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bluemoon1331 · 1 month ago

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So, trying to get back into the swing of things. Have a project with a more concrete plot I'm attempting to work through first before getting back to any of my other, mostly freeform fics, just for sanity's sake. In the meantime, here's a drabble from that one superhero au I came up with a while back where the boys are demon bartenders and reader is a hero.

cw: suggestive, possessive behavior, virus'd reader, kidnapping

Sun sighs, trudging up the stairs to his apartment. The door hinges slightly squeak when pushed, darkness welcoming him into the embrace of his home. Downstairs, the distant din of Moon on night shift is abruptly cut off with a gentle click.

Detangling from his suit jacket, he tosses it onto the suede couch, passing through the living room. The temptation of a quick bite is dismissed equally as fast, making for the bedroom instead. The day has been long, and it is among the rare occasions he would actually like to get some real sleep.

Stepping inside the adjoining space, Sun shuffles toward the bed, only to feel a tingle rocket up his back. Stiffening, he whips around, already prepared to defend himself, becoming enclosed in the space when the bedroom shuts without a sound.

Sun stops short when his eyes make contact with the figure blocking the doorway, posture loosening in surprise. "Earthlight?" he probes, confused. "What are you doing up here? When did you get here?"

You don't say anything at first, your stare burrowing into him as if to drill a hole to his soul. You remain entirely still, putting a statue to shame with your eerie muteness.

"Earthlight?" he tries again, unease rippling through him. This doesn't seem right, even when you are in one of your more intense drunken states.

"Sun," you at last break the silence, the name slipping free monotonously. "Moon is...downstairs."

It's framed like a question, but comes out more of a flat statement. On edge, Sun slowly allows himself to nod. "There was a meet up nearby today. He took over a bit early. Sorry if you were disappointed at my lack of shining presence, lightning bug."

You lapse into silence for another unsettling period, ending by minutely shifting in place. "That is fine. You're here now."

Sun continues to study you, a strange glint to your orbs that sends a warning of danger to his gut. "That I am. Is there something you need, Pressurix?" He does not remember the last time he called you by your hero moniker, he is merely hoping it is enough to knock you out of whatever state you're in.

In a move that does quite the opposite, your head snaps to the side, and your expression only seems to become more intense. "What do I need, golden buck? It is so obvious. Don't play dumb by using that name."

The last part is a near snarl, dripping disdain. Sun has spent more than enough nights around an intoxicated you to know that today is one of those times where your job status is a hot button issue. Not that he has a spare moment to worry about that with you finally taking a step forward, then another, advancing on him, exuding a menacing aura.

Sun paces back, attempting to put the bed between you and him. "Earthlight, what is going on? You're not acting right," he cautions, gaze narrowing. Fire flares between his horns, claws flexing as he braces himself for whatever you do next.

You pause, regarding him without so much as a blink. The suffocating tension in the air falters, something flashing through your eyes. Your features soften, and you seem to relax, a smile turning your lips. "Don't be silly, Sun. I'm fine. I guess I'm just a little weary of the game after all this time."

The sudden pivot fails to relieve Sun in the slightest, but there's an underlying sincerity that catches him off guard. Your next steps forward are much less aggressive, almost appearing to float as you stand before him. You're nearly equal in height, save for his horns, where the spark dies while you give him an unnervingly tender look.

"Sun," you say again, lower, raising a hand to cup the side of his face. He can't prevent a flinch, thrown into wild waters, unsure what to expect next from you. "My golden buck, playful inferno, sweet bee."

Distrustful as he is, Sun is more than aware of the faint warmth flowing to his face that has nothing to do with his powers or demon blood. You've all been playfully affectionate with each other before, but this is very different. Just how drunk were you? Were you drunk? He didn't smell any alcohol.

He doesn't get to unravel the mystery before you are leaning forward and planting your lips to his. Your thumb strokes his cheek idly as he freezes, an entire wellspring of emotion erupting from his center. A long-buried longing rages forth, hidden glances from across the bar, tenderly aiding you whenever him and Moon would need to get you home. The pining that swirled between you all, but neither party willing to act on it for fear of what came after.

What changed? Why would you do this now? And what was with your approach mere moments ago?

The endless loop of questions circle his mind, though the more time passes, the more they fade into the static of his subconscious. The kiss is everything he thought it would be, maybe more, lightning and warm, a thundercloud on a warm spring day. He melts under it, brushing against the edge of the mattress to sit. Your mouth moves in tandem with his, deepening as you lilt forward, planting your hand on his thigh while the other keeps a firm place on his face.

He breaks with a gasp, breathing hard, disheveled and dazed. "Earthlight, that...I...." Sun struggles to find the words, exhaling shakily. You outright giggle, something entirely foreign to your average, amused chuckle. Your lips descend, ghosting his neck, skin flushing as he properly blushes at your unforeseen boldness.

