#colors aren’t set in stone but i needed to get something out or else i wouldn’t have felt satisfied

[ny000mdraws]

tfp au protectobots!

(sans first aid bc i already designed him a while back and blades bc he’s perfect)

here’s the aforementioned tfp first aid

[vodika-vibes]

I‘m deep in my Jango feels again, like who allowed him to be this gorgeous???

anyways, I loved the jaster piece you wrote recently with the cabin-getaway and under the risk of being a copycat, would you mind writing something similar for Jango? Because it was just *chefs kiss*

Summer Vacation

Summary: Jango surprises you with a beach getaway.

Pairing: Jango Fett x F!Reader

Word Count: 1457

Warnings: Some smut, very spicy. Implications of exhibitionism(?). Reader likes being recorded for Jango and Jango alone, I don't know what I'd call that.

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni

A/N: So, I went the opposite way than I did with Jaster! Jango gets a beautiful summer getaway, while Jaster got a winter wonderland. Now all I need is a matching Boba request, and I'll have collected the whole set...like pokemon cards.

“Jango, where are we going?” You ask as you allow him to lead you across the sandy beach, “You said you had a surprise, and then never finished your thought.”

“That’s because it’s supposed to be a surprise, cyare.” Jango replies with a roll of his eyes, even as he laces his fingers with yours and pulls your joined hands to his lips.

“Yes, but I hate surprises. They tend to involve me getting shot at.”

He laughs, a warm and open sound that makes you smile up at him, “Not this one. I promise.”

He leads you down a stone pathway, and you do have to admit the ambience here is rather nice, even if you aren’t, quite, dressed for the occasion. It’s hot, for one, and though the white sandy beaches and the clear blue ocean are lovely, you’re not sure that the sand will agree with your armor.

Or his, for that matter.

Jango guides you to a decently sized bungalow, “Here we are. Our home away from home for the next month.”

You blink at the building, and then up at him, “We’re staying here?”

“Yup.”

“Are there even any other people on this island?” You ask, bemused, as he leads you towards the house.

“Not a one.” He grins at you, “It’s just you and me.”

“Oh.” You breathe out, “I thought this was a job, but it’s a vacation, isn’t it?”

“I did promise you one, didn’t I?” He pushes open the door, and picks up a note sitting on a nearby table, “So, we have two weeks of groceries, I’ll get a comm call before the next food delivery.”

You look around, and inhale deeply, the scent and sounds of the ocean filling you with a sense of peace you haven’t felt in ages, before you frown at him, “Jango, I don’t have any swimwear…or anything at all suited for this weather.”

“Lucky for you that I’m an expert planner, and ordered everything that you might need.” Jango nods towards the bedroom, “Go ahead and see.”

“Alright,” You turn towards the bedroom, and push the door open. The room is large and open, and you note that there’s a sliding glass door that leads you to an outdoor shower, but it also looks like it leads right to the water too.

You take a moment to tug your armor off, neatly setting everything on the bed, before you start opening drawers. The top drawer is dedicated to bathing suits. So you grab one and hold it up. All bikinis, not that you’re surprised, in a wide array of colors, and all of them are impossibly skimpy.

You grin, you really shouldn’t be surprised. Jango, after all, has never been shy about wanting to see you in less. 

Slowly you trail your fingers over the flimsy material, your head tilting to the side as you listen to Jango move around the house, and a mischievous smile crosses your face. 

Quickly, you pull off your bodysuit and your undergarments, tossing everything to the side to be dealt with later, and pull on the bikini.

It fits perfectly, though you’d have been surprised if it hadn’t, and was a lot strappier than you first thought. Tight spandex crisscrosses your entire body, and you hope that Jango got sunblock, or else you’re going to have the stupidest tan lines-

You open the closet and see that it has a few dresses, but much more importantly, there are sandals lining the bottom of the closet. You grab a pair that matches the bathing suit and then step into the hall.

“Jango?”

“In the kitchen!” Jango replies, and you follow the sound of his voice, “It looks like they left recipe cards for some of these meals,” He adds, lowering his voice when he hears you entering the kitchen, “Which is good, because I don’t think I’ve ever heard of some of these thing-” He finally turns to look at you and he stops mid-sentence, his gaze dropping to your bikini clad body.

“Well,” You ask, with a wide grin, “How do I look?”

“Amazing. I knew that would look amazing on you.” Jango replies as he takes a step closer to you and reaches out to brush his fingers along your side. He’s removed his armor at some point, but you decide it’s not important at the moment.

You dance just out of his reach, and Jango releases a frustrated little groan, “Babe-”

You grin as you remain just out of reach, “You know, I’m pretty sure I saw a cabana outside,” You muse thoughtfully, “And I do deserve a vacation-” You take a step back, “I think I’m going to go and lay under the cabana. I’m sure I have a book or two that I can read.”

Jango’s eyes glitter, “Wouldn’t you rather stay inside, in the air conditioning, with me?” He offers, very, very temptingly.

“Hm…tempting, but no. You can come and join me outside, if you like though.” You step closer to him and drag one painted nail down his chest, and only stop once you reach the waist of his bottoms, “I’m sure you bought yourself some swimwear too?”

“I did,” Jango’s voice is soft, and a little breathless.

Your smile is blinding, “Then you can join me outside.” You step back again, and turn to flounce out the room, and you muffle a giggle when you hear him groan.

You make your way to the cabana, kicking your sandals off as you settle on the plush bed, and stretch out. Shielded from the sun, and with a clear view of the ocean and probably sunset, you feel positively spoiled.

Jango joins you not long after, wearing a matching pair of swim trunks, and holding two towels, which he tosses over one of the chairs, “Well now, aren’t you a vision?” He says lazily as he lifts his comm to snap a holo of you.

You grin at him and move to sit prettily on your knees, not quite posing for him, but not quite not posing for him either. And your grin widens when you hear the sound of him taking another photo.

“You like what you see, Jango?” You tease.

“Always.” His voice has taken on a husky quality, “Why don’t you take that top off and show off those pretty tits of yours, cyare?”

You smile at him consideringly, “I have a better idea,” You finally decide, “Come here, Jango.” It’s a request

He obeys you like it’s an order, and he doesn’t hesitate to cross the small space to stand next to the bed, and you move to sit on your knees at the edge of the bed, and he places his hand on the top of your head, “You going to take me in your mouth, cyare?”

You hum and lightly trail your fingers across his stomach and to his hips, “If you don’t mind.”

“Have I ever?”

“There’s a first time for everything,” You reply lightly, as you hook your fingers in the band of his swimsuit and wait for him to give his permission. As soon as it’s given, you gently slide them down his legs, and Jango kicks them to the side.

Jango’s cock is long and thick, and is already so very hard. You lean in and press a feather light kiss against the weeping tip, “You’re already so hard,” You murmur lightly.

“Course I am, it’s you.” He replies easily, and then a low groan falls from him as you lick a strip down the length of his cock and then back up. You know how he likes to be touched after all. “You know what I really want, though, cyare?” He murmurs through a moan as you take the head of his cock between your lips and suck gently.

“What’s that?” You ask, as you pull away and lazily take him in hand and start a slow, teasing, pace.

“You.” His gaze is dark with desire. “Want you to ride me, cyare. Want you to ride me while I record it.”

Your hand pauses and desire shoots to your core.

“Mm, I know you like being recorded, cyare.” He murmurs, “Especially since you know I’ll use the recordings when I’m missing you.”

On one hand, you really want to give him a blow job. On the other hand, his offer sounds amazing-

Jango grins, knowing he’s already won, “Come on, cyare. Get up. Get naked. Want you to put on a show for me. Can you do that, baby?”

Your face heats with slight embarrassment, and you slowly release him, “How much of a show do you want?”

Heat flares in his dark eyes, “Everything, cyare. Give me everything,”

[juniper-sunny]

The Art in the Heart - Chapter 1

You’re a painter by trade, but an unexpected splash of color crashes into your life in the form of a handsome stranger. Something tells you he’s no ordinary work of art…

Everybody Lives AU | Pre-Act I | Silco x Reader | Female!Reader | Slow Burn | Eventual Smut | Fluff | Mild Angst || SFW | WC: 2.07k

ao3 || Masterlist

───────────────── ●◉◎◈◎◉● ─────────────────

Zaun is a beautiful canvas.

Not many would agree with you, but you’ve always been able to sense it. Whether it’s literal graffiti in crumbling stone alleyways beautiful enough to rival anything in a Piltie art gallery, or a stubborn dandelion piercing through concrete and thriving against all odds in the chem-choked atmosphere. 

You wish more people could see it the way you do.

It’s always been your calling to bring color to the Undercity, and you’re one of the lucky few Zaunites who got to turn it into a respectable profession. Now, you’re working on your biggest piece ever, literally: a mural on a large, gray brick building high enough on the Promenade to bask in the sunlight, but still visible to anyone in the Entresol who could be bothered to look up.

Being outdoors makes for a refreshing change from your usual gigs in stuffy Topside mansions, painting portraits of families who smell too clean and take themselves too seriously. They always insisted on making the most boring small talk, demanding your attention and drawing your focus away from your canvas. All your clients have too much money, but they can never seem to afford the patience to pose in silence. 

No, it’s better to be alone when working. All you have for company is your supplies, a small gramophone, your sketchbook, and your satchel. No one could hope to interrupt you on your scissor lift high above the ground.

It surprises you, then, when the sound of running footsteps below pulls you away from the wall. You peek down at a thin, dark-haired man sprinting for his life. 

Passers-by aren’t uncommon here, but most prefer to stroll silently as to not draw attention to themselves. So it’s mildly intriguing that this man has chosen speed over stealth. 

He disappears into a gap between two buildings and into the shadows.

His pursuers make themselves known: a pair of Piltover Enforcers, navigating the urban landscape with much more clumsiness and caution than their prey. 

“He can’t have gone far! Damn gutter rat…” 

They crawl over debris and litter, making their way towards you. You hold your breath until they’re directly underneath you, and then—

SPLAT!!

The paint cans you kicked over land a direct hit on both Enforcers, drenching them in white and pink. They curse and whip out their batons. 

You press a button to collapse the scissor lift, a melodramatic expression of remorse on your face.

“I’m soooo sorry, officers! It was an accident, I didn’t see you there—”

“Damn, woman! What the hell—”

“I’m sorry, if you want to be reimbursed for your uniforms just let Councilor Salo know and he’ll cover the costs.”

The namedrop makes them pause. You hand over your business card and a golden engraved crest. One Enforcer takes them, examining the crest in particular: it’s a pure gold, extravagantly carved letter “S” set in a delicate filigree of a leafy bush laden with berries. Given only to contractors who report directly to the councilor himself. 

“It’s genuine,” he mutters to his partner and hands it back to you. The business card stays in his hand. He clears his throat and addresses you with a calmer, more formal manner. “And it’s not a problem, ma'am. We won’t bother the councilor with something so trivial. Have you seen a—”

You gasp exaggeratedly. “Your uniforms! You need to wash them right away! Or else they’ll stain permanently!”

The Enforcers glance at each other impatiently. “It’s fine. We’re looking for a—”

“And your skin! Did you get any on you?? It’ll stain you too!”

That gets their attention. One of them starts scooting away, eager to leave. You push the other with all your might.

“Scrub your bodies with tomato juice and then soak in onion peels! That’ll get it all out! But hurry!!”

One Enforcer stumbles over himself, and they both finally break out into a run. Out of Zaun and back to where they belong. You snicker to yourself and toss the crest in the air, catching it on the way down. 

You catch a glimpse of something twinkling in the shadows. It’s a pair of eyes— are they green? or blue? 

They disappear just as quickly as you spotted them.

Well, as interruptions go that was one of the more entertaining ones you’ve experienced lately. You ascend on the scissor lift and get back to painting.

The next day is business as usual, for the most part. Painting the wall is going smoothly. Out of nowhere, you suddenly feel prickly and uncomfortable— it’s an Undercity instinct, a warning that someone you can’t see is watching you. 

The discomfort is the worst at the top of your head… so they’re looking down at you, like a bird of prey before it swoops. 

You take a deep breath to settle your nerves. Then, you press a button that extends the scissor lift to its fullest height. 

It brings you level with a frowning man on the roof, his arms crossed. He’s tall, sharp, and lean, with lanky black hair that drapes over his narrowed eyes. They’re neither green nor blue, but a teal that’s a perfect inbetween. 

It’s such a beautiful color… you’re itching to replicate it by blending your paints. 

“You know it’s dangerous to get involved with a stranger’s affairs,” he intones. His voice is low and smoky, with a hint of gravel. He scrutinizes you under furrowed brows.

“Just wanted to help a fellow ‘gutter rat’, that’s all,” you reply, shrugging.

His eyes tick open wider in surprise. He scans you up and down.

You hold back a sigh. Early in your career, you mastered the art of code-switching between the two disparate cultures of Topside and the Undercity. It’s a necessity for anyone who lives in Zaun but works in Piltover: if you’re not presentable enough in both manners and wardrobe for your Piltie clients, they’ll dismiss you out of hand; but if you wear your nice Topside garb in the Undercity, you’re practically screaming to cutpurses that you’re a wealthy mark. 

While you couldn’t care less what most Topsiders think, it always hurts a little when one of your own doesn't recognize you.  

Anyone could see that this man is the archetypal Zaunite: his clothes are thin and well-worn, but the leather straps and shoulder pad are in good condition, and the brass trappings are highly polished. It’s typical Undercity fashion, where cheap clothes have to be preserved as long as possible so as to not waste money on unnecessary replacements.

He’s more handsome than most men you know, though, with high cheekbones and a long shapely nose. His wiry form speaks to a man who prefers speed over brute strength, and— 

“Now that’s not an attitude you encounter every day in the Undercity,” he muses, interrupting your thoughts. You must have passed whatever silent inspection he was conducting with his eyes, although he still regards you with wariness. 

“What can I say? If I see an Enforcer, I just wanna mess with them, you know?” You grin at him. 

“That, I do understand all too well,” the thin line of his lips quirks upward before settling into a straight line of neutrality. 

He wields his stony demeanor like armor, but there’s something curious about the fact that he allowed you to approach him at all… it makes you want to get past his defenses, for some reason. 

Even if it's only to satisfy the intrigue of getting to know a good-looking stranger. 

“You’re welcome for yesterday, by the way,” you joke. “For saving your skin from the Enforcers. It looks like I saved you from a trip to Stillwater.”

His impassive facade cracks. He bares his teeth, bristling. “I did not need your help. I was perfectly capable of—”

“They were pretty close to catching you,” you raise your hands and make a grabbing gesture. “Good thing you’re so skinny. They can’t arrest you if you’re just literally going to slip out of their fingers.” 

That gets him to step close to tower over you, glowering. Shit, he’s tall. 

“What I lack in musculature, you seem to lack in intelligence. What on earth makes you think it would be a good idea to antagonize someone wanted by Enforcers?”

“Ooooh, the Enforcers want to lock up little ol’ you. You’re such a big baddie,” you tease. “If they had it their way, they’d have every single one of us locked up. You’re not special.”

He leans forward, curling his hands over the ledge of the roof. He lowers himself closer to you and sneers. “Perhaps I’ve done something especially terrible to warrant particular attention from Topside.” 

“Let me guess,” you purse your lips as you examine him. “You pickpocketed some Topside nobles?”

He smiles slyly. “Worse than that.”

“Kidnapping a pet Poro?”

“You’re getting closer.”

You shake your head in bemusement. “What was it?”

“Seducing a Piltie noblewoman,” a mischievous glint shines in his eyes. “I all but rescued her from a cold, loveless marriage. Unfortunately, her husband didn't seem to appreciate that.”

“Really?” You laugh again, more out of surprise than humor this time. 

“No,” he chuckles. “Just breaking and entering.”

The conversation seems to be going well. You got him to admit something personal about himself, even if it was on accident. Excitement fills you at the thought of getting to know him better.  

“You better be careful, mister. Maybe I’ll turn you into the Enforcers now that I got a good look at your pretty face.”

Shit you hadn’t meant to say that last part out loud.

He raises his eyebrows at your slip-up. He steps back and runs a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his face. “Surely you wouldn’t have this ‘pretty face’ thrown into Stillwater, would you? There’s quite a dearth of us in the Undercity.”

Wow… when you fully see his face, “pretty” is a big understatement. 

“Are you kidding? Pretty faces are a dime a dozen,” you smirk. “And I'd probably get a big reward for turning you in to Councilor Salo—”

At the sound of the councilor’s name, his eyes widen in fear. It’s like your words set him on fire with how fast he dashes away from you. The sounds of him running on pipes and rooftops echo in the distance.

You smack your head against the ledge and groan. You pushed him too far and almost got him to break the cardinal rules of living in Zaun: don’t trust strangers, and especially don’t trust strangers who work for the Council. 

Damn you and your big mouth… 

________________________________________

One reason why your worksite is prime real estate is that despite its proximity to the underground, it’s free from the omnipresent chem-smog. Any smells that don’t belong are carried far and wide in the fresh, untainted air. 

When you arrive at the wall, you're greeted by the scent of cheap cigarette smoke. There’s no one on the ground, so you look up to confirm: on the roof is the man from yesterday, smoking. He’s all sharp angles even as he slouches with one arm on the ledge.

A warm feeling of relief blooms in your chest. Thank Janna you didn’t scare him off.

Your unexpected eagerness to talk to him makes you clumsy. All your supplies tumble out of your hands onto the scissor lift. You clamber onto it and trip, almost crashing into the 'ascend' button.

His eyes track your progress upwards, and you’re suddenly struck by the urge to fiddle with your paints. 

When you’re finally level with him, you eye him shyly. “You came back.”

He doesn’t respond, looking down his nose at you. Finally, he drops his cigarette and grinds it underneath his boot. 

“I seem to owe you my gratitude, again, for not taking the opportunity to send Enforcers to hunt me down,” his smile this time is somewhat guarded. It touches his lips but doesn’t quite reach his eyes. 

“Don’t want to make their jobs easier for them,” you reply with a small grin. 

“Why, thank you so much for thinking of me,” he says with a light sarcasm. The ends of his lips twitch upwards. “I would hate to be taken away before having the privilege of knowing your name.” 

You give it to him. He extends his hand out for you to shake. 

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Silco.”

Chapter 2

[waitimcomingtoo]

I’m Not Half as Bad as You’ve Been Told

Pairing: Loki x Reader

Synopsis: Loki is arrested by the TVA for what he did to you 

This can be read on it’s own or as a spin off of in case you don’t live forever

Masterlist

Loki woke up in the Gobi Dessert in Mongolia after being ejected from the sky. The last thing he remembered was taking the tesseract after getting caught by the Avengers in New York. When he opened his eyes, he was met with four armed guards with their weapons pointed at them.

“Hunter B-15 with the Time Variance Authority here. Appears to be a standard sequence violation.” Hunter B-15 read off a small monitor. “Oh and look at that, you’re one of the TVA’s most wanted.”

“I beg your pardon?” Loki asked as he got off the ground.

“Hands up.” Hunter B-15 raised her weapon. “You’re coming with us.”

Before Loki could protest, he was knocked out and had a collar placed around his neck. He was brought to the TVA headquarters and handed off to Agent Mobius after being screened.

“Loki Laufeyson. I’m agent Mobius.” Mobius introduced himself as Loki tugged at his collar. “I hear the Time Keepers find you guilty of tampering with the sacred timeline.”

“The what?” Loki huffed.

“The sacred timeline. Looks like you stole the tesseract and committed crimes against the midgardian Y/n L/n.” The Mobius read off Loki’s file.

“Y/n?” Loki stumbled back at the unexpected mention of your name. “This is about her?”

“That’s part of your charges, yes. You’ll be given more details at your trial. But I’d ike to have a talk with you first. Come this way.” Mobius nodded towards the side and lead Loki to a room with a projector on a long conference table.

“What does this have to do with Y/n? Where is she? Is she all right?” Loki asked as he took a seat behind the projector. He had worried about you since the day you left him, even after you told him you never wanted to see him again.

“She’s fine.” Mobius assured him. “Even after you got a hold of her.”

“Is she here?” Loki hoped. “Could I see her?”

“No.” Mobius answered, making Loki’s face crumple. “She’s on Earth. You know, her home.”

“I know Midgard is her home.” Loki narrowed his eyes. “I also know how much she hated it there. But this all happened ages ago. Why am I being arrested for it now?”

“Well when you took the tesseract from its set path, the TVA was alerted and noticed that this wasn’t your first offense of tampering with the sacred time line. They saw that Y/n L/n never made it back to earth in 2019 after going to Asgard to retrieve the Aether. It went undetected at the time since the Aether made it back to earth like it was supposed to. She was supposed to go back as well, but she never made it. You were the one that kept her there.”

“How is that a crime?” Loki asked. “She wanted to stay with me. She was happy! She was happy on Asgard.”

“Was she?” Mobius raised his eyebrows and turned on the screen. “Because I think she was taken from her family, friends and home. Maybe I’m mistaken, though. Let’s take a look.”

Mobius pressed a button on a remote, and a projection appeared in front of them. Mobius began to fast forward through the foundational moments in Loki’s life until he got to what he was looking for. Loki watched in shock as an image of you, Thor, and Rocket creeping around a pillar in his home appeared on the screen. He wanted to shut his eyes and look away, but it had been so long since he’d seen you. He didn’t have the strength to look away from you now.

“I’m sure you remember why she was there.” Mobius said as he watched the scene unfold. “All she wanted was the infinity stone. She was trying to save the world. She missed her boyfriend and wanted to undo all the damage that Thanos had done. You couldn’t let her do that, could you?”

“The stone still made it back to earth.” Loki protested. “She said herself that she wasn’t an important part of the plan. And her “boyfriend” was nothing but dust particles. She-“

“Shh.” Mobius waved his hand. “The shows about to begin.”

Loki painfully returned his attention to the screen right as your first introduction played out. It was your job to distract Loki while Thor and Rocket collected the Aether.

Asgard 2013

“Who goes there?” Loki cringed at the sound of his own voice. He watched Rocket and Thor hide behind a pillar while you went out into the open. You walked into a room and found Loki lying on a couch, tossing something in the air and catching it. Loki sat up when he saw you, immediately on high alert.

“Who are you?” He demanded. “How did you get in here?”

“I’m so sorry, but my friends and I are here for the festival and I just had to sneak away to find you.” You gushed, trying to it best to look innocent. Loki took long strides towards you as he took in your appearance, highly skeptical of your story.

“My brother isn’t here.” Loki informed you, his voice thick with annoyance. “So you should best be on your way.”

“I’m not here for your brother.” You said coyly. You held his gaze as you signaled for Thor and Rocket to move to the next room.

“You’re here for me?” He cleared his throat to mask the disbelief in his voice. You nodded sweetly as Thor and Rocket snuck past you.

“Of course. My friends are obsessed with your brother, but I’ve always loved you. Won’t you show me a magic trick?” You batted your eyes flirtatiously, making a slight smirk appear on Loki’s face. Meanwhile, the present day Loki was watching the interaction with a pained expression. He remembered how it felt that first time you said you loved him. That was all he needed to hear before falling in love with you just the same.

“A magic trick?” The Loki on screen asked, mischief swirling behind his eyes.

“Well you are the God of Mischief, aren’t you?” You tilted your head to the side and looked at him through your eyelashes. A full, open mouthed smirk dressed his face now. His hand went to yours and it held it up, keeping your wrist tightly between his fingers. Loki brushed the fingers on his other hand over your palm and a diamond appeared. You looked at the beautiful diamond, weightless in your hand, and let out an unexpected gasp.

“Oh, Loki. That’s amazing.” You gave him an over dramatic sigh, but he completely fell for it. “But I don’t care much for diamonds. I haven’t any use for them.”

Loki felt a twinge of competition brewing in his chest, like he had to win your approval. You faked a yawn and his eyes gleamed with determination.

“You don’t like that? Well how about this?” Loki challenged and waved his fingers over your palm again. This time, a flower appeared. It didn’t look like any earthly flower. It was ten times more beautiful and smelled better than anything you had ever smelled before. The flowers colors were green and black with accents of gold, just like Loki’s outfit. You stared at the flower in amazement before looking up shyly at him. If you weren’t mistaken, the God of Mischief had a blush on his cheeks as he watched your face carefully for approval. Loki then picked up the flower and tucked it behind your ear. He began to lean in slightly, but you were interrupted by Thor and Rocket knocking over a vase. You noticed they had the stone and were ready to go. Luckily, you saw them before Loki did.

“What was-“ Loki began to turn his head towards the sound but you quickly put a hand behind his head and pulled him into a kiss. You felt his eyes flutter shut as you opened yours, catching sight of Rocket and Thor pretending to gag out of the corner of your eye. With one hand, you motioned for them to move. They quickly scattered and you pulled away from the kiss. Loki was fully blushing now but doing his best to conceal it, though his best wasn’t good enough. He seemed completely bewildered, making you wonder if he’d ever kissed anyone before. You touched your fingertips to your lips and felt a pang of guilt. This was your first time kissing someone other than Peter Parker in 5 years, and it made you feel guilty with how much you enjoyed it. Loki appeared to be just as lost in his thoughts as you were as he struggled to catch his breath. He ran a hand over the long black hair that you had slightly messed up in the back.

“Thanks for the flower. And for everything else. Bye!” You tried to make a quick escape, but Loki caught your arm.

“Wait!” He pulled you back towards him and looked at you with wide eyes. “Will I see you again?”

“No.” You smiled sadly. “I don’t think you will.”

“You’re not from here, are you?” He asked. “I know a Midgardian when I see one.”

“Good catch.” You let out a short laugh. “No, I’m not from here. I’m not even from this reality. I just needed to borrow something from your present. I’m from Earth, and I really have to get back.”

You tried to leave again, but Loki followed after to you and caught you by the waist. You stumbled back into his arms and blinked in surprise.

“Won’t you stay?” He asked hopefully. “We only just met. Do you have to leave so soon?”

“I do.” You frowned. “I’m sorry. I really need to go home.”

“All right.” Loki reluctantly let go of you. “If you must.”

You looked at him for a moment and chewed on your bottom lip, contemplating what to do. You looked behind you and saw Thor and Rocket preparing to leave. You motioned for them to leave without you before looking back at Loki.

“Do you have a pen?” You asked him.

“A what?”

“To write with.” You chuckled and motioned as of you were writing something down. Loki waved his hand and made a quill appear out of thin air, along with a piece of paper.

“That’ll work.” You shrugged and took the quill. You wrote your name and address down on the paper and handed it to him.

“If you’re ever on earth.” You smiled shyly. “Come find me.”

“I will.” He nodded eagerly.

“I really have to go now.” You said as you looked over your shoulder to where Thor was hiding. You turned back to Loki and gave him one last kiss, surprising the both of you.

“You’ll see me again.” You said softly. “Maybe not in this timeline, but the next.”

“That’s enough.” Loki interrupted, making the screen pause. “I know what happens. And since you’ve been studying me all my life as you claim, so do you. We don’t need to watch anymore.”

“I get it, you’re impatient.” Mobius held up his hands. “We can fast forward. How about we go to the part where you used magic to break her suit? Your brother was able to get back to Earth just fine, but she was stuck on Asgard. All because of you.”

Mobius pointed a remote at the screen and fast forwarding through Loki sneaking you to his bed chambers. He stopped when he got to you and Loki sitting on his silk sheeted bed.

“I don’t know why it won’t work.” You sighed as you touched all the buttons on your suit. “I must’ve run out of Pym Particles or something. I need to fix it so I can get back to Earth.”

“Right, right. Earth.” Loki said with disinterest. “What did you need to borrow anyway?”

“The aether.” You told him as the decor in his room caught your attention. You began to look at all his golden trinkets and stolen objects with awe.

“An infinity stone?” He was taken aback. “But why?”

“In the future, Thanos wipes out half the universe.” You began. “I’m on a recovery mission with the rest of the Avengers to collect the Infinity Stones to undo what he did. We’re trying to bring all the people back.”

“Half the people in the universe gone?” He gasped. “That sounds awful.”

“It is.” You stilled for a moment. “Honestly, I’m miserable. Absolutely miserable. All my family vanished. My boyfriend is gone. Half the Avengers are gone. The sky isn’t even blue anymore. It’s horrible.”

“So you aren’t happy there?” Loki asked as he walked over to you, a little jealousy bubbling when you mentioned a boyfriend.

“I hate it.” You admitted. “Everywhere I turn, I’m reminded of what I lost. That’s why it’s so important that we bring everyone back.”

“But what if your plan fails?” Loki wondered. “What if you don’t bring back all the stones? Or what if you do, but it doesn’t bring anyway back?”

“Then I don’t know what I’d do.” You shrugged sadly. “This plan is all I have. If it fails…”

“You don’t even want to think about that, do you?” He finished your sentence when you trailed off. You looked at him and nodded softly, grateful that he understood.

“Yeah.” You said quietly. “It’s too hard to imagine.”

“See?” Loki interrupted again. “She was miserable on Earth. She said it herself. I was trying to save her from a lifetime of misery.”

“I think you’re forgetting something.” Mobius reminded him.

“Forgetting what?” Loki scoffed.

“The plan worked.” Mobius said. “Thor brought the Aether back to her original timeline, and the Avengers were able to bring everyone back. She was supposed to go too, but she was left on Asgard. That was your first offense with the TVA.”

“Oh, screw the TVA.” Loki slammed his hand on the table. “She didn’t want to go back to Earth. She was unhappy there.”

“Is that why you told her Earth was destroyed?” Mobius asked. Loki stilled and sank in his seat as he was reminded of his lies. Mobius fast forwarded again, but didn’t play another scene. Instead, he paused on a clip of you looked utterly devestated. Loki had to look away, not wanting to see you in that much pain.

“Now, I’m not gonna play this part.” Mobius shook his head. “Because even I find it hard to watch. But you need to know what you did, so I’ll remind you.”

“You don’t need to do this.” Loki seethed. “I know what I did. I know what I told her.”

“Fine, then.” Mobius shrugged. “Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

Loki sucked in a sharp breath before looking back at the screen. The image of your desolate expression had never left his memory, so he really didn’t need to see it again to be reminded of what he had done.

“She tried to leave again.” Loki began as he stared at the screen. “I knocked her out with my magic. When she woke up, I told her Thanos had destroyed Earth and everyone on it. I said there was nothing left for her to return to.”

“She was devestated.” Mobius said quietly.

“I know she was.” Loki snapped. “She cried for a month straight.”

“So why’d you do it?” Mobius put his hands on his hips. “Why did you lie to her?”

“I didn’t want her to go.” Loki admitted, growing disgusted with himself. “I wanted her to stay with me on Asgard. She wouldn’t want to go back to Earth if she thought there was no Earth to go back to.”

“Why keep her?” Mobius wondered. “You barely knew her. Why hold her hostage like that?”

“She wasn’t held hostage.” Loki growled. “She was safe and loved and happy. No one on Asgard was taken better care of than she was. And I may not have known here when she first arrived, but we became inseparable after a while. We were almost married, for Odin’s sake. I’ll show you.”

Loki grabbed the remote from Mobius and pressed a button, fast forwarding until he found what he was looking for.

“Look.” Loki proudly pointed to the screen. “Watch this.”

He pressed play and watched as a memory of you and him played out on the screen.

“Where are we going?” You asked as Loki lead you somewhere with his hands over your eyes.

“Almost there. So impatient.” He clicked his tongue.

“You’ve taken me around the whole palace.” You chuckled. “I have a right to be impatient.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Loki stopped walking but didn’t remove his hands. “All right. We’re here.”

You pulled his hands off of your face and found yourself in front of two large green doors.

“Wow.” You said sarcastically. “Doors.

“Open the doors.” He rolled his eyes. You gave him a playful look over your shoulder before pushing the doors open.

“Oh my God.” You gasped when the doors opened. The room was decorated from ceiling to floor with all kinds of Asgardian wildlife. I’m the center of the room, your name was spelled out in the flower Loki had presented you with on the day you met. There was a running waterfall that cascading from the ceiling to the ground, leaving a soothing babbling sound throughout the room.

“It’s yours.” Loki said as he watched your reaction. “You mentioned once that you always wanted a garden. Now you do.”

“Oh, Loki.” You turned around and rushed into his arms. He stumbled back in surprise before hugging you back tightly.

“This is the nicest thing anyones ever done for me.” You mumbled against his chest.

“Well, you’ve been so upset lately. I wanted to cheer you up.” He said as he stroked your hair. It had been a month since he lied to you and told you that Earth was destroyed, and you were finally starting to act like yourself again.

“Thank you.” You pulled away to look at him. “I love it. It’s beautiful.”

“I truly hope you like it, darling.” He said softly as he brushed your cheek with his thumb. “It’s all yours.”

You looked into his eyes for a moment before your gaze fell to his lips. Since your last kiss, Loki had brought you food and kept you company every day. You had a built up a friendship with him since arriving to Asgard, but now you felt differently. There was a connection from the very first day, but it had gotten lost in your lament over your planets alleged destruction. Now, there was nothing stopping you from feeling that connection again. You hesitated before leaning it to kiss him. Just like last time, you felt his eyes flutter shut before he kissed you back. His hands cupped your face as you reached your arms around his neck. Loki watched your first kiss on the screen with a proud but mournful smile.

“Isn’t that something?” Mobius said as he paused the screen. Loki blinked back to reality and wiped his face, not realizing until that moment he had been crying.

“That scene speaks for itself.” Loki cleared his throat and tried to act like he hadn’t been crying. “You can see how happy she was. She loved that garden. And she loved me.”

“I don’t doubt that.” Mobius nodded. “But it’s hard to see past the fact that your entire relationship was built on a lie. She was only with you because she thought her home was destroyed.”

“She was with me for three years.” Loki said sharply. “The lie may have kept her there in the beginning, but she stayed willingly after that. She wanted to be on Asgard. She wanted to be with me.”

“Maybe. But she wasn’t supposed to be.” Mobius reminded him. “That wasn’t her timeline. She was supposed to be on Earth. She was supposed to be with Peter.”

“Peter?” Loki sputtered in disdain. “Peter Parker? Her little boyfriend from when she was a teenager?”

“In most time lines, they end up together.” Mobius said, knocking the wind out of Loki’s chest. “She went on that mission because she wanted to bring him back. Do you think she would have stayed, even for a second, if she knew her boyfriend Peter was alive back on Earth?”

“She told me they were 17 when the Thanos wiped out half the universe. That means Peter would’ve been 17 when he returned. She was 22 when she came to Asgard. She hadn’t been his girlfriend for 5 years. She had grown up. Her life went on. They would’ve had nothing in common anymore.”

“But she was supposed-“

“Who cares what she was supposed to do?” Loki snapped. “Why does the TVA get to decided what she was supposed to do or where she was supposed to be?”

“They’re the Time Keepers. They make the rules. And the rules say you can’t take someone from a different timeline and marry them. Oh, that reminds me.”

“Reminds you of what?”

“Your punishment. Mobius pressed a different button and a cloudy box appeared. “Go in there while I get the rest of your files.”

“What? I’m not going in there.” Loki scoffed.

“Don’t make me get the guards.” Mobius sighed. Loki clenched his jaw and looked at the ceiling, not wanting to be overpowered by the guards again. He reluctantly stood up, gave Mobius a sarcastic smile, and went through the cloudy portal.

As soon as Loki stepped through the portal, he stepped into his bedroom back on Asgard. He took another step forward, just as something stirred in his sheets. You sat up all the sudden, hair messy and wearing Loki’s horned crown. It was too big for your head and hung in your eyes, but the sight still took Loki’s breath away.

“Y/n?” Loki gasped and stepped forward.

“Hi.” You said before yawning. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Go ahead.” Loki nodded eagerly. He failed to see how this was a punishment. It had been so long since he last saw you that this felt more like a reward.

“I want our wedding to be earth themed.” You told him as you took his hands in yours.

“Our…our wedding?” Loki asked. He looked around the room and realized that he was not actually with you, but reliving a memory from years ago.

“Yeah.” You smiled shyly. “I just miss it so much. I want it to be a part of our special day.”

Loki found himself at a loss for words. He knew that when this memory originally happened, he had continued to lie to you and lead you to believe Earth had been destroyed. This time, he knew better and kept his mouth shut.

“We could have sunflowers.” You continued. “That was my favorite flower back on earth. And we could serve earth food and play earth music and-“

“Of course darling.” He cut you off and squeezed your hand. “Whatever you want. We will have it all.”

“Thank you. And if it’s not too much to ask, I want a minute of silence where everyone lights a candle.” You said quietly. “For Peter.”

Loki gulped and forced a smile, that line causing him just as much pain now as it did then.

“Of course.”

“Thank you.” You stood up from the bed and hugged him tightly. Loki hugged you back with a troubling frown on his face. He had forgotten how guilty he felt every time he had to lie to you. He pulled away and brought you into a long kiss, wordlessly trying to convey that he loved you and was sorry.

“I can’t wait. I can’t tell you how much I miss earth.” You sighed against his lips.

“Mm hm.” He gulped.

“I just wish I could’ve seen it one last time.” You frowned, eyes growing tearful. “I feel so guilty all the time. I would’ve died too if I had gone back with Thor when I was supposed to.”

“Then it’s a good thing you didn’t go.” Loki said weakly, knowing Thor was very much alive in your timeline back on Earth.

“I know.” You sighed. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to shake the survivors guilt. It makes me sick sometimes.”

Loki stayed silent as he fingers drummed against your waist. Before he could respond, his body jerked back and he suddenly reentered the room.

“Hi.” You said before yawning. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Loki looked behind him before looking back at you. The memory played all over again, forcing him to lie to you once again. When you told him how guilty you felt, he was sent back and had to relive the moment over again. Each time he had to lie to you, he felt more disgusted with himself. After the thirteenth time, he had enough.

“I just wish I could’ve seen it one last time.” You frowned, eyes growing tearful. “I feel so guilty all the time. I would’ve died too if I had gone back with Thor when I was supposed to.”

“I lied to you.” He admitted. “Earth was never destroyed. Thor and all the Avengers and your family, they’re all fine.”

“What?” You blinked in confusion.

“I’m not your savior. I didn’t save you from anything. I stole you from your time line because I fell in love with you the moment we met. You were the first person to show a a genuine interest in me, and I took advantage of that. And for that, I am deeply, deeply sorry.”

“Oh, Loki.” You sighed and stroked his face. “It’s too late for that.”

“What?” He frowned as he wrapped his hand around your wrist to keep your palm against his face.

“I’m not even here.” You whispered.

“All right Loki.” Mobius walked through the portal before Loki could answer you. “I got the rest of your files. Let’s go.”

“But…I can’t just leave her.” Loki held on to you tightly.

“She’s not even real.” Mobius shrugged as he held up his remote. It pulled Loki back through the portal and he stumbled back into his seat.

“Here’s the last one.” Mobius said, but Loki wasn’t listening. He was still thinking about how it felt to touch you one last time. He blinked back a tear before looking up at the screen. You were there once again, talking to one of the new maids.

“Oh, I wasn’t born here.” He heard you telling the maid. “I’m from Earth.”

“A midgardian?” The maid smiled. “Wow. You’re quite far from home.”

“I know.” You smiled sadly. “I miss it every day. But I’m happy here. I’m really happy with Loki.”

“If you miss it, why don’t you go back?” The maid asked, making Loki suck in a breath. He knew exactly what was coming.

“Go back?” You furrowed your eyebrows. “What do you mean? Earth was destroyed three years ago.”

“No it wasn’t.” The nurse laughed. “Earth is fine.”

The audio faded out as you turned to look at Loki. He felt like you were looking right through him, down to his rotten soul. Your face was frozen in horror and betrayal as you finally learned the truth. Three years after arriving on Asgard, you found out your home hadn’t been destroyed after all. It was all a lie. A lie told to you by the man you thought you loved.

“Stop.” Loki choked out. “Stop it. Turn it off.”

Mobius paused the screen and looked at Loki in silence. To his surprise, Loki was wiping his tears off on the sleeves of his jumpsuit. His eyes were red and full of remorse as he looked up at the screen.

“I don’t need it see it again.” He whispered. “I know she trusted me. I know I betrayed her. I did that.”

“So you understand why the TVA is arresting you?” Mobius asked softly. “You didn’t just steal the tesseract. You stole that girl from her reality. Even if she loved you, she was never supposed to be with you.”

Loki nodded before hanging his head in shame. He knew what he had done was wrong. He knew it the entire time he was doing it. Even though he betrayed you out of his love for you, he still betrayed you.

“You’re right.” Loki said sincerely. “She was never mine to keep. Never mine to lose either.”

“No, she wasn’t.” Mobius agreed as he watched Loki curiously. The look of utter remorse on Loki’s face was out of character after everything Mobius had studied about him.

“Could you just tell me if she’s all right?” Loki sniffled. “That’s all I ask. Is she okay?”

“She’s fine.” Mobius answered. “She’s fighting for the Avengers again and reunited with her family.”

“Is she still miserable?”

“No.” Mobius smiled a little. “Not anymore.”

“And…and Peter?” His voice was barely audible now.

“Don’t worry about that.” Mobius told him. “It won’t do you any good. And for what it’s worth, there are timelines that exists where she stays. There’s even a timeline where you two are alligators and rule a kingdom in a lake.”

Loki smiled too, grateful that you were able to move on after his betrayal. Mobius furrowed his eyebrows at the sight of Loki genuinely caring about another human being, something he was not used to seeing.

