#eli cardale imagines

[darling-i-read-it]

Staring

Eli Ever(Cardale) x fem!reader

Word Count: 2.7k

Warnings: vicious/vengeful spoilers, eli literally killing people (nothing graphic), mentions of elis horrific backstory, angst, pining 

Author’s Note: SHUT UP THIS WAS SO FUN. by the end of the duology I was so in love with eli, i cannot lie. I love victor as much as the next girl but damn i love an awful morally gray (morally black?) man. If anyone has any more request for either of these kings i would gladllyyyy write them <3 in the meantime i hope you enjoy this love!

Request: by anon, YOOOOO i read one of ur victor vale fics, and i am on my hands and knees bEGGING u to write for the villains duology more!! can i rq eli ever x reader where the reader isn't an EO but knew eli and victor in college? and the reader is working with victor against eli bc they don't agree w what eli's doing, and idk eli finds them or smth--sorry if that's too vague!! i am literally BEGGING for eli crumbs and pls include a lot of tension between reader and eli!! ur writing is stellar!!

Song: All I Need by Radiohead 

I don’t own these characters. They belong to author/director/creator

(not my gif)

Eli Cardale sat across from you at the table. You had your legs folded underneath you, tingling as they fell asleep. You had been here a long time. You could tell outside the window that the sun was starting to go down. The stained glass windows of the library were tricky like that, never quite revealing if it was as late as it seemed. Eli had his nose stuck in a book still. You wondered where Victor was, if he was studying somewhere. 

“Are you done?” Eli questioned. Your head snapped back towards him. He was staring at you through the thick rims of his glasses. You smiled, shrugging.

“I’m getting sleepy,” you admitted. Eli nodded once, tucking his papers into his textbook. 

“Is that code for you’re going to go find Victor?” There was a gentle edge to his voice, a slight jealous tinge. You shook your head, rubbing your eyes. 

“Truly sleepy,” you promised. “I’ve been reading about boring things forever Eli. I can only do that for so long. You should share some of your brain power.” He shook his head. 

Eli valued these afternoons with you. They were nice and peaceful. Life outside of these walls tended to be chaotic and with complications he could never quite grasp. In here, nothing had happened to him. It was just you and his books. He could spend forever with you and his books. 

Despite the calmness of the moment, he felt the most emotion here. 

“Plus, Victor is probably off studying.” 

“Alright,” Eli huffed, though there was disbelief in it. You smiled as he put your things back in your book bag. You could probably make some shitty coffee back at the dorms and stay up a little bit longer. Make the day last past schoolwork. Maybe even catch up on some of your own reading endeavors. “Are we still meeting up tomorrow afternoon?”

“Yes sir,” you promised. “Same time, same place?”

“Yes ma’am.” You gave him a nod as you pushed your chair under the table. Eli started to leave. You followed close behind him. “Have you studied for the test in Givens' class tomorrow?”

“Enough.” 

“That doesn’t sound like enough,” he admitted. You shrugged.

“What am I gonna learn in the next 12 hours that is actually gonna help me Eli?” He shook his head. He couldn’t believe you sometimes, though he enjoyed having you around. “You disagree.”

“We have different minds,” he said. The air was refreshing. You walked down the steps of the library, the sun hitting your face. It felt nice after being cooped up for so long. You passed other students, people cramming and holding large cups of caffeine. You weaved through them on the cobblestones back to the dorms. 

“What does that mean?”

“It means we have different ways of learning,” he suggested. You grinned up at him. He looked particularly handsome this evening. You knew he always teased you about liking Victor more than him but it was Eli you had always been in love with. It would always be Eli. His stoicism, his mind, his understanding without you having to say anything. 

“That’s not a bad thing,” you countered. 

“Did I say it was?” 

“You did not.” You lifted your leg dramatically as you started to go separate ways. “I’ll see you tomorrow Eli. Don’t work too hard.”

“You know me,” he called. There was a life in his voice he didn’t recognize when he was with you. You gave him a half wave, an adorable gesture, before walking the other way. 

He watched the back of your head for a moment. Your hair bounced in the sunlight. You looked gorgeous this afternoon, particularly distracting. He watched you go like you were taking a piece of him with you. Eli and Victor had decided not to tell you about their experiments, for your safety. That didn’t mean he didn’t want to. He wanted to hear your thoughts and your comments and your reserves. 

He had put his foot down. Victor was more likely to slip up than he was. 

He still wanted to tell you. 

You turned a corner and he lost you. He dropped his head down, imagining someone else seeing him standing alone, staring at a girl who didn’t once turn back to look at him. 

-

“Tracking him has never been easy,” Mitch grumbled. He was sitting on the hotel bed. The adjoining door was open, allowing Dol to come and go as he pleased. Sydney and you had your own separate room from the boys, at Victor’s insistence. 

“Well it’s never been so fucking hard,” you muttered. You looked out the window. Eli Cardale was out there somewhere, among the people and the cars. You had recently narrowed in on him to this city but been unable to get any closer. He was supposed to be obvious when you were close. “He’s killing people. What do you mean we can’t find him now that he’s so close?” 

You looked over at Victor. He was standing at the computer. He had a look of contempt on his face. You had never seen so little life in Victor. He had always been the stoic type but never as much as Eli. Now, years after college, he was almost dead in the eyes. 

“We need to split up.”

“And what? Scrape the streets to see if we find any rats?” you spat. 

You were different too. 

“He had typical haunts. We need to find an EO and narrow them down, knowing he’ll be around them.” Victor looked at Mitch. He nodded once, getting up to go to the computer. You were never quite sure how they were able to find people so quickly but you also could never understand how they couldn't find Eli. Victor walked over to you. 

“We’ll find him,” he promised. His voice was hard. You looked over at him. 

He looked so old. He looked weathered. He looked like a corpse. He had died. 

Eli and Victor had never let you die. They never would, not even after everything happened. You were a human, just like Mitch, and you were stuck here in this purgatory between people who had been your closest friends. 

After he got out of prison Victor sought you out. He knew that to find Eli he would have to find you first. He half hoped the two of you would be together, frolicking off into the sunset, like the ordeal had never happened. That isn’t what happened. 

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because he’s looking for us too.”

“Do you think he knows that I’m here?”

“I don’t think he ever lost you,” he said lowly. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Eli liked having his eye on you. I don’t think he would’ve let you leave his peripheral vision if it wasn’t for me.”

“What a rebel.” 

“Yes ma’am.” Dol walked into the room. He jumped up on Victor’s bed and did a couple circles before lying down with a huff. Sydney was awake. Victor looked back towards the dog, remembering he had a child to care for. “Do you want to go get food while Mitch looks?” He had a gentle tinge in his voice that he saved for you and Sydney. Those in this room were the closest thing he had to family, though he would never admit that. 

“Sure. I need some fresh air anyway.” You cleared your throat and walked back, grabbing some money. “Want anything Mitch? Going to the deli next door.”

“I’m alright. Filled up on protein bars.” You rolled your eyes. 

“Once a jock, always a jock,” you joked. 

“I don’t think-”

“Just go with it Mitch. Vic?” He shook his head. He would rather wallow and die than ask for anything he could get himself. “Syd, I'm getting food!” 

“Can you get me a sandwich?” she called from the other room. 

“What kind?”

“Tuna fish!” 

“Kay!” You opened the door and shut it behind you. The hotel was large but it was cheap. You were okay with the sketchy neighbors as long as no one asked questions. No one got into the elevator with you on your floor and you pushed the down button. You should’ve invited Sydney to come with you. She could use the fresh air too. Dol probably needed to go to the bathroom. 

You thought about how you weren’t that far. You could go back up and grab them, that way you had some company and extra hands for the two sandwiches. Maybe they had dog treats for Dol. You always loved places that thought of that because of how often Dol was around. 

The elevator opened on the second floor. You stepped aside, keeping your head down so you didn’t have to make eye contact. The man walked in and pushed the first floor. The elevator started to move again. 

He pushed the emergency stop button, causing the elevator to come to a harsh stop. You stumbled forward, grabbing the railing beside you. 

“Hey,” you said, annoyed. You glanced up at the floors that were highlighted at 2 still. You finally looked up at him. He was wearing a large black coat with a collar that covered the side of his face. “What the fuck?” you asked, louder this time. He tilted his head towards you so you could see his eye through the thick rimmed glasses.

Your mouth clamped shut. 

“Eli?” When he turned around it was like no time had passed. His face looked exactly the same, exactly the man you sat across from at the library. His eyes were the only thing different, a little less life in them. He and Victor were more alike than either cared to admit. 

The elevator felt too small. You were confined in a small space with someone you had carded as the villain of this story. 

But it was Eli. 

“I heard you were looking for me,” he said, quietly. His voice didn’t seem threatening. There was nothing there that felt wrong. 

“Yeah,” you breathed. “You’re killing people.” 

“They’re not people.” You narrowed your eyes at him. There was a difference. This was the Eli you had never seen, only heard about from Victor. “You…you’re people.” You looked up at him through your hair at him. Your eyes were big, doe eyed, he would say. 

“You’re people too.” He shook his head. There was a sly smile on his face. He had orchestrated his moment, he had thought about the second you would leave and that it would be just you. He needed to see you before he saw anyone else. He stayed in this town to see you. 

He was obsessed with Victor. 

But if he knew love, it was you. 

“I’m a God.” 

“Then what is Victor? What’s Serena?” You could tell you hit a hard note with Serena.

