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the-winter-spider · 16 hours ago

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Invisible | Part 20

Bucky x Reader AU

Word Count: 4.2k

Warnings: angst

A/N: im scheduling 3 of these to post back to bsck lol hopefully it works 😇🤣

The three of you were sprawled across the living room floor, wine glasses in hand, surrounded by face masks, nail polish bottles, and the kind of snacks you’d regret in the morning. Wanda had taken it upon herself to paint your toes, and you giggled as she playfully swatted at your ankle to keep you still.

“Stop squirming,” she said, trying to keep a steady hand. “You’re gonna mess it up.”

“Sorry,” you mumbled, taking another sip of wine. “But it tickles.”

Natasha sat cross-legged beside you, a clay mask drying on her face, her wine glass already nearly empty. She was watching you both with an amused smile, though her eyes flickered with a faint shadow of something heavier.

The conversation had been light—work drama, a funny story from Wanda’s day, a ridiculous TikTok—but the wine was starting to loosen your tongues. Feeling the moment, you took a deep breath and decided to jump in headfirst.

“So,” you said casually, but your voice carried enough weight to grab their attention. “What are we going to do about Steve?”

Natasha froze, her wine glass halfway to her lips. Wanda’s brush paused mid-stroke on your pinky toe, and both women turned to look at you.

Natasha recovered first, setting her glass down and crossing her arms. “What do you mean?” she asked, her tone carefully neutral.

You raised an eyebrow, not letting her off the hook. “I think you know exactly what I mean.”

Natasha hesitated, glancing at Wanda, whose wide-eyed expression made it clear she was just as curious. When Nat didn’t say anything, you leaned back on your hands and sighed. “I don’t know how I missed it, honestly. It was written all over you last night.”

Natasha’s jaw tightened, and with a muttered “Oh, for God’s sake,” she grabbed the wine bottle and poured herself another glass, chugging half of it before setting it down with a dramatic clink. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said flatly, but the slight tremor in her voice betrayed her.

Wanda let out a soft laugh, finishing your toes and sitting back. “Oh, Nat. We love you, but that’s the worst lie I’ve ever heard.”

Natasha shot her a glare, but you didn’t back down. “Come on, Nat,” you pressed gently. “It’s us. Just be honest. What do you want to do about Steve?”

Natasha exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair and smudging a bit of her drying mask. “What can I do?” she said, her voice sharper than she intended. “He’s still hung up on you. Always has been. I don’t want to be anybody’s second choice.”

Wanda immediately shook her head, her expression fierce. “That is impossible. Once Steve realizes how much of an idiot he’s being, he’ll see what’s right in front of him.”

You nodded in agreement, leaning closer. “Wanda’s right. I couldn’t agree more. But what do you want, Nat? What do you really want?”

For a moment, Natasha didn’t answer. She stared into her wine glass, her face unreadable. When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet but raw. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’ve been on the outside looking in for so long that I guess I’m just… used to it. It’s easier to stay there than to hope for something that might not happen.”

The confession hung in the air, heavy with unspoken pain. You reached out, resting a hand on hers. “Nat, you deserve to be happy. You deserve someone who loves you, who’s crazy about you.”

She let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “Yeah, well… I don’t want Steve to be the one that got away. Like you are to him.”

Your heart clenched at her words. “It’s not like that,” you said softly.

Natasha’s eyes met yours, her expression firm but kind. “Of course it is,” she said. “And it’s not your fault. It’s just the way things are. But he has to get over you before anything can happen between us.”

Wanda’s hand found Natasha’s, squeezing gently. “You’re not wrong,” she said softly. “But that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless.”

You nodded, your chest tight with emotion. “Steve just needs time. And when he finally lets himself see you for who you really are to him… Nat, I know it’ll be worth it.”

Natasha’s lips twitched into a faint smile, though her eyes were still clouded with doubt. “I hope you’re right,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

The room fell into a brief silence, the weight of the conversation settling over all three of you. But then Wanda, ever the ray of sunshine, clapped her hands together. “Alright, enough doom and gloom. Gimme your feet Nat, your next!”

The tension broke, and you couldn’t help but laugh. Natasha rolled her eyes but nodded, holding out her wine glass. “Fine. But only if you promise not to paint my toes like a five-year-old.”

The rest of the night passed in a blur of laughter and teasing, but Natasha’s words lingered in your mind. You couldn’t shake the hope that, somehow, everything would fall into place for her—and for Steve.

The apartment was alive with laughter, the clinking of beer bottles, and the occasional groan as someone lost a hand of poker. Sam sat sprawled on the couch, his feet kicked up on the coffee table, while Bucky leaned back in his chair, shuffling the deck with practiced ease. Steve was seated across from them, quieter than usual, nursing a drink and staring at his phone a little too intently.

“Alright, boys,” Bucky said, smirking as he dealt the cards. “Prepare to lose whatever dignity you have left.”

Sam snorted, reaching for his beer. “Big talk for someone who still owes me twenty bucks from last time.”

Bucky shrugged. “I’ll take it out of my poker chips tonight.”

The banter was light, the atmosphere easy—at least on the surface. But the undercurrent of tension was impossible to ignore, especially with Steve’s unusually subdued demeanor. He hadn’t laughed at Sam’s jokes, hadn’t chimed in on Bucky’s playful jabs, and his replies were clipped, almost robotic.

As the game progressed, Sam turned the conversation to safer, more personal waters. “So, Buck,” he began, his tone casual but his grin mischievous, “how’s the love life? Things going okay with your girl?”

Bucky’s face softened immediately, a boyish grin spreading across his face. “Okay?” he repeated, shaking his head. “Sam, she’s everything. She’s smart, kind, funny… she keeps me on my toes. I mean, I don’t know how I got so lucky. It’s like—” He paused, his blue eyes lighting up as he searched for the right words. “It’s like every time I look at her, I realize she’s my home, you know? She’s it for me, I hate how long it took for me to get my shit together.”

Sam let out a low whistle, leaning back with a wide smile. “Damn, Barnes. That’s the good stuff. I’m so happy for you, man.”

Bucky chuckled, clearly flustered but grateful for the encouragement. “Thanks, man. It’s about time, right?”

But while Sam’s smile remained genuine, Steve’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. His cards remained untouched in front of him as he stared at the table, his drink abandoned.

“Yup,” Steve said abruptly, his tone short and flat. “That’s great.”

Bucky’s eyes flicked to him, narrowing slightly. “You good, Stevie?”

“Yeah,” Steve said, glancing at his phone again. “Just… got some stuff on my mind.”

Before Bucky could press further, Steve stood up abruptly, grabbing his phone and shoving it into his pocket. “I gotta go somewhere.”

Sam straightened in his seat, his eyebrows furrowing. “Go where? It’s poker night.”

“Just something I gotta take care of,” Steve replied, his tone distant as he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. “Don’t wait up.”

And just like that, he was gone, leaving Bucky and Sam staring after him, bewildered.

“What the hell was that about?” Bucky muttered, sitting back in his chair, his brows knitting together in concern.

Sam let out a nervous chuckle, running a hand over his face. “Man, I don’t know.”

Bucky’s eyes narrowed, watching Sam closely. “Alright, spill. What’s got you looking like you’re about to jump out of your skin? Is it why Steve left?”

Sam hesitated, clearly torn. “It’s not about Steve.”

“Then what is it?” Bucky pressed, his tone softening. “I know it’s not just because I’m kicking your ass at poker.”

Sam sighed heavily, setting his cards down and rubbing the back of his neck. “Alright, fine. I was gonna wait, but… I got an offer. A big one. Job-wise.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “That’s great, man. What’s the problem?”