"Shhh, Sun. No need to hide anything anymore," you murmur, nipping at him with a salacious grin.

"H-hide?" he mumbles, about ready to combust. It's a bit odd, though. He definitely feels hot, like there should be some level of steam escaping him like what normally happens when he gets this flustered, but it's like it's cooling before it can rise.

In fact, opposite to his insides, Sun's skin is overtaken by a plummeting chill. Stirring from his stupor, Sun blinks and shudders at the oppressive atmosphere. He attempts to conjure a bit more warmth to the space, but every time he does, the temperature instantly drops again.

Alarm trickles back in, another jingle of light laughter escaping you seeping dread into his bones. "I know you both wonder why the Commission suddenly started keeping such a tight hold on me, why I started showing up at the bar more than I did in public. And, oh, Sun, how I wanted to tell you both."

You draw away, planting a palm on his chest to push him down further, meeting his widening gaze. "I'm crazy~," you declare sweetly, grin twisting insidiously. "Got a little virus in the head, went a little cuckoo!"

Your chortles are anything but humorous. Sun wants to move, to get away, but a sudden weight crashes onto his shoulders, the atmosphere itself pinning him to the spot with its icy grip. "And you. You silly fools, all of you, falling so fast but keeping yourselves at a distance. You've no idea how you've helped me. Even now, this is more them than me, ya know? Oh, the frenzy of want, it's really just. Too. Much."

Your hand is around his throat, and he can't breathe, he can't breathe. Ice creeps across his fiery orange skin, gasping and wheezing and struggling to lift his arms, to pry at your fingers, but your power hits him like an avalanche, pushing him down into the bed with so much pressure it creaks under him, threatening to splinter apart.

Earth...light..., he mouths desperately, shadows creeping at the edge of his vision. He doesn't want to go back to the Underworld. Not yet. Away from Moon, and even you, whatever it is currently happening to make you this way. A virus of the mind? He doesn't understand, he just knows that it hurts in so many ways, squeezing his hearts as much as his airway.

At the last second, there's a glimmer of panic and fury which darts across your face, a loud boom that leaves his ears ringing, and then nothing but silence and darkness.

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

It was not often Moon claims his mantle behind the bar before the stroke of midnight, but he could tell Sun needed a break. The Auric Council, pompous sorcerer pains in the ass that they are, had decided their spot was the perfect place to crash after their oh-so-important meeting.

The fact they often saw Summoned demons like him and Sun as tools or servants was fairly clear in their interactions. If it had been Moon dealing with them from the get go, they likely would've been chased out hours ago. Unfortunately, his brighter partner's unyielding patience and endearing friendliness proved both a blessing and a curse.

At least the flow had slowed down, people shuffling out when it was clear he wasn't gonna take attitude like Sun does. There was one particular robed monk Moon had been thrilled to toss out into the gutter face-first. He truly felt for any poor contractor that might be tied to such a clearly sleazy person.

Scrubbing off the countertop from a slight spill, Moon's attention drifts across the nearly empty bar. Much as to be expected of a moment like this, his thoughts inevitably turn to you.

Once one of the biggest names in the hero business, you shone bright, garnering much attention and praise. He's seen plenty of interviews in the past where you present yourself with much enthusiasm and charm. Yet, it's become increasingly rare to see your face anywhere outside the bar, which you usually come to basically every night. The fact you've yet to slump into a stool, grumbling about another meeting with the government higher ups, or even to tease him on his 'hippy look', is a bit surprising.

Maybe the day was just as long for you as it was for Sun. Gods know you've still got your hands full keeping a bunch of super-powered assholes at bay. You were considered among the elites of heroes for a reason. The fact that you could do that and come here to handle his snark so gracefully is downright amusing and amazing.

Despite your banter, though, Moon does worry about you. He doesn't need to be a mind reader to tell that there's something you're holding back. Something you seem almost scared of. Every time he thinks things might be going somewhere, that maybe, just maybe, the stars might align, you withdraw. And Moon respects that, truly. The nuances of you, in your position, entering a relationship, and they in their contractual bind, perhaps it was for the best that nothing changed.

He just can't help wishing that it would. That he could do more.

Moon's concentration is broken by what sounds like a bomb erupting over his head, shaking the building to its foundation. Every patron jolts from their intoxicated haze, glancing around in bleary bewilderment. Moon's teeth nearly grind together at the sight. Fat lot of good a bunch of drunken heroes and vigilantes do him.

Tossing aside his cloth, Moon vaults over the bar and races for the apartment at the top of the stairs. "Sun!" he bellows, slamming through the door into chaos. It looked like a hurricane had ripped through their belongings, everything blown about and overturned. Ice swirls around his hands, prepared to blast whatever foe dared to attack their home.