“Serena’s no longer an issue.” 

“She was an issue?” You watched each other for a moment. It was nice to be there with him, even if it hurt to know how different you were. 

“She was an issue.”

“Then what is Victor?”

“Victor’s a defect.” 

“What happened to you?” you asked him, borderline pleaded. You took a step forward and grabbed his hand. He looked down at it like it was a foreign object. He didn’t retreat. 

You didn’t do it to manipulate him. You did it because you had to, because he was right there, before you had to touch him. “What did they do to you Eli?” 

There was no way you could’ve known what they did to him but the question hit him where it would've hurt. It was a touchy subject. He had the sudden urge to hug you, to wrap his arms around you and engulf you in his embrace. To kiss you, to do what he never had the time to do when you were in college. He thought of Victor. He wondered if Victor was with you now, if his worst fear had finally come to fruition. 

“Eli,” you whispered. His eyes had glossed over, lost in thought. He came back, staring at you, studying your face.

“They cut me open. They took parts of me out. They couldn’t kill me.” His voice had no emotion, like he was talking about the weather. 

“I’m sorry.” You knew you should be using this time to convince him to change his ways. You didn’t have him for long. You should’ve been telling him that killing was never the answer and that no matter what happened to him, he should never be taking it out on others. 

But you couldn’t bring yourself to do that. 

Without warning, you wrapped your arms around him. 

His natural reaction was to tense up. He assumed you were hugging him to manipulate him, to get to the buttons, to try and hurt him. Moments passed and you stayed there, head pressed against his chest. You made no ill efforts. 

He wrapped his arms around you. He put his chin on your head. He closed his eyes. 

Why couldn’t it have been like this forever? 

Melancholy filled up the small space. It could never last like this. You had to go back to Victor and you both knew you would tell him that Eli had been here. There is nothing more special than a short lasting mutual agreement to set things aside to have some closure. 

You let him go. Your hands lingered on him as long as you could. 

“You have to go?” he questioned. The tinge of emotion was back in his voice. 

“They’ll come looking for me,” you said quietly. The act of going back assured him some time to leave. You were trying to help him, even now, even after everything. 

He nodded once. He pushed the elevator button to start moving again. It moved down slowly but not slow enough. You both faced the door. You linked your pinky with his, refusing to look at him. 

When the door opened you let out a deep breath. He let you go. You missed his touch already. He walked out the elevator doors. 

Without thinking you reached forward, stopping the doors from shutting. 

“Eli!” He turned back around. His cold face was back, haunting you with the differences in time. You swallowed. “It was always you.” 

His face softened.

The door shut. You watched him until they shut as he turned away from you. The elevator brought you back up to your floor. Like a zombie you walked down the hallway. You had forgotten your keycard and knocked on the door. 

Mitch opened the door. 

“Where’s the sandwiches?” 

Behind him Victor stood, watching your face. He read your numb expression and raised his chin, hardening his face. 

“Eli.”

[fluentmoviequoter]

Vale Fashion Award

Requested Here by @boozy-the-ghost!

Characters: Victor Vale, Eli Cardale/Ever, Angie Knight

Summary: Victor Vale cannot handle heat, and he accidentally shows Eli that weak spot during a heat wave at Lockland.

Warnings: just banter and a bit of comfort! 1.3k+ words

Masterlist Directory | Victor Vale Masterlist | Request Info/Fandom List

Picture from Pinterest (what I imagine Victor wears daily)

The best part of Lockland’s gothic style, Victor thinks, is that the surrounding environment seems to bend to its darkened will. Dark and cool clouds often paint the sky behind the country club-esque architecture of the university, and the mature trees offer a cooling yet eerie breeze during the warmer spring days.

But, like Victor, Lockland has a mind of its own and doesn’t wait for permission to change. The clouds have disappeared overnight as if driven away by some unseen force aiming its burning intent directly at Victor Vale. With the sun shining brightly on the campus and a heat index that feels like it is nearing the boiling point, Victor wholly believes that some power is out to get him. That does not, however, stop him from dressing as usual: monochromatic, dark, Parisian, and perhaps most detrimental, layered. Which, though obviously a bad idea given the weather, is a staple of Victor’s carefully constructed appearance of his outward persona. Without it, who knows what the world may see.

“Maybe it’s a thyroid issue,” Eli muses over a cup of some iced caffeine-free monstrosity.

“Don’t listen to him,” Angie adds from her spot at the table. “You look good, Vic, you always do, but… isn’t it a bit hot for all that?”

Victor looks down at his outfit and then to the window. “I’ll be fine.”

“You’re wearing all black, you’re a walking heat absorber,” Eli scoffs. “Just lose a couple layers.”

“Or maybe just the jacket?” Angie suggests, her tone kinder and less demanding. “It’s intense out there, and I don’t want you to get dehydrated or overheat.”

“She dressed for the weather,” Eli points out, gesturing blindly to Angie’s skirt.

“And Eli dressed to be even more of a pain than usual,” Angie retorts. “He looks like the frat boy he dreams of being.”

Eli shakes his head as he flips a page in his textbook. “We’re going to be late, Victor, so change now or let’s go.”

Victor nods once, then tosses his jacket onto his bed. He’s still in long sleeves, pants, dress shoes, and far too much black for the triple-digit (Fahrenheit) heat he is preparing to enter. “Let’s go.”

“Finally,” Eli groans as he opens the door. “We’ll just walk to the restaurant because the buses with be awful today.”

“Not a fan of being packed in with the lesser humans, Eli?” Angie teases.

“He’s not a fan of humans at all,” Victor mumbles.

Angie laughs as she bumps her shoulder against Victor’s arm. His gaze softens as he watches her move, but after a few steps in the sunlight, he begins to feel the effect of the heat she warned him about.

“Can’t we go somewhere closer?” Victor asks.

“I told you to change!” Eli replies. “It’s not my fault you can’t take a little heat. House cats gotta house cat, right?”

Victor clenches his jaw at Eli’s teasing tone. He’s complaining because he can feel the heat sucking the energy from his body, not because he’s weak. If Eli can’t see that by now, he’s not as smart as Victor thought.

“Eli, we-“ Victor begins.

“Come on, stop whining! This is a tradition and we’re not going to break tradition because your cheeks are getting pink,” Eli interrupts.

Victor drops his chin; he can feel the sensitive skin of his face warming and beginning to sting, but knowing that there’s evidence of his misery is far worse than how the sunburn itself feels.

“I was just going to say,” Victor begins again, his voice firm, “that we should get ice cream on the way back. Since you seem caught up on the heat, too.”

“Ooh, that sounds good!” Angie cheers. “There’s a shop just past my dorm that has the best desserts, not just ice cream.”

“Sounds good,” Eli agrees, though his gaze is on Victor.

Victor’s cheeks are pink; that wasn’t just a jab to get under his skin. But as Eli watches him now, he notices that Victor’s gait shifts, as if he’s off balance, and his eyes seem unfocused on the sidewalk below him. He’d been watching Angie at first, but the last few minutes in the heat have affected Victor. Yet, Eli finds another opportunity to remind Victor of something heat and evil have in common.

“Do you think this is what it feels like in purgatory?” Eli asks.

“Eli!” Angie chides. “Don’t be so morbid.”

“I’d imagine it hurts a whole lot worse than some pink cheeks,” Victor replies. “But Angie’s right. We’re here to hang out, not talk about who wins.”

“Wins?” Angie repeats.

“Good versus evil,” Eli rushes to say. “Anyway, what are you getting at the dessert shop?”

“An ice bath,” Victor murmurs under his breath.

When Victor steps out of the air-conditioned restaurant, it feels as if every drop of moisture evaporates from his body. He’s dizzy, unfocused, having trouble breathing, and ready to collapse. There’s no reason to complain because Eli and Angie don’t understand. In their appropriate warm weather attire, they will never comprehend that Victor doesn’t dress like this only because he likes it but because it is a mirrored prison of his own creation. No matter how hot it gets, this is better than the alternative of showing his metaphorical soft side.

“You alright, Vic?” Angie asks as they near the dorm buildings. “You look a little flushed.”

“Overheated?” Eli guesses.

“Just a little warm,” Victor answers quietly. “I’ll be fine.”

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, boys. Call me later if you need another break from the heat!” Angie calls as she waves.

Victor doesn’t linger to watch her disappear from sight like usual. Instead, he rushes inside, ignorant of Eli following closely behind. When Victor runs into a chair sitting in the same spot since Eli moved in, Eli knows something is wrong.

“Vic, you alright?” he inquires.

Victor turns toward Eli and nods. He grips the chair beside him tightly, and his cheeks are no longer pink but a bright red contrast to the paleness under his eyes. There’s a sheen of sweat on his forehead, and Victor grasps his head as he shakily lowers into the chair.

“Why didn’t you say something?” Eli says as he moves toward the small kitchen.

“I did!” Victor defends, though his speech is slowed. “I can feel my heartbeat in my brain. Is that telling you enough?”

“Take your shirt off.”

“Excuse me?”

Eli returns with a glass of water and several wet cloths.

“Stop being so… so Victor. You have more clothes on and it’s just us. You’re not going to feel better until you cool off.”

“How would you know?” Victor asks as he pulls the black button-down off his shoulders.

“Spotting heat exhaustion isn’t rocket science, Vic. Put this on your forehead and chill out. Figuratively and literally.”

Victor snatches the cool cloth from Eli’s hand and places it over his eyes and forehead. Nearly immediately, his headache eases, though it doesn’t go away.