Sam leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his expression conflicted. “It’s out of town. Way out of town. Like, completely out of state. It’s a great opportunity, Buck. Better pay, more responsibility, and I’d get to work with a nonprofit I’ve been following for years. But… it means leaving all of this. Leaving you guys.”

Bucky’s expression softened as he processed Sam’s words. “Shit, Sam. That’s… big.”

“Yeah,” Sam said, laughing bitterly. “Tell me about it. I’ve been sitting on it for a week, trying to figure out if it’s the right move.”

Bucky leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “And? What’s your gut telling you?”

Sam shrugged, his shoulders heavy with uncertainty. “My gut’s telling me to go for it. But my heart? My heart’s telling me it’s gonna suck, leaving everyone behind.”

Bucky nodded slowly, his eyes steady on Sam. “Look, man. I can’t tell you what to do, but… you gotta do what’s right for you. We’ll still be here, no matter where you are.”

Sam looked up, his eyes filled with gratitude and something deeper, something almost fragile. “You mean that?”

“Of course,” Bucky said firmly. “You’ve been here for us through everything. It’s our turn to be here for you.”

Sam let out a shaky breath, nodding. “Thanks, Buck. That… that means a lot.”

Bucky grinned, clapping Sam on the shoulder. “Now, don’t think I’m gonna let you leave without kicking your ass at poker at least one more time.”

Sam laughed, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. “Bring it on, Barnes. Bring it on.”

But even as the mood lightened, both of them couldn’t help but glance at the door Steve had walked through, wondering what storm might be brewing behind his quiet exit.

The farmers market was its usual lively self—vendors calling out deals, the scent of fresh bread and flowers wafting through the air, and the hum of chatter everywhere. You walked arm-in-arm with Bucky, the soft brush of his hand against yours grounding you.

“Where’s Steve?” you asked, glancing around the booths for the familiar blond head.

Sam, walking ahead, glanced back over his shoulder. “Said he couldn’t make it today.”

You frowned slightly, your chest tightening at the thought. “Okay,” you murmured. “Next time.”

Natasha shrugged from beside you, but her quick glance toward Wanda betrayed her curiosity. If she had any deeper thoughts, she didn’t share them, instead wandering off toward a display of ceramics. The sight made you smile.

The group naturally splintered into pairs, each gravitating toward their favorite stalls. You and Bucky hung back, trailing through the market at a leisurely pace, his hand brushing yours every so often, an intimate yet casual connection. The weight of the locket resting against your collarbone felt comforting, grounding you to the present.

Nearby, Natasha let out a delighted squeal, holding up a small ceramic cow. “Oh my God, look at this!” she exclaimed, waving it in your direction. “It’ll go perfectly with the rooster and duck I already got Steve.”

You and Bucky exchanged amused glances, both of you laughing softly. “Nat,” you teased, walking over to her, “are you building him a farm?”

“Practically,” Sam muttered, shaking his head as he joined the conversation. “Goddamn, Nat. You’re going to have the whole barnyard at my house next.”

Natasha just grinned, holding the cow close. “Or something,” she said cryptically, turning back to the vendor to pay. Sam rolled his eyes, muttering something about barn animals under his breath as he dragged Bucky off toward the crepe stand.

Wanda busied herself at the flower stall nearby, selecting a bright bouquet of daisies and sunflowers. Meanwhile, you wandered toward the jewelry stall where the locket had been, unable to resist curiosity. You’d gotten the locket back, thanks to Steve, but you wanted to piece together the rest of the story.

“Excuse me,” you said to the vendor, offering her a polite smile. “A while ago, there was a locket here—this one.” You touched the small gold heart resting against your chest. “Do you remember it?”

The vendor’s eyes lit up as she nodded. “Oh, I remember that locket very well. My granddaughter found it at a party. She thought it was worth something and brought it to me.”

“Your granddaughter?” you echoed, your heart skipping a beat. “Who is she?”

“Her name’s Kate,” the woman said, her tone warm and fond.

You froze for a moment, blinking in surprise. “Kate?” The name felt heavy on your tongue. “Wow… small world.” you muttered

The woman nodded, her gaze flicking to the locket on your neck. “And then that sweet young man bought it. He was so determined to get it for you.”

Your heart clenched at the thought of Steve, the memory of him giving it back to you still fresh. “He did,” you said softly. “He brought it back to me. I’d lost it at a party, and… it meant a lot to me.”

The woman smiled knowingly. “He talked about you the whole time he was here. The way he spoke, you’d think the sun rose and set on you. I always wondered about the two of you, did you end up together yet?”

You didn’t know what to say, your throat tightening at the words. "No, we, I -- " Before you could fully respond, warm arms wrapped around your waist from behind, pulling you back into the present.

“Hey, doll,” Bucky murmured against your ear, his voice low and affectionate. “What’re you up to over here?”

You tilted your head to look up at him, his closeness making you smile automatically. “Just… reminiscing.”

The vendor’s eyes softened as she watched the two of you, a twinkle of understanding in her gaze. “Ah,” she said simply, her voice rich with amusement. “Now, that makes sense.”

“What makes sense?” Bucky asked, his brows knitting together as he looked between you and the woman.

“Nothing, sweetheart,” she replied with a wink. “Enjoy your day.”

Bucky’s hand rested protectively on your lower back as he guided you away, his expression puzzled. “What was that about?”

“Just a little backstory about the locket,” you said, touching it lightly. “She was telling me how her granddaughter found it at a party. Apparently, Kate brought it here.”

His brow furrowed. “Kate? Seriously? Small world.”

“Very,” you murmured, the warmth of his touch and the reassurance of his presence grounding you.

“Anyway,” he said, nudging you gently. “Sam’s probably inhaled three crepes already. We should catch up.”

You laughed, letting him lead you toward the crepe stand where Sam and Natasha were already bickering about toppings. But as you glanced back one last time at the jewelry booth, you couldn’t help but feel the weight of how everything, somehow, had come full circle.

The apartment felt emptier than usual. The clock ticked past ten, and Bucky still wasn’t home. You sat on the couch, your laptop balanced on your knees, pretending to focus on some edits for work. But your eyes kept flicking to the door, your thoughts spinning.

You knew Bucky’s schedule like the back of your hand. You worked for the same company, after all. There wasn’t a meeting or late deadline you hadn’t already accounted for. So where was he?

Your phone sat untouched on the coffee table. No texts. No calls. A creeping sense of unease settled in your chest, mingling with irritation. He always let you know if he was running late—always. Until tonight.

By the time you heard his keys jangling in the lock, it was almost ten. The door opened, and there he was, his hair slightly disheveled, his shirt untucked. He looked exhausted but smiled the moment he saw you.

“Hey, darlin’,” he greeted, kicking off his boots and heading toward you.

You closed your laptop with a sharp snap, your jaw tight. “Hey?” you repeated, your voice tinged with annoyance.

Bucky’s smile faltered. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” You stood, setting the laptop on the coffee table. “You’re two hours late, Bucky. You didn’t call. You didn’t text. I’ve been sitting here worried sick.”

He blinked, caught off guard by the intensity in your tone. “I didn’t think it was a big deal. I got caught up with uh Sam after work. We went for a drink—”

“A drink?” you interrupted, your voice rising. “You know your schedule, and you know I know it too. You could’ve told me. It’s not that hard to send a text.”

Bucky frowned, stepping closer. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it’d be such a big deal.”

“It is a big deal,” you snapped, crossing your arms. “We’ve barely started this relationship, and you’re already pulling this?”

“Pulling what?” His voice edged with frustration now. “I’m not ‘pulling’ anything. I went for a drink with my best friend, and I’m sorry I didn’t text. But this—this feels like an overreaction.”

You recoiled slightly, his words stinging. “Overreaction?” You laughed bitterly. “You don’t get it, do you? This isn’t just about tonight, Bucky. It’s about us. About whether you actually take this seriously.”

