#don't remember if with or without color jitter

[isawritesshit]

The Color Blue - Chapter 3

image taken from @ lovevivianne on pinterest; borders created by @anitalenia

Synopsis: As the only daughter to the leader of the Kamo Clan, you were trained and protected to one day bring your father honor through your marriage to the heir of the Gojo Clan. However, your husband ended up being something that your family never prepared you for. As you come to navigate a new world of politics between the clans, your husband convinces you that there is nothing wrong with honoring yourself too.

Warnings and Content: fem! reader, slightly ooc! (?) gojo, mostly fluff with a smidge of tension, cat :), small signs of past mental and physical abuse, violence, death, guns, knives, bit of blood, explosion cause by gojo’s technique, mentions of bruising and choking, brief threats, bits of trauma after an attack, healing myself a little after season 2, sharing a bed, gojo teasing, brief argument, reader says something about her not caring if she dies but doesn’t mean it, cursing, gojo has scars, cuddles and secret kisses :)

Author's Note: Hello everyone. This chapter has been a long time coming, and I apologize that I fell off the face of the earth. More of that will be explained later. However, I want to thank those that did message me and have been enjoying this story so far, but we know how life can get. I had a great time writing this during what little time I had, and it's also a little longer than my usual chapters. So, without further ado, here's chapter 3 !! Remember to catch up on The Color Blue if you haven't done so before reading !! For those of you who I may have forgotten to add in the taglist or would like to be added, comment below!

Word Count: ~8.8k

Apparently, even The Strongest got the jitters. Satoru didn't think it was possible, yet here he was, his leg bouncing as he sat in the back seat of the car as it pulled up to the long, winding driveway.

He would admit to himself that he was counting down the days, and then even the hours, until he got to see you again. It felt ridiculous at this point, the quickening heartbeat knowing you were getting closer by the second, the smile he tried to hide whenever you crossed his mind.

And the... other thoughts he had of you over his trip as well. He had those a little more than he was willing to admit in your absence.

The driver pulled up to the front entrance and Satoru retrieved his duffel bag, slinging it over his shoulder. He went up the steps, opened the door...

He frowned when you weren't on the other side. He thought that maybe you would greet him in the foyer. Oh well, just meant he would have to go looking for you. Satoru started with your shared kitchen, then the living room... maybe inside your bedroom?

He opened your door, calling your name. Immediately, as if startled, you jumped up from your bed, hands behind your back, the book in your lap clattering to the floor. Satoru's eyebrows raised at your sudden movement.

"W-welcome home, Satoru! How was your flight back?" you exclaimed. Something must be-

"Mmrreow..."

A cat's soft purr sounded in the air.

"Whatcha got there?"

"A book...?"

Satoru chuckled and smirked, his arms now resting at his sides. "I don't think that was a book..."

Your face scrunched up as your arms moved from behind your back. "Please don't be upset..."

You revealed a small ragdoll cat, probably only a few months old, it's singular eye scanning before it landed on Satoru. Satoru gasped and, like a child being presented with a new toy, threw his duffel bag aside and took the cat into his arms.

You've never heard a grown man squeal. That being said, your worried face softened into a grin.

"When did you get this little cutie?" Satoru laughed, turning the cat over in one arm to pet her little stomach.

"W-well... you told me before you left that... your money is my money, and I've always wanted a cat. I made sure I did my research, though! I bought her from a shelter, and made sure to get her the required vaccinations-"

"Does she have a name?" he exclaimed, handing the cat to you.

"I named her Sugar... if you don't like it, we can-"

"Sugar! Awww, that's the perfect name!!" he cooed, petting Sugar under her chin, her right and only eye squinting as she purred. "She already likes me too..."

Sugar moved out of his arms to lay on your bed as you strode to reach for a book on your dresser. A book for taking care of kittens, he realized. "You don't have to worry about taking care of her. I have her food ready for the next few months, the best kind I could find for her breed and age, and I already have her litter set up in the laundry room. I'm keeping her toys in my room as well," you explained, already paging through the book to support your points.

Satoru looked at you from where he started to kneel at the foot of your bed, getting up close and personal with the new feline friend. He admired your sudden commitment, but... "You don't want my help?" Satoru questioned, cocking his head.

"Well, I figured since I'm the one who bought her, I should take care of her. I don't want to inconvenience you," you answered, clasping your hands with the book in front of you.

"It's not really that much of an inconvenience. The only reason I never got one before was because I felt bad that I was almost never home. But now that you're here, it makes it a lot easier. It's not like you got a dog," he reasoned, now standing to full height while petting across the fur of Sugar's back. "If you really want to take full responsibility, that's fine, but I don't mind helping. I just can't promise I can or will want to change the litter."

You let out a small laugh. "I'm okay with that then..."

After a few moments of silence, you picked up your gaze from the floor, a soft smile on your face and a question on your tongue, only to see Satoru looking at you already.

You opened your mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He had such sweet eyes, like blue cotton candy, and the way he looked at you with them was even sweeter. A small blush warmed your cheeks as you averted your eyes. What were you going to say again?

"Something wrong, pretty girl?"

"W-what? Oh, no, I was just... going to ask how your trip was?"

Satoru shrugged. "Meh, nothing out of the usual. Just a few grade ones here and there, but finding a special grade was a little interesting. I took care of that one too. Oh, and there was this one store-"

Satoru ended up ranting about all of the new stores and restaurants he tried out for an hour, even if you did remember some of these places briefly from your short, daily phone calls. He even paused to retrieve something from his bag at one point: a delicate antique comb with pearls in the handle. A gift, as well as something that reminded him of you.

You took it from him to arrange in your jewelry box. You found it quite absurd that Satoru was telling you more about his leisure time that he spent in Kyoto rather than the curses he fought. You couldn't tell if he was just trying to spare you the gruesome details, or he if really didn't feel like it was that important to talk about. Perhaps to him, these curses were like stones on his path to be kicked or flies he shooed away from his face, barely worth mentioning. At least, that's what it seemed like to you.

It scared you a bit.

"(Y/N)?" Your thoughts broke as he said your name, one of his hands resting on Sugar as he sat by her and the other resting on his knee while he looked at you. "You good?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, I'm fine..."

"Really? You don't seem like it..." Satoru expressed, now rising from your bed to walk over to you. Since he had left, you had forgotten how much taller he was than you. "Is everything okay? I never got to ask how you were here without me..."

Your face shifted as he said that. "May I confess something?"

His eyebrows raised. "Yes, go ahead."

You held the book in your hands close to your chest. "When... when I first started to live here, I found your presence... unwanted and... a bit frightening. I got more accustomed to it and... as we became friends it had become normal. But when you left for this mission, I didn't realize how used to it I had gotten. So much so that... sometimes, when I found myself eating or going about the house or cleaning our living spaces, I would suddenly feel... I felt-"

"Is this your way of saying you missed me?" Satoru interrupted, a smug grin reaching the handsome planes of his face.

Your face flushed. "W-well, yes! But, what I was trying to get to is that-"

"I can't believe it. (Y/N) actually likes me! Maybe she won't move across the world from me after all, haha!!" Satoru gasped sarcastically before pumping his fist in triumph, to which you huffed. Satoru snickered, ruffling your hair. "Heeey, it's okay. You can admit that you missed your darling, awesome husband."

"Not just my husband. My friend," you returned, a grateful smile gracing your features. He mirrored that same smile, his hands on his hips. After a beat too long, you sauntered past him back to Sugar, who was now curled on your bed. "That being said, I think we should celebrate your return."

"Celebrate?" Satoru's eyes followed you as you walked, subtly taking the shape of your waist as you moved and shoving the ensuing thoughts deep down.

"Yes, as both a welcoming party for Sugar and for your return home," you replied, taking the slumbering kitten in your arms. "Also, mostly because I haven't had anyone to cook for this past week."

Satoru picked up his duffel bag and followed you out the door towards the stairs. "Surely that isn't the only reason you missed me?" he laughed.

"Well, nothing else is coming to mind," you joked right back, turning to him. Satoru looked back at you wide-eyed, an opened mouth grin forming on his face. Did you just... go along with one of his sarcastic gags? Telling by the little hidden smile you were giving him, you were.

This was new.

Satoru just huffed and shrugged, taking a step past you to open his bedroom door. "I think I'm rubbing off on you, pretty girl. Maybe I should've stayed away longer..."

You tried to hide your flush by avoiding eye contact, the sudden drop in octave in his voice causing you to go warm. He saw it anyway. Almost expected it at this point, given how predictable your reactions were. He stepped through his bedroom doorway, duffel bag on his shoulder once more, the epitome of smug satisfactory on his face.

Until you gripped his hand, looking up at him with eyes that could bring him to his knees. "I'm glad your home, Satoru."

It was the first time that you had ever initiated such contact. You knew it of course, and so did he. He clung to that unspoken fact, that knowing bit of trust and maybe something a bit more, as he engulfed your hand in his, giving it a small, warm squeeze.

"Me too..."

The two of you decided on a savory curry recipe for dinner. Nothing too fancy, but still delicious. Satoru chose to use the time as a way to try and test out that new found humor of yours, smiling to himself when he would get you to laugh or reply back with something witty. He'd been waiting to see this kind of side of you for a while, one that you had originally kept reserved, or maybe didn't even know that you had at all.

While eating, Satoru asked what you had been up to when he was away. "I was keeping up with my usual tasks. Nothing too special..." you said, looking down at your plate as you spooned some of the curry.

Satoru stared at you as you did, a small frown on his face. "So you didn't get out at all or do anything?" He also wanted to question why you couldn't seem to look at him right now, but he pushed the thought aside.

You shook your head, taking a bite. "Other than running errands or picking out Sugar, no."

"Well, maybe we should-"

Satoru paused.

You looked up at his sudden silence. "Satoru?"

He shushed you immediately, causing you to bite your tongue. He stared ahead, as if peering right through the wall ahead of him. He was peering right through the wall, using his Six Eyes. You could tell by the feint bits of cursed energy seeping into the room.

Then, slowly, ever so slowly, Satoru peeled himself from his seat, his expression suddenly hard. The staff had gone home for the day already, Sugar was sleeping under your feet... What could he possibly be going to check?

"Stay here," he murmured, his voice low. His tone sent a shiver of fear down your spine, not just because of its command, but for whatever the reason could be to change his demeanor so suddenly.

"Satoru, what is it-" you began, your voice hushed and brow furrowed. "Stay here," he growled, his head snapping in your direction as you barely rose from your seat. You complied, inching back down. "I'll be right back."

And with that, he moved, keeping a brisk pace as he opened the door that led to the rest of the estate, and shut it behind him. Worry began to coil in your gut, the thought of what could be so wrong that Satoru would have to just get up and leave. A few seconds passed, then a minute, more minutes...

