#cause his best trick is getting people to believe he's lying when he's not yeah?

[bunnyouma]

surprising absolutely no one i am once again thinking about ouma getting spanked

[loveinhawkins]

picturing Eddie first meeting Dustin and thinking yeah, he knows how this goes: he’ll be a larger than life, comical figure in this kid’s life for, like, not even a year before he leaves Hawkins High in the dust.

And sure, Dustin is, like, ridiculously endearing even when he’s being a cocky little shit in campaigns, and that suits Eddie just fine, ‘cause he can be a cocky little shit at the best of times, downright obnoxious really, he thinks—a part of him’s never outgrown the juvenile, no matter how many times he repeats senior year.

Plus Dustin is crazily good at solving riddles, so Eddie’s remaining months leading Hellfire are definitely gonna be a fun challenge.

Then March comes.

And Eddie’s shaking apart in a boathouse, seeing impossible, terrible things on a loop in his head, Chrissy, Chrissy, God no, please, and Dustin’s there, with a wisdom far beyond his years, calmly leading him out of the dark.

Eddie half expects it to be a trick, but no. Dustin Henderson believes him.

You don’t know me, Eddie wants to say.

But there’s a constant defiance in Dustin’s expression, even when he’s clearly trying to keep things light and breezy, there’s nothing to worry about! Like he’s just daring for Eddie to contradict him.

There’s something assured in how the kid does things, Eddie thinks. He can see how the years of all this shit have shaped him, have him flitting between maturity and earnestness: something born from a childhood that’s not been lost, just altered.

He watches Dustin walk with Steve Harrington in the woods—can read the shared history and fondness hidden in between layers of snark; they’re family, he knows that without a doubt.

What trips him up is that Dustin keeps looking back, keeps drawing him back into the group with complaints that he’s walking too slow, and his eyebrows are raised meaningfully, like he’s really saying that there’s room for Eddie here, too.

And Eddie doesn’t know how to convey the sudden gratitude he feels closing up his throat—feels too jittery still, too raw to do anything justice.

He keeps close when Dustin tears off through the woods, heart in his mouth as the night darkens, Dustin, can you slow down? Dustin!

He pulls Dustin back from the lake’s edge just in time, then feels Steve’s watchful eyes on him—spots a flicker of approval, like he’s passed some sort of test.

And that feeling only grows the longer he’s around Steve, lying through his teeth in The Upside Down, I don’t even know why I care what that little shrimp thinks, and Steve’s giving him this knowing sideways glance, like maybe they’re something of the same; Eddie feels a sudden, unexpected rush of joy at the thought, dancing in and out of Steve’s space, still super jealous as hell, by the way.

“I told you, right?” Dustin says, grinning widely as Steve drives them out of Forest Hills at breakneck speed. “He’s awesome.”

And Eddie feels the fondness of his own smile, feels it right down to his core, because he gets that Dustin’s only being so forthcoming because Steve can’t hear him right now.

Kid worships you, dude. Like, you have no idea.

It hits him then, while roughhousing with Dustin in the grass (a deliberate distraction, trying to make the kids forget about weapons and fire): that he’s never really been the kinda guy who people want to stick around, but now…

Now he’s starting to think that he could be.

Starts to imagine, starts to hope—and that’s huge, something that would’ve seemed impossible mere days ago—as he sees Robin and Nancy laughing at his antics, their weapon-making temporarily forgotten.

They like me, Eddie thinks with wonder, they really like me.

And he wants—sudden and fierce, with all he has—to change the world for them, to make it so Robin Buckley would just be spending spring break watching arty films, dreaming of Paris; so Nancy Wheeler would never need to hide guns in her bedroom, would never have to carry an unimaginable grief.

Steve looks over, too—his laugh carries across the field, and Eddie is caught by the warmth in his eyes; even as Dustin manages to playfully tackle him, he’s still thinking of Steve, and maybe, maybe…

The lightness fades as they go over the plan, but not the emotion: Eddie keeps that tucked away, safe, a promise to himself.

“Uh, are you sure about this?” he says in an undertone to Steve, when it’s first revealed that it’s him and Dustin paired up together.

Steve’s eyes are apologetic, “Sorry, man, I’ve tried every—if there was a way to just, like, sit it out, I’d have—”

“No,” Eddie says urgently, “I mean…” And he points at himself before nodding discreetly to where Dustin is—currently talking up a storm with Erica, something about vents that he can’t make sense of.

“Are you sure?” Eddie presses, trying to put all he’s not saying into the question, I can see how much that kid means to you, I’ve known him, like, six months, Harrington, that’s nothing, why, why do you—

Steve shakes his head. A little smile breaks through his concern. “Yeah, of course,” he says, like it’s nothing.

But Eddie can feel the weight of it. A passing of the torch.

And he doesn’t know how to put what he’s feeling into words: that, apart from Wayne, he’s never really allowed people in, never allowed them to matter like this.

As they drive back to the Creel House, as time runs out and nerves build, he tries to show everything he can’t say; he helps Nancy take stock of supplies, offers Robin his shoulder so she can sleep, and he knows that’s not enough, barely scratches the surface, but it’s all he’s got.

He sits in the back of the RV, watches Steve, tense and silent in the driver’s seat, and knows with certainty what his mission is: get Dustin Henderson safely back home.

And no, Eddie doesn’t know how any of this is gonna go.

But he can hope.

He can try.

[sarnai4]

Betrayal

I was going to make this a fun post, but then I discovered that there are Dagur gifs on here and...yeah, that light topic didn't happen. So, here goes a little sad something.

I think these frames of animation are very interesting. Actually, this entire scene is to me. It's in "The Night and the Fury" and is right after Dagur learns that Hiccup lied. I love how this occurred because it would have been so easy to just have him be like, "You have dragons? Okay, now I'm about to kill you." They didn't do that, though. Even as Dagur is connecting the dots, he harps on the fact that a lie was told. "Your father lied to me...YOU lied to me!" If you go back to Dagur's threat from "Twinsanity," he never even said that he'd attack Berk if they had dragons. He specifically said he would if he found out they did after they denied it. Technically speaking, Dagur could have attacked immediately if he wanted to, but he still had the intention of keeping the peace. These expressions in the gif are right after he says, "You could've been my brother, Hiccup. Now, you're my enemy." When he says this, he actually sounds sad. His expressions match that. Dagur, Mr. Gets Angry At The Drop Of A Helmet didn't immediately respond with rage. He's hurt and I think I know why.

Dagur doesn't perceive things like other Vikings to put it lightly. When he has his first episode, he's talking about how he and Hiccup had great laughs after he tries to drown the poor Berkian. He calls Hiccup his old friend when they see each other again in the episode with the gif. I think he genuinely believes this. For the strange things Dagur does, he doesn't see it. So, it's not just someone lying to him, it's his best, his ONLY friend lying to him and making him looking like a cool in front of his tribe. That's why he sounds sad instead of angry. That's why he has to look away and think through what his next move is. Yes, he attacks, but what are his options?

Hiccup doesn't give him any more time to think. He tries to leave with Toothless, so Dagur has to act then. Regarding his options, they all are bleak. If he attacks, then you have war and what we got. The alternative is that he doesn't then, right? Well, that's not great either. As soon as he gets back to his ship, one of the Berserkers says that he wants to kill Hiccup himself. Dagur has to make it clear that no one besides himself will go after Hiccup. This shows how the Berserkers really can be vengeful. They're not even an aggressive group (as shown in "Something Rotten on Berserker Island"), but they have tempers. So, if Dagur holds onto the friendship that he just realized didn't exist, he has to go back with his tail between his legs and admit not only that he was played, but that he doesn't want to do anything about it.

Dagur already was worried that no one would respect him as chief. They never would if they found out he was tricked and didn't even want to get revenge for it. He would be the young chief who was too foolish to see through lies and too weak to defend his people in case the liar decided to lie again and actually attack. So, yes, Dagur attacked. Was it a mistake? Oh most definitely. He could've caused the deaths of many people and was arrested for this. So, I'm not saying that Dagur is in the right for his war, but I'm saying that I don't think it's a black and white as the show tried to portray. We see it from Hiccup's perspective with Dagur being this wild kid who just likes killing. Dagur's so much more than just some angry or deranged Viking. I just wish we got to see more of his side of things.

[startrekfangirl2233-writes]

I Vow

Part 5 of You Play Stupid Games, You Win Stupid Prizes

Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x Reader, Past! Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x Reader

Description: A year long engagement wasn't in the cards for you at all. But when the US Navy calls, your fiancé had to answer the call. So for most of your engagement, you've been planning the wedding with Jake signing off on the wedding via video calls and phone calls snuck in moments between hops. It's draining on you. Even with your mom and Maria Seresin taking the reins, all you want is Jake by your side at the end of the day. When Jake suggests eloping the day after he gets back, you get a fantastic idea. Having a wedding in Maverick's hangar with all of your favorite people there. The only trick? Making it a surprise for Jake.

Disclaimer: Female!Reader

Warnings: None! This chapter is sweet and fluffy!

The content presented in this story is for audiences age 18 and over only. MINORS DNI. I will not be accepting taglist requests from Blank or Ageless Blogs for this story.I do my best to portray adult relationships in this fic. Please do not interact with this story if you feel you are not ready to read about these themes.

Word Count: 4815

A/N: I can't believe it, but this is the last official chapter of YPSGYWSP! My first series, almost over! You'll excuse me if you hear some sobbing in the background as you read this chapter, right? We'll have an epilogue for Jake and Bitsie, so look out for that in the upcoming weeks! The bold and italicized parts are lyrics from the song Steal The Show by Lauv. Kudos to @mayhemmanaged for introducing the song to me! I love you all, and thanks so much for reading this story as I write it! - XOXO Star

AO3: Cross-posted here!

My Masterlist

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"Bitsie, can you hear me?" Just the sound of Jake's voice makes you smile, grainy and choppy as it is. He's been deployed for nearly a year and you miss him so much that it feels like you're walking around with a missing limb.

"Yeah, Jakey. I can hear you. How are you, my darling? I miss you so much." You're so happy to hear from him that just hearing his voice soothes fears you only just seem to uncover every time you hear his voice.

"I'm alright, my Bitsie-girl. Tired all the time because apparently I can't sleep anymore unless you're in my bed. And I miss you too, sweetheart. So much. I'm sorry I left you to the mercy of my mom and sister while you're planning this wedding." He really does sound exhausted, his voice raspy in a way that makes you feel so fond.

"Don't apologize, Jakey! Your mom and Brianna have been amazing. Honestly, they've taken all of the planning out of my hands once I told them what I - what we - wanted. When my mom joined in, I really didn't have to do anything at all, other than stamp my seal of approval over everything." His love warms you from head to toe and is so apparent even just over the phone.

"Mmmm… God, I miss being able to see your pretty smile, baby girl." You can see the smile on his face and the look in his green eyes with every word he speaks.

"I miss you too, Jake. Home doesn't feel like home without you in it." 

It really doesn't. Your life feels empty without him in it.

"I really wish I hadn't been selected for this mission so soon after we got engaged. But, it's the Navy."

"It's the Navy." You blurt out in unison with him, gasping the minute you realized what you said. His quiet laughter sets you off until you're giggling giddily while lying in bed.

"I know our families have been making all of these plans, but I have a suggestion." You're intrigued despite yourself, because while you'd made plans for your wedding, all you really need for it to be the best day is Jake by your side. 

"What if we get married the day after I land? You grab Mara, I'll grab Javy and Mickey and his family and we run off to City Hall and get hitched. Cause Bitsie, baby, I can't wait another minute longer to call you my wife."

The more you think about it, the more you adore this idea. Jake is all you need.

"But won't you miss having your Mama there, Jakey?"

"Of course I will, sweetheart. She raised Brie and me all by herself while running a farm. But I don't want to wait a single minute longer. I just want to marry you, Bitsie baby." Just as you open your mouth to respond, you hear the beep indicating that your time is up.

"I love you, Jake."

"I love you, Bitsie. Goodnight, baby doll. Sleep tight."

When you hear the dial tone, you hang up, letting your phone drop down onto the sheets beside you. For all of the rumors about Jake, you know he loves his mom and sister. It doesn’t feel fair that you’ll be robbing the chance to celebrate with his family from him. Your own parents aren’t likely to be thrilled either. They love Jake and how happy he makes you. What if you plan to have the ceremony on the beach? Invite only your immediate family and your closest friends and have one of the admirals officiate?

You never thought your parents or Jake’s mom would latch onto the idea as well as they have, but they adore the idea. Before you can blink, it’s the day before Jake’s due to come home and you’re scrambling to make sure everything’s ready. You��ve called all of his squadron and Javy and made sure they all know the plan for the day after they get back. You’ve also found hotel rooms for your parents and Jake’s mom and Brianna. Everything is ready. All you’re missing for your wedding is your groom.

You wake up on the morning Jake’s due to come back to a voicemail. “Hey beautiful. I’m sorry, but it looks like we’ll be coming home a bit later than expected. There are storms which are slowing our progress. Everything’s alright. I miss you so much, baby and I’ll see you soon. I love you, my Bitsie-girl. Next time I see you, I’m marrying you.”

It’s with a heavy heart that you call your family and Jake’s informing them of the unforeseen delay. You head into work that day, vowing to keep your days off for your honeymoon, something else that you’ve planned extensively with flexible rescheduling policies. Everybody is more than a little surprised to see you, especially since it seems like everyone on base knows what you and Jake have planned. Admiral Simpson even pulls you aside, asking if everything is okay and that he is pulling all the strings to make sure Jake gets home to you as soon as possible.

His gruff concern makes you feel weepy, sad, and sorry for yourself,  so much so that you’re brushing away tears as you join Mara in your lab on base. Thankfully she keeps the conversation light and about the work you’re doing rather than focusing on Jake’s absence from your life. That’s how your day goes. It feels like time is passing by in a trickle and the worry deep in your gut feels more and more like a tempest in your gut. But somehow you managed to push the thoughts away, immersing yourself in your work. The day passes in a haze and you’re startled out of your meditative state to the feeling of someone patting your arm to get your attention. You push away from your desk and stretch, relishing in the pull of tight muscles that have been locked in the same position for far too long. 

“Yeah, Mar?” Your voice is garbled around a yawn as you turn around.

Mara hasn’t been shaking your arm at all. It’s Jake!

“Jake?” Your eyes widen in surprise, disbelief coloring your tone at the sight of him standing in your lab when you were least expecting him.

“Yeah, sweetheart. It’s me. Even a storm couldn’t keep me away from you.” You launch yourself into his arms before he even finishes speaking, kissing his smiling lips and sobbing into his shoulder.

“Jake! I missed you so much. How are you?” You’re babbling even as you’re examining everything about him. Other than the exhaustion on his face, and a few new lines he looks just like you remember him.

“I’m fine, Bitsie. Breathe.” His eyes twinkle in the waning sunlight as he tugs you close and kisses you, sweet and slow. Your arms rise to wrap around his neck unbidden even as your fingers grasp his curls tenderly. You’re breathless and weak-kneed when he pulls away and he knows it too, if the smirk on his gorgeous golden face is any indicator.

“Take me home, beautiful.” You’re only too eager to comply, shoving your files and laptop into your bag in such a hurry that Mara is laughing at you the entire time. Jake’s hand feels so good in yours that you feel like you’re dreaming the entire walk to the parking lot. You’re so thankful you have Jake’s truck on base because you can chuck his bag into the backseat and kiss him until your lips are spit slicked and red and all you can smell are the faded notes of his cologne and jet fuel.

“Home, baby. I want to feel you on my skin after so long without you.” You’re surprised you don’t break any speed limits on the way home, what with Jake’s hand on your thigh and the way it brushes closer and closer to the seam of your leg. You’re keyed up and nearly panting when you get home. It’s a huge deal that you manage to text Brianna and your mom to tell them Jake’s home, because that’s all the contact you have with your family and Jake’s until the next morning. 

Jake wakes you up the following morning with a cup of coffee and a huge smile on his face.

“Wake up, Bitsie baby.” You love that he’s a morning person, truly you do, but you maybe love it a little more when he hasn’t kept you up until 3 AM the night before.

“We’re getting married today!” Your eyes jolt open at his words, because for this, you’re just as excited as he is. Your wide smile matches his even as you snuggle into his side with your coffee in hand.

“I can’t wait, Jake.” Your voice is sleep-rough and soft, as you sip on the hot liquid, prepared how you like it. “M’gonna be yours forever soon. Sorry, there’s no return policy here.”

“I could never return you. I love you too much to do that.” Jake kisses your forehead before pulling away. “Javy’s picking me up soon, baby. I know I’m technically not supposed to see you until we actually get married, but I needed to kiss you good morning before I left and to tell you I love you.”

Your smile is soft as you take in the soft henley and shorts he’s wearing. You hadn’t even noticed he was dressed for the day. 

“I love you, Jakey. I’ll see you when we get married.”  His grin is as bright as the sun as you shuffle downstairs and wave goodbye to Jake and Javy as they leave.

You don’t get much time to yourself however, as Mara and Brianna pull into the driveway not long after. You have no idea what they have planned, especially since you aren't having a bachelorette party, but wanted to spend some time with your friends the day of your wedding as well.

"Where are we going?” When neither Brie nor Mara respond, you buckle in for the ride, content in the knowledge that Jake is alright and in the feeling of the sun on your face. You must fall asleep in the backseat because you wake up to Mara and Brie both grinning wickedly at you.

“Damn, Bitsie! Jake really must’ve worn you out last night!” Mara’s got a shit-eating grin on her face even as Brie gags behind her.

“I can neither confirm nor deny, Mar. Especially since his little sister is right there.” Your voice is wry as you get out of the car and take in the beautiful desert view. 

Brie just cackles before wrapping you up in a hug. “I know he fucks, Bits! He’s never hid that from me. I just like you too much to think about you and my brother like that. You’re too good for him, you know that?” Her voice is soft as she takes your hands in her own. “You make him so happy. I love seeing him like that. You keep him that happy and we’ll never have problems. And he’d better keep you that happy too. Or I’ll be having problems with him. He knows that, Bits.”

Your eyes are misty as you hug your soon-to-be sister-in-law for several long moments before wiping at your eyes and gesturing to the colossal building in front of you.

“So what are we doing here, you two?” 

“We’re having a spa day! So we’re going to get you all pampered and ready for Jake to sweep you off of your feet!” Where Brie leaves off, Mara continues. “We’ve got bottomless champagne, massages, mani-pedis, face masks, mud baths and more planned.”

When you just blink at them, because you’re sure you’re hearing things, they both just drag you into the facility after them. 

Six hours later, you walk out of the spa with your hair and makeup done and feeling more relaxed than you’ve ever been in your whole life. Every knot in your body has been pounded into submission and you’re so excited you think you’re likely to start crying if you think about Jake waiting for you in his service whites. You’re that happy that he’s home, that he’s safe, and that you’re finally going to be tied together for every struggle that life brings. The mood is light between Mara, Brianna and you as the three of you scream lyrics out the open car windows on your way further into the desert. 

The midday sun is just beginning to set when the three of you pull into the parking lot near Mav’s colossal desert hangar. It’s here that you and Jake will be getting married, officiated by Mav, with all the Daggers in attendance, as well as your immediate family, Jake’s mom, and Brianna. But you don’t get to see the magic Penny and both your moms have wrought on the hangar, as you’re immediately led by Mara into the trailer Mav has behind the hangar the minute the car stops. Your mom’s waiting there, to help you into your dress and Brianna and Mara into their bridesmaid dresses. 

Your dress is simple, knee length with lace all over and a flared silhouette. It’s not a conventional wedding dress by any means, but you feel like the most beautiful woman in the world when you look at yourself in the mirror. As a final touch, you wear the heirloom emerald necklace and earring set that Maria Seresin wore on her wedding day as well as the shoes that match. Your mom is misty-eyed as she draws the veil over your head.

“You look beautiful, sweetheart. Jake’s not going to be able to take his eyes off of you.” She wipes the tears from under her eyes. “Your dad’s waiting to walk you down the aisle, darling. He’s already made Jake promise to take care of you when he called to ask us permission to marry you. So this moment, it’s just about you and the man you love. We’re so proud of you. And we love you, so much.” Her voice cracks for the last few words and that’s when your own tears spill over.

You thank everything you know that the ladies at the spa used waterproof makeup on your face, because without it, you’d look a mess. You hug your mom tight and watch her go with the oddest feeling in your chest. You feel like you’re on the precipice of something unknown, and while you’re filled with the deepest joy you’ve ever felt, you can’t help feeling melancholic. You want to marry Jake, you love Jake, but marrying him feels like you’re shutting the doors to the life you lead before. It’s a challenge you’re willing to undertake, but it feels awfully final, taking this step.

“You look beautiful, honey. Are you ready? You can tell me, you know?” Your dad sounds so sad to give you away.

“Tell you what, dad?” You wrap your arms around your dad’s frail form and wonder when he started to grow old. This is the man who held your hand when you were learning to walk, the man who taught you how to ride a bike and drive a car.

“If this boy isn’t who you want to marry, just tell me and I’ll help you run away, okay?”

You have to laugh at his words, though your giggles are choked with tears. “I’m sure, dad. Jake’s the man I love, the man I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

“I had to try, honey. I’m so proud of you, of everything you’ve accomplished as a woman, and I look forward to everything you accomplish as a wife.” You’re nearly sobbing again at the soft kiss your dad presses to your forehead. You brush the tears away and ready yourself to walk down the aisle towards the man who will be the rest of your life.

You cradle the bouquet of pale pink roses and baby’s breath in your right hand while you loop your other arm through your dad’s.

“I won’t let you fall, honey. I didn’t when you were learning to walk, I won’t now.” You kiss your dad’s cheek softly, hearing the hitch in his breath as the first swells of music float through the open hangar doors. 

It’s a song you’d mentioned on the off chance to Jake and your heart swells hearing the tones as Mara slips through the open doors on Mickey’s arm. Then Brianna and Javy. You can hear Jake’s gasp of surprise at the sight of his sister from where you are. Then your mom and Maria walk through the doors arm-in-arm. Standing in front of those open doors on your dad’s arm, a sudden fear halts your steps. Can you be a good wife to the beautiful man on the other side of those doors? Can you take care of him through everything else that you’ll face in your lives? You pray you can, because you’re not sure you could live another day without him by your side.

Your steps are perhaps too fast as you walk through the doors, but the minute your eyes meet Jake’s all your fear and hesitation fly away. He’s looking at you with so much love that everything else fades to the background. With each step you take, he mouths the words, “I love you” to you, and you can’t help the giddy smile on your face as you look at him.

His smile is brilliant as he takes your hands in his after lifting your veil. You’re consumed with the urge to kiss Jake, and you can’t help how you peck his lips, chastely just once.

“Alright, alright, kids. Settle down.” It’s Mav whose words separate the two of you, even as Mara, Mickey and Javy heckle you.

“We’re gathered here today to celebrate the union of this young couple before me. I never thought I’d see Lieutenant Commander Seresin get married. In my time as his superior officer, I’m sorry to say that for much of it, I saw his reputation rather than the man he is. Until he met the beautiful woman he’s marrying, the woman he calls Bitsie. Their relationship has been far from easy. For Jake, it was love at first sight. For Bitsie, it took heartbreak to see his love. But whatever their journeys may have been to get here to this very moment, I’m honored to marry these two today. Our couple thank you for taking this time to witness their union, as do I.” He looks so proud to see Jake standing there in front of you. 

“I believe our couple have prepared some vows. Lieutenant Commander Seresin, if you would please?”

Your gasp of surprise is gentle and soft. You never discussed writing vows for one another.

“My Bitsie-girl. I know, you’re surprised that I prepared something, but in truth, I couldn’t see myself marrying you without telling you how much I love you. What Mav said earlier is right. I never saw myself marrying. It takes a special woman to withstand the stress and distance that the Navy can create in a relationship. I never thought I’d find that woman. At least, that is, until the day I saw you walk through the hangar doors in Miramar. You were breathtaking to me even then. It didn’t matter that you saw somebody else before me. I’m good, I’m very good and I had you in my target sights the minute I learned your name.”

Your giggle is watery at his words.

“It took another six months for you to see me, and Bitsie-darling, I would have given anything to change that day. I never wanted you to get hurt. I thought he was the right man for you, I truly thought he loved you as much as you loved him. So when I found you crying in the middle of the worst storm I’ve ever spent at sea, I took it upon myself to see your beautiful smile again. I don’t know when I changed in your eyes, but that day? That was the day when you changed in my eyes. I saw your strength, even when you cried in my arms. I saw the core of you. I saw how even when you were wounded you kept moving on. It never once affected your work, sweetheart. Your heartbreak never once kept you from excelling.”