“Seriously?” he repeated, his voice rising. “You think I’m not serious about you?”

“Well, you’re not exactly proving it right now!”

His jaw tightened, his blue eyes flashing with hurt. “Doll, you’re reading too much into this. It was one night. I didn’t think I needed to check in like I was some damn teenager.”

“Maybe you should’ve,” you fired back, your voice cracking. “Because that’s what people in relationships do, Bucky. They care enough to let the other person know what’s going on! I got scared, what if something happened to you? What if i lost you before i even had you! Or what if you dont actually want this or care about me or, or--”

The words hung heavy between you, the silence sharp and suffocating.

Bucky sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You think I don’t care about you?” he asked quietly, his voice softer now, but no less pained. “That’s what you think?”

You hesitated, your anger warring with the guilt creeping in. “I don’t know,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. “I just… I’ve been scared, Bucky. That if something goes wrong, we’ll fall apart. That this won’t last.”

Bucky stepped closer, his expression softening as he reached for your hand. “Doll,” he murmured, his tone gentle. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel that way. I messed up tonight. I should’ve texted. You’re right. I would have been upset if you didn’t tell me either, I’m sorry”

Tears prickled at the corners of your eyes, but you blinked them away. “I just don’t want to lose you,” you said, your voice breaking. "I cant lose you”

“You won’t,” he promised, his grip on your hand tightening. “I swear. I’ll do better. I want this—us. More than anything.”

For a moment, you just stared at each other, the tension slowly melting under the weight of his sincerity. Then, before you could overthink it, you surged forward, your lips crashing into his.

Bucky responded instantly, his arms wrapping around you and pulling you flush against him. The kiss was desperate and heated, years of pent-up longing pouring out all at once. His hands roamed your back, his fingers digging into your skin as if grounding himself in you.

You pulled back slightly, breathless, your hands cupping his face. “You’re not allowed to scare me like that again,” you whispered.

“Never,” he vowed, his voice husky. He kissed you again, his lips trailing down your neck, his breath warm against your skin.

The two of you stumbled toward the couch, his hands tugging at the hem of your shirt. “I just can’t keep my hands off you,” he murmured, his lips brushing your jawline.

You laughed softly, tilting your head to give him better access. “Remember,” you teased, “you’re the one who wanted to take things slow.”

Bucky pulled back slightly, his lips curling into a smirk. “Maybe I’ve changed my mind.”

You grinned, tugging him back down for another kiss. But before things could go any further, your phone buzzed loudly on the coffee table, breaking the moment.

You groaned, burying your face in his chest. “Of course.”

Bucky chuckled, brushing a strand of hair from your face. “It’s for the best,” he said, though his darkened eyes betrayed just how badly he wanted to ignore it.

You looked up at him, arching a brow. “How long are you going to make me wait, Barnes?”

His lips twitched into a smile as he leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. “Soon, doll,” he promised. “No one wants this more than me. But I want to do it right.”

You sighed, nodding. “Okay. But don’t keep me waiting too long.”

“Never,” he said, standing and pulling you up with him. “Now get that pretty ass up. I brought dinner.”

You laughed, swatting his arm as he grabbed his phone. “Also,” he added with a smirk, “next time I’m late, just spam me like Wanda spams the group chat.”

You rolled your eyes, but the warmth in your chest told you everything would be just fine.

You sit across from Sam, your lunch tray untouched as he stirs his soup absentmindedly. You notice he’s quieter than usual, a far cry from his typical animated self.

“So,” you start, trying to break the silence, “are you going to tell me what’s got you looking like you lost your best friend, or am I supposed to guess?”

Sam chuckles softly, but the sound lacks its usual warmth. He sets his spoon down and leans back in his chair, meeting your curious gaze. “I wanted to tell you first. I mean, out of the whole group.”

Your stomach tightens at his serious tone. “Tell me what?”

He hesitates for a moment before taking a deep breath. “I got a promotion.”

The words take a moment to sink in, and when they do, your face lights up. “Sam, that’s amazing! Why do you look like someone kicked your dog? This is huge!”

“It is,” he agrees, his smile faltering. “But there’s a catch. The position is… halfway across the country. I’d have to move.”

Your heart sinks. “Oh.” The excitement in your voice fades, replaced by a bittersweet pang in your chest. “When?”

“In a couple of weeks, maybe less,” he admits, rubbing the back of his neck. “That’s why I’ve been so MIA this week. I’ve been at the VA, getting all the logistics sorted out.”

You nod slowly, the news settling heavily over you. “Wow. That’s… a lot to process. But Sam,” you say, reaching across the table to squeeze his hand, “this is incredible. I’m so proud of you. You’ve worked so hard for this.”

He smiles, his eyes softening. “Thanks. It means a lot to hear that from you.”

A thought flickers in your mind, something not quite adding up. “Wait,” you say cautiously. “You’ve been at the VA all week?”

Sam nods. “Yeah, pretty much. I haven’t seen anyone. You’re the first person I’ve had time to sit down with.”

Confusion twists in your stomach. “You didn’t see Bucky?” you ask slowly.

He frowns. “No. Why?”

You pause, debating whether to bring it up. “He told me he went out for a drink with you the other night,” you say carefully.

Sam’s eyebrows lift in surprise before he shakes his head. “Nope, not me. I mean, maybe he went with someone else, but it wasn’t me.”

You try to push down the unease creeping into your chest. Bucky lying to you? It doesn’t make sense. But you decide to tuck the thought away for now.

“So, who else knows about your promotion?” you ask, steering the conversation back.

“Bucky,” Sam admits with a small grin. “He found out on guys’ night. But don’t be mad at him. I made him promise not to say anything until I was ready.”

“Of course I’m not mad,” you say quickly. “I get it. It’s your news to share, not his.”

Sam looks relieved and leans forward, his expression soft. “I’m gonna miss this, you know. Just hanging out with you, laughing about dumb stuff. You’ve been one of my closest friends for years.”

“Don’t get all sappy on me now,” you tease, though your throat tightens with emotion. “We’re not getting rid of you that easily. You’ll visit, right?”

“Of course,” he says firmly. “And you better come visit me, too. I expect postcards, care packages, the whole deal.”

You laugh, but the weight of the news still lingers in the air. As you finish your lunch, you can’t shake the feeling that something’s off. But for now, you focus on Sam, determined to make the most of the time you have left with him.

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky x reader #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x y/n #sebastian stan x reader #bucky x you #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes angst #bucky x y/n #bucky barnes au #bucky barnes x reader angst #bucky banres #james barnes x you #james barnes fanfiction

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dissapointu · 1 day ago

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would you make a jinx x reader story bonding over arcades or video games? awesome fan fics, sorry if its a big ask :))

Game Over, Not Yet (jinx x reader)

The neon lights of the arcade flickered in a way that felt almost alive, buzzing with energy. The clanking of buttons, the bright screens, and the constant whir of machines set the perfect backdrop for a night with Jinx. You had both managed to sneak into one of the less-populated corners of the undercity’s old arcade, where faded posters of games long forgotten still hung on the walls.

Jinx’s eyes sparkled as she bounced from one machine to the next, her chaotic energy making it clear she was in her element. “Ooh, look at this one!” she squealed, practically dragging you over to an old-school fighting game. Her excitement was infectious.

“You ready to get your butt kicked, [Y/N]?” she asked, a playful challenge in her voice as she slapped the joystick with one hand.

Rolling your eyes, you grinned. “Not even close, Jinx. This is my game.”

“Oh yeah? Prove it!” she shot back, hands already gripping the controller with lightning speed, her fingers moving like she was born to do this.