You couldn't take it. You had to know something. Even if Satoru instructed you to stay put... as long as you didn't leave your shared part of the house, it would be okay, right? You rose from your chair slowly, the wood scraping against the floor as you padded over to the door at a snail's pace, an anticipatory feeling curling in your gut. Fear, something you knew almost all too well. It didn't help that your inner thoughts at the moment were your father's voice, laying out possible consequences and outcomes-

And yet, you grabbed the handle and swung the wide oak door open. Nothing but the dark hall and the stairwell beyond it greeted you.

"Satoru?" You thought that maybe he was playing a thoughtless prank, trying to scare you all for nothing. You almost expected him to pop out from behind you for a moment. No response.

You sighed, turning to shut the door, just before Sugar slipped past you, running. Of course, after her nap her boundless energy would push her towards the one place you didn't want her to be. You lunged forward to grab her, but the kitten only ran further away, as if daring you to catch her in some sort of game. If Satoru saw her, he would know that you must have opened the door at some point!

"Sugar!" you called, running down the hall after her.

"Who wants to tell me how you found my home? First to speak up dies last."

None of the thirty armed men standing in the garden said anything, sticking to aiming their useless guns. Satoru stood before them, arms crossed, the only thing between them and the house. And you.

"Okay, how about an easier question. Who hired you and how did you get past the wards?"

Wards had been placed all around the estate centuries ago when it was first built. No one had ever gotten past them. Until now.

It was almost embarrassing, too. None of these fuckers had any cursed energy, yet he had sensed them creeping through the treeline during dinner. He would've paid it no mind, since the barrier created by the wards should have stopped them. But they had walked right on through, and the barrier probably tickled them with a shock at best. He'd have to check their integrity later. But for now...

"Do I have to treat you like my students and pick on one of you?" Satoru snickered, a hand on his hip. This was a waste of time. The sooner he could get past the easy part, the sooner he could continue dinner with you and figure out who had sent these idiots so he could pay them a surprise visit. He didn't appreciate unexpected guests, especially while in the company of his wife.

Satoru sighed. "Okay then, you." Satoru pointed to one of the men on his left, and the man's arm twisted and exploded in blood and bone, causing him to let out a blood curdling scream. The men replied with open fire, to which Satoru easily blocked with his infinity.

Some of them refrained for a moment, realizing that this was no ordinary target, and that he was no ordinary man. The men stopped firing altogether, bewildered, and watched as the bullets clattered to the soft grass in front of him as he dropped his infinity.

"Should I ask one more time?" Satoru seethed lowly, stalking towards the group. A few of the sensible ones backed away a few steps. One man began to shake.

Satoru turned his head in that man's direction, watching him. The man cried out, and fired off his automatic rifle in a fit of terror, the bullets catching some of his team. The others began to fire with reckless abandon.

Satoru began to take care of them quickly, trying not to waste too much energy as he moved between each target. Move, apprehend, strike, kill, repeat. Move, apprehend, strike, kill, repeat. Each bit of blood he poured only hit the infinity barrier he kept up and blew off like rain on a windshield. But he needed to keep one alive-

There. One was running back through the trees; a coward then, someone likely to confess. He made quick work of the rest, before running after the escaping man not too far into the surrounding forest.

Satoru caught him by his shoulder, ripped his gun away, and flung him to the ground, putting his shoe to the man's chest. "Talk."

"I-I don't know-"

"Then know. Or you'll end up just like the rest."

"But I can't. I won't. He won't let me remember-"

Satoru's head inclined. "Who?"

The man beneath him let out a shaky breath, pointing back towards the house. Satoru's eyes widened, looking back and-

Someone was dragging you through the back garden doors. They had cursed energy.

Satoru teleported back in a heartbeat, right behind the person, bared hands going to wrap around their neck-

But they reacted too quickly. The person, a woman, whirled you in front of herself, holding you up by your neck as a shield. Your choking made Satoru see red.

"Not so fast, Limitless," she purred. "Step back, or I snap her neck."

It would be so easy to snap hers instead, but he didn't know her technique. He didn't know what she could do to you. He complied reluctantly, and the woman set you down and let you breathe before gently resting a jagged dagger against your throat.

The woman was clearly a cursed user of some kind. Tall, form fitting, her muscular body contrasting the elegance of her red kimono and feminine face. She flashed him a saccharine smile. Whoever she was, Satoru didn't recognize her.

"So nice to finally meet you," the woman careened. "Your wife and I have already gotten acquainted." She pressed the knife closer towards the soft expanse of your neck, the sharp edge tickling your skin. You winced.

"Satoru-"

"It's okay, (Y/N)," he breathed out. But it wasn't okay. He had been a damn fool, telling you stay in the house, unprotected. No, he was a fool for following that last attacker into the forest. He was only there to draw him out, so this woman could slip in undetected. "Why didn't you stay in put-"

"That was my doing, actually," the woman smiled, raising her other hand from your nape. Satoru tensed, but instead Sugar appeared from beside her. The woman moved her hand in a circular motion, and Sugar mimicked it, spinning at the same speed of her hand before walking off. "A little party trick. Mrs. Gojo seems rather fond of the animal, so I figured she would rush to protect it when it "decided" to run off." And lured you to the garden just so she could pluck you out.

So, mind control. That was her technique. Satoru huffed. "I will admit, I haven't seen that one before. But what do you want?"

The woman shrugged. "Why don't you guess?"

Satoru's eyes narrowed, trying not to let his slight panic get to him as he saw tears begin to slip down your face. She would pay for that. "Well, lots of people have their reasons. There's always a price for my head, so it could be that, but you seem pretty smart. You know you can't kill me," the woman grinned, "so you went for her. And now I have to... give you something, I presume?"

"Perhaps." The woman began thrumming her fingers on your collarbone. "It is something that you have. Try thinking a little harder."

Satoru crossed his arms, making a show of trying to come up with an answer. "Well, I do have a lot of money, but with your talents you don't seem to need to get it from me. I have valuable information on a vast variety of top secret jujustu subject matters, but really, you don't have to go through me to get those, and, even if you did, I really don't remember anything important, I mean, c'mon look at me. Sooo... other than that I would assume you're trying tooooo get my attention? In which case then, oh, I'm flattered and you seem like a nice gal, but I'm a married man so... what do you want?"

"I want her, dumbass," the woman growled, clearly upset by Satoru's rambling. She pressed the knife point underneath your chin, your chest heaving as you groaned. "Do you know what people would do for Death Immunity? What anyone would-"

"Oh, well, you could've just said so," Satoru grumbled. "Anyway, she-"

A thousand blades lunged at light speed from the trees, all aimed for him, which he deflected without a thought. He turned his head to look at them once they had clattered against the concrete, the knives identical to the one the woman was holding against you. "Geez, did you do that? Where were you keeping all those?" He put a hand to his head, trying to peer into the direction they came from.

The woman's demeanor went from peeved to panic when her surprised attack failed, clutching you tighter in her grasp, her grip beginning to bruise along your collarbone.

"Well, as I was saying," Satoru continued, turning back to the assailant. His eyes briefly took in the woman's nails digging into your skin, his voice rumbling a shade darker. "She's already mine, so I'm afraid you've come here for no fucking reason, other than to get killed. So, without further ado-"

Satoru raised his arm with killer quickness, a blue flash from his hand near blinding you as he aimed and released it into the woman's face. Before the blast could fully take, he pulled you to his chest, turning and shielding you both with his infinity as the woman's head was detonated so fast that her vocal cords were incinerated before she could scream.

You let out a painful sob as he pulled you to his chest firmly, hunching over you with an arm around your waist and the other around your shoulders. Only when he felt the implosion recede and heard the woman's body thump to the ground did he stand fully and let you turn around. "Are you hurt-"

Your first reaction was to look behind him to where the woman's corpse was still smoking, or what was left of it. "No, no, don't look," he murmured, forcing your head back into his chest. You were a mess, breath heaving, sobs racking your throat, eyes puffy and still crying fat tears.

" 'M sorry! 'M so sorry-" you choked.

"Don't apologize, you're okay now. I've got you. You're safe," Satoru whispered, trying to ground you, rocking you side to side as he cupped your face firmly, bringing his forehead to yours. His hands were warm, so unlike that woman's. Thumbs wiping your tears, he stroked your cheek as if it was the only thing able to pull you back to reality. "You're safe. I've got you."

The investigation at the Gojo estate started within an hour of the attack and was still ongoing the next morning. Members of Jujustu High's Tokyo staff came to help with investigation and cleanup. After they debriefed you, Satoru asked Suguru if the two of you could crash at his apartment for a while, just until he was sure that the location of this estate and the others under the Gojo name were secure. Suguru agreed, leaving with you in tow so you could get some rest and to make sure you were well protected.

Now, those involved in the investigation met in the estate dining room. The chandelier light played off the ancient mahogany walls, overshadowed by the streams of golden sunlight bleeding through the skinny, arching windows and glinting against the many colored alcohol bottles sitting on the flight of shelves against the opposite wall.

Nobody reached for a glass though.

The first one to speak was Ijichi, having entered the room minutes after everyone else. "We have identified the female curse user," he said, passing off a matching folder to each person sitting at the table. "Her name was Kawate Kiko, a curse user who has been hired by many crime organizations and other private buyers for her skills, both in hunting humans and curses."

"And her cursed technique was mind control?" Yaga began.

"No."

All the heads turned to Satoru, sitting cross legged, eyes unreadable behind his glasses. He had switched out his t-shirt and sweats from earlier to his official uniform. "It wasn't mind control. She was able to manipulate knives telepathically at rapid speeds, at numbers probably close to 100."

Shoko set down the file. "Do we have any clue who may have hired her and these men? Or what their motive may have been? Perhaps she hired them to help her."

Yaga grumbled. "Well, if someone didn't blow her face off-"

"Sorry that I didn't give a fuck. Not when she was holding a knife to my wife's throat," Satoru said lowly and firmly. The room went quiet before he sighed and spoke again. "Things don't add up. The men, we know, were all ex-convicts and low lives of local Tokyo crime rigs, with little to no connection to one another or any part of the jujustu world. They would have had no reason to suddenly band together for a hunt like this, especially with someone of Kawate's caliber. Secondly, the man that I hunted down in the forest said he didn't know why he was there and that someone, a he, was preventing him from remembering. Not she. And with 30 non-curse users getting through the estate ward barrier with guns and armor they had no money to possess... there had to have been someone else here tonight with those assets and that technique. Someone with enough caliber to hire someone like Kawate to play along with them. Someone behind the scenes of everything."

"But I thought they were after (Y/N). Why the hell would the other guy not show himself after Kawate was killed?" Kusakabe grumbled.