“I’ve fallen in love with you more and more every minute of every day since then. Every day that I wake up to you in my arms, I’ll consider myself the luckiest man in the world. You mean so much to me, Bitsie-baby. I vow I’ll spend the rest of my life keeping you happy. I vow you’ll never want for anything. I know I’m only a man, I know I’m not perfect. But I vow I’ll do my best to make sure you’ll be loved everyday and every night. I love you, baby. It was the best day of my life when I asked you to marry me and you said yes.” 

You’re sniffling when he stops speaking, your tears welling over as he pulls a packet of tissues out of his pocket and hands you one. There aren’t very many dry eyes in the audience when you look out at your friends and family assembled before you. You pat your tears away before taking Jake’s hands in yours.

“Jake,” Your voice breaks just saying his name. “I can’t believe there was ever a time when I didn’t love you. I can clearly see the line in the sand of life, clearly marked before Jake and with Jake. It shames me to think of those months before we met, those months where I didn’t like you, where I treated you terribly, and thought the worst of you. Then he cheated on me, and fell from the pedestal I’d put him on, and I saw the truth. That rainy night was the first time I’d ever seen you as a friend, Jake, and I wish I’d accepted your overtures of friendship before then. You felt like home when I was far away from everything I’d ever known and when my heart was bruised, battered, and broken.”

It’s Jake’s turn to sniffle as you gather your errant thoughts and put them into words.

“Those first three months on the carrier were the happiest I’ve been in a long time. And that’s all because of you, Jake. You helped me find friends in people I’d only thought could be colleagues. You’re a better friend than anyone ever gave you credit for being, Jake. I’m still not sure when I fell in love with you, but I did love you. I loved you that day when I nearly lost you before I ever told you how I felt. I thought I loved my ex, truly I did. But the love I felt for you that day, Jake? It exceeded every milestone I thought love could ever possibly reach.”

At this moment, all you care about is Jake. You have tunnel vision, focusing on his face and only his face.

“So this is what I promise you. I vow to love you, through every earthquake and flash flood life throws at our feet. I vow that I will never again disregard your presence or its importance in my life. I vow that even when we’re gray and old you’ll still be my best friend. I vow that you’ll always be my partner in crime and my reason when all else is lost. I love you, Jake.”

Even Mav sounds choked up when you both turn to him. He takes the ring box from Javy and finally speaks the words it feels like you’ve been waiting your whole life for.

“This ring is an unbroken circle, with ends that have been joined together, and it represents your union. It is a symbol of infinity, and of your infinite love. When you look at these rings on your hands, be reminded of this moment, your commitment, and the love you now feel for each other.” 

Jake’s green eyes are just as teary as yours are.

“Jake, place the ring on Bitsie's finger and repeat after me: I give you this ring as a symbol of my love with the pledge: to love you today, tomorrow, always, and forever.”

Tears drip down your cheek as Jake utters the words before winking at you.

“And now… Bitsie, place the ring on Jake's finger and repeat after me: Jake, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love with the pledge: to love you today, tomorrow, always, and forever.” 

Mav’s voice wobbles at those last words, and you don’t sound any better as you repeat them.

“Before these witnesses, you have pledged to be joined in marriage. You have now sealed this pledge with your wedding rings. By the authority vested in me by the great State of California, I now pronounce you married! You may kiss your bride!”

Jake’s eyes glint mischievously as he tugs you in and kisses you, slow and sweet. He tastes like cinnamon and you kiss for several long moments before the cheering of everyone you love separates you.

Waiting for you as you turn to face your family and friends is a sword arch. Flower petals cascade over your head with each step as you walk towards the entrance of the hangar. You’re smiling from ear-to-ear as you walk down the steps with Jake’s hand securely in yours. You know exactly what you’re getting into when two swords bar the way.

“We challenge you, Lieutenant Commander Seresin. One kiss to pass.” It’s Mickey saying those words, and it’s a request you’re only too eager to comply with. 

When you and your husband, your husband, walk through the doors, you see a fairy tale scene. There are string lights festooned all over the place, shining merrily as Mav announces you and Jake as Lieutenant Commander and Mrs. Seresin. You spend several long moments hugging your friends and family before a familiar song has you turning in your tracks. It’s Jake, still wearing his Navy whites holding his hand out for you. You take his hand easily, gasping and laughing when he spins you out onto the dance floor.

Started out on a one-way train

Always knew where I was gonna go next

Didn't know until I saw your face

I was missin' out on every moment

You’re tearing up again, even as Jake spins you around on the dance floor.

So if it's real

Then, darlin', let me know

I wouldn't mind

If you steal the show

You had no idea that Jake could dance like this. He takes your breath away, even as the lights make his eyes glint mischievously and his hair shines golden. Your golden boy, your husband. You get lost, staring into his gorgeous green eyes, coming back to yourself only when your chest is heaving and applause peppers the night air. That’s how the remainder of your night goes, dancing with your friends, dancing with your family, dancing with Jake again, and again, and again. The sun is rising on the horizon when the party finally breaks up. Jake and you settle into the backseat of Javy’s convertible exhausted but ecstatic.

“Was today everything you hoped for and more, my Bitsie-girl?” Jake’s voice is slurring in exhaustion, his Texan twang blurring each rough syllable.

“Our wedding was everything I wanted and more, Jake. Honestly, I was ready to marry you in City Hall. But having our friends and family there made it even better. I know how important it was for you to have your mom and Brianna there for your wedding. I would’ve done anything to make sure your family was there.”

The wonder in his eyes still makes your breath catch in your throat. 

“Why, Bitsie, baby?” 

“Because I love you. And this?” You point to the ring on your left hand. “This is for forever. Your family is mine. And I love how much they love you. Your mom, and Brianna love you as much as I do. There was nobody else I’d rather have standing for you during our wedding.”

The rest of your words get muffled by the kiss Jake presses to your lips. This? You’re ready to kiss Jake and be kissed by him for the rest of your life. It’s a price you’ll readily pay. If only you could go back in time and tell yourself when you were hurting after Bradley cheated that something better is waiting for you, if only you open your eyes to it. It’s something you’re so glad you did. Jake’s the love of your life. You know that now.

Taglist:

✈️ @greenbaby12 ✈️ @mayhemmanaged ✈️ @desert-fern ✈️ @cassiemitchell ✈️ @eli2447  ✈️ @the-romanian-is-bae  ✈️ @luckyladycreator2  ✈️ @lunamoonbby ✈️ @daphne-turner ✈️ @angeliccks  ✈️ @dakotakazansky ✈️ @daisydaisygoose ✈️ @inky-sun  ✈️ @fighterpilothoe ✈️ @pulisvertz  ✈️ @wildxwidow ✈️ @angelbabyange ✈️ @chaoticassidy  ✈️ @kmc1989 ✈️ @sarahsmi13s  ✈️ @roosterforme ✈️ @lavenderbradshaw  ✈️ @bobby-r2d2-floyd ✈️ @lovinglyeternal ✈️@bradleybeachbabe  ✈️ @thedroneranger ✈️ @cherrycola27 ✈️ @roosterforme ✈️ @beccaanne814

I DO NOT CONSENT TO HAVE MY WORK POSTED, TRANSLATED, OR PUBLISHED ON ANY SITES OTHER THAN HERE OR ON AO3 BY ME. IF YOU SEE MY WORKS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN HERE OR AO3, THEN THEY HAVE BEEN POSTED WITHOUT MY PERMISSION AND I WILL BE WORKING TO TAKE THEM DOWN.

[terrence-silver]

If you could totally have it your way, how would you see Terry Silver eventually dying? Like, what circumstances do you see leading up to/surrounding it and what would be the cause? How would the various people who knew him react, from beloved to John (if you think he’s outlive him, that is) to other characters of Cobra Kai?

---

Despite what the writers might say or do, I am convinced John Kreese would be utterly devastated and anything but utter devastation would be flat out of character for him. A hill I will die on. This is not only a member of his unit, his best friend for a major chunk of his life (possibly well over forty years and counting) literally possibly the last of his own platoon dying, in a time when the generation that served in Vietnam is slowly becoming fewer and fewer in numbers, but this also the end of an era. The end of an age. The life he saved so many times has just extinguished and he's lived long enough to see that day. Ironic, no? Considering how many times John himself has faked his own death and now, here Terry goes for real, no pretending. This is one snake pit John couldn't fight for Terry over. Even if there's bad blood between them, what John goes through and feels is pretty hard to describe in a small blurb but it's akin to someone closer than your own brother no longer being alive. Akin to losing your own limb. He might play tough otherwise. Might not outright show his grieving, but this is a death I don't reckon John would ever recover from emotionally. It's the type of thing that would haunt him to the end of his days and if anyone disrespected that memory, trust and believe John would smash their nose in for it. He has had the privilege and the right to feud with Terry --- others lose a teeth for it. He's some of the few people outside of Betsy and the members of his unit John would look forward to seeing in the whatever fucking beyond exists out there, maybe even in hell, if that's what it takes.

I think Daniel Larusso would be shocked, perhaps even a bit speculative and paranoid, wondering if this is fake news and another dirty trick of Silver's and initially, after double and even triple checking, he probably wants to be happy and relieved about the fact that someone who's caused him so much pain and trauma is finally gone and that he and his family are safe, but the jubilation falls sour pretty quickly, because yeah, I tend to write Daniel like a good person and I don't figure he could sincerely feel anything more than this deep, unsettled sensation where you just can't be happy once your abuser dies. Not really; you tell yourself you should be, but you validly just can't and in fact I almost see him feeling some sort of way about it, dare I say, falling in something of a conflicted, depressive state not too many people know about because Daniel doesn't want anyone to know about it seeing as how it is pretty hard to explain you actually feel a sort of sympathy for someone quite so rotten. Not even Amanda would be aware of this, if at all possible. If anything, the only person he might confide about his true feelings could be someone like Chozen or doing so in front of Mr. Miyagi's gravestone. Thing is, Daniel is aware Terry Silver will never truly leave and that he will live on the trauma and fears he's embedded in Daniel's psyche and he might decide to make peace with it in a callback to his words to Terry and John that ultimately, it'll be Terry who will be forgotten, deciding to just that; Forget and move on in peace, therein lying his greatest personal victory. Irony of all ironies is that Daniel might be the one of those most affected by Terry's death.

Honestly, I don't see the likes of Kenny Payne, Kyler or any of the kids in Terry's new and renewed Cobra Kai caring too much that he died; I mean, considering how easily they all collectively turned on him and how easily they collectively sided with him in the first place, one gets the impression these kids go with the flow. The trendiest, shiniest new things that teaches them the most badass skills and how to use and abuse said skills to beat and abuse those weaker then themselves, and at that time, it was Cobra Kai under Terry Silver. Tomorrow, it could be another cool dojo under another cool Sensei entirely. The world keeps turning. What I mean to say is, there is almost something tragic how easily Terry was left behind by all of his students and how even easier he'll be forgotten by them if he, figuratively speaking, dies.

[theneondemonx]

HOUDINI | JJK

One Shot

▽ summary: jungkook was your first and only. When he got arrested, you felt like an idiot for always believing his every word and after a few years you decided to date again. But the word somehow got to his ears in jail and he couldn’t let you be anyone else’s but his.

▽ genre: porn with some plot, criminal au, established relationship

▽ pairings: escaped convict!jk x fem!reader

▽ words: 3464

▽ warnings: mention of abusive relationship, mention of alcohol abuse, mention of underage sex, criminal activities, implied murder, possessive behavior, mention of female masturbation, spanking, fingering, female ejaculation, overstimulation, oral sex (m receiving, deep throating), unprotected sex, lots of cum, dirty talk

( ➜ Drabble 1: first meeting ) [⏵playlist]

He hit me and it felt like a kiss He hit me and I knew he loved me If he didn't care for me I could have never made him mad But he hit me and I was glad

You were still very young when you learned that love was nothing like the cheesy romances you’d see on the big screen. Well, you didn’t actually have the money to go to the movies, but sometimes you found the way to sneak in and watch whatever was there to watch. You had a fascination for those stories, for those dancing images on the screen. They were made of pure light. Literally. While everyone was caught in the enchantment of the movie, you were the one to look behind your back and follow the light beam up until its source, looking straight at the small window from which the projector created the whole illusion of life before your eyes.

Most people want to escape from reality. They want to feel like their life has meaning, like it is just one plot twist away from being interesting. I didn’t. Maybe I should have, since mine was pretty shit. But I guess this was the whole reason why I was looking for the disenchantment. It’s like watching a magician. I’ve always been the type to be more observant, to look for the trick. Cause if there wasn’t any, then it would have meant that mine was the only pointless existence.

No one in your block had a penny to their names. Everyone dreamed of going away, of starting a new life and do something meaningful. But you knew that most of them would never make it. They were trapped.

We think of the key, each in his prison. Thinking of the key, each confirms a prison.

Those weren’t your words. They were Jungkook’s. Well, not his own words, actually. He had read them somewhere. He was the type to read, although he didn’t look like it at all. And you know how people who read are: they are good with words. They can shape reality with just a flick of their tongue. And damn if he got a way with words! That’s why you fell for him.

It wasn’t just the fact that he got the looks of an angel. He also talked like one. He could talk his way in and out of everything and you were pretty sure he could lie his way into heaven if he wanted to. He was an exceptional liar, a pathological one too. But you loved him anyway.

You believed him when he told you that he was going to turn your life upside down. Why wouldn’t you? He had already done it more times than you could count. He had done it since the day you first met in that dark movie theatre. You had always believed him and everything he said. He was the only man you ever loved, the first and the last you had sex with, and eventually the one you married.

He reminded you of your father. They had the same dangerous charm. Their eyes gleamed with the same light: that of a man who was willing to con the whole world and make it his own. Your father didn’t make it, though. He became a drunk mess and ended up in prison for attempted murder.

Only a pathetic fuck goes to jail for attempted murder. Either you go down for murder, or you don’t go down at all. That’s how much of a failure he was.

But you didn’t care about him. He used to beat your mother whenever he felt like it. Jungkook, on the other hand, never did that.

So, when he told you those words – “the less you know, the better” – you didn’t question him. You just believed him. And when he came home with a bag full of money and his hands covered in blood, you still didn’t question him. You just did as he asked and bent over the kitchen table to let him fuck you senseless.

You really didn’t care about what he did. Everyone in your block was somehow entangled with criminal activities. That’s just how it is when you can’t afford an honest life. What if he robbed a bank? What if he killed someone to get that money? So what? You’d love him anyway. You’d love him no matter what.

You still loved him when you heard the sirens wailing through the block and stop outside your shared house. You didn’t care about the fact that he just ripped your marriage into pieces. You always knew he was an Icarus.

“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll be home for dinner.” He told you with a cocky smirk, while being pushed inside the police car.

And again, you believed him.

He was the only magician who ever managed to deceive you into thinking that his was actual magic and not just a trick. But when the jury found him guilty of aggravated robbery and murder, you felt like the lights had gone off and the curtain closed on his magic show. It was over. And now you were left standing in a sad empty circus, with just the distant music of the carousel to remind you of the fact that it was all a rouse. A convincing one for sure, but still a rouse.

When you saw him being taken away from the trial, you thought about those words he told you years before.

We think of the key, each in his prison. Thinking of the key, each confirms a prison.

And you smiled to yourself. Somehow, even though your whole life had just gone to pieces, you found them ironic. Who would have thought, back then, that he would end up in an actual prison? Not you for sure.

The years had passed and although you never really moved on from Jungkook, you decided it was time for you to build a life for yourself. You were still young and pretty, so it wasn’t hard for you to fool some stupid rich boy from the city. Kim Seokjin was no Jeon Jungkook, but he had money and a steady job – one that could actually pay for rent, food and vices without raising any question from the authorities.

He didn’t know you were broke as fuck, and you did your best to hide it with the means you had and the cunning that your lowlife background had teach you. You would buy fancy dresses and hide the tag when you wore them, so that you could return them the day after. You would also tell Seokjin to come pick you up at work in Gangnam. You never worked there, of course, but he was dumb enough to believe you. It didn’t really matter: you planned on sleeping with him soon enough and let him knock you up. Men always get way too excited when you tell them that they can fuck you without putting on a condom.

What you didn’t plan, however, was to find yourself with a tattooed hand covering your mouth when one night you came back home from a date with Seokjin. At first you tried to scream and free yourself from the strong grip of the mysterious man that somehow got into your house, but you froze as soon as he spoke.

“Shh be quiet, baby. You want to be the one to rat me out?”

You’d recognize that voice among millions. It was Jungkook.

How did he get out? His sentence is not over yet. He still has to serve twenty more years.

You thought that by being quiet and staying still, he would loosen the grip on you, but he didn’t.

“Fancy dress you got here, honey.” He hissed, pressing his lips against your ear and making you shiver from his touch. His hand trailed along the side of your body, caressing the expensive fabric of the white dress.

“Was your new boyfriend, the one who bought it for you?”

Your eyes widened at that question and you again tried to free yourself without success.

“Yeah.. I know. I was surprised too when Yoongi came to visit me and told me you were seeing some fancy city boy with his head up his tuxedo-covered ass.”

You knew that no matter how soft his voice could sound, he was mad. He was always calm when he was really mad.. until he wasn’t calm anymore.

“I told him: no, Yoongi, there’s no way that’s true. My sweet Y/N would never do something like that. She is a faithful wife, not some dirty whore who’s ready to sell her cunt to the first Richie Rich who comes around.”

He chuckled darkly.

“But he brought me the photos. So I guess I was wrong.”

He abruptly turned you around, pushing your back against the wall. It was then, that you saw him. His hair got longer and he somehow got some tattoos on his right arm. His dark eyes were gleaming in the dark with a mischievous light that you had never seen on him – not when he was looking at you, at least.

His fingers tightened around your jaw, forcing you to look at him straight in the eyes.

“Did you let him touch you?”

“N-no.” You muttered, with your heartbeat racing fast and your eyes wide open like those of an innocent doe who was just caught by a cold-blooded hunter.

He pressed his body on yours, breathing heavily against your lips without breaking eye contact.

“If you are lying to me.. I’ll know, Y/N.” He hissed. And you knew that those words were a clear warning.

“I expect your cunt to be tighter than it was when I left. If it isn’t..” he chuckled, slightly tilting his head to the side and licking his lips while caressing gently your reddened cheek. “..well, I guess I’ll stretch your holes so wide that there won’t be any doubt about whose little whore you are.”

He didn’t give you any time to breathe, let alone answer. He pressed his lips on yours with such passion that he sucked the air out of your lungs. And you melted.

You still loved him, after all. You still craved for his touch, which you missed every single night that you’ve spent in your empty bed. Every time you touched yourself, you always closed your eyes and think of him: his hands, his lips, his toned body, his cock, his breath, his smell.. everything. No man could turn you on like he did.

You could tell he had changed. He got more violent, more possessive. But for some reason, that didn’t bother you. Somehow, in a fucked up way, you enjoyed it. It was like you just had the proof that he truly loved you. That you were sill his.

You run your fingers through his hair, tightening your grip while kissing him deeply. A muffled sigh escaped from your lips when his tongue entered your mouth, exploring every corner of it like that was the last kiss he was ever gonna give you.

“Touch me.” You murmured, like it was a prayer sent straight to God.

The first one that was actually answered, since Jungkook’s hands quickly slipped under your dress while you kicked off your shoes. He turned you around again, face against the wall, and removed your underwear.

You gasped at his touch on your wet entrance, arching your back so that he could see your pussy in its full glory.

“Fuck, I missed you so much.” He murmured, starting to run his palm on your pussy.

You moaned, grinding against his hand in search of his touch while he steadied your hips with the strong grip of his free hand.

“Already purring like a kitten, baby?”

Another moan escaped from your lips, this time loudly, when he inserted his middle finger in your throbbing core, feeling it clench around his touch.

“Such a good girl. You didn’t lie to me.” He commented in a hiss, inserting another finger to test your tightness and starting to pump his digits on your most sensitive spot.

“So tight. Will you be able to take my cock, baby?”

“Y-yes. Yes I will.” You answered in between your heavy breaths and moans, chasing the pleasure that his movements gave you.

You suddenly let out a sharp cry when you felt his hand slapping your ass cheek without notice. But the lingering pain had the only effect of heightening the pleasure and getting you even more wet.

Hu chuckled, spanking you one more time.

“Fuck! Jungkook!”

He had always loved it when you said his name during sex, and he still did apparently, since he started pumping his digits harder inside you. The lewd sounds of your pussy soon filled the silence of the night.

When his other hand reached your clit and started drawing quick circles around it, your legs started shivering and your eyes rolled back from the pleasure. If it wasn’t for the wall, you’d probably fall on your knees when the orgasm hit you. You moaned so loud that you almost sounded like a dying animal.

“That’s it baby. Cum for me.”

His words only made it worse and you couldn’t help but feel like a fire ball hit you right in the belly. Your walls clenched around his pumping digits and soon your climax reached an unprecedented high, making you ejaculate on his hand while waves of pleasure went through your body like an electric shock.

“Oh my God!” Was is reaction to the mess you just made.

He let out a satisfied laugh, retracting his fingers from your overstimulated core just to smear your arousal on your own lips.

“Open your mouth, baby. I want you to taste yourself – the way I make you feel.”

You obeyed, and even if you were still panting and barely able to function, you took his fingers in you mouth, rotating your tongue around them and sucking every drop of your own arousal before letting them out with a pop.

“Good girl.” He praised you softly, caressing your hair. “Now get on your knees for me.”

Again, you obeyed without hesitation while he unzipped his pants and pumped himself a few times in front of your face.

You looked up at him, licking your lips. You could still taste your slick on them, but you wanted something different. You wanted his taste. And you were so eager to get it, that you didn’t waste any time.

You soon wrapped your mouth around his hard cock, sucking it like it was your last meal. But letting you have it your way was not Jungkook’s plan. He grabbed a fistful of your hair, tying them up in a ponytail that was only held by his own hand, and started thrusting inside your mouth until tears were gathering at the corner of your eyes.

A deep growl escaped from his lips at the sight of your mouth stuffed with his cock and your messed up make up smeared all over your face.

“My little whore. Always so good for me.” He said through his panting, face fucking you like there was no tomorrow.

And probably there wasn’t gonna be one. For all you knew, the police could come at any moment and take him back to his cell – this time, forever. But, if anything, the thrill just added something extra to the whole situation, making it even more exciting.

The rhythm of his deep thrusts against your throat soon made you gag. And that was it. That was what he wanted, what he was looking for.

“Oh shit! Fuck, I’m coming, baby.”

His cum shot straight down your throat, filling you with his warm liquid. You loved his taste. You always had since the first time he sucked his cock. You were only fifteen back then, and you had no idea how to do it. But he was older than you and he guided your every movement, teaching you what he liked and what he wanted. You thought you’d spit him out, but you always swallowed. You liked it. You liked the taste of his orgasm and you liked to know that you were the one to make him cum like that.

“Take off your dress and bra.”

Your jaw was still feeling numb and your legs weak when he ordered you to undress, but you still obeyed, in a daze.

“Now bend over the couch.”

Again, you didn’t raise any question. You just crawled towards the couch and rested your chest on the pillows, closing your eyes while you tried to catch your breath. You could feel your heart beating strong, muffled by the padded fabric of the couch. The only other sound was that of his steps, getting closer and closer to you until he dropped heavily on his knees, resting his large hands on your ass cheeks and parting them.

He let out a pleased moan and you could feel his gaze devouring the most intimate part of your body. You didn’t even need to look or feel him to know that he was getting hard again. And you felt proud. You arched your back and spread your legs a big wider, offering him the whole show. You loved to know that he wanted you so bad. Just the thought of his desire aroused you more than anything else.

He chuckled, spanking you again and making you gasp at the sharp feel of his palm against your sensitive skin.

“God, you’ve always loved being a slut for me. Am I right?”

You thought the question was rhetoric, so you didn’t respond. But when he gave you another spank and bent over you, pulling your hair to get your ear closer to his lips, you knew he wanted to hear your voice.

“Answer me. Whose little slut are you?”

“Y-yours, Jungkook. I’m your little slut.”

He chuckled darkly, letting go of your hair while caressing your reddened ass cheek and pressing his lips on your ear.

“Good girl.” He praised you, slowly starting to align the tip of his cock with your wet entrance.

You whimpered at the feel, arching your back even more to look for more friction. Seeing you like that, so eager to have him inside of you, was all it took for him to sink deep inside your core, filling you with all his length and stretching your walls.

“Fuck! You got so tight, baby.”