“I could show you one more thing.” Mobius offered sympathetically. Loki reluctantly looked back at the screen as the man his play. To his surprise, all the good moments of his relationship with you flashed before him. All the kisses and laughter, fond smiles and endearing moments played on the screen, bringing tears to his eyes. He leaned toward on the table to get as close to you as possible, reaching out towards you with his shackled hands. The screen went blank suddenly, and his smile fell.

“They’re ready for you.” Mobius said as he checked his phone. “I can take you to the court now.”

Loki stayed silent as he was lead to the courtroom and sat in front of the judge. All he could think about was the moments of happiness he had been able to relive.

“Loki Laufeyson.” The judge brought his attention back. “How do you plead?

Loki blinked a few times, your smile flashing before him each time he closed his eyes. He thought about he had caused that smile to fade with every lie he told, and that’s when he knew he had his answer. He looked the judge right in the eye and entered his plea.

“Guilty.”

[powpowpunchout]

You’ll Know Eventually

Tiger rested against the ledge of the balcony of Bald Bull’s home. The dull, beige stone railings were freezing to the touch, but it felt nice after such a long day. He slowly closed his eyes as a gentle, evening breeze touched his face.

He still hasn’t changed out of his boxing attire. His body felt so sticky, his limbs ached, but he’ll be okay. He can teleport home whenever he wants and shower then, so there was no need to rush. Bull wanted to have him over for a small celebration, something Tiger could never refuse, and he’d hate to leave so early in the night.

Water from the pool in Bull’s garden was hitting the edges, and the sound of running water from the small fountains underneath the balcony filled the silence of the night. It was rather loud, all that splashing and splattering, yet there was something soothing about it.

Tiger opened his eyes again, they lingered in Bull’s backyard, which was surrounded by so many plants that Bull had no need for fences. Thick bushes with all sorts of flowers sprouting from them, low, crooked trees with branches that twisted and curved in such peculiar ways it made them look fluid, vines wrapping themselves around anything and everything, and flowers. Hundreds upon hundreds of flowers. At least, that’s what it looked like to Tiger.

Portions of the garden were lit up by lanterns hung on nearby trees. The lights would shine through colored glass and tint bits of the garden with hues of purples and blues. There were several more lanterns under the balcony, Tiger recalled. And whatever those lanterns couldn’t reach? The plants that were just out of their grasps? The soft, teal light of the pool made sure to illuminate them.

It all made for a wonderful scenery, and a wonderful way to keep the paparazzi out.

Tiger glanced to the side. A long, winding vine that had wrapped themselves around the pickets of the rails had caught his attention. The last time Tiger was here, the vines were still crawling around underneath the balcony. They had covered nearly every inch of the ceiling and had fresh grapes dangling from them. It seems they’re now working their way up here.

Tiger stared at the tip of the vine, noticing something small poking out from under the leaves. Grapes. Tiny, unripe grapes.

Tiger raised his hand. The vine raised with it.

With two fingers, he beckoned a berry to come forward. One plucked itself and flew to him.  

He let it hover in front of his face. As it slowly rotated, Tiger peered through its thin, purple skin. He could vaguely make out the lights of the distant city.

“You’re rather quiet for a winning man.” Tiger heard Bull say from behind, “Did the paparazzi tire you out that much?”

Tiger flicked the berry away. He watched it fly past the plants and disappear into the darkness, “It’s late.”

“If you need to return home, I do not mind.”

“Not that late.”

Bull chuckled and joined Tiger’s side. He set his small plate of sweet pastries on the railing before resting against it. They stared out into the night, the warm, orange light coming through the door basked their backs.

“Would you like me to get you something to eat?” Bull offered.

“No, no. I’m fine.”

Tiger pressed his lips together, thinking for a moment.

“I had a rather… Strange conversation before my fight today.” Tiger finally said, “Well, the conversation was normal, but everything else felt off.”

“Who were you talking to?”

“Octave.”

“Really now?” Bull’s brows went up, “I have heard he has quite the personality.”

“Yes, that’s just it. Hondo’s told me before of his behavior and–oh, I’m sure everyone’s heard of his attitude, I’ve even witnessed a couple of arguments he’s had in the past, so it’s just…” Tiger twisted the end of his mustache, “...Peculiar.”

Bull was quiet for a second more.

“Why don’t you talk to him?”

Tiger whipped his head around, “Pardon?”

“You’re going back to the stadium tomorrow, aren’t you?”

“Yes, a couple of photoshoots, an interview, the usual.”

“So if Overload is there tomorrow, talk to him. Perhaps he is in a rough spot, perhaps no one has given him the chance.” Bull grabbed a baklava from his plate, bits of the top layer flaking off, “You never know what could happen if you take the time to know him. Even just a little bit. That’s how we became friends, afterall.”

As Bull bit into the pastry, Tiger faced the distant city again.

Maybe Bull’s right.

Maybe he should talk to him.

It never hurts to try.

~ ~ ~

Tiger rubbed his eyes as he drifted through the halls.

It was early.

Far too early.

Yet here he was.

In the stadium.

At 7 in the morning.

Perhaps he was being a bit dramatic. That wasn’t too early of a time, especially compared to when others arrived, but he still had to wake up at five in the morning. The fact anyone is expected to wake up so soon should be considered a crime. It certainly didn’t help that he had to get ready for the day ‘manually’  because his magic was of no use so early.

Oh, sure, his magic still worked, but it didn’t work well. It still had to ‘wake up’ with him, which always took an hour or so. A long. Painful. Hour.

It was one of the main reasons mornings were so dreadful, right on top of having to drag himself out of his warm, comfortable bed.

Tiger could go on and on about how pesky his magic was at the crack of dawn. If he wanted something summoned to him? His gym bag, his boxing attire, his breakfast? There’d always be ‘hiccups’. They’d rather appear twenty feet away, appear inside out or upside down–he’s lost count of the times his food had fallen to the floor–and sometimes he’d be given the wrong thing entirely!

If he wanted to levitate an item? His magic would just decide to stop doing that, letting even more things fall to the ground.  

And if he wanted to teleport? Forget it.

There’d be mornings he’d want to teleport into the bathroom, only to end up on his roof. Sometimes he’d want to teleport to his microwave to turn the accursed timer off, only for his magic to whisk him away into Bald Bull’s kitchen of all places.

The number of times he’s randomly appeared in Bull’s home is embarrassing.

And don’t get him started on his clones. The only reason he’d ever want to summon a clone as soon as he gets out of bed is if he wanted to scare himself awake.

Yet despite all those troubles, he still loves his magic. He can’t imagine a day without it.

Tiger heard chatter up ahead. His eyes flickered up. Two staff members were making their way down the green hall. Tiger raised himself into the air a bit more and flew over them.

The smell of coffee hit his face. His eyes widened. He looked back down to see the cups the members were holding.

Oh, coffee. That sounds wonderful right now. Does he have time to get a cup? Two cups? Bull’s going to be training this morning, he could definitely get him tea. What time was that interview again?

“At 1.” A clone of Tiger suddenly appeared below him, swimming on their back.

Perfect! He could teleport to the second floor, have a clone wait in line for him, then–

Wait a moment.

Why in blazes was he here so early if he didn’t have to arrive until 1?!

Another clone popped up beside him, “You wanted to see Overload.”

Please, Octave was always going to be here, it wasn't like he was going off to another stadium any time soon. If he couldn’t find Octave today–or simply didn’t have the time to–he can wait another day.

Tiger cursed to himself. He could’ve slept in. He could’ve taken his time getting up. He could’ve waited for his magic to adjust. But no. Here he is. Six hours earlier than he needs to be. He can’t believe Bull convinced him to do this.

“You were the one who agreed to the idea.” A third clone said from behind.

A fourth appeared in front of him, “And you were the one who woke yourself up at 5AM.”

He’s had enough of his clones’ nonsense. He shooed them away and continued flying onwards.

If Octave wasn’t here, he’ll teleport to Bull and watch him train, or see who else was roaming around at this hour.

Tiger turned the corner. Then he stopped.

There he was.

In the middle of the hall, leaning against the wall in his boxing outfit was Octave.

Tiger made his way over. He cleared his throat.

“Good morning.”

Octave lifted his head up and brushed the hair out of his face, “Hey.”

Tiger couldn’t help but notice Octave looked a tad bit… Messier than usual. Was he in a rush this morning? Did he not have the time to brush his hair and part it the way he tends to? Or to properly tie his laces? His black pants weren’t properly tucked into his gray boots either.

Was it rude of him to make these observations? Who was he to judge anyhow? He completely understood the pain of getting ready before the sun was up.

“I didn’t expect to see you here so early.” Tiger said.

“Yeah. Promised t’help Aran with some stuff.” Octave faced the dark gray door that stood across from them.

Tiger nodded.

Then he just…

Hovered there.

Like a child’s forgotten balloon.

Did he… Seriously not think of a conversation for the two of them to have? No ideas for small talk? Nothing? He can’t just leave the interaction at that. There’s got to be something they could talk about. Something they have in common…

Boxing!

‘Not everyone’s life revolves around boxing!’

They’re both boxers! What else could they talk about? The weather?

‘The sun is certainly in the sky today, isn’t it?’

Tiger could feel his magic trying to summon clones to argue with him, but he contained himself.

Maybe he could ask Octave about what he and Aran were going to do? What plans he has for the day? If he liked coffee? Tea? Something–anything–was better than this painful silence!

“Your uh, ya gem is doin’ a thing.” Octave motioned at his forehead. Tiger jolted and quickly slapped his hand over his gem.

Cursed thing must’ve been flashing madly.

“Apologies. It happens when I’m tired.” Tiger partially lied.

“Right.” Octave scratched at his stubble, “Saw ya fight yesterday, some good stuff. Told ya you had it.”

“Ah, thank you.” Tiger put his hand down, “That man did manage to get a few good hits on me at the start. I was quite worried he’d put up a challenge, but I figured him out fairly quickly.”

“Almost thought the guy was runnin’ into ya fists on purpose. Kept chargin’ at ya like some sorta spazz.”

Tiger chuckled and twirled the tip of his mustache, “Well, at least he was a fair fighter.”

“C’mon, that shouldn’t even be–”

The door swung open.

It hit the wall. The stench of old garbage and pipe water filled the hall as Aran walked in, his face covered by a beaten up box he was carrying.

Now Tiger wasn’t sure if he was that exhausted, but didn’t Aran wear that same purple tank top and green shorts yesterday? And the day before that? And the day before–actually. Never mind. Tiger really didn’t want to think about this anymore.

“I thought y’were gonna hold th’door open.” Aran grumbled as he slammed the door shut with his foot.

“Ya said to wait by th’door.” Octave said without a hint of care.

“Common sense, y’idiot!” Aran shoved his face into Octave’s, “Do I gotta tell ye how t’walk as well? How t’breathe outta that big nose?”

Aran stopped. He whipped his head over to Tiger, showing off a disgusting bruise on his cheek, “Why’s kitty ‘ere?”

Tiger threw his brows up. That was certainly a nickname.

“I was only saying ‘hi’ to Overload.” He huffed.

“Whatev’r.” Aran stormed down the hall and let out a sharp whistle, “C’mon.”

Octave grit his teeth. He grumbled to himself before following Aran, thumbs wrapped around his belt.

Tiger tagged along as well. He knew Aran wasn’t talking to him, but he was curious about whatever was in the box. Maybe if he flew at juuuust the right angle, he could catch a glimpse inside.

“Heard ye got a mouthful from Macho Man.” Aran flashed a smirk at Octave.

“Heard ya ate dirt at’cha fight yesterday.” Octave shot back.

Aran scowled. He stayed quiet for just a second more before he started dragging his feet across the floors, creating an awful, piercing squeaking sound. Tiger cringed with each squeak that violated his ears. He looked down and watched Octave’s hands curl to fists.

Tiger considered teleporting away before things got uglier. He got his small talk. It went well. He can talk to Octave another time. But before he could do anything, Octave turned to him.

“Ya been to the trainin’ room?”

“No, not yet. Why?”

“Wanted t’know if anyone was in there. Be great t’work out without a bunch’a other guys hoggin’ it up.”

“I know Bald Bull will be there eventually. What time were you thinking of going?”

“As soon as Aran’s finished with his junk.” Octave glanced back at the Irish man, who was finally walking like a normal person again.

“Yes, and what’s…” Tiger hovered just a bit closer to Aran, “What exactly is in the box?”

Aran hunched over the box and snarled–snarled?!--at Tiger. Tiger backed away.

“It’s stuff for Macho Man.” Octave said, which earned him a hard shove from Aran.

“Go announce it t’da world, why don’t ye?”

Octave shoved him back harder. Whatever was in that box hit the side and made a loud THUD. That only made Tiger’s curiosity worse.

Octave turned back to Tiger, “But yeah, after I help Aran with whatev’ah, I’m gonna be spendin’ the whole day trainin’.” He flexed his arms, “Got that fight comin’ up with Don, ‘n I’m feelin’ a lucky streak comin’ on.”

Aran scoffed and muttered something. Octave glared.

“Got somethin’ ya wanna say, schmuck?”

“C’mon, ye been stuck behind Rosey forev’r. When ye gon’ stop kiddin’ yerself?” Aran said through chuckles.

“Ay, I beat that last guy–”

“Cause he was an idiot.”

Octave rolled his eyes, “Anyways, would be great to get a couple’a swings at that stupid face.” He threw a few punches into the air.

Their walking slowed as they approached the locker room’s door. Aran stood beside it and shifted the box around, making sure it wouldn’t slip out of his arms, “A’right, let’s hurry it up before Macho gets ‘ere. Y’could make yerself useful ‘n actually hold th’door open this time.”

Aran then shot a dirty look at Tiger, “And I don’t wanna kitty ov’r ‘ere rattin’ us out. Git outta ‘ere. Shoo!” He swatted away at Tiger as if he were a pesky fly.

Tiger stuck his nose up, offended by such a gesture, “I was going to head off anyways, I have no interest in whatever childish activities you have planned, Ryan.”

Tiger’s gem flashed, but before he teleported away, he faced Octave one last time, “It was nice talking with you, I hope you have a good day.”

Octave blinked, “Yeah. See ya around.”

And with that, Tiger vanished. Off to finally get coffee for himself and Bull.

~ ~ ~

“And a cup of joe for Joe!” The barista said as she handed the coffee to Glass joe. She looked a little too proud of that joke.

Glass Joe flashed her a smile and gave a quick ‘Thank you’ before leaving the coffee stand. He swears, everytime he hears that ‘cup of joe’ line, he wants to throw himself off the stadium. Oh, what a wonderful life anyone who isn’t named ‘Joe’ must have. Blissfully unaware of the suffering he goes through.

Joe threw one end of his red scarf around his neck as he walked through the backyard of the stadium, or the ‘Garden’, which Joe loved the sound of more. Despite how deceptively wonderful it seemed today, the bright blue sky, the colorful flowers, the dew-covered grass, it was actually rather nippy out, but Joe didn’t mind. It’ll make the hot coffee all the more enjoyable.

Of course, he had to let it cool. He hasn’t even taken a sip yet, but the burning pain his poor hands were going through was more than enough to tell him not to drink it.

He used one hand to push his round sunglasses up then took a deep breath. The garden was at its best in the early morning, that was something Joe firmly stood by. There weren’t any crowds rushing around and shouting over each other, instead, it was quiet. The few people who were here were taking it easy, quietly chatting to one another, and actually pushing in the small seats of the white tables before leaving, which is a lot more than he can say during lunch rush.

The small restaurants in the area were setting up for the day, so there weren’t any winding lines, except at the coffee stand, of course. The other places were prepping meals, cleaning their counters, and restocking their supplies. It was always fun to peek through their large windows to see what they were making.

Joe did enjoy his strolls around the restaurants–was that a good word to call them? They didn’t exactly resemble any of those bigger, fancier restaurants Joe had been to before, instead, they looked more like little houses. Their wooden, brick, and stone exteriors, their red and brown roofs, the trimmed windows along their sides, and the lamp posts surrounding them always reminded Joe of the neighborhoods he’d walk through during his free time. It was charming.

Though, as much as he loved the WVBA’s Garden, their food could never compare to the delights served at a local cafe, or the bakeries he and Sandman love to visit.

Joe finally took a sip of his coffee. Warm, but not scalding. It does a body well.

As Joe took another sip, he noticed someone in the distance.

Was that…?

Was that Kaiser up ahead?

Joe’s eyes lit up. It was!

He picked up the pace, but not by too much. He didn’t want to spill his coffee.

Kaiser was sitting at one of the wooden benches reading the paper. How on Earth was he not cold? Sure, it wasn’t freezing, but a beige short sleeved shirt and green khakis? Those things were probably as thin as the newspaper. Joe was wearing his black turtleneck, long red pants, and a scarf and he was still cold!

“Good morning, Kaiser.” Joe said, a hint of melody in his tone.

“Ah.” Kaiser glanced up from his paper before turning the page, “Good morning. Have you come to talk about the article?”

“No, I hardly have the time to–article? What article?” Joe leaned over Kaiser’s shoulder, skimming through the words on the pages.

Kaiser closed the paper then flipped it to the front, pointing to a side column with a picture of a broad man above.

“I saw that Sandman had been mentioned and thought you had read it already.” Kaiser said.

Joe read the column. It was nothing interesting at first, but as it went on and on, he couldn’t help but feel a tick of annoyance. That tick then grew to frustration. Then anger. Then before Joe knew it, he was gripping his cup so tightly coffee was starting to spew from the lid.

This…

This is nonsense.

This is repulsive.

This is absurd!

This is–

~ ~ ~  

“Sandman!” Glass Joe kicked the door to the training room open, “Have you seen this blasphemy!?” He held the newspaper high into the air.

Mr. Sandman stopped his training with Bald Bull and narrowed his eyes.

“I can’t even see it from here.”

Glass Joe sputtered. He gripped the paper tightly and marched his way to the other side of the room.

“You will not believe the audacity some people have!” Joe started as he maneuvered his way between the gym equipment, “This–this egotistical little man, this nobody who lives hundreds of miles away–probably living in some dumpster in an alleyway–dared to talk bad of you!” Joe stepped over the dumbbells scattered around the dark gray floors, “Who gave this man an interview? Who allowed this sick freak to talk? How can–hi Bull–how can people just open their mouth and say such vile things?!”

When Joe finally reached his friend, who was leaning against a red punching bag Bull had been punching, he shoved the paper into his face.

“Behold!”

Sandman grabbed the newspaper and read the column. Bull read over his shoulder.

He then lowered it, “Just some guy with a big mouth. Nothin’ new.”

Joe’s jaw dropped. He sputtered again. He motioned to the paper, then to Sandman, then back to the paper.

“Nothing?!” Joe exclaimed, “That man called you a phony! He accused you of paying your way to the top! This is nothing but slander! What are you going to do about this?”

“Not much. The paper’s already been published.” Sandman shrugged.

“Not that!” Joe snatched the newspaper out of his hands and pointed to the man in the picture, “That! We need to do something about him!”

“I don’t even know who he is.” Sandman said. He glanced at Bull, who shrugged. They both stared at the picture. He was just… Some guy. There wasn’t anything interesting about his name either.

“Don’t you want to say anything back? Defend your title?!”

“I think I’ll just keep helpin’ Bull train.” He gave the punching bag a good smack. Bull grinned.

“Yes, but what if he–”

“Weren’t you the guy who said these sorta people don’t get anywhere in life?”

“Well, yes, but–” Joe’s face grew pink, “It’s different when my friends are roped into it.”

“Hey, I appreciate it.” Sandman went over to his black gym bag that laid against the white cement walls, “But a lotta those guys are all bark no bite. Even if he does get all the way over here, he’s still gotta go through everyone else. I bet he won’t even last a day in the Minor Circuit.”

Bald Bull chuckled.

Joe breathed in. Then out.

“Yes, you’re right.” He unraveled his scarf and placed it over his shoulder, “I suppose I got caught in the moment.” He tucked the newspaper under his arm, “Besides, I’m certain we all know who would win if that man dared to show his face here.”

Joe started to take some steps back and patted the paper, “Now then. I need to return this to Kaiser.”  

Sandman raised a brow, “You stole that from Kaiser?”

“No!” Joe jumped, “I was–I borrowed it. Like I said–I got caught in the moment.”

“So ya got upset and stole from a defenseless boxing teacher, is what you’re sayin’.”

“Oh, you–” Joe was about ready to go off again when he saw that smirk on Sandman’s face, but he restrained himself. He spun around on his heels and headed to the door, “He’s not defenseless! He’s a rank ahead of me!”

“Yeah, yeah. Take care, Joe.” Sandman’s voice echoed through the room. Glass Joe waved goodbye with the paper then slammed the door shut.

With all that being settled, Sandman and Bull went back to training again.

[randalsgrave]

Sweetness and Light: Part Four

Holy absolute shit you guys. I definitely didn't think this would take as long as it did, but uh... 3 months. Yikes. Anyway. I seem to be on this trend of increasing my page count with each chapter, because this one totaled out at 20 pages. I don't think I've ever written that much for one chapter of anything in my life. On the plus side, though, it's pretty much entirely Bob and Katie goodness so THAT'S a vibe👌

Week one starts off about as gracefully as you'd expect it to at TOPGUN. The week, of course, isn't without its bright spots.

BobxFemale!OC. F/C: Kacey Rohl

Word count: 7.3K

WARNINGS: colorful language; not beta-read (we die like men); minor editing

Recommended soundtrack: Turnin' On the Screw - Queens of the Stone Age

***

Week one of training begins with all the grace and elegance of a first-time pilot - that is, to say, rather abruptly and artlessly. Everhardt isn’t there to coddle them with flowery words of motivation and compliments; he’s there to train them, to turn them into the precise, dead-eye warfighters the Navy needs them to be. 

Still, no one’s expecting him to throw them into the fire the way he does.

It’s simple, he says - there will be four areas of instruction, with three weeks of focus dedicated to each one. The first block will focus on air-to-surface; the second on section; the third on division; and the fourth on basic fighter maneuverability, one-on-one sorties - dogfights. 

The last block is what has the class raising a collective eyebrow. Everyone’s read up on the curriculum, researched the course of TOPGUN at one point or another; BFM is the first component of the course, the first thing everyone is expected to master in their time at North Island. 

Everhardt, however, doesn’t see it that way. “The likelihood of you ever winding up in dogfight situations… You probably have better odds of being struck by lightning,” he explains one morning during lecture. “BFM is the exception, the ‘in-case-of-emergency’ set of skills you are expected to have - but likely not going to use. You learn this last under my instruction because, if all else fails, you still have your skill as a pilot to fall back on. However, we’re not here for ‘if all else fails’; we’re here to learn, refine, and master, as much as it takes to perfect ourselves, so that we don’t wind up in those situations.”

And with that, Everhardt not only introduces the class to air-to-surface tactics, but he sets the pace and the tone for the next 13 weeks. We are here to learn, refine, and master. 

And they do. For 12 hours a day, they split their time between class lectures, labs, and hops in their fighter jets (and even then it’s sandwiched between pre-ops and post-ops debrief), working in that endless loop of learning, refining, mastering. Sweating. Straining. Struggling. And that’s not even including PT three times a week, or any of the other trivial Navy bullshit they deal with regularly. It’s just work, on and on and on. 

It’s unlike anything they've done before. Katie - and everybody else, no doubt - looks back on the hardest shit she’s been through, and it all just pales in comparison. OCS? Basic flight training? SERE? It doesn’t hold a candle to TOPGUN, to the paces Everhardt is already putting them through. Two days into the course, they’re already zooming thousands of feet above ground, “dropping bombs” and zeroing in on targets with a precision that’s expected of them in 20 years’ time, much less 20 hours. 

And it’s done, over and over and over again, with this team and that team, in a seemingly-endless cycle of exhaustion and brain-ache, and goddamn, if they all aren’t frazzled by the time they’re halfway through week one. Hell, even Melendez is gassed three days in, and that’s saying something. 

Still, they all know the hardest, the worst, is yet to come. They’re practically hanging on by the seat of their pants, waiting for it to hit them. 

They’re here to learn, and by god, they will learn - but there’s no doubt they’ll get their asses handed to them in the process. 

And every single one of them would be lying if they said that they weren’t nervous.

***

It’s Saturday, the first training-free day they have in North Island. For many, today is a day of rest and relaxation, a day of recovery after the paces Everhardt has already put them through. 

For Katie, it’s the complete opposite. 

While the sky normally calls to her, today, it’s the mountains that do it. She’s up and moving by 07, fresh-faced and bright-eyed for the day of adventuring before her. Coffee’s already racing through her veins like lightning, her hair is double-braided and headbanded, and her backpack is stocked with water and enough granola and trail mix to last her a full day. It might be a little overkill for someone with her level of hiking experience - but given what she’s planning on hiking, she might well need all the snacks she can get. 

The only thing that’s missing now is someone to hike with. 

She grabs her phone off its charger on the nightstand, fires off a blast text. It’s nothing spectacular - a quick blurb reading “Hey, it’s Sand Trap. Planning on driving out and hiking Pyles Peak soon. Anybody wanna tag along?” With how early it is and how much of a beating they took on yesterday’s hop, Katie’s not expecting much of a response, if any. 

At first, she’s right. Her first reply is from Fanboy, a brief “Gonna pass, too tired. Thanx tho.” Her second reply isn’t even a reply, really - more of a notification that Halfpint’s left her on read. After that, it’s one response or the other from the few other classmates she’s gotten phone numbers from. 

Fuck it. Clearly, no one else is up or interested. Looks like Katie’s on her own for this. 

And then her phone dings with another reply. 

It’s from Bob. “Sure,” his response reads. “I’ll need a few minutes because I just woke up, but I’ll go.”

Well, how about that. There are signs of life. 

Katie smiles softly as she picks up her phone to reply. “All good,” she types. “Can meet you downstairs if you’d like.”

“Sounds good. Should I bring/pack anything?”

“Water, for sure. Snacks if you got em, but if not I have plenty of trail mix and granola.”

“Okay. Yeah, I don’t have anything so I’ll take you up on the trail mix offer.”

“No worries. I’ll see you in the lobby in 5.”

“Okay.”

And just like that, Katie has herself a hiking buddy. Even better, it’s Bob. She’s been meaning to interact more with him; he may be more on the quiet side, but he still strikes her as someone with a lot to say - and honestly, she wants to hear what it is. She’s already looking forward to this immensely. 

She shoulders her backpack, grabs her keys and sunglasses, and heads for the lobby, palms drumming an absentminded rhythm on her thighs as she rides the elevator down. She wonders if Bob is as avid of a hiker as she is, wonders if he’s looking forward to this hike just as much as she is. Curious, indeed. 

Downstairs, she’s the only one in the lobby who isn’t staff - but not for long. Two minutes after making herself comfortable on one of the couches near the front desk, Bob appears in her line of sight, wearing a loose gray t-shirt, gym shorts, running sneakers, and what looks like a Camelbak swollen with water, looking for all the world like he’s still trying to wake up - and good lord, if Katie doesn’t find that just the tiniest bit adorable. 

“You weren’t kidding about just waking up, huh?” Katie asks with a chuckle. “You look like you’re still half-asleep.”

Bob groans, removes his glasses and swipes a hand across his eyes. “I definitely feel it,” he replies, voice deep and heavily laced with sleep. “The hike’ll help. At least, I think it will.”

“It will. You’ll probably be tired afterwards, but at least you’ll be awake during it.”

“I’ll take it.”

“Awesome.” Ignoring the semi-awkward pause in conversation, Katie lets her gaze drift towards the breakfast bar in the back corner of the lobby, curls her bottom lip thoughtfully. Food-food sounds like a good idea… “You hungry? Wanna eat before we head out?”

“I’m good. I’m rarely a breakfast person to begin with, but it’s even less so this early in the morning.”

No pre-hike omelet for her, then. Oh well. 

“You ready to go then?”

“Yeah. Whenever you are.”

Katie only grins before nodding to the door and in the direction of the parking lot, a silent “shall we” that cues him to follow. 

And follow, Bob does. Katie feels less like she’s walking with a friend and more like she’s leading a pet along for a lap around the neighborhood. He’s still reserved and guarded; that much is obvious. 

Hopefully, this hike with her will help him break out of his shell. 

She glances over as they’re walking through the parking lot to the 4Runner, takes note of the two cartoon-style lightbulbs on Bob’s t-shirt with a smirk on her face. “Nice shirt,” she comments. 

Bob looks down at his shirt, almost as if he forgot what he’s wearing, then smiles. “You like Queens of the Stone Age?” 

“I only know a couple of their songs, but I like the ones I’ve heard. Guessing the lightbulbs are from one of their albums?”

“Yeah, they’re from Era Vulgaris. It’s one of my favorite albums by them.” He pauses, seemingly contemplates whether or not he should say what he’s thinking. Katie has to resist reaching out, resist putting a hand on his shoulder and urging him to speak. C’mon Bob, talk to me. 

Thankfully, he sucks in a breath and goes for it. “I’ve got it downloaded on my phone. We could listen to it on the way. Only if you want to though, I don’t wanna impose-”

“I’d love that. Let’s do it.” 

“Oh. Um, okay then. Cool.” Bob’s looking straight ahead with his brows furrowed - and hell, Katie can hear the wheels in his brain turning, whirring. He clearly wasn’t expecting that reaction from her - and now he’s looking like he’s not sure where to go next. 

There has to be a reason for that. 

“You seem kinda’ surprised,” Katie observes as they climb into the car and she turns the key in the ignition. 

“Hm? About what?”

“That I said yes.” 

Bob blinks, purses his lips. The wheels in his head are turning again. Spinning for a reply.  

“I dunno,” he finally answers with a shrug. “Usually I get laughed off or brushed off. Your reaction’s kind of a first for me.” 

Well. There’s something she wasn’t expecting. 

“I find that a little hard to believe.”

“You’d be surprised,” Bob replies simply. 

There it is again - the gnawing in her stomach. The hurt she feels for him. It’s strange, she thinks. She’s known Bob for a grand total of a week; why she’s feeling her heart bleed for him like this is a mystery to her. 

Her mouth twists and she contemplates for one, two, three seconds as she maneuvers them out of the parking lot. “Well… fuck ‘em then,” she says after a moment. “I wanna hear what you got, so…” Her lips curl upwards in an encouraging - if not slightly daring - smile. “You gonna throw that album on or what?”

Bob’s eyes immediately flash. Before she knows it, he’s got his phone hooked up to her bluetooth, and the opening notes of Turnin’ On the Screw are beating forth from her speakers, setting the tone for both the album and the half-hour drive ahead of them. It’s punchy, off-beat, and bold, definitely not the shoegaze Katie regularly listens to, but who cares? The sound of this is different and she likes it. 

When she tells Bob as much, his eyes light up like a Christmas tree. 

“Yeah, they’re kind of mad lads with their sound,” he explains, blue eyes practically sparkling behind his glasses. “I don’t know anybody besides Josh Homme who can make an out-of-tune guitar sound good. It’s actually pretty nuts what he’s capable of.”

And he’s like this the whole drive to the Pyles Peak trailhead. Bob is practically a subject-matter expert on this band, from the original lineup and album release order, right down to the history of each song and hell, even the meaning of all the lead singer’s tattoos. Anything and everything there is to know about this band, Bob knows it. Katie’s impressed, to say the least. She can’t ever think of a time where she was able to recall several dense bits of information in a small time frame. The fact that this guy can… Hot damn. 

It’s more than that, though. Bob’s just… talking. Engaging. Suddenly he’s a far cry from the socially pained introvert she spent lunch with on Monday. He’s at ease, comfortable. Hell, he’s animated, voice louder than normal and the gestures of his hands speaking just as much as his words. No doubt the choice of music is playing a part in that, but in any case it brings a small smile to Katie’s face. She likes seeing this side of him. 

They make it through the first five songs of the album before they arrive at the trailhead, the sun brightening and cresting over the mountain sightline. On one hand, Katie has half a mind to have Bob continue the album on his phone as they hike; it’s been a rollercoaster of new sounds and she’s not quite ready to get off it yet. On the other hand, though, with her life and current day-to-day goings being as noisy and busy as they are, the thought of peace, of nature-induced quiet, makes her almost breathless with anticipation. 

Nah. Queens of the Stone Age can wait for a bit. Right now, she just wants her, Bob, and the sounds of the mountain trail. 

Speaking of Bob… He’s out of the car, fumbling to loop his arms through the straps of his Camelbak, blue eyes following the snaking path of the trail. “So this is it… How far is it to the summit?”

“Last time I looked, I think it was a few miles one way. Once we hit the halfway point, we can stop and figure out if we wanna keep going or call it.” She readjusts the pack and straps bearing on her shoulders with a breath, then looks back at Bob. “Ready?” 

“Yeah.”

It’s all the go-ahead Katie needs to begin their long, slow, arduous trek up the trail and into the mountains. She steps off, steps measured and slow enough for Bob to keep up, hands on the straps of her backpack and eyes roving left, right, left, right, taking in the scenery around them. The plant life is low to the ground and scrubby, pale green and dusty brown - quite unlike the mythical forests of her home state, or the woods of the east coast. 

“It’s so dry,” Katie comments to no one in particular. 

Drifting close behind her, Bob chuckles. “Welcome to SoCal. The scenery here is pretty much opposite of what we all grew up with.”

“Yeah, you’re telling me… Where are you from, anyway?” 

“Kind of all over the place.” 

“Lemme guess - military brat?” 

“Oh yeah. 12 years of moving here, there, and everywhere before dad finally retired and we settled down.”

“Nice. Where’d you guys wind up?”

There’s no missing the slight glower on Bob’s face when Katie turns to ask him. “Middle of nowhere Georgia, unfortunately.”

“Ah.” The smallest hint of a smirk tugs at Katie’s lips. “That explains the twang then.”

“Oh god, I hope there isn’t a twang. I fought picking up that accent so hard.” 

Katie snickers, pinches the space between her thumb and her index finger. “There’s a tiny bit of a twang,” she grins. “Just a liiittle bit.”

Bob returns the grin - sort of. It’s heavily tinged with exasperation. “Guess I gotta work on that some more then.” 

“I mean, there’s nothing wrong with a Georgia accent. I think it’s kinda’ nice, actually.” 

“Well, I’m glad you do,” Bob grunts as they begin their climb up a steep incline. “I personally don’t like it. It makes me think of all the backward-ass pricks I went to school with.”

“Fair enough; don’t wanna be associated with them.” 

“Yeah. Besides,” he continues, “I think of myself as being more from Washington, anyway.” 

“Yeah?”

“Mm-hmm. Most of my dad’s family is from the Walla Walla-Prosser area. That, and I was born at the Naval hospital in Bremerton. It’s felt more like home for me than anywhere else - which is weird because I haven’t lived there since I was a toddler, and I don’t really have memories of it, aside from, like, fuzzy images of trees and a dog and my dad in his winter blues and… I dunno… I…” Bob’s face suddenly flushes red and he just stalls, the words dying on his lips as his eyes dart down to his feet, bashful, embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I get carried away sometimes, and the last thing you’d wanna hear on a hike is me babbling for no good reason.”

Make that three times this week that Bob Floyd has made Katie’s heart twinge. 

Her head shakes vigorously. “No, no! Don’t be sorry! You’ve got nothing to be sorry about!” She pauses, considers her words carefully, finally settles for a soft smile that reads ‘please trust me’. “I like listening to you talk.”

Bob blinks. Really?”

“Yeah. The stuff you’re talking about is interesting. You also sound relaxed and comfortable. It’s nice.”

And god damn it, I mean it. 

Another pause, right before Katie purses and quirks her lips to one side of her face. A subject change might be in order. 

“You do a lot of hiking, Bob?” 

There’s a momentary glimmer in his eyes, one of relief. The attention’s still on him, but it’s a little less intimidating than what it was a moment ago - and based on what his eyes did just now, this is a topic he’s much more comfortable talking about. “Uh, yeah, actually. I only really started doing it when I first got stationed at Lemoore, but I try to do it every weekend.”

“Sweet. Where do you go? Or where have you gone, I guess.” 

“Well,” he starts, “I’ve already been to Yosemite and Kings Canyon, plus all the stuff close to base.” His brow furrows for a second. “Technically I’ve already been to Big Sur, but there are so many different parks and trail systems down there that I can’t really consider myself ‘done’ with it.” 

“Oh man, Big Sur… That whole area is on my hiking bucket list. Like, between the mountains and the redwoods and all that…”

“Yeah, it’s beautiful. Definitely one of my favorite places in California.”

“Honestly, I might see about sneaking up there one of these weekends. Bring along some camping gear, hang out in the trees…”

“Lemme know if you do,” Bob says. “I’ll probably go with you.” 

Man oh man, Katie would be lying if she said that the thought of that didn’t make her heart stutter. 

“I’ll, uh… I’ll keep you posted.” She coughs, pushes ahead, puts distance between the two of them so he can’t see the flush creeping across her face. Where in the hell is that coming from?

“Please do.”

“Promise I will. Now c’mon, we’ve got a mountain to climb.”

***

Three miles in, Bob and Katie are standing atop Cowles Mountain, in equal parts admiring the view sprawling below them and deciding whether or not they want to continue on. Whatever decision they make, Katie is ultimately glad she thought to bring two bottles of water; there’s been a lot of up-and-down movement on the trail, and the sun is hanging high in the sky, pounding down on the two of them. This is just a bit rougher than she thought it was going to be.

She tosses a handful of trail mix into her mouth, contemplates. “Y’know, we are standing on a mountain with a nice view. We totally could call it good right here.” 

“But…”

“But… I did promise Pyles Peak, which is supposed to have an even nicer view. So” - Katie looks back over her shoulder at Bob, who’s currently wiping away the sweat on his brow with his sleeve and sipping water from his Camelbak, quirks an eyebrow at him - “whaddaya wanna do?”

He takes another long pull of water, ponders, shrugs. “Well… I’ll happily take whatever I can get, but if you wanna keep going, then I’m happy to tag along.”

Power of decision goes back to Katie. And as beat as she may be from the first half of the hike, she knows what she wants. 

She smiles, reshoulders her backpack. “Let’s keep going, then.” 

Bob nods wordlessly before coming up beside Katie and matching his pace to her slow, easy one. “How far is it to the actual summit now?”

“‘Bout two and a half miles,” Katie replies. “The trail has a bunch of rollers before it goes into the summit incline. It’s a little rough-going at the end, but all the reviews I’ve read about Pyles Peak say that it’s worth the rough stuff. Sounds like some of the Appalachian trails I’ve hiked, if you ask me.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt it. Appalachian Trail anything is brutal.”

“Yeah.”

They fall into a nice, easy silence, their focus on the ever-dipping trail and the footsteps they take. Left foot, right foot, left, right, left right left, slow and steady. At this point in the hike, it’s about all either of them can really concentrate on. 

Until…

“So, uh… Why do they call you Sand Trap? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Katie’s face splits into a beam. Stupid as the story is, she loves telling it. 

She clambers over a large cluster of rocks, pushes upwards and onwards with a single labored breath. “You remember Pensacola, right? How that place was a massive breeding ground for stupid antics?” 

“I… guess?” 

“Did you ever go to Flora-Bama? Or Seville’s?” 

“Eh, not really. Wasn’t my thing.”

For a moment, it seems like that’s all Bob’s going to say - and damn if that doesn’t throw Katie off just the slightest bit. She’s never met a pilot or NFO who didn’t engage in some form of Floridian stupidity. How the hell is she supposed to explain this now? 

Her silence and the stumped look on her face must do a number on Bob; suddenly he looks panicked, like he screwed up real bad, and his mouth goes off running a million miles a minute while he tries to salvage the conversation. “I knew a lot of people that went, though!” he all but blurts out. “I heard all of their stories about how crazy it was!” 

“Oh… Okay then, that works.” Boy, she’s learning all kinds of things about Bob Floyd today. “Well…When I was in basic flight training, me and some friends hit up Seville’s and Flora-Bama in one go one night. Drunken fuckery happened. Like, a lot of it. So much, in fact, that I woke up hungover, in a sand trap, on a golf course the next morning. No clue how I even wound up on a golf course.” 

“Oh my god, really?”

“Yeah, really. Classmates never let me live it down.”

“That is… Wow. That’s kind of awesome, actually.” 

“Mine’s not even the craziest,” Katie continues with a snicker. “We had a guy in our class get stuck with ‘Lord Farquaad’ as his callsign. He, uh, had a tendency to sacrifice wingmen. Totally didn’t help that he was the shortest guy in our class, too - like, five-four short.”

Bob juts his chin out and makes a face that Katie can only describe as pompous. Oh boy, she can already tell where this is going. 

“Some of you may die,” he says in a grandiose voice, “but that is a sacrifice I’m willing to make.” 

He’s a walking music encyclopedia AND he can quote Shrek on command. Katie knew he’d be a good one to be friends with. 

“All right, my turn.” 

“Shoot.” 

“Why is your callsign your name? Seems kinda’… uncreative.”

Bob visibly stiffens, and Katie isn’t sure if it’s because she’s caught him off-guard or because it’s a touchy subject. Both, probably. Shit, please don’t clam up on me, not now. 

“…Is it okay if I ask that, or…?”

“Yeah no, it’s fine, it’s totally fine. It’s… it’s kind of a long story.”