"Cowardice? Maybe realizing that the entire operation was an impossible job and decided to flee?" Shoko proposed.

Yaga leaned back in his chair. "What doesn't make sense is that someone must have had access to these wards or known how to manipulate them. No one else has access, right?"

Satoru shook his head. "I'm the only person alive that should know how to work mine, but that doesn't mean someone somehow could have been taking the time to study them and learned to break them. But that would also require an insane amount of energy, not to mention the knowledge behind such ancient artifacts."

"But who would try that when they know you could detect them from miles away?" Kusakabe countered.

"I wasn't home this past week, and (Y/N) can't detect them," Satoru pointed. "They must have done it then."

"Do you know who was here, then?" Yaga questioned.

"(Y/N) never mentioned visitors. I could always ask her to see," Satoru replied. "Anyways, tell my students they have the next week off. Little impromptu study week. I'm going to find the clowns that started this," Satoru groaned, stretching as he pushed back his chair. "You guys can handle the rest here, yeah? I'm pooped."

"But this is your house-" Yaga protested, but didn't continue as Satoru meandered out the door.

Suguru let him in to his complex at 9:26am, riding up the elevator and walking down the hall to his place. Satoru always envied Suguru whenever he walked into this apartment, that he had a place to be truly his. Well, as much as Mimiko and Nanako, his adoptive daughters, would let him, with their free range on the decorating. Suguru had saved the two of them with Satoru's help from a village that meant to imprison and abuse them. Shortly after, Suguru had bought this place with what money he had amassed over the years, a home for him and the girls, one where they could heal and form a sense of new identity, Suguru included. And for him, that meant taking the two seven year olds under his wing.

Suguru said something about how had he had been going over the reports that Ijichi had dropped off before he arrived, and while Satoru was happy to catch him up, he just wanted to talk to you, see how you were holding up.

"I think she's still sleeping," Suguru informed, probably sensing his unease. "She didn't end up going to bed until early this morning. She wanted to go take a walk, but I convinced her tea would be better. That was at 4am, and I haven't heard her since."

Satoru thanked Suguru, and walked down the narrow hallway to the guest bedroom, one that he had grown accustomed to staying in when the estate felt too big and he felt too lonely. He pried open the door softly, peering through the crack to see your form under the blankets, and stepped inside. He made quiet work of changing out of his uniform, picking out a pair of pajama pants you had folded and neatly packed into his duffel bag before you left, and sat on the edge of the bed opposite of you, the bed creaking under his weight.

He observed how you were curled into a fetal position, your arms wrapped around a pillow (that he instantly grew envious of), and while the sight would have made him smile, he could see the other things too. Your hair looked unkempt and limp, you were still wearing the same clothes, and he couldn't smell your usual vanilla and lavender bath oil, meaning you probably didn't shower. Besides the wanting to take a walk, Suguru never mentioned you wanting to cook or read or maybe even clean, activities that Satoru had known you to do when restless or stressed. You probably only passed out from pure exhaustion.

He hated he couldn't have been here sooner. Hated that he told you to stay inside. Hated he didn't just deal with the problem as soon as possible before they could draw you out like that. Hated that he had just come home and now you both have these other problems to deal with.

He was going to have ask you more questions when you got up too, but for now... he needed sleep. Badly. Didn't even care how much he needed a shower right now or that he was about to sleep next to you in the same bed for the first time.

Satoru got under the blanket, the bed just big enough for there to be about a foot of room between the two of you. He turned on his side and stared at your back, wanting to close that distance so desperately, to pull you right into his chest, into his arms, and to feel your warmth and your breathing against him to remind him that he was next to you, and that you were safe. To feel your hair against his face and neck, your skin underneath his fingertips.

Instead he just stared. And then slept.

When Satoru awoke again, the sun was already setting. As soon as he arose to look for you, Suguru's girls were already dragging him down towards the living room floor to stick butterfly clips and extensions into his hair. It wasn't until he was able to turn in the direction of the kitchen that he saw you stirring something over the stove as Suguru stood next to you, a drink in his hand as he spoke softly. To his surprise, you replied to each thing he said with equal calmness.

Shortly after the two of you had married, Satoru did want to introduce Suguru to you, but after seeing how you reacted to being around just him, he didn't want to put you into a situation you might be uncomfortable with. However, it seems now that maybe Satoru didn't have to worry. You two appeared to have similar personalities anyway. He's surprised he didn't think of that to begin with.

Even as the girls stepped around him from where he sat, Satoru could barely make out the bruises from where Kawate had gripped you whenever you turned to face Suguru, who seemed to have gotten you onto the topic of whatever dinner you were making. Good. Getting your mind off the past 24 hours will help you to better process everything later, when Satoru would inevitably have to ask more questions.

It was odd. Normally, you would let him know you were having visitors coming over the second you knew. Unless since he was gone you decided to not tell him, or maybe they came over unexpectedly? Whoever they were, they would only be able to study the wards from the inside, so anyone who would have visited the estate is a potential suspect. His staff had all been questioned that morning and ruled out as well, so it had to have been anyone you had contact with from outside the estate wards.

And what was Death Immunity-

Satoru's thoughts were interrupted by the girls shoving a handheld mirror in his face for him to look at his new hairdo, the white tuffs of his hair being littered with colorful bits like confetti frosting. "Wow, you two, I'm gorgeous! What's next? My nails? My face?" Satoru exclaimed, touching up his hair and making faces that made the girls squeal in fits of giggles.

"How about dinner?" Suguru chimed in, arms crossed as he stood before the three of them with a smile. In the background, you were busy pouring whatever was in the pot into bowls for the five of you, adding ice cubes into the girls' portions.

Satoru stood, letting Nanako and Mimiko drag him into a chair between the two of theirs as you and Suguru sat across from them. Suguru helped you carry the bowls filled with a veggie and beef stew to the table with glasses of water to drink. The spirited conversation of the children kept the table from going completely silent, which Satoru was thankful for, but he kept his eyes on you throughout most of the meal, watching as you smiled sometimes and nodded but never really gave much input into anything. He knew you were still trying to work through everything that happened. In fact, given your reaction, maybe last night was the closest you've ever actually been to death. The jujustu community had become so desensitized to it that even he forgot to check in on how the view of a smoking corpse or the feeling of a blade to your skin may have affected you.

Soon enough the two of you were beginning to hand wash the dishes, Satoru giving Suguru a thankful nod as he guided Mimiko and Nanako to their rooms when they tried to pull Satoru back to their makeshift salon. You and him fell quickly into a rhythm, with you washing something before handing him it to dry, the light over the dining table behind both of you providing enough visibility.

"Geto is a nice man. Those girls seem to appreciate him as well," you murmured, taking Satoru a little by surprise. He didn't expect you to speak up.

"Yeah, he's a good guy," Satoru replied. "A great sorcerer too as much as he is a dad. I'm lucky he's my best friend."

You hummed and smiled to yourself. "That's good."

After a moment, Satoru snickered, "So, you think he's attractive?"

You furrowed your brow, holding the newly washed dish away from him as you turned your face in his direction. "Satoru, that's not funny."

"You're not denying iiiitt~" he sang, smiling wider and pointing at you with the towel.

"No, I don't think that. Why would you say that?" you muttered sharply, handing him the bowl you had in hand before reaching for the soap to scrub the pot. "Well, you two seemed to be chatting it up over here while you were making dinner," he teased, laughing to himself. He didn't even know why he was asking these things. He knew teasing you was normal, but why about this? Why now? Of course he wanted to take your mind off of things but-

"He was talking to me about you, Satoru," you replied, a slightly hardened look on your face. "I don't want you to think that-"

"Think what? That you might have feelings for someone? Shh, it's okay, I won't tell," he whispered with a laugh. You were talking about him? "Really, (Y/N), your secret-"

"Satoru, why are you asking me this?" you interrupted, handing him the last pot. "Why are you..." You shook your head before continuing, opting to walk to the bedroom you two were sharing. "Wait, (Y/N)-" Satoru set the pot into the sink with the towel, his large steps quickly catching up with you as the two of you stepped through the doorway. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." "I know," you murmured, gently sitting on the bed. "I know you're just... trying to take my mind off of things, which I appreciate. But-"

"Yeah, I shouldn't have done it like that, I know. That was a kinda dick way to do it," Satoru said, scratching that back of his head. You grit your teeth, folding your hands in your lap. "It's okay... I understand." After a pause you added. "I've been worried for Sugar this whole time." "She's okay. We just want to be sure she's safe before we can have custody of her again. And don't worry, Shoko has cats of her own. She knows how to treat them good." Satoru made sure it was Shoko that got to examine Sugar and not someone that would cut her open and dissect her like some common animal. You nodded along to his words, staring at the wall ahead.

"I... the other sorcerers at Jujustu Tech. They wanted me to ask some things... if that's okay. If not we can wait till later-" he began. Maybe be shouldn't bring this up now. "Didn't they already ask me questions?" you muttered. "Yes, but..." Satoru kneeled in front of you were you sat, taking your hands in his. You almost had to stop yourself from letting out a laugh at the butterfly clips still in his hair. "(Y/N), it's imperative that you answer me honestly when I ask this."

Your eyes met his, your eyes narrowing in confusion. "Ask what? What more is there to ask?"

"Was there anyone that visited you during the time I was gone? Anyone that normally would not be at the house?"

Your mouth opened to speak, the answer clearly on the tip of your tongue. "W... why? Do you think they did this? How? Was it not somehow that woman that you-" "I don't know, (Y/N), but what I do know is that if there was anyone you would have known about being on our property that is otherwise not welcome, they may have had a hand in destabilizing our wards, and I want us to be safe so we can return." Satoru squeezed your hands once more. "Was there anyone?"

You bit the inside of your cheek. Once. Twice. You sighed. "My brother, Keisuke."

Your brother? "Why did he come?"

You shook your head. "No, Satoru, he would never do anything like this-"

"(Y/N), I'm not saying he did but I need to start somewhere so that I can ensure that you and our home is safe. You understand, right?" Why were you so defensive suddenly? What did your brother do there?

"It wasn't his fault. There was no way he would have had any involvement! He wouldn't want to-"

Satoru stood. "You were almost kidnapped! You could have died-"

"And so what if I did!"

A beat.

"What."