“Sit still,” Eli requests as he places a touchless thermometer against Victor’s wrist. “Congratulations, Vale, your questionable fashion sense just got you heat stroke.”

“What is it?” Victor asks without moving.

“104 Fahrenheit,” Eli says. “So, you need to take off more clothes, keep those cool cloths on your skin and rehydrate.”

“Thanks,” Victor breathes out, hoping Eli doesn’t hear him. “I’ll go to my room.”

“Sure you will. And, hey, next time? Just listen to me.”

“Which part? The ‘take off your shirt’ or the ‘stop complaining’?”

“Both!” Eli yells as he enters his room. “Call me if you need anything.”

Victor mentally rolls his eyes as he sits up. The room spins around him momentarily, and then he carefully carries the water and two fresh washcloths into his room. His coat remains on his bed, seeming to laugh at his state.

He removes a few more layers of clothing in the privacy of his room, then reclines in his desk chair. Something hits the window, and Victor sees a cat licking its fur to cool in the shade.

“Rub it in,” Victor mumbles grumpily as he rocks back in his chair to feel the ceiling fan above him.

[glenrocklibraryteens]

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Vicious by V.E. Schwab Genre: Scientific fiction Page number: 368 5/5 stars 

“Vicious” by V.E. Schwab is a dark science fiction novel that explores the concept of extraordinary abilities and the blurred lines between heroism and villainy. The story revolves around Victor Vale and Eli Cardale, former college roommates who discover a way to gain superhuman powers. Throughout their story they turn from friends to enemies, and mortal enemies at that. The narrative unfolds in non-linear fashion, switching from past to present which always leaves the readers wanting more. There are no heroes in this story, and the line between morally gray and evil is a thin one. It’s a battle between bad and worse, leaving up to the readers to decide who is the better villain.

This book was thrilling from start to finish. V.E. Schwab has a way of capturing your attention and holding on to it for the duration of her pages, however many there may be. All her characters in this book were written beautifully and with a lot of depth, causing me to feel deeply for each and every one of them. Victor and Eli’s relationship is so complex and has so many layers that you’re always begging to for more of them. The many different perspectives in this book add to the intrigue and suspense surrounding each of the characters, and every single perspective is interesting and furthers the plot. V.E. Schwab’s imagination knows no bounds. The plot to the story, all the different superhuman powers, the building of imaginary cities, and more are all written beautifully and with just the right amount of detail where you know enough but are begging for more. This book is easily my favorite morally gray main character story, and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone, especially if you love magic or simply a story without any heroes.

[thatweirdreader]

Back to life by mother mother is a perfect song for the book Vicious by V.E Schwab

No, I won't be taking criticism.

[barethemusicalbutjasonlives]

Eli cardale is so dramatic like imagine being so full of your own self fulfilling drama that you rename your surname Ever. Like my good man you are not a riverdale character calm down

[evenstarfalls]

gghhaag i want to devour the rest of this book but i don't want ittt to be ooooverrrr (vengeful) i don't want to leave this world i don't want to finish m y reread

victor at the gym is so fucking funny i can't even imagine

i love it when the characters talk to each other i just. it fills me with joy, them speaking to each other

132 deaths

DON'TTTT LET HIM OUT

don't remind him of angie 😭

nooonoo don't let EON get you

dom nooooo NOOO i can't read this i can't

eli is always thinking about victor

nice character growth from sydney

FOOL FOOL FOOL DON'T FALL FOR HIS TRAP

it's really interesting how they're all different brands of terrible people.

eli digging the trackers out of himself with a broken pen ugh

nice reminder once upon a time he was a premed student

everyone underestimates mitch

dom dom dom dom dom

go be free

Everyone stop betraying Sydney's trust challenge

DOMINIC NO 😭

I miss him already 😭😭😭😭

If we don't get Dominic back in 3 i am going to be very upset

Why is Dol the character with the 2nd most deaths

Victor stealing a black coat 💀

ELI AND VICTOR OH MY GODDD

Victor sees Eli first. Same as in Vicious

Victor's getting old 😭 hmm wait assuming there's another time skip Victor will probably be in his 40s in book 3. Will he be going gray by then?

This is gruesome

Working together...oh god my heart

Rest in peace Jonathan you tortured soul

It's so gruesome! I really have a much higher gore tolerance in books than onscreen

Bye queen you had a great run.

Someone get Eli some clothes 💀

Much appreciated

HAVERTY

One of two characters in this book i really really hate

And both of them traumatized Eli...

My poor boy

You fools let him get away

Both of them rendered mortal

ELI 💔💔💔💔

I want him back

Vic no go back to your family

I forgot Stell dies

Catch me if you can.

Eliot Cardale 💔

Dominic Rusher 💔

They'd better not stay dead they'd better fucking not

I mean i think Eli will be back it's half his series but I can't bear the thought of Dominic staying dead my poor boy

Omg what if Sydney goes and resurrects all the dead EOs

That was distressing. I can't believe I'm done with the reread already. I'll have to reread again in a few months. Please Victoria please please give us another book i need it anyways i love this book so much.

[darlingfoe]

Imagine —

It's nearing Christmas, a likely very unpleasant time for Eli Cardale. He is sitting quietly in his dorm room, struggling to keep his focus on schoolwork, tapping his pen restlessly or pacing the small space until he shoves himself back at his desk to work. But eventually the door opens to let in a rush of cold air — not even a knock or sound of warning before the room is filled with racous laughter.

In walks Angie Knight, a spring in her step, shaking early Merit snow from her damp hair, and Victor Vale shaking his head (she likely told a particularly terrible joke). They have baga of warm food and drinks to pass around (alcoholic and otherwise), and she sits between them both — they make a triangle with the food as the center on the dorm floor, legs folded beneath them or stretched out to the side. Eli is slowly but surely distracted, unwinding some, and the three of them share a meal and talk late enough into the night that Angie just stays over rather than risk being caught wandering past curfew.

Not that it matters when most people have gone home for the holidays. But for these three, home is with each other. Home is friendship, home is stealing bites of each other's food, procrastinating on papers, cracking terrible jokes, and sharing stories until they're all drowsy with sleep.

[notsidekick-blog]

          @everordinare. ‘arms slowly drape across his shoulders, as eli leans over from behind the couch to rest his head in the crook between victor’s neck and shoulder. slender fingers reach up to find a stray lock of white blond hair to twirl, traveling further downwards to caress his jaw and the faint stubble growing. they had been studying for midterms for hours, and eli was growing restless. he hums lightly, lifting his head so his lips are just grazing the skin of victor’s ear. “viiiictorrrr...” ‘

          victor vale likes having eli’s attention. 

          that much was the first thing he’d figured out, noted down and filed away about eli cardale. he likes having the other man’s attention. in an existence where he can’t remember the last time he’d genuinely liked something. not like this, anyway. the way his chest swells just enough to tell him that it’s something more than just his heart beating in it’s steady, final rhythm. the way his skin lights up whenever eli touches it. the hot, heavy weight that finds his lips when they touch. 

          presently, sat leant back on the couch with one leg crossed over the other and tome of a study guide balanced atop his knee - victor’s mind is elsewhere. anywhere but the book in his lap - at least. it was, until the feather light touch of arms finding his shoulders hits him like a wave and he forces himself back to the present. back to the breath ghosting over pale skin, the type that makes the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. the type victor can’t get enough of even if he thinks he might grow bored of it sometime soon. that’s the more cynical side of him talking, he supposes. 

          he allows the corner of his mouth to curl up into something resembling a smile, close - but not quite there as head tilts to the side, offering eli more access to whatever it is he’s looking for. a light hum in his throat in response to the gentle touches. the skin against his own. a solid reminder that he’s real. they’re both real. real and here and very much alive. very much together. victor’s moments away from turning the page, not giving eli any more attention than that - perhaps just to see what measures cardale would resort to just to eek that bit more give from vale. at least, that’s what he would do - if his patience wasn’t already running thin and his breath softening at fingers against his jaw. 

          victor’s always been quiet. he doesn’t say anything so much as a hand lifts to find eli’s wrist, pulls his hand closer and toward his mouth. teeth graze over the skin, before fingertips are pushed past his lips. the touch is fleeting, barely there, but tongue swipes over the digits with little regard for any supposed consequences. he only goes as far as the second knuckle - perhaps impatient for more. to be able to watch eli’s reaction rather than imagine it in the back of his mind. there’s a faint hum against the digits before he’s shifting again and yanking eli down to press their lips together. it’s not gentle. by no means is it gentle but it works. 

          “you want something, cardale?”

[fluentmoviequoter]

With Our Hands Tied

Requested Here by @astroherogirl !! (20 Surprise Parties✨ Info)

"Dancing With Our Hands Tied" by Taylor Swift

Warnings: spoilers for Vicious, angst, fluff, open ending (I'm open to a part 2 if anyone has ideas; although I'm not a Taylor fan, I'd be open to another song to continue this!)

Word Count: 0.9k+ words

You were twenty-two years old, and your love had been frozen when you met Victor Vale. Despite his blunt, sometimes harsh personality, you fell in love at first sight. You loved him in a secret, a love without reason. That frozen love you'd grown familiar with was thawed and turned golden at the hands of Victor Vale. He held you close, and you saw forever in his eyes.

Until forever faded away, and his eyes reflected police lights, broken hearts, and shattered lives.

✯✯✯✯✯

"I could stay here forever," you whisper.