You did. While he was away, you didn’t have sex with anybody and you only started thinking about that when you met Seokjin. Not because you really wanted to, but because you felt like it was a necessary step to get what you wanted. Sure, Jin was handsome, but he was no Jungkook. Your husband, your first love, your first everything – he was the only one who could make you wet just by staring at you. He had that power – the power to make your head spin like you had too many drinks.

Jungkook hold your hips in place and started pounding you hard, making you moan at every thrust until you were just a hot wet mess at his mercy.

“Jungkook..” That was all you could say, breathless, while feeling your walls clench around his cock like they were holding to dear life.

He went balls deep inside of you, fucking you for all the times he didn’t in the past three years. It was intoxicating, and you knew you could never get enough of that feeling – of him.

“Jungkook.. cum inside me, please.” You whimpered, pleading him with a mere whisper when you felt his thrusts getting sloppier and more imprecise. Your orgasm was close too, but you wanted to make sure he didn’t pull out. You wanted to feel every drop of him.

“Y/N.. fuck!” Was all he said while he sank deep inside your core, filling you up with his cum and pumping it in to get you closer to your climax.

You came with his name on your lips and the lewd sounds of your sex filling your ears like the sweetest music you’d ever heard. Your hands grabbed the fabric of the couch and you could feel your saliva dripping down the side of your lips, parted by the intense sensation of your orgasm.

He dropped with his chest pressing on your back. You could feel his heavy breath against your skin and his heartbeat trying to get a calmer pace while the high of the climax was slowly fading away.

“We are leaving tonight, baby.” He whispered in your ear after a few moments of silence. “I’m not going back to jail. I’m not gonna let them tear us apart again.”

And again, even after everything that had happened, you believed him.

I guess this is my prison. You are. But I don’t want to escape.

“I love you, Jungkook.”

“I love you too, baby.”

[bangtanreadingcorner]

the fact is • jeon jeongguk

plot – you're a waitress that gets stuck serving jeon jeongguk, who can't make his mind up on what to eat.

words – 6.4K

"Indecisive snot, aren't you?"

The words are out before you could stop them. Your natural instinct is to take it back and apologize, but this idiot has pushed you over the edge. He has changed his order six times and that was after adding sides and removing this or that. The customer - the arrogant brat of a chaebol, you thought to yourself - looking at his menu snapped his gaze to you, eyes widening in surprise, disbelief and was that intrigue? Nope. Probably just a trick of the light.

"Excuse me?" He says, eyebrows still raised to high heaven.

You weigh your options silently for a few moments. You could try and kiss his ass and loose your job. Or you could finish what you started and loose your job. Because there was no question, you were loosing your job. Speaking to a customer like that, in a restaurant as high end as this? The ultimate no-no.

The choice was a no brainer.

You give him a flat look, "Are you deaf?"

A surprised scoff leaves him and for a moment he stares at you, and then a smirk pulls at the corners of his mouth. "Do you not know who I am?"

"Of course I know who you are, Jeon Jeongguk, I don't live under a rock." You roll your eyes at him.

"Huh." He frowns at you.

You frown back, "What?"

"I've never met someone so . . . outspoken before. Normally people are all compliments and well wishes." Jeongguk doesn't say how delightfully refreshing it is. Like a spring breeze, spreading through his veins and breathing colour into his monotonous life. This is the most excitement he's had since he went parachuting eight months ago. That is a sad thought, but unfortunately a true one.

"Yeah, well," You shrug, tapping your pen against your notebook. "Kissing ass and lying are two things that didn't make it onto my list of qualities."

"Speaking your mind, obviously did." He notes, still smirking.

"Excellent observational skills there, Sherlock." You deadpan.

Jeongguk laughs and you don't like the way it makes warmth simmer in your belly. He looks up at you with dark eyes and you privately think for all that the media gets wrong, they have one thing right. Jeon Jeongguk is ridiculously attractive. "What's your name?"

"Are you blind or illiterate?" You raise a brow down at him. He looks caught off guard for a moment.

"Um...neither?" It comes out unsure, hesitant.

"Then what exactly is stopping you from reading my name badge?" You ask, tapping the badge on your chest with your pen. You were already losing your job, so you might as well make the best of it.

He looks embarrassed for a second, eyes dropping to the table, cheeks dusting the faintest shade of pink.

You raise a brow, "So, are you going to order or are you going to complain to my manager and get me fired?"

"Fired for what?" He asks.

You want to snap at him, but the genuine confusion in his eyes made you hold your tongue. For once. In a 'duh' tone, you tell him. "Speaking my mind."

"Ah. Right." Realisation lights up in his eyes. "I could have you fired for speaking to me like that." He says, like the thought never occurred to him.

"I'll go get my manager then." You say and turn on your heel, not at all surprised.

Jeongguk's mind goes into an epic panic as you turn your back on him and he blurts a quick, "Wait."

"What?" You ask, turning back to him with an uninterested look.

"I said that I could. Not that I would." He tells you and it makes your speechless for about five seconds.

Then you squint at him with a slight glare, "What do you want?"

"Excuse me?"

"You obviously want something in exchange for keeping quiet. What is it?" You speak matter-of-factly. After a moment you add, "Just know, if it's something sexual or in that direction, I'd rather loose my job."

Jeongguk gapes at you, looking stunned. "I don't know whether to be insulted by the insinuation that I need to blackmail someone into sleeping with me or that you'd rather loose your job than sleeping with me."

"So sorry for offending your delicate sensibilities." You drawled sarcastically. "You still haven't told me what you want."

"Well, I like coming here often and when I do and you're my server, I'd like you to always speak your mind around me." He said, with the smallest of shrugs, looking down at the silverware on the table instead of at you.

Confusion sweeps through you, his request catching you off guard. "Really? That's it?"

"Yes." He nods stiffly.

"I don't understand." You admit.

"You don't have to. You asked me what I want, this is it." He looks at you again, eyes still dark and piercing and you can't understand what he's thinking.

"Fine, okay, yeah, I can do that." You nods eventually, noticing how his shoulders untense just a bit. You look at him, curious and full of questions, but cautious enough to not actually ask. "Are you gonna order now?"

"Why don't you surprise me? I can't decide what I want to eat." He says, handing you the menu.

"I'm shocked." You deadpan with a faux smile, before looking at him seriously. "Are you allergic to anything?"

"No." He shakes his head, lacing his fingers together and resting his hands on the table.

Your mind races for a few moments before settling on a dish. You nod at Jeongguk. "Okay, I'll be back with your food in a while then."

***

Three weeks later, you haven't served Jeongguk again. It's not that he hasn't been in, oh no, he has. You've seen him, caught him staring and then looking away quickly. He just hasn't sat at one of your tables again. Each week, the tables get rotated and there is four rotations, so you'll only be on Jeongguk's usual table next week.

You walked into the kitchen, just coming off your lunch break when Lee stops you and says, "Table 12 for you."

You look at Jae, who was on table 12 this week and got a hostile glare. You ignore her and look at Lee with confusion, "But I'm not on table 12 today."

"You were requested and customers here get what they want." Lee shrugs, giving you a 'it is what it is' look.

"By who?" You ask, having some idea of the answer. There is only one customer you know that would request you. You are always polite to the other customers but with an air of detachment, that keeps them from prying and you from getting into trouble. Until three weeks ago, that is.

"Jeon Jeongguk." Lee says, confirming your suspicions.

"Motherfucker." You swear.

Jae looks down her nose from you, "Don't he used to it. It won't last. He'll get bored of you soon enough."

"I hope so." You huff, as Jae walks away with a less than pleased expression.

"What?" Lee asks, her shock obvious.

"You heard me."

Lee tilts her head at you in disbelief and curiousity, "So, you're not trying to get into his pants?"

"Uh, no." You frown at her. Sure, he's hot but you know your place. You also need money than you need to get laid. "Why?"

"Most girls try when they work here, but everytime they try something, Mr. Jeon complains and they get fired." Lee explains.

Something suddenly made sense to you, "Is that what Jae's trying to do?"

"No one will say it to her face, but yeah, it is." Lee nods, shrugging a little. "She's jealous that he requested you, when you've worked here just over a month, served him once, and she's worked here for almost two years and he hasn't blinked in her direction."

"Huh," You frown, lost in your thoughts. "I wonder why he didn't get me fired then."

"Why? What did you say to him?" Lee eyes you curiously.

"Called him an indecisive snot." You smirk gleefully, happy that you got away with talking to him like you want and not getting fired because of it.

"Right." Lee says in a tone that made it clear she doesn't believe you.

"I did." You insist.

Lee waves you off, and you exit the kitchen, walking into the dining room, heading over to Jeongguk's regular table.

You look at him as he comes into your line of direct sight. His one leg was shaking, eyes shifting around the room, fingers tapping the table restlessly. When he spots you walking over to him, he stills completely. A smile - a cute one, you admit to yourself and no one else - spreads on his lips as he breathes your name, "Y/N."

You give him a look, "Did you miss me or something?"

"What? No." Jeongguk scoffs quickly. "I was bored. And you cure my boredom."

You raise your eyebrows at him, head going forward a little, "I cure your boredom?" You repeat, slowly. Maybe he's kidding.

But Jeongguk just nods at you as if it makes all the sense in the world, "Yeah. It's like live entertainment while I eat."

You scowl at him, "I'm not a circus clown."

"That's not what I meant!" He exclaims, voice a little too loud, causing heads to swivel in your direction. He takes a breath and speaks again, softer this time. "I just meant that it's nice. Or it was nice, the one time I actually got to talk to you."

"So, you did miss me." You tease good naturedly. Jeongguk doesn't answer, just stares resolutely down at the table. You sigh, feeling fond instead of annoyed. You hide a smile as you ask, "What will it be today?"

Jeongguk looks at you again, hesitantly at first, then fully when he sees your expectant gaze, "Surprise me."

Now you were surprised, "Again?"

"I liked what you ordered last time." He does that small shrug again. Actually, it's less of a shrug, and more a slight lift of the shoulders. You notice that he has broad shoulders, and the suit he's wearing only makes them look better. You push those thoughts away, focusing on the conversation.

"And if you don't like it this time?" You challenge.

"I did say surprise me, and surprises can be positive or negative." Jeongguk decides not to tell her that this is his favorite restaurant and he knows the menu by heart. He knows and likes every dish, so there was no way he wouldn't like something she serves him. And he's curious as to what she'll decide this time.

You snort, laughing lightly, "You know, you're not as bad as I thought you were."

Jeongguk looks mildly offended, "I'll have you know, I'm a catch."

"I'm sure." You nod, hiding a grin.

"I am." He insists and you had to admit, he is attractive.

"Yes, right up until the moment you open your mouth." You say honestly, writing down one of the dishes on the menu.

"Rude." He pouts a little and you suppress the urge to giggle, of all things.

"Maybe," You concede. "But it's the truth." You picked up his menu, turning on your heel to go to the kitchen.

"So, how do I . . . improve?" Jeongguk asks when you come back with his food, continuing with the conversation where you left off.

"Do I look like a life coach to you?" You set down the food. "Enjoy."

"Thanks." Jeongguk grins at her. "And, no, but if I went to one they'd tell me what they think I want to hear, not what I need to hear."

You stare at him for a few seconds and he looks back unflinchingly. "Well," You press your lips together. "I guess you should start with why you want to change."

That makes Jeongguk falter. He can't very well say, 'so I can impress you, since my money doesn't seem too' and he thinks for a bit. "I have come to realise that maybe I treat people unfairly based on how much money they have. I would like to change that."

Your eyebrows goes up, "That's surprisingly deep, coming from you."

"I'm not swallow." He defends himself.

You nod complacently, "Right, well, the answer is easy but actually doing it, will all depend on you."

"What do I do?"

"Just, think before you say something. Ask yourself, can my words hurt this person?"

"And if they deserve it?" Jeongguk wonders.

"The right answer would be to still be considerate, because two wrongs don't make a right, but I hate being a hypocrite, so go for it, if they deserve it. I mean, it's not like I held back when you annoyed me." You gave a shrug. "I should go. We're not allowed to loiter at the tables."

Jeongguk wants to ask her to sit with him and keep him company some more, but he knows he would be setting himself up for rejection. Instead, he just looks at her with a half smile. "Just when I think I have you all figured out, you do or say something that proves me wrong."

"My mom always used to say, you can spend a lifetime with someone and still learn something new about them every day. People evolve everyday and you'll never be who you are right now, tomorrow again."

"She sounds like a wise woman." Jeongguk remarks.

You smile, nostalgia making your heart warm, "Yeah, she was."

"I'm sorry." Jeongguk says, catching onto the past tense. A lump forms in your throat out of nowhere.

"Thank you." You swallowed thickly, clearing your throat. You gave him a shaky smile, hoping he wouldn't notice. "See, you're doing better already."

Jeongguk did notice but decided not to call her out on it. He just smiled up at her softly, watching after her figure when she walks away.

***

"You know, if I didn't know that you come here everyday, I'd say you that you are stalking me." You teased Jeongguk when you go to take his order for the fifth time in a row. You've had a day off, inbetween, but when you showed up for your next shift, Jeongguk was there and everytime he's requested you. By now, whoever was on rotation for his table, just lets you know whenever he shows up.

"And how do you know that?" Jeongguk raises a curious eyebrow at you.

"I complained to Lee about you and she told me." You explain to him, mentally running over the menu in your head. Jeongguk told you on the third day to just order for him everytime. So, when you walk to his table under the guise of taking his order, the two of you just talk.

"Lee?" He inquires.

"She's my friend and another server here."

"Ah." Jeongguk nods in realisation. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"You can ask, but that doesn't guarantee I'll answer." You say, giving him a cheeky smile.

She has a beautiful smile, Jeongguk thinks to himself. He shakes himself out of his thoughts and looks her in the eyes, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

You frown down at him, finding the question odd. He's never asked anything too personal. Just normal things, what you're studying, what you do when you're not working. Sometimes you'll tell him a story of something dumb you did as a kid, but he'll never outright ask. "No."

A thought suddenly occurs to Jeongguk and he doesn't really want to ask because that'll destroy every hope he has but he needs to know. He quirks a brow at her, "Girlfriend?"

You snort at the question, "No, I'm straight. My cousin swings both ways though. Nearly gave his mom a stroke when he came out at our annual Christmas family dinner two years ago."

"Oh." Jeongguk wants to sag in relief, wants to let out a thankful cheer, but settles for just a small smile and letting out a breath of relief.

"Why are you asking?"

He does that little shrug that isn't really a shrug thing. "I was just wondering. You never really talk about one, or even someone you're interested in."

"Okay, if there was someone, why would I tell you?" You are teasing, but he doesn't know as you look at him blankly.

"I was just curious." Jeongguk huffs defensively.

"Yeah, yeah, settle down." You snicker. After a moment you say, "I guess I don't talk about it because there hasn't been anyone to talk about."

"Really?" Jeongguk beams up at you hopefully, eyes glittering.

"Really." You roll your eyes, but there was a slight warmth in your cheeks that wasn't there before.

***

Seven months and many short conversations later – in which you learnt many things about Jeongguk and vica versa – you walk up to his table with a smile, genuinely excited to see your sort of friend. The smile fades from your face when you lay eyes on him – his whole body was tense, you could tell even from a distance, he was glaring out the window, clenched fists laying on the table. Something wasn't right. You quicken your pace, concern swirling in your belly. You stop at his table, feeling your heartbeat quicken. "What's wrong?"

"None of your fucking business." He snaps at you, words so venomous it makes you take a step back in shock, but mostly hurt.

Jeongguk regrets the words the moment they're out because he didn't mean them. He doesn't want to fight or argue. He came to see her to feel better. Now he snapped at her. He waits, for whatever tongue lashing she is about to give him. He'd deserve it and he'll take it. But she says nothing. Somehow her silence was much worse than any insult she can hurl at him. Her face closes off, he watches it happen as her fingers tighten around the pen and notepad she uses to take orders, and panic sparks beneath his skin, overriding all the anger he feels.

No. His mind rebels against the thought immediately.

"What can I get for you today, Sir?" Her voice is perfectly polite as she asks the question, like it was the first time he met her. Until he made her snap after changing his order for a sixth time.

No, no, no, no, no! Not this. Anything but this. His heartbeat quickens.

Jeongguk was quickly turning frantic, "Y/N, please, I-"

"We have a lovely special today." She goes on as if he didn't speak, eyes void of the usual fire when she'd argue with him or the gentle warmth when she sometimes smiled at him and called him an idiot. It was the only times he ever liked being called an idiot.

He listens to her droning on about he specials, explaining them. Jeongguk's heart drops all the way down to his feet. It feels like someone pulled a rug from beneath his feet, and he is thrown off balance from the how utterly wrong it feels, how much it bothers him, hurts him, that she is talking to him like he is just another random customer. Like she hasn't told him how she got stuck in a tree, climbing after the neighbors cat. Playing with their cat because her parents never allowed pets.

A cold feeling of dread washes over him because Jeongguk has no idea to fix whatever he just fucked up.

***

You very almost cry when Jeongguk snaps at you, feeling irrationally hurt by his words. You shove it all down as you pull up your walls and shut him out to protect yourself. You serve him as quickly as possible, walking away without a friendly word.

"Trouble in paradise?" Jae smirks at you when you come back from serving Jeongguk.

You glare at her, not in the mood for dealing with her jealousy today. "No, just looking at your face is enough to put anyone in a bad mood."

Jae's eyes widened, fury spreading on her face. "You bitch!" She yells, raising a hand to slap you.

You smirk, catching her wrist easily. "Careful, just now you break a nail."

You let her go, walking away. You wait until you're in the bathroom, safely away from prying eyes in a locked stall, before letting you face crumple, only letting one tear escape before getting yourself under control.

You finish your shift, completely exhausted by the end of it – emotionally and physically. The last thing you have the energy for, is Jeongguk, so of course he's waiting for you at the personnel entrance and exit when you step outside. Intent on ignoring him, you pretend that you don't see him and you start walking in the direction of the train station.

Jeongguk follows you, apparently not easily deterred. "Will you just talk to me please?"

"What would you like me to say, Sir?" You ask in your most professional voice, looking ahead and not glancing at him.

"I'd like you to talk to me and stop treating me like I'm a customer." He says, sounding frustrated and desperate.

"You are a customer, Sir." You answer, still not looking at him.

"For fuck sakes, will you stop with the 'sir' already and talk to me like you used to?" Jeongguk all but explodes, stepping infront of you, and looking down at you for a change. It's startling, for a moment. You always look down at him when he sits at the table and it never occured to you that he's taller than you. He sets his hands on your shoulders (they're big and warm and you feel surprisingly safe, even when he squeezes slightly), frantic and desperate eyes looking into yours. "You don't even have to talk, you can yell or scream or shout for all I care, just please stop."

"You want me to talk? Fine." You glare up at him, shrugging out of his hold and taking a step back. He's way to close for comfort. "Look, I get I'm not exactly from the same side of town as you are, but that doesn't mean I'm incapable of empathy. I'd bet that I have more empathy than most people you know. So, when someone I see as a kind of friend, snaps at me when I ask them what's wrong out of concern, when they could have said they don't want to talk about it, it hurts." You rant, a little out of breath. "Do you understand that? You hurt me."

"I'm sorry. Fuck, I am so sorry, you have no idea. I shouldn't have snapped at you and I regretted it the moment I did it. I was angry, and I know it isn't an excuse but it's the truth."

"Sorry isn't going to fix it," You say, voice edging on being too sharp. Your heart twists when his face falls. You soften a bit. "But it is a step in the right direction."

Jeongguk perks up, "What's another?"

"For starters, next time you don't want to talk about me, tell me instead of snapping at me." You give him a pointed glare, crossing your arms over your chest.

Jeongguk gives you an apologetic look, "Again, I'm sorry. I honestly didn't mean to snap at you. I came to talk to you, hoping I'd calm down a bit. I had an ugly fight some dumbass that tried to sell low quality material to us and I took it out of you."

You are reminded of the fact that he is the heir to his father's multi-billion won international conglomerate and for some reason, it makes you sad. You smile at him, ignoring the sadness. "Well, you're forgiven but I'm not forgotting."

"I wouldn't dream of it." He grins cheekily. He paused for a moment, then smirks at you. "So, we're friends now?"

You groan, "I should have known that would come back to bit me I'm the ass."

***

A large bouquet of pink tulips is delivered to you the next morning. Inside is a card that reads:

Thank you for never giving up on me. -JJK

Lee whistles loudly when she sees them and your cheek burn. "Someone must really like you."

"It's from a friend." You say, ignoring the fluttering in your belly.

"My point still stands. Those are out of season, you know." She remarks.

You nod, "I know. They're my favourite."

You finish your shift with a smile on your face. Until your boss calls you into his office.

"Yes, Sir?" You ask, still smiling and the bouquet of flowers in your one hand, backpack up on your shoulders and ready to go home.

"Y/N. I'll get right to the point. There's been a complaint that you've been too friendly with one of our customers." He says bluntly.

You almost drop your flowers in shock, "What?"

"I'm sorry to do this, Y/N, but it is a direct violation of the contract you signed when you started here. Professionalism is our top priority. I have no choice but to fire you." He says, and he does look sorry as he holds out an envelope to you. "This is the week's wages. Again, I'm sorry. You are a good worker."

"You're firing me because of something someone accused me off?" You ask, indignant and a little angry. "You're not even going to ask me if I did it? And if I did it, why I didn't stop?"

"The accusation came from a very trustworthy customer that was concerned that our reputation might be damaged." Your manager says. "If it gets to the owner and he finds out I did nothing, I could loose my job."

You scoff, taking the envelope. If you didn't need the money, you'd have thrown it back in his face. "So, it's okay for me to loose mine?"

"I'm sorry."

"So am I." You say before turning around and leaving.

***

The first day she's not there, Jeongguk brushes it off, thinking she has the day off and forgot to tell him. The second day, he starts to worry, just a little. The third day, he almost thinks himself into a mental breakdown. The fourth day, he demands to see the manager.

"Mr. Jeon." The manager greets with a smile that was clearly fake. Jeongguk thought back to Y/N, who never smiled much but when she did, it was honest and pure and breathtaking. He misses it and would do whatever it takes to get it back.

"Where is Y/N?" He demands, voice and gaze equally cold and intimidating. It's a side of him that she broke through within minutes, digging up the real Jeongguk and pulling him to the surface. The past months, he's been able to breathe again, live instead of just existing, waiting for the next person that wants his money. But that cold and calculating side of him is still there.

The manager pales and Jeongguk's worry increases. Did something happen to her? The manager shifts on his feet but still doesn't answer. "If you don't answer me within the next five seconds, I will call the owner and ask him to answer me."

"S-she was fired." The man stutters out.

Jeongguk feels his stomach drop. She never outright said it but he knows she depends heavily on the income from this job. It worries him, because he has this urge to take care of her. He wants to give her as much money as she needs, for her to live comfortably, but he knows she wouldn't take it. He glares at the manager, "Why?"

"Someone filed a complaint against her. She was getting to friendly with y-you." The manager says, looking a little terrified.

Jeongguk clenches his jaw, "And instead of asking me if I have a problem with it, you fired her?"

"Her contract says-"

Jeongguk stands up, towering over the man in height and size. "I don't give a shit what her contract says. How many times have I filed a complaint when the servers made me inappropriate offers and crude suggestions? I never once complained about her."

Jeongguk doesn't give the manager anymore time to do anything other than letting out a squeak before turning around and leaving the restaurant.

***

Five days after you were fired, you started too feel it. The absence of Jeongguk's presence. At first, you didn't notice it. To wrapped up in finding another job, worried about money and going to classes to think about it. But today is Sunday and the diner you found a temporary job at two days ago, is closed on Sundays. It's crappy pay and not alot of hours either but it was something and it'll help until you could get something else.

You lay on your bed, listening to your mom vacuuming the living room. University housing was expensive and you'd rather live at home and save the money than having even more debt. You laze the day away, knowing that none of the projects you have, is due that Monday. Your thoughts drift back to Jeongguk, like it always does. You honestly didn't think you'd end up missing him this much.

You like him, so fucking much. You figured it out a long time ago. You also know that you come from two different worlds. You are fine with that, you accepted it and you were content to be his friend.

Now he's completely gone from your life. Ripped out of it without warning.

You go to your classes the next day. In your last one, you doodle absentmindedly on the corner of your notebook, only half listening to the Professor. When the class is over, you look at what you drew and then groan out loud. Jeongguk's initials. Of fucking course. You scoff to yourself, leaving the class and then the building. You want to go home and sulk in privacy.

Outside, the sun was shining and you stood still for a moment, soaking in the warmth.