Your hands clasped over your mouth. You looked like you were about to apologize. Satoru stood. "(Y/N)." Your fists clenched. You were probably holding back tears. "(Y/N). Don't you ever, ever, say something like that about yourself." "I'm sorry-" "Don't apologize," he hushed, now moving to sit beside you, an arm around your shoulders. "Just... you don't have to." The two of you paused for minutes, not saying a word. He suddenly began to feel guilty, both for his teasing and for pressing you for details when the attack barely happened 24 hours ago. Hell, you could have died not too long ago, and now he was treating you like this. "We can talk about this later," Satoru murmured. "It was wrong of me to bring it up." "No... it's alright," you whispered, hands coming to fold in your lap. "I'm sorry for arguing with you and... for my outburst." "Don't sweat it." "Is this what's its like to have an argument? And to then forgive immediately after?" "Yeeeep." He added a little pop at the end. "It feels wrong. But civil. But... wrong." "Well, that's because most arguments just feel wrong. I like to think of them as passionate conversations, albeit sometimes with more hurtful comments or name calling." Satoru stood and started walking to the bathroom. "But we didn't call each other names..." you murmured. "We can right now if you want stinkybutt," he replied, turning to lean against the doorway while crossing his arms. He nodded in your direction. "Okay then... uhm... asswipe." "Woah, bringing out the big guns I see." Satoru placed a hand to his chest as if hurt, a playful grin on his face. "I didn't even know you knew how to curse, old lady!" You dropped your mouth in a playful shock. "Well, I'm just imitating the best potty mouth I know, pompous bitch!" He snickered before firing back. "You little asshole!" "Bastard!" "Fucker!" "Dick!" "Motherfucker!" "Dick for brains!" "Pretty girl..." Your next insult halted in your throat, his little purr of those two words forcing a red shade to your cheeks. Before you could react, he spun into the bathroom and shut the door, locking it with a click. "H-hey, that wasn't fair!" you protested, getting up from where you sat on the bed. "What?! Can't talk right now I'm taking a shit!" he yelled back, the shower turning on immediately afterward. You just shook your head, smiling as you sighed. You changed into your nightgown, figuring you might as well lay down and wait until he was done so you could brush your teeth. Was it really only a few minutes ago that the two of us were fighting? The conversation shifted so quickly. Did he do that on purpose? While almost any argument you had ever had ended quickly, it was almost never forgotten nor forgiven. Its reminders sometimes stayed on your body for days at a time. Either way, you were grateful. He was so good at distracting you from things, even things like near death experiences. Distractions. Was this what this was? You still went to bed feeling lonely each night, but the next day he made you forget that you ever did. Maybe that was all you needed, all that anyone ever needed. To go to bed lonely, wake up, interact, forget, and then remember. You spent so much of your days alone before all of this. Does this mean you've become something normal? Perhaps. But was it still normal to feel incomplete?

You were so busy contemplating and staring at the wall that you didn't notice Satoru beginning to sit on the other side of the bed beside you, hair free of butterfly clips. Your thoughts broke when you heard the bed creak, making you turn over to face him.

His shirtless body was backlit from the brightness of his phone screen as he sat on the edge of the mattress. As he scrolled, you quickly noticed the faint scars that were littered across the impressive expanse of his back. Were they from trainings, or from actual battles? Either way, you were surprised that he had any at all because of his technique. You assumed this whole time that his skin would be completely unblemished from any kind of visible injury. Not that you're thinking much about his skin...

Your thoughts were broken again when he plugged his phone into the charger on the nightstand and turned it off. Despite your panic, you didn't move from how you were laying.

Satoru didn't seem to mind. He stretched his arms above his head, shoulders and biceps flexing, as he turned and got underneath the covers. He snickered when he found you already looking at him. "See something you like?" Satoru muttered deeply, smirking and wiggling his eyebrows for effect.

He didn't need a light to be on to be able to see the color on your cheeks, but he chuckled as you tried to turn away all flustered. "Hey now, I'm just joking. I'm sorry." Satoru placed a hand to your shoulder, motioning for you to face him again. The skin of your shoulder was surprisingly cold, but that didn't take away from its silken feel. You shrugged, biting the inside of your cheek as you murmured an apology.

You'd never shared a bed with anyone in your life. It was odd, but with Satoru, you didn't feel too uncomfortable luckily. You've heard horror stories about other women sharing beds with their husbands. The snoring, the problems with space, being too hot or too cold, too many blankets and pillows or too little, the types of mattresses they preferred, etc. While you did share a bed with him last night, there was no telling if he had any of those issues since you were already asleep when he came to bed.

However, you did remember how he looked when he was still asleep after you woke up. It was... too peaceful of a look for a man that had just killed for you less than 24 hours before.

He had killed for you. And now you were sharing a bed with him.

Killed. Well, you knew way before marrying him that he had done such before. Why does this suddenly change your perception of him?

Yet despite that, you assumed he was a sound sleeper, which you could be thankful for even though you probably will not have to share a bed with him much in the future. It's quite interesting that an attack is what led to you both doing so for the first time. You'd like to wonder what would have had to happen for you to see him asleep like that without the current contexts.

What a weird thing to think about.

"Goodnight (Y/N), sweet dreams." "Goodnight Satoru."

Before long, you were realizing it was going to be very hard for you to fall asleep. You tried counting your breaths to focus on doing so, something that would usually have you out in no time.

You counted up to 256 before deciding to give up.

Your head turned to where Satoru was laying with his back to you, his breaths steady. Once again, your eyes caught the scars of his back that barely peaked over what the blanket covered.

You let out a heavy breath.

"Satoru." "Mmmm?" He's awake. "How did you get the scars on your back?" "Oh y'know," a yawn, "mostly sparring and whatnot. Maybe a curse here or there." "Oh." "Oh?"

You paused a little. "I thought... your technique prevented others from being able to touch you. I thought that..." "That I was indestructible?" He chuckled, his voice low. You shifted a little. "I'm sorry, I-" "No, it's fine. You don't have to apologize for asking." After a moment, Satoru added, "As you probably... have noticed, it's important for me to be able to defend myself without my technique to aid me, to prepare for any worse case scenario. Lot of these are curtesy of Suguru being too rough on me, heh. But... I was never always a full expert when it came to my technique, contrary to what most people believe. I had to become an expert. These just show part of the path to doing it."

You hummed in response.

"But don't worry, they don't call me The Strongest for nothing. I'm fully capable of protecting-" Satoru paused when he felt your fingers brush his shoulder.

Just before he could register it, you quickly moved them away, withdrawing your hand beneath the covers. "I'm sorry, that was inappropriate."

"No," he murmured, shifting himself to face you now, his head propped up by a hand as he reached to grab your hand and place it right over his heart. You stared at where his palm held your fingers against the expanse of his chest, his skin warm and dare you say inviting.

"(Y/N)," he whispered, your open gaze locking onto his sincere one, "just because my technique prevents others from touching me doesn't mean I don't like to be touched."

Your mouth slightly agape, you took in the planes of his handsome face against the rays of a streetlight coming in from the window, hitting the blinds and creating stripes against his face in the dark. One of those stripes hit his eyes, which you took in first, and made your way down, observing the clean slope of his nose, his shaped lips, down the curve of his neck to your hand and back up.

The way Satoru looked at you then, he knew. He knew that you needed him, but not in some passionate or carnal way, but in a way that someone wants cream and sugar in their coffee, or a candle in their book nook on a rainy day. Something familiar, yet more. And even if he had just killed someone yesterday for you, to protect you, he was still the person that you found comfort in each day. That made you feel somewhat worth something more than a last name a potential asset.

"You look cold." The timbre of his voice could have probably warmed you from the inside out, but only for a moment.

"Yes, I think so."

"Then c'mere pretty girl."

Did Satoru expect last night to go the way it did? Definitely not. But when he felt you take the little extra initiative to barely touch his back, he knew he had to make it go that way.

He didn't anticipate or really want anything more than just the cuddling. It didn't take long for you to warm up and fall asleep, listening to the sound of his heart. He was surprised that you didn't ask why it was beating so fast, let alone fall asleep as swiftly as you did while having to hear it.

But he was right, your body did fit perfectly against his. Your head had rested against him sweetly, cushioned by that spot between his chest and shoulder. His arms had wrapped around you, his hands finding purchase on your back and waist. The position of his chin on your head gave him perfect access to kiss your forehead if he wanted to, but he didn't want to push the boundaries too far.

Okay, maybe he ended up giving you two anyway. He tried to hold out and lasted probably about 30 minutes. He just couldn't help it! Not to mention, you smelled so good-

He was half tempted to give you another one right now as you two lay here the next morning, with you still blissfully unconscious. On the nightstand behind you two, your phone began to buzz with a call. Whoever was trying to get you awake right now could go to hell. He didn't want this moment to end.

However, even after the person had called you another time, and then proceeded to leave four more texts, Satoru figured he would see what the fuss was about.

He strained to reach behind him, careful not to disturb your slumber, as he grabbed your phone from the nightstand. Turning it on, he smiled at the already established lock screen of Sugar before noticing the messages.

Keisuke Kamo

Hey, glad to hear you're alright. Just heard about the attack last night.

Keisuke Kamo

I know I had just visited recently, but we need to talk. In person, preferably.

Keisuke Kamo

Just call me back when you can so we can set something up. Please bring Gojo Satoru with you too.

Keisuke Kamo

Please (Y/N). This is serious...

Turns out Satoru wouldn't be able to enjoy your brief solace for much longer.

Tags: @leonora13x @cole-silas @feeiry @mysuperrainbow @tw0fvced @emptybrain01 @xixiwang @drilled-brain @lvieee @xxkoyukixx @we-loveebony @sereniteav @ilovecoyotepeterson10 @baby--vera @jebemticeluporodicu @louannfox @tqd4455 @stxrrielle @rebirth-of-destruction @yoichiislovie @thesoftugly @gojonegs

thanks for being patient <3

[ewamosaart]

[chunklet]

how do u color so nicely? sorry for such a vague question but your style and the way you color and shade stands out so much to me, its super unique, do you upload speedpaints or anything?