Victor stands behind you, his hands tucked in your pockets as his chin rests on your shoulder.

"Nothing can stop it," Victor replies.

"Everything is changing."

You lean back against Victor as he hums.

"I shouldn't have gone to see Eli," he whispers against your shoulder. "If they come for me, you run. Okay?"

"I'm not leaving you."

"You have to."

You twist in his arms, looking into his eyes as you say, "I will spend forever here. With a picture of your face in an invisible locket. No one in the world can take it. Right?"

"Our hands are tied. And it's my fault."

"Maybe nothing will happen," you soothe, running your fingers through Victor's hair.

A knock on the door pulls you from your sacred oasis, the secret time spent with Victor.

"Merit PD, open up!" someone yells.

You gesture for Victor to stay where he is and open the door. The officer says your name, and you confirm your identity as a bad feeling grows within you. You and Victor have been dancing with your hands tied, but if anyone can destroy it in a breath, it's Eli Cardale. And right now, he seems to be in control of everything.

"We need to find Victor Vale. We understand he's your boyfriend and you'll know where to find him," the officer says.

"He's not my boyfriend. I haven't seen him today," you lie.

Victor wants to tell you not to cover for him, but it's too late.

"We were also told you'd say that. Down on your knees, we're coming in."

You don't have a chance to comply before you're shoved to the floor and handcuffed, something about obstruction yelled beside your head. All you can do is watch as they seize Victor. He looks at you and sends you a nod, a promise that everything will be okay.

It won't, and you have a bad feeling that knows it. Your time with Victor, all of your hidden moments, and learning who he really is, is ending. And you can't stop it; you can only watch it burn.

Eli told the cops everything he knew and what he suspected would happen, and they believed it. You stick to your story, covering for Victor and trying to incriminate Eli. The police have already started talking, putting you through paces, and your life with Victor is already fading into a memory.

✯✯✯✯✯

You get a letter from the prison system that your letters have been in holding. It's been years with no reply, but you never considered that Victor wasn't getting them. As you read, you learn that he was in solitary and was moved to general population. So, with your signed consent, he can get your letters now. Although, you have a better idea.

You reach for your favorite pen and stationary and begin pouring your heart out, imagining what life would be like with Victor. A life where it didn't matter what people thought when they saw you together. You may be invisible, but Victor is worth it.

✯✯✯✯✯

Victor sits on the other side of the barrier, looking pale and tired in his jumpsuit. His eyes light up at the sight of you, and he raises the phone, content to listen to your voice until he wakes up. He knows this must be a dream.

"Here," the guard says, tossing an envelope to him.

"That's from me," you say quietly into the receiver. "I- I've had a lot of time to think, and that's how I feel."

Victor nods, holding the end of the phone connection between his jaw and shoulder as he opens the envelope.

I loved you in spite of deep fears that the world would divide us. So, baby, can we dance through an avalanche? And say that we got it? I'm a mess, but I'm the mess that you wanted 'cause it's gravity keeping you with me.

You recite the letter as Victor reads, but when he glances up, convinced he's awake, you continue.

I'd kiss you as the lights went out, swaying you as the room burned down. I'd hold you as the water rushes in if I could dance with you again.

"I've missed you," Victor says as you finish.

His voice sounds the same, enveloping your entire being. You smile, telling him that you've missed him, too, and wrote him hundreds of letters that went unopened.

"I'll hear every single one of them," Victor promises. "When I get out, we'll be together again. But this time, we're showing everyone."

"No more dancing with our hands tied?"

"Never again. But, there's something I have to do first, and I want you by my side while I do it."

"Anything."

"I want to kill Eli."

Your smile grows as you lean closer to the glass separating you from Victor.

"Tell me when to pick you up."

"I'm still the mess you want?" Victor asks.

"I'll kiss you as the lights go out," you remind him. "And Eli put us here, so let's return the favor."

[fluentmoviequoter]

to being ghosts.

Chapter 3 - Treason Unordinary

Chapter Warnings: angst with a tiny sliver of fluff, mentions of death (fem!r) and executions, world-building. 5.1k+ words.

Your initial reaction upon entering Victor Vale’s safehouse outside of San Francisco was like an interruption. He, Sydney, Mitch, and Dol had grown comfortable in a domestic pattern on the run but made a sense of home wherever they went because of their unique bond. Then, when they decided to stay in one place and wait for you, there was an opportunity to settle into a routine, to be content and alone with one another, forgetting the world outside and all the changes everyone else went through.

When you walked in, it upset the domesticity, if only for a moment. As Victor learned to trust you, he kept Sydney at arm’s length, unwilling to let you get too close.

Now, you have fallen into the trap of alluring domesticity, too. Victor trusts you, Sydney feels safe beside you, and Mitch has been more help than you ever dreamed of having. The feeling of belonging, the sense that you finally found a place where you fit, living alongside other ghosts, threatens to blind you to your mission.

“What are you doing?” Victor asks.

“Mitch looked around online to see if I’d been reported missing or anything,” you answer softly.

“And?”

“There’s nothing. I’d bet that Daniels is lying to Smoak, pretending that he left me somewhere to protect me from your charms.”

Victor steps into your room, his brows raised as he repeats, “My charms?”

Sighing, you admit, “When Smoak told us about you for the first time, he said that Eli could charm women pretty easily, and he and Daniels warned me not to let you do the same to me. Smoak didn’t even know for sure what your powers were but told me not to let you get to me.”

“Yet here you are.”

“Was that a joke?” you ask excitedly. “Did Victor Vale just make a joke about using his charms to win me over?”

 “No. Did Smoak say anything else? Something that could help us take the NWA and the charter down, for good?”

“Not really. He gave us assignments, and even then, we got the bare minimum. Finding you was a stroke of luck.”

“My name’s pronounced Mitch,” Mitch calls from across the hall. “And you’re welcome!”

“What do we do now?” Victor asks.

“Truthfully, I have no idea, Victor. I’ve been running on adrenaline, hope, and a half-cocked plan to get all of the EOs in one place.”

Victor looks over his shoulder before closing your door and walking to the foot of your bed.

“You’ve shared a lot,” he begins.

“It’s the least I can do, given everything you’re doing to help me and other EOs.”

Victor sighs, lowering to sit on your bed. “Do you still want to hear about midnight?”

Sitting up to lean toward Victor, you nod.

“Then I guess we should start at Lockland, where I met Eli Cardale…”

✯✯✯✯✯

Sitting on one end of the couch, with Sydney beside you and Victor on the other side of her, you feel like part of a family. It’s been years since you felt anything like this, and you wish this moment would last forever.

“How many doctors are in the NWA?” Victor asks. “I can’t imagine spending all that time and money on med school just to be forced into a genocidal army.”

“I don’t know,” you answer. “But don’t worry, you wouldn’t have been they’re type anyway.”

“As if I would have let them find me.”

“Why are we staying hidden?” Sydney interjects. “I understood at first, while you figured out what to do, but it’s been a while now, and we’re still completely alone. No more EOs, no plan to save the world, just… waiting.”

“Unfortunately, it’s part of getting the world back, Syd,” you explain. “And I’m not just saying this because I don’t have a plan, which I don’t. But we should not go outside until we are prepared to deal with anything and everything that the NWA could throw at us. Daniels will be looking for Victor, and maybe for me, I don’t know. When or if he finds him, Smoak will call in backup, and with Victor gone, it’ll be open season for EOs.”

“You make it sound like Vic is keeping EOs safe,” Sydney murmurs.

“In a way, he is.”

“How so?” Victor asks, closing the book in his lap. “Most people don’t even know I exist.”

“Maybe not, but they know someone out there defeated EON, and that there is an EO important enough to keep most of the heat away from the ones that hide their powers or kept living like nothing changed.”

“How do they do that; live like nothing changed?”

“There’s no way to spot an EO just by looking at them,” Victor answers.

“Right,” you agree. “And people have accidents, brain tumors, loads of things that result in death, and then they get brought back. My first year as a cop, I died for nearly a minute before they brought me back, but nothing happened, and I kept doing my job.”

“You died?” Victor and Sydney ask together.

“Barely,” you reply playfully. “But my point is that finding EOs is harder than it seems. So as long as there’s someone like Victor, a known EO, for the NWA to focus on, the unknown EOs have some hope, a sense of safety they can rely on.”

“What about the ones your NWA friends are killing?” Sydney inquires.

“I hate that it’s happening, but there’s nothing I can do right now, Syd. When our time is right, we’re going to save as many as we can, but for now we need to focus on staying alive to create a plan to do that.”

“Seems like a lot of work.”

“Well, not everyone has atom bombs,” Victor mutters.

“Was that another joke?” you ask, turning toward him.

“No.”

✯✯✯✯✯

“Vic, Dol needs a walk,” Sydney says, looking at the book you found between two rafters in the attic. “He’s asking for a change, so he wants you to take him.”

“You can raise the dead, not talk to animals,” Victor argues, reading the last unaltered page of his parents’ second book.

“You don’t know everything about me. I know my dog, and he wants you to take him outside.”

“I’ll go,” you offer, chuckling at their antics.

You open the door for Dol, and follow him outside into the California forest. The trees are thick and green, and the new lack of pollution and population did wonders for the wildlife and scenery. Dol barks as he circles a tree, and you smile as you watch him run around, using up the energy he stored sitting beside Sydney.