It’s the same reaction from day one of instruction - not rude, not at all, but… closed off. Almost dismissive. This is something he’s not comfortable talking about with her, not yet. Katie can only hope that he eventually reaches that level of comfort with her, but until then…

He must sense the inner whirring of her mind, because he glances over at her with a small, tired but reassuring smile. “It’s not you, it’s just… It’s a lot.” He pauses, tilts his gaze skywards in thought. “I’m sure it’ll all come spilling out some other time.”

And that’s that; that’s all he’s going to say on it for now. Katie’s heart sinks a little bit at the realization, but she shrugs it off and presses on. Whether or not he wants to talk about it is ultimately on Bob, not her. He’ll get to it when he gets to it.

Hopefully.

“You good to step up the pace a little bit?” she asks, effectively ending the conversation before it has a chance to turn awkward. 

“Uh, yeah. That’s fine.”

“I’m sorry; normally I like taking my time on hikes but it’s starting to get hot out here.”

“Hey, no complaints from me. It’s your hike; I’m just here for the ride.”

“Yeah, well, I’d still like to not bust you up in the first week.”

“You won’t. Trust me, I can handle it.” 

“If you say so.” Her stride lengthens and her steps quicken, just the tiniest bit - not enough to blitz ahead of Bob, but enough to step up the pace and really get them moving. Just get to the top, that’s all she wants now.

She’s willing to bet that Bob isn’t far off from that sentiment, either. 

She sucks in a long breath, forces it out with a single exhale, and pushes on. 

Time to climb this rock. 

***

It’s half ‘til noon when Bob and Katie finally reach the summit of Pyles Peak, out of breath, sweaty, and sufficiently red-faced. The sun is hanging directly over them now, without a cloud in sight to break up the beams beating down on them. Katie has no doubt that she’s going to come out of the hike sunburnt as shit, but right now, she couldn’t care less. They made it up the mountain. 

And oh boy, is it worth the suffering. 

In her 27 years on earth, Katie has seen some pretty spectacular views from high places. Virginia has offered panoramas of the Appalachians in ways she never would’ve imagined - and Oregon? Good god. Her home state has arguably the best views in America and she’s gotten to experience every single one of them in their prime. Few things - very few things - can top the vistas and sheer glory she’s witnessed. 

This one, however, comes pretty close. 

On top of Pyles Peak, it’s a whole other world. The entirety of San Diego is laid out before them, gently rolling suburbs and grid-like urban areas, stretching and fading into the vastness of the Pacific Ocean off in the distance. It’s tranquil, peaceful - and undeniably awe-inspiring. 

“Would you look at that,” Bob murmurs, the reverence clear in his voice. “Can see the whole city from up here.” 

“Beautiful, innit?”

Bob nods, then chuckles to himself. “Can almost see my house in Lemoore.”

“Har har.” With a rather unceremonious grunt, Katie all but flings herself onto one of the boulders in the middle of the outlook, legs dangling haphazardly over the front of it. “God, it feels good to sit.”

Bob doesn’t quite collapse on the boulder the way Katie did; he seats himself quite neatly beside her, arms pillared on either side of him to keep himself upright - but his back rounds, sags even. When he exhales the long breath he’s apparently been holding, it sags even more. Clearly, this hike has taken just as much out of him as it has out of Katie. 

“You’re right,” he says, “that does feel good. Oh man…”

Katie snickers, digs through her backpack for her water and some granola. “Told you.”

“Wonder what the return trip’s gonna be like.”

“Eh, let’s not think about that right now, yeah? Let’s just process that we’ve climbed two mountains today.”

“Yeah, fair enough.”

The conversation soon dies away, and for a while, silence stretches between the two of them, comfortable silence, save for the sipping of water and the quiet crunching of granola. It’s silence that Katie appreciates; she now has an opportunity to put her brain in neutral, to let it wander. 

It’s a rare moment, being able to just sit and ponder. With her line of work, it’s always do, do, do, always go, go, go. For as much as she loves what she does, sometimes Katie wishes that it didn’t have to be this way. Hell, it probably couldn’t be this way; she can’t think of anyone who could permanently sustain that level of constant motion. 

But, if she’s not doing this for the rest of her life, then… What is there?

Maybe that’s why she asks the question that’s started floating in her head. 

“You ever think about what you’d do if you weren’t in the Navy?” Katie asks, eyes on the expanse of land below them. 

Bob shrugs, takes a pull of water from his Camelbak. “Sometimes. Not sure what I’d do, though. This job is all I’ve ever wanted, really.”

Katie can understand that. Life as a fighter pilot just makes sense to her; it always has. Most days, she’s like Bob and can’t really imagine doing anything else. Up here in the mountains, though? She sees another life, another free existence. Up here, even when she’s tethered to the ground, she feels like she’s flying. This is home just as much as the clouds are. 

“I think I’d find a way to hike for a living, or be a park ranger or something.” Hell, anything to tie her to the land, to the trees and wilderness. Anywhere that she can’t be found easily. 

Anywhere that she can’t find her easily. 

“Park ranger would be cool. Where would you wanna work?” 

“...Probably Mount Hood. Or Crater Lake. I mean, any one of the national parks would be amazing, but… I think I’d wanna stick to the ones from back home.” Shockingly. 

“Mount Hood…” Bob’s eyebrows furrow, the name visibly tumbling, rattling around in his head as he tries to connect it to an unknown point B. “...Oregon?”

“That’s the one,” Katie smiles. 

“Never woulda’ guessed you’re from Oregon.”

“Surprise. Born and raised in Portland.” 

“Huh.” 

“Yeah…” Clearing her throat, Katie rolls up the right sleeve of her t-shirt, revealing a small, but detailed panorama of the Mount Hood sightline tattooed along her inner bicep. “I haven’t been home in years, but home’s always with me.” 

She makes it a point not to elaborate on how long ‘years’ is. The exact number is wrapped in truths and memories she can’t afford to dredge up, not now - and certainly not while she’s with someone as sweet and unassuming as Bob Floyd. Would he understand? Who knows. Katie’s not going to find out. At the end of the day, it’s all just drama, sob stories. 

And that’s probably the last thing he wants. Damn certain it’s the last thing Katie wants.

No one likes a drama queen, Katherine Mae, NO ONE. 

“...Sand Trap?”

“Hmm?” 

“Are you okay?”

A furrow of her eyebrows. “Yeah, I’m fine. Is there something wrong?” 

“No, just… You had this really intense look on your face all of a sudden and… I dunno, you looked like you were mad.” 

Katie’s heart lurches in her ribcage. Fuck. It seems her thoughts made their way onto her face just now. 

Defensive, now - “No no, not at all! I’m just…” Now her brain is turning somersaults, scrambling for a reply that’s equal parts honest and deterring. “I dunno, I’m…” Jesus Christ Garland, SPEAK - “I guess I’m just wiped from the climb up.”

There are lame excuses, and then there’s whatever the fuck Katie just came up with. There’s no way Bob’s buying it; the slightly furrowed look on his face tells her as much. Still, whether it’s because he’s too much of a gentleman to pry or because he wouldn’t know where to start or what to ask first, he doesn’t comment on it, something that Katie is deeply grateful for. She knows it’ll come up in conversation again and that there will be no avoiding it when it does - but she can at least avoid it for now. 

She diverts, switches subjects. “You okay with taking a picture with me?” It’s a bit of whiplash, but as far as she’s concerned, it’s the best course of action at the moment.

If it weren’t for the fact that they’re the only two people on the summit, Katie’s certain Bob would’ve glanced around in search of someone else. He doesn’t even need to speak for her to know what’s running through his head and across his face: “Me?”

“They’re keepsakes from the places I’ve been,” she explains, right before a wry smirk makes its way across her lips. “And, y’know, proof that I’m not a loser with no friends.” 

Bob opens his mouth to speak - no doubt to brush it off or to self-deprecate in some way. However, he surprises Katie when he closes it instead, and nods. “I could probably use my own proof too, honestly.” 

“That’s the spirit. C’mere.”

Bob complies, hopping up on the boulder and squatting behind Katie with a closed-mouth grin on his face, while she throws up a peace sign with one hand and makes a scrunched face. One tap later, the ascent up Pyles Peak is immortalized on Katie’s phone. 

“Started from the bottom, now we here,” she quips as fires the picture off in a brief text to Naomi. “Literally.”

“Aren’t those the lyrics to a song?”

Katie shrugs. “Probably.”

“Thought as much.” As Bob rises to his feet, a wince slips from his mouth. “Oh god, my legs - y’know what, I’ll definitely take you up on food now. This hike was rougher than I thought it was gonna be.”

“Thank god, I was hoping you’d say that…” Katie purses her lips together in thought, surveys the horizon from their perch atop the mountain. “You oughta know this - what’s the west-coast equivalent of Waffle House?”

“What is it with you and breakfast food?” Bob laughs. 

“No, it’s not a breakfast food thing! I just… I’ve been out in Norfolk for the last three years, and there’s always been a Waffle House close to everywhere I’ve gone hiking. Kind of a ‘post-hike’ tradition, you know? Bust your ass climbing up the side of a mountain and reward yourself with a bunch of carbs at the end of it.” 

“All right, you got a point there. Um… Denny’s, I guess?” 

Katie makes a face. “Bugh, Denny’s?”

“Hey, it’s low-cost breakfast food, and it’s probably cooked by a guy with a cigarette in his mouth,” Bob replies with a shrug. “What more could you want?”

“You do realize that you don’t go to Denny’s; you end up at Denny’s, right?”

“People ‘wind up’” - fingers crooked in air quotes - “at Waffle House, too.” He hops down from the rock he’s been perching on, turns to Katie with a smirk on his face. “I mean, c’mon, like any of us have never wound up drunk at Waffle House at 2 AM.” 

“Whatever happened to ‘drinking’s not really my thing’?”

“No, Flora-Bama and Seville’s weren’t really my thing. There’s a difference. Trust me, I did my fair share of drinking in BFT.” 

“Why Lieutenant Floyd, you troublemaker!” 

“Oh, I’m the troublemaker, miss ‘night of drunken stupidity’, miss ‘somehow wound up blacked out on a golf course’?”

“Damn Bob, you didn’t have to call me out like that,” Katie retorts with a laugh. “All right then, what were your chosen spots for weekend debauchery?” 

“Old Hickory, mostly. Sometimes O’Riley’s. Places where I was less likely to run into a bunch of rowdy E-2s and E-3s.”

Katie grins smugly. “Or rowdy ensigns.”

“That too. God, sometimes they were worse than the enlisted guys.”

Bob slips off his glasses to wipe away the sweat and grime around his eyes. Katie can’t help but stare when he does. He’s quite handsome, Bob. Not that he wasn’t handsome to begin with, but without the glasses to break up the lines of his face… Wow. If Katie didn’t know any better, she’d say she’s been hiking with an old Hollywood star this whole time. The wavy, windswept golden-brown hair, the bright blue eyes, the strong jaw… 

“You okay?”

Blink. Blink. “Huh?” 

“You looked like you zoned out.”

Oh god, he’d caught her staring. Christ, it’s a good thing her face is already red from exertion; she’s pretty sure it would be turning beet-colored if it wasn’t. 

“Sorry,” she mumbles sheepishly. “You kinda caught me off-guard there.”

“Oh?” He readjusts his glasses, perched once more on the bridge of his nose. “What do you mean?” 

Oh my god, this isn’t happening, is it?

“I mean… You look different without your glasses, is all.”

“Well… is that a good thing?” 

Oh, Bob. 

She lets a small smile creep across her face. “Yeah… Yeah, it’s a good thing.” 

Bob doesn’t seem to really react to the admission - not in any blatantly obvious way, anyway. Katie does, however, glimpse a slight puff of his chest out of the corner of her eye. And that? That really makes her smile. 

They loop around the boulders to the mouth of the trail, looking at it with a mild sense of dread curling in their stomachs. Doing almost five and a half miles in one direction is one thing - but doing it twice? Oh man. 

This is going to suck a bit. 

And it does. Funnily enough, though, the return trip goes by a lot quicker than the initial climb to the top of Pyles Peak. Probably because we’re desperate to be done with it, Katie muses to herself as they make their way back to the trailhead. 

Three hours and ten minutes later, they’re finally back where they started - and though they may be worse for wear and drenched in more sweat than they would’ve thought possible, there’s no stopping the grins from spreading across their faces at their accomplishment. 

“So, what do we think?” Katie asks as they walk - or, rather, hobble - their way back to the 4Runner. “Pyles Peak: worth the ass-kicking or not?” 

Bob wheezes out a chuckle. “Dunno. Can’t really decide if I don’t have a brain - and I’m pretty sure I left mine somewhere on the mountain…” 

That merits a snicker from Katie. “Means it was a good hike, then.” She pauses to fish her key ring out of the front pocket of her backpack, unlocks the car with a click of her button fob. “Of course, if you wanna make it a great hike, then you gotta have a massive plate of food at the end,” she says as she all but flings her backpack into the back seat area. 

“Oh yeah?”

“Oh yeah. Where I’m from, it ain’t successful unless you have the food at the end.”

“Well, I’m still up for Denny’s, if you are.”

“Oh same. I know what I said earlier about Denny’s versus Waffle House, but I’m absolutely starving right now, so I’ll happily take you up on Denny’s.”

“Good.” Bob pulls his phone out of his pocket, searches for restaurants in the nearby area. “There’s one 20 minutes out. It puts us a little further from base, but-”

“That’s fine with me; let’s do it.” She hops in the driver’s seat and starts the car up, slumping in the driver’s seat with a blissful sigh as cold air whirls through the car. She’s only like this for a moment, though, before she’s sitting back up, and maneuvering them out of the parking lot towards their designated food spot. It’s been a long day, and she’s gone long enough without much to eat.

She turns to Bob, smirk on her face as they hit the main roads. Time to pick up where they left off earlier. 

“Now then, where were we with that Queens of the Stone Age album?”

***

It’s closing in on 1600 when Bob and Katie make it back to the Navy Lodge, bodies and minds sated with carb-laden breakfast plates and good conversation. While the rest of the lodge patrons are getting ready for or are on their way to an evening of excitement and socializing, the two of them are ready to call it quits. Pyles Peak was a lot longer and more intense than either of them realized; even with the large post-hike meal, their bodies are exhausted beyond repair. Long rest is an immediate necessity. 

When Katie says as much during their slow - very slow - amble to the elevators, Bob nods wearily in agreement. 

“Gotta say,” he chuckles as they step inside one of the cars, “I’ve done some intense hikes before, but you? You’re hardcore. That was the longest hike I’ve ever gone on.” 

Katie knows Bob’s being good-natured about it, but she’s unable to stop her face from contorting into a wince. “I promise I wasn’t trying to break you - or me, for that matter.” If the dull aching in her legs is any indication, she came damn close to it. She severely underestimated that hike.  

“No harm done. I’m just not gonna have a good time at PT on Monday.”

“Make that two of us,” Katie chuckles weakly.

It’s a short ride up in the elevator. Within seconds of stepping on, it dings and jolts to a stop at the third floor. The two shuffle off, make their way down the corridor to Katie’s room, swaying, drifting close to each other. The distance is a lot smaller than the arm’s length they started the day with, Katie notes absentmindedly.

“Thanks for inviting me,” Bob says during the slow walk. “Pretty sure I would’ve spent all day holed up in my room if you hadn’t said something.”  

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t,” Katie replies, lips curled in a gentle smile. “I had a great time with you. You’re a good hiking buddy.”

“I try to be. Honestly, I should do it more often.”

The words hang in the air, open, inviting, tempting. It’s a golden opportunity for someone to jump on them and make a move of some sort. That’s not the surprising part. 

What’s surprising is how fast Katie seems to jump on it. 

“Well, I’m always up for it, so… anytime you wanna go, lemme know. I’m happy to take you with me.” 

The corners of Bob’s eyes crinkle as a smile spreads across his lips. “I’d like that.”

They’ve long since arrived outside of Katie’s room, and now stand opposite each other before the white-paneled wood door, looking, staring - and god, if it isn’t the strangest, but most intriguing thing. Today’s hike was only the second time they’ve spent time together, and yet, it felt like they’d been hanging out for years with how easy, how relaxed their interactions were. It felt… nice. If this is what it felt like after a week of acquaintance and two social interactions with him, Katie’s eager to know what the feeling’s like after another week or two, maybe three.

She’s gonna need to hang out with him more.

And one look at the blue eyes behind the wire-frame glasses tells her that he’s thinking the exact same thing. 

“I’ll, uh… I’ll see you later then.”

Yeah, you will.

“See you later, Bob.” 

“See you.”

Then, Bob turns, walks off down the hall, and disappears around a corner. 

And Katie? Katie shuts the door with a quiet click, and leans back against it, a tired, blissed out grin blooming on her face. 

It’s a grin that sticks with her for the rest of the weekend. 

@thestagsheadsblog @everything-i-love-in-life @luckyladycreator2 @docdetective

[jkstompers]

a royal engagement | jjk

pairing: jeon jungkook x female reader

summary: the rough ground against his clothed knee doesn’t matter anymore when he sees the sweetest smile on your face. everything is perfect.

genre: arranged marriage but they wanna do it right!, best friends to lovers, royalty!au, FLUFF, crown princess!oc, prince!jk, surprises!, jk believes in soulmates confirmed, oc is so in love, perhaps jk flexes how rich he is in this ~(˘▾˘~)

warnings: mentions of sex, sexual tension, more talk of exes (both jk and oc’s), they both talk about losing their virginity, mild jealousy, mentions of menstrual cycles, a little bit of lip locking action

word count: 11.1k

author’s note: ♡ happy jungkook day! ♡ this chapter spans over a week and a half-ish! also i made a little oopsies in the last chapter when i said that oc had only been back in raemor for a week… it’s actually been a month since she’s left the city. i’m sorry about that! i changed it on an arrangement already, but i just figured it out when i was editing this chapter. other than that, i’m so excited for this series and i hope u all enjoy!! pls lmk what u think! ღ'ᴗ'ღ 

banner pic creds here! <3

jungkook had the utmost faith in you.

there was something in him that always knew that the love the two of you had ran way deeper than a friendship— probably more than a relationship too. it was something like a soul tie. something the stars created before the earth was ever created. two beings that were always meant to be together, in every universe, in every time before and after this. jungkook held his hope in that. his trust that the love the two of you forged was strong enough to pull you out of your room and into his arms before the plane took off.

the war between your head and your heart ended in a stalemate. you were fighting against something that you knew in your heart you wanted. your brain couldn’t make any more excuses to go against it when jungkook laid his heart out on the floor for you. you’d already made your decision before you went to sleep— before you even left jungkook’s grasp. but you were one for the dramatics.

the sound of the plane landing woke you, you were afraid you were too late. thinking that you slept in during a moment that could decide the rest of your life, you ran. bare feet smacking against the cold floor of the castle, before you eventually made it out to the garden and then the royal runway.

the sound of your voice that morning set it in stone. that jungkook will never love another the way he does you.

“jungkook!” you called out.

he was just about to board the plane for fenutar, jungkook and his advisors huddled into a circle to talk about customs and special etiquette since it’s been a while since he’s last visited. your shout interrupted the conversation. jungkook turned around immediately at the familiar voice.

the sight of you running through the cold, wet grass in your sleep wear with a winter coat and no shoes on. it makes his heart swell, with both love and worry. more so worry. “princess? what are you doing out here?! it’s freezing and you’re not even wearing the right clothes—”

you cut him off as you crash into his body for a tight hug. it felt right, it always did. “am i too late?” you ask, face snuggled into his warm chest.

he shakes his head, a little laugh accompanying the words. “you’re just in time.”

now, jungkook and you lay in your bed, staring up at the ceiling together. since seven in the morning, the two of you have just been talking about everything and nothing. mostly just appreciating each others presence. time passed quickly and it was almost time for everyone to start getting ready for breakfast. “so... how should we tell everyone? over breakfast?” you asked, pulling yourself on his chest and resting your cheek against his ribs.

he smiles at you. “sure, i heard they’re serving waffles, donuts— you know, sweet stuff.”

“and wouldn’t our news be so sweet?” you grinned. he laughs and you can feel his chest rise and fall under your head, the sound of his laughter just up against your ear. “should we go now?”

you move to get up, but jungkook stops you, placing a hand on your waist. “let’s stay here for a little bit longer.” he suggests, moving his hand up to run through your hair. “aren’t you tired from your dramatic show of affection this morning?” laughing as his fingers card through the strands of your hair. he combats your glare with a tender massage to your scalp. remembering how you’d always fall asleep whenever he did, and it worked. your eyelids fell and you melt against jungkook as he continues to rub your scalp gently.

love wasn’t scary. times like this, when it’s just you and jungkook; no expectations, no titles, no responsibilities. it’s just love. it wasn’t terrifying, it’s not painful. well, maybe it is sometimes. like how your heart beats out of your chest whenever jungkook looks at you, eyes glistening with admiration. like when you smile at jungkook and he feels like he could burst at any second just from the sight of you. love is hard to explain. love is whatever you make it out to be. and right now, love is in the curve of jungkook’s lips when he smiles at you. love is in the palm of your hand when you reach out to hold him.

the sound of the knocks on the door doesn’t register until the second round of taps. “princess, it is time for breakfast.” you hear from behind the door.

you sit up. “i’ll be right out!” trying to get out of bed but jungkook pulls you back.

“uh-uh,” he tsks. “you’re not dressed.” you furrow your eyebrows before you look down at what you’re wearing. a slip dress, the one you wore to sleep to be specific. “i won’t look, don’t worry.” he laughs, scooting himself up on your bed and covering his face with one of your pillows. he ignores how nice it smells, just like that shampoo he really likes. you bought it back in the city, raemor doesn’t have shampoos that smell like this.

he hears you rustle around in your closet before he hears a faint zip. “wait— jungkook, how does this look?”

the pillow is pulled away from his face and his eyes lay on you. with a colorful sundress draped on your body. it flows and compliments your skin beautifully. you’re beautiful. god, you’re gorgeous. asking jungkook for his opinion wouldn’t help, he’s biased. you’re pretty in his eyes no matter what you wear. “that— yeah, it’s— you look great.” he stumbles over his words.

“cat’s got your tongue?” you tease. in retaliation, jungkook ruffles up your hair a bit, making you groan and spend another five minutes in front of the mirror to fix it. meanwhile, jungkook pulls himself off the bed and straightens his outfit out, opting to leave his jacket off since it was toasty in the castle. he still looks proper and handsome with his white button up and dress pants on. for the last touch, you dig through your jewelry box, knowing that it has to be somewhere in there.

then there it was, at the bottom, tangled with a necklace from your mother, was the friendship bracelet jungkook gave you when you were twelve at the lantern festival. a dainty gold chain with a flower embellishment on it, signifying the promise the two of you made. he watches from afar when you put it on, trying to hide his surprise. “you still have it?”

you nod, “you don’t?”

“i do.” he assures. “i just didn’t think you’d remember it after all this time.”

you scoff playfully, walking towards him. “of course i remember,” linking your arm with his. “i remember everything.”

with that, the two of you step out of your room and down to the dining hall. they were expecting you, but not jungkook. the shock on everyone’s faces was evident. your parents, clementine, your ladies, venus, even blue. it was a good surprise though. both of your parents had to hide their big smiles behind their napkins. the staff kindly added another chair next to you for jungkook to sit down in. no one spoke up about it, if they wanted to ask, they kept their mouths shut. the two of you enjoy a delicious breakfast without any interference from any of the advisors.

but someone had to say it, and you were happy that it was going to be you.

you let out a cough before standing up, holding a glass of water and clinking your knife against it gently to grab everyone's attention. it only took a few seconds for all eyes to land on you. “jungkook and i have come to the conclusion that we will marry.” you announce.

the hall is overjoyed. cheers coming from your parents, smiles being sent your way from blue and your ladies. even the advisors, the most stern and inexpressive people you know (except for venus) crack a little smile at the news. “but—” you begin. silence quickly takes over the room. “only on jungkook and i’s terms.”

there is a bit of confusion amongst the crowd. so clementine is quick to ask, “and what are those terms, your highness?”

one. “jungkook and i will wed next year, when spring begins.”

two. “both of us will plan the wedding, with help of others, but the main parts will be orchestrated by the two of us.”

three. “there will be no talk of an heir until we are ready.”

“deal!” both yours and jungkook’s parents say as soon as you’re done talking.

“then it is settled! prince jungkook and princess ___ will wed next spring!” clementine announces to the hall and cheers erupt through the room once more.

jungkook stands and gives you a tight hug. the moment is all too perfect, the joyous chatter of everyone around you and the warm embrace of the one you love wrapped around you. it’s something you’ve dreamed of. “i won’t let you down, princess.” he promises you, in your ear, only for you to hear.

“i’ll be the best husband this world has ever seen.”

a good husband has to be honest.

jungkook has something to tell you, and he isn’t sure how to word it. he’s scared you’ll be turned off by it. it is a pretty serious topic, so he needs to say it, or else he would feel the guilt start to build in his stomach. then before he knows it, it’ll spill all out. so it’s better to nip the bud. get it done before it becomes a bigger problem.

the two of you were having a sleepover tonight. it’s the first one you guys had since you’ve been back. jungkook brought all the fancy snacks that his mother packed along with some drinks, while you had your contraband: face masks and matching pajamas for the both of you.

he looks funny with his peel off mask drying on his face. you told him not to make any facial expressions or else it wouldn’t work. jungkook’s been pulling a straight face for ten minutes while watching elle woods destroy chutney in the courtroom.

he couldn’t have chosen a worse time to speak up about it, but it’s been eating at him for long enough. “i have to tell you something.” he says out of nowhere. you look at him, trying not to react with your face. his serious tone makes you want to burst out into laughter, it was just so out of place.

but he looks somber, like how he looks when something’s bothering him. you swallow the urge to laugh and just nod. “you can tell me while i peel this mask off your face, deal?” you ask, moving closer and picking at the edge of the mask.

you wait patiently until he spills whatever he needs to say, but he looks a little distracted by the feeling of the face mask being peeled off. he’s already nervous, he tells himself not to get side tracked. so he just spits it out. “i’m not a virgin.”

well. that was one way to start a conversation.

you try not to show your shock, but your eyebrows were already raised and now your facemask is stuck to itself. “oh— oh my god, jungkook,” you laugh, covering your mouth. “do you want a high-five or something?” you can’t hold back the laughter anymore. you raise your hand up and wait for him to reciprocate.

if you were being honest, it did make you a little jealous. you wondered who he lost it to. it was probably jieun. did he love her? enough to want to lose his virtue to her? while the questions run through your mind, he returns the high-five, taking you out of the downward spiral of queries. you weren’t angry at him. there wasn’t an agreement between the two of you that you’d take each other’s virginities. jealousy is unforgiving, because you knew there was no reason to be mad but you still felt the stupid pang in your heart.

you finish taking his mask off, expertly in one piece. jungkook waits for you as you throw it in the trash. he’s still silent, not really knowing what else to say. he was waiting for an argument, in all honesty. but you’re smiling, seemingly unaffected by his confession. “do you wanna help me take off mine?” you ask him, sitting back on the bed, facing him.

he nods, picking at the edge and trying to do exactly what you did. “you’re not upset?” he asks, pulling the mask off of your face. maybe you were, but you weren’t going to tell him. it’s in the past, what matters is now, and he’s here with you now. you couldn’t be too mad.

maybe you should be honest too. you shake your head, “of course not, i’m not a virgin either.” this conversation only proves that there was no need to hide when it came to jungkook. you admired him for speaking up about it first too, even though you aren’t exactly sure why.

jungkook successfully took your mask off in one piece as well, discarding it into the trash can. you tell him that the two of you have to wash your faces to get the tiny pieces off and he follows you into the bathroom. responding with a, “really?” and a raise of his eyebrows.

you turn the water on and splash him a little bit. “are you trying to say i’m too ugly to get laid, jeon?!” you glare.

jungkook backtracks, “no— no! you’re pretty— really pretty— i just— i didn’t know what to say.”

you roll your eyes playfully. rinsing your face with water and making sure your face is entirely clean from the mask before stepping aside and drying your face off, allowing jungkook to have his turn. “who’d you lose it to?” you asked. despite probably already knowing the answer, you just had to make sure.

“uh—” he starts, looking at you through the mirror. his eyes flicker back down to the stream of water when he answers, “jieun.”

of course. you let out a little laugh, stepping closer and nudging his side with your elbow. “congratulations, dude.” at least he told you, at least he was honest. that’s all that matters. jealousy can play it’s part later. after the sleepover.

“what about you?” jungkook asks when he finishes drying his face off. he wants to know, but at the same time he doesn’t. curiosity gets the best of everyone.

“my ex-boyfriend,” you answer nonchalantly. “min yoongi.”

“boyfriend…” he exaggerates. pursing his lips and nodding, the same jealousy you felt earlier coursing through his veins now. “that’s nice— congratulations.” he says, copying what you said. an awkward silence comes between the two of you, in turn, making the two of you laugh out loud. clutching your stomach type of laugh.

“why did you bring it up in the first place?” you question. curious as to why he would need to speak up about his sexual past.

“well, i just wanted to tell you because— i don’t know— when it happened, you were the first one i wanted to tell, and i know it’s too much information but we always talked about stuff like this— like remember when you told me when you got your first period?” he begins to ramble again. a cute habit of his.

you cringe at the mention, but you remember it so well. jungkook was so worried for you, he did all the research he could on menstrual cycles; asked his parents about it, looked online, asked his advisors, and even the doctors that come around the palace for check-ups. with all the advice he got, he showed up in front of your door with a big basket of your favorite sweets, literally every menstrual product ever produced (he wasn’t sure which one you used so he brought all), and other random things like flowers, just to be extra nice. you ended up crying in his arms because of how lovely the gesture was. it showed what kind of person jungkook was. meticulous, caring, and just so sweet.

“you’re right.” the trip down memory lane was delightful, as it always is whenever it comes to him. “but what… about us?” you asked. the question seemed random, but whenever you travel down memory lane with jungkook, you’re always reminded of the feelings that you had and still do have for jungkook. being on this topic makes you wonder: did he bring this up because he wants to have sex and wants to be transparent about how many partners he’s had?

“what do you mean? what about us?” he asks. his eyebrows are furrowed and you can tell he doesn’t understand.

the question shouldn’t have made you hesitate the way you did, but now you’re trying to find the words to backtrack. “i— um,” your smile fades a little. expecting you and jungkook to jump into a relationship was unrealistic, let alone having sex. “nothing.” you shake your head.

jungkook can somehow read your mind. he probably just picked up on context clues. “if you’re thinking about— you know— us, having sex,” he starts. “we don’t have to do anything of that sort, if you don’t want to.”

the thought is something that’s lingered in your mind for a while. same for jungkook. but neither of you will admit that. so the conversation comes to an awkward halt. you blush. “right! yeah— sure, of course.” you nod. every synonym of ‘okay’ leaves your mouth. it makes jungkook laugh, starting a domino effect and making you laugh. soon enough, the conversation was pushed aside and the two of you focused on whatever movie netflix decided to autoplay. it wasn’t long before the buzz of the tv lulled the two of you to sleep.

“jungkook! save me!” you shout from the doors of his palace, spotting him talking to his father in the foyer. you just ran from your castle to his in hopes to outrun your chaser. jungkook’s head turns at the sound of your voice, your figure coming closer and closer.

“what? what is it?” quickly placing the papers in his hand onto the table, he rushes towards you. his face was riddled with worry as he watched you run towards him.

taking you into his arms, you hold him tightly. “venus won’t stop asking me what color the table cloths for the guests should be— please… spare me, my prince.” you fake sob into his chest.

he lets out a relieved laugh, the stress lifting away when he realized that you were just being bombarded with wedding questions again. “shouldn’t they be white?” he asks.

you look up at him in his embrace, chin against his chest, near his throat. “that’s what i said! then she started asking about the details of the cloth— like if we wanted it to be a certain type of thread, if we wanted a different colored detail woven through it— i just— why does it matter?!”

“it matters because it’s going to be the wedding of the century! now tell me, ___, white with gold detail or—” venus finally finds you after asking the guards where you went. she approaches you hurriedly and tries to shove the samples in your face, but you hide in jungkook’s chest, refusing to look at them.

“the gold detail is beautiful, venus, thank you.” jungkook answers for you. you relax against him once again. venus looks satisfied, putting her cloth samples back into her bag and walking away. with venus finally out of your hair, jungkook rubs your back gently. “wanna stay the night?” jungkook asks in your ear.

“depends.” you act like you think about it. pulling away from his embrace, looking at him with a playful glare. “do they still make those strawberry tarts i used to love?”

jungkook smiles. “i’ll ask them to bake you some right now.”

“deal.” you pinch his cheek. “hello, your majesty!” you greet his dad when you turn around. jungkook moves over to the side and tells one of his assistants to ask the kitchen to make your strawberry tarts.

jungkook’s dad gives you a bright smile. “good evening, princess.” even bowing slightly.

“you know you don’t need to do that, papa, it’s just me.” you smiled, giving him a curtsy back for the courtesy

“yes, yes, i know.” he laughs. “i’m just so glad to see you home.” opening his arms for a hug. which you move for immediately, hugging him tightly.

jungkook’s parents were always amazing to you. never making you feel unwelcome or uncomfortable. “i missed you as well, you and mama jeon always make me feel at home whenever i’m here.” you express your gratitude to him.

he holds one of your hands in his. “it is your second home, ___.”

“thank you,” you grinned. when you look down, his hands are holding an entire stack of papers. it must be something important, you excuse yourself so that they could finish their business. “i’ll see you later, papa! jungkook! i’ll be in your room!”

jungkook only gives you a thumbs up as he takes his place back next to his dad. the two of them watch as you skip your way up the stairs. your figure receding as you make it to his room when jungkook’s dad speaks up once more. “she is something else, son.” patting his back with a light laugh.

jungkook laughs too. a big smile on his face when he says, “in the best way possible.”

“agreed.” he replicates the same smile that’s on his son’s face. “i’m happy for you.”

when he looks down, his father holds out the papers to verify the marriage arrangement for him to sign. your family had already signed and his parents did too, a while ago. jungkook told them that he’ll only sign after you did. then, just after breakfast when the two of you announced your agreement to the arrangement, you signed happily. it’s a little late because jungkook’s been super busy, but now, with excitement in his heart for your future together, he scribbles his signature on the line. “thanks, dad.” he says as he hands the papers back to him.

they settle the rest of their business and finish signing some more papers. after about ten minutes, jungkook is finished with all the reading and signatures. he makes his way to the kitchen and the chefs hand him a platter of strawberry tarts on the cutest serving plate. white with little red hearts that match the strawberries. a detail that jungkook knows you’ll appreciate.

with two waters in his hand and the tarts in the other, he makes his way up the stairs. hilariously, a problem arises when jungkook needs to open the door to his room. he doesn’t wanna put the stuff down and he figures that you probably can’t hear him if he knocks because the volume of the tv is leaking through the door. in the corner of his eye, jungkook can see a guard crossing the hallway. “psst!” he calls out, hoping to get his attention. the guard passes by without a second thought. a few seconds pass and he can hear the guard take a couple steps back.

soon enough, the guard pops his head into the hallway. “everything alright, your highness?” he asks.

“yes, but— do you mind opening the door for me?” he laughs awkwardly. the guard nods and rushes over, turning the knob and sliding the door open. “thanks, man, have a good night.” he smiles at the guard.

“of course— you too, your highness.” he bows before leaving him be.

when he enters the room, you’re nowhere to be seen. the tv is on and playing some scary movie from what he can tell, the background music is eerie and quite frankly creeping him out. he sets down the waters first onto his bedside table and you come out of his bathroom at the perfect time. “there you are.” he sighs. “how are you just going to play a scary movie and then make me come into an empty room?!” he cries.

you roll your eyes playfully. “my apologies, prince, i didn’t hear you come in!” sporting a hoodie and a pair of boxers stolen from jungkook’s closet, you jump into his bed and eye the beautifully plated tarts in his grasp.

jungkook tries not to get distracted by the way you look right now. so cute in his clothes. he wonders if you caught the way that he looked you up and down. when he realizes that you’ve been staring at the tarts, he refocuses and picks up one of the pastries, holding it close to your mouth “your tarts, your majesty.” when you open to take a bite, he snatches it back quickly and takes a bite himself. his face contorted in pleasure, the treat was perfect amounts sweet and sour.

“jungkook,” you deadpanned. your straight face breaks into laughter not even a second later when he holds the bitten pastry back up to your mouth. “you literally ate half of it!”

“then eat the rest of it!” he shoots back with a laugh. you roll your eyes, taking the rest of the pastry into your mouth. in turn, your lips slightly graze against his fingers. it wasn’t helping that your eyes were looking directly into jungkook’s. it was quite obvious that there was some tension here.

neither of you knew how to address moments like this.

most of the time the two of you just act like it never happened. but they’ve just been happening a little too often these days. like that one time you and jungkook almost kissed after he helped you put on a necklace. that time you and jungkook were hiding from blue; he held his hand over your mouth and the other arm tightly around your waist so you wouldn’t move or make a noise. then now, your sex eyes peering directly into his as your lips graze his fingers. yeah… it was a hard thing to talk about.

jungkook is just as confused as you when it comes to whatever the two of you were. just best friends? engaged but friends? dating? no, that wouldn’t be right. jungkook should ask you to be his girlfriend, er— fiancee, right? just because the two of you are arranged to be married doesn’t mean the two of you go from best friends to a pair of lovers just like that, even with requited feelings.

communication wasn’t a hard thing for the two of you. being best friends for twenty years does that to you. fights, the silent treatment, and even that one period of time where you swore that you’d never talk to jungkook ever again; you guys have been through it all.

it’s just that— neither of you really know how to go about it. this conversation was awkward. maybe it’s just not time to talk about it yet, jungkook thought. you were so busy these days. your advisors would pull you away from him before he even got a word in.

then when you two do get the time to spend with each other, the both of you are usually exhausted from the days you’ve had. even though the wedding was an entire year away, there was way more planning than either of you expected. everyone wants it to be perfect. which is nice in hindsight, but it does get annoying sometimes. like how venus was hounding you earlier for the choice of table cloths.

so the two of you just ignore it for now. maybe when it becomes more of a problem, you’ll talk about it with each other. but for now, it’s just something neither of you are ready to face. you chew and swallow the rest of the tart while jungkook moves into the bathroom to get ready for bed. giving the both of you enough time to calm down and gather your thoughts.

when he comes back out, you’ve eaten at least three more strawberry tarts and started a new movie. another scary one. jungkook doesn’t understand how you can watch these kinds of things before you go to sleep, it’s like you’re immune to nightmares or something.

but you weren’t immune to feeling tired. just before jungkook joins you in bed, you let out a yawn before stretching your limbs a little bit.

“tired?” jungkook asks, pulling the comforter over his legs.

you nod, “a little.”

he smiles. “it’s late,” he nods to the clock on his night stand. one in the morning. “sleep, you did a lot of work today.”

“i know,” you groan. “just one more bite.” trying to fit an entire strawberry tart into your mouth was a bad decision. the pastry crumbled into your throat and had you choking for a minute.

jungkook comes to the rescue with your glass of water and a hand rubbing circles against your back. “alright, alright.” he laughs. “no more tarts— go to sleep, princess.”

when you’ve come down from your coughing fit, you nod before you tell him that you’re going to call seungyeon and jimin. “let me just update them about the wedding planning— they’re gonna laugh about everything, i just know it!”

“it’s supposed to be a secret, princess.” jungkook shakes his head, watching as your hands pull out your phone at lightning speed.

“oh… really?” you pause, “i’ve been telling them everything since we’ve started.” jungkook only laughs. he could never be mad at that, why wouldn’t you wanna share something like this with your friends?

“just make sure your advisors don’t find out, okay?” he holds his pinky up for a classic promise, which you reciprocate.

the next fifteen minutes or so, jungkook acts like he isn’t listening to your conversation as he immerses himself into the storyline of this movie, it was interesting but not as interesting as the way you tell them about the wedding. you sound so excited, telling seungyeon that you’re gonna have to go dress shopping soon and that you want her to be there and everything. it makes jungkook smile. it’s more back and forth between the two of you, seungyeon saying of course she’ll be there and you saying that she better because you’re sending a jet to her. it was quite funny.

then seungyeon’s voice rings over the line, updating you about how jimin’s prepping for his big dance recital on saturday and how much they miss you.

you wish you could go to support him. jimin’s been dancing for as long as he’s lived. he’s so passionate about it and you admire him for it. he talked your ear off about how excited he was about this performance. that the crowd is going to be the biggest he’s ever performed for and how scouts will be in the audience. you wished you could go.

the way your voice shakes isn’t something you can hide very well. over the phone it may pass off as a breath you took too long to breathe in, but in person, jungkook can hear the way that your voice gives way to the tears building in your eyes. “tell him i wish him the best of luck.”

“of course,” she answers. “oh! and i was able to take some pictures when we went into the city, you remember all those hole-in-the-wall spots, right? turns out they’re great for photography!”

not long after, you received an email notification. containing the pictures that seungyeon took and they were beautiful. the city's night lights make everything look so cool, like a movie.

you miss the city. you miss your friends.