Lol its ok thank you so much! I haven't made a speedpaint since I was like 12 but they were fun so I could record more if anyone would be interested

My actual coloring process is hard to describe (and also generally very inconvenient but its the way I like to do things) so i will do my best to show you using this arcade drawing I never posted:

First my sketches are reallyyyyy messy. Also i draw on a grey background because supposedly it helps you choose better colors but idk if that's true. Also here's my sketch brush for CSP if anyone is interested

Second I put down flat colors. These ones are a little messed up since I erased them as I went later but this is the gist of it. My base coloring is messy and usually doesn't cover all the sketch since I change so much as I go anyway

Third i make a new layer above both the colors and lines layers and just paint over it until I like how it looks. usually my rendered/realistic drawings look bad until I do this. For this piece I had THAT ^ until i decided i didn't like it so I colored over it AGAIN: (colored over instead of restarting bc I liked the face)

NOTABLY, the most important part of my coloring process is probably color jitter. I mostly use a brush called flashito on CSP which has built-in color jitter, but you can turn it on on basically any brush you use. It basically just makes it so that each stroke has a slightly different saturation or hue based on your brush settings. It helps me get the color variety I like and works well with my insane painting process.

usually by the time I'm done painting something, I do so much that I can hide the lines and flat colors layers and it'll be virtually the exact same. Here's my arcade drawing without the flats/lines layers on

It's a little tedious but I like how it looks. This is a long post but honestly in short I think using a brush with color jitter will do a lot for you if you like the way my coloring looks. If u don't want flashito here's how to turn on color jitter on any brush on CSP, not sure about other art programs though

As for shading I honestly think I'm not very good at shading but i'm just critical because I'm myself. Usually i just try to remember that if the lighting is warm then the shadows will be cool or some sort of similar rule. unfortunately i love bright colors so it is hard for me to follow this

[circusislife]

Hi! I saw in your pinned post you were open to sharing tips about adhd, and I've been struggling with it so much recently I swear. Could you share any tips in general, or specifically for starting tasks? no pressure ofc you don't have to answer if you are uncomfortable with me asking ^-^, just let me know and I'll disappear into the windy wind

(warning: infodumping has been unlocked, prepare yourself :) )

ok, first of all, living with adhd is different for every person. mine your and everyone else's experience is unique and that means not everything that helps me will help you and vice-versa. you might want to tweak my advice to fit you better. that said, onto the infodumping! :D

let's see, I'll start with study tips!

you know that moment when focusing is a struggle and you feel like your head might explode but you keep studying? that's not a sign that you are stupid or dumb. it's a sign that your brain has reached its limit. your metabolism is struggling to produce enough dopamine to keep working, you need a break. depending on how exhausted you are you might need anything between 5 minutes and 20. don't remember where, but I once read that the average neurotypical should alternate 40min of focus to 20 of break, so there's that.

also, for that break, either do something completely unrelated to the task and that you really enjoy, or physical activity. that's because the first one helps you produce the used up dopamine because it's something you enjoy, the second one works because it speeds up your metabolism, all your metabolism, including the production of neurotransmitters. (doesn't need to be that much physically taxing, just enough to get your blood pumping. going up and down the stairs five times, doing a set of pushups, jumping in place a bit, anything goes)

also, don't fight the jitters. they are your body's way of unobtrusively speed up your metabolism and help you focus. the best way to deal with them is channel them in a socially acceptable way (bounce your leg, but keep the tip of your foot on the ground so it doesn't make sound, braid and unbraid some strings, twirl a pencil, stretch, play with your hair, play with a necklace...)

using timers to deal with time issues is useful, too. best if used in tandem with a schedule. (those are freakishly hard to make and harder to uphold tho, it's best to keep them simple, like "I'll start on homework 20 min after lunch", without specifying when lunch is, and leave some free time to make up for delay. also, if you really need to do something, tell someone else. I don't really like this, but the perceived obligation will twist anxiety into boosting your productivity. the body-double works more or less the same way, peer pressure nagging you into action)

other tip. if you have problem starting on homework, start from what's easiest or what you enjoy the most. finishing something soon or doing something with success will give you a confidence and dopamine boost that might be just enough to struggle a little less with the rest.

to memorize something, try to associate it with something else, build yourself some "memory anchors" as I call them. can be anything. "near the name of that historical figure resembles that of a Pokemon" remember the Pokemon, remember the name. "the date of this battle looks like a funny word/ has numbers in a particular sequence" remember the word, or the made up sequence, remember the date.

also, highlighters draw attention. make sure to switch up the color to avoid a memory soup, but used the right way they can help form the anchors.

I'm not much one for summaries (my brain is going to cut off a part of the text any way, might as well feed it the text that has something to be cut off), but they, alongside side notes, are a good way to trigger your memory once you've studied.

if you need to remember a date/appointment, either tell a few people and ask them to remind you or write it down everywhere , multiple times, and set up alarms.

create habits. for example, choose a few spots to leave your phone, and leave it there and only there, no matter what. if the place of the house keys is in a backpack pocket, don't put them down anywhere for even a second. keep them in your hand until you can put them back. if you have to take some pills at a certain time and some other just during the day, try to take them all at once so you don't mix up which one you took. you might struggle at first, but give it a few weeks and it will be worth it. if you can ask for help from a family member to remind you in the beginning.

if possible, separate your work environment from your relax environment. the brain works by association. if you associate sitting at the desk with work and laying on the bed with free time, in time simply switching place will help you slide in the right mindset.

using music as background noise is tricky. sometimes I prefer absolute silence, others the music will cover distractions and the change of tune snap me back to reality after getting lost in thoughts. it variates. only notice, if you like to sing, avoid anything with lyrics. you don't need the temptation ;). video-games' background music is one of the best options, because you're already used to its presence and not paying attention to it.

always have snacks and water in range. it makes it harder to forget to eat/drink if it's in sight.

find your limits and respect them. if my brain stops working properly after 6pm or tot hours of intense effort, pushing it much farther will do more harm than good. toeing the line little by little is fine, but all at once is just asking for headaches.

give into your hyperfixations any time you can afford it. actually managing to do something and learning new stuff is not only useful, but will also give you a boost of dopamine!!! :D

also, I find that having something always running in the back of my head actually helps! I mean, my mind is going to wander and get lost no matter what, but if I at least have an idea of where it's trying to go snapping myself back to reality is much easier. furthermore, if my brain keeps going back to "that one character that is in a situation" or "that curious and inconvenient scenario the protagonist is tuck into" or again a strange riddle that won't leave my thoughts, there's less space for intrusive thoughts of anxiety and paranoia to form and I have some control on where random thoughts are going to go.

no matter the workload, find a way to set aside some time every day or one day a week that is 100% obligations free. you need the time to unwind, rest and regenerate. choosing always the same time is best, because, you know, routine, but having that free time is just as important as getting stuff done. "there's a test the day after my day off? ok, I'll study, I'll rest the day after. but if anything tries to bother me then, heads will roll and I won't be held accountable for my actions.". this kind of thing.

this is all that comes to mind right now, so I'll end it here. this stuff is a mix of hard earned experience and advice I picked up here and there from adhd psychologists and neuropsychiatrists, hyperfixation fueled research and comparing notes with my sister (my main reference for "not me adhd"). and, by the way, talking to other people with adhd relieves stress like you wouldn't imagine, so, if you can, try to find someone else with adhd to just, talk. joy is having a conversation, interrupting it to look at a cool frog together and pick right back up like nothing happened. (I love my sis :)<3)

hope it was helpful and that you can take something useful for yourself from this!<3 rant

[that-terrible-writer]

Everybody Knows

Such a tiny gif, but I couldn’t find any bigger ones that worked. Again, found on Google; so credit to who it’s due to.

I know I said I would post two other stories prior to this one but I just had to write this out. I’ve been having a shit month, now going through immigration bullshit that I haven’t had time to write. I’m sorry for those who follow me. It’s just been hard due to money problems, tax shit and the many trips I have to make to immigration. So as a way to say sorry, here is a 4.5k part three to Ray.

Ray Palmer x Reader

Part 3

Part 1 2

Warning: Not as much as an asshole as I wanted to be.

“Everybody knows is so good, my heart and feelings”

“It’s okay. I didn’t need a heart anyway. What is do need is a part 3.”

You had been arguing with Harry for over an hour, going nowhere in the disagreement. You mentioned him that you wanted to go on at least one mission with the Legends, to see if you would enjoy it as much as your alternate self did. Harry was obvious why he was against your decision, and that was due to one person: Ray Palmer.

"I'm going, Wells, and that's final!" You yelled, narrowing your eyes at your boyfriend. You continued to pack your bag, placing in some prototypes that you had been working on, but Harry was quick to snatch your bag away. You leaned forward on the metal table, having your arms bent that you were peering underneath Wells, sneering at him, "It's not my fault that you're insecure about Palmer!"

"I'm insecure?" Harry laughed, placing his hands on his chest; offended with your statement. He walked away from you for a second, to try and control his emotions but it was just something he could let slip by, "You dated Palmer! I have every right to be against the idea of you traveling with him!"

"My alternate self dated him! I didn't!" You defended. You moved away from the table, walking around it to get to Harry, "You just don't trust me then." That was something you shouldn't have said. The moment that sentence left your mouth, Harry was quick with his counter.

"Explain what I saw at Jitters then," He reminded you, crossing his arms, just staring dead straight at you. You swallowed hard, your heart sinking as you recalled the look on Harry's face when he had interrupted you and Palmer. You knew that if Harry hadn't had stepped in, you would have kissed Palmer and not have a second thought about it. You pressed your lips into a thin line, remaining silent; Harry knew what your silence meant. He turned away from you, giving out a heavy sigh, "Y/N, I trust you. It's clear that Palmer is unquestionably still in love with you."

"I have it handle," You muttered, reaching to grab your bag to return to packing some more weapons, "I want to know what it's like to be part of the Legends." You confessed, shrugging your shoulders.

"You're part of Team Flash," Harry weakly got out. You turned, your eyebrows scrunched low with your mouth partly ajar. It felt like a knife had stabbed your heart. Harry returned his gaze to look at you, covering his mouth to try and hold back by saying anything else.

"I'm not betraying the team, Harry!" You threw your bag to the ground. You stuck out your finger, poking Harry in his chest: continuing the fight. It would have been another lover's quarrel if only if it was between the two of you. In the other room, the control room of Team Flash, stood both teams trying their best not to listen in.

"Couldn't they just go have this fight at their place?" Mick grumbled, taking a sip out of his beer. His eyes quickly caught the expression Ray was wearing, who was looking out towards the doorway, "How are you holding up, haircut?" Ray turned to look at his teammate; surprised at the concern that Mick was giving him.

"Oh," Ray softly said, being caught off guard, "I'm good, great one might say." Mick thought that was Ray's real answer, turning away to head out the room to grab another drink. Ray let out a defeated sigh, grabbing his team's and Team Flash's attention, "You saw right through me. I'm not doing great at all."

Ray saw everyone's look of worry towards him, making him feel a little uncomfortable. Ray rubbed his arm, trying to relax his nerves but his eyes would go straight back to the doorway when he would hear your voice. "Will you be ok if Y/N doesn't join us again?" Jackson asked.

Without looking at his team, without giving it a second thought, "She's coming," Ray answered, his voice was louder and stronger than his statements before. Ray turned to see everyone surprised at Ray's confident answer. Ray lifted his eyebrows, shocked that no one thought the same, "If she's anything like the Y/N I know when she sets his mind on something; she's locking it in."

"He's not wrong," Wally finally chimed into the discussion. Ray's ears perked the moment someone finally sided with him, "In the original timeline, I was a speedster, but when Barry created Flashpoint, I lost my powers."