"Y/N!" A voice yelled your name and your head whips in the direction because you know that voice. You look, eyes searching desperately because you are so sure it was his voice. You're not hallucinating and- and there he is, running over to you.

"Jeongguk? What are you doing here?" You ask when he stops infront of you, completely bewildered.

He looks panicked and frantic. Like that day he snapped at you. He grips your shoulders, the hold almost painful. "You weren't there. I went to the restaurant and you weren't there and the manager told me you were fired and-"

"Jeongguk, stop. Breathe." You say, reaching up to hold onto his wrists, lightly rubbing your thumbs over the inside of his wrists. You wait until his grip loosens, until he was holding instead of gripping. "How did you find me?"

"You told me where you go to school one day." He answers off handedly, eyes scanning over your face, almost as if memorising the little details. Guilt flashes on his face, "I'm sorry you were fired."

You laugh at his words, removing his hands from your shoulders because it was getting a little too intimate, your heartbeat speeding up. "You know, half the time I see you, you end up apologizing to me."

"Hey, it's weird for me too." Jeongguk pouts and you have this urge to rise on your tiptoes and kiss it. "I'm not used to apologizing."

"Don't worry about it, I'm not angry." You wave him off.

"Can we talk?" He pleads and you agree immediately because you missed him so much.

"Yeah, there's a park nearby."

"Scared to be seen with me?" He teases with a smirk, and for a moment it's like nothing has changed.

You snort, "Don't you know? The walls has ears and Twitter accounts."

Jeongguk laughs, loud and unrestrained, throwing his head back. You couldn't help but smile. "This way."

You guide him to the park. It wasn't very big, and not a lot of people came here either, so it was perfect to talk. You each sit down on a swing.

"What are you gonna do now?" Jeongguk asks.

You shrug, "No clue, but I'll figure something out."

A guilty look spreads on his face again, "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have-"

You cut him off, "Shouldn't have what? Let a server talk back to you? Yeah, probably not but we both enjoyed it, so it's on you as much it is on you. More on me though, because it was my responsibility as an employee to treat you with respect."

"You did," Jeongguk says immediately, sincerely. "Even when you were at your most brutally honest moments."

You give him a slight smile. "Well, fun as it was, it seems our path has come to an end."

"Why?" Jeongguk frowns heavily at you.

"Huh?"

Jeongguk looks you in the eye, gaze piercing. "Why does it have to end?"

You snorted, thinking he was messing with you but his eyes were completely serious. You answer in a matter-of-fact tone, "Because you're you and I'm me. Besides, most of the time we argued."

"Y/N." He says your name like it is his greatest wish. He stands up from his swing, making his way infront of you and pulled you to your feet. He looks at you, eyes impossibly fond, "That wasn't arguing. It was banter. If you think that's arguing, you probably think my parents goes to war every now and again." He smiles, a little nervous. "And foe the record, I would rather argue with you for the rest of my life than ever kiss another girl again."

Your mouth drops open in shock, and you really don't know what the fuck to make of that. "I-"

He cuts you off, "And I don't want this to be over."

Silence falls between you two. You stare at him, he stares back. Until, finally, you blurt, "I don't know what to say."

Jeongguk is a little bit disappointed, but not surprised in the slightest. At least it isn't an outright rejection. "You don't have to say anything. Just answer one question."

"Okay?"

"Would you want to date me?" You choke on thin air from shock. That means that he feels the same way as you do, right? Happiness makes your blood sing. Then it sinks in and reality comes back to you. Your happiness evaporates and you swallow thickly. You open your mouth to tell him 'no', but once again Jeongguk cuts you off before you could say something. "Forget about our social status, forget about what people would say and think about me and you. Together. Really think about it. I have, and I think we could work, if you gave it a chance."

"And if it doesn't work?" You ask softly, vulnerable in a way you've never been before. Distantly you wonder how he knew what you were thinking.

"Then at least we can say we tried." He shrugs.

You look down at the ground, wanting to think without looking at him, into those mesmerizing eyes of his. He could ask you to commit murder, and chances are that you'll do it if he looks at you long enough. When did you become so completely gone for him? You think about it, but there was never a moment where you realised, this is the person I like. Maybe . . . maybe it's because you've always liked him. Right from the start, even when he was infuriating. The thought is startling, but you aren't scared by it. It's more like another piece of the puzzle between you and Jeongguk has fallen into place. But there is the problem of your different social statuses. Yeah, Jeongguk said forget about it, but for how long? If you try and this does work out, then eventually you'll have to face the reality of everything that comes with being together. Somehow that scares you more than if it doesn't work.

You look back up at him, and you know – despite all your worries and doubts – it was never really a choice because you choose Jeongguk the moment you chose to accept his offer of being honest all those months ago. "Okay."

Jeongguk looks like he's ready to argue, "I-" You watch as your answer sinks in. The stunned expression almost makes you laugh, "What?"

"Did you want me to say no?" You give him an amused look, smile curling the corners of your lips upwards.

His eyes widens and he shakes his head frantically, "No, no, no, I just wasn't expecting you to say yes to quickly."

"That makes two of us." You admit. Jeongguk is right though, better to try and either fail or succeed, or never try and forever wonder what if. You smile up at him, heart soaring happily. "You make a good case. You should have become a lawyer."

Jeongguk's eyes light up, "Just wait until you hear the case I have to make on why we should kiss."

"Tell you what, if you kiss me within the next three seconds, you don't have to make a case at all." You bargained with a grin.

Jeongguk didn't need to be told twice. He leaned close and kissed you, slow and deep, one hand slipping into your hair and the other curling around your waist, pulling you close to him. He breaks the kiss, licking his lips and your eyes are drawn to the action. You lick your own lips, liking the taste of him. His voice is deep and rough, his cheeks flushed, when he asks, "Want to go get something to drink?"

"Yeah," You nod with a goofy smile, your own cheeks also flushed, feeling like you might float away at any second. "I could go for a smoothie."

"I love smoothies." Jeongguk grins back at you, taking your hand, lacing your fingers. His other hand was still wrapped around your waist and hold you close.

An old question flashes across your mind as you run your hands up his chest, liking the strong, study feel of it, until you can lock your arms around his neck. "You know, I've been meaning to ask."

"Mmm?" Jeongguk hummed in acknowledgement, showing that he was listening.

"Why didn't you get me fired that first day?" You ask, aware that you are suppose to be getting smoothies but it could wait for a bit.

Jeongguk had been expecting this question for a while, and had come up with an answer a long time ago. He looks down at her with all he feels for her, a content smile on his lips.

"Because you were the first honest person I have met in years. Because you put me in my place without thinking twice. Because when you glared down at me after I changed my order for the sixth time, there was a fire in your eyes that woke something inside of me that I couldn't control. Not then and not now." He leaned down, rubbing his nose against hers, the gesture shy and intimate. "Because the fact is, you had me at 'indecisive snot'."

the end.

A/N: Tumblr and it's 250 box limit will be the death of me, I swear. I get it, I do. But come on! This very almost didn't fit, I had to edit and mush several chapters into one. Eventually it fit, but NEVER AGAIN! It was exhausting and time consuming. I'll rather split it again, like I did with two of my other fics. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. This took me a while with all the editing. Purple hearts for all of you!! -Kayla.

[dodo-begone]

Mistakes Were Made

Pairing: Yandere!Techno x Reader, Yandere!Ranbob x Reader, Yandere!Ranbutler x Reader

Request: Can I request you to write a scenario or headcanons on how yandere! Technoblade, yandere! Ranbutler and yandere! Ranbob would react to their darling being pregnant? Or their darling having their kids? It's alright if this is out if your comfort zone! Thank you and have a good day!

Word Count: 789

Warning: yandere, unhealthy behaviors, pregnancy.

Part 2 | The Mistake has Arrived

If this ever looks wonky/glitched, i have this properly archived on Ao3

A/N: The reader is AFAB/Female because,,, pregnancy.

Techno

This man won’t believe you’re pregnant when you first tell him. He goes straight to denial. You say you’re pregnant? Naw, you must be over thinking it. You’re just late or lying to get sympathy. You can’t trick him-

This ties you to him though. A child is a sign of ownership of a woman, right? Right men?? Prevents you from leaving since you’re in the middle of the tundra and you’re pregnant.

This ties you to him though. A child is a sign of ownership of a woman, right? Right men?? Prevents you from leaving since you’re in the middle of the tundra and you’re pregnant.

This ties you to him though. A child is a sign of ownership of a woman, right? Right men?? Prevents you from leaving since you’re in the middle of the tundra and you’re pregnant.

Absolutely scared of you now. Your hormones are all over the place and you’d probably kill him if he didn’t have pickles and peanut butter and all those other pregnant woman cravings. Because, ya know, that can be a big issue when you only have fucking potatoes-

So scared to cuddle you now because he’s scared he’ll hurt the baby. But he’ll still gently lay on you; specifically laying his head on your tummy. Especially since you’re pregnant. He’s protecting you! And when you grow a belly bump he hugs it. And reads to it. His kid is gonna be fucking smart and he’s gonna start learning before it leaves the fucking womb- They’re just gonna be the best, he knows it.

Ranbob

Babies? Pregnancy? What’s that? He has absolutely what you mean when you say you’re pregnant. Even after you explain it to him, his only reaction is just: wtf haha that’s sounds so wack! So weird!

You thought what he was doing before was worshipping? Think again because now it’s like ten fold. You look like a goddess! Especially pregnant! And It’s his kid-he’s so blessed!

Another man that fears you because of your cravings. Like daaaamn you’re scary. You want this? Yes right away! Wait hold up what’s that? Oh okay he’ll do his best! Yeah it’s not down here in Mizu but he’ll try his best-

Fucking loves the baby before it’s even born. Hugging you and talking to the baby even though it isn’t really born yet. He just keeps telling it how beautiful you are, how it’s mother is so kind. Oh the baby is gonna be so loved- He’s enamored by the baby bump. Like he’s so happy when he’s hugging you that he purrs and that's just hella cute. Sometimes it’ll elicit a kick, and he just does it even more.

Tried to escape before? Now you can’t! First off you’d drown if you tried to swim away but now this ties you even more. Like you’re eventually waddling around everywhere and have trouble moving. Practically immobile near the end of the pregnancy. So he takes care of you and he feels so happy when that happens!

Scrambled around, trying to find the best that remained in Mizu for the baby. There isn’t much, but he’ll find something! It may not be a lot, but it was picked with love. The baby deserves the best, after all.

Ranbutler

You must really love him if you were pregnant! Nobody would just carry someone else’s baby without caring for the father. It’s just obvious.

So pleased with himself about it and extremely happy that you finally got pregnant. This is exactly what he wanted! A little family of his own. And with you! Oh this is the dream!

He doesn’t fear you because of your hormones and cravings. Sir Billiam helped make him desensitized to such angry and impatient people. Creating the best skill set to help you through the pregnancy. Deals with shit like this on the daily. Yeah he doesn’t exactly want to come home to this, but he knows how to deal with it. Plus it’s for a good cause! It’ll pay off in the end.

Like Ranbob, he’ll be absolutely enamored by the baby before it’s born. It’s the perfect combination of you two. And you’re the mother!!! God it’s so perfect already! Views it like it’s an angel; it can literally do no wrong. And neither can you, for that matter. But that’s besides the point.

Much more protective of you now that you’re pregnant. If he’s not around you, then he’ll leave you in the room of the egg. The egg is the best option besides him; it promised to protect you. Previously it promised you to him and that happened, so anything the egg says must be true.

You know he wouldn’t mind going through this again if it meant another kid with you. Or another. Oh come on please? Can he have this one itsy-bitsy thing from you? He loves you so much!

[accio-slytherout]

Mischief Managed

Concept by @helliontherapscallion

Pairings: p!sbi x reader, p!dreamXD x reader, c!Philza x reader (could be taken as platonic/romantic)

characters: TommyInnit, Ph1lza Minecraft, Wilbur, Technoblade, Captain Puffy

mentioned characters: Fundy

Warnings: Fighting, blood, swearing, pranks, trickery (?), shouting (tell me if I missed anything!)

in game dsmp!au

summary: Reader is the god of mischief and trickery. After catching up with their old friend and his family, they got into a fight with the god of the server, dreamXD.

Not proofread

note: reader does not act like peeves! sorry in advance! i really liked this concept, i just had to write it. i put more effort into this than i did on my social studies essay. was fun to write :D straying from canon lore! I was not sure how to write dreamXD's text, so i wrote it in normal text! i am not very good and pranking, and not that creative or smart on those kind of things, so I will not really specify what is going on in the pranking.

flachbacks in italic

masterpost

------

(Y/N) was just skipping around the forest, looking for flowers to make some dye when they stumbled upon a boy that was picking some red flowers.

"WHAT THE F*CK" he shouted with a strong British accent. "Who the f*ck are you?" he continued. "Well who are you child?" they retorted.

"WHAT THE- IM NOT- THE FU- IM NOT A F*CKING CHILD IM A BIG MAN" the 'Big Man' as he called himself retorted, stumbling over his words. He heard a very mischievous laughter come out of the random person he stumbled upon, and he chose to put up the angriest face he could and crossed his arms.

"The name's (Y/N). How about you, big man?" they finally replied with a slight mocking tone. "Tommy. What are you doing here? I've never seen you around before." answered Tommy.

"I'm looking for some dye, so I can dye Fundy's fur" they replied, rather mischievously? Well, point is, Tommy's eyes lit up at the mention of pranking the fox. "Could I maybe help you?" he replied with an equally mischievous tone.

Thats how a friendhip started. They caused pure havoc around the server. Pranking the first person they thought of. They were laughing their butts off on the bench.

"TOMMYINNIT YOU STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Panic rose in their chests as they slowly swallowed and turned around. There stood Captain Puffy looking very angry... with bright pink covering her entire body. They tried their best to hold in their laughter, as she did not look very intimidating.

Yet, Tommy could not help but to start laughing loudly. That pushed (Y/N) over the edge and started laughing hysterically, and they swore they saw Puffy crack a smile at the sight.

"Im- sor- sorry-" he said inbetween his laughter. They both tried their best to stop laughing, and after a while, they did.

Puffy let out a sigh, and said "Tommy, I will get you back. I am warning you." with a glint of amusement in her eyes. Tommy seemed to have sobered up at the thought and looked scared. Puffy left with a wave and headed to her home to probably clean up.

"That was funny though." he said out of the blue. That started another round of laughter to go throught them.

"Say, (Y/N), how old are you?" Tommy asked after they have both calmed down. "I'm the god of mischief and trickery. I'm and immortal being. I am centuries old, kid." they answered.

"Really? That's quite pog! Did you know my father is also immortal? You might know him, name's Philza, Angel of Death. Does that ring a bell?" he rambled, ignoring the fact that they had just called him kid.

(Y/N) was ecstatic at the idea of being able to meet with their old friend again, but decided to say "HECK YEAH! I GET TO MESS WITH HIM AGAIN!" as to hide their feelings. They were the god of trickery after all. They had an image to uphold.

Tommy decided to go take them to Phil. Bad idea. As they reached the door of Phil's cottage, Tommy just burst into the house without knocking.

"Phil~ I'm baack~" Tommy called in a sing-song tone. Phil just said "Welcome back" in a monotone voice from the kitchen without looking.

As he was preparing supper, he heard Techno shout from the living room "TOMMY WHO ON EARTH IS THAT?!". Millions of thoughts start rushing through his head. Who could Tommy have brought with him? He ran out of the kitchen and went to see for himself who it was.

The scene in front of him just made him want to be buried 6 feet under the ground. There it was, His two oldest sons looking at the door from the bottom of the stairs and his youngest son, standing next to the person he hated the most. (Y/N).

They were walking through the forest. Phil felt something touch his shoulder. He turned around, raising his sword as he was startled. There they were, (Y/N), making the weirdest face possible.

"For f*ck's sake (Y/N)! stop it!". That only made them laugh more. "You should have seen your face!" they said inbetween laughter.

The man loathed them. He just wanted to leave them there, in the middle of nowhere, for this was not the only thing they have done in the past hour of adventuring. He, however decided to ignore them, for his heart could not bear the idea of leaving his companion alone.

"Long time no see, Philza." they said with a smirk. "Kill me already" he groaned. That was the only thing that came out of his mouth.

After Phil had supper with his family and the devil- sorry, unexpected guest, he went to clean up as his sons sat in the living room with (Y/N).

"So you're immortal?" said the oldest boy that they learnt was called Wilbur. They nodded as a reply, and he just said "Thats so cool!"

"I have read about you before, however, seeing you, I don't think the book described you correctly. Could you, possibly tell me more about your tricks and stuff?" Technoblade's monotone voice had a slight tone of curiosity and amusement while asking the question.

So they did. They told the boys about their stories. As they finished, they realised that Wilbur and Tommy had fallen asleep and Techno was half paying attention to them.

"You should go to sleep. Both of you. It's quite late already." A voice said behind her. "I'm a god, Phil. I don't need sleep." they retorted as they turned around, looking at the man.

"Suit yourself." he shrugged. He opened his mouth to tell his son to go to sleep, but he realised that his son, in fact was already asleep. He shook his head and got some blankets to lay above his sons. "I guess you can stay the night. It's late anyways" he spoke before (Y/N) could say anything and he left to go to his room. Huge mistake.

Philza minecraft was having a good sleep, when he heard a scream from the living room. He panicked, as his mind made up the worst scenarios possible. As he rushed downstairs, he saw Wilbur with bright pink hair, Tommy with a very bold red hair and hands, along with a half asleep Techno raising his sword.

Only then did he remember, that his least favourite person was at his house. Right as he thought about that, he heard giggling coming from the living room.

"(Y/N)!" he shouted along with Wilbur and Tommy. "Yes?" they batted their eyelashes innocently. Phil watched with amusement at the scene unfolding before him. Tommy and Wilbur shouting at (Y/N) and Techno lowering his sword and laying back down on the couch, sensing no danger.

"Boys, enough. (Y/N), will these dyes wash away?" he finally said in a stern tone that had a hint of amusedment in it. "Ofcourse father of minecraft. Run water through them and they will be gone" they said with such innocence that he would have believed it was not her had he not known it was their doing.

Wilbur and tommy quickly rushed to the bathroom to wash their hair out, and Phil swore the doors of the bathroom would fall off its hinges from the amount of force that was put into opening it.

"I must say, that was pretty funny, (N/N)." Phil said with amusement as he went to prepare some breakfast. (Y/N) smiled proudly from the compliment, as he was always telling her off after pranking.

Phil now remembers why he always asked them to accompany him on adventures. They were fun, and entertaining. Sometimes, they're even smart and helpful. The thought of his adventures with them brought a smile to his face.

A week in their visit, they heard a knock on the door. Phil, thinking it was just (Y/N), thought nothing of it. So he just calmly walks to the door and answers it. What he didn't expect however, was DreamXD at the door, floating in a menacing stance.

"You all give me your youngest son, or you all are dead. You have 24 hours. If you do not hive him by them, you are all dead." DreamXD said in a demonic sound.

As DreamXD turned around, Phil saw a cloud of something covering his sight, he felt... flour? he cleared the flour from his face and saw DreamXD covered in flour and (Y/N) on the roof looking rather sheepishly at DreamXD.

"Sorry, I thought you were Philza" they said sarcastically. "Not sorry, actually." they continued as they cracked an egg and poured it along with some sugar on to DreamXD's head.

DreamXD suddenly whips something out and slapped (Y/N) off the roof. As (Y/N) was used to falling from high places, they landed on the ground with nothing but a few scratches.

DreamXD stabs them with a sword, and blood splattered from their waist. (Y/N), being the god of mischief, had ofcourse had lots of experience on pranking, but wasnt strong. However, they are very witty, as they always find creative ways to prank people.

(Y/N) somehow found a way to make DreamXD retreat, but Phil could not see how. All he saw was smoke, DreamXD leaving and (Y/N) lying on the floor, with blood gushing out of their side making a puddle on the ground.

They let out a chuckle and turned to face Phil. "Your lives are safe, Phil. And what can I say? Mischief... managed." they trailed off as their eyes closed. Phil rushed to bandage them up and put them in a spare bedroom.

A week.

That was how long it was.

One singular week. Seven days. Yet it felt like seven years they had been unconscious. The house felt empty. No chaos. Everyone was worried about them.

Phil let out a sigh. He closed the door and sat down next to where (Y/N) was laying. He traced his index finger over the palm of their hand that he was holding, and whispered "I don't think you know this.. but you really are a great friend, (N/N). I love your personality.. Who am I kidding, I love you."

Phil then thought, they were unconcious. He let out a chuckle at the thought. "Look at me.. talking to someone unconscious." he said out loud, closing his eyes and resting his head on the palm of his hand that was propped up on the bed. Little did he know, they were fully awake, and pretending to be unconscious.

"Aww, thanks Phil. I love you too." he suddenly heard. He whipped his head around to their direction and saw that their head was turned to his direction. He hugged them, minding their injuries and whispered in their ear that he was thankful that they were fine over and over again.

Phil then felt their body shaking and heard gentle sobs coming out of them. He pulled away from the hug and cupped their face in his hands and wiped their tears away.

"What's wrong, (N/N)?" he calmly asked. They just cried more and gave him a hug. They told him that they have never felt accepted, and that the only person that has ever tolerated them was him. They told him that they were happy that he cared for them. They told him how much they cared for him and how great of a friend he was. They told him how much they loved him.

After their little heart to heart session, Phil went to go and prepare lunch for everyone in the house. He told the boys that (Y/N) was awake now. Everyone was glad and relieved that they were awake again. And (Y/N) was glad, that they now had a family that cared for them.

--------

end.

[miraculouscontent]

*rubs hands together*

The first thing to talk about with this episode is the pacing, and I think this might contribute to why people think it’s the best/least bad of Season 4 (personally, I’d rather watch “Furious Fu” but that’s just me; also, this isn’t the only contributing factor as to why I think people might feel this way, but I’ll get there later).

The episode has a very serious pacing issue, particularly with its more intense scenes. There’s only one minute of time dedicated to Ladybug landing on her bed, de-transforming, and her snapping at her friends plus them leaving. More time was spent on Chat Noir and Ladybug in the movie theater and Ladybug storming out.

I particularly remember watching the episode and getting eighteen minutes in, at which point I had the realization of, “It feels like nothing’s happened?”

This episode is supposed to be a big gut punch, but the season has been going by at the speed of sound, like they’re trying desperately to play all their cards at once (Lukanette break-up, Adrimi break-up, then Alya is told Marinette’s secret identity). Instead of letting things build and play out for a while in the interest of suspense, the show just throws whatever will get a big reaction out of the fandom (whether positive or negative) and it doesn’t care how shoddily put together everything is. The first two episodes feel like hastily put together drafts, and while this one is technically more put together, it still feels like a draft.

Let’s just start with Chat Noir, who feels completely out of place in the episode. Not only does he imply that he intentionally calls Ladybug “Bugaboo” (which she has told him to stop doing) in order to get a reaction out of her, but when Ladybug insists that she doesn’t want to talk, he tricks her into thinking that he has a good location to do so (and my heart breaks a little at how readily she trusts him) only to then take her to a romantic movie, then shush her when she calls him out for it because she “said she didn’t want to talk.”

Gee, and people wonder why she didn’t tell him her secret (even outside of “Chat Blanc” existing)?

And... look, I know it’s a joke, but I do not find it funny. The “joke” is basically that Chat Noir is taking advantage of the situation to flirt with Ladybug, and though I find it at least mildly cathartic that Ladybug is unaffected by all the people staring at them while Chat Noir is embarrassed, this episode is coming right after the one where Kagami broke up with Adrien, and here Chat Noir is getting his flirt game on. I already talked about all my problems with “Lies” so I won’t do it again, but I’ll just say that it’s not a mystery why Ladybug doesn’t want to talk to him and would rather avoid her problems.

(Not to mention that Ladybug knows that Chat Noir likes her, so talking about her romantic problems with him is awkward to say the least and would come off as insensitive.)

Honestly, at this point I feel like they must be building to something with Chat, like Ladybug finally going off of him with no mercy and that forces him to give up/fall out of love for her because reverse love square, but if that’s what they intend to go for, then that means Marinette is going to fall for this guy who’s repeatedly disrespected her feelings for multiple seasons, almost abandoned her and let Paris drown because she wouldn’t tell him a secret that wasn’t hers to tell, and just generally all the other things he did????

Ugh, I don’t wanna think about it. Let’s just move on.