“they’re gorgeous,” you tell her. scrolling through picture after picture. seungyeon rambles more about a new restaurant they found that she hopes to bring you (and jungkook) to when they have the chance. jungkook could see the way that your energy changed. you’re sad now. he can feel it. he knows you miss the city. the way you slowly scroll through the pictures, longing to be there instead of having to look at a picture of it through a screen.

the gears in his head turn. a plan has already been set into motion for a date between the two of you. yugyeom, taehyung, and eunwoo have all been trying to pitch in, give him ideas as to where to go, what to do. but jungkook thinks he knows exactly what to do. he wanted to do this right.

so that next morning, jungkook makes an important phone call after retrieving the phone number from namjoon.

“hello, jimin? this is jungkook…”

it’s already been a week and a half since you and jungkook agreed to an arranged marriage. you’ve only been able to see him five out of the twelve days. busy was an understatement. venus said there is too much to do and that even a year isn’t enough time to get everything done. it seems like an exaggeration, in your opinion. sure, a wedding was a lot of work, but did you really need to be there to confirm everything?

maybe venus will let you have a break one of these days. you don’t suspect it to be anytime soon. today, you were told to wake up early (six in the morning type of early) and get dressed. no one told you exactly why, but you listened and once you were ready, made your way to the briefing room.

when you push the big doors open, venus eyes you suspiciously. “princess, what are you doing here? we are not wedding planning today.”

you furrow your eyebrows. “then what are we doing?”

“you are going on a plane, something about a political appearance.” she winks. walking your way and weaving her arm through yours to lead you out.

“already? mother said appearances weren’t for another month!” you groaned.

“sorry, princess.” she laughs. “your bags are being packed as we speak, just go freshen up and we’ll meet jungkook and blue at the royal runway.”

“got it.” you assure her. ah, such a good kid. venus thinks. you don’t even question the random political appearance and just accept it at face value. she knows you’ll be surprised. you don’t even suspect a thing!

after maybe ten minutes, you walk with venus down to the runway and meet up with the boys. jungkook seems a little nervous. he’s doing that thing where he shifts his weight on his feet. “you okay?” you ask him.

“yeah! yeah— why wouldn’t i be?” jungkook answers. a smile that’s way too bright is displayed on his face. you suspect it’s just nerves for the speech he’s probably gonna have to do.

“if you’re nervous, just remember i’ll be right there next to you, yeah?” you assure him. gently taking his hand into yours.

jungkook is suddenly reminded why he shouldn’t be so damn nervous. because it’s you. he gets to be with you. to marry you. of course, he wants it to be perfect, that’s why he keeps going over everything in his head, making sure he’s got everything down. but it’s you. his best friend. when he looks at you, his nerves are at ease. that burning feeling in his chest dies down and his throat no longer feels like closing in on itself.

he lets out a breath. “ready?”

you nod, “where are we going anyway? venus never told me.” stepping up into the aircraft and taking your seat, jungkook and blue follow suit.

“i think we’re going to gotia, right, blue?” jungkook answers, turning his head to namjoon. his face directly telling him to go along with it.

“yes, your highness, gotia.” namjoon smiles brightly.

your eyebrows knit together. they’re acting weird again. “alright…” you say, suspicious of them already. “wake me up when we’re there.”

apparently, you were exhausted. you slept through the entire plane ride and it was a fifteen hour plane ride. namjoon said you did this the last time too. only waking up to eat and talk briefly before falling asleep again. it was a great time for namjoon and jungkook to gather blackmail photos for themselves as your sleeping faces are unbeatable. even when you land, you don’t wake up. jungkook isn’t gonna be the one to wake you up, so he gently lifts you up, bridal style. you don’t even bother opening your eyes, you just cuddle into his further. jungkook was always so warm, and so strong. he carries you into a car and lets you continue sleeping there, with your head on his shoulder.

after about twenty minutes of traffic, you finally decide to open your eyes. suddenly conscious of the way that jungkook’s hand is intertwined with yours. you don’t mind, his hand felt nice in yours. with sleep-riddled eyes, you look outside the window to see city infrastructure; which is not very common in gotia. gotia is a green mountain country, known particularly for their abundance of livestock and green grass.

you give them the benefit of doubt, perhaps you guys were just going somewhere in gotia that you’ve never been before. so you ask, “where exactly in gotia are we going?”

jungkook smiles. a very mischievous smile. “you’ll see when we get there, princess, don’t worry.”

hm, suspicious. this time you sit up, the seat belt digging into your belly when you push forward to lean against the front seat. “blue, where are we going?” you ask your trusty body guard.

“i am just following directions, your highness.” he tells you with a tight grin.

you were already suspicious during the plane ride, and now since neither jungkook or namjoon want to tell you where you’re going; you’re starting to put the pieces together. they’re gonna make you play that game where blue drops you and jungkook off in a random location and the two of you have to figure out where to go from there. and from your own experience: it sucks! so you scoff. “you guys are kidnapping me! hand me my phone, i am calling my father.” holding your hand out with your palm facing up. both of them laugh, jungkook places his hand on yours instead of giving you your phone.

“just wait a little longer, princess.” jungkook tells you as he intertwines your fingers together.

another few minutes and you’re still unsure of where you are, the dark tint of the windows is only adding onto the difficulty to spot the exact location. blue stops abruptly and turns to the two of you, “i was told to let you off here.” he says. the street is empty, but somewhat familiar. you weren’t able to get another look before jungkook covered your eyes.

“it’s a surprise, close your eyes.” he says. out of habit, you close your eyes, giving your trust to jungkook. jungkook steps out of the car first and then the door to the left of you opens. you keep your eyes closed and scoot out of the car with jungkooks’ help. he helps you out and onto the ground where he leads you somewhere onto the sidewalk.

“can i open my eyes now?” you ask, still squeezing your eyes shut.

“in a sec,” jungkook promises. bringing you a little further, you can hear him open a door and feel him lead you inside. “you can open your eyes now, we have to go up some stairs first.” he tells you.

when you open your eyes, you’re in a staircase with carpeted floors and metal railings. it looks fancy. the two of you make it up the stairs and you still can’t tell where the hell you are before jungkook tells you to close your eyes again. he opens another door and leads you out, leading you through a curtain you can feel. now you can hear some noise, quiet bickers of a crowd of people. it had to be hundreds of people out there.

you hear jungkook sit down beside you before he speaks up once more, “okay, open.”

scared, you only open your right eye just a peek. from the image, there’s an entire crowd below you. you’re in a theater of some sort. no, wait— it’s not just some theater, it’s the theater. the one that jimin’s performing at! that’s when your eyes shoot open. you’re back in the city, with jungkook by your side, about to watch your best friends’ performance.

“no way.” you spoke quietly, facing jungkook. he only smiles at you, holding your hand in his. “did you really do this for me?” the two of you sat in the highest box seat, jimin called them ‘the rich people seats.’ no one can really see you from here and you had one of the best views; it was perfect.

it was just so thoughtful. he must have noticed how homesick you were feeling, how much you yearned to see your friends again. this is the best gift you could have ever received. you’re not even sure what to say, and jungkook understands. he doesn’t expect any thank you’s or a major display of affection. he’s just happy that you’re happy.

when the lights dim and the music begins to play, you can’t help but feel the tears start to build in your eyes. “thank you, jungkook, so much.” you pull yourself close to him, laying your head on his shoulder.

“of course, princess.” he tells you, wrapping his arm around your waist to pull you in closer. “anything for you.”

with that, a tear falls and the curtains are drawn. revealing jimin standing in position with a beautiful dark forest background, performing his black swan routine. one of his longest and most physically intensive choreography he’s ever made. but it’s so damn gorgeous. he performs flawlessly and receives a standing ovation. you couldn’t have been any happier for him.

during the extended applause, jungkook stands up pulls you along, through another carpeted hallway. “wait— where are we going?” you ask him. his other hand holds a bouquet that literally came out of nowhere. “and where did you get those flowers?!”

“we’re gonna see jimin!” he tells you as he maneuvers through the never ending hallways. “oh, and i hid these— so you could give them to jimin.”

the two of you stop just before another door, you pull him back gently. “what? people are going to see us, jungkook, we aren’t allowed to be outside of the kingdom without proper guards.”

“no one will see us, i promise, jimin will meet us here in this room.” he tells you. the both of you peek through the door window, it was an empty practice room. the door on the other side of the room opens and it’s the cue that it’s safe to come in. “ready?” he asks, holding the flowers out for you to take.

you start crying again, it was immediate. jungkook wipes the tears away quickly, “don’t cry, princess.” he places a sweet kiss on your forehead before he hands you the bouquet and opens the door for you.

then there in the middle of the room stands your best friend. his arms open for a hug and you run into them. crying even harder when you realize that jimin is crying too, you can hear the way he sniffles. “why are you crying?! you did amazing!” you sob.

“because you’re here and everything went perfectly— it’s just overwhelming.” he admits, pulling back from the hug. the two of you laugh at your crying faces.

“congratulations, jimin.” you tell him, holding out the flowers for him.

“thank you, ___.” he accepts them with a smile, wiping his tears and turning his attention to jungkook, who stands at the door as a lookout. “jungkook—! oh crap, wait— should i call him majesty or highness or something?” jimin’s quickly tries to correct himself, asking you for advice.

you can only laugh and shake your head. “you can just call him jungkook.”

“i was called?” jungkook stands just behind you, with a smile on his face.

“yeah, man— come here.” jimin embraces him in a hug and jungkook doesn’t object it.

rubbing his back, jungkook congratulates him as well. “you’re incredibly talented, jimin.” he smiles when he pulls away. “it’s great to finally meet you in person.”

“thank—”

“jimin! it’s curtain call!” a lady barges into the practice room. she stands speechless for a second, her eyes darting straight to jungkook. “wait, is that prince jungkook?!” all of you are wide eyed. jimin’s mouth is silently telling you two to ‘run!’ before you knew it, she was pulling out her phone, trying to take a picture.

jimin is quick to block the camera as he shouts. “go! hurry!” the two of you rush out of the door you came from. you and jungkook bolt back to the car, blue is a little startled when you both jump in, breathless.

“everything alrig—“

“drive!” you demanded.

“shit— alright!” blue complies and steps on the gas, getting you out of the parking spot behind the theater and now onto the streets of the city.

now that everyone’s calmed down. you just realized that you, again, have no idea where you were going. “now where are we off to? it’s about eleven o’clock, right?”

“go with the plan, blue.” jungkook tells him. with the creepy wording, you begin to feel more suspicion around the two of them. what more surprises could there be?

the three of you spent another fifteen or so minutes of driving, and quite frankly you were tired of looking for little landmarks to pinpoint where you were. just as you were about to ask again, blue stops the car and looks at jungkook.

“okay, another surprise— close your eyes.” jungkook says. you can’t help but admit this is kind of fun. sure, you were annoying the hell out of the boys for the past fifteen minutes asking when you were gonna get there and where you were going. but they love you either way.

you keep your eyes squeezed shut as jungkook helps you out of the car and onto another sidewalk. “just a little further.” he says, leading you closer to whatever it was. just before he speaks again, you hear a little jingle. “okay, open.”

when your eyes finally adjust to the city lights, you recognize the building entirely too well. a place that you lived for five years. “is this— are we— no way!” you stutter, purely out of surprise. you were sure that you weren’t going to see this place for at least another decade.

you stand there speechless, just like how you did at jimin’s recital, for a good minute or so. jungkook has to wave his hand in front of your face to break you out of the trance.

“so, are you gonna show me your apartment or not?” jungkook grins, holding up your cutely decorated keychain. you squeal in excitement as he hands you the keys and you drag him into the building. it’s only been about a month and a half since you’ve last seen it, but it feels so nostalgic. it feels special. you suspect it’s because of the man whose hand you’re holding right now.

up the elevator and to the left, the apartment labeled with a silver plated 101 beckons you inside. soon enough, you’re pulling jungkook through the door and giving him a detailed tour of your shoe closet that is right there when you walk in.

as the two of you walk around, it’s cleaner than you remember. venus must have gotten people to tidy the place up after you left. just as you finish the very short tour of your apartment, you remember that you’d left some things from jimin and seungyeon in your room. “make yourself at home, my prince, i’ll just be in my room, collecting some things.” you excuse yourself and let jungkook look around some more.

if jungkook were honest, he would have told you that he got a bit of whiplash from your tour. he was turning every two seconds because you were speaking so fast. you were just so excited, and jungkook couldn’t have been happier. everything was going exactly as planned. the clock was ticking and jungkook did have a schedule to be on, but there was nothing wrong with a little snooping around your apartment. he wanted to see the place that you called home for the past five years.

your couch looks cozy, blankets on one side with decorative pillows to adorn the piece of furniture. your coffee table is cute too. you’ve got good taste. everything just seems so you. so when jungkook turns toward the bookcase you mentioned earlier into your tour. it was crowded with books, photo albums, cd’s, and records. a specific photo album catches his eyes, a cute light blue album. on the spine it was labeled: ‘jjk’ and from what jungkook knows, it must be his initials.

it’s when he opens it is when he confirms. the album is full of pictures of the two of you when you were kids, at every festival, from infant to teens. flipping through the pages, both of your smiles never changed. over the years; in both of your eyes, the certain glimmer of love shines so brightly. he puts it back with a soft smile after he’s flipped through all the pages. another book catches his eyes, your favorite fairy tale story: hansel and gretel. while everyone made fun of your choice of story, jungkook thought it was cool. you were all about safety and stranger danger, therefore making hansel and gretel a good story for kids to read (in your opinion.) you always read it when you needed to make an important decision, you called it a comfort read. it helped you get into the right mindset, think about all the pros and especially the cons of the decision you were about to make.

jungkook was only going to look at it and flip through the pages mindlessly. but when he pulls it out of its place in the bookshelf, two envelopes fall out from between the pages. squatting down, he picks up the fallen pieces of paper and coincidentally, sees his name on one of the letters. the other is blank, just a plain envelope. if it was addressed to him, then it means it was meant for him, therefore, he could read it… right?

jungkook,

if you are reading this, then that means i’ve already left for the city.

first, i wanted to apologize: for everything. for not telling you that i would leave sooner, for leaving you, for not telling you how i felt.

i was scared terrified that i would ruin our friendship if i ever told you, but now, since i don’t know if i’ll ever come back. i need to get this off my chest.

i’ve wanted to tell you this for the longest time.

jeon jungkook, i am in love with you.

i’m sorry this is how you had to find out, i’m sorry i didn’t have the courage to tell you in person.

but i love you, and i think i always will.

i hope you will be happy, whoever you marry. i hope they love you the way you deserve.

i hope to be at your wedding when i hear the news.

i’m sorry again.

sincerely,

___

easily, his eyes gloss over. you’ve loved him all along. he should have known. how could he have not known? thoughts run through his mind at hundreds of miles an hour; what would have happened if you did give this to him when you left. he probably would have gotten on the next plane out and searched the city to find you. probably would have done the exact same thing he did recently, beg you to give the two of you a chance. he shakes his head, sliding the letter back into its envelope. reading the other letters wouldn’t hurt, right?

of course not, he tells himself. he was always so nosy. the blank envelope held multiple pieces of paper. most of them were unfinished confessions to him, smudged black ink with multiple sentences crossed off. from what he can count, you wanted to confess to him at least five times now.

jungkook isn’t sure how he feels, he just knows how in love he is. this feeling of being surrounded by warmth, it’s enough to make a tear slip out. he can’t help but smile either. this is the boost of confidence he needed for tonight. he was so nervous before, that everything would go terribly wrong, but now he’s just so… content, so happy. he wanted to hug you, kiss you, everything. so he puts the envelopes back into the book, places it back into the shelf and makes his way to your room. your body hovers over your vanity, digging through your jewelry box.

“my princess.” jungkook pouts even though you can’t see him. coming from behind, he hugs you tightly and rests his head against yours. he tries to hide the way that his tears began to tear up. you look up from your tangle of necklaces, turning and taking him into your arms.

“are you crying?” the single tear that rolls down his cheek grabs your attention. your hand immediately coming up to wipe it away. “what’s wrong? do you hate my little apartment that much?” you let out a laugh.

he laughs too, shaking his head with a smile. “your little apartment is perfect— i love it actually, i love you.”

“aw,” you mumble against his chest. “i love you too, even though you’re acting super weird.” the two of you stand there, swaying in a hug for a little longer.

“am not.” he rests his chin atop your head.

“whatever you say.” you hum, pulling him towards your prized possession— your queen sized bed. the two of you plop on top, your fluffy comforter proving to be one of the best purchases you have ever made in your entire life. the two of you lay there in silence for a little bit, you almost fall asleep due to how warm jungkook is.

“as much as i would love to cuddle and take a nap in your bed, we’re on a tight schedule— c’mon.” jungkook says as he stands from your bed, pulling you up.

“a schedule?” you quirk an eyebrow. “what else are we gonna do in the city? our faces are plastered all over the internet, not to mention you’re the most-thirsted-after prince in the entire world.” you ask as he tugs you through the hallway and back into the living room.

“can you show me the roof?” jungkook asks. a sly smile on his face, while you’re still completely clueless.

“of course!” you squeal, excited to show him the amazing view of the city the roof of your building has. the two of you exit your apartment and you pull him up another two flights of stairs. “usually it’s kind of dirty, so don’t mind the mess.” you warn before opening the heavy door.

but when you push it open, the roof is…clean. it’s decorated too. it’s not the same as you last saw it. “huh— would you look at that?” jungkook steps out onto the roof first, with his hands on his hips as he looks back at you. “it looks pretty clean— and look! it’s set up for dinner...?” he acts surprised. his eyebrows raised as the two of you walk towards the dinner table. he pulls out the chair for you to sit down and you can’t help but let out a little laugh.

“so this was your plan.” you snort. dinner was in the shape of cups of ice cream. it was adorable. “ice cream for dinner?”

jungkook nods, handing you a tiny spoon for the ice cream. “your favorite.”

he did all of this for me. you realize the effort. he must have gone through meticulous planning and conspiring all of this in secret. he’s good. really good. god, you could kiss him.

the two of you sit there in the ambiance of the late city night, eating ice cream and having a small conversation. whenever the conversation paused, you could hear some music playing quietly in the back.

jungkook really did deserve the mantle of prince charming. king of romance. ruler of your heart.

“do you hear that?” jungkook asks, holding a hand out next to his ear. a familiar tune playing from wherever the music was. standing up, he extends his grasp for you to take. “a dance, princess?”

“you know i have two left feet.” you try to decline him, remembering how taehyung teased you about the way that you tripped over his feet when the two of you danced at your welcome home party. but jungkook doesn’t mind. he loves dancing with you, always has. he loves the way that your feet crash into his, how focused you get when you try not to get the moves wrong. he wanted to waltz with you everywhere, even if you stood on his feet the entire time.

“just follow me, alright?” he smiles. giving in, you take his hand and the two of you make your way to the middle of the rooftop. the night sky bearing witness to one of the most romantic things you’ve ever received. you feel his hand wrap around your waist, guiding you to step where he does.

“sparks, huh?” you smile, finally putting a title on the song playing. “kind of a sad song to dance to.” following his moves, dancing does seem a little easier with jungkook there.

“i thought it was perfect.” he states, leading you in for a twirl and then back into his arms. “it explains exactly how i feel about you.

“yeah?” you look up to him. even in this faint lighting, the abandoned flickering light bulbs that hang from strings all across the rooftop from an old tenant party, he still shines so bright.

he nods. the two of you silently sway for another few beats of the song. you lay your head against his chest, the beat of his heart is as calming as the music in the back. maybe if you just leave your eyes closed, this moment could last forever.

meanwhile, jungkook is trying to amp himself up to get these words out. another confession and an important question sits heavy on his tongue. he knows you feel the same, knows that you’ll accept, but he’s still so nervous. what if you don’t say yes and he’s left there with his knee against the rough concrete floor? what if this was just too cheesy for you and you hate it?

jungkook tells himself there’s only one way to find out.

“i— can i tell you something?” he asks. you lift your head away and look in his eyes, they greet you with that sweet eye smile that hasn’t changed in all the days you’ve known him.

“of course.” you pull yourself back, holding his hands.  

“when you were gone...i was always afraid that i was romanticizing you— i had nothing but our memories and the small talks we would have sometimes through our parents,” he admits. “i was scared that i was in love with the idea of you, and not… you— you know?”

his confession makes you stop in your tracks, clear disbelief on your face as you drop his hands from your grasp. “what?! jungkook— why are you telling me this now?” you groan, folding your arms over your chest. you move to grab your phone to find a way to reverse this. “you know what— it’s not too late to cancel the engagement and call up the king of fenutar— i’m sure they’ll forgive you— yeah, let’s give them a call—”

he pulls you back gently, “princess, relax.” he laughs. “i was just getting started.”

your gaze softens, letting him finish his point as he restarts the sway. your feet move with his, slowly to the beat of the song playing in the back. it’s changed to something calmer, from what you could hear, it sounds like cigarettes after sex.

“this past month, ever since you came back—” he starts up once more. you attention falling back onto him instead of the music in the back. “i don’t know what it is, but i think i was wrong.” he says. you gently furrow your eyebrows. confused as to what he means. jungkook brings his hand up to your face, cupping your jaw before raising his thumb to soothe the creases in your forehead.

relaxing your muscles under his touch, he lowers his hands back down to hold your hands. he says the next words, staring straight into your eyes. “i love you, i always want to be around you, i wonder if you are alright— if you’re sad, because i want to be there for you, i want to take care of you.” your hands are pulled close to him, enough for him to be able to gently press a kiss against your knuckles. “i want to be by your side, against foes seen and unseen.”

“so—“ he lets go of your hand to pull a tiny white box out from his pocket and gets on one knee. “will you marry me?”

the rough ground against his clothed knee doesn’t matter anymore when he sees the sweetest smile on your face. everything is perfect.

you let out a little laugh, your smile going from ear to ear. “yes! of course— yes, yes!” tears collect in your eyes quickly. holding your arms out for him, jungkook comes up and collects your embrace. a tear slips out and he can hear your sniffle. gently, he wipes the tear away, and the two of you stare at each other just long enough. long enough to understand that this was the time.

you both lean forward and finally, let your lips connect. a kiss seals the fate of both hearts involved.

dreaming of this moment ever since you were fifteen has given you quite high expectations for it, but jungkook always exceeds expectations. even when you think he couldn’t be anymore perfect, he always has something up his sleeve. it shows in the way his kiss is gentle, but so passionate. transferring his love to you in the most efficient way possible.

jungkook is in dreamland almost. wonders if this is what being on drugs is like. pure euphoria. knows that this is what love stories are based off of. pure adoration. fears what he’ll do if he won’t be able to kiss you. the beginning of an addiction. your lips, they take him prisoner.

slowly, the two of you pull away and stare at each other like love sick puppies. jungkook holds your face in his hand as you lean into his grasp. the sound of confetti poppers startle you, flinching at the noise before looking to see what happened. through the rain of confetti, you can see all of them. seungyeon, jimin, blue, taehyung, eunwoo, and yugyeom. you didn’t think it could get any better. you were so happy.

“congratulations, your majesties.” blue moves forward after the confetti settles and hands the two of you a purple rose. the national flower of raemor and it was a common tradition to give engaged couples raemors for good luck all throughout their relationship and marriage. you thank blue with a hug and so does jungkook. jimin and seungyeon also congratulate you, seungyeon pulls out her camera and shows you the pictures she took while she was hidden with everyone behind the huge skylights.

eunwoo takes hold of your hand gently, raising the ring up for everyone to see. jimin and seungyeon also come close to get a better look, holding your arm still. “that rock is adorable, jungkook.” he pats him on the back. making slight fun of the stones size. everyone in the kingdom was used to huge gems, rings that would weigh down the finger of the wearer. you give eunwoo a light shove.

the ring was your style. it was actually really thoughtful too. there were conversations where you and jungkook would gossip about the adults sometimes, you knew everything back then. who was cheating on who, whose wives knew about the mistress, whose husbands knew about the paramour. then most of the time, they would solve it through money. buying bigger, more expensive material things to woo them, to make them forget the betrayals. you hated it. you specifically remember telling jungkook that you’d rather have a small ring and a great love, instead of a big ring and a loveless marriage.

so when you stare at the pretty gem laid on your ring finger, you realize it’s just more evidence that jungkook listens, and he takes your words into account. you couldn’t have been happier with the piece of jewelry. “i think it’s beautiful.” you pout in defense of the ring.

“it’s a red diamond.” namjoon tells them. “one of the rarest diamonds in the world.”

“how much is it?” yugyeom peers at the ring as well, he likes the way it sparkles even without the light.

“it doesn’t matter!” you groan, looking at jungkook for some help as four different people have your hand in their grasp.

“the diamond itself is roughly about five million— the rest of the ring, i can’t say.” namjoon shrugs nonchalantly.

jimin and seungyeon gasp at the same time, same pitch. both yugyeom and eunwoo’s eyes almost bulge out of their sockets. “sorry man— i thought it was a ruby.” eunwoo scratches the back of his head. jungkook only laughs at the conversation, not taking any of it to heart, along with taehyung (and chaeyoung!) who helped him customize the ring in the first place.

“five million?! are you serious?” you turn to him, about to scold him for wasting his money. just for an engagement ring too?!

he catches your hand before you can shove him like you did eunwoo. he brings it to his mouth, kissing your ring finger gently. before coming close to your ear, he whispers, “it’s worth way more than five million.”

“jungkook!”

taglist: @kookxin @fan-ati--c

[samwisethewitch]

Keeping Consumerism out of Your Craft

Consumerism is a set of socioeconomic conditions and attitudes that encourage the continual acquisitions of goods and services. There is no “enough” in a consumerist society — members of the society are constantly pushed to buy new things, pay for new services, and keep up with the latest trends.

There are a few reasons consumerism is bad news. For one thing, it’s terrible for the environment — consumerist cultures usually have linear economies, where resources are extracted, consumed, then discarded, with no effort to replenish them. This is highly unsustainable, because at some point those limited resources are going to run out. Consumerism also has a human cost, as it often leads to the use of sweatshops, which violate basic labor laws. In many sweatshops, workers are not paid a livable wage, children are employed as workers, and working conditions are unsafe. Companies in countries like the United States get around labor laws by outsourcing labor to other (poorer) places. Consumerism also contributes to classism, as the acquisition of expensive items is often treated as a status symbol.

Consumerism is present in nearly every aspect of Western culture, and this includes spirituality and witchcraft. There are multiple “Beginner Witch Kits” for sale from Amazon and other online retailers which include candles, crystals, and incense — which is great, as long as that’s all stuff you’ll actually use in your practice. (I mean, do you really need twelve different varieties of incense?) Witchy authors and bloggers often treat magic like a matching game, where every problem requires a very specific herb or crystal. YouTube is full of “witch hauls,” videos solely dedicated to showing off new purchases. All of this contributes to a commercialized witchy aesthetic, which can only be achieved by buying the tools of the trade.

I get it. Shopping is fun, especially when you’re still learning about magic and magical items. It’s exciting to search for the perfect crystal or incense blend, especially if you have a local metaphysical store where you can shop in person. But owning the right stuff doesn’t make you a witch. All you need to practice magic is your will — everything else is optional.

I’m not saying every witch should be a hardcore minimalist, or that you can never buy new things. What I am saying is that all of us, witches or not, need to be more mindful of how we spend our money and the impact of our purchases on the world around us.

How to Avoid Consumerism

If you’re considering buying something, ask yourself if you’ll really get use out of it. For example, I don’t use a lot of tools in my practice because I prefer to work with my hands, so it wouldn’t make sense for me to buy an expensive wand or ritual knife. Don’t feel like you have to buy something just because another witch uses it — if you don’t think you’ll use it, don’t buy it.

Don’t buy multiples of the same tool. Instead of buying multiple different colored altar cloths for different times of year, buy one white altar cloth you can use year-round. Instead of buying multiple tarot decks, find one or two you really enjoy working with. You get the idea. (Obviously, there will be some items you need more than one of, like spell candles. This rule applies more to tools that can be reused.)

Replace things as they run out instead of buying them before you need them. Buying things in bulk can lead to unnecessary waste and drawers full of unused magical supplies. Buy things you know you’ll really use, and only buy one or two at a time. Use up the items you have before you buy more.

Invest in items that have multiple uses. For example, most kitchen spices can also be used in spells — search your spice cabinet before ordering special ingredients online. There are some items that have multiple magical uses, like rosemary and salt. Buy a couple of these multitaskers instead of a large collection of herbs with very specific uses.

Use the “two week” rule. This is something I do to keep myself from making impulse purchases. If I think I want to buy something online, I wait two weeks before I order it. If I still want it after two weeks, I take that as a sign that I’ll actually get some use from it.

Go “shopping” in your backyard. Familiarize yourself with the plants, animals, and minerals that are native to your area and go foraging for spell supplies instead of buying them. Items you can probably find near your home that could be used in ritual include leaves and flowers, pine cones, seed pods, tree branches, rocks, and naturally shed feathers. Just make sure you never harvest enough of a plant to hurt it, and make sure you properly disinfect any animal products you pick up.

If you can, make it yourself. Not only does making your own magic items save money, it also creates a much stronger personal link between you and that item. You can grow your own magical herbs in a garden or in indoor pots. Many common magical tools, like brooms and wands, are easy to make at home with some basic craft skills. Making your own items also means you can customize them, tailoring them to your own craft.

If you can’t make it yourself, but it used. There are some items you can’t reasonably make yourself, like incense burners, cauldrons, and books on the craft. But you can find most of these items used, either in thrift stores or online on websites like Ebay and Depop. Buying used almost always ends up being cheaper than buying new, and because you’re buying items already in circulation you aren’t contributing to a linear economy. Thrifting is also a great way to find unique items that won’t be like what anyone else has on their altar.

If you can’t find it used, support a small business. Sometimes, you can’t make what you need or find it in a thrift store. In that case, buying from a small business is preferable to buying from a big retailer like Amazon. When you support a small business, you’re supporting an individual rather than contributing to some CEO’s massive yearly bonus. A lot of small business owners make their items themselves, which avoids sweatshop labor. Pretty much everything I buy new for my craft comes from Etsy sellers — there are a LOT of witches on Etsy, so with a little digging you can easily find exactly what you’re looking for!

Don’t buy crystals. I know, I know. Thanks to social media, large crystal collections have become synonymous with witchcraft. But the crystal trade is highly unethical, with unsustainable mining techniques, dangerous working conditions, and child labor. Because of a lack of regulations, it’s virtually impossible to find crystals that are truly ethically sourced. Most sellers don’t know where their crystals come from and can’t guarantee that no workers were harmed in their extraction. No stone is worth the health and safety of other human beings, no matter how pretty.

Avoiding consumerism in your witchcraft means being less reliant on tools and set dressing. This will allow you to rely on your own energy and will, which will lead to a deeper and more meaningful spiritual practice.

Resources:

Revolutionary Witchcraft by Sarah Lyons

Simply Living Well by Julia Watkins

“11 Facts About Sweatshops” on dosomething.org

“Child labour in the fashion supply chain” from The Guardian

“Bangladesh factory collapse toll passes 1,000” from BBC News

“Are crystals the new blood diamonds?” from The Guardian

“Dark crystals: the brutal reality behind a booming wellness craze” from The Guardian

[sassyduckqueen]

Don’t Pull My Strings- ML Prompts and One Shots 8

Ok so here's the story featuring Puppet Queen and Marionette. I worked them into a request for my friend, @naruwitch​, where Marinette and Luka get akumatized and Adrien learns his inaction and bad advice has serious consequences. I had a lot of fun writing this so yay me. Also I'm closing requests for these prompts for a little bit. I have a few I need to catch up on so I'll reopen requests when I'm caught up but I'm not sure when that will be. Anyway hope you guys like this :)

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Tears rolled down Marinette's face as she held onto the lucky charm Adrien had given her for her birthday. She was sat on her chaise lounge with a number of her handmade dolls near her. She had a Volpina one on the floor, along with the Bubbler and the Lady Wifi doll. She had been talking to them as if they were their real life counterparts. She was trying not to bottle up her hurt as she knew it wasn't healthy. Normally, it worked but today she was finding it harder then usual. Today in class, Lila had claimed that Marinette had attacked her and had been bullying her. As a result, Alya and Nino had renounced their friendship with Marinette and turned their back on her. They completely believed Lila's lies about her supposedly bullying her and told Marinette in front of the whole class, including Miss Bustier, that they would couldn't be friends with a jealous bully like her, which in turn had caused the rest of the class to turn against her, expect for Juleka. She had been the only one who tried to point out that it wasn't Marinette's normal behavior. Sure, she had her moments when she got jealous of people but always got past it. As usual everyone ignored her but the real blow had came when Marinette tried to stick up for herself and tell them the truth. Hoping that Adrien would tell the truth, she turned to him and asked him to tell them. Adrien, however, didn't. She wasn't sure if he panicked or if he just didn't want to call Lila out but he turned around and said that he didn't know what she was talking about. As if that wasn't bad enough, he then pulled her aside and told her to drop it, telling that 'they were just lies', that 'no one was getting hurt' and long as they both knew, it didn't matter if Lila was lying or not. She didn't stay after that. Despite Miss Bustier calling for her, Marinette rushed home and straight into her room, where she cried for a few minutes before taking out her dolls. She tried to talk them, telling them about how she felt but the real string of betrayal had come from Adrien. Since she didn't have a doll of him, she took out the lucky charm he had given her but instead of talking, she just began to cry again. In a simple act of trying to 'keep the peace', he had broke her heart in two. She jumped a little as she heard a knock on her trapdoor.

 "C-Come in?" The trap door opened and to her surprise, Luka climbed through. As soon as he fully in the room and the trap door closed, Marinette rushed over to him, throwing her arms around him. He caught her and held her close as she began to cry.

 "Ssh, it's ok, Melody," He whispered, leading her back over to her chaise longue. Marinette let him sit her down before he sat next to her and held her close to him. "Juleka messaged me and asked me to come by to check on you. She didn't tell me what happened but mentioned that you ran out of the school in tears,"

Marinette nodded as she held onto him. He frowned a little as he held her, stroking the top of her head.

 "Li-Lila's been telling everyone that I've been b-bullying her," She sniffed, making him frown. He knew she wasn't capable of bullying anyone, giving how she reacted with Chloe. She only ever stood up to Chloe. She never was malicious about how she spoke to her and definitely didn't single her out or torment her. Luka frowned as he held Marinette. He was certain the bully in this situation was Lila. He had met the girl when she came to one of Kitty Section's practice. Unfortunately for him, he ended up with a migraine for the rest of practice. When she had gone home, he told the rest of the band that she cause his headache. The very next day, he ended up getting kicked out of the band. Juleka had tried to defend him but she was outvote by two to one. Since they were discussing kicking him from the band, he didn't get a vote. He was upset by it but suspected that it had something to do with Lila so he did his own digging into her, seeing if he could find out anything on her. He already believed Marinette when she had told him that Lila was a liar and he knew her claims about been Ladybug's best friend and knowing Jagged Stone were bull but he wanted to find out what else he could find. Unfortunately, he didn't find anything other then the ladyblog but it didn't surprise him. Marinette's gentle sobs caught his attention, causing him to frown as he rubbed her back. "T-They believed her, Luka. A-Alya and Ni-Nino to-told me that t-they couldn't be friends with me a-and the r-rest of the c-class d-did the same,"

 "What about Adrien?" He asked, feeling unsure. Marinette had told Luka that Adrien knew about Lila's liars and had given her advice. Not that you could really call it that but while he didn't agree with Adrien's advice, he was happy that Marinette had someone else on her side. Or at least, he hoped that he was but judging by Marinette's heartbroken expression, that was not the case. "Melody?"

 "I a-asked him to tell them and he d-didn't. He said he didn't know what I was talking about and th-then he pulled me aside and told me that L-Lila's lies aren't h-hurting anyone and as long as we knew it didn't matter if she was lying but she's hurting me, Luka," She cut off as another sob escaped her lips. Luka frowned deeply and hugged her again, causing her to lean into him as she closed her eyes. They stayed like that for a good ten minutes or so before Marinette slowly looked up at Luka with an expression that made his heart break. She looked down at the lucky charm in her hand with a hurt expression. "She's hurting me... do I not matter?" 

"You matter more then anyone in the world, Melody," He whispered, gently placing his hand over the lucky charm so she didn't have to look at it. It still hung from her hand but she had glanced up, looking up at him as he gently kissed her forehead. "He isn't worth your time or your tears,"

 "I-" She began before her eyes widen as an akuma entered the lucky charm. Luka's eyes widen at the same time as well before a purple butterfly mask appeared over their eyes. Tikki gasped from her hiding place and rushed over as Hawkmoth's voice echoed in their minds. 

 "Puppet Queen.... Marionette... I am Hawkmoth," The villain said in their heads. "So Lila Rossi has spreading her lies again and turning everyone into her puppets. Well, I'm giving you two the power to make them your puppets and let the truth be known. In return, you will get me Ladybug's and Chat Noir's miraculous... do we have a deal?"

 "Rossi will no longer pull the strings," Luka muttered as Tikki gasped and carefully took the earrings off Marinette's ears before she could reach for them. She flew over the window and gasped back with a sorrowful look before fazing through the window.

 "And the truth will play out," Marinette replied before the purple mist engulfed them, changing the lucky charm into a cross control. Luka's form flopped forward as if he had become inanimate as the purple mist disappeared from Marinette. Her eyes were closed but she was holding two identical cross controls in her hands. Her hair was a little bit longer but in the same style as before. It's color had changed. It was a bright blue with bright pink tips. She was wearing a light pink shirt, a brown corset belt with an over skirt attached to it and dark gray shorts. She had a red jacket with a gold hem and gold buttons and a pink ribbon around her neck. She had white stockings on but one only when up to her calf where the other was thigh high. She had black Mary Jane styles shoes and dark gray fingerless gloves on her. Her mask was light pink and her lips were blood red. However, her skin resembled porcelain and was 'broken' in some parts, making her look like a broken doll. She opened her eyes, revealing cold blue eyes that were dull and lacked emotions. She glanced over to where Luka was stood as the purple mist disappeared from him. He was standing but his torso was slumped forward and his arms hung motionless by his side with his head bowed, causing his hair to flop in front of his eyes, which were closed. Like her, his skin resembled porcelain but there were no cracks across his face. His hair was the same shade and cut but he was no longer wearing his usual clothes. He was dressed in a light blue shirt with a black ribbon around his neck that was secured with a blue brooch, which resembled a sapphire. He had a black waistcoat with a red hem and a dark blue belt around his waist. His pants were black but had patches of bright fabric sew onto them as well as some tattered patches. His boots were dark brown with a red heel. He had a mask around his eyes which matched his waistcoat and his nails were painted black. Unlike Marinette, who had cross controls, he had string attached to each of his fingers and his wrists resembled a doll's joints. She tilted her head aside before walking over to her sewing machine. She placed her cross controls down on the table, next to her sewing machine before grabbing the materials she needed. She turned it on and sat down, beginning to work on more dolls. A purple butterfly mask appeared over her eyes, making her frown as Hawkmoth asked her what she was doing. "Patience, Hawkmoth. We only seven dolls between us and as you well know, those ones will only work for me. He needs his own set. Besides no one knows about us yet,"

 "Very well, Puppet Queen but I expect results," He growled before disconnecting it. Puppet Queen smiled and continued working. She stopped when she heard her mother calling her name and got up. She grabbed one of her cross controls and connected it to the Volpina doll, causing a real life size Volpina to appear out of pink smoke. Like Marionette, she was stood completely still with her torso and head hunched over and her arms hanging at her side. Puppet Queen moved her controls, causing Volpina to stand up before she took out her flute and played a tune, creating a ball of light at the end. She threw it in the room, engulfing it in a bright orange light. The trap door opened, revealing Sabine but she did not see Volpina, Marionette or Puppet Queen. She just saw Marinette and Luka curled asleep on her chaise longue. Deciding to leave them in peace, Sabine closed the door and disappeared downstairs to let the captain know that Luka would be staying over that night. The illusion disappeared, causing Puppet Queen to let out a small sigh before she detached the strings on her Volpina doll, making the full size version disappear before she continued to work on the dolls.

 ~Next Day~

 Puppet Queen stretched as she finished the last doll, putting it with the others. Hawkmoth had checked in on her a couple of times but in the end, decided to let her make the dolls. She had made Marionette a set of dolls based on her classmates. She was unable to make one for Adrien as she didn't have the right material for him and there was no point in making one of herself. She also decided not to make one of Juleka as the girl had tried to defend her. It wasn't her fault that she was easily ignored. Besides, she wouldn't want to hurt Marionette in that way. Juleka was still his sister. She had made some more akuma dolls for herself. Ones with powers she thought as useful. She picked Silencer as his power would be useful to shut people up. She made an Oni-chan doll because she had the power to track Lila and give her a horn. She wouldn't admit as Marinette or Ladybug but she found it very satisfying to see Lila terrified and with the horn on her head. She had a field day when she realized it grew every time she lied. She picked out Malediktator as well as Stormy Weather and Reverser. She picked Malediktator and Reverser because their powers were useful but she actually just picked Stormy Weather because she liked the look. Her inner designer influenced that choice. With all her new dolls done, she picked the class dolls and placed them on the ground in front of Marionette before standing up and gently cupping his cheek.

 "It's time to play, Marionette," She declared, Almost instantly, Marionette opened his eyes, revealing their color. They had changed green again but unlike his previous forms, they weren't full emotion at all. In fact, they looked almost lifeless and glazed over. He straightened up, clicking a little as he tilted his head to the side with a slightly confused expression. She giggled a little. "I made you some dolls,"

 He glanced down at them before glancing back at her with a puzzled expression.

