people around you, you snap out of it when Yoongi reaches out and clasps a hand on your shoulder, steering you to turn right when you keep walking straight. “Get your head out of the clouds.”

He hears the snort you let out, allowing him to guide you the correct way. Slowly trailing away from the main road, the amount of people lessens, only a handful of stores line up around the alley you had turned into. When you spare a glance at Yoongi you can see the excitement on his face, speeding up his pace until he’s standing in front of the restaurant. It’s a small hole in the wall shop that didn’t even look like it served food from the outside, all black exterior with a red sign hung up on top showcasing their name, Ipum.

It’s charming, and the way Yoongi spreads his arm out puts a similar smile on your face. Only then does he pull open the door, allowing you to step in first before he follows.

Once Yoongi steps inside he’s immediately greeted by the workers calling out his name in glee, bowing in response with a bashful smile as he approaches the small counter set up for take out orders, not needing to read the menu. You don’t realize he’s waiting for you as you take in the interior of the restaurant, the red dining tables surprisingly packed despite their lack of advertising outside. This place really must be as good as Yoongi promised.

“Anything specific you want?” he asks, finger pointing to the small menu in his hand in case you needed it. When you shake your head, letting him know he can order anything he wants, he does exactly that, placing two orders of jajangmyeon, along with fried dumplings and sweet and sour pork to complete it. It was his go to choices whenever he came, so he hopes you’ll enjoy it as much as he does.

As you step to the side, backs pressed against the wall closest to the counter in order to keep the space open for the workers and patrons to walk comfortably in the small shop, you turn your head to glance at Yoongi again. “You come here often?”

The way the workers had spoken to him had made that glaringly obvious, but you wanted to hear it from him, wanted to know if he came here for comfort food or some other weird tradition like his ‘one-vinyl-a-day’ way of life.

It was sort of a habit he had fallen into years ago. Having grown up in this city his whole life, he had stumbled upon this place his last year of high school. It had become a staple soon after, a place he would come to directly after classes were done to come stuff his face before heading home. Then it became a place his girlfriend and him frequented when the apartment they moved into turned out to be a mere block away.

In a way, the owners of this shop had become like a second family. The amount of times they’ve seen Yoongi at his best and worst throughout the years, never once throwing judgment his way even if he came in beyond plastered back in the years he used to drink, never turning him away even if he cried into his noodles.

He decides that’s a little too much to unpack right now, so he just nods in confirmation. “Yeah, I’ve been coming here for years. One taste of their noodles and you’ll be hooked too, trust me.”

Oh you trusted him, the amount of plates you’ve seen so far just made your mouth water once they passed by you and the smell of the food reached your nose. “We should’ve just sat down, I’m not gonna be able to wait until I get home to eat this.”

As you say this one of the workers approaches you two with a tied up plastic bag in his hand, the inside stuffed with takeout boxes and utensils for you to take. Yoongi grasps the bag with a smile and thanks him as he walks away. “Don’t worry, I live like a block away.”

He realizes how his words could be taken immediately, how he had assumed you two would innocently go back to his place to share a meal. You had invited him to eat but the location of where you would be doing so had not been discussed and the last thing he wanted was to come across as a sleaze.

His mouth was ready to back track completely, until he sees the way you dramatically place your hand over your chest, and he knows it's too late, “Oh damn, your place? Saucy, but I’m starving so I’ll do almost anything.”

You can see the way he relaxes when he notices you aren’t being serious, taking his words lightly the way he intended them. His eyes roll behind his lids, a lazy smile gracing his lips as he shoves your shoulder lightly to get you to start walking.

“Is jajangmyeon all it takes?”

“Slow your roll, good jajangmyeon is all it takes. I’ve yet to have a taste.”

Yoongi smiles at your words, taking the lead when you step out of the shop and turn back down towards the main street. His apartment was on the next block over, a short walk that you didn’t mind, especially since he took it upon himself to point at random stores you passed to let you know the best places to get what.

He has a lot of love for this city, the memories it possesses spread out through his entire childhood and early adult years, lingering in each crack on the sidewalk. He often sits and wonders how different his life would be if his parents had decided to move to Busan instead of Seoul, or stayed in Daegu altogether. The thought of the timeline of his life being altered so drastically to the point of possibly not being able to be living this moment sends his mind into a flurry, so he's grateful you’ve reached his front door now as his mind settles.

“Oh my god who’s this?” You coo as you step into his apartment, crouching down towards the white stone floors to pet the fluffy gray cat that greeted you, enjoying the way it purred and rubbed against your knee.

“That's Yuri, the queen of the house.” He steps away from you, setting the plastic bag on top of the kitchen counter a few feet away, his hands pulling out the containers and setting them down. “Don’t give her too much attention or she’ll never let you leave.”

Yuri glances up at you, her bright green eyes peering up innocently at Yoongi’s words, almost as if she was pleading for you to keep petting her. It doesn’t take much convincing for you to scoop your hands under her and press her against your chest as you stand up, your fingers gently scratching the top of her head. Yoongi lets out a sigh when he sees his cat has succeeded in wrapping you around her finger.

“Sorry, she’s too cute to not cuddle with.”

She nuzzles into your chest, purring in appreciation when your fingers trail down onto her spine. Yoongi watches you as he pops open the lid of the container that holds the noodles. Yuri is his baby, yet every time a new person comes into his place she acts like he doesn’t exist— well not until he pops open the container holding the sweet and sour pork. That's when her head pops up, her green eyes sharpening when she spots the food, and Yoongi glares back at the fluffy traitor.

When Yuri's fluffy body shakes slightly as you laugh Yoongi glances back at you, breaking up the staring contest he had going with his cat. “She’s gonna betray your love right now for some pork.”

You don’t doubt him, not with the way her paws start to push at your arms, attempting to stand up in your embrace until she’s hopping off from your arms and slowly walking towards Yoongi. She’s absolutely shameless as she rubs her body against his legs, and Yoongi can only look down at her before staring back up at you, gesturing out with his hands. “You see?”

The act of betrayal doesn’t sting, not when she’s as cute as she is. Instead you just chuckle, walking towards the stools Yoongi has by the oversized kitchen island, a breakfast bar set up at the end, the food spread out on top of it. He ignores Yuri for the time being, pulling out the stool beside yours and sliding into it. The both of you pull your chopsticks apart and get to eating instantly, swirling the noodles until they’re evenly coated in the sauce.

You try to ignore the way Yoongi blatantly stares at you as you bring up the first clump of noodles, waiting to see what your initial reaction would be to the food he held so near and dear to his heart. Yoongi knows this could go south so quickly, there is nothing worse than trying something new when you’re starving and having it absolutely suck. Sensing his nerves, you slurp the noodles up, and when the salty taste hits your tongue you hum, chewing them thoughtfully to make a show for Yoongi.

“Verdict?”

He waits patiently for you to swallow, sharp eyes analyzing your expression, seeing you lick your lips and grin at him. “You weren’t lying, definitely some of the best jajangmyeon I’ve had.”

In pure dramatics, he practically sags in his seat and raises a fist into the air in success, being able to properly enjoy his food now that he knew you approved of it. The two of you begin to eat in relative silence, the sound of munching and slurping filling up his kitchen space.

As the minutes go by, the back and forth of your chopsticks plucking out a dumpling after he did, lands with you snatching the last one. An evil cackle leaving you as you pop it into your mouth and grin at him, cheeks puffed out slightly and he can’t find it in himself to be irked at you snatching the last dumpling when you looked like that.

The compromise of that is you leaving the remaining pieces of pork for him to enjoy, and when Yuri gracefully hops onto the counter you see why he had suggested that. He grasps a tiny piece of pork on his chopsticks and feeds her like a parent would a toddler, airplane noise and all until Yuri opens wide and gently clamps down on the meat.

“She’s spoiled because of you.”

He merely shrugs, a giant smile spreading across his face as he watches her with adoration as she chews the food. “I refuse to confirm or deny that.”

As you finish up the last of your food you just watch on as Yoongi alternates between feeding himself and Yuri until no more pork remains. Seeing the soft way he acts with his cat just warms you up, Yoongi had always seemed like a blunt person from the times you’ve seen him at the store, his sense of humor is one that could easily be taken as harsh or cold if you didn’t match it, but you’d never expect to see him this way. The tops of his cheeks push out as he smiles at his cat, cupping her face between his hands and rocking it back and forth before planting a kiss on her forehead.

She seems to understand that that's her cue to hop off the counter, knowing that snack time is now over as Yoongi starts to clean up the empty containers. When you reach to clean your own mess up he’s quick to slap your hands away, smirking when you retract them with a small wince, your fingers rubbing the back of your palm that he had swatted with a pair of chopsticks.

“Shoo.” He waves his arm in the direction of his couch, not giving you another glance and missing the way you pout at how he had dismissed you like he would his cat.

With a huff you turn on your heel, properly taking in his living room. From the small tidbits of half truthful information that Taehyung had provided you with, you knew Yoongi was somebody in the music industry. You had always assumed that when people said that it meant struggling soundcloud rapper or something of the sort, but from the look of his apartment alone it was very evident that Yoongi was not a struggling soundcloud rapper.

The wall of his living room was lined with floor to ceiling windows, letting you catch a glimpse of the cityscape down below, the darkening horizon and slowly flickering street lights blending together. A dark grey couch was on the wall adjacent to that, directly facing the entertainment center he had set up, complete with a massive mounted television and soundbar, a collection of DVDs organized in the storage unit below it.

You walk closer to it, catching sight of the picture frames he had displayed along the top of it. They were all simple black frames, all differing in size, all of them having photos of Yoongi and his friends on them. The one in particular that had you smiling was a photo booth picture with Yoongi and Namjoon, they were accompanied by three other people, a boy with slightly red tinged hair and a bright smile, another boy with dark brown hair and a slight pout on his face from Namjoon squishing his cheeks, and a girl with light brown hair smiling widely as Yoongi gave her bunny ears.

Namjoon was a very smiley person, never needing a reason to be, but seeing Yoongi sporting a massive gummy smile had you realizing how nicely a smile suited him. It was clear that he held this group of people near to his heart considering they all occupied the remaining photos as well.

A couple of steps right beside that was where he had his prized possession, his record player that he had fully customized to get him the desired sound he was looking for. It was a sleek black, accents of silver shining off of it, resting pretty on a dark stained wooden stand. A few of his records were stored beneath it, but what really caught your eye was the eight by eight makeshift gallery wall that showcased his current favorite LP’s, each individually shelved to show the album art in all its glory.

“Should I give this a listen with you here?”

His question has you turning your head towards him, cutting your admiration of the album covers short. He stood a few feet away, his hands holding up the orange cover of the album he had bought today with your suggestion, and a small sense of nerves bubbles up in your stomach for some reason. You had always suggested music, confident in your choices when you were in the safety of the record store, but having to witness his first impression made you a little uneasy. What if he hated the band entirely, or worse, what if he pretended he didn’t hate them just to soothe your ego.

Is this what he felt like watching you take your first bite of food earlier?

“Sure,” you choke out, taking a giant step back from his record player, hearing him chuckle at your odd behavior.

As he lifts the cover up and slides the giant record out of its sleeve you decide to go sit on the couch, sinking into the plush material and welcoming Yuri into your lap when she jumps on as well.

With a few clicks, the low whirring is heard of the turntable beginning to spin. And when he eases the needle onto the record a small crackle sounds before Get Away starts to play. He fiddles with the volume slightly until satisfied, only then does he turn back around and join you on the couch.

His face is settled in thought, bobbing his head gently to the beat as he rests back against the couch, sinking into it with a groan until he’s fully comfortable, legs spread out with one arm resting casually on his lap and the other on the arm rest, fingers tapping along.

You watch on in silence, your fingers raking through Yuri’s fur until her purring calms your nerves and you’re sagging back. Before you know it your eyes shut as you listen along to the music, your belly is full and your limbs are sore from the unpacking and rearranging that had to be done at work so being able to sit here and shut your brain off while mellow music filled the room was what you needed.

Before long the A side is finished playing, Yoongi having to get up to flip it over until the B side plays all the way through, the ending voicemail of Palace/Curse playing until it fizzles out entirely, the room falling into silence once more.

Yuri had gotten comfortable herself, sprawled out across your lap with her head by your hip, but when Yoongi gets up with a stretch her head pops up, eyes narrowing at her owner until she senses no threat and lays back down.

“Verdict?” You repeat his earlier question, seeing him hunched over with his elbows resting on his knees, his lips pursed in thought.

“Honest opinion?”

“Brutally honest.”

He hums with a sly grin as he turns his head to face you. “They’re good. Kinda makes me feel nostalgic too for some reason. But as a whole, it's great music that calms you down.”

With the way you’re laying practically boneless on his couch you can attest to that, they were definitely a band you listened to to unwind. He catches the wide smile spreading across your face as he stands back up to properly store the record, your smile only getting bigger when you see him replace one of the displayed albums on the wall with the new one.

“It's going on the wall of favorites,” he announces, sliding the previous record back into the storage underneath.

“I’m honored.”

He steps back from the wall with his hands on his hips, admiring how the orange of the album pops out against the others. Yoongi very rarely switched these albums out, but he had a feeling this wall would eventually become full of the random albums you’d recommend to him.

“Quick question,” he starts as he turns back to face you, taking in the sight of you and his cat cuddling together. “It’s been sitting at the back of my mind, and Taehyung has given me like three different answers.”

A small laugh leaves you as you raise your eyebrow at him in question. “Sure, what is it?”

“Where did you move from?”

You stretch your legs out in front of you, your toes just barely reaching the coffee table he has set up a bit away from the couch, Yuri mimicking your actions and stretching out as well. You were definitely gonna grow as attached to her as you were to your roommate’s cat.

“Like where was I last before this, or where am I actually from?”

He walks towards his fridge, still being able to see and hear you due to the open layout of his place. “Both I guess.” The door pops open and he reaches for a bottle of water.“You thirsty?”

“You have some wine, or some beer?”

Yoongi grunts at that, shaking his head slightly, “Sorry, I don’t drink anymore but I’ve got water and juice.”

You’re sitting up straighter now, voicing out that the water was fine. “Where I’m from is classified information, you’ll have to level up on our friendship for me to tell you that.” You accept the water he hands you, smiling at him as he sits back on the couch. He was fine with your secrecy, taking whatever you feel comfortable telling him. “But I was in Madrid before I came here.”

“Oh? Did you leave where you’re from to go live there?”

Your fingers capture Yuri’s paw, squishing her toe beans as she gently swats at your hair. “No, I was in Amsterdam before that, and Berlin before that as well to name a few. I’ve been bouncing around since I was 20, so about 6 years now.”

He has a look of interest on his face as he sips the water, leaning onto the couch sideways to face you. “Do you ever want to go back to those places?”

“Like visiting the place more than once?”

He nods, his eyes focusing on Yuri’s fluffy body, seeing her sitting back up to hop onto the ledge of the couch, rubbing her body against the back of your head before settling on the backrest of it and getting comfy.

“Hm, not sure. I can’t see myself wanting to flip back the pages of my life to reread a story I already know the outcome to.” With a sigh you shrug at him, your fingers now tracing the material of the couch. “Maybe in the future, years from now, I’ll crave a specific memory and want to go back, but it hasn’t happened yet.”

The amount of new cities and countries you’ve been lucky enough to call home for any amount of time held a special place inside of you, the memories and stories you had because of those experiences helped shape you into the person you are. Sure not all of them were movie-like experiences, some close calls happening at a few places that made you question whether you made the right choice living your life the way you did. But then you’d have moments that just felt right, and right now, sitting on this couch with Yoongi, this was one of those moments.

“So you don’t plan on staying here forever?”

“Well what do you mean by forever?”

He smiles, not thinking he would have to explain what forever meant to him. “For the rest of your life. Is there another version of forever Y/N?”

“Shut up,” you laugh. “It’s not likely, but who's to say. I never move somewhere with a time frame of how long I plan on staying.”

“How do you decide? Sorry if I’m prying but I just can’t imagine that moving somewhere new would be easy. Picturing having to leave friends behind would probably wound me.”

That was true, that was definitely the hardest part of doing this— emotionally at least. The people you met and befriended were a factor in deciding how long you’d stay somewhere. After the initial week of exploring a new place, it gets lonely. You’ve been to places where even the roommates you’d stay with weren’t friendly, and you’d have to take it a step further and search for friendships elsewhere. It was the main reason you had learned to not be timid when it came to making the first move.

“It’s kind of a gut feeling. The longest place I’ve lived in was Paris for two years.” A smile spreads across your face as you recall the two years you spent in that city, how you probably would’ve left after a few weeks if you hadn’t ran into that cute boy right before the club you were in shut down for the night. That experience alone was one of the main reasons you made it a conscious decision to not fall in love, not wanting to experience the inevitable heartbreak that came with it.

Paris was the first place you moved to, jumping head first into adventure and taking everything that came with it, including romance. Leaving friends behind had been hard, but leaving Park Jimin behind had been a different version of painful.

“Before this I was in Madrid for a month. I found myself getting comfortable too fast and when I get comfortable I get bored. When it's no longer new and exciting I don’t see the point of staying anymore.”

Yoongi absolutely can not see the logic in the way you live, the carefree aura radiating off of you, but he weirdly craves it. He craves the feeling of not being afraid of not knowing what's coming, being able to just let the cards fall wherever they land. His entire life had changed in the last few years and was now built off routine, bullet point to-do lists and deadlines he had to meet. The only adventure he experiences anymore is thanks to his friends, luring him out of his apartment to fulfil any of their spur of the moment ideas, but nothing comes close to this.

He’s not able to understand how you can be suspended in freefall for the majority of your life, and instead of panicking about your lack of parachute, you’re admiring the view.

“Do you plan on staying here forever?”

That question makes him freeze a little, he had been prying into your life no problem but now that a question was directed at him, he felt himself growing uneasy. “I guess I did.”

“Did...why past tense?”

You see the way he hesitates, his mind is already playing through all the scenarios that can come because of this but he decides to just bite the bullet. “Love makes you think of forever. I pictured forever with my fiance.”

At the mention of a fiance your mind thinks of the girl in the photos with Yoongi, the girl with the bright smile and wide eyes.

Was Yoongi a married man?

He can spot the way you process his vague information, knowing he should elaborate before you think anything else, before your eyes move to his ring finger only to find it bare. “When you’re with someone for almost 8 years its normal to think of forever you know.”

The flashes of his relationship play in his mind, meeting his fiance in his last year of high school. How they had pulled each other out of their shells, becoming rather chaotic in their adventures over the years, turning into adults and supporting each other in every aspect of life.

The memory of Yoongi proposing to her still feels fresh in his mind, taking her to Jeju island since it was a place she had always wanted to visit, not being able to due to caring for her family.

“We were actually planning our wedding, having invitations sent out with everything nearly ready but she uh–“ he stops to breathe slightly, his eyes moving to stare at the picture frames, proving your assumption of the girl being his fiance right. “She got into an accident.”

He hadn’t specified if she died or not, but that faraway look in his eyes spelled it out for you. Forever didn’t have any sympathy for his situation, but he just shrugs it off, forcing himself to not speak further on it. There was more that tied in to the tragic passing of his fiance but he felt he had overshared enough already, not wanting to make you uncomfortable by unloading this information on you. The last thing he needed was to turn this nice day into a pity party with him being the center of attention.

He’s just waiting for the routine apologetic words that would fall from your mouth—maybe you’d reach over and rub his arm like some people did, tell him how sad it was as if he didn’t already know. Some half assed attempt to make him feel better even though you were clearly blind sided by the topic.

Yoongi didn’t want that, always hating the way people would stare at him like he was some charity case. This was why he rarely chose to stray from his circle of comfort, from the people that knew the baggage that came with him and accepted him, keeping his group as tight knit as possible in order to not pick at scabbed over wounds.

When you sigh, he braces for it, mentally accepting that this might be what ends your new formed friendship before you could really creep through the cracks in the wall he built. But instead you reach forward and grasp Yuri once more, scooping her up and bringing her to your chest like a baby. “So Yuri wasn’t the only queen of the house, is that it?”

Yuri purrs in confirmation and Yoongi turns to stare at you again, blinking the wetness away from his eyes before he could even call them tears. You had a smile on your face as you stared at him, not that typical sympathetic smile people always sent his way, it was a genuine one, letting him know he was free to talk more on the subject if he needed to.

And for the first time Yoongi acknowledges that maybe he did need to. He was so used to bottling his emotions in, shutting himself off after her passing, pushing all of his friends and family away and locking himself at home as he mourned, submerging himself in his work to numb himself from feeling anything. Even now, his friends never pried, let him handle his feelings any way he wanted to. But Yoongi can’t act like his chest aches from keeping it all in, the pressure slowly releasing even with the minimal information he had given you.

“Yeah,” he sighs out in relief, reaching out to pet Yuri. “Hani was the queen before Yuri got promoted.”

As you coo at his cat he feels himself sagging back onto the couch. The small dam of emotions he had inside finally released, and before you know it he’s spilling everything out, telling you tidbit stories of him and Hani, and somehow easing you into sharing similar stories of you and Jimin.

The sun fully sets through the windows, neither of you noticing as you talk well into the night, and Yoongi found himself laughing and smiling at the mention of Hani for the first time in two years. You urge him on, watching on with interest while he talks about the day they had picked up Yuri from the shelter.

His eyes are crinkled up in that endearing way you had seen more of today than in the past weeks of knowing him, and it fills you with warmth to know he’s allowing you to know about this part of his life. It felt like sacred information, uncharted territory from the way he had hesitated in the beginning, almost like he wasn’t sure if he could trust you with the precious memories he held tightly. All he needed was a gentle nudge and a genuine smile to slowly let you flip the pages of his brain, knowing you wouldn’t judge the bleeding ink and scratched out words that came with each story.

As he stares at the way you smile at him, he comes to the realization that your sneaky ass must have already managed to slip past the cracks of the walls he built, infiltrating the tight knit circle he had for himself. He has to hold in a laugh when he recalls the way Taehyung had seriously suggested that you might be a spy sent here from another country. Maybe he was onto something, because he was refusing to accept that his willingness to overshare and stray from his norm was due to anything but your highly trained interrogation skills.

You clearly had his cat fooled as well. When Yuri leans up and nuzzles her face against yours he sighs, knowing she had claimed you as her favorite solely based on the attention you gave her. You were good. Yoongi guesses he would have to keep you around now, just for the sake of his cat, nothing more.

#yoongi fluff #yoongi smut #min yoongi #bts fluff #bts fics #btswritingcafe #btsghostie #heartsforbts #bangtaninn #btscreatorscorner #new #eleven months

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redrobin-detective · 4 years ago

Text

Just one single glimpse of relief

TW: OC death, death themes

“Hey,” Sydnee looked up at the sound of the voice. It was familiar, safe, and it stopped her tears for a moment. She can’t remember where she was or what she’d been doing. All she knew was that she was scared and upset and didn’t know what to do. It felt like she’d been crying forever when the voice appeared. “Hey there, it’s Phantom. Can I come closer?”

Sydnee gasped as the town hero, Phantom, approached her slowly. Syd was a bit of a nerd and she couldn’t get enough of those superhero movies. She always tuned in to Phantom’s fights on TV; he was as close as she’d get to a real life Superman or Captain Marvel. She’d never seen him up close before though. He was younger than he appeared on TV, not more than his early teens. Sydnee, almost 24, was hit by a wave of mortification over how they’d described the hunky, we-thought-he-was-older kid on Margarita Night. This day just got better and better, not that she remembered it.

“How are you doing?” Phantom asked quietly, floating near her but not getting too close. He was watching her warily but not unkindly. She saw how some folks treated him, he was probably worried she’d throw a shoe at him. “What’s your name?”

“Sydnee, with an extra e not a y. Uh Tanner, Sydnee Tanner,” she mumbled. Ugh why were words so hard. Her head felt fuzzy and very far away, she thinks she was going to start panicking again. What was she even so upset about? “I don’t know what’s going on. Where are we and what happened. I don’t- I don’t remember anything.”

“It’s okay,” he said soothingly, floating a little closer. The soft glow he emitted brightened up the dark place they were in. Was she in a collapsed tunnel? What had she been doing here? She’d never been claustrophobic but the debris and rubble of the place seemed to close in on her. “Hey, hey, just look at me.” She turned and met his kind eyes, soft and easy. “We’ll walk through it together. What is the last thing you remember?”

“I was late to work,” Syd said, the memory popping up before her. “I um work at the Donut Delights bakery in that strip mall next to the middle school. My cats had knocked over some of my houseplants in the night so I had to clean them up and was running behind. I open the store on Wednesdays - oh it’s Wednesday! - so I knew I’d be in trouble. But I made it, just barely. I was starting up the ovens when.” Syd furrowed her brow and took in the hero before her. The one who was almost never seen outside a fight. “There was a ghost attack, wasn’t there?”

“Welcome to Amity Park,” Phantom said grimly. “I’ve been here a couple times; the jalapeno bacon topped donuts are my favorite. My mom and sister buy them sometimes if they want to bribe me into doing something.”

“You weirdo, only crazy people eat that weird flavor,” Sydnee chuckled. “You have a family?”

“Of course, we all have a family out there somewhere. What about you?” He asked gently. There was something about the soft way he was talking to her, the way his eyes flickered around the dark like he was looking for something. He had news he didn’t want to tell her and she wasn’t ready to hear it. Not yet. Just a few more minutes of denial before she faced the revelation she couldn’t bear to touch yet.

“Yeah, mom and dad and two younger sibs. Folks divorced forever ago, I barely remember them actually being together. Mom is is living it up in Dubai working as a pastry chef in one of their fancy hotels. Dad’s an auto-mechanic down on Maple street, Duke’s Car Services. Pretty sure you got tossed through the window a year ago.”

“I’ve been tossed through many windows but I know the place you’re talking about. So a big family, any friends? Boyfriends? Girlfriends?”

“I have a boyfriend,” she continued on hastily, taking the distraction for what it was. “I like him, a lot and we’ve been dating since high school. Everyone says I should marry him and we’ve talked about it, casually, but I’ve never dated anyone else and wonder if I should see other people first. You know, test the waters before I settle down with my high school sweetheart like my folks did and look how they turned out.”

“Mhmm,” Phantom hummed nodding, encouraging her to continue.

“DeShawn is great though, he’s very supportive and sweet in his own kind of absentminded way. He’s got epilepsy real bad though, I have to drive him everywhere since he’s always at risk of a seizure. Annoying sometimes but its nice, you can learn a lot about a person from a conversation while you’re alone together.”

“Very true, I’m learning a lot now,” Phantom smiled. “What about your siblings?”

“I have a brother and a sister, Kennedy is finishing his sophomore year of college and Janelle will be a senior in high school. She was a surprise baby, one last attempt of my parents to reconcile before the big D. It didn’t help but I got a great sister out of it, she’s a real firecracker.”

“Janelle,” Phantom’s eyes lit up. “She’s the one always dying her hair. I see her in the hallways of Casper, she’s hard to miss. I think she draws too, she won an art award I think.”

“Yeah!” Sydnee said enthusiastically, she reached out and grabbed ahold of Phantom’s arm. It was cold but solid. It reminded her that she really couldn’t feel anything, nothing but him. “Yeah, I swear her hair is a new color every time I see her. It’s a dark purple now, it looks pretty good on her. She was a peachy orange for picture day last year. Mom called her up screaming when she saw the photos.”

“I thought it looked cool,” Phantom grinned, “not that I was there for picture day. Ghost attack, you know. My mom was upset with me too.” They laughed lightly for a minute before it gently petered off leaving them alone in the dark. Sydnee didn��t have any feeling in her toes, in any part of her. She felt light and disconnected and all over out of sorts. She was pretty sure she knew what had happened but she couldn’t face it yet. But talking to Phantom, it seemed a little easier.