You both took your spots, facing off on the screen, each of you controlling characters in a cartoonish, over-the-top street brawler game. The sound effects were loud, the music a steady rhythm of 8-bit melodies that sent you both into fits of laughter every time something absurd happened.

As the match started, Jinx leaned in closer, her concentration a little more intense than usual. You could see the way her face lit up every time her character landed a hit. She was so alive when she was playing, fully immersed in the world of digital battles and impossible stunts. Her chaotic nature blended with the game’s exaggerated violence, and for a moment, everything around you seemed to disappear except the two of you.

But then, with one swift move, you launched a special attack, knocking her character out of the ring. “Game over!” you teased, sticking your tongue out playfully.

“NO WAY!” Jinx gasped, hands flying up in exaggerated disbelief. “This is rigged!” she pouted dramatically, crossing her arms as she huffed.

You laughed, grabbing a nearby soda can. “Told you I’d win.”

She shot you a sideways grin, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Fine, fine. I’ll let you have this round. But next time? You’re toast.”

“Oh? Is that a challenge?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, it’s definitely a challenge,” Jinx said with a grin that could rival a wolf’s. “But first, you’ve gotta beat me in this one.”

She dragged you to the next machine—a vintage racing game, the kind where you had to hold onto the steering wheel, pretending you were driving a car in a way that felt far too real for a video game.

You took your place, and Jinx straddled the seat next to you, slinging an arm around your shoulder. “Ready to lose, again?”

“You really think so?” you shot back, narrowing your eyes playfully.

Jinx laughed, her fingers already poised over the buttons. “Oh, it’s not that you’re gonna lose… it’s how badly you’re gonna lose.” Her laugh was loud and filled with uncontainable joy. As soon as the game started, she slammed her foot onto the pedal with enthusiasm, her laugh echoing through the room.

You both raced through the track, your hands working fast on the steering wheel, trying to dodge obstacles and speed ahead. Every time you pulled off a smooth turn, you could hear Jinx’s delighted cheer behind you, her voice becoming more and more wild as she pushed for that win.

The game’s final lap arrived, and you both were neck and neck. You could feel Jinx’s competitive spirit heating up beside you, her body practically vibrating with energy. Her face was a mixture of fierce determination and excitement, her hair falling messily over her shoulders as she leaned forward, urging her digital car to go faster.

Just as you neared the finish line, Jinx threw one last move, sending her car rocketing past yours and claiming victory with a dramatic screech of tires. “HA! I WIN AGAIN!”

You groaned, slumping in your seat, but the smile on your face didn’t disappear. “You’re impossible.”

Jinx threw her arms around your shoulders, pulling you into a quick side hug. “You love it,” she said, her voice softer now, but no less playful. “But hey, you did pretty good. Maybe next time?”

You chuckled, the sound of your laughter mixing with the hum of the arcade around you. “Yeah, maybe next time. I’ll be ready.”

As you both sat there for a moment, catching your breath and enjoying the afterglow of the game, you realized something. You didn’t need to win to have fun with Jinx. The moments you spent together, the chaos, the laughter—it was all you needed. And for her, it was the same. In her eyes, it wasn’t about winning. It was about being with you.

“Hey, [Y/N]…” Jinx’s voice broke through your thoughts. She leaned over, brushing some of your hair out of your face with a soft hand, a rare moment of tenderness.

“Yeah?”

“I think we make a pretty good team.”

You smiled at her, the connection between the two of you felt deeper than any high score could measure. “I think so, too.”

And with that, you both returned to the arcade machines, ready for the next round, knowing that whatever happened, you were in this together.

#arcane x reader #x reader #arcane imagine #arcane headcanon #jinx arcane #character x reader #jinx x reader #arcane #jinx league of legends #jinx posting #jinx imagine #jinx lol #jinx #arcane x you

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the-moons-tears · 3 days ago

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Scar (wuwa) x reader NSFW

A beast, a man, or both?

Hey guys! From the poll, you guys voted for the hunting thing the most, so here it is! It’s not completelyyy nsfw, but I’ll go ahead and mark it as that. More notes at the end of the work!

Edit: I’m gonna go back and finish the actual nsfw part bc I’ve got time and feel motivated enough to do it so stay tuned!

Preview:

“What are you?” You breathlessly got out, swallowing hard.

“Yours~” he answered back, leaning down to press kisses to the exposed flesh of your chest.

It was ironic, a lamb intimidating you, a hunter. You moved into the woods a couple of weeks ago, settling into a shabby cabin. Hours of work turned it into a quaint house, lively and perfect, just for you. Being alone in the woods wasn’t bad at all. The sounds of the tall pines swaying from a breeze and the creatures crushing the leaves under their feet, it was all…right, perfect. You wondered if those rumors were just paranoid tales. I mean, a giant goat-like figure? Stalking these woods in search of something?

You scoff to yourself as you kick the back door open with your shoe, yeah right,. In your arms is a bucket, empty, but by the time you come back, it’s always full. The dirt and soil compact under your steps, marking a trail of footprints leading away from your house. A gun is slung around your back, typically there as precaution, but sometimes you spot a good rabbit or squirrel.

You have yet to see a deer, and the only time you did see one was a mutilated corpse that looked like a bear had sunk its teeth into it. It was rather gruesome, and looked fairly recent. A few couple days were spent in the woods looking for any signs of a bear, but you never found anything.

Crouching down, you cut some edible mushroom from a patch that grew frequently. The moist environment mixed well where the spores tended to land in. From what you could gather in the plentiful forest, you could make some pretty exquisite meals. Soups and other things that keep you healthy and full. The mushrooms filled quite a big part of your basket, so before it got too full you decided to make a few trips to the other places you gathered from.

There was a small grove a little ways away from there, giving many hanging fruits that you really liked. You had buckets placed underneath several of them, catching the fallen fruit when you weren’t there to pick them. Inspecting each fruit, you placed them in your basket until it was near full. A rustling caught your attention, only to be a tiny creature dashing out from a bush.

The bush was new, growing little berries you hadn’t seen before. You wrapped some of them in a cloth in case they were poisonous, waiting to get home to test them and see. With a now full basket, you adjust your gun and set off back home. You’ve traveled the forest so many times that you know your way around and doubt that you would ever get lost.

While on the treck back, you feel strange. The air smells different, ashy. Thoughts race for a second, worried that there might be a forest fire, but that’s practically impossible with huanglong’s provisions and safety measures. With a furrow of your brow, you continue back, eventually making it so your front door once again.

As you approach, you notice a gift on one of your outside tables. You had been getting those ever since you came. Small trinkets and things. You kept them, knowing that crows sometimes did such things as well as other animals. They all went into a little box of random things. Some of those gifts were strung together to make a little necklace that you wore everyday.

You're able to get the latch open, holding it open with your back pressed to it as you walk inside with your new gift in hand. The basket is set down on a large table inside, light pouring in from your little window. You set everything out, putting fruits away and preparing mushrooms for later use. Briefly, you check on your hanging herbs and self grown vegetables before heading out once again to investigate that weird smell.

The gun is still on you, making you feel secure as you try to follow a source of a smell. No smoke, no fleeing flocks or animals, and no heat anywhere. Where’s it coming from?

You end up walking quite a way from the house, still having no luck. About to give up, you turn around, but are suddenly frozen where you stand. All forest chatter ceased immediately, the smell of ash overwhelming your nose. The chittering of animals in the trees stopped, the noises of flying bugs quieted. No bird flew, and all life seemed to have vanished. You could hear your heart beating. They were all hiding from something, and it was painfully obvious you were in clear sight to whatever it was.

Swallowing, your wide eyes scan the area, trying to see anything, hands oh so gently grabbing your shotgun around. Hairs on your neck and arms were raised, and anxiety settled in. You had the power to shoot whatever it was, but there was a nagging dread that weighed down the thought.