 "I didn't have enough material to make an Adrien doll," She replied, frowning. She would have loved to have seen him been controlled like the dummy he is. Maybe then he would realize how much Lila's lies hurt. She frowned a little before hearing another click as Marionette lifted his arm and gently placed his hand on top of her head, patting it in a comforting manner. She smiled a little before shaking her head. "I'm fine,"

 He moved his hand from her and gave her a smile, making her giggle again. However, he turned his head to the side and lifted his arm, pointing to the trap door. Puppet Queen frowned and picked up her cross controls, reattaching one to the Volpina doll, re-summoning her then attaching the other one to the Lady Wifi doll. She used Volpina to create an illusion of Marinette and Luka leaving the house and saying goodbye to her parents before using the Lady Wifi doll to lock the trap door so they would not be disturbed. She knew full well that Miss Bustier wouldn't notice if she wasn't in class today and even if she did, she wouldn't bother calling her parents right away. Satisfied that they wouldn't be disturbed, she detached the dolls and turned back to Marionette, who was leaned down. He picked up one of the dolls, which happened to be Nathaniel's and tilted his head to the side before looking at her, as if asking permission. She smiled and nodded, causing the strings attached to his fingers to move on their own and connect to the doll, attaching themselves to the arms, legs and neck of the doll. He let go off it, causing it to fall onto the floor, slumped as he held out his hand and wiggled his fingers before he moved the doll, causing it to straight up and look around. Puppet Queen smiled and grabbed her computer chair, moving it in front of Marionette before grabbing her own dolls and placing them in front of her. She picked up the Ladybug doll, allowing her strings to attach to it before letting it fall to her side, slumped as well. She moved her hand, causing the doll to stand up straight.

 ~Meanwhile in School~

 Nathaniel was doodling in his book as he listened to Mrs Mendeleiev rambling on about science when he suddenly slumped against the desk, like he had fallen asleep. Mrs Mendeleiev noticed and began to tell him off before he suddenly stood up and walked from his desk, making her frown. He walked over to the white board and picked up a pen before beginning to write the same sentence repeatedly on the board, causing everyone to gasp.

 Lie-la, Lie-la, fox on fire

 "Nathaniel! Stop that at once!" Mrs Mendeleiev demanded, causing him to stop before he turned his head slowly towards her, making her frown as his eyes were completely glazed over like he wasn't living at all. It made her extreme uncomfortable as he turned back and continued to write. "Nathaniel, that's enough,"

 He completely ignored her, making her frown.

 "Nathaniel! I said stop that at once!" She barked but he ignored her again. "That's it! Go to the principle's office,"

 He stopped, making her think she had gotten through to him before he wrote on the board again. This time he wrote no but then stopped writing on the board before he turned his head slowly again and smiled at her, making her jolt back. However, he turned to the class with slowed movements, causing the class to feel freaked out.

 "Hickory dickory dock, a Fox went up the clock. The clock struck one. The fox fell down and broke her crown, Hickory dickory dock," He sang, causing the class to look at him with a mixture of confusion and fear. "Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock,"

 "What the hell, Nathaniel?!" Alya shouted, causing him to turn and glance at him. 

 "Ah, the tabloid writer," He deadpanned, making her frown. "Wait your turn,"

 She blinked as he walked over to Lila with slowed movements. He stopped in front of her, making her blink at him.

 "Lila the Liar. How ironic that your name has lie in it," He replied, making her gulp.

 "I'm not-"

 "I'm not done talking!" He shouted, slamming his hands down on the table before tilting his head to the side. "I know you're a liar. Liar, Liar, Liar, Liar-"

 Alya frowned as she noticed something shining above his head, making her frown. She grabbed the nearest pair of scissors and cut the shining thing, causing her to realize it was a string. She noticed four others and cut them too as Nathaniel tried to grab her, causing him to slump as soon as she cut the last string before he straightened up and looked around confused.

 "What? How did I get over here?" He asked, looking around confused but the sound of slow clapping caught the rest of the class's attention. Alix was slowly clapping in a mocking manner, making Alya look at her with concern before she stopped and looked at her.

 "So you're not as dumb as you look," She replied, making Alya frown as she smirked. "And here I just thought you were nothing more then a trashy tabloid writer,"

 "I'm not a tabloid writer," Alya growled back, making Alix laugh. "Who are you anyway? You're clearly not Alix!"

 "I'm Marionette," Alix replied, doing a dramatic bow before her limps hung a little. She looked up and tilted her to the side as she smiled. "And you're all my puppets now,"

 "Marionette?" Alya questioned, frowning but Lila gasped. 

 "Oh, no. It's Marinette!" Lila cried, crocodile tears rolling down her cheeks. "She must off been akumatized to get revenge on me! It's bad enough that she bullies-"

 "LIAR!" Alix suddenly screamed, cutting Lila off. "One I am not Marinette! Two! Marinette never bullied you! You bullied her!"

 "You would say that, Marinette!" She cried out, causing the rest of the class mutter. It did make sense that Marinette would have gotten akumatized over this. They had stopped been her friend but it's not their fault she was a bully. Before they could get say anything else, Ladybug flew through the window and landed on the floor before straightening up. Lila gritted her teeth but gave a fake smile. "Oh, Ladybug! Thank goodness, Alix has been possessed by Marinette! She's using her to bully me!"

 "No, she isn't," Ladybug replied, causing everyone to gasp. "Marionette isn't Marinette, Lie-la,"

 The class blinked at Marinette's word before Alya gasped. 

 "Wait, how did you know about Marionette, Ladybug?" She asked, causing the rest of the class to gasp and back away from the heroine. "She's only just appeared,"

 "Because, Alya, he's my loyal knight," Ladybug smiled, making the class gasp in shock and question why she was working with an akuma. She completely ignored them as she threw her yoyo up in the air. "Lucky charm!"

 A giant sword appeared out of thin air, causing the class to gasp before Mrs Mendeleiev ordered them to retreat, following them as they ran out of the classroom. They locked the door behind them, causing Ladybug tilted her head to the side before she gave Alix a smile. She would make sure they didn't escape.

 "I'll get the doors," She replied, kicking the door down and walking out as Alix followed. "Lila! Alya!! Why don't you come and say hi to your favorite hero?!"

 ~In the Courtyard~

 The class ran out of the class as soon as Mrs Mendeleiev shouted at them to do so. She locked the door behind her and ordered them to escape the school while she informed the headmaster of the situation. The class ran down the stairs and rushing over towards the doors as they did but to their surprise, Lady Wifi, jumped down in front of them and fired her commands at them. They managed to dodge them but Lady Wifi took the chance to use her lock command on the main doors. Alya gasped and ran over to the locker room, opening the door. The rest of the class followed her, rushing inside as they heard the door been kicked down and the fake Ladybug calling out for Lila and Alya. Nino turned to her, causing her to look at him.

 "Ok, how is Lady Wifi here when you haven't been akumatized?" He asked, making her frown.

 "It must be the akuma," She replied, making most of the class agree with her. "But if Marionette can use akumas, why not just go for that in the first place?"

 "Didn't Ladybug refer to Marionette as her loyal knight?" Mylene asked, causing Alya to nod and for the rest of the class to be confused. "But if Marinette is Marionette... why did Ladybug call her a he?"

 "Isn't it obvious?" Chloe asked, crossing her arms and causing everyone to look at her. "Lila was wrong. Marionette isn't Marinette. I know Hawkmoth isn't very creative but even he's not that dull,"

 "But if Marionette isn't Marinette and is in fact a boy, who is he and why is he after Lila?" Nino asked, making everyone mumble in agreement. Juleka gasped to herself and grabbed her phone, causing Rose to glance at her. As usual, no one else paid attention to her as she tried to call Luka but it went straight to voicemail. As soon as she hung up, she glanced up to see Rose staring at her with glazed over eyes. She gasped again and went to say something but Rose lifted her finger to her lip, making a shush noise before she blinked and looked around confused. She noticed Juleka looking at her.

 "Juleka, are you ok?" She asked, making the goth girl nod before she looked around. "Where's Adrien?"

 "I don't know," Juleka replied, glancing around. The blonde boy was no where to be seen but before they could do anything else, the door was sliced open by the fake Ladybug as she held her sword. Alix stood next to her, along with Lady Wifi. However, Cat Noir's baton flew above them, cutting the strings attached to them, causing Lady Wifi and Ladybug to disappear and Alix to slump before she gasped and looked around as Cat Noir jumped down and ordered the class to follow him.

 "What the hell?" She asked but she didn't have time to think as Nathaniel grabbed her arm and ran out of the locker room. 

 "Cat Noir, the doors are locked," Alya gasped, making him frown before he jumped down in front of the door.

 "Leave it to me," He grinned, lifting his hand. He went to summon his power but a bolt of lightening made him jump out of the way. "What the?"

 "I don't think so, Kitty Cat," A voice gasped, making the class look over. To their surprise, Stormy Weather was hovering above the courtyard. "No one is leaving here until I say so,"

 "Why don't you come yourself instead of hiding behind these puppets?" Cat Noir asked, making her laugh. 

 "And let you take my akuma? I don't think so," She giggled, making him frown. "I don't think so. Marionette, sweetie, be a dear and keep our favorite feline busy while I deal with the liar,"

 "Marionette is gone, Puppet girl," Cat Noir grinned, making her frown a little. "I destroyed his strings,"

 "Dumb kitty cat, I'm not Puppet girl. I'm Puppet Queen!" She laughed, making him frown. "And what makes you think Marionette is gone, just because you destroyed his strings?"

 Cat Noir went to answer back but ducked as Kim suddenly took a swing at him. Ivan suddenly grabbed hold of him, causing Stormy Weather to laugh as he struggled.

 "Take his ring, Mon Cherie," She ordered as Juleka looked around panicked. Nino walked towards Cat Noir, reaching for his ring. "We'll grab the earrings later,"

 Cat struggled, kicking Kim back and freeing himself from Ivan. Kim stumbled back before charging at him with Ivan. Stormy Weather smirked and turned over to the rest of the class, who had moved in front of Lila, expect for Juleka, who was torn about things. She realized that Marionette was Luka which meant this Puppet Queen was Marinette. Somehow, they had both been akumatized.

 "Move," Stormy Weather growled, pointing her umbrella at the class. However, none of them moved out of the way, causing Stormy Weather to narrow her eyes but before she could strike, Juleka moved in front of the class, holding her arms up. Stormy Weather's eyes soften a little as she looked at the Goth girl. "Juleka, move. You're protecting a liar,"

 "I know," She mumbled, making the rest of the class look at her with shock. She looked up at Stormy Weather as the puppet narrowed her eyes. "But I don't care about her. I care about you and my brother. Just tell us where the akuma is, Marinette,"

 "I'm not Marinette anymore!" Stormy Weather shouted as the class stared in surprise as well as Cat Noir, causing him to get punched by Ivan. Stormy Weather flew down and landed on the ground, walking towards Juleka and the class as Lila began to cry fake tears again. "Do you want to know why I got akumatized, Juleka? Because those people you're trying to protect turned on me like a pack of rabid dogs the more Lie-la claimed I harmed her! It didn't matter that some of them had known me for years or that I never even got physical with Chloe! It didn't matter that they were no-"

 Stormy Weather disappeared as Alya cut the strings, causing Juleka to gasp in surprise. Cat Noir kicked out and sliced Kim's strings with his claws before diving out of the way as Ivan tried to punch him. Alya grabbed Kim's arm and pulled him out of the way as Ivan continued to fight Cat Noir. He kicked him back, knocking him to the floor before slashing his strings with his claws. Ivan slumped before sitting up and looking around confused. Cat Noir helped him to his feet before turning to Juleka, who was playing with her hands.

 "How did you know that was Marinette?" He asked, making the class look at her before she sighed.

 "Because of what happened yesterday," She mumbled, making him frown. As Adrien, he knew that but as Cat Noir he had to play dumb. 

 "Why? What happened?" He asked, making Juleka frown as well.

 "Lila accused Marinette was attacking her and bullying her, which caused Alya and Nino to call her out and disown her as a friend," She mumbled, making him frown. He remembered as clear as day. Marinette's broken expression was almost enough to get him to tell the truth but then he realized that if he told them, they would throw him in the trash as well. After all, the class didn't believe Marinette so why would they believe him and the only reason why this was all happening was because Marinette couldn't be the bigger person and walk away. After all, Lila thrived off attention and if she didn't have it and was ignored, she would just disappear like a tabloid newspaper. Also it would keep the peace with the rest of the class since they wanted to get on Lila. He just didn't understand why Marinette just didn't follow his advice and take the high road. He was sure that Lila would end up exposing herself. Of course, he didn't think Marinette would get akumatized over it. She hadn't been akumatized before so he thought she would be fine. "But she isn't the only one akumatized,"

 "What?" Cat gasped, looking up at her. He didn't expect that at all. Juleka was playing with her hands again. "Juleka?"

 "Luka is as well..." She mumbled, making Rose gasp as Ivan and Mylene stared at her, along with a lot of the other class. The color drained from Cat's face as he stared at her too. This was worst then he expected. When Luka was Silencer, he was a formidable opponent. After all, he took Ladybug's voice and was tactical as he thought them but teaming up with an akumatized Marinette... well, this was not a good thing. "Luka went to check on her yesterday to make sure she was ok but he didn't come home last night. Ma said that Mrs Cheng had decided to let him stay over but..."

 "Are you certain that Luka is also akumatized?" Cat asked, making the goth girl know.

 "I tried to ring him earlier and it went straight to voicemail," She mumbled, making him frown. "I think Marionette is Luka as Puppet Queen is Marinette,"

 "Very good, Juleka," A voice echoed before Oni-chan jumped down and landed in the courtyard, causing Lila to gasp and hide behind Ivan, who glared at the puppet. Cat Noir charged at her but she blocked his attack and threw him into the rest of the class, knocking them down before jump over to Lila, who backed away. "Well, you know how this power works already, don't you Lie-la?"

 "I d-don't know what you're talking about," She gasped, backing away.

 "Let me remind you," She replied, taking out the sword but Cat Noir blocked it before she could hit her.

 "Marinette, listen to me, you don't have to do this," Cat gasped, trying to get through to her. "Just give me your object and I'll bring it to Ladybug,"

 "Silly Kitty, Ladybug isn't coming," She grinned, making him frown before she knocked him back and diving at Lila, pressing her sword to her forehead. Cat Noir got up and knocked into her as the class gasped. Lila felt her forehead, gasping as she felt a horn on there. How was she going to lie now? Oni-chan got up and smirked at her before lifting the sword to fight with Cat Noir.

 "Marinette, this isn't who you are," He gasped, holding up his hand. "Didn't Adrien say you were the everyday Ladybug?"

 "Agreste is a traitor," Max growled, making everyone look at him with surprise, expect for Oni-chan. Seeing the chance to run, Lila slipped away and headed back into the locker room. Not that it mattered, Oni-chan could easily track her. Instead, she leaned against her sword to watch Marionette rip into Chat. Max walked over to him and poked the hero in his chest surprising him. "And you sound just like him!"

 "No, I'm just-"

 "Don't lie!" Max roared, causing the class to step back in fear. They should try and escape but they were too interested in what the Puppet had to say. "You don't care about Marinette! You just want to keep the peace, just like Agreste! Well, all of this is because of that dumb model! He's known from the beginning that Rossi is a liar since he was there when Ladybug called her out but he doesn't care that she's lying to his classmates and making people's lives miserable! No, all he cares about is keeping the peace and taking the 'high' road! Well, the high road is bullshit! Lie-la isn't gonna lie herself into a corner and even if she did, it isn't down to him to decide who gets hurt by her lies!"

 "Adrien never said-"

 "Shut up! I'm not done!" Max roared. "He told Marinette that it didn't matter if they both knew. Well, it does matter! Did you know she's nearly been akumatized almost everyday for the last few weeks and every day she resisted because she didn't want to hurt her friends?! Did you know she cried herself to sleep over these people who turned their backs on them every time that lying fox spun a new story?"

 Cat Noir frowned as he glanced down, feeling bad. He didn't think she had been so torn up by the whole situation. She didn't seem like it when in class. Alya stepped forward. 

 "If Marinette had been resisting been akumatized this long, why did she end up akumatized this time huh?" She asked, placing her hand on her hips and holding the scissors threateningly. Max turned to her and smiled.

 "If I answer that and you don't like it, are you gonna cut my strings?" He asked, making her blink before he rushed forward and grabbed the scissors off her. Cat went to charge at him but stopped when Oni-chan pointed her blade at his throat. Max crushed the scissors in his hands, making the class gasp before dropping them on the door, rendering them useless. "No, no...you're gonna listen to me. The reason why this time was different is because of you and Adrien, Cesaire. You turned your back on your so called BBF and having been so for ages but yesterday was the last straw. You believed Lila that Marinette had assaulted her and renounced your friendship with her in front of everyone without a single shred of proof. And you wonder why I call you a tabloid?! Honestly, that's too nice for you! And Agreste! Urg! He knew Lila was a liar and when all of you... expect you, Juleka... turned on her like a rabid pack of dogs and she begged him to tell you the truth, he ignored her and worst denied it! As if that wasn't bad enough, he then proceed to pull her aside and told her to drop it because and I quote 'it's just lies' and 'no one is getting hurt'. Well, news flash, you mangy cat! Her lies are hurting someone and that someone is Marinette or doesn't she not matter?!"

 "Of course, she matters-"

 "Then Agreste should act like that instead of choosing a liar over her!" He shouted, making Chat step back. "And that is what was different this time! The two people who Marinette believed would always have her back turned on her! Marinette had been able to resist the akumas before because she believed that no matter what she had Alya and Adrien on her side. It broke her heart when they turned on her. There's only so much pain and hurt a person can take and this time she just didn't have the strength to fight the akuma,"

 "But Adrien was just trying to-"

 "Keep the peace," Max growled, making Chat gulp a little. "Well, if he hadn't been trying to keep the peace, hadn't given Marinette that frankly awful advice and actually told the truth about Lila, then we would not be here right now, would we chat?! We also wouldn't be here if Alya actually checked her sources like she should have! Tell me, Alya, did you even have proof that Marinette attacked Lila?"

 "Of course, Lila-"

 "Did you seen bruises? Cuts? Injuries?" He asked, making her frown. "How about text messages? Or any witnesses? Did any of you actually see Marinette targeting Lila like how Chloe targets people? Or did you just see her trying to tell the truth? Well, it doesn't matter what you saw,"

 "What do you mean?" Alya asked as Oni-Chan walked over to Max. Cat Noir went to move over but Oni-chan pointed her sword at him as Max moved his arm over to her.

 "Don't worry, Chat. We're gonna make sure Lila shows her everyone her true colors," She replied before her horned glowed and they disappeared, causing Officer Roger to appear in their place. Alya gasped as she looked around, causing Cat Noir to look at her.

 "They're going after Lila!" She gasped, making him blink. "We have to help her!"

 "The best way to help her is to find Puppet Queen and Marionette. Did Marinette come to school today?" He asked, making the class frown and shake her head. "Then she might still be at her home. Stay here. I'll go stop them,"

 He jumped up onto the roof and out of the school, heading over to the bakery. He went to jump up to Marinette's balcony but jumped back as a number of red bubbles were fired at him, exploding as they did. He blocked them with his baton and dodged a green one before he glared up at the balcony. Bubbler was stood on the edge but was surrounded by a number of red and green bubbles. If Chat tried to get in the balcony, he would get attacked and possibly end up trapped in a bubble but he also knew he could get in through the bakery. He rushed inside, causing Tom and Sabine to look up in shock as he rushed by them and into their apartment. Sabine rushed after him as Tom began to tell the customers that they were closed and ushered them out, locking the door behind them before he jointed his wife. Chat rushed up to Marinette's room and tried to open the trap door but found it was locked. He held out his hand and summoned his cataclysm, slamming his hand on it. It broke the lock on it and he forced it open, rushing inside but he found the room empty. He frowned and knelt down as he saw a number of dolls on the floor. He walked over to one of them and picked it up, frowning. It was one of Kim but it had strings attached to it's limbs and neck but the strings looked damaged, like they had been slashed by claws. 

 "Chat Noir, what's going on?" Sabine asked, getting his attention as he turned around. 

 "Where's Marinette?" He asked, making her frown. "Did you see her this morning?"

 "Yes, she left for school with Luka. He stayed over last night," She replied, making him frown. "Why?"

 "Are you sure you saw her?" He asked, noticing the doll of Lady Wifi and Stormy Weather. Puppet Queen was able to use the abilities of the akumas. He gasped as his eyes widen before he turned to Sabine. "Mrs Cheng, what dolls did Marinette have?"

 "Well, she had Ladybug, Lady Wifi, Bubbler, Volpina and of course one of yourself," She replied, making him frown. "Chat Noir, please tell me what's going on?"

 "I'm afraid Marinette has been akumatized," He replied, making her gasp as Tom got there. "She has the power to use these akuma puppets to summon the akumas and use their powers,"

 "But we saw her come downstairs!" She gasped, making him sigh.

 "She must of used Volpina's power to create an illusion," He replied, walking over to her sewing machine and seeing a number of materials that could be used to make dolls. She had a number of akuma dolls and Marionette must be using the dolls that resembled his classmates. He leaned down and picked up the Alix doll. Like the Kim doll, it's strings were tattered. "Had she made any dolls that resembled her classmates?"

 "No," Sabine answered as she looked at the doll in his hands. "Marinette's never showed me that one,"

 "She must of made them before they attacked them," He frowned before it clicked. They couldn't have been akumatized this morning. Marinette, in her right mind, wouldn't make dolls that resembled her classmates and if she did, she probably would have given to her classmates. "Did you see them last night?"

 "Yes, she had fallen asleep in Luka's arms," She replied, making him frown. "It's why we let him stay over. He's been a godsend during this hard time,"

 "Hard time? You mean at school?" He asked, making her nod.

 "We're trying to build a case against the school due to their mishandling of the situation," Tom explained, making Chat frown.

 "Mishandling?" He asked, getting a nod of them. "I don't want to pry but how did the school mishandle? And what situation? It will help me understand why Marinette got akumatized,"

 Tom and Sabine looked at each other with identical expressions.

 "Well, for one thing, her expulsion but she's been severely bullied and when we met with her teacher, she had the nerve to let us about how our daughter should apologize and forgive her bullies!" Sabine gasped, making Chat frown a little. He wasn't sure what to say. "She kept going on about Marinette setting a good example and how she should preach forgiveness and that's not even getting started on Mr Damocles,"

 "Well... correct me if I am wrong but isn't forgiving a good thing?" Chat asked, half expecting the bakers to bite off his head. However, the two of them shared a glance and nodded at each other. "Shouldn't Marinette be the better person and ignore them?"

 "Chat, have you ever been bullied?" Sabine asked, making him frown. Of course, he hadn't. He had been home schooled all of his life and by the time he got into normal school, he was famous. No one in their right mind would try to bully him out of fear of what his father might do. He shook his head, making the bakers frown as Tom gently placed his hand on Chat's shoulder. "Imagine you were in school and a boy in your class came in and told a glorious story that you knew was fiction... but when you tried to tell everyone the truth about the boy's story, he spun it so you seemed like the bad guy and a bully. So that everyone around you began to distrust you. How would you feel?"

 "Well, I'd feel awful but surely my friends would believe me when I told them the truth," Chat answered. 

 "What if they didn't?" Tom asked, making him frown. "How about this one? What if the same boy claimed you had pushed him down the stairs and that you had stolen something off him? Say a watch his grandfather gave him and you were expelled despite the fact that your locker had been broken into on a number of occasions and that there was no real evidence that you had pushed him down the stairs. How would that make you feel?"

 "Well, I'd be frustrated and hurt," He replied, frowning. Those situations mirrored what happened to Marinette.

 "Ok now imagine if you told your teachers what was happening and they just told you to be the bigger person and forgive your bullies. To show them that they don't need to bully but they get worst. They twist your words and make you seem like a bully. That boy continuously targets you no matter what. He trips you and threatens you but when ever you try to stick up for yourself, he makes it look like you were bullying him and begins to convince the rest of your classmates to ignore you and isolate you. He convinces your classmates that you're not worth their friendship and to give you a taste of 'your own medicine'. They begin to bully you in revenge of you bullying the boy despite that you're actually innocent but when you try to tell them, they claim you're just jealous," Tom explained, making Chat frown even deeper. If that really happened to him, he'd feel awful. "But imagine one of the students knows about the boy lying but instead of telling everyone and trying to support you, this student keeps it to themselves, believing that the boy will reveal himself and that no one is getting hurt by it. That they're worried that the boy will ended as an akuma but they don't even acknowledge that you're hurt by this. That you could be an akuma. Now imagine that happening every single day without fail. Imagine your teacher refusing to help you and blaming you for been a victim, even when your parents come in try and get a solution. How would you feel, Chat Noir, if that was what you had gone through? Because that's what our daughter has been going through the past few months. She has been fighting off akumas almost every day. It is exhausting trying to fight them off and we have tried our best to help her but it wasn't enough. She didn't have the strength anymore and now she has fallen prey to that madman, all because of a liar and Adrien's stupid advice,"

 "I... thank you for explaining it to me, Mrs Cheng and Mr Dupain. It has been enlightening," He replied, holding back tears. He had never thought it had been that bad but with the way they explained made him realize it had been so much worst then he realized and he had only made it worst by been quiet. He claimed Marinette was his friend yet he completely turned his back on her when she needed him. All because he believed that Lila wasn't really a threat and would disappear like a tabloid. Well, he was wrong and now Marinette, one of the strongest people he knew, had broken down and Hawkmoth took advantage of her, which resulted in both her and Luka been ensnared. The worst part was he was to blame. Because of him, two people had fallen victim to Hawkmoth. He turned to Tom and Sabine with regretful eyes. "I will do my best to get Marinette back, I swear,"

 With that, he ran outside to find the akumas and recharge Plagg.

 ~Puppet Queen and Marionette's POV~

 Marionette suddenly dropped his control on Max, causing Puppet Queen to look up at him and frown as he tilted his head and looked up at the skylight before pointing to it. She frowned deeply as she looked at it. He had warned her when her parents came up and chances are he could feel someone else coming up as well. Chat Noir. Once he worked that they would going after Lila, he would try and track them down. It's what she would do and though Chat acted like a clown, he wasn't stupid. He would work out that they were at home once the class told them that she hadn't turned up yet. She lifted her second cross and attached the strings to the Bubbler puppet, creating him on her balcony before gasping as she saw Chat coming towards the bakery. She directed a number of bubbles towards him as she turned to Marionette.

 "Collect the dolls that can be used and placed them in that basket," She ordered, causing him to move as she used Bubbler to set a number of bubbles around the balcony to stop Chat from getting in that way. With that done and most of the puppets collected, she freed the Oni-chan doll and Bubbler doll before placing them inside the basket. Marionette gave it to her and picked her up bridal style before jumping up onto her bed and through the skylight. He landed on the balcony as they heard Chat trying to get into the room. Marionette tilted his head and jumped to another roof, just as Chat used his cataclysm to get into the room. Marionette jumped across the city before landing on the top of the Eiffel tower. He jumped down, landing in front of Gustave Eiffel's office before putting Puppet Queen down and ripping open the door to the office. She smiled as he held it open for her and stepped inside. He followed and closed the door as she placed the basket on the table and took out the Lady Wifi doll. She attached her strings to it, making Lady Wifi appear before using her to lock the door as Marionette moved the wax figures off the chairs and placed them in front of each other. He took out his dolls and sat down, taking control of Max again as Puppet Queen switched Lady Wifi for Silencer and took out Oni-Chan again. She needed to make sure Chat couldn't use his power again to get into the office, once he found them. That should keep him busy enough while they dealt with Lila. 

 ~Tikki's POV~

 Tikki didn't know what to do. Marinette and Luka had been akumatized and she knew she couldn't tell Chat. If she told him then he would realize who Ladybug was and it's not like she could turn to Master Fu. There was the chance that he would try and take her from Marinette and she was certain that he would panic. No, she had to find a temporary holder for herself. Keeping herself hidden, she kept an eye on the apartment, hoping that maybe Marinette and Luka would resist been the akumas and break the object. However, they never did. She briefly thought they had when she saw them leaving the house but that thought disappeared when they did. She curled to herself and kept watch. She gasped when she saw Chat Noir come to the bakery and frowned when he had to go through it instead of in the balcony. She kept hidden when she saw the two akumas jump away from Marinette's room and frowned when Cat Noir left about ten minutes later. He looked upset but she had a feeling that he might finally understand Marinette's situation. Her parents must of told him. Her eyes widen and she mentally cursed herself for not thinking about it before. She knew who turn to. After all, the perfect person to save Marinette was none other then her own mother. With new hope and determination, she flew over to the bakery and headed inside.

 "I can't believe we didn't notice our little girl had been akumatized," Sabine gasped, making Tikki frown before she gasped. "Oh no, Luka was up there with her. You don't think she hurt him, do you?"

 "No, I don't even Marinette would, even as an akuma," Tom replied as Tikki flew into the back, causing the two adults to see her. Tom instantly screamed as Sabine looked at her with curiosity. "W-What is it?"

 "I'm a kwami," She replied, making them both blink. "My name is Tikki. Pleased to meet you,"

 "A kwami? But you look like a ladybug?" Sabine asked, frowning when Tikki looked down a little sad. "Is something wrong?"

 "I'm afraid so," She replied, making the bakers frown. "As a kwami, I can power up miraculous and give people super powers. To be precise, I give Ladybug her powers,"

 "Then why aren't you with Ladybug?" Sabine asked, frowning as Tikki looks sad again. "Is Ladybug ok?"

 "N-No, she's not," She gasped, tears in her eyes. "L-Ladybug needs help... she's... she's..."

 "Marinette," Sabine replied calmly, making Tom look at her with surprise as Tikki sniffed. "She is Ladybug, isn't she?"

 Tikki nodded, making Tom gasp.

 "H-How did you know?" She asked as Sabine gently cupped her with her hands.

 "My daughter gets akumatized and then Ladybug's kwami turns up. If Marinette wasn't Ladybug, she would have been saved by now," Sabine confirmed, making Tikki nod. "So what do you need me to do?"

 "I n-need someone to wear the earrings," She explained, making Sabine nod and take them, putting them in her ears. "But you must give them back to me once we've done,"

 "I will... but will you find a new Ladybug after this?"

 "I... I don't want to..." Tikki admitted, surprising Sabine. "Marinette's my friend and she is the best Ladybug I've ever known. If anyone can defeat Hawkmoth, I know she can but-"

 "Then we need to save her," Sabine smiled, surprising Tikki. "How do I transform?"

 "Say Tikki, spots on," Tikki explained, making Sabine nod. "You must capture the akuma or it will multiple and the special power is Lucky charm. Since you're an adult, you won't detransform after five minutes,"

 "Ok," Sabine nodded. "Tikki, spots on!"

 ~Back to Chat Noir~

 Chat jumped across the roofs as he headed back to the school, trying to work out where the akumas would go and hoping to come across Lila before they found her. While Plagg charged up, he went to visit Master Fu and told him that Ladybug was missing. Master Fu seemed shocked to find out that Marinette had been akumatized. He had given Adrien the fox, the turtle and the bee miraculous, telling them who could use them. He was surprised to find out that Rena and Carapace were Alya and Nino but he didn't have time to think about it. He needed to get back to the school. He jumped down and noticed Lila running down the street with Oni-chan and Max chasing them. He jumped down and slashed both of their strings before grabbing Lila and jumping away with her. For once, she didn't try to shout at him and just held onto him. He brought her back to the school and put her with her classmates, ordering them to split up and hide. As soon as the rest of the class began to run off, he pulled Alya, Chloe and Nino aside.

 "I'm so sorry to do this but Ladybug is missing," He explained, taking out the miraculous. "I need Rena Rogue, Carapace and Queen Bee,"

 "About time," Chloe gasped, grabbing the comb and fixing it into her hair. She greeted Pollen before transforming into Queen Bee. "Well, are you two gonna transform or not?"

 "Right," Nino replied, grabbing the bracelet and transforming into Carapace. Alya nodded and grabbed the pendent, transforming into Rena Rogue. "Ok, what's the plan?"

 "It seems that Puppet Queen and Marionette can't use the puppets who's strings we cut," Chat explained, getting a nod of the others. "We have to destroy the strings of all their puppets to force them to come and face us,"

 "Alright," Rena replied. "But how do we get them to send their puppets to us?"

 "They'll come for Lila," Chat replied, walking outside with the others. "Chances are she's probably ran off already,"

 "Really?" Rena asked as Chat took out his baton and smirked. "You tagged her?"

 "I did," He replied, putting the baton away. "She's heading towards Tuileries garden. Let's go,"

 The four heroes jumped up and out of the school, heading towards the Tuileries garden. Almost as soon as they got there, they heard Lila scream as Reverser attacked her. She dived out of the way as Reverser growled and saw the heroes, flying over to them and attacking them. 

 "You're defending a monster!" Reverser growled. "From heartfelt to heartless! Reversion!"

 Chat dived out of the way and ducked as Queen Bee jumped over him and kicked Reverser. Meanwhile, Rena and Carapace rushed over to Lila, who was getting up. They helped her up and tried to get her to move but she gasped and looked at them with worry.

 "I can't move!" She cried out. Rena went to lift her up but Chat knocked into her, causing her to fall as Carapace turned. Reverser smirked and hovered over them as Queen Bee charged at him, slamming her fist into the ground as he jumped out of the way.

 "Queen Bee, what the hell?!" He gasped as she engaged with him. Reverser began to attack Chat and Rena, keeping them busy. With none of the heroes defending Lila and her unable to move, Puppet Queen smirked as Malediktator manifested in the pink smoke on a building near by, waiting for the right moment. "Queen, stop attacking me!"

 "I can't!" She gasped, grabbing him and throwing him. "My body is doing this on it's own!"

 "What do you mean?!" Carapace gasped, blocking her punches as Chat and Rena teamed up to take out Reverser. However, that proved to be very difficult. Seeing the perfect chance, Malediktator lifted his fingers to his mouth.

 "By the power invested in me," He whispered, creating a ball of light and throwing towards Lila's chest. It hit her, causing the heroes to gasp as they saw him. "I order you to tell the truth and nothing but the truth!"

 Rena growled and destroyed Malediktator's strings as Chat took down Reverser. Lila covered her mouth, trying not to tell the truth but it was too late.

 "I hate Ladybug!" Lila suddenly gasped, causing everyone to stop as Malediktator smirked. "I wish she was dead and I'm not her best friend! I despite her with all my might. So much so I willingly took an akuma and helped Hawkmoth. I lied about Marinette too. She never threatened me or bullied me. It was the other way round. I threatened her and bullied her,"

 "Why?" Chat asked, making everyone look at him.

 "Because she knew I was lying and was in my way," Lila replied, smirking evilly. "The best part is she's not the first person I've done this too nor will she be- Aaahhh!!!"

 "What's wrong with her?" Rena asked as Queen Bee threw Carapace into a head lock before she looked at them. Lila was continue to scream, gripping her head as tears filled her eyes.

 "I'm making her suffer, just like how she made my melody suffer," She replied, making the heroes gasp as she smirked. "You had no idea I could do this, did you?"

 "It's Marionette! He's controlling Queen Bee and Lila!" Rena gasped before she threw her flute above Queen Bee, cutting her strings and causing her to blink before Carapace threw her over his shoulder and placed his shield against her neck, making her gasp. Chat went to run over to him but Rena suddenly began to attack him.

 "Rena!"

 "Oh, please, I'm definitely not Rena right now," She smirked, tripping him and pinning him down. "Time to take that ring,"

 "Catac- hmm!" He gasped as Silencer suddenly placed his hand on his mouth, causing his voice to disappear. Silencer held up his hand to his ear and stole Chat's voice, causing Rena to smirk and reach for his ring but before she could a boomerang flew across the area, destroying all the strings. Rena blinked and helped Chat up as they looked around before a woman dressed in a ladybug themed outfit appear. She had short black and red hair, the classic ladybug mask on but she wore a red tunic with black spots with black pants, black gloves and black pants. She was holding the boomerang in her hand, causing Chat to notice that it was Ladybug themed. He gasped but no sound came out, making him frown.

 "I think Chat is trying to stay 'Ladybug?'" Rena replied, causing the woman to shake her head.

 "Not quite," She replied, making the heroes blink. "I'm Lady Beetle, Ladybug's mother,"

 "Whoa," Carapace gasped. "Is Ladybug ok?"

 "Yes, she is fine. The poor dear broke her leg though. Hence why I'm here," She replied, making Chat frown. "Only it only happened the other day, Chat Noir and she was very upset that she couldn't tell you but she needs her rest,"

 He took out his baton and texted something, causing her yoyo to vibrate. Lady Beetle took it out and read it.

 "I'm glad you do," She smiled before turning to Lila, who had ran off after been freed from Marionette's control. "So I see you found the truth about Miss Rossi,"

 "Y-Yeah," Carapace mumbled, glancing to the side as Rena frowned. "She was lying but what I want to know is how Marionette was able to control us?"

 "Marionette?" Lady Beetle asked. "I thought the akuma is Puppet Queen?"

 "It is but it's also Marionette," Queen Bee replied. "He can control people where Puppet Queen can summon and control past akumatized villains and I think I know how he was able to control us. It's public knowledge that everyone knows that Chloe Bourgeois is Queen Bee and since he was controlling our class members, it makes sense that he could control me as well. Since he knew that Chloe and Queen Bee are the same person, he could control me even when I'm Queen Bee,"

 "If that's the case then he must have known our identities too but how did he find out?" Rena asked, causing Lady Beetle to frown. "Only Ladybug knows our real identities,"

 "But where did you think she got the idea to give them to you?" Lady Beetle asked, making them look at her. "Someone must have suggested people for her to pick as Miraculous users,"

 "Oh my god... of course!" Rena gasped. "Marinette must of been the one to recommend us! Well, expect Chloe but she was able to get me that interview with Ladybug... oh god, I've been such an idiot,"

 "Same here, dudette," Carapace gasped before frowning. "We need to save Marinette and Luka!"

 "I assume you have a plan?" Lady Beetle asked, making the young heroes look at her. 

 "Well, the plan was to destroy all of the puppets in order to force them to face us in person but honestly, I'm opening to any idea you have," Rena replied, getting a nod of everyone else.

 "We'll stick with that for now," She replied, frowning. "But I don't think Lila was Marinette's only target. Chances are she's gonna go after Adrien Agreste as well,"

 "To Agreste manor then," Rena declared, jumping off with the rest of the team following her.

 ~At Agreste Manor~

 "Where is he?!" Volpina growled as she, Lady Wifi, Mylene and Sabrina searched through Agreste manor and Adrien's room. Unfortunately, the heroes burst in before they could search farther. Volpina played her flute, creating several versions of herself and Lady Wifi as Mylene and Sabrina tried to attack the girls but with Lady Beetle on their side, they soon cut the strings of the akumas and their classmates. Carapace and Queen Bee checked on Mylene and Sabrina, who were confused. Almost instantly, the Bubbler manifested and attacked them with a full on attack, causing the heroes to jump back and move Mylene and Sabrina out. It was so fierce it was almost desperate, causing Lady Beetle to realize that it was desperate.

 "I think they're running out of Puppets," She replied, dodging a bubble and destroying it's strings, causing a second Chat Noir to manifest. "Out the window!" 

 The group jumped out the window, causing him to chase them. Lady Beetle lead them to the school and landed in the courtyard, spinning her yoyo. Almost instantly, Rose jumped at her but Rena and Carapace grabbed her, allowing Chat Noir to slice her string as the puppet Chat Noir landed on the ground.

 "Marionette!" He called out before jumping out of the school. The heroes chased after him, causing Queen Bee to throw her spintop around his waist. He smirked and disappeared in pink smoke, causing her to land on the roofs with the others.

 "Marionette must have run out of puppets," Lady Beetle declared, making the group nod. "And that Chat Noir is Puppet Queen's last one..."

 "So if we destroy his strings, they'll be forced to face us," Carapace explained as Chat nodded. "But she won't manifest it unless we force her,"

 "We need to find them then," Lady Beetle replied as Chat texted her something. She read it and frowned. "So they were in Marinette's room originally but had to escaped... hmm.."

 She took out and checked something.

 "I think I know where they are," She replied, holding up the yoyo. "The Eiffel tower had to be evacuated after two people, believed to be akumas, broke into Gustave's office,"

 "They must be hiding there," Rena agreed before the rest of them jumped away and headed there. The police were surrounding the tower but hadn't actually gone up yet. The team climbed up and landed on the very top.

 "Cataclysm!" Cat Noir shouted, diving at them with his hand out stretched. The original chat slid over and grabbed the fake, slamming his hand into the door, destroying it before the fake chat began to fight with them. The other heroes rushed over but stopped when they saw Marionette stood in the door way. He tilted his head, causing it to click as he did before stepping forward in a slowed manner. One of his leg was slightly twisted and his head was tilted to the side. The group stepped back from him, creeped out but he took advantage of the situation, firing his strings at them. Lady Beetle and Queen Bee jumped back but Rena and Carapace weren't so lucky. Marionette twitched his fingers and moved his hands, forcing them to fight against the other two.