“I remember the attack now,” Sydnee stated quietly. “It was a big ghost bear only it was the size of a pickup truck. It rammed into the store there was chaos and screaming. It was so loud, the screaming of the customers, the bear, building coming down on top of us...” her lips wobbled. “We’re still in the store, aren’t we? I haven’t wanted to turn around because... because I know my body is buried underneath the concrete back there.”

“Yeah,” Phantom breathed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get here in time. Most everyone in the area got out but you and a few others in the store got trapped under the rubble. Mrs. McDaniels who lived on Eustis street and was the first woman in her family to go to college plus Eddie Drake who came down from Chicago to check out the ghost stuff with their boyfriend and was a tattoo artist.”

“Did you talk to them too?” She questioned in surprise.

“Briefly, Mrs. McDaniels didn’t stay long, just long enough to tell me, and I quote, “stop wasting time on her dead ass and get to the others.” She already passed on. Eddie, they didn’t take it well. We talked for a while and I think they need a little more time to accept it, see their loved ones first. I warned them that the longer they delay death, the harder it is and the more you lose yourself. You’re the last, all the way in the back of the store. When you’re ready, I’m going to bring your body out.”

“Thank you,” she whispered before breaking out into hysterical laughter. “God I bet I’m a wreck, I think I put my shirt on inside out I was in such a rush this morning,” she sniffled. “What do I do now, as a ghost? I don’t have to, like, attack people, do I?”

“No,” Phantom sighed. “Most ghosts are just normal people, no one else but other ghosts will see you and you’re not going to be strong enough to interact with the real world for a long, long time. You can stick around a bit if you want, watch over your family but it’s like I told Eddie, you forget things pretty quick. Or you can move on, that part I can’t help you with but I’ve helped a lot of others go that route and I’m told it’s easy.”

“Easy, then why haven’t you?” She questioned angrily, the full weight of the situation crashing over her. She shoved him and he floated back passively. “I’m a freaking ghost and you’re here talking to me like you’re my therapist or something. Who’s gonna take DeShawn to his appointments? Or praise my sister’s creative messes? Or badger Ken into picking major? My life is over and you think you can float there and lecture me about it being easy to move on!”

“I didn’t mean it that way,” Phantom soothed, scratching at the back of his neck. “I’m so sorry Sydnee, I wish I could turn back the clock an hour, two hours, and prevent this from happening but I can’t. I’ve tried to mess with time and it doesn’t end well for anyone. I just want, I just want what’s best for you now. You can stay or you can go but I want you to make the decision that you feel most comfortable with. That’s all I can do for you.”

“I think I’d be sad,” she said, crying again, “being able to see everyone but not talk to them, to watch them cry over me. I don’t want to forget them either.” Phantom watched her, easily and earnestly. “What made you choose to stay? Why didn’t you go?”

“I’m a little complicated but I can tell you, when I’ve done all I need to here, I’m not hanging around a second longer than I have to. Being a ghost has it’s perks but it’s also, it’s being stuck in a place you longer fit, watching the world go on without you.”

“Okay,” Syd hiccupped. “Okay, yeah okay.”

“Okay,” Phantom nodded. “Do you want me to leave?”

“No, please don’t,” she grabbed his hands again. “Please I don’t, I know I died alone but I don’t want to do... this alone. Please stay, ugh, calling you Phantom is weird sorry.”

“I don’t know if it’s any less weird but you can call me Danny,” Phantom, Danny, laughed. It was an ordinary name for a superhero but it fit. There was a special thrill in knowing the ghost boy’s name but it’s not like she was going to be around to tell anyone. It was scary, to think of not existing but also sort of comforting, like a long nap with nothing pressing to get up for.

“Can you tell them that I love them, in my place? I know it’s a lot and I’m sure you’re super busy saving the town and everything-”

"It’s not a problem. I’m sure they know but I’ll be happy to pass on the message,” he smiled and it made him look so young. For a second she was struck by how sad it was that she was relying on a kid a decade younger than her for support. But he was here and he was kind and he was what she needed right now. Maybe one day, he’d have his own person talking him through this last step.

“Okay, Danny, thanks really. For talking, for staying. I’m scared but I, I think I’m ready.” She closed her eyes and squeezed his hands tightly. “Do you, will it hurt?”

“No,” he said, his voice warm despite his inherent chill. “No, Sydnee. No, the hurting is all over now. All you have left ahead of you is peace. Thank you for all that did, you’ll be missed.”

“I’ll see you on the other side. Goodbye.” The world faded to a pinprick, consumed by light. The last thing she saw before she went into it was a stranger’s smile.

XxX

“Here’s the last,” Phantom said solemnly, delicately setting a broken body he’d carried out of the dilapidated building and on the sidewalk next to the others. “This is Sydnee Tanner, she was the only employee in the store at the time. She has cats at home who will need taking care of. Her dad works at Duke’s Car Services along with siblings and a boyfriend.”

“Don’t know how you know all that but thanks for getting these folks out,” Sheriff Newton sighed. “Damn shame. Keep up the good work kid, we’ll save the next ones for sure. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some rather unhappy news to break to several people.”

“Do you mind if I tag along? I have a few messages I need to pass on.”

#danny phantom #me: makes up a random OC for the sake of the story #also me: oh my gawd sydney oh my goodd im so sorry baby Im sorry #the exciting continuation of Robin gets weirdly existential and peaceful about death #just the image of Danny saving the living then going on to talk to and help the dead he couldnt save move on #it fucking gets me okay?#he really is the bridge hero for the living and the dead alike #i love him so fucking much #well now Im emo for the rest of forever #title from Taylor Swifts epiphany #amazing a story title that DOESNT come from the 18-19th century death poem #i must be mad #Im reading it over again and its like way longer than it needs to be bc I kept adding more and more to sydnees story

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strangerobin · 4 years ago

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Rue: Chapter 1 (A Jasper Hale x OC Imagine)

Summary:

Just know that, in another life where I was free of lies and deceit, I would move heaven and earth just to stay alongside you. To spend a lifetime with you. Body and soul.

A chance encounter reunites two lost lovers centuries after their devastating break up. One hardened by life and providence, has forgotten what it is to love and be loved; while the other though hurt by love, has lost neither hope nor heart. When the two worlds collide once again, will it be disaster waiting to happen, or the brink of a new horizon?

Stolen away just nights before their wedding, Jasper had mourned the loss of his lover, Adeline, for centuries. Until a similar face showed up one day out of the blue, just as beautiful and just as youthful.

But you know that I could never stay.

No amount of love or the ring you put on my finger will ever change that.

Save it. Save it for another that will be dearest to your heart, someone who could love you equally, unconditionally, honestly.

For I am underserving. I have much in my life that I wish I could explain to you. Yet this back has been carrying far more that it was made to shoulder already. And I cannot possibly burden you with anymore than you deserve.

So I will go. I will not shackle you to a life of secrets and miseries. Nor will I bind you to eternal gloom and slaughter your happiness, take your sun and hide your moon.

Just know that, in another life where I was free of lies and deceit, I would move heaven and earth just to stay alongside you.

To spend a lifetime with you.

Body and soul.

He took a deep shuddering breath, trying in futile to calm the anguish that was threatening to leak out of his body.

For a moment, he thought his dead heart was ready to burst anytime. But of course his heart had long since ceased its beating, and It had only left with him an equally terrible sense of emptiness.

Why had he decided to go over this again? To rip open scars that were long buried. Old memories that he should long have concealed, lost somewhere in the ocean of his long pitiful existence. He thought he’d be over this by now, after the millionth time. But clearly some things never truly die away.

With care he produced from a small velvet pouch-

A single diamond ring.

It glittered under the moon, splaying the light of a million rainbow everywhere it touched.

Just like how her eyes had shone that day.

When he got down on one knee and proposed to her.

Her mouth agape, lips quivering, staring at him in shock and disbelief. His stomach had churned then when she had simply stood there, dumbfounded; worried that he had taken a wrong move, that she did not love him enough to want to be tied down with him. That perhaps he was still too young, too poor to offer her the life that she deserved.

But then a single tear had dropped from her eyes.

And it was followed by another, and another.

He was thrown in a panic by then, unsure of the mistake he had committed but ready to make any amend just to stop the onslaught of her tears.

Except she had then tackled him to the ground, laughing amidst her tears. Murmuring into his ears, the answer that had only mattered to him.

Yes, yes, yes.

She had kissed him so ferociously that day, stealing his breath away as if she herself would be stolen away the next moment.

A thousand times yes.

And stolen she was indeed.

Left alone in the cold morning light, sheets crumpled from the night they had shared, her scent still lingering in the air. His heart had froze, left with only an emptiness that would rage within him for the next two centuries.

She had only left with him a note and her wedding ring.

Hers. Not his; because he could not tolerate the thought of it being anything else.

And an everlasting memory that would haunt him for the rest of eternity. An aching want and need, a desire left unsaid in the dead of the night.

In those terrible formative years, when he had just been turned, night after nights he would imagine the ghost of a lip, tracing up his spine. Warm breaths at his neck; the touch of a hand, cupping his face gently, as if he were made of glass. Sweet-nothings whispered, empty promises of a life that could have been, might have been. Except none of them were real and every one of which only a figment of his imagination and memory.

Some night he would go on a killing spree, desperate to escape from memories of her that had long since turned into a never-ending nightmare, his raging storm of emotions.

A century and a half later, there were still nights like these, nights where he would meticulously finger the exquisite cravings over her engagement ring. Her name a silent mantra, a prayer from his mouth to the gods he had once worshipped and forsaken.

The pain had dampen over the years but the scars had remained. And the memories still fresh. New companionship may have eased him out of his shell of sorrow. But while he may hold another in his arms now, how could he love anyone in half? When he had long since given away half of his soul to the one who had claimed as hers on that fateful day.

But that was another story for another day.

And his pitiful being could not bear the grief all at once on any given nights; it was alright to remember in portions and halves. That way he would not lose his mind to the remembrance of her then. The one he had lost but must continue to solider on without.

“Oh Adeline.”

“My sweet Adeline, why must you torture me so?”

On the run.

It seemed she was always on the run these days.

No permanent roof ever above her head; even the feeling of a soft pillow and a down quilt seemed foreign to her now. She was more familiar with green moss beneath her head and the stars as her canopy; clothes she snagged from stores, and meals of little preys here and there now. She was always careful not to leave a trace.

Stopping over at the riverbed to cleanse her dusty face; she mulled over her circumstances.

Family they- he, her father had called her.

And yet it was also him who made her life a living hell.

Always asking, always demanding for a hand, a chore to be done, her duties to him as her father, mentor, creator. And when she could not tolerate his iron fist of a control, she did the only thing she was good at.

She ran.

Companionship. Father had told her once. No one can live for long without companionship.

She would’ve proved him wrong then. Scoffed at him. Told him that creatures like them did not deserve anything but misery, and least of all a hint of humanity. Only humans crave company; they had sinned far too much to be deserving of any.

How much blood must be spilled, to satisfy his want for his so called companionships?

But even at times, she had been tempted. A short stay in a town, a job, an education, a short fling. Mindless chatters, a warm embrace to fall asleep to at night. Anything to make herself forget just for awhile how different she was, how she could never blend in with anyone. How over the years she had lost so much, she thought she might as well have lost her heart.

Except her strange family. Whom she completely despised. Mostly.

Ah how she missed those good old days. That one summer when everything was golden and life was simple; the scorching Texan sun, the swaying wheat fields, the straw thatch cottage and its warm hearth and Hettie’s hearty soups, Ralph’s incessant chatter. And those gentle brown eyes and that mop of flaxen hair, shining like golden peat in the summer sun-

She would not let her mind wander there now.

Lock the doors and throw away the key.

She needed to stay vigilant. Her family were not the only ones she was running from. There were more dangerous and mysterious beings out there, ones she did not dare cross. Every little shift in the air, whiff of smell was a signal to her instinct. Even a falling leave could be a sign of the things to come. And right now they were telling her to head north, pass the borders, and into the Canada. There would be ample food and her family would not think to look for her there. In time, she might be able to join a small community, live a life for a little while before moving on to the next.

Keep inland, you’ll be safe. Her instinct whispered.

But she wanted to see the ocean. And the Pacific Northwest coast was a marvel. She knew of a coven near the peninsula; but surely if she stayed to herself, she should be able to cross into Vancouver without a hitch?

Keep inland.

Her instinct only whispered on.

It was the scent she came across first.

The sweet invigorating smell of vanilla and washed linen, that of a babe’s. She froze unnaturally amidst her stroll; this was not the scent of a human, it was… it reminded her of her siblings. Of her kind.

Turnawayturnawayturnaway-

But curiosity got the better of her.

Surely, just surely, a glimpse would not hurt. There shouldn’t be any out there like her. None of the old kinds had the knowledge of… Father had confirmed of this. Or was he mistaken?

And as she tracked the child’s scent; she came into a large clearing of blooming heathers, yet not even the overwhelming floral scent could overpower the child’s scent.

There in the gleaming sun was a child of twelve or thirteen, bronze curls flowing in the air as she twirled around in peals of laughter. Her porcelain skin illuminated; and her heart was thrumming like a little hummingbird.

‘It cannot be.’ She whispered to herself in a daze.

Gasping, the child turned towards her at once, clearly finally discovering that she was alone no more. Initially agitated, the child was quick to drop her caution when she noted how the stranger was still in a trance, staring agape at her. Nor did she miss the equally alluring scent of the intruder, her soft glowing skin and the quick humming of her heart.

Timidly, the child shuffled towards her eyeing her with curiosity. Until the two were face to face each other, apprising the other.

“Are you perhaps…” Like me? Was the unvoiced question.

“Dear God, Child.” She finally found the strength within to muster a few shaky breaths of words, disbelief evidently dominating her countenance. “How is this possible?”

With shaking hands she cupped the child’s cheeks, tenderly stroking the smoothness of her cheeks and soaking up the warmth.

“What of your maker?” She swallowed thickly. “Is he treating you well, Child?”

“Do you mean my Mum and Dad, Miss?” The child furrowed her pretty brows. “They should be just around I think. If you would like to meet them…”

That broke her out of her trance and she immediately straightened her stance. This was dangerous, she was treading on thin ice. A child like her kind would not be left unguarded, her guardians were nearby and no doubt treasured her greatly, judging from her clean attire and priciness of her garments. Any contact would be deemed a threat. She had already overstayed her welcome. And she did not want a fight. Sure she was quick and escaping and hiding had always been a forte of hers, but should she engage in battle, there was no telling if she could even gain upper hand long enough for her to run.

“I must go.” She muttered gravely to the child.

“Wait Miss!” The child chirped in a sing-song manner, unaware of the gravity of the situation. “I’m sure Mum and Dad will be delighted to meet you! And grandpa he-“

Shit. Was this the coven Father had mentioned before?

The idea of meeting an entire coven made her stomach churn. She did not quite understand how the child had come to be, nor did she understand how the Volturi would allow such a coven to exist in plain sight. And she did not intend to find out.

“Child. Child!” She hissed, surveying her surrounding in caution now. “Listen, you must take care. There are people out there who will harm you without a thought or a blink. You must be careful, don’t be so trustworthy of any strangers now.”

She looked the child dead in the eye then.

“Not even me.”

“But you didn’t hurt me! I know you wouldn’t! And aren’t we the same?” The child pleaded imploringly.

“No, not even your kind. And certainly not me.” She smoothed the child’s hair gently and tucked them behind her ear. “Trust no one. Not even your makers.”

“That’s just sad then.” The child replied solemnly.

She stood up and straightened her jacket. “Well, it's a sad and pitiful existence that we lead, Child.” She smiled bitterly then and turned to go. “One day you’ll know.”

She was just about to run when she felt a tuck at her sleeves. Turning sharply, she eyed the child in confusion.

“My name’s Renesmee, Miss. What’s yours?”

She grimaced slightly; well so much for telling the child off, she mused.

“Adeline, my name’s Adeline, Child.”

In hindsight, Adeline really should have seen the attack coming. Her instincts had been screaming at her the whole time after all.

But in a moment of distraction, she had heeded her instincts too late. She did manage to subdue the attack at her jugular with a block, but was still hurled halfway across the clearing. Twisting her body, she managed to land in a crouch; eyes trained on her attacker. He was a strong built man- vampire, tall and handsome, the usual package. And she was surprised to find his eyes golden, not that there was much time to marvel at it. His crouching stance indicated that he was ready for battle and he bared his fangs at her, guarding his child protectively

“Stay away from my daughter.” He growled.

Adeline couldn’t help but rolled her eyes. “That, I had every intention of doing.”

“Stop! Dad! Stop!” She could hear the child- Renesmee crying in the distance. But there was no time for that now.

Leftleftleftleftleft-

Turning to her left, she kicked a pouncing werewolf right in the gut, slamming it into a nearby tree. Right. And then threw a punch at the female vampire that was ready to lunge at her right. Down. Blocked another blow. Shoulder. Landed a hit on shoulder of the she-vampire. Duck. Barely escaped from the wolf’s pouncing attack. Roll. And managed to withdraw herself from the fighting two.

With a final glance at the father and child; Adeline focused her mind in concealing herself before darting out of the clearing.

Promising to herself to avoid the Pacific Northwest at all cost from now on. Wary of the rest of the coven she would find there.

Not to mention the wolves.

And that was how Adeline came across the Cullens for the very first time.

#jasper hale #jasper hale imagine #jasper hale x reader #twilight imagine #twilight #angst #more angst

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maggotbxby · 4 years ago

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Fire and Ice - Carol Denning x OC/Reader A/B/O Fic

SUMMARY: Sallie Novak, a 19 year old omega, gets sent to litchfield max for attempted murder, and has to survive in a prison that consists of mostly Betas and Alphas.

CHAPTER ONE

Sallie Novak never thought she would end up in prison, but with the unfortunate circumstances that have occurred over the past 2 years of her life, it honestly may be the better option than being at home.

Being an omega, she was told to do the right thing and never the wrong thing, her mother raised her that way. At first, it was okay. Her mother was a strong omega and taught Sallie to control her heats and not get swept up in relationships. She didn’t end up as a pregnant teen, so she didn’t do too bad.

Though when Sallie was 16, her mother met Dan, an ex-military alpha who is the biggest fucking cuntstick on the planet. He actually seemed incredibly nice at first, for the first year of knowing him, actually. He had money and took care of Sallie and her mother who didn’t have much since her father died when she was 12, and her mother worked as a manager at a grocery store.

After Dan and her mother got married, however, the dynamic shifted, Dan seemed to turn into a different person. He got lazy and grew a dependence for alcohol, and they quickly discovered that he got violent when he drank. He began to get very abusive towards Sallie’s mother, and it sent her into a highly depressive state. She lost her job and hardly left her bedroom most days.

Sallie was unsure why or how Dan’s attention got shifted to her instead of her mother, but it did. Sallie would come home from school and Dan would be drunk, and he would find ridiculous excuses to be pissed off at her; she didn’t do the dishes before she left, or she forgot to feed the dog, anything. On the good days, he would scream at her and she’d shut herself in her room and cry, on the bad days, she would be in her bedroom with belt marks, scrapes, and bruises all over her body.

He never took interest in her sexually, as far as she knew. She took suppressants and wore scent blockers so he could never smell her, but he did make occasional comments about her figure and slapped her ass a couple times, so, he wasn’t innocent in that regard either.

Eventually, she had enough of the abuse, she couldn't take it anymore, so one day, when she was bringing him coffee (Which he made her do, every morning), she slipped rat poison in it. But the motherfucker caught on, he could taste it in his fucking coffee, and he wasted no time calling the police.

That’s when she knew she was fucked.

So Sallie ended up in prison. Granted, the time for her was shorter than most, but as an omega, she knew there wouldn’t be many like her. And there weren’t. Omegas didn’t commit crimes and go to jail like alphas do. They stayed pretty and did little offenses that very rarely got them in trouble. Omegas were pure little creatures, even though a lot of them had a nasty sex life, they always kept things clean on the outside and blamed others for their faults like the prissy little bitches they were. Well, Sallie never did that. She took the blame, and though she tried and tried to report Dan’s abusive behaviour, her mother, always denied it, and it was the word of an attempted murderer against that of a woman with a clean record and a veteran.

So here she was, litchfield fucking Max. Walking in with cuffs on her hands, glaring back at everyone who looked at her. The prison provided scent blockers for omegas, and hormone suppressants, but that didn’t make Sallie any less nervous, the suppressants weren’t the same ones Sallie was used to taking, and the blockers weren’t very strong.

They stopped at a gate, and next to it was a large “C” on the wall. “Welcome to C-Block” the guard said as the gate opened and they walked in.

Even with the blockers, she noticed some alphas got a whiff of her smell as she walked by, causing some to lick their lips as if they were a treat, palm at themselves with obvious sexual frustration, while others bit down on their bottom lip to seem less obvious of their intentions when gazing at her body. She shouldn’t be here. She should be somewhere else with more protection, yet here she was… She didn’t realize she'd be mixed in with alphas, even if there wasn’t that many. Sallie didn’t have a plan for what she was going to do while she was here. She didn’t have a plan on staying safe and keeping herself up in the long run. She had nothing.

She was so fucked.

Practically shoved into her little cell, Sallie found herself back towards the guard who had pushed her in. “So, inmate,” the guard spoke. Helman, was it? “Most of the time Omegas are put into Florida, but since we're short on space there, you'll have to stay here until we find an alternative. There aren’t many alphas here, but there are a couple. That means no making yourself vulnerable; cover your scent as much as you can, or you will be fucked over if one of us isn't here. We can’t be by your side every hour of the day, and the male guards won’t be the most reliable if you accidentally seduce them with your scent.”

Sallie wanted to scoff at the male’s words, staring at him. Her expression clearly showed she was nervous. “My cellmate isn’t an alpha, right?” She asked.

“Obviously not, your cellmate is a beta, one of our most docile inmates. Don't expect any more special treatment just because you're an omega though. You got yourself in this mess, and now there’s no way out. You should have been a good little whore and stayed put instead of going out and doing bad things.”

The guard’s words tore right through Sallie, making her go pale for a moment. The look in his eyes showed that he wasn’t messing around and that he was looking for what many of the inmates were looking for: A hole to fuck.

This was her life now.

“This was the end of your special treatment, Novak. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will not be taken to you. Dinner is in ten, tomorrow you have orientation after breakfast. Don't be late for it. We have eyes on you, so you have little to worry about,” the guard was smirking. “I would get a head start on getting to dinner.The good trays always get taken by the alphas.”

Sallie breathed shakily, nodding her head slowly.

Keep your head up, Novak. They won't hurt you.

——

“Ooh, look at this new cookie, you don’t look half bad,” a voice jeered at Sallie when she went to get in line for her dinner tray. She couldn’t resist glaring over, seeing a slightly overweight girl with badly bleached hair laughing at her. She was with a group who already had their dinner trays, sitting at a table. Sallie gave the girl a dirty look, but then she noticed a movement behind her.

It was just a tiny movement, a cocking of the head. And yet for a second when Sallie saw her, she forgot how to breath. The woman was staring right at her, eyes narrowed how a predator would watch its prey. Sallie immediately knew this woman was an alpha, not even having to smell her. Sallie’s brain told her to look away but she simply couldn’t. She didn’t know if it was her omega needing this or just deep curiosity, but she kept her gaze, taking in large 80’s glasses and the end of a lollipop that stuck out of her mouth. But then she blinked, and Sallie felt her face flush and the world came rushing back. She quickly looked away and bore her gaze at the food cart, making sure not to look back at the woman.

When she got her food and sat at an empty table, 2 inmates quickly came up and sat on each side of her, their smell flooding her senses; alphas.

“So… what's your name, pretty little omega? Why did you end up in this sickening place? You must have fucked up, bad.”

“Shut the hell up,” Sallie spat.

“Feisty. I like that.” A second prisoner spoke up, grinning towards her. Her hand began to rub Sallie’s thigh, causing her to flinch. “Oh, they were right about omegas… You are sensitive, huh, pretty girl?”

“Leave me the fuck alone…” She growled, nudging her off her thigh. “I don't fuck around like that. Just because I'm an omega doesn't mean I'm not strong.”

“But I think it does… You see, if all of us were to pin you against this table right now, there would be no escape. I think the guards would even join in on the fun! Either that or we would get thrown in the SHU, but none of us give a shit about that. All we care about is that we might be getting a wet hole to fuck…”

“Hey, knock it off.” A woman’s voice rang through, and the two immediately scattered, there was an instant heaviness in the air. The fear the voice instilled in the other alphas made Sallie nervous as fuck. She looked over and realized it was the voice of the woman she saw earlier. She was no longer looking at Sallie, she was now speaking to the girl with the awful hair.

“Oi Gapman, go sit with that cookie. And nobody fuck with her, got it?” A heavy Bronx accent rang out from that girl, she sounded almost annoyed to say what she did.

A few moments later a thin woman with greasy blonde hair came up to Sallie and sat with her. She was an Omega, Sallie could tell simply by her demeanour, and the alpha bite mark on her neck. Knowing she wasn’t the only omega here made her feel a little bit more safe.“Sorry about these guys, they’re awful here to omegas, but in my experience Carol doesn’t tolerate a bunch of horny alphas like Barb does over in D-Block, so you should be fine. Oh, I’m Chapman, uh, Piper.” She said and stuck her hand out.

Sallie shook her hand with a blank expression. “Carol?” She asked

“She runs the gang here in C-Block. Everything goes through her. I haven't been here long, but I’ve seen her gang do some shit, I wouldn’t mess with her. Oh and her fucking right hand is a bitch, Badison’s her name, the one who yelled at me to come over here in the first place.”

“Badison?” Sallie chuckled. “What kind of name is that?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but she’s my cellmate, and it’s torture. Don’t get on her bad side like I did. She’s just a beta, and honestly I think her attitude is to try to overcompensate for her genetics.”

Sallie just nodded and got lost in thought for a moment. She really didn’t care about this ‘Badison’ character. She did care about Carol though… The quick scurrying off from the other alphas made more sense now, they’re all scared of her. Sallie wonders how long she’s been in here for, and what she’s done.

——

About 15 minutes later, Sallie returned to her cell to try and get some rest. Upon entering she saw a short, blue haired girl sitting on the top bunk reading a book.

“Uh, hey, you must be my cellmate. I didn’t see you when I first got assigned. I’m Sallie Novak.”

The girl looked up from her book and grinned, hopping down from her bunk. “Great! They’re finally giving me a cellmate! I’m Jacs Walker, sorry I didn’t see you in admission, I’ve been in medical, caught a shiv in the ribs a couple days ago from a dickhead alpha over in D-Block.”

“Damn, sorry, that had to suck.” Sallie replied, kind of dumbfounded how positive this girl's energy was for just being shivved.

“It’s all good, shit happens, I shouldn’t have been trying to score from them. Anyways, you can have the bottom bunk, and those hooks there.” She pointed at the wall, “I know you’re an omega, but don't worry, I’m not into girls.”

Sallie nodded, not really sure how to respond, and she sat in her bunk. “If you don’t mind, I’m exhausted, I need some rest.”

“Of course, intake day is the worst! I’d know, I’ve been sent here 3 different times. Get some sleep.”