When Dol is finished, he runs back in the open front door. Enjoying the fresh air and feeling completely hidden, you look up toward the light coming through the trees. The New World Charter headquarters feels like one of the floating cities from an old sci-fi movie: sterile with overbearing leaders; here, you can take a deep breath and be in nature again.

“What’s it like where you’re from?” Victor asks, joining your side.

“It was beautiful. Being outside, patrolling, was one of my favorite parts of being a cop, too. There’s nothing like this.”

“And the rest of the world?”

“The beauty is still there, it’s just nothing like it was before. Vic… I’m scared that even if we succeed, if the EOs take out Smoak and the New World Charter is dissolved, that nothing will really change. People will still be scared of what’s different, and the peace will be short-lived before another dictator slides into the opening left by Smoak. We can’t fight this fight forever.”

“You need a break. Thinking about it, the world and the future, every minute of every day is going to drive you crazy.”

“Which is something you know well, right?”

“Very funny.”

Victor looks up, following your line of sight through the green treetops. He’s enjoying the domesticity nearly as much as you are, but he knows the safety won’t last forever.

“Care for a break from saving the world?”

Smiling as you look down, turning your attention to the NWA’s most wanted ExtraOrdinary, you ask, “What do you have in mind?”

“Syd has been asking to see San Francisco.”

“Shame she didn’t get to experience the crowds and the smell of the wharf when it was actually in use,” you muse.

“A real shame,” Victor agrees sarcastically. “Get your jacket, and I’ll get Syd. Getting some air may even do you some good; maybe you’ll have a plan by the time we get back.”

“You’re the nerd here,” you remind him as you follow him inside. “You start brainstorming and I’ll procrastinate until the night before the due date.”

“I’m not sure that’s wise considering how many lives hang in the balance. An entire race is completely reliant on your ability to find a weakness in the NWA.”

“Haven’t failed a project yet, of ye of little faith.”

“Sydney, get your jacket. We’re going to see San Francisco... what it looks like when it’s completely deserted.”

“I don’t get an invitation?” Mitch asks.

“Someone has to watch Dol,” Victor replies.

“Do you want to go?” you ask.

“Not a bit. Have fun. Bring me a t-shirt or something.”

“Yeah, I’ll look for one that says, ‘I survived the San Francisco evacuation’ or something.”

“Perfect.”

✯✯✯✯✯

“Where’s the bridge? No, wait, the wharf! Ooh, or should we go to the square first?” Sydney rambles as you walk through the woods.

“The square?” Victor asks, glancing at you.

“Ghirardelli Square. You’re going to hate it, so if we find any leftover product, Sydney and I should handle it,” you answer with a wink toward Sydney.

“I’m an EO, not an alien, I know what Ghirardelli is.”

“Guys, focus!” Sydney calls. “Where should we go first?”

“Where are we from the bridge? If we get to the bridge and enter San Francisco that way, we can hit everything within a few hours of walking,” you reply. “But, Syd… it’s not the San Francisco you saw on tv or anything. It’s a ghost town.”

“Good thing we’re ghosts, then,” Victor adds.

“You’re telling me there’s no George of the Jungle here now?” Sydney pouts.

“Never should have told her about that movie,” Victor says to himself.

“Syd, just- just be alert, okay? We’re here to have fun, take a break, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t other people here. This is The Stand or The Last of Us, not-“

“Planet of the Apes?” Victor offers.

“Not at all the direction I was going, but sure. My point is that there may be people here, people who are hiding for one reason or another, or just got left behind and couldn’t get anywhere alone.”

“I understand,” Sydney responds, several steps ahead of you.

“Hey,” Victor murmurs, tapping your arm. He pulls his hand away at the sting of your skin on his. “Relax. We’re going to be fine. Then, when we get back to the house, we come up with a plan to take the world back.”

“And you said this wasn’t a movie,” you say, smiling before jogging toward Sydney.

✯✯✯✯✯

“It’s huge!” Sydney exclaims when San Francisco comes into view.

The Golden Gate Bridge is beginning to become visible in the dissipating fog, and the dark metropolis laid out below it seems larger than life. Most people now live in NWC zones, which are big and overbearing in their own way but nothing like the wonders that San Francisco and the likes used to be. NWC zones are locked down, have strict curfews, and are packed with more people than used to be legal.

“Thank you, Vic,” you say as you continue walking toward the bridge. “I needed this, and Sydney did too.”

 “We all did.”

“What are the chances we can actually find Mitch a souvenir?”

“In a city like this? I’d say pretty good; even picked over, there’s got to be a keychain or something around here.”

“So, this is what a first date with you was like?” you tease. “Walking around and talking about the mathematical likelihood of finding something worth doing?”

“I, uh, I don’t know.”

“Wait, Vic,” you say, grabbing the sleeve of his trench coat to stop him. “You didn’t go on dates? Are you kidding me?”

“Didn’t meet the right person, I suppose. At least not until-“

“Angie, right. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Syd is halfway to Canada, though.”

You look up quickly, sighing as you see Sydney looking around a few paces ahead of you.

“Since the mathematical likelihood of me surviving this battle of ghosts and goblins,” you begin.

“Ghosts and what?” Victor repeats incredulously.

“Care to make this my last first date? I mean, my dating record isn’t stellar, but if I have to go out with one good date, I think this could be it.”

“Did you inhale a toxic fungus in the woods or something?”

“I already told Sydney this isn’t The Last of Us. Seriously, Vic, you said this little trip is supposed to be a break, a distraction from what we’re about to do, what we’re up against. So, what do you say?”

“You want to go on a date with me, an EO, and Sydney, an EO I found on the side of the road, in an abandoned city? I thought you said your dating record wasn’t stellar, but if the bar is this low it’s completely dismal.”

“Could’ve just said no, Vic,” you answer, chuckling as you move toward Sydney.

“I- life would have been a lot different if we had met in the old world,” Victor replies. “If this is what you want to remember if this doesn’t go our way, who am I to stop you from actually enjoying part of being a ghost?”

“Are you asking me out?”

“Will you stop talking if I do?”

You nod, and Victor points his chin toward Sydney and the growing distance between you and her. Rushing up the hill, you catch up with her and walk beside her, smiling over your shoulder at Victor as you walk across the Golden Gate Bridge into the heart of San Francisco.

“Where to after we cross it?” Sydney asks.

“We’ll turn left onto Beach Street, which will take us straight to Ghirardelli and then Fisherman’s Wharf,” you answer. Victor raises his eyebrows, and you add, “I looked at a map of San Francisco for fourteen hours straight while I was trying to find you. If it’s on a map, I can probably get you there.”

Victor shakes his head, and you fall into a comfortable silence as you walk. Sydney stops to look at Alcatraz, and you return to Victor’s side, smiling as you silently thank him for everything.

✯✯✯✯✯

As you walk out of Fisherman’s Wharf, with an ‘I <3 San Francisco’ keychain tucked in your pocket for Mitch, you ask Sydney what her favorite part was. Victor tries to listen to her answer but feels the unmistakable sensation of being watched. He slows, looking around but coming up empty. The city seems dead, and he hasn’t even seen an animal in the few hours you have spent in San Francisco. When you slow, though, Victor rushes toward you.

You feel it, too, but you recognize the eyes on you. They’re the same eyes you felt after faking EO deaths and the ones you missed after sending Rock away.

“Vic,” you whisper when he comes into view.

“I know. I can’t see anyone though,” Victor answers.

“What’s going on?” Sydney interjects, whispering to match your volume.

“Get her out of here, Vic,” you demand, moving your hand to the gun on your waistband.

“We’re not leaving you!” Sydney replies.

“Syd, this is my part of the fight. It doesn’t have to be yours. Vic.”

Victor nods, grabbing Sydney’s shoulders and steering her away from you. They disappear around a corner, out of sight, and you take a deep breath as you accept that you may never see them again. Tapping the keychain in your pocket, you hope Mitch can forgive you for not giving his souvenir to him.

“I got Vic and Syd back,” you remind yourself softly.

Turning slowly, you stop abruptly when someone steps out of the shadows. He says your name, and you immediately come to terms with dying in San Francisco. Sydney and Victor are safe and can create a plan to save the world, so you succeeded in helping one person.

“Daniels,” you reply. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“Not like I’ve been looking for you and the monsters you are so comfortable around,” he says darkly.

“What do you want, Daniels? You will never find Victor Vale, and he will take every single one of you out to protect himself and the other EOs.”

“I’d like to see him try. But, I’m not here for him right now. I’m sure you sent him away, running like a hamster on a wheel, stalled in one place.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

 “No.”

“Why’d you leave the Army to join a team of dictators, Brian?”

Daniels chuckles, pulling his gun from its holster before leveling it on you. “You are guilty of treason, punishable by execution at the order of the New World Agency.”

“If you were going to kill me, you would have done it already. What are you waiting for, Brian Daniels, retired U.S. Army Ranger-“

“Stop!” Daniels screams.

Smiling, you know you’re under his skin, getting to him by showing him that you know more about him than he knows about you. While he’s distracted by your comments, you pull your gun, holding it between your legs and the crate before you.

“You are under arrest,” Daniels yells.

“I’d like a lawyer,” you reply sarcastically.

Daniels steps toward you, and you lower as you hear footsteps in an alley. Victor is still close, and he needs help getting out unnoticed.

“Go!” you yell as you begin shooting.

Giving cover fire, you keep Daniels distracted as Victor and Sydney disappear into the shadows, where they feel most comfortable. Daniels ducks out of sight, and when the last shot’s echo dies away, he begins laughing.