With light steps, you start backing up, preparing to make a run back to your house, where the trees are denser and easily navigated by you, giving you potential upper hand should whatever it is give chase. Your frantic eyes finally land on it, the thing that had been eyeing you for much longer.

It was terrifying, hiding still behind a tree with a large part of its body locked on you. Its face was like a skull, with the horns of a lamb or goat. From your distance, it easily surpassed your height, fur dirty with what was clearly blood. Muscular arms were scarred and battered like the rest of its body, impressive eyes like a demon’s. The way it seemed to smile at you, eyes clouded with some sort of twisted affection, made your blood run cold.

Your brain couldn’t process any sort of plan before the beast crushed the ground underneath it, running toward you at impossible speed. You ran immediately, not confident any sort of bullet would penetrate its hide. Those trees could give you cover from its more massive body, if you could get there in time.

The beast was deathly quiet aside from the thumping of its hooves on the forest earth. You don’t know how long it had been eyeing you, but you were in too much of a panic to think about anything other than escape. You could only hear your elated breathing, accompanied by the fast gaining strides of the thing hunting you down. Reaching a densely covered forest patch, you weave quickly through it, sliding down muddy hills and brush, giving a few cuts to your legs.

It seemed whatever it was was still trying to follow behind, tearing through trees to try and reach you. You had to stop for a moment, chest heaving and you slid down, adrenaline making your head spin and legs ache, feeling electric but so wobbly. It was a moment too long, because the beast burst in from the side, clawed hands grasping at you as tree shards flew in all directions. The thing was desperate to have you, and you were terrified to think of what it wanted, mind recalling the body of the deer.

You cried out and scrambled back, yells of terror ripping from your lungs. The gun was beneath you, pressing uncomfortably into your back. With claws grabbing and pulling, you couldn’t do anything, body moving against the soil and leaves.

Its face was close, eyes gleaming in pleasure as it moved on top of you. Your hands pushed against its skull, kicking legs not reaching its inverted goat ones. A purr like growl came from its throat, pressing itself close to you anyway it could. The fur was physically hot, and the overwhelming smell of ash returned.

The clawed hands restrained you at last, and quietly you cried, tears of fear falling to the dirt below, scared to even look at the thing above. It nuzzled you, vibrating hums and growls that traveled through your body. The beast kept doing that, not hurting you with its giant teeth or claws, just nuzzling. It was perplexing, the way it was…affectionate?

“What do you want from me…?” you whimpered out, words just spilling, although you doubted a beast like this could be sentient or in any way respond. The claws didn’t puncture you, merely keeping their hold on you to ensure you couldn’t leave. You almost came down from panic, but it only returned as a loud cracking came from the creature, back contorting and face spasming how the skull could. The beast was…becoming smaller.

You tried to scramble away, but the claws held you as they cracked, a low growl coming from the beast, menacing enough to diminish thoughts of escape. Closing your eyes from the disturbing bend of limbs, you prayed from your gut that you would get out of this alive. The weight of the claws had lifted slightly, legs finally bending forward to touch yours. Opening your eyes with uncertainty, you witnessed the last few seconds of transformation.

Its, or rather his, warped head finally settled into a scarred human face, eyes shifting from a goat’s to a male’s, two different colors staring at you. His body, scarred like his face, was sculpted and dirty, tattered red clothes hanging on his skin, covering what it needed to. Fur shifted into skin, and on his head silky strands of white with red appeared. The smile he gave as his body settled over you made you cry out, scared beyond anything.

The man leaned down, nuzzling once more to you, more boldly on your chest this time, jostling the necklace that lay there. A voice came from him, raspy and a sort of desperate want you couldn’t place.

“I knew you would wear them…my gifts led me to you and…and oh~ you smell so good…” his hands were tightening, making you wince and struggle. This was the rumored beast, surely. A shifting sort of goat creature that had most likely caused that horrible scene with the deer. The gun shifted below your back, making you grunt, hands trying to reach for it. Immediately he sat up, hips pinning you down as he reached down, smile changing into a deathly stare as he pulled the gun out and away.

That smile returned as he looked over the gun, chest and body shaking slightly as he laughed through his words, “y-you wanted to shoot me? Why would you do a thing like that?” You weren’t sure if he wanted an answer, too scared to give one anyway.

“My sweet delicate little mate,” his honeyed voice emphasized on the sweet and delicate, “you don’t need that, and you don’t need to be scared. You took my gifts of affection and I’ll-I’ll be gentle…so gentle…”

His hips were on yours, breathless pants coming from him as he towered over you, hands returning to your arms. “You’ll help me right? It-it came so much earlier than I’d thought, and you just walked right to me. You couldn’t have smelled my pheromones if you…if you hadn’t accepted my gifts.”

Looking at him, his lips were wet, lower lip being bitten by sharp canines as he looked at you with an evident lust, flush across his cheekbones. A shiver ran through you, mind running fast, realizing you couldn’t think of any escape. You saw how he tossed your gun away a few seconds ago, the metal bent out of shape so easily.

“What are you?” You breathlessly got out, swallowing hard.

“Yours~” he answered back, leaning down to press kisses to the exposed flesh of your chest. “And you’re mine…I’ll mark you, and maybe you'll…you’ll be full of me inside…I’ll make you full~” he began to rock himself into you, tongue trailing up your chest as he rambled.

He was hot, skin giving off feverish temperatures as he rubbed against you. ��Please…please let me in your bed. I’ve seen you…and you just need me in it with you I know it…” The man beast whined out, eyes closing and lips glistening. Maybe it was the pheromones he was releasing, but he looked hot like that. Needy and desperate.

“Do…do you have a name?” You shakily get out, wondering if maybe you play civil, you could keep him from killing you, still unsure of his goal despite the strained fabric rubbing on your lower stomach. The look you received when you tried to grab your gun made you fear enough.

“Call me Scar, love, worthless dog…I’ll love anything you call me by. Please take me…it’s too hot.” his breath came out in pants, sweating scarred chest huffing in and out. You were conflicted. Here, he looked harmless, just a whimpering horny mess needy for you. The same man that threw your gun away, and hunted you a couple minutes ago in a horrid form.

He knew where you lived, planted gifts there that you absentmindedly strung into a necklace. You practically went looking for him, inviting him with the very gifts around your neck, making him go crazy. Breathes came out from you heavy as well, seeing the mess he was already making on your clothed stomach, not quite dripping down onto it yet. Scar bit his lips so hard a drop of blood flowed down his mouth, eyes locked on the necklace.

Maybe you were crazy. Maybe you had become lonely, mentally trying to block out reality with your daily routine. You hadn’t felt touch in so long, and he seemed more than willing to please you if you didn’t refuse him. You moved out to be at peace, but it didn’t help with wanting a bit of romance in your life. Looking at him in the eyes finally, he smiled wildly from such a small interaction.

Giving in, the fear from moments ago gone, you whispered, “are you going to hurt me?” Ready to follow up after response.

“Ohh~ I would never hurt you…I’d-I’d tear apart anything that tried. I promise I’ll only love you…make you my mate.”

Swallowing hard after hearing him give a particularly long groan and a stutter of his hips, you got out, “if you release me and let me get my gun back, I’ll…I’ll take you back.”

Scar smiled and laughed, leaning to give a sloppy kiss to the middle of your breasts. “I wouldn’t allow you to shoot me~”

A shiver ran through, but it was good you weren’t thinking about it anyway. Slowly, his clawed hands trailed your arms, tracing down your waist before coming off reluctantly. Your arms were free. You slid out from under his spread thighs, making his breath hitch and eyes close for a second.