Talking about Ladybug and her rant next, it basically summarizes the whole show in a nutshell, but simultaneously casts a shadow of sorts over “Truth” for people who maybe missed the episode entirely (which is also sort of the show in a nutshell). I mean, Ladybug confirming to the audience that she was genuinely in love and happy with Luka (you can’t watch how depressed she was over the break-up and not think that) was great, but Ladybug’s dialog implies that Luka “hated secrets” and that’s why they broke up, when Luka was more just... hurt that she couldn’t be honest with him, and he didn’t actively hate secrets. Marinette broke up with him because she felt like she had to; because she had to keep ditching and lie to him.

In addition, what she says also hints to the audience that they’ve both held and kissed each other, which not only indicates cowardice on the part of the staff (”yeah this happened but--um--off-screen; we’d still like credit tho plz”), but may perhaps go back to the theory I had about how Adrimi and Lukanette were supposed to last longer in Season 4 but their arcs got cut (based on the Adrimi kiss having supposed to have gone off). This could mean that Ladybug’s statement was originally accurate to canon but the scenes got cut and the scriptwriters just awkwardly left it in, which is made more awkward by the cinema scene in “Truth” that felt like Luka and Marinette were kissing for the first time (again, alluding to the whole, “this entire season has been a draft” thing).

Also, if you think about what that actually means - that Luka and Marinette did have successful dates and kisses but they were off-screen - then all it adds up to is that showing Marinette happy and comfortable was something that the series didn’t deem as “interesting/fun enough” to show, because Marinette being happy isn’t something they want to see; only watching her be miserable, which is exactly what Ladybug says, along with how everything was “almost too simple, too easy,” because Marinette isn’t allowed to have nice things without being jammed through the wringer first.

And... sure, let’s say that Chat Noir thought the movie was genuinely a good idea; let’s assume that it could be a joke, him wanting to flirt, and him believing that it’d make her feel better somehow.

If that’s the case, then where’s the apology when it fails miserably? Ladybug goes from her semi-anxious state at the start of the episode (a little scatterbrained but ultimately just looking for a distraction), to outright enraged by the movie, and then to this upon leaving the cinema.

She just got her heart broken from being forced to break up with a boy she genuinely wanted to be with and there’s not a single, “Okay, maybe coming here was a bad idea, I’m sorry,” (which could’ve been seen as another joke with the audience like “lol no duh Chat Noir” so there’s no excuse not to have it) or, “My bad, that was insensitive of me. I really thought this would’ve helped but I wasn’t thinking about what you would’ve wanted.”

No. The only people Chat apologizes to are the other people at the theater because he’s embarrassed by Ladybug’s reactions, yet he himself feels no remorse for taking her there and has the gall to go on now about how he’s “there for her if she wants to talk.”

Again, it’s no wonder Ladybug doesn’t want to open up to him.

And I’m sorry, I just don’t buy that Marinette suddenly has all this free time. It’s one thing for her to have a little more time now that she’s broken up with her boyfriend (likely avoiding spending time with him altogether now), but “Truth” went out of its way to talk about all of the emergencies she had to deal with and how she doesn’t have any spare time. which is causing her to become forgetful and lose track of certain events (patrols with Chat, dates with Luka, etcetera), yet Marinette spends most of “Gang of Secrets” simply sulking on her bed. It’s so jarring to go from “Truth” where she was doing “too much” (which I called them out on for not describing what the “too much” she was doing was) and now “Gang of Secrets” where she’s not doing anything.

It’s almost like they invented that plot point to break Lukanette up and it served no purpose outside of it.

Furthermore, the scenes of her finally talking to Tikki and then deciding to live as Ladybug does nothing outside of making the plot more predictable, the latter because of the “Alya almost sees Ladybug” moment (an obvious indicator that Marinette is losing control and is struggling to maintain her secret identity due to her emotionally breaking down) and the former because of Tikki herself and what she doesn’t say.

Because, really, think about what actually goes on in the scene. Marinette (eyes rimmed red and filled with unshed tears, as she is for a good chunk of the episode) is venting to Tikki about - yes - her love life, but also that she has to lie to everyone in order to keep her identity a secret. The fact that Tikki focuses solely on the note of Marinette’s love life and not say a word about the identity/lying issue or even consider telling Marinette, “hey, this is clearly too much for you, you should tell someone, I think the benefits outweigh the risks right now,” really proves that the episode tried to avoid the topic altogether to try and make the ending more shocking (which ironically made it more predictable).

So yeah, not only does Tikki’s dialog with Marinette provide nothing except for a line about how she can’t help Marinette with love issues due to kwami not falling in love (alright, I guess aros can’t give good love advice then or have any input whatsoever), but Marinette’s line about lying to everyone being why she can’t pursue Adrien nor Luka is repeated in the very last scene of the episode. The only reason that scene and the scene after exist is because the writers needed Marinette to be emotionally devastated enough to leave for her balcony as Ladybug for the almost-reveal to Alya and so Rose would get close enough to the dollhouse to have an almost-reveal with the Miracle Box, making the scene feel further contrived because the emotional punch of Marinette wanting to live as Ladybug lasts for barely any time at all.

And it could’ve served a purpose, like if Ladybug had genuinely left and Alya finds her goggles and towel, recognizing them from a news story about how Ladybug had gone to the swimming pool after losing her temper at the cinema, which could’ve led to Shadow Moth making the girls believe that Ladybug was no longer heroic and had kidnapped Marinette, or... heck, Ladybug coming back inside would’ve been so much less jarring if she came back because she heard the girls’ voices talking about the dollhouse and had to hurry (but of course, then they’d have to point out the ridiculousness of Ladybug not hearing Alya calling her and the girls not hearing Ladybug literally shouting for Shadow Moth to come fight her, even though the kwami heard the girls calling for Marinette from the balcony).

But instead, the entire scene feels off and unnatural, forcing every part of it in order to get to where Marinette has to snap at the girls to make them leave.

(Oh, by the way, just a little detail to add to the annoyance: they bothered putting Tom and Sabine in the episode when the girls are leaving, clearly saddened by something that happened, and neither parent even bothers to go and check on Marinette to see if she’s upset or just to see what might’ve happened. They’re such a “blink-and-you’ll-miss it” moment in the episode and it’s not like I’m surprised because they’ve done this multiple times by now but really?)

As for the girls themselves... oof, where do I even begin?

Alright, first off is the annoyance that they assume Marinette’s problems relate only to lovesickness. Marinette has been an anxiety-prone mess throughout the entire series, and suddenly now the girls care about Marinette’s love problems on an emotional level rather than “we’ll meddle sometimes unless we don’t feel like it and be wholly inconsistent on how much we push for it.”? It’s not that I don’t see how they came to the conclusion (hearing that Luka and Marinette broke up and now seeing Marinette is depressed, it checks out), but considering they bothered noting that Marinette hadn’t told them anything, one would think they’d come to the conclusion of, “okay, we haven’t talked to her, we have no idea of what’s going on, maybe we don’t know her as well as we thought then and shouldn’t make guesses.”

Secondly is the “eternal friendship bracelet,” which comes off as a copy of the “Secrets” game from “Syren” extremely manipulative. Mylene goes on to explain that one is supposed to give a secret to the pearl “mentally,” yet when the girls actually show up to see Marinette, they expect to be told the secret directly. I’ve already talked at length about peer pressure and the mental stress Marinette goes through when they mock her and/or meddle for her, but this idea of, “well we all used this friendship bracelet after we mutually agreed to it so now it’s your turn because we said so!” just comes off really bad. I know the episode is going for this idea that their hearts are in the right place, but they’re really not. It feels like they’re the ones in denial and are trying to compensate by forcing Marinette to prove that they’re friends, unable to handle the idea that they might not be as close to her as they thought.

Thirdly, the show acts as if the girl squad are her only friends when we know that’s not true because we’ve seen episodes like “Befana” (the guys in the class), “Reverser” (Marc), “Ikari Gozen” (Kagami), and “Silencer” (Ivan) that all established Marinette having more friends than just them, but for the sake of “drama” and the depressing line of, “at least I don’t have any more friends to lie to,” the episode just pretends like Marinette’s friends are limited to Luka (who she had to break up with) and the girl squad (who she forced to leave and refuse the friendship of).

Fourthly is the actual set-up and the sheer grossness of it all. The girls call Marinette and leave a message about how they much they love her and how she can talk to them “where and when” she wants, and then - immediately afterwards - decide that they’re going to go straight to Marinette’s house completely unannounced, go into her room completely unannounced (not even knocking, by the way), and when Marinette begs them to leave, Alya basically tells her that she’s overreacting. When Marinette demands that they leave, Alya refuses and makes demands right back that they won’t leave until she tells them what’s wrong.

So much for “where and when” she wanted, right? It’s already one thing for the girls to invade Marinette’s privacy and demand/guilt-trip answers out of her, but it’s another thing to give the illusion of respecting her feelings and personal space only to actively plan to go back on it. I can’t tell if it’s a bad draft that they didn’t catch in quality check (you know, the quality check that they definitely don’t have) or just an intentional way to make them seem more sympathetic so Marinette looks worse for driving them out, but either way, it’s awful and I hate it. I would’ve rather had them be all in on invading Marinette’s privacy and learn a lesson in the end than outright contradict themselves.

There are also little nitpicks I could make (like Juleka’s constant mumbling despite Luka’s crush on Marinette playing a role in the episode, Horrificator getting sidelined due to being mute, and the girls’ akumatization ultimately being for spectacle and nothing else, serving no purpose to the plot and being furthered by the fact that Timebreaker goes after Marinette despite it being a bad idea and Reflekta’s power clearly not lining up with any sort of plan), but the real issue issue here comes down to the fact that these are Marinette’s so-called “friends” and the episode refuses to address their actual issues.

Alix, who is known for making rude comments at Marinette (”Gigantitan,” “Chat Blanc,” “Miraculous New York”) and then gives mixed messages by going along with meddling anyway.

Mylene, who is the closest thing to a background character in the girl squad but nevertheless finds her way into being definite voice against Marinette in “Chameleon.”

Juleka, who blamed Marinette for things she didn’t do in “Reflekdoll” and got huffy with her until Marinette apologized for said things.

Rose, who outright screamed at Marinette in “Chat Blanc” over a freaking stuffed animal, which pressured Marinette enough that she snuck into Adrien’s room to deliver her gift which nearly led to the end of the world.

And, of course, Alya; freaking Alya. I don’t even have to go into every single thing she’s ever done because I have a history of giving her absolutely no mercy.

...But let’s go through some anyway because I want to.

“Copycat” - Alya gives Marinette a script and tells her to memorize it, then immediately pushes the “call” button when Marinette hesitates after Marinette had just told Alya that she’s awful at improv.

“Darkblade” - Alya takes a jab at Marinette when Marinette says that she’s too busy to be class representative, implying that Alya thinks that Marinette does absolutely nothing with her time.

“Gamer” - Alya is busy recording the gaming competition when she and Marinette were supposed to be researching for a term paper. Alya then scolds Marinette for wanting to use the competition to get close to Adrien only to do a 180 and put up a fight about it when Marinette decides to quit.

“Animan” and how “The Puppeteer 2″ follows up on it - oh, I’m not going to touch that particular point right now, but keep those in the back of your mind, because I am going to absolutely go off later

“Simon Says” - Similarly to Marinette’s parents, Alya gives zero damns about whatever might be going on in Marinette’s life that's causing her to miss classes.

"Despair Bear” - Alya laughs at Marinette being forced to kiss Chloe’s cheek and then outright compares Marinette to Chloe after knocking Chloe multiple times during the episode (sure, just compare your “best friend” to her multi-year bully, how "hilarious” of you).

“Gigantitan” - Alya has no qualms about mocking Marinette’s over her failures, even if it embarrasses her and she’s been through enough already.

“Frozer” - Alya tries to find ways for Marinette to prevent herself from third-wheeling for Adrien, but when Marinette tries to show character growth by wanting to go, Alya gets into a shouting match with the other girls over how Marinette has “liked Adrien forever and isn’t going to give up now”.

“Catalyst” - Alya claims that Marinette is only salty over Lila out of jealousy when “Frozer” exists and literally is the prime evidence of Adrien liking another girl and Marinette telling Alya outright and very genuinely that she’s not jealous.

“Chameleon” - Alya doesn’t care about her best friend sitting in the back by herself while Alya herself get to sit next to her boyfriend and everyone else in general gets to sit where they want (Alya even acting confused at the mere suggestion that she’d tried to engineer things to let Marinette sit next to Adrien), then not only believes Lila over Marinette but contradicts herself twice (asking Marinette for proof when she has none herself, then claiming that she wouldn’t let her best friend sit by herself).

“Christmaster” - Alya leaves Marinette to babysit so she and Nino can go out on a date.

“Desperada” - Alya suddenly is for Lukanette for literally one episode and doesn’t know how/doesn’t even try to cover for Marinette’s Adrien blindness despite mocking her for multiple seasons over it.

“Reflekdoll” - Alya invites Adrien to something that’s crucial for Marinette to focus on after Marinette has already told her not to and continues meddling to the point where it gets Juleka akumatized (she also doesn’t get punished for it and the blame gets thrown onto Marinette).

“The Puppeteer 2″ - Alya pushes her luck with Nathalie to try and get Marinette to come with her, Nino, Adrien, and Manon to the museum, then traps Marinette in a room with Adrien to force her to spent alone time with him, even abandoning and forgetting about the child that she offered to watch for Marinette so she and her boyfriend can go off alone.

“Miraculous New York” - Alya is told directly by Marinette that she needs help seeing Adrien as a friend, which leads Alya to do the exact opposite throughout the entire special, at one point shouting at Marinette and pressuring her to chase after a car, in the rain, while there’s a supervillain rampaging through Paris, and all of this right after the scheme that Alya had set up caused both Marinette and Adrien to go missing.

And just saying, as Marinette’s supposed “best friend,” Alya sure doesn’t know how to handle her. It was acceptable back in “The Bubbler” when she asked Marinette about signing the gift too late and the same goes for “Dark Cupid,” but by the time we get to late Season 2/3 and Alya refuses to learn Marinette’s weak spots (unless it’s to mock her) and adjust accordingly (like if she’d already made sure the gift was signed in “Chat Blanc,” which would’ve prevented Adrien seeing Ladybug at all due to the time difference), it starts getting infuriating.

A best friend is supposed to cover for their friend’s weaknesses. Alya doesn’t do that; she meddles and often drives Marinette’s anxiety even further up a wall with absolutely no consideration for Marinette’s feelings (”Dark Cupid,” “The Puppeteer 2,” “Reflekdoll,” “Miraculous New York”).

And here, she and the other girls are rewarded for it. Luka actively resisted his akumatization whereas the girls gave in immediately, yet Marinette still opens up to them in the end, likely because they had pressured her and made her feel bad for the secrets she was keeping while Luka was willing to actually wait for her to be ready to talk to him. I can’t put into words how frustrating it is watching these girls trample all over Marinette’s feelings, not have their worst actions called out, and then jump cut post-deakumatization to Marinette telling them exactly what they wanted to know about her love life.

You know what this entire episode is really missing, outside of a coherent plot, properly-paced development, and a basic understanding of rewarding a character for things they’ve held firmly to?

It’s missing the apology. Chat Noir apologizes to a bunch of moviegoers and Rose apologizes for the broken dollhouse, but no one apologizes to Marinette for how they treated her, especially not the “friends” who got rewarded in the end.

“Sorry, we shouldn’t have told you that we’d respect your feelings and then showed up unannounced to make you talk about them.”

“We’re sorry we came into your room and invaded your privacy. You were right to be mad at us.”

“Oh my gosh, Marinette, we got akumatized and we’re so sorry for literally all five of us going after you and probably scaring the living daylights out of you.”

And as if that wasn’t enough, guess what else this is missing? It’s kind of important and brought up directly in the episode, yet the episode simultaneously goes out of its way not to bring it up again.

It’s the reason why Marinette didn’t tell the girls about her relationship with Luka. It’s not there - it’s missing - and the girls never try to pursue the subject. They talk about how Marinette didn’t tell them but don’t think for a second that maybe it’s them who have failed as friends. Instead, they don’t guess anything about why Marinette wouldn’t tell them (which is already strange considering how much they already assume about her) and jump straight to, “well clearly we just need to push for her to talk to us.”

Gonna just go out on a limb here and say that maybe - just maybe - Marinette didn’t tell them because they are habitually pushy in everything they do.

Because they would’ve teased her relentlessly about, “ohhhh you’ve got eyes for Luka? what about Aaaaaadrien~? aren’t you sooo tooorn between both of these cute guys?”

Because they would’ve meddled to force her and Luka together and gotten on her case when/if she ever had to bail on him.

Because their intrusion on her feelings for Adrien had caused her nothing but problems and she just wanted to be with Luka in peace without them forcing their way into things.

Because--hey, wild thought--maybe they’re not really friends???

But the episode completely avoids it, because that would’ve meant addressing it; it would’ve meant acknowledging that they messed up, which - fun fact - they actually don’t do in the episode.

They invaded Marinette’s privacy, insisted that she tell them how she feels (not about them of course because that would imply that they felt like they screwed up), and in the end it’s Marinette who gives them exactly what they asked of her, and the closest thing we get to acknowledging anything is Alix telling her/joking with her that they’ll help her confess to whoever she likes as soon as she tells them she’s ready.

That’s not an apology. That’s not an acknowledgment of wrongdoing. Even when the five of them are about to get akumatized, it’s not a circle of them saying, “here’s how I screwed up, I could’ve done better but I didn’t and I lost Marinette because of it.”

No. It’s just them talking about how sad the situation is. Mylene has the closest thing to remorse in saying, “I hoped it would work,” but where does it go? A grand total of nowhere, especially because Marinette still takes the bracelet in the end instead of the girls mutually deciding, “okay, maybe the bracelet was a bad idea; how about we all agree on making something together instead, no requirements attached?”

And then the episode has the gall to act as if Alya has gone through character growth when all they did was put Alya through the same thing that Chloe did. I’ll explain that last bit momentarily, but first let’s talk about the whole “growth” thing.

Because there’s no apology or acknowledgement of wrongdoing, all Alya does when she’s finally alone with Marinette is do a 180 from where she was at the start of the episode, going from, “friends have to tell each other everything,” to, “hey, if you don’t want to tell me, then that’s your right.”

The crucial part that’s supposed to go in the middle is missing. Instead of acknowledging her failures, Alya just cuts straight to “””being a better friend,”““ but storytelling doesn’t work that way.

It literally would have taken zero effort to fit an acknowledgement into that scene. “You don’t have to tell me everything, I get that now. All my meddling’s done is hurt you and I’m so sorry. I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t trust me.”

In a world where Marinette has to apologize for everything, has to learn lessons and suffer because the narrative says so, I will not accept anything less from other characters who are trying to develop and improve. That’s not fair to Marinette, nor has it ever been.

Instead of properly developing Alya, the show does whatever it can to get its audience to root for her as Marinette’s “best friend” (ugh) without having to put in the effort of admitting that Alya hasn’t been Marinette’s “best” friend.

Remember when I brought up Chloe? Yeah, “Malediktator” did a similar thing, showing Chloe doing something awful, then being sad (while not actually acknowledging the thing she did wrong), and in the end she was rewarded with a miraculous prematurely.

One show of character from Chloe and Marinette gave her a miraculous. One show of character from Alya and Marinette told her that she was Ladybug.

(Also, for the record, I think Chloe is far worse than Alya character-wise and I’m not comparing their characters; this is just the simplest comparison I can draw here from a narrative standpoint.)

“Miraculer” is another apt comparison, perhaps even more so. Chloe got Hawk Moth in her head after an akuma landed in her photo of her and Ladybug, but Chloe resisted and fought back, ultimately forcing the akuma out of her and freeing herself from Hawk Moth’s control.

But it wasn’t to develop her character; no, it was to convince the audience of Chloe and Sabrina’s friendship so they’d feel something during Sabrina’s happy flashbacks, then lay the foundation of tricking viewers into believing that Chloe might not go to Hawk Moth’s side.

At the end of the day, it was doing something that’s “never been done before” in order for the character to earn brownie points for something that the writers can just have them do because willpower is an easy thing to just write in. “Gang of Secrets” does the exact same thing when Lady Wifi breaks free from Shadow Moth, with Ladybug even hammering it home by talking about how no one’s ever done it before.

And the pacing is - again - awful. Not only is Ladybug banking on this working when she herself says that it’s never been done, but the conversation between her and Lady Wifi where Ladybug tries to convince her doesn’t even take a minute.

It also has nothing to do with Marinette herself; Ladybug relies on Alya’s adoration/friendship with her as Ladybug (you know, after Alya took a photo of LadyNoir kissing and posted it online without Ladybug’s consent, betrayed her by putting information on the LadyBlog that Hawk Moth was able to take advantage of, and is the only hero outside of Chloe to resist returning a miraculous) in order to break from Hawk Moth’s control, because talking about Marinette with Lady Wifi didn’t even work.

(Ladybug also uses her yoyo as a portal to the Miracle Box when this has never been pre-established to be a thing despite Ladybug acting as if she knew it was; further proof that this episode was rushed.)

And of course talking about Marinette didn’t work, because that would’ve meant convincing Alya that her reason for getting akumatized was “wrong” and the episode didn’t want to do that. It didn’t want someone else actually learning something and feeling bad; surely, this is just Alya being manipulated by Shadow Moth and having the power to break free because Ladybug “needs Rena Rouge” and not because Lady Wifi and her friends are chasing after their supposed best friend and that’s--you know--wrong???

Rena Rouge’s reappearance is also yet another thing the episode refuses to address because it avoids the topic of “but my identity--”. At least “Heart Hunter” had the tact to have Kagami question why Ladybug was giving her the dragon again, but “Gang of Secrets” treads as lightly as possible on any discussion of identities outside of Marinette saying that she can’t, as if it were Marinette who made the choice of concealing her identity and not the basic idea of heroing that has been stressed over and over for the whole show.

Even Plagg of all kwami stated back in “Origins” that no one is supposed to know about secret identities, a rule that continues becoming flaky and muddled with each passing season, almost like they kept attempting to retcon and make the audience dulled to the idea so that the reveal in “Gang of Secrets” would be more acceptable.

But now, with the way they did it and how they don’t even have Tikki comment on the matter, it once again has it look like they’re making it - say it with me, everyone - Marinette’s fault.

Alya says that Marinette has a choice in telling her secret, Marinette insists that she doesn’t and goes on and on about how it’ll change everything, and then just... tells Alya her secret in the end.

And remember all the way back in Season 2? “Sapotis”?

Alya: What were you saying about her secret identity?

Marinette: Ladybug needs it to protect her family and friends. Otherwise the villains could use them to get to her.

Alya: Well, if I knew who Ladybug really was, I'd keep it a secret. I would even help her! Like say, if you were Ladybug, I'd cover for you — when you needed to transform in school, go fight the "baddies", you know?

Marinette: Oh yeah? Well, if I was Ladybug I wouldn't even tell you, to protect you from the "baddies", you know?

Alya: You serious? If I was Ladybug, I'd totally tell you! Because I tell my best friend everything.

And now here we are in “Gang of Secrets,” as if the narrative is saying, “See, Marinette? Alya was right all along, you were just being ridiculous and making yourself suffer for no reason!”

Yet Marinette had a right to keep her secrets. When Alya and Nino learned each other’s identities, Alya took a hit for Nino in “Catalyst” and both of them fell to Scarlet Moth’s akumas. Chloe was a mess and a half because of Hawk Moth knowing her identity. Fu had told Marinette that her miraculous would get taken if she and Chat Noir learned each other’s identities.

The only ones who received no consequences due to someone knowing their identity were Pegase (who Chat Noir and Markov knew), Ryuko (who Chat Noir, Ikari Gozen, and Hawk Moth knew), and Viperion (who Adrien knew). “Chat Blanc” also exists where Marinette got the impression that people discovering her identity would be a disaster, and even all the way back in “Lady Wifi” insisted that not telling anyone her identity was “listening to her head and not her heart,” and the narrative has relentlessly humiliated her for going with her heart, so yeah, probably for the best.

I hate that the episode avoids talking about anything identity-related outside of what comes out of Marinette’s mouth to make it appear like it was her choice all along. I hate that they had Tikki fixate on Marinette’s love problems instead of having her actually support Marinette and admit that Marinette should tell someone before she has a mental breakdown. I hate that the episode inserts Rena Rouge into the plot as if to brush all identity issues away so as to make Marinette’s identity reveal seem less jarring.

Now, of course I’m glad Marinette told someone. Of course I want her to get love and support from someone. Of course I think the benefits outweigh the risks, or I wouldn’t have written multiple fix-its where her identity gets revealed in some way or someone already knows.