It wasn’t long before she drifted off to sleep with thoughts of large glasses and bright blue eyes…

#carol denning #carol denning x reader #present day carol denning #x reader #fanfic #oitnb #oitnb season 6 #oitnb fanfic #lesbian #abo #abo au #alpha/beta/omega dynamics

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we-justhere · 4 years ago

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Dimitri Hunger Roleplay

Welcome back~ I did a RP with the wonderful @the-elusive-libbin between Fire Emblem’s Dimitri and her OC Lily, and I’ll be the first to say I might not be great at playing Dimitri. If that’s what you’re here for, a person that’s good at playing Dimitri, you’ll have to find that somewhere else. If you can get past it, I encourage you to keep reading <3 This is a long one.

Dimitri stared at his portion in what could only be described as shock. It was so much smaller than what he was usually served, even what he had been served just yesterday, and he could already tell it wasn't going to be enough. His stomach ached and growled inside of him, complaining quietly about its emptiness. Waiting on a meal all day after training was exhausting enough, and this certainly wasn't going to help him any. He was confused by how much he was given considering they usually offered so much more and this seemed to be out of nowhere, but was it worth complaining about? He could hope it was just a misunderstanding that could be easily fixed, as he didn't want to start a scene and he also didn't want to sit down and have to eat table scraps. He hadn't really ever gone to bed with anyone but a full stomach, and he didn't want anything interfering with his diet.

He approached the chefs with a slight bit of guilt, and started with a simple, "Excuse me, but.. is this all of it?" The chef looked down his nose at the blonde prince in a way that wasn't entirely meant to be scornful; his nose just happened to be the largest feature on his face. Opting to voice his sympathies the chef spoke up. "Indeed it is, I'm afraid. Bandits have cut off the port alongside one of the monasteries' trade routes and we are unable to obtain the supplies we need. Therefore Lady Rhea thought it best to ration what little of our stores we have for students and teachers alike. That is all we can spare for the moment."

Dimitri's face fell. That really was the worst news he could have heard. He couldn't possibly take any more as that would be taking it right from the mouth of someone who needed it, especially if they couldn't control the circumstances or predict when it was going to end. He resigned himself to his fate and backed off. "Th..Thank you." He murmured, starting back toward his table. He could probably make it work..! Surely it wasn't as bad as he thought it was. It was for the good of everyone.. he could do it.

The chef watched on as the poor prince resigned himself to his seat at a far table, possibly to hide the rumbling in his stomach. That boy always ate so much, his body needed it and yet there was not enough to give at this moment. The chef sighed. "Poor lad" he could hear a deep groaning from the other side of the room.

Lily grabbed her plate and began scanning the room for a table to sit on. She had thought about sitting with Ferdinand but he was currently irritating Hubert as he sat beside him and Edlegard, asking the young empress to be to engage in combat later on to see who would be triumphant. That was something Lily did not want to get involved in. Sylvain was sat away surrounded by women, Lorenz was terrible company to keep at mealtimes and Lindhardt? Well he'd be weird all lunch and pile on the questions. No, that wouldn't do. Spotting Dimitri at the back of the dining hall alone without Dedue bought her mind back. 'I'll sit with the prince,' she thought. 'He looks ever so lonely for a change.' and with that she made her way over, tray in hand.

Dimitri made a great effort to sit away from everyone so he wouldn't subject him to his noisy stomach. He clutched his arm around it and squeezed, trying and failing to get it to stop moaning. This was only the start of it, he knew that, and he really didn't want to deal with it.

He started eating shortly before Lily approached him, and once he saw her he felt his heart thump. He couldn't tell her to sit somewhere else, that would be rude..! But she would almost definitely hear his stomach, and she was always so nice to him.. It would take a lot out of him to reject anything from her.

"L-Lily..!" Of all the places she could sit. He moved his arm away from his stomach to try to conceal the pain he was in, and the pain he was going to be in later. "I'm sorry, I.. I didn't expect anyone to come over here."

Lily placed her tray on the table and flicked her long hair over one shoulder. "Hi~ You looked lonely over here all by yourself so I thought I would sit and eat with you. That's not entirely presumptuous of me is it?" She sat regardless, not waiting for an answer.

He shrunk a bit and probed his meal with his fork, hoping to avoid any questions she might have. "Not at all, I suppose. I just needed a space to think."

He really couldn't blame her. He sort of set himself up for this very situation when he opted to sit by himself. He started eating again but tried to slow himself down a bit so he didn't look so desperate.

Lily narrowed her eyes as she regarded the prince, something wasn't right with him. She couldn't put her finger on it but he seemed...distracted. "Are you feeling okay? You seem a little different than usual."

"Y-yes." He bluffed, "I'm feeling alright. Just.. a little hungry, is all." That was normal enough before a meal, especially for him with his large appetite and quick metabolism. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to worry you. I suppose it just feels like we trained harder than usual today."

“Ah~ we did train really hard. Felix had me on guard the entire time and you know how he gets when it comes to sword training.” She took her fork and with it stabbed a juicy looking slice of beef. She popped it into her mouth and smiled at the taste.

Dimitri watched her eat for just a second with an unmistakable feeling of envy that he certainly didn't usually feel. He took a forkful of his food into his mouth, absently chewed, and swallowed. He wasn't sure what he was expecting.

Feeling his stomach begin to tighten up, he clamped his hand over it and tried to speak over it. "Did.. you notice something different about the meals today..?"

"hmmm?" Lily tilted her head to one side at the prince's question, fork still in her mouth. "Noticed? Not really. Lemme see...." she studied her chicken and rice dish in a way a detective would evidence in a murder case. "Oh! Could it be that they're a tad smaller than they are normally?" She queried, pointing her fork at the prince as she asked.

"Exactly." He let go of his bated breath with relief that he wasn't just being dramatic. Even if she only noticed after he said something. He felt fine with telling her what the chef had said so she wouldn't have to worry. "Bandits are cutting off our ports, so we're rationing." He took another bite. "Hopefully it doesn't last for much longer."

"Oh, that would explain it. But Dimitri....Don't you usually eat a lot more than this?"

"J-Just a little..! I'm sure it will be absolutely fine until they figure something out.. I'd much rather I go hungry than someone else who needs it more than me."

Lily placed a hand atop her dinner partner's. "That's so sweet of you...here." she took her fork, staked a large piece of beef and plopped it into Dimitri's plate. "Its not much extra but it's a bit better."

"N-No, I couldn't..!" He wanted it, sure, but he really couldn't take it from her. He didn't want to take food from anyone when they might not even have enough for themselves. No matter how hungry he got. "It's only a night. I appreciate it, I really do..! I just can't take something from you like that." He nudged his plate back toward her. "Thank you for the offer..'

"Dimitri it's one tiny meat steak~ I have plenty for myself so don't worry about it." With a smile, the plate was pushed back to him once again.

He was actually sort of shocked. He would have pushed harder had she been someone else, and might have even gone as far as to manually put the item back on her plate, but he would feel terrible if he did that with her. "Just this one time..! I refuse to accept anything else from you." He pulled his plate back in front of him. "You're so much smaller than me.. it would be cruel to continue to take food from you."

Lily blushed. It's true, despite her age she was still only 5'3" making the prince not only taller but embarrassingly enough, younger too. "So stern~ I thought being smaller meant that you need less nutrients 'your highness~' Therefore you need more, besides it's not like I'll grow much more nowadays." She smiled as she watched the prince dig into the steak with an almost grateful pout, if one were indeed possible. She hadn't meant to sound mocking by calling him 'your highness.' Not at all, the others called him that too after all.

He felt his face heat up against his will at the words 'your highness'. He had heard it plenty from other people, but it felt different coming from her after she had shut down what he said.

"You said you were trained harder than usual. Even if you're not growing, you still need to eat." Funny enough that he said that after eating the meat she offered. It almost felt wrong to take it from someone who could properly appreciate its nutrients and flavor, rather than someone who couldn't taste it and wouldn't be satisfied by it. "You still need to eat, too."

"Okay okay~ I see your point. You're just looking out for me. I was wondering though Dimitri about that metabolism of yours. How are you coping at the moment?" Lily knew of Dimitri's ravenous appetite and whilst the two had been sat chatting, her ears pricked to a decidedly familiar sound....though Lily knew not entirely what it was, she had an inkling and tried to avoid making obvious glances towards Dimitri's middle.

He gave a bit of a sigh and wrapped his arm around his stomach that still felt empty despite all that he had given it. He wouldn't tell her that much, but he wouldn't lie to her. "I'm still feeling just a bit hungry.. but I'm sure it's just because everything hasn't settled in yet. I do feel better..! I'm just not quite used to the portion sizes yet." He had felt his stomach growling throughout their conversation, but he had hoped the cafeteria was loud enough to cover it up. He didn't know what he would do if Lily could hear it. That would be terribly embarrassing.

A louder grumble caught lily's ear as the pair sat and Dimitri spoke. The poor guy was still rather empty it seemed. The girl found herself blushing at the way he mentioned the food settling in his belly. It was all rather fluatering and lily wished for the nearby window to open and cool down the room. "A-ah I see....say Dimitri..?" She found it difficult to meet his gaze but did so anyway. "That noise I'm hearing...is that your...?" She gestured to his stomach, swirling her fork around in the air and pointing promptly in the direction of his gurgling abdomen.

It almost felt like he had been shot. His eyes widened as he looked away from her in a mix of shock and embarrassment and disbelief that his stomach was loud enough to be heard besides everything else going on around them. He couldn't get out of this, that noise could only really be one thing.

"Y-Yes, it is.. I'm sorry, I.. I didn't realize you could hear it.. It isn't normally like this.."

Lily found herself blushing at his cute demeanor and giggled in response. "It is fairly loud. Sylvain and Felix both have told me about what an insatiable stomach you have, hehe."

"It's usually fairly quiet... Until I don't feed it properly, I guess." He tried to straighten himself out for his own dignity's sake. "Surely it will quiet itself down with time. Or I'll find a way to quiet it down so it's not such a distraction.."

"I see." The girl couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the hungry prince. She knew his body used lot of energy and therefore he needed his filling meals but the boy was too kind and far too stubborn for his own good. "I hope so, I'd hate for you to feel out of sorts for so long " That hollow groaning was still going steady, grumbling hungrily in the background as they ate their food and talked.

Dimitri hated how much they were talking about him and his hunger, so he opted to change the subject. It actually worked to get Dimitri's mind off of his stomach for a while, not that he could read Lily and tell what she was thinking. Regardless, he rather enjoyed talking to her. He was glad that she had decided to sit with him even if it was horrifically embarrassing at first.

It wasn't until he cleared his plate that his focus was broken again. After it all, he was still feeling much more empty than he had anticipated. He would have played it off and might have been able to convince Lily he had eaten enough if a loud moan from his stomach hadn't given him away, causing a deep pain that made him wince. His face went red as he tried to cover up his stomach that was continuing to make noise.

"A-are you okay?!" The girl asked more out of concern than anything, temporarily forgetting how much she liked the deep moaning noises his gut erupted with. "Dimitri, you seem as though you're in pain."

He couldn't play it off well. He gritted his teeth and sat up straight, pushing his hand against his stomach. "I guess this wasn't enough after all.. I assure you it's not as painful as it sounds.. it just, erm.. surprised me." That was really the best he could do as far as excuses went. "I'm sorry I worried you..."

“I wish there was something I could do, you poor thing” She sighed. Maybe leaving the dinner hall and all of its delectable aromas behind would help to settle the young prince’s empty belly. His stomach had started constantly grumbling up a miniature storm complete with thunder and the smell of the room certainly seemed to be fueling it more. “ Shall we go elsewhere?”

The smell probably was making it worse. He never had a problem zoning it out before and he never really gave it too much thought while he was eating, but today it had gotten in his head and reminded him of just how much he couldn't eat. He didn't want to be seen by anyone that could possibly hear his stomach anyway.

"Ah, I think we should." He hated hearing her pity. She really was far too kind to him.

Dimitri walked with Lily out of the cafeteria and already started to feel better. The smell of food no longer tortured him, and he was sort of relieved he didn't have to pretend he wasn't hungry now that the secret was out. He hoped that it was just the smell of everything that was making him feel so famished and that he might get a break after they left. He relaxed a bit as they walked and took a chance on letting go of his stomach, even though the constant rumbling hadn't really stopped.

Lily could hear the constant rumbles still emanating from the poor, hungry prince's belly. She chose not to comment on the sounds to save him from at least partial embarrassment. It can't be easy having a powerful stomach you just can't fill, must be painful for him too. "You're feeling better now that you're away from those smells I hope?" Lily asked and remembered as she did something Dedue had told her happened once during gardening duty. Since the prince had no sense of taste, he had attempted to eat some of the edible, safe for human consumption type weeds that grew outside while maintaining the monastery's grounds. Dedue had not been amused and had sternly yet exasperatingly told his retainer not to eat the weeds. The tale had been told whilst cooking with the Duscan once in confidence. The girls' lips curled in amusement. "Those weeds may be edible....wouldn't you agree?" She mocked, nodding towards a bunch of dandelions growing beside a nearby wall.

"I am feeling better, thank you." His pride was just wounded, and the aching and hollow feeling in his stomach didn't seem to be going away anytime soon. He tried to clench up his stomach to quiet it to try and be a little convincing about feeling better, but there wasn't much he was going to do without something inside his stomach to sate it.

He felt his entire face heat up with embarrassment once he remembered the scolding he had gotten for almost eating weeds, and his embarrassment got worse once he inferred how she knew about that. It was even more degrading when he had considered grabbing the weeds and stuffing them in his gob for a moment. "D..Did Dedue..?!" He stuttered, his eyes widening a bit. "I.. I didn't think he was going to tell anyone..!"

Lily giggled. "It was only me he told. Please don't get mad at him. It's my fault for prying." *** The two made their way to Dimitri's dorm to which the ever weakening prince had to be supported along the way. His energy had been drained and Lily had to literally drag the prince away from the training grounds as they passed since he decided training on an empty stomach might be a fun idea. Well Idea denied! The girl plopped the prince down on his bed and stood over him with a stern look. Usually he would have enough strength to lift the girl high into the air with one arm alone....but now, in his hungered state brought on by his metabolism, he could barely lift himself.

Dimitri had gotten slightly faint while they walked and even wavered a bit, so he shouldn't have been surprised when Lily forcibly guided him away from the training grounds. He gritted his teeth and tried to talk her into letting him go, but really there was no telling how long he would last if he tried to exert himself.

He was at a loss for words as he looked up at her, almost shocked that someone of her size and temperament could be stern or demanding. "You didn't have to stop me. I could have trained."

"Oh yeah? and how were you going to do that? With that energy you 'clearly' have in abundance or with those shaking arms, or perhaps..." She leaned down and placed a palm against the fabric clothed abdomen before her. The rumbles and groans seemed to vibrate her entire arm and resonate down her body. "...with this empty stomach?" She blushed. She was touching his stomach....the girl never thought she'd get this far and now there she was! Just touching his belly as it moaned out for food. By the goddess it was powerful, there was no denying that.

He only noticed his trembling arms once she pointed them out but she stole his attention away from them when she pressed her hand against his stomach. It roared against her palm, begging her to take care of it because he so clearly couldn't. Her touch somewhat soothed him, like she was taking the pain away just by acknowledging it so he didn't have to pretend it wasn't aching. "Nngh.. maybe you're right. But you.. You're feeling alright?"

"M-me?" She felt rather taken aback. "Why would I not be feeling alright?" she pressed firmly onto his belly earning a moan from the prince, such indecent noises coming from nobility. Tut tut, she thought. She wondered if he realized himself the sound he had just made and whether or not he was flustered by it.

"You got a smaller p-portion too.." He hadn't meant to make such a sound when she pushed against his stomach, but the slight tensing in his hands and legs expressing a bit of pleasure was something he couldn't stop. He supposed he didn't have to tell her that that felt good~ He covered up his mouth anyway to try to silence himself. "Excuse me.."

"You have no need to excuse yourself." She smiled, and tried a massage. A single palm softly rubbing, pressing in on the concave, muscular abdomen. She noticed him tense again in response and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear with her free hand. "Could it be?" She cooed softly. "Are you enjoying this Dimitri?"

His draw dropped at the accusation. He hadn't meant to be so obvious. "I..! Well, it's.. Y-yes, it does feel.. rather nice.." He couldn't and didn't want to lie to her at this point. She was good at this massage thing, not that one could be bad at rubbing a very empty stomach.

He felt a growl start up from just above his navel, and her hand wasn't quite where it was. He hesitantly placed his hand above hers and moved it up a bit, pressing it against the proper area as it gave a ravenous growl.

Lily flushed red at this development. Dimitri was touching her hand AND not only that but he was maneuvering hers across to his navel. If only he were shirtless~ He had just admitted how much he liked the rubbing on his starving belly. The food from earlier had already all but disappeared, digested away in that powerful belly of his. The soft fabric on his stomach rustled and moved with the girl's touch. As his belly let out that low, ravenous groan lily was sure the guy could see her blush and she wondered if it somehow matched his own burning face. "O-oh my...." she stammered, her hand flinching in place, cracking its rubbing due to utter embarrassment.

"I hope you didn't mind that.." He eased up his grip on her hand once he had gotten her in the right place and crumpled with exhaustion. Even his own stomach's growling was tiring him out. He could feel his stomach clenching around what little of his meal hadn't been digested yet, begging for more now that there was so little. "I hope they'll take care of the bandits before tomorrow.. I'm not sure how much of this I can take." He didn't like to think of himself as a whiner, but she had worn down his defenses and softened him up with that massage.

"I hope so too...your poor belly." She cooed, once again pressing down, taking full control of her movements. Yes it was embarrassing but he was enjoying it and god knows she was too! Lily removed her hand temporarily, earning an almost puppy dog look from Dimitri's eyes as she did, if only for a moment. Sliding her hand underneath his clothing was an easy task, she quickly undid his uniform straps and cape and simply placed her hand upon the bare flesh of his tummy.

He gladly let her take over so he could get a chance to rest up a bit, making it that much more painful when she stopped, hence the puppy eyes. What he hadn't expected was her move to start undressing him~

She stole the breath right from his lungs with a sharp gasp when her fingers grazed his bare skin. He cooperated with her and helped where he could to get his shirt off, his breathing still shallow all the way up until she put her hand right where it belonged on his stomach. "If I'm being honest with you, Lily, it.. it doesn't seem like you're too upset about this." He gave her as much of a smile he could manage through his embarrassment. "I might even think you're happy."

She froze in place, her face a reddened mess. "W-w- what do you mean?!?" It came out like a squeak.

"I just mean.. you seem a bit happy to be here." He rested his hands on hers again to encourage the massage. "With me." Even if the circumstances weren't ideal for Dimitri, he didn't mind the outcome. He would gladly bear hunger if it meant this sort of attention from Lily.

It seemed as though the steam from her face could heat the room. Lily was THAT flustered. She, on instinct, shot her head into the crook of his neck so that she rested against his shoulder in an almost hug. This was so embarrassing. Even then she didnt stop rubbing and even felt herself dislodge another Roaring groan from his belly which had enough power to shake the pair. "I-I am....h-happy." She stuttered, shaking in place. "T-to be here...now....with you...but also..y-your b-b-be-" She couldn't get the word out. 'Belly.' it was so simple and yet she couldn't muster it.

He gave a slight yelp when she buried her face in the curve of his neck, the heat of her face just about matching his hot skin. He brought his hands up to rest on her waist to complete their almost-hug. He grunted at the feeling of such a powerful growl being forced out by her hands, but it felt sort of nice in a sick way.

He didn't quite understand what she was trying to say at first until he remembered why she was there with him, why he was shirtless and why her hands were busy at work on his organ. "M-My.. my stomach?" He asked, almost as embarrassed as her to admit it to himself.

Lily nodded in response. "Uh huh....I couldn't s-say it." She nuzzled further into his neck, her hand feeling every groan and pulse from his starved gut.

That explained just about everything. He shuddered at the feeling of her face on such a sensitive part of his body and rested his hand against the back of her head so he could stroke her hair. "This is all very new for me, I must admit."

She sniffled in response. "It is???" She enjoyed how his hands felt in her hair and found herself puzzling even more at his touch. "Then I'll admit....your empty stomach flusters me even more than you can imagine..."

"I suppose I've never really.. been hungry before, so.. I never got the chance to know how it felt.." He looked away from her. "The feeling isn't that nice, but.. this is.."

"It's been a good while huh? We tend to take things like food for granted..." at the mention of food, the prince's stomach groaned hungrily. "I'm glad you're liking the m-massage."

He cringed at the groan his stomach made, his mouth slightly watering at the idea of food and how much he missed it. "Your hands.. I expected them to be rough or calloused with all the training we do.. I never expected them to be.. soft."

"How rude!" Lily smirked at the comment though her voice clearly showed mock irritation. "My hands are very soft. I can feel each little groan y'know~" she traced Dimitri's navel with tender fingertips. She noticed him drooling and found herself blushing harder. That was adorable, he was salivating at the thought of filling his belly.

Her touch was almost tickling him with how gentle it was. His stomach instinctively tensed under her touch and he moaned, a terribly embarrassing display he couldn't control. "Can you really feel every one of them..?" He wiped the drool away from his lips. "If this is how its like on the first day, I'm a little nervous about what it's going to be like tomorrow.."

"I can indeed. Each and every one," She smiled softly. "Maybe there's a way to get you some more food after all." She pondered. "Like steaks, rice dishes...oh! And filling roasts."

Dimitri furrowed his brow and gave a soft groan. How badly he wanted each and every one of those dishes even if he couldn't properly taste them- He just wanted to stuff himself with them until he could hardly move so he wouldn't have to feel so hungry. "I wouldn't want to eat more if it meant someone else went hungry.." He mumbled as though he had to convince himself as well, "A roast sounds lovely right now.."

"I bet it does~ A whole roasted pig and all the trimmings. With your capacity I'm sure you'd be able to swallow all of it down and still have room for Dedue's Duscan recipes afterwards." She smiled, leaning back to face the blushing prince. Then suddenly, continuing the talk of tantalizing food, she faces his bare stomach. "You sound so hungry...shhhh hush now, there there" she rubbed it gently, blush ever present as she did. "I know your all empty but is that a reason to complain and tell like that. " she spoke softly to his stomach the way someone would a pet dog or a child. "Poor thing, we need to fill you full of warm, indulgent foods don't we?"

He could just imagine how filling that would be, especially if he got so hungry he swallowed it whole. It would fill his stomach so effortlessly and the only thing he would really have to worry about was belching up the air that came from swallowing something whole. Even if he couldn't taste the tender pig he would be able to feel it slide down and hit the bottom of his empty, hungry stomach, and if he went for the whole pig and the rest of the meal it would likely make a considerable bump in his stomach.

He got so caught up in his day dreaming that he didn't notice how much noise his stomach was making and how much saliva his mouth was producing. He came to when she started paying special attention to his extremely talkative stomach, the way she was talking to it flustering him to his very core. It almost felt like torture~ "I think you're making it worse.." He cooed, trying to keep his voice low so as to not discourage her too much.

Lily didn't listen simply because in that moment she couldn't hear the starved prince, boy his ravenous belly; so she continued her talk. "Imagine swallowing the pig whole ~ you'd be so big and swollen, happily full. I bet you'd be able to swallow one whole~"

That would feel so wonderful.. an entire pig sitting right in his stomach, putting so much weight in the organ and silencing its cries for at least a day. He could just imagine how full he would be~ "L-Lily.." He huffed, feeling a rather large growl building up right beneath her. "P..Please, at least move away from there, I.." He was too embarrassed to give the reason.

"Hmm? Move away? But why?" She looked rather quizzical, the kneading and rubbing not ceasing one bit. "Is your t-tummy acting up?"

"It's, well.." He couldn't help his stammering when the reason was so embarrassing, but it didn't seem he had the time to come up with an excuse anyway. Before he could get anything more out that ferocious growl erupted from his stomach just beneath Lily's hands. Dimitri's face was red enough that one might even think he had been slapped, and he could have sworn he felt the vibrations of such a growl in the frame of the bed they were laying on. "Y-yes, it was.." He managed to get out, covering his mouth with his hand out of pure and unadulterated humiliation.

The young girl shook, an after effect. A mixture of both pure embarrassment and the physical vibrations from his highnesses rumbling belly. "O-oh my...." she stammered, leaning back to look at the prince, both of her hands flying to her mouth in a feeble attempt to hide away, not unlike the way an animal in a zoo longs for a shelter from its onlookers. She didn't know what to say and for a moment the pair stared, making eye contact yet neither able to explain how they managed to maintain it for so long. The humiliation was too much and lily could have sworn she could see the steam rising from their faces. There wasn't a peep from either party. Silence. Aside from the persistent rumbling from Dimitri's stomach.

The embarrassment of the entire situation made Dimitri want to drop dead, and the noise his stomach continued to make only made it worse. He broke their eye contact when he started to rub at his persistently noisy stomach with his other hand, desperately trying to push at it so it could shut up and stop mortifying him. Now that his entire dinner was gone, though, there was no way the noises were going anywhere. Not at least until breakfast, which would hopefully be more impressive than tonight's dinner was.

"I meant to give you a warning." He still couldn't bring his eyes back to hers, he couldn't bear to. "I'm.. sorry you had to hear that."

Lily flushed. There was no way she’d ever been so embarrassed in her entire life. She shook her head and gulped lightly. “N-no no it’s okay.” She squeaked before coughing lightly into her hand. Best to attempt to clear one’s throat when it sounds like a mouse had died within it. “Ahem, honestly, it’s fine. We do need to protest to the dining hall staff though. I know we’re running low on food but Dimitri..” she trailed off and seized him him a tight hug. “You need more food that the average person or you’ll starve. Your poor tummy is proof enough of that. I’ll talk to them for you later and see if I can’t procure you something.”

He hated to think that she would have to be making demands on his account, but he really wasn't sure how well he could perform if he wasn't fed properly. Becoming faint on the first day didn't mean well for him, and he really didn't want to collapse in the middle of his training.

He wrapped his arms around her once she pulled him into a hug, unsure how else to thank her for how much kindness she had shown to him today. "Th-Thank you." Is all he could manage for a moment. "You really don't have to, but.. I appreciate it."

Hopefully we have just a bit more to come after this <3

#fire emblem #dimitri #hungerfic

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alpaca-writes · 4 years ago

Text

I have this habit of being very detailed in writing- hopefully not too much that it bores anyone to death. Personally, I love detailing OC's and as many aspects of them as I can before exposing these poor things to pain- almost like a slow-burn for torture, I suppose?

But then it occurs to me as well that maybe I'm just writing a normal story, with villians and heroes and anti-heroes but with more emphasis on the pains they go through.

Oh well, here is my newest creation-

CW: None quite yet. Some strong language, I suppose

MYSTICS

CHAPTER ONE: A NEW JOB

Lyrem Nomadus busied himself, flipping through resumes that bored him half to death and then a little more. Usually, he wouldn’t dare to look for anyone to share his space with. The business of curating, refurbishing and selling occultic items was dreadfully interesting to the general public and the last thing he was looking for was someone new to devalue it with their own useless knowledge and presumed ‘psychic’ abilities. The last two days were full of just that. He pinched the bridge of his wide nose as a mild headache came on- the last interview was a particularly painful thought.

A young man, with a heavily freckled, pale face, and round framed glasses poured over his collection of rocks near the front entrance, started spouting nonsense that Lyrem had little patience for.

“Ooh, malachite. I heard that stuff’s toxic, y’know,” he spoke with little regard for Lyrem standing near the cash register- an old charcoal grey thing with large buttons and made a noise like a classic ‘ka-ching’ just before the receipts printed out and the drawer popped open.

“Hm,” Lyrem hummed unamused, hoping it would prompt some style of professionalism from his prospective interviewee. It did not.

The young man continued to look around the store, finding one hematite pendulum specifically fascinating. Then he found his attention drawn to a display of elegantly designed tarot cards. The young man picked one of them up, studying the hierophant with mild interest.