“You’re a stupid, stupid girl!” he yells. “And you can’t take us!”

You don’t ask, but you wonder who ‘us’ is. Before you can think much about it, several NWA helicopters begin circling. When ropes drop from the helicopters and soldiers descend into San Francisco, you move backward toward an alley opening. If you can keep the army before you, you have an escape route and a chance of surviving. Your chances will never be good again, but the idea that you can run helps keep your hopes up, if only for a moment. Remembering that Victor and Sydney have a head start and plan to leave rips your hope away again. You’re alone, one woman with a half-empty ammo magazine against an army of trained killers.

Pushing your back against a wall, unwilling to be taken out from the back, you smile. You saved one, and that was always the goal. Knowing that Sydney is the one you saved and you were lucky enough to spend time with her, get to know her, and care for her makes what happens next easier.

A soldier rushes toward you, and you fire a single shot, watching as he crumples to the ground. His body armor should have protected him; yes, he would’ve fallen from the velocity of the bullet, but he shouldn’t have folded in pain like that. Raising slowly, you hear a few pained screams and rush to look out over Daniels’ reinforcements.

Every single soldier is on the ground. Most are unconscious, but others are screaming or crying, clearly in pain. You know what causes pain like this, but you also know that he could have done it from a distance if he saw them lower from the helicopter.

✯✯✯✯✯

“We can’t leave her, Vic!” Sydney argues as he pushes her into an alley.

“We’re not, Syd, I promise. But we need to regroup, I need a plan. If we run out there blind, we’ll all get killed.”

“Just hurt him, Vic! He’s going to kill her if you don’t!”

Your voice is barely audible, but Victor catches your taunt, “If you were going to kill me, you would have done it already. What are you waiting for?”

“He wouldn’t have come alone. He’s misogynistic, not blind. Daniels knows what she’s capable of, just as well as we do.”

“He’s hiding something?” Sydney clarifies.

“A big something, presumably.”

Victor begins to speak, but his words are drowned out by helicopters overhead.

“There’s his backup,” he hums to himself.

Sydney pulls Victor’s sleeve, pointing to the end of the alley. A soldier is approaching, and as Victor turns the pain dial, a bullet makes contact with his chest plate. Victor hides his smile, glad you’re not going down without a fight.

Rushing to the end of the alley, Victor extends his pain radius, turning the dial as high as it goes with no warning. Men scream, though most of them lose consciousness before the pain registers.

“Where is she?” Sydney whispers.

Victor weighs his options quickly before pushing the dial again and yelling your name.

✯✯✯✯✯

When Victor yells your name, you don’t hesitate to turn away from the NWA troops and rush to him and Sydney. You run into him, wrapping your arms around him as you hug him tightly.

“Yeah, yeah, glad you’re okay, too, but we need to go,” he replies, awkwardly patting your back.

You nod as you pull back, taking Sydney’s hand and running behind Victor. As you near the bridge, you call Victor’s name.

“We’re going to be visible the entire way across. Those helos are coming back,” you remind him.

“Then tell me what to do,” he replies. “Take a chance and go the fastest route, or stay here longer to find another way?”

“Can you do what you did back there to the helo pilots?”

“Of course, I can.”

“Then let’s go.”

You pull Sydney with you, apologizing as you run across the Golden Gate Bridge. The fog has rolled back in, and Alcatraz looks far more menacing than it did a few hours ago when you came into the city.

“Are you okay?” Sydney asks between short breaths.

“I’m fine,” you promise. “And I’m sorry I brought you into that.”

“That’s on me,” Victor adds, running ahead of you. “But now we have an idea of what we’re up against!”

“Vic died after using his powers for a while,” Sydney tells you. “I was worried it would happen again.”

“That hasn’t happened in months!”

“But it could? Vic, you can’t use your powers if it puts your life at stake!” you argue.

“It’s already at stake! I’ll die if I don’t, but I might die if I do. Besides, I came back every time.”

“That’s not comforting!”

When you reach the tree line, entering the forest, you slow, still moving but taking the chance to catch your breath.

“You didn’t tell me that, Victor,” you say. “I never would have asked for your help.”

“I’m not incapable of fighting for myself and Sydney and Mitch,” he replies, his voice dark and even, not unlike the night you met. “And clearly I can save you at a moment’s notice.”

“That is not the problem!”

“Then what is?”

“I can’t let you die fighting my fight!”

Your chest is heaving, partly from the exertion of running miles without a break and partly from your anger at Victor. He should have told you so that you could find a way to work around it. If he dies trying to save you, then you lose an EO regardless. Worse, you lose an EO that you care about.

“It’s my fight, too.”

“Move, Vic.”

“We’re not done.”

“We’re not moving and there are people hunting us! Move!”

Victor clenches his jaw before breaking into another run. Sydney runs behind him, and you bring up the rear of your team of misfits. Part of you wants to get them to safety and leave, but you know you can’t do this without Victor Vale, not the fight against the New World or living life after. You need Victor far more than he needs you.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Mitch,” Victor says as he walks in. “Get your stuff. We’re leaving.”

“What happened to you three?” Mitch asks, his eyes wide as he looks you over.

“Got into a fight for this,” you reply, passing him the keychain.

“I- thank you?”

“Daniels found me. He brought an army to bring me in for treason, but Victor saved me.”

“You saved me first,” Victor grumbles, clearly mad at you.

Mitch raises his brows, silently asking what you did. You shake your head before entering the room you’ve grown comfortable in. All your stuff fits in a backpack you found in a nearby storage shed. Once you’re packed, you sit at the foot of the bed and consider running.

Victor opens your door, steps inside, and closes it again.

“Do you knock?” you ask softly.

“I want you to tell me what that was back there. If you don’t trust me, there’s no reason for you to stay and keep putting Sydney and Mitch in danger.”

“Trust? You want to talk about trust, Victor? When you told me how your powers work, you might have mentioned ‘oh, and sometimes I die for a few minutes after using them.’ Was I just supposed to find out when you collapsed in the middle of saving someone?”

“I didn’t tell you because it’s getting better. Sydney found a fix.”

“A temporary fix from the sound of things.”

“Why does it matter? If it is fixed long enough to survive this war, it doesn’t matter. Either I die fighting or I survive and we find a better option after. Why is that so hard for you to understand?”

“I understand perfectly, Victor.”

“This is a weird way to thank me for saving your life.”

“I am thankful for that. But if saving my life is going to cost you yours…” You stand from the bed and step toward Victor, only a few inches between your chests. “Then let me die.”

Victor’s eyes remain on yours, pale, intense, and unblinking. “The question was about you.”

“What?” you ask, blinking at the sudden change in topic.

“That night that you asked if I’d use my powers on a good person for a better reason. You were asking if I’d let you die, or kill you, to win this fight against the New World.”

Licking your lips, you avoid replying.

“I apologize for not telling you. But if you want complete transparency from me, I’m going to need the same in return.”

“Vic?” Sydney calls from the hallway. “We’re ready.”

“And we’re ghosts again,” you hum, turning to pick up your backpack. “Thanks for the date, Victor. Sorry I ruined it.”

“Still the best date I’ve been on in a while,” he murmurs.

“And you said my dating record is dismal.”

Victor shakes his head as he opens the door for you. He’s grown attached to the domesticity, though he’d refuse to admit it. As he closes the door, separating himself from one of the few things that brought him comfort, Victor sighs.

You can tell that this fight will weigh on him, and worrying about you, Mitch, and Sydney will wear him down before the fight even begins. Laying a hand between his shoulder blades, you ask him to hang back with you.

“I need you to know that I appreciate you for saving me, but I don’t want you to feel like you have to,” you explain quietly, walking behind Sydney, Dol, and Mitch.

“You expect me to just stand by and watch you die? That’s not going to happen,” he argues.

“Vic, I’m a soldier. I made my peace with dying a long time ago.”

“Well, I didn’t,” Victor snaps. “I’m not going to let another innocent person die for this EO debate. I have lost friends and enemies alike, and I refuse to lose another.”

“Friend or enemy?”

Victor glances over his shoulder at you. “Equal.”

“Sounds like a friend to me.”

Victor sighs, internally glad that your personality is returning. He’s sure that you were worried, most likely about Sydney.

Boise. The sudden thought is unwelcome, and clearly not yours.

“Vic, if I told you we needed to go to Boise, what would you say?” you ask.

“I’d ask how you came up with Boise, Idaho.”

“What if I told you a ghost told me?”

Victor puts an arm out to stop you. “Is there a voice in your head? One that tells you where to go?”

“You have it too?”

Victor looks between your eyes and the crease between your brows.

“I thought it was just my intuition or something,” you murmur.

“My turn to ask a hypothetical,” Victor says. “If you noticed a pattern, that the voice was leading you into dangerous situations that somehow turned out alright… would you think they were related?”

“Are you asking me if I think the ghost is leading us where we need to be to win this fight? Putting us in trouble to get out of more trouble?”

“If I was?”

“Vic, I’m with you in this. Drop the hypotheticals and say what you want to say.”

“Whatever this voice is – a ghost, a shared intuition, common mission, however you want to define it – it is helping us. I don’t think our question should be about what it is though.”

“You want to know why.”

“You don’t?”

“That voice has led me straight to you, away from a life that I hated, so I- I guess I trust it. For now, at least. But, yeah, I’d like to know why. You’re forgetting a big one, though.”

“Being?”

“Vic, who is it?”