But I didn’t want it to be Alya, because I knew how they’d do it. I knew they’d do it wrong and I knew that they wouldn’t have the courage to address Alya’s issues properly.

Those familiar with my blog will know that I’d been taking negative predictions for future seasons for a while and adding them to cards whenever they were proven right. Does anyone remember the Season 4 predictions that were proven correct for “Gang of Secrets,” specifically these ones?

- “Alya will suddenly be portrayed as a good/worthy friend to Marinette in/if there's an episode where Marinette tells her that she's Ladybug”

- “Alya resisting Shadow Moth/fighting back against him will be used to excuse telling Alya Marinette's secret identity“

- “Alya will know that Marinette is Ladybug first because "BFFs" despite being one of the worst candidates for it“

- “The secret that broke Lukanette up will be resolved in episode 3 when Marinette tells Alya“

Each and every one of those were mine, because I knew that whether Season 4 had a proper chronological order or not, the writers would not have the guts to develop Alya first and then have Marinette tell her in a future episode after Alya has properly earned it.

I knew that they wouldn’t take time to develop Alya. I knew that they would have Alya resist Shadow Moth to make Alya look “worthy” of the secret. I knew that Alya would swoop in during the last minute and a half of an episode, insisting that Marinette “didn’t have to tell her anything” when Alya had been pushy and insistent for the entire rest of the episode and the whole series in general, and would ultimately be rewarded with the big secret simply because she’s “the best friend” and that’s it.

The Alya at the end of the episode isn’t the Alya I’ve known for the entire rest of the series before this, or at the very least they turned her into an Alya I don’t recognize.

Alya claims during the ending scene that she knows that Marinette is hiding something beyond her love problems because she - as a reporter and “her best friend” - can sense such things, and all I’m left wondering is

w h e r e ?

Where and when has Alya been suspicious or worried about Marinette keeping a secret from her? What, back in “The Pharoah” where she didn’t immediately disregard Marinette for the role of Ladybug, or “Simon Says” where she vaguely teased Marinette about having a double life, both Season 1 episodes?

Where was Alya in “Truth” saying that she didn’t know Marinette’s secret but knew that she was keeping one? Where was Alya anywhere in Season 3 being concerned that Marinette hasn’t told her something? Where was this “supposedly very observant” Alya when Marinette needed her to out Lila because Lila got her expelled--oh wait, Alya “observed” that Lila did nothing and Marinette was just jealous.

What, is it only now that Alya suddenly “knows” that Marinette is hiding something else? Now, after Alya has already not known that Marinette was literally dating someone, even when Alya had multiples pictures of Marinette and said someone giving each other heart eyes and saw Marinette leaving school with said someone riding on the same bike together, you know, like normal, typical, average friends would?

Where’s the line where Alya acknowledges the problem? Where’s Alya sitting down with Marinette and admitting, “hey, I’m sorry I haven’t noticed this stuff, but I promise I’ll do better starting right now, and that’s how I know now that you’re hiding something else, and I’m sorry it took me so long to realize that it’s been hurting you”?

I can’t tell you where it is, but I can say that it’s certainly not in this episode. 60% of the episode features the Alya we knew from the rest of the series and then switches her out the second she’s de-akumatized for another Alya who hasn’t done anything that the old one has because she pretends like it didn’t happen.

You know how I know? Because of this absolute gut punch of a line that showed that the series wanted to handwave everything away.

“I know how to keep a secret.”

...Really? Does she now? Well, I hope everyone remembered my point about “Animan” and “The Puppeteer 2,” because I’m bringing it right back.

Considering that “Truth” has been burned into all of our memories, we all definitely remember when Truth shoots Alya and questions her on Marinette’s secret, to which Alya states that Marinette’s secret is, “She’s in love with Adrien Agreste.” Now, at the time of Season 4′s airing, this is very much not a secret, as most characters already knew about Marinette’s crush, to the point where it’d been broadcast on television during Season 2.

But do you know when it was actually a secret? Back in Season 1, specifically in the episode “Animan” where Alya told Nino.

And not only did she tell Nino, but she lied to Marinette by claiming that she didn’t, acting as if Nino knew that Marinette had a crush but didn’t know who she was crushing on, which is then directly proven false as Nino accidentally implies that he does know who it is. This is also after Alya had gotten on Marinette’s case for trying to set her up with Nino, and then she had the gall to say that she wouldn’t spill Marinette’s secret because she, and I quote, “doesn't go around making decisions for other people,“ a statement that is directly contradicted by this little thing known as everything Alya has ever said and done in the entire series.

And while Marinette meddling in Alya’s love life actually ended up working out for Alya, Alya meddling in Marinette’s by telling Nino who Marinette is crushing on comes back to bite Marinette - not Alya (because of course) - in the infamous episode of “The Puppeteer 2,” where Marinette realizes that Alya really did tell Nino that she was crushing on Adrien.

Marinette: You told me you wouldn't tell Nino!

Alya: I haven't told him. Right, Nino? I didn't tell you anything. (elbows him)

Nino: She didn't tell me. And besides, I told her I wouldn't tell.

Then, when she’s called out on it, Alya lies again, and shamelessly so.

Marinette: Why did you tell Nino everything? You promised you wouldn't!

Alya: I didn't, I swear! Besides, even if I had told him everything, he would still be clueless. Ugh, who cares anyway? I've set everything up with Nino, who doesn't know a thing, so you can finally pour your heart out to Adrien, girl!

And now, here we are one season later - and not even half of a season if you go by production code order - and Alya claims that she knows how to keep a secret.

No. No, she does not. In fact, she does even worse because she won’t even admit when she’s spilled said secret. I absolutely refuse to accept that Alya is “worthy” or “deserving” of learning that Marinette is Ladybug when she couldn’t even keep a basic secret like who her friend was crushing on.

And no, it didn’t matter that Nino was her boyfriend, or that maybe she thought it would work out because Nino was friends with Adrien. By that logic, Alya would tell Adrien that Marinette is Ladybug if she heard that Ladybug is who Adrien was crushing on and we all know how that would’ve gone.

Marinette has a right to tell her secret to whoever she wants and I’m glad that a burden has been lifted from her, but that doesn’t mean I have to be happy that it’s Alya. That doesn’t mean I have to be happy that, after so many moments of Alya disrespecting Marinette’s feelings, she is the one who gets to hear the big secret that the fandom has been waiting for someone to find out about since the very start of the series.

Luka said it best in “Truth” that the truth is meant to be shared, not taken by force, but Marinette was forced to tell Alya by the narrative because Alya is her supposed “best friend.” It pushed Marinette to her breaking point, forced her to break up with the guy who has respected her agency and feelings since the day they met, and gave her a version of her “best friend” with the same name and face but with none of the responsibility from previous events so that said version was there at the right time and the right place to hear what had to be heard.

And in the end, I end up feeling nothing. Marinette doesn’t even have a “Marinette” reaction to saying it as one would expect; for her to blurt it out and then immediately start panicking until Alya hugs her to calm her down. Instead, Marinette just says it and stares silently at Alya - after blabbing this huge, very big deal of a secret - until Alya goes in for a hug (the “happy/hopeful” ending of which is why I feel like this episode also gets less flak, as the previous two ended off rather depressing/upsetting).

It’s off. Everything is off. The pacing, the delivery, and the logic that the episode uses. The emotion in Marinette’s voice when she’s rambling about how hard it is to keep her secret is so powerful, but then the ending hits and she just says it, breaking the momentum they had going. They pulled the card of Alya walking away too soon when they could’ve saved it, having Marinette go quiet and letting Alya take a few steps away in order to let the moment build before Marinette finally blurts out the secret she’s been painfully holding in.

But they didn’t, and I’m so many levels of dissatisfied. I wasn’t against the idea of Alya learning Marinette’s secret at some point (though honestly, Alix would’ve been a better pick considering that Bunnyx will know eventually anyway, and I say that not even liking Alix!), but not now; not when Alya had so much to work towards.

And now what? What happens now? Now Alya will turn against Lila, not because she learned to have faith and believe in Marinette, but because Marinette is Ladybug, which disproves Lila’s ultimate lie that got Alya’s attention in the first place? Now Alya will be supportive and less teasing/mocking whenever Marinette will be late, not because she understands that Marinette isn’t perfect and has so many other things on her mind, but because she’s Ladybug and has “hero stuff” to take care of? Now Alya will be careful about what she puts on the LadyBlog, not because she respected Ladybug and what Ladybug would want, but because Ladybug is now her best friend and that changes everything?

Because now, Alya has a free pass to all of that, the show making her spontaneously “developed” now so they won’t have to develop her later, and disappointing doesn’t even begin to describe it.

[asset35-maya]

.When the party’s over.

>REINITIALISING…

>ALL SYSTEMS ONLINE

>WIRELESS CHARGING: 69%

>RK900 SYSTEM HEALTH: STABLE

>24H FILE RECOVERY: 45%

Nines slowly regained consciousness. He was lying on his side and everything around him was quiet.

>ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN IN PROGRESS…

>THREAT ANALYSIS IN PROGRESS…

Layers of fabric covered his body and something soft and warm was pressed against his face. Eyes still shut, he nudged it gently with his nose and it emitted a low vibration.

>2% THREAT DETECTED: FELINE SUBJECT

The cat sprang upwards and hopped off the surface that Nines was lying on. It was ostensibly a bed, but Nines didn’t own any furniture apart from a couch and work table. The logical conclusion was that he was not in his own apartment.

>RUN LOCALISATION PROGRAM: Y/N?

>Y

>ERROR: PROGRAM FAILED TO EXECUTE

>ERROR: MEMORY FILE CORRUPTION

Nines had no absolutely recollection of his whereabouts or how he had arrived. He had not been compromised as his system health was stable, so there was probably another reason for being completely disoriented. It was voluntary.

He had gotten the android equivalent of blackout drunk.

It was not the first time and he feared it would not be the last. Such were the hard-partying ways of his friends and colleagues. They were all terrible influences. He loved them dearly, but they were terrible.

At 6PM every Friday, Chen and Miller would start things off rather innocently. “Hey there’s a new brewery downtown.” Or “My bartender cousin just hooked us up with a thirty percent discount!”

From there it wouldn’t take long for the DPD’s resident frat boys Connor and Gavin to gather a steady crowd of officers and check out the venue. If the vibes were good (which they almost always were), Sixty would get wind of things. Then the rest of the frat house would descend and total chaos would reign until the break of dawn.

SWAT Unit 32 was famous for its particularly destructive brand of revelry. Skinny dipping in private swimming pools, scaling skyscraper rooftops and causing media scandals were all par for the course. The day after Captain Allen’s birthday, the DPD crew spent the entirety of their bonuses to repair the collapsed ceiling of the Eden Club.

Nines couldn’t remember how he exactly he was coopted into the madness. Probably peer pressure. Connor insisted that he try thirium alcohol. Sixty said that he would regret being a loser and not joining them. Gavin had just held out a hand and double-winked. That did the trick.

One night blended into another and soon Nines had worked up quite a reputation of his own. He was the Casanova of the homicide department. The handsome devil… the hunter… the sex god. People would actually come by his desk and congratulate him on Monday morning.

Nines hated it but he couldn’t stop himself from doing the same thing over and over. Perhaps it was the appreciative clap on the shoulder from Gavin the morning after Sixty posted photos of a high-end Traci model giving Nines his very first lap dance.

Life at the DPD was the epitome of work hard, play hard. It seemed like one big party but deep down Nines knew they were all just slaves to their compulsions. He wondered whether it was because they needed to celebrate every demon they vanquished or whether they needed to wipe the troubling memories of doing so.

In Nines case, there were definitely things he needed to kill within himself. Some were nightmare inducing crime scenes, but some were memories so heart-wrenchingly sweet that he thought he might self-destruct if he were to dwell on them too long. There were things he couldn’t have and things he needed to erase from his brain.

Something touched his face gently.

>PERIPHERAL OBJECT DETECTED: HUMAN HAND

>THREAT ANALYSIS: NON-COMBATIVE

The hair on his forehead was brushed aside and fingers ran over his features. A thumb swept over his bottom lip and caressed his cheek.

Nines couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes and come face to face with his most recent conquest. He lay still, frozen with regret as the hand continued to stroke his face.

The hand travelled down his neck and fell upon his chest. Nines caught it abruptly. It wasn’t even the month-end and his savings were badly depleted. He couldn’t afford round two. He retracted the synth skin down to his wrist and prepared the electronic payment credentials.

Fingers merely intertwined with his.

“Just take your money and go. I’ll tip extra if you delete everything from your hard drive.”

“What the phck are you talking about?”

Nines eyes flew open. Steel blue met storm green.

>SYSTEM ALERT: THIRIUM PUMP OVERLOAD

“Fuck!”

“Wow that’s flattering.”

Nines pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes in a vain attempt to remember what had led to this absolute, unmitigated disaster.

“What the hell happened last night?”

Gavin looked affronted.

“You ruined our housewarming for one.”

>MEMORY ARCHIVE SEARCH: housewarming, Gavin

>RESULT: TEXT MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM “G.REED” IN GROUPCHAT “CLUBBERCOPS”, 15:33 18 JULY 2040: Assholes. Party at our new place. Next Friday. From seven till LATE. Bring booze, bring bitches. Nah. Actually, don’t. Our landlord’s a bastard and we already got three noise complaints.

>RESULT: TEXT MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM “CONMAN” IN GROUPCHAT “CLUBBERCOPS”, 15:34 18 JULY 2040: Yeah we should keep this one PG. Bring food if you wanna eat. This mf can’t cook and I don’t care to. See y’all!!

Oh right. Fuck. Gavin’s housewarming. Gavin and Connor’s housewarming. His two closest friends who were somehow even closer to one another. Nines hadn’t realised until it was far too late and there was nothing for him to do but smother the bitterness with his favourite coping mechanisms: android alcohol and paid sex.

The circumstances definitely explained the state he was in, but things still didn’t add up.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Did we… did we…”

“No. Nothing happened between us. You were completely shitfaced. I just put you to bed to stop you from embarrassing yourself.”

Nines looked up at the ceiling, struggling to put the pieces together. His system offered him no useful prompts. The fermented thirium had done its job of code corruption extremely well. He looked back down and met the green eyes focused on him with deep concern.

“What did I do?”

“Sixty has videos, but I don’t think you want to see them. God, Nines… why didn’t you just tell me?”

“I’m really sorry, Gavin. I didn’t mean to ruin your night… and Connor’s.”

“He’s fine. He and Sixty moved the crew to Hank’s place. Which is what we should have done in the first place… there’s really no point throwing a party in this shoebox and telling people like Tina Chen to be quiet. Honestly if it wasn’t you it would have been her bringing the house down. Good thing they had all of Michigan Drive to tear up. Hank’s neighbours can sleep though a bombing.”

“What did I do?”

Gavin put his hand back on Nines’ face, his expression unintelligible. The human touched him often enough, but never like this. Never so intimately. Nines forced down the twisting sensation in his torso. He couldn’t get his hopes up. This was pity.

Nines braced himself to hear the worst. He prepared for the shredding of all his dignity and the collapse of his falsely extroverted and confident identity.

What came though was a soft press of lips to his forehead.

“It wasn’t pretty and I wish it hadn’t happened like that, but I think it was a long time coming… I’ve never seen you so emotional before. I’m sorry I didn’t notice anything all this while.”

“Gavin, please.”

“I’m going to focus on the positives, because really… there were a LOT of negatives. Oh boy. You… uh…”

“Gavin.”

The detective dipped his head and looked away.

“Phck, I shouldn’t be so embarrassed…

You told me you loved me.”

Nines closed his eyes. That was it. He should quit his job and move to another state. Hell, he should go to Cyberlife and request a factory reset on compassionate grounds.

“I’m so sorry. I… I should leave.”

He made to sit up, but was pushed back into the mattress. Gavin curled into his side.

“Nah. You’re good.”

“What?”

“You threw up on my plants and smashed Connor’s RA9 sculpture, buuuut you’re good.”

“I don’t understand.”

Gavin wrapped his arms around Nines and edged closer until the android was forced to turn on his side and reciprocate.

“What do you think, genius? If a guy like me doesn’t throw a guy like you out of the house after all that… what does it mean?”

“That you have a high tolerance for toxic friendships?”

“It means I want you to stick around, dipshit.”

>SYSTEM ALERT: THIRIUM PUMP RATE FLUCTUATIONS. OVERLOAD IMMINENT.

“You mean you like me?”

“Of course I do! I always have, but it never seemed right to bring it up. We’re actually really good friends. I didn’t think it would be possible when we first met but we have so much in common.”

“Bad habits for sure.”

“Come on, Nines. We’ve had a really great time together. Some of my best memories at the DPD are with you. Don’t ever quote me on it but you’re a phcking amazing partner. Can’t believe you thought I had something going with Connor when it’s always been you.

So yeah, I do like you. And I’m willing to try… I dunno… being with you. Like for real.

Stop drinking like that, though. I know I’m a hypocrite but you really scared me last night. I lost my Dad and I nearly lost Hank to the bottle. You might be this super advanced android, but that liquid courage shit is a death trap, man.”

>SYSTEM ERROR: THIRIUM PUMP AT MAX FLOW RATE. PUMP OVERLOAD. REDUCE PRESSURE IMMEDIATELY!

Nines nodded quickly and blinked away the tears that welled up in his eyes. Gavin grasped the android’s chin and tipped his face down gently. Their eyes fluttered shut simultaneously and their lips met.

>SYSTEM RECOVERY MESSAGE: THIRIUM PUMP FUNCTIONALITY RESTORED

They broke apart after several golden moments and Gavin hugged Nines tightly under the sheets.

“What am I supposed to say to the others? I don’t think I can look any of them in the eye ever again.”

“Are you serious? You got nothing on the insanity that bunch is capable of. Sixty thinks he’s hot shit with his blackmail material, but I got receipts that’ll glue his mouth shut for decades. Anyway, that’s what friends are meant to be like. You have dirt on each other but you’re not meant to use it.

The same applies to us too, by the way. Don’t feel like you gotta be… apologetic about what happened last night. Yeah, you better replace my fancy new plants but I’ll never judge you for what happened. I want you to know that I’ll always be in your corner, Nines.”

Nines hummed thoughtfully and ran a hand though Gavin’s hair, marvelling at the fact that he could now do so whenever he wanted. He didn’t say anything in response, and just settled for cuddling closer to the human.

>>RK900 SYSTEM HEALTH: EXCELLENT

[twdeadfanfic]

Vows Pt. 7

Daryl Dixon x Reader

Series Summary:

The last battle with Negan doesn’t go as it should, with Negan coming on top, and so reader, Daryl’s girlfriend, offers herself as a wife to Negan if he doesn’t kill Daryl or anyone else. Negan accepts, he won’t kill anyone but will take reader as a wife, and he’ll take Daryl and some of the others to the Sanctuary as prisoners, promising not to hurt anyone if reader is one of his wives and the communities work for him.

This has both flashbacks to reader and Daryl’s story since meeting to now, and the present with reader living at the Sanctuary as a wife, trying to keep Daryl and their people safe, and she and the other wives dealing with Negan, plotting… (This is not a Negan x reader fic!)

Warning, there are reader and Negan scenes in this chapter, but also there’s Daryl...and not only on flashback.

After another few days of playing nice, and you decided to go ahead and talk to Negan about the living conditions of your people. This time, you didn’t go to wait for him in his bedroom, instead, you waited for a day in which he called for you, hoping that he’d be in a good mood after it.

So, there you were now, trying to not be embarrassed about being naked, resisting the urge to cover yourself with the sheet. Negan was lying against the headboard and you shifted to straddle him, trying to summon your best seductress black widow performance, feeling less and less stupid every time that you tried.

“Look at you, wanting a second round already?” Negan teased with a  smug smirk. “Where’s that girl who’d squirm away every time I looked at her?” He chuckled and you shrugged, not knowing how to answer.

“I…I wanted to ask you something…” You began, and Negan’s smirk grew.

“So…this is not just you wanting me…tks tks…I’m disappointed,” he chuckled. “What is it, doll, more chocolate?”

“No…not, not that…it’s…” You chewed on your lip, not sure of how to word it, and Negan’s smile was gone.

“Spit it, doll.”

“I wanted to talk to you about my people…the ones you have here…” You forced yourself to speak. “You have them in those cages…”

“Yes,” Negan interrupted you. “Alive and non tortured, as you asked.”

“I know, I know, and  I’m very grateful, you gave me everything I asked for.” You almost gagged at your own words. “But those cages…being all day inside those, the darkness, no fresh air, for weeks…it feels almost like torture.

“No. Torture would be blasting music so they don’t sleep and beating them from time to time,” Negan stated as nothing, and you were running out of ideas.

“I know…but still…can’t you…can’t you let them out, even if just for an hour? So they can see light and breath?”

Negan blinked at you. “Absolutely fucking not…you are not really asking me that, are yo,u doll?” He sounded dangerous, but it didn’t intimidate you, and you tried your best pout.

“I am…I’m not saying to let them go, or have them all day outside the cage, just an hour ?” You tried pouting again. “You say that people are resources…Rick and the others, they’re resources, but you are wasting them unused. Let them out for an hour while you have them working for you. You had a good eye, got some of the most resourceful, Rosita is incredible with bombs and stuff like that, she can build you an arsenal...”

“Last time I got someone of yours working on my weapons, they made bullets explode in my men’s hands, doll…”

“That won’t happen again, they learned their lesson,” you tried to assure him, and Negan just looked at you in silence for once. “Please, Negan, please.” You pouted again.

Negan kept looking at you, studying you, and you were getting anxious, but then he smirked,  looking you up and down, and you tried once again not to be embarrassed by your nakedness.

“Okay, doll, you ask, I give,” he chuckled, her smug smirk growing. “They can leave the cell from time to time, just one at a time, get some work done, with my guys watching over them, ready to shoot them if they try something.”

You forced yourself to grin, wrapping your arms around him to hug him briefly, somehow you hated the hugs more than the kisses and even the sex, but you try to use everything to your advantage.

“Thank you, thank you!” You peck his lips, trying to sound so sweet that you feel your teeth rotting.

Negan chuckled and reached to cup your face. “Not so fast, darling…” He said with that dark smile and you froze, wondering if he’d tricked you and what was he going to do. “I want something in exchange.”

“What?” You asked with dread, trying not to sound scared, and Negan’s smile grew.

“Tell me that you love me.”

“What?” You blinked at him

“Tell me that you love me,” he repeated with that smug, yet menacing grin. “I don’t know…I can see you’ve been thinking about your friends a lot, yeah? That includes Daryl, uh? Sure you have…” He chuckled. “It kind of feels like you still love him too much…” Seriously? Did he expect you not to? “But…what about me?” You just blinked at Negan, unable to find words. Did he really expect you to love him or just to pretend it? “Don’t you love me?”

“I…” You knew he wanted you to say it, but it felt so wrong. “I love you like Amber loves you.” It’s a way of saying it that it’s not a lie.

Negan chuckled, seeming amused. “Good try, doll. Do you want your friends to leave those shit holes?” He asked and you nodded. “Then fucking say it, say I love you, Negan.”

It tasted like ashes in your mouth, but you spat it out. “I love you, Negan.”

His smirk grew as he looked at you. “Again, with a little bit more of feeling? Come on…because you mean it, right?”

You grit your teeth, resisting the urge to spit at him. “I love you.”

Negan’s dark smile went wider. “Better. Again.”

“I love you.”

“Good girl...Now come here…” Negan grabbed your hips, moving you off him and dropping you onto your back, and you tried to think that at least you had won your friends some sunlight and fresh air…

*

Later that day, you were in your room, sat down on the bed against the headboard, hugging Daryl’s shirt to you, inhaling the scent that almost wasn’t there anymore.

You couldn’t believe that you had said to Negan that you loved him, even if it was a lie, even if you didn’t mean it…you couldn’t believe that he wanted you to say it even if he had to know it was a lie, no matter his ego, and he wanted you to sound genuine…But when finally you were allowed to leave his room, he’d told you that starting tomorrow, Daryl and the others could go out the cages from time to time, so it was worthy…

It was so different from that first time you told Daryl that you loved him, when you meant every word, with a love stronger and fiercer than you’d ever felt before…

Then…

The Greene’s farm, your heaven-sent safe place, had fallen the night before under a sea of walkers in which had been the most terrifying moment of your life, riding behind Daryl on his bike, holding tight to him, burying your face in his back while monsters snapped and reached for you both every where, until you managed to reach the intersection and find the others…the ones who hadn’t died, at least.

Now, it was night again, and you all were camped in the middle of nowhere. You were sat down on the ground between Daryl’s legs, lying against his chest, and he’d an arm around you while the other held his crossbow, looking around while he kept watch.