“Please do not touch the merchandise.” Lyrem cut in.

The young man placed the card back down on the glass shelf, slightly askew to the rest on display. He cleared his throat and approached the register, finally.

“Did you bring a copy of your resume?” Lyrem asked him, knowing what the answer likely was, as there was nothing in his hands. He wore a long black trench coat over ratted, torn jeans and a plain tee shirt. There was one chain dangling from a pocket somewhere.

“Yessir,” he answered.

Oh, perhaps this boy had a hope after all.

After reaching into his back pants pocket with effort, the resume was presented, folded into six sections as a single piece of paper. A folded and clearly used napkin fell out onto the floor. Lyrem breathed deeply, took the folded resume, and smiled.

“Thank you for applying, but I am afraid you are not quite the right fit for this position,” Lyrem didn’t bother opening the paper, and instead tossed it over his own shoulder. It landed directly into the bin behind him.

“I-I’m sorry? You haven’t interviewed me yet”- his eyes widened with the confusion of the sudden rejection.

“Hm. I have interviewed you plenty, and I tell you now, I’d have a mangey dog run my store before you.” He didn’t mean for his tone to be so casual. Lyrem blinked.

The poor boy took a moment to process the insult before glaring across at the owner of Mystics ruthlessly. Suddenly, his fist pounded the desk, sending a short tremor through the wood.

“Anybody with half a brain could do this job! For fuck sake’s, man!”

Lyrem looked at him with a simple eyebrow raised and cocked his head toward the door. He was tired these days. The less he chose to care about children’s tantrums, the better. The boy left in a huff, and clearly, he tried slamming the jingling door behind him as he stepped out onto the street, but the spring against the top disallowed such havoc, and bounced slowly back. It closed finally with a light click, and the young man was gone.

Releasing the pinch from his nose, Lyrem sighed. He didn’t know which one was worse, that boy who left a trail of disrespect in his wake, or the woman from the previous day who was convinced that she could speak with his mother in the afterlife. The sullen woman wore gems aplenty on her fingers and hanging from ropes and chains around her neck. The wire wrapped amethysts in particular, caused her to look like an easter egg more than a living person. She didn’t take it too kindly when he explained that the stones around her finger were not a genuine turquoise either. By the end of it all, she was rather happy to be finished.

He shuddered, remembering the strong scent of patchouli she left that seemed to linger within his store, even now.. He didn’t have an aversion to patchouli, or to amethyst or turquoise, or even easter eggs… at least he hadn’t one before two days ago.

The rest of the applicants were all the same. Wanted a job, wanted something easy, and for experience- and all the time, Lyrem would ask himself: “experience for what, exactly?” Instead of asking the question aloud, he’d thank the person, and politely send them on their way out, with a promise to call them when he had made a decision.

He wasn’t planning to call anyone.

It was a Tuesday afternoon. The streets would be bustling past four, and if he wanted to avoid it and give himself a break from the eye strain, he would need to go for his coffee now, or not have one until after six. The horror.

He flipped over the sign on the door. It was one of those apologetic ones- as though it would stop a person from throwing a brick through a window for being closed on a weekday. Lyrem locked the door and turned to his right. There was a small local place not far from the corner of the intersection that he had grown accustomed to. If they had the raspberry scones today, he decided he may take one of those as a treat. Lost in thought, he crossed in front of a small white car making its left turn. The car stopped, though no horn was sounded as the engine suddenly died inexplicably next to him.

Lyrem walked around the car and poked his head through the passenger-side window which was open for the cool breeze. The driver looked back at him, his hands gripping the wheel too tightly.

“Pedestrians have the right of way, you know,” he mentioned calmly. Then, he tapped the top of the car twice. It restarted. “Drive a little safer, now.”

The driver suddenly remembered that the car was still in gear, and he moved along, crossing the intersection and left Lyrem behind like everything he had just done was part of some fever dream. He chuckled lightly and turned back down the block.

It was a sun-filled day, without a cloud in the sky, and it was a warm one too. Despite the fact that it was still early April, and the city had only just started waking from its hibernation from the cold, the streets were filling quickly with people.

His coffee took a while, which he forgave only because the end result was quite often a perfection, but he was nearly pouting at the counter as the spot for raspberry scones were replaced with one with blueberries instead. Losing his appetite, his eyes drifted around the rustic establishment. The sounds of a classical guitar filled the room with the unmistakable talents of the virtuoso, Andrés Segovia. It was a nice change from the sounds of folk rock and boy bands. The coffee shop was only getting better and better with age, it seemed.

Against the wall, a cork board was decorated in haphazardly placed notes. Some notes were simply inspirational or funny, some were searching for students for taekwondo or guitar, advertisements for plays and musicals at the local theatre were spread along the outer edges begging to be noticed, and there were a few job postings as well from other nearby establishments, restaurants, including one from a pet store.

He shouldn’t have tried putting an ad on Kijiji at all- not when the perfect people were right here all along. Like Icarus, Lyrem flew too close to the sun, and was burned by the troubling rays of stupidity that came through his door from delving into the ruddy depths of online job hunting. Never again would he make such a mistake.

“Lyre!”

Nodding, he retrieved his cup, and turned back toward the door. He nearly collided with another person, standing close up to the cork board and huffed, not spilling a drop.

“Excuse me,” he muttered.

“Apologies.” The person gave him little notice, but moved off to the side with ease to allow him through.

He furrowed his brows. What was it that was causing him to pause just before reaching the door? There was just… something… off.

It took him a moment before hearing it- the faintest humming to Segovia’s España, Spanish Dance No.10 in G coming from the person who apologized to him for being in the way. Each note timed perfectly to the sound from the speakers in the corner. He turned his head, to a particularly high note, the humming stopped to be replaced with fingers tapping in unison to the notes against their thigh.

“Guitar?” He asked, suddenly beside them. He studied the board also.

“No,” they replied. “Just looking for a job.”

He nodded, grimacing. Raising his hopes one final time, he ventured.

“I have potential work for you. I am hiring at my store’s location down the street. If you are interested.”

“That seems coincidental.” They replied unemphatically sifting through the other job postings there, knowing they were not currently dressed for success. “What store?”

“Mystics. It’s along twenty-third and”-

“-seventeenth, yes, I know the place.”

“Then you’re hired.”

They stopped, and brought their hands down from the board, and turned to stare their deep brown eyes into his of deep hazel- to finally spare a glance to the person wanting their attention.

“I don’t have time for practical jokes- or human trafficking, for that matter,” they said with insistence.

“I’m not joking, and I am definitely not in the business of human trafficking”- Lyrem stuttered incredulously. “I thought you said you knew the place.”

“I do.” They replied. “I’ve just never been in. It’s just one of those ridiculous shops for people to waste their money on colourful rocks. There’s literally a river just under the bridge half a mile from here- infinite supply for none of the coin.”

Taking them by surprise, he laughed.

“You will be the worst salesperson.” He said. More seriously, he added, “look, I really am in need of a person to take care of a few evening shifts and the weekends, I pay well above the average rate for any local retail store, and I’d be able to supply you with health benefits.”

This sudden bargain seemed to be interesting enough for the person to distance themselves from the cork board.

“I’m still finishing high school- under eighteen- is that a problem?” They asked. “It’s been a problem everywhere else”-

“Not a problem.”

They nodded.

“When do I start?”

#whump #whump blog #Mystics by Alpaca #writing #writing blog #Lyrem #chapter one #magical whump #nonbinary character #whumpblr #a little funny

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rikumorimachisgirl · 4 years ago

Text

Bridges

Pairing: Dr. Toshiki Kasumi x OC (Anna)

Fandom: Voltage, RomanceMD

Genre: Fluff and a little angst

Word count: 2,945

Disclaimer: I do not own Voltage or any of its characters, but I own the idea of this fic. Also, CG borrowed from Voltage.

A/N: I wrote this for my good friend @imoonlit-river as a Valentine's Day present. I hope you enjoy this.

It started one afternoon. One terrible afternoon, just after you'd clocked out of a long and grueling shift at the Seimei University Hospital. You sighed. You were used to long shifts, but covering two shifts on your first week on the job was one for the books.

You squinted as you stepped out of the main entrance, the afternoon sunlight shone directly at you. As you trudged to your apartment, you mentally deliberated if taking this temporary assignment was a mistake. Lost in thought, you allowed your feet to carry you through the busy crowd.

'Maybe I should've just stayed home,' you thought silently. It has only been a week since you started, but you have been passed on from one IT department to another, told off twice for misunderstanding instructions, had no one else on the same shift as you, and no one to talk to.

You stopped on your tracks and found yourself on a bridge - the same one you pass every single day on your way to work and back. The vivid hues of the sky caught your attention, and you gasped as you admired the pretty pink palette in front of you. Leaning at the railing, you stared at the horizon, drinking in its beauty, and allowing it to refresh your tired soul.

"Long day?"

A voice beside you made you jump. You hadn't expected anyone to be there - more so, notice you standing there. As you shifted your gaze to the person next to you, you felt your eyes widen in surprise.

"Did I guess right then?"

Your heart hammered in your chest, as the beautiful man standing beside you continued to speak. You shook your head and blinked your eyes a few times to make sure you weren't dreaming. You haven't slept in twenty-four hours, you reminded yourself. Maybe this was all a dream.

Yes, it must be a dream. There was no way that the Seimei University Hospital's Chief of Medicine, and top Cardiologist, Toshiki Kasumi, was beside you looking so cool in his grey hoodie under a crisp blue jacket, and jeans.

"Uh, are you okay?"

"C-c-chief Kasumi!" You blurted out louder than you had intended when you saw his face coming nearer to check on you. "It's you! You're here!"

"Yes, I have been for several minutes now, but you seem to have noticed just now. Are you feeling okay?." He raised his eyebrows to study you, before leaning back.

"I'm sorry, Chief Kasumi," you bowed a lot lower than necessary. "I worked two shifts today to cover for Sena-san. I didn't mean to be out-of-sorts today."

He looked at you quietly before turning his attention to the view in front of you.

"It's fancy seeing you here, Chief Kasumi. Do you cross this bridge, too?" You asked awkwardly.

The silence between you stretched for a few minutes, and you suddenly wished you hadn't asked him a silly question. You kept your gaze low, looking around for a hole you can crawl into and hide.

"Bridges aren't for crossing," he finally spoke, as he tucked his hands in his pocket, and you looked up to see the pink hues had turned purple. "They're for stopping."

"Stopping?"

He simply nodded. "Who knows, maybe we'll stop by the same spot again sometime," he said, and just before he turned to leave, he added, "but only if you stop calling me Chief Kasumi."

***

"You know, you haven't introduced yourself to me properly."

You glanced sideways to see him looking at the same blessed view you admired with him four weeks back. Today was an uneventful Wednesday and you managed to clock out on time.

"Oh, I haven't? I'm sorry. My name is Anna," you replied, smiling.

"And you're here on a temporary assignment?" He asked as he handed you one of the cans of coffee he bought from the vending machine just before.

"For four more months, yes," you said cheerily.

"I see. What's it been like for you so far?"

"The first week was hell," you recalled, sighing. "But lately, Sena-san has been a lot nicer to me. I now have two other teammates on the same shift, so the workload is more manageable. They're also teaching me the ropes so I don't get in trouble."

He simply nodded, keeping his gaze towards the sky, while you secretly stole glances at his picture-perfect profile. Until now, you still couldn't believe you've managed not only to talk to but also to 'hang out' with Seimei University Hospital's most sought-after doctor.

Him. The guy beside you. Cardio surgery's rockstar, EICU's fearless department head - the guy loved and loathed by many because of his top-notch skills and his dazzlingly good looks. Your teammates told you that the most difficult cases always get sent his way, and big shots always requested for him to attend to them. You've seen him in action a few times in the hospital, too, and his intense energy was nothing like the soothing aura he exuded now

"If you have something to say, speak up," he said, snapping you out of your reverie, and you blushed. Just how long has he noticed you staring at him, you wondered, slightly mortified. As the sky turned a darker shade of purple, he cleared his throat and looked your way. "Anyway, I have to go back to the hospital. Are you on your way home?"

"Yes," you managed to reply as he turned to leave. "I hope to cross this bridge and see you here again sometime."

He paused for a moment and turned around. "Bridges aren't for crossing, you know. Did I ever tell you that?"

"Oh. Yes, you did," you suddenly remembered, as your face turned redder. "Well, maybe we can stop by again another time."

"Maybe we will, Anna."

Maybe it was the way he stopped on his tracks to remind you about what he said about bridges or the casual way he called your name that kept rooted on the spot to watch his figure disappear into the crowd, with an unopened can of coffee in hand, and a goofy smile on your face.

***

"I'm glad you were able to restore the files in Kyogoku's computer the other day."

The two of you stood side-by-side at the bridge once again, looking at the pink sky. You had met quite a few times in between, but today, you decided to linger a while longer so you could talk a little bit more.

"It wasn't that hard. All I did was search the servers for the backup of his data. No biggie," you shrugged, as you handed him the sandwich you bought at the convenience store for him while he opened your can of warm coffee for you.

You don't know when this whole thing started, and neither of you seemed to have taken notice, but somewhere between the first time you've met and today, you've made up so many unspoken rules with each other. Rules such as who's turn it is to buy snacks, or which topics are safe to discuss with each other.

But today, you were feeling more daring than usual, so you stared at him again as he was appreciating the beauty of the sky before him.

"You've got something to say?" He finally asked.

"You must love the sky so much, no?"

"I like this one in particular," he said coolly. "This particular view is called the Belt of Venus."

"Belt of Venus…," you mouthed.

"It only lasts for about 15 minutes before the sky turns dark. It's associated with the Greek goddess, of course, and it signifies…" he said before catching himself.

"It signifies what, Dr. Kasumi?" You asked curiously.

He took a deep breath and shook his head. "It signifies a lot of different things to different people."

"What does that signify to you though?" You press earnestly.

"A passing," he said quietly.

Something in his voice pulled at your heartstrings and as you gazed into his grey eyes, you knew there was more to the man beside you than he let on.

Before you could press any further, he moved his hand to tuck a lock of your hair behind your ear and you froze on the spot. He felt you tense up and smiled.

"I have to go back to the hospital, Anna. Take care on your way home, alright?"

All you could do was nod at him as he smiled tenderly and went on his way, leaving behind his uneaten sandwich and your half-finished can of coffee.

He didn't promise you'd stop by together again soon, but something in you knew you would. Soon.

***

"I can't believe the time's flown by so fast!"

You threw your hands in the air excitedly and looked to the sky with a big smile on your face. You're only a month away from ending your assignment in Tokyo, and you couldn't be happier.

He stood beside you, armed with a paper bag filled with sandwiches and chips, and your favorite can of coffee. He smiled silently as you beamed like a child who has just been allowed to go outside and play. It was sunset again, and his calendar was surprisingly clear, so he texted you to ask if you wanted to meet. It was, of course, an offer you'd never say no to.

"Someone's happy," he said as he leaned by the railing, once again staring at the sky.

"Well, duh. Of course, I'm happy. I miss home," you replied, finally settling in beside him. "I can't wait to eat home-cooked meals once again, and talking to people who speak the same Language - no offense meant!"

He snickered softly as you leaned on him, your arm against his while admiring the view in front of you. With you, he seemed less like the dark emperor of the lord of death his colleagues made him out to be - he was simply Dr. Kasumi, a guy who loved the sunset and who loved to listen to your endless - often nonsensical - stories, and humor you with his own.

As you fell into silence, you began to wonder what your days would be like when you went back home. Days without Dr. Kasumi.

Your heart began to hurt at the thought that in a few more weeks, you would have to say goodbye - to put an end to the sunset stops along the bridge to watch this beautiful view, bid farewell to the conversations you've exchanged over convenience store snacks sometimes until late into the night, and say goodbye to the kindest soul you've never even had the chance to know deeper. The thought made you freeze. What's wrong with me?

"Are you okay?" He asked, peering into your face, as you stared listlessly into space.

"That was what you first asked me," you replied, recovering quickly. He smiled.

"Yes, it was," he chuckled, facing you. "Back then, I knew exactly what was going on in your little head after Sena asked you to work overnight."

"And now?"

He sighed. "And now, I'm not sure if your reason is the same as mine," he said, as he backed you up against the railing and trapped you in his arms. "You wanted to know what the Belt of Venus meant to me, right?"

You nodded nervously.

"My dad died when I was little, and my mom always said you could send off your departed loved ones when the goddess appeared. I watched it every day since," he said quietly, his eyes never leaving yours. "And when my mom and my best friend died, I watched the sunset even more. The Belt of Venus means to send someone off - at least that's what it means to me. And I always felt sad when it's over. At least I did until lately…"

"What changed?" You asked, waiting on his answer with bated breath.

"You. You happened," he replied, leaning closer to you until your lips touched his. "You came and saw the sunset with me. And for a time, I forgot to be scared. But now, I need to send you off."

"Dr. Kasumi -," you gasped, as he pulled away from you and straightened up.

"I'm sorry to burden you, confessing as I did," he said, as he reached out to wipe the tears you hadn't realized had stained your face. "Please think nothing of it. I want you to go home and be happy - as happy as you made me in these four months we've watched the sunset together."

He sighed, releasing you from his grip. "And for your sake, I won't stop by anymore. But don't be a stranger when you see me at work."

His image was a blur behind your tears, as he walked away from you, just as he's always done whenever you watched the sunset. Only this time, you had a feeling he was never coming back.

You scolded yourself right there and then. He was just a friendly face, someone who wanted you to feel you weren't alone in this strange place, you reasoned out. You aren't even supposed to cry over him.

But as the night grew darker, the realization of your feelings for him came into light.

You loved him. You were in love with Dr. Kasumi. And you needed to see him one more time.

***

The days leading to your departure went by like a blur, and in the flurry of it all, you had not caught sight of the dark-haired doctor that stole your heart. You passed by his office but were often told he was in surgery or teaching at a conference somewhere. He never stopped by your usual bridge, too.

This isn't fair at all, you thought angrily. How come he gets to confess his feelings and you don't?

Today was your last day at the Seimei University Hospital, and you've made arrangements to stay two more days in Tokyo before flying back home.

This was it, you thought. Your last chance to confront the elusive heart thief they call Chief of Medicine at the EICU. As you peered into the exclusive department, a grumpy looking Orthopedic surgeon looked your way and sighed.

"He ain't here," Dr. Takado said, exasperated. Not that you blame him - he's been in the receiving end of all your inquiries after all.

"I see. Well, thank you, Dr. Takado," you said, bowing politely, much to his surprise.

"Why do you want to see him so badly anyway?"

"It's my last day at work today," you explained, trying your best not to melt under his icy glare. "I- I only wanted to thank him for making me feel like I wasn't a stranger around here."

Something in Dr. Takado's eyes flickered, and his lips stretched into a lazy smile. "Is that so?" He said. "I may be able to help you then, but you gotta tell me something first, got it?"

Relief washed over you as you realized you may have gained an ally in his squad. Smiling, you looked at the kind-hearted doctor in front of you and said, "I'm at your mercy, Dr. Takado."

***

The lovely pink hue tinged the afternoon sky once again, signaling that the day was about to come to a close. Filled with determination, you sprinted towards the bridge at the far end of the river bank. Standing there, just as Dr. Takado promised, was Dr. Kasumi, in casual clothes - the same one he wore when you first met. He stared quietly at the Belt of Venus, his expression solemn, as though he were sending someone off in prayer.

You paused to catch your breath and to calm your beating heart. You wanted nothing more but to run over to him and tell him off, but that wouldn't do you any good, and you knew it.

"Fancy seeing you here," you said, feigning nonchalance.

"Anna?"

"You look like you've just seen a ghost." You walked closer until you stood right in front of him. "What's wrong with our old bridge?"

He looked at you with a scowl on his face. "I said I wasn't stopping by there anymore, didn't I?"

"You also said I shouldn't be a stranger if I saw you at work, but you never showed yourself to me," you retorted. "Don't you think it's cruel to confess your feelings to me and not hear me confess back?"

"What's the point if you're just crossing -," he asked, turning his gaze back to the Belt of Venus as it was starting to disappear.

"Well, what if I said I wasn't crossing anymore?"

He paused and held his breath. And you took it as an opportunity to approach him. Cradling his face in your hands, you forced him to look at you.

"I don't want to just cross the bridge anymore, Dr. Kasumi," you said earnestly, as you gazed into his eyes. "I want to stop. With you."

His breath hitched, but at the same time, you felt his arms around you holding you close. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"I thought it was your last day…"

"Someone may have worked some magic to make me miraculously extend my stay," you respond cryptically, as you returned his hug.

"So, you mean it - you're not going away."

"I said it before and I'll say it again - I won't. I'm staying," you said, pulling away from his hug so you can look at him. "And depending on how this works out, maybe I'll be staying for the long run."

He smiled and touched your cheeks. "Oh, you'll be happy here alright. I'll make sure of it. This is the only place you're stopping - right by my side."

The end.

#dr kasumi x oc #toshiki kasumi #kasumi toshiki #dr kasumi #kasumi x reader #kasumi x oc #kasumi fanfic #romance md: always on call #rmd: always on call #rmd fanfic #iris writes

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starlessskies94 · 4 years ago

Text

Consequence (Joel Miller x OC)

Summary: What if Joel survived his injuries from the Abby and Fireflies attack but ends up with really bad amnesia. He can’t remember his wife, Ellie, or the Outbreak; only before. How will his family bring back the man they once knew?

Pairing: Joel Miller x OC

Note: I will say that this chapter was a hard one to write...not because of story reasons, I'm just don't feel 100% happy with it. I've edited it time and time again; to the point it's driving me mad. So I've decided to post it as it is because I really don't want to keep obsessing over it and want to continue onward as I believe this plot is good and really don't want to put myself off writing it. I'm actually enjoying it so I'm trying not to push myself or be too critical and take the fun out of it.So I do apologise if it's a disappointing chapter and really hope you do enjoy it.

Chapter Five

The whole town was staring at her, she could feel it when she passed. She’d only stepped out for a quick trip to the general store to grab some last minute ingredients for her and Ellie’s supper. And yet she still felt every set of eyes burning into her back as she made her way home.

They’d been gossiping again, it was painfully obvious. Since Joel’s attack and their unplanned...separation, it seemed like everybody had an opinion on the situation.

Some not agreeing with her choice to give Joel his space; claiming she was ‘abandoning’ him, that she was selfish and cruel. Others had fabricated the idea that she herself had actually planned the attack as revenge for an apparent infidelity Joel had.

It was all ridiculous and Ada didn’t know how much longer she could put up with it. She’s been more than grateful to Ellie for covering her shift in the stables for the past couple of days. It had given her some time to escape it all and pretend it wasn’t happening, just for a little while. Ada was downright exhausted from trying to hold it together. She missed Joel like crazy, wasn’t sleeping after being used to sleeping beside him for years and even when she did manage to fall asleep, it was only racked with nightmares.

She continued down the street; backpack in hand with her groceries inside weighing it down as she struggled slightly, but carried on in her rush to get back. Her boots crunching against the slush of melting snowing under foot, it was quickly beginning to thaw; a clear sign that Spring was well on its way. It was hard to believe it had been almost a whole month since Joel’s attack and though Ada hadn’t spoken to him since he’d woken in the infirmary; she still hoped he was doing okay.

She’d kept up to date on his progress through regular updates from Tommy and it had broken her heart when he’d told of the first day he’d returned to find his older brother, a sobbing mess on the floor of his trashed room as he desperately tried to understand what had happened to him.

It had made her question her decision to leave Joel with time to heal. That perhaps it wasn’t what was best for him. But Tommy had told her he was still struggling to piece his timeline together after losing Sarah. He had taken the time to help with the early years of the Outbreak; all the way through to their time in Boston. But then Joel had gotten overwhelmed and hadn’t brought it up since. That had been enough for them to agree Joel wasn’t ready to process his time as a Smuggler and everything else that had come after it.

At times it almost seemed as if he was repressing most of it and if Adaline was honest, she couldn’t blame him. It was a hard life and most wished they could forget the horrid things they’d done to survive. She just deeply hoped that part of him wasn’t holding back his memories of her and Ellie.

It seemed that her deep thoughts had run away from her as she suddenly bumped into a large chest almost slipping on some snow. The tug of large gloved hands stopped her as they held gently onto the small of her back and she managed to steady herself. Ada quickly collected herself as she looked up at the face of her saviour and her heart almost stopped.

“Whoa easy there...you okay miss?” Joel smiled kindly, taking a step back as his arms fell back to his sides. Ada gulped down a gasp, choking slightly at her words before speaking.

“Ye- Yes...Thank you.” She forced, her heart drumming in her chest. Both staring at one another in an awkward silence. She looked at him and almost cried. He stood balanced with a cane in his hand, his kind eyes sore and bloodshot from exhaustion as he looked back at her. His clothes were noticeably loose on his frame, she wondered when he’d last ate. Joel was a terrible cook, it had always been her job to keep him well fed. It had been a long running joke between them but now it just made her hurt. She swallowed hard pulling at the bag in her hand, her feet shuffling as she quickly thought of something to say.

“I’m sorry for walking into you, my mind was somewhere else completely.” She explained pitifully, Joel just smiled again while waving his hand dismissively.

“Nah don’t worry about it, I was just trying to find my way home.”

“Are you lost?” She asked almost too fast, her brows creasing in concern. Her husband cringed at the blatant embarrassment he felt at forgetting his way back after leaving the stables but it’d been a long day and after failing to find his younger brother, Joel was quite content with simply heading home and waiting for Tommy to find him, rather than wander around Jackson all day. Though it had seemed on his way back, he had gotten confused with the winding streets and ended up right back where he started. He blushed at Ada’s concern, his hand reaching up to rub at his neck in that bashful way he always did when he felt flustered. Even now Ada still found it adorable.

“Yeah...You...uh... wouldn’t happen to know where I live would ya?” He asked sheepishly. “Yeah I can walk you back if you want, it’s not that far from my place.”

He nodded, falling into a gentle pace beside her as they walked together. Ada keeping her speed slow enough for him to keep up with his cane aiding his injured leg.

“Hey I wanted to thank you…” Joel started as they continued walking, Ada glancing his way while he continued. “You were a volunteer at the infirmary right? Adaline...You helped take care of me while I was in a bad way. Don’t think I ever managed to thank you for that.”

Ada smiled timidly.

“Yeah that’s me, it's just Ada. You’re welcome. I’m...I’m glad you’re okay.”

They continued walking as the silence fell between them but it wasn’t comfortable like it normally was. It felt strained and rather awkward. Joel would wince at the ache in his bad leg the further down the street they went and Ada could tell he was frustrated with the cane he’d been given to accommodate his injury. He’d always been a bad patient, stubborn and restless; even with something as simple as a cold she had struggled to keep him in bed to rest. Ada would steal the occasional glance at him when he wasn’t looking, it felt strange to miss him now even though he was right beside her. She wanted to hold him, kiss him, even settle for falling asleep together on the couch as a crappy movie played on in the background.

Joel paused as they approached his house...their house. His eyes almost searching hers for something she couldn’t quite place. He smiled sincerely, leaning on his cane the longer he stared at her. They stopped and stood at the bottom of the small set of stairs that led to the patio.

“Think this is me...Thanks for this.” He grinned. “I still can’t remember what the hell happened, been going over it in my head damn near a thousand times and I still got nothing. But I’m grateful your girl and her friends found me when they did.” This caught Ada’s attention, brown eyes snapping back up at Joel.

“You talked to Ellie?”

“Yeah at the stables earlier this morning. Her and her girlfriend...Dina? Yeah that sounds right. She’s a good kid.”