"But you are a speedster," Mick pointed out the obvious.

"That was my point," Wally answered, a bit annoyed at Mick's outburst. Wally walked towards Ray, his hand out as he was eager to lift the Atom's spirit, "I got my powers back, so maybe it means that you can get the original Y/N, your Y/N, back." Wally's testimony changed Ray's entire mood, hell, his whole feeling towards Flashpoint. That there was that chance of hope, not even a slim one, to get you back. A weight lifted off of his chest, making him feel lighter than air, having that sense of home returning to him.

"You're creeping us out here, buddy," Nate mumbled, snapping Ray out of his dream-like state.

Sara took a few steps forward, placing her hand on Ray's shoulder, "I know you want the original Y/N to return, we all do," Sara said, "but we can't force it."

"What do you mean?" Ray questioned. He looked across the room to get answers from someone he respected. Dr. Stein fixed his glasses before giving his input on the matter.

"I think what Ms. Lance is saying is that we must treat Y/N as if she had amnesia. We cannot tell her things that had happened in our timeline because we do not know what the outcome will be." Martin explained trying to put the situation in a better light.

Ray's heart fell to the floor. He didn't know how long he would be able to hold himself off. Having you travel with the Legends would just bring back his memories of you; memories that only he would remember. His attention was drawn to the door to see you enter with a bag hanging off your shoulder. You were muttering under your breath still cursing at Harry, who stayed in the other room. Ray's eyes lit up the moment he saw you, a smile tugging at the corner of his lip. Your gaze met Ray's, seeing his smile towards you and you couldn't help but share the same expression. You quickly shook your head, realizing that others were around the two of you, snapping you out of your daze.

"Hey, you guys," You shuttered, your eyes flickering to each person that stood in front of you. The look of concern that they had shared made you realized that your argument with Wells was anything but private. You spun on your heel, facing the captain of the Wave Rider, puffing out your chest, "I wanted to know if it would be alright if I join the Legends for a mission or what not."

Everyone's eyes flickered towards Palmer, whose smile grew even wider only because he was right. When it came to you: he would always be right. Sara brought back her attention to you; a smirk plastered across her face, "How can I say no when it's you, Y/L/N?"

Ray was the one that volunteered to show you around the Wave Rider. Sara saw it as harmless, knowing that Gideon was there to watch over everything that would happen. You entered the last room, a bedroom, which you concluded was his.

"This is our―my room," Ray caught his slip up, looking over to seeing you staring at him due to his mistake. A tint of pink appeared on his cheeks. He felt his palms getting sweaty, rubbing them on his pants to have them dry but he continued to be embarrassed as you looked at him as if he was brand new. He realized that there was only one bed in the room which caused him to act even more nervous. "Uh, the bed..." He pointed out, driving your gaze to the only bed in the room: a queen size one.

"Oh," You softly let out, the same color he wore came to your cheeks, "I can sleep somewhere else. I think I saw a couch in the dining area." Ray waved his hand in front of you, making you stop your proposal: rejecting the very idea.

"I would never let you sleep on a couch, Y/N," Ray explained. His confession caused your cheeks to burn even more, intensifying the color to a darker shade of red. You tried to cover your face to hide your reaction; he noticed your reactions causing him to smile at you, once again. "I'll just go bunk with Mick. You can stay here." Before you could object, Ray lifted his finger to silence you, "I insist." Ray grabbed a few of his belongs before leaving you alone in the room.

You walked around having your curiosity come over you. You knew that it was wrong to peering into someone else's belongings, but you wanted to know more about Ray Palmer. There were photos scattered around the room: on the bookshelf, the nightstand, and the dresser. You picked one of the pictures up, scanning it to see it was of you and Ray dressed in Western clothes. You were attached to his arm, leaning your head against him with a big smile on your face.

You had picked up another, now dressed in what had to be 50's outfits; Ray dressed as a prep and you in a poodle skirt. The image looked like it was for the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. The two of you sat at a diner counter, sharing a milkshake while nothing but pure bliss beamed from both your faces. You kept going through each photo seeing the same thing over and over: different clothes but still the same two people in love. Your heart grew heavy the more that you continued at each photograph, continually thinking about Ray and what he had to be feeling.

Your relationship with him had to be perfect, ideal one would say. Having him lose it for no reason at all had to be tough. Your snooping didn't stop at the photos; you just had to know more about him. You needed to figure out why you would have fallen in love with someone like him, what did Ray Palmer do that captured your heart?

You lifted some of the papers that were piling up on an object. When you moved them to the side, it revealed a small black, velvet box. Your eyes widened at sight. Your hand was slowly hovering over the box to open it, seeing a beautiful engagement ring sitting inside.

Ray Palmer lost everything he had with you.

The sounds of footsteps in the distanced had startled you, causing you to frantically shut the box to cover it back up in the papers that hid it once before. You tried to make sure that the room looked the same way as it was when you had first entered it; just in case it was the heartbroken made that was coming to see you. You turned to the doorway to just see Sara looking at you, amused by your expression of pure fear.

"You can relax, I'm not lover boy," She chuckled, walking into the room. Sara looked over seeing the photos across the room, having her sigh, "Hopefully those didn't scare you."

You lightly shook your head, joining Sara by the bedside, "Strangely enough, they didn't." Sara perked up, hearing your words. She crossed her arms, tilting her head to have her undivided attention on you, "You think it would, but it gives me this warm feeling in the pit of my stomach." That feeling quickly disappeared when you immediately thought of the ring causing a wave of guilt to wash over you.

Sara took your silence as a sign of you being conflicted with the situation you had. It was your decision at the end of the day; wheater staying with Team Flash or for you to come home to the Legends, even if many were against the second choice. "Come on; we need to go talk with the team on deciding where to go," Sara announced, getting off the bed.

"Go?" You questioned, quickly following her behind, "You don't have a mission?"

"For once, no," Sara laughed. She motioned you out the door, guiding you down the hall, back to the control room. Before entering, Sara stopped at the entrance, giving you a little pep talk, "Don't be nervous about being with us. We all like you, minus you calling us 'goons.'"

"Yeah, sorry about that," You muttered, rubbing the back of your neck. You pulled on Sara's arm, refraining her from entering to have her opinion on something important, "Sara," You hesitated, knowing that she was going to one-sided on the question, but you still had to ask, "Was I happier with Ray than I am with Harry?"

Sara pressed her lips together, making a humming noise to avoid saying the wrong thing. When she looked into your eyes, she saw a helpless person just wanting to know some ounce of the truth. "Look," She sighed, "I don't know your entire relationship with Wells so I can't nor should I give you an answer." Before she opened the door, she shook her finger at you, remembering something, "But you and Ray? You two never fought if that helps you."

You both finally entered the control room, seeing the rest of the team gathered. Your eyes went straight to Ray's acting like they were on autopilot. Ray's smile that seemed never to leave his face, one that would appear every time he looked at you had grown. He tried to take a few steps to stand by you but was held back by Nate.

"You can't force it," Nate hushed at Palmer, "If it's meant to be, it will happen, but you shouldn't have high hopes." With Nate's exchange of words caused Ray to take a deep breath, trying to mask over the sadness that had rushed through him. He didn't want to think about a future that you weren't in. He wanted everything to go back to the way it was, you taking care of the Wave Rider and he was fine with starting all over with you: falling back in love.

"We have a day off," Sara announced to her team, a sign of concern swept each of the Legend's faces.

"Wait, you're serious?" Jackson chuckled, his mood quickly shifting, "What does that mean for us?"

"It means, we can relax for once and take a trip to anywhere and anytime," Sara continued, she had that sly smile appear, "We can't change history or leak anything that happens in the future, but it doesn't mean we can't have fun with it."

"Bermuda," Mick suggested, bringing the bottle of beer to his lips and continuing with his suggestion, "2018."

"Why is that your choice every single time?" Amaya asked.

"Beach. Booze. Women." Mick had listed. He glanced over at Ray, taking another sip of his drink, "Unless you have a better place in mind." Mick was signaling for Ray to speak but it caused an uproar of the Legends trying to figure out where to go. You stood there confused, looking at each member to try and figure out which place sounded the most appealing. None so far.

"New Orleans. 1826." Until that location came into play. Your ears perked, eyebrows raised and your mouth opened slightly. You figured out that it was Ray's voice that chose that specific location, instantly when he said the place of interest. Ray tried to keep his eye contact on Sara but couldn't help but notice at the corner of his eyes how excited you had become.

"New Orleans?" Sara repeated, confused on the odd location coming from Palmer.

"Party central, I dig it." Mick seconded it, lifting his bottle to show.

"Dude, why Ne―" Nate couldn't finish his sentence due to your excitement couldn't be contained any longer.

"Yes!" You yelled causing the entire team to jump from your sudden outburst: all but Ray. A smile grew, wider and wider by the second, rushing over to Ray to grab ahold of his arm. Ray looked down at you, seeing pure happiness pouring out of your, making his warmth return to him, "That's what I would say!" You told him.

You could hear a few disgruntle noises coming from the team, but you turned to them to defend the choice Ray had suggested. "Come on! 1826 was the rise of the Voodoo Queen, herself, Marie Laveau! Plus you have such a rich culture coming out of New Orleans: the birth of jazz, the French cuisine, all the dancing and just voodoo in general!" You kept rambling about New Orleans, trying to plead the case on going there.

"Is it bad if I want something bad to happen in New Orleans during the 1820's so that we have to go there?" You asked Ray, finishing getting ready for bed to walk over to join him in bed. Ray placed down his gadget that he was toying with, giving you his full attention. He raised his eyebrow, a smile coming across his face, waiting for you to continue. You got yourself comfortable with him, leaning up against Ray's side, hooking your leg over his, "The rise of voodoo, come on! Now when you go there, it's all fake but to see it on the rise; when the queen herself is starting her career! Plus you have the music, food, and culture." You sighed, nuzzling your head in his arm, having a small smile appear, "It just sounds so exciting."

You felt Ray chuckle. He found it adorable how passionate you got for specific time eras. He placed his toy on the nightstand, to be able to put his hand on your cheek. You stared up at him, enjoying his touch on you, "Who knows, maybe when we have a day off, we can convince Sara to take the team there." Ray assured you.

"Yeah, like we're ever going to get one of those." You laughed, but Ray silenced you by capturing your lips with his.

Ray's smile grew just thinking about that memory. The same amount of passion you had then was still with you now. Ray decided then that he wouldn't let his team choose what was right for him. That small action showed that the original you were still in there. Exactly how Wally explained. You needed a reminder of who you were. A trip on the Wave Rider may have triggered a small part of it, but he couldn't help but imagine what a date with him would do for you.