 "Use venom on him," Lady Beetle ordered, causing Queen Bee to nod and jump up as Rena charged at her.

 "Venom!" She declared, throwing her spintop and catching it. She jumped down and dodged Carapace's attack, allowing Lady Beetle to capture Rena and Carapace with her yoyo. She jumped up and slammed her spintop in the middle of his chest, freezing him, along with Carapace and Rena. 

 "No!" Chat Noir screamed as she did, allowing the real chat to destroy his strings before Queen Bee, Lady Beetle and Chat to run inside the office. Puppet Queen jumped up from her chair and fired her strings at them but they dodged them and Lady Beetle threw her yoyo, capturing the girl. It broke her heart to see Marinette with cracks on her skin, reflecting how broken she felt on the inside. "No! Let me go!"

 "It's ok, Marinette," Lady Beetle spoke in her motherly voice, causing the girl to look at her with tears in her eyes. Her strings stopped in the air as she looked at the woman in front of her. Chat glanced at her, unsure what to do. "It's going to be ok,"

 "How can it?" She asked, tears rolling down her face. "Everyone hates me!"

 "No, they don't," Lady Beetle reassured, stepping closer. "Your parents don't, Luka doesn't and I don't. Lila has been exposed. Your work is done,"

 "I..." Marinette gasped as Lady Beetle took the cross controls out of her hands and broke them in half. Nothing happened with the first one but when she broke the second one, the akuma fluttered out. She opened the yoyo and captured it before releasing it. She took the boomerang off her back and threw it up into the air, declaring the magical words. Marinette collapsed to the floor as she turned back into herself, tears rolling down her face as she looked up and blink, seeing Lady Beetle. "I... I was akumatized, wasn't I?"

 "Yes," She replied, kneeling down. "But it's ok now,"

 "I'm sorry," She muttered before her eyes widen. "Oh no! Luka! He was with me when I was akumatized! Oh god, he's gonna hate me for sure,"

 "I don't think he is," Lady Beetle smiled, helping Marinette to her feet and leading her out of the room. Luka was stood with Rena and Carapace, looking stressed out but as soon as he saw Marinette, he rushed over to her and engulfed her in a hug.

 "Marinette, I was so worried," He gasped, holding her close to him. Marinette closed her eyes and pressed her face into his chest, missing the looks of guilt from Carapace and Rena. Chat cleared his throat.

 "Um we should go," He stated, getting Rena, Queen Bee and Carapace's attention before turning to Lady Beetle. "It was nice working with you, Lady Beetle. I hope Ladybug's leg heals soon,"

 "I'm sure it will," She smiled as the four heroes left the tower. "Why don't I get you two home? I'm sure your parents are worried about you,"

 ~Later that Day~

 "Marinette?" Sabine asked, coming into her room. Marinette looked over as she came in and closed the door. "I think we need to talk,"

 "Y-Yeah," She replied, nodding as her mother sat on her chaise. "The captain wasn't angry was she?"

 "No, she wasn't. She was worried about you," She replied, making Marinette nod but she looked sad and Sabine knew how Marinette was. She was blaming herself for her and Luka been akumatized. Sabine walked over to her and sat next to her. "Marinette, no one is angry that you were akumatized. It was not your fault. I know you feel guilt but you were pushed over the edge. I know you've been resisting akumas for months and I am so proud that you were able to but I need you to know that it is ok that you were akumatized. You're not weak or evil because of it,"

 "I just... I just couldn't take any more, Mama," Marinette gasped, fresh tears falling down her cheeks as she covered her face. "Lila turned the class on me and they believed her. A-And Adrien... he just let her... he knew she was lying and he let her, saying it wasn't hurting anyone but it was hurting me,"

 "Ssh, it's ok," Sabine stated, wrapping her daughter in a hug as the girl cried her heart out. "Let it all out, Marinette,"

 "B-But akumas?" She gasped, looking up at her mum but she didn't seem worried.

 "Don't you worry about those nasty little butterflies," Sabine reassured, rubbing her back. Marinette nodded and just let tears fall as Tikki guarded the house, consuming every single akuma that came their way. Gradually, Marinette calmed down and wiped her eyes as her mother smiled. "Feeling a little better?"

 "A l-little," She admitted but both knew she had far to go. "It still hurts though,"

 "I'm afraid it will but like all injuries, it will heal over time," She reassured, gently kissing her forehead. "But there is something else I need to talk to you about,"

 "It's about the miraculous, isn't it?" Marinette asked, playing with her hands. Sabine nodded. "How did you find out?"

 "Tikki came to me," She replied as Marinette listened to her. "She wasn't originally going to tell me but I worked it out. She was very distressed and worried about you,"

 "Y-Yeah, Tikki's sweet like that," Marinette replied, unsure of what will happen. Will Master Fu take her miraculous away? She knew she couldn't handle losing Tikki but she was glad that Tikki went to her mother to save her. "Thank you for helping Tikki and saving me,"

 "You don't need to thank me, sweetie," Sabine smiled, rubbing her arm. "I'm your mother. It's my job to look after you. I just wish you had told me before,"

 "I c-couldn't," Marinette frowned. "Master Fu... the man who gave me Tikki... insisted that I couldn't tell anyone my identity but I guess it doesn't matter now. There's no way Chat doesn't know..."

 "Well, actually, he doesn't," Sabine replied, making Marinette look at her. "I told him that the reason why Ladybug couldn't make it to battle was because she broke her leg. It does mean that you might not be able to turn up for battle for a few days but when you tell him, just say your leg healed faster because of the miraculous. I know he'll buy it,"

 "But you wore the miraculous?"

 "As far as he knows, I'm just Ladybug's mother," She smiled, making Marinette hug her. "Only me and your father know about your identity now and we have some ideas to help you deal with this burden,"

 "Wait... you're not going to make me retire?" She asked, blinking in surprise. 

 "Part of me wants to but I don't think it's been Ladybug that made you miserable. I think it was everything else," She explained, making Marinette nod. "And I don't think breaking you and Tikki up would be good for either of you,"

 "But Master Fu-"

 "Leave this Master Fu to me," Sabine stated, making Marinette nod. "Now I'm thinking you should get some rest then went you're feeling a little better, we sit and talk about how to go forward,"

 "O-ok, Mama," Marinette nodded before heading up to her bed. Tikki flew in and smiled at Sabine, who smiled back before she went downstairs to her husband. She let him know that Marinette was resting before she started to make dinner. After a couple of hours, Marinette came downstairs and had dinner with them before they began to discuss how to help her. Marinette was prepared for them to send her back to Miss Bustier's class but to her surprise, her mother suggested having her transfer class or if she preferred transfer schools. She said she would have to think about it but she knew she didn't want to go back to Miss Bustier's class. Sabine and Tom agreed. They then decided it was time to talk to Master Fu. Marinette called him and asked him to come to the bakery. It didn't take long for him to arrive but when he did, he was surprised to see her parents. They invited him in and began to talk. By the end of it, he had agreed that Marinette should be allowed to keep Tikki and that if she wished to step down from battle, that Sabine would be allowed to become Lady Beetle again. Marinette couldn't help but feel relieved. It was a nice feeling, not having to lie to her parents about her identity. They swore they would be extra careful about becoming akumas as well. Marinette couldn't be happier with the outcome.

 ~A Few Days Later~

 Marinette took a deep breathe as she looked up at DuPont High. It had been a week since she and Luka had been akumatized and a lot of things had changed. She intentionally thought that Luka would hate her but to her surprise, he didn't. In fact, he reconfirmed his feelings for her and they had grown closer. She took another deep breathe and smiled a little as Luka gently took her hand in his. She asked him to come with her and her parents when they were called to come back into the school. They were also going to use the chance to finalize her transfer to a new school, which happened to be his school. Luka was more then happy to help her through today. They had also brought the family lawyer with them. She glanced at him before glancing at her parents with a nod. The four of them walked inside, causing a number of students to look towards them. Almost as soon as she walked through the door, Alya charged up to her.

 "Marinette, I can't-" She started but Luka stepped in forward of Marinette with a glare that reminded her of Marionette.

 "Back off, Cesaire," He almost growled, making her gulp. 

 "I just want to see how my bestie is," She replied, placing her hands on her hip.

 "Your bestie?" Marinette asked, surprising her as she stepped aside. "I'm not your bestie, Alya. In case, you've forgotten you renounced your friendship with me,"

 "Well, that was before Lila was revealed to be a liar," Alya pointed out, making Marinette frown. "So we can go back-"

 "No, we can't," Marinette replied, making her frown. "I'm sorry, Alya but I can't be friends with someone who's a bully,"

 "But I'm not!" She argued before gasping and stepping back as she realized what Marinette had done. She had used the exact same words that she had when she renounced her friendship. Marinette spared her a glance before their lawyer handed her a file, making Alya blink at it. "W-What's this?"

 "You have been served, Miss Cesaire," She replied, making the girl blink. "My clients are suing you for emotion distress and harassment. As you are a minor, a copy has been sent to your parents,"

 "W-What?" Alya gasped but Marinette ignored her. They moved on, followed by her parents who glared at her. Her shoulders slumped and she walked over to Nino, who comforted her. The next person who walked up to them was Adrien but unlike Alya, he had actually looked remorseful and like he hadn't had a lot of sleep. However, Marinette didn't feel sorry for him. In fact, she didn't feel anything for him. She was officially done and over Adrien Agreste.

 "Marinette..." He muttered, looking at her as she crossed her arms. Naturally, Luka was at her side, ready to defend her if he needed to. Tom was glaring at the young boy as well. The only one who didn't look angry was Sabine but her expression wasn't much better. It was one of pity. She pitied him. He licked his lips and looked at her. "Marinette, I am so sorry. I should have told everyone from the beginning that Lila was a liar and I should have supported you. I don't have the right to call you my friend,"

 "You're right, Adrien, you should have," Marinette stated, harshly. "And we're definitely not friends. Friends help each other and have each other's backs but you never did that because I didn't matter to you,"

 "I thought that she would disappear, just like a tabloid,"

 "I get that your upbringing has affected how you interact with people, Adrien but there's only so much that can excuses," She explained, making him frown. "I can't sue you as technically you did nothing but that's exactly it. You did nothing. Now if you excuse me, Adrien, we have to sort out something,"

 With that, they walked away and headed into the office. To their surprise, Lila was sat on a chair with her arms crossed. Behind her was a woman who they guessed was her mother. Mr Damocles, Miss Bustier and their case worker from the school board was there. She instantly walked over to Tom and Sabine and shook their hands.

 "I am so sorry for the trouble my daughter has caused," She stated, making them nod. "I requested that you be here so Lila can apology for her actions,"

 "Mama!" Lila gasped but her mother glared at her, making her go quiet.

 "You will be quiet unless I say so," She glared, making Lila gulp as someone knocked on the door. Marinette's family lawyer walked over and let Officer Roger in. "Now you will apologize to this girl and her family for the stress you put her through,"

 "I am sorry, Marinette," Lila mumbled but it was obvious she didn't mean it. Miss Bustier, on the hand, stood up and clapped her hands together.

 "Well done, Lila," She smiled before turning to Marinette. "And what do you say, Marinette? Do you accept her apology?"

 Marinette took a deep breathe as Luka squeezed her hand before she looked at her teachers and Mrs Rossi.

 "No, I don't," She replied, making them gasp but her parents gave her proud smiles. "It's clear that Lila doesn't mean it and even if she did, her apology does nothing. It doesn't undo all the pain and suffering she's caused me. It doesn't undo that she tried to isolate me and destroy my life so no I'm not going to forgive her but I am glad she is here,"

 "Mrs Rossi, here," The lawyer stated, holding out papers. "Your daughter has been served and is been sued for slander, defamation, emotional distress, cyber bullying and assault,"

 Lila stared at Marinette in surprise as the lawyer turned to Mr Damocles and Miss Bustier, handing them both files.

 "You both have also been served," She explained, making them blink. "You are been sued for emotional distress, abuse of authority and child abuse and neglect. My clients' are also filing charges against you ad Miss Rossi. I recommend you get yourselves a good lawyer because I will be pressing for prison time. Officer Roger, if you may,"

 "Mr Damocles and Miss Bustier, you are under arrest for child abuse and neglect. You have the right to remain silence but anything you do and say can be and will be used in a court of law," He declared as a couple of other officers came in. "And Miss Lila Rossi, you are under arrest for physical assault, obscuring the course of justice and terrorism-"

 "Terrorism?!" Mrs Rossi gasped before looking at Lila. "What did you do?"

 "According to our sources, Miss Rossi confessed to working with Hawkmoth willingly," Officer Roger explained, maker her mother go pale and gasp. "We have video evidence of her confession,"

 "I was cohered by her!" Lila screamed, pointing to Marinette. "She used her 'powers' to force me to tell that lie!"

 "Officer Roger, my daughter would not-" Mrs Rossi started but cut off as Roger showed her the video showed Malediktator hitting Lila with a ball of light before ordering her to tell the truth before she confessed everything in front of the heroes below the person filming it. Sabine hid her smile as best as she could.

 "As you can see, she was ordered to tell the truth. There was no threat, no blade to her neck," He pointed out, making her sit down as the other office went to place hand cuffs on Lila. However, things took a dramatic turn as an akuma into the room. Lila broke free from the officer and made a grab for the akuma with a wicked smirk on her face, placing it into her bracelet and accepting whatever power Hawkmoth promised her. During those moments, Luka pulled Marinette out of the room with her parents. Lila, now Obscurer, came looking for Marinette. Chat Noir was first on the scene but soon Viperion and Ladybug turned up. Chat was happy to see her and asked about her leg. Ladybug told him that the miraculous made it heal a lot faster before telling him to focus on the fight. Obscurer was defeated in record time and Lila was arrested as soon as she was deakumatized. She was dragged out kicking and scream in front of the whole school and Alya had even caught it on her live stream. She rushed over to Ladybug, asking for an interview but Ladybug refused it. She told Alya she needed to talk to her and Nino and that she would come and see them later before calling Chloe to the side. She explained to Chloe that she could never give her back the Bee miraculous as it was too dangerous, especially if another akuma got a similar power to Marionette. Chloe was disappointed but understood. Ladybug nodded and ran off with Viperion. Marinette came out from her hiding place with Luka. He gave her a smile before they joined her parents and left DuPont for the last time. Marinette linked her hand with his, giving him a smile as they followed her parents to the bakery.

 ~Later That Night~

 Alya gasped as she saw Ladybug at her window. She woke up Nino and let her, followed by Viperion. She was excited until she saw Ladybug's expression, making her and Nino frown. 

 "Alya, Nino.. I'm sorry to say this but I will not be calling on Rena Rogue and Carapace anymore," She explained, making them frown. "As of tonight, you two are retired and should the need for the fox or the turtle come up then new holders will be found. I advise you not to harass the new members when they appear and to accept my decision with grace. Understood?"

 "Y-Yes, Ladybug," Alya muttered, glancing down as Nino nodded. "C-Can we ask why?"

 "There is a number of reasons but the main ones are due to Marionette been able to control you, Chat and Queen Bee having to learn your identities and your recent behavior in your civilian life," She explained, making them frown.

 "But we didn't know Lila was a liar!" Alya argued but Ladybug held up her hand.

 "While that is true, you still had a choice and you decided to harass someone. It didn't matter if you believed her to be a bully or not, you still choose to do that. You turned on someone who you called a friend so how can I trust you won't do the same to me?" Ladybug asked, making the two frown. "But I am partially responsible for this. As soon as I heard about the Lila interviews I should have tracked you down and cleared up the situation. For that, I am truly sorry but it also goes both ways. You never once asked me if I was her friend or tried to check your sources, Alya. Instead, you just believed her and brushed off your friend's concerns as jealous. You never thought to verify Miss Rossi's claims both about me and Marinette. I may be partially responsible it but you are equally responsible for that as I am and Nino, you threw one of your oldest friends under the bus and picked the side of a girl you barely knew,"

 Nino frowned and looked down as Alya looked like she was about to cry.

 "For the record, I wish it had never come to this," Ladybug sighed before turning to to Viperion. "Viper, let's go,"

 "After you," He replied as she went to leave.

 "W-Wait... Ladybug, can I ask you something off record?" Alya asked, making Ladybug stop and nod. "W-Was it Marinette who recommended us to you?"

 "Yes, it was," She replied, making Alya feel worst. "She saw heroes in both of you-"

 "And we turned out to be villains," Alya gasped, sinking to her knees. Ladybug frowned and didn't say anything as she left with Viperion. Nino wrapped her arms around Alya as she cried. "We fucked up so bad, didn't we?"

 "Yeah, we did,"

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

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If anyone else wants to be tagged for the next prompt, let me know. However, requests are closed for now. I have a number of requests to finish up so I'll be reopening them when I'm all caught up

[phoenixyfriend]

#9 “Tell me to stay and I will be here for as long as you’ll have me.” with Obi-Wan & Jango & Satine? (... or Obi-Wan/Jango/Satine, I'm not picky)

Hurt/Comfort Dialogue Prompts

Oh, I'm going to make this deeply stupid and AU because I got struck by a plot bunny and I'm taking it out on a prompt.

Satine hates the man named Jango Fett.

They've met before, once or twice. He'd known her father, before the latter's assassination. She'd met Jango when she was a child, before he'd lost his people at Galidraan, before she'd lost her sister to a terrorist group and her father to a blaster shot. She'd thought him gruff but kind, at the time, and very sad.

Now, she just wants him to trip on a pipe and brain himself on one of the many rusted, broken beams around them. She won't strangle him herself, won't turn her back on her oaths and commit violence, but she's not too proud to hope for an accident.

"Pick up the pace, princess."

"I am a Duchess," she snaps, lifting her skirts to step delicately over something that might have been machinery at one point.

The only light they have is from his helmet, and the only reason she hasn't fallen from the fabric catching on some matter or other is that he has a sense for when she gets caught.

He'd suggested that she pull the skirts up to gird her loins, and then found that the numerous layers made it impossible. He'd offered to cut the skirt down to something more manageable, without depriving her of the coverage she still needed in the cold of these darks, dank ruins. He'd then found that the vibroblade did nothing against the skirts.

(She was a pacifist, not stupid. Of course her clothing was reinforced.)

"I don't care," he says back through grit teeth. She's not sure why he hasn't just left her for dead, but she's not going to complain. Much. "Just move."

They've been making their way through the ruins for hours. They still don't know how they got here. They have no way to find out.

They just head up, and hope it gets them somewhere.

(Signs litter the walls, all in a script unfamiliar to them. Archaic, or simply foreign, they don't know.)

"Wait."

She freezes.

Fett moves behind her, light shifting with the noise of his beskar, and then he says, "I'm going to turn out the light for a second. Give us a minute to adjust to the dark after I do. I think I saw something glowing, but I can't tell with the flash on."

She nods, sure that he can see it, and they are engulfed in the dark again.

It's not for long, because the glow that Fett described is real. Faint, far off down the hallway and a pale blue that winks in and out in multiple spots at once, but there.

"We'll need the light to make it there without you getting rust sickness," Fett mutters. He flicks the headlight back on. "Might get some kinda hint out of it, whatever it is."

"You'd risk it?"

"Don't have any other choice," Fett tells her. "Move out, Princess."

----

They reach the blue glow, entering a large, cavernous atrium, just as dark as the rest of the ruins so far, but much less cramped than the previous hallways.

It is mostly floating motes of something, and the something in question makes Satine's skin crawl. She has no idea what it is. She doesn't think Fett does either, but he's a little busy trying to get a scan of the room around them. Satine can just barely see the floor from the blue light, and she steps closer carefully. Part of her screams about deep sea fish and wild space ancients, creatures that use light to hunt, but they've had nothing else yet. No hints.

This place feels ancient. Perhaps the spirits that linger are even older.

"Kryze!"

"I'm fine," she calls back, deliberately refusing to understand the man's worry. She just... reaches out.

And one of the blue lights comes to her.

Fett swears and comes closer, but Satine pulls her hands to her chest, cradling the little light to herself. It's larger than she'd expected, perhaps the size of a Chandrila plum. It's warm, too.

"You're going to get yourself killed," Fett snaps.

"It's friendly," she says. "I think."

"You think," Fett hisses, the noise crackling through the vocoder. He puts a hand on her shoulder. "Listen--"

The lights coalesce. They are, for the moment, blinding, and Satine flinches away.

Fett has a blaster out before Satine can even open her eyes again. She knows the noise better than she'd like. She can identify which blaster it is by the click of the safety alone.

Any Mandalorian her age can.

"Oh dear," an unfamiliar voice says. "I'm afraid that--well, yes, Mando, hello there. I'm afraid that the blaster won't do much to me. I'm already long dead, you understand."

When Satine manages to blink the spots out of her vision, it's to see a glowing, slightly blue-tinged human figure in clothing that is distinctly Jedi, if very... very outdated.

The man--she thinks it's a man, beards usually indicate such--smiles and waves at her. "I apologize for the light show. It's been quite some time since I've had reason to take a solid form."

"I can imagine," Satine says, her voice weak even to her own ears. The man isn't much older than her, or at least wasn't when he... died? Or perhaps he was elderly when he died, and just rolled his age back as this spirit for some reason.

He smiles kindly, and then looks past her shoulder to Fett. He rolls his eyes, and smirks, and says, "Su cuy'gar, Mand'alor."

"I am not Mand'alor," Fett growls out. "I don't hold that title anymore."

"You do in spirit," the figure claims. "None other can say the same, not yet."

Before Fett can argue further, the man smiles pleasantly, and says, "I don't suppose you could remove yourselves from my shrine? Just a few steps back, thank you."

Satine looks down. She notices the raised platform and carved sigils and the stone column she hadn't seen in the earlier darkness, and flushes. She steps back and down, and Fett does the same.

"Now," the figure says. "As I was saying--"

"What are you?" Fett demands. "Ghost of a Jedi?"

"Something like that," the figure allows. "I was not just a Jedi, but... yes, I'm something you could call a ghost. I'd prefer simply a spirit."

"Like the ka'ra," Satine mutters, and grunts in disagreement.

"Those, Duchess, are only Mandalorians."

"Then I suppose it is fitting that I am both," the spirit says, and his form shifts.

Armor. It does not cover all of him--his pelvis and head are distinctly bare--but the shapes are distinctly Mandalorian. The colors aren't quite exact, with the blue glow he carries about him, but she's fairly certain she's seeing blue, green, and black. Reliability, duty, and justice.

Fitting, for a Jedi. The symbol for the Order is on his pauldron, even, and the hilt of his saber hangs easy at his side.

The gasp that comes through Fett's vocoder is harsh. She can't imagine he likes this.

"You--" he cuts himself off, takes a breath audible even past the helmet, and tries again. "There is no way you are Tarre Vizsla."

"No, I'm afraid not."

"So you must be Obi-Wan Kenobi."

The man smiles and tucks his hands into his sleeves, the swinging of the fabric allowing them the glimpse of vambraces beneath. He ducks his head in a shallow nod. "I am indeed."

Satine feels how empty of blood her own face is. She can't imagine Fett is doing much better.

"This is the Kar'ta-yaim be talyc rang," Fett mutters, horrified in a way that Satine feels her own self echoing. "You..."

"Well, we certainly never called it that," Kenobi says, head tilting faintly. "But I imagine that after the siege... Yes, Temple of Bloodied Ash would certainly reflect our final days."

It was one of the few stories that didn't pit Jedi and Mandalorians against each other, in the histories.

It had been the first attempt to coexist, the warriors of the saber and the warriors of iron. None managed to wed the two philosophies the way Kenobi had, but that hadn't mattered. They'd lived together, in peace. The reports had been clear enough, that there hadn't been weapons storage. There hadn't even been real defensive measures, barring the force fields. The Jedi had refused to let war reach this building, even whilst the Sith still raged across the galaxy. The other temples could handle the atrocities afar. The children, the elderly, the infirm, they were all to find a home here. The only weaponry were the sabers and whatever metals the Mando'ade carried in their armor.

Just a place of peace, a home to research, to children, to hospitals, all slaughtered to the last man, and set ablaze after. Nobody had ever tried such an attempt at peace between Mandalore and Jedi since. The location has been lost for longer than anyone remembers, but...

"Why are we here?" Satine asks.

"I wonder," Kenobi says, seeming far too pleased for the revelations of the last minute. He strokes at his beard, and then turns and sweeps an arm across the air. As he does, a whirring noise surrounds them, stuttered and heavy, but growing in power. Bit by bit, the sections of the wall that he'd gestured at begin to glow.

There are lights set into the wall like circuitry, warm and bright. The generators, which much be centuries old, at the least, continue to run.

"They draw energy from the river in the mountain," Kenobi says, before either of them thinks to ask. "Come along, my dears."

Satine hesitates. So does Fett.

Kenobi turns, presumably noting that their footsteps aren't following him. He smiles, and the corners of his eyes crinkle.

Satine can't remember how old he supposedly was, at his death. His eyes are much older, but...

"I assure you, it's perfectly safe," he tells them. "The building won't hurt you."

"The building?" Fett asks, sounding perhaps a little more dubious than the situation warranted. They were already talking to a figure of legend.

"Yes, the building," Kenobi repeats, indulgent in a way that Satine would have found irritating if aimed at her, but rather approved of like this. "The walls are already straightening out, I feel. And the droids are going to be clearing out the debris soon enough. The rust will be a little difficult to manage, of course, but..."

"What do you mean the walls are going to straighten out?" Satine asks. "And how... this place has been dead for centuries, hasn't it? How did you wake it?"

"Duchess Kryze, I didn't wake the Temple," Kenobi tells her. She doesn't know how he got her name. "You did."

She doesn't know what to say in response. She stays quiet, and waits for him to elaborate.

"Is it because she woke you up?" Fett asks, clearly unwilling to play a waiting game. "You're a... guardian? The keyholder to the power?"

"Mand'alor," Kenobi says, with a smile playing on his lips behind the carefully-groomed beard, "I am the Temple."

What.

He smiles and starts walking backwards, gliding in a way that makes it clear he doesn't need to step, really, because his feet don't stay planted where he puts them. They have to follow, now, or risk losing him. "My consciousness, my very self, is woven into every bit of this building. I have no flesh, not anymore, but while my sense of self stays coherent in the Force... the Temple is my body."

"How?" Satine demands, hurrying to keep up. She tries to ignore the way the flagstones shift and settle ahead of her, still and level by the time she steps forward. She tries to ignore the grinding of metal, as it's pulled into the walls like it's soup instead of stone. She tries to ignore the creaking of the foundation about them, and stays focused on the pleasant smile of one of the only two Mandalorian Jedi in history that maintained the balance.

"Do your history books carry the name of my apprentice?" Kenobi asks.

"Skywalker," Fett says immediately. "And... Tano, I think, before she changed it. She escaped, didn't she?"

"Yes, she was away at the time," Kenobi says, voice distant for but a moment. Somewhere far off among the tunnels, there is a mighty crash. "I'd fought until I couldn't any more. My armor, what I had of it, protected me from the flames. I'd worn a helmet during the siege, and it filtered the smoke, even as I lay dying from other wounds... between that and the Force, I lasted long enough that Anakin found me. The others had all died of smoke inhalation, if they hadn't succumbed to their injuries or the flames themselves by that point."

"The fire didn't reach you?" Fett questions.

"Mm, no, the alcove I was in was all stone, and there wasn't anything flammable enough nearby to reach," Kenobi says, sounding distant again. "In any case, Anakin found me. He was... distraught. Desperate. Not entirely sane, I think, but with what he walked into, I can't find it in myself to fault him."

"Master Kenobi," Satine finds herself saying. "What did he do?"

Kenobi's smile is sad. She'd call it resigned, really. He's lived--sort of--with this situation for centuries now. It makes sense. "He took my mind, my soul in the Force, and 'saved' it in a way that would leave me tied to the world past my death. It was ingenious, but... I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I don't think Anakin realized what he was doing until long after he'd already succeeded at the impossible."

"He cursed you," Fett declares.

Kenobi shrugs. "I think he expected the temple to be cleaned and re-inhabited again soon enough. It wasn't, as you can see. The generators have been gathering power for centuries, but the fire destroyed most of them, and we didn't have anything in reserve with how much we poured into the shields during the battle. I couldn't fix the ruins, and with the horrors that had occurred, nobody was coming back. Anakin said he would, he promised, but... he disappeared. He visited, and he spoke with me, but a few years in he was simply... lost. I had a connection to his ship's signal, and it winked out in the blink of an eye, and never came back."

Oh. Terrifying.

"For all that I am the Temple, now, there are still secrets here that I don't yet understand," Kenobi tells them. "Your arrival, for one thing. The sediment carried up the mountain has slowly buried the temple over the centuries. There isn't a way in, save for two tunnels leading to the river, both of which I know are untouched."

"We just woke up here," Satine admits.

"Yes," Kenobi says. "You did. And part of me knows why."

"...part?" Fett asks.

It's a fair question to ask of a man who happens to have a brain that is also an entire building, somehow.

"Areas are cut off from my awareness," Kenobi admits freely. "Cave-ins and the like, mostly. There are one or two that I think I cut deliberately, due to what lay within."

Also terrifying, thank you.

"But I do believe I know what happened," he says, with that same damnably soft smile. "You two are the leaders of your people, yes? Tradition on one side, and peace on the other."

Satine shares a glance with Fett, and then turns to Kenobi and nods.

"Then I do believe it's simply the right time," he tells them. "You'll need to work together."

"I don't think so," Satine immediately denies.

"The Force works in mysterious ways," Kenobi tells her. "And if it brought you here--and you couldn't have arrived otherwise, I promise you that--then it was for a reason. Two leaders, the same people, with ideologies that I do believe are possible to bring together into, if not mixing, then at least coexistence."

"Impossible," Fett says. "The New Mandalorians are cowards, Kenobi. To share a culture with them--"

"Is as unlikely as Jedi and the old Mandalorians?" Kenobi asks, smiling so very politely that Satine wonders at how they aren't frozen stiff at the sight of it.

The sigil of the Order gleams mockingly from his pauldron.

Kenobi huffs out a breath, just a shadow of a laugh the slightest duck of his head, and then he turns and waves open a door.

Beyond him, sitting clean and pretty and entirely free of dust on its ancient stand, rests the Darksaber.

Satine stares.

She's sure Fett does, too.

"That can't be real," she says, her mouth moving before she can control it. "The Darksaber is lost, but it's popped up in history too recently to have been here since the fires."

"I saw it in Tor Vizsla's hands less than a years ago," Fett confirms. The vocoder cuts emotion from his voice, but not enough. "This place has been locked tight for centuries. The saber can't be here."

"The same could be said of the two of you," Kenobi points out.

It's true.

Satine steps forward, when it becomes clear that Fett won't. She picks up the weapon, holds it like the antique it is, square and unwieldy, but so very, very old that she cannot deny its importance. Weapon or not, it is her people's history.

She lights it.

The blade burns black.

"Turn it off," Fett rasps, and she does.

Satine looks back at him, and then to Kenobi. She turns fully, and steps forward, and holds it out to Fett.

He looks at her, uncomprehending.

"If you'd like to check for yourself," she says, and her voice is too quiet, but she can't help it. Something is happening, something heavy and broken, and she can't ignore the pressure of the future in this moment.

Fett takes the saber. He looks at it in his hands, and she thinks he is shaking.

"Your people need you, Mand'alor," Kenobi says, and there is no room for question. "They also need the Duchess."

"Why you?" Fett asks, voice strained and shattered in a way Satine can't even begin to pick apart.

"It was either me or Tarre, really," Kenobi says, with an idle shrug unfitting of the situation. "And I'm a little more... accessible, shall we say, to those who aren't sensitive to the Force."

Kenobi steps forward and rests an immaterial hand on Fett's shoulder.

"I already failed my people once," Fett says, barely audible.

"And now you shall save them," Kenobi says. His voice is firm. It is as if there is no question, to him, about whether or not Fett will succeed. "You won't be alone, either."

Satine shifts her weight, refusing to meet Kenobi's eyes. Her hands fist in her dress, and her mind races.

"What do you need of me?" Fett manages.

"...Mand'alor?"

"What do you need of me, Master Kenobi?"

Satine looks up.

Fett... Fett removes his helmet, and looks at Kenobi with an expression that is more desperation than deference.

"To cooperate with those who would follow a different creed," Kenobi says, so low it's practically a murmur. His hand, still intangible, reaches out to cup Fett's jaw. Fett leans into it. "To protect those who cannot do so for themselves. Our people are warriors, Mand'alor, but to refuse violence for violence's sake, after the wars that have killed our home and rendered it little more than glass, that is its own bravery."

"Master--"

"Listen to me," Kenobi says, and Fett falls silent. "You will need to protect them. The Duchess may have the funds and the support to bring forth education, agriculture, childcare, and so on, but there are many who would take advantage of that peace. She provides the home for tradespeople, but you are the shield that keeps them safe."

It could be a balance, Satine tries to tell herself. Maybe.

Kenobi seems so certain of it, and Satine may hate violence, but she is far from unaware of the pirates and warlords that nip at their borders.

"The foundlings need homes," Kenobi continues. "The stories need to be told. The culture is fading, Mand'alor. Bring it back."

His eyes flick to Satine, and she looks away.

(Her pressure was only ever on violence. Her advisors had pressed at the erasure of the rest, but if it meant children grew up without the worry of their parents dying in pointless battle, then wasn't it worth bending?)

(Couldn't she look the other way as they tightened restrictions on even symbolic vambraces, if it meant few too-small bodies in the streets?)

(Her planet was a wasteland. What did culture mean in the face of so many dead?)

(She knows Fett doesn't see it that way, but she is the only governing New Mandalorian with any blood on their hands. She knows the weight of violence, of lives taken by her actions.)

(She knows it, and she rejects it knowingly.)

Fett breathes harshly, and Satine closes her eyes.

"I agree to try," she says. "If we can get out of these ruins and back to our people... I will try. I cannot speak for my people on this, but to instate the old Mandalorians as a planetary guard... it may be doable."

"Little steps, my dear," Kenobi says. He looks down at Fett, who's... not well, it seems. "The Mand'alor needs some help, I think. I'm no trained mind healer, but I imagine I can help. More than most, maybe. There are few who know what it is to be a sole survivor."

He smirks, just a little, at the joke that he is not, in fact, a man who survived.

It's not very funny.

"I'll stay," Fett says. "I'll... I'll learn. Master Kenobi, you... Tell me to stay and I will be here for as long as you’ll have me."

"As a student?" Kenobi asks, catching on to just the same thing as Satine has. "Not in the Force, surely, but... you truly wish to stay?"

"There are none left alive that I would trust to show me the way," Fett says. Beseeching, he reaches for Kenobi, and his hands pass through. There's a pain in him that Satine can't quite comprehend, and Fett falls to his knees. "Please."

"You need only ask," Kenobi says. "The Duchess will look after our people until the King takes his throne, and then you will rule together."

They'll have to, Satine tells herself, and steps forward. She puts a hand on Fett's shoulder, and pulls him to his feet.

"Where do we begin?" she asks.

[mviswidow]

i can’t feel it

Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Word Count: 2,727

Warnings: wandavision spoilers!! i recommend catching up before reading this if you haven’t already. also, i cursed like, twice.

A/N: this was literally edited while i was falling asleep, so if there are mistakes, that’s why. Please pm or reply, telling me and I'll go back and fix it.

Prompt: hi!! what about a wanda x reader where r has similar powers to wanda & enters the hex to talk her into letting everyone in westview go & coming home with r? :)

Summary: R has to convince Wanda to let everyone in Westview go.

    part two

“Are you sure you remember everything?” Jimmy asked you, concerned about how fast you were being thrown into everything. 

You nodded confidently, you were nervous, kind of scared, but ready. After getting a call from Monica, you knew whatever was going on was important, and you made your way to the outskirts of Westview, New Jersey before she even had to tell you what was going on. “Wanda’s robot boyfriend-”

“-Synthezoid,” Jimmy corrected before seeing the look Darcy gave him. “Sorry.”

“Synthezoid boyfriend died because Thanos pulled the mind stone out of his head, she had to watch him die twice and freaked out, stole his body from S.W.O.R.D., and created a fake sitcom reality where she goes through decades because she’s a grieving 30 year old with an odd obsession with tv shows. Oh, and she’s mind controlling a whole town and I’m supposed to convince her to let them go. Almost forgot that one,” You said, pointedly making the lighthearted joke because of Jimmy’s evident stress, chuckling softly.

“Just be careful,” Darcy cut in, “Wanda doesn’t seem to want to leave and we won't know if things go wrong because she chooses what goes in her show and what doesn’t.”

“I’ll be just fine. Let’s go,” You sighed and the four of you started to head out the door, but Hayward pulled you aside before you could leave the building. You told them to go ahead and you would meet them by the car.

“Ms (Y/L/N),” Hayward nodded, and you nodded back to him. Warm greeting, you thought. “Director Hayward.”

“If you cannot get Wanda to submit and release the people of Westview, I want you to fight her. Do whatever you have to, I need the Vision’s body back in S.W.O.R.D. custody and the citizens of Westview to be freed.”

Your brow furrowed, “My assignment is to try to persuade Ms Maximoff. I’m not fighting her, Sir. She’s grieving. I just got here and I can tell. She seems like she just wants to be happy.”

He scoffed at you and shook his head, “Her happiness means nothing to me. Ms Maximoff has thousands held captive. So, I think you’re misunderstanding me, Ms (Y/L/N), I am ordering you to kill her if needed. We need her to bring that barrier down.”

“I don’t take orders from you, Director. I’m just here to try to work things out, not to fight anyone,” You retorted.

“So you would let her continue to mind control the people of Westview? To continue controlling a sentient weapon made of vibranium?” Hayward asked pointedly, but you weren’t having any of it.

“With all due respect, you seem awfully concerned about the Vision when there are ‘thousands held captive’. And regardless, do you have any idea what would happen if Wanda died while all those people were in there?” You paused for a moment, giving him a chance to answer. “I didn’t think so.”

And with that, you turned on your heel and huffed, quickly making your way to the car that was waiting to take you to the border of the hex, Darcy, Monica, and Jimmy sat inside of it.

“What did he want?” Jimmy asked.

You sighed and started playing with the sleeve of your long sleeved shirt, “He wants me to kill Wanda if she doesn’t stop mind controlling Westview.”

Darcy’s eyes widened, “Sorry, what?”

You looked up at her and saw her concerned expression, “Oh, I’m not going to.” You said quickly, not wanting any of them to get the wrong impression. “He isn’t in charge of me. Wanda doesn’t seem to want to hurt anyone in Westview, and besides, it would be foolish when we know nothing about what would happen inside the barrier if she died.”

Darcy nodded as Monica parked the car and the four of you got out of it.

“Thank you for doing this, (Y/n),” Monica smiled softly as you reached the hex.

“You know I’m always willing to help you when you need me,” You smiled and looked towards the barrier.

You knew the trio was watching you intently, with the other agents standing outside, waiting for you to go in, but your heart was racing and you had to take a few deep breaths before bringing your hands up, moving your fingers in a way that they recognized to be similar to the way Wanda did, and you stepped closer, the blue light from your powers flowing forward and hitting the hex.

It kind of looked like when food coloring is dropped into water, and the color spreads, except your powers were the food coloring, and the hex was the water.

Not wanting to waste any more time, you pulled your hands further apart and groaned as you slowly but surely pulled apart a section of the barrier that was big enough for you to fit through before walking right through it.

As soon as you were through, you looked behind you and saw nothing. None of the S.W.O.R.D. tents or buildings or cars, Darcy, Monica, Jimmy, and all the other agents who were outside were gone. It was just a plain old normal street.

You looked down at your clothes and chuckled, the 80s. If Wanda had anything, it was a fashion sense, whether it was conscious of it or not. You were dressed in a fitted white shirt, and an electric blue skirt and cropped blazer set. Was it a bit tacky? Sort of, but you couldn’t help but love it. However, you were very pleased that the white boots you were wearing didn’t have too high of a heel. 

You sighed and knew you needed to go quickly. Vision had just left for work and this was the best chance you were going to get to talk to Wanda. You doubted she would let you convince her to let everyone go if Vision was there with her.

You extended your arms to the ground below you and used your powers to lift yourself up into the air, waiting until you saw the house you recognized to be Wanda’s to fly down to a street that had no one on it that was close enough for you to arrive quickly.

Your hand trembled as it reached up to knock on the door, but before you could overthink any longer, you tapped your knuckles against the wood three times and waited, playing with your fingers.

Wanda opened the door and smiled, though she wore a confused expression on her face, “Hi, I don’t think we’ve met before, or have we?”

You offered a smile and shook your head, “We haven’t, I’m (Y/n).”

“Wanda,” she said, with a lilt in her voice.

“I actually wanted to talk to you about something, if you aren’t busy? It’s important.”

She gazed at you curiously before nodding and stepping out of the way, “Come inside.”

You walked inside her home, the feeling you got was weird. You’d seen it on Darcy’s tv, but it was different to actually be in the room.

Wanda noticed the way your eyes flicked around her living room, looking at the couch, the photos hanging, the random decorations, and the few toys on the floor.

“Do you want something to drink?” She asked politely, before noticing you staring at one of the toys Tommy happened to favor. “My boys are upstairs.”

You smiled politely and shook your head, “I’m alright, Wanda, thank you. I need to talk to you about what you’re doing.” You started, not very strongly, but it wasn’t like you could just blurt out what you needed to say. This was a difficult situation.