“She is.” Ada agreed. The sadness weighing heavily in her heart at the lost and pain Ellie had struggled with since Joel’s attack. Her mind instantly filled with worry, hoping she was okay. She listened politely to her husband the more he talked about Ellie and the hard work she was doing with Dina and how proud she should be that her daughter was handling things so well at such a young age. Our daughter, she’d thought with a broken heart. Tommy had explained patrols to him a short while ago and he was amazed at how many teenagers had offered to take the watches and joined the ranks to protect the town. It was impressive to Joel to see so many young people step up to take care of their families. Even if he did think some were a little too young to be taking such dangerous routes. Ada smiled at the same old Joel shining through, it made her realise just how much she truly did miss him. She was about to bid him a bittersweet goodbye, preparing to force her away when all she really wanted to do was pull him close, even just for a moment, when he cleared his throat. A serious look darkening his features.

“Listen, I meant to ask before but I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate or not but I uh...heard you in the infirmary not long after I woke up. You were upset, asking about your husband I think, I guess I just wanted to ask if everything was okay.” His words were quiet but she heard them, her breath catching in her throat, heart racing as she panicked, rushing to string her words together to answer.

“Uh...he’s...gone. He went out on patrol a couple weeks ago. He still hasn’t come back yet.” It wasn’t a complete lie. After all, the man that had returned from patrol that day hadn’t been her husband. He was a stranger to her now. A ghost that just looked like her Joel. It struck her as she wondered if that side of him really would stay gone. That there really was the possibility that he really never was going to come back. It turned her cold the more she thought about it.

Joel’s face fell as he dropped his gaze to the floor, a sad sigh brushing passed his lips.

“Damn...I’m really sorry to hear that. I can’t imagine how hard that must be for you. How hard that must be for Ellie to lose her dad like that…”

“You have no idea.” She breathed. Those were the words that came from Ada’s lips but more than anything she wanted to tell Joel how much Ellie missed him. How much they both did. But Ada knew she couldn’t be selfish, telling Joel now would only further overwhelm him, confuse him. And that wasn’t fair on anyone. None of this was. It wasn’t Joel’s fault, he was just trying to be friendly to someone he thought was a simple acquaintance. But Ada didn’t think she could stand there much longer and continue to pretend this wasn’t tearing her apart inside.

She turned pulling at the bag of groceries and forced a small smile Joel’s way as politely as she could.

“I should really be heading back, you think you’ll be okay now?”

“Oh yeah, thanks again. It sounds ridiculous to need help getting to a house you’ve lived in for years but I’m pretty sure I’ve got it now. I’m sorry for prying too, it’s obviously upset you. That wasn’t my intention.” Ada could almost laugh at the fact that even now after everything; Joel could still see right through her mask and sense how she was feeling. It was one of the reasons she fell in love with him. “I’m sorry about your husband Ada... I really hope he finds his way back to you and your girl.”

“Yeah me too.” She didn’t look back as she walked away. She couldn’t. It hurt too damn much.

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

By the time she got home, Ada couldn’t even feel the chill in the air anymore. She was too damn numb to know it was even there.

Her hand was shaking when she reached to unlock the door but found it was already open.

“Ellie?” She called out stepping inside the door. “Ellie you home?” She tried again, making her way through the small house and wandering into the kitchen to put away her groceries. Still nothing.

She noticed her daughter’s jacket and boots thrown in a heap by the back door and rolled her eyes with a huff. I’ve told that girl a hundred times to put her stuff away! She thought in irritation as she moved to tidy them up.

“Ellie!”

There was still no answer and Ada came to the conclusion that the teen must be in her room, headphones in, music cranked up again. Slipping off her own boots, she made her way upstairs. She could hear Ellie stomping about her room, moving to knock at the door before entering. When she stepped inside she hesitated when she saw her daughter rushing around the space, darting back and forth with clothes and packed food. Her gun was cleaned slid into the back of her jeans along with her faithful pocket knife in the back pocket of her jeans. Ada's eyes widened at the maps and, marked photos and tourist leaflets littered across Ellie’s bed.

“Ellie what do you think you’re doing?” She choked out, her voice strained against her suddenly dry throat.

The girl didn’t look up at her mother as she hastily continued to pack.

“What does it look like?” She uttered. “I’m going after them.”

“The hell you are! Put this stuff away now.” Ada ordered, this made Ellie stop. As she looked back at her mom with pure venom in her eyes. Her lips curled in anger. Although it had been nearly a month since Joel's attack, Ellie and Ada still haven't addressed the elephant in the room. The same damn thing that had been hanging over all of them since Saint Mary’s Hospital. The Fireflies.

“So they just get to get away with this?!” She spat at the older woman. The anger boiling in her veins as she stomped back over to the mess of maps on her bed. “Mom I can find those fuckers, Tommy said he’d gotten word they were headed towards Seattle. Dina agreed to help me with this, we can find them and I can-”

“Ellie they don’t matter anymore. It’s over. Joel is what’s important and he needs us here.”

The teen scoffed bitterly at her mother’s words, biting hard on her lip almost drawing blood. Her hands clenched tightly until her knuckles burned.

“They don’t matter?! They almost killed him, tortured him and you’re just gonna let them walk away?!”

“They believe he is dead and we need to keep it that way, you go running after them, whaddya you think they’ll do huh?! Joel needs us here, when he remembers-”

“STOP WITH THE BULLSHIT!” Ellie screamed. “He’s gone mom, don’t you get that?! He doesn't remember us! We mean nothing to him! Stop pretending everything is going to be okay because it fucking isn't! Joel’s gone!" Her mother froze at her words and Ellie gasped as her hand flew to cover her mouth at what she’d just said.

Her brain slowly catching up with her as the tension melted away, the air almost sobering the two as they stared blankly at one another. Brown eyes welled with tears, slowly rolling down Ada’s cheeks. The woman falling to her knees as a wet sob broke from her lips, Ellie rushed to her mother dropping beside her with arms attempting to pull her close.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry mom.” She whispered into her mother’s hair, holding her close against her shoulder. “I shouldn’t...I never should’ve…” She felt at a loss for words. For what could she possibly say to make up for it. It was cruel and she wished more than anything that she could take it all back.

Ellie was tired of hurting people, tired of losing and watching those she loved leave. What good was being the fucking cure to mankind if all it did was bring misery and death everywhere she went?! It wasn’t fair! She hadn’t asked for this, hadn’t wanted to be immune or some special chosen one. Since the day she’d been bitten nothing had been the same and nothing had been easy.

But when she’d finally had the chance to have something good...a real fucking family. It had been cruelly snatched her just like everything else!

Ellie knew how much her mom missed Joel, how heartbroken she was. She held her as she cried for a man they both knew had a strong chance of never coming back. What if he never remembered? She had spoken to him and it had been like talking to a stranger. A man so far gone that he couldn’t even remember her name.

In that moment Ellie broke, collapsing against her mother as she felt hands rub at her back in that soothing way she’d always done since she was a baby. They sat and they cried together. Mother and daughter mourning for a lost husband...and a lost father.

#joel miller #joel miller x oc #joel and ellie #the last of us part 2 #the last of us #the last of us part ii #fanfiction #Starlesskies writes

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be-ready-when-i-say-go · 4 years ago

Text

In A Storm

Bree gets stranded in a storm and just needs to find someone to give her a helping hand.

Calum x Black!OC, Bree. Idk what happened. This post doesn’t actually exist.

CW: 18+ Content (Briefest mentions of sex. It’s an almost fade to black moment, but there’s a tiny teeny amount of details.)

Enjoy my masterlist

You can support me on kofi.

________________________________________

Bree wants to laugh. The light on her car came on twenty minutes ago. She thought then, maybe she should pull over, call her dad and see what she should do. She was so close to her friend, Drew’s house. And maybe it was stupid to negioate with herself that if it went out in another ten minutes she’d continue on and worry about it in the morning. Her lower back and ass was starting to hurt from the long drive though and if Bree was to stop she only wanted it to be at her final destination so she could stretch out and sleep.

Though in Bree’s defense, the light shouldn’t have gone out. If something was really wrong, then it would’ve stayed on. But it went out after a couple minutes. She was nearing her exit when it came back on. It was only another ten minutes according to the GPS. Just another ten minutes and then in the morning, she could get someone to look at the car. Now, not even two minutes from the new house, a whopping three blocks away, her car was slowly puttering to its end.

And breaking down two minutes from her new place wouldn’t be that bad. Things happened. But it was of course during her big move from her parents' place and in with Drew up in the Hills. This move is only temporary. She had a job starting in a week and after stacking up a few checks, Bree was going to put in an application to an apartment complex not too far from her job. But, of course, her car would break down in the middle of a downpour.

The rain was nice at first. Made her feel like she was in her own bubble down the winding roads of the highway. Though she was getting into heavier traffic closer to the city and folks were becoming a bit more impatient in their driving, the rain provided her a little bit of solace. It felt a renewal. Bree was flying the coupe and it felt right that even though it was exciting it was also a little sad. It felt right to have the rain hitting the roof of her car. It made her feel like she was shedding something--though she wasn’t sure what it was just yet.

But she did not need the rain and her car breaking down. Bree flicks on her emergency lights. Fat would have this for her. Fate would have this stored away just for her, at just the most inopportune time. Pulling the car off to the side of the road, Bree listens to the rain falling around her. She exhales, thinking what her next step should be. She’d have to call for a tow. And she’d have to let Drew know that she’d be delayed getting in and she should probably call her dad just to make sure she was handling the situation right.

Reaching for her phone, she taps to end the GPS’s route. She wouldn’t be needing that for a while. Her nails click over the glass screen and just as her fingers hover over her dad’s contact the screen goes back. Her phone started dying just as she got into the neighborhood and now without the car battery on, she was left with no charge. “Let this be a fucking lesson to charge your phone the night before your drive,” Bree tells herself.

Her portable charger box was somewhere in the mass of bags and boxes in her car. She told herself she’d put in her purse before leaving but due to late night last minute packing, Bree’s sure she dumped it somewhere into the depths of those boxes and there was no way she’d be able to unearth it now.

“At least you’re in a neighborhood,” she tells herself, looking for any signs of life behind curtains. “A light, a child, something,” she mutters, looking through the sheets of rain.

And right at the end of the block, a house down from where her car gave up the ghost, Bree spots two dogs in the windows. One fluffy and the other one with a pretty white coat. Normally, Bree wouldn’t be so inclined to just walk up to any old house. But a house with two dogs made her feel better. It felt like a sign. Throwing her phone into her purse, she took a deep breath.

She had just pressed her hair. And sure really it was not anything more than a blow out and a quick rod set, but still it meant that the second the rain touched her scalp her roots would revert, the curls would take back their natural form. Though, that would just have to be a fight for tomorrow. Right now she can’t be sitting in her broke down car with no phone or way to contact anymore.

“Do or die,” she sighs. Sliding the keys from the ignition, Bree leans into the door. “I just did my hair though. God,” she huffs, opening her door. The rain is cool. It’s almost a relief. The door is wet within seconds. Her jeans are no longer the light faded wash but dark denim blue.

It’s another moment before she fully pushes herself out of the car, locks it and then runs up the driveway, purse clutched tight to her side. The rain’s not a chill to her bones. But it’s like a refreshing sip of water. The jog’s stretched out her lower back a little. Under the refugee of this strangers porch, she shakes a little bit of the water from her hair and raps at the door. “Please don’t be a creep,” Bree whispers, biting the corner of her lip. “Also, not an axe murder. Would not be cool.”

______________________________________

Calum walks past the two dogs perched on his couch to the front door. Calum agreed to dog sit Moose for the day while Michael took South to the vet. The poor guy hadn’t quite been eating like before and Michael, the worrier that he is, decided not to wait to check him out. Crystal had gone out of town and rather than letting Michael have to fret over South and Moose, Calum happily offered to watch Moose while Michael took care of what he needed.

Calum’s not really sure what he expected to find on the other side of the door. It could’ve been anyone really--Michael, a mailperson, possibly a random kid asking if they could get access to his backyard to retrieve a rogue ball. But not someone, completely drenched, nervously running her teeth over her bottom lip. “Sorry to bother you. I just need to use your phone. My car broke down. I’m a genius who doesn’t charge her phone before driving 5 hours across the state.”

Calum looks past her, over her shoulder to see a car--he assumes it’s her--pulled over to the side of the road. He looks back to her. The college sweatshirt hanging heavily from her frame thanks to the pouring rain. Her hair sticks to her face a little. Whatever eye makeup she was wearing has started to run down her cheeks. “C’mon in,” he waves hurriedly for her to enter.

“Thanks,” she smiles, stepping inside but not going past the indoor welcome mat. Her shoes squish as she walks onto the hardwood floor.

“Is your car far?”

“Nah, just like a house down. I saw the dogs in the windows. Seemed like a safe bet.” She holds out a hand to the dog intrigued by her. The pure white pup happily sniffs away at her hand while the smaller husky colored dog watches from afar.

Calum turns any shoes suitable to go out into the rain. “I can help you push it closer to my house, that way none of my neighbors get pissy. That’s if you’re okay with getting wet again?”

The woman laughs. “I think I’m passed getting worried about wet. You’re the one that’s bone dry.”

“Not worried about it really. I’m just sick of my neighbors, at this point.”

“Don’t want the HOA on your ass?” she teases.

“God, not again.” Into some old tattered boots, Calum faces her. “I’m Calum by the way.”

“Bree,” she turns, slipping her purse over her head. “Is it okay if I set this inside? The phone’s dead but I don’t want it getting wet or anything.”

“Yeah sure,” he waves to the coffee table.

Both of them pause on the front porch. Bree’s already wet like she said, but now her hair’s truly fucked. There’s no denying that. “Really, I could foot the heat of your neighbors,” Bree offers, not really wanting to go back into the rain.

Calum chuckles beside her. “Let’s say me and the HOA are on thinner ice than before.”

“Thanks. Even though I’m getting you wet. Just want to say that now before we’re both drowning in this downpour.”

“No problem.”

The second her sopping wet shoes hit the first stair, Bree definitely notes the air is cooler now. And it could be because she was already wet once before. And somehow had managed to adapt in the two minutes she was inside Calum’s place to the warmth. Now in the rain again, the chill is definitely hitting her bones. She runs again to her car. Her keys are clicking between her fingers.

Her grip slips around her keyes and she curses before picking them up. Calum’s already positioned at the trunk, waiting on her. It’s a bit of embarrassment that heats her cheeks, sitting inside her car. She hadn’t meant to make anyone else do so much extra work or have anyone else subject themselves to the rain. With fingers gripping tight to the steering wheel, she leans out of the window just a little to let Calum know she’s ready.

Thankfully, she hadn’t coasted super far out from Calum’s driveway. Bree keeps an eye on the nose of her car. It’s slow of course with only one person behind to push. When they get just pass the mailbox, Bree gives a shout and puts the car into park. She throws her head into the steering wheel, exhaling.

Behind her closed lids, all she seems to see is the cut of Calum’s jaw. Why did he have to be hot? Why wouldn’t he have been just some decent guy with two dogs? But he had to be hot and willingly to subject himself to the rain for her. She still has to call a tow truck and Drew, and her dad. There’s not much time for wallowing in the misery life liked to hand her.

Throwing up her door, she finds Calum right at the driver side passenger door. “I can throw your clothes into the wash while you use my phone. Sound okay?”

The rain is clinging to the lines of his face, washing down his cheek and riding the line of his jaw. Bree tries to focus instead of his eyes. But even the rain there, on his lashes, is so goddamn beautiful. “Thanks again, Calum.”

“Don’t worry.” They walk back up his driveway. Calum lets her go ahead of him to get inside. But he leads her down to the bathroom, where Bree stands, still dripping water onto his floor.

The press that she worked so hard is gone. The roots have coiled around each other. The ends are curling and she knows soon, they’ll follow suit. It’s in the mirror that she sees the mascara’s run down her face. She can’t believe she has to look like this, showing up at a strangers door and that stranger being so attractive too.

“I’m literally a drowned rat,” Bree exhales.

“But a cute drowned rat,” Calum returns. In his hands, he holds a towel, washcloth, and a stack of dry clothes out to her. “Pardon that I lack any kind of underwear other than boxers, but I hope they suffice until your clothes are dry.”

Bree nods, heart thundering in her chest. Did he just call her cute? There’s no way her ears heard that. “Thanks. You’re like totally saving my ass right now. But also, like, I do have some clothes in my car. Just means going back outside.”

“Neither one of us is facing that hell storm again. You’ve braved it twice, Bree. By the way, the hot water’s a little fussy. I got it fixed recently but you still gotta talk sweet to it.”

“Noted, charm the hot water.”

Calum points out where to find other essentials in the bathroom and then backs out of the room with a tiny wave, lips lifting into a tiny smile. It feels nice under the warm run of the shower head. Bree definitely needed a little bit of patience with the hot water but once the temperature evened out it became well worth it. Just her luck to work out like this. But she’s immensely grateful Calum’s so understanding. If not, she’d most likely wind up stranded, or she’d be tied up in someone’s basement.

It’s not a thought Bree likes lingering on. But it’s just a reality for her. She hadn’t necessarily helped herself. When the light first came on, she could’ve found a car shop nearby. She could’ve waited there for a few hours, got it fixed and saved herself this trouble. Bree won’t be making anymore negotiations when it comes to her car anymore. That’s a lesson that really only needs to be learned once and she’s received the message loud and clear.

Outside the shower, she takes in the gray t-shirt with splotches of white on the lower torso and sweatpants offered up to her. It feels all too intimate, to be wearing someone else’s clothes. Bree doesn’t know anything besides his name. And well, he has dogs. And he’s cute. And he has a fucking nice house. Though she hasn’t seen a lot of it, Bree already feels how cozy it is. It’s lived in, with decent space. It’s full. Calum’s house feels full even if it’s just him in the house with two dogs.

Bree likes that feeling, walking into a house and feeling how bright and warm it is. It told her more about Calum, that he had this very embracing and calm energy about it. But that didn’t fully negate the fact that he was a stranger. And she was a stranger to him and she was still standing in a towel. Slipping into the clothes presented, she gathers her clothes into the towel, hopefully to keep from making an even bigger mess of her evening.

Outside the door of the bathroom, Bree’s immediately greeted by one of the dogs. She’d guess they’re a toy poodle, but she can’t tell for certain. “Hi,” Bree coos, bending down to scratch behind one of their ears. “What’s your name?” The pink collar and tag tap just a little in the excited pants. “Oh, you look ear scratches huh, girl?”

“That’s Moose. Old man’s Duke. He’s not a big of people. So I apologize in advance.” Calum’s comes from further in the house. His t-shirt and shorts now changed into sweatpants and a ribbed tank.

“So Moose and Duke, your partners in crimes?”

“Moose isn’t mine, as sad as I am to admit it. She’s a friend and I’m just dog sitting for a little bit. Duke’s my precious old man.”

Bree’s heart shouldn’t clench like it does. Precious old man, why not just stick a knife into her chest. There’s no way to tell how long Calum’s had Duke but it’s abundantly clear that Calum adores Duke. “We can say Moose is your partner in crime too. Even if it’s just for a day.”

Calum chuckles. “Yeah. And as you can see, she’s not afraid to get what she wants.”

Bree nods, turning her attention back to Moose for just a moment and pressing a soft kiss to the top of the dog’s head.

“I can take those, by the way.”

Calum’s hand is outstretched, ready to take the damp clothes from her. Bree shouldn’t be staring at the veins in his hands and forearm. Nor should she be wondering what the back of his knuckles feel like against her cheek. But Bree could absolutely wonder how to prove to Calum’s old man that she was trustworthy--and that is a much safer thought.

Bree hands over the makeshift sack. “Thanks, again.”

It’s a curt nod. The smile seems genuine though. “I’ll get this into the wash.”

Bree stays where she is for the moment, both hands scratching at Moose’s chin.It’s safer to say here. It’s safer to just give into Moose and give her all the affection because if Bree stands, she’s going to do something reckless, like peek through a room or try to find the laundry room just to steal another glance at Calum.

His departure doesn’t last long enough. Calum comes padding back down the hallway, the soft recessed light reflecting off his skin. The hum and rumble of the washer is clear as it echoes throughout the house. “If you’re calling for a tow,” Calum starts, holding out his phone. It’s unlocked and on the keypad. “You’re risking the rain again.”

Bree groans sliding to her butt and resting against the wall. “You’re right. I’m just moving in with a friend for this new job and I didn’t anticipate my car breaking down during my drive.”

Calum leans into the wall opposite from her. “How far away is it?”

“Literally it’s like two blocks from here. A light came on and I didn’t pay attention to it and I’m just a fucking idiot.”

“Hey, no, it’s alright. Shit happens all the time.” Calum sides down the wall, squatting. “You can spend the night here. I know it’s only two blocks, but the weather’s a fucking mess. I can help you move and you can get your car towed to a shop. It all works out.”

Bree wants to tell him to shut the fuck up. She wants him to take back everything he just said. There’s no way she can survive a night in this man’s home. “I don’t want to impose. Maybe the rain will let up.”

Calum shakes his head. “Really, just spend the night. We can transfer whatever you need into my truck in the morning and once the truck gets your car I can take you to your friend’s house.” Calum smiles softly when he spies Moose curling up into Bree’s lap. “Besides, Moose likes you. I think she’d be sad to see you go.”

“But your old man Duke, I might have to put some work in with him.”

“He’s gotten better. Just talk sweet to him.”

Their laughter is soft. Bree rests her head into the wall. She still has his phone and she’s reminded that she ought to call Drew. “You’re right. I don’t want to go back out into that rain.”

He motions with two fingers and Bree hands back the phone. The unlock is quick. “Make your calls. I got tea, coffee. I think there’s hot chocolate if you want that. If you haven’t eaten, we can figure that out too.”

“You do realize that I’m like practically a stranger. I showed up at your door like a fucking drowned rat. You didn’t even tell me my mascara had run.”

He knows all that. Calum doesn’t need to be told that. And sure it probably sounds dumb and definitely a little stupid. But there was something about Bree that makes him worry less. It helps that she hasn’t flipped, hasn’t given out any indication that she knows who he is. And maybe it’s not safe to assume that she doesn’t know. But he has a strong feeling that if she did, they wouldn’t be having such an easy conversation. His gut would tell him if something was suspicious.

“You looked pretty stressed out. I didn’t think you needed to know that your mascara was giving you raccoon eyes.”

With the phone to her ear, Bree glares at Calum. It’s playful and he laughs in returns, before pushing up off the wall. Moose sits with Bree but watches as Calum carries himself into the kitchen. He ought to be ashamed. He ought to feel more guilty at the way he wonders what she looks like beneath his clothes. And it doesn’t help, not at all, that she looks cuter, in his clothes than he ever did.

It’s comforting to know now at least Bree seemed to be less tress. When she first stood in front of him on his porch, her brown eyes were blown, shifting her weight. She looked somewhere between frustrated and almost amused. Like she had expected something like this to happen to her. Though, there was still an air of apprehension and worry.

“I’m safe,” Bree says. Her voice carries throughout the house. “Just some car trouble. I’ll get it seen in the morning. Yeah, yeah, I’m okay.”

The conversation soon ends but it’s only another minute before her voice picks up again. “Hey, Dad. Yeah, it’s me, Bree. Had to borrow another phone for like two seconds. Anyways, car went flatline on me. But I’m okay and safe for the night. Gonna get it checked out in the morning.”

There’s a pause. Calum pours a glass of water, figuring that’s the safest bet until Bree gets off the phone. “Yeah, Dad. Really I’m safe. In a..hotel...No the car’s not just out on some highway. Just--” Whatever Bree was about to say clearly doesn’t outrank her father’s statement. “I don’t have an estimate yet. Hopefully it’s not too much. I don’t know. I’ll worry about that tomorrow….Thanks. Love you too.”

Bree’s glad the house isn’t a maze. It makes finding Calum a lot easier. But as she settles onto the barstool, sliding his phone back to him, she does wish she had more time to mentally prepare for Calum’s gaze. His eyes are warm, and inviting. That’s not a thing she needs to be worried about right now. Right now, she’s got to worry about her car and moving, and paying to fix her car.

“Have you eaten yet?” Calum turns to the fridge, listing off the options he has, even offers ordering something for her if none of his options sound appealing. “Tea, coffee, hot chocolate. Which I’m like ninety percent sure I already offered, sorry.” It’s paired with a soft chuckle.

Bree did eat. She made sure to text her dad when she stopped and when she got back onto the road. But maybe it’s just the adrenaline, the stress of her car, and maybe it’s partially something to do so she doesn’t say something stupid, or completely left field. “Hot chocolate would be nice.”

Just as Calum sets the mug down, a buzzer sounds. Both dogs bark for a moment before quieting down. “I put a blanket in the dryer. Just in case you were cold,” Calum explains. “Did you want it or is that overkill?”

“You--you didn’t have to. But I appreciate it.”

“Yeah, no, of course.” He knows he’s staring. Her smile is bright and shows off all her teeth too. Like she’s not afraid of anything, or maybe she’s learned to put on a smile even when she’s terrified. His gaze lingers a little too long on her lips. The way she works her teeth over the skin, but they’re still full. Calum wonders if they’re soft too. “So,” he starts, spinning to face his cupboards, “you said you were moving? Just a couple blocks down?”

Bree nods, eyes trailing down his shoulders and back that flex as he grabs onto the blue box. “Yeah-yeah. Got a new job and a friend of mine agreed to let me crash with them until I got an apartment. Wanted to save up some more money before throwing myself into the woes of financially living alone.”

Calum hums, tearing open a packet. “Sounds like we’ll be neighbors. At least for a little bit.” Paws click on the floor. Too light to be Moose and when Calum glances down, he spies Duke lapping at his water bowl in the kitchen.

“I mean, it’s a couple blocks,” Bree insists. If she says that, if she puts more distance between them, she won’t be tempted to drive through his neighborhood and she won’t be tempted to make a joke about staying over more often. She won’t make any moves tonight either.

“Close enough,” Calum says. “A couple blocks, a couple minutes. I’m sure you’ll always remember this street though, after tonight.”

“Oh, definitely.”

Her drink finished, Calum hands over the mug. Their fingers brush, just a split second in time, hardly enough time to really know it’s happening, yet they know anyway. Bree tightens her hold around the warming ceramic. It’s still too hot to really take a drink. But Bree sips from it anyway, after a couple gentle blows onto the dark brown sweet drink. She prays, chants to herself, that she most definitely should not linger too long on the thought or the way her skin felt electric.

“You sure you’re not hungry? I really don’t mind ordering you something.” Calum clears his throat. There aren’t many times Calum’s glad that the bar seat has a counter at waist height, but this time in particular he’s grateful. His spine still tingles just a little.

“I ate already, thanks.”

“Any dessert? I’ve got ice cream and there’s a great place not too far that delivers cookies.”

Dessert. It’s not even the fact that Calum asks. It’s how he asks. His brows shooting up on his face, thumb pointing over his shoulder to his fridge and freezer. It’s the way he bites his own lip, leaning into the counter on his elbows. Bree’s not sure if it’s some secret language, if he’s asking more than just the tub of sugary confection in his freezer.

“Really, I’m okay. Thank you.”

Calum nods. “Yeah, okay. No problem. Well, I gotta check on that load of laundry. But feel free to watch TV, snuggle with Moose, see if you can champion Duke’s heart. You’re free to whatever’s in the kitchen.”

It’s a curt nod as Bree works down another sip of her drink before Calum leaves. Once she’s sure he’s gone down back into the depths of his place, she drops her head onto her neck. Fuck me, she mouths. She can text Drew, let them know the true details of what the hell is going on. Though Bree knows the response will be a swift, You better fuck him and I want deeds.