You glanced at Rick, doing the same at the other side of the camp, and then looked at Daryl. “Hey…you really think that we can trust him?” You nodded towards Rick. “All that stuff he said before…I don’t know, Daryl, he sounded kind of dangerous…”

“Nah, Rick’s a good guy,” Daryl assured you. “Just…he got like that ‘cause all the shit that’s goin’ on…but we can trust him, we’ll be good if we stick with him.”

It was almost funny, to hear Daryl speak like that about Rick, holding him with such regard, considering how much he’d hated him not that long ago. “Okay.” You nodded. “I don’t know if I trust Rick…but I trust you.”

Daryl didn’t say anything, but his arm tightened around you and he nuzzled your hair before kissing your temple. You smiled, he could be so sweet and caring sometimes, and he slowly was letting himself show that side more and more…you loved it…and you loved him, with so much force…

“Daryl…” You looked at him again. “I love you.”

Daryl didn’t say anything, just looked at you, but you didn’t miss the emotion in his eyes, and then he dropped his head to nuzzle your neck, placing a soft kiss on your skin and burying his face on the crook of your shoulder. He stayed like that, not pulling back, and you chuckled, it melted your heart a bit. You kissed the top of his head and began to stroke the hair at the back of his neck. You didn’t think much of Daryl not saying I love you back, he showed you in his way, and you knew it’d take him time to say it with words, you weren’t going to push him.

Several months later, you were laying down on your back over the grass of the prison fence that you had managed to clear of walkers, and you smiled, looking at the stars. You were safe behind fences, and tomorrow, you’d make sure you had walls too.

Everyone was already asleep, or trying, besides Daryl and Rick, who were taking watch around the perimeter. Eventually, you fell asleep, and you woke up some hours later, when you felt Daryl lying down next to you, his shift having ended, now time for T-Dog’s.

“’night…” You whispered and Daryl just hummed, throwing an arm over you and pillowing his head on your chest. You smiled, kissing the top of his head and wrapping an arm around him, stroking his hair with your other hand. You had almost fallen asleep again when you felt Daryl muttering something against your neck, but it was so quiet and muffled that you couldn’t quite catch it. “What?”

For a moment, Daryl didn’t say anything, and you thought he might have been talking in his sleep, but then he pulled back slightly to whisper again, “I love you.”

A warm, fuzzy feeling spread through you at Daryl’s words, and you almost giggled, giddy. “I love you too,” you whispered back, holding Daryl tighter to you. “So much that I can’t even explain it…”

Now…

You lied on your bed at the Sanctuary, holding Daryl’s shirt to you too, trying not to cry on it, afraid that it’d make the scent disappear even more, and you tried to sleep…

*

The next day, Negan came looking for you, and you were going to head for his bedroom, but instead he took you outside the wive’s room, leading you through the Sanctuary and outside, pointing to you stuff here and there as he gloated about the place.

“I told you I’d let your dear friends outside, doll…and today is Rick’s day.” Negan gave you that dark grin as he walked you outside, and then he waved towards the fences.

You saw Rick there, forced to work with some other people, a couple of saviors not far from them, watching over them, making sure they worked and stayed in line. They were reinforcing the fences and also moving walkers here and there, using them as protection for the fences too. It seemed dangerous, with the walkers snapping to them, and you felt uneasy with Rick working there.

“Isn’t that dangerous? They could get bitten…” You said, looking from Rick to Negan, who kept smirking darkly at you.

“I’m sure Ricky boy can handle himself,” Negan said, patting your cheek. “You wanted him outside the cage, right?”

“Yeah…” But not at risk of getting bitten…but if he kept staying in a dark cell day after day, that couldn’t be good either…you didn’t know what to think.

“You got it.” Negan grinned. “And not even a thank you?”

You stopped yourself from rolling your eyes. “Thank you, Negan,” you forced yourself to say.

You looked at Rick, he had spotted you now from the distance, and you arched your eyebrows at him, trying to silently ask him if he was okay. He nodded and did the same to you, and you nodded too. It was something, you guessed…

*

The next day, you didn’t get to see her, but you knew that it was Rosita’s turn to go out of the cage and get some air and sunlight, though you didn’t know how much sunlight , since Negan told you that he had her working checking and putting together explosives and bombs, since you had told him she was good at that. You kind of wondered if Rosita might not go ahead and try to blow up the Sanctuary with all of you included…

You wondered, too, when it’d be Daryl’s turn to get out of the cell. You didn’t ask, though, the less you talked to Negan about Daryl, the better, you were sure of that, and even if you wanted to see Daryl, check how he was, you thought that it’d be better if Daryl didn’t see you. You knew it’d hurt him, and you didn’t want him to have to worry about you, he had enough, you were faring better than him, and you didn’t want him to have to see you with Negan, afraid that he’d try to taunt Daryl or anything like that.

In a couple of days, though, your wishes were crushed, when Negan toured you around the Sanctuary again, and as you got closer and closer to an open door, you realized that there were the bathrooms, and Daryl was inside mopping, a savior near him with a gun pointed to him.

You stopped and began to backtrack, even though you saw that Daryl’s eyes had found you already, but Negan grabbed your arm hard and didn’t let you move away.

“I want to go back, please,” you told him, trying to turn around. “Thanks for the walk but I want to go back now.”

“But I don’t want to.” Negan smiled darkly at you, and then he pushed you in front of him, placing his hand on your neck to push you forward and make you walk to the bathrooms.

“Negan, please, I don’t want to,” you tried again, trying to resist and squirm from his grasp, but Negan kept walking you forward…this couldn’t be good, he wouldn’t have brought you there if he didn’t want to rail up Daryl in any way…what if he began telling him what you and he did night in, night out…

You were about to struggle again, but you noticed the shift in Daryl’s eyes and stopped, realizing that he thought Negan was hurting you. You were about to shake your head, try to reassure him, Negan didn’t hurt you physically and you knew neither was now his intention, he just wanted to take the piss at Daryl and you, but it was too late.

Daryl threw the mope to the ground with a growl, and he tried to go to you, but the savior holding him at gunpoint kicked the butt of his rifle against his head, and then pointed it to his head. You were so scared that he was about to shoot Daryl, your heart seemed to stop beating.

“No! Stop!” You didn’t know if you were yelling to the savior or to Daryl, but the savior didn’t shoot, just kept pressing the riffle to Daryl’s head, and so you called for him. “Daryl! Stop! I’m okay, stop!” You could see Daryl shaking in rage, but he stopped trying to do anything, so you turned to look at Negan. “Do something!”

“What? Do I tell my savior to shoot?” Negan grinned at you and you glared at him. “I’m kidding, sweetheart…Alan! Get Daryl back to his cage.” The savior nodded, pushing Daryl with the riffle to make him turn around and face Negan, who was blocking the corridor, you next to him.  

Negan looked at you and grinned again. “I must say, I’m fucking impressed, doll…the way you yelled at them? And they listened and stopped…fucking impressive, darling….wasn’t it, Alan?” Negan asked, and the savior nodded curtly. “Maybe I should change your job, have you out here, giving orders, keeping everyone in line.” Negan joked, and you shrugged, uncomfortable. “But no…I enjoy you way more in the bedroom.” Negan chuckled and kissed you, grasping your chin and holding your face in place so you couldn’t pull back, even if you hated that he was kissing you in front of Daryl.

When Negan pulled back, he chuckled as he looked at your face, before turning to the savior and Daryl again. “Now…this shit can’t happen again, are we clear? Or the next time, my guys will blow up your head, okay?” Negan said, but Daryl didn’t say anything, and the savior nodded curtly again.

You knew the threat was real, and you looked at Daryl with begging eyes, asking him to play along, so he wouldn’t get hurt or killed.

“It won’t happen again, he thought, he…” You didn’t know if it was a good idea to say that Daryl’d thought that Negan was hurting you, he took such pride in boasting about how good he treated his spoiled wives...

“What?” Negan looked at Daryl again. “What did you think, doggy Daryl, uh?” He smirked darkly, but Daryl just shook in rage, silent. “That I’m shagging your ex-girl every night? That you wanted to rip my throat open with your bare teeth like the dog you are? Yeah…I know.” Negan chuckled.

You didn’t like where this was going, and you were scared that Daryl might snap at any moment and he’d be shot, so you reached to held Negan’s arm, trying to get his attention. “He got it, okay? Can we go back to the room?”

“Oh, you’re eager today, aren’t you?” Negan chuckled, grabbing your chin and kissing your lips again. “Sure, doll…maybe if we get at it all night long I’ll change my mind about not letting Daryl leave his cage to clean our bathrooms and eat something that’s not dog food anymore after his little outburst here.”

Negan chuckled again, kissing you once more, and you let him do it even if you hated it as much as his words.

“Okay…Alan,” Negan called for the savior, though he was still looking at you. “Get the dog back to his kennel and bring Ezekiel to finish what Daryl didn’t…I’m gonna go fuck my wife.”

You didn’t say anything, didn’t dare to look at Daryl. Negan reached to grab your neck again, turning you around and pushing at you to walk in front of him, and you let him. Negan was demanding and possessive, but he’d never touched you or any of the others in that way, as far as you were aware, so you guessed that he was putting on even more of a show for Daryl, trying to rail him up.

You hated it…the last thing that Daryl needed was to think that Negan was hurting you in any way. You knew him, he’d worry, beat himself about it, drive himself crazy, when in reality, you weren’t doing that bad, you could endure sleeping with Negan, you had learned to, it kept your people safe, and your living conditions were way better than much others at the Sanctuary…but you had no way to let Daryl know that, not with Negan deciding to be even more of a prick just to get a reaction out of Daryl…

*

Negan did get a reaction out of Daryl, in an even worse way that you could have imagined, but you were oblivious to it all, sheltered in the wive’s room, with no idea of what was going on outside, until a couple of days later, when Negan stormed into the wives room.

“Y/N!”

Negan’s voice boomed as he called for you, and you paled as you heard it, knowing instantly that something was wrong, he never yelled like that to his wives when you all were pleasant to him. When you rushed to him, your anxiety and fear got even worse when you saw he was holding his bat.

“You know what your feral, dumb, dog did!?” He yelled at you…Daryl, something must have happened with Daryl… oh no…you were terrified but you managed to shake your head.

“He pretended to be dead when one of my saviors opened his cage, an idiot it seems, because he decided to check if your rabid dog was dead! And he wasn’t’! He grabbed the guy, bashed his head against the wall like the feral bitch he is! They found him trying to sneak in here, that stupid dog, as if he would have been able.”

Oh no…oh no…this was bad…it was getting harder to breathe as you panicked more and more… Daryl had tried to come for you, he must have really thought that you were being mistreated and abused…there was no way he wouldn’t try to go to you if he thought that…and for that he’d hurt a savior, maybe killed him, and escaped his cage…this was bad…you should have tried better to assure Daryl that you were okay, a note, something… now it was too late.

“Did you…” You tried to force words out of your mouth. “Did you kill him?”

Negan scoffed. “That’s all you care about, of course…” He grabbed your chin, making you look at him, and for a moment you thought he might bash Lucille in your head no matter you were a wife. “What if I did? He’s nothing to you now. You’re mine.”

“We have a deal…not killing him, not torturing him,” you found the courage to say.

Negan chuckled, letting go of your face. “You’re bringing up that shit now? You’re something else, doll…that deal goes to hell the moment someone pulls the shit that the stupid dog did…but it stands for your other friends…unless you wanna leave?”

You shook your head at that, you knew that right at that moment, Negan was a step away from just going ahead and killing everyone else of your friends in their cages…but no, they were resources, they kept the people back at home in their toes…you wouldn’t let Negan blackmail you with that…Daryl’d be the only one he’d kill…

“So did you kill him or not?” You asked even if you were scared of the answer.

“No,” Negan said, but the look in his eyes stopped you from being relieved. “Not yet. Not fast. But I’m going to…and you’re going to watch in the first row!” Negan grabbed your arm. “Also, all of you.” He waved the bat around, talking to the other wives. “You’re coming too, I spoiled you all too much, you need to remember what happens if someone crosses me like this. I want everyone in the Sanctuary to watch this.”

With that, he tugged at you, dragging you with him, and you knew better than to try to resist.

*

Well...shit happened.

If you enjoyed this, comments and reblogs are always more than welcome, thanks.

Also, as always, excuse my English, it’s not my first language.

New taglist for Daryl,I trimmed it, if you want to be tagged let me know and also, please, if you are not interested in being tagged anymore let me know too

@coffeebooksandfandom​  @gruffle1  @yenne-yen-illustrations  @sourwolf-sterek32  @lonewolf471​  @daryldixonandfrogs​    @collecting-stories​ @princessxpunk​    @smiithys​    @captainbuckyboobear​   @dazzledamazon​   @spidergirla5​ @lilythemadqueen​ @lightning-butterfly​ @purplebtsmagic​  @courtnytrash04​       @seizethesam​    @fuseburner​ @phoenixblack89​  @boywivlove​  @amaroho​ @woundmetender​  @classyunknownlover​ @tenderlyunlikelyexpert​ @kaitieskidmore1​ @sttrawberries​ @huffledor-able541​ @browneyes528​ @soraitmnt​  @thereshallbenoother​ @leej2468​  @heartlessmarvello​  @redneckstrash​ @bitchynicole​   @supernatural79impala​     @thiccblondeliv​ @maggie-l-m​ @baseballbitch116​ @sweatywildpanda​ @theteaset​  @amaroho​ @my-current-fandom-is​   @whitexwingedxdoves​ @nickangel13​ @oceans-daughter-3​  @tuttifuckinfruttifriday​

[dimonds456]

*sees your tags about being salty about suf spinel*

YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THAT AND NOT SHARE YOUR SALT /LH

Okay, but I'm warning you, you asked for it.

LONG POST WARNING.

LIKE A REALLY, REALLY LONG POST WARNING.

Dimonds456 Presents: How They Did My Baby Dirty: An SUTM and SUF Analysis on Steven and Spinel (Told by a Progressively More and More Angry Narrator)

THE CONTEXT: There was a post talking about how you think a character will fix everything, but then they wind up making it works. My tags were "#*looks at suf spinel* #I am still salty about that like the bitch I am fghdjskgfa"

Grab some water, guys.

Let's start by talking about Steven for a moment. In the original show, when we were following him as a 12-14-year-old, we watched as he built up trauma and then learned how to hide it expertly well, to the point that most of the audience didn't even realize he was struggling.

You can actually pinpoint the seconds he makes those decisions, too. The best example is in "The Test," when he's storming up to the gems. He's pissed. His fists are clenched, he's got that anime eye shadow overlay on his face, he's frowning, all that. the Crystal Gems are clapping for him and lying to his face, and he KNOWS they are because he overheard them talking about how it was "impossible for him to fail" that test (- Garnet).

And yet... he also overheard them saying that they're just trying their best. They don't know what he needs. They never really have. No one is sure. So, Steven realizes that by picking a fight, he would just be making it worse for them because they would know they messed up, and nothing gets solved, and everyone gets more depressed and Amethyst and Pearl go back to fighting each other and- well, you get the picture. He doesn't have a full understanding of what's going on, so his kid brain went "so I can either be angry at them and cause problems, or I can tell them I did a good job to make them happy."

"I can lie to make them happy."

He storms down there angry, still mulling this decision over. He drops to the floor, frowning and pissed, and says "I can't believe you guys." He is so close to yelling at them, and yet, when he looks up at them...

"That was so... INSANE!"

You never would have been able to tell. It was right there. That moment. And then he never stops. For the ENTIRE REST of the series, he NEVER STOPS. He puts the Crystal Gems above himself every time. Think Rose's Scabbard, The Message, The Return/Jailbreak. The Cluster. Peridot. Dealing with Jasper. The zoo arc (ESPECIALLY the zoo arc). Aquamarine. Then pretty much the entirety of Season 5.

(NOTE: I went back and rewatched that scene for the screenshot. There is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it lip tremble in there too! D,: )

He lives for the people around him, and not for himself. Almost never for himself.

Put a pin in that.

Now, let's look at his maturity. People thought that was just him being mature, right? That he grew up. No. That was not it at all. He was learning from his own behaviors as well as the people around him, and building up this idea that he had to "fight to be everything that everyone wants [him] to be when [he's] grown" (- Steven, the extended intro).

Yes, he matured, but not because of that. He started making various decisions to benefit the group that oftentimes he wasn't fully comfortable with, but something he believed would be better for everyone.

Put a pin in that.

Then, later in Future, we see it all manifest. He is selfless to a fault, to the point that he can't think of himself in a positive light in the sense that he's good. We see it a couple of times, but especially in "Prickly Pair," when he vents to Cactus Steven about everything that happened. He feels useless, which is taking a toll on his mental health.

"Why do I need to be needed?" He needs to be needed because that's everything he was as a kid. His entire IDENTITY rests on his ability to help other people, no matter what happens to him. He literally sacrificed himself for them countless times (the big one of course being the Aquamarine incident), and now as a teenager, his whole sense of self is wrapped up in this need to get up and do something to make the world better.

And when he can't make the world better, his world falls apart.

Put a pin in that.

Now, let's talk about Spinel, the moment we've all been waiting for.

Spinel, as a gem, was made specifically to be a friend. That is her niche, and her purpose. Her reason for existing. At first, she and Pink Diamond got along very well, as shown in the flashbacks right before Drift Away plays (I headcanon she has illusion powers and was literally projecting her trauma, but that's a completely different post).

She and Pink vibed together for who knows how long, until one day, Pink started to not like being around Spinel anymore, finding her annoying and childish. We don't know what really caused the switch, just that it did happen (but of course, I have headcanons for that, too). Spinel never realized until it was FAR too late.

Steven actually describes his younger self as annoying at one point during the Diamond Days arc, when he decides to throw the ball, so I'm legally allowed to make this comparison.

Steven and Spinel were the SAME. They were both young and dumb, and something that at least a few people found annoying. People put up with their BS though, since they cared about them. But, while Steven realized this and matured because of it (or bottled up his emotions, to each their own), Spinel never did. She never matured. She was never given a chance.

In the movie, we saw her as a child, and watched as she played with Pink and never tried to be or do anything else, to the point that Pink Diamond thought to realize she might be struggling (and maybe Spinel didn't, either!).

She lives for the people around him, and not for herself. Almost never for herself.

And when she can't be friends with this one person, her world falls apart.

Sound familiar? It should. I literally pulled from things I said earlier lol.

Spinel and Steven are mirror reflections of each other. Reset!Spinel is 14-year-old Steven, completely devoting her entire self to one idea. Steven's was helping others no matter what, Spinel's was serving Pink no matter what. Spinel is like a combination of 14 and 12-year-old Steven in this sense, honestly. Goofy, without a care in the world, except one thing: the people around her. She would do anything for Pink, just as Steven would do anything for his family.

Now, Pink Diamond left Spinel. We all know this story. She left Spins there in the garden for 6,000 years because she grew more mature and started a rebellion, effectively forgetting about this one gem she kinda stopped caring about standing there.

Personally, I don't think Pink had any malicious or even intentional intent in that, but this ain't about her. This is about how Spinel continued to sacrifice herself for Pink, even when Pink didn't need her to anymore. She wanted to please Pink 24/7, all day every day, to the point she self-sacrificed and stood perfectly still for her for millenia.

Now, back to Steven. The gems don't need him anymore in Future, right? They've all grown up and matured and headed off towards their own futures, effectively stranding him alone in terms of self-identity and self-worth. But he stays there, ready to assist at the drop of a hat, or- in Future's case- the call of a phone.

Episode 6 anyone? The one everyone says shouldn't be in Future? That it should have been cut to allow more focus on Steven himself? The fusion episode? YEAH. THAT. He is running himself RAGGED to try and help others, to give himself a purpose. He is self-sacrificing. (He's a professional, don't worry. /j)

Steven metaphorically planted his feet down and decided that he was going to devote himself to the people around him.

Spinel's feet were literally tied down soon after she made that very same decision.

Okay, enough with the backstory. Time for the salt.

In Future, Steven is at his lowest low. He is running to the Diamonds for help, to see if there is SOMETHING they can do to help him. And we first see Spinel.

Spinel has been through the ringer on a lot of the same mental problems Steven himself is facing. She self-isolated, watched as everyone grew up and left her, and then began to lash out because of it. She understands what he's going through. We even see her concerned as Steven starts to tell her why he's there.

Spinel takes him from Diamond to Diamond, until he's running out of White's room in a blind panic. Spinel is able to catch up with him, and Steven realizes the same. SHE GETS IT. He turns around and says "Hey, you used to have vengeful thoughts!"

Spinel replies "Ohhhhh yeah, but I don't have 'em anymore."

"How did you make them stop?"

She then goes on to sing Change to him, effectively cutting that conversation short.

On paper, that sounds very in-character for her. She's goofy! And that is what worked for her! But the problem is that they had to dumb her down in order to make that character decision work. In the movie, she was shown to be observant and able to put two and two together, even if she often jumps to conclusions (see her being the one to figure out that the gems needed to remember their "pieces," as she remembers the Garden, her re-realizing what Pink did, and her meltdown later when she reactivates the injector).

Spinel is smart. It should have been in character for her to realize that Steven was panicking just as she had been, and needed to be talked to gently. But no. Instead, she starts belting out Change, which given Steven's situation, would not work for him.

At the very least, she would have started doing little tricks or started trying to get him to join a game, which would have taken his mind off of it (to her anyways, that wouldn't have worked either), which then could have prompted further discussion.

Then, once they finally start talking, Spinel could have been able to share some legitimate advise. She was hurt and lashed out. What worked for her was opening up to others and letting them in, learning to trust again (which Steven also has problems with- he can't trust that the Gems won't break down the second he turns his back. Trust does NOT equal love, there is no doubt he loves them to no end), and allowing other people in.

That is what Steven needed, too. He needed to let his guard down and just talk to someone. Sure, Spinel was not going to be a fix-all, but she could have at least offered some insight on what to do.

She UNDERSTANDS him. They are a reflection of each other.

But instead of offering help, Spinel made it worse. She was dumbed down to allow the rest of Future to happen, to make Steven feel even worse. Because- and here's the kicker- because the one person who MIGHT understand him doesn't, that means there's no hope for him.

At least, that's how he sees it. And so, the denial- and "Everything's Fine"- begins.

Here's the thing, though; they DIDN'T NEED to make that decision. If the Crew wanted to have Spinel not understand Steven, then draw the line of her being a Gem from Era 1, used to the Diamonds shattering people.

Steven has killed Jasper and revived her at this point, so maybe Spinel offers that at least he's trying to get better, just like the other Diamonds! See, they're doing so great now! And then that makes him feel worse since he IS trying to do better, but is only failing, while the Diamonds- who were MADE to be nasty dictators- are doing better than him.

The Diamonds shattered a lot of people, and they're doing better than Steven, who has only shattered one person, and not even on purpose. How horrible is that?

Then boom. THERE'S your angst, with a much smarter, more helpful Spinel.

Look, I knew going in that Spinel wasn't going to be able to help. The finale had to happen somehow, and we hadn't seen Wormy Boi yet. I have always been a storng believer of the corrupted Steven theory, so I knew it was bound to happen. But I was hoping that Spinel would at least try. But she really didn't. She just brushed him off, offering really loose advise that didn't even fit his situation and thinking that would be enough.

No. It's not.

I can see where the Crew was coming from. I still love that episode, and I love seeing Spins in it (until that exact moment). This is probably the only thing in SU that genuinely gets me mad. Or, well, maybe not mad, but definitely annoyed and- you guessed it- salty.

I have an unfinished fic where I kinda delve into Spinel's head for that episode called "A New Start". If you really want my thoughts on where Spinel's head was at, there's a bit in there that really explains it. In the fic, Steven decides to rejuvenate himself and brings Spinel along with him, and that's all the context you need for this.

I cannot explain that moment in the climax of the episode, though. Maybe she thought it would make him feel better, or that maybe he really did just need to open his eyes and see the error of his ways (which doesn't make sense, he KNOWS what he did). Maybe she thought that being silly would help somehow.

But you'd think she'd learn from her time with Pink as she grew more annoyed with her, but apparently not. Or maybe she would realize for a second that being loud and annoying was bad. Or maybe she doesn't learn.

Either way, it- and she- was dumb. And they did my baby dirty.

*drops mic and walks away*

[reaction2whatever]

Agents of SHIELD S2E14-S2E15 reaction

Agents of SHIELD S2E14

-Just when I thought Skye and FitzSimmons can have some old-time fun FitzSimmons started to have an argument about Skye

-How is it even possible to have another shield

-Don't they... idk... talk to each other?