“I’m sorry?” She tilted her head, not catching on, but she looked worried.

“I know about your powers, you’re controlling everyone in Westview, and Vision is starting to-”

“Leave,” Wanda extended her hands and tried to levitate you out, but you put your hands at your side and grounded yourself, blue mist surrounding your feet.

Wanda faltered and her eyes widened at the sight of your powers, “Who are you?”

“I’m Y/n Y/l/n. I was sent here to convince you to let everyone in Westview go. I promise I don’t mean you any harm, I just want things to go smoothly so no one else gets hurt.”

Wanda shook her head, “I can't just let go of this, I finally have everything I want.”

You sighed and nodded, “I understand how you feel, I have lost family too, but the people of Westview, they have their own lives and families. They’re in pain, Wanda. I can feel it. Can’t you?”

Her eyes snapped up and met yours, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill. She shook her head, “I can’t feel it.”

You stood for a moment, the two of you just looking at each other, before taking a breath and letting the blue mist that was keeping you grounded fade away. Cautiously, you walked closer to her and let out a breath of relief when she wasn’t backing away or looking like she was going to attack you.

“You can look into minds, can’t you?” You asked, knowing that showing her the pain she was unknowingly putting these people through was the best chance you had at convincing her to do the right thing. 

Wanda nodded without saying anything and understood what you wanted her to do. Shakily, she lifted her hand and bit her lip, she looked scared.

You blinked a few times, thought, fuck it, and gently held her wrist, bringing her hand up to your temple. You watched her eyes glow red before closing your eyes, allowing Wanda to see inside your mind.

All Wanda could feel was an unbearable amount of agony, she heard thousands of voices overlapping each other, panicked screams and crying. It was too much. Everyone sounded so scared. She did this.

The feeling was excruciating and let out a strangled sob, which made your eyes open on instinct.

Tears were flowing freely down Wanda’s face and she slowly sank to her knees, trying to catch her breath.

You got down on the floor in front of her and held one of her hands, using your other one to tilt her chin up towards you, “It’s okay, Wanda.”

She shook her head furiously and squeezed your hand, leaning forward, into you.

You wrapped your arm around her and let her cry into your shoulder. Your stomach felt twisted and you couldn’t believe Hayward had asked you to kill Wanda if she refused to comply, not when she was reacting like this.

“I didn’t mean for it to happen like this,” She managed to get out between deep breaths and whimpers. “I just - I wanted Vis back.”

Tears pricked at your own eyes, but you ignored them, knowing that you had to focus on Wanda, “I know, it’s okay. Everything will be okay. You just have to put down the barriers around Westview and stop mind controlling everyone.”

Wanda’s breath hitched, but she nodded, “Okay.”

“Okay?” You asked. Surprised at how you managed to get her to listen to you.

“I’ll do it now,” She sniffled and wiped her tears, standing up slowly.

Your eyebrows furrowed, “Well, hold on, don’t you want to see Vision first? Or call the twins down here?”

Her lips pressed together as another tear slipped down her cheek and she shook her head, “I don’t know what I’ll do if I allow myself to see them again,” She said quietly.

You nodded and stepped back, letting her go about this whatever way she wanted.

You watched her work, even though the two of you were inside, you could see out the window that the sky had turned red and it was gradually getting more blue, looking like she was chipping off pieces of the sky, if the sky was red, away from the inside out. 

Before you knew it, the house the two of you were standing in had been reduced to the foundation of a home, just concrete laying on the floor in the shape of the house Wanda had been living in. 

She was wearing a burgundy shirt, a jacket, and jeans instead of the big jeans and plaid shirt she’d had on before, and you were back to wearing your comfortable grey long sleeved shirt and jeans.

Her bottom lip started to tremble and she turned towards you before her breath started to quicken.

You wore a pained expression and stepped towards her, holding your arms out. You thought she was going to deny the embrace you were offering her, but she walked forward and buried her head in your neck, letting you wrap your arms around her, “I’m really proud of you, Wanda. It takes a lot to be able to give up something that important to you.”

She nodded, but said nothing. You stood there for about two more minutes before her breathing had calmed and she’d stopped crying. “Thank you, (Y/n).”

You nodded and smiled sadly at her before you both looked towards the red buick that was now sitting in her driveway, “I think I’m going to have to take you back out of Westview with me. I’ll get in trouble if I just let you leave, I think.”

“It’s fine, I’ll go,” She fished the keys to her car out of her pocket and played with the keyring. “Do you think you can drive us? I kind of want to look around before we leave.”

You took her keys and she let out a breath before quietly thanking you and walking to the passenger seat of her car.

Before you pulled out of the driveway, you spoke, “How did you do all of this?” You asked curiously. Sure, you had magic yourself, but there was no way you could even dream about pulling off anything like this.

“I’m not sure. All I remember is feeling so completely alone and sad, and I went to S.W.O.R.D. to see Vis for the last time before coming here, because Hayward wouldn’t let me take his body to give him a funeral or anything, so I guess I made a version of him here. I really don’t know how I managed though, because -”

“Sorry,” You interrupted, turning to look at her with your brows knitted together. “You said the Vision stayed in S.W.O.R.D.?”

“Yes?” She nodded. “What is it?”

You huffed and started the engine of the car, pulling out of the driveway, “The lying bastard. Hayward edited security camera footage to make it look like you stole the Vision’s body and used it here.” 

“That’s ridiculous. I know better than to make myself a criminal again. Well, I mean-” 

“It’s fine Wanda. You didn’t mean to,” You continued driving, enjoying the neighborhood.

When you were getting close to the edge of town, she spoke again. “Am I going to jail?”

“I won’t let them put you in jail,” You said simply.

“What, why?” Wanda asked, and it was clear that she was asking because she thought she deserved it and she was expecting it to happen.

“You don’t deserve it,” You shrugged. You didn’t want her to suffer alone, again. She already tried that, and look where that got everyone.

Wanda shook her head, “You know that isn’t true.”

“I believe it is. I know that your actions were wrong, but Hayward was wrong for denying you when you asked for Vision’s body to bury. It wasn’t his to have. All he cares about is money and power and the Vision would cost a lot of money and would give him a lot of power. I mean, realistically, he’s kind of the cause for this. But that’s not the point. The point is that it was never your intention to hurt these people and it’s not fair to you that he set you up like this.”

“And what will you do if they try to put me in jail?” Wanda asked curiously, her voice low.

You sighed as you started to be able to make out Jimmy, Monica, and Darcy from far away. “I dunno, maybe we can run away together or something.”

[vodika-vibes]

Golden Thread

Summary: 12 years after your parents banished you to the Labyrinth, you finally have a chance at freedom. And Prince Bly is determined to ensure that you get it.

Pairing: Prince!Bly x F!Reader

Word Count: 3912

Warnings: Violence

Tagging: @trixie2023, @the-bad-batch-baroness

A/N: This was supposed to be a Rapunzel AU, but I apparently wasn't feeling Rapunzel, so this is what was born instead.

Divider by Saradika

When you were a child, your father used to scoop you into his arms and toss you into the air, and you never had to worry about whether or not he would catch you, because he always did.

He would press his face against yours, and press your nose against his, and he would tell you, “Your mother and I loved you so, so much that we just had to raise you as our own!” And you would giggle and hug him.

You never doubted your parents' love for you.

After all, they told you they loved you every day.

And as you got older, your mother would bundle you up onto her lap and braid your hair, and tell you stories of wizards and princesses who were locked in towers. “Ah, my little dove,” She would say in her scratchy voice, “There are only two types of people who live in towers: Wizards and Princesses.” And then she would tickle you and press kisses all over your face, until you were giggling and squealing.

And then you’re ten years old, and your parents don’t take you to the market anymore, and your mother asks, jokingly, how you felt about becoming locked in a tower, and you press your face into her stomach and say, “Mama, I’m neither a wizard nor a princess, towers aren’t for me!”

Your parents moved you into the labyrinth the following week, with your only companion being the half human-half bull child, named Mnemosyne. He’s the same age as you, and has been living in the labyrinth since he was an infant.

You remember, later, raging and screaming at your parents while Nemo keeps you from running into one of the deadly traps that keep him contained. They left you there, in the cold and dark, with only Nemo to keep you company.

That was only 12 years ago now, and you have grown into an adult. You’re perfectly at home in the labyrinth, and you are familiar with the twists and turns as it grows and changes.

“Sister,” Nemo’s voice is low and rumbly, “I found a new passageway.”

“Oh? Did you smell anything interesting?” You ask.

“Fresh food,” He replies, “But also people. Recent people.”

You turn your attention away from your book, “You think other people have entered the labyrinth?” You ask.

Nemo rumbles low in his chest, and your hair stands on end, “If they have, I will kill them.”

Your brother has become violent and dangerous over the years. Not towards you, never towards you, but you know that if anyone else were to enter the labyrinth, Nemo would kill them…and probably eat them.

“There’s no need for such dramatics, brother mine.” You say lightly as you close your book with a snap and set it on the table, “How about I go and check it out, and if we’re lucky I’ll be able to make stew tonight.”

Nemo grumbles, “Hate stew. Not enough meat.”

“Now you’re just fussing to fuss, Nemo.” You scold gently, as you stand from the ratty old couch that Nemo dragged back to your shared quarters years ago. “I’ll be back shortly.”

You leave the shared quarters and head into the labyrinth proper and you sigh. The Labyrinth has changed Nemo, twisting him from an innocent child into something monstrous. He has taken to hovering around you more and more, and the way he looks at you sometimes-

Well…it’s only a matter of time before he kills you.

You head deeper into the labyrinth, twisting and turning down familiar passages, until you find the new one that Nemo told you about. As with every other part of the labyrinth, the stone walls look to have been colored with red clay, though the further down the stone started looking more and more like granite.

You follow the passageway from the labyrinth, into what looks like a massive garden. There are rows and rows of flowers and other decorative plants, but nothing that you could use as food.

You’re disappointed, but not really surprised.

Aside from the ranch where you and Nemo have to negotiate for your weekly allotment of food, none of the other places the labyrinth opens up to have ever led to food.

Still, the feel of sunlight against your skin and warm breeze through your hair is nice enough that you consider just sitting and staying for a time. Anything, really, to get you some space from Nemo.

You walk further into the garden, your fingers trailing lightly over the flowers…it’s been years since you’ve seen flowers that exist solely to be flowers. And they’re not trying to kill you, like that one whole section of labyrinth that is home to man eating plants.

“Oh.” You jump at the sound of a voice from behind you, and for a moment you fear that it’s Nemo. Only the voice isn’t half gravelly enough to be your brother, “I’m fairly certain you’re not supposed to be here.”

You spin on your heels, and look up into the face of a man. He��s taller than you, and broader, but then, you’ve never been a particularly big person to begin with, and twelve years living underground has stunted your growth…probably.

He’s handsome, with short cropped black hair and yellow tattoos on his face, “I’m sorry.” You say, your voice hushed, “I’ll leave.”

He scans your face for a moment, and he frowns, “You don’t have to do that. You don’t seem to be hurting anything.” He takes half a step towards you, “My name is Bly, what’s your name?”

You hesitate, and then reply with your name, and he smiles at you warm and broad, and your stomach does a flip.

Bly moves even closer to you, his smile never once wavering, “How did you even get in here? The gate’s locked.”

“Um…well…there’s another entrance.” You admit as you tuck your hair behind your ear, nervous though you’re not sure why.

“Another…?” Bly looks surprised, “Where?”

Even more hesitantly, you point in the direction of the labyrinth entrance, “Over there.”

He turns and stares. Bly stares for long enough that you worry that maybe he doesn’t see the entrance, but you also worry that he does see the entrance to the labyrinth.

“Where the hell did that come from?” Bly asks, turning fully to stare at the entrance.

“Uh…if it’s any consolation, it’s new?”

“It’s not.” Bly replies flatly, “This Labyrinth is your home?”

“Home. Prison.” You shrug, “Sort of the same thing, really.”

He stops and turns to stare at you, “What.” His voice is flat, and that handsome smile is gone.

“Uh…well…my parents decided to lock me in the labyrinth with my brother. Twelve years ago.” You nervously tuck your hair behind your ear again, “So, you know, Home. Prison. Same thing.”

He continues staring at you, and you shift nervously, “Right. Right, okay. So…that stops.”

“I…uh…what?”

Bly smiles kindly and offers you his hand, “Come on. I’ll get you inside, and we can get you proper food and well fitting clothes. And you never have to go back to the labyrinth.”

“I…” You stare at his hand, longing warring with indecision.

Is it really that easy? Can you just…not go back? 

Bly waits patiently, a gentle smile on his face. A smile that broadens into a grin as you slowly, hesitantly, take his hand. His hands are calloused, likely from practicing with the sword that sits comfortably on his hip, and this close it’s obvious that Bly is a soldier.

But you don’t feel nervous or even intimidated by him.

You feel safe.

And isn’t that a kick to the gut? When was the last time you felt safe?

**************

“Are you alright, sarad?” Bly’s voice is quiet but he makes his footsteps loud as he walks up behind you. The family and staff at the palace learned, the hard way, that you react violently when people sneak up on you.

Though they’re always kind enough to not ask questions, even after that one time you accidentally broke Prince Neyo’s jaw when he snuck up on you.

You’ve been living in the palace for two weeks now, and aside from a few mishaps -sleeping is hard above ground, and you’re so twitchy at times- you’re starting to feel settled.

Starting, but not quite there yet.

“Just thinking,” You reply, belatedly realizing that Bly had asked you a question. Your gaze is locked on the sealed off entrance to the Labyrinth, just barely visible from where you’re leaning against the railing on the balcony.

Bly leans against the railing next to you, “Well, I’m happy to listen, if you want to share?”

You turn your head to look at him, “Why are you so nice to me?” You ask in return.

“Well, because being nice is my default setting,” Bly replies drily, “But also, the first time I saw you, you looked like you needed a friend.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Your gaze drifts back towards the labyrinth.

“Are you homesick?” Bly asks, shifting closer to you so that you can feel the warmth from his body through the thin tunic he’s wearing.

“Not homesick.” You shake your head and absently lean into his warmth, “the labyrinth was never home. But I do feel guilty.”

“About your brother,” Bly replies.

“Yes.” You tremble slightly, “He must be so angry.”

“Hey,” Bly presses his hand against your shoulder, sending warmth right down to your toes, “As soon as the Master Wizard comes up with a way to map the labyrinth, we’ll go and find your brother. I promise.”

“...you don’t understand.” You whisper.

“I know that I’d do anything for my brothers,” His hand slides from your shoulder and up your neck, and then settles against your cheek. Bly gently tilts your head to look him in the eye, “And we’ll do the same thing for yours.”

His thumb lightly brushes against your lips, and you inhale sharply. Bly slowly pulls his hand away from your face, “Sorry,” He whispers.

“It’s okay.” You whisper right back, “what…what if my brother can’t be saved?”

Bly’s hand cups your face again, “Do you trust me?”

You’re quiet for a long moment, and then you sigh and nod once, “Of course. You’re a good man.”

He grins at you, “Then trust me to save your brother.”

You turn to look at him, and you reach out, pressing both of your hands against his face, “Bly…my brother-”

He places his hands on top of yours, and gently pulls them away from his face. And then, with his gaze locked with yours, he presses feather light kisses against your knuckles, “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

You shiver at the feel of his breath against your skin, and Bly smiles at you, “Let’s get you back inside, sarad. It won’t be long before we save your brother. I promise it.”

You want to believe him. You do.

But you know, in your heart of hearts, that this is not going to end well. And that it’s only a matter of time before Nemo breaks through the magical barrier holding him back.

And it is holding him back.

You glance at the entrance to the labyrinth, and shiver when you see a pair of malevolent red eyes glaring up at you from behind the barrier, but when you blink the eyes are gone.

Bly drapes his arm over your shoulder, and guides you inside, “Look at you, sarad, you’re shivering. Let’s get you warmed up.”

Two days later, you’re standing in the garden with Bly, the Court Wizard and King Jango, while the old wizard squints at the barrier through irritated eyes. 

“You seem troubled,” King Jango notes as he glances at his wizard.

“I am troubled. The barrier has weakened…a lot.”

“So, something has been trying to come through?” Bly asks, “Your brother perhaps.”

“Oh…most assuredly.”

The wizard scowls at you, “Your brother is a magic user?”

“Uh…no. Not at all.”

“Well, no human could get through that barrier without magic-”

“I’m not entirely sure why you all assume my brother is human…” You say quietly, as you take a half step back, behind Bly. “And he’s here.” You add as you point at the barrier.

There’s a loud thump, and then another one. And then the sound of shattering glass as the magic barrier shatters into pieces, and your brother steps into the garden, “Sister-” He bellows.

Bly shoves you behind him, and draws his blade, and you hear heavy footsteps as ARC Knights start pouring into the garden. “Nemo! Stop!” You shout, “They’re not going to-” You release a startled cry as a large hand shoves Bly to the side, flinging him into a tree, “Bly!”

You stumble back as Nemo looms over you, “Sister…” He rumbles out. Nemo reaches out and grabs your arm with a large hand and he jerks you, painfully, to his side, “You left…” He snarls.

“Nemo…I’m sorry.”

“Not…good…enough…” 

His other hand wraps around your neck and shoulder, and tightens to the point where you’re quickly gasping for breath. And then there’s pain, blinding pain, unlike anything you’ve ever felt before.

You’re vaguely aware of the sound of shouting, the men around you trying to rip Nemo off of you…and then the pain flares, and that, paired with the lack of oxygen, causes the world around you to go dark.

*****************

Bly stares as the creature carts his sarad into the Labyrinth. He’s in too much pain to move, or else he would be on his feet, and chasing after them. “Easy, vod. I have you.” His gaze flickers to the medic, who’s kneeling over him, “Your injuries are severe, but you’ll heal.”

His gaze flickers away from his brother, and to the slender arm laying on the ground. That creature, Nemo, he heard you call it, had ripped your arm off, and then tossed it to the side as though it was nothing.

Bly struggles to sit up, gasping as pain flares from his ribs, “You need to lie still, Bly!” The medic snaps.

“He ripped her arm-”

“We’ll find her,” King Jango interrupted, turning his furious gaze on the Court Wizard, “Well?”

“I attached the magic thread to her,” The Wizard replied grimly, “It’ll remain attached to her even if that creature kills her-”

Bly releases a noise at the thought of you dying, and he tries to lurch up into a sitting position, only to get forcefully shoved back to the ground.

The wizard pauses, and then continues, “The thread cannot be broken, cannot be cut, and will connect from the young lady to this very spot until such time that I break the connection.”

“So we can send someone after her.”

“Indeed.” The Wizard nods, “I suggest that we send Prince Bly.”

“He’s injured.”

“He’ll heal,” The Wizard points out, “And he’s going to go after her with or without your permission.”

King Jango is silent for a moment, and then he nods once, curtly, “Fine. Once he’s healed, we’ll send him into the labyrinth.”

***************

How long has it been? You no longer know.

Your head swims and you tremble with pain, and your trembling hand crosses your body to brush against the ragged, and painful, edges where your arm used to be.

You release a silent, shaky, breath.

Your brothe-...no. Not brother, never again brother.

Mnemosyne, the Minotaur, had ripped your arm off as punishment for leaving him.

To his credit, he has been taking care of you. Ensuring that your arm…the remains of your arm…are clean and bandaged. Making sure that you have enough food to not starve. Bringing you fresh water every day.

You’re surprised. You thought, for sure, that the scent of you bleeding would be enough to push him into killing you, but so far, it hasn’t.

You drop your hand onto your lap, the clothes that Bly gave you were stiff with dried blood…Mnemosyne hasn’t bothered to try and replace them, and you wonder if that’s because it’ll be easy for him to track you if you try to run.

Probably.

You wouldn’t have been so harsh in your appraisal of Nemo…but Nemo died the moment he ripped your arm from your body. And no amount of Mnemosyne’s kindness will help you see him as Nemo ever again.

Your gaze drifts to your wrist, specifically the golden thread that connects you with…something. Mnemosyne doesn’t seem to be able to notice it, and has walked through it multiple times since he returned you to the den.

Maybe…maybe if you follow the thread…?

Slowly, painfully, you push to your feet and walk across the den to where the door to the den is. You push the door open and step into the hallway, your eyes easily picking out the glowing thread in the dark halls.

And so…you start walking.

You feel bad. You’re in pain, and you’re too hot and too cold and the world swims around you. That’s probably bad, you remember reading something, once, about infections and fevers…but it’s too hard to think right now.

So you focus on putting one foot in front of the other, and you follow the thread.

Before you really realize it, you’re moving slower and slower, and then you slump against the wall and slide to the floor. Mnemosyne is going to find you…and this time he’ll probably kill you.

It’s a shame, really, Bly was going to teach you how to dance. You had been looking forward to it.

The next thing you’re aware of is hands against your face. You blink slowly once. And then again as the world remained out of focus.

“...Bly?” You whisper as the world finally comes into focus, and you see a familiar face.

He heaves a sigh of relief, “Oh, thank the stars. I thought you were…” Bly shakes his head, “Never mind. You were unconscious, sarad.”

“Was I?” You ask quietly.

“You were.” His hands are warm, even though the gloves he is wearing, “Sarad, what were you doing?”

“Was following the thread,” You mumble.

“Good girl,” He breathes out, and you blink up at him, “That thread would have led you right back to Mandalore.” He looks you over, and then frowns, “Let’s get you out of these clothes, and I have some stuff for your arm.”

“Oh. Alright,” You allow him to help you to your feet, and you’re barely able to keep standing as he quickly strips the blood soaked clothes from your bruised body, and replaces them with a clean tunic and pants.

You’re vaguely aware of him unwrapping your arm and placing some sort of ointment and then clean bandages on it, but it’s a hazy awareness. You blink at him, hazily, and he gently cups your face, “You still with me, sarad?”

“I…maybe?”

“That’s alright.” His voice sounds like it’s coming from underwater, “I’m going to take care of you, sarad. I promise.” One of his hands slides into your hair, and he gently tugs your head so it’s resting against his chest plate. You shakily wrap your arm around him, and you feel his lips against the top of your head.

“How are…” You grimace, the words fleeing your mind before you can say them, “Mnemosyne?”

Bly pauses, “We’re going to collapse the labyrinth.” He says softly, “There are dozens of my brothers setting explosives throughout the labyrinth as we speak. I just need to get you out.”

“...oh.”

“Are you okay with that?” Bly asks.

You pull your head away from his chest, and look up at him. Slowly you nod, “I think I am.” You whisper.

He smiles at you, warm and gentle, “I’m sorry that we have to kill your brother.”

“...he’s not my brother. Not anymore.” You whisper.

Bly nods and kisses your forehead, feather light, “Come on, sarad. Let’s get you out of here.” He takes your hand and starts leading you back the way you came.

You do your best to keep up, but you’re not surprised at all when he has to switch to carrying you. 

You cringe as the sound of a furious bellow fills the labyrinth. All you can do is press your face against Bly’s neck as he follows the golden thread. You lift your head slightly when you hear the sound of lots of men in armor running. 

ARC knights, all of them following a different color thread, are heading in the same direction as you and Bly. And before you realize it, you’re back in the garden of Mandalore.

Bly hands you over to the medics, who immediately sit you on a gurney and start fussing over you.

You float somewhere between conscious and unconscious, though you do jolt to awareness at the sound of a massive explosion. You’re not able to do much of anything though, as one of the medics injects something into your arm, and you swiftly drift off to sleep.

The next time you wake up, you’re laying in a soft bed. You’re covered in healing bacta, you can tell because of the smell, and you’re no longer in pain. 

You turn your head to the side, and you smile when you see Bly sitting there. He’s absently twirling a hunting knife between his fingers, his gaze locked on your face.

“Sarad!” The knife slides back into a sheath on his thigh as Bly leans in to take your hand, “You’re awake.” He sounds relieved.

“Bly…how long have I-?”

“It’s been three days, you had an infection.” Bly explains, as he folds his hands around yours, “You’re going to have to stay here for a while longer, while they make sure the infection is gone. It…it was pretty hit or miss there, for a while.”

“Sorry.” You whisper.

“Not your fault, baby.” He replies, as he brushes some of your hair off of your face, leaving his hand pressed warmly against your cheek, “How are you feeling?”

You close your eyes and lean into his touch, “Mm…I’m not in pain. So I'm just tired, I guess.”

“That’s good. Great, even.” Bly says with a sigh as his fingers begin lightly tracing your features, “Do you want an update on the Labyrinth?”

“Yes please.”

“So the entrance in the garden was completely destroyed,” Bly says after a moment, “But we found another opening just outside the city. As of right now it’s under 24 hour guard, and there are magic drones mapping out the landscape, and trying to determine if Mnemosyne survived.”

“And if he did?” You ask, softly.

“We’ll cross that bridge only if we have to.” Bly insists, “And it won’t be your job.”

“Oh, alright.” You swallow hard, “So what happens now?”

“Now you rest and recover, and then we’re opening an investigation into your parents. They have a lot to answer for, not just for sealing you away, but also for Mnemosyne.” Bly replies, his thumb lightly caresses your cheek, “And, when you’re healed, I’m finally going to teach you how to dance.”

You laugh softly, and favor him with a small smile, “It’s a date then.”

Bly’s face brightens, “The first of many, I hope.”

“We’ll just have to see, won’t we.” You tease lightly.

He stands and kisses your forehead, “You’ll see, angel. I’ll be the best boyfriend.” Bly kisses your forehead again, “But I’ll let you rest-”

You close your hand around his, “Stay?”

And he grins, “For as long as you’ll have me.”

[whaleofatjme1920]

EJ SIMPS RISE 😤😤💪💪💪

may i please request a scenario for yandere ej x fem reader where ej is punishing the reader for escaping ? feel free to go DARK dark with this one <3

Cream Colored Ceiling

[Eyeless Jack X F!Reader]

[Warnings: NSFW - but not for sexual content, just violence, what isn't a warning in this one, mentions of cannibalism (but there is no described cannibalism, just allusions to it), EJ physically harms the reader, amputation, violence of all kinds, throw up, look this is just,,,, it's dark. I repeat, there is no sexual content in here, it's just physically violent]

[AN: yeah. This was uh, yeah.]

Hazy, your mind is hazy. You wake and open your eyes to see that same fucking cream colored ceiling with water damage leaking through the top and dangerously close to your bed, if you’d even want to call it your bed.

You raise one of your hands that feels heavier than stones and wipe quietly at your eyes, dusting them from the sleep. Your body feels heavy, oh so heavy.

You sit up. Nothing strange so far.

Has he really been that gracious with you?

You yawn and stretch, joints and bones popping as you look out the window. There’s that cursed forest. It looks dark, shadowy, misty. The fog is rolling in and you know with it comes the rain. You’re going to be stuck here forever, aren’t you?

The sunlight doesn’t filter through the window, but there’s light regardless. You’re deep into mid Autumn and with it will come winter. It’ll be the third winter you’ve been trapped with this monster.

Your mouth feels dry, much too dry. You smack your lips together a few times, wondering where your saiva has gone and decide to go to the kitchen. It seems like Jack isn’t home right now, which is probably for the best. Alongside him being out, so too is your natural fear of him. You swing your legs over the side of your bed, wondering why you feel so physically exhausted before attempting to stand up.

“Shit!” You cry out as your knees buckle beneath you, your body cascading like a pile of bricks to the floor. Your knees and palms blank onto the hardwood, digging into you most uncomfortably. Tears well in your eyes as you struggle to get off the floor. You continue to curse under your breath as you glance back at your ankles where large surgical wounds lay, covered in stitches and gauze. What the fuck? When did that happen?

Your heart begins to race when you slow, calculated steps padding on the floor. You’re all too familiar with the sound of those combat boots knocking on the floor, pacing back and forth and keeping you awake at all hours of the night. Panic sears itself into your heart as you attempt to get up, pathetically crawling along the floor and reaching for your bedpost.

Jack stands in your doorway, his large form casting a shadow on your throw rug. He tsks, and you can already tell he’s more than disappointed with you. “What did I tell you about getting up?” He asks, voice smooth and clinical, once again padding towards you.

You feel tears well in your eyes as you curl as tightly into a ball as you can.

Jack breathes out with slight disappointment before crouching down and seeing your sorry form. “You knew this was going to happen,” he says, half lidded eyes watching you curiously before he reaches his large, gloved hand out. “Did you pop any of your sutures?” He tilts his head to the side and looks over your swollen, still bloodied ankles. “I think you might’ve.” He reaches to pick you up and you begin to panic, blubbering your apologies.

“I’m sorry, please, don’t touch me, don’t hurt me-” you begin to babble, your remaining strength trying their hardest to push the behemoth away. Tears well in your eyes as Jack grips your calves, sending pain holting like lightning strikes up and down your lower body, making you cry out in pain.

“You deserve it,” he murmurs, his claws pinching into your skin before he lifts you. A glance of annoyance passes over his face before he yanks your grip from the bed.

You struggle against him as you pound your fists into his broad chest, tears of frustration falling down your cheeks.

The tall demon moves without budging. He doesn’t care, you barely feel like a scratch to him.

You watch your surroundings, still fighting against him and feel your heart sink when you realize he’s taking you down the hall that he’s deemed forbidden. The energy you feel from this specific hallway makes you cry out in fear.

Jack eats it up, his own heart beating just a little faster. You won’t ever do what you pulled last night again. He juggles you into one his arms and uses his free hand to unlock the door, the slight beeps of numbers being added into a keypad making your attention shift ever so slightly.

The inside of this room is like a horror scene to you. You see an operating table, and stainless steel tables, cabinets and countertops. There’s a large trash bin filled with bloody gauze and other things, such as discarded clothes, clumps of hair, things you don’t want to think of. Is this it? Is he finally going to kill you?

Fear overtakes your system again and renders you to nothing but silent sobs as Jack pulls off a turquoise colored sheet from the operating table, placing you down.

You try to get off, wiggling and clawing at him. “Let me go!” You cry out like a broken record of a mantra, your eyes wild and feral.

Jack simply shrugs you off, tying large leather brown straps over your waist and your chest, rendering you immobile. “The more you struggle, the more it’s going to hurt you,” he hums, his clawed hands moving across your chest to your wrists. He quickly ties you down there as well, your legs numbly kicking at him through the pain due to severed Achilles tendons. He flicks the wound on your left leg, grinning at your pain. “Won’t be needing these anymore,” he chuckles.

“What?” You say in shock, pupils restricting to the size of pim points.

He takes a seat on his wheeled stool and begins setting you up with an IV drip. “Gonna sedate you, and when you wake up?” He warmly smiles, pricking the vein on your right arm with the needle, making you weakly thrash once more. “Get some sleep,” he murmurs, pumping some sedatives into your bloodstream.

You feel more tears welling in your eyes as your conscience begins to wean. The world becomes more shapes and colors, merging into brightness and shadows before you finally slip into your dreams.

You haven’t been able to trick Jack like this in the history of well, ever. Almost three years with this nightmare and you’ve finally gained enough of his trust to ask him for some time out.

“Don’t stay in there for too long,” he says, large hand gripping your thigh as you swallow down the feeling of hitting him from where you remain seated in the passenger seat. “I want you back safely,” he murmurs, his other hand gently letting go of the wheel to cup your face.

You do your best to show love and admiration in your eyes as you meet his gaze. “Don’t worry. It’s just an hour or so, okay?” You hum, your hand gently holding his and burying your face deeper into his warmth.

“I don’t know why you need anyone else’s company,” he says, a slight acrid venom seeping into his tone. “You don’t need anyone else but me.” It’s almost cute how offended he sounds.

You play the part of loving him. “I know, I know,” you coo, taking his hand from your face and pressing your lips into a pucker. You raise his hand to them, planting a kiss on his palm. “I love you. I won’t be that long.”

Jack’s heart flutters. “I’ll be here, waiting for you.” He says, watching you as you unbuckle yourself, his hand reluctantly leaving your thigh.

You flash him a warm smile and lean over to press a kiss to his cheek, and then his lips. You try not to spit at the scent of blood and taste of rot before pulling away. You then open up his car, sliding from the passenger seat and to the rinky dink little bar you’d managed to convince him to let you go to. Just an hour - that’s all it was. Just an hour. You’d be in and out, get some drinks, and come straight back to his car.

Due to Jack’s appearance, he had told you he couldn’t go in. They’d know something was wrong with him immediately, and you’d gained enough of his trust for you to be away for just an hour. Come straight back to the car when it reaches 10 PM. You promised him. And he fucking believed you.

It wasn’t that hard finding some idiot down on his luck with the ladies. You cozied up next to him, getting to sit with him at the bar and start talking. He was so attentive and sweet, so receptive to the story you had made up to him.

“That sounds awful,” he says, voice low and sweet. His deep blue eyes look at you with nothing but gentleness and fondness. His hand reaches for yours across the bar and you smile, allowing him to take it.

“I just wanna get away from that brute,” you admit. “I just wanna go home.”

He squeezes you just a little tighter. “Why don’t we go back to my car and call the cops?” He offers.

“Where did you park?” You ask, hoping it’s not in the front lot where Jack remains waiting for you.

“In the back.”

What a relief.

A slight smile blooms on your face as you nod. “Yeah, let’s go,” you finally answer. You hop off the barstool and then grip his hand, letting him lead you through the bar and the sea of people. It smells like sweat, alcohol, and regret - you love it. It smells like the beginning of freedom, something better. Maybe, just maybe…

He opens the backdoor to you, allowing you out first. The crisp night air of autumn greets you with her beauty. You can smell maple leaves and pumpkins out in the distance, the atmosphere is incredible. “That one’s mine,” he says, pointing to his car a little ways down in the parking lot under one of the yellow lights. He continues holding your hand as the two of you walk through the parking lot.

You watch as he unlocks the car door, walking around the side to let you in. You accompany him and slide into the passenger seat. Putting this seat belt on feels almost liberating. You giggle when the short man closes the door before walking around the front of his car.

And then he pauses.

Fear seeps into his eyes and leans forward, his abdomen cutting into the hood of the hunk of metal that can barely be called a car before sweat beads and rolls down his forehead. He begins to cough, violently.

Your eyes widen in shock as he begins to cough up blood, and tears well in his eyes. They roll down his cheeks, fat and crystalline like the beads of sweat. He reaches out to you, mouthing for you to run before finally slumping forwards.

You see him, the behemoth that’s held you captive for three years, a sapphire colored mask boring into your soul and searing into your mind with what you can understand is pure, unadulterated rage. You scramble, panicking as you notice the large blade that’s wedged itself into the man’s back as he seizes on the car, his thick body rolling off from the hood and landing with a large ‘thump!’ as he does so. Foam and the smell of something unpleasant wafts upwards and you palm the handle of the car, attempting to release yourself.

Jack takes slow, calculated steps forwards, his shadow growing larger as he gears up to catch you and claim you as his.

Your heart pounds like a drum in your chest, the panic overtaking your system as you finally get the car open. You shoot out of the metal cage like a bat from hell and stumble onto the asphalt, hissing as the black tar digs into your knees and palms. No time for registering your pain, you need to run! Like a freshly born faun, you hobble up and begin to run, wondering if you can make it back to the bar and the safety of other people when Jack’s steps grow quicker.

Fuck, fuck, fuck! He’s going to catch you and he’s going to kill you!

“You’re such a stupid little rabbit,” he hums, watching as you sorely sprint towards the door. “Look what you’ve done,” he taunts, hand gesturing to the man. “You made me kill him and I’m not even hungry,” he hums. “Maybe I should make you eat it instead,” he muses.

The thought alone makes your stomach retch. You stumble once more, body feeling violently ill as you cave. The alcohol paired with his words has you emptying your stomach of its contents that splash to the asphalt, the sickly acrid and saccharine taste overtaking your mouth.

Jack’s giant form finally overtakes you. He stands with his hands behind his back, peering down at you with disdain. “Fucking disgusting,” he coos in a tone that reminds you of a condescending father. He grips the back of your neck and forces you down.

You screech and fight him, not wanting to touch what came out of you.

“No? No,” he grins. “Fine. Let’s go see your date.” His claws dig into your neck as he drags you back to the man’s car where he’s finally gone still. He’s left a puddle of blood. Jack laughs quietly at your struggling before forcing you to your knees. “Are you hungry?”

“No-”

“I think you mean yes.”

The taste of blood still lingers in your mouth, and it remains even in your slumber.

Of course, you passed out due to your traumatic experience, and threw up again as well. Jack took advantage of your fragile state and brought you back to your home, the place you belonged - with him. He cut your Achilles tendons, just a warm up, really.

“Time to wake up.” Jack’s voice permeates your head, rousing you from your slumber. His gloved hands are snapping in front of you.

It’s bright, much too bright. Your body feels simultaneously heavier and lighter. Where are you? You see that you’re now looking into an operating light, and it’s super uncomfortable. “What did you do to me?” You ask drowsily.

Jack ignores your question and instead picks you up. His footsteps begin to lull you into sleep.

Exhausted, you fall back in again, and this time? This time, it’s dreamless.

It’s that fucking cream colored ceiling again that you open your eyes to. The water damage is still the same, and you realize you’re still stuck. You’re about to get up when you hear your door opening.

“Nice to see you up,” Jack says, watching as you slowly come to. “Did you dream about anything?”

You narrow your eyes recoiling as he reaches his hand out to pet you.

Jack glares at you for a moment, his hand straightening before he slaps you. “Don’t get testy, I’ll take your arms next,” he murmurs.

You’re about to bite back when you take in his words. What? Your heart begins to sink, deeper and deeper as your hand shakily reaches to the edge of your bed sheets. No. No. NO. You hold your breath as you rip the sheets off. Your flesh is swollen, puffy and looks like it’s crying out in its own form of pain. Large, manila colored casts and bandages surround your thighs and what remains of your knees.

You begin to hyperventilate. Your chest begins to rise and fall faster and faster - your body feels like a prison.

Jack only coos. “Stop that,” he says lovingly, hand petting your head as you fall deeper and deeper into despair. He removes the black glove from his hand and grabs your face, his dark, eyeless sockets boring into your own eyes. He looks at you with such adoration that acts as a front for the betrayal and anger he feels for you deep down inside. He draws closer to your tear stained face, a small smile bearing shark-like teeth at you before parting his lips to speak to you. “You’re being hysterical.”

[earnestly-endlessly]

I love your fic recs! Do you have any with Protective!Erik?

Protective! Erik is one of my favourite tropes so I have a TON of fics to share with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Protective! Erik fic recs

Erik Lehnsherr's Guide to Saving the Universe By Meeting Your Soul-Mate and Falling in Love in Less than 72 Hours – madneto, Pangea

Summary: Army Pilot Erik Lehnsherr is just trying to enjoy his day off when a mostly naked person crashes through the roof of his car. Even more alarming, the strange falling naked person—who goes by Charles Xavier when he's not speaking an ancient dead language—brings tidings of the apparent potential end of the world, and begs Erik to help him put a stop to it.

Well. His mother has been nagging at him to go out and meet new people.

In Sound and Silence – endingthemes

Summary: Erik is assigned to care for the special patient in room 301.

How Not To Meet Your Future Boyfriend – ikeracity

Summary: Erik punches Charles in the face the first time they meet. There isn't anywhere their relationship can go from there but up.

Forgotten – FuryRed

Summary: Charles is having a really bad day. Not only has he woken up in the middle of the afternoon with no idea where he is or how he got there, but when he returns home he’s confronted by a stranger with intense eyes, who insists that he knows Charles rather more intimately than Charles remembers…

Thou Shalt Not Eat Stones – valancysnaith

Summary: Two months after Washington, Raven found Erik in a skeevy motel off the Florida interstate.

“They have Charles, Erik,” she said.

The bedframe shrieked. In the bathroom, the showerhead snapped in half and clattered into the tub.

Demoted – JayPendragon

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr is a detective-specialist with the NYPD Mutant Tactical Unit, ready to help out where his skills are needed. Or he would be, if he and his partner hadn’t been demoted. For the next four months, he is patrolling the Lenox Hill precinct with Azazel – if he doesn’t die of boredom first. One night they are called in to investigate a potential case of domestic violence, yet the tenant assures them he is both alone and unharmed. However, there is something about this Charles Xavier that compels Erik to follow up.

Warning: Sensitive material, domestic abuse and dubious consent

Watch Your Back – swoopswoop

Summary: Bodyguard AU where Erik is overly protective and things aren't as simple as they seem.

If We Met Differently – swoopswoop

Summary: Erik wasn't the only mutant 'taken in' by Shaw, Erik learns this the hard way when a new mutant is dropped into his cell. They manage to escape together, but things aren't all roses after that. Erik has a score to settle and needs to make sure Charles is safe.

The Color of Love (Character Swap Remix) – BadLuckBlueEyes

Summary: Nobody sees in color until they meet their soulmates. When your soulmate dies, your vision returns to black and white. What happens when your soulmate only dies for a few minutes?

Omega Online – miss_aphelion

Summary: Newly imprinted Charles is having trouble dealing with his overly protective alpha—so in desperation he seeks advice in an omega chat room. Emma Frost is more than happy to help, Raven isn't helping at all, and Erik can't stand to be out of touch with Charles for more than five minutes at a time.