You stood up eventually, wary of his movements. Scar simply looked up at you with a smile, canines visible as his hands reached out to your legs, slipping off as you walked over to your gun.

…or what was left of it. There was a handprint dent in the metal where he grabbed it and threw it away. Sighing, you picked it up, unaware of how he had gotten so close behind you. Arms snaked through your ribs, settling to cross over one another on your stomach. Scar pulled you to him, giggling a little before whispering, lips to your ear, “hurry~ take me into those warm sheets, let me take my time with you…”

Internally, you wondered if this was a bad idea.

…

After finally making it back to the house, scar behind you matching your walking speed, you turned. He smiled innocently and kissed a strand of your hair he had been holding gently, starkly different to the beast that had stared at you in the woods. Scar walked ahead as you put your gun away, opening the door and waltzing in like he lived there now. Did he now though?

Walking in after him, you closed the door. There was, still practically naked in his tattered clothes, biting into a fruit you had put away. You huff with hands on your hips, but internally you were glad he didn’t just feed on meat, adding to the trust you were placing in the man.

He smiled again, then eyes went wide as your bed came into his vision. Scar walked briskly over to it, fruit in his mouth like a puppy as both his hands ran over the sheets, finely made from huanglong. Looking to you with a claw swirling the sheets and his other hand holding the bitten fruit, he gleamed, “it’s big enough for sure~”

Rolling your eyes, you went to organize your things, but quickly turned when you hear a thud and a pained moan. Whipping around, you see his body has given out, hands clawing at the sheets, bitten fruit rolling on the ground. Scar’s face is twisted, cut off groans and jolts racking his body, his thighs shaking on the floor. Back when he had first caught you, you remember him saying something about ‘it had come earlier than usual’ or something like that, and you were sure that he was referring to a heat cycle. The prime time for animals to…breed with their mate.

Sweating internally, you walked over and placed a hand on his scorching hot back. Those eyes fluttered to you, in pain, but so lost in pleasure. Weakly, he reached for you, burying his face into your available thigh. Hands reached higher as they could, tugging at your clothes.

“It hurts…I wanna be yours~” He whispered, eyes on yours. Your teeth bit into your finger that was at your speechless lips. What were you supposed to do, and how would you help? Slowly, he stood up, arms trapping you into him, rutting into you slowly. Balance shifted, making you sit on the bed, Scar climbing on top, trying to shed the tattered clothes off.

“It’s so hot…ngh- please let me in~ I need it~ need to make you my mate~” his head was hung, hair covering his face as he went low, claws hooking around your waistband, pulling impatiently already. And well, you couldn’t really resist that needy look could you, not after you’d been so lonely.

You could indulge in this for a bit…right? Oh how mistaken you were, realizing it as he laughed madly while pulling at your fabrics at the thought of utterly ravishing his mate.

Working on finishing it! I’m just super tired and will come back in the next few days to wrap it up 😏

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cupidbedsy · 14 hours ago

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𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘃𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘀, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘃𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘀 ; 𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 ♫

➪ summary: when an innocent night of listening to taylor swift's new album quick escalates to cole finding out his best friends' secret

➪ warnings: cole being upset, saying some mean things to trevor, mentions of tbeing depressed and crying and staying in room

➪ word count: 1.8k

➪ file type: au (ice bound) fic

➪ cupid's notes: did not realize that i was going to have to rewrite almost the whole entire fic when i started doing this but i'm so glad i did. this is one of the favorite things i've written for this au and i just think it's so funny and sweet and yeah

ice bound masterlist ; au taglist ; nhl masterlist ; navigation

Sitting in the hotel room with Cole, Chloe watched the TV as she waited for the Ducks’ game to finish. Of course, it had to start only an hour or two before her album came out. Yet, with all the rumors and theories flying about, something was happening in two hours, so if it was more music, she would have to only wait at least another hour after that. That she could do.

Trevor rushed through the door, his suit haphazardly thrown on and wrinkled, bag thrown over his shoulder, clothes spilling out from the broken zipper. His hair was messy and damp from the shower he had taken after the game, and his eyes were wild as he looked around them.

“I tried to get out sooner, but media is a pain in my ass.” He dropped his to the ground and walked over to where his girlfriend sat on the bed, placing a quick kiss on her forehead, “How’re you doing?”

“Good.” She murmured in reply, gazing up at him with big eyes, tiredness evident in them.

Cole came out of the bathroom, tugging on his shirt to loosen it slightly. When he looked up, he gazed at the proximity of two of his best friends, eyebrow raising slightly, but staying silent, flopping down on the bed opposite Chloe’s.

“I’m just gonna go change, okay?” He spoke softly, his words more directed at the girl in front of him than his other friend, sidestepping to make his way to the bathroom, digging clothes out from his bag beforehand.

Cole shot Chloe a look, “What was that?”

She tilted her head, giving him an innocent look, “What was what?”

He rolled his eyes at her casual dismissal, throwing his legs onto the bed and laying back against the pillows, pulling out his phone to scroll through Instagram. On the other hand, Chloe tucked her legs underneath her, sitting criss-cross on the bed, pulling the sleeves of her hoodie down to cover her hands.

Her hair was tied back into a ponytail, one that looked effortless but in reality she had spent hours this morning perfecting it. She was in one of her favorite light grey sweatsuits, it was one of the comfiest things she owned, plus she looked cute in it so win-win for her.

It only took a few minutes for Trevor to change, stepping out of the bathroom also adorning light grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt that hugged him tightly. She cast a quick glance at Cole to see him still occupied by whatever was on his phone, looking back at Trevor and letting her eyes travel from his arms down to his thighs, groaning internally. Leave it to Trevor to be attractive at the most unconventional time.

He took his spot behind Chloe, leaning against the headboard and throwing up his pair of socks, watching them as they fell back down, catching them with ease. When Cole had still yet to notice his presence, he motioned for Chloe to duck so he could throw the socks over at him, the boy jumping and dropping his phone, “Asshole.”

“Alright boys stop fighting. I want to listen to Taylor.” She grabbed her phone and navigated to her music app, turning the volume up as the beginning notes of Fortnight made their way to their ears.

Throughout them listening to the music, Chloe couldn’t help the thoughts of her and Trevor’s relationship that filtered through her mind. She made a note on her phone, one filled with the lyrics she related to tell Trevor about later when they weren’t accompanied by Cole’s presence. ‘Now I’m down bad crying at the gym’ ‘My bedsheets are ablaze, I’ve screamed his name’ ‘Lights, camera, bitch, smile. Even when you want to die’

Soon enough, the album ended on the very last notes of Clara Bow and the three of them held their breath, exchanging wide-eyed glances. Chloe silently moved to look at Instagram, seeing a glaring post from Taylor, reading it out loud, “It’s a 2am surprise: The Tortured Poets Department is a secret DOUBLE album. Oh my god, you have got to be kidding me.”

She wasted no time going back into her music, finding Taylor’s profile, and clicking play on ‘The Anthology’. And much like before, the beginning notes of The Black Dog made their way to their ears and they sat in complete utter silence.

Not even two songs into the album, Trevor and Chloe heard Cole’s snores and they let out soft chuckles. Taking this as her sign, she laid back, placing her head into her boyfriend’s lap and grinning up at him, “Hi.”

“Hi.” He reached down and toyed with the ends of her ponytail, replicating her smile.

When another snore echoed through their hotel room, Trevor quirked an eyebrow, “Should we wait for him?’

She shook her head, too excited to wait longer to finish the album. So the two continued to sit in silence as Trevor played with hair and she tapped along to the beat with her fingers. And not long after, the two of them each fell asleep, curling into each other as they did so.

ﾟ+*:୨୧:*﹤

It was 9 in the morning when Cole woke up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and sitting up, throwing the covers off him. His eyes adjusted to the sun that was filtering in through the blinds that he had forgotten to close the night before.