Her phone. It’s still dead. Turning on the stool, she spots her purse still on the coffee table and both dogs curled up on one end of the couch. They watch her with curious eyes as she walks over. Thankfully an outlet is nearby with a phone charger already snug into the outlet. Nothing was plugged into it. She hoped Calum wouldn’t mind for the time being.

Plugging in her phone, Bree settles onto the far end of the couch, letting Duke have his space. But Moose is not shy and walks over, head resting in Bree’s lap. “Help me win over Duke, Moose.”

Moose’s response is turning to her back, gazing expectedly. “Okay, sure, since you’re yanking my leg,” Bree laughs, rubbing her hand over Moose’s belly. Duke still doesn’t seem bothered by her presence. She can’t tell if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Though she’s inclined to say good. He could be barking, and yet, he’s just watching, assessing Bree.

“I get it,” Bree states to Duke. “You’re thinking, sussing me out. I respect that.” Bree didn’t want to be the type to be nosey but staring at the living room and the house itself. What did Calum do? Drew had a decent break in the producing and DJing world and bought a house up here. Does Calum do something similar? And if so, why wasn’t he more worried about having some stranger in his house?

Bree’s phone buzzes. Text messages from Drew and her dad. Old alerts from various group chats and email alerts that were all muted all she drove. Just as she reaches back for it, a snout presses into her hand. “Moose, you’re literally getting snuggles right now,” Bree laughs.

“Oh, he’s not going to like that.”

Bree looks up to Calum who’s grinning and then down to the snout. She gasps at the sight of Duke resting his head against her hand, his body curled up next to her. “Oh my god, oh my god. Is this real life?” she whispers, looking up to Calum.

“Yeah, this is real life.”

“I would literally die for you and I just met you,” Bree chuckles mostly to herself, gently petting the top of Duke’s head.

Calum tries not to think about how Duke really isn’t all that fond of new people. And for him to curl up next to Bree is an amazing feat. Does Duke sense something Calum can’t? Or maybe they’re both sensing the same thing, that Bree’s striking and funny. And above all, she’s safe. It’s almost like Calum’s known her forever, but maybe Calum just wants to feel that, so it makes everything he’s feeling and on the verge of doing make sense.

“You do realize I literally don’t care if you want to change the channel,” Calum returns, settling on the opposite end of the couch.

“This is literally your house! I don’t want to be disrespectful.”

Bree is a puddle of dogs and is sinking into the cushions of his couch. Calum risks a glance from the movie. He thinks it’s one in the Batman franchise but he can’t be sure. The curls have become evident, even though she’s tried to tame them into a high bun. Her cheeks are full, much like his.

“So what brings you into town? I think you mentioned a new job? You don’t have to get too deep into it if you don’t want to.”

“Yeah, I interned remotely at this magazine for a while. Wrote articles, did some shoots for them. It was mostly music based, looking at underground and indie artists. They had to lay some folks off. But I was already looking to go elsewhere. Got hired and getting paid more so now I’m moving into the city since it’s not a remote position. My friend Drew’s letting crash with her. I got hired like last week so I hardly had any time to find a place or anything.”

“Drew? Like Drew with the dreads who’s literally DJing at almost every club in this fucking state Drew?”

“You know her?” Bree asks.

“Yes! I met her in the studio a couple times. I didn’t even realize she was in the neighborhood.”

“Studio?” Bree figured Calum had to be a creative type and very successful at that. She just hadn’t suspected that thought to be true.

“I dabble,” Calum returns, shrugging his shoulders. Dabble sounds betters, doesn’t put too much pressure or anything.

“Looks like dabbling is working out well for you.”

“So, do you shoot shows for certain bands or just whoever?”

“Just whoever. In some ways I want to be on the cutting edge. A few bands from the old magazine I covered caught a wave. I don’t want to say I’m the reason why, but,” the sentence trails off into a fit of giggles.

“But you’re the reason why,” Calum concludes with a laugh. The two of them talk for hours. Bree telling Calum about the embarrassing trip to the gas station when she realized she had pulled in the wrong way to fill up her tank today and how when she was a kid she’d constantly mix up her left and her right. She still does if she’s honest, so she’s the worst person to ask for direction.

Calum doesn’t share a lot, the occasional story about when he and his friends lived a house together and going a little too hard on the whiskey in coffee and how once he split his pants during a jig. Though mostly Calum just let’s Bree talk. He finds that she can go a mile a minute but she’s good about pulling at certain strings. When she brings up knowing Drew since they were kids, and Calum mentions his friends, she asks about them. Just what it was like growing up with them and what about living with them that he misses.

“Honestly, I’d rather talk to you than be interviewed by any other talk show hot for a decade at least.” Calum states it only after realizing it’s nearing midnight. Michael’s come and gone to pick up Moose. Bree’s hot chocolate has turned cold.

“It’s because I hate interviewing people. I like having conversations,” Bree returns. Duke’s settled between them, facing Calum now but doesn’t shy away when Bree scratches along his back.

“I’m not much of a talker, normally.”

“If that’s your way of saying I’m talking too much, you can just say it. I’m used to it.”

Calum shakes his head. “No, no, not at all. It’s just, you’re easy to talk to, that’s all.” Bree curls up, feet tucked under herself as she faces Calum. HIs t-shirt seems to swallow her up but also she wears it like she owns it, the front tucked into the band of the sweatpants just a little. “Like really easy to talk to,” Calum whispers, trying not to imagine the sight of her beneath him. He hasn’t had something like this--a conversation that could last hours and the ease to almost spill his guts-- in years outside of the guys.

“I know I’ve probably said this like a thousand times, but really thank you. For helping me out. It means a lot.” Bree looks up from her lashes. She knows that look that Calum’s giving her. It’s the eyes from when he questioned dessert. She didn’t want to believe that he was into her, not like that at least.

“You--Really, it’s nothing.”

His gaze hasn’t faltered, as if he’s reading every thought behind her skull. It’s intense and god, it’s not the thing she needs. Keep it together, she reprimands herself. “I’m just, I’m going to dump this.” Bree stands, taking her mug into the kitchen.

“No, no let me,” Calum rushes, pushing to his feet. “You’re the guest.”

Bree wishes Calum had stayed on the couch. She needed to get away, just to breath and think clearly for two seconds. But Calum’s right behind her and his hand reaches out behind her to take the mug. At the sink, they face each other. Close enough that she can feel just how warm he is, smell the Old Spice body wash she saw under the sink on his skin.

“Really, I don’t mind. You’re already doing a lot today.”

Calum didn’t realize just how tall Bree was until now. She stands just about eye to eye with him, only off by a few inches. Four or five, if Calum had to venture a guess. And it would be so easy to kiss her. Just drop his chin a hair and capture her full pouty lips. “Helping someone in need isn’t a lot.”

Bree exhales her laughter. “It’s not a lot when you’re a good person, that’s for sure.” She tugs at the mug just a little, pulling into her body just a hair. There’s not much space between them at it stands. “Please,” she whispers. She doesn’t even know what she’s saying please for. Is it please let me wash the damn mug and walk away? Or is please just kiss me already so there’s no more dancing around this tension?

Calum moves the mug, both of them moving along with his instrumentation. The mug settles into the basin of the sink with a soft thud, the spoon clicking against the sides. “Please what?”

And the words are falling from her lips before she can stop herself. “Kiss me.”

Calum exhales just a hair and cups her jaw into his palm. Bree meets him though, closes the already centimeters between them. Their lips touch for a brief moment. It feels like the first sip of ice cold water on a hot water. It’s satisfying, makes you exhale in relief and it’s only in that moment as the first slides down your throat that you realize how thirsty you’ve been. Calum secures a hold to her waist, pushing her into the counter. Their lips meet again, and again, slightly harsh exhales as hands pull at t-shirts and tanks.

Calum trails a hand under the hem of the t-shirt, running his palm over her stomach and side. Bree shudders at the touch, head falling back on her neck. Calum seizes the opportunity to lay a trail of kisses across her throat. Her sighs are like literal music to his ears. He sucks at the skin to hear it again. And he’s greeted with something much better. Bree moans, arms locking around his neck. Her fingers dance along his shoulder and back and when her head finally reconnects, she reconnects her mouth to Calum’s.

The kitchen turns into a bedroom. All Bree focuses on is the feel of Calum against her, as shirts are shed and pants too. Calum swallows down every sound she gives him. He drinks in the sight of her, head thrown back into his pillows, and legs wrapped around his waist. Bree kisses along his biceps, teeth grazing over the tattoos on his skin. Their senses fill with each other, the sighs, the moans, the pleas, the encouragement and even the awkward shuffle and giggles. Calum never wants to hear his name for another set of lips ever. Not with the way it falls so easily from Bree’s mouth. Bree hums when she hears the grunted curses Calum exhales as his hips rock into hers.

With Calum’s arm draped over her naked waist, he presses a kiss to her cheek. Bree turns to face him, a grin at her lips. “I’m washing that damn mug. Just so you know.”

Calum laughs, shoulders shaking and he squeezes at her waist. “Why am I not surprised at that fact?”

“I don’t care if I have to sneak out of the bed at 5 in the morning. I’ll do it.”

And true to her word, Bree does wash the morning. It’s helped of course when Calum’s alarm goes off and in the shuffle of him rousing awake and trying to turn if off, Bree slips out from the sheets. She throws on his t-shirt again and bolts to the kitchen. The morning is nice though, though she has to steal clothes from the trunk of her car before they can transfer all the boxes into Calum’s SUV.

Calum closes the trunk down, wearing the t-shirt she borrowed and in jeans. Sunglasses cover his face while a trucker hat hides away the curls. “Tow truck said what time again?”

“10 am. So another,” Bree checks her phone, “10 minutes, hopefully. Thanks, again.”

“Really, don’t worry about it. And you can stop saying thanking me. I know it’s a thing you’re probably going to do like a thousand more times.”

Bree swats at his arm. “Look here, I’m trying to be polite. You can be a sour puss elsewhere.”

Calum cackles. “Sour puss? That’s a new one. Also, you sure you don’t want any breakfast? I know a place nearby. Great pancakes.”

“Not much of a breakfast person.”

He nods. “Noted. What about lunch?”

“Yeah, I’m definitely a lunch person.”

“Good, because they have good sandwiches and fries too.”

“Was-Did you just ask me on a lunch date?”

The rumble of a truck cuts through the open air. Both of them turn to see the tow truck coming down the block. Once Bree gets the finalized details about which car shop they’re taking her car and giving said car shop the okay to call her once it’s ready, Bree turns to Calum. “You never answered my question and if it is a date, I’m paying.” Calum insisted on helping her out by paying for the tow.

Calum’s smile is bright. “I’m not a cheap date.”

“I’m sure you’re not.”

“Is Drew home? Do you have a key? We can drop your stuff off, eat, and then check up on your car?”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

“I know you said you’re bad with directions, but I need you to navigate.” It’s not hard or long before they reach Drew’s place. Not quite long enough for a full song to finish. Drew’s out on the porch when the two of them roll up.

She laughs, leaning onto the railing. “Bree when you told me you got stranded I thought you landed on the side of the road. Fancy meeting you again, Calum.”

“Hi, Drew. Turns out we’re neighbors.”

Drew arches her eyebrow, looking at back at Bree. Bree holds up her hands. “I’ll explain everything later. Over dinner.” Calum tries to bite back his grin, but glances over to Bree. The question dances across his eyebrows, everything everything? Bree rolls her eyes, going to the trunk.

____________________

When a knock sounds at Calum’s door, he almost doesn’t answer it. That laziness is helped by the fact that he was almost on the verge of sleep. But another knock immediately follows it. “Coming!” he calls out. He checks his phone first, but sees no text from Bree.

As the door cracks open, Calum’s greeted with a bright smile. Bree stands at his door. No rain this time, no mascara running down her face. Just her full cheeks and pouty lips and bright smile. “You said you’d text me.”

“I made cookies,” she returns, holding up the carrying tray. “As a thank you.”

Calum laughs, opening the door wider to let her in. Bree walks in and immediately spots Duke on the couch. “My precious boy!” she coos.

Calum takes the tray knowing that she’ll get distracted soon enough. It’s been a little over three weeks since Bree showed up at his doorstep. Most days they call, or text. Occasionally, Calum drags her out of the house to grab dinner with him or a couple drinks. There’s some unspoken rule, an energy between them. They keep it casual. But even still conversations on the phone can go until 2 in the morning. Calum just listening to the sound of her voice. He asks nearly any question under the sun just to keep her talking.

Bree asks more about the band, never crossing a line. Mostly to see how the other guys are doing, especially their dogs. Calum tells her a bit more about the music he’s making but work is mostly kept separate. Bree doesn’t want Calum to think she’s using him. Calum asks about projects but never makes her divulge more than she’s comfortable with.

Calum cracks open the tray and sees a mass of chocolate chip cookies displayed in front of him. He picks one off the top and the center practically melts in his mouth. He hums at the taste but knows there’s no way he can have that many cookies in his house. “This is too many cookies,” he calls out over the bite.

“That’s why it’s called sharing!” Bree returns, kissing the top of Duke’s head. She wonders into the kitchen, taking a cookie as well. “Did I interrupt a nap? I’m sorry.” His eyes are puffy and he keeps blinking.

“Was trying,” he admits, lower back resting into the edge of the counter.

“I’m sorry! I’ll go. Oh my god, really. I didn’t mean to intrude.” Bree is quick to push away from the counter and almost gets to the front door. Calum’s quick though and wraps her waist up in her arms.

“Nap with me?”

“I’m not sleepy. I just wanted to stuff my face with cookies and cuddle Duke.”

“You can do that, just stay with me please.” He buries his nose into her neck, inhaling the scent of her shampoo. He covers her neck in kisses between pleas. Bree giggles at the light scratch of Calum’s scruff. He’s started letting the bread grow out, even though it’s a slightly pitiful excuse of a beard.

“Fine, fine, fine. I’ll stay.”

With her head resting on his chest, she listens to the steady rhythm of his heart. His hold is warm, but not uncomfortable. Duke’s at their feet and Bree thinks maybe she could take a nap. It wouldn’t hurt at all. Especially not if it was a nap on Calum’s chest. It was crazy to her, to think that fate had stranded on the side of a street but also introduced her to a great friend. And maybe there was more. Maybe there’s more for them down the road. But for now, they had an understanding.

“Did you think when you showed up at my door like a drowned rat this is what would happened?” Calum’s voice is soft and a little mumbly.

“No, I was bracing for you to be a serial killer. And instead you’re a serial cuddler, so I’ll that that any day of the week, hands down.”

They laugh, chest shaking against each other. “I’m a lover, not a fighter.”

“It’s much appreciated,” Bree says in a whisper. She lifts her head just a little. His eyes are close, lashes practically brushing long his cheek. She lightly traces the moles around his mouth and cheek.

“That’s not napping, Missy.” Her response is a soft kiss and Bree rests her head against on his chest, arms squeezing at his waist. The moment is still and feels like it could never be broken.

______________ Tagging @5-secondsofcolor for your morning reads.

#calum hood #calum hood fanfic #calum hood fic #calum hood one-shot #calum hood blurb #calum hood imagine #calum hood x black OC #5sos #5sos fanfic #5sos fic #5sos imagine #5sos blurb #5 seconds of summer #5 seconds of summer blurb #h writes

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neerasrealm · 4 years ago

Note

platonic ivan x reader. ft. am dhaegar. please. my soul needs it.

AYY this is based off a convo we had in pms. sorry this took so long HDFHSJ i just kept losing energy n stuff whoops. but anyway iVAN MY BOY!! i dont write about my ocs nearly enough lol. this is set in the future au i guess? idk its a few months after zalgo gets yeeted into a coma and his brother Am has finally decided to stop sulking in the void. and also Ivan is his pet cat

It’s...such a big house. Bigger than you thought it’d be. When they told you they were going to live somewhere among humans, you thought they’d try something...subtle. Simple. Quaint. But no, apparently their idea of ‘’blending in with normal people’’ is a gigantic, upperclass house in New Orleans. It’s so….fancy. It makes you feel guilty for only bringing a basket of cheap store-bought muffins as a housewarming present. Should you have brought champagne? Do- do they even drink champagne...?

You open the metal gate and walk down the garden path. It’s all so...rich...and white. You stop on the porch and grab the fancy door knocker. When that doesn’t get a response, you look around for a doorbell. Oh! Okay- you ring the bell and step back a bit. There’s some muffled thumps from inside, and a silhouette appears in the glazed glass of the door and then-

‘’y/n!’’ the door swings open and someone reaches out, yanking you inside. You’re hugged tight against a strong, cold body. You hear the door shut behind you. If anyone was watching you from outside, they’d probably assume they just witnessed the last moments before your murder. But no, you’re not going to be killed, even though the hug you’re stuck in feels like it.

‘’Ivan- Ivan, buddy, you’re crushing me-’’ you grunt out. You’re dropped and you shift your muffin basket in your arms. Yeah no being hugged with a muffin basket in between you isn’t good, don’t recommend. Thankfully there’s plastic over the muffins, so they’re fine. Mostly. You look up at your friend, Ivan. from the name you’d be expecting some burly russian stereotype, but no. Because stereotypes aren’t funny 90% of the time.

Ivan is tall and strong, yes, but- well- he’s not...human. He’s a demon. Specifically, a demon made of ice cream. Yeah you heard me. His hair, if you could call it that, is just some drips that hang over the top of his head like hair, covered with pink and green sauce and random sprinkles. His ‘skin’ is coloured cream and pink, with the occasional splatter of chocolate. His hands are the same, but with the addition of claws. His legs are bent, like an animal’s, and he has a large tail that swishes behind him, topped with an ice cream scoop of all things. He’s wearing his usual pink button-up shirt and blue jeans. He grins at you with colorful gumdrop teeth, the cones on the top of his head tilting up as if they were ears. You soften and smile at him.

‘’It’s good to see you too, bud.’’ you murmur. You glance around the front hall. ‘’So...this is where you guys are living…?’’

‘’Uh-huh!’’ Ivan gives a nod and looks around. ‘’Pretty fancy, huh? Never thought I’d see a loser like me in a place like this…’’

‘’Yeah, your truck out front looks so out of place.’’

Ivan turns to you and glares at you. ‘’Hey! Be nice to Vanessa!’’ he growls. You laugh a bit.

‘’Sorry, sorry.’’ you reply quickly. Ivan loves his truck. He did live out of it for years after all, so you can’t really blame him. ‘’So...is she retired now?’’ you ask. He blinks.

‘’Heheh, no. She’s got fuel in her yet. I’m just gonna stop sleeping in her.’’ he shrugs and turns. ‘’C’mon, lemme show you around!’’ you follow after him quickly. The front hall is large, with doors to either side and one at the back besides the stairs. You follow Ivan through the door at the back and find yourself in a large room. To your left is the kitchen. It’s large and modern, with not one but two ovens stacked on top of each other, AND a kitchen island. Across the wall from you is a series of full-body windows that bask the room in light. There isn’t much else in the room- in fact, the only furniture is boxes, wooden stools and folding chairs. Actually looking closer- the boxes being used for tables are from Ikea. You look at Ivan.

‘’...where’s your stuff?’’

‘’Oh! We haven’t built the furniture yet.’’ Ivan chuckles. ‘’It’s fine! We’ll get to it soon.’’ he adds.

‘’...huh.’’ you reply. Ivan looks away from you and frowns. He pads away from you, the claws on his feet clicking against the tiles.

"Am! Am, y/n is here!" He calls. You hear thumping coming from another room and then a large, eldritch creature steps into the room. He's gigantic though you know he's not even at his full size. His body is covered in soft fur, save for his hands, feet and face, which are all made of ice. A collar of bright amethysts circles his neck. He has no mouth, just dozens of eyes. The biggest one, right in the centre of his head, is closed. He has a gigantic tail, spiked with sparkling gems, and a pair of wings that are just barely visible behind him..

"Y/n!" He exclaims in a deep, but surprisingly soothing voice. How he speaks with no mouth you have no idea but at this point you've given up on questioning that kind of thing. He walks towards you and crouches down, tugging you gently into a very careful hug against his chubby, fluffy body. You laugh a bit. Am is a lot more gentle, like a kind old grandpa. You pat his chest.

"Hey big guy." You greet. He chuckles a bit and moves away. You hold up your muffin basket. "Brought you a housewarming gift."

His eyes, at least some of them, widen. "Oh!" He reaches out and gently takes the basket in his big ol hands. "Thank you y/n, you shouldn't have." He murmurs. Ivan skitters over and grabs one, unwrapping it quickly and taking a bite.

"Yeah, you shouldn't have." He parrots through a mouth full of muffin. Am pets his head affectionately.

"Yeah I did." You say with a smile. "It's a human custom. You are trying to learn to fit in with them after all." You add with a wink. Am looks surprised.

"Oh! Oh- well, alright then." He gives you a sheepish look. "Come, come, sit down. Can't leave you standing there." He gestures for you to follow him over to the other side of the room so you can sit down in one of the lawn chairs. Ivan runs after him, far quicker than necessary, and throws himself onto...a box. He lays down, curling up like a cat. Am pats his head as he walks past him and sits on the ground. You roll your eyes and go over to join them.

"So how're things back at the mansion?" Ivan asks as you sit down in a cheap blue lawn chair.

"It's alright. Crowded- since we got so many new people…" you chuckle a bit. "There's these two kids, Doby and Toby and I can't tell which one's which! They hang around each other constantly! And then you throw Cody into the mix and I have no idea who's who!"

Ivan laughs, his tail swishing. "Sounds rough," he takes the last bite of his muffin and crumples up the wrapper. "How're the kids?"

Ivan has always had a soft spot for children. Especially the ones in the mansion. "Sally is- well- Sally. She's still trying to keep everyone in high spirits. Slendra...she's become really mature honestly. She helps EJ in the medbay, she cooks meals, she cleans and gardens- she's a good kid...I think she's trying to help keep Slender from overworking himself."

Ivan smiles. "Awe. That's sweet."

"She's such a kind girl…" Am murmurs. You smile a bit. Slendra is technically his niece, and even though they barely know one another, the two seem to adore each other.

"Yeah, she is." You recline back in the chair. "So how's living together going?"

"Oh it's wonderful!" Am chirps. "All these years I watched over the human world but- living here is so much different!"

"He lost his goddamn mind when we went to ikea." Ivan says, looking at you. You laugh.

"Well- it's gigantic!" Am replies defensively.

"That's a lot coming from you, big guy." You say with a smirk. Am laughs.

"Fair, fair."

‘’So what’s your favorite thing so far? You’ve never like- done anything with humans before, right?’’ you cock a brow curiously at him. Am hums and squints a few of his many eyes. Ivan watches him curiously.

‘’Coffee?’’ he suggests. ‘’You drink a lot of it.’’ Am shakes his head. ‘’Cooking? You had a lot of fun doing that!’’

‘’No, no.’’ Am waves him off. He looks at Ivan for a long moment. ‘’...I think it’s you.’’

Ivan blinks. ‘’Me?’’

Am looks pleased with himself. He nods, then reaches over and gently pats Ivan’s head with one of his giant fingers. ‘’Yes. I think you’re my favorite.’’ he chuckles.

‘‘That’s a cop-out. He isn’t even human.’‘ you mutter.

#creepypasta #creepypasta oc #creepypasta hcs #creepypasta hc #creepypasta fanfiction #creepypasta fanfic #ivan tag #am dhaegar #writing #request #requests #writing requests #future au #<- kinda??#ask #frozensriracha

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ghostspideys-moved · 4 years ago

Text

All For The Best

Chapter Five

A/N: So, tumblr is being a little bit of a bitch, but I finally managed to get this chapter posted.

Word Count: 2.7k

Pairings: Steve Harrington x OC, Nancy Wheeler x Jonathan Byers x OC

Summary: Getting trapped in a Russian elevator is about as fun as it sounds, and River doesn't quite know what to make of it.

With so much happening in the short time River had been back in Hawkins, she hadn’t really taken much time to worry about her basic needs. A habit she fell into more often than she’d like to admit. She felt it was safe to assume the rest of her friends had done much better than her.

Naturally, she offered to get everyone food while they talked out their plan, if they even had one. She figured it might be a good opportunity for her to think and have a moment to herself. Deciding it would be quicker, she headed over to Burger King, knowing it was pretty close to Scoops Ahoy, and brought back enough food for everyone.

The four of them sat in the break room, eating and putting together whatever intel Dustin had after his own personal stakeout earlier today. Supposedly, he’d spotted a keycard, which would be a good way to get in. Except trying to take something like that was a suicide mission.

“That keycard opens the door, but unfortunately, the Russian with this keycard also has a massive gun,” Dustin explained as he paced. “Whatever’s in this room, whatever’s in those boxes, they really don’t want anybody finding it.”

River sighed. “So, we’re back to square one basically.”

“But there’s gotta be a way in,” Robin insisted.

“Well, you know, I could just take him out.” For a brief moment, River thought Steve was joking. The serious look on his face said otherwise.

“Take who out?” Robin asked. She was glad she was not the only one concerned with his plan.

“The Russian guard.”

River scoffed and shook her head. “Yeah, if you wanna get yourself killed.”

“What? It’s not that hard. I sneak up behind him, I knock him out, and I take his keycard,” Steve insisted. “It’s easy.”

“Did you not hear the part about the massive gun?”

“Yes, Dustin, I did. That’s why I would be sneaking.”

“Well please, tell me this, and be honest. Have you ever actually won a fight?”

River easily recalled how terrible of a beating Steve took after his fight with Billy, not that she’d been much help herself. But after that, there was no way he could take an armed Russian guard all by himself.

“Okay, that was one time.”

“Twice. Jonathan, year prior.”

“Listen, that doesn’t count.”

“Why wouldn’t it? Because it looks like he beat the shit out of you.”

“Sorry, Steve, but Dustin has a point,” River agreed. “You got the shit beat out of you too many times.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, seriously. Dude, I hate to break it to you, but you don’t have a winning streak, and adding a gun into the mix is probably just going to get you killed.”

“Wait. why can’t you do it?” Dustin asked.

River’s eyes widened. “Wait, why me?”

“You’ve got powers and shit. Can’t you use them to take the keycard?”

Steve shook his head. He was not having that idea. “Okay, woah. Not happening.”

“Why?”

“Because, Dustin. It’s just a bad idea.”

“It’s better than your plan.”

“What? So, risking River’s life instead of mine is better?”

“No, but she could do it without anyone knowing.”

“That’s way too risky, and I’m not letting her get hurt-”

It was very hard for River to get a word in edgewise, but before she could really question that last part, Robin was taking off, grabbing whatever was in the tip jar.

“Hey, Robin. What are you doing?” Steve was up the moment he noticed her leaving.

“I need cash,” Robin said, as if it was obvious.

“Well, half of that’s mine. Where are you going?”

“To find us a way into that room. A safe way.”

River sighed in relief. It was a good thing someone in this group had the brains. Robin left them to look over the shop in the meantime. Hopefully she’d come back with a much better plan.

Steve sighed and tried to keep up with the workload by himself in the meantime. River and Dustin kept him company, especially once things slowed down enough for him to get bored.

“Where do you think Robin went?” he asked.

River shrugged, leaning against the back counter. “Where she said she was going. To find us a way in,” she said. “Better than either of us getting ourselves killed.”

She couldn’t help thinking back to what he’d said earlier before cutting himself off. From what she could tell, he was thinking about it just as much as her. He even seemed a bit antsy, busying himself to distract himself.

“Did you mean what you said?” she asked.