"Alright, New Orleans it is!" Sara declared, heading over to her seat. You clapped your hands, rejoicing that she agreed. You turned to Ray, shaking his arm, still overwhelmed you were going to see a place you thought you would never go to in your life. The simple touch that you gave him had that spark; the same spark that he always got when you would either brush up against him, touch his hand or laugh against his arm when you were together. Your fingers lingered, playing with the end of Ray's sleeve, taking a moment to yourself. You caught yourself with the interaction, suddenly pulling your hand away from him.

"S―sorry," You stuttered, looking away from the tall, handsome man. You felt your cheeks burn and your heart quickening. You fiddled with your fingers, trying to collect the right words to say to him. Ray found it cute that you were getting all flustered over him. It was shown due to his pink cheeks and smile that he was giving you. "Great choice," You managed to say, glancing up at him with a small smile.

"Are we going or what?" Mick yelled, already in his seat. You turned on your heel to join him. Ray was going to join you, but Dr. Stein and Nate stopped him: troubled by the Atom's action.

"What the hell was that?" Nate harshly asked his friend, grabbing hold of Ray's arm to prevent him from walking away.

"What?" Ray asked, trying to play the fool.

"New Orleans?" Nate couldn't help but chuckle a little, soon dropping the act shortly, "You never been interested in New Orleans. That was for Y/N, wasn't it?"

"Dr. Palmer, I thought we were clear that we cannot force any memories with Ms. Y/L/N," Martin reminded the lovesick fool.

"I just suggested a place," Ray defended, his eyes shifting over to see you talking to Mick, mumbling under his breath, "Maybe she mentioned it once." Nate let out a heavy groan, shaking his head in disapproval. Ray looked back at his teammates, pushing his eyebrows down, "Nothing happened! She's fine plus she got just as excited as she did when she mentioned it to me the first time!"

"That may be so, Dr. Palmer, but that doesn't mean it will always be that way with every little thing Ms. Y/L/N does," Dr. Stein explained, "We just don't want you to get your hopes high."

"And she already is with someone, remember, Wells," Nate warned Ray, letting his grip on the Atom go. Ray's sadness returned. You finally made eye contact with Ray, seeing that depression he wore. It hurt you seeing him in that state, and you knew it was due to his conversation he was having with Stein and Heywood.

"Ray!" You called out to him, grabbing his attention. You stretched out your hand, smiling towards him, "We can't go if you're still standing!" Ray was pulled back by Nate, having him whispered one last thing to Ray. Ray kept his gaze on you, no sign of happiness coming from him at all. You felt your heart grow heavy, matching his exact mood as if your hearts were one. You wiggled your fingers, raising your eyebrows, "C'mon!" You mumbled, a pout to match your sad tone.

Ray took in a deep breath, pushing his nagging teammates aside to join the seat next to yours. You tilted your head, still worried about his being, "Everything ok?" you asked. Ray nodded, lowering his handles before he returned his awareness to you.

"Yeah," He weakly got out. Your whole view on Ray changed after your talk at Jitters. It felt like his team didn't understand the pain and confusion that he was dealing with: he honestly felt alone. You reached over, grabbing his hand in yours to taking in everything he had. You played with his fingers for a bit before lacing yours with his. Even though his hands were twice the size of yours, they felt perfect when molded into one. You could feel the warmth that he was giving off that made you feel calm and flustered at the same time.

Ray took the time to study you while you were busy playing with his hand. He gave the holding a squeeze, his heart pounding against his chest; feeling sick to his stomach. Ray tried his best not to be bothered by the exchange of words that Nate and Martin decided to share. He didn't want to think about you not returning to him. That after this trip, you were undoubtedly going back to Team Flash and live your life with Wells: not giving the Legends or him a second thought. That was what broke Ray's heart the most.

"Ray," You softly called out, shaking your joined hands, breaking Ray out of his dark thoughts. His eyes went straight to yours, he could barely keep his eyes locked onto yours, "Is it scary?" You asked. Ray was confused on what you were referring. Scared about the future or, "Jumping through time." You added, having Ray sigh a bit. He gave you a weak smile, squeezing your hand once more.

"Not at all. Don't worry; I'll be here," Ray promised you.

You felt a knot form in your stomach, your breath hitching in the back of your throat and your eyes widened.

"Are you sure this thing is stable?" You asked Rip, the Wave rider shaking just by going off the ground, "Seems like you didn't do a good job maintaining it."

"I know my ship better than anyone, Ms. Y/L/N, thank you very much." Rip muttered. The ship shook violently, causing you to grip the handles harder. You saw a hand appear at the corner of your eye. You turned your head to see that the hand belonged to none other than Ray Palmer. He had a smile on his face, still having his hand out towards you.

"Wanna hold hands?" He offered. You couldn't help but laugh at his simple suggestion. The next tremble the ship had, you clutched Ray's hand, and the instant touch had relaxed you. You glanced over at Palmer, his smile not leaving him, "Don't worry; I'll be here."

"Y/N?" You heard your name softly called out. Your breath got a little shaky not even realizing it. You looked around the room to see every pair of eyes on you. You felt your hand shake a little, causing you to glimpse over at Ray; who looked the most worried. "Are you ok?" He asked. You heard his voice waver a little, showing his sign of worry.

You lightly nodded, clutching his hand, "Yeah, just a little scared of flying," You lied, hoping that the Legends would buy it. The memory that you just experienced was so vivid. It was something that you couldn't have dreamt up. You readjusted your fingers, trying to bring Ray's hand closer: if that was possible. The knot in your stomach didn't disappear but grew in size each time you kept replaying the scene in your head. Each time it played, the unknown feeling that you had for Palmer also grew.

You quickly glanced over at Ray, who was whispering to Nate. The feelings came back the moment you stared at his face: your cheeks flushing, butterflies forming in the pit of your stomach and you could feel your palms getting sweaty. You tried to pull your hand away, not wanting Ray to notice how nervous you were becoming, but he didn't budge. He had your hand locked on to his, not wanting to be separated again.

The feeling that was building inside you, the warmth that was taking over your body that was increasing for Ray. Was this the love you had for him that Flashpoint had taken away from you?

Tagged: @mad-doctor-mew @lilmissperfectlyimperfect @inspiredbynewt @writing-multifandom @thecraziestcrayon @x-goddess-of-nature-x 

[rhymingtree]

I am so late to the party, and I could not be more sorry. I RSVP'd for this Sunday, and I arrive on a Friday. Well, at least I got here.

I'm going to a fucking wedding dressed in pajamas, this is great.

Oh, Ghost's got wedding jitters. How adorable.

AND SHE'S WEARING A SUIT, SHE'S GONNA LOOK SO GOOD

I love how they all managed to plan and hold a wedding in less than a week while in hiding, with catering and shit. It's amazing.

If at any point we cut to Bucky all depressed and worried and angry while Ghost and the gang are over here guzzling drinks and partying, I'm gonna throw hands.

Why? Why was this so damn hard? You’d fought aliens and robots and assholes that randomly came back from the dead to try to kill you and your friends. 

What you wouldn’t give to be fighting Wraith again instead of this. 

Christ, she really is nervous.

Love is…an elusive, heartless bitch—

Oh, a wedding's no place for scathing honesty, Ghostie.

But it is true though

Her blonde hair was in curlers, her makeup perfectly done, but she was still in her pajamas. 

An iconic entrance in an iconic outfit.

“Yeah, I know,” she started, pulling away and looking you over quickly before a Cheshire grin curled to her face, “But you got pretty eyes.” 

Oh my god. I'm blushing.

Shucks, what is Boone doing to me.

Ooh here comes Groom no.1!

“Stop flirting, Cavanaugh.” Duke’s voice came from the hallway just as you rolled your eyes. 

No don't tell her to stop, I like it.

HAHAHAH he's wearing a Hawaiian shirt under his suit. I love him. And I love his future husband.

I love Boone being the only person in the trio who is perfectly chill and is not declaring their nausea.

How the hell did they get the blue and green color motif and the coordinated outfits and shit ready in under a week?

While in hiding?

With the Avengers and Wraith trying to find them?

I just... I envy their organization skills.

 “Where would I be without my favorite girls?”

“Single,” she said.

“Blown up.”

Funny Ghost says that when she put him in many a dangerous situation before. Like that one time they blew up the high school laboratory together, or that other time they snuck onto a plane and flew it together, and the other time in Hongkong when she left him and the rest of the team behind in a death trap to hunt down Wraith...

We'll ignore it for now. 😌

Oh, poor Jack got kicked out

STAN

Was Jack using Stan's arrival as an excuse to see his future husband?

Jack and Duke saying I love you's through the door like that... makes my heart want to explode.

They are so fricking sweet. It's not fair.

I love Stan. Thank you for bringing him back like this.

“Where is he?”

“Duke is—”

“Not him.” She shook her head, “Where’s my favorite child—Ah! Christopher!”

I have been laughing for five minutes.

But in all seriousness, it brings me so much joy seeing the Cavanaughs giving Christopher this much love. It's what he's been denied for so long. It's what he deserves. And as always, the Cavanaughs deliver.

“It don’t hurt no more.”

“Hurts me still,”

Starting to hurt me too, with how y'all talk like this. Stop. I don't wanna cry.

“When the hell am I gonna meet Captain America?” 

I can't wait for the day he does meet him.

Knowing what Steve Rogers' ass looks like, hearing anyone call it a boy scout ass is both hilarious and somehow mortifying.

Papa Cavanaugh pep talks for Ghost?

Boone's family are literally the most wholesome in the world. I love them all so much. Which is funny, because I don't remember half of their names.

God there's so many of them

But that's okay, the more Cavanaughs the better.

“Don’t you let her tell you what to do,” Hattie said, shaking her head with a sigh before patting his shoulders, “Go sneak a kiss, it’ll settle all your nerves. Trust me.”

Oh, she really is Boone's mother.

NEAAAAAAAA GPIOJHRGSOIHDGSIOHDF

THEY'RE HERE THE QUEENS ARE HERE EVERYBODY SHUT THE FUCK UP THEY'RE HERE

FLOWER GIRLS 😭😭😭

Wow, Nia's already acting like a teenager... I can see why Turner's having a hard time.

 “Better late—”

“Right after a near-death experience—”

“Than never,”

You gotta give it to 'em, they're staying strong.

See when they decide to hit another milestone in their relationship, it'll be after another near-death experience.

Once again, Ghost faces her impending doom, her worst enemy to date: Public Speaking. Dundunduuuun.

Eyyy the Roper Twins are here. I'm wondering how they managed to get... the beverages through airport security or however they got there.

Ah shit, I got something worse than a Bucky POV.

I got a fucking Danny flashback.