He shook his head somewhat aggressively, trying to clear the slight layer of sleep that coated his brain. When he was finally able to blink his eyes open enough to see clearly, he stuttered at the sight he was met with. Trevor and Chloe were cuddled up next to each other, Trevor’s shirt was now discarded on the floor having taken it off just before he fell asleep after Chloe. Her hair was splayed across his chest, her ponytail falling sometime during her sleep.

At first, he blinked rapidly trying to comprehend the scene that was happening in front of him, and then he saw a glint of light reflecting from Trevor’s chest. To anyone else, it was a simple thing and could really mean anything. However, he knew that necklace. He knew it like the back of his hand. Every day for years at least, When she saw her, Chloe would be wearing that necklace.

Slowly, the dots started to connect themselves, the summer of ‘21, the summer Chloe rarely came out of her room, the summer Trevor was distant from everyone including Jack, their best friend. Chloe’s album coming out on Trevor’s birthday, the matching heart-shaped necklaces. Chloe was dating his best friend, and Trevor was dating his best friend. What the fuck?

“Holy shit!”

The volume of his words caused Chloe to sit up straight, running her hands through her hair and over her eyes to get herself to wake up and assess the situation. But before she could even think about asking what the danger was, Cole’s voice came out in a whispered hush, “You’re dating Trevor? Trevor’s dating you?”

Her eyes snapped open, wide as ever, like a deer caught in the headlights. Reaching over, she hit her boyfriend in the stomach who groaned and mumbled, “Baby? What?”

She cursed to herself and at her boyfriend’s lack of awareness, hitting him harder, “Trevor wake the fuck up!”

He sat up lazily, a slightly dopey expression covering his face as he looked between his girlfriend and one of his best friends, “Hey guys. What’s going on?”

“Cole knows.”

“Oh good for him.” He threw his shirt on, a minute passing in silence, “What does he know?”

“You’re dating your best friend’s sister?!”

That was all it took for the haze in Trevor’s mind to vanish, a look of horror now on his face, “What? No, of course not. Why would I ever-”

“Give it up, Trev. It’s hopeless.” Chloe groaned, flopping back down on the bed, listening to Cole freak out a few feet away from her.

“What? How? When? … Why?”

Trevor started to explain to him everything that had happened in the past four years, from the day he asked her out to the day he made the phone call to the day they got back together. All of it fit together in Cole’s mind like a jigsaw puzzle he hadn’t been able to solve in years.

When the last words tumbled out of Trevor’s mouth, Cole swore he never felt such anger. The Summer of 2021 was one of Chloe’s darkest times, one of the times when even Quinn couldn’t get her to smile. He had suffered through those days with her, watching movies on end, listening to her cry, helping her clean her room. He was there through it all. And to have learned that one of the people he was closest to, one of the people he had spent his summer also with, caused that? He was beyond pissed.

“You fucking asshole!”

“Cole calm down man.”

“No you hurt her, do you understand that? She couldn’t even go to the fucking bathroom without crying. I was there and all the while you were just nervous that Jack was going to find out too? Because breaking up with her wouldn’t really hurt you would it?”

Trevor’s eyes widened as he listened to what the other boy was saying, thoughts reeling in his mind as he spoke. He hadn't thought he was going to get this angry about it, sure he knew Cole and Chloe were close but he thought that after he explained what happened between them, it would be okay.

“Cole-”

“No no, shut up. I don’t want to hear another word from your mouth right now.”

“Cole, listen to me. I know that was a hard time for me, okay? And Trevor knows that too, we’ve talked about it. Do you really think I’d be sitting here defending him if we hadn’t talked through everything? If he hadn’t apologized profusely and made it up to me?”

Cole’s eyes wandered over to his best friend who was now standing up next to him, reaching for his hand. He allowed her to take hold of his hand, relaxing immediately at the soft tone of her voice, “We’ve worked it out, I understand where he came from and he understands that he was wrong. And I know he still feels horrible about it.”

He nodded, practically mindlessly as he looked between them, “Okay.” His voice was hushed now once again, “But only if you promise everything is okay now.”

“Everything is okay now, I promise.”

A few minutes passed in silence, everyone going back to where they were sitting before. Chloe spoke up again, hesitantly, “But if you could do us a favor and not tell Jack that would be great.”

“You still haven’t told him?!”

“Well… no. We will eventually… maybe when I go on tour.”

“You kill me sometimes, Chlo.”

She laughed, “Just think of it this way. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”

𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗨 𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧 ♫

@winterbarnesblog

#˚ ༘♡〚 cupids writing 〛ₓ｡#˚｡⋆〚 fics 〛#♫ ice bound !#♫ chloe and trevor !#trevor zegras #tz11 #trevor zegras x oc

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flying-mochis · 2 days ago

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I just finished the Silmarillion so now it's time for me to loose my mind trying to discern the timeline changes in Rings of Power

mostly I was trying to figure out which "war" it was that Celeborn went missing in

but first I wanted to ground myself by figuring out when Finrod died- except that also isn't clear...

This is a very long, unedited stream of consciousness post, so I'll put it under Keep Reading. I also didn't really fact check any of this just going off my recent memory of just reading the Silmarillion so- If I got stuff wrong...woops

TLDR: Though Finrod originally dies in the Silmarillian during the Beren and Luthien, I think the RoP writers have changed his death to be sometime after the defeat of Morgoth as he's hunting Sauron. I think Celeborn went missing sometime before Finrod died, either in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad (before the Fall of Doriath) or in the War of Wrath (the final defeat of Morgoth). Ultimately who knows but I'm excited to see what they do :)

In the Silmarillian, Finrod dies around late year 400 in the 1st Age protecting Beren in Of Beren and Luthien. He is killed by Sauron, as Sauron throws them in like a pit of death thingy.

but in Rings of Power, when Galadriel is giving exposition in the beginning, she basically says 'Then Morgoth was drafted, but Sauron continued to cause problems, and my brother vowed to hunt him down, then he died.' So it sounds like RoP Finrod survived the War of Wrath against Morgoth, but then died hunting Sauron afterwards.

This change would call into question how the events of Beren and Luthien played out in the RoP timeline- I guess it's not necessary for Finrod to die into order for that story to still have worked? Like maybe Luthien saved both of them or maybe Finrod never went with them. But...Part of the fall of Doriath in Hurin getting Finrods fancy necklace from Mim the dwarf after he's taken over Finrod's Kingdome in his absence- so if Finrod survived up to the fall of Doriath and past that- how would that work? I'm sure it could, there are ways to work around it so the story can still play out with those changes- or maybe they changed more major parts of the story like the fall of Doriath! That would be bold but not out of the question.

Maybe it's also possible that Finrod did still die during the Beren and Luthien story but that just happened after the defeat of Morgoth? IDK if that makes sense, because then how would Thingol have gotten the silmarill that leads to the fall of Doriath and all that stuff with Earendil and Elwing-? that has a lot more continuity changes so less likely.

Ok, moving on from Finrod. His death is at least canon from the Silmarillion, but Celeborn going missing is not. Or at least, it isn't mentioned. But one thing about Galadriel and Celeborn is that they were retconned into the story after most of the Silmarillion was written, so their presence it is extremely spotty and sometime inconsistent. It's basically mentioned that they fall in love when Galadriel and her brothers go to Doriath and she stays with him in Doriath while Finrod finds his kingdom, Nargothrond. Then she's mentioned talking to Melian like once after that right before the Dagor Bragollach (one time Morgoth surprise attacks a bunch of elf cities) and then...They basically disappear for the rest of the book until it starts talking about the rings of power in the 2nd Age-

So...There's already a lot of missing spots in there story. That's one of the reasons I think it's cool they made Galadriel a protagonist in RoP, because what she's doing in those times is very vague, though more so in the 1st Age than the 2nd- but her character could still shed some light on what she was doing then- Especially when Celeborn is introduced, cuz that's gonna require some background explanations.