Steve didn’t look up from the spot of the counter he was cleaning meticulously for no reason at all. “Which part?”

“The part about not wanting me to get hurt.” River knew he was just trying to avoid it, and she couldn’t really tell why. But clearly it was bugging him just as much, and she felt it needed to be addressed.

“Well, yeah. Of course I did.” Steve finally set down the rag and turned to her. “You’re my friend, and after you almost died trying to save me last year? The last thing I want is for you to needlessly injure yourself more than you have already, if not worse.”

He sounded so sincere, as he always did. It was hard to ignore the fact that her heart skipped a beat at his words, but she tried not to think about it. For as good as that was doing her so far, she felt it was probably for the best.

“Well, someone had to keep you from becoming Demodog food,” she joked, lightly nudging him.

Steve laughed. Somehow, River never quite noticed just how nice his laugh was. Even if he never ended up reciprocating her feelings, making him laugh felt like a worthy mission on its own. Especially while they waited for Robin’s return. The rest of their time was spent messing around as much as possible without making a mess or getting Steve in trouble. Somewhere along the line, Dustin joined in. She noticed the way he would give them weird looks every now and then, though she waved it off. As long as she wasn’t being obvious.

Robin didn’t take nearly as long as River had anticipated. What they hadn’t expected was for her to bring a friend along. Dustin, of course, had some complaints.

“The whole town is going to know by the end of the week,” he mumbled.

River was just glad to have another familiar face to keep her company in this chaos. If they were going to bring anyone into the loop, Annie Hardwick was probably the best person for it. They’d messed around in class together enough times to be considered friends, she supposed.

“Well, she helped me get this, so she can help all she wants.” Robin waved a roll of paper in his face before she laid it out on the table. A map. “This is Starcourt Mall. The complete blueprints.”

Dustin looked genuinely impressed. “Not bad.” Maybe he would change his mind about Annie yet.

Robin grinned and pointed out a spot on the map. “This is us. Scoops.” She pointed to where the storage unit should be. “And this is where we want to go.”

“I mean, I don’t really see a way in,” Steve pointed out.

River couldn’t make out any visible entrances either, unfortunately. “Yeah, it looks like the only way in is past the guard,” she agreed. “There’s no way in.”

“There’s not, if you’re talking exclusively about doors.” Robin peeled away the map and revealed one that looked similar, though it looked like it was marking the vents.

“Air ducts,” River and Dustin said simultaneously. They were so lucky Robin was actually thinking all of this through more than them.

“Exactly. Turns out this secret room needs air just like any old room.” Robin continued, grabbing a marker. “And these air ducts,” she said, drawing a path to Scoops Ahoy, “lead all the way here.”

She circled the store, and they turned to vent high up on the wall. Steve was quick to grab a ladder, and River handed him a screwdriver as he climbed up. Even as he was taking it apart, she had a feeling it might be too small to crawl through, even for Dustin.

Steve moved the flashlight around the entrance and shook his head. “Yeah, I don’t know, man. I don’t know if you can fit in here,” he said. “It’s, like, super tight.”

Just as she feared.

“I’ll fit,” Dustin insisted. “Trust me. No collar bones, remember?”

River raised an eyebrow.

Robin seemed just as confused. “Uh, excuse me?”

“Oh, he’s, uh, got some disease.” Steve climbed down and let Dustin take a shot at squeezing in the air duct. “Chry...Chrydo, um…something. He’s missing bones and stuff. He can bend like Gumbo.”

“You mean Gumby.”

“No, I’m pretty sure it’s Gumbo.”

River wasn’t really sure where this act of his was coming from, but she knew better. In the short time they’d spent studying together, he’d proven pretty quickly that he was by no means an idiot.

“Steve, just shut up and push me!”

“Okay!”

Steve sighed and climbed back up the ladder where half of Dustin’s body stuck out.

“So, these are your friends?” Annie asked.

River shrugged. “Yeah, unfortunately.” Though, she wouldn’t change any of this for the world.

In the background, Steve was trying his best to push Dustin in as much as possible, to no avail.

“Not my feet, dumbass. Push my ass.”

“What?”

“Touch my butt! I don’t care!”

Annie laughed at the two of them. “Quite the bunch,” she teased.

“Yeah, sorry you had to meet them this way,” River snorted.

So far, it looked like Steve and Dustin weren’t having any success, which meant they’d have to come up with a plan B. She might have offered to try it herself, seeing as she was the smallest one, unfortunately, except she was claustrophobic and would rather she didn’t have to try. Thankfully, Robin seemed to have another plan.

Convincing Erica to help was going about as well as River would have expected. Which was to say, not very well at all. She could already tell Steve was annoyed, and she couldn’t blame him. Erica sent back practically everything he brought her.

Robin was trying her best to talk Erica into helping them, which wasn’t going any better. Because, yeah, Erica wasn’t wrong. Their plan was pretty half-baked.

Dustin’s attempt didn’t go over much better.

“Know what I love most about this country? Capitalism.”

An odd statement, River realized, from someone who had been mooching off the free sample system this whole time. She couldn’t help thinking about it as Erica went on.

“Hate to break it to you, kid, but this is the opposite of capitalism,” River pointed out, gesturing at all the ice cream laid out on the table for her.

“Look, it seems to me that my ability to fit in that little vent is very, very valuable to you all,” Erica said. “So, you want my help? This USS Butterscotch better be the first of many.”

River sighed and shared a defeated look with the rest of her friends. “And I’m talking free ice cream. For life.”

It seemed like a miracle that they even managed to get Erica in on this. Robin had a walkie-talkie out to talk to Erica while they kept watch.

They were so much closer to getting into that secret room, and the idea made her both nervous and excited all at once. There were so many ways all of this could go terribly wrong.

Steve seemed to sense her nerves and turned to her while Robin and Erica went back and forth.

“You okay?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

River offered a smile and nodded. “Just fine.”

“You know, you don’t have to help if you don’t want to.”

Sure, this was probably going to be really dangerous, but she couldn’t imagine leaving them on their own. She’d feel terrible, and to say she wasn’t curious herself would be a lie.

“No, I want to,” she assured him. “You guys might need my help, anyways.”

It would probably be pretty beneficial to have a non-evil Russian with them, she figured. Steve hesitated for a moment before nodding. She’d been worried he might think it was far too dangerous and risky for her given his reaction the last time she tried to save him.

River turned the moment Erica walked through the doors, the five of them sharing a shocked look. She laughed and shared a high five with Annie.

They didn’t waste any time in rushing down to meet Erica. As she’d confirmed, the room was full of the boxes they’d seen the night before. Steve quickly cut one open as they gathered around to take a look. He revealed a metal container of sorts, which he opened with some slight apprehension.

“Maybe you guys should stand back.”

Normally, she might argue, but there was no telling what was in that container. Dustin, however, was less willing to obey orders this time around.

“No.”

“Just step back, okay?”

“No.”

“Step back, seriously.”

“No! If you die, I die.”

Steve gave up trying to stop him and pulled out something...strange looking. River wasn’t even totally sure what she was looking at, but it was green and looked like it was some sort of liquid. Whatever it was, it didn’t look good.

“What is that?” Robin asked.

River shook her head, and before any of them could come up with a guess, the room jerked unexpectedly.

“Was that just me, or did the room move?” Dustin asked, looking around.

“No, it definitely moved” River agreed.

Erica glanced between them. “Booby traps.”

Robin quickly grabbed the weird goo, River and Annie rushing around to help her take what they needed. Dustin was struggling to open the door, and Steve wasn’t having any more success.

“Just open the door!” the girls exclaimed as they finished packing up.

None of the buttons were doing anything, and suddenly the room moved again. River scrambled to hold onto something as they suddenly plummeted with the rest of the room. The room was a goddamn elevator.

There was so much screaming around her, and River was definitely contributing to the chaos herself. The elevator was dropping alarmingly fast, and no amount of button mashing was doing them any good.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the elevator stopped, and River lost her footing. She fell back, landing on her hands. Steve fell close to her, a box landing on him. She groaned and shook off her pain before she went to move the box off of him with Dustin’s help.

“Is everyone okay?” Robin asked, rubbing her head where she hit it.

Steve got up, clearly agitated. “Yeah, I’m great now that I know that Russians can’t design elevators!” he exclaimed.

“Gee, thanks. I’m right here,” River huffed.

Steve pushed past her and Dustin before pressing all of the buttons frantically.

“I think we’ve clearly established that those buttons don’t work,” Robin said.

“They’re buttons, they have to do something!”

“Yeah, if we had a keycard.”

“A What?”

“It’s an electronic lock. Same as the loading dock door. If we don’t have a keycard, it won’t operate, meaning-”

“We’re stuck in here.”

River sighed and slid down against the wall. “Great. Who knows how long we’ll be in here.”

“Just so you nerds are aware, I’m supposed to be spending the night at Tina’s,” Erica said. “And Tina always covers for me. But if I’m not home for Uncle Jack’s part tomorrow, and my mom finds out you guys are responsible, she’s gonna hunt you down one by one and slit your throat.”

River rolled her eyes and rested her head in her hands. That wasn’t happening any time soon.

Steve seemed just as fed up as the rest of them were. “I don’t care about Tina! Or Uncle Jack’s party! You’re mom’s not gonna be able to find us if we’re dead in a Russian elevator.”

He let that sink in.

Dustin pointed up to the roof of the elevator. “Hey. What if we climbed out?”

Taglist: @charmedtenderness @nxncywheeler @musicalytrashpanda

#steve harrington #nancy wheeler #jonathan byers #steve harrington x oc #steve harrington x original character #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington one shot #jonathan byers x oc #jonathan byers x reader #jonathan byers x original character #nancy wheeler x oc #nancy wheeler x original character #nancy wheeler x reader #stranger things #stranger things 2 #stranger things 3 #stranger things fic

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higuchimon · 4 years ago

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[fanfic] Justice Or Vengeance

From the moment Holy Elf first touched him, Wolf’s pain eased far more rapidly than he would have presumed it would have otherwise. In point of fact, without her assistance, it wouldn’t have eased at all. He would have simply bled to death from the two arrow wounds in him. He had her to thank for his life – her and Haou.

He’d heard of Haou before this, of course. There were few who hadn’t. He’d certainly never thought that he would meet the infamous warlord, nor that said warlord would, underneath the armor, be a barely half-grown human. That in no way made him less terrifying. In many ways it made him more so. No one that young should be that cold-hearted.

Yet Wolf wasn’t going to tell him that he couldn’t be. He did not know Haou very well, but just what he’d heard from the stories that whispered among the woodland creature, he knew it wouldn’t be taken well. So he did what anyone with sense would do – he watched and listened. He used every sense that he had to add to his store of knowledge.

He couldn’t learn as much as he wanted to at first. His wounds were closed but half-healed at best, and Holy Elf reminded him that it would take time and care before he could safely wander on his own. He would also have to be introduced to the people in Haou’s castle, so they would be aware that he lived there by Haou’s word. He’’d rather not end up thrown out by some careless servant.

In all truth, Wolf found himself quite pleased to simply curl up next to the warm fire and wait for Holy Elf to bring him a meal. Haou still was out there somewhere, and he’d promised to bring in the hunters that had slain his pack. Wolf quite looked forward to seeing them. The foul creatures that laid traps and netted the entire pack, using spells to slay them so that their bodies would not fade away too soon – so they could have their hides.

Wolf remembered every moment of that. He’d not seen it all, not with his eyes, but his nose told him the tale in all of its cruelty. He’d escaped by the barest of chances and he’d not dared to return while he still had the arrows in him. He’d gone to ground in the hopes that either he would survive or someone capable of and willing to help him would happen across him.

That latter had been what happened, though certainly not in the way that Wolf expected. He knew that there were Dryads in the forest and when he’d had the time and a clear enough head to think, he presumed one of those would be his help. Not the terrifying warlord.

Holy Elf stepped into the chamber and set a plate down next to him. “I know you prefer hunting your own, but you’re not in condition to do so for now. This should be good. If you want more, then let me know.”

Wolf eyed the offering before him: several delicious chunks of raw meat. They’d been cut down to the point he could eat them even in his current condition, and he sampled one cautiously, then quickly gulped down the rest of it. A silent servant brought in a bowl of water for him to wash it down with, and Wolf made an excellent dinner. Holy Elf remained there the whole time, watching quietly.

Once his stomach had been filled, Wolf curled a bit closer to the fire, then turned bright gold eyes onto her. “Why would Haou do this? Just for the service of a lone wolf?”

“I don’t think that had anything to do with it,” Holy Elf mused, settling into a nearby chair. It must not have been Haou’s; it was very plain, but with a single soft cushion there. “I would not say I know his mind, but if I were to guess – I think he feels more than just rage that those hunters killed your pack without permission.” She rested her hands in her lap. “That is a part of it, of course. He’s adamant that no one kills in this world without his permission. But there may be something else.”

Wolf’s ears twitched. “What do you think it is?”

“I think he seems something of himself in you. This is, of course, only a guess. There are few who know Haou well enough to guess at his true reasons for anything.”

Slowly Wolf turned that over and over in his head. “What do you mean? What would I have in common with him?”

“Loss.” Holy Elf spoke the word very low. If he didn’t have the keen hearing he did, he might not have heard her at all. “What do you know of him and how he came to power here?”

Wolf thought over what he did know. “Not much, in honesty. We only heard that he began conquering some time ago, and how ruthless he is.”

“He speaks of this to no one. Only those who were there saw it, and not all of them are here.” Holy Elf considered her words with care. “He is from another world. A world where dueling exists as a game, to bring joy to all involved. But somehow someone that he cared about came to this world and has now fallen. Exactly how, no one knows. But he and his friends came to search for their friend – and his friends also fell.”

Wolf winced, ears drooping, tail hitting the flagstones beneath him. No one he knew had ever mentioned anything like that. Haou clearly kept his past to himself.

“So he seeks to rule this world to prevent that from ever happening to anyone else. And since it did happen to you ” Holy Elf regarded him with quiet eyes. “Choose well what your revenge upon those hunters will be. Because if you leave it to Haou-sama, then they will not know peace or pleasure – or anything else – ever again.

Wolf suspected he could accept that. But he would prefer to call justice onto them with his own mouth, if not deliver it with his own claws and teeth. He yawned, sleep catching at his fur, and Holy Elf rose to her feet.

“I will let you rest.” She waved one hand around to indicate the room. “This is next to Haou's room. He will probably come here after he’s returned. Rest while you can, and as much as you can.”

Wolf nodded, curling up so his tail covered his nose, and his ears perked out to remain aware of what happened around him. This continued to be a new place to him and until he learned all of its ways, he would be cautious. His ears twitched again as Holy Elf spoke before she left.

“What I told you – speak not of it to Haou-sama. I don’t know how close to the truth it is and have heard much of it only as hearsay from those who saw him fight Brron. Spread no rumors. But what I told you is what I believe.”

Wolf twitched his ears again. “I understand.” He wasn’t sure of how much of it he understood, as humans confused him on many levels, but he could grasp not speaking to someone else of what he’d heard.

After the healing and the trip to the castle and the good meal, it really didn’t take long at all for sleep to steal over him. He didn’t know how long he slept before the noise of an army returning brought him out of his dreams, which were more of pain and howls and yips than anything else. He raised his head and sniffed; he didn’t recognize most of the smells and the noises weren’t familiar either.

He didn’t like that. Too many strangers and he wasn’t in any condition to fight or to flee. But no one seemed interested in entering the room, though he heard the noises of others walking by it. No one stopped near enough to the door for him to hear anything, and soon enough the sounds all faded away.

Wolf cast his gaze around the room. It wasn’t very big, really, but that made it a cozy lair. The fire still crackled on the hearth and a new, clean bowl of water rested near him. He lapped at it; not quite as delicious as drinking from one of the favored springs of his folk, but clean enough. No windows graced the walls, but fresh air circled regardless. Wolf searched until he spied a small area high up; that was probably where the air came from.

In front of the fire, right underneath him, spread a warm, soft rug, woven of plant fibers. Wolf sniffed at it; not a sign of death or pain in the weaving at all. He approved; he was a wolf, a predator, but death belonged only for food or defense, not for a place to rest.

He wasn’t sure of how long he rested again before another noise caught his attention. He breathed in; the air wasn’t stirring enough for him to get a full sense of who it was, but he recognized one of those voices – Haou. He spoke very little and Wolf couldn’t catch it all.

Eventually footsteps came close to the door, but these didn’t keep going. Instead, the door opened, and he saw Haou there, Holy Elf behind him. Haou strode inside and regarded Wolf carefully. Wolf tried to get up but Haou shook his head.

“There’s no need for that. Merely listen.”

Wolf raised his head. “Did you capture them?” Blood-lust sparked in his heart at the very thought. Wolf never wasted time with random hatred, but those hunters were an exception.

“Yes. They are being taken to the dungeon, to await my judgment.” Haou settled down into a second chair, this one a little more ornate. “And my judgment – is for you to decree their fate. I require lives for Super Fusion, but their lives are worthless. What I seek are duelists and the only duelists in their employ are two bodyguards. Those are mine. But the hunters are yours. Tell me what you wish.”

Wolf’s first instinct was to slay them all, as they’d done to his pack. He would happily have shredded them all, laid their throats bare to the bone. But he could manage to think a little through the rage that simmered in the back of his mind, and so he did. It could not be allowed to happen again. These hunters couldn’t be allowed to keep on hurting others.

He lowered his head, resting it on his crossed paws. “I don’t know,” he said at last. “Killing them would end their slaughter. But would it teach them anything?”

“That their choices were foolish and they should have learned better?” Haou suggested with the faintest hint of dryness. Wolf chuffed.

“But they could do nothing with the lesson.” Wolf closed his eyes, thinking. Haou said nothing but Wolf sensed his regard nevertheless. A lesson that could be taught so that no one else would deal with this ever again – he could not help but think of what Holy Elf told him. His nose told him she still stood in the room, quiet and watchful. Perhaps she would not approve of death and destruction. It had been at Haou’s command, but – he didn’t know.

Finally a thought occurred to him. He would have to be careful with how he asked. Haou might well fly into a rage.

“Haou-sama,” he said, “is there anyone that you wish found? Those who have escaped your justice?”

Haou didn’t respond right away. He tilted his head back, eyes focused on the ceiling for several moments before he said anything else. “Yes.”

“Then this is what I request – send them after those you seek. Let them hunt for you. Make certain that from now on, they obey your laws no matter what. If they fail in that – then they must die.” A chance – that was what he would give them. The chance that they hadn’t given his pack.

Haou again remained silent, presumably turning the thought over in his mind. Then he nodded. “Very well. So shall it be.”

Wolf turned around on his rug, getting more comfortable as he did. He could still face Haou from this direction and he did so. “What is it that you want of me, now that we’ve settled that?”

“Nothing yet, beyond healing. If you are to be of service, you must be healed.” Haou turned towards him. “But afterwards, we can discuss what you can do for me.”

Wolf’s jaws gaped open into a brief smile. Then he closed his eyes. “To heal is to sleep, and to sleep is to heal,” he murmured softly. “If I may, Haou-sama.”

He heard Haou rising and walking out. Holy Elf brushed her fingers across his fur. “I will come back later for more treatments for you,” she murmured. “But until then, sleep well.”

Wolf followed that order without hesitation.

Measuring time wasn’t easy in Dark World. It never had been. Whispers of a glowing ball of fire called “the sun” spread always, in children’s tales and long ago legends. Only the comet arched across the sky, brightening and dimming to mark the passage of time.

The comet darkened and brightened seven times as Wolf recovered from his injuries. Holy Elf brought him food and water every day, worked healing spells over him, and offered him potions to improve his health. He rested in the warm room as much as he could, and on the seventh day, he found himself wandering around, stretching his muscles, aching to go out and do something.

Haou visited him every day. He didn’t speak all the time – Wolf learned quickly that he spoke only when he had something to say. Meaningless chatter wasn’t his way. What he also learned was that many duel spirits dwelled within Haou’s deck, chief among them a tiny Hane Kuriboh.

Hane Kuriboh snuggled against him a few times, clearly keeping an eye on him for Haou’s sake. On that day when he itched for more space to do something, the flying fluff-ball watched him from the chair. Wolf sniffed at the door.

“I can tell Juudai that you want out of here,” Hane Kuriboh said. The language was clear to Wolf, though a human likely wouldn’t have heard anything except whistles and chirps. Wolf turned towards him.

“Who?” He’d never heard that name. Even Hane Kuriboh seemed almost to whisper it and Hane Kuriboh never seemed to fear anything.

“I mean Haou. That’s his real name – Juudai.” Hane Kuriboh ruffled his feathers. “He doesn’t like me to use it now though.”

Wolf eyed the door again, then back to Hane Kuriboh. It shouldn’t have been a surprise. Haou was a title, after all. He should have had a name like anyone else.

“I need to get out. I need to get into condition again,” Wolf said, stretching as carefully as he could. He wasn’t close to getting fat yet but if he kept on eating and no exercise, then it would happen. He was a wolf. He wasn’t going to get fat.

Hane Kuriboh nodded then quickly rose up and passed through the door. Wolf almost envied him – not every spirit could do that. Technically he was a spirit and if he’d been in a different world, he might have been able to do the same trick. In this world, he was as solid as he could be.

Wolf paced more and more, pent-up energy raging through him, held back only because he knew that howling wouldn’t accomplish anything, nor would tearing up everything. His instincts demanded he do it anyway but he’d always prided himself on being ruled by his mind.

It didn’t take long for the door to open and there Haou stood, Hane Kuriboh hovering at his shoulder. He solemnly observed Wolf for a few seconds.

“Holy Elf has decreed you healed,” Haou said. “Hane Kuriboh says that you want out of here?”

“I need exercise to be fully recovered,” Wolf said. “I need to run – and hunt my own food.” Unlike those hunters, he hunted only for what he needed, never taking more than he required. He’d not heard from them or about them in the last seven crossings of the comet. Not that he especially cared to. He presumed if they had disobeyed Haou, then they would already be dead in the most painful of ways.

Haou nodded, then gestured to the door. “You are free to come and go as you please. Though inform Hane Kuriboh or Holy Elf if you choose to leave the castle.”

Wolf nodded, then bared his teeth into a wolf’s grin. “I’m leaving the castle. I will return – later.” He really didn’t know when. He just wanted to run, to feel the wind in his fur and taste the freedom of being at his peak again.

With nothing more than that, he leaped past Haou and headed for the nearest source of fresh air. That was the way out. Soon enough he bounded out of the front gates and across the bridge that stretched over the lava pool. He memorized each sight and sound and smell, ready to use them to get back here eventually. He had, after all, given his word.

Again he lost track of time, but this was more because he didn’t care to keep track than because he slept so much. He wandered deep into the forest after crossing the plains, taking pleasure in drinking from wild streams and hunting down a quick meal. He enjoyed the taste of wild rabbit more than the meat that Holy Elf gave to him, but it was more because he’d taken the meal for himself than anything else.

The comet’s light began to decrease and he considered either finding a place to bed down for the night or returning to Haou’s castle. A tiny cave offered decent lair-space and he chose, curling up into it and ready to rest until the light grew stronger.

Sometime in the middle of the darkness, a noise woke him. He didn’t open his eyes but twitched his ears, listening. What he heard didn’t please him at all.

“How far are we to Haou’s castle? I’m hungry and my feet hurt.” Whoever spoke whined more than anything else. Wolf automatically didn’t like them.

“Close enough. We’ll be there by the time the comet is bright again.” This voice rang a little stronger and more certain. “We’ll be finished before much longer.”

“I hope so.” The first voice sighed. “Can we really get in there and do this? I’ve heard his armies are vast and they’ll kill you on sight.”

The second person snorted. “I don’t care. Kill me or not, I’m going to go down fighting.”

Wolf had to admire that part, at least the tiniest bit. Slowly he stood up and moved to the front of his tiny cave. He could see two people walking by, close enough for him to smell and hear, though if they had the same dull senses of humans, they had no idea that he was there at all.

He slipped out of his cave and followed along, listening intently. It became evident what they sought – Haou’s life. He’d crushed their village not that long ago, and they’d only survived by dint of not having been there at the time. Now they came here in search of vengeance. They each carried duel disks, but from the way they moved, they weren’t truly warriors. Wolf shook his head. They would die, and die horribly, if they kept on going.

He couldn’t allow that.

Slowly Wolf began to growl. He kept it low at first, then raised it higher and higher, until the two of them stopped, clinging to one another, and turned around in every direction nervously until the whiner spied him and jumped with a squeak.

“There! There it is!” One shaky hand pointed there. “It’s a wolf, isn’t it?”

Wolf wrinkled his lips back from his teeth. “I am Wolf. And you two seek your own deaths – there are easier ways to give up one’s life than this.”

The other one shook her head fiercely, braids lashing at her cheeks. “You don’t know what happened Haou – he killed everyone!”

“He does that.” Wolf agreed. “And you will join their number if you continue. That will do nothing to bring back those you’ve lost or to honor them. Turn back.”

The braided warrior took a step forward. “And what if we don’t? Do you work for Haou? Are you going to tell him about us?”

“One might say that. But it doesn’t matter. Turn back. Find another place to live and remember those who fell.” Wolf drooped his head. “You are not like me. You have each other. You can build a new life.” It wasn’t impossible that he could find another Wolf but it would begin a new pack not revive the old one.

“Maybe he’s right,” the whiner murmured. “We’re not strong enough to fight them. You’ve heard all the stories. I can’t even duel.” She stared down at her duel disk. “I wouldn’t last the first turn. I told you that.”

The braided one wavered. Wolf took the chance to say something else. “If you truly seek vengeance, then go – and return another day when you’ve learned how to fight and you can make a better plan than walking to his fortress and – what? Demanding that he duel you?”

She drooped her head. “It was the best that I could do. He’ll duel anyone, won’t he? I would at least have the chance to try.”

Wolf sighed to himself. These were cubs – not even as old as Haou himself seemed to be. “Fighting someone like Haou isn't a chance. It’s a sentence of death. Find others who can train you. Find a home to call your own. Come back another day.”

The two of them hesitated only another few moments before they darted away in a different direction entirely. Wolf relaxed. They might still die if they returned on another day but they wouldn’t die today and it wouldn't be a slaughter. Cubs needed to grow out their teeth and claws before they tried to fight grown enemies.

But now he could feel the comet beginning to rise in strength and he found himself longing for the warm rug and the sounds of Haou’s castle. He watched in the direction the two would-be warriors vanished off to until he could be sure they’d not return, then turned and loped back to Haou’s castle.

The End

Notes: So, I wrote this for Free Day. I’m beginning to like Wolf!

#higuchimon writes #fanfic #gxmonth2020 #yuuki juudai #haou #holy elf #wolf (oc)

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rizlowwritessortof · 5 years ago

Text

Part 2: The Emergency Bed-Share/Move In With Us Combo

A couple of years down the road from Part 1...

Pairing: Dean x Toby Matheson (female OC)

Word Count: 2318

Warnings: None but fluff and fanfic tropes :)

Part 3 will be coming next weekend!

Dean!” Sam’s voice echoed through the room, and Dean’s eyes snapped to his brother, one hand reaching out to catch the accurately-tossed pistol. He flicked the safety off, firing without hesitation into the demon who was currently straddling Toby’s body, his hands around her throat.

“Get off her, you son of a bitch!” he shouted, moving closer as he continued firing. The demon finally toppled sideways, leaping to his feet with a snarl.

“Fine. I’ll take you out first.”

“You can try, asshole.” Dean crouched into a defensive position, bracing himself as the demon charged at him. He grappled him, throwing them both to the ground, taking the creature by surprise momentarily. “Goodbye, you evil prick,” he sneered, rolling away suddenly as Sam moved in from behind him, sinking the demon blade into its chest, watching with malice as the red glow flickered and died within its eyes.