-Coulson's shield has been battling Hydra and Like... what have they been doing lately?

-"You must be Lance Hunter" "You must be crazy" lolol I love Hunter

-Coulson is really sending Skye away huh

-I feel bad for Skye being yanked away from the familiar environment

-So now agent 33 can change her face to whoever based on a picture

-that is very useful for spies and I don't know why Hydra don't use it all the time lol

-This arc between agent 33 and Ward is just recycling actresses now

-Seeing Skye's face with another voice is so strange

-I feel bad for agent 33 she's a victim of brainwashing

-agent 33 is just trying to find herself and Ward is dragging her to wage a revenge war on Bakshi

-I feel like Ward is inserting his ideas into her head

-Coulson's locking Skye up huh with laser fences

-and Simmons used her research abilities NOT to help Skye control her powers but to develop prison gloves to repress her powers that cause side effects

-That's just sweet

-so great

-I hate it here

-Cannot believe I shipped Skye with Simmons in season 1

-But I guess Skye having some time in the wilderness where she can do whatever the hell she wants can help her control her powers?

-this tension between Bobbi and Hunter hurts too

-Their bickering used to be fun

-Why are their bickering not fun anymore

-imma cry

-I'm glad that Bobbi is not Hydra tho

-Honestly, I can try to understand that Simmons trying to fix Skye and fix Fitz is out of the goodness of her heart

-But I agree with Fitz, Simmons changed to someone I don't recognize this season

-Simmons' change is also the most terrifying. She's constantly suggesting killing enhanced people/sedating Skye

-May and Coulson is finally onto Mack

-FINALLY

-it doesn't make a whole lot of sense how Hunter could have escaped this entire fully soildered up ship but whatever lol

-annnd I'm not so interested in the Ward/agent 33/Bakshi thing

-I don't really care for them

Agents of SHIELD S2E15

-Holy fuck just how cool is Bobbi

-Just when I thought Bobbi couldn't get even cooler, she got cooler

-Just LOOK AT HER

-A true goddess

-damn it when Simmons were on the phone with Skye I want to ship them together again

-I love Jemma I really do

-I just hope she gets better writing

-Simmons fighting Fitz again

-this show doesn't have a single happy couple right now

-Okay, plotting aside, this May and Bobbi fight is soooo cool

-Love it

-Just when two shields are fighting with each other Skye is putting on power dampening gloves that make her lighthearted

-I fear for her safety

-and Simmons is not picking up her phone

-No-eyes-man knows Skye's mom, right?

-he was the teenager her mom was helping

-No-eyes-man's mentor is your mom Skye!!

-Yeah I guess techniquelly the first thing shield did was protecting Skye from the Kree and lady Sif, so that part was nice

-But then they started to test her and psych evaluate her and lock her up and put gloves on her

-Damn it shield do better!

-This speech right here that no-eyes-man gives Skye about everything in the universe vibrate: That's the speech that belongs to FitzSimmons

-I stand my ground, there is no way FitzSimmons didn't tell Skye about this whole universe is vibrating thing before fucking no-eyes-man

-Doesn't make any sense

-but ANYWAYS imma let it pass

-Soo I'm supposed to believe that Simmons tricked Bobbi, one of the best spy who makes a living out of lying/undercovering/interrogation

-I'm proud of Simmons for pulling it off but also Bobbi should definitely be able to tell because isn't Simmons in canon a bad liar?

-But in flashback, Bobbi is so ready to die for shield she even prepared how to say goodbye to Hunter

-fuck this, I've made up my mind, no matter what I love Bobbi

-So the other shield got into Coulson's secret base huh

-That's the second secret base Coulson's lost lol

-awwww that thing Skye did to the water tab

-how cool

-See, if the other shield is gonna storm Coulson's secret base anyways, Simmons tricking Bobbi didn't really do anything for the plot and it undermines the characterization of both Jemma and Bobbi, therefore it shouldn't exist

-just how in the world did the worst liar in this show tricked the best liar ugghh i'm frustrated

-I'll take that as Simmons' character progression

-ahhhh!! May warned Skye!!!

-I live for this plot of May protecting Skye

-but holy shit they are fully hunting Skye

-I love flashback Bobbi so much

-She's so badass

-lol May certainly knows how to make a nice entrance

-I love her

-Ahhh! Skye just took down a shield soilder fair and square in hand to hand combat!

-It's one of the things I really enjoyed watching this show lol

-By using who Skye had beaten and who beat sky to determine the progress of her combat training with May

-She's for sure progressing

-fucking hell this other agent DID NOT just shoot real bullets at my girl

-Bobbi screaming/warning Skye means I did not love the wrong person lol

-Skye just took down an entire forest and stopped a bullet and that's so freaking powerful

-I'm glad that the agent who shot Skye was injured and Bobbi wasn't lol

-He kinda deserves it

[yourstarvic]

You and Osamu sat across from each other in silence. Osamu was slow lying eating his pastry as you sat in your seat awkwardly and tracing the mouth of the mug with your fingertip. You let out a small puff of air, looking around the cafe, and saw there were few people inside the establishment. Inhaling weeping, you took made the first move, “What is it that you needed my help, Miya?”

“I was hopin’ we could’ve dragged this out,” Osamu swallowing the food in his mouth.

“You were hopping to drag this out?”

“Wantin’ a bit of time with ya,” Osamu took a sip of his drink.

“Why?” You slowly asked him, tilting your neck to the side in confusion.

Osamu just shrugged his shoulder, taking a piece of his pastry, “wantin’ to see somethin’.”

“And that would be?…” You leaned a bit forward, trying to figure out what he was thinking. But Osamu didn’t answer you, he just went back to eating his pastry with a delightful look. With a deep sigh, you slowly stood up and said, “Miya if you’re not going to tell me then I don’t know how to help. To be honest, I’m not sure why you are asking me for help. I’m going home.”

You gave him a polite smile and proceed to take a single step towards the direction of the exit but a hand wrapping around your wrist stopped you. You looked down and your wrist and then looked at Osamu’s face, seeing his face looked tense. “Just,” Osamu pleaded, “humor me a bit?”

You let out another sigh and looked at the exit before you nodded at him. As he let go of your wrist, you sat back down in front of him. Osamu gave you a smile and said softly, “Call me Osamu.”

“Okay,” you looked at him weirdly, “Osamu.” You didn’t miss the corners of his lips slightly tugged upwards as you said his name. Seeing it, you couldn’t help but looked down with a small smile and took a sip of your drink to hide it. 

“Can we just,” Osamu spoke so softly, making you look up with doe eyes and mouth slightly gaped with a surprise from never hearing him talk that softly. “Start over?”

“Yeah,” you nodded, smiling at him, “we can.”

“Name’s Miya Osamu,” Osamu smiled at you.

You laughed at him, leaning back against the chair as you shooked your head, “We don’t have to start that far back.”

“Good,” Osamu smiled at you, “didn’t want to use those lame conversation starter’”

“I don’t know about that,” you smirked, “I think we need to use a few of those conversation starters.”

“Do we have to?” Osamu cringed, “I really hate those.”

“I think everyone does,” you chuckled. “But what did you think of the weather today?”

“I hate you,” Osamu said with a deadpan expression before chuckling at you.

“What?” You said with a faux hurt written on your face, “I genuinely want to know what you thought of the weather today!”

“Anyway,” Osamu placed his fork down on his now empty plate, and signaled the waiter for the check, “should we get-a-going?”

“Go where?” You eyed him.

With the check quickly appearing, Osamu placed the cash in the appropriate amount of cash and got up. Your eyes followed his for with curiosity, trying to see what he will do. Your eyes switched to shock when Osamu offered you his hand, to which you looked at it questioning. “Aren’t ya going to take it?” Osamu's voice broke you out of your thoughts.

“I don’t think your girlfriend will like that,” you gave him a smile and standing up on your own.

“Helping a friend out of a chair?” Osamu thought out-loud, walking behind you as you walked outside, “I think you’re right.”

Chucking at him, you nodded your head, “I don't think, I know I am. And friend? Already?”

“Let’s go,” Osamu started to walk off, making you following him with an eye-roll. You had to slightly jog up a bit to catch up with him but when you caught up you walked at a normal pace, not feeling a glare from across the street.

“So where are we going?” You asked him, but he remained silent. He only looked down a brig moment to give you a smile and looked back forward. “Keeping it a secret,” you noted, “that’s not mysterious at all.”

“You’ll see,” Osamu chuckled.

“You know,” you placed a finger on your chin in a thoughtful manner, “this is most we laughed in each other presence.”

“That’s cause you hated me before,” Osamu side-eyed you with a smirk. “I wonder who’s that fault was.”

“Your brother,” you smiled brightly at him. “He’s becoming the cause of everything.”

“Becoming?” Osamu snorted, “He already caused many problems when he was born. I should have absorbed him when I was in the womb.”

“He has his moment…” you tried to defend him. But it was hard to think of any good qualities after the events Atsumu caused.

“Ya just sayin’ that because he’s ya favorite,” Osamu scoffed.

“Was my favorite,” you mumbled. Osamu suddenly stopped walking, making you stop as well and look up at him in question. The grey hair twin looked down at him in surprise, making you wonder what he was thinking. “What?”

“Atsumu no longer ya favorite?” Osamu questioned excitedly.

“Yeah?”

Osamu huffed out happily, smiling down at you, “Suna owes me money.”

“How much?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Osamu started to walk again, making you rush at him in concern.

“What do you mean don’t worry-”

“We are here,” Osamu stopped walking and opened the door of the store.

You looked at the store name in confusion but it morphed into surprise when you saw what store it was. “This is…a flower shop”

“Not just any flower shop,” Osamu beaconed you to walk in, “it’s a shop where we make a bouquet that represents us.”

“Okay?” You walked in slowly, looking around the many different flowers as the floral scent hit your nose.

“Welcome!” You heard a voice coming from towards you. You and Osamu greeted who you believe was the store owner in his early 20’s. With him standing in front of the two of you, he clapped his hand excitedly as said, “Thank you for coming! Now to get started, I would like to the two of you relationships.”

“Okay um,” you swallowed nervously, looking at Osamu and then back at the store owner, “We used to hate each other, because of a misunderstanding that was cleared up a few days ago… But there were times we were friendly with each other and we were tricked into going onto dates with each other. They were really awkward…”

“I see,” the man nodded in understanding. “Well, you two can look around and pick any flowers you like and I’ll go pick out some as well.”

You and Osamu nodded and went to look around. As you two were looking at each flower and smelling them, you and Osamu talked about different topics including your ice skating, how he loves to cook, and many other topics. As the two of you chatted away and picking flowers, the store owner was sneaky observing the both of you. 

After a few moments, you and Osamu were done picking, the both of you went to the store owner and let him know the both go you were done. The man smiled and escorted both of you to the arrangement station. 

“What flowers did you pick you beautiful flower?” He asked you, making you smile, and Osamu frown.

“I picked the yellow tulips and alstroemeria” you placed it on the table, “they were really pretty and I thought of Osamu. But I saw these red chrysanthemums and primrose, and thought of someone and wanted to get it.”

“I see,” the man nodded. “And you?”

Placing the flowers on the table, Osamu looked at the flowers.“I saw these purple stock and pink camellias and thought you might like them,” Osamu looked at you with a smile, causing you to slightly blush at his words.

“These are amazing flowers,” the florist smiled and laid his flowers down, “I was slightly observing the both of you and picked the blue violets, white lilies, purple hyacinth, purple lilacs, and anemones.”

“They are beautiful,” you commented, looking at them in awe. The florist thanked you as he arranged the flowers together, making them in an arrangement to show off their beauty. But you noticed he was ignoring two certain flowers. “What about the red chrysanthemums and primrose?”

“Since they reminded you of someone else I thought it was best to make a separate bouquet,” he smiled at you, “on the house.”

You smiled at him and the three of you started to talk about how to arrange the flowers. The florist gave both go-you tips and converse about different flowers. After a while, three of the flower bouquet were done, one for Osamu and the other two for you. “Two beautiful bouquets for the beautiful lady,” The florist smiled at you and handed them to you, “and of course your bouquet.”

“Thank you!” You smiled at him and accepted the flowers. You were so focused on the beauty of the two bouquets you didn’t see the disgusted look Osamu gave the florist and how the florist was smirking smugly at him.

“No problem,” The florist smiled at you, “and it’s on the house. A pretty lady like you deserves all the flowers.”

“Thank you!” Your face morphing into an uncomfortable smile as you realized he was flirting.

“You know,” he smiled flirty at you, “if he doesn’t treat you-”

“It’s getting late! Thank you again for the flowers!” You said quickly grabbed Osamu and pulled him out of the store. You let out a sigh of relief as the two of you met with the outside world. Letting go of Osamu, you turned to face him, “Thanks for today!”

“Yeah,” Osamu turned to the side, hiding the small tint of pink appearing on his cheeks. But you did notice, too busy looking back down at the flowers in your hands. Clearing his throat, Osamu looked back at you, “It’s getting late, I'll walk you home.”

“Thanks,” you smiled softly and both of you walked in the direction of your house. 

The walk to your home was silent, the only sound was you occasionally sniffing the flowers. After the long walk, the two of you were near your home. “Did you see what you wanted to see?” You asked him.

“I did,” Osamu breathed out. “It helped me figure out something.”

“And that was?”

“I’m going to be selfish,” Osamu stopped walking when reaching the gates of your house.

“Selfish?” You raised on the eyebrow, opening the gate.

“Yeah… Oh and tell Suna he going owe me $10 in the future,” Osamu smiled softly at your confused face, “goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” you replied seeing Osamu walked off and then you walked through the gates and into your house.

Opening your door to your house, you yelled but your voice trailed off at the end as you saw a note on the table near the door, “I’m home!…” Picking up the note and placing the flowers gently on the table, you read it out loud, “We are out on a date, don’t wait upon us, love mom and dad. PS made your favorite and it’s in the fridge.”

You smiled at the note and placed it back on the table and proceed to take off your shoes. Putting your shoes by the door neatly you grabbed your flowers and went to your room. Humming and smiling, you opened your bedroom door, and your smile instantly dropped seeing someone laying in your bed. “What are you doing here?”

“Trying to take a nap,” Suna lazily said, refusing to open his eyes.

Letting out a hum you went towards your desk and placed the flowers and purse on the table, “I can see that… But why my bed? Shouldn't you be home? And how did you get in?”

“Your bed is comfy. My parents found out the Himari lied to them and went on a date so wanted to avoid that…And I have a spare key,” Suna groaned, opening his eyes and looking at you. “You got flowers?”

“Yeah,” you smiled, sitting on the edge of your bed and looking down at Suna, “Osamu took me to a flower shop. Those ones reminded me of you.”

“Osamu?” Suna smirked as he put his hands behind his head, “Saying his first name?”

“Yeah, he wanted to start over since it was all Atsumu’s fault.”

“Makes sense,” Suna nodded, “but you got me flowers?”

“I never said I got them for you, idiot,” you rolled your eyes, “I said they made me think you.”

“How heartwarming,” Suna said sarcastically, making you elbow his side. “But did you help Osamu?”

“Yeah! He said he decided he’s going to be selfish and you are going to owe him $10?”

“We’ll see about that,” Suna smirked, “but let's go eat! I heard your favorite is in the fridge!”

“I hate you.”

“Because I’m going to eat your food?”

“Yes.”

MASTERPOST-PREV-NEXT

NOTES: Hey guys!!! 400 NOTES ON THE MASTERPOST!!! THANK YALL SO MUCH!!!! I’m so happy you guys are enjoying the story!!! I LOVE YA’LL!!! Don't forget to drink water and stay safe!

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Italic means I can't tag you

[mimisempai]

I can read you like an open book

Summary:

5 times where Loki refuses to see that he has been found out by Mobius and once where he accepts it

Lokius has so much potential. How not to be tempted?

🌈 Happy Pride month ! 🌈

To celebrate, 1 day, 1 story.

Be ready for smiles, laugh, fluff, tooth rotthing fluff, positive vibes and a lot of love!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32034121

1798 words - Rating G

1.

"I'm Agent Mobius, by the way."

I don't care about your name. I'm Loki, God of Mischief, you moron!

The man with the ridiculous mustache looked suspiciously innocent.

Loki asked him in his most indifferent tone, "Are you taking me somewhere to kill me?"

The man, Mobius, answered in the quietest way possible, "No. That's where you just were. I'm taking you some place to talk."

Loki harrumphed and retorted, "I don't like to talk.

Without losing his smile, Mobius replied, "But you do like to lie, which you just did."

Seeing that Loki didn't bother to answer, he continued, a cheeky sparkle in his eye, "Because we both know you love to talk."

He had the audacity to add, emphasizing his words with his hands, "Talkie-talkie."

Loki was boiling inside, but he wouldn't allow this jerk to see his anger.

How could this fool have seen through to him? No way!

Yes he liked to talk! So what? He had a voice so he might as well use it. At least he never said stupid things.

Sure, he liked to twist the truth, but when you're the god of mischief, was that so surprising?

Anyway, nobody had discovered his biggest secret, his biggest lie, that was the most important.

He discreetly scanned the man in front of him who now seemed a little less inoffensive.

2.

They were in a room devoid of any decor, sitting face to face, separated by a table.

Loki decided to attack. He could be accused of lying, but not of not facing the truth.

He asked Mobius with a defiant look, "What do you want from me?"

Mobius inhaled, as if to give himself courage, "Well, let's start with a little cooperation."

No, that's not going to happen, buddy.

Loki was a god and a god doesn't cooperate.

He replied with a smirk, "Not my forte.

There he was again, that piercing blue-gray gaze that seemed to see much more than Loki believed. Accompanied by that smile that gauged him.

"Really?"

Mobius paused and for a moment Loki thought he knew how to stage himself as well as Loki.

The rascal continued, "Even when you're wooing someone powerful you intend to betray?"

How could he know that? Nobody knew about Thanos! Even Thor didn't know about it!

Don't show anything Loki! Don't show him he's right.

The bastard insisted, as if it were insignificant. "Come on."

Loki, took his most superior and closed look before answering.

"You don't know anything about me."

That's it, move on you moron!

"Maybe I'd like to learn."

What?

What does he mean, he'd like to learn?

No way, Loki wouldn't be fooled.

No one really wanted to know who Loki was.

Those who wanted to know him only wanted it to get something out of him.

He wouldn't be fooled by that smile and that look. Even though...

He shook his head not to let such thoughts linger

3.

Since Mobius seemed to want to know his theory so badly, Loki was more than happy to explain it to him, it was time to show off as much as he could with his jumpsuit.

He straightened his head and said in an emphatic tone, "For nearly every living thing, choice breeds shame and uncertainty and regret. There's a fork in every road, yet the wrong path is always taken."

He looked at Mobius defiantly.

So you're not such a smartass now, huh?

"Good. Yeah."

He had the nerve!

Loki was right not to believe that this man really wanted to know him, it was just to taunt him and put him in his place.

Mobius continued, "You said nearly every living thing ," he paused, and once again his eyes seemed to see further than Loki wanted to show.

He added, cheekily, "so I'm guessing you don't fall into that category?

Show nothing. Show nothing.

You didn't expect anything, Loki, so you're not disappointed.

Loki began to snicker. Sarcasm, one of his favorite weapons.

"The Time-Keepers have built quite the circus, and I see the clowns are playing their parts to perfection."

In case you didn't understand, I'm talking about you, the clown, that's you, buffoon!

Mobius started to laugh. A totally genuine laugh.

"Big metaphor guy. I love it."

Genuine but derisive of course.

The rascal continued, "Makes you sound super smart."

Loki couldn't let it go and retorted, "I am smart."

"I know."

Two words, and the tone was no longer taunting.

I know.

Two words said in a firm voice, without a smile, with an intense look in his eyes.

I know.

For once Loki didn't bother to wrap his words in circumlocutions, too disturbed by the implication of those two words. He simply replied, "Okay."

4.

Loki didn't know what Mobius' goal was in showing him his failures, but if it was to piss him off, he had achieved it, yet Loki was not going to show him.

Just as he was not going to show him how his questions affected him.

"Do you enjoy hurting people?"

No.

"Making them feel small?

No .

"Making them feel afraid?"

No. Stop. Answer him Loki.

"Your games don't frighten me."

But Mobius didn't seem to want to stop.

"Making them feel little?"

Loki couldn't help but retort with more vehemence, "I know what I am."

Mobius raised an eyebrow and asked defiantly, "A murderer?"

Knowing that if he let go, he would show Mobius how much he was affected by what he said, Loki shot back, "A liberator."

And the man had the audacity to reply, "Of eyeballs, maybe."

His words were accompanied on the screen by a video that showed Loki cutting out a man's eye.

Mobius continued, "Look at that smile. You are enjoying that. Did you enjoy hurting them?"

No. No. No. It was the mind stone. It wasn't me.

No! Shut up Loki! No one can know, not even him, get a grip!

Chin up, straight face, sardonic smile.

"I don't have to play this game. I'm a god."

Yes, that's what I am, a god. You won't take that away from me.

"Of what, again? Mischief, right?"

So what? I may not summon thunder, but I am powerful. In my own way.

The man then added, "Yeah. I don't see anything very mischievous about this."

Of course, since it wasn't him. But how could he tell anyone that he, the great Loki, had been under the influence of someone, that he had been manipulated by a stone.

He replied in a bitter voice, "No, I don't suppose you do."

Mobius sighed. He seemed almost disappointed.

Loki wondered why he felt a tightness in his chest. The same one he felt every time he knew he had disappointed his mother. The difference was that he had only known Mobius for a few hours.

5.

Loki was devastated.

His mother had died. She had died by his hand. At least because of him.

Mobius had continued to confront him with his failings.

Sitting on the floor, Loki no longer had the strength to stand up or fight back.

"You weren't born to be king, Loki."

Of course I was.

Even he was beginning not to believe it anymore.

"You were born to cause pain and suffering and death. That's how it is, that's how it was, that's how it will be. All so that others can achieve their best versions of themselves."

He looked up at the screen where the Avengers were displayed one by one. The instruments of his defeat. The defeat he felt burning right now.

He asked with a broken voice, "What is this place?"

Mobius didn't answer, just walked over and held out his hand and said, "Come on."

No more taunting in his voice, no more mockery, just compassion? Loki looked up to see if what he heard in the voice was showing on the other man's face.

He read the same compassion.

Weakened by what he had just discovered about his mother, Loki found himself wanting to grasp that hand, to believe what he read in those eyes.  For a moment, he listened to himself, grabbed the hand and stood up.

But he was Loki, God of Mischief, so he snatched the small device from Mobius' pocket

+1

"Loki?"

Mobius had just come back into the room, Loki was distraught.

Sitting on the floor with his hands in his head, he raised it at the sound of his tormentor's voice.

The man approached him gently and said, "Nowhere left to run."

I don't want to go. I don't want to go anymore. I don't want to be that Loki anymore. I don't want to go back.

"I can't go back, can I? Back to my timeline."

Can I be me here? Really me? What I want to be.

For the first time since he knew himself, Loki felt a compulsion to tell the truth.

Looking Mobius in the eye, he said softly, "I don't enjoy hurting people."

He paused, "I..." he exhaled sharply and repeated again, "I don't enjoy it."

For the first time, he really wanted to convince someone that he wasn't the monster everyone thought he was. Now that he had started talking, it was like he couldn't stop. He continued, "I do it because I have to, because I've had to."

Mobius looked at him with those caring eyes he had had earlier and another feeling he couldn't read.

He replied softly, "Okay, explain that to me."

Loki swallowed, this was the moment of truth.

"Because it's part of the illusion. It's the cruel, elaborate trick conjured by the weak to inspire fear."

Mobius simply nodded, before adding in a tone filled with understanding, "A desperate play for control. You do know yourself."

Loki bit his lip and added in a breath, "A villain."

He exhaled again.

"That's not how I see it.

Once again Mobius held out his hand to help him up, and this time Loki didn't hesitate to take it. Once on his feet, he didn't want to let go of that hand, the only non-violent human contact he'd had in years. He didn't even realize that he was tightening his fingers on Mobius'.

He asked the question that had been burning in his mind, "If I'm not the villain, then what am I?"

They still hadn't let go of each other's hands and now Mobius' thumb was gently stroking the back of Loki's hand.

Mobius tilted his head a little, seeking Loki's gaze even more.

He said with that smile that Loki was beginning to appreciate, "I don't know, but we could search together, if you want."

Loki nodded slowly and answered with a slight smile. The first sincere smile devoid of any trickery.

The real Loki smile. _________

Not beta'd I hope you enjoyed it 🥰