Only...the apartment is empty, a page fluttering by in the breeze the only noise to be heard. Taking wary steps, Moon sweeps through the apartment, eyes peeled for any intruder or his missing partner.

Reaching the bedroom door, or what remains of it, his entire being goes slack, willpower abandoning him. Where once there was a cozy bed shared between them, only shards remain. The entire roof is gone, imploded outward in spectacular display.

The sight is surreal, something out of a nightmare. Moon's arms fall limp to his side, and he strides forward as if reality is warping around him. "Sun?" he dares to breathe once more, praying for a response. All he gets is the wind.

His mind fogs over, falling to his knees and staring at the stormy sky, refusing to break and match his inner turmoil. What happened here? Who would attack them, and why? Most importantly, where is his partner?

Where is Sun?

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

A groan catches in Sun's throat, pain flashing through his nervous system at the action. Oh, fuck, he hurts. Why does he hurt?

His lids are slow to lift, skull pounding from the inside. The first thing he is aware of is that he can't see anything. Spots dance through the black, making him wince. He shifts and squirm, the surface underneath him flat but comfy enough.

Sun attempts to sit up, gain his bearings, only for his arms to catch behind him. Panic strikes him, pulling and yanking, but whatever binds his arms refuses to give, no matter how much strength he uses, or how he heats his skin. What in the Underworld is going on?!

Lost to his turmoil, it takes Sun a minute to recognize a nearby sound. Going still, he strains to listen, picking up on a mess of frantic whispers. "....shouldn't have....this isn't...have to...before..."

Beneath that, there is a subtle pacing, the turning of heels against smooth flooring to go back and forth. There's something about the voice, something almost familiar, tickling the edge of his consciousness....

Sun's hearts stop, throbbing skull struck by a tidal wave of images. You, appearing from nowhere, cornering him on the bed, and then-

"E-Earthlight?" he interjects weakly, reluctant to speak up, but unable to do much else. All movement and talk ceases, able to feel you staring at him through whatever blocks his sight. "What's going on? Where are we?"

You don't answer, not at first. It stretches for such a time he fears you may have actually left him at some point, though he dares not move in his precarious situation without knowing for certain.

"I'm sorry."

Your apology comes out so low Sun almost wonders if he heard it all, or if the migraine is making him hallucinate.

When he fails to respond, you break the silence once more. "None of this was supposed to happen," you declare, furthering puzzling him. "It was just a routine mission, none of us could have predicted what that little lab rat had up his sleeve, right under his 'master's' nose."

Your rambling returns you to pacing, clinging tightly to yourself out of Sun's view. "We've been trying so hard to fix it, but we're running out of time. I'm running out of time. We need to find him. I thought I had it under control, but it's getting worse, I almost...almost..."

Your tone quakes and quivers near the end, threatening to burst, coming to a standstill. Sun can visualize you shaking, horror filling you. A new understanding dawns on him, comparing you now to the you in his room. What you'd said then, what you divulged presently.

"Earthlight, look at me," he commands, changing posture to try and seem less, admittedly, afraid. "It's not your fault. You were just doing good. The only ones to blame are the ones who...infected you. It'll be okay. We'll figure it out. Okay?"

You clearly process his words, debating, thinking.

Then, a gentle touch. Sun locks himself in place to stop an instinctual flinch. "Oh, Sun," you mutter, full of wistful affection, yet sounding so tired. "I wish it could be that simple. No one was ever meant to know." You laugh, devoid of any actual joy. "Can you imagine, finding out one of the most powerful people on Earth is slowly losing their sanity? Not to mention how it all started. I can never forget that day..."

You drift off, staring right through Sun as your thumb rubs at the point where his right horn connects to his head. It sends a shiver through him, waiting with baited breath for your next move.

"Earthlight...," he eventually shatters the ice. "...you never meant to hurt anybody. I know that. You can forgive yourself, in time. Just please. Don't give up. Don't give in. You can do this...we can do this."

Your caresses abate, hand dropping away altogether. Unease fills him, aware of that creeping intensity from when you first showed up.

"...You really are too kind for your own good, Sun" you utter severely. "This whole thing we've had going on, it should never have happened. You truly can't imagine what it's done to me. And every logical part of me says that I should be letting you go, in every sense of the word, but..."

There's a switch, a thickness to the air, as you lean in closer, hand pressing to the wall beside Sun's head. "I don't want to," you whisper, wall cracking next to him, dust crumbling down to his feet. Sun stiffens, hearts thundering in his chest, preparing for you to snap.

Instead, you subside, hefting a heavy lungful of air, letting your fingers run through your hair. Your hand flops to your side, and you return focus to Sun, examining him intently. "I need you to stay out of this," you dictate. "It's getting too close. I need you here, in a safe place that I can still reach. Once I get my hands on that rat..."