So that's all just to provide the context that there is barely any context for what those two were doing before RoP takes place.

Another note about possible timelines for Celeborn going missing is its relation to Finrod's death. This is not confirmed, but I've always worked with the assumption that Celeborn went missing before Finrod died. This is based on some factors- such as Galadriel's seemingly more cheery nature when she calls him a "silver clam" before he goes off to battle---This doesn't sound like the traumatized, hardened Galadriel we know from her response to Finrod's death. Also, as other's have pointed out, if Finrod had died before Celeborn went to war and Galadriel had already become a warrior, why wouldn't she have gone to war with Celeborn? It's possible they were just going to different locations, but I don't think she would chide him to not join the fight is she was also doing so.

Running with that assumption- If Finrod did die saving Beren as he did in the Silmarillion, that means Celeborn would've gone missing in some battle before then, maybe the Dagor Bagollach. This would mean he would have missed out all everything with Beren and Luthien, everything with Turin, and everything else with the fall of Doriath at the hands of dwarfs and elves. Which I think would be a shame. There is still conflict in having missed out on a significant tragedy, but I think having him witness all those tragedies would be more interesting- and his bitterness towards dwarfs would be more understandable if he was physically there to witness their betrayal and slaughter of his people.

As I've said, its possible and probably likely that they'll change it so Finrod died much later, and this is another one for my reasons for thinking that. Aside from the other plot holes that creates, Finrod dying after the defeat of Morgoth opens up to possibilities for which battle Celeborn went missing in, so I'll continue with that assumption.

So, let's start with what Rings of Power canon we know. Not a lot, but in Celeborn's one mention in season 1, Galadriel says "When he went to [the War], I chided him." So he didn't go missing on some personal quest or whatever, he specifically went off to fight in "the war". One issue this raises is that Celeborn is from Doriath, and Doriath doesn't give a fuck. Doriath does not send any of its people off to any battles in the Silmarillion until it starts falling apart. The closest we get to Doriath elves fighting is when they hunt down the dwarves that killed Thingol and then defend themselves from the dwarves and the sons of Feanor.

One way to get around this could be making it so Celeborn and Galadriel left Doriath at some point to operate on their own. Maybe they went to live with Finrod in Nargothrond (I think it is mentioned that Galadriel stayed with Finrod there for a while, but Celeborn isn't mentioned? And I don't remember if that's in the Silmarillion or one of the unfinished tales- which are more subject to flexible canon). In which case, Celeborn could've gone off with Finrod to one of the battles- This is an interesting idea as it could show Galadriel and Celeborn being more independent and maybe dissenting from Thingol after his sus decisions with Beren and Luthien. The next battle after that story would be the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, the unsuccessful battle with Morgoth right before the Fall of Doriath. The problem with him going missing in that battle, again, would be him missing out on all the drama of the Fall of Doriath.

The second explanation for Celeborn going to war would be that he goes to fight after the Fall of Doriath. It makes sense that he would be more willing to fight after seeing the destruction of his people, even if that wasn't directly at the hands of Morgoth. Galadriel's joking disposition may not make as much sense in a setting after her husband home was destroyed and his family was slaughtered- but maybe everything still felt lighter back then as long as they were together. The most likely battle he went missing in after that would then be the War of Wrath itself, the final defeat of Morgoth.

Another possibility is he went missing during the Fall of Doriath, but that wasn't much of war as it was a siege, and I feel like Galadriel would have at least tried to help out in some way in those circumstances.

Overall, the two most likely battles I see him going missing in are the Nirnaeth Arnoediad (the 2nd to last attack on Morgoth) or the War of Wrath (the final defeat of Morgoth). The Nirnaeth Arnoediad, or some earlier battle, may make more sense for Galadriel to not go Celeborn as they hadn't experienced the tragic loss of Doriath yet, but I guess the same could be said for her not going with Finrod later.

I think I prefer him at least surviving up to the War of Wrath, as that means he was around to see the Fall of Doriath, and experience all the ~fun~ trauma of that, which is one of the things that could make him more unique as a character.

There is also the question of if Celebrian is even born yet and if so, where she is. As Galadriel and Celeborn's lives are so vague in the first two ages, so is Celebrian, their daughter. I don't think we know for sure when she was born, but I believe it is mentioned in Unfinished Tales that Celebrian was alive and with them by the time they first went to Eregion. Obviously much has changed as neither Celeborn nor Celebrian were present for the fall of Eregion in Rings of Power.

Personally, I don't believe Celebrian is even born yet in RoP. As other have pointed out, Galadriel starts the series as one who has lost everything, one who has no ties and nothing left to lose. This is fundamental to her hunt of Sauron and her eventual fall to the manipulation of Sauron. It doesn't track that she would be doing all this while she has a living and present daughter to worry about or keep her grounded. It's possible both Celeborn and Celebrian are missing. I feel like should would have mentioned that to Theo when she told him about Celeborn, but she's also managed to only mention her supposedly dead husband once in 16 episodes, so clearly she's a master at putting those particular traumas in boxes to never be spoken of. I feel like having both of them be missing to show up later would be a bit too cluttered and it'd be smoother to just say she isn't born yet, but anything's possible.

I'm pretty sure the "canon" about Celebrian being born before the fall of Eregion is from Unfinished Tales anyway? Which I think of as more like a draft of Tolkien's ideas for the family, not canon in the sense of the SIlmarillion or the published stories.

Lots of "canon" falls apart around Galadriel and her family as they were added in so late and Tolkien seemed to die before writing his "final" story for them. And this is an adaptation, they aren't meant to follow "canon" like the gospel anyway, as we've seen. As I've said, the very lack of solid story around Galadriel and her families experiences through the first two ages is more exciting than anything, as it leaves so much room for the writers to get creative them and write a thrilling story that we haven't seen before. This is a chance to shine light on characters that fall under the status of "unfinished" in Tolkien ever-changing world, such as Celeborn. The only "canon" (Silmarillion) information we have on Celeborn for the 1st and 2nd Age is that he lived in Doriath during the 1st Age, he was somehow related to Thingol and later Nimloth, and he and Galadriel were in love. There's other supplementary, unpublished notes that either expand on these traits or straight up contradict them.

Based on letters nearing his death, Tolkien was clearly still thinking of how Galadriel's families story could go, but as he never "finished" with them, if such a thing is even possible, we'll never get that "canon" story from him. So it's up to us- or, in this case, it's up to the writers of the Rings of Power. So we'll see!

Wow, that was a long-winded way to say "I dunno"

#I also realize the show is about the 2nd age- not the 1st age-#but Im just feeling 1st age-pilled after reading the Silmarillion #and they'll have to provide at least a Little information when Celeborn shows up-#maybe not the exact time of Finrods death but at least mention when Celeborn went missing?#I guess they could just keep it vague #that would be consistent with their inconsistent timeline at least lmao #I'm just looking for an excuse to pull my hair out over my new hyper fixation #maybe I shouldn't call it that just yet...#actually I just went through the whole Silmarillion in 5 days #so yeah #tbf about half of it was summary #BUT I WAS PAYING ATTENTION TO THE DORIATH PARTS #God I could use a whole separate series about the Doriath shenanigans #maybe I'll make another post about that #ignore me misspelling Silmarillion #silmarillion #the silmarillion #lord of the rings #the lord of the rings #LOTR #tolkien #jrr tolkien #galadriel #celeborn #Celebrian #galadriel x celeborn #celedriel #the rings of power #trop #rop

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