Cannot be Contained in Words – wallhaditcoming (uvcatastrophe) 

Summary: Crime syndicate head Erik Lehnsherr travels to London on business, where he meets oxford student Charles Xavier. Their liaison spawns into a years long transatlantic affair, kept apart by Erik's work and Charles' studies,which Erik chronicles in photographs. When distance ceases to be an issue after four long years, the overlap between Charles' past and Erik's work create a whole new set of complications.

A Pertinent Reminder – ikeracity, Pangea

Summary: Sometimes it's easy to forget that getting involved in Erik's mob business isn't all fine dining and sex on yachts. There's nothing like taking a couple of bullets to remind Charles of the reality.

Part 3 of the Associates series

A Dangerous Game – ikeracity, pangea

Summary: When a familiar enemy of Erik's returns to the city for some old-fashioned revenge, Charles is sucked deeper into the world of the mob than ever before.

Part 6 of the Associates series

You don’t choose the thug life (except when you do) – Anonymous

Summary: Charles is kidnapped and discovers that Erik, the Alpha he has been dating for the past few months and is head-over-heels for, is not just a wealthy businessman but actually the head of a syndicate.

He is rather unhappy about this discovery and Erik gets an earful for lying to him. Then Charles is kidnapped again and really, he hopes mating Erik won't result in weekly kidnapping because he has a thesis to finish and papers to grade.

Marrying a Mob – Ook

Summary: Charles is a teacher at a very exclusive school. When armed men burst in on the trail of two children, of course he stands up to them and gets hurt. The children are Erik Lehnsherr's children (of course); a "prominent businessman" or, less politely, "mobster".

Erik is grateful to Charles for saving his children's lives at the cost of his kneecap. So very grateful.

Naturally he tries to reward Charles for his actions. Equally naturally, Charles will be having none of that.

Azazel finds the whole thing unspeakably hilarious. Naturally.

Rumor Has It – blueink3

Summary: "Did I hear the doorbell earlier?"

"Yeah, but I'd steer clear if I were you. It seemed a little tense. I don't know what's going on, but there's a kid out there who looks freakily like the prof."

Nearly six months after Cuba, Charles' life is turned upside down for the second time. Though he's slowly learning to adapt to the first, he's not sure he can handle the second. Luckily for him, there are a few people out there more than willing to help.

Forward Momentum – AsYouWish

Summary: Six months after Cuba, Charles and Erik find themselves thrown fifty years into the future, where they meet their older selves, the Avengers, and a world that's very different from their own. Faced with the pieces of their broken relationship, an unparalleled adversary, and dealing with Tony Stark on a daily basis, Charles and Erik do their best to adapt while trying to find a way back home -- and to each other.

Runs in the Family – Anonysquirrel (chibirisuchan)

Summary: Alex knew his own reputation. Hell, he'd started some of his own reputation, because it kept some of the smarter thugs off his back. Everyone knew Alex's reputation. There was no way Hank didn't know his reputation, but he'd brought Alex into a house with some really expensive things and a lot of innocent little kids and his too-friendly, too-harmless dad.

But clearly Hank hadn't told his family anything about Alex, just like he hadn't told Alex anything about his family. At least, not about the brain-breaking parts of his family.

"I didn't know where to start," Hank said, for the dozenth time.

Featuring mpreg!Charles in a Kiss The Cook apron, overprotective!Erik in wet black leather, and baked goods. Lots and lots of baked goods.

Round the Corner Waiting – swoopswoop

Summary: When things go so spectacularly wrong during a relationship, Charles - now a single dad - almost makes a big mistake, only to be stopped by a mysterious man who just might turn his life back around.

Hide Your Fires – swoopswoop

Summary: As the sole heir, Prince Charles, had no problem with the roles and responsibility that would come with ruling a kingdom. Though he was the only one who did not see a problem. After years of being shuttled back and forth between kingdoms, his Regent hoping he would find a match more suitable to being King, he is finally sent to Genosha. Though the path has never been less clear than the one to a foreign kingdom with no ties to his native land.

Shaw’s Captive – swoopswoop

Summary: Magneto killed Shaw, it had to be done for the sake of mutant-kind but what he wasn't expecting to find hidden deep with Shaw's complex was a man held captive, obviously tortured, that somehow made Magneto turn into Erik.

Erik now has a potential human in his citadel as he continues the war with the human's.

Mind’s Eye Blind – Sperare 

Summary: As far as Erik is concerned, if you want to scare a person into talking, you have to present him with something more compelling than what he stands to lose...

And there is nothing in the world more compelling than Charles.

Chipped – Rosawyn 

Summary: Magneto's fledgling Brotherhood find Charles Xavier in a mutations research lab as an apparently willing subject for an experimental suppression device.

Okay, I Feel Better Now – Harleydoll

Summary: The AU in which Erik is sent to a mental health facility after being convicted for Shaw's murder and pleads insanity, and Charles is his paranoid schizophrenic of a roommate. Powers, Hellfire conspiracies, protective!Erik, and of course the inevitable angst.

Five Nights in Nuremberg – FuryRed

Summary: When Charles escapes from the mutant prison he has been held in for the last two years he knows that he’s going to need help to avoid being recaptured.

What he doesn’t expect is that help will come in the form of a mysterious German man who rescues Charles and takes him to his home; a handsome stranger who, frustratingly, doesn’t speak a single word of English…

Five Bullet Points – Sperare

Summary: It was supposed to be Erik locked away in a prison one hundred stories below the ground.

Charles was never supposed to be there with him.

Notes: Unfinished but an excellent read. Highly recommend it.

Stolen – ishipitsobad

Summary: Erik is a miserable, grumpy, cantankerous bastard, and he has every fucking right to be. He drew the short end of the stick when he got the Underworld as his domain, and there isn't very much fun to be had in judging and governing dead souls who would rather be anywhere else but with Erik in the depths of Hell.

So when he meets Charles, brilliant and lovely Charles who is more popularly known amongst the mortals as Persephone, and feels the promise of something wonderful that could make his eternally doomed existence infinitely more bearable... you can bet all your drachmas Erik's not going to let Charles go any fucking time soon.

My Barbaric Darling – baehj2915

Summary: Erik is revivified caveman. Charles is the anthropologist(?) taking care of him. This is as ridiculous as it sounds. Romcom misunderstandings and prehistoric wooing ensues.

Swimming with Sharks – Not_You

Summary: Erik used to be a shark. Now he's not, and has to figure out how to be a good human father to his twins. Charles is willing to help.

Eucalyptus leaf of my soul - kageillusionz, ourgirlfriday

Summary: Zookeeper Raven at Taronga Zoo keeps having ideas on how to capitalize on interest in the zoo mascots, Koala Charles and Drop Bear Erik (the only drop bear in captivity!), who have captured the hearts and minds of the public. First it was to introduce prospective mates (It’ll generate attention, Hank. People are perverts. They’d love to see koala porn.). This idea was not effective the first through fifth attempts, as Erik and Charles seemed to show at best polite interest in the newcomer before resuming whatever marsupial debate they had going. However, the resulting lesbian koala orgies did indeed generate interest. Then Raven unveiled the Hug-A-Koala program, which was successful, as the public showed great interest in hugging Charles, and Charles seemed to enjoy being hugged.

Then Raven unveiled the Hug-A-Drop Bear program, and Hank, not for the first time, wished he had a flask handy.

Notes: Yes, they’re Koalas, yes they’re adorable, and yes, Erik is super protective even as a Drop Bear.

[lubdubsworld]

Insatiable ( Jungkook x OC) Chapter 7

Pairing : Jeon Jungkook x OC

Rating 18+

Genre : Vampire Au!!!! , DILF! Jungkook ! Bodyguard AU! Babysitter OC!   Age difference!!!

Chapter 1   Chapter 2  Chapter 3    Chapter 4  Chapter 5   Chapter 6

Chapter 7

“I love this...” I whispered, arms wrapped around his neck, staring up into Jungkooks face as he rocked his hips against mine , hands stroking my hips gently as the hard length of him dragged inside me , almost gentle as he placed soft kisses on my brow. 

“What? “ he smiled. 

“You inside me... it feels.. i feel complete somehow..” 

He smiled sweetly, kissing the corner of my lips. 

“You’re so warm and wet and I think you’re perfect.” He breathed against my cheeks, pillow soft lips pressing smooches down my jaw and up to my lobe. 

“I liked ...tonight. “I said shyly and he grimaced.

“I may have gone a little overboard..” He said sheepishly, grunting as he thrust a little harder and I closed my eyes , savoring the feeling of him inside me. 

“But I liked it. Liked that I couldn’t even watch the fireworks because of ...well another kind of fireworks..” I laughed.

He grinned.

“ I aim to please.” 

“Good. Then why dont you hurry up and fuck me like you mean it.” I said with a wink and his eyes narrowed, flashing red.

“You never learn, do you angel?” 

I laughed as he pulled out and flipped me over, fingers sinking into hair, hand gripping my waist as he rove straight into me with a force that shook the bed. 

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

“On a scale of one to ten, how mad would your siblings be if you don’t go back to your bed tonight?” Jungkook whispered, burying his face in the slightly damp strands of my hair, breathing deeply before going back to running a small fluffy towel through the strands. 

I stared up at the ceiling , eyes at half mast because I was so sleepy, still pleasantly warm from the hot bath I’d just had . I was dressed in one of Jungkook’s big white t shirts , lying sideways on his bed with my head hanging over the edge because y hair was still wet. Jungkook being the perfect man that he was , was towel drying my wet locks for me. 

“Probably a twenty?” I grimaced. “ I need to be up early to go down to the kitchen. We’re taking the kids out to the park remember?” 

Jungkook groaned.

“Minae needs to be kept away from the sugar ... I am not going to piggy back her for two straight hours like yesterday.” He swore. 

i laughed, rolling over and smiling at him. 

“ She has a crush on you.” I grinned, waggling my eyebrows at him. 

He shook his head laughing. 

“I’m too old to be dealing with four year olds that have a crush on me., “He shuddered. I smiled, shaking my head because , Jungkook was the one who had begun helping out with the children and he was often the first to offer a piggyback ride to the kids. 

Being a single father, I knew he had experience with kids, of course. But still it was quite something watching him handle them with confident hands and a ridiculously kind disposition. And he didn’t shy away from  anything. Changing toddlers out of nappies, cleaning spit up off my office desk , even offering his nails for the smitten Minae to color with her markers.  

And it felt good to have him around, his presence somehow grounding me even during the most hectic of times. Story time with Mr. Jeon,  was fast becoming a thing, with Jungkook gathering all the younglings around him in a circle and regaling them with tales from his life ( a toned down, child friendly version of it of course ) while I set up the beds in the nap room, every afternoon. 

The kids slept for about an hour every afternoon and that was the time we ate our lunch, the workers heading off to the kitchen while Jungkook and I shared a meal cook sent up for us. The small stone bench on the yard was right outside the window of the nap room, and leaving the window open helped us keep an eye on the kids while we ate. 

Not too mention the effect it had on Joo Won. 

Although he spent most of his time with Somi and Jimin in the other cottage , learning his number work and language skills, he occasionally ran up to his father, eager to show off his work. Jungkook always dropped whatever he was doing to shower praises on his son and the boy thrived under the attention. 

The idea that I could do this with him for the rest of my life, was impossible to push out of  my head. 

But i wouldn’t bring it up. 

I would enjoy this , now while I had it and I would wait for him of course but I wasn’t going to play games with him. 

“I’m not meeting anyone else anymore.” I said quietly. 

He gave me a look. 

“anyone as in?..”

“Any vampires. potential suitors” I said with a shrug. “ I’m not going to. I’m going to tell my father I’m... not interested in it anymore.” 

Jungkook stopped his ministrations and gave me a guilty laden look.

“Sera, about tonight-”

“Don’t you dare apologize.” I glared at him. “ I loved it. I love you , as I’ve told you often enough and I also understand that you’re not there yet. and I can wait.”

Jungkook looked away.

“That’s not fair to you.” He said hoarsely.

“Maybe. But it’s still my choice. And My life. And if I choose to spend that life pining over you for the rest of eternity , that’s upto me.” I shrugged. 

He merely stared at me, lips turned down in a frown. 

“You’re too young to understand what you’re asking for Sera. You don’t realize how powerful you are. I’m not... I’m not good enough for you.” He shook his head. “ Far from it.” 

I rolled my eyes. 

“What does that even mean? You’re a vampire. There’s literally nothing that stops us from being together than your twisted belief that you aren’t good enough. Which is so baseless I could laugh. ”

Jungkook stared at me. 

“It’s not just about me. What about the kind of power you would have with the right vampire? not to mention the people in my life that  would want me fucking dead sera? You think everyone would just let it go? Me , a fucking nobody marrying the most adored girl in  our kind???  ” he laughed in disbelief. 

i frowned. 

“What do you mean ?”

Jungkook opened his mouth to elaborate but the door to his bedroom slammed open at that exact same moment and I jumped, terrified. Scrambling to my knees, I crawled back to the headboard just as Jungkook swore, moving to the door , bodychecking the figure that crashed through. 

“JEON FUCKING JUNGKOOK GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!!!!!” 

I felt my eyes widen in horror as my brother in law launched himself across the room, fingers closing right around Jungkook’s neck as he rammed into him, the two of them skidding across the floor and crashing into the ornate fireplace with a noise loud enough to wake the dead.

I stared, my brain unable to process what I was seeing. 

My sister appeared, eyes wild and panicked.

“Oh God... Sera I’m so sorry...he came to your room and saw you were gone...” she began but then stopped.  

Her eyes fell on the pandemonium in the corner and she yelped. 

“jIMIN!!!!” She screamed, rushing to the corner where the two vampires were locked together in a scuffle and the only thing I could think about was the fact that I was naked underneath his t shirt and if anyone else walked in-

“What is this ruckus?” The loud booming noise was familiar and terrifying and i squeaked, diving for the covers and crawling in as I stared horrified. The figure that appeared in the doorway was so imposing that all of us went still. Even Jungkook’s eyes widened as he took in the gargantuan man framed in the entryway. 

Hwang Jaebum was seven feet tall, 1800 years old and the scariest Vampire i had ever seen in my entire life. His skin was shriveled , his eyes permanently red and he stared at the two fighting vampires , now frozen and gawking at the towering vampire and he scrunched his nose in disgust before his red eyes flashed and landed on me. 

“There you are.” He said softly. “Sweet Seraphina.” 

The name, God.

 My uncle had named me and no one called me that but him. 

I swallowed, clutching the covers as sheer unadulterated terror coursed through my veins. I knew my uncle wouldn’t hurt me but still, power radiated off him in waves and I did not want to be on the receiving end of his displeasure. 

“Come here , child. Let me look at you.” 

I winced. 

Before I could react though, Jungkook was climbing on the bed, scrabbling to kneel right in front of me, arms stretched out to keep me from the vampire’s view. 

“Who the fuck are you?” He snarled and I gasped, stunned. God, Uncle Jae had killed people for less. 

I grabbed Jungkook quickly, pulling him back into my arms and away from the vampire who now looked suitably furious. 

“That’s my uncle. Shut up.” I hissed quickly. Jungkook didn’t show any sign of backing down, still crouched in front of me, muscles locked in a fighting stance and I clutched his shoulders, burying my face in his back. 

“Jungkook relax...” I begged but he merely grabbed my hand where it lay wrapped on his waist, squeezing gently. 

“It’s okay baby, I’m here.” He was still glaring at my uncle who peered over him to lock eyes with me. 

“Who is this? Why are you in his bed, Seraphina? “ My Uncles’ voice rumbled through the room, echoing off the rafters and Jimin and Somi scrambled to their feet. 

“Sire.... We didn’t know you were here already..” Jimin began, moving to stand in front of him but Jaebum ignored him, moving closer to the bed. 

“Who are you? Tell me now.” He snarled. 

I stared at the anger flashing in my uncle’s eyes  and I swallowed. 

“He is her intended, brother.” My father’s voice came from the doorway and i jumped a bit, staring over at the door. 

My father came floating in, face calm but eyes narrowed in annoyance as he stared at me. I found myself wilting under the glare. He was upset, Rightfully so. 

My uncle frowned, glancing at my father in disbelief. 

“She is betrothed?” He frowned. “ Why was I not informed of this?” 

My father gave him a reassuring smile.

“It is fairly new, this courtship. Jungkook and Sera are very fond of each other and they have my blessing.”

Next to me Jungkook had gone as pale as parchment. He moved up and away from me and my entire body went cold. 

I reached for his hand, flinching when he yanked it away.

Fuck.

Fuck. 

“I need to speak to the boy. What is your name boy?” My uncle growled at Jungkook. 

“Jeon Jungkook , sire.:”

He frowned.

“What clan are you from?” 

I flinched.

My father looked a little uncomfortable.

“Surely we can talk about this-”

“I was bitten , Sire.It’s just me and my son, now.” Jungkook’s voice was deep and steady and he stared right at my uncle. 

Uncle Jae’s eyes widened and then he stared at me.

“That is what you will settle for , Seraphina? A mongrel with tainted blood?” 

The sharp sound of hurt that came from Jungkook shattered my heart. 

But it was my father who growled, affronted. 

“That is enough. You are a guest , Jaebum and I will not have you insulting my daughter’s betrothed. Leave him be.”

My uncle laughed.

“It is not an insult. It is a fact...is it not, boy? Look at him... he knows his place. And it not by  her  side.” 

“Jungkook, don’t listen to him ...” i whispered feverishly , reaching for him again not letting him pull away and gripping his fingers hard. His fingers felt icy cold to the touch and there was no mistaking the sheer hurt radiating off his features. 

“Unless the girl is in trouble, I think you should sever the connection, Jaehyun.” My uncle snapped at my father . 

“We shall talk about this later. For now, I want you to remember your place, Jaebum. You have duties to attend to and my daughter’s choice is her own. I will not have you interfering in things that you aren’t responsible for.” My father’s voice was just as loud, radiated just as much authority and i had never loved him more. 

Jaebum scoffed once again before turning on his heel and leaving . I sagged in relief and Jungkook, got off the bed, moving away from me so quickly I felt like someone had stuck a knife in my gut. 

“Jimin and Somi, come. Jungkook , Sera. I want the two of you to come to my office after you fix yourself up.” My father said coldly. 

“Yes, Sir.” Jungkook bowed. 

“Yes,  father.” 

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

“Father....I...”

“You slept with him. “ My father said thoughtfully and I stared at my feet. There was no point denying it. 

“Has he agreed to court you?” He said sharply. 

I looked up at him, biting my lips.

“No.” I whispered.

My father’s eyes widened and he shot me a glare that could melt gold. 

“He fed from you during the act?” He demanded. I felt the phantom throb in my thighs at the memory. 

“Yes, father. “ I admitted.

“Then I must ask. Was it consensual?  Did you influence him in any way Seraphina.” 

My heart turned over, tears springing at the accusation. 

“No... No .. I didn’t.. he doesn’t know.. he doesn’t even know I can do that.” I whispered. 

“Could you have done it unconsciously? If Jungkook fed from you and you were near him you could have convinced him to do anything. He wouldn’t have been able to consent. You know this, Sera. I don’t understand how you could be so reckless. We are not monsters. We know our limits and we stick to them for fuck’s sake.” 

“He... we... I... It’s my fault. He didn’t.. He didn’t want to court me so I convinced him we could just...fool around. That was all it was. He loves his son father. He’s only here to give him a better life. I’m sorry.. I’m so sorry for being so selfish and ..Please just don’t send him away. I’ll never meet him again if that’s what you want but please....don’t send him away. .” I stared at my father, feeling the tears sting. 

My father’s gaze softened but he sighed, shaking his head as he held his arm out. I walked into his embrace, letting the tears fall as I clutched his robe. 

“You have not been selfish, dearest. . But, no matter who are, we cannot covet what we are never meant to have . Jungkook is not for you.” He whispered into my hair and I felt my insides clench in rebellion, every part of me screaming in protest at the phrase. 

No.. No... he was mine.. he had to be mine....

I was his and he was mine.

“ I’m going to offer him the position as head of the security team.” My father aid gently and I shuddered. 

“Father..”

“It will pay well. He will be working from the administrative building close to me. . There’s no reason for your paths to cross. Namjoon will take over as your bodyguard from tomorrow.” 

i nodded. 

“I want you to remember who you are. What you are capable of. I raised you to be kind and gentle but that does not change who you are, Sera. It doesn’t change what you are.” he said gently, eyes firm. 

I swallowed.

“You may leave.”

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

Jungkook stared at the whiskey decanter on the table. watching Sera’s father pour him a drink. His eyes focused on the golden liquid, the way it caught the light and danced with all the colors of autumn. 

“I’m going to ask you one thing. I want you to answer me, as truth fully as you would your own father.” 

Jungkook was a father, himself. He knew the anger and trepidation in the man’s gaze was real. He knew exactly what it felt like, that desperate clawing need to keep your child safe. To destroy anything that dare hurt them. 

“Do you love my daughter?” The man’s voice shook a little. 

“I cannot court her.” He whispered. “ I’m not... I can’t. “

“That is not what i asked .” The older man said gently. 

He shook his head.

“I don’t have the right to feel anything but respect for her, sir.” Jungkook said softly. 

The vampire shook his head laughing.

“Your eyes tell me all you refuse to say, Jungkook ah. You care deeply for her, do you not?  it is obvious in the tremble of your hand. it was obvious in the way you stood up to my brother, when surely everything in your blood must’ve screamed to back away from a Vampire of such a high ranking. ” 

Jungkook clenched his fists. 

Sera’s father went on. 

“I know you love her and honestly, If you didn’t.... you wouldn’t be alive right now.” 

Jungkook winced. 

“Yes , sir.” He croaked. 

“I will destroy entire continents for my daughter. You know this. “ He said quietly. 

Jungkook nodded. He believed the man . 

“Which is why I must ask. Who is after you?”

Jungkook’s eyes snapped up, eyes widening in surprise. 

“Sir...”

“I’m not the head of the largest clan in the country for nothing. You are protecting your son...but from what? A man of your reputation , choosing to stay inside an estate , helping out with infants and children.... it doesn’t make sense. So tell me. What are you hiding from? And how can I help?” 

Jungkook stared at his hands. 

“It’s Joowon’s grandfather. The man who’s daughter I killed.” 

Sera’s father stiffened. 

“Ahh... yes. Gong Tae Kwan. An old nemesis .” He shook his head, sighing. “ You’ve made a powerful enemy , Jungkook.”

Jungkook nodded.

“I know. I’m no match for him. And I know he’s  not going to stop until he kills me and my son.” 

“You’re right. He’s not going to stop. Now, what so you want to do? Hide out till he finally catches up or confront him like the warrior you are?” 

“i can’t do it. I need to be here for Joo Won.... It would be suicidal...”

“ Only if you’re alone. “

“Sir?”

“It would be suicidal , if you were to confront him alone.” 

“Are you saying that...”

“I’m going to be there with you. We are going to lure the bastard out , and we are going to end this once and for all.”

“Sir, i can’t ask you to...”

“You’re not asking me damn thing kid. I’m doing this for my daughter’s sake. And you are going to repay me by making her as happy as you possibly can.” He said sternly. 

Jungkook flushed

“Sir.. I’m sorry I...”

“When this ends, and it will....you will court her. You will court her, because unlike what you think, you do not get to decide whether you’re worthy of being my daughter’s consort. She does.” He gave him a smile, reaching out and clamping a hand on his shoulder. “  If she chooses you it means you’re worthy. And she has chosen you , Jeon Jungkook . Don’t be the idiot who walks away from the best thing to ever happen to him, son. ” 

Jungkook stared at him.

He took a deep breath. 

“Yes, father.” He said with a small smile. 

The older man laughed out loud. 

“Excellent. Now come, we have a murder to plot. “ 

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

Author’s Note : Well....now the plot picks up... :D :D feedback is always welcomed !! Come scream with me about how amazing Sera’s father is!!!!

@ladyartemesia        @veronawrites   @alpaca1612     @bonyg    @unseejuice21  @sppvjj     @ggukkieland     @tae-by-tae      @blr1004      @yoongichild    @stussyjeon  @jellybearo  @sumzysworld   @carolsummerlove

@bunniechoon  @unicornbabylover 

@preciouschimine    @baekhyunatthehaunted-house @craztextae

@nikkiordonez12​

drop me a message if i missed you name for the tag list Thank you. 

[tryingmybestpls]

Not A Team-Part 1: The Start

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Summary: The Reader tries to live a normal life, but her memories won’t leave her alone. Rhodey comes to visit the reader with a proposition.

Rating: T

Word Count: 4k

Warnings: Talks of death, talks of mental illness, mentions of feeling alone

Four Months Ago

"Y/N, do you think you can tell me why you're here?" The female therapist asks, clicking her one before setting it down on her notepad. The ex-hero shifts on the charcoal grey couch, wanting to be anywhere but here. While she knows that the room should be sort of calming, but it has the directly opposite affect on Y/N. Her stomach is twisting in knots and she feels like her breakfast is going to come up.

"I was told I had to come here." Y/N replies, looking down at her chipping burgundy nail polish. There was hardly any color left on her nails, but what was left was stubbornly holding on, a constant reminder of what she had painted them for.

"Yes, but why were you told to come here?" The doctor-whose name was escaping Y/N at the moment-pushes, shifting in her own seat. Y/N continues to stay silent, which makes the therapist sigh, "Look Y/N, you have to be here. The only way you are able to get out of this is when I am able to determine that you aren't a danger to yourself or others. The government needs to know that you are okay. It's apart of the Acco-"

"I-I messed up. I messed up bad." Y/N cuts her off, wanting to get this all over as quickly as possible.

It's the understatement of the century.  I messed up bad. That's what you say when you crash your car or get too drunk and text your ex. "Messing up bad" doesn't land you in court mandated therapy. No, Y/N hadn't "messed up bad", but she couldn't say what she had actually done. Even if she couldn't get the words out of her mouth, she was well aware if she had done. The smell of burning flesh used to be something she would wear like a perfume. Now it threatens to invade her nose, forcing her to go back to that night. Y/N tries her best to ignore it, but it's so hard to forget a smell like that.

"And when you say mess up-"

"I used my powers and people got hurt." Y/N answers, her hands getting hot. She glances down, trying to will away the heat and the fire that will surely follow. The therapist writes down a few more notes. Y/N finds herself hating the way the pen scratches at the paper, the sound almost deafening.

"Is it hard to control your powers?" The doctor asks, to which Y/N immediately shakes her head. She looks back up at the therapist, clasping her hands tightly together. Y/N is trying to look as normal and okay as possible, hoping that the therapist believes her little act.

"No. It-They're just slightly influenced by my emotions and I was just really emotional that day." Y/N replies as she feels the heat move away from her hands. She shifts on the couch, hating the attention she's getting right now, hating the way the therapist's eyes seem to notice every little movement and thought. The therapist writes that down, nodding.

"Why were you so emotional, Y/N?" The woman questions. The ex-Avenger looks back down at her hands, her wedding ring shimmers in the light that's streaming through the windows. Just seeing it makes her stomach sink, her throat tightening with that same emotion.

-

Now

Y/N has always hated silence.

It's the reason why she loved being in the city so much. It was constantly awake. There was never a moment of silence, no the city was always screaming and shouting. Y/N had welcomed the sound with open arms. Even when the Avengers moved out of the city and went upstate, it was still loud. Everyone kept different hours, everyone had different tasks so the base was never completely quiet. Life on the run with Steve, Sam, Wanda, and Nat wasn't quiet either. The five of them were a family, always constantly talking and bickering.

But now, she lived alone.

It was raining out today. The incessant pounding of the water droplets against the roof and the ground outside provided a much needed melody as Y/N moved around the house. Boxes still littered the rooms, precariously stacked on top of each other. She's been leaving here for a while, but some boxes she can't bring herself to unpack. For example, the large one in the middle of the living room that was labeled "WEDDING DRESS + BOUQUET" was now being used as an impromptu side table. Another one that was shoved into the second bedroom had "PICTURES FROM COMPOUND" scrawled on the side in sharpie. She doesn't think she'll ever open that one, not knowing how she handle all of those memories.

Y/N forces herself to pick up one of the boxes in the kitchen, this one labeled "WINTER CLOTHES". Usually, she would be outside tending to the garden (her therapist had told her that she needed a hobby to keep herself busy) or doing small tasks that needed to be done. However, because of the rain she was stuck inside with all the boxes that she had yet to unpack. The box is heavy, most of the weight most likely coming from her bulky winter coats.

Y/N had left the city she had loved so much, packing up her life to move to a small little house upstate. The city didn't feel like home anymore. Living in Steve's apartment without him felt wrong. It had never felt like home, didn't feel like she belonged there. They never lived at the apartment together, they didn't share any memories here. No, this place was all Steve. She was constantly surrounded by Steve-his things, his memory, his smell. It was suffocating, being surrounded by a man that had abandoned you.

Five years she was gone. Five years he had grieved and mourned over her and then-almost immediately when Y/N came back, Steve decided he didn't want to stay with her. He didn't tell her what he was going to do. Maybe he knew that if he had, she would've tried to talk him out of it. Y/N knows that she would've begged for him to stay with her. She was a. proud woman, but she wasn't proud enough to beg.

She had expected him to come back to her. Y/N thought he was going to return the stones and come back. She had thought they were going to be able to continue where they had left off, they were going to able to be together after all this time. They were finally going to be able to settle down and start that family that Steve had always hinted at. Get a house with a white picket fence and get a cute little dog. The fucking American Dream.

And then he had came back as an old man, with a gold wedding band that she hadn't given him on his finger. Steve gave Sam his shield and his legacy, no longer able to carry the mantle of Captain America. And Y/N-well Y/N's world just crumbled around her, her dreams shattering because Steve decided that he was going to move on.

She still loved him, she even still loves him now. It was impossible not to love him, even though he had left her behind. Y/N tried her best to hate him-told herself that Steve had betrayed her and that he didn't want her. She tried to tell herself that Steve didn't even love her, because if he had loved her why would he be so willing to abandon her, especially after he had just got her back? It didn't matter how much he hurt her or what he did to her, Y/N's heart would always belong to Steve whether she liked it or not.

Feeling incredibly conflicted, Y/N had forced herself to stay her by husband's side as he got sick. She didn't ask for an apology, even as Steve told her over and over that he was incredibly sorry for what he did. Y/N knew that he wasn't actually sorry because if he was actually sorry, he wouldn't have lived an entire life with Peggy. She wouldn't tell him how hurt she was or how looking at her wedding ring made her feel sick now. No, Y/N had played the role of the dutiful wife. She held his hand as his condition worsened and made sure his affairs were in order. Her feelings didn't matter as she tried to make his last days more comfortable.

And then he died.

Steve died, leaving her behind. She didn't dare talk about what had happened, what he had put her through. Y/N, even with all of the bullshit he had put her through, didn't want to tarnish his legacy. Steve Rogers was a hero and she wasn't going to be the one that ruined that for everyone. Even Sam tried to ask her if she was okay and she had just brushed it off, telling him that she was glad that Steve had picked him to carry on the legacy attached to the shield he had received.

Y/N had tried to carry on after Steve was buried, but it was hard. She was dropped into a world where all of her friends were gone, a world that had moved on without her. It was a world that she didn't belong in and she knew it. Y/N tried her best to return to normal, but she quickly learned that there was no such thing as the normal she was used to. Everything felt wrong, felt off in some minuscule way that made her unable to adapt to regular life again.

Y/N just kept bottling up her emotions, the pressure continuing to build up as the days went on. She was drowning it and there was no life preserver in sight. Everyone else went back to normal, going back to school or getting a job or finding ways to get busy. Y/N knows that she should've gotten help, that she should've tried talking to someone, but she didn't. Maybe a part of her didn't want to admit there actually was a problem, that Steve hadn't been the perfect husband and she felt abandoned by the man she married.

And that had led to her completely losing it.

Y/N would later be told that it was a nervous breakdown. A nervous breakdown. She felt-and still feels-like that name wasn’t what she experienced. It was so much more than just a nervous breakdown.

It had led to innocent people getting hurt, people that hadn't cause her pain, people that were most likely suffering just as much as she was. Her emotions were just too high and her powers-her powers decided to act on her impulses and her feelings. She had just been so God damn angry at Steve-

Y/N has to drop the box she was holding, her hands growing hot. She mutters curse words as she hears what sounds like glass shattering inside the box as she forces herself to calm down. She does the breathing exercise that the therapist had told her to do, attempting to rein in her emotions. Her eyes shut, breathing in through her nose, and out through her mouth. Y/N tries to pull the heat back inside of her, but it just won't go back in.

Her heart is beating fast in her chest as she quickly moves back into the living room, her feet carrying her to the front door. Her bright red hand grabs ahold of the doorknob, throwing the door open.

The rain is much louder now, making it almost hard to see with how much is coming down. It hits the ground violently, a cold wind trying its best to cool Y/N off, to no avail.

She quickly walked down the steps of the porch as the heat crawled up her arms, her temperature rising. Y/N knows she won't have the time to take off her clothes and she also knows that she's gone past the point of attempting to rein her powers in. Her hands catch first, bright yellow and orange flames quickly covering her skin, coating them until no skin remained.

The flame crawls over her body, burning away  her clothes before the flames take over her entire body. The rain turns into steam as soon as it hits her fire covered body, a cloud surrounding her. Y/N feels more relaxed as the flame licks at her skin, covering her from head to toe. It's easier to calm down after she does this, getting some of those stronger feelings released in order to return back to normal.

-

Hours later while she is in the middle of cooking, someone knocks on her door. Y/N sighs softly, putting her slotted spoon back down on the counter, quickly wiping her hands on a dishcloth. She makes her way to the front door, not bothering to look through the peephole before she opens the door.

Rhodey stands before her, dressed in far more causal clothing that he usually is in. Y/N's eyes are immediately drawn to the thick manila folder in clutched tightly in his hands. He gives her a small smile. Y/N knows that he isn't just here to visit. No one ever comes to visit.

"Hey." Rhodey says gently, almost as if he's testing the waters. They haven't seen each other in a few months, not since the events that had led her to moving all the way out of here, not since she got out of the psych ward she had voluntarily gone to after her accident. Voluntarily is the wrong word here. The US Government had all but strong armed her into going.

"Hi. Uh-Here, come in. It's cold out." Y/N responds, opening the door a little wider. Rhodey's smile grows as he steps inside. He stops for a moment, looking around at her home. It's small, almost more of a cottage than an actual home. He takes note of the lack of any personal items, no pictures out on display, no tchotchkes. Boxes still litter the living room even though she's lived here for a few months.

"It looks good. Real cozy." Rhodey comments as Y/N shuts the door. She nods, giving him a polite smile as she moves past him to go back into the kitchen.

"Why'd you come by? I know it isn't for dinner." Y/N cuts straight to the point. She doesn't even bother looking at him as she checks to see if her pasta is ready. Rhodey's smile falters for a moment while she strains the pasta. He clears his throat, quickly regaining his composure.

"I-Well I stopped by because I wanted to talk to you about something." Rhodey walks into her kitchen, leaning against the counter as she pours the pasta back into the now empty pot. Y/N holds out her hand for the folder, which he immediately hands over. She flicks through it, seeing the plans for an exhibit honoring her husband. Rhodey shifts slightly as he sees her eyebrows knit together. As she goes through the pictures, she can see that it wasn't in the preplanning phase. They had their exhibit ready, all done up with a fresh paint job.

She's seen the exhibit before. Y/N had teased Steve constantly over it, thinking it was the funniest thing that he had a whole exhibit dedicated to him, a man who couldn't even use a cell phone. Steve told her once that he didn't mind the teasing, told her that it was one of his favorite things about her.

But that was then and this is now.

"The Smithsonian wants to expand their exhibit on Steve. I don't exactly see why this has anything to do with me." Y/N's eyes catch on a picture of her and Steve at their wedding, big stupid smiles stretched across their faces. The page notes possibly names for this part of the exhibit, all of them making that emotion crawl up into her throat.

"They want you to speak at the opening. You and Sam." Rhodey answers, watching as her face drops. Y/N closes the folder, still looking down at it. The papers suddenly feels like they're a million pounds, weighed down so many memories. For a second, Rhodey gets his hopes up, thinking that she is actually considering it.

"Get someone else to do it." Y/N tells him, handing the folder back over to the man. Her voice is a lot colder than it was before and her friend could practically see Y/N building her walls back up. Rhodey sighs, holding it for a moment before setting it down on the counter.

"They want people who knew him, Y/N."

"Then get someone else because I sure as hell didn't." She snaps, the fire on the stove growing. Y/N quickly shuts off the burners, shaking her head, "Ask Barnes, ask literally anyone else."

Rhodey opens his mouth before shutting it. He didn't know how to respond. He knew that his friend was upset, but as soon as Steve did what he did, she had shut herself off. Rhodey had tried and tried to get through to her and after what she had did...Rhodey knew she was going through a lot and that Y/N wouldn't tell him or anyone else how she was feeling. She just wasn't that type of person, never has been.

Y/N swallows the lump in her throat that threaten to swell up, serving Rhodey a plate full of food without him asking if he wants one. She ignores all the memories that flash in her mind, trying to keep it together. She hands the plate to Rhodey without saying a single word before serving herself . Y/N grabs them both drinks and napkins, moving around the kitchen in complete silence. They both sit down at her little table, the only sounds being the two of them breathing and their forks hitting their plates.

"How are you doing?" Rhodey breaks the silence, looking across at her. Y/N pushes her food around her plate, shrugging her shoulders.

"Doing better. I go to therapy once a week like I'm supposed to. It's-It's a lot easier to breathe out here." She replies, setting her fork down. Rhodey gives her a small smile.

"I'm glad you're doing better. I'm sorry I haven't been checking in on you. I know you wanted space and some time." He says softly, to which Y/N shakes her head, taking a sip of her drink. She knew that Rhodey felt guilty over her situation, but the man has enough on his plate. He doesn't need to adding 'taking care of Y/N' to his long list of tasks.

"You've been busy. There's a lot of rebuilding that needs to be done and you shouldn't have to be checking in on me." She looks up at him attempting to give him some peace of mind, "I'm doing better, I promise."

It wasn't the biggest lie she's ever told. She was doing better, but she still wasn't herself. Although, Y/N didn't know if she could ever return to being herself pre-Blip. Before all of this shit, she had Steve to lean on. Now...well now she didn't have anyone, and she didn't want to burden any of her friends with her issues. They had their own shit they were going through. They didn't need to deal with hers.

Later on, long after dinner had finished and the rain decided that it was done working for the day, Rhodey stood up from his spot on the couch. Y/N smiled warmly at him, walking with him to the front door. When they step outside onto the porch, the night air is cool and calm, the lovely smell of rain surrounding them.

"Y/N, I just wanted to say that I didn't want to ask you. I know-I know you're still healing. They told me I had to ask, but I didn't want to. I just want you to know that." Rhodey suddenly announces, turning towards her. Both of them were barely illuminated by the porch lights and the light spilling out from her front door. Y/N nodded, that lump in her throat returning.

"I know. I know, Rhodey." She replies, her voice cracking slightly. Y/N stands there for a moment, both of them looking at each other before she decides to throw her arms round him. Her friend is a little surprised by the action, but hugs her back happily. Y/N shuts her eyes for moment, resting her chin on his shoulder. He rubs her back soothingly, wondering if this is the first hug she's had since Steve's funeral. They pull part, once again looking at each other.

"You take care of yourself okay? I'm going to try to come and visit more, but I need to take care of yourself." Rhodey tells her, giving her a kind smile, "And don't be afraid to text, okay? You can tell me about anything, it doesn't even have to be important."

"I'll be sure to text you all about the growth of my sunflowers and whether or not I am capable of fixing a sink." She teases, which makes the man laugh.

"That's all I ask. It was nice seeing you Y/N." Rhodey tells her, making his way down the steps of his porch. Y/N leans against one of the posts, wrapping her arms around herself.

"It was nice seeing you too." Y/N responds as she watches him walk over to his car. He gives her a small wave before climbing inside. She stays on the porch until he drives away, not moving until she can no longer see his tail lights.

Y/N relaxes her shoulders, sighing softly as she turns on her heel and walks back inside. The ex-hero shuts and locks her door. She walks back into the kitchen, gathering the discarded and used plates. As she is putting them in the sink, her eyes land on the manila folder resting on the counter.

Y/N knows that Rhodey most likely deliberately left it behind. She reaches out and picks it up again, a picture slipping out and falling into the floor. Y/N bends over to grab it, holding it gently between her thumb and forefinger. She flips it over, being greeted with the sight of her husband smiling back at her. Y/N knows the picture well-it's one she took.

She finds herself smiling back at him, her finger tracing over the image. She took it after a mission. Steve's hair is a mess from his helmet, his face dirty and he has a split lip. The shield is propped up in the seat beside him and he's just smiling at her. He looks incredibly tired, but he's still smiling at her. This is the Steve she fell in love with, the Steve that had promised to give the world. The one she had seen herself raising a family with.

Y/N leans against the counter, resting the photograph beside the open folder. She flicks through it again, her eyes studying the exhibit dedicated to her and her relationship with Steve Rogers. 'Two Heroes United' was the name they ended up on. It makes tears brim in her eyes as she looks over all of the pictures that make up this part of the exhibit. While normally she didn't like sharing her personal relationships with the world, this felt okay somehow, it felt almost cathartic.

She shuts the folder, taking another glance at it. Her finger traces the embossed Smithsonian logo on the cover of it. If she did it, she wouldn't be doing it alone. If Sam could do it, it couldn't be that bad.

Right?