Sydney yells your name, and you tap Victor’s shoulder before passing him to talk to Sydney. Mitch trades spots with you, moving to Victor’s side.

“I told you that she was trustworthy,” Mitch says.

“You did. One of these days I’ll start trusting you, too,” Victor answers.

“Vic, this isn’t going to be easy. The pain and sacrifice we’ve experienced is only a fraction of what lies ahead of us.”

“I can accept that. I can accept a lot of things, but I refuse to let anything happen to the four of you.”

“And she wants you to?”

 “I don’t know what she wants. Besides the old world and freedom for EOs.”

“I’ve got an idea of what she wants,” Mitch teases.

“That you won’t share, right?”

“Right.”

As Sydney talks, you realize that the life you lost in the transition to the New World made way for this one. While it isn’t perfect, you like where you are. Being by Victor’s side, with Sydney, Dol, and Mitch, it’s good, even if it isn’t safe. When the fight is over, though, what happens then?

[darling-i-read-it]

Ally

Victor Vale x fem!reader

Word Count: 1.7k 

Warnings: technically kidnapping ig lol 

Author’s Note: i hope you enjoy love <33 i had some fun banter with this one <3 

Requested: by anon, Hi. I saw u had a victor vale fic so will you be willing to write another? Possibly Victor Vale x FemReader. Eli is a killer at this point and is trying to kill the reader but Victor is trying to find her first. He also has a crush on her and tries to get her to come with him but she refuses so he kidnaps her for safety (not yandere just panic). Later he explains why he did so and she's fine with it. She joins the little family and he begins to love her more. Idk about the end Tysm! ily writing!

I don’t own these characters. They belong to author/director/creator

(not my gif)

You remembered college fondly. You remembered the late nights with a bitter distaste in your mouth. You remembered the way Eli’s eyes looked when he had been studying nonstop for a week. You remembered Victor’s coffee order and test day sweatpants. You remembered the shitty dinners and you remembered the feeling of dying when it was inflicted on you by your friends. You remembered what it felt like to wake up again, like the breath inside you was so new it stung. 

You remembered the look in Victor’s eyes when he told you he had killed Angie. You remembered the last time you saw Eli before he lost whatever emotion he had. If the three of you hadn’t been drowning in the idea of a life between deaths then you wouldn’t have been stuck like you were now. You would have had a normal college experience. You would’ve been able to stay friends with the guys. 

You could’ve lost touch after college but remembered your friendship fondly, just like everyone else. 

Instead you were stuck with this torment. The powers you gained from your death were considered lethal to Eliot Cardale. Now you were stuck with trying to escape him until someone caught him. 

Victor looked across the crowded street. He was sitting down at a small round table by himself, nursing a cold cup of coffee. He recognized the color of your hair even from far away. He hadn’t seen you since the day he had been arrested. You and Eli had scampered your separate ways the second you realized of each other's intentions. Victor couldn’t blame you. 

He blamed Eli enough for the both of you. 

You were gently picking up some fruit from the local vendors. You had on a large pair of Jackie O sunglasses that you seemed to believe was hiding your identity. Victor would recognize the purse of your lips anywhere. He used to adore you in a way that a college boy could. From arms distance so he never messed things up with you. He used to think you would marry Eli one day. He never thought he would be chasing after you quite like this. 

You turned your head his way and he stood up. There was no use trying to hide it now. He stood up swiftly, sticking his hands in his coat pockets. Your eyes searched, as though you were looking for him specifically. Your eyes eventually landed on him as he made his way towards you. The surprise on your face was priceless. Your face eased into a startled expression as you held the fruit to your chest. 

But you didn’t move. You waited until he reached you. You hadn’t seen Victor in years. There were lines on his face you didn’t recognize. His hair had grown and he had a slight look of death about him. Underneath it, he remained the same Victor. You could tell by his eyes. 

“Victor Vale,” you breathed. He smiled slyly, almost a smirk. 

“In the flesh.” 

“The very pale flesh. You look like a ghost Victor.” 

“Did I spook you?”

“Frankly? Yes.” You gently put the fruit down in the basket you had found it. You removed your sunglasses, folding them up and holding them in your hands. “I would say it’s a surprise to run into you but I imagine you were looking for me.” 

“Don’t let it go to your head.” 

“What do you want Victor?” Now that he could see your eyes, unshaded by the sunglasses, he was struck with a heartstring he had long forgotten. A feeling tingled in his fingers. Schoolboy crush. 

“Eli is looking for you,” he stated simply. 

“I’m evading him quite well I think.” 

“Not well enough. I found you.” 

“Well I’ve never hidden from you Victor.” You smiled gently and gestured to the sidewalk. He followed you as you began to stroll. He kept a step behind you, allowing you to lead the way. “You still haven’t explained what you’re here for.”

“You need to come with me.” 

“I’m alright, thank you.”

“Eli will find you and when he does, he’ll kill you.” It was a promise, not a warning. You both knew what Eli was capable of. “We’re safer together.” You shook your head a bit. 

“I hear he’s looking more aggressively for you. I don’t think I’m on his radar.” “You never left his radar. Or mine for that matter.”

“I can’t tell if that was a compliment.” 

“Don’t make me beg.” 

“I’ve always liked a man on his knees.” You glanced up at him as you walked. He had a much too serious look on his face. “Victor. You can’t just waltz into my life again and expect me to leave with you.” 

“I can.” You stopped walking. There was a silence between the two of you. “Do you remember what it feels like to have my power used on you?” 

“I could ask you the same thing.” There was a tension between the two of you. It wasn’t nearly loving enough. You could feel the hostility. He needed you on his side and he was about ready to do anything to do it. 

“You can’t go to him,” he whispered. His voice was quiet in the wind of people around the two of you. It felt intimate. 

“I don’t plan to.” 

You were going to speak again when you suddenly began to feel faint. You blinked a couple of times, mouth still open as you searched to regan the muscles to use it. You stumbled forward. He grabbed you, clutching your arms. You fell asleep in his arms.

-

You woke up to a warm blanket being placed around you. Your eyes refused to open for a moment. You were engulfed in a warm blackness. It was peaceful for a few moments. Then your eyes opened and you remembered the panic you felt before you were asleep. 

You were in some sort of hotel room. There was a blonde girl at the edge of your bed that you didn’t notice and a dog at her side. Your breathing grew heavy. You had a feeling this girl had neared death, just as you had. 

“She’s awake,” the girl said. Her voice was quaint. It seemed like you were in some sort of hotel room. You gripped the blankets around you tightly as a tall man you didn’t recognize walked into the room from the adjoined one. Behind him was Victor. 

“Victor? What the fu-”

“I’m sorry. I knew you wouldn’t come with, no matter how hard I tried to convince you.” 

“I told you not to knock her out,” the little girl said. 

“Sydney, not the time.” The girl, Sydney, looked positively pleased with herself. “Can I speak to her alone?” he questioned. Sydney and the tall man slowly left the room, her dog following at her footsteps. Your breathing hadn’t evened down. You were still heaving. 

“Victor-” 

“I panicked,” he admitted. “Don’t make me say it again.” He looked slightly embarrassed which gave you more power in the situation. You pursed your lips and let go of the blanket on top of you. Your knuckles had turned white. He could tell your guard was still up and he couldn’t blame you. He had kidnapped you, for lack of a better word. 

“I can take care of myself.” 

“Maybe I can’t,” he said, snarkily. 

“You can’t just kidnap girls you had a crush on in college Victor.” 

“Who says I had a crush on you?” “Eli.”

“He’s a murderer. You can’t believe a word he says.” Despite the odds, you smiled a bit. You had missed Victor. Though you had things you had to return to, you understood why he had knocked you out. You weren’t likely to forgive that bit anytime soon but you could at least make an attempt to figure out your situation. 

“He’s looking for you. I’m in more danger here than I was out there.” 

“I can’t fight him alone. I need allies against him.” 

“Am I just an ally to you Victor Vale?’

“At the least an ally.”

“At the most?”

“Don’t make me say it.” You looked at him through your lashes. 

“Still the same Victor then.” You sat up all the way. “Who were they?”

“Runaways.”

“Friends.” He smirked. 

“You know I don’t have friends. Not since Eli.” 

“How dare I assume.” You would likely fight him about this whole ordeal when you had the strength to. For now you knew you had entered a war you had been fighting since it was conceived. It was foolish to run away from it. 

Victor gently grabbed your hand. Without even thinking, he took away what little pains you had left. Not as a kindness but as an instinct.

[fluentmoviequoter]

Trapped in Vale Manor

Requested by @astroherogirl! I hope you like it! Sending lots of hugs and love!🫶🏼🥰

Pairing: Victor Vale x fem!reader (platonic heading toward romantic)

Summary: During winter break at Lockland, you accompany Victor to his family home. You learn about his strained relationship with the house and set out to build better memories with him.

Warnings: Eli Cardale, mentions of child neglect and emotional abuse (Vic's childhood trauma), comfort, fluff!

Word Count: 2.0k+ words

A/N: It has been 115+ degrees (F) for the past week, so this snowy fic was a great escape! And imagine Vale Manor however you want, I just like this pic from Pinterest

Masterlist Directory | Victor Vale Masterlist | Request Info/Fandom List

Sitting opposite Victor as you read a textbook, you sigh. Lockland’s staff hasn’t approved nor denied your request to stay on campus for winter break, but you don’t have anywhere else to go. Or at least nowhere you want to go.

“What?” Victor asks with his eyes on an anatomy guide.