Why... WHY does it always take me by surprise

Finally, a legend meets a legend. Bo Cavanaugh and Ghost, face to face for the first time.

This is gonna be great, I'm gonna cry, and then I'm gonna cry again because Jack and Duke are finally, finally gonna tie the knot

“Enough with the ‘sir’, darlin’,” he drawled, “You’re makin’ me feel old.” 

Excuse me, darlin'? UM

I'm not gonna say it. I'm not gonna ruin the moment with... horns and knees

There's something about Bo that makes it feel like Ghost had somehow gotten younger in the moment. Like he knew how to get her into a comfortable, vulnerable level where she opened up to him and let him talk to her, and the amount of respect and admiration she showed him in that one short interaction too...

She probably hasn't held someone in that regard since Weston. Maybe she called Nick Fury sir but it was because he was technically her boss; though she did obviously respect Fury, she never fully trusted him.

Maybe it's also because Ghost had been hiding behind her walls the whole time, and the only time they ever crumbled was beyond her control. With Bo, she actually let them down herself and let herself to be open with him.

And it's probably also because she's looking at one of the people who raised the Boone Cavanaugh into the explosive woman she is now. Like, Bo dealt with a child like that and raised a maniac with a steady and true heart. I'd respect the hell outta that, too.

Oh, now it's Amma's turn.

One of the people who raised Ghost and gave a heart to a stalwart soldier. Gotta give her a hell of a lot of respect too.

Oh fuck and now I'm crying

THIS IS TOO SOON

“When Mr. Cavanaugh said to not let anyone tell you you can’t do this, he also meant you.” 

🙂 I love you Amma. I hope you can hear me through the fourth wall

“It’s bad luck.” 

“That’s for straight weddings, Boonie,” he said, pushing her off of him and holding her at arm's length as she swung at him, “I don’t think that’s how it works for—”

He's got a point, Boone. The fact that it's a gay wedding should dissuade any bad luck.

OH MY

WHAT

HE DID WHAT

.... Well, this took quite a turn

OH NOW IT REALLY TOOK A TURN

Oh god, they're gonna ruin their outfits if they start... canoodling right before the ceremony.

“You ever regret getting them together?”

“Every damn day,”

Liars. Getting them together was the best thing these two have ever done. Also, because you got them together, you get an impromptu reunion, and whatever it is that the Roper twins brought with them.

AND. Ghost in a suit. All of this happened because of Raf and Boone being annoying pushy besties. I am eternally grateful.

Jack chuckled, slowly crawling off of Duke and straightening his jacket before heading to the door

CRAWLING OFF DUKE OH MY GOD

...

I need to compose myself

Oh god now Boone's crying

And then Duke's gonna cry.

And then I'm gonna cry. Again.

No no Boone looks good in sweatpants let her be.

“If you make me cry before wedding,” Belov cut in, folding his arms over his chest, “I am going to be so mad.” 

I'm already mad. I started crying long before the ceremony started.

Duke giving Ghostie pep talks and annoying the hell out of here is one of my favorite things

I don't know which is better, Raf calling everyone pendejos or Belov calling Nea and Nia gremlins.

Also, Zac is fuckin' adorable.

Ari and Jesse being the best, as always

I swear to god, if Ghost gets another Danny flashback I'm gonna give up and just cry in the corner

Jesus, that's a lot of people...

I can't imagine how pretty your Pinterest must be after organizing this, Darke.

It's perfect.

And Amma is making me cry again goddamnit

Oh god here we go

I am not prepared

“I’ve always heard of love at first sight, but I’ve never believed in it until these two,” you continued, “I truly believe they knew they were soulmates the first time they laid eyes on each other…they just didn’t know what it was.”

Love at first sight... of their glorious asses.

But also yes it was love at first sight and yes it was a beautiful moment I will always love coming back to

“Love like yours means watching each other's backs and protecting each other through thick and thin. It’s helping one another when one falls; it’s supporting each other no matter what,” you paused, taking a breath, “Love is…each other. Together. Together you will fight demons, defeat enemies—”

“And crazy psychopaths…” Jack muttered, earning himself an elbow from Duke. 

“Bennet, shut up, I’m on a fuckin’ roll,” you whispered with a frown. 

“Sorry.”

I love everything about this exchange

Jack's comedic timing saved me from another round of tears. Thank you Jack.

You turned to the man, watching as that one damn curl fell into his face again before Duke reached up to gently smooth it out of the way,

Never mind, I'm crying now.

They haven't even gotten to the vows yet and I'm already weeping. What is wrong with me.

BOONE'S CRYING I CAN'T TAKE IT

...

Another... Danny... and it's that one...

Fuck it, I'm soldiering through it's the vows part I CAN'T MISS IT

My hopes and dreams are yours; our paths and our fates are forever intertwined.

... 🙂

See if my future spouse doesn't say something like that at the altar, I'm cancelling my wedding.

“Boone? Who the fuck put me in power?”

Satan. I guess.

I have never been more relieved that I'm crying tears of joy right now, because I am crying A LOT

A storm was on the horizon. Lightning flashed through the clouds further up the mountain, but you didn’t care, nor did anyone else. For once, the night was yours. Without a worry or a care. 

I love it. I love the meteorological themes.

...the Roper twins, with the help of Belov and Zac, had smuggled in enough booze to keep the party going for at least five days. 

I'm genuinely worried for everyone's health and safety right now...

After a month of being on the run and on edge, you felt a strange calm in the air. 

That ain't a good sign.

Aww, Imara's painting them 😭

And Turner's just watching her work her magic... It's so sweet, I can imagine the twinkle in his eye.

A JUICE BOX 😭 I love these fools

Drunk!Boone is best boone

Flirtatious Boone is also best boone. Thank god she is currently both.

I love how Ghost is concerned if her officiating the wedding was legal or not, when most of the things she had done in her career were most likely not legal.

Raffa being the absolute best once more.

His back must be hurting from carrying the mental and emotional state of two of the most mentally and emotionally unstable people on the planet

All the while I'm imagining Ghost holding that juice box like a very fancy drink and sipping that straw all serious looking

No but seriously though, I love it when Raf gets to shine like this

I'm so glad to see more of his and Ghost's friendship, because it's built on so much trust. And Raf, besides Boone and Duke, has seen Ghost hit rock bottom.

He literally brought her out of it. Almost single handedly too.

How is Boone still awake at this point? Five bottles of whiskey, jesus

“Oh, I see,” she said, a devious smirk rolling to her face, “Get it, Dugan.” 

Pretty sure he was about to before you picked the lock earlier today, Boone.

Oh hello Silas

I'm... gonna need a list of all the Cavanaughs because I am confused, and the fact that they all have green eyes is not helping me.

Ghost is a taken woman. So Silas can take me instead

Man's smooth as ice. Like his baby sister.

“We did good, да?” He asked, nudging you gently, “You did good.”

I don't know why, but something about this made me tear up again.

All this love Ghost is getting, and she's not still not getting the love she wants most.

... God, Bucky...

I'm a fuckin' mess right now.

CHAPTER 79 // EYE OF THE HURRICANE

To all my live reactors,

Please, please, please, hide your reactions under a Read More cut. I don’t want any spoilers floating around. 

&

To all my Anonymous Avengers, 

If you want to react in my asks, feel free. However, I won’t be answering any of them until at least Wednesday if they contain spoilers. 

Thank you,

Darke

┍━━━━━━━━ ★ ━━━━━━━━┑

A cool breeze blew through the valley, rippling softly through the night and bringing the sweet smell of rain from the top of the mountain and swirling the savory scent of Mrs. Cavanaugh’s food. Sparkling stars blanketed the dark sky, offset by the warm, twinkling strands of lights that decorated the courtyard. Music and laughter echoed through the valley, bouncing off the trees before being drowned out by the sound of distant thunder. 

A storm was on the horizon. Lightning flashed through the clouds further up the mountain, but you didn’t care, nor did anyone else. For once, the night was yours. Without a worry or a care. 

With your suit jacket long discarded, your sleeves carefully rolled up and your tie undone, you were finally relaxed. 

After a month of being on the run and on edge, you felt a strange calm in the air. 

┕━━━━━━━━ ★ ━━━━━━━━┙

» CHAPTER 79 // EYE OF THE HURRICANE

✪ Bᴀᴛᴛʟᴇ Sᴄᴀʀʀᴇᴅ : Aғᴛᴇʀᴍᴀᴛʜ

♜♠ Tʜᴇ Sᴏʟᴅɪᴇʀ & Tʜᴇ Sᴘʏ

⧗ Tʜᴇ Rᴇᴅ Rᴏᴏᴍ

»Jᴏɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴋᴇ sɪᴅᴇTᴀɢʟɪsᴛ

@thexbookxnerdx // @autumn-em // @fadingbakeryfarmoperator // @rhymingtree // @itsmeatballworld // @kippykasey // @turtleedovee // @kamalymaly // @onewithnomightypowers // @y-napotat // @riahmcq // @thequeenofthefallen // @jesuswasnotawhiteman // @fnnshelbys // @knowyourworth-sellyoursoul // @banbananas // @beans-and-toast // @violetvictoriabarnes // @oikawasblueearbud // @itsarussian // @mrsbarnesinmyimagination // @oopsiedoopsie23 // @luhuhzy // @heyimjustlaura12 // @moonlightreader649 // @petalren // @sighmurderbot // @soldat-petala // @useless-creature-213 // @xiyouchan // @kaiblog50 // @aftermatharchives

***if you have a strike through your handle, it wouldn’t let me tag you 😞

[prozacghost]

i don't know you - leave it like that

Love is not a chief feeling that flows through my body, but I am familiar with it nonetheless. Love ruins the cute idea of feeling butterflies or jitters when your hand touches another warm palm. Instead, love fills your abdominal cavity with a warm buzzing, thanks to a stream of dopamine. Love is about security - quite clearly in regard to one's relationship, but also in oneself. If my flawed hurricane of a body and soul can be accepted and cherished, is there a single reason to to alter myself? It's inevitable that at any point in time, your person loves you. The need to vocalize any of this greatly declines as you can simply rely on their standing emotional permanence instead. Many mature and wise humans will preach that love perpetually trumps infatuation. Maybe that concept does reign true - but it just doesn't for you. The caress of a lover is comforting and familiar, but the same from someone new will leave your body prickling and shuttering in a dangerous thrill. You grab my thighs like a restraint, and it's then that I embarrassingly remember that I had legs to begin with. Stroking my hair can no longer be responded to with a "thank you", but rather "right now, I'm yours". Coexisting with you births a passion that lives without consequences. Let me spend my near future staring into your eyes (because I still haven't discovered their colors), and leave me wrapped in your warm, tight arms until you eventually begin to feel familiar.