“Dean, you okay?”

“Yeah.” He was scrambling towards Toby, who still laid unmoving on the filthy floor. “Toby. Tobe? Come on, sweetheart, tell me you’re okay.” His voice got a little louder as he put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey...”

She stirred with a pained groan, making a sudden move to sit up, but Dean’s hand held her gently in place. “Dean?”

“Yeah. Take it easy. We’re okay. The demon’s toast.” She winced as she moved, and Dean slipped an arm beneath her, supporting her shoulders and helping her sit up.

“Whoa… dizzy,” she mumbled, leaning into Dean’s body for support. “Guess he knocked me around pretty good. Blindsided me, I didn’t even see him coming.” She tilted her head back against his shoulder, her eyes trying to focus.

They filed into the room together, Sam and Dean dropping their bags and Sam heading straight towards the far bed. Toby made a quick sweep of the cramped space, noting the two regular-size beds and one misshapen, rather short sofa against the wall. “I’ll take the couch if I can have the first shower,” she said, and Dean waved a hand towards the tiny bathroom.

“Go ahead. Sure you’re okay?”

She shot him an eye roll, softened with a smile. “Think I can manage a quick shower.”

“Try to leave some hot water.”

She waved a dismissive hand, shuffling to her bag to grab what she needed, wanting nothing more than to curl up and go to sleep. Sam had just fallen, face-first, onto his bed, not uttering a word. She made her way to the bathroom, pulling the door closed behind her, numbly shedding her clothes and turning the water on.

She scrubbed herself quickly, washed her hair and got out, too tired and her head throbbing too badly to even enjoy standing under the hot water to ease her aching muscles. She dressed for bed and wrapped a towel around her head, calling out, “Next!” as she stepped out, making her way to the couch to sit and finish towel-drying her hair. By the time Dean was finished with his shower, she was sound asleep, the one extra blanket in the room draped over her.

He glanced over at his brother. Sam was down for the count, too, so he crawled between the rough motel sheets and fell asleep almost immediately, in spite of the aches and pains.

~~~~~~~~~~

Toby woke with a hiss, almost falling off the couch as she recoiled from the stabbing pain in her hip. She stood up carefully, grabbing her phone from the small table beside her and aiming it at the lumpy sofa as she pulled the covers back. A jagged piece of spring had pierced the ancient plaid upholstery, and she could feel a burning sting where it had carved a deep scratch down the side of her hip and thigh. “Awesome,” she whispered to herself with an impatient sigh.

She turned towards the beds. “Desperate times...” she muttered, looking back and forth between the two. Sam was starfished across the entire surface of his bed, feet hanging off the sides and his arms splayed across the top portion. No way that was going to work.

She reluctantly eyed Dean’s bed. He, at least, was laying on his side, leaving a little space behind him. Better than nothing. And definitely better than being stabbed to death in her sleep. She grabbed her pillow and walked over to the bed, folding the covers back carefully and slipping in beside him. She turned her back, pulled the blankets up around her neck and gladly let sleep carry her away again.

She woke up, warm and cozy, light beginning to creep into the room through the cheap curtains. Her bladder was nagging her to get up, so she shifted to throw the covers off, but moving was not an option.

Dean was wrapped around her, his feet tangled with hers, his arm over her holding her close, one large hand with a firm hold on her left breast.

She squeezed her eyes shut. She should have slept on the floor. Or in the car. This was bad.

She took a breath and moved, but he let out a forlorn little moan and pulled her closer. And, of course, her body completely betrayed her, her nipple hardening beneath his clutching hand. He nuzzled his nose into her hair and sighed, still in a deep sleep. Thank God.

She planned her escape, move by move, with the care of a Broadway choreographer, ready to act fast and get to the bathroom before Dean had the chance to be fully awake. Hopefully he’d never know it happened. Things went fairly smoothly, other than the fact that she ended up on all fours on the floor, but what do you expect when there’s no chance to rehearse? She sprang to her feet and almost ran to the bathroom, seeing the rosy flush on her face as she stared back from the mirror. “Oh, shut up,” she growled, turning away to head for the toilet.

The cut on her hip was stinging, and she looked down, touching it gingerly. “Probably catch herpes from that stupid couch.”

She sneaked out of the bathroom to grab her duffle, went back in and dressed, then left the room to walk down the block to the convenience store. Might as well get everyone some coffee. It had nothing to do with not wanting to be there when Dean woke up.

When she got back, she entered the room as quietly as possible. Sam was up, she could hear the shower. Dean was still out, but started to stir as she walked in. “Hey.”

“Morning, sleepyhead. Brought you some coffee,” she smiled, determinedly squashing the thoughts about how cute he looked with his tousled hair and drowsy eyes.

“You’re a goddess,” he said, his voice husky with sleep.

She turned her back, letting him climb out of bed and change, sipping at her coffee and sinking her teeth into the fresh pastry she had purchased with it. He reached around her for his coffee and dropped into a chair, his eyebrows bunched as he stared up at her, eyes narrowed in thought.

“Did you get in my bed last night?”

She felt her cheeks flush. “Uh… yeah. The couch? It tried to stab me. I’ve got a cut on my hip, hurt like a son of a bitch. So I had to invade your space, sorry.” He just kept looking at her, and she felt herself blushing again. “What?”

“Did I… uh… was I…?” He made a squeezing motion with his hand, and she clenched her jaw, her eyes squeezed shut in embarrassment.

“Yeah.”

He blew out a little breath, his gaze suddenly looking everywhere but at her. “Oh. I, uh – I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I just thought I was having an awesome dream.”

“Can we just forget about it, please?”

He nodded, chewing on his lip. “Yeah, sure. Yep. Never happened.” She turned her back to him, taking a swallow of hot coffee and almost enjoying the nearly scalding sensation in her throat. “So, let me see that cut.”

She whirled to face him. “No, Dean, it’s fine. Really.”

“Let me see it.” A smirk slowly curled the corner of his mouth. “I’ve put stitches in your ass, nothing I haven’t already seen.”

She laughed in spite of herself. “You would have to bring that up. You’re such an asshole.” She turned, undoing her jeans and pulling them down far enough to give him a glimpse. “See, it’s fine.”

“Shit, that looks like it hurt.” She almost jerked away when his fingers touched her, yanking her jeans back into place and turning her back to fasten them, grateful that she wasn’t facing him when he spoke softly again. “So… when I was, you know… I – uh – I didn’t do anything, right? I mean...”

She answered him quietly, half-annoyed at herself for the jitters his touch had given her. “No, Dean. You were just – holding onto me.”

He let out a sigh of relief. “Good. I was… I mean, in my dream, I was definitely doing more than holding.”

She forced a laugh. “So, who was it? That blonde from the bar a couple months ago?”

He was silent for a minute or two, then cleared his throat. “It was you.” He stood and moved to his bag, stuffing yesterday’s clothes inside.

“Oh.” So much for ever looking him in the eye again. To her relief, Sam chose that moment to walk out of the bathroom.

Within half an hour, they were hauling their stuff out to the Impala. She climbed in the back, still distracted from the interaction with Dean, looking up with a sheepish expression when Sam asked, “So, where’s your car?”

“Wow, I almost forgot. It’s parked a few blocks from the demon house.”

She climbed behind the wheel of her car, key in the ignition, and muttered under her breath. “Please be a good girl and start for me. Don’t embarrass me in front of my friends.”

The old Ford whined and made a futile grinding noise, but didn’t turn over. She tried again, and then once more with the same result, and closed her eyes at the knock on her window.

“Pop the hood.” She nodded and complied, and Dean moved to the front of the car as she got out.

“She’s been kind of acting up lately.”

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“I didn’t want to bother you.”

He shot her a derisive look and turned back to his task. “Don’t be stupid, you wouldn’t be ‘bothering’ me. You don’t want to get stranded somewhere, do ya?”

“Yeah, well, just because you saved my life once doesn’t make you responsible for my piece-of-shit car.”

“Once?” he grinned, and she slapped his arm. He replaced the battery cable he’d been fiddling with. “Try her again.”

She got back inside and turned the key. “Come on, girl,” she encouraged, and after a couple of reluctant groans, the engine turned over. She gave a little cheer, patting the dash, and looking up at Dean, who was standing near the open door. His eyes were roaming over the packed back seat, and she felt her heart sink.

“What’s all this?” he motioned at the boxes and clothes piled behind her. “This case catch you in the middle of a move?”

“Um, yeah. I’m kind of – between places.”

“What does that mean?”

“I lost my apartment. Even though I paid in advance, landlord said if I wasn’t going to actually be there, his daughter needed a place. Just kind of booted me out. And I wasn’t there much, but I paid the damn rent. I just haven’t had time to look for another place.”

Dean looked at her, and she felt the color rise in her cheeks. If he knew that she’d been sleeping in her car for the past six weeks… When he focused his gaze on her like he was now, it almost seemed as if he could read her thoughts. “Well, Homeless – you could come back to the bunker with us. Not like we don’t have plenty of room. Plenty of rooms. And the rent’s reasonable. Damn near non-existent. Just have to take turns cooking.”

“Dean, I couldn’t...”

“Sammy! Tell her she can stay with us. She lost her apartment.”

“No, really...”

Sam came to stand beside his brother, arms folded. “Of course you’re gonna stay with us.” She looked up at the two of them and threw up her hands.

“Okay, okay. I give. No chance of winning an argument with both Winchesters at once.” She stopped, looking up at them with narrowed eyes. “This time.”

Sam laughed and Dean grinned, heading for the car. “Just honk if that pile of junk starts acting up again,” he called out, and she stuck her tongue out at him as she threw it in gear and backed up, waiting to follow.

Determined not to seem like a burden, Toby launched into cleaning the place within an inch of its life. Finally, tired of dodging buckets and mops and tripping over the contents of the kitchen cupboards, Dean put his foot down. “We didn’t ask you to stay so you could kill yourself cleaning the place. Just take it easy.”

“Yeah, well – I just want to earn my keep.”

He sighed. “You hunt with us, that earns plenty. Knock it the fuck off.” His harsh words were softened by his crooked smile, and she ducked her head, smiling in return.

“Okay, okay. No more cleaning.” She smiled even bigger as he pulled his hands from behind his back with a cold beer for each of them. “Thanks.” After a long pull from the bottle, she plopped down into a chair. “Speaking of hunting – do we have one?”

“When Sam gets back from the supply run, we’ll decide for sure. But, yeah – looks like we might have a vamp nest to deal with down near Tulsa.”

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

Tags for my bbs:

@saenalife @deanscarlett @misswhizzy @jinkieswouldyoulookatthis @deansdirtylittlesecretsblog @geeklibrarian @leatherwhiskeycoffeeplaid @aprofoundbondwithdean @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan @mrswhozeewhatsis @littlegreenplasticsoldier @sleep-silent-angel @darcia22 @winchesterprincessbride @ackeviddlestan @ellen-reincarnated1967 @eyes-of-a-disney-princess @deanslittleangel2y5 @melanie451 @lovin-ackles @spectaculacular-sammy @bookchic20 @jodyri @selma-jean @savingapplepie-eatingthings @angelofwinchester17 @kittenofdoomage @masked-maiden42 @lean-mean-deanwinchester @ericuhlorain @undecided-garden @ceeceewinchester @typicalweirdbookworm @callmesweetheartifyoumeanit @youtoldalie @tanithlowisabamf @deandoesthingstome @jxackles @nerdwholikesword @soivebuiltupaworldofmagic @kreweofimp @gabavaldman @chaos-and-the-calm67 @darkx143 @disassociativedogma @ioanashalala @jencharlan @deansthirst @dorky-and-i-know-it @mischief-maker1 @hamartiamacguffin @winchestersandwordprocessors @percussiongirl2017 @bringmesomepie56 @akshi8278 @spn-dean-and-sam-winchester @torn-and-frayed @sandlee44 @kathaswings @wingedcatninja @evansrogerskitten @emoryhemsworth @peaceinourtime82

#part 2 #the emergency bed-share/move in with us combo #dean fic #dean x toby #fluff #dean fluff #hope this doesn't suck too bad

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bngtanah · 4 years ago

Text

The Difference Between Boys & Girls | o4

summary: Sam & Erin are university students who share a cheap one bedroom apartment above a shitty takeaway restaurant. Due to the limited space, they’ve grown accustomed to sharing just about everything, including the occasional kiss.

pairing: Jung Hoseok (Samuel Park) feat. Park Jimin x Named OC characters: meet the cast.

words: 3.5k genre: angst, romance, fluff

chapters: o1| o2| o3| o4| o5| o6| o7| o8| o9| 10| 11| 12| 13| 14

warning: boyfriend!hoseok, jealous!hoseok, friends to lovers trope, college au, angst, sexual themes, slow burn

a/n: still a fool. still reuploading.

Samuel wasn't exactly sure just how long he'd been laying there, lazily staring at Erin while she slept peacefully. However, he did know that it had been long enough for him to discern that she had a weird habit of muttering things to herself while she slept. Most of it was nonsense, but that didn't make it any less charming in Sam's eyes. Which is why Erin awoke to the sight of him gazing at her with an exceptionally large grin on his face.

"What are you doing?" She asked without so much as a flinch, she was used to waking up him in the same bed as her by now. Albeit he was usually never this close when she woke up but Erin decided that it was too early to question things.

"Watching you sleep, did you know that you talk in your sleep, noona?" Sam said, his eyes never leaving her face as she shifted on the mattress to sit up and rub her tired eyes.

"I do not" Erin scoffed.

"You really do, it's fucking weird."

"Well, if I'm such a weird sleeper why are you in here?" The brunette asked while she moved to lean over Sam's body, detaching her cell phone from its charging cable then leaning back down to rest the back of her head against her pillow.

"It's cold in the living room and the heater is still broken" Sam pouted and snuggled closer to his friend by wrapping his arms tightly around her waist and placing his head on her shoulder.

"Why don't you make use of that electronic blanket I bought you?" Erin asked while caressing his cheek with one hand and using the other to scroll through the few messages she'd received while asleep. Quite a few of them were from Brian which made her smile inadvertently.

Erin may not have noticed the smile creeping up on her face but Samuel did, which made the pleasant grin he was wearing waver slightly then fall completely when Erin removed her hand from his cheek and began replying to the messages with questions about their date later than night. Samuel coughed slightly and detached himself from his best friend.

Noticing the loss of warmth next to her, Erin looked up "Where are you going?"

"Uh-I've got a class soon. I should start getting ready for it," Sam replied from the edge of the bed, looking back at Erin over his shoulder "I'll see you later, all right?"

"Alright. See you." Erin said softly as she watched him get up and leave the bedroom without a second glance. She sat in silence for a what couldn't have been more than a few seconds, waiting for his head to pop up in the corner of the doorway like it usually did when he was getting ready for class but it never did. Instead, Erin only heard the sound of the shower turning on and the gentle ping from her phone to notify that she had an incoming message.

It had been a long and tiring day for young Samuel Park. He never enjoyed going to any of his classes, but he attended them all because he knew that was expecting of him. He suffered through the mind-numbing bore that was majoring in Engineering, knowing that his last year was coming up soon and this would all be over, eventually. After he struggled through the three classes he had that day he moved from one level hell to another, namely his part-time job at a convenience store a few blocks away from his apartment. The job itself was easy since Sammy loved people and he had the indescribable quality to make everyone like him for no real reason, even the particularly annoying customers didn't bother him as much as his manager did. The man did everything he possibly could to make sure that Sam worked twice as hard as anyone else there when they worked the same schedule. Cleaning the bathrooms, mopping up spills that never seemed to happen when Sam worked by himself or with another member of the team; there were even a few times where Sam found himself washing his manager's car just to avoid being fired or punished with something much worse.

Even with all that; the stress always seemed to melt right off Samuel's shoulders when he got home, especially when Erin was already home and he could hear her voice. Today was different though, Sam inhaled and exhaled deeply when he opened the door and stepped over the threshold of their shared apartment. He was met with the sound Erin butchering some song that he heard a lot on the radio from her bedroom, her knowledge of the language was nearly perfect but Erin was far from a talented singer. With an amused grin on his lips, Sam pushed off his shoes, kicked the door closed behind him and headed to the source of the loud music.

"At least one of us had a good da-" Sam begin to say before he stopped in the doorway with a dumbstruck look on his face. He could tell she was getting ready to go somewhere judging by the amount of makeup things she had spread across her vanity, but that wasn't what made him stop. It wasn't even because she was dancing around the room with her eyes screwed shut screeching into a hairbrush like a twelve-year-old, what gave him pause was the fact that she was doing all of this while wearing one of his oversized t-shirts and little else. His fingertips twitched with the desire to touch her by his side, making Sam stuff his hands into his pockets and clear his throat loudly while leaning casually against the doorpost.

"You run out of clothes?" He asked coolly, as if one of his fantasies wasn't playing out before his very eyes.

"Aigoo, Sammy! You startled me," Erin grinned as her eyes shot open and she clutched her chest "I didn't think you'd be home yet, sorry about the noise" She apologised and moved toward her cell to lower her music.

Sammy nodded toward her torso and Erin glanced down, his earlier question playing back in her mind "Oh this..... this isn't what it looks like" She motioned to the shirt that barely covered her thighs before reaching down to toy with the hem "I'm wearing white tonight and I didn't want to risk getting any makeup on my top. I thought it'd be okay since I hardly ever see you wear this." Erin shrugged and glanced at the ground.

"I can take it off it bothers you,"

"No!" Samuel replied, a little too quickly. "I mean it's fine, you're right I don't wear that anymore," He said with an awkward laugh then took a few steps forward. "Hot date tonight?"

Erin nodded "Uh yeah, with Brian" She sighed as she took a seat on the edge of her bed to pull on her jeans. Sammy really tried his best not to glance, but that was a losing battle. "We met up for coffee yesterday but tonight will be our first official date."

"Nervous?" He asked while hovering close to where she sat but never quite getting close.

"I wasn't at first but now I kind of am?" Erin looked up and smiled "Is that pathetic? I haven't been on a proper date in a very long time, what if I say something stupid?" She groaned which made Sammy smile and finally sit down next to her, his hands coming out of his pockets to rest in his lap.

"He'll just think you're cute, that's nothing to worry about" Samuel reassured Erin by gently squeezing her knee and rubbing against it with his thumb.

It was the first form of contact that he'd initiated with her that wasn't just a hug apart from the cuddling that morning and the action sent sparks of raging fire surging throughout Erin's body. When she worked up the courage to look up Erin nibbled nervously on her bottom lip, he was giving her the same look he was that night after the gallery viewing. Except this time his intense gaze seemed to drift from her eyes and lips down to her torso then back up to her face.

The air between them was charged and only took the feeling of Sam's hand gingerly moving up her thigh for Erin to force air into her lungs again "I should probably finish getting dressed" she breathed, her voice scratchy and meek. Sam stilled his movements and then looked into her eyes and nodded, his standard smiling expression replacing the look of desire he had been wearing just a few seconds earlier "Yeah.... I'll get out of your hair" He said with a curt nod while standing to his feet.

"Speaking of hair... when did yours get so curly again?" He turned to ask on his way out of the room.

"Oh. I stopped doing the magic perm thing a couple months ago, I've been using a flat iron to keep it straight but I decided to let it free tonight. What do you think? Too much?" Erin asked with a twinge of insecurity in her voice.

"No." Sam sighed "You look perfect."

The warm sensation of Samuel's hand caressing her thigh still replayed in Erin's mind; it flared up throughout her subway ride to Hongdae and the feeling continued to surround her with warmth as she walked the few blocks toward the address Brian had texted her. It was silly of her to stop him and Erin knew that but she didn't want to go there with Sammy until she knew exactly what he wanted from her. Well, besides the obvious. Sleeping with him or even just making out with him at this point would only make their friendship and living situation awkward unless they were both ready to commit to whatever was building between them.

"You made it!"

Brian's lilt voice broke Erin's train of thought and she looked up to see her date for the night standing with an arm outstretched and a welcoming smile on his face. Erin nodded and brightened up as she closed the distance between them, vowing not to think about her roommate for the rest of the night.

"I was just about to call, I though you might have gotten lost," Brian said while offering her his arm.

"Ah, no just late. You refused to tell me where we're going so I didn't know what to dress for." Erin replied, all of her nervousness returning as she took hold of Brian's muscular arm.

He laughed, and the sound seemed to calm Erin but not much. "Trust me you look great, come on it's not too far from here" Brian stated and began leading them up the street.

The pair made small talk during the brief walk, mostly about their day and compliments on their attire. Brian was dressed more casually than he was the first time they met, trading his button down and khaki slacks for a plain white tee, a large coat and a pair of distressed jeans. On his feet were a pair of golden brown Timberland boots, which seemed to add a few inches to his height but Erin kept that observation to herself. His hair was still blindingly orange but instead of being neatly styled and pushed back from his face it all seemed to fall forward and stop just above his eyes tonight. Erin liked being able to see his features more, but this way was nice too. Brian seemed like the type of guy that could put anything on and make it work for him.

"Here we are!" Brian announced as they came to a stop, Erin looked up and immediately felt all the warmth drain from her face. The sign that immediately caught her eye was DVD방 and the feeling of surprise she felt first was immediately replaced with annoyance as she turned to look over at Brian who seemed to be oblivious to Erin's reaction.

"There's the most amazing little pub in the basement of this building," He started as he began leading her forward "Most nights you need a password to get in but I got my manager to put us on the list tonight."

Erin said nothing, only allowing herself to be led forward and down a mirrored staircase until they were standing in front of a room with an unmarked door. Brian knocked twice and a pair of thin eyes appeared from behind the slot in the middle of the door. He whispered a few things that Erin couldn't make out and after a few seconds the door opened to reveal an elaborately decorated bar.

It couldn't have been any bigger than Erin's living room and it was packed to the brim with different types of alcohol and decorations that looked like they were lifted straight from the year 1922, leaving just a bar and a few tables for seating. There was soft music playing in the background but the volume was low enough to encourage conversation and not the opposite. Brian led Erin to a table in the centre of the room and pulled out her chair for her then took a seat himself. "Have you eaten? They make great Kimchi bokkeumbap here."

"That sounds good," Erin finally scratched out in response to his question, removing her coat and laying it across her lap.

Having gotten over her initial shock, Erin loosened up as the night went on, the bottle of soju they shared helped that, of course. They covered standard first date topics; where each of them grew up, went to school, what Erin was studying at her university since Brian wasn't enrolled in any college, what Brian did when he wasn't painting. The conversation ebbed and flowed in a way that was natural and didn't seem forced on either party. After a few hours had passed by Erin rested her hands on the table and gave Brian a mischievous look that made him raise his eyebrows.

"Can I say something?" She blurted out after a second.

"Of course," he replied.

"I am just so glad that you're not one of those kinds of guys," Erin answered, sounding exasperated.

"What kind of guy?" he asked and leaning forward as if he was intrigued to hear her analysis of him after just a few hours.

"Y'know... the kind of guy that meets a foreign girl and expects her to sleep with him after buying her a cup of coffee and saying some cute things in Korean."

Brian's eyes widened with shock and he stammered over his words "W-why would you think that?"

"I went to high school here Brian, I know what it means when a guy brings you to a DVD방 on the first date."

"Oh my god," Brian stuttered as realisation soon washed over him "I wasn't even thinking about that, I am so sorry. T-that wasn't even crossing my mind-."

"It's alright, it's alright. I figured that out once we sat down and actually started eating," Erin laughed as she tried to ease her date's nerves.

"Okay that's good" Brian sighed and relaxed in his seat. He leaned back and folded his arm across his chest for a few moments, looking pensive. "Hey, since we're saying things... can I ask you something?"

"Sure,"

"What's the deal with your roommate? S..am was his name, right? Are you guys... like..... Or have you ever..." He was fumbling over his words and making gestures with his hands that made Erin break into a laugh and cover her mouth with her hand.

"Ah, we're just friends. We've never dated or anything like that," She replied, which was mostly true. They hadn't dated. "Actually, calling him just a friend doesn't seem good enough. He was the first genuine friend that I made after moving here and he's been my very best friend ever since. His family moved in next to mine and we all became really close, his mom even taught me Korean," Erin mused with a wide smile. "I mean I had a tutor at school and everything but she really helped me appreciate the culture behind all the words I was learning. Without Sammy or his family being there for me I don't think I would have found any happiness here when I was younger, so in a way he's more than just a friend to me. He's family."

Brian nodded as she spoke, noting the way she seemed to smile a little brighter whenever she said her roommate's name. He thought of bringing it up but the night had been going perfectly he didn't want to risk offending her. She wouldn't be here with him if there really was something going on with her roommate, right?

"Okay," Brian said with a small smirk "I was just wondering if I'd have to put up a fight for your heart" He teased and reached across the table to lace Erin's fingers with his own. Gentle pangs of electricity buzzed on the surface of her skin, it wasn't much compared to when Sammy touched her but still, it was something.

"I’m pretty sure you'd be the only one fighting for it" Erin giggled and trailed her thumb against his hand. Also, technically not a lie.

"Good."

The rest of the night went off without a hitch and soon Erin and Brian stood in front of Erin's apartment door while Erin fumbled around awkwardly to find her keys. "Thank you so much for walking me to the door, you really didn't have to." Erin said once her keys were finally in hand.

"I couldn't let you walk up those stairs alone this late at night," Brian answered and reached up to rub the back of his neck.

There was a moment of silence when their eyes connected and they both knew how they wanted to end the night but neither of them seemed to have the courage to make the first move.

"I had a really nice time with you tonight, Erin" Brian was the first to speak and take a slight step forward.

Erin nodded and matched his step with one of her own "Really nice, you have to take me to that bar again sometime."

"Definitely," Brian whispered and kept moving forward until there was just a sliver of space between them. One of his hands reached up and delicately framed Erin's face, his eyes bore into her own and held her gaze until Erin silently gave him permission to proceed. He moved slowly at first, not wanting to giveaway just how much he had been wanting to kiss her. Once their lips touched, however, it only took seconds for his body to betray his mind. His lips were soft, just as soft as Erin had imagined they would be when she found caught herself staring at them earlier that night.

When their mouths connected Brian spared no time and gingerly teased her lips apart with the tip of his tongue. She felt herself smile against his lips as his palms smoothed down from her waist to grab her a handful of her ass. In one smooth movement, Brian pulled her body as close to his as possible and Erin gasped lightly, breaking their kiss momentarily. Every curve of her body was pressed against his like a puzzle piece and Erin could feel a reason for them to stop slowly beginning to brush against her.

“It's getting late” Erin murmured against his lips before pulling away.

"Yeah, it is" Brian returned as he let the grip he had on her body go lax, "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

Erin nodded and waved at him slightly while he disappeared down the stairwell.

Her fingertips pressed to her lips and Erin beamed as she unlocked the front door and tiptoed into her apartment, not wanting to wake Sammy.

"How was your date?" She heard from the couch.

"Oh, you're awake, I thought you'd be asleep by now,"

"I couldn't sleep knowing you're out in the city with a strange man,"

Erin laughed and shook her head, walking toward the couch where Samuel was stretched out on the pull out mattress and sat down next to where he laid.

"Seriously, how was it?" He asked again.

"It was.." Erin looked down at Samuel's tired face, threading her fingertips through the front of his hair to push it away from his forehead then she moved her palm flat against his cheek and held it there for a few seconds. Samuel responded with a warm smile.

"It was good."

#bangtanarmynet #bts #bts fic #bts x woc #hoseok fanfic #hoseok x oc #hoseok x reader #j hope fanfic #jung hoseok #dbbg #bngtanah

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