You hum in response, and Eli drops his heavy book onto the table and rolls his eyes.

“Victor doesn’t want to go home for winter break because he’ll be the only one there and it depresses him. You don’t have anywhere to go, but you don’t know if you’re allowed to stay on campus,” Eli explains quickly. “Now can we stop the self-pitying sighs and get back to studying?”

You nod meekly before you turn back to your book. Victor doesn’t acknowledge anything but flips a page as the library returns to silence.

“Now I’m thinking about it too,” Eli mutters. “Why don’t you both go back to the infamous Vale Manor? That way Victor, you don’t have to be alone-“

Victor raises his head to argue, but Eli shakes his head to stop him. “You know I’m right,” Eli adds. “And you don’t have to worry about getting the request approved,” he tells you.

“No,” you answer, convinced Victor wouldn’t want you in his home or anywhere near his space.

Victor shakes his head in agreement with you, though he’s thinking the opposite: that you wouldn’t want to go with him.

“You’re both insufferable,” Eli laments as he gathers his things. “I’ll see you next semester. When I plan to write a better thesis than you, Vale.”

You watch Eli walk away and shift your attention to Victor as he takes notes. There hasn’t been a doubt that you would enjoy spending time with Victor rather than alone on campus. Still, every part of his character makes you think he’d prefer to do anything else. He’s a loner for a reason.

“Would you…” he begins, tapping his pen against the desk. “Would you want to? Go to my parents’ house instead of staying here?”

“Oh, um,” you mumble, trying to find the right answer. “Would you want me to? It’s your break, Vic.”

“The house is plenty big enough for both of us.”

You nod and remember what Eli said. “If you’re sure.”

Victor nods once, then returns to studying for his exam. You take that as an invitation and smile as you look down at your highlighted paragraph. Maybe the break won’t be miserable after all.

“Whoa!” you yell when the car stops. “Vic!”

“What?” he replies as he opens his door and waves the driver away.

“Vale Manor was right… this house is beautiful. You really grew up here?”

Victor doesn’t answer as he opens the trunk and pulls your luggage out. He didn’t just grow up here, he raised himself. As he turns and sees you marveling at the house, how the light dusting of snow from earlier today makes everything brighter and more intense simultaneously, Victor sees the Vale house differently than ever before.

Before today, before watching you walk in with him, Victor never thought about his home as beautiful, or as a home for that matter. It was just a glasshouse containing broken dreams and a neglected childhood. With you, however, he sees it more as it really is. It is beautiful, and the snow accents that beauty. Inside, it’s warm and cozy, though it has never been homey merely because of the people inside.

You rush toward the fireplace, where a roaring fire welcomes you. The driver knocks on the still-open door and passes a note to Victor before he returns to the car. Victor suspects the note explains the empty house, but he opens it regardless.

“So, Eli wasn’t kidding when he said you had a staff, huh?” you tease as you return to Victor’s side.

“The staff – my parents’ staff - won’t be here. This says everything is prepared for my stay and they’ll be back just before I leave,” Victor says.

“Is that from your Alfred?” you joke.

Victor shakes his head and steps away from you, but you think you see a hint of a smile on his lips. Though he will never admit it, Victor is just glad to have someone in his house who will speak directly to him. You’re singlehandedly changing his memories in this house and what he associates it with, but Victor isn’t sure he likes that.

“Are you going to give me a tour or am I free to kingdom raid this place?” you inquire from your place beside the fireplace.

“Follow me,” he replies. It’s not an answer, yet you follow him toward the front of the house and remain in awe and wonder as he shows you around. He walks past his parents’ office, and you stop beside the door, wondering how they could willingly miss out on someone like Victor.

“It’s snowing!” you cheer as you enter a bedroom.

You rush to the balcony door and look over your shoulder at Victor. He nods, and you slide the door open to step outside. Inside, Victor takes another step toward you but doesn’t join you outside. He has seen the house and the snow before, but he has never seen someone else enjoy it. When you return inside and close the door, Victor steps back and raises his brows to ask if you’re ready to continue to tour.

“If I grew up here, I would’ve gotten in so much trouble,” you muse.

Victor considers this as he leads you back to the hallway. He was punished and belittled, but he never got in any real trouble and never did anything worth being reprimanded. You spark his curiosity and awaken a strange craving for something new in Victor, and he asks, “How?”

“How would I get in trouble?” you clarify. When Victor nods, you grab the bottom of his sleeve and smile. “This is going to be fun. We need hot cocoa, a sled or some other snow toy, and a small mirror.”

“A mirror?” Victor repeats.

“It’s my turn to teach you something.”

“The kitchen is down this hall.”

“Lead the way, Lord Vale.” Victor furrows his brows, and you explain, “This is a castle, Vic. So, you’re Lord Vale today. And you know what lords do?”

“Of course.”

“They do whatever they want, Vic. It’s just us, let loose.”

“What is this?” you ask when Victor passes you a mug.

“Hot chocolate,” he answers.

“No, this is…” you pause to sniff the drink, then scrunch your nose in disgust. “Is that carob?”

“It’s the same thing as chocolate.”

“Victor,” you chide as you set his mug aside. “That’s disgusting. Show me where your cook keeps his spices and get out of my way.”

Victor leads you to the walk-in pantry, and once your breath returns, you gather the ingredients you need for real hot chocolate. After heating the water and milk, you add the cocoa powder and your favorite spices. Victor watches over your shoulder, surprised when you add a chunk of chocolate into the pan and stir it as it melts.

“Do you have a sled?”

You turn over your shoulder, surprised to find Victor standing close to you. He nods but looks down at the counter. Without thinking, he reaches forward and knocks the nutmeg over.

“Sorry,” he murmurs.

“Did you have any pets as a kid?” you ask.

“No. I wanted a cat, but my parents said no.”

“Well, you didn’t need one.” Victor’s expression shifts in anger, and before he can speak, you add, “You act like one already.”

“I’ll get the sled.”

You finish the cocoa, pour them into mugs, and top with far too much whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle. As you carry them into the living room, you’re surprised to see Victor waiting in an oversized chair with a brand-new sled beside him.

“Welcome to the fun side of the real world, Vale,” you say as you pass him the mug. He takes it and looks down at the chair. “Don’t tell me you weren’t allowed to drink in here.”

Victor looks at you quickly, then takes a tentative sip. His eyes widen before he raises the mug with both hands. You smile at his reaction and sit on the chair across from him to enjoy your own drink and watch the snow fall outside.

“What is the sled for?” Victor asks as he sets his mug aside.

“To go stair sledding,” you answer simply.

“That sounds like a broken tibia, at best.”

“You’re not a doctor yet, Vic, you’re a lord that needs to have some fun.” You set your mug down and move closer to him. “So, let’s sled down the stairs, run down the halls, jump on the bed, play hide-and-seek, catch ghosts in those creepy pictures upstairs and enjoy this.”

Victor looks at the cuff of his sweater as he thinks. As you lose hope he'll agree, he says, “On one condition. You make more hot chocolate after.”

“As you wish, Lord Vale.”

After several rounds of stair sledding and a close call with a coffee table at the bottom, you and Victor use a handheld mirror to chase ghosts through the pictures in the halls. As Victor tries to catch one of the reflections, you duck into a bedroom and hide. Your break from school somehow turned into you teaching Victor how to have fun. But, as Victor pulls you out from under a bed and you look up into his eyes, you know that being here is everything you need and more.

“So,” you breathe out, trying not to lean closer to him, “more cocoa?”

Victor blinks quickly, his mind clearing as he realizes how close you are and that his hands are still on you. “Yeah, yeah,” he answers, stepping back.

You follow Victor down the stairs and stop when you see the large windows in the formal living room.

“Vic,” you call. “Look.”

The snow has accumulated more than expected since you arrived. There has to be at least three feet of snow piled against the window, and there is no way you could get out of here tonight, even if you needed to.

“I hope you have enough cocoa powder for the whole break,” you say tightly.

“We’re safe here,” Victor assures. “We have more than enough. If you want to leave, I can make a few calls.”

“I don’t want to leave,” you reply quickly. “I- I’m having fun.”

Victor presses his lips together before he responds, “I am too.”

Three days into your break, the snow has continued to fall as a blizzard settles over Vale Manor. With your back to the fireplace and a soccer ball on the floor before you, you look at Victor. Your game is only half over, but reality has to return at some point. Being here with Victor has been a seclusion in paradise, an opportunity to be yourself and unapologetic about it. Yet you have to know…

“What happens when we go back, Vic?”

“We count down the days until we get back here,” he answers.

You nod and look down at the ball between your feet. Suddenly, a marshmallow hits you in the face, and you gasp. Victor has another poised to throw, and you are reminded of your idea that he has the personality of a chaotic cat.

“You don’t want to do that,” you warn.

Victor pretends to weigh his options, then throws another, which hits your chest. You rush toward him and try to wrestle the bag away from him, but you end up in an unbalanced tugging war. When the plastic bag rips between you, Victor grabs your wrist. He falls back, pulling you with him, and you both land heavily on the plush rug beneath you.

Laughing, you roll onto your side, and your laughter stops. You’re face-to-face with Victor, only a breath away. What surprises you most is that you don’t want to move and Victor hasn’t moved yet either. Thunder rumbles in the distance, and as the storm shifts, you know it will be a long night. Luckily, you get to endure it with Victor Vale, Lord Vale, Vic the housecat, and every other side of his personality that you have yet to see.