You pause, leaving it to the imagination, before glancing away. "Moon, too. It's clear we're getting to that point. I can't let it happen any later, seeing him again. I need..."

The farther you get in your assertions, the more your voice fades, making it harder for Sun to discern. Your mention of his partner has his claws flexing and clenching behind his back.

"Don't hurt Moon," he growls, canines peeking out protectively. You watch the display, then shake your head and smile.

"What do you think I'm trying to prevent, silly?" you question wearily, bordering on teasing. "The more control, the more satisfied it is. This will help, on a certain level. After all...I won't let it happen again."

Your ferocity is paralyzing, more unhinged than a rabid beast in the wild. The atmosphere around his throat condenses, a near physical thing, and he braces himself for you to wrap your hand around it again. What he receives, however, is a simple touch, timid and shaking, the stroke of fingers down his windpipe, which swiftly retreats with a lightning fast snap.

"I'll be back," you grumble, turning to depart.

Frantically, Sun scrambles for what to say, what might change your course of action, but he is not even close to as good as Moon is in the face of such danger. His usually honeyed tongue fails him, and all he can bring himself to utter, slouching in defeat, is, "Please, be careful. Be gentle."

You halt at the other end of the room, if only for just a second. "I will be," you offer soft reassurance, and then you're gone, and Sun is alone. But, he fears, not for long.

#sun and moon are not brothers #fnaf #fnaf au #sun #moon #sun x reader #moon x reader #superhero au #au madness #dca #dca x reader

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fairsweetlonging · 5 months ago

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truth serum / system reveal au where shen qingqiu gets hit with an uncloaking spell that reveals the system in the reflection of his eyes every time it pops up.

during one of his missions, in the treasure hoard of some dragon-like creature, he finds a golden, oval shaped hand mirror, its gaudy style more victorian based than anything (airplane you hack!), that doesn't seem to do anything when he looks into it. but when he does, it reveals the system's screen in his eyes.

he doesn't notice this, of course, because he can't see it, and the system, surprisingly, stays quiet.

the peak lords think he's cursed.

maybe mu qingfang is the first to notice, during the mandatory post mission check-up, when shen qingqiu is scrolling through his most recently accumulated points and mu qingfang can see the strange vividly-blue lines reflected in his pupils. it's gone when shen qingqiu blinks, like it was nothing but a trick of the light.

it comes out when yue qingyuan is visiting and, just as he's done laying out the plans for a new mission, shen qingqiu's eyes glaze over and a bright blue box takes over the whole of his iris. shen qingqiu goes quiet; the thing in his eyes moves, shifts, pulses for a second, like static worms crawling all over his pupils. then he blinks, and it's gone, and shen qingqiu accepts the mission that yue qingyuan was almost sure he would decline.

maybe there is an intervention, when the peak lords corner shen qingqiu at qian cao peak and try to figure out what's wrong, subjecting him to all kinds of treatments and curse-finding spells that turn up empty, they can't find anything.

of course, the silencing threat is still very much up and running. at first shen qingqiu was kind of confused by the whole ordeal, but when the peak lords start describing a "strange blue box", he realizes, with sickening suddenty, that they're describing the system. and he can't say anything.

this only makes everything worse, because their fellow peak lord now keeps evading every question and acts like he doesn't understand. liu qingge points right at his face and asks, "that blue box, what is it?" and shen qingqiu laughs nervously and starts talking about how bright the weather is and surely it's the sky and nothing to worry about!

even worse, during the intervention the system thought it was a good idea to start talking to him, so now even the peak lords who hadn't seen it and who might have been persuaded by light tricks and reflections, get a first row view that no, that definitely isn't a trick of the light.

they try to do the whole thing of "are you in danger, blink twice" but shen qingqiu can't even do that because it's still a direct admittance!

maybe eventually he starts saying vague confirmations that don't actually confirm anything, like "this master hears what you're saying", or maybe he goes with a classic "this master can neither confirm nor deny that." but the system starts warning him for that too and eventually he stops saying anything, which worries the others more.

luckily mu qingfang catches on that every time they ask a direct question about the box or shen qingqiu says anything vaguely confirming, it appears. it doesn't appear when they ask about curses or demons, so it must not see that as a threat.

for a little extra angst: maybe the peak lords keep pressuring him for answers, and at some point shen qingqiu gets fed up and snaps out something like, "why don't you understand that i'm not allowed to answer that!" the system counts this as a direct admittance, threatening it's existence. so it punishes. shen qingqiu has a qi deviation so bad it lasts two weeks and takes two people every day to cleanse his meridians. the system doesn't appear in that time. it doesn't appear for a long while after that, either. the peak lords stop asking, mainly because shen qingqiu will instantly leave the room if they do. they don't stop searching for a cure, though.

shang qinghua returns from a business trip and catches on the second someone mentions a blue box and